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Here, the authors report tunable luminescence from a single lanthanide ion upon changing excitation conditions through co-doping an energy-modulator ion, thus adjusting the photon transition process of the lanthanide activator ion. Optical encryption has also been demonstrated as an application of this universal strategy.

Abstract Objective To examine the association of early-pregnancy serum C-peptide with incident gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and the predictive ability of maternal C-peptide for GDM. Methods A nested case–control study of 332 GDM cases and 664 controls was established based on the Tongji-Shuangliu Birth Cohort. The GDM cases and controls were matched at 1:2 on maternal age (± 3 years) and gestational age (± 4 weeks). Multivariable conditional logistic regression was applied to assess the association of C-peptide with risk of GDM. Partial Spearman’s correlation coefficients were estimated for the correlations between C-peptide and multiple metabolic biomarkers. C-statistics were calculated to assess the predictive ability of early-pregnancy C-peptide for GDM. Results Of 996 pregnant women, median maternal age was 28.0 years old and median gestational age was 11.0 weeks. After adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratio of GDM comparing the extreme quartiles of C-peptide was 2.28 (95% confidence interval, 1.43, 3.62; P for trend

In this paper, Acer truncatum seed meal was hydrolyzed by alkaline protease method. The enzymatic hydrolysis time, enzyme dosage, pH, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature and solid-liquid ratio were investigated, and the yield of enzymatic hydrolysis polypeptide was taken as the evaluation index. On the basis of the single-factor experiments and the Box-Behnken central combination experimental design, the preparation process of alkaline protease hydrolyzed polypeptide of Acer truncatum seed meal was optimized. The amino acid composition, water absorption, oil absorption, foaming, emulsifying and surface hydrophobicity of the enzymatic hydrolyzed peptides were characterized. The results showed that the optimal enzymatic hydrolysis process was as follows: enzymatic hydrolysis time 3.3 h, pH10, enzyme dosage 3%, enzymatic hydrolysis temperature 55 ℃. Under the optimum preparation conditions, the yield of peptides hydrolyzed by alkaline protease from Acer truncatum seed meal was 40.13%±0.15%. The analysis of amino acid composition showed that the amount of eight essential amino acids contained in the enzymatic hydrolysis polypeptide was as high as 20.3%, which was much higher than the amount of essential amino acids recommended by FAO. In addition, the oil absorption of enzymatic hydrolysis polypeptide (4.553 g/g) was higher than that of soybean protein (2.61 g/g), its surface hydrophobicity (1365.3) was similar to that of soybean 7S globulin, and its emulsifying property and emulsifying stability were slightly lower than that of soybean protein isolate. The alkaline protease hydrolyzed polypeptide of Acer truncatum seed meal obtained in this study had good functional characteristics, which also showed that it could be used as a potential functional component in food, providing data and theoretical support for the new application and development of Acer truncatum seed meal.

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a group of neurodevelopmental disorder diseases, is characterized by social deficits, communication difficulties, and repetitive behaviors. Sterile alpha and TIR motif-containing 1 protein (SARM1) is known as an autism-associated protein and is enriched in brain tissue. Moreover, SARM1 knockdown mice exhibit autism-like behaviors. However, its specific mechanism in ASD pathogenesis remains unclear. Here we generated parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PVI)-specific conditional SARM1 knockout (SARM1PV-CKO) mice. SARM1PV-CKO male mice showed autism-like behaviors, such as mild social interaction deficits and repetitive behaviors. Moreover, we found that the expression level of parvalbumin was reduced in SARM1PV-CKO male mice, together with upregulated apoptosis-related proteins and more cleaved-caspase-3-positive PVIs, suggesting that knocking out SARM1 may cause a reduction in the number of PVIs due to apoptosis. Furthermore, the expression of c-fos was shown to increase in SARM1PV-CKO male mice, in combination with upregulation of excitatory postsynaptic proteins such as PSD-95 or neuroligin-1, indicating enhanced excitatory synaptic input in mutant mice. This notion was further supported by the partial rescue of autism-like behavior deficits by the administration of GABA receptor agonists in SARM1PV-CKO male mice. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SARM1 deficiency in PVIs may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD.

Reliable transfer techniques are critical for the integration of 2D materials with arbitrary substrates. Here, the authors describe a method to transfer 4-inch and A4-sized defect-free graphene films onto rigid and flexible substrates with controllable conformal contact, leading to improved electrical properties and uniformity.

Abstract Background Chromosome aberrations of 10p monosomy and 10q trisomy resulting from parental pericentric inversion 10 are extremely rare, and to date, very few reports have been published on the matter. Case Presentation A 30-year-old pregnant woman with recurrent pregnancy loss is enrolled in this research. In this pregnancy, spontaneous abortion occurred in the first trimester of her pregnancy. Chromosomal microarray analysis of the abortion tissue showed a partial 10p monosomy (arr[GRCh37] 10p15.3p11.21(100,047_34,848,853) × 1) and a duplication of 10q (arr[GRCh37] 10q26.13q26.3(126,093,990_135,426,386) × 3). Further parental karyotype analysis indicated that the chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus was resulted from paternal pericenric inversion inv(10)(p11.21q26.13). This study presents the first case of a large deletion of 10p combined with 10q trisomy, resulting in pregnancy loss. Of these two manifestations, the large deletion of chromosome 10p may be the primary reason for spontaneous abortion in this subject. Conclusions This study presents the first case of partial 10p monosomy associated with 10q trisomy in Chinese population. It provides more information on the chromosome aberration of 10p monosomy and 10q trisomy and further strengthens the application value of microarray in the molecular etiological diagnosis of recurrent spontaneous abortion.

Stroke has become a major disease that seriously threatens human health due to its high incidence and disability rates. Most patients undergo upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke, which significantly impairs the ability of stroke survivors in their activities of daily living (ADL). Robots provide an optional solution for stroke rehabilitation by attending therapy in the hospital and the community, however, the rehabilitation robot still has difficulty in providing needed assistance interactively like human clinicians in conventional therapy. For safe and rehabilitation training, a human-robot interaction space reshaping method was proposed based on the recovery states of patients. According to different recovery states, we designed seven experimental protocols suitable for distinguishing rehabilitation training sessions. To achieve assist-as-needed (AAN) control, a PSO-SVM classification model and an LSTM-KF regression model were introduced to recognize the motor ability of patients with electromyography (EMG) and kinematic data, and a region controller for interaction space shaping was studied. Ten groups of offline and online experiments and corresponding data processing were conducted, and the machine learning and AAN control results were presented, which ensured the effective and the safe upper limb rehabilitation training. To discuss the human-robot interaction in different training stages and sessions, we defined a quantified assistance level index that characterizes the rehabilitation needs by considering the engagement of the patients and had the potential to apply in clinical upper limb rehabilitation training.

Oasis vegetation contains a variety of ecological functions and can quickly indicate changes in the environment. According to the vegetation dynamics of natural oasis, this study constructed a natural oasis ecological vulnerability assessment model (NOEV) The model is based on Pressure-Sensitivity-Resilience framework, combined with redundancy analysis, minimum cumulative resistance model, and ecological risk sensitivity index to effectively assess the ecological vulnerability of natural oasis. The results showed that human activities, represented by the expansion of farmland and population growth, were the main factors affecting the vegetation dynamics of natural oasis in the last 30 years, and their contribution to the change of vegetation area is 42.08%. In the temporal dynamics, a serie of economic and environmental policies implemented by the government after the 21st century have promoted the recovery of vegetation. Vulnerability decreased on the whole oasis but increased in some local areas during 2005–2020. In the spatial dynamics, the transition zone of vulnerability from high to low occurred, it a distance of approximately 30 km from an artificial oasis located also in the area. We suggest that the governments should set up an ecological buffer zone in this area and implement different environmental protection policies inside and outside the buffer zone. Few vulnerability assessment models have been constructed for oasis ecosystems, and the NOEV model constructed in this study helps to formulate more direct and effective policy recommendations for the government's ecological protection and restoration work.

PurposeThe Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale was adapted into Chinese for the purposes of this study, and then the psychometric characteristics of the Chinese version of the DoCCA scale were confirmed in chronic conditions.MethodsA total of 434 patients with chronic diseases were recruited from three Chinese cities. A cross-cultural adaptation procedure was used to translate the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale into Chinese. Cronbach's alpha coefficient, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were used to verify the scale's reliability. Content validity indices, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were used to confirm the scale's validity.ResultsThe Chinese DoCCA scale includes five domains: demands, unnecessary tasks, role clarity, needs support, and goal orientation. The S-CVI was 0.964. Exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor structure that explained 74.952% of the total variance. According to the confirmatory factor analysis results, the fit indices were within the range of the reference values. Convergent and discriminant validity both met the criteria. Also, the scale's Cronbach's alpha coefficient is 0.936, and the five dimensions' values range from 0.818 to 0.909. The split-half reliability was 0.848, and the test-retest reliability was 0.832.ConclusionsThe Chinese version of the Distribution of Co-Care Activities Scale had high levels of validity and reliability for chronic conditions. The scale can assess how patients with chronic diseases feel about their service of care and provide data to optimize their personalized chronic disease self-management strategies.

Abstract Background Congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform nevus and limb defects (CHILD) syndrome is a rare X‐linked dominant, lethal male disorder caused by mutations to the NSDHL (NAD(P)H steroid dehydrogenase‐like protein) gene. It primarily exhibits strictly unilateral congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and ipsilateral limb defects in female individuals. Methods A Chinese couple suffering from recurrent spontaneous abortion in male fetuses was enrolled in this study. Chromosomal microarray analysis and whole‐exome sequencing were performed for genetic etiological diagnosis. Results A 33‐year‐old pregnant woman with recurrent spontaneous abortion was experiencing her third pregnancy with a male embryo. In this pregnancy, a miscarriage occurred at a gestational age of 10+6 weeks with no copy number variants. However, a novel mutation c.790‐6C>T in the NSDHL gene was observed in the fetus through whole‐exome sequencing (WES). Parental verification indicated that the NSDHL gene variant was inherited from the mother. Additionally, the variant in the NSDHL gene was absent in her subsequent pregnancy with a female fetus. Conclusion In this study, we detected c.790‐6C>T, a novel variant in the NSDHL gene that results in recurrent miscarriage in males. Our study may broaden the scope of research on the NSDHL gene in CHILD syndrome and strengthens the application value of WES for the genetic etiological identification of recurrent miscarriage.

IntroductionIntegrin αvβ6, which is upregulated in malignancies and remains absent or weak in normal tissue, is a promising target in molecular imaging therapeutics. In vivo imaging of integrin αvβ6 could therefore be valuable for early tumor detection and intraoperative guidance.MethodsIn this study, integrin αvβ6-targeting probe G2-SFLAP3 was labeled with near-infrared (NIR) dye Cy5.5 or radioisotope 68Ga. The resulting probes were evaluated in integrin αvβ6-positive A549 and αvβ6-negative H1703 xenograft mice models.ResultsThe cellar uptake of G2-SFLAP3-Cy5.5 was consistent with the expression of integrin αvβ6. Both subcutaneous and brain metastatic A549 tumors could be clearly visualized by NIR fluorescent imaging of G2-SFLAP3-Cy5.5. A549 tumors demonstrated the highest G2-SFLAP3-Cy5.5 accumulation at 4h post-injection (p.i.) and remain detectable at 84h p.i. The fluorescent signal of G2-SFLAP3-Cy5.5 was significantly reduced in H1703 and A549-blocking groups. Consistently, small-animal PET imaging showed tumor-specific accumulation of 68Ga-DOTA-G2-SFLAP3.DiscussionG2-SFLAP3 represents a promising agent for noninvasive imaging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases.

Background Although immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and adoptive T cell transfer (ACT) therapy have achieved impressive clinical outcomes, majority of patients do not respond to immunotherapy. Tumor-infiltrating T cells, a critical factor to immunotherapy, is dynamically changing. Therefore, a reliable real-time in vivo imaging system for tumor-infiltrating T cells, but not immunohistochemical analyses, will be more valuable to predict response and guide immunotherapy. In this study, we developed a new SPECT/CT imaging probe 99mTc-sum IL-2 targeting the IL-2Rβ/IL-2Rγ (CD122/CD132) receptor on tumor-infiltrating T cells, and evaluated its application in predicting the immune response to anti-PD-L1 (αPD-L1) therapy as well as tracking infused T cells in ACT therapy.Methods The binding affinity of the super mutated IL-2 (sum IL-2) in various T cell subtypes was measured. Sum IL-2 was subsequently labeled with 99mTc through Sortase-A mediated site-specific transpeptidation. SPECT/CT imaging and biodistribution studies of 99mTc-sum IL-2 were performed in a MC38 mouse model. Wild type IL-2 (IL-2) was used as control in the above studies. Finally, we evaluated 99mTc-sum IL-2 SPECT/CT for the detection of tumor-infiltrating T cells in the context of αPD-L1 immunotherapy and ACT therapy.Results Sum IL-2 preferentially bound to CD8+ T cells, especially activated CD8+ T cells, while IL-2 showed biased binding to Treg cells. As a result, 99mTc-sum IL-2 could detect tumor-infiltrating T cells. In the MC38 tumor model, SPECT/CT imaging showed the increased tumor uptake of 99mTc-sum IL-2 after αPD-L1 treatment, suggesting that the treatment significantly increased tumor-infiltrating T cells, resulting in a correspondingly significant curative effect. In addition, 99mTc-sum IL-2 SPECT/CT could also track the infiltration of antigen-specific cytotoxic CD8+ T cells during ACT therapy.Conclusion 99mTc-sum IL-2 has great clinical potential for non-invasive and specific SPECT/CT imaging of tumor-infiltrating T cells as well as for timely prediction and evaluation of the therapeutic efficacy of ICB and ACT therapy.

Abstract Background CRISPR/Cas9-based genome-editing systems have been used to efficiently engineer livestock species with precise genetic alterations intended for biomedical and agricultural applications. Previously, we have successfully generated gene-edited sheep and goats via one-cell-stage embryonic microinjection of a Cas9 mRNA and single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) mixture. However, most gene-edited animals produced using this approach were heterozygotes. Additionally, non-homozygous gene-editing outcomes may not fully generate the desired phenotype in an efficient manner. Results We report the optimization of a Cas9 mRNA-sgRNA delivery system to efficiently generate homozygous myostatin (MSTN) knockout sheep for improved growth and meat production. Firstly, an sgRNA selection software (sgRNAcas9) was used to preliminarily screen for highly efficient sgRNAs. Ten sgRNAs targeting the MSTN gene were selected and validated in vitro using sheep fibroblast cells. Four out of ten sgRNAs (two in exon 1 and two in exon 2) showed a targeting efficiency > 50%. To determine the optimal CRISPR/Cas9 microinjection concentration, four levels of Cas9 mRNA and three levels of sgRNAs in mixtures were injected into sheep embryos. Microinjection of 100 ng/μL Cas9 mRNA and 200 ng/μL sgRNAs resulted in the most improved targeting efficiency. Additionally, using both the highly efficient sgRNAs and the optimal microinjection concentration, MSTN-knockout sheep were generated with approximately 50% targeting efficiency, reaching a homozygous knockout efficiency of 25%. Growth rate and meat quality of MSTN-edited lambs were also investigated. MSTN-knockout lambs exhibited increased body weight and average daily gain. Moreover, pH, drip loss, intramuscular fat, crude protein, and shear force of gluteal muscles of MSTN-knockout lambs did not show changes compared to the wild-type lambs. Conclusions This study highlights the importance of in vitro evaluation for the optimization of sgRNAs and microinjection dosage of gene editing reagents. This approach enabled efficient engineering of homozygous knockout sheep. Additionally, this study confirms that MSTN-knockout lambs does not negatively impact meat quality, thus supporting the adoption of gene editing as tool to improve productivity of farm animals.

Abstract: To further promote the theoretical research that digital finance effectively supports the high-quality development of the real economy, this paper reviews the current situation of domestic and international research on the connotation of digital finance, the connotation of high-quality development of the real economy, and the influence mechanism of digital finance on high-quality economic development. At present, the research on the connotation of digital finance and the connotation of high-quality development of the real economy at home and abroad has been relatively mature. Domestic and foreign research on the influence mechanism of digital finance on high-quality economic development mainly includes direct influence mechanism featuring capital allocation effect and inclusive effect, and indirect influence mechanism featuring innovative development, coordinated development, green development, open development, shared development, and industrial structure transformation and upgrading as channels. Future research directions include: deepening the research on the indirect influence mechanism of digital finance on the high-quality economic development; deepening the research on the influence mechanism of digital finance on the high-quality development of the real economy.

Objective To investigate the condition and impact factors of blood pressure control among 35 – 74 years old hypertension patients in Luohu district, Shenzhen city of Guangdong province and to provide evidences to improve health management of the patients. MethodsUsing stratified random sampling, we recruited 1 205 hypertension patients aged 35 – 74 years at 10 community health service centres affiliated to Shenzhen Luohu Hospital Group. Face-to-face surveys with a self-designed questionnaire, physical examination and laboratory tests were conducted among the patients during February 2019. ResultsOf all the patients, 618 (51.3%) had their blood pressure well-controlled. The results of unconditional multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the patients with following characteristics were more likely to have well-controlled blood pressure: with locally registered permanent residence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.379, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.088 – 1.748), taking antihypertensive medication regularly (OR = 1.598, 95% CI: 1.173 – 2.177), and having a physical examination every year (OR = 1.578, 95% CI: 1.221 – 2.040); the results also revealed that male patients were less likely to have well-controlled blood pressure (OR = 0.762, 95% CI: 0.603 – 0.963) compared to female patients. ConclusionAmong 35 to 74 years old community hypertension patients in Luohu district of Shenzhen city, the blood pressure control rate was relatively high and was mainly influenced by gender, whether having local household registration, whether having antihypertensive medication regularly and whether taking a physical examination every year.

Controlling the spin Hall angle is significant to tunable and energy-efficient spintronic devices. Here, the authors demonstrate that the spin Hall angle in Bi2Se3 can be tuned and even enhanced about 600% reversibly by the electric field.

Abstract Background Basic life support and advanced life support are essential emergency management skills for medical workers, and pediatricians' first aid skills can be improved through emergency knowledge training. Methods A controlled pre–post-intervention quasi-experimental study design was used. The study setting was a tertiary children's hospital in China. In November 2019, a KSS model of emergency knowledge learning was developed and tested, and pediatric medical workers (N = 1448) were trained with it. The outcome measures were based on an emergency knowledge questionnaire devised by the authors that measured the effectiveness of training by comparing the pre-and post-training scores of the particpants. Results Pediatric medical workers scored significantly higher in total emergency knowledge after the training course than before [75.00 (62.50, 85.00) versus 100.00 (95.00, 100.00); P = 0.00]. Basic life support and advanced life support knowledge score significantly improved after training. Teamwork scores were significantly higher after the training than before [5.00 (5.00, 10.00) versus 10.00 (10.00, 10.00); P = 0.00]. Scores were significantly higher after the training (P

Sinocyclocheilus multipunctatus is a second-class nationally protected wild animal in China. As one of the cavefish, S. multipunctatus has strong adaptability to harsh subterranean environments. In this study, we used PacBio SMRT sequencing technology to generate a first representative full-length transcriptome for S. multipunctatus. Sequence clustering analysis obtained 232,126 full-length transcripts. Among all transcripts, 40,487 were annotated in public databases, while 70,300 microsatellites, 2384 transcription factors, and 16,321 long non-coding RNAs were identified. The phylogenetic tree showed that S. multipunctatus shows a closer relationship to Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio, phylogenetically diverging from the common ancestor ~14.74 million years ago (Mya). We also found that between 15.6 and 17.5 Mya, S. multipunctatus also experienced an additional whole-genome duplication (WGD) event, which may have promoted the species evolution of S. multipunctatus. Meanwhile, the overall rates of evolutionary of polyploid S. multipunctatus were significantly higher than those of the other cyprinids, and 220 positively selected genes (PSGs) were identified in two sub-genomes of S. multipunctatus. These PSGs are likely to fulfill critical roles in the process of adapting to diverse cave environments. This study has the potential to facilitate future investigations into the genomic characteristics of S. multipunctatus and provide valuable insights into revealing the evolutionary history of polyploid S. multipunctatus.

Background: Ferroptosis is a form of iron-dependent regulated cell death, and prior work has highlighted the potential utility of ferroptosis-inducing agents as tools to treat heart failure (HF). To date, however, no detailed examinations of the prognostic utility of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in HF have been conducted. Methods: We used established genomic identification of FRGs for total samples in the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, screened for differentially expressed FRGs, performed protein-protein interaction analysis and functional analysis of HF immune microenvironment subtypes. Subsequently, we applied tools to calculate immune cell infiltration, compare immune cell, immune response genomic and HLA gene differences between subtypes, and perform candidate drug identification. Finally, preliminary in vivo validation of the screened central genes was performed in animal models. Results: FRGs were compared between samples from HF and healthy control donors, revealing 62 of these genes to be differentially expressed as a function of HF status. HF patient-derived tissues exhibited significant changes in the expression of HLA genes, increase immune cell infiltration, and higher levels of other immune-related genes within the associated immune microenvironment. These FRGs were then leveraged to establish two different immune-related subtypes of HF based on clustering analysis results, after which these subtypes were characterized in further detail. Functional enrichment analyses revealed the identified differentially expressed genes to be enriched in key immune-related pathways including the primary immunodeficiency, natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity, FcϵRI signaling, and antigen processing and presentation pathways. The impact of the immune microenvironment was also explored through functional analyses, core gene analyses, and efforts to identify potential drug candidates for HF patients. Moreover, four key hub genes were identified as promising targets for therapeutic intervention in HF, including HDAC1, LNPEP, PSMA1, and PSMA6. Subsequent preclinical work in a mouse model system supported a potential role for HDAC1 as an important biomarker associated with the incidence of HF. Conclusions: To sum up, these results emphasize the importance of ferroptosis as a regulator of the HF-related immune microenvironment, highlighting viable avenues for the further study of molecular targets amenable to pharmacological intervention with the aim of treating this debilitating disease.

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has exerted significant psychological impacts on university students who have faced drastic changes in the learning mode and suspension of classes. Despite these challenges, many students maintained subjective well-being. In this study, we examined the role of “hope” as a potential protector to maintain their subjective well-being when facing adversity during this global crisis. Specifically, we explored the mediating role of two hope components (agency thinking and pathways thinking) on the association of positive emotions and life satisfaction among Chinese university students. We conducted an online survey at a local university and recruited a total of 315 undergraduates from the humanities, creative arts, and social sciences programs through convenience sampling. Participants confirmed their informed consent and completed a set of self-administered questionnaires measuring positive emotions, hope, life satisfaction, and demographic variables. The results of mediation testing indicated that, during a global crisis such as COVID-19, positive emotions indirectly influenced life satisfaction through agency thinking rather than pathways thinking. The findings highlight the importance of agency thinking among Chinese university students in adverse situations and provide valuable insights for psychological interventions during a crisis. The article concludes by discussing possible explanations and implications of the findings in a post-pandemic world.

Protein hydrolysates (PHs) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are environmentally friendly biostimulants that effectively promote crop growth and alleviate the damage from abiotic stress. However, the physiological and molecular regulatory mechanisms are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of PHs and AMF on growth, mineral nutrient absorption, and expression of Aquaporins and SOSs in Goutoucheng (Citrus aurantium) under salt stress. Results showed that PH application and AMF inoculation significantly promoted plant growth and enhanced mineral element absorption and sodium effluxion in citrus under salt stress. The biomass, root activity, leaves mineral nutrition contents in PHs, AMF, and combined (PHs and AMF) treatments were significantly higher than those of control. Leaves sodium content in three treatments was significantly lower than in the control. AMF and combined treatments showed dominant effects than PHs alone. Besides, PHs interacted with AMF on growth, nutrient absorption, and sodium effluxion. Importantly, AMF and PHs induced stress-responsive genes. PIP1, PIP3, SOS1, and SOS3 expression in PHs and AMF treatments was significantly higher than control. Thus, it was concluded that AMF and PHs enhanced the salt tolerance of citrus by promoting nutrient absorption and sodium effluxion via up-regulating the expression of PIPs and SOSs. The mixed application of PHs and AMF had a better effect.

Geologic interpretation results from conventional ground-penetrating radar (GPR) detection methods tend to have a certain degree of uncertainty. In order to improve the reliability of ground-penetrating radars in the detection of rock mass fissures in grottoes, this study proposes a ground-penetrating radar detection method with the logging data constraint, which is applied to detect the fractured rock mass in the Baodingshan Scenic Area of Dazu Rock Carvings, Chongqing, China. First, conventional logging and borehole televiewer data were compared and verified, yielding detailed lithological and wellbore fissure information. Next, electromagnetic wave velocity was calibrated using GPR profile and the depth of the stratigraphic interface determined by borehole data. Utilizing this calibrated velocity, we are able to accurately calculate the depth values of anomalies in GPR interpretation profiles. Subsequently, we compared the preliminary GPR interpretation profile with the borehole televiewer images. After eliminating false anomalies caused by interference, we obtained more reliable location information for detection targets such as fissures, fracture zones, and weak interlayers. The results of fissure detection in the Dazu Rock Carvings indicate that the detection results of ground-penetrating radar are verified and supplemented under the constraints of stratigraphic and well-wall fissure information obtained by logging. This effectively mitigates the influence of multiplicity and false anomalies of GPR detection on interpretation results. GPR with the logging data constraint enhances the accuracy of the fissure detection results, providing novel technical means for the protection and restoration of grotto relics.

Abstract Background In China, family caregivers are usually the main carers of relatives after stroke due to traditional Chinese culture and the limited development of the primary healthcare system. This responsibility often results in burdens and negative health outcomes. However, family caregivers seldom receive support. To improve informal care, as well as the health and well-being of family caregivers, it is important to identify their needs. Objective This study aimed to deductively explore the needs of family members caring for stroke survivors in China. Methods Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were performed with family caregivers of stroke survivors who were selected from one city and three communities by purposive sampling. A deductive qualitative content analysis method was performed by using the Caregiver Task Inventory-25 (CTI-25), an instrument measuring the needs of family caregivers, as a framework. Results All subscales, as well as all belonging items in the CTI-25, were identified in the present study, meaning that the family caregivers had needs related to learning to cope with new role, providing care according to care-receiver’s needs, managing own emotional needs, appraising supportive resources, and balancing caregiving needs and one’s own needs. Moreover, needs related to financial support, both direct and indirect, were identified but not part of the CTI-25. Conclusion These findings identified that family caregivers of stroke survivors in China had various needs, which is important knowledge when assessing needs and improving health care for family caregivers. Cultural adjustments and modifications should be made if CTI-25 is used in mainland China. This study also indicated a comprehensive and holistic perspective (individual, community, and social level) when identifying, assessing needs or implementing interventions to support family caregivers.

Abstract Background Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and surgery is an effective method to treat melanoma. Unfortunately, local residual micro-infiltrated tumour cells and systemic circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are significant causes of treatment failure, leading to tumour recurrence and metastasis. Methods Small EVs were isolated from platelets by differential centrifugation, and doxorubicin-loaded small EVs (PexD) was prepared by mixing small EVs with doxorubicin (DOX). PexD and an anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody (aPD-L1) were co-encapsulated in fibrin gel. The synergistic antitumour efficacy of the gel containing PexD and aPD-L1 was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. Results Herein, we developed an in situ-formed bioresponsive gel combined with chemoimmunotherapeutic agents as a drug reservoir that could effectively inhibit both local tumour recurrence and tumour metastasis. In comparison with a DOX solution, PexD could better bind to tumour cells, induce more tumour immunogenic cell death (ICD) and promote a stronger antitumour immune response. PexD could enter the blood circulation through damaged blood vessels to track and eliminate CTCs. The concurrent release of aPD-L1 at the tumour site could impair the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway and restore the tumour-killing effect of cytotoxic T cells. This chemoimmunotherapeutic strategy triggered relatively strong T cell immune responses, significantly improving the tumour immune microenvironment. Conclusion Our findings indicated that the immunotherapeutic fibrin gel could “awaken” the host innate immune system to inhibit both local tumour recurrence post-surgery and metastatic potential, thus, it could serve as a promising approach to prevent tumour recurrence. Graphical Abstract

Combining with the problems of scientific data management and data opening and sharing at high energy photon source (HEPS), the necessity and importance of scientific data policy research for synchrotron radiation facilities which serve as public experiments platforms were illustrated at first.Secondly, the status of data policy research for domestic synchrotron radiation facilities was analyzed according to the research progress of the data policy for other countries.Thirdly, the content of HEPS data policy was expounded in focus.Fourthly, problems and some thought during the research were summarized.Finally, the research progress and the application examples of HEPS data policy were introduced, and the prospect to the data policy research for synchrotron radiation facilities in the future was proposed.

Objective: Human neuromuscular reflex control provides a biological model for a compliant hand prosthesis. Here we present a computational approach to understanding the emerging human-like compliance, force and position control, and stiffness adaptation in a prosthetic hand with a replica of human neuromuscular reflex. Methods: A virtual twin of prosthetic hand was constructed in the MuJoCo environment with a tendon-driven anthropomorphic hand structure. Biorealistic mathematic models of muscle, spindle, spiking-neurons and monosynaptic reflex were implemented in neuromorphic chips to drive the virtual hand for real-time control. Results: Simulation showed that the virtual hand acquired human-like ability to control fingertip position, force and stiffness for grasp, as well as the capacity to interact with soft objects by adaptively adjusting hand stiffness. Conclusion: The biorealistic neuromorphic reflex model restores human-like neuromuscular properties for hand prosthesis to interact with soft objects.

Abstract Members of the genus Bougainvillea are rich sources of natural dyes, pigments, and traditional medicines. They are also commonly used as ornamentals in roadside landscape construction. However, the horticultural development of Bougainvillea flowers with extended growth periods and coloration is not always feasible. One reason is limited molecular knowledge and no genomic information for Bougainvillea. Here, we compiled an integrative transcriptome of all expressed transcripts for Bougainvillea × buttiana Miss Manila by integrating 20 Illumina-sequencing RNA transcriptomes. The integrative transcriptome consisted of 97,623 distinct transcripts. Of these, 47,006 were protein-coding, 31,109 were non-coding, and 19,508 were unannotated. In addition, we affirmed that the integrative transcriptome could serve as a surrogate reference to the genome in aiding accurate transcriptome assembly. For convenience, we curated the integrative transcriptome database for Bougainvillea, namely InTransBo, which can be freely accessed at http://www.bio-add.org/InTransBo/index.jsp . To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the most comprehensive genomic resource for Bougainvillea up-to-date. The integrative transcriptome helps fill the genomic gap and elucidate the transcriptional nature of Bougainvillea. It may also advance progress in the precise regulation of flowering in horticulture. The same strategy can be readily applied toward the systematic exploration of other plant species lacking complete genomic information.

To overcome the disadvantage of high initial peak crush force (IPCF) in hierarchical and gradient structures, the hierarchical multicellular tubes (HMTs) with gradient character along axial and radial directions are proposed based on the bidirectional structural characters of bamboo stem. Crashworthiness performances of HMTs under oblique loads are systematically studied by using numerical simulation. Results show that compared with the square tube with the same mass, HMTs have higher energy absorption capability under different impact angles. The maximum increases of specific energy absorption (SEA) and crush force efficiency (CFE) reach up to 67.02% and 806%, respectively. Whereas, the maximum decrease of IPCF reaches up to 79.92%. Effects of structural parameters, including hierarchical level, wall thickness and internode space, on the crashworthiness performances of HMTs are also fully investigated.

As one key technology of future radio communication networks, cognitive radio networks (CRNs) can effectively handle the shortage of network resources. Two classes of users exist in traditional CRNs, namely, primary users (PUs) with higher priority and secondary users (SUs) with cognitive ability. In CRNs, during the communication process, packets need to travel through various servers, such as switches and routers, and these devices may fail at any time. We consider this type of problem to be a communication failure. The occurrence of communication failures trigger system repairs, which make the system return to regular work. In this paper, we present a communication failure and repair mechanism with adjustable transmission rates for PU packets in CRNs. We assume that PU packets can maintain low-speed transmission during the system failure state and resume high-speed transmission after the failure is repaired. We establish a three-dimensional Markov chain (3DMC) and build a queueing model based on discrete time. Through numerical experiments, we analyze some indicators’ impact on the system capability. In addition, compared with the traditional communication failure and repair mechanism, our proposed mechanism can reduce the blocking rate while considerably increasing the throughput of data packets.

Abstract Decorating single atoms of transition metals on MXenes to enhance the electrocatalytic properties of the resulting composites is a useful strategy for developing efficient electrocatalysts, and the mechanisms behind this enhancement are under intense scrutiny. Herein, we anchored Co single atoms onto several commonly used MXene substrates (V2CTx, Nb2CTx and Ti3C2Tx) and systematically studied the electrocatalytic behavior and the mechanisms of oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER, respectively) of the resulting composites. Co@V2CTx composite displays an OER overpotential of 242 mV and an HER overpotential of 35 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, which is much lower than for Co@Nb2CTx and Co@Ti3C2Tx, making it comparable to the commercial noble metal Pt/C and RuO2/C electrocatalysts. The experimental and theoretical results point out that the enhanced bifunctional catalytic performance of Co@V2CTx benefits from the stronger hybridization between Co 3d and surface terminated O 2p orbitals which optimized the electronic structure of Co single atoms in the composite. This, in turn, results in lowering the OER and HER energy barriers and acceleration of the catalytic kinetics in case of the Co@V2CTx composite. The advantage of Co@V2CTx was further validated by its high overall water splitting performance (1.60 V to deliver 10 mA cm−2). Our study sheds light on the origins of the catalytic activity of single transition metals atoms on MXene substrates, and provides guidelines for designing efficient bifunctional MXene‐based electrocatalysts.

BackgroundThe influence of overall lifestyle behaviors on diabetic microvascular complications remains unknown. In addition, the potential mediating biomarkers underlying the association is unclear. This study aimed to examine the associations of the combined lifestyle factors with risks of total and individual microvascular complications among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and to explore the potential mediation effects of metabolic biomarkers.Methods and findingsThis retrospective cohort study included 15,104 patients with T2D free of macro- and microvascular complications at baseline (2006 to 2010) from the UK Biobank. Healthy lifestyle behaviors included noncurrent smoking, recommended waist circumference, regular physical activity, healthy diet, and moderate alcohol drinking. Outcomes were ascertained using electronic health records. Over a median of 8.1 years of follow-up, 1,296 cases of the composite microvascular complications occurred, including 558 diabetic retinopathy, 625 diabetic kidney disease, and 315 diabetic neuropathy, with some patients having 2 or 3 microvascular complications simultaneously. After multivariable adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, history of hypertension, glycemic control, and medication histories, the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals (CIs)) for the participants adhering 4 to 5 low-risk lifestyle behaviors versus 0 to 1 were 0.65 (0.46, 0.91) for diabetic retinopathy, 0.43 (0.30, 0.61) for diabetic kidney disease, 0.46 (0.29, 0.74) for diabetic neuropathy, and 0.54 (0.43, 0.68) for the composite outcome (all Ps-trend ≤0.01). Further, the population-attributable fraction (95% CIs) of diabetic microvascular complications for poor adherence to the overall healthy lifestyle (ConclusionsAdherence to overall healthy lifestyle behaviors was associated with a significantly lower risk of microvascular complications in patients with T2D, and the favorable associations were partially mediated through improving biomarkers of glycemic control, systemic inflammation, liver function, and lipid profile.

Background:Helicobacter pylori (Hp) persistent infection is an important pathogenic factor for a series of chronic gastric diseases from chronic gastritis to gastric cancer. Genetic and epigenetic abnormalities of microRNAs may play a vital role in the pathological evolution of gastric mucosa in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric diseases (HPGD). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between miR-146a, miR-196a2, miR-149, miR-499 and miR-27a gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their expressions with pathological changes in gastric mucosa, and to further analyze the interactions between SNPs and Hp.Methods: Subjects in this study included patients diagnosed with HPGD and healthy controls. MiR-146a rs2910164, miR-196a2 rs11614913, miR-149 rs2292832, miR-499 rs3746444 and miR-27a rs895819 were genotyped by direct sequencing. Fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect microRNA expressions. Gene-gene and gene-environment interactions were evaluated by multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method.Results: we found that frequency distribution of miR-196a2 rs11614913 CT genotype in gastric precancerous lesion (GPL) group and gastric cancer (GC) group was significantly higher than normal control (NOR) group [adjusted OR = 6.16, 95%CI (1.46–26.03); adjusted OR = 11.83, 95%CI (1.65–84.72), respectively]. CT genotype and C allele of miR-27a rs895819 were associated with increased risk of GC [adjusted OR = 10.14, 95%CI (2.25–45.77); adjusted OR = 3.71, 95%CI(1.46–9.44), respectively]. The MDR analysis results showed that the interaction between miR-196a2 rs11614913 and Hp was associated with the risk of GPL (p = 0.004). Meanwhile, the expression level of miR-196a2 in GC group was significantly higher than NOR, chronic inflammation (CI) and early precancerous lesion (EPL) groups among Hp-positive subjects. And expressions of miR-499 and miR-27a in GC group were both higher than EPL group. Also, miR-27a expression in GC group was higher than CI and gastric atrophy (GA) groups.Conclusion: miR-196a2 rs11614913 and miR-27a rs895819 may affect the genetic susceptibility to GPL or GC. MiR-196a2 rs11614913 and Hp have a synergistic effect in the occurrence and development of GPL. The up-regulation of miR-499, miR-196a2 and miR-27a expression caused by Hp infection may be an important mechanism of gastric carcinogenesis.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of anthocyanin-rich purple corn extract (PCE) on performance, antioxidant potential, egg quality, egg amino acid and fatty acid profiles of laying hens during the late laying period. A total of 360 88-wk-old laying hens were randomly divided into 4 groups, and fed a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 120 (LP), 240 (MP), and 360 mg/kg (HP) PCE, respectively. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was observed in the ADFI or average egg weight among the groups. However, the mean feed to egg ratio was quadratically decreased (P < 0.05) in the LP and HP treatments. The mean TAC was linearly and quadratically increased (P < 0.05) in all PCE supplemented treatments. The mean SOD was linearly and quadratically increased (P < 0.05) in the HP treatment compared with CON and MP groups. The GPX was linearly and quadratically lower in the HP treatment compared to the CON and LP groups. Differently, the MDA was linearly and quadratically lower (P < 0.05) in the PCE treatments compared with the CON. The eggshell thickness value in MP and HP treatments were linearly and quadratically higher (P < 0.05) than that of the CON and LP groups. Hens fed PCE was linearly and quadratically increased (P < 0.05) most individual amino acids, essential amino acid and umami amino acid profiles in egg. The PCE treatments showed linearly and quadratic (P < 0.05) effect on the myristoleate, heptadecenoic acid, elaidic acid, eicosenoic acid, heneicosanoic acid, and eicosatrienoic acid concentrations. Moreover, dietary supplementation of PCE was quadratically increased egg stearic acid, oleic acid, arachidic acid, linolenic acid methyl ester, arachidonic acid, diphenylamine, docosahexaenoic acid, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid compared to the CON. Therefore, dietary anthocyanin-rich PCE can enhance plasma antioxidant potential, is beneficial to egg production, and improves amino acids and fatty acids in hen eggs during the late laying period.

ABSTRACT: In recent years, the utilization of antibiotics in animal feed has been restricted, probiotics have been increasingly used to replace antibiotics in maintaining animal health. The aim of this study was to screen and evaluate probiotics with excellent probiotic potential from the gut of healthy goslings for clinical application. Thirteen strains of Bacillus (named AH-G201 to AH-G2013), including 2 strains of Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), 6 strains of Bacillus licheniformis (B. licheniformis) and 5 strains of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (B. amyloliquefaciens), were isolated and identified. Then, acid and bile salts tolerance tests were performed to screen probiotics strains that could survive under different environments. The effects of screened probiotics on the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella were assessed. Furthermore, we performed the drug resistance tests and safety tests in animals. The results showed that B. Subtilis AH-G201, B. licheniformis AH-G202 and AH-G204 exhibited higher gastrointestinal resistance under in vitro conditions, and showed a moderate level of resistance to the tested antibiotics. Importantly, AH-G201 and AH-G202 showed 24 to 60% inhibition rate against pathogenic E. coli and Salmonella. Moreover, the safety analysis of AH-G201 and AH-G202 suggested that the 2 probiotics strains have no adverse effects on body weight gain and feed intake in the broilers, and in addition, they have significantly improved growth performance. Finally, we analyzed effects of B. Subtilis AH-G201and B. licheniformis AH-G202 on growth performance, immune organ index and the feces microbes of broilers. The results showed that broilers fed with high doses (5 × 109 CFU/mL, for single strain) of a mixture of AH-G201 and AH-G202 exhibited good growth performance, and exhibited the greatest gain in spleen weight and the highest lactic acid bacteria counts. These findings indicate that the combined addition of B. Subtilis AH-G201 and B. licheniformis AH-G202 has the potential to replace antibiotics and to improve the growth performance of broilers.