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Subsoiling and straw mulching are two techniques that conserve soil water and improve the sustainability of agricultural production. However, the benefits to soil sustainability of combining subsoiling with straw mulching under intensive rotation between wheat and maize remain uncertain. We conducted a field experiment to determine the long‐term impacts of conventional tillage with straw mulching (CS), and subsoiling with straw mulching (SS), on soil macropore characteristics (>160 μm), soil aggregate characteristics, and soil hydraulic parameters at 0–100 cm depths. Results indicate that SS increased the mean macropore number (66.9%), macroporosity (93.5%), pore circularity (3.5%), field moisture capacity (11.8%), saturated moisture content (21.4%), available soil moisture content (24.1%), and the saturated hydraulic conductivity (39.3%) in the shallowest 50 cm of soil, and total organic carbon content (34.5%) and soil labile organic carbon (20.2%) in the shallowest 30 cm of soil, compared to CS. Compared with CS, SS was more effective at increasing the proportion of aggregates larger than 0.25 mm in the top 20 cm of soil and decreasing the proportion of aggregates smaller than 0.25 mm in the top 30 cm of soil. Correlations between soil organic carbon and various soil physical properties under different practices suggest that SS has larger causative effects on soil physical properties than CS. Therefore, SS is recommended over CS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative promotion of carbon emission reduction has become one of the most significant strategies for China to realize the dual-carbon goal. The purpose of this study is to utilize "relational data" to investigate overall and regional building carbon emission reduction networks based on the coordination of equity and efficiency. Specifically, the difference in importance between equity and efficiency principles is measured by an improved Markov chain. The spatial correlation network is constructed under the principle of coordinating equity and efficiency, and the network is analyzed using the modified gravity model and social network analysis. The results indicate that (1) the long-term "low-efficiency" problem of building carbon emissions is more serious than the long-term "low-equity" problem, and (2) the efficiency principle should be given greater weight in calculating carbon emission reduction potential. (3) The strength of network spatial association is increasing, and the spillover effect is significant, but the network form remains unstable. (4) The network is significantly impacted by geographic proximity, environmental regulations, energy consumption intensity, and the development level of the construction industry. The main achievement will assist developing countries in promoting sustainable development and collaborative carbon emission reduction in the construction sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anatase TiO2 nanospheres (ATNSs) were successfully prepared through a facile solvothermal method followed by a thermal treatment. The sample was characterized by scanning electrons microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, Raman spectrum and nitrogen adsorption techniques. When tested as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries, the electrode of ATNSs delivered a large discharge capacity of 208 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 50 mA g−1, indicating excellent cycling performance. This could be attributed to the uniform structure of the nanospheres with large surface area and porous nature, providing more active sites, buffering volume change, and facilitating the sodium ion intercalation as well as rapid diffusion during the charge/discharge process. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that the sodium storage mechanism is mainly controlled by pseudocapacitive behavior, resulting in a large capacity and outstanding cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding a study on the association of microRNA-29c with kidney failure in patients having multiple myeloma (MM).

Sulfate (SO 4 2- ) is a pivotal inorganic anion with essential roles in mammalian physiology. NaS1, a member of solute carrier 13 family and divalent anion/sodium symporter family, functions as a Na + -sulfate cotransporter, facilitating sulfate (re)absorption across renal proximal tubule and small intestine epithelia. While previous studies have linked several human disorders to mutations in the NaS1 gene, its transport mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of five distinct conformations of the human NaS1 at resolutions of 2.7 to 3.3 angstroms, revealing the substrates recognition mechanism and the conformational change of NaS1 during the Na + -sulfate cotransport cycle. Our studies delineate the molecular basis of the detailed dynamic transport cycle of NaS1. These findings advance the current understanding of the Na + -sulfate cotransport mechanism, human sulfate (re)absorption, and the implications of disease-associated NaS1 mutations.

Diabetic neuropathy is the most common complication of diabetes and lacks effective treatments. Although sensory dysfunction during the early stages of diabetes has been extensively studied in various animal models, the functional and morphological alterations in sensory and motor systems during late stages of diabetes remain largely unexplored. In the current work, we examined the influence of diabetes on sensory and motor function as well as morphological changes in late stages of diabetes. The obese diabetic Lepr db/db mice (db/db) were used for behavioral assessments and subsequent morphological examinations. The db/db mice exhibited severe sensory and motor behavioral defects at the age of 32 weeks, including significantly higher mechanical withdrawal threshold and thermal latency of hindpaws compared with age-matched nondiabetic control animals. The impaired response to noxious stimuli was mainly associated with the remarkable loss of epidermal sensory fibers, particularly CGRP-positive nociceptive fibers. Unexpectedly, the area of CGRP-positive terminals in the spinal dorsal horn was dramatically increased in diabetic mice, which was presumably associated with microglial activation. In addition, the db/db mice showed significantly more foot slips and took longer time during the beam-walking examination compared with controls. Meanwhile, the running duration in the rotarod test was markedly reduced in db/db mice. The observed sensorimotor deficits and motor dysfunction were largely attributed to abnormal sensory feedback and muscle atrophy as well as attenuated neuromuscular transmission in aged diabetic mice. Morphological analysis of neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) demonstrated partial denervation of NMJs and obvious fragmentation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs). Intrafusal muscle atrophy and abnormal muscle spindle innervation were also detected in db/db mice. Additionally, the number of VGLUT1-positive excitatory boutons on motor neurons was profoundly increased in aged diabetic mice as compared to controls. Nevertheless, inhibitory synaptic inputs onto motor neurons were similar between the two groups. This excitation-inhibition imbalance in synaptic transmission might be implicated in the disturbed locomotion. Collectively, these results suggest that severe sensory and motor deficits are present in late stages of diabetes. This study contributes to our understanding of mechanisms underlying neurological dysfunction during diabetes progression and helps to identify novel therapeutic interventions for patients with diabetic neuropathy., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Tian, Li, Zhang and Yang.)