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Tourist destinations in China increasingly are seeking to enhance their publicity efforts through the use of endorsements by Chinese celebrities. We examined whether the attitudes of target audiences toward a destination will change when a celebrity is employed for advertising purposes; and if such changes occur, we sought to find out what specifically they are. Compared with this increasing practice in marketing, the study of the effect of celebrity endorsements is still in its infancy. Existing studies place great emphasis on the impacts a celebrity's personal attributes have on the target audience's reaction toward the advertising (e.g., attitude toward the advertisement, attitude toward destination, and intent to visit), and ignore other important factors that may influence the effects of celebrity endorsements, such as celebrity- destination match and the degree of personal involvement. The audience has during information processing concerning the endorsement. This paper attempts to provide an initial exploration of the effect of levels of celebrity-destination match and personal involvement on tourists' attitudes toward destinations. We used a 2 (personal involvement: high or low) x 3 (endorsement type: match-up, mismatch, or no endorser) between subjects design. The results showed that the study subjects' attitudes toward destinations when they had a low level of involvement significantly differed among the match-up, mismatch, and no-endorser scenarios. Specifically, with low involvement, when the celebrity and destination matched, attitudes were significantly better than those in the no- endorser scenario, and attitudes in the no- endorser scenario were significantly better than in the mismatch scenario. In comparison, attitudes when there was high involvement did not differ significantly among the three scenarios. The result of a simple effects test also implied both attitudes (when there was high personal involvement in the match-up and no-endorser scenarios) were significantly better than those when there was low involvement; while in the mismatch scenario, there were no significant differences between attitudes when there was both high and low personal involvement. These results have theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical standpoint, we examined the validity of the Elaboration Likelihood Model in a destination celebrity endorsement scenario by analyzing the effects of both celebrity- destination match and personal involvement on tourists' attitudes, and showed that the perspective of the match-up hypothesis holds up under the low involvement scenario. From a marketing standpoint, we suggest that the destination marketing organization (DMO) conduct a survey to understand which celebrity attributes (e.g., age, sex, profession, personality, reputation) affect audiences' perceptions of the level of the match between celebrity and destination. The DMO can then determine who are the more ideal endorsers and design its promotional efforts accordingly. More fundamentally, to improve marketing outcomes, it is important to ensure a coordinated relationship among celebrity attributes, destination image positioning, and tourists' interests. Finally, considering that an undesired destination image evolution may occur because of the different channels through which tourists receive information, the DMO should integrate different marketing channels to ensure that the information delivered through them transmits the same image signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of internet technology, many application tools based on the internet have become popular. In addition, the media used by tourists has been abundant and diversified. Through internet, more and more tourists acquire tourism information, make tourism plans, purchase tourism services and exchange their experiences. The network channels such as official websites, micro-blogs, and e- commerce platforms of tourism destinations construct a network interface for tourists to communicate with the destinations. The information diffused by these network interfaces may greatly affect tourist perceptions of the destination image. Based on desk research and interviews of tourists, this research defines the characteristics of tourism destination network interface as 3 factors: information value, friendly interface and interactive interface. This research aimed to investigate the internet users such that all the survey questionnaires were all carried out through the internet. We issued the questionnaire on a famous Chinese internet investigation/information? platform (http://www.sojump.com). By snowball sampling, we sent the web link to the frequent tourism web surfers through our Sina microblog, Tencent microblog, and other tourism online communities (such as http://www.8264.com) and invited the members to fill in and forward to their friends. A total of 653 questionnaires were obtained over a three-month period. After eliminating incomplete and non-valid responses, 422 questionnaires remained for analysis in this study, with an acceptable effective rate of 65 percent. To explore the effect of tourism destination network interface on tourist experience and brand image, this research constructed a structural equation model (SEM) for characteristics of tourism destination network interface, tourist experience, and tourism destination brand image. We used AMOS17.0 software to estimate the model, test the fit index, path coefficient and T-value. The results suggest that the 3 factors of tourism destination network interface affect the destination brand image through functional experience and emotional experience, but the effect of information value on emotional experience is not significant. As a result, compared to the traditional environment, there are more factors of tourism destination affecting tourists'conceptions to tourism destinations within an internet context and the mechanism of image building is more complex. Based on these findings, this paper proposes some strategic suggestions for tourism destinations to optimize their network interfaces, improve tourist experiences, and enhance the destination brand image. The tourism destination marketers should (1) choose a suitable network interface and promote proper information to enhance the attractiveness of the interface; (2) have a clear mind on the positioning of the brand image through the internet and make sure the brand image is built consistently by different network platforms; (3) improve design technology of the network interface to enhance the appearance of network interface, optimize the content expression and to increase the tourists' stickiness; (4) strengthen the interaction of the network interface to help tourists to understand internet information and to communicate with each other. These initiatives will be of great help for improving the destination brand image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public participation has long been a topic of research on tourism in countries outside China. However, almost no research has been carried out on public participation in the public affairs of destinations from a holistic perspective. Most research has instead concentrated on particular types of public participation within a destination's public affairs, such as in the planning domain. This paper reviews the contributions of 133 studies that relate to the topic of public participation in destination public affairs. First, we investigate the general characteristics of these studies. This research shows that public participation was first introduced as a tourism research topic in the 1980s, that most research has been carried out in European and North American countries, and that most of the studies can be characterized as applied research, with only 26 being theoretical in nature. Second, we analyze the theoretical basis of all the papers and find that stakeholder theory, collaboration theory, new public administration theory, modern democratic theory, governance theory, and social capital theory have been the main theoretical constructs used within reported research. Third, we analyze the actual research content of these papers from seven aspects. The first being analyses of the conception and connotation of public participation in the public affairs of destinations. For this aspect, foreign researchers differentiate between community participation, local participation, aboriginal participation, resident participation, citizen participation, stakeholder participation and public participation. The second aspect analyzes the values underlying public participation in the public affairs of destinations. International studies put forward the idea that effective public participation can not only realize the potential value of government and public input in the development and management of destinations, but can also contribute to the sustainable development of each destination. The third aspect covers public participation in decision making at a destination. For this, we analyzed nine participative and collaborative decision making cases found in foreign research. The fourth aspect is public participation in tourism planning, which is one of the earliest and most in-depth fields of analysis in terms of research on public participation in the public affairs of destinations. International studies have researched the levels, ways, processes and influencing factors of public participation and how to define participants. The fifth aspect is public participation in destination marketing. In regard to this, international research shows that as a result of the complexity of destination products and resource interdependence between stakeholders, destination marketing should be collaborative. At the same time, destination branding as an integrated campaign also requires public participation. The sixth aspect is public participation in tourism infrastructure management in a destination, and our review shows that international research considers present levels of public participation in tourism infrastructure management to be inadequate. The seventh aspect concerns public participation in other areas of tourism development in communities, such as tourism events, tourism public projects, tourism research and tourism voluntary action, and our review shows that this is not universal. In conclusion, our study suggests that future research should pay attention to the following matter's if defining public participation in the public affairs of destinations and perfecting a theoretical system are the main objectives: the need to set up a mechanism that includes participation subjects, objects, levels, processes and evaluation; the need to expand research domains to cover more public affairs that require public participation; and the need to construct guidelines for actual participation and explore appropriate paths for China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate relationship is a significant factor that influences older adults’ subjective well-being. Avoidant attachment reflects a basic working model regarding interpersonal relationships. The current study aims to test how age and gender moderate the effect of avoidant attachment to spouse on subjective well-being. Fifty-six married couples aged from 20 to 79 years in Hong Kong were recruited for the study. Their avoidant attachment to spouse and subjective well-being were measured by questionnaires. In general, avoidant attachment to spouse was found to undermine subjective well-being. More importantly, age significantly moderated the negative association between avoidant attachment and subjective well-being, but the direction of the moderating effect was opposite for husbands and wives. Compared with their younger counterparts, the detrimental effect of avoidant attachment on subjective well-being was weaker for older wives but stronger for older husbands. The results suggest that marital relationship may play different roles in different life stages for the two genders. In later adulthood, males may become more dependent on the marital relationship to maintain subjective well-being, whereas females can be relatively independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate relationship is a significant factor that influences older adults’ subjective well-being. Avoidant attachment reflects a basic working model regarding interpersonal relationships. The current study aims to test how age and gender moderate the effect of avoidant attachment to spouse on subjective well-being. Fifty-six married couples aged from 20 to 79 years in Hong Kong were recruited for the study. Their avoidant attachment to spouse and subjective well-being were measured by questionnaires. In general, avoidant attachment to spouse was found to undermine subjective well-being. More importantly, age significantly moderated the negative association between avoidant attachment and subjective well-being, but the direction of the moderating effect was opposite for husbands and wives. Compared with their younger counterparts, the detrimental effect of avoidant attachment on subjective well-being was weaker for older wives but stronger for older husbands. The results suggest that marital relationship may play different roles in different life stages for the two genders. In later adulthood, males may become more dependent on the marital relationship to maintain subjective well-being, whereas females can be relatively independent. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Governance is an emerging paradigm for optimizing the destination management model. This paper reviews 132 papers from outside China that study 'tourism governance', 'destination governance' and 'tourism partnership' . First, this paper investigates the number of papers that are considering destination governance. This study finds that that the governance paradigm was first introduced as a concept in tourism research in 1993. We then analyze the spatial distribution of the destination governance research papers and find that most of them focus on European countries. Most of the 132 papers are based on in applied research, with only three being theoretical research. Second, this paper analyzes the details of the research of 132 papers. We focus particularly on seven aspects, some of which we have amalgamated here. The first aspect is the conception and connotation of destination governance. Foreign research discusses this aspect from three perspectives; government management, social self-governance and social co-governance. The second aspect is the significance of destination governance. Foreign papers put forward the notion because it integrates government and non-government resources, destination governance can improve destination competitiveness, promote destination sustainable development, and effectively execute the tourism plan. The third aspect focused on how foreign research has investigated destination governance modes and how they have undertaken an evaluation of these. The research papers propose diversified management modes and view "good governance" as the evaluation standard of destination governance. The fourth aspect that was focused on was how foreign research dealt with multilevel destination governance. We found that foreign research has studied seven levels, ranging from the global to the local. Of these, most focus on local and community destinations. The fifth aspect was how foreign research studied destination partnership governance. We found that foreign research studied two topics; the developing process of partnerships, and the evaluation of the partnerships. The research ascertains that tourism partnerships, especially public-private partnerships, are dynamic processes and should be evaluated according to different standards (for example; partners' representativeness, commitment to partnership, production efficiency, and social learning). The sixth aspect focused on collaborative destination governance. Foreign research has investigated the characteristics of several case studies and concluded that collaborative partners should focus on the positive benefits of collaboration and not on self-interest and self-development. The final aspect was how foreign research deals with destination network governance. Foreign research focuses on the formation process and the structural features of the destination network. Finally, this paper analyzes, in depth, the shortage of foreign research and provides relevant propositions for further research on destination governance. Specifically, further research on destination governance should accurately combine the two concepts of destination and governance to construct an overall theory system of destination governance. This theory should focus on affairs ( such as the supply of tourism public service, and the protection of destination environment) ; to extend the scope of research; expanding the geographical distribution of the research to improve the applicability of research conclusions; establishing an effective participation mechanism for relevant stakeholders; and exploring the adaptability of destination governance in developing countries, especially in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With strict scrutiny on public sector funding of the tourism sector and increasingly fierce competition between tourism destinations, DMOs' expenditure on marketing activities has been subject to recent debate and the question of effectiveness has become a key issue. In terms of evaluating whether and how the marketing works to affect visitor behavior, performance evaluation of tourist destination marketing has become an inevitable requirement for the development of practice. But destination marketing performance evaluation is the most challenging problem in the area of destination marketing research because of the multi-source destination information and complex tourist decision-making process. The paper summarizes relevant studies domestically and overseas regarding performance evaluation of tourist destination marketing and concludes the researches from the concepts of destination marketing organization performance evaluation and Marcom performance evaluations. Through the review of these studies, the paper indicates that this field remains in its infancy. Though some progress has been made in the past few years, there is a lack of consistency in defining what metrics should be used to evaluate the destination marketing performance. And there hasn't got an acknowledged conceptual framework. At last, the paper provides the prospects for future research in the hope of providing references for domestic theoretical studies and practical activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional characteristics of extreme precipitation indices (EPI) of precipitation magnitude, intensity and persistence were analyzed based on a daily rainfall dataset of 135 stations during the period of 1961-2010 in the Yangtze River basin, China. The spatial distribution of temporal trends of the selected indices was regionally mapped and investigated by using non-parametric test method. Future projections of EPI changes derived from the output of general circulation model (HadCM3) under the SRES A2 and B2 emission scenarios were downscaled and analyzed. The results show that: (a) there is not a general significant increasing or decreasing trend in EPI for the Yangtze River basin based on historical recorded data; (b) the automated statistical downscaling method-based precipitation captures some spatial distribution of the EPI and the bias correction can improve the simulation results; (c) a mixed pattern of positive and negative changes is observed in most of the nine indices under both scenarios in the first half of twenty-first century, and they increase continuously in the second half of twenty-first century; and (d) the concurrent increase in the heavy rain and drought indices indicates the possibility of the sudden change from drought to water logging in the lower region of Yangtze River basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In previous deep learning-based fault diagnosis methods for rotating machinery, the method of directly feeding one-dimensional data into convolutional neural networks can lead to the loss of important fault features. To address the problem, a novel rotating machinery fault diagnosis model based on a rainbow recursive plot (RRP) is proposed. Our main innovation and contributions are: First, a RRP is proposed to convert the one-dimensional vibration signal from the rotating machinery into a two-dimensional color image, facilitating the capturing of more significant fault information. Second, a new CNN based on LeNet-5 is devised, which extracts a feature that describes substantial fault information from the converted two-dimensional color image, thus performing fault diagnosis recognition accurately. The public rolling bearing datasets and the online fault diagnosis platform are adopted to verify proposed method performance. Experiments on public datasets show that the proposed method can improve the accurate rate of recognition to 97.86%. More importantly, online experiment on the self-made fault diagnosis platform demonstrates that our approach achieves the best comprehensive performance in terms of recognition speed and accuracy compared to mainstream algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood events consist of flood peaks and flood volumes that are mutually correlated and need to be described by multivariate analysis methods, of which the copula functions are most desirable. Until now, the multivariate flood frequency analysis methods based on copulas does not consider the historical floods or paleological information. This may underestimate or overestimate the flood quantiles or conditional probabilities corresponding to high return periods, especially when the length of gauged record data series is relatively short. In this paper, a modified inference functions for margins (MIFM) method is proposed and used to estimate the parameters of both marginal distribution and joint distribution with incorporation of historical information. The conditional probabilities of flood volumes given that the peak discharge exceeding various values were derived. The Three Gorges reservoir (TGR) in China was selected as a case study. The bivariate flood quantiles were obtained based on bivariate return period and compared with current univariate design values. It is shown that the proposed method provides an alternative way for multivariate frequency analysis with historical information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Due to the frequent water exchange and turbulence between Poyang Lake and Yangtze River, the measured runoff hydrograph at the Hukou outlet control station is unable to be directly used in hydrological model calibration. As a result, the rainfall runoff relationship and water budget analysis in Poyang Lake regions is an unsolved problem so far. In this study, the basin area analogue and water budget methods was used to modified runoff hydrograph at the Hukou, and multiple-input single-output system model was used to derive intervening basin runoff. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) distributed hydrological model based on different types of remote sensing data was used to simulate daily runoff in the ungauged Poyang Lake Intervening Basin (PLIB). The comparison of estimated and simulated daily runoff hydrographs shows that the VIC model is performed relatively well. It is proved that with the help of remote sensed data, important hydrological characteristics of the PLIB can be reproduced and predicted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The introduction of nitrogen can effectively refine the grain size of FeCoHfN films. • Amorphization and the enrichment of HfN improve the high-frequency magnetic properties of the films. • Appropriate nitrogen pressure plays a key role in forming favorable microstructure and phase composition. • The transition of nanocrystalline-amorphous structure can be realized by adjusting the N element. • The film deposited at R (N 2) = 12% exhibits a high 4π M s of 16.2 kGs, a great initial μ of 293, and a high f r of 2.97 GHz. The microstructure and electro-magnetic properties of FeCoHfN thin films deposited by reactive sputtering under an in-situ magnetic field have been studied as a function of nitrogen partial pressure (R (N 2)). As the (R (N 2)) increases, the grain size of α-FeCo phase can be effectively reduced, and the structure of the films changes from an amorphous/nanocrystalline dual-phase structure with ultrafine α-FeCo magnetic nanoparticles isolated by a nonmagnetic insulating layer to a single amorphous structure. The structural transformation and the enrichment of HfN layer improve the resistivity and static and dynamic soft magnetic properties of the films. Higher resistivity is expected to reduce eddy current losses at high frequencies. The critical (R (N 2)) when the film shows indications of excellent high-frequency magnetic properties is 8%. The deposited FeCoHfN thin films have high saturation magnetization of 14.9–16.2 kGs, great permeability of 222–322 at GHz, and high ferromagnetic resonance frequency up to 3.5 GHz, showing the promise of high-frequency applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effect of hydrogen on nucleation, growth and etching of h-BN is demonstrated. • The etching of h-BN is terminated under high hydrogen flow. • Hydrogen plays a dual role of activator and passivation during h-BN growth. • Vertical graphene/h-BN heterostructure was achieved in one-pot by conventional CVD. Graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) heterostructures have attracted a lot of research interests due to their superior electronic properties in field effect transistor devices and the novel physical properties such as fractional fractal quantum hall effect and massive Dirac fermions. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is the most common method to synthesize h-BN and graphene, however, the directly growth of graphene/h-BN heterostructures remains challenging. Here we report the crucial impact of hydrogen on the nucleation density, growth rate and etching rate in the h-BN CVD growth. It is found that the nucleation density increases monotonically, whereas the growth rate and etching rate first increases and then decreases with the increasing hydrogen partial pressure. Benefitting from the understanding of the crucial role of hydrogen, we successfully grow the graphene/h-BN vertical heterostructures by low pressure CVD in one-pot through the modulation of hydrogen partial pressure. The field effect transistor (FET) fabricated using graphene/h-BN heterostructure shows better performance with higher carrier mobility and lower level of doping than the one without h-BN. Our direct synthesis approach paves a new pathway for large-scale production of graphene/h-BN heterostructures and could be applied for the synthesis of other van der Waals heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Continuous filtration systems operation maximizes exposure reduction and energy use. • Operation strategies based on monitoring and cycling can optimize filtration. • Concentration threshold can reduce runtime while causing little increase in exposure. • The benefits come from synchronizing operation with high concentration periods. • Benefits depends on outdoor concentration, infiltration, HVAC sizing, and emissions. Particle filtration systems are widely used indoors to reduce particle concentration. Increasing the runtime, the fraction of time a system operates, can improve the removal performance but also comes at a greater energy cost. Thus, operation strategies are needed to improve performance while conserving energy. In this work, we used exposure reduction, a metric for filtration effectiveness, and removal efficacy, the ratio of exposure reduction to runtime to provide a quantitative assessment on four operation strategies including strategies sensitive to concentration and/or presence of emission events, pulsing the system regardless of concentration, and pulsing during elevated concentration periods. A time-varying mass balance model is used to estimate indoor concentration with stochastic emission events. The results show that the concentration strategy, which synchronizes the system operation with high indoor concentrations has the highest removal efficacy. It could achieve a comparable level of concentration reduction as continuous operation at runtimes as low as 80%. The runtime of this strategy can be further reduced by increasing its concentration threshold. This strategy provides opportunities to regulate indoor concentration while conserving fan energy use, especially in regions with relatively low ambient concentrations and strong episodic sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Asphaltenes played a greater role in oil–water emulsification than resins. • The increase in asphaltenes reduced the oil–water wetting angle, interfacial tension and emulsion droplet size. • Alkaline conditions exhibited weaker impacts on emulsion stability compared to acidic conditions. • Demulsifier disrupts the oil–water interface film. Currently, the effects of natural emulsifiers such as resin and asphaltene in crude oil on the stabilities of the emulsions as well as the demulsification mechanism of oil–water separation are still not well understood. In this study, the changes in oil–water wetting angle and interfacial tension (IFT) of crude oil emulsions were compared by extracting resin and asphaltene from crude oil to expound the effects of resin and asphaltene on the stabilities of crude oil emulsions. Meanwhile, the mechanism of demulsifier was discussed based on the competitive adsorption test of demulsifier and asphaltene. It was found that asphaltene was the main emulsifier in the process of oil–water emulsification. With the increase of asphaltene contents, the oil–water wetting angle decreased from 72.9° to 37°, the IFT decreased from 27.13 mN/m to 11.23 mN/m, and the emulsion droplet decreased from 10.3 mm to 1 mm. Demulsifier mainly reduced the stability of crude oil emulsion and realized oil–water separation by the replacement of the interface film-forming substances, the reduction of the oil–water interface tension, and the neutralization of interface charges. The results provide useful information for the demulsification and oil removal of oil-bearing wastewater emulsion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cassava is one of three major potato crops and the sixth most important food crop globally. Improving yield remains a primary aim in cassava breeding. Notably, plant height significantly impacts the yield and quality of crops; however, the mechanisms underlying cassava plant height development are yet to be elucidated. Results: In this study, we investigated the mechanisms responsible for cassava plant height development using phenotypic, anatomical, and transcriptomic analyses. Phenotypic and anatomical analysis revealed that compared to the high-stem cassava cultivar, the dwarf-stem cassava cultivar exhibited a significant reduction in plant height and a notable increase in internode tissue xylem area. Meanwhile, physiological analysis demonstrated that the lignin content of dwarf cassava was significantly higher than that of high cassava. Notably, transcriptome analysis of internode tissues identified several differentially expressed genes involved in cell wall synthesis and expansion, plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis between the two cassava cultivars. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that internode tissue cell division, secondary wall lignification, and hormone-related gene expression play important roles in cassava plant height development. Ultimately, this study provides new insights into the mechanisms of plant height morphogenesis in cassava and identifies candidate regulatory genes associated with plant height that can serve as valuable genetic resources for future crop dwarfing breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mugagangri Group (MG), located at the southern margin of the Qiangtang terrane in Tibet, is a crucial research target for understanding the subduction and accretion history of the Meso-Tethys Ocean. Extensional crack-seal veins restricted within sandstone blocks from the broken formation in the MG (Gaize) formed synchronously in the mélange formation. The primary inclusions trapped in the veins recorded multiple pieces of information during the formation of the accretionary wedge. To precisely constrain the MG subduction–accretion processes, we investigated the trapping temperature, salinity, density, and composition of the fluid inclusions within the crack-seal veins derived from the broken formation in the MG (Gaize). The primary inclusions indicate that the crack was sealed at ~151–178 °C. The salinity of the primary inclusions exhibited a well-defined average of 3.3 ± 0.7 wt% NaCl equivalent, slightly lower than the average of seawater (3.5 wt%). There were no nonpolar gases, and only H2O (low salinity) was detectable in the primary inclusions. These characteristics suggest that the syn-mélange fluids were a type of pore fluid in the shallow subduction zone, with the principal source being pore water from sediments overlying the oceanic crust. Because of mineral dehydration and compaction, the pore fluids became more diluted with H2O and fluid overpressure owing to a pore fluid pressure that was greater than the hydrostatic pressure. Subsequently, the creation of cracks through hydraulic fracturing provided a novel pathway for the flow of fluids which, in turn, contributed to the décollement step-down and underthrusting processes. These fractures acted as conduits for fluid movement and played a crucial role in facilitating these peculiar occurrences of quartz veins. The depth (~5 km) and temperature estimates of the fluid expulsion align with the conditions of the décollement step-down, thereby leading to the trapping of fluids within the sandstone blocks and their subsequent underplating to the accretionary complex. In our preferred model, such syn-mélange fluids have the potential to provide valuable constraints on the subduction–accretion processes occurring in other accretionary complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vibration and noise of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is mainly caused by its electromagnetic force. Harmonic currents affect the vibration, and noise performance of PMSM by influencing its electromagnetic force. The regularity of electromagnetic force, vibration, and noise characteristics of PMSM for electric vehicles (EVs) under different working conditions influenced by the harmonic currents is studied. Firstly, the analytical model of electromagnetic force under the action of a harmonic current is derived, and the influence of harmonic currents on the electromagnetic force of PMSM is summarised. Secondly, a multi‐physical field coupled vibration, and noise calculation model considering harmonic currents is established using the finite element method, and the vibration, and noise characteristics of PMSM under different operating conditions are analysed. The results show that the harmonic currents have different patterns of influence on the vibration, and noise of the PMSM due to the different advance angles and the saturation degree of the magnetic material under different working conditions. Finally, the validity of the theoretical analysis is verified by experiments, which has academic significance for vibration, and noise reduction of PMSMs for EVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant pediatric brain tumors. Metastasis and relapse are the leading causes of death in MB patients. The initiation of the SHH subgroup of MB (SHH-MB) is due to the aberrant activation of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling. However, the mechanisms for its metastasis are still unknown. Results: AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK) restrains the activation of Shh signaling pathway, thereby impeding the proliferation of SHH-MB cells. More importantly, AMPK also hinders the growth and metastasis of SHH-MB cells by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, Vismodegib and TPCA-1, which block the Shh and NF-κB pathways, respectively, synergistically restrained the growth, migration, and invasion of SHH-MB cells. Conclusions: This work demonstrates that AMPK functions through two signaling pathways, SHH-GLI1 and NF-κB. AMPK-NF-κB axis is a potential target for molecular therapy of SHH-MB, and the combinational blockade of NF-κB and Shh pathways confers synergy for SHH-MB therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The 3D fictive temperature model of fused silica optics was established. • Role of fictive temperature 3D distribution of fused silica optics was explored. • The fictive temperature after CO 2 laser polishing was reduced from 1854 K to 1687 K. • An optimization strategy was proposed with even distribution of fictive temperature. CO 2 laser polishing process is a highly effective way for enhancing the surface quality and laser-induced damage threshold of fused silica optics. Nevertheless, due to the thermal history and spatial gradient of the thermodynamic temperature, the heat-affected zones can be formed unevenly on the surface with an increased fictive temperature, which causes the material densification and residual stress. In this work, a 3D model of structural relaxation coupled with temperature and flow fields was innovatively established to explore the role of fictive temperature distribution involved in CO 2 laser polishing of fused silica. The Raman spectrum was applied to verify this model. Subsequently, the impacts of laser beam power, scanning speed, track overlapping, substrate temperature on the fictive temperature were discussed. The results indicate that decreasing the scanning speed and increasing the substrate temperature can decrease the fictive temperature. Additionally, a higher track overlapping can reduce the height of the fictive temperature "tool mark". Moreover, an optimization strategy based on laser beam scanning speed was proposed based on the uniform distribution of fictive temperature. The depth difference of the heat-affected zones was reduced from 164.26 μm to 31.74 μm. This work could be used to quantitatively predict the 3D fictive temperature distribution and proposed an optimization strategy based on scanning speed to suppress the non-uniformity of fictive temperature distribution, which can provide significant theoretical guidance for CO 2 laser polishing technology of fused silica optics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapidly increasing urbanization in recent decades has elevated the subway as the primary public transportation mode in metropolitan areas. Indoor air quality (IAQ) inside subways is an important factor that influences the health of commuters and subway workers. This review discusses the subway IAQ in different cities worldwide by comparing the sources and abundance of particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10) in these environments. Factors that affect PM concentration and chemical composition were found to be associated with the subway internal structure, train frequency, passenger volume, and geographical location. Special attention was paid to air pollutants, such as transition metals, volatile/semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs), and bioaerosols, due to their potential roles in indoor chemistry and causing adverse health impacts. In addition, given that the IAQ of subway systems is a public health issue worldwide, we calculated the Gini coefficient of urban subway exposure via meta-analysis. A value of 0.56 showed a significant inequity among different cities. Developed regions with higher per capita income tend to have higher exposure. By reviewing the current advances and challenges in subway IAQ with a focus on indoor chemistry and health impacts, future research is proposed toward a sustainable urban transportation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing new materials through traditional trial-and-error is time-consuming and costly due to the vast potential compositions to explore. Moreover, some desirable properties are mutually exclusive, presenting challenges for materials design. Herein, we employed an active learning strategy to address the strength-ductility trade-off in SAC105 lead-free solders. We developed two Gaussian regression models, one for strength and one for elongation representing ductility. The Gaussian Upper Confidence Boundary algorithm, a Bayesian optimization method, was used to balance exploitation and exploration by considering prediction uncertainty. The variance weight was designed to decay with adaptive iterations. The two models were linearly combined and the maximal combined model recommended alloys on the Pareto front for experiments. After just three iterations, a new 91.4Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu-1.5Bi-4.4In-0.2Ti low-silver SAC solder was discovered, exhibiting 73.94±5.05 MPa strength and 24.37±5.92% elongation, representing the best comprehensive mechanical properties. Weldability experiments also showed excellent performance. Based on Ab initio molecular dynamics, a precise machine learning potential revealed the alloying mechanism in Sn-In solid solutions with quantum accuracy in systems of over 103 atoms, closely matching experimental X-ray diffraction pattern. To facilitate materials informatics development, all active learning algorithms was made open-source in our designed framework, Bgolearn. • The active learning approach dynamically balances exploration and exploitation. • A new low-silver SAC solder is discovered shows exceptional mechanical properties. • All active learning algorithms in Bgolearn framework are open-sourced, supporting materials informatics development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research enhanced the extraction procedure for Auricularia auricula crude polysaccharides by utilizing a modified Fenton reagent as a solvent, and obtained A. auricula polysaccharides (AAPs-VH) via alcohol precipitation and deproteinization. The HPLC profile revealed that the purified AAPs-VH using Sepharose 6FF was mainly a heteropolysaccharide, consisting primarily of mannose, glucuronic acid, glucose, and xylose. The M w and M n of the purified AAPs-VH were 87.646 kDa and 48.854 kDa, respectively. The FT-IR and NMR spectra revealed that the purified AAPs-VH belonged to pyranose and were mainly formed by (1 → 3)-linked-β-D glucan formation. In vivo experiments conducted with Caenorhabditis elegans , AAPs-VH was found to notably influence the lifespan, improve the antioxidant system, and decrease the level of cell apoptosis. This might be achieved by up-regulating the expression of genes in the IIS and TOR pathways. The study concludes that the modified Fenton reagent can increase Auricularia auricula polysaccharide solubleness and active sites, which may be an essential prompt for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma is an extremely aggressive disease with rapid progression, high metastatic potential and recurrence. Simultaneous correction of multiple tumor-specific gene abnormalities has become an attractive approach for developing therapeutics to treat melanoma. To potentiate anti-melanoma activity, we tested a "domino effect-like" therapeutic approach by uniquely targeting one defect and automatically triggering the endogenous corrections of other defects. Using this strategy, in a suspicious INK4b-ARF-INK4a gene cluster at chromosome 9p21, aberrant INK4a and INK4b defects were simultaneously endogenously auto-corrected after targeting the suppression of abnormal ANRIL lncRNA. In cell culture, this treatment significantly reduced the tumor metastatic capacity and tumor formation compared with absence of treatment. In animals harboring tumor xenografts, this therapeutic approach significantly inhibited tumor growth and reduced the tumor weight. Our results reveal a novel therapeutic strategy that significantly potentiates anti-melanoma efficiency by reprogramming the aberrant INK4-hub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a renewably sourced substitution for petroleum-derived terephthalic acid, at a high concentration is highly demanding but challenging. Herein, the efficient conversion of HMF (10–25 wt%) in 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O was achieved, and a desirable FDCA yield of 98% was obtained from HMF (10 wt%) over commercial Ru/C (2 Equiv. NaHCO 3 , 4 MPa O 2 , 3 h, and 140 ℃). In addition, a two-step cascade reaction was developed for FDCA production, in which FDCA was employed as the acid catalyst to promote the dehydration of fructose (10 wt%) to HMF, followed by oxidation in 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O to FDCA over Ru/C. As compared to pure water or 1,4-dioxane, the better stability of HMF in 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O with a weak alkaline environment and the enhancement of superoxide radicals (·O 2 -) in 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O could ensure high FDCA yield at high HMF concentration. 1,4-Dioxane/H 2 O mixture was demonstrated as an effective medium for the production of FDCA at high substrate concentration [Display omitted] • An FDCA yield ranging from 87% to 98% was obtained from concentrated HMF (10–25 wt%). • Fructose-derived HMF in 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O offered a FDCA yield up to 79%. • 1,4-dioxane/H 2 O mixed system is able to stabilize HMF in an alkaline environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PVDF-poly(octafluoropentyl acrylate)-sulphonated PPS (P-PFA/sPPS) blend was reported. • Electrospun 1-D nanofiber samples with uniform diameter were prepared. • Higher piezoelectric output voltage observed for P-PFA/sPPS compared to neat P-PFA. • The fast-charging efficiency and time taken to charge fully were also studied. • Overall, the hybrid sensor could measure both piezo-electric and -capacitive signals. In this study, sulfonated Poly(phenylidene sulfide) (sPPS) of varying content (0, 3, 5, 7 and 10 wt.-%) is used as a filler to study the β -crystalline phase changes in electrospun Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-Poly(octafluoropentyl acrylate) (POFPA) blend (90/10 ratio, abbreviated as P-PFA) nanofiber. FTIR and XRD studies confirmed the changes in P-PFA crystalline phases as a function of varying sPPS content, and among them, 5 wt.-% sPPS content exhibited a maximum increase in β -crystallinity. SEM micrographs of P-PFA/sPPS confirmed the appropriate formation of nanofibers with average fiber diameters of around 90 ∼ 150 nm. Using electrospun neat P-PFA and P-PFA/sPPS blend nanoweb fibers, piezoelectric sensors were fabricated and measured for output voltage signals. Among the five different samples, P-PFA/sPPS (5 wt.-%) exhibited higher output voltage (V p-p = 1.2 V) than neat P-PFA (V p-p = 0.4 V), revealing the nucleating effect of sPPS in P-PFA. The unexpected values obtained in the tensile strength (35.09 ± 0.102 kPa) and capacitance hysteresis (C max = 0.158 nF) of P-PFA/sPPS (5 wt.-%) sample opens up the possibility of using this material as a flexible hybrid sensor capable of measuring both piezoelectric and piezocapacitive signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is a highly conservative self-digestion process to maintain intracellular homeostasis and to ensure the survival of cells under stress. Activation of Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling depends on the normal endocytic degradation of pathway receptor Patched1 (Ptch1). It is unclear whether autophagy participates in the receptor endocytosis and modulates Shh signaling transduction. Here we found that blocking macroautophagy attenuates Shh signaling due to the failed transport of Smoothened (Smo) into primary cilia. At the upstream of Smo, Ptch1 was poly-ubiquitinated through K63-conjugated ubiquitin chains. Macroautophagy participates Shh-induced degradation of poly-ubiquitinated Ptch1, contributing to the activation of Shh signaling. [Display omitted] • Macroautophagy contributes to the activation of Shh signaling. • Macroautophagy deficiency does not affect MEF ciliogenesis. • Ptch1 is poly-ubiquitinated and degraded through autophagy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PFOS had lower mobility than PFOA due to their different molecular structure. • Multivalent cation could inhibit PFOA and PFOS migration in porous media. • Acidic pH condition unfavored for the mobility of PFOA and PFOS. • The effect of solution cation type on PFOA transport had priority over pH. • pH had more significant effect on the transport of PFOS than cation type. Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in soil aroused increasing concern, however there is little information about their transport in porous media, which is urgently needed to better control their environmental risks. In this study, saturated sand columns (considering the coupled effect of solution cation type and pH) and a two-site nonequilibrium transport model (TSM) were used to investigate the transport behaviors and mechanisms of PFOA and PFOS. Breakthrough data and the TSM parameters showed PFOA had higher mobility than PFOS, and divalent cation could inhibit their transport by increasing the nonequilibrium interactions between them and the sand. pH had little influence on PFOA migration when there was only monovalent cation in the solution since PFOA had limited affinity with the sand, however, polyvalent cation could provide additional adsorption sites for it through cation bridging and enhance the effect of pH. Differently, decreasing pH inhibited the transport of PFOS more significantly, and the effect was stronger than that of changing cation type. That proved mechanisms like hydrogen-bonding which were sensitive to solution pH played an important role in PFOS migration. These results provide important scientific basis to the remediation strategy and the migration prediction model development of PFOA and PFOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report a new multi-scale NPR composite based on auxetic fabric/elastomer matrix (AF/EM) composite structure. The multi-scale AF was obtained via using helical auxetic yarn (HAY) as weft yarns and constructing re-entrant hexagonal (REH) geometry structure on the macro scale, then the AF was combined with EM to fabricate the auxetic composite (AC). The AF and AC exhibit the NPR of −1.492 and −0.379. Simultaneously, high tensile strain over 108% (AF) and 82% (AC) can be subjected, indicating good mechanical performance. The superior performance of the AC is its ability to maintain NPR and resilience, with elastic recovery ratio over 94% and work recovery coefficient with a stable value over 80% after 10 cycles. Also, the damping properties results further evidence the good elasticity of our AC. The paper shows that our AF and AC are promising candidates in protective composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pre-operative pulmonary function testing (PFT) plays a key role in predicting postoperative complications or functional impairment. However, PFT requires the subject and examiner to cooperate and the results are influenced by both technical and personal factors. In contrast, the use of ultrasound (US) for structural and functional assessments of the lungs and diaphragm is on the rise, as it requires minimal patient cooperation. Dyspnea is mainly caused by lung or pleural lesions but may also be caused by weak respiratory muscles. As the diaphragm is a primary respiratory muscle, combining lung ultrasonography (LUS) with diaphragm ultrasound (DUS) may enable a more comprehensive assessement of pulmonary function. This study aims to introduce a novel approach for assessing pulmonary function using a mathematical model based on LUS and DUS., Methods: This prospective study was performed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University between June 2021 and December 2021, 208 patients were recruited and underwent PFT, LUS, and DUS examinations. An experienced physician, blinded to the clinical history and PFT results, performed LUS and DUS and explored the correlations between a mathematical model (ultrasonographic modeling score (U-score)) using LUS combined with DUS and pulmonary function parameters. Univariate, multivariate, and logistic regression analyses were also performed., Results: According to the univariate and multivariable analysis, diaphragm thickness fraction in deep breathing (D-DTF) (odds ratio (OR), 0.88; 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.83-0.94]; P < 0.001), and LUS score (OR, 1.44; 95% CI [1.16-1.80]; P < 0.001) were each independently associated with pulmonary function. According to the logistics equation, a U-score of -0.126 × D-DTF + 0.368 × LUS score was produced. The U-score showed a more significant negative correlation with forced expiratory volume in the first second/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) (r = -0.605, P < 0.001) than the LUS or DUS indices alone. The U-score (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.971) was greater than the other indices for assessing pulmonary function., Conclusions: With validation, the U-score through both lung and diaphragm ultrasound measurements may assist in estimating pulmonary function. This approach facilitates the assessment of pulmonary function in patients who may be unable to reliably participate in PFT., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (© 2024 Li et al.)

Background: Marital goals reflect individuals' understanding of the purpose of marriage and could influence the dyadic interactions and satisfaction in intimate relationships. The current study examines how each partner's marital goals and the concordance of marital goals between the partners influence dating couples' relationship satisfaction through dyadic coping., Method: The sample consisted of 200 heterosexual dating couples from Hong Kong. Both partners completed a survey that assessed three types of marital goals, dyadic coping, relationship satisfaction, and other background variables. Path analysis was conducted to estimate the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) with each partner's three types of marital goals and marital goal concordance between the two partners as the predictors, each partner's dyadic coping as the mediators, and each partner's relationship satisfaction as the outcomes., Results: Women's dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of women's companionship goals and marital goal concordance on both partners' marital satisfaction. Meanwhile, men's dyadic coping significantly mediated the effects of men's companionship goals and marital goal concordance on their own relationship satisfaction., Conclusion: The current study offered the first evidence supporting the importance of marital goals, the goal concordance between the partners, and dyadic coping in dating relationships.

Personal growth and self-expressive goals have become increasingly important in modern marriages. In dual-earner couples, sharing work-related experiences with the partner can be particularly important in promoting mutual support for each other's personal growth. The current study examined dual-earner couples' sharing of work-related experiences and how it influenced both partners' relationship satisfaction and personal well-being. A total of 102 heterosexual dual-earner couples were recruited from communities in Hong Kong. They completed a pretest survey, a 14-day daily diary study, and a follow-up survey 1 year later. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was adopted to analyze the dyadic effects of sharing positive and negative work-related experiences on relationship satisfaction and personal well-being on the same day and 1 year later. In general, the sharing of both positive and negative work-related experiences had beneficial effects on the outcomes. Specifically, wives' sharing had more immediate effects on both partners' relational and personal well-being, whereas husbands' sharing had more long-term effects on the partner's personal well-being. The findings highlight the importance of work-related sharing in dual-earner couples. Practical implications are discussed., (© 2024 The Author(s). Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Association of Applied Psychology.)

With a growing emphasis on indoor air quality (IAQ) in educational environments, CO 2 monitoring in classrooms has become commonplace. CO 2 data can be used to estimate outdoor air change rate (ACH) based on the mass balance principle, which can be further linked to human health, performance, and building energy consumption. This study used a novel machine learning method to automatically segment CO 2 concentration time series data into build-up, equilibrium, and decay periods, and then estimated classroom ACH using the corresponding CO 2 mass balance equations. This method, applied to 40 classrooms in two mechanically ventilated K-6 schools, generated up to ten ACH estimates per day per classroom. A comparison with ACH calculated using the mechanical ventilation rates with 100% outdoor air reported by the building automation system during the study period reveals a slight underestimation by the decay and build-up methods, while the equilibrium method produced closer estimates. These differences may be attributed to uncertainties in occupancy, activity, CO 2 emission rates, and air mixing. This research underscores the potential of leveraging CO 2 data for more comprehensive IAQ assessments and highlights the challenges associated with accurately estimating ACH in real-world settings.

Background: An October, 2021 review of Public Health Ontario's COVID-19 guidance for congregate settings such as shelters and long-term care homes demonstrated that this guidance did not include references to ventilation or filtration. In April 2022, an interdisciplinary team with expertise in indoor air quality (IAQ), engineering, epidemiology, community programming and knowledge translation launched a virtual ventilation and filtration consultation program for community spaces in Toronto, Ontario. The program gives people working in community spaces direct access to IAQ experts through 25-min online appointments. The program aims to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission in community spaces, and was designed to help compensate for gaps in public health guidance and action., Methods: Representatives from participating organizations (n. 27) received a link to an online survey via email in April 2023. Survey questions explored the impacts of the program on topics such as: purchase and use of portable air filters; maintenance and use of bathroom fans; and, maintenance and modification of HVAC systems. Survey participation was anonymous, and no demographic information was collected from participants., Results: Representatives from 11 organizations completed the survey (40%). Of those who responded, nine (82%) made changes as a result of the program, with eight (73%) making two or more changes such as purchasing portable air filters and increasing routine maintenance of HVAC systems., Conclusions: When presented with brief access to expert support and tailored plain language guidance, people working in community spaces increased their use of ventilation and filtration strategies for COVID-19 infection prevention and control., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Resilience during old age reflects the capacity to adapt to changes and challenges associated with normative aging and is an important component of successful aging. Belief in the incremental theory of intelligence and personality could help older adults maintain cognitive functioning and social engagement, which may further contribute to their resilience. The current study investigated how implicit theories of intelligence and personality affected older adults' resilience and examined cognitive functioning and social participation as two mediators., Method: A total of 108 older adults aged 60-92 were recruited and completed relevant scales and cognitive tasks. Path analyses were conducted to estimate the expected mediation model., Results: The incremental theory of intelligence, but not personality, was positively related to older adults' resilience. Both cognitive functioning and social participation mediated the effect of the implicit theory of intelligence in the model without covariates. When background variables were controlled, the mediation effect of cognitive functioning remained significant, while the link between the implicit theory of intelligence and social participation was weakened., Conclusion: Older adults' implicit theory of intelligence plays a significant role in fostering resilience in late adulthood, especially through maintaining older adults' cognitive functioning.

Older adults report higher marital satisfaction than younger adults even after negative interactions. The current study examined affect valuation as a potential moderator to explain age-related differences in the relationship between negative interactions and marital satisfaction. We conducted a 14-day daily diary study among 66 heterosexual couples (132 participants) aged from 21 to 80 years. At both person and daily levels, we found that valuing negative affect weakened the negative association between negative interactions and marital satisfaction in husbands. The moderating effect of negative affect valuation was stronger in older than younger husbands at the person but not daily level. Valuing positive affect more was associated with a stronger negative association between negative interactions and marital satisfaction in husbands at the person but not daily level. Such effect was again stronger in older than younger husbands. No significant results were found in wives. These findings shed light on the importance of affect valuation in understanding age-related differences in marital dynamics., (© 2024 International Association of Applied Psychology.)

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soil can strongly impact human health through the food chain due to uptake by crop plants. Inorganic immobilizing agents such as silicates and phosphates have been shown to effectively reduce Cd transfer from the soil to cereal crops. However, the effects of such agents on total Cd and its bioaccessibility in leafy vegetables are not yet known. Pak choi ( Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis ) was here selected as a representative leafy vegetable to be tested in pots to reveal the effects of silicate-phosphate amendments on soil Cd chemical fractions, total plant Cd levels, and plant bioaccessibility. The collected Cd contaminated soil was mixed with control soil at 1:0, 1:1, 1:4, 0:1 with a view to Cd high/moderate/mild/control soil samples. Three heavy metal-immobilizing agents: wollastonite (W), potassium tripolyphosphate (KTPP), and sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) were added to the soil in order to get four different treatment groups, i.e., control (CK), application of wollastonite alone (W), wollastonite co-applied with KTPP (WKTPP), application of wollastonite co-applied with SHMP (WSHMP) for remediation of soils with different levels of Cd contamination. All three treatments increased the effective bio-Cd concentration in the soils with varying levels of contamination, except for W under moderate and heavy Cd contamination. The total Cd concentration in pak choi plants grown in mildly Cd-contaminated soil was elevated by 86.2% after WKTPP treatment compared to the control treatment could function as a phytoremediation aid for mildly Cd-contaminated soil. Using an in vitro digestion method (physiologically based extraction test) combined with transmission electron microscopy, silicate and phosphorus agents were found to reduce the bioaccessibility of Cd in pak choi by up to 66.13% with WSHMP treatment. Application of silicate alone reduced soil bio-Cd concentration through the formation of insoluble complexes and silanol groups with Cd, but the addition of phosphate may have facilitated Cd translocation into pak choi by first co-precipitating with Ca in wollastonite while simultaneously altering soil pH. Meanwhile, wollastonite and phosphate treatments may cause Cd to be firmly enclosed in the cell wall in an insoluble form, reducing its translocation to edible parts and decreasing the bioaccessibility of Cd in pak choi. This study contributes to the mitigation of Cd bioaccessibility in pak choi by reducing soil Cd concentration through in situ remediation and will help us to extend the effects of wollastonite and phosphate on Cd bioaccessibility to other common vegetables. Therefore, this study thus reveals effective strategies for the remediation of soil Cd and the reduction of Cd bioaccessibility in crops based on two indicators: total Cd and Cd bioaccessibility. Our findings contribute to the development of methods for safer cultivation of commonly consumed leafy vegetables and for soil remediation., Competing Interests: WX was employed by Guangzhou Hexin Instrument Co., Ltd. BH was employed by Zhongchuang Guoke Scientific Instrument (Shandong) Co. The remaining 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 Guo, Zhao, Zhang, Yang, Chu, Zhang, Xiao, Huang and Li.)

Background: The recovery of upper extremity motor impairment after stroke remains a challenging task. The clinical effectiveness of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), which is believed to aid in the recovery process, is still uncertain., Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Medline (Ovid), Cochrane and Embase electronic databases from March 28, 2014, to March 28, 2023. The inclusion criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials that assessed the effects of rTMS on the recovery of upper limb motor impairment among stroke patients. Various measurements, including the Fugl Meyer Assessment Upper Extremity Scale (FMA-UE), Brunnstrom recovery stage, Action Research Arm Test (ARAT), and Barthel index, were evaluated both before and after the intervention., Results: Nineteen articles with 865 patients were included. When considering only the rTMS parameters, both inhibitory and excitatory rTMS improved FMA-UE (MD = 1.87, 95% CI = [0.88]-[2.86], p < 0.001) and Barthel index (MD = 9.73, 95% CI = [4.57]-[14.89], p < 0.001). When considering only the severity of upper limb hemiplegia, both less severe (MD = 1.56, 95% CI = [0.64]-[2.49], p < 0.001) and severe (MD = 2.05, 95% CI = [1.09]-[3.00], p < 0.001) hemiplegia benefited from rTMS based on FMA-UE. However, when considering the rTMS parameters, severity of hemiplegia and stroke stages simultaneously, inhibitory rTMS was found to be significantly effective for less severe hemiplegia in the acute and subacute phases (MD = 4.55, 95% CI = [2.49]-[6.60], p < 0.001), but not in the chronic phase based on FMA-UE. For severe hemiplegia, inhibitory rTMS was not significantly effective in the acute and subacute phases, but significantly effective in the chronic phase (MD = 2.10, 95% CI = [0.75]-[3.45], p = 0.002) based on FMA-UE. Excitatory rTMS was found to be significantly effective for less severe hemiplegia in the acute and subacute phases (MD = 1.93, 95% CI = [0.58]-[3.28], p = 0.005) based on FMA-UE. The improvements in Brunnstrom recovery stage and ARAT need further research., Conclusion: The effectiveness of rTMS depends on its parameters, severity of hemiplegia, and stroke stages. It is important to consider all these factors together, as any single grouping method is incomplete., 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 Li, Liu, Li, Yang, Wang and Wang.)

Key Message: Exploring the potential action mechanisms of reactive oxygen species during the callus inducing, they can activate specific metabolic pathways in explants to regulate callus development. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the regulation of plant growth and development, but the mechanism of their action on plant callus formation remains to be elucidated. To address this question, kiwifruit was selected as the explant for callus induction, and the influence of ROS on callus formation was investigated by introducing propyl gallate (PG) as an antioxidant into the medium used for inducing callus. The results have unveiled that the inclusion of PG in the medium has disturbed the equilibrium of ROS during the formation of the kiwifruit callus. We selected the callus that was induced by the addition of 0.05 mmol/L PG to the MS medium. The callus exhibited a significant difference in the amount compared to the control medium without PG. The callus induced by the MS medium without PG was used as the control for comparison. KEGG enrichment indicated that PG exposure resulted in significant differences in gene expression in related pathways, such as phytohormone signaling and glutathione in kiwifruit callus. Weighted gene co-expression analysis indicated that the pertinent regulatory networks of both ROS and phytohormone signaling were critical for the establishment of callus in kiwifruit leaves. In addition, during the process of callus establishment, the ROS level of the explants was also closely related to the genes for transmembrane transport of substances, cell wall formation, and plant organ establishment. This investigation expands the theory of ROS-regulated callus formation and presents a new concept for the expeditious propagation of callus in kiwifruit., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)