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The autophagy gene immunity‐related GTPase M (IRGM) can affect the immune response against intracellular pathogens. The study was performed to determine any possible association between three IRGM single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs4958842, rs4958843 and rs4958846) and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. A total of 171 chronic HBV‐infected individuals and 171 healthy controls were collected. Peripheral blood cells and Sanger sequencing were used to extract genomic DNA and determine the SNP genotypes, respectively. The C allele of rs4958843 is a risk factor for chronic HBV infection in various genetic models, including allelic, codominant and dominant models, with the following respective statistical data: allelic (T vs. C: OR = 1.371, 95% CI = 1.009–1.863, p =.043), codominant (TT vs. CC: OR = 2.137, 95% CI = 1.104–4.138, p =.024) and dominant (TT + TC vs. CC: OR = 1.976, 95% CI = 1.106–3.533, p =.021) models. The genotype and allele distributions of rs4958842 and rs4958846 showed no significant differences between chronic HBV infection patients and healthy controls. IRGM rs4958843 CC genotype carriers had significantly elevated values of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase alpha‐fetoprotein and total bilirubin (OR = 3.467, 95%CI = 1.167–10.298), which was positively associated with the disease progression of HBV infection. Mutant allele C of IRGM rs4958843 polymorphism is associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in the Han people in central China and contributes to the disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability for bacteria to form boundaries between neighboring colonies as the result of intra-species inhibition has been described for a limited number of species. Here, we report that intra-species inhibition is more common than previously recognized. We demonstrated that swimming colonies of four Escherichia coli strains and six other bacteria form inhibitory zones between colonies, which is not caused by nutrient depletion. This phenomenon was similarly observed with non-flagellated bacteria. We developed a square-streaking pattern assay which revealed that Escherichia coli BW25113 inhibits the growth of other E. coli, and surprisingly, other Gram-positive and negative bacteria, including multi-drug resistant clinical isolates. Altogether, our findings demonstrate intra-species inhibition is common and might be used by E. coli to inhibit other bacteria. Our findings raise the possibility for a common mechanism shared across bacteria for intra-species inhibition. This can be further explored for a potential new class of antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: With the requirements of environmental, cost and economic sustainability, new sources of alternative proteins in the livestock industry are receiving increasing attention. Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves are a unique feed resource because of their high protein content and large availability. Therefore, mining sustainable protein suitable for the animal husbandry industry in sericulture resources could achieve a win–win situation. RESULTS: The protein content in mulberry leaves is 232.10–386.16 g kg−1, and the mean value of crude fat content is 43.76 ± 8.48 g kg−1, which has the advantages of protein content and energy. In addition, the average content of phytic acid in mulberry leaves is only 1.88 ± 0.56 g kg−1, which means that it is not inhibited in terms of nutrient absorption. Meanwhile, the digestibility of protein was Bean pulp > Sample 8 ≈ Alfalfa ≈ Sample 13 ≈ Cottonseed meal > Fish meal, and the β‐turn and particle size of mulberry leaf protein are more conducive to digestion in vitro. Furthermore, the protein of Sample 13 had the richest essential amino acids (252.00 g kg−1) and the highest essential amino acid index (EAAI), which was superior to conventional feed protein. In addition, the partial substitution of mulberry leaf protein (15%) significantly increased the EAAI value of conventional feed protein. However, to balance nutrition, it is necessary to combine mulberry leaf protein with other proteins to further broaden its application field. CONCLUSION: Mulberry leaves are a new source of feed protein, which helps to alleviate the two major problems of mulberry resource surplus and feed protein resource shortage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy exhibits remarkable efficacy against refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma (RRMM); however, the immune deficiency following CAR-Ts infusion has not been well studied. In this study, 126 patients who achieved remission post-CAR-Ts infusion were evaluated for cellular immunity. Following lymphodepletion (LD) chemotherapy, the absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) and absolute counts of lymphocyte subsets were significantly lower than baseline at D0. Grade ≥ 3 lymphopenia occurred in 99% of patients within the first 30 days, with most being resolved by 180 days. The median CD4+ T-cell count was consistently below baseline and the lower limit of normal (LLN) levels at follow-up. Conversely, the median CD8+ T-cell count returned to the baseline and LLN levels by D30. The median B-cell count remained lower than baseline level at D60 and returned to baseline and LLN levels at D180. In the first 30 days, 27 (21.4%) patients had 29 infections, with the majority being mild to moderate in severity (21/29; 72.4%). After day 30, 44 (34.9%) patients had 56 infections, including 20 severe infections. One patient died from bacteremia at 3.8 months post-CAR-Ts infusion. In conclusion, most patients with RRMM experienced cellular immune deficiency caused by LD chemotherapy and CAR-Ts infusion. The ALC and most lymphocyte subsets gradually recovered after day 30 of CAR-Ts infusion, except for CD4+ T cells. Some patients experience prolonged CD4+ T-cell immunosuppression without severe infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is responsible for various liver diseases, such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis (LC) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which pose a significant threat to human health. An ineffective immune response to HBV can result in viral chronicity. Interleukin‐37 (IL‐37), an immunomodulator, is capable of inhibiting both innate and adaptive immune responses. It is believed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the IL‐37 gene could contribute to the regulation of HBV clearance. Our aim to conduct this study was to investigate whether SNPs in the IL‐37 gene were associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection in adults. A total of 342 participants, consisting of 171 cases and 171 controls, were recruited for this study. Sanger sequencing was employed for genotyping six SNPs (rs3811042 G/A, rs3811043 G/C, rs2466449 A/G, rs3811045 C/T, rs3811046 T/G and rs3811047G/A). There was no significant difference in allele and genotype distribution between the two groups, and the constructed haplotypes were not found to be associated with the risk of chronic HBV infection. Our results revealed that there was no relationship between these six SNPs (rs3811042G/A, rs3811043G/C, rs2466449A/G, rs3811045C/T, rs3811046T/G and rs3811047G/A) in the IL‐37 gene and susceptibility to chronic HBV infection among Han people in Central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factorized form of the unitary coupled cluster Ansatz is a popular state preparation Ansatz for electronic structure calculations of molecules on quantum computers. It is often viewed as an approximation (based on the Trotter product formula) for the conventional unitary coupled cluster operator. In this work, we show that the factorized form is quite flexible, allowing one to range from a conventional configuration interaction, to conventional unitary coupled cluster, to efficient approximations that lie in between these two. The variational minimization of the energy often allows simpler factorized unitary coupled cluster approximations to achieve high accuracy, even if they do not accurately approximate the Trotter product formula. This is similar to how quantum approximate optimization algorithms can achieve high accuracy with a small number of levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high cell density, immobilization and stability of biofilms are ideal characteristics for bacteria in resisting antibiotic therapy. CsgD is a transcription activating factor that regulates the synthesis of curly fimbriae and cellulose in Escherichia coli, thereby enhancing bacterial adhesion and promoting biofilm formation. To investigate the role of CsgD in biofilm formation and stress resistance in bacteria, the csgD deletion mutant ΔcsgD was successfully constructed from the engineered strain E. coli BL21(DE3) using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system. The results demonstrated that the biofilm of ΔcsgD decreased by 70.07% (p < 0.05). Additionally, the mobility and adhesion of ΔcsgD were inhibited due to the decrease in curly fimbriae and extracellular polymeric substances. Furthermore, ΔcsgD exhibited a significantly decreased resistance to acid, alkali and osmotic stress conditions (p < 0.05). RNA-Seq results revealed 491 differentially expressed genes between the parent strain and ΔcsgD, with enrichment primarily observed in metabolism-related processes as well as cell membrane structure and catalytic activity categories. Moreover, CsgD influenced the expression of biofilm and stress response genes pgaA, motB, fimA, fimC, iraP, ompA, osmC, sufE and elaB, indicating that the CsgD participated in the resistance of E. coli by regulating the expression of biofilm and stress response. In brief, the transcription factor CsgD plays a key role in the stress resistance of E. coli, and is a potential target for treating and controlling biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the inclusive decay widths of singly heavy baryons with the improved bag model in which the unwanted center-of-mass motion is removed. Additional insight is gained by comparing the charmed and bottom baryons. We discuss the running of the baryon matrix elements and compare the results with the non-relativistic quark model (NRQM). While the calculated two-quark operator elements are compatible with the literature, those of the four-quark ones deviate largely. In particular, the heavy quark limit holds reasonably well in the bag model for four-quark operator matrix elements but is badly broken in the NRQM. We predict 1 − τ (Ωb)/τ( Λ b 0 ) = (8.34 ± 2.22)% in accordance with the current experimental value of 11.5 − 11.6 + 12.2 % and compatible with (13.2 ± 4.7)% obtained in the NRQM. We find an excellent agreement between theory and experiment for the lifetimes of bottom baryons. We confirm that Ω c 0 could live longer than Λ c + after the dimension-7 four-quark operators are taken into account. We recommend to measure some semileptonic inclusive branching fractions in the forthcoming experiments to discern different approaches. For example, we obtain BF Ξ c + → X e + ν e = (8.57±0.49)% and BF Ω c 0 → X e + ν e = (1.88 ± 1.69)% in sharp contrast to BF Ξ c + → X e + ν e = 12.74 − 2.45 + 2.54 % and BF Ω c 0 → X e + ν e = 7.59 − 2.24 + 2.49 % found in the NRQM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the geothermal geological conditions and the geothermal resources development and utilization data of Nanyang Basin for many years, the geothermal fields in the basin are divided according to the study of fault structures. According to the pumping test data of geothermal wells, the permeability coefficients of the thermal storage aquifers of the geothermal wells were calculated using the steady-flow Dupuit formula and Kusakin's empirical formula. In this paper, the water conductivity of thermal reservoir is calculated by using the method of line diagram and recovery water level, and the characteristics of thermal reservoir aquifer group, geothermal fluid-flow field, and hydrochemistry are described systematically. Based on the analysis method of groundwater exploitation potential index, the development and utilization potential of geothermal resources is studied, which has certain reference significance for the development and utilization of geothermal resources of sedimentary basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inadequate preoperative management of chronic medications can place perioperative patients at risk and cause unnecessary delays in surgical procedures. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of chronic medication therapy problems (CMTPs) in hospitalized perioperative patients and assess the relevance of pharmacists' interventions. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of pharmacist-led preoperative management of chronic medications in hospitalized adult patients from November 2018 to April 2019. The recorded drug-related problems (DRPs) were retrospectively reviewed and categorized according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification V9.1 and were analyzed with a multinomial regression model to identify risk factors. Results: A total of 254 DRPs were recorded, with an average of 0.52 DRPs per patient. Treatment safety (66.9%) was the most common DRP. The most frequent causes of perioperative DRPs and nonperioperative DRPs were drug selection (72.9%) and patient related (50.8%), respectively. Of the 292 documented interventions, 71.6% were fully accepted by the clinicians and patients. The majority (68.9%) of the recorded problems were completely resolved. The number of comorbidities (OR = 3.815) and the number of chronic medications taken (OR = 1.539) were risk factors for the occurrence of DRPs. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that pharmacist-led chronic medication therapy management in surgical wards may be an effective method to help reduce medication-related surgical risks and optimize the medication therapies used for the long-term treatment of chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pupae is one of the most valuable components of the silkworm, a by-product of silk reeling. Employing them as a raw material to create valued products will help to recycle and reuse silkworm pupae, as well as contribute to the food industry's long-term development. Silkworm pupae protein (SPP) and pupae oil (SPO) are high in nutritional and bioactive components that have a variety of applications in the food industry as well as health-promoting characteristics. In this review, we first elaborate on the modification, nutritional, and functional properties of silkworm pupae in terms of requirements for protein and lipids processing as well as current extraction technology. In the subsequent sections, we summarize the modification techniques including the science and technology involved in attaining fatty acid components of SPO. Finally, we focus on recent studies related to the utilization of SPP and SPO subject to their inclusion in foods for their health benefits. The key to silkworm pupae product design may be to fully exploit and utilize the inherent characteristics of the pupae to produce functional peptides and structural lipids with high nutritional content, which may necessitate further improvements in the bioactive and functional properties. Designing more ecologically friendly, low-cost, and efficient processes for producing protein and oil from silkworm pupae is also a trend in technology. This may further provide new insights into the mechanisms behind modifying silkworm pupae as food and its health advantages. [Display omitted] • Modifications and functions of silkworm pupae protein (SPP) and oil (SPO) were reviewed. • Modification of SPP and SPO reveal valuable nutritional properties. • Inclusion of SPP and SPO in food and feed applications were summarized. • Peptide composition in silkworm pupae aid in valuable biological activities. • Further research to compare SPP and SPO with standard proteins and oils is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron is an essential element for autoinducer-2 (AI-2) synthesis of quorum sensing (QS) system, which affects bacterial collective behavior. As a living biocatalyst, biofilms can stably catalyze the activity of intracellular enzymes. However, it is unclear how boron affects biofilm formation in E. coli, particularly recombinant E. coli with intracellular enzymes. This study screened different boron derivatives to explore their effect on biofilm formation. The stress response of biofilm formation to boron was illuminated by analyzing AI-2 activity, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) composition, gene expression levels, etc. Results showed that boron derivatives promote AI-2 activity in QS system. After treatment with H3BO3 (0.6 mM), the AI-2 activity increased by 65.99%, while boron derivatives increased the biomass biofilms in the order H3BO3 > NaBO2 > Na2B4O7 > NaBO3. Moreover, treatment with H3BO3 (0.6 mM) increased biomass by 88.54%. Meanwhile, AI-2 activity had a linear correlation with polysaccharides and protein of EPS at 0–0.6 mM H3BO3 and NaBO2 (R2 > 0.8). Furthermore, H3BO3 upregulated the expression levels of biofilm formation genes, quorum sensing genes, and flagellar movement genes. These findings demonstrated that boron promoted biofilm formation by upregulating the expression levels of biofilm-related genes, improving the QS system AI-2 activity, and increasing EPS secretion in E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel scheme for efficient conversion of flavonoid glycosides by biofilms was developed. • Gene regulation and carrier modification are promising strategies to enhance biofilm catalysis. • The biomass of biofilms from csg D overexpressed strain significantly increased by 79.35 %. • The biofilms adhesion of E. coli in strong oxidant modified carrier was increased by 105.80 %. • The catalytic efficiency of E. coli biofilms enhanced bi-directional was increased by 247.85 %. The biofilm of an engineered strain is limited by slow growth and low yield, resulting in an unsatisfactory ability to resist external stress and promote catalytic efficiency. Here, biofilms used as robust living catalysts were manipulated through dual functionalized gene regulation and carrier modification strategies. The results showed that gene overexpression regulates the autoinducer-2 activity, extracellular polymeric substance content and colony behavior of Escherichia coli , and the biofilm yield of csg D overexpressed strains increased by 79.35 % compared to that of the wild type strains (p < 0.05). In addition, the hydrophilicity of polyurethane fibres modified with potassium dichromate increased significantly, and biofilm adhesion increased by 105.80 %. Finally, the isoquercitrin yield in the catalytic reaction of the biofilm reinforced by the csg D overexpression strain and the modified carrier was 247.85 % higher than that of the untreated group. Overall, this study has developed engineered strains biofilm with special functions, providing possibilities for catalytic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying and explaining the end of long-lived practices is a major challenge for anthropological archaeology. We present a high-precision uranium series dating (230Th/U) chronology of an undocumented aspect of Hawaiian religion: the use of corals as offerings in gardens. Our results from the upland gardens of Kealakekua (Kona District, Hawai'i Island) document the onset of religious offerings at the same time as farming in the area at around AD 1400, with no samples dating to after around AD 1635. There are similar conspicuous endings to coral offerings in temple sites on the small, isolated island of Nihoa and in the uplands of Maui. On Nihoa, the lack of coral offerings after AD 1606 can be reasonably linked to the abandonment of permanent settlement on the island. In upland Maui temple sites, as is the case in the upland gardens of Kealakekua, the end of coral offerings around AD 1600--1700 suggests a disruption to a long-lived ritual tradition at a time when other metrics point to the rise of state authority over religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bio-ingestion of microplastics poses a global threat to ecosystems, yet studies within nature reserves, crucial habitats for birds, remain scarce despite the well-documented ingestion of microplastics by avian species. Located in Jiangsu Province, China, the Yancheng Wetland Rare Birds Nature Reserve is home to diverse bird species, including many rare ones. This study aimed to assess the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in common bird species within the reserve, investigate microplastic enrichment across different species, and establish links between birds' habitat types and microplastic ingestion. Microplastics were extracted from the feces of 110 birds, with 84 particles identified from 37.27% of samples. Among 8 species studied, the average microplastic abundance ranged from 0.97 ± 0.47 to 43.43 ± 61.98 items per gram of feces, or 1.5 ± 0.87 to 3.4 ± 1.50 items per individual. The Swan goose (Anser cygnoides) exhibited the highest microplastic abundance per gram of feces, while the black-billed gull (Larus saundersi) had the highest abundance per individual. The predominant form of ingested microplastics among birds in the reserve was fibers, with polyethylene being the most common polymer type. Significant variations in plastic exposure were observed among species and between aquatic and terrestrial birds. This study represents the first quantitative assessment of microplastic concentrations in birds within the reserve, filling a crucial gap in research and providing insights for assessing microplastic pollution and guiding bird conservation efforts in aquatic and terrestrial environments. [Display omitted] • Microplastics ingested by birds were assessed by faecal samples. 2) Microplastics were enriched in guano from the Nature Reserve. 3) Habitat was strongly correlated with microplastics ingested by birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

External wall composite insulation materials have shown great potential for energy saving and emission reduction in the construction industry, but cement-based material as one of the external wall composite insulation materials has the problem of high thermal conductivity. Herein, a composite insulation material was prepared using the press method by expanded polystyrene (EPS) and cement of different calcium silicate content. The addition of porous calcium silicate provides nucleation sites for cement hydration to promote hydration reaction and increase the porosity of the inorganic cementitious phase from 75 % to 85 % and refine the average pore size from 2826.09 nm to 421.31 nm. The cement-based composite insulation material which the calcium silicate content is 20 % has 0.0423 W/(m·K) in the thermal conductivity, which is 23.1 % lower than the non-calcium silicate content of cement-based composite insulation material (0.055 W/(m·K)). The simulation analysis proves that the improved insulating properties are attributed to the increased interface between solid-phase and gas phase, thinner heat transfer walls, and longer heat transfer paths due to the pore structure changes in the inorganic cementitious phase. This proposed composite insulation material provides a new choice for external wall insulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS) has a high mortality rate and incidence of complications. The pathophysiology of ALI/ARDS is still not fully understood. The lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse model of ALI has been widely used to study human ALI/ARDS. Sulfasalazine (SASP) has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects and is used for treating inflammatory bowel and rheumatic diseases. However, the effect of SASP on LPS-induced ALI in mice has not yet been reported. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of SASP on LPS-induced ALI in mice. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with SASP 2 h before or 4 h after LPS modeling. Pulmonary pathological damage was measured based on inflammatory factor expression (malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase levels) in the lung tissue homogenate and alveolar lavage fluid. The production of inflammatory cytokines and occurrence of oxidative stress in the lungs induced by LPS were significantly mitigated after the prophylactic and long-term therapeutic administration of SASP, which ameliorated ALI caused by LPS. SASP reduced both the production of inflammatory cytokines and occurrence of oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells, which respond to LPS. Moreover, its mechanism contributed to the suppression of NF-κB and nuclear translocation. In summary, SASP treatment ameliorates LPS-induced ALI by mediating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which may be attributed to the inhibition of NF-κB activation and promotion of antioxidant defenses. Thus, SASP may be a promising pharmacologic agent for ALI therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abrupt climate event Younger Dryas (YD) has been extensively studied; however, its structure is still poorly understood. Climate in northeastern Brazil is very sensitive to the latitudinal position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) associated with abrupt climate change in the Atlantic. Here, we report changes in the ITCZ position within the YD by using precise speleothem multiproxy records from northeastern Brazil. We provide evidence for a gradual northward migration of the ITCZ preceding poleward shifts of the westerlies and the polar front in northern high latitudes within the YD. This can be attributed to gradual increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration as a consequence of the weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). We suggest that a persistent increase in atmospheric CO2 might have triggered a resumption of the AMOC and reorganization of the atmosphere circulation in the Atlantic during the mid‐YD. Plain Language Summary: The Younger Dryas (YD) is the most recent millennial‐scale abrupt climate event in Earth history. Although its origin has been extensively studied, its structure is still poorly understood. Climate in northeastern Brazil is very sensitive to the latitudinal position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) responds to abrupt climate change in the Atlantic (e.g., YD). By using stable isotope and trace element proxy records of speleothem from Toca da Boa Vista Cave, northeastern Brazil, together with other paleoclimatic records in the Atlantic realm, we provide evidence for a gradual northward migration of the ITCZ preceding poleward shifts of the westerlies and the polar front in northern high latitudes within the YD. This can be attributed to a gradual increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration under the situation of weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). A persistent increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration might have triggered a resumption of the AMOC and reorganization of the atmosphere circulation in the Atlantic during the mid‐YD. Key Points: Speleothem and other paleoclimate records confirm a wet climate in tropical South America within the Younger DryasPrecise speleothem multiproxy records reflect a bipartition of the Younger Dryas precipitation in northeastern BrazilGradual South‐North climate transition in the Atlantic responded to a gradual increase in atmospheric CO2 within the YD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Asian summer monsoon (ASM) is a vast climate system, whose variability is critical to the livelihoods of billions of people across the Asian continent. During the past half-century, much progress has been made in understanding variations on a wide range of timescales, yet several significant issues remain unresolved. Of note are two long-standing problems concerning orbital-scale variations of the ASM. (1) Chinese loess magnetic susceptibility records show a persistent glacial-interglacial dominated ~100 kyr (thousand years) periodicity, while the cave oxygen-isotope (δ18O) records reveal periodicity in an almost pure precession band (~20 kyr periodicity)—the "Chinese 100 kyr problem". (2) ASM records from the Arabian Sea and other oceans surrounding the Asian continent show a significant lag of 8–10 kyr to Northern Hemisphere summer insolation (NHSI), whereas the Asian cave δ18O records follow NHSI without a significant lag—a discrepancy termed the "sea-land precession-phase paradox". How can we reconcile these differences? Recent and more refined model simulations now provide spatial patterns of rainfall and wind across the precession cycle, revealing distinct regional divergences in the ASM domain, which can well explain a large portion of the disparities between the loess, marine, and cave proxy records. Overall, we also find that the loess, marine, and cave records are indeed complementary rather than incompatible, with each record preferentially describing a certain aspect of ASM dynamics. Our study provides new insight into the understanding of different hydroclimatic proxies and largely reconciles the "Chinese 100 kyr problem" and "sea-land precession-phase paradox". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hallmark of cells comprising the superficial zone of articular cartilage is their expression of lubricin, encoded by the Prg4 gene, that lubricates the joint and protects against the development of arthritis. Here, we identify Creb5 as a transcription factor that is specifically expressed in superficial zone articular chondrocytes and is required for TGF-β and EGFR signaling to induce Prg4 expression. Notably, forced expression of Creb5 in chondrocytes derived from the deep zone of the articular cartilage confers the competence for TGF-β and EGFR signals to induce Prg4 expression. Chromatin-IP and ATAC-Seq analyses have revealed that Creb5 directly binds to two Prg4 promoter-proximal regulatory elements, that display an open chromatin conformation specifically in superficial zone articular chondrocytes; and which work in combination with a more distal regulatory element to drive induction of Prg4 by TGF-β. Our results indicate that Creb5 is a critical regulator of Prg4/lubricin expression in the articular cartilage. Zhang et al. identify Creb5 as a transcription factor that is required for induction of Prg4 expression by TGFβ and EGFR ligands. They show that Creb5 directly binds to two Prg4 promoter-proximal regulatory elements, working together with a more distal regulatory element to drive induction of Prg4 by TGFβ. These findings provide new insight into the molecular regulation of Prg4 expression in superficial zone articular chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a separable many-body variational wavefunction, we formulate a self-consistent effective Hamiltonian theory for fermionic many-body system. The theory is applied to the two-dimensional (2D) Hubbard model as an example to demonstrate its capability and computational effectiveness. Most remarkably for the Hubbard model in 2D, a highly unconventional quadruple-fermion non-Cooper pair order parameter is discovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs), which are built upon dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) with various organic building blocks, possess predesignable, highly ordered and crystalline porous structures. These features endow COFs with great potential in the development of function‐tailored materials, particularly in catalytic organic synthesis. Start from selective oxidation reactions early introduced by Ferdi, Thomas and their co‐workers, and then Wang and co‐workers performed Suzuki‐Miyaura reaction through integrating palladium into COFs, increasing numbers of works were established to explore their potentials in the 4.5catalysis of organic reactions. As heterogeneous organic catalysts, COFs bring benefits and solve problems, but also create new obstacles. Hence, we would like to establish a comprehensive system to review some pioneering works in this area. This will help us get a better view so that we can discuss the key and challenging issues we are currently confronted with. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Person re-identification, as an essential research direction in intelligent security, has gained the focus of researchers and scholars. In practical scenarios, visible light cameras depend highly on lighting conditions and have limited detection capability in poor light. Therefore, many scholars have gradually shifted their research goals to cross-modality person re-identification. However, there are few relevant studies, and challenges remain in resolving the differences in the images of different modalities. In order to solve these problems, this paper will use the research method based on the attention mechanism to narrow the difference between the two modes and guide the network in a more appropriate direction to improve the recognition performance of the network. Aiming at the problem of using the attention mechanism method can improve training efficiency. However, it is easy to cause the model training instability. This paper proposes a cross-modal pedestrian re-recognition method based on the attention mechanism. A new attention mechanism module is designed to allow the network to use less time to focus on more critical features of a person. In addition, a cross-modality hard center triplet loss is designed to supervise the model training better. The paper has conducted extensive experiments on the above two methods on two publicly available datasets, which obtained better performance than similar current methods and verified the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural planes decrease the strength and stability of rock masses, severely affecting their mechanical properties and deformation and failure characteristics. Therefore, investigation and analysis of structural planes are crucial tasks in mining rock mechanics. The drilling camera obtains image information of deep structural planes of rock masses through high-definition camera methods, providing important data sources for the analysis of deep structural planes of rock masses. This paper addresses the problems of high workload, low efficiency, high subjectivity, and poor accuracy brought about by manual processing based on current borehole image analysis and conducts an intelligent segmentation study of borehole image structural planes based on the U2-Net network. By collecting data from 20 different borehole images in different lithological regions, a dataset consisting of 1,013 borehole images with structural plane type, lithology, and color was established. Data augmentation methods such as image flipping, color jittering, blurring, and mixup were applied to expand the dataset to 12,421 images, meeting the requirements for deep network training data. Based on the PyTorch deep learning framework, the initial U2-Net network weights were set, the learning rate was set to 0.001, the training batch was 4, and the Adam optimizer adaptively adjusted the learning rate during the training process. A dedicated network model for segmenting structural planes was obtained, and the model achieved a maximum F-measure value of 0.749 when the confidence threshold was set to 0.7, with an accuracy rate of up to 0.85 within the range of recall rate greater than 0.5. Overall, the model has high accuracy for segmenting structural planes and very low mean absolute error, indicating good segmentation accuracy and certain generalization of the network. The research method in this paper can serve as a reference for the study of intelligent identification of structural planes in borehole images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Rice taste is closely associated with endosperm composition, which varies among different rice layers. Although clarifying the relationship between this difference and nutritional taste can guide rice breeding and cultivation practices, research on this topic is limited. RESULTS: Here, typical rice varieties having excellent and poor taste characteristics were selected to analyze the distribution characteristics and differences of their components. The varieties with excellent taste exhibited lower apparent amylose content (AAC) and protein content (PC), lesser short‐chain (Fa) and long‐chain (Fb3) amylopectin (AP) and more medium‐chain (Fb1+2) AP, higher long‐to‐short chain ratio (Fa:Fb3), and higher nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) content in layer 1 (L1) than the varieties with poor taste. Layer 2 (L2) played a key role in AAC and PC regulation in the varieties with excellent taste by reducing AAC and appropriately increasing PC, consequently improving rice taste. AP structure in layer 3 (L3) substantially affected the taste of the two types of varieties. The mineral content was the highest in L1, and increased potassium (K), Ca, and Mg content improved taste in all varieties. CONCLUSION: AAC in each layer contributes to rice taste. PC and minerals primarily act on L1 and L2, whereas AP acts on L2 and L3. Therefore, the endosperm formation process should be exploited for improving rice taste. Furthermore, key resources and cultivation should be identified and regulated, respectively, to improve rice taste. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SCS-KFD08.[10] The main difference was that a hydroxyl group in penicitor A replaced by a methoxyl group ( I i SB H/C sb 3.87/56.0) attached at C-7 ( I i SB C sb 161.5) in B 1 b ,[11] which were confirmed by HMBC correlation (Figure) of H SB 3 sb -14/C-7, and the presence of an additional CH SB 2 sb unit in deduced molecular formula of B 1 b . Crystallographic data of compound B 1 b were measured on a Rigaku XtaLAB PRO single-crystal diffractometer using Cu K I i radiation ( I i = 1.54184 Å). The ECD spectra of different conformers were generated using the program SpecDis 1.6 (University of Würzburg) and Prism 5.0 (GraphPad Software Inc.) with a half-bandwidth of 0.3 eV, according to the Boltzmann-calculated contribution of each conformer after UV correction of +10 nm. Cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231, C4-2B, MGC803, 143B, and A549 cell lines of compounds 1-10.Figure S3. 1H NMR spectrum of 7-O-methylpenicitor A (1) (DMSO-d6, 700 MHz)Figure S4. 13C NMR and DEPT spectra of 7-O-methylpenicitor A (1) (DMSO-d6, 700 MHz)Figure S5. [Extracted from the article]

Stalagmite is one kind of secondary carbonates formed in limestone caves (speleothem). After cave water droplets containing Ca2+ and H C O 3 − drip onto floor, carbonate in the water might become supersaturated due to CO2 degassing under certain conditions, resulting in the formation of stalagmite in a process year after year. Stalagmite is one of important geological archives for paleoclimate research. The advantages include wide spatial distribution, suitable for U-Th and U-Pb dating, enriched in climate proxies, continuity, long time span, comparability and lower sampling cost etc. These factors have propelled stalagmite paleoclimate research to the forefront of global paleoclimatology with an irreplaceable role. The stalagmite paleoclimate study started in the western countries, mainly in Europe and America in 1960s–1970s, while the relevant research in China was progressively developed in the 1980s–1990s after the Reform and Opening up. Although there was a huge gap between the overall research level in China and western countries, a solid research foundation, as well as a number of talent teams were established during the period. In the 21st century, starting from the publication of stalagmite records from Hulu Cave in Nanjing in 2001, the stalagmite paleoclimate research in China has ushered in a flourishing development and a real leap on the basis of international cooperation, resulting in significant international impacts. The landmark achievements, including establishment of the world's longest (640000 years) East Asian monsoon stalagmite record, as well as the longest Indian monsoon (280000 years), South American monsoon (250000 years), North American westerly climate (330000 years), Central Asian westerly climate (135000 years), and northwestern China westerly climate (500000 years), have laid a milestone in the paleoclimate study in these climate domains. Importantly, these stalagmite records have revealed the relationship of Asian monsoon variations with solar insolation climate change in polar regions, and the South American monsoon changes on orbital-suborbital timescales, which have provided new geological observations for the development of orbital-suborbital climate theory; elaborated coupling and differentiation relationships between the Asian monsoon and the westerly climate; reconstructed the history of Asian monsoon changes in the Holocene in detail, and thus the hydrological and climate variances behind Chinese and Indian civilization-cultural evolutions. Furthermore, a large number of high-resolution stalagmite records over the past 2000 years have been reconstructed, which are important for understanding short-term climate variability and magnitude, events, cycles, and thus the future climate projection. The achievements have also involved the improvements of a number of important techniques, such as U-Th dating method, the establishments of various hydroclimatic proxies, as well as the contributions to the reconstruction of the atmosphere 14C variation history over the past ∼54000 years. On the perspective of the future, the Chinese stalagmite community should continue to develop key techniques, further clarify the hydroclimatic significance of stalagmite proxies, impel the integration of related disciplines, and concentrate on key scientific issues in global climate change and major social demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A speleothem record from Eastern North America spans three glacial/interglacial cycles. • The oxygen isotope record displays strong cyclicity in the precession band. • The record lags summer insolation at 65°N by ∼5000 yr. • The record is in phase with Northern Hemisphere fall insolation. • Our findings are consistent with North American climates being forced by global ice volumes. The nature and controls of orbital-scale climate variability in North America (NA) are subjects of ongoing debates. On the basis of previous cave records from Southwestern United States, two mutually incompatible hypotheses have been proposed. One links NA orbital-scale climate variability to Northern Hemisphere (NH) summer insolation forcing in a manner analogous to low-latitude monsoon systems, while the other suggests that it is not causally tied to either changes in global ice-volumes or NH summer insolation. Here we report new cave oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) records from Buckeye Creek Cave (BCC), West Virginia, east central North America, covering most of the past three glacial-interglacial periods (∼335 to 45 kyr ago). The BCC δ 18 O record exhibits a strong precession-band cycle, which is in-phase with changes in global ice-volumes (i.e., sea level), sea surface temperatures in the NE Gulf of Mexico and is consistent with the results from published cave records from Nevada and Devils Hole. As with global ice-volume, the BCC records lag summer insolation at 65°N by ∼5000 yr, which stands in contrast with records of low-latitude monsoon variability in South America and Asia, which are in phase and out-of-phase with changes in summer insolation and sea level, respectively. Provided the degree of lag to summer insolation provides a measure of competing forcing from global ice-volume and summer insolation, our data suggest that NA orbital-scale climate variability is dominantly driven by ice-volume forcing. In addition, the sea surface temperatures in the NE Gulf of Mexico and changes in northern high-latitude cryosphere may be also important in explaining the unusually low δ 18 O values at times of the intermediate ice-volume periods in BCC and other NA cave records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full‐spectrum characterization of past interglacial climate is a necessary prerequisite for the detection and attribution of climate changes during the current interglacial. Here we present a speleothem record of Asian summer monsoon (ASM) during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 interglacial (MIS 11c), from Yongxing cave, China. The record's unprecedented chronologic constraints and decadal‐scale temporal resolution allow a precise and direct comparison of ASM between the MIS 11c and the Holocene. Our data suggest that orbital‐centennial patterns of ASM were remarkably similar during both interglacial, including their pacing and structure. Notably, a multi‐millennial stronger monsoon late in MIS 11c, the "Late‐MIS 11c shift," is similar to the Late Holocene strengthening of the ASM, the "2‐Kyr shift." Thus, the multicentennial ASM weakening at the end of the Late‐MIS 11c shift could imply that the current century‐long ASM waning trend may persist into the future, if only natural forcings are considered. Plain Language Summary: The interglacial of Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11c) is generally considered to be an appropriate natural climate analog to the current interglacial, the Holocene. A new speleothem oxygen‐isotope (δ18O) record is reconstructed to characterize Asian summer monsoon (ASM) variability across MIS 11c on a wide range of timescales. This new record has an unprecedented high resolution (~11 years) and precise chronology constrained by 230Th dating and annual band counting. It thus allows for the first time a precise comparison of ASM variability between MIS 11c and the Holocene. We find that the observed pattern of decreasing ASM strength during the late portion of MIS 11c was interrupted by a multi‐millennial period of stronger monsoon (the "Late‐MIS 11c shift"), which is similar to the Late Holocene increase in ASM strength (the "2‐Kyr shift"), which also occurred against a backdrop of long‐term decline in Northern Hemisphere summer insolation. Notably, the Late‐MIS 11c shift was terminated by a multicentennial ASM weakening trend, thus suggesting that the current century‐long ASM waning trend could persist into the future, provided that the anthropogenic forcing does not supersede the natural variability. Key Points: A new high‐resolution record of the Asian summer monsoon is reconstructed over Marine Isotope Stage 11 as a natural analog to the HoloceneThe Marine Isotope Stage 11 record with a chronology constrained by annual band counting shows climate variability similar to the HoloceneThe projection of the Marine Isotope Stage 11‐Holocene comparison into the future suggests a weakening trend for the Asian summer monsoon [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the density functional theory method to study dry (1 × 1) α-quartz (0001) surfaces that have Frenkel-like defects such as oxygen vacancy and oxygen displacement. These defects have distinctively different effects on the water-silica interface depending on whether the adsorbent is a single water molecule, a cluster, or a thin film. The adsorption energies, bonding energies, and charge transfer or redistributions are analyzed, from which we find that the existence of a defect enhances the water molecule and cluster surface interaction by a large amount, but has little or even negative effect on water thin film-silica surface interaction. The origin of the weakening in film-surface systems is the collective hydrogen bonding that compromises the water-surface interaction in the process of optimizing the total energy. For clusters on surfaces, the lowest total energy states lower both the bonding energy and the adsorption energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a mixed-cultural metabolic network for anaerobic digestion that included the concept of a "universal bacterium" was constructed, and metabolic flux analysis (MFA) applying this network was conducted to evaluate the flow of electrons and materials during H 2 fermentation under various conditions. The MFA results from two H 2 fermenters feeding glucose with (GP) or without (GA) the addition of peptone suggest that hydraulic retention time (HRT) presents a significant impact on hydrogen production, and the reversed trends could be observed at HRTs below and above 4 h. From the MFA results of lactate/acetate-fed H 2 fermenter, the highest flux of H 2 production is associated with more significant acetate consumption and the following pathways toward the anaplerotic reactions cycle that produces NADH. The occurrence of acetogenesis in the H 2 fermenters using various types of bioethanol-fermented residues (BEFRs) was also identified according to the MFA results. By analyzing the MFA results of all 49 sets of data from H 2 fermenters via Pearson's correlation, it was revealed that the flux of H 2 production positively correlates to the reduction of ferredoxin with pyruvate oxidation, acetate formation, and acetate emission when lactate was produced in the system. On the contrary, negative relationships were found between the flux of H 2 production and these three fluxes. The extended application of MFA provides additional information, including the fluxes between intracellular metabolites, and the information has the potential to be used in decision-making systems during the future operation of anaerobic processes by connecting operational parameters. [Display omitted] • MFA for mixed culture H 2 fermentation were obtained and 49 scenarios were analyzed. • Peptone addition and HRT alters the distribution of metabolites during H 2 fermentation. • MFA results indicate that acetogenesis occurred in the H 2 fermenter feeding BEFRs. • Metabolites affect H 2 production oppositely when consuming or producing lactate. • MFA could be a promising tool to describe and optimize H 2 fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferroptosis, a newly discovered type of regulated cell death, has been implicated in numerous human diseases. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and ultimately fatal interstitial lung disease with poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Emerging evidence has linked ferroptosis and glutamate-determined cell fate which is considered a new light on the etiology of pulmonary fibrosis. Here, we observed that N -methyl d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) activation promoted cell damage and iron deposition in MLE-12 cells in a dose-, time-, and receptor-dependent manner. This mediated substantial Ca2+ influx, upregulated the expression levels of nNOS and IRP1, and affected intracellular iron homeostasis by regulating the expression of iron transport-related proteins (i.e., TFR1, DMT1, and FPN). Excessive iron load promoted the continuous accumulation of total intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, which ultimately led to ferroptosis. NMDAR inhibition reduced lung injury and pulmonary fibrosis in bleomycin-induced mice. Bleomycin stimulation upregulated the expression of NMDAR1, nNOS, and IRP1 in mouse lung tissues, which ultimately led to iron deposition via regulation of the expression of various iron metabolism-related genes. NMDAR activation initiated the pulmonary fibrosis process by inducing iron deposition in lung tissues and ferroptosis of alveolar type II cells. Our data suggest that NMDAR activation regulates the expression of iron metabolism-related genes by promoting calcium influx, increasing nNOS and IRP1 expression, and increasing iron deposition by affecting cellular iron homeostasis, ultimately leading to mitochondrial damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ferroptosis. NMDAR activation-induced ferroptosis of alveolar type II cells might be a key event to the initiation of pulmonary fibrosis. • NMDAR activation promoted iron deposition and mitochondrial dysfunction. • NMDAR activation is involved in the occurrence of iron metabolism disorders in the lungs and ferroptosis of ATII cells. • NMDAR activation promotes the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis via induced ATII cell ferroptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiO[sub 2]-water clusters are studied using first-principles Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics based on density functional theory and generalized gradient approximations. Systematic investigations of structure and energetics as functions of cluster size demonstrate the roles of water molecules in chemical reactions. The water-assisted formation of a Si(OH)[sub 4] molecule from a single SiO[sub 2] molecule is revealed at the atomic level. The dynamics of dissociation of water molecules and formation of Si-OH bonds is investigated via simulations at finite temperature. A complex process that involves double and triple hydrogen atom transfer is discovered to be the reaction path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the costs of drying aggregate, an efficient coal-fired aggregate pulverized coal burner was optimized. A transient numerical simulation of the internal flow field of pulverized coal burner was carried out by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to obtain the experimental data needed for structural optimization. Taking the straight length, radius, primary air inlet diameter, front cone angle, rear end cone angle, tertiary air inlet diameter, and secondary air inlet size as the optimization variables, and the production amount of CO was taken as the optimal target. The Box-Behnken Design response surface was established to optimize seven structural parameters through grouping. The results showed that the first structural parameter optimization demonstrated that the production amount of CO was decreased 34%, the second structural parameter optimization demonstrated that the production amount of CO was decreased by 58%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The timing and structure of Termination II (T-II) is still debatable as the number of high-quality records is insufficient. This study presents precisely dated stalagmite δ 18 O data between 133.4 ± 0.3 to 126.6 ± 0.3 ka BP (covering most of T-II) from north China, near the northern limit of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), an area sensitive to climate change. The onset of the last interglacial is constrained at 129.4 ± 0.3 ka BP, consistent with south Chinese speleothem records, further supporting the idea that Northern Hemisphere summer insolation plays an important role in initiating glacial terminations. An extended interval of heavy δ 18 O is observed immediately prior to this abrupt transition, named as the "Weak Monsoon Interval" (WMI) in south Chinese cave records, which was associated with the Heinrich Stadial 11 (H11) in the North Atlantic. A significant millennial-scale interstadial peaking at 132.7 ± 0.3 ka BP is identified preceding the weakest phase of the WMI. A synchronous counterpart is also found in some south Chinese speleothem and North Atlantic alkenone Mg/Ca SST records. It is inferred that the main H11 freshwater penetration possibly occurred after 131.5 ka BP, leaving some aspects of ocean and atmospheric circulation still in interstadial mode from 134 to 131.5 ka BP. Following the onset of the last interglacial, there was a millennial-scale "pause" in our δ 18 O record, synchronized with a "slowdown" in the rate of decrease in δ 18 O in south Chinese cave records. This is possibly a large regional climate oscillation, as it is also identified in some North Atlantic records, but one which is too weak to be a Younger Dryas (YD)-type event. In summary, compared to south Chinese cave records, significant millennial-scale climate oscillations before and after the synchronous onset of the last interglacial is the main feature of our record. Nevertheless, the sequence of these climate events remains very different from Termination I (T-I), which is possibly ascribed to the stronger insolation, higher atmosphere CO 2 , and the resultant faster and greater meltwater pulse to the North Atlantic during T-II than during T-I. Highlights • Termination II (T-II) in north China recorded by a precisely dated stalagmite. • The last interglacial onset was at around 129 ka BP in both north and south China. • Millennial-scale event of T-II in north China is more significant than south China. • Evolution of T-II is different from Termination-I shown by Chinese cave records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave oxygen isotope (δ18O) records have been important in characterizing Asian Monsoon variations on a wide range of timescales. The climatic significance of the δ18O proxy of the cave records and its main control factors, however, remain hotly debated, especially with respect to annual to decadal timescales. In particular, while the spatial and intensity variations of the Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) affects the East Asian Monsoon remarkably on annual to decadal timescales, cave records up to present do not show clear evidence of the WPSH signal. Here we report a new high-resolution (average of 1.5 months) δ18O record from Dongshiya Cave, Qinling Mountain, central China. The region is highly sensitive to variations in the position of the WPSH western boundary, which in turn regulates the alternation of dominant moisture sources between the proximal Pacific Ocean and the remote Indian Ocean. Together with another cave record near the WPSH western boundary, we established a new index to reconstruct variations of the WPSH western boundary over the past 200 years. Our new data revealed two significant periodicities, 12 and 2-7 years respectively, that can be causally linked to solar and ENSO variances correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Xiaotong Tiegao (XTT) is an ancient topical Tibetan medicine plaster which is widely used in China. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) caused by XTT is very common. It is still unclear why some people are more prone to develop ICD. The aim of this study is to study the baseline skin biophysical parameters and patch test results in individuals predisposing to XTT induced ICD. Methods. During a four-month period, 149 healthy volunteers with ICD and 50 volunteers without ICD after applying XTT were recruited. The skin biophysical parameters were measured, and contact allergy to 20 common allergens was patch tested, at two weeks after the ICD was recovered. Results. There were no significant differences in age and sex between ICD and control groups. It was found that skin median melanin value (176.50 vs 189.50, P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test) and erythema value (319.90 ± 70.49 vs 347.93 ± 84.55, P < 0.05, Independent-Samples T test) were much lower in ICD than control group. Overall patch test results were not different, but the positivity rate of nickel sulfate (15.44% vs 4.00%, P < 0.05, Fisher's exact test) was significantly higher in ICD group. Conclusions. In conclusion, people with nickel allergy, lower values of skin melanin, and erythema are predisposing to develop ICD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of polyurea via the addition of carbon dioxide (CO2) to a diamine of 4,7,10‐trioxa‐1,13‐tridecanediamine (TOTDDA) was investigated by using organic and inorganic base catalysts. It was found that 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) was the most active among the catalysts examined. The influence of CO2 pressure, temperature, and reaction time was examined for the DBU‐catalyzed polyurea synthesis. The reaction mixture was analyzed by in situ high‐pressure attenuated total reflectance Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) under reaction conditions, and possible reaction mechanisms, in which DBU can activate both CO2 and TOTDDA, were proposed. Physicochemical properties of polyurea materials synthesized were examined by several techniques. In addition, the catalytic performance of DBU was further examined for the addition of CO2 to other different diamine compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Phylogenetic classification of SOT genes in rosaceae fruit trees. • Characterizing expression patterns of 24 SOT genes in all the pear tissues. • PbSOT6/20 is associated with the accumulation of sorbitol in the pear fruit. Abstract Sorbitol is a primary substrate that is translocated from its source to its sink in pear and apple by sorbitol transporters (SOTs). However, little is known about the expression profiles of SOTs in tree tissues, and their association with sorbitol accumulation. In this study, 64 SOT genes were isolated from the sequenced genomes of six rosaceae trees, which clustered phylogenetically into four groups. Groups I and III contained genes from pome trees, group II those from drupe trees, and group IV those from pome, drupe, and berry trees. A gene duplication analyses showed that the 24 SOT genes of pear arose from tandem, proximal, and dispersed duplications, which differs from their evolution in the other rosaceae fruit trees. A qRT-PCR analysis showed that the PbSOT6/20 gene in group IV is most strongly expressed in the leaf, branch, flower, fruit, and seed of pear. The expression pattern of PbSOT6/20 correlates more strongly with the pattern of sorbitol accumulation in the pear fruits than do those of other SOT genes. A low concentration (100 mg/g) of exogenous sorbitol induced the expression of PbSOT6/20 in the pear fruits, but not in the leaves. These results suggest that PbSOT6/20 is associated with sorbitol accumulation in pear fruits and plays important role in sorbitol translocation from its source to its sink. This study provides new insights into sorbitol translocation mediated by the SOT genes in pear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compute-and-forward (CF) harnesses interference in wireless communications by exploiting structured coding. The key idea of CF is to compute integer combinations of code words from multiple source nodes, rather than to decode individual code words by treating others as noise. Compute-compress-and-forward (CCF) can further enhance the network performance by introducing compression operations at receivers. In this paper, we develop a more general compression framework, termed generalized CCF (GCCF), where the compression function involves the selection of message segments over finite fields. We show that GCCF achieves a broader compression rate region than CCF. We also compare our compression rate region with the fundamental Slepian–Wolf (SW) region. We show that GCCF is optimal in the sense of achieving the minimum total compression rate. We also establish the criteria under which GCCF achieves the SW region. In addition, we consider a two-hop relay network employing the GCCF scheme. We formulate a sum-rate maximization problem and develop an approximate algorithm to solve the problem. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance superiority of GCCF over CCF and other schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paired measurements of 14C/12C and 230Th ages from two Hulu Cave stalagmites complete a precise record of atmospheric 14C covering the full range of the 14C dating method (~54,000 years). Over the last glacial period, atmospheric 14C/12C ranges from values similar to modern values to values 1.70 times higher (42,000 to 39,000 years ago). The latter correspond to 14C ages 5200 years less than calibrated ages and correlate with the Laschamp geomagnetic excursion followed by Heinrich Stadial 4. Millennial-scale variations are largely attributable to Earth’s magnetic field changes and in part to climate-related changes in the oceanic carbon cycle. A progressive shift to lower 14C/12C values between 25,000 and 11,000 years ago is likely related, in part, to progressively increasing ocean ventilation rates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the EOF of reanalysis data being analyzed, a northern-southern dipole is found in the upper troposphere geopotential height field of over the Asian-Australian monsoon region in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere (NH), which is defined as Asian-Australian dipole (AAD) in this study. Its intensity index is defined as AADI. Correlation and synthetic analysis illustrate that AADI is closely related to the weather and climate of Asian-Australian region in boreal winter. The index can reflect the simultaneous anomalies of temperature and precipitation on interannual and decadal scales in the boreal winter of Asian-Australian region. The superposition of the decadal and interannual signals is significant for the relationship between the AADI and climate change. The index can be used as an indicator of intensity of the Asian-Australian monsoon. In the years of strong AADI, the East Asia major deep trough is stronger, the Subtropical High is weaker and the Alaska ridge and the westerly jet are stronger than those in normal years. Enhanced meridional circulation between high and low latitudes exists in the years of strong AADI. These relationships reflect the intrinsic link between the anomalies in the upper troposphere geopotential height and climate in the Asian-Australian region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumatic injections of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid are effective in skin rejuvenation, however, the associated biophysical parameters and appearance have not been evaluated. Objectives: To determine the changes in skin biophysical parameters after facial pneumatic injections of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid. Patients and methods: Twenty-eight healthy female volunteers received pneumatic injections of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid into the face for consecutive 5 weeks. Skin biophysical parameter assessment and clinical evaluation were performed using the CK Multi-Probe Adapter and Visia system. Five of the volunteers also underwent retroauricular skin biopsy before and after the last treatment. The skin tissues were all stained with Masson-trichrome, Verhoeff-van Gieson stain, and hematoxylin-eosin to evaluate the changes in collagen, elastic fibers, and the epidermis, before and after the last treatment. Results: Transepidermal water loss was significantly lower in week 4 (18.46 ± 4.70 g/h/m2) than at the baseline (22.03 ± 7.15 g/h/m2, p < 0.05). Skin texture was better in week 4 (599.29 ± 354.32) than at the baseline (668.43 ± 342.55, p < 0.05). Skin pores also improved significantly at week 4 (934.07 ± 458.78) compared to the baseline (1024.57 ± 415.31, p < 0.05). Skin wrinkles were improved at the 3-month follow-up (29.29 ± 11.11) compared to the baseline (35.83 ± 16.05, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pneumatic injections of non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid improved skin TEWL, texture, pores, and wrinkles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The compound 3,4‑dichlorophenyl‑propenoyl‑ sec.‑butylamine (3,4‑DCPB) is an antiepileptic drug. The purpose of the present research was to identify cytochrome P450 (CYP450) responsible for the metabolism of 3,4‑DCPB and evaluate the effects of 3,4‑DCPB on the activities of CYP450 enzymes. 3,4‑DCPB was incubated with rat liver microsomes (RLMs) plus six CYP450 enzyme-specific inhibitors, or six recombinant human CYP450 enzymes (rhCYP450s). The concentrations of 3,4‑DCPB and six CYP450 enzyme-activities probe drugs were detected by high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC). The results showed that the prototype of 3,4‑DCPB was metabolized by multiple CYP450 enzymes into three metabolites, and the predominant isoforms were CYP2D6 (metabolite M1), CYP1A2 (M2), CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 (M3), respectively., in the presence of β-NADPH (1 mM) in RLMs or rhCYP450s. Compared with the control (PB−), phenobarbital pre-treatment (PB+) significantly enhanced levels (all of p < 0.01) of hydroxylmethytobutamide (CYP2C9), 4‑hydroxy‑mephenytoin (CYP2C19), acetaminophen (CYP1A2), 6‑hydroxychlorzoxazone (CYP2E1) and oxidized nifedipine (CYP3A4), respectively, in spite of dextrophan (CYP2D6) was not markedly enhanced in RLMs. Conversely, the inhibitory ratios of 3,4‑DCPB (16 μg/mL, 59 μM) on the activities of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 were 97.6%, 59.0%, 53.5% and 36.5%, respectively. However, CYP2E1 (both of PB− and PB+) and CYP3A4 (PB+) were not inhibited by 3,4‑DCPB in RLMs. In conclusion, the present study showed that 3,4‑DCPB was metabolized by multiple CYP450 enzymes. 3,4‑DCPB inhibited the activities of CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP1A2 and CYP2D6, rather than that CYP2E1 and CYP3A4 enzymes, suggesting that the different effects of 3,4‑DCPB on the CYP450 enzymes might influence metabolic drug-drug interaction in antiepileptics therapy. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A pilot-scale single-stage anaerobic fluidized membrane bioreactor (AFMBR) was firstly used in this study to treat cold-rolling emulsion wastewater from steel industry. It was continuously operated for 302 days with influent COD concentration of 860–1120 mg/L. Under a hydraulic retention time of 1.5 d, the average effluent COD concentration of 72 mg/L achieved corresponding 90% of COD removal. The permeate flux was varied between 1.7 and 2.9 L/m 2 /h during operation which decreased with increased biomass concentration inside AFMBR. The trans -membrane pressure (TMP) was generally around 35–40 kPa, however, it increased up to 60 kPa when volatile suspended solid increased to above 2.5 g/L. Both flux and TMP data reveal the importance of biomass control for AFMBR operation. Results from terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) show the genus Methanosaeta was dominant on GAC and it shared dominance with the genera Methanomethylovorans and Methanosarcina in suspended sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-incompatibility is a genetic mechanism in flowering plants that promotes outcrossing and prevents inbreeding. In this study, the reported 15 S-RNase alleles were isolated from 18 pear accessions that contained 14 different S -genotypes. The S-RNase alleles were only expressed in the style, not in the root, stem, leaf, fruit, sepal, and pollen. Pollen tube grew into self-styles and self-pollinated fruit set involved the breakdown of self-incompatibility in cv. Xinxue. However, the two S-RNase alleles in cv. Xinxue had identical amino acid sequences to those self-incompatible cultivars, and S 5 - and S 6 -RNase were normally expressed in style, indicating that the loss of self-incompatibility in cv. Xinxue likely resulted from pollen-part mutation. Further, S 5 S 5 and S 6 S 6 genotyped individuals were identified in self-pollinated progeny, indicating that S 5 and S 6 genotyped pollen were compatible with the self-styles of cv. Xinxue. A genetic analysis showed that the segregation ratio of S 5 S 5 , S 5 S 6 , and S 6 S 6 was approximately 0:2:1 (χ 2  = 3.505 < χ 2 0.05, 2  = 5.99), which did not fit the theoretical ratio of 1:2:1 (χ 2  = 13.340 > χ 2 0.05, 2  = 5.99), suggesting that the breakdown of self-incompatibility could be caused by modified factor(s) located outside of the S -locus. These results are useful for parental assignment and understanding self-incompatibility reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]