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As an important chemical intermediate, benzaldehyde is widely used in medicine and fine chemicals. To address pollution in traditional benzaldehyde synthesis, preparing benzaldehyde through the catalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol holds significant research and practical value. In this study, a cerium-modified algal-derived biochar catalyst with excellent catalytic oxidation performance was prepared. The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were thoroughly analyzed using various characterization methods, including scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, and X-ray energy spectrometer. The effects of reaction temperature, oxidation reaction time, CeO2 doping, and catalyst dosage on benzyl alcohol conversion and benzaldehyde selectivity during catalytic oxidation were further investigated through controlled variable tests. The results showed that the prepared catalysts enabled efficient conversion of benzyl alcohol under mild conditions, with conversion rates of 100% and benzaldehyde selectivity of 86.59%. This study demonstrates the highly selective conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde under mild conditions and proposes an alternative for the preparation of benzaldehyde in a green, economical, and environmentally friendly way.

Abstract Background Tryptophan is an essential amino acid involved in critical cellular processes in vertebrates, serving as a precursor for serotonin and kynurenine, which are key neuromodulators to influence neural and immune functions. Systematic and quantitative measurement of tryptophan is vital to understanding these processes. Results Here, we utilized a robust and highly responsive green ratiometric indicator for tryptophan (GRIT) to quantitatively measure tryptophan dynamics in bacteria, mitochondria of mammalian cell cultures, human serum, and intact zebrafish. At the cellular scale, these quantitative analyses uncovered differences in tryptophan dynamics across cell types and organelles. At the whole-organism scale, we revealed that inflammation-induced tryptophan concentration increases in zebrafish brain led to elevated serotonin and kynurenine levels, prolonged sleep duration, suggesting a novel metabolic connection between immune response and behavior. Moreover, GRIT’s application in detecting reduced serum tryptophan levels in patients with inflammation symptoms suggests its potential as a high-throughput diagnostic tool. Conclusions In summary, this study introduces GRIT as a powerful method for studying tryptophan metabolism and its broader physiological implications, paving the way for new insights into the metabolic regulation of health and disease across multiple biological scales.

Abstract Background Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infections poses global challenges, with limited options available for targeted therapy. Polymyxin was been regarded as one of the most important last-resort antimicrobial agents. Many factors could accelerate the resistance evolution of polymyxin. Insertion sequence (IS) inserted into mgrB is the main polymyxin resistance mechanism in K. pneumoniae. In this study, two CRKPs (KP31157 and KP31311) were isolated from the urine of a patient, shifting from susceptible to resistant as the mgrB inserted by ISkpn14. We intended to explore the origin of the IS and underlying mechanisms resulting in polymyxin resistance. Methods The within-host evolution relationship and molecular features of both CRKPs were determined by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). pKP31311_KPC-2 plasmid genome structures contained in the above two CRKPs were aligned with the homologic plasmids, retrieved from the NCBI genome database via comparative genomic analysis. The plasmids encoding ISkpn14 elements flanked by direct repeat (DR) or not were analyzed. The mRNA expression, plasmid curing and in vitro antibiotics inducing experiment were employed to understand the potential mechanism of polymyxin resistance. Results Both strains, sharing homology, exhibited polymyxin resistance due to the insertion of ISkpn14 into the mgrB gene, influenced by minocycline exposure. Minocycline and tigecycline could accelerate polymyxin resistance (P

Abstract The authors report a case of primary aldosteronism (PA) with postoperative elevation of aldosterone treated effectively by finerenone. The patient was a hypertensive man with a 30‐year history of hypertension and sustained an acute myocardial infarction 5 years ago. Bilateral adrenal nodules with hyperplasia were detected and PA was confirmed. His blood potassium, direct renin concentration, and aldosterone level returned to normal after surgery of right adrenalectomy. However, 1 year after surgery, he experienced a decrease in blood potassium and an increase in aldosterone. A saline infusion test revealed an aldosterone level of 124.47 pg/mL. The patient consented to treatment with finerenone. His aldosterone and potassium levels and blood pressure have been controlled well during follow‐up. This case highlights the need to screen for secondary hypertension as early as possible. Finerenone may be effective for patients with PA who are not candidates for surgery and those not relieved after surgery.

Background/Aims: Inflammation is an essential driver of colorectal cancer (CRC). Identifying phenotypes and targets associated with inflammation and cancer may be an effective way to treat CRC. Materials and Methods: R was used to analyze interleukin 6 cytokine family signal transducer (IL6ST) expression in The Cancer Genome Atlas Colon Adenocarcinoma database. Immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and quantitative PCR were used to detect IL6ST and ferroptosis-related genes expression in our cohort. Receiver operating characteristic curves evaluated the specificity and sensitivity of IL6ST to predict CRC. Cell counting kit-8 investigated cell viability. Mitochondrial morphology, total iron, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were evaluated to assess cell ferroptosis. The correlation of IL6ST and immune cells filtration were also analyzed based on R. Results: IL6ST was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues (P < .05). The specificity and sensitivity of IL6ST for predicting CRC were high (area under the curve (AUC): 0.919, CI: 0.896-0.942). IL6ST was significantly associated with ferroptosis-related genes. IL6ST knockdown decreased SW480 cells viability (knockdown vs. vector, P = .004), promoted the ferroptosis phenotype, and increased iron accumulation (knockdown vs. vector P = .014) and ROS production (knockdown vs. vector P = .005). IL6ST upregulation increased SW620 cells viability (overexpression vs. blank, P = .001), inhibited the ferroptosis phenotype, and decreased iron accumulation (overexpression vs. vector P = 0.006) and ROS production (overexpression vs. vector P = .05). IL6ST increased FTH1 and GPX4 expression and reduced PTGS2, NOX1, and ACSL4 expression (P < .01). Additionally, IL6ST level is linked to immune cell infiltration. A higher enrichment score of T cells was observed in IL6ST up-regulated group. Conclusion: IL6ST inhibits ferroptosis and may be a potential novel therapeutic target in CRC via the modulation of ferroptosis.

Snow density is one of the basic properties used to describe snow cover characteristics, and it is critical for remote sensing retrieval, water resources assessment and modeling inputs. There are many instruments available to measure snow density in situ. However, there are measurement errors of snow density for bulk and layers or gravimetric and electronic instruments, which may affect the accuracy of remote sensing retrieval and model simulation. Especially in China, due to the noticeable heterogeneity of snowpacks, it is necessary to evaluate in detail the performance and applicability of snow density instruments in different snowpack conditions. This study evaluated the performance of different snow density instruments: the Federal Sampler, the model VS–43 snow density cylinder (VS–43), the wedge snow density cutter (WC1000 and WC250), and the Snow Fork. The average bulk snow density of all instrument measurements was set as the reference value for evaluation. The results showed that as compared with the reference, the VS–43 cylinder presented the best performance for bulk snow density measurement in the measured range with the lowest RMSE (11 kg m−3), BIAS (3 kg m−3), and MRE (1.6%). For layer observation, bulk snow density was overestimated by 8.1% with WC1000 and underestimated by 11.4% with Snow Fork which was the worst performance compared with the reference value, and there were greater measurement errors of snow density in the depth hoar than other snow layers. Compared with grassland, the uncertainty of snow density measurements was slightly lower in forests. Overall, the Federal Sampler and VS–43 cylinder are more suitable for bulk snow density measurement in deep snowpack regions across China, and it is recommended to use WC1000, WC250 and Snow Fork to measure the snow density of snow layers in the snow stratigraphy.

Spectroscopic data, particularly diffraction data, are essential for materials characterization due to their comprehensive crystallographic information. The current crystallographic phase identification, however, is very time consuming. To address this challenge, we have developed a real-time crystallographic phase identifier based on a convolutional self-attention neural network (CPICANN). Trained on 692 190 simulated powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns from 23 073 distinct inorganic crystallographic information files, CPICANN demonstrates superior phase-identification power. Single-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns yields 98.5 and 87.5% accuracies with and without elemental information, respectively, outperforming JADE software (68.2 and 38.7%, respectively). Bi-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns achieves 84.2 and 51.5% accuracies, respectively. In experimental settings, CPICANN achieves an 80% identification accuracy, surpassing JADE software (61%). Integration of CPICANN into XRD refinement software will significantly advance the cutting-edge technology in XRD materials characterization.

Fuel (deuterium) removal by various helium (He) discharge cleanings under strong magnetic field are studied in EAST superconducting tokamak, including deuterium-to-helium changeover by main plasma operation, glow discharge cleaning (GDC), and ion cyclotron wall conditioning (ICWC). The study demonstrates that He-GDC works well in strong magnetic field, but the cleaning is poloidally located near the GDC anodes. Both He-GDC and He-ICWC are effective in removing deuterium under strong magnetic field. Moreover, deuterium-to-helium changeover by main plasma operation is highly effective in rapidly reducing the deuterium from the first wall surface. A comprehensive comparison of the three techniques shows that deuterium-to-helium changeover and He-GDC exhibit higher deuterium removal rate, and the pulse duration and duty cycle of He-ICWC should be optimized to improve the deuterium removal. These studies present a comprehensive investigation on fuel removal techniques in EAST tokamak, providing valuable insights into the optimization of tritium removal strategies for future fusion reactors.

Preschool children have different thermal characteristic from adults, while research on their thermal comfort within kindergartens remains scarce. This study conducted a survey among 205 children aged 4–6 years and 25 teachers in China, yielding a total of 6441 records. Although the survey area with most indoor temperatures falling below the comfort zone, a significant portion of the survey sessions in class (52 %) reported hot dissatisfaction. Children reported more hot sensations than adults, with almost no cold sensations reported. The mean Thermal Sensation (MTS) of children remained above the neutral point across the surveyed temperature range. The analysis suggests that a primary cause of children's discomfort is over-clothing. The average level of the investigated children’s clothing insulation was 1.78 clo, which was 0.19 clo more than that of the adults in the same environment, equivalent to adding a vest and a T-shirt. Moreover, the children have limited initiative to adjust their clothing. The excessive clothing likely stems from parental overconcern for cold environment, which leading to preventative dressing. Among the surveyed children, those wearing less clothing exhibited better thermal comfort status, underscoring the unnecessity of excessive clothing.

Objectives To explore the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of HBB: c.316-146T > G carriers in China.Methods The blood routine parameters and hemoglobin electrophoresis data of carriers were analyzed using PCR combined with reverse dot blot (RDB), gap-PCR, and DNA sequencing.Results The blood routine parameters of all these three cases were MCV G, the other one was heterozygous mutation of HBB:c.316-146T > G combined with –SEA deletion.Conclusion The hematological phenotype of HBB:c.316-146T > G mutation carriers is similar to that of common β+ heterozygous mutations, presenting with hypochromic, microcytic red cell indices. If the hematological phenotype does not match the results of genetic testing, further detection techniques such as Sanger sequencing, MLPA, next-generation sequencing (NGS), etc. are required to avoid missing rare or novel mutation types.

Objective: To analyze the hematological phenotype and genotype of HbA2: c.96-2A > G carriers.Methods: The blood routine parameters and hemoglobin electrophoresis of rare cases were analyzed and identified by PCR combined with reverse dot blot (RBD-PCR), GAP-PCR and DNA sequencing.Results: Among the 7 patients, one adult patient had normal hemoglobin levels, with slightly decreased mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH). Hb Bart's band was found in 6 neonates by hemoglobin electrophoresis, of which the content of Hb Bart's band in 1 neonate was 15.80%, and the content of Hb Bart's band in the other 5 neonates was 0.30%–0.90%. The results of genetic analysis showed that all the 7 patients had HbA2: c.96-2A > G (IVS-I-116A > G) mutation, in which 1 case was compounded with – SEA deletion.Conclusion: HbA2: c.96-2A > G mutation carriers exhibit the phenotype of α-thalassemia, and when the HbA2:c.96-2A > G mutation is combined with – SEA deletion, an intermediate phenotype of anemia is produced.

Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies (AIGAs) syndrome is susceptible to disseminated opportunistic infections due to increased AIGAs, but its clinical immunological characteristics remain unrecognized. We conducted a prospective cohort study between January 2021 and December 2023, recruiting patients with opportunistic infections who were categorized into AIGAs-positive and AIGAs-negative groups. Clinical immunological data and outcomes were documented. A subset of AIGAs-positive patients received glucocorticoid treatment, and its effectiveness was evaluated. A total of 238 patients were enrolled, with 135 AIGAs-positive and 103 AIGAs-negative patients. AIGAs-positive patients showed higher rates of multiple pathogen dissemination, shorter progression-free survival (PFS), and increased exacerbation frequency. They also showed elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), globulin (GLB), immunoglobulin (Ig)G, IgE, and IgG4 levels. Among the 70 AIGAs-positive patients monitored for at least six months, three subtypes were identified: high AIGAs titer with immune damage, high AIGAs titer without immune damage, and low AIGAs titer without immune damage. Of the 55 patients followed for 1 year, decreasing AIGAs titer and immune indices (GLB, IgG, IgE, IgG4) were observed. Among the 31 patients with high AIGAs titer and immune damage treated with low-dose glucocorticoids at the stable phase, reductions were observed in immune indices and AIGAs titer in 67.74% of cases. In summary, AIGAs-positive patients exhibit infectious and immunological characteristics. Elevated AIGAs, IgG, IgG4, and IgE indicate abnormal immune damages. AIGAs titer generally decrease over time. Stable-phase AIGAs-positive patients can be categorized into three subtypes, with those having high AIGAs titer and increased immune indices potentially benefitting from glucocorticoid treatment.

Throughout history, the influenza A virus has caused numerous devastating global pandemics. Macrophages, as pivotal innate immune cells, exhibit a wide range of immune functions characterized by distinct polarization states, reflecting their intricate heterogeneity. In this study, we employed the time-resolved single-cell sequencing technique coupled with metabolic RNA labelling to elucidate the dynamic transcriptional changes in distinct polarized states of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) upon infection with the influenza A virus. Our approach not only captures the temporal dimension of transcriptional activity, which is lacking in conventional scRNA-seq methods, but also reveals that M2-polarized Arg1_macrophage cluster is the sole state supporting successful replication of influenza A virus. Furthermore, we identified distinct antigen presentation capabilities to CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells across diverse polarized states of macrophages. Notably, the M1 phenotype, exhibited by (BMDMs) and murine alveolar macrophages (AMs), demonstrated superior conventional and cross-presentation abilities for exogenous antigens, with a particular emphasis on cross-presentation capacity. Additionally, as CD8+ T cell differentiation progressed, M1 polarization exhibited an enhanced capacity for cross-presentation. All three phenotypes of BMDMs, including M1, demonstrated robust presentation to CD4+ regulatory T cells, while displaying limited ability to present to naive CD4+ T cells. These findings offer novel insights into the immunological regulatory mechanisms governing distinct polarized states of macrophages, particularly their roles in restricting the replication of influenza A virus and modulating antigen-specific T cell responses through innate immunity.

ABSTRACTObjectives This study aimed at revealing the underlying mechanisms of the loss and gain of ceftazidime-avibactam susceptibility in a non-carbapenemase-producing hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp).Methods Here we longitudinally recovered 3 non-carbapenemase-producing K1-ST23 hvKp strains at a one-month interval (KP29105, KP29499 and KP30086) from an elderly male. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, whole genome sequencing, transcriptomic sequencing, gene cloning, plasmid conjugation, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) were conducted.Results Among the 3 hvKp strains, KP29105 was resistant to the third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins, KP29499 acquired resistance to both ceftazidime-avibactam and carbapenems, while KP30086 restored its susceptibility to ceftazidime-avibactam, imipenem and meropenem but retained low-level resistance to ertapenem. KP29105 and KP29499 carried plasmid-encoded genes blaCTX-M-15 and blaCTX-M-71, respectively, but KP30086 lost both. Cloning of gene blaCTX-M-71 and conjugation experiment of blaCTX-M-71-carrying plasmid showed that the transformant and transconjugant were susceptible to ceftazidime-avibactam but had a more than 8-fold increase in MICs. Supplementation with an outer membrane permeabilizer could reduce the MIC of ceftazidime-avibactam by 32 folds, indicating that porins play a key role in ceftazidime-avibactam resistance. The OmpK35 of the 3 isolates was not expressed, and the OmpK36 of KP29499 and KP30086 had a novel amino acid substitution (L359R). SDS-PAGE and qRT-PCR showed that the expression of porin OmpK36 of KP29499 and KP30086 was significantly down-regulated compared with KP29105.Conclusions In summary, we reported the rare ceftazidime-avibactam resistance in a non-carbapenemase-producing hvKp strain. Resistance plasmid carrying blaCTX-M-71 and mutated OmpK36 had a synergetic effect on the resistance.

ABSTRACTTuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) persistently kills nearly 1.5 million lives per year in the world, whereas the only licensed TB vaccine BCG exhibits unsatisfactory efficacy in adults. Taking BCG as a vehicle to express Mtb antigens is a promising way to enhance its efficacy against Mtb infection. In this study, the immune efficacy of recombination BCG (rBCG-ECD003) expressing specific antigens ESAT-6, CFP-10, and nDnaK was evaluated at different time points after immunizing BALB/c mice. The results revealed that rBCG-ECD003 induced multiple Th1 cytokine secretion including IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and IL-12 when compared to the parental BCG. Under the action of PPD or ECD003, rBCG-ECD003 immunization resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of IL-2+ and IFN-γ+IL-2+ CD4+T cells. Importantly, rBCG-ECD003 induced a stronger long-term humoral immune response without compromising the safety of the parental BCG vaccine. By means of the protective efficacy assay in vitro, rBCG-ECD003 showed a greater capacity to inhibit Mtb growth in the long term. Collectively, these features of rBCG-ECD003 indicate long-term protection and the promising effect of controlling Mtb infection.

Because of early diagnosis and improved prognosis, patients with gastric cancer are now surviving longer and remnant gastric cancer after gastrectomy is becoming more common. Remnant gastric cancer is traditionally considered a malignancy with a dismal outcome. However, recent advances in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have improved outcomes. In recent years, the development of endoscopic therapy has provided us with new therapeutic ideas. Although with some drawbacks, such as limited working space, gastric fibrosis and staples under the suture line, endoscopic management is still an effective treatment option with potential long-term survival advantage. For gastrectomy patients, endoscopic surveillance should also be recommended, for prompt surveillance and detection in the early remnant gastric cancer. This review aims to provide an overview of remnant gastric cancer, especially focusing on its pathogenesis as well as new advances in the diagnosis and endoscopic treatment of early-stage remnant gastric cancer.

Abstract Reliable projections of permafrost change are crucial for estimating permafrost carbon loss. However, potential model biases in surface air temperature may yield unrealistic projections of future permafrost area. Here, by leveraging the emergent relationship between equilibrium climate sensitivity and projected changes in mean annual air temperature over High Mountain Asia (HMA), we mitigate the overestimated local warming rates and excessive thawing of permafrost associated with the “hot model” problem in models participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6. After constraint, permafrost area over HMA will reduce by 37%, 64% and 99% in 2081–2100 relative to present‐day under the SSP1‐2.6, SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5 scenarios, respectively. In contrast, the unconstrained projections tend to overestimate the loss of permafrost area by nearly 10% under the low and mid‐emission scenarios due to the overestimation of local warming rates. These findings are crucial for policymaking and provide valuable insights into global permafrost projection.

The atmospheric correction of hyperspectral data stands as a fundamental step in quantitative applications, crucial for the accurate analysis of hyperspectral information. Zhuhai-1 hyperspectral data, characterized by its high spatial and spectral resolution, holds substantial potential and advantages for the quantification of water body information. Nonetheless, the adoption of more precise physical models for atmospheric correction often demands extensive satellite and ground environmental parameters, which pose practical challenges in applying physical models The Dark Object Subtraction (DOS), leveraging the intrinsic spectral characteristics of the imagery, offers an efficient alternative for achieving improved atmospheric correction results tailored to the data and study area. In this context, this study presents a Dark Object Subtraction for Water body information extraction (DOSW), specifically designed to advance the quantification of water body information in Zhuhai-1 hyperspectral data. The proposed method is rigorously evaluated by comparing the correction results from the Foshan region and Feilaixia Reservoir with standard and measured spectra of typical objects. The results demonstrate the accuracy of DOSW in atmospheric correction, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.7 when compared to standard spectra for three representative objects. Notably, DOSW achieves exceptional accuracy in water body correction, achieving a correlation coefficient of 0.95 and an RMSE of 0.002 in the Feilaixia Reservoir, and a correlation coefficient of 0.72 and an RMSE of 0.005 in the Foshan region. Overall, the results underscore the efficacy of DOSW in accurately addressing atmospheric correction challenges to Zhuhai-1 hyperspectral data, effectively meeting the requirements of hyperspectral quantification applications.

ABSTRACTRussula is the largest genus in the Russulales and is widespread throughout the world. Almost all Russula species are known to be ectomycorrhizal with high ecological and edible values, and some are lethal poisonous. In this study, four new species belonging to the subgenus Russula crown clade are identified based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence from the Xizang Autonomous Region and other provinces of China. Morphologically, Russula paragraveolens (sect. Polychromae, subsect. Xerampelinae) is mainly characterised by a cherry red to blood red pileus centre, a reddish orange pileus margin; R. pseudograveolens (sect. Polychromae, subsect. Xerampelinae) is characterised by a violet brown to brownish red pileus centre, a pale red to pastel red pileus margin and short basidia; R. shigatseensis (sect. Flavisiccantes, subsect. Lepidinae) is characterised by a brownish orange to madder red pileus centre, pinkish red pileus margin, and having lateral branches or branches of hyphal terminations in pileipellis; R. yadongensis (sect. Tenellae, subsect. Laricinae) is characterised by a dark purplish red pileus centre with brownish purple tints and having isolated to clustered spines of spore ornamentations. Their distinct taxonomic status is confirmed by the positions of the four new species in both the ITS and 4-locus (nucLSU, mtSSU, rpb2, tef1) phylogenetic trees.

Abstract A key factor limiting the development of silicone rubber insulating materials is their short service life in harsh operating environments. The establishment of a self‐healing system is desired to improve the long‐term operational performance of silicone rubber and effectively extend its service life. In this study, poly(urea‐formaldehyde) microcapsules containing polydimethylsiloxane healing agents are prepared and a dual‐component microcapsule self‐healing system for silicone rubber material is established and optimised. In addition, the key factors affecting the self‐healing performance (such as microcapsule size, rupture rate, and microcapsule doping amount) are investigated. It is found that when SYLGARDTM 184 is used as the healing agent and matrix, with a 4:6 (A:B) doping ratio of dual‐component microcapsules and 20 phr doping amount, the self‐healing efficiency is approximately 51%. Furthermore, increasing the microcapsule rupture rate and the interface strength between the healing agent and the matrix can effectively improve the self‐healing performance. The relationships between key factors and self‐healing performance are theoretically revealed. Based on the relationships, the microcapsule self‐healing system can be appropriately designed. The results of this paper can provide a reference for the development of long‐life silicone rubber insulating materials.

Abstract Background Whole-genome duplication and long terminal repeat retrotransposons (LTR-RTs) amplification in organisms are essential factors that affect speciation, local adaptation, and diversification of organisms. Understanding the karyotype projection and LTR-RTs amplification could contribute to untangling evolutionary history. This study compared the karyotype and LTR-RTs evolution in the genomes of eight oaks, a dominant lineage in Northern Hemisphere forests. Results Karyotype projections showed that chromosomal evolution was relatively conservative in oaks, especially on chromosomes 1 and 7. Modern oak chromosomes formed through multiple fusions, fissions, and rearrangements after an ancestral triplication event. Species-specific chromosomal rearrangements revealed fragments preserved through natural selection and adaptive evolution. A total of 441,449 full-length LTR-RTs were identified from eight oak genomes, and the number of LTR-RTs for oaks from section Cyclobalanopsis was larger than in other sections. Recent amplification of the species-specific LTR-RTs lineages resulted in significant variation in the abundance and composition of LTR-RTs among oaks. The LTR-RTs insertion suppresses gene expression, and the suppressed intensity in gene regions was larger than in promoter regions. Some centromere and rearrangement regions indicated high-density peaks of LTR/Copia and LTR/Gypsy. Different centromeric regional repeat units (32, 78, 79 bp) were detected on different Q. glauca chromosomes. Conclusion Chromosome fusions and arm exchanges contribute to the formation of oak karyotypes. The composition and abundance of LTR-RTs are affected by its recent amplification. LTR-RTs random retrotransposition suppresses gene expression and is enriched in centromere and chromosomal rearrangement regions. This study provides novel insights into the evolutionary history of oak karyotypes and the organization, amplification, and function of LTR-RTs.

Upon entering the marine environment, plastics are colonized by a plethora of microorganisms to form a plastisphere, influencing the fate and transport of the plastic debris and the health of marine ecosystems. The assembly of marine plastisphere is generally believed to be dominated by stochastic processes. However, it remains elusive whether microbial interaction in the assembly of plastisphere microbial communities is conserved or not. We analyzed the plastisphere microbiomes of 137 plastic debris samples from intertidal zones at different geographical locations and habitats (seagrass, coral, mangrove, beach, and open ocean) and compared them with the surrounding sediment and seawater microbiomes. Microbial community structures of the plastisphere from different locations were more similar to each other but differed substantially from the surrounding sediment and water microbiomes, implying a common mechanism of plastisphere assembly. We used different machine learning algorithms (Multinomial Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Decision Trees, Random Forest, and Artificial Neural Networks) to classify plastic debris samples with high sensitivity based on the microbiome composition. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic phototrophic organisms such as green algae, diatoms, and cyanobacteria, were found to be enriched on the plastic surfaces. Network analysis revealed the central role of the phototrophic organisms in the formation and sustenance of the plastispheres. We found that phototrophs served as core members interacting strongly with heterotrophic organisms in marine plastisphere, irrespective of the sampling location, habitats, and polymer types. This would explain the stochastic assembly of the plastisphere along with conserved properties driven by the phototrophs in the surrounding environment. Our results highlight the importance of phototrophic organisms in shaping the marine plastisphere microbial communities.

Currently, cables are manually installed in aircraft manufacturing scenarios. The utilization of robots in cable assemblies can enhance efficiency and ensure quality, presenting great promise for the future. However, the assembly process must control the shape of the cables, which is a significant challenge for robots. On the one hand, cables have high degrees of freedom in space, making accurate modeling of cable dynamics for robotic arm manipulation difficult; on the other hand, cable deformation has uncertainty, and the applied forces cause simultaneous deformation and motion, which is difficult to control. To address these problems, this study proposes a cable‐shape control method based on graph neural networks and online visual shape‐servoing. The method first approximates cable dynamics with a graph neural network. Then, in practice, the learnt model is used alongside visual‐based shape‐servoing to generate optimal robotic arm movements, controlling the cable to attain the desired shape. In the experiments, precise control of three different cable types is realized, and an example of a completed cable assembly is shown.