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This study aimed to investigate the effects of heat stress (HS) on growth performance, carcase characteristics and rumen-muscle axis of Hu sheep and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms of the actions by establishing a heat-stressed Hu sheep. The results showed that HS significantly decreased growth performance and carcase characteristics, altered metabolic enzyme activities, and induced a shift in muscle energy metabolism towards a more glycolytic and less oxidative fibre type in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle (p

Abstract As major terrestrial carbon sinks, forests play an important role in mitigating climate change. The relationship between the seasonal uptake of carbon and its allocation to woody biomass remains poorly understood, leaving a significant gap in our capacity to predict carbon sequestration by forests. Here, we compare the intra-annual dynamics of carbon fluxes and wood formation across the Northern hemisphere, from carbon assimilation and the formation of non-structural carbon compounds to their incorporation in woody tissues. We show temporally coupled seasonal peaks of carbon assimilation (GPP) and wood cell differentiation, while the two processes are substantially decoupled during off-peak periods. Peaks of cambial activity occur substantially earlier compared to GPP, suggesting the buffer role of non-structural carbohydrates between the processes of carbon assimilation and allocation to wood. Our findings suggest that high-resolution seasonal data of ecosystem carbon fluxes, wood formation and the associated physiological processes may reduce uncertainties in carbon source-sink relationships at different spatial scales, from stand to ecosystem levels.

Abstract Background Phosphorus is a macronutrient necessary for plant growth and development and its availability and efficient use affect crop yields. Leaves are the largest tissue that uses phosphorus in plants, and membrane phospholipids are the main source of cellular phosphorus usage. Results Here we identify a key process for plant cellular phosphorus recycling mediated by membrane phospholipid hydrolysis during leaf senescence. Our results indicate that over 90% of lipid phosphorus, accounting for more than one-third of total cellular phosphorus, is recycled from senescent leaves before falling off the plants. Nonspecific phospholipase C4 (NPC4) and phospholipase Dζ2 (PLDζ2) are highly induced during leaf senescence, and knockouts of PLDζ2 and NPC4 decrease the loss of membrane phospholipids and delay leaf senescence. Conversely, overexpression of PLDζ2 and NPC4 accelerates the loss of phospholipids and leaf senescence, promoting phosphorus remobilization from senescent leaves to young tissues and plant growth. We also show that this phosphorus recycling process in senescent leaves mediated by membrane phospholipid hydrolysis is conserved in plants. Conclusions These results indicate that PLDζ2- and NPC4-mediated membrane phospholipid hydrolysis promotes phosphorus remobilization from senescent leaves to growing tissues and that the phospholipid hydrolysis-mediated phosphorus recycling improves phosphorus use efficiency in plants.

In recent years, Double Window Principal Component Analysis (DWPCA) has been proposed. The spatial windows exclude damage-insensitive data from the analysis, while the temporal window improves the discrimination between healthy and damaged states. As a result, the DWPCA method exhibits higher sensitivity and resolution in damage identification compared to traditional PCA methods, as well as other traditional signal processing methods such as wavelet analysis. However, existing research on DWPCA has mainly focused on using the first-order eigenvector for damage identification, while the potential of higher order DWPCA eigenvectors remains unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to investigate the damage identification capabilities of higher-order DWPCA eigenvectors. Furthermore, we propose three types of damage-sensitive features based on DWPCA eigenvectors and use them as inputs to artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms for damage localization and quantification. The AI algorithms considered include AutoGluon and Transformer, which are powerful machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) algorithms proposed in recent years, respectively. In addition, classical ML algorithms such as Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF) and Extreme Gradient Boost (XGBoost) are considered for comparison. Extensive benchmark experiments are performed and the numerical results obtained show that the combination of AutoGluon with DWPCA features achieves remarkable performance in terms of damage localization and quantification. This performance exceeds that of DT, RF, XGBoost and Transformer algorithms. Specifically, the prediction accuracies for damage localization and quantification exceed 90%. These results highlight the great potential of integrating AutoGluon with DWPCA features, particularly by combining AutoGluon with the first and second DWPCA eigenvectors, for real-world applications in structural health monitoring.

Conductive hydrogels combine the properties of both hydrogels and conductors, making them soft, flexible, and biocompatible. These properties enable them to conform to irregular surfaces, stretch and bend without losing their electrical conductivity, and interface with biological systems. Conductive hydrogels can be utilized as conductive traces, electrodes, or as a matrix for flexible electronics. Exciting applications in sensors, tissue engineering, and human-machine interaction have been demonstrated worldwide. This review comprehensively covers the progress in this field, focusing on several main aspects: functional materials, performance improvement strategies, and wearable applications in human-related areas. Furthermore, the major approaches and challenges for improving their mechanical properties, conductivity, and long-term stability are systematically summarized.

Abstract Background Prior studies reported that elevated asprosin level was associated with obesity in adults and animal models. However, the relationship between asprosin level and children with obeisty remains controversial. The aim of our analysis was to systematically review available literatures linking asprosin and children with obesity for a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between circulating asprosin level and obesity in children. Methods Eight databases were gleaned for studies published up to January 2024. Standard mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI) and Fisher’s Z transformation was calculated to evaluate the relationship between asprosin level and children with obesity using the Review Manager 5.4 Software. Other indicators were measured via mean difference with 95% CI. Results Six observational studies were included both in systematic review and meta-analysis. The current evidence indicated that no significant difference was observed in the level of circulating asprosin between the children with and without obesity (SMD = 0.37; 95% CI:—0.22–0.95, p = 0.22). However, Fisher’s Z transformation suggested the positive association of circulating asprosin levels and clinical index measuring the degree of obesity: total cholesterol (Fisher’s Z: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02–0.20, p = 0.02). Conclusions Circulating asprosin level was not independently related to childhood obesity currently. More rigorous longitudinal researches were required to disentangle the causations. However, the positive association of asprosin levels and total cholesterol indicated that asprosin might get involved in the lipid-metabolism of childhood obesity, asprosin might be a prospective bio-index and targeted treatment of total cholesterol metabolism besides the role of glucogenic and orexigenic. Trial registration Prospero ID: CRD42023426476.

Abstract Site selection for building solar farms in deserts is crucial and must consider the dune threats associated with sand flux, such as sand burial and dust contamination. Understanding changes in sand flux can optimize the site selection of desert solar farms. Here we use the ERA5-Land hourly wind data with 0.1° × 0.1° resolution to calculate the yearly sand flux from 1950 to 2022. The mean of sand flux is used to score the suitability of global deserts for building solar farms. We find that the majority of global deserts have low flux potential (≤ 40 m3 m-1 yr-1) and resultant flux potential (≤ 2.0 m3 m-1 yr-1) for the period 1950–2022. The scoring result demonstrates that global deserts have obvious patchy distribution of site suitability for building solar farms. Our study contributes to optimizing the site selection of desert solar farms, which aligns with the United Nations sustainability development goals for achieving affordable and clean energy target by 2030.

Cerebral protection devices (CPDs) often were applied to improve the safety of carotid artery stenting, but the CPD itself may cause fatal complications. We report a case of a retained CPD that was an Emboshield NAV6 device left in situ, which was retrieved successfully with esophageal biopsy forceps.

In this study, the structural characters, antioxidant activities and bile acid-binding ability of sea buckthorn polysaccharides (HRPs) obtained by the commonly used hot water (HRP-W), pressurized hot water (HRP-H), ultrasonic (HRP-U), acid (HRP-C) and alkali (HRP-A) assisted extraction methods were investigated. The results demonstrated that extraction methods had significant effects on extraction yield, monosaccharide composition, molecular weight, particle size, triple-helical structure, and surface morphology of HRPs except for the major linkage bands. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that HRP-U with filamentous reticular microstructure exhibited better thermal stability. The HRP-A with the lowest molecular weight and highest arabinose content possessed the best antioxidant activities. Moreover, the rheological analysis indicated that HRPs with higher galacturonic acid content and molecular weight showed higher viscosity and stronger crosslinking network (HRP-C, HRP-W and HRP-U), which exhibited stronger bile acid binding capacity. The present findings provide scientific evidence in the preparation technology of sea buckthorn polysaccharides with good antioxidant and bile acid binding capacity which are related to the structure affected by the extraction methods.

Although the finite element head model (FEHM) has been widely utilized to analyze injury locations and patterns in traumatic brain injury, significant controversy persists regarding the selection of a mechanical injury variable and its corresponding threshold. This paper aims to determine an objective injury threshold for maximum principal strain (MPS) through a novel data-driven method, and to validate and apply it. We extract the peak responses from all elements across 100 head impact simulations to form a dataset, and then determine the objective injury threshold by analyzing the relationship between the combined injury degree and the threshold according to the stationary value principle. Using an occipital impact case from a clinical report as an example, we evaluate the accuracy of the injury prediction based on the new threshold. The results show that the injury area predicted by finite element analysis closely matches the main injury area observed in CT images, without the issue of over- or underestimating the injury due to an unreasonable threshold. Furthermore, by applying this threshold to the finite element analysis of designed occipital impacts, we observe, for the first time, supra-tentorium cerebelli injury, which is related to visual memory impairment. This discovery may indicate the biomechanical mechanism of visual memory impairment after occipital impacts reported in clinical cases.

Abstract Background and aims Recent studies have shown that the negative effect of uric acid (UA) on coronary arteries determines the severity of atherosclerotic disease. This study aims to explore the relationship between serum UA level and Gensini score, which reflects the severity of coronary artery disease. Methods A total of 860 patients with suspected coronary heart disease who were admitted to hospital due to angina pectoris or myocardial ischemia related symptoms and received coronary angiography were selected. Based on the findings of the angiography, they were categorized into two groups: the coronary heart disease (CHD) group (n = 625) and the control group (n = 235). The uric acid levels and other clinical data were compared between these groups. Additionally, the prevalence of coronary heart disease and Gensini score were compared between the groups, considering gender-specific quartiles of uric acid levels. The clinical baseline data were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify independent risk factors for coronary heart disease. Results Of 860 patients (mean age, 63.97 ± 11.87 years), 528 were men (mean age, 62.06 ± 11.5 years) and 332 were women (mean age, 66.99 ± 10.11 years). The proportion of smoking, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia in the coronary heart disease group was higher than that in the control group (P 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, hypertension, hsCRP and SUA levels increased the risk of coronary heart disease, and the difference was statistically significant(OR = 1.034,95%CI 1.016–1.052, P = 0.001; OR = 1.469,95%CI 1.007–2.142, P = 0.046;OR = 1.064,95%CI 1.026–1.105, P = 0.001; OR = 1.011,95%CI 1.008–1.014, P

BackgroundCivil aviation pilots are actual operators of civil aircraft. Their job operations are directly associated with passenger safety and flight safety. Unsafe aviation operations are related to fatigue caused by poor sleep quality. Recently, with the promotion of China's air transportation business, irregular working hours of civil aviation pilots rise gradually. However, there is still a lack of relevant research on the influence of working conditions on sleep quality in this group.ObjectiveTo explore potential impact factors of sleep quality among civil aviation pilots, for the purposes of improving sleep quality and health level of this group and ensuring aviation flight safety by formulating health management suggestions in a targeted manner.MethodsAll pilots of an aviation company were approached when they visited the Shanghai Hospital of Civil Aviation Administration of China for their health examinations. After informed consent, an online questionnaire survey was conducted. Self-made questionnaires were used to collect information on general conditions, lifestyle, and subjective work stress levels. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. A total of 1204 valid questionnaires were recovered. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 26.0 software.ResultsThere were 410 pilots (16.8%) who reported sleep disorders, including insufficient sleep time, difficulty falling asleep, and poor sleep quality, and 894 pilots (74.3%) who reported moderate to severe work stress. Associations were identified between sleep quality of pilots and work stress or lifestyle indicators (P

Activated carbon has an excellent porous structure and is considered a promising adsorbent and electrode material. In this study, activated carbon fibers (ACFs) with abundant microporous structures, derived from natural cotton fibers, were successfully synthesized at a certain temperature in an Ar atmosphere and then activated with KOH. The obtained ACFs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), elemental analysis, nitrogen and carbon dioxide adsorption–desorption analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and N2 adsorption–desorption measurement. The obtained ACFs showed high porous qualities and had a surface area from 673 to 1597 m2/g and a pore volume from 0.33 to 0.79 cm3/g. The CO2 capture capacities of prepared ACFs were measured and the maximum capture capacity for CO2 up to 6.9 mmol/g or 4.6 mmol/g could be achieved at 0 °C or 25 °C and 1 standard atmospheric pressure (1 atm). Furthermore, the electrochemical capacitive properties of as-prepared ACFs in KOH aqueous electrolyte were also studied. It is important to note that the pore volume of the pores below 0.90 nm plays key roles to determine both the CO2 capture ability and the electrochemical capacitance. This study provides guidance for designing porous carbon materials with high CO2 capture capacity or excellent capacitance performance.

Background: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) reduce glucagon and glycogen secretion, inhibit appetite and slow gastric empties and have recently been approved to treat obesity. Objective: To explore the safety and efficacy of GLP-1RAs in the treatment of obesity and clarify the optimal GLP-1RAs treatment regimen. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for English randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on GLP-1RAs in the treatment and management of obesity published before July 18, 2023. Literature screening and data extraction were performed independently by three researchers. Bayesian random effect model was used to compare the effects of interventions. Continuous variables were expressed as mean difference with 95% CI, and dichotomous variables were reported as RR with 95% CI. Results: A total of 29 studies with 10,333 participants were included in the present study. The combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide (short for cagrANDsema) was an optimal strategy for weight loss and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduction. Compared to placebo, cagrANDsema reduced weight by − 14.13 kg (95% CI: −16.49, −11.73) and HbA1c by − 0.33% (95% CI: −0.41, −0.25). Moreover, this study indicated that orforglipron and semaglutide also had relatively good effects on weight loss. Meta-regression results indicated that higher dose levels might have better effects on weight loss. Conclusions: CagrANDsema exerts the best effect for weight loss. In terms of current dose levels, a higher dose gets better weight-loss effects without increasing the risk of adverse events.

This methodological study describes the adaptation of a new method in digital wood anatomy, pixel-contrast densitometry, for angiosperm species. The new method was tested on eight species of shrubs and small trees in Southern Siberia, whose wood structure varies from ring-porous to diffuse-porous, with different spatial organizations of vessels. A two-step transformation of wood cross-section photographs by smoothing and Otsu’s classification algorithm was proposed to separate images into cell wall areas and empty spaces within (lumen) and between cells. Good synchronicity between measurements within the ring allowed us to create profiles of wood porosity (proportion of empty spaces) describing the growth ring structure and capturing inter-annual differences between rings. For longer-lived species, 14–32-year series from at least ten specimens were measured. Their analysis revealed that maximum (for all wood types), mean, and minimum porosity (for diffuse-porous wood) in the ring have common external signals, mostly independent of ring width, i.e., they can be used as ecological indicators. Further research directions include a comparison of this method with other approaches in densitometry, clarification of sample processing, and the extraction of ecologically meaningful data from wood structures.

In surgical training and experimental research, brain tissues immersed in cerebrospinal fluid often exhibit complex deformation and strain rate effects that can compromise their reliability and stability. Therefore, it is essential to develop a high-fidelity human brain tissue simulant material that serves as a physical surrogate model to understand its mechanical behavior, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the existing simulant materials have failed to meet the required mechanical properties. This study presents a composite hydrogel consisting of both a rigid polysaccharides network (Sodium alginate and Pectin) and a flexible polyacrylamide network, exhibiting brain tissue-like mechanical properties under various solution environments and strain rates. The results show that nonlinear mechanical behavior and good similarity under various external environments (artificial cerebrospinal fluid, normal saline, deionized water, and air environments) and different strain rates (0.001 s−1,900 s−1,1700 s−1). By analyzing the experimental data and theoretical analysis, we examine the effects of complex environments on the mechanical behavior of composite hydrogel and porcine brain tissue. Given that the properties of human brain tissue resemble those of porcine brain tissue, our work has significant reference value in realizing surgical training and advancing related research in biomedical engineering.

Non-specific phospholipase C (NPC) is a plant-specific phospholipid-hydrolyzing enzyme. Here, the authors define the molecular basis of how Arabidopsis NPC works, and provide new mechanistic insights into the members of phospholipase family.

Abstract Long records of tree‐ring maximum latewood density (MXD) measurements in conifers have been successfully employed to reconstruct summer temperature changes globally. Yet, the potential of MXD as a proxy in semi‐arid, low‐latitude regions for reconstructing either temperature or hydroclimate variability remains largely unexplored. Here, we developed a MXD data set of Chinese pine from semi‐arid northern China, and investigated its sensitivity to different climate variables. We found that the annual self‐calibrated Palmer Drought Severity Index from previous August to current July displays the strongest influence on the MXD variation. The entire MXD chronology (covering 1736–2020) is highly consistent with nearby tree‐ring‐based annual precipitation and drought reconstructions at decadal timescales, confirming a temporally stable hydroclimate signal in our MXD record. In particular, the rapid wetting trend during the 2010–2020 period is well captured by the MXD data. This novel study has wide implications for future use of tree‐ring density data to reconstruct past climate changes globally.

The development of the tree ring is a process occurring under limitations caused by a complex of environmental factors and intrinsic regulatory mechanisms. Its understanding is of interest in many scientific fields, but most quantitative models trying to describe its details meet several issues stemming from the difficulty of its verification. This study attempted to combine several observational and modeling approaches to verify intermediate details of the description of xylogenesis, aiming to restore the tree-ring seasonal growth kinetics on the basis of dendrochronological and wood anatomical data. It was carried out for Scots pine in two semiarid habitats in South Siberia. The Vaganov-Shashkin model was used jointly with tree-ring width chronology and climatic data to model the tree radial growth rate with daily precision. The Band-model was then used to calculate the kinetics of tracheid production from the growth rate and actual final number of cells per radial file in the ring. Seasonal observations of cell population and final measurements of cell sizes were used to fit model parameters and verify the numbers of developing tracheids produced by the Band-model. The patterns of modeled seasonal kinetics for six seasons and two sites were found to repeat the actual drought-derived deviations in tree growth and observations (R2 = 0.70–0.84). Further research is required to test other climatic limitations and species-specific ecophysiological mechanisms of growth regulation.

Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica Du Tour) is a widespread and long-lived species in the northern hemisphere, which makes it a good potential proxy for climatic data. However, the tree-ring growth of this species weakly correlates with climatic conditions, which prevents its use in dendroclimatic reconstruction. It was proposed to use the measurements of tracheid characteristics as model predictors to reconstruct the smoothed temperature of the key periods in tree growth. In this study, algorithms for preprocessing tracheids and temperature data, as well as for model cross-validation, were developed to produce reliable high-resolution (weekly-based) temperature reconstructions. Due to the developed algorithms, the key time periods of Siberian pine growth were identified during the growing season—early June (most active cell development) and mid-July (setting new buds for the next growing season). For these time periods, reliable long-term temperature reconstructions (R2 > 0.6, p < 10−8) were obtained over 1653–2018. The temperature reconstructions significantly correlated (p < 10−8) with independent reanalysis data for the 19th century. The developed approach, based on preprocessing tracheid and temperature data, shows new potential for Siberian pine in high-resolution climate reconstructions and can be applied to other tree species that weakly respond to climate forcing.

Light and flexible thermoelectric generators operating at room temperature are highly desirable for wearable microelectronics. Here, flexible thermoelectric composites comprising semiconducting Bi2Te3 particles and conductive polymers exhibit a high output power within a small temperature window around room temperature.

Climate changes influence seasonal tree-ring formation. The result is a specific cell structure dependent on internal processes and external environmental factors. One way to investigate and analyze these relationships is to apply diverse simulation models of tree-ring growth. Here, we have proposed a new version of the VS-Cambium-Developer model (VS-CD model), which simulates the cambial activity process in conifers. The VS-CD model does not require the manual year-to-year calibration of parameters over a long-term cell production reconstruction or forecast. Instead, it estimates cell production and simulates the dynamics of radial cell development within the growing seasons. Thus, a new software based on R programming technology, able to efficiently adapt to the VS model online platform, has been developed. The model was tested on indirect observations of the cambium functioning in Larix sibirica trees from southern Siberia, namely on the measured annual cell production from 1963 to 2011. The VS-CD model proves to simulate cell production accurately. The results highlighted the efficiency of the presented model and contributed to filling the gap in the simulations of cambial activity, which is critical to predicting the potential impacts of changing environmental conditions on tree growth.

The quantitative description of growth rings is yet incomplete, including the functional division into earlywood and latewood. Methods developed to date, such as the Mork criterion for conifers, can be biased and arbitrary depending on species and growth conditions. We proposed the use of modeling of the statistical distribution of tracheids to determine a universal criterion applicable to all conifer species. Thisstudy was based on 50-year anatomical measurements of Pinus sylvestris L., Pinus sibirica Du Tour, and Picea obovata Ledeb. near the upper tree line in the Western Sayan Mountains (South Siberia). Statistical distributions of the cell wall thickness (CWT)-to-radial-diameter (D) ratio and its slope were investigated for raw and standardized data (divided by the mean). The bimodal distribution of the slope for standardized CWT and D was modeled with beta distributions for earlywood and latewood tracheids and a generalized normal distribution for transition wood to account for the gradual shift in cell traits. The modelcan describe with high accuracy the growth ring structure for species characterized by various proportions of latewood, histometric traits, and gradual or abrupt transition. The proportion of two (or three, including transition wood) zones in the modeled distribution is proposed as a desired criterion.

Flexible electroadhesive clutches with high shear stress and fast response working at low voltage are much desired in wearable electronics and robotic systems. Dielectric materials with opposite charge characteristics could maximize the clutch performance by taking advantages of the boosted electroadhesion between the two contact pads in an asymmetrically structured clutch. In this paper, asymmetrically structured electroadhesive clutches are proposed and reported for the first time. The asymmetric structured clutch exhibits a two-fold increment in the shear force but similar response time by simply reversing the electrode polarity. This work provides a new dimension to realize high-performance electroadhesive clutches based on an asymmetric strategy.

Resveratrol is regarded as neutraceuticals with multiple health benefits. The introduction of prenyl can enhance the bioactivity. In this work, the cancer preventive activities and mechanisms of 18 prenylated reseveratrol and derivatives were investigated. The results showed that prenyl increased the antiproliferative activities of resveratrol, oxyresveratrol and piceatannol against cancer cells, and their antiproliferative activities were time- and dose-dependent. 4-C-prenylation was important for the antiproliferative activity of stilbenoids. The 4-C-prenyl stilbenoids showed better antiproliferative activities than other prenylated stilbenoids. 4-C-prenyl piceatannol showed the best antiproliferative activity. Human hepatoellular carcinomas (HepG2) cell was more sensitive to prenylated stilbenoids than human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell. 4-C-prenyl piceatannol had high affinities to Caspase-3, Caspase-9, CDK2 and Cyclin A2. The possible amino acids involved in binding 4-C-prenyl piceatannol were revealed. The expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were upregulated by 4-C-prenyl piceatannol and the expression of CDK2 and Cyclin A2 in HepG2 cells were downregulated, which contributed to apoptosis. The above results eludicated the possible antiproliferative mechanisms of prenylated stilbenoids.

Radial growth is influenced by the local environment, regional climate, and tree species. Assessing the influence of these variables on radial growth can help to reveal the relationships between tree growth and the environment. Here, we used standard dendrochronological approach to explore the response of radial growth to climate factors. We reported ring-width (TRW) residual chronologies from five sites along a longitudinal gradient in the Hexi area, arid northwestern China, based on a total of 249 Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia) ring-width records. We found that Qinghai spruce in the west of the Hexi area is more sensitive to climate change than in the east, and that drought condition in the previous growing season and the early growing season (March to June) limits spruce growth. Comparison between the regional standard chronologies of Qinghai spruce and Qilian juniper (Juniperus przewalskii) in the Hexi area during 1813-2001 showed that both chronologies were more consistent in the high-frequency domain than in the low-frequency domain. The findings emphasize the impacts of local environment, regional climate and tree species on radial growth, suggesting that accounting for these variables could improve large-scale and multi-species dendrochronological studies.

Size irregularity gradient and cell wall gradient, combined as the density gradient in previous studies, affect the macroscopic mechanical properties of the gradient metal foam. More and more complex mesostructures are designed and applied in metal foams, and the density gradient becomes insufficient to describe the difference in mesostructures. To explore the effect of mesostructures carefully, this study focuses on the effect of the size irregularity gradient on the macroscopic compressive properties of metal foams. A series of metal foam models were developed using the 3D Voronoi technique. These models have the same average relative densities, the same average diameters and different size irregularity gradients. Simulation results indicated that the macroscopic mechanical properties of cell wall gradient metal foams are significantly different from those of size irregularity gradient metal foams, though these models have the same relative density gradient. To explore the effect of size irregularity gradient, a theoretical model was developed to characterize the compression process from the first cell-collapse to full condensation. Theoretical results showed a linear relationship between the nominal stress and the current relative density. These findings can provide efficient guidance for the design and applications of gradient metal foams.

Ultrasound is effective to fabricate nanocomplex. Soymilk is a natural nanocarrier with good compatibility. However, information about soymilk-nutraceuticals nanocomplex is limited. In this work, soymilk was used to encapsulate icariin, a well known nutraceutical with poor bioavailability. The effect of ultrasound on the quality of icariin-soymilk nanocomplexes (ISNCs) was investigated. Ultrasound could reduce the particle size, improve the surface hydrophobicity and change the microstructure of soymilk. With increasing ultrasound treatment time, an increased surface hydrophobicity was observed. The highest encapsulation efficiency (89.67 %) and loading capacity (28.92 µg/mg) were found for USI-20, whereas the smallest particle size (132.47 nm) was observed for USI-120. USI-60 showed the lowest ζ-potential (-31.33 mV) and the highest bioaccessibility (76.08 %). Ultrasound could enhance the storage stability of ISNCs. The data of NMR and fluorescence indicated that ISNCs were mainly stabilized by hydrophobic interaction.

Peptides are good food stabilizers and thickeners. They also present good bioactivities. The structure characteristics of peptides are related to the health benefits. In this study, immunoregulatory peptides were produced by Alcalase® and neutrase hydrolysis of soybean proteins. UHPLC-MS/MS was applied for structure identification. The immumoregulatory activities and mechanisms were investigated. Eighty five peptides were identified from the hydrolysates and 84 peptides might be immunoregulatory peptides. Most of them were novel immunoregulatory peptides. These peptides had good immunoregulatory activities, including increasing the pinocytotic capacity, and inducing the production and genes expression of NO, IL-6 and TNF-α in a dose-dependent manner. Specific inhibitors of NF-κB and JNK could significantly suppress NO production stimulated by soybean peptides, implying that NF-κB and JNK pathways were involved in their immunoregulatory mechanisms. Our results suggested that the soybean peptides prepared in this study were promising immunomodulatory neutraceuticals.

PurposeThe anti-tumour effect of Huaier has been demonstrated in a variety of tumours. Ferroptosis is a newly identified type of programmed cell death accompanied by the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iron in cells and plays a key role in the therapeutic process against malignant tumours. We aimed to explore the potential therapeutic role of Huaier in pancreatic cancer and uncover the relationship between Huaier and ferroptosis.MethodsCCK8 and colony formation assays were used to determine the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells (PCs). The levels of cellular ROS were analysed by a fluorescence probe, and the accumulation of cellular iron was showed by Prussian blue staining. The autophagosomes and mitochondrial morphology were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation were measured by the corresponding kits.ResultsThe growth inhibitory effect of Huaier on PCs was concentration- and time-dependent, but this effect was significantly attenuated by ferroptosis inhibitors. In addition, Huaier effectively inhibited the GSH–GPX4 antioxidation system and resulted in the massive accumulation of ROS in PCs As shown by TEM, Huaier-treated PCs exhibited a decrease in mitochondrial cristae and a smaller mitochondrion, accompanied by an increase in autophagosomes. Indeed, we found that autophagy can induce ferroptosis in PCs and that Huaier-induced ferroptosis can be suppressed by the autophagosome inhibitor, Wortmannin.ConclusionHuaier can activate ferroptosis by inducing autophagy in PCs.

Tree rings are a crucial archive for Common Era climate reconstructions, but the degree to which methodological decisions influence outcomes is not well known. Here, the authors show how different approaches taken by 15 different groups influence the ensemble temperature reconstruction from the same data.

BackgroundThe rate of suicide within one year after diagnosis in pancreatic cancer patients are high, but suicide studies based on the current large-scale data are still a vacancy. Our study aimed to determine, compared to the general population, the standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) of suicide and risk factors associated with pancreatic cancer patients committing suicide to provide clues for prevention.MethodsWe collected 199,604 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer between 2000 and 2018 from the SEER database. Multivariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox regression were applied to determine the risk factors independently affecting the suicide outcome of pancreatic cancer patients.ResultsA total of 180 suicide deaths were observed in the cohort, yielding an overall suicide rate of 88.05 per 100,000 person-years and an SMR of 6.43. In multivariate analyses, males (HR: 12.798, 95% CI: 7.471-21.923), unmarried (HR: 1.826, 95% CI: 1.205-2.767), and divorced, separated or widowed (HR: 1.779, 95% CI: 1.230-2.572) were found associated with a higher risk of suicide. While race black (HR: 0.250, 95% CI: 0.110-0.567), diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (HR: 0.487, 95% CI: 0.276-0.859), received chemotherapy (HR: 0.456, 95% CI: 0.323-0.646), and received surgical procedures (HR: 0.553, 95% CI: 0.342-0.895) were indicated might protective factors.ConclusionsThe 199,604 pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2018 had an overall suicide rate of 88.05 per 100,000 person-years and an SMR of 6.43 compared to the U.S. general population. Male, white, unmarried, and diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients were associated with a higher risk of suicide, while cancer-directed surgery and chemotherapy might indicate protective factors. The screening and prevention process should be enhanced for pancreatic cancer patients with adverse risk factors. Moreover, it is reasonable to assume that timely cancer-directed treatment might help reduce the subsequent suicide risk of pancreatic cancer patients.

Objective: Human serum albumin (HSA) infusion is a common administration on acute pancreatitis therapy in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but its actual association with patients’ outcomes has not been confirmed. The study is aimed to determine whether the in-hospital prognosis of ICU patients with acute pancreatitis could benefit from HSA.Methods: 950 acute pancreatitis patients diagnosed in 2008–2019 were extracted from the MIMIC-IV database as our primary study cohort. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. We also performed an external validation with a cohort of 104 acute pancreatitis patients after PSM matching from the eICU database.Results: In MIMIC-IV, 228 acute pancreatitis patients received HSA infusion (Alb group) during their hospitalization, while 722 patients did not (non-Alb group). Patients in the Alb group presented a poorer survival curve than the non-Alb group, while this difference disappeared after PSM or IPTW matching (log-rank test: PSM: p = 0.660, IPTW: p = 0.760). After including covariates, no association was found between HSA infusion and patients’ in-hospital mortality before and after matching (original cohort: HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.66–1.52, p = 0.998). HSA infusion also did not benefit patients’ 28-days or ICU mortality, while it was significantly associated with a longer duration of hospital and ICU. In addition, the initial serum albumin levels, infections, the total amount, or the initial timing of infusion did not affect the conclusion. Similarly, in the eICU cohort, HSA infusion was still not a beneficial prognostic factor for patients’ in-hospital prognosis (p = 0.087).Conclusion: Intravenous human serum albumin infusion could not benefit acute pancreatitis patients’ in-hospital prognosis and was associated with prolonged hospital and ICU duration.

Soluble dietary fibers are widely used in functional food. In this work, the effects of γ-irradiation on molecular weight, structure, physicochemical properties and bioactivities of soluble dietary fiber in navel orange peel (OSDF) were investigated. Γ-irradiation enhanced the extraction yield of OSDF. The molar ratio of glucose and galacturonic acid was increased. The molecular weight profile of OSDF was modified. Γ-irradiation (3–6 kGy) improved the water holding capacity, water swelling capacity, oil holding capacity, cation-exchange capacity, nitrite adsorption capacity and total antioxidant capacity of OSDF. Glucose adsorption capacity and bifidobacterium proliferation capacity of OSDF were improved in a dose-dependent behaviour. Moreover, γ-irradiation promoted the cracking of microstructure. FT-IR spectra showed that more carboxyl groups were newly formed by γ-irradiation. These findings indicated that γ-irradiation treatment was an efficient technique for improving physicochemical properties and health benefits.

In forests, the growth and productivity of individual trees and stands as a whole are regulated by stand density among other factors, because access to vital resources is limited by competition between trees. On 18 experimental plots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) planted with a density of 500–128,000 trees/ha in the south taiga (Middle Siberia), interactions between stand density, tree- and stand-scale productivity, and tree-ring parameters were investigated. Tree-scale productivity variables, tree-ring width, and latewood width had stable negative allometric relationships with stand density (R2 > 0.75), except for tree height (insignificant for inventory surveys at ages of 20 and 25 years; R2 > 0.4 at the age of 35 years), while positive allometry was registered for stand productivity variables (R2 > 0.7) and the all-time average latewood ratio (R2 = 0.5 with planting density). Tree-ring parameters aside from the age trends correlate (p < 0.05) between the plots and demonstrate common responses to moderate moisture deficit. Although, its seasonality apparently depends on the resource base and intensity changes with stand density. February–June precipitation is more important for pine growth in dense stands, July–August conditions affect the latewood ratio stronger in sparse stands, and medium-density stands are more resistant to winter frosts.

Transparent wood composites are promising engineered materials for green energy-efficient building. Here, authors demonstrate novel aesthetic wood with integrated functions of optical transparency, UV-blocking, thermal insulation, and mechanical strength for this sustainable application.

Abstract Lemon is a fruit with delicious taste and attractive flavor, which has been widely accepted by people over the world. Dry lemon slice is a classical processed product of lemon. It is readily to be browning during storage. Which chemicals are responsible for the browning behavior remains unclear. Therefore, in this work, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is used to analyze the metabolites changes in dry lemon slice during storage. Nineteen metabolites were identified and their related levels were statistically calculated by principal component analysis. The first principal components were represented by glutamic acid, α‐amino‐butyric acid, γ‐amino‐butyric acid, alanine, limonoid, citric acid, glutamine, and phosphocholine. The changes of browning degree during storage and its correlations with the levels of polyphenol, ascorbic acid, amino acid nitrogen, and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural were analyzed. The results indicated that Maillard reaction and oxidation of phenolics were two main processes contributing to the nonenzymatic browning during storage.

Previously reported wearable systems for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been focused on the detection of abnormal gait. They suffered from limited accuracy, large latency, poor durability, comfort, and convenience for daily use. Herewith we report an intelligent wearable system (IWS) that can accurately detect abnormal gait in real-time and provide timely cueing for PD patients. The system features novel sensitive, comfortable and durable plantar pressure sensing insoles with a highly compressed data set, an accurate and fast gait algorithm, and wirelessly controlled timely sensory cueing devices. A total of 29 PD patients participated in the first phase without cueing for developing processes of the algorithm, which achieved an accuracy of over 97% for off-line detection of freezing of gait (FoG). In the second phase with cueing, the evaluation of the whole system was conducted with 16 PD subjects via trial and a questionnaire survey. This system demonstrated an accuracy of 94% for real-time detection of FoG and a mean latency of 0.37 s between the onset of FoG and cueing activation. In questionnaire survey, 88% of the PD participants confirmed that this wearable system could effectively enhance walking, 81% thought that the system was comfortable and convenient, and 70% overcame the FoG. Therefore, the IWS makes it an effective, powerful, and convenient tool for enhancing the mobility of people with PD.

Due to the existence of limited rationality and information asymmetry, trust between enterprises in the cloud manufacturing environment is characterized by significant complexity. In this paper, to promote the formation of a better trust relationship between enterprises and to ensure the efficient service and stable operation of the manufacturing process to a greater extent, we take into account the subjective cognition of the game parties from the perspective of service combination, introduce the prospect theory, construct an evolutionary game model of “service demander-service provider-platform supervisor,” analyze the evolutionary stabilization strategy, and explore the influence of different factors on the interenterprise trust relationship in the cloud manufacturing environment through numerical simulation. The results show that enhancing the synergy between multiple service providers has a significant impact on improving trust between cloud manufacturing enterprises. The rewards and punishments of the cloud manufacturing platform are conducive to improving interenterprise trust. There exists a critical value dividing opportunistic behavior into explicit and implicit behaviors. When it is less than the critical value, opportunistic behavior is implicit and the service demander trusts the service provider and the transaction continues; when it is greater than the critical value, opportunistic behavior is explicit and the service demander no longer trusts until the service provider is fully trustworthy. The inhibitory effect of good transaction history on opportunistic behavior is evident. Finally, the reasons and effects of the above factors and the subjective perceptions of the game parties in cloud manufacturing are discussed, as well as their concrete manifestations in the CASICloud (China Aerospace Science&Industry Cloud) and relevant suggestions are put forward.

Intra-annual density fluctuation (IADF) is a structural modification of the tree ring in response to fluctuations in the weather. The expected changes in monsoon flow would lead to heterogeneous moisture conditions during the growing season and increase the occurrence of IADF in trees of the arid ecosystems of continental Asia. To reveal the timings and physiological mechanisms behind IADF formation, we monitored cambial activity and wood formation in Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis) during 2017–2019 at three sites in semi-arid China. We compared the dynamics of xylem formation under a drought event, testing the hypothesis that drought affects the process of cell enlargement and thus induces the production of IADF. Wood microcores collected weekly from April to October were used for anatomical analyses to estimate the timings of cambial activity, and the phases of enlargement, wall thickening, and lignification of the xylem. The first cells started enlargement from late April to early May. The last latewood cells completed differentiation in mid-September. Trees produced IADF in 2018. During that year, a drought in June limited cell production in the cambium, only 36% of the xylem cells being formed in IADF trees, compared to 68% in normal tree rings. IADF cells enlarged under drought in early July and started wall thickening during the rainfall events of late July. The drought restricted cell enlargement and affected wall thickening, resulting in narrow cells with wide walls. Cambium and cell enlargement recovered from the abundant rainfall, producing a new layer with large earlywood tracheids. IADF is a specific adaptation of trees to cope with water deficit events occurring during xylem formation. Our findings confirmed the hypothesis that the June-July drought induces latewood-like IADFs by limiting the process of cell enlargement in the xylem. Our finding suggests a higher occurrence of IADF in trees of arid and semi-arid climates of continental Asia if the changes to monsoon flows result in more frequent drought events during the earlywood formation in June.

Heavy reduction (HR) is an effective technique to control V segregation in continuous casting bloom, but the effect of segregation improvement is limited by the parameters such as reduction position and reduction amounts. In order to improve the macrosegregation of bloom, numerical simulation and plant experiments are adopted in this research. A heat transfer model and a reduction model with comprehensive thermo-physical parameters were established. The two models were verified by comparing the measured surface temperature and the theoretical strain at the solidification front. It is determined that the position of the HR of the bearing steel bloom is 20.82 m~24.97 m from the meniscus, and the solid fraction in the center of the bloom is 0.6~1. The total reduction of the HR is set to 30 mm, and the reduction of each roller in the reduction range is set to 4 mm, 5 mm, 9 mm, 7 mm, and 5 mm, respectively, to prevent the formation of internal cracks. Plant trials were conducted to verify the effect of the optimized HR. The results show that the carbon segregation degree on the V channel and non-channel of the bloom decreases from 1.2 to 1.16 and increases from 0.93 to 0.95, respectively, and the central carbon segregation degree decreases from 1.17 to 1.15. Meanwhile, the internal crack was not found in the bloom.

A three-dimensional model of the thick slab continuous casting mould of 400 × 2200 mm was established. The effects of immersion depth of nozzle and casting speed on the flow field and temperature field were investigated. The high temperature distribution in mould, the thickness of narrow face solidified shell, the impact position of stream and the free surface velocity were used as the main points of analysis. Simulation and practical water modelling both exhibited the same changing trends, namely, the flow velocity of the surface increases with the distance from nozzle. The scientific basis for optimizing the flow field and temperature field in the continuous casting of special thick slab mould was acquired through calculations.

Quantitative wood anatomy (QWA) is widely used to resolve a fundamental problem of tree responses to past, ongoing and forecasted climate changes. Potentially, QWA data can be considered as a new proxy source for long-term climate reconstruction with higher temporal resolution than traditional dendroclimatic data. In this paper, we considered a tracheidogram as a set of two interconnected variables describing the dynamics of seasonal variability in the radial cell size and cell wall thickness in conifer trees. We used 1386 cell profiles (tracheidograms) obtained for seven Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees growing in the cold semiarid conditions of Southern Siberia over the years 1813–2018. We developed a “deviation tracheidogram” approach for adequately describing the traits of tree-ring formation in different climate conditions over a long-term time span. Based on the NbClust approach and K-means method, the deviation tracheidograms were reliably split into four clusters (classes) with clear bio-ecological interpretations (from the most favorable growth conditions to worse ones) over the years 1813–2018. It has been shown that the obtained classes of tracheidograms can be directly associated with different levels of water deficit, for both the current and previous growing seasons. The tracheidogram cluster reconstruction shows that the entire 19th century was characterized by considerable water deficit, which has not been revealed by the climate-sensitive tree-ring chronology of the study site. Therefore, the proposed research offers new perspectives for better understanding how tree radial growth responds to changing seasonal climate and a new independent proxy for developing long-term detailed climatic reconstructions through the detailed analysis of long-term archives of QWA data for different conifer species and various forest ecosystems in future research.

Global climate change is reshaping the geographical distribution of forests, especially in mountain regions. The alpine forest ecotone is expected to be affected first, due to the climatic limitations on tree growth, and is thus considered as an indicator of the forest succession to climate change. However, current studies involving tree radial growth and their responses to climate change at alpine forest ecotone remain scarce, posing challenges for predictions of forest dynamics and management strategies under different climate scenarios. Here, we studied 94 Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis; Pinaceae) and 86 Qinghai Spruce (Picea crassifolia; Pinaceae) trees along the alpine forest ecotone [2100–2400 m above sea level (a.s.l.)] to assess tree growth differences and corresponding responses to climate change in the Helan Mountains, northwestern China. The results revealed that growth rates of Chinese Pine at lowest altitudes and Qinghai Spruce at highest altitudes are strongly affected by water shortage and intraspecific competition, respectively, leading to the tree growth in these regions are inferior to those of other trees in the ecotone (the tree age at maximum width is about 20 years later than in the ecotone), especially for seedling and sapling stages. The responses of tree radial growth to dryness were broadly similar in each sample site, but wetness was more positive in trees at low altitudes than at high altitudes. Climate warming has inhibited the radial growth of Qinghai Spruce at lower distribution limits since 2005, while for Chinese Pine in the same area was not significantly affected by rising temperature, and even the upper limits of the Chinese Pine might migrate to higher altitudes as the calorific limit becomes higher. If climate warming continues, the above process may erode the Qinghai Spruce habitat, resulting in the transitional zone between Chinese Pine and Qinghai Spruce also moving to higher elevations.

Despite their extensive use, the absolute dating of tree-ring chronologies has not hitherto been independently validated at the global scale. Here, the identification of distinct 14C excursions in 484 individual tree rings, enable the authors to confirm the dating of 44 dendrochronologies from five continents.

Astragalus membranaceus is a valuable medicinal plant species widely distributed in Asia. Its root is the main medicinal tissue rich in methoxylated flavonoids. Origin can highly influence the chemical composition and bioactivity. To characterize the principal chemicals influenced by origin and provide more information about their antioxidant profile, the extracts of A. membranaceus roots from four origins were analysed by UHPLC-MS/MS. Thirty-four flavonoids, including thirteen methoxylated flavonoids, fifteen flavonoid glycosides and six flavonols, were identified. By principal component analysis, eighteen identified compounds were considered to be principal compounds. They could be used to differentiate A. membranaceus from Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Gansu. The antioxidant activity was analysed by ORAC assay, DPPH radical scavenging activity assay and cell antioxidant activity assay. ‘Inner Mongolia’ extract showed the highest antioxidant activity. These results were helpful to understand how origin influenced the quality of A. membranaceus.