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This research study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on growth performance, oxidation resistance, immunity, and cecal microbiota in broilers. This work classed three hundred and sixty 1-day-old male broilers into three groups randomly, including a control group (CON, basal diet) and antibiotic (ANT, 75 mg kg−1 chlortetracycline added into basal diet) and probiotic groups (LP, 5 × 108 CFU kg−1Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HJLP-1 contained within basal diet). Animals were then fed for 42 days, and each group comprised eight replicates with 15 broilers. Compared with CON, L. plantarum supplementation significantly improved the average daily weight gain (AWDG) (p < 0.05) while reducing the feed–gain ratio over the entire supplemental period (p < 0.05). Birds fed L. plantarum had markedly lower serum ammonia and xanthine oxidase levels (p < 0.05) than those in the ANT and CON groups. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and serum IgM and IgY contents in broilers fed L. plantarum were also observed when compared with those in the CON and ANT groups. Both L. plantarum and antibiotics decreased pro-inflammatory factor IL-1β levels significantly (p < 0.05), while only L. plantarum promoted anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 levels in the serum (p < 0.05) compared with CON. L. plantarum (p < 0.05) increased acetic acid and butyric acid concentrations in cecal contents when compared to those in CON and ANT. Among the differences revealed via 16S rRNA analysis, L. plantarum markedly improved the community richness of the cecal microbiota. At the genus level, the butyric acid-producing bacteria Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae were found in higher relative abundance in samples of L. plantarum-treated birds. In conclusion, dietary L. plantarum supplementation promoted the growth and health of broilers, likely by inducing a shift in broiler gut microbiota toward short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Therefore, L. plantarum has potential as an alternative to antibiotics in poultry breeding.

As a fundamental issue in robotics academia and industry, indoor autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been extensively studied. For AMRs, it is crucial to obtain information about their working environment and themselves, which can be realized through sensors and the extraction of corresponding information from the measurements of these sensors. The application of sensing technologies can enable mobile robots to perform localization, mapping, target or obstacle recognition, and motion tasks, etc. This paper reviews sensing technologies for autonomous mobile robots in indoor scenes. The benefits and potential problems of using a single sensor in application are analyzed and compared, and the basic principles and popular algorithms used in processing these sensor data are introduced. In addition, some mainstream technologies of multi-sensor fusion are introduced. Finally, this paper discusses the future development trends in the sensing technology for autonomous mobile robots in indoor scenes, as well as the challenges in the practical application environments.

Under ion imbalance, water deficiency, and salt stress, the osmotic pressure of the tree sap increases, and pine wood nematodes (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, PWN) parasitizing in the trees may be subjected to high-osmotic-pressure stress. KCl, L-malic acid, sucrose, and glycerol solutions were used as osmolytes to explore the highest osmotic concentration that PWN can tolerate. Survival analysis showed that when the treatment concentration exceeded 90%, only a few nematodes in the glycerol group survived under 6 h treatment, and most of the survivors were third-stage dispersal juveniles (DJ3). Further examination revealed that under different concentrations of glycerol-induced high osmotic pressure, the survival rate and body length change rate were the highest in the DJ3 and the lowest in the second-stage propagative juveniles. In order to explore the molecular mechanism of resistance of DJ3 to high osmotic stress, transcriptome sequencing was performed at each developmental stage of PWN and differentially expressed genes that were up-regulated or down-regulated only in DJ3 were screened. The expression of genes related to CoA in DJ3, a key enzyme in metabolism, was significantly higher than the other developmental stages. In addition, the expression of the anti-reversal signal pathway-related gene AKT-1 in DJ3 was significantly lower than in the other development stages. Therefore, the specific expression of genes in DJ3 under high osmotic pressure may help them rapidly produce and accumulate energy-related compounds and activate the adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway to respond to damage caused by high-osmotic-pressure stress in time, thus promoting survival.

Acidification and heavy metal stress pose challenging threats to the terrestrial environment. This investigation endeavors to scrutinize the combined effects of vermicompost and steel slag, either singularly or in concert with Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), on the remediation of acidic soil resulting from sulfide copper mining. The findings illuminate substantial ameliorations in soil attributes. The application of these amendments precipitates an elevation in soil pH of 1.39–3.08, an augmentation in organic matter of 4.05–8.65, a concomitant reduction in total Cu content of 43.2–44.7%, and a marked mitigation in Cu bioavailability of 64.2–80.3%. The pronounced reduction in soil Cu bioavailability within the steel slag treatment group (L2) is noteworthy. Characterization analyses of vermicompost and steel slag further elucidate their propensity for sequestering Cu2+ ions in the soil matrix. Concerning botanical analysis, the vermicompost treatment group (L1) significantly enhances soil fertility, culminating in the accumulation of 208.35 mg kg−1 of Cu in L. perenne stems and 1412.05 mg kg−1 in the roots. Additionally, the introduction of vermicompost and steel slag enriches soil OTU (Operational Taxonomic Units) quantity, thereby augmenting soil bacterial community diversity. Particularly noteworthy is the substantial augmentation observed in OTU quantities for the vermicompost treatment group (L1) and the combined vermicompost with steel slag treatment group (L3), exhibiting increments of 126.04% and 119.53% in comparison to the control (CK). In summation, the application of vermicompost and steel slag efficaciously diminishes the bioavailability of Cu in the soil, augments Cu accumulation in L. perenne, induces shifts in the soil microbial community structure, and amplifies soil bacterial diversity. Crucially, the concomitant application of vermicompost and steel slag emerges as a holistic and promising strategy for the remediation of sulfide copper mining acidic soil.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicines exhibit promising preventive effects on Alzheimer’s disease. Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) is a well-known traditional herbal formula whose several kinds of ingredients have the potential of ameliorating Alzheimer’s disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of CSS on the microbiota–gut–brain axis and cognitive deficits of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice as well as investigate the underlying mechanisms.Methods: Thirty 5-month-old SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into the model group (SAMP8), CSS low-dose treatment group (CSSL), and CSS high-dose treatment group (CSSH). Ten SAMR1 mice were used as the normal control, and ten SAMP8 mice treated with donepezil were used as the positive control of cognitive function. CSS was orally administrated to SAMP8 mice for 8 weeks. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate cognitive function. Histological staining was used to observe neuronal injury and Aβ deposition. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the synaptic ultrastructure. 16S rRNA gene analysis was performed to measure the changes in intestinal microbiota.Results: The results showed that CSS significantly improved the learning function and memory deficits of aged SAMP8 mice in the Morris water maze examination. CSS ameliorated neuronal injury, synaptic injuries, and Aβ deposition in the brain of SAMP8 mice. In addition, CSS also significantly improved microbiota composition in terms of elevating Lactobacillus reuteri and decreasing Staphylococcus xylosus in the feces of aged SAMP8 mice.Conclusion: These findings suggested that CSS might have a preventive potential for cognitive deficits in aging through regulating gut microbiota, which paved the way for the application of CSS for prevention and therapeutic purposes for mild cognitive impairment as well as Alzheimer’s disease.

In the realm of precision engineering, the evaluation of stress distributions in complex geometries, such as the end face of gears, is paramount for determining performance characteristics, including the fatigue life of transmission devices. This research introduces a methodology that combines the method of conformal mapping for multiply connected regions with a proposed global scaling factor. This combination facilitates the transformation of stress computations from intricate geometries to a unit circle. By employing this method as a foundation for surrogate models, and by incorporating the Bayesian-enhanced least squares genetic algorithm optimization technique, this study refines the end face stress distribution, particularly considering variations induced by tooth profile modification errors. The results delineate a design parameter domain that is conducive to achieving uniform stress distribution, offering a refined perspective and methodology for the design of cycloidal wheels.

Acute lung injury (ALI) causes lung inflammation and edema as well as resulting in gut microbiota disorder. Probiotics, however, can improve the gut microbiota composition and modulate its immune response, playing an important role in ALI pathogenesis. Therefore, our study aims to investigate the effect of Lactobacillus reuteri on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice and to probe the mechanism of its synergistic modulatory effect on the lungs and intestines. We assessed the therapeutic effects of L. reuteri in the ALI mouse model by histopathology, alveolar lavage fluid and serum inflammatory factor analysis and explored microbiome and transcriptome alterations. L. reuteri intervention effectively attenuated lung tissue injury and significantly reduced the LPS-induced inflammatory response and macrophage and neutrophil infiltration. Additionally, L. reuteri improved the intestinal barrier function and remodeled the disordered microbiota. In conclusion, our study showed that L. reuteri attenuated the inflammatory response, ameliorated the pulmonary edema, repaired the intestinal barrier, and remodeled the gut microbiota in ALI mice. This study provides new perspectives on the clinical treatment of ALI.

Summary Intestinal flora provides an important contribution to the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). We performed a cross‐sectional study in 52 healthy controls (HCs) and 83 patients with untreated active PTB to assess the differences in their microbiomic and metabolic profiles in faeces via V3‐V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Patients with PTB had considerable reductions in phylogenetic alpha diversity and the production of short‐chain fatty acids, dysbiosis of the intestinal flora and alterations in the faecal metabolomics composition compared with HCs. Significant alterations in faecal metabolites were associated with changes in the relative abundance of specific genera. Our study describes the imbalance of the gut microbiota and altered faecal metabolomics profiles in patients with PTB; the results indicate that the gut microbiota and faecal metabolomic profiles can be used as potential preventive and therapeutic targets for PTB.

Obeticholic acid (OCA) has been examined to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), but has unsatisfactory antifibrotic effect and deficient responsive rate in recent phase III clinical trial. Using a prolonged western diet-feeding murine NASH model, we show that OCA-shaped gut microbiota induces lipid peroxidation and impairs its anti-fibrotic effect. Mechanically, Bacteroides enriched by OCA deconjugates tauro-conjugated bile acids to generate excessive chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), resulting in liver ROS accumulation. We further elucidate that OCA reduces triglycerides containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA-TGs) levels, whereas elevates free PUFAs and phosphatidylethanolamines containing PUFA (PUFA-PEs), which are susceptible to be oxidized to lipid peroxides (notably arachidonic acid (ARA)-derived 12-HHTrE), inducing hepatocyte ferroptosis and activating hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Inhibiting lipid peroxidation with pentoxifylline (PTX) rescues anti-fibrotic effect of OCA, suggesting combination of OCA and lipid peroxidation inhibitor could be a potential antifibrotic pharmacological approach in clinical NASH-fibrosis.

IntroductionThere is a common phenomenon of tactile missing in online retail. How to realize consumer tactile compensation is a consensus problem in the field of e-commerce. More and more marketeers and scholars convey their ideas via visual display, but few researches have focused on the tactile compensatory effect of visual language.MethodsStudy 1 collected data from nearly 13,000 online purchases to analyze the impact of haptic cues on sales in real online shopping platforms; Study 2 used a experimental research method to design three experimental groups: hand haptic cue group vs. Object haptic cue group vs. control group (N = 165) to investigate whether the main effect of haptic cues and the dual mediating effect of mental simulation held. Study 3 also adopted a simulated experimental research approach to design a two-factor group: 2 (haptic cue: hand vs. object) × 2 (product type: tactile functional product vs. tactile experiential product) (N = 198). To further explore whether the moderating effect of product type holds based on Study 2.ResultsTherefore, based on the visualization theory and mental simulation theory, and through a second-hand data experiment and two simulated experiments, this study confirmed that visual language did have a compensation effect on tactile missing specifically. Haptic cues in metaphorical visual language can actively compensate for consumers’ tactile loss, thus affecting the purchase intention. Mental simulation plays a mediating role in the tactile compensation effect. Product type has a moderating effect, and the use of hand (object) haptic cues in metaphorical visual language in tactile functional products (tactile experiential products) can lead to a more active purchase intention.DiscussionThis study not only enriches the theoretical research on the tactile compensation effect of visual language, but also provides valuable management enlightenment for e-commerce enterprises to improve the effectiveness of online product display and online sensory marketing strategies.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Lespedeza buergeri is presented in this report. It is 149,065 bp in length and divided into four distinct regions: a small single copy (SSC) region of 18,934 bp, a large single copy (LSC) region of 82,476 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat regions of 23,826 bp. The annotation of the L. buergeri complete chloroplast genome predicted a total of 123 genes (77 protein-coding genes, 38 transfer RNA genes, and 8 ribosomal RNA genes). Phylogenetic analysis with the reported chloroplast genomes revealed that L. buergeri is nested in the genus Lespedeza of Fabaceae family. Furthermore, L. buergeri exhibited a close relationship with Lespedeza bicolor and Lespedeza cuneata. This results in this study might contribute to further investigating the evolutionary relationship of family Fabaceae.

Abstract Background Contrast-induced encephalopathy (CIE) is a rare complication of the angiography process. CIE may mimic stroke symptoms clinically and subarachnoid hemorrhage radiologically. Previous CIE cases occurred after the initial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) scan. Here, we encountered an unusual case of CIE mimicking a stroke with an internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysm and ipsilateral ICA stenosis that occurred after a second DSA procedure. Case presentation A 77-year-old female with a history of hypertension and coronary heart disease underwent two cerebral DSA procedures over 1 week. She was given the same nonionic and iso-osmolar Visipaque agent (smaller than 200 ml) for both procedures. However, neurological complications only occurred after the second DSA procedure. On the first diagnostic cerebral DSA, she was diagnosed with an intracranial aneurysm of the left ICA with moderate stenosis (approximately 50%) in the initial part of the ipsilateral ICA. However, after the second aneurysm embolization procedure by DSA, she developed right hemiplegia, aphasia, and epilepsy, mimicking left middle cerebral artery occlusion. An emergency CT showed a diffuse hyperdensity in the left subarachnoid space, mimicking SAH. MRI demonstrated that the lesion was hyperintense on T2WI, FLAIR imaging, and DWI but was normal on ADC mapping. On postoperative Day 6, her neurologic deficits had completely resolved after initial fluid restriction, corticosteroid treatment, and rehydration. Conclusion This case indicates that clinicians should consider the occurrence of CIE following any angiography procedure, even if the initial cerebral DSA procedure is successful and without complications.

Diets rich in fiber may provide health benefits and regulate the gut microbiome, which affects the immune system. However, the role of dietary fiber in Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is controversial. Here, we investigated the use of fermentable fibers, such as inulin or pectin, to replace the insoluble fiber cellulose to explore how dietary fiber affects C. difficile-induced colitis in mice through intestinal microecology and metabolomics. Using C. difficile VPI 10463, we generated a mouse model of antibiotic-induced CDI. We evaluated disease outcomes and the microbial community among mice fed two fermentable fibers (inulin or pectin) versus the insoluble fiber cellulose. We analyzed and compared the gut microbiota, intestinal epithelium, cytokine levels, immune responses, and metabolites between the groups. Severe histological injury and elevated cytokine levels were observed in colon tissues after infection. Different diets showed different effects, and pectin administration protected intestinal epithelial permeability. Pectin also steadily increased the diversity of the microbiome and decreased the levels of C. difficile-induced markers of inflammation in serum and colonic tissues. The pectin group showed a higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae and a lower abundance of the conditionally pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae than the cellulose group with infection. The concentration of short-chain fatty acids in the cecal contents was also higher in the pectin group than in the cellulose group. Pectin exerted its effects through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) pathway, which was confirmed by using the AhR agonist FICZ and the inhibitor CH2223191. Our results show that pectin alters the microbiome and metabolic function and triggers a protective immune response.

Phenanthrene (PHE), mainly released from coal tar and petroleum distillation, is an important kind of prevalent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination in China (up to 2.38 ± 0.02 mg/kg in soil and 8668 ng/L in surface water) and other countries in the world. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show promising application prospects in the decontamination field, however, suffering from the intrinsic fragility and fine powder forms. Therefore, macroscopic MOFs architecture-sandwich-like Fe-ZIF-8/blue TiO2 nanotube arrays (BTNAs)/Ti substrate (FBTT) anode with strong interfacial bonding (Fe-O-Ti and Fe-2-MIM-Ti coordination) was constructed using innovative in situ growth, condensation-crystallization-deposition, and pyrolysis methods, aiming at exploring the feasibility of MOFs-based anode/peroxymonosulfate (PMS) mediated PHE elimination, revealing the in-depth mechanisms, simultaneously overcoming the intrinsic drawbacks of MOFs. The FBTT-4 (doping content of 30 %) efficiently degraded PHE by 90.01 % and 74.5 % within 10 min at 350 μg/L and 3 mg/L, respectively, mediated by the ·OH compared to the SO4·-, 1O2, and O2·-. Post-optimized range of anodic potential enabled (i) anodic oxidation, (ii) activation of water and PMS molecules to produce active species, (iii) capture of electrons in reactants to reduce Fe3+/Ti4+ to Fe2+/Ti3+, maintaining the proportion of Fe/Ti with low valence and thus stable PMS activation capacity, and (iv) regulation of the Fe/Ti d-band center to modulate the anode adsorption capacity. The further increment in anodic potential could promote “dark photocatalysis” with a Z-scheme-like mechanism. Thus, it is proposed that the development of macroscopic MOFs-based anode, especially those with small band gaps, represents vast potentials in electrocatalytic contamination elimination. Simultaneously, the MOFs-based anode is expected to fully exploit their catalytic capacities and solve their intrinsic defects as well.

Animal models play an indispensable role in the study of human diseases. However, animal models of different diseases do not fully mimic the complex internal environment of humans. Immunodeficient mice are deficient in certain genes and do not express these or show reduced expression in some of their cells, facilitating the establishment of humanized mice and simulation of the human environment in vivo. Here, we summarize the developments in immunodeficient mice, from the initial nude mice lacking T lymphocytes to NOD/SCID rgnull mice lacking T, B, and NK cell populations. We describe existing humanized immune system mouse models based on immunodeficient mice in which human cells or tissues have been transplanted to establish a human immune system, including humanized-peripheral blood mononuclear cells (Hu-PBMCs), humanized hematopoietic stem cells (Hu-HSCs), and humanized bone marrow, liver, thymus (Hu-BLT) mouse models. The different methods for their development involve varying levels of complexity and humanization. Humanized mice are widely used in the study of various diseases to provide a transitional stage for clinical research. However, several challenges persist, including improving the efficiency of reconstructing the human B cell immune response, extending lifespan, improving the survival rate of mice to extend the observation period, and improving the development of standardized commercialized models and as well as their use. Overall, there are many opportunities and challenges in the development of humanized immune system mouse models which can provide novel strategies for understanding the mechanisms and treatments of human disease.

ABSTRACT Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a progressive inflammation-associated liver injury. Pyroptosis is a novel inflammatory programmed cell death wherein gasdermin D (GSDMD) serves as the executioner. Our work challenged Gsdmd−/− mice with concanavalin A (ConA) to try to unveil the actual role of GSDMD in AIH. After ConA injection, Gsdmd−/− mice exhibited more severe liver damage characterized by a lower survival rate, more extensive hepatocyte necrosis and apoptosis, and higher serum transaminase levels, indicating the protection of GSDMD in ConA-induced AIH. Furthermore, the Gsdmd−/− mice exhibited higher hepatic expression and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines (gamma interferon [IFN-γ], tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], and interleukin-17A [IL-17A]) and more infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils after ConA treatment than did wild-type (WT) mice. Gsdmd−/− mice with AIH showed increased hepatic l-glutamine levels but decreased glycerophospholipid metabolites levels. L-glutamine levels showed positive correlations while glycerophospholipid metabolites showed negative associations with liver injury indexes and inflammation markers. We further observed a destroyed intestinal barrier in Gsdmd−/− mice after ConA injection as indicated by decreased transcriptional expressions of Tjp1, Ocln, Reg3g, and Muc2. ConA-treated Gsdmd−/− mice also exhibited higher serum LPS binding protein (LBP) concentrations and hepatic Tlr4 and Cd14 mRNA levels. Further fecal 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated decreased relative abundances of Lactobacillus and Roseburia but increased relative abundances of Allobaculum and Dubosiella in Gsdmd−/− mice with AIH. Lactobacillus was negatively correlated with liver injury and inflammation indexes and positively associated with Ocln, Muc2, and Reg3g levels. Allobaculum was positively related to liver injury and inflammatory cytokines and negatively correlated with gut barrier indexes. IMPORTANCE Our study provides the first direct clues to the protective role of gasdermin D (GSDMD) in autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We demonstrated that Gsdmd knockout exacerbated concanavalin A (ConA)-induced AIH in mice. It may be due to the destroyed intestinal barrier and changes in certain intestinal microbes and hepatic metabolites resulting in increased liver injury and inflammation in ConA-treated Gsdmd−/− mice. This finding suggested a nonnegligible role of GSDMD in AIH and also confirmed its physiological nonpyroptosis effects on the host. The role of GSDMD in autoimmune liver diseases or other liver diseases is complex and intriguing, deserving deep investigation.

BackgroundLung cancer occurs and develops as a result of a complicated process involving numerous genes; therefore, single-gene regulation has a limited therapeutic effect. We discovered that miR-21 expression was high in lung cancer tissues and cells, whereas let-7 expression was low, and it is unclear whether their combined regulation would be superior to therapy involving single regulation. The goal of our research was to investigate this situation and the regulatory mechanism that exists between these genes.MethodsTo regulate the levels of miR-21 and let-7 in these two types of lung cancer cells, we transfected miRNA mimics or inhibitors into A549 and H460 cells. Lung cancer cells were tested for proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. The results were verified using a Western blot and a qRT-PCR assay. Bioinformatics was used to investigate their potential regulatory pathways, and luciferase assays were used to confirm the binding sites.ResultsThe expression of miR-21 was increased and that of let-7 was decreased in lung cancer tissues and cells compared with paracancerous tissues and normal lung cells (p < 0.01). Tumor cells were inhibited by downregulation of miR-21 and upregulation of let-7, and cooperative regulation showed a better effect. Upregulation of miR-21 and downregulation of let-7 promoted tumor cells, and this tumor-promoting effect was amplified by cooperative regulation. MiR-21 regulated lung cancer cells directly via the Wnt/-catenin pathway, and let-7 exerted its effects via the PLAG1/GDH1 pathway. MiR-21 and let-7 cooperated to regulate lung cancer cells via the K-ras pathway.ConclusionsThe effect of cooperative regulation of miR-21 and let-7 on lung cancer is greater than that of a single miRNA. MiR-21 and let-7 are important differentially expressed genes in lung cancer that are regulated by the K-ras pathway. As a result, for multigene lung cancer, the cooperative regulation of two miRNAs will provide a new target and direction for lung cancer treatment in the future.

In this study, we compared two anomalous wet February periods in 2021 and 2022 in China. The same anomalies appeared in the spatial distribution of precipitation, with anomalous precipitation centered over the southeast coast. However, temperature discrepancies appeared in most of China, with anomalously high temperatures in 2021 and lower temperatures in 2022. Both instances of increased precipitation were attributed to warm and moist advection from the south, with transport in 2021 being partly enhanced by the South China Sea cyclone, whereas transport in 2022 was mainly due to the subtropical western North Pacific anticyclone. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare and analyze temperature and precipitation anomalies in February 2021 and 2022 using the self-organizing map method. Warm events in East Asia and cold events in Siberia and the Tibetan Plateau types were obtained by mode 1, which contained 2021. Mode 6 exhibited opposite warm types in Siberia and cold types in southern Asia, including February temperature and precipitation anomalies in 2022. Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that precipitation anomalies in February 2021 and 2022 occurred under different temperature and circulation anomalies, and both were influenced by La Niña events. Autumn sea ice loss in the Barents Sea contributed significantly to warm and rainy events in February 2021. However, the cold and rainy events of February 2022 were closely related to the strengthening of the Siberian High.

Objective: To remove the phobic psychological situation of Chinese college students who were in school lockdowns during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to provide a theoretical basis for college student psychological intervention. Methods: Online survey conducted from December 9, 2021, to December 11, 2021. The seven-item Fcv-19s was employed to assess fear of COVID-19 on a Likert five-point scale. Categorical data were reported as number and percentage, whereas continuous data were reported as mean ± standard deviation. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the association between different factors and anxiety symptoms. Results: The study population consisted of 26.02% (268) male and 73.98% (762) female, of whom approximately 84% were undergraduates. The overall mean score of the questionnaire was 16.04 ± 5.28. Significantly more study populations reported high levels of fear (54.8%), while age, cost of life, professional category, education background (P < 0.05) revealed significant differences based on fear levels. Conclusions: More than half of the Chinese college students developed fear symptoms during the COVID-19 epidemic. Appropriate psychological interventions for college students should be implemented promptly to reduce the psychological harm induced by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Biological fouling is one of the main reasons that limits the application of traditional polypropylene (PP) fishing nets in aquaculture. Here, a new environmentally friendly and broad–spectrum antibacterial agent called cationic poly(hexamethylene guanidine) (PHMG) was grafted onto PP molecular chains via permanent chemical bonding to inhibit the biological fouling. The antibacterial monofilaments were obtained by blending different contents of PP–g–PHMG with PP by melt spinning. FTIR results found PHMG to be stably present in the mixed monofilaments after high–temperature melt spinning molding. The crystallinity, relaxation behavior, mechanical properties, water absorptivity, and antibacterial and antifouling efficiencies of the PP–g–PHMG/PP blends were strongly dependent on PP–g–PHMG. The crystallinity increased with increasing PP–g–PHMG content. Adding PP–g–PHMG improved the breaking strength, knotting strength, and elongation at the break for all ratios of PP–g–PHMG/PP blends. However, the water absorption caused by PHMG is low, ranging between 2.48% and 3.45% for the PP–g–PHMG/PP monofilaments. The monofilaments showed excellent nonleaching antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The electrostatic adsorption of the negatively charged bacteria and the destruction of their cell membrane allowed the growth inhibition to reach 99.69% with a PP–g–PHMG content of 40%. The marine fish farming experiment also showed a long–term antifouling effect.

Model-based approaches are essential for designing cyber-physical systems, which adopt the formal models to simultaneously form the specifications and enable the verification at an early stage. Aimed to model the complex structure and continuous-discrete hybrid behavior of cyber-physical systems, this paper mathematically defines a dynamic relational system so that the cyber-physical system can be regarded as dynamic relational systems in a hierarchical structure and each dynamical relational system is a triple of dynamic attributes, subsystems, and hybrid relations between attributes and subsystems. Every hybrid relation contains a tuple and a predicate to govern the system behaviors. By utilizing the dynamic relational system, a parametric abstraction is then performed to specify the design requirements and schemes. It can represent the structure and behaviors of multiple cyber-physical system design schemes in an integrated manner. With a mathematical foundation, the constructed relational models are beneficial for structural analysis and behavior verification. An implementation case of a friction-driven plate conveyor is presented to illustrate the design specification with relational models, and the connectivity analysis and behavior verifications are carried out to show the effectiveness and engineering practicability of the achieved models.

Sanghuangporus baumii (Pilát) (Zhou and Dai), a traditional Chinese medicinal fungus, has been confirmed to produce triterpenoids, which possess a good anti-cancer effect. However, the triterpenoids yield of S. baumii is low and its biosynthetic mechanism is not clearly understood. To investigate the triterpenoids biosynthetic mechanism, the whole cDNA sequence of the HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) gene was obtained. The open reading frame of HMGR gene cDNA named SbHMGR, comprised 4170 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 1389 amino acids with a predicted protein molecular weight of 147.53 kDa. The HMGR gene includes four exons and three introns. Subsequently, the triterpenoids content was determined at different developmental stages of S. baumii. It showed a dynamic tendency—increased first, then decreased and peaked on 14th day in the mycelium stage. In addition, the changing trend of SbHMGR enzyme activity and transcript level of SbHMGR gene were measured. They were nearly consistent with the triterpenoids content, suggesting that SbHMGR gene may play a key regulatory role in triterpenoids biosynthetic pathway. Similarly, changes in the transcript level of downstream key genes (SbMVD, SbIDI, SbLSD) of SbHMGR gene were also positively correlated with the triterpenoids content, indicating those three genes were also involved in triterpenoids biosynthetic pathway. Moreover, SbHMGR gene had been observed to be expressed in prokaryote. The results will be valuable for elucidation of the biosynthetic pathway of triterpenoids in S. baumii, lay a foundation for genetic modifications to improve triterpenoids yield.

Abstract Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein serine kinase (CASK) is a key player in vesicle transport and release in neurons. However, its precise role, particularly in nonneuronal systems, is incompletely understood. We report that CASK functions as an important regulator of insulin secretion. CASK depletion in mouse islets/β cells substantially reduces insulin secretion and vesicle docking/fusion. CASK forms a ternary complex with Mint1 and Munc18-1, and this event is regulated by glucose stimulation in β cells. The crystal structure of the CASK/Mint1 complex demonstrates that Mint1 exhibits a unique “whip”-like structure that wraps tightly around the CASK-CaMK domain, which contains dual hydrophobic interaction sites. When triggered by CASK binding, Mint1 modulates the assembly of the complex. Further investigation revealed that CASK-Mint1 binding is critical for ternary complex formation, thereby controlling Munc18-1 membrane localization and insulin secretion. Our work illustrates the distinctive molecular basis underlying CASK/Mint1/Munc18-1 complex formation and reveals the importance of the CASK-Mint1-Munc18 signaling axis in insulin secretion.

Clostridioides difficile is a common cause of nosocomial infection. Antibiotic-induced dysbiosis in the intestinal microbiota is a core cause of C. difficile infection (CDI). Akkermansia muciniphila plays an active role in maintaining gastrointestinal balance and might offer the protective effects on CDI as probiotics. Here, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of A. muciniphila on CDI. C57BL/6 mice (n = 29) were administered A. muciniphila MucT (3 × 109 CFUs, 0.2 mL) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) by oral gavage for 2 weeks. Mice were pretreated with an antibiotic cocktail and subsequently challenged with the C. difficile strain VPI 10463. A. muciniphila treatment prevented weight loss in mice and reduced the histological injury of the colon. And it also alleviated inflammation and improved the barrier function of the intestine. The administration effects of A. muciniphila may be associated with an increase in short-chain fatty acid production and the maintenance of bile acids’ steady-state. Our results provide evidence that administration of A. muciniphila to CDI mice, with an imbalance in the microbial community structure, lead to a decrease in abundance of members of the Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcaceae. In short, A. muciniphila shows a potential anti-CDI role by modulating gut microbiota and the metabolome.

ObjectiveTo estimate the epidemic trends of tuberculosis (TB) in 30 high burden countries (HBCs) over the past 30 years, which is crucial for tracking the status of disease control, especially at the country level.MethodsAnnual data on incidence and mortality of TB in these 30 HBCs were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease database. The average annual percent change (AAPC) was used to evaluate the trends of incidence and mortality. The trajectory analysis was used to identify different trends among the subgroup countries. The predicted incidence and mortality rates in 2025, 2030, and 2035 were also calculated.ResultsThe incidence and mortality decreased in most of the HBCs. The AAPCs of incidence ranged between −4.0 (Indonesia) and −0.2% (DR Congo) (all p < 0.05). The incidence trends in Lesotho (AAPC: 0%, 95% CI: −0.4, 0.3, p = 0.8) and South Africa (AAPC: −0.2%, 95% CI: −0.5, 0, p = 0.1) were stable, and increased in Kenya with AAPC of 0.1% (95% CI: 0.1, 0.2, p < 0.05). The AAPCs for mortality ranged between −5.8 (Ethiopia) and −0.6% (Central African Republic) (all p < 0.05). The mortality trends in DPR Korea (AAPC: 0.1%, 95% CI: −0.3, 0.4, p = 0.6) and Russian Federation (AAPC: −0.5%, 95% CI: −1.9, 0.9, p = 0.5) were stable, and increased in Lesotho and Zimbabwe with AAPC of 1.3% (95% CI: 1.1, 1.4, p < 0.05) and 1.6% (95% CI: 1.0, 2.2, p < 0.05), respectively. Trajectory analysis showed that the Central African Republic, Lesotho, Cambodia, Namibia, and South Africa had higher incidences, and the Central African Republic had higher mortality. Brazil and China had relatively lower rates of incidence and mortality. Predictions showed that reduction rates of incidence and mortality could hardly be reached compared with those set for the global targets for the majority HBCs.ConclusionsThe disease burden of TB has been reduced among the majority HBCs over the last three decades. According to the current control levels, achieving the ambitious global targets at the country level for these 30 HBCs is challenging.

With the deeper understanding of the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which threatens human health, NSCLC treatment has entered a new era. Transition from traditional treatment based on surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy to individualized and precise targeted therapy and safer and more effective immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy has been approved as a first-line or second-line treatment for advanced NSCLC, and has achieved extraordinary clinical results. Meanwhile, other types of immunotherapy are rarely explored in NSCLC. Chimeric antigen receptor modified T cells (CAR-T cells) perform well in treating several hematological malignancies. However, it is not ideal for treating patients with solid tumors including NSCLC. This review aims to systematically explain the latest progress of CAR-T in the treatment of NSCLC, mainly including: CAR molecular target selection, CAR-T function enhancement and related toxicity management, as well as the difficulties and prospects of CAR-T treatment of NSCLC. It aims to open up new perspectives and unique ideas for the immunotherapy of NSCLC, and contribute to the building of tumor immunotherapy.

Abstract Background Current researches have revealed that delta-like protein 3 (DLL3) may be related with prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). However, this finding remains controversial in small cell lung cancer. This meta-analysis was systematically performed to evaluate the prognostic value of DLL3 in SCLC. Methods The PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases were retrieved to collect the eligible references. Through Stata 15.0 software, we pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) by using random or fixed-effects models to evaluate the association between DLL3 and SCLC survival results. Results A total of 6 inter-related studies including 645 patients were qualified. After we removed 1 study, the remaining 5 studies including 601 patients were pooled to testify that high expression of DLL3 was an inferior prognostic for patients with SCLC in Asian populations (HR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.69; I 2 = 0.0%, p = 0.000). The pooled results showed that DLL3 might be higher expression in advanced metastasis SCLC in Asian populations (RR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71, 0.99; I 2 = 44.7%, p = 0.039). But the expression of DLL3 was not correlated with sex (RR = 1.33, 95% CI = 0.98, 1.80; I 2 = 0.0%, p = 0.064), smoking history (RR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.58, 1.75; I 2 = 72.1%, p = 0.967) and tumour stage (RR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.44, 1.05; I 2 = 66.6%, p = 0.081). Conclusions Our meta-analysis confirms that in Asian populations, high expression of DLL3 was a potential poor prognostic biomarker for SCLC and DLL3 highly expressed in advanced stage SCLC in Asian populations.

Abstract Background Whole body vibration (WBV) is currently increasing in popularity as a treatment modality for musculoskeletal disorders and improving health-related quality of life. Recent research has shown that WBV can reduce low back pain and improve the functional abilities for patients, however, optimal frequency and duration of vibration for therapeutic use is unclear. This review was conducted to summarize and determine the efficacy of whole body vibration therapy on individuals with non-specific low back pain (NLBP) and evaluated methodological quality of the included studies. Methods Online literature searches through the Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library databases, PEDro, Ovid, EBSCO (Medline) and Scopus were conducted up to December 2019. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of WBV on pain intensity and/or functional ability in individuals with non-specific low back pain (NLBP) were included. Details of the sample characteristics, treatment of the comparison group, WBV parameters and outcome measures were recorded, and methodological quality appraised using the PEDro scale. Results 7 published RCTs (418 patients) were included in the systematic review. Due to heterogeneity in vibration parameters and prescriptions, and small number of studies, no meta-analysis was performed. Four out of the six included studies using pain as an outcome measure showed that WBV had a beneficial effect on pain compared with the control group, whereas only two trials were considered to be of high methodological quality. Among the six studies which measured functional ability, three studies with good quality reported significant between-group differences in favor of WBV. Conclusions There is limited evidence suggests that WBV is beneficial for NLBP when compared with other forms of interventions (stability training, classic physiotherapy, routine daily activity). Due to the small sample sizes and statistical heterogeneity, we still cannot draw conclusions that WBV is an effective intervention. Further high-quality studies are needed before clinical recommendations can be provided to support its use in a general population with NLBP and to explore the optimal treatment protocol. Trial registration PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017074775 .

Profiting from its remarkable maneuverability and efficiency, the four-wheeled autonomous mobile robot (FAMR) is appealing for intelligent manufacturing and automation applications. However, the suppression of unknown disturbances and system uncertainties remains a challenge for formulating a precise trajectory-tracking control scheme. This paper achieves the anti-disturbance direct yaw moment control of a developed FAMR by proposing a robust super-twisting sliding mode controller (RSSMC) to enhance the dynamic tracking and disturbance rejection property simultaneously. One of the major contributions is that the presented RSSMC method is constructed with a novel reaching law to eliminate the matched perturbations and time-varying lumped disturbances. As another distinguishing feature, this method is capable of driving the resultant FAMR trajectory into a bounded switching region and maintaining it therein for subsequent periods in finite time. To guarantee the closed-loop stability and finite-time convergence, new sufficient conditions for specifying the variable gains are determined utilizing Lyapunov functions. Finally, under the direct yaw moment control framework, simulation experiments of a developed FAMR system are offered to verify the practicability of the RSSMC scheme.

ABSTRACT The gut microbiota drives individual sensitivity to excess acetaminophen (APAP)-mediated hepatotoxicity. It has been reported that the bacterium Akkermansia muciniphila protects hosts against liver disease via the liver-gut axis, but its therapeutic potential for drug-induced liver injury remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of A. muciniphila on APAP-induced liver injury and the underlying mechanism. Administration of A. muciniphila efficiently alleviated APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and reduced the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST). A. muciniphila significantly attenuated APAP-induced oxidative stress and the inflammatory response, as evidenced by restoration of the reduced glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) balance, enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, reduced proinflammatory cytokine production, and alleviation of macrophage and neutrophil infiltration. Moreover, A. muciniphila maintained gut barrier function, reshaped the perturbed microbial community and promoted short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) secretion. The beneficial effects of A. muciniphila were accompanied by alterations in hepatic gene expression at the transcriptional level and activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway. Our results suggested that A. muciniphila could be a potential pretreatment for APAP-induced liver injury. IMPORTANCE Our work revealed that A. muciniphila attenuated APAP-induced liver injury by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation in the liver, and its hepatoprotective effect was accompanied by activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway and mediated by regulation of the composition and metabolic function of the intestinal microbiota. This finding suggested that the microbial community is a non-negligible impact on drug metabolism and probiotic administration could be a potential therapy for drug-induced liver injury.

Introduction: Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the inflammatory process and lipid depositions. We previously reported that microRNA-216a (miR-216a) can accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis by promoting the polarization of M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype. Ginsenoside Rb2 (Rb2), the major pharmacologically active compound extracted from ginseng, has a high affinity to miR-216a. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether Rb2 can counteract the effect of miR-216a in macrophages to ameliorate atherosclerosis.Methods: The apolipoprotein E deficiency (ApoE−/−) mice model was chronically infected with miR-216a adenovirus via the tail vein and then intraperitoneally injected with Rb2. The plaque lesion area and stability of thoracic aorta were examined. The human myeloid leukemia mononuclear cells (THP-1) or human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured in vitro, transfected with miR-216a mimics, and treated with Rb2 to explore the mechanisms of Rb2 on the polarization of M1 macrophages, inflammatory process, and lipid accumulation.Results: In the atherosclerotic ApoE−/− mice model, miR-216a greatly increased en face aortic lesion area of the thoracic aorta, lipid accumulation, and M1 macrophages infiltration in plaques, whereas these effects of miR-216a on atherosclerosis burden were significantly alleviated by Rb2 treatment. In the in vitro THP-1 model, the flow cytometry experiment showed that Rb2 treatment inhibited miR-216a–mediated polarization of M1 macrophages characterized by the surface marker CD86 expression but had no effects on M2 polarization characterized by the surface marker CD206 expression. Mechanistically, Rb2 suppressed the miR-216a–mediated inflammatory response through the Smad3/nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha pathway. Moreover, Rb2 reduced the lipid uptake and promoted cholesterol efflux by counteracting the effects of miR-216a in the THP-1–derived foam cells and in the PBMC-derived foam cells under the oxidized low-density lipoproteins.Conclusion: Our findings indicated that Rb2 might be a potential therapeutic molecule for atherosclerosis by attenuating the atherosclerosis plaque lesion, lipid accumulation, and M1 macrophages polarization by targeting miR-216a. Given that accumulation of foam cells in the intima takes place chronically, the role of Rb2 in atherosclerosis progression needs further investigation.

A Burch–Schneider (BS) cage is a reinforcement device used in total hip arthroplasty (THA) revision surgeries to bridge areas of acetabular loss. There have been a variety of BS cages in the market, which are made of solid metal. However, significant differences in structural configuration and mechanical behavior between bone and metal implants cause bone resorption and interface loosening, and hence lead to failure of the implant in the long term. To address this issue, an optimal design framework for a cellular BS cage was investigated in this study by genetic algorithm and topology optimization, inspired by porous human bone with variable holes. In this optimization, a BS cage is constructed with functionally graded lattice material which gradually evolves to achieve better mechanical behavior by natural selection and natural genetics. Clinical constraints that allow adequate bone ingrowth and manufacturing constraint that ensures the realization of the optimized implant are considered simultaneously. A homogenization method is introduced to calculate effective mechanical properties of octet-truss lattice material in a given range of relative density. At last, comparison of the optimum lattice BS cage with a fully solid cage and a lattice cage with identical element density indicates the validity of the optimization design strategy proposed in this article.

Herein, we investigated the characteristics and mechanisms of interannual variability of extreme summer precipitation in northwest China (NWC). The four high-resolution precipitation predicting products under assessment indicated that both the accumulation of summer daily precipitation ≥95th percentile, and the summer maxima of daily precipitation generally decreased in a southeast—northwest direction, while relatively high values were observed in the Tienshan and Qilian Mountain areas. In turn, the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite dataset underestimated extreme precipitation in mountainous areas, while Asian precipitation highly—resolved observational data integration towards evaluation (APHRODITE) and Climate Prediction Center (CPC) captured the characteristics of extreme precipitation in NWC. AMIP-type simulations of the interannual variability of extreme summer precipitation in NWC were quite unsuccessful. However, all of them can capture the increasing trends. Therefore, we further found that the interannual increase in extreme precipitation in NWC is strongly correlated with the weakened South Asian high, strengthened Western Pacific Subtropical high, the enhanced westerly jet, and the mid- to high-latitude Rossby wave trains, whose formation and sustenance can be traced back to sea surface temperature-anomalies in the western Pacific in May, June, and July. An increased sea surface temperature promotes convection and induces diabatic heating, which stimulates anticyclonic anomalies that disturb the enhanced westerly jet, resulting in a barotropic Rossby wave train via the Gill-type response. Additionally, it guides more water vapor convergence to NWC and enhances upward motion via anticyclonic anomalies over western Europe and Eastern Asia, and cyclonic anomalies over Central Asia.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are two common multisystem autoimmune diseases that share, among others, many clinical manifestations and serological features. The role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been of particular interest in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Here, we aimed to summarize the roles of lncRNAs as emerging novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in SLE and RA. We conducted a narrative review summarizing original articles on lncRNAs associated with SLE and RA, published until November 1, 2021. Based on the studies on lncRNA expression profiles in samples (including PBMCs, serum, and exosomes), it was noted that most of the current research is focused on investigating the regulatory mechanisms of these lncRNAs in SLE and/or RA. Several lncRNAs have been hypothesized to play key roles in these diseases. In SLE, lncRNAs such as GAS5, NEAT1, TUG1, linc0949, and linc0597 are dysregulated and may serve as emerging novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In RA, many validated lncRNAs, such as HOTAIR, GAS5, and HIX003209, have been identified as promising novel biomarkers for both diagnosis and treatment. The shared lncRNAs, for example, GAS5, may participate in SLE pathogenesis through the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and trigger the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway in RA. Here, we summarize the data on key lncRNAs that may drive the pathogenesis of SLE and RA and could potentially serve as emerging novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the coming future.

Clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). However, the potential mechanism of IF in alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis is not fully understood. The present study was mainly designed to explore the dynamic changes in the gut microbiota and metabolome after short-term (2 weeks) or long-term (20 weeks) IF and therefore clarify the potential mechanisms by which IF ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in a murine model. Thirty-two C57BL/6 male mice were equally divided into four groups and underwent IF intervention for 2 weeks (SIF group, n = 8), 20 weeks (LIF group, n = 8), or were allowed free access to food for 2 weeks (SAL group, n = 8) or 20 weeks (LAL group, n = 8). The thirty-two C57BL/6 male mice were accepted for the diet intervention of 2 weeks of IF or fed ad libitum. Colitis was induced by drinking 2% DSS for 7 days. Our findings showed that short-term IF prominently elevates the abundance of Bacteroides, Muibaculum and Akkermansia (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), and decreased the abundance of Ruminiclostridium (p < 0.05). Long-term IF, however, decreased the abundance of Akkermansia and obviously increased the abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Metabolites mainly associated with nucleoside, carbohydrate, amino acid, bile acid, fatty acid, polyol, steroid and amine metabolism were identified in the faeces using untargeted GC/MS. In particular, inosine was extremely enriched after short-term IF and long-term IF (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively); butyrate, 2-methyl butyric acid and valeric acid were significantly decreased after short-term IF (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively); and 2-methyl butyric acid was significantly increased after long-term IF (p < 0.001). The abundance of lithocholic acid (LCA), one of the secondary bile acids, increased significantly after short-term and long-term IF based on UPLC–MS/MS (p < 0.001, p < 0.5, respectively). Of note, IF markedly mitigated DSS-induced acute colitis symptoms and down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-6, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and G-CSF levels in the serum (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, a correlation analysis indicated that the disease activity index (DAI) score and serum levels of IL-1α, IL-6, KC, and G-CSF were negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Akkermansia and the faecal metabolites LCA and inosine. This study confirmed that IF altered microbiota and reprogramed metabolism, which was a promising development in the attempt to prevent DSS-induced colitis. Moreover, our findings provide new insights regarding the correlations among the mucosal barrier dysfunction, metabolome, and microbiome.

Nonholonomic four-wheeled mobile robot (NFMR) is a typical multiple input–multiple output system that formulates its kinematic dynamics concerning position and attitude in a parallel manner. However, due to the lumped disturbances and interconnected states, demand-satisfied performance is difficult to obtain for existing coupled control solutions. To address this problem, a double-loop sliding-mode control (DLSMC) mechanism is proposed for achieving position/attitude cascade regulation. For the outer position tracking loop in the proposed scheme, a sliding mode control method of the bounded time-varying integral nonsingular terminal is designed to guarantee fast tracking in the presence of large initial errors and input saturation. On the other hand, for the inner attitude control loop, a novel adaptive barrier function-based sliding-mode control method is proposed without control gain overestimation. This enables the attitude to follow within a predefined vicinity of the sliding mode surface and holds it subsequently independent of the lumped uncertainties. Theoretical analysis is conducted to demonstrate the asymptotic stability. Comparative experiments implemented on a homemade NFMR show enhanced trajectory tracking performance and system robustness using position/attitude cascade regulation via the proposed DLSMC mechanism.