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Conger myriaster has a high price on the international market and occupies an important position in aquatic product export in China, and it is widely distributed in the Yellow Sea, the Bohai Sea, the East China Sea, the coastal waters of Japan from southern Hokkaido to northern Okinawa, and the sea near the Korean Peninsula. The experimental aquaculture techniques of C. myriaster include pond culture, industrialized open-flowing water culture, and industrialized recirculating aquaculture. No report has been published on the morphological characteristics or the effects of various morphological traits on the body weight and net body weight of C. myriaster in an industrialized open-flowing water culture. In this study, C. myriaster was collected under this industrialized culture mode and assessed using traditional measurement methods, statistical analysis, and other means to systematically measure and analyze morphological traits. A total of 90 C. myriaster were collected equally from three aquaculture companies along the coast of the Yellow Sea. The body weight (BW), net body weight (NW), total length (TL), body length (BL), body height (BH), soma width (SW), head length (HL), head height (HH), head width (HW), proboscis length (PL), proboscis width (PW), eye diameter (ED), vertical eye diameter (VED), and distance between eyes (DE) were measured individually using an electronic balance, a ruler, and a Vernier caliper. We analyzed the relationships between morphological traits and constructed a truss network diagram of morphological traits. The effects of the morphological traits on BW and NW were studied by correlation analysis, path analysis, multiple regression analysis, and curve fitting. The correlation analysis showed that the correlations of BW with TL, BL, BH, SW, HH, and HW were extremely significant (P < 0.01), with correlation coefficient values of 0.818, 0.829, 0.611, 0.697, 0.667, and 0.642, respectively. The correlations of NW with TL, BL, BH, SW, HH, HW, and VED were extremely significant (P < 0.01), with correlation coefficients of 0.848, 0.857, 0.574, 0.591, 0.617, 0.564, and 0.519, respectively. Path analysis revealed that the path coefficients between BW and three morphological traits (namely BL, BH, and SW) were larger than those for other morphological traits, at 0.631, 0.204, and 0.374, respectively. The path coefficients between NW and these three morphological traits (BL, BH, and SW) were larger than those for other morphological traits, at 0.703, 0.213, and 0.239, respectively. Through determination coefficient analysis, it was observed that the determination coefficient for BL to BW was the largest, with a value of 0.398. The combination of SW and BL had the largest determination coefficient for BW, with a value of 0.162. This indicated that BL was a core morphological trait to determine the BW, and the SW was an important morphological trait to determine the BW. The determination coefficient of BL to NW was the largest at 0.494. The combination of SW and TL had the largest coefficient of determination for NW, with a value of 0.116. This showed that the BL was the core morphological trait to determine the NW, and SW was an important morphological trait to determine the NW. A stepwise regression method was used to establish a regression equation in which the three morphological traits were independent variables and the BW or NW was the dependent variable. The multiple regression equation of the important morphological traits for BW was BW = –642.699 + 1.086 × BL + 3.874 × BH + 7.917 × SW (P < 0.01). The multiple regression equation of the important morphological traits for NW was NW = -526.995 + 1.033 × BL + 3.438 × BH + 4.317 × SW (P < 0.01). Further curve fitting was performed for each morphological trait with BW and NW in the equation. The best fitting models of BL, BH, and SW for BW were the logarithmic function, logarithmic function, and power function, respectively, and the model equations were BW = -3, 542.357 + 608.061lnBL (R2 = 0.929), BW = 14.313BH0.941 (R2 = 0.908), and BW = -1, 028.49 + 416.452lnSW (R2 = 0.920), respectively. The best-fitting models of BL, BH, and SW for NW were the logarithmic, linear, and logarithmic functions, respectively. The model equations were NW = -2, 983.881 + 516.411lnBL (R2 = 0.930), NW = -22.252 + 11.392BH (R2 = 0.914), and NW = -774.583 + 329.017lnSW (R2 = 0.921), respectively. In summary, BL was the core morphological trait affecting the BW and NW of C. myriaster in an industrialized culture model. BH and SW were important morphological traits affecting the BW and NW of C. myriaster in the industrialized culture model. These results provide a theoretical basis for the future identification of germplasm characteristics, genetic breeding, and healthy aquaculture of C. myriaster.

In present study, the effect of Zn addition on the age-hardening response and precipitation behaviour for Al–8Si-0.6Mg-0.1Cu alloys is investigated. The results indicate that the incorporation of Zn accelerates the age-hardening of the Al–8Si-0.6Mg-0.1Cu alloys. With growing Zn content, the number density of β'' phase tends to enlarge, and the average length and average diameter keep decreasing, which lead to a prominent improvement in strength of the alloys. The addition of Zn not only refines the α-Al grains and the GBPs, but increases the inter-particle spacing of the GBPs, which has a beneficial effect on the elongation of the alloy. Compared to the 0Zn alloy, the elongation of the 0.9Zn alloy and the 3.6Zn alloy is increased by 57% and 31%, respectively. For the sample of 3.6Zn under the peak aging state at 180 °C, the precipitation behaviour is changed, which appear the Mg–Zn precipitates. However, for the sample of 0Zn and 0.9Zn, the precipitates consist of β'' phase and trace Q′ phase, the Mg–Zn precipitation phase is not found in the microstructure. Finally, a precipitation schematic is proposed based on the precipitation behaviour of the three alloys, which reveal the evolution of the microstructure of the Al–8Si-0.6Mg-0.1Cu-XZn (X=0, 0.9, 3.6) alloy.

Abstract Pollen coat proteins (PCPs) are cysteine-rich small-molecule proteins, which exhibit high levels of polymorphism and are expressed in gametocytes. Previous investigations have revealed that PCP genes are involved in pollen wall synthesis, pollen-stigma recognition, and pollen development and germination. However, gene expression and function of PCP family in pollen development is not well understood in Wucai (Brassica campestris L.). In this study, genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the BcPCP gene family members were conducted, including their physical and chemical properties, chromosome localization, phylogenetic relationships, gene structure, and tertiary structure. A total of 20 BcPCP genes were identified and classified into three subfamilies showing high homology to Arabidopsis thaliana. Expression pattern analysis indicated that the BcPCP gene family exhibits higher expression levels in reproductive organs, suggesting their potential involvement in the reproductive development. Notably, BraA02g002400.3 C, potentially associated with male sterility, was identified through multiple transcriptomic and proteomic datasets. Subsequently, sequence analysis revealed its homology with the Arabidopsis GRP20 gene, and thus it was named BcGRP20. Functional analysis of this gene showed that overexpression of BcGRP20 gene in the Arabidopsis grp20 mutant could restore anther fertility. Overall, our findings indicate that BcGRP20 plays a critical role in pollen development and may be the causative gene for male sterility in Wucai. This study provides candidate genes for further functional identification of BcPCP genes in Wucai, which are crucial for anther development.

The capacity and cycling performance of cathodes are key factors in aqueous zinc batteries (AZBs). The search for cathode materials with long cycle lives and high specific capacities is of paramount importance. In this study, a bimetallic telluride with a hollow polyhedral structure was synthesized using a hydrothermal method followed by vapor deposition. This composite exhibits high conductivity, facilitates rapid diffusion of electrolyte ions into the interior, and accelerates redox reactions, thereby enhancing electrochemical performance. The CoTe2-NiTe2 electrode demonstrates an impressive specific capacity of 188.8 mAh/g at 1 A/g, highlighting its efficiency in storing a significant amount of charge per unit mass during electrochemical reactions. The assembled CoTe2-NiTe2//Zn battery shows favorable capacity retention (76.4%) after 10000 cycles. The energy density is remarkably high, reaching 290.3 Wh/kg, while maintaining a power density of 1.75 kW/kg. This bimetallic telluride strategy holds great promise as an alternative cathode for AZBs.

Abstract Background Microplastics, widely present in the environment, are implicated in disease pathogenesis through oxidative stress and immune modulation. Prevailing research, primarily based on animal and cell studies, falls short in elucidating microplastics' impact on human cardiovascular health. This cross-sectional study detected blood microplastic concentrations in patients presenting with chest pain using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and evaluating inflammatory and immune markers through flow cytometry, to explore the potential effects of microplastic on acute coronary syndrome. Results The study included 101 participants, comprising 19 controls and 82 acute coronary syndrome cases. Notably, acute coronary syndrome patients exhibited elevated microplastic concentrations, with those suffering from acute myocardial infarction presenting higher loads compared to those with unstable angina. Furthermore, patients at intermediate to high risk of coronary artery disease displayed significantly higher microplastic accumulations than their low-risk counterparts. A significant relationship was observed between increased microplastic levels and enhanced IL-6 and IL-12p70 contents, alongside elevated B lymphocyte and natural killer cell counts. Conclusion These results suggest an association between microplastics and both vascular pathology complexity and immunoinflammatory response in acute coronary syndrome, underscoring the critical need for targeted research to delineate the mechanisms of this association. Highlights 1 Blood microplastic levels escalate from angiographic patency, to angina patients, peaking in myocardial infarction patients. 2 Microplastics in acute coronary syndrome patients are predominantly PE, followed by PVC, PS, and PP. 3 Microplastics may induce immune cell-associated inflammatory responses in acute coronary syndrome patients. Graphical abstract

The whitespotted conger (Conger myriaster) is an important fish species with high economic value in China and Japan owing to its high nutritional content. It occupies an important position in marine-eel export in China. C. myriaster has the potential to be artificially cultured and has promising economic prospects. Thus, there is growing international interest in C. myriaster research. Indeed, to meet the demands of domestic and foreign markets, artificial culturing of C. myriaster is urgently required. However, at present, there is no report on the research of C. myriaster reared in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems. Feeding frequency has been reported to affect feed intake and growth performance in a number of fish species. Feed management in terms of optimization of feeding frequency has emerged as one of the crucial areas of research in the field of aquaculture. Overfeeding and leftover food disrupts the water quality, while inadequate food supply has direct impact on production cost. Traditional flow through systems uses large volumes of water, and intensified aquaculture has drawbacks, such as large amount of discharged waste from effluent water. Among the excreted nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus constitute the largest proportion. Sustainability with low environmental impacts is one of the concerns when developing aquaculture systems. Based on the concepts of reduced water consumption and efficient water management, recirculating aquaculture systems offer the possibility of creating a sustainable future for fish production. Thus, a 70-day experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different feeding frequencies and water quality on the growth performance and physiological and biochemical indices of C. myriaster [body weight: (150.64±5.43) g] reared in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems; physiological and ecological methods were used in this study. The experiment comprised two feeding frequency groups, feeding once (group T1) and twice (group T2) per day, and each treatment group had three replicates. The average body weight of the fish in each culture pond and the water quality indices of the culture system were measured and analyzed every 14 d. At the end of the experiment, the blood, liver, and intestine samples of C. myriaster were collected to determine and analyze growth and physiological indices. The results indicated that (1) the growth performance of group T2 was better than that of group T1. The final body weight, final body length, weight gain, and specific growth rate of group T2 was significantly higher than those of group T1 (P < 0.05). The feed coefficient of group T1 was significantly higher than that of group T2 (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in the final body height, liver body ratio, visceral body ratio, condition factor, or survival rate at different feeding frequencies (P > 0.05). (2) The serum malondialdehyde of group T1 was significantly higher than that of group T2 (P < 0.05). The hepatic alanine aminotransferase and hepatic aspartate transaminase of group T1 was significantly higher than those of group T2 (P < 0.05). The intestinal trypsin of group T2 was significantly higher than that of group T1 (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the levels of serum superoxide dismutase, serum catalase, intestinal amylase, or intestinal lipase between groups T1 and T2 (P > 0.05). (3) In the 24 h changes of ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N) and nitrite nitrogen (NO2–-N), the change patterns of the two indices in outlet of the T1 group were similar to those of the outlet of the bio-filter; the two indices of the outlet water in T1 and T2 groups were one (24:00) and two peaks (20:00 and 08:00) respectively; the difference in NH4+-N in the outlet water of the two test groups within 24 h was significant (P < 0.05); at 04:00 and 08:00, the NO2–-N content of the outlet water of the biofilter was significantly lower than that of the other two test groups (P < 0.05); the 24 h changes range of NH4+-N and NO2–-N in T2 group were smaller than those in T1 group. (4) During the whole test period, each water quality index was maintained within the safe breeding range, and no significant differences were found in NH4+-N, NO2–-N, chemical oxygen demand, and active phosphate concentration between T1 and T2 groups (P > 0.05); at the end of the test, the total nitrogen and total phosphorus of T2 group were significantly higher than those of T1 group (P < 0.05); the biofilter has different treatment effects on various water quality indices, among which the treatment effect on NH4+-N is the most efficient, up to 54.23%. Based on the above results, the feeding frequency of twice per day was better than that of once per day in the industrial recirculating aquaculture mode for C. myriaster (body weight: 150~250 g). Without affecting the survival rate and condition factor, the twice per day group can save costs and improve economic benefits. However, due to the limitations of the test conditions, we did not explore more times of feeding, and further tests are needed in the future. The predominance, which was the high efficiency of water qualities treatment and optimal effect of culture, was demonstrated obviously in closed recirculating aquaculture systems. This study aims to provide a theoretical reference for the appropriate feeding strategy in the industrial recirculating aquaculture model of C. myriaster.

Permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) speed control systems with conventional linear active disturbance rejection control (CLADRC) strategy encounter issues regarding the coupling between dynamic response and disturbance suppression and have poor performance in suppressing complex nonlinear disturbances. In order to address these issues, this paper proposes an improved two-degree-of-freedom LADRC (TDOF-LADRC) strategy, which can enhance the disturbance rejection performance of the system while decoupling entirely the system's dynamic and anti-disturbance performance to boost the system robustness and simplify controller parameter tuning. PMSM models that consider total disturbances are developed to design the TDOF-LADRC speed controller accurately. Moreover, to evaluate the control performance of the TDOF-LADRC strategy, its stability is proven, and the influence of each controller parameter on the system control performance is analyzed. Based on it, a comparison is made between the disturbance observation ability and anti-disturbance performance of TDOF-LADRC and CLADRC to prove the superiority of TDOF-LADRC in rejecting disturbances. Finally, experiments are performed on a 750 W PMSM experimental platform, and the results demonstrate that the proposed TDOF-LADRC exhibits the properties of two degrees of freedom and improves the disturbance rejection performance of the PMSM system.

Due to the relatively low operational reliability of the MMC valve, it is necessary to establish corresponding test methods to examine the tolerance of the valve to electrical and thermal stresses under engineering requirements through operational tests, to verify its operational reliability. To meet the operational testing requirements for higher voltage and larger current converter valves, an appropriate test topology is required. The paper first analyzes the voltage and current stress characteristics of capacitor components and MMC converter valves in ±800 kV/8 GW Flexible DC transmission system, providing a theoretical basis for the stress of operational testing valve, requiring that to be equivalent to actual operating conditions. Addressing the operational testing demands for high voltage and large current converter valves in the ±800 kV/8 GW flexible DC transmission MMC, a test topology is proposed. This topology can meet the operating conditions of higher voltage and larger current and simultaneously conduct tests on valve segments and modules, significantly improving operational testing efficiency and reducing testing costs. Additionally, a control method applicable to this test topology is proposed, enabling flexible adjustment of DC and AC in the test circuit, thereby enhancing the equivalency of operational tests. In this paper, the proposed topology and control method have enhanced testing efficiency, reduced testing costs, improved testing equivalence, and enhanced the precision of current and capacitor voltage control. Finally, simulations and experiments are constructed to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed operational test topology and its control method through simulations and experiments.

Reinforcement learning (RL) has been shown to be effective in path planning. However, it usually requires exploring a sufficient number of state–action pairs, some of which may be unsafe when deployed in practical obstacle environments. To this end, this paper proposes an end-to-end planning method based model-free RL framework with optimization, which can achieve better learning performance with a safety guarantee. Firstly, for second-order drone systems, a differentiable high-order control barrier function (HOCBF) is introduced to ensure the output of the planning algorithm falls in a safe range. Then, a safety layer based on the HOCBF is proposed, which projects RL actions into a feasible solution set to guarantee safe exploration. Finally, we conducted a simulation for drone obstacle avoidance and validated the proposed method in the simulation environment. The experimental results demonstrate a significant enhancement over the baseline approach. Specifically, the proposed method achieved a substantial reduction in the average cumulative number of collisions per drone during training compared to the baseline. Additionally, in the testing phase, the proposed method realized a 43% improvement in the task success rate relative to the MADDPG.

Polyploid plants often exhibit superior yield, stress resistance, and quality. In this study, homologous tetraploid wucai (Brassica campestris L.) was successfully obtained by spraying seedling growth points with colchicine. The morphological, cytological, and physiological characteristics of diploid and tetraploid wucai were analyzed, and transcriptomic sequencing was performed at three stages of development. Tetraploid seedings grew slowly but exhibited darker leaves, enlarged organs and cells, increased stomatal volume, decreased stomatal density, improved nutritional content, and enhanced photosynthesis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in diploid and tetraploid plants at three stages of development were enriched in different pathways. Notably, DEGs identified in the tetraploid plants were specifically enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism. In addition, we found that the light green module was most relevant to ploidy, and DEGs in this module were significantly enriched in the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and TCA cycle pathways. The differential expression of key glycolysis-associated genes at different developmental stages may be the driver of the observed differences between diploid and tetraploid wucai. This study lays a technical foundation for the development of polyploid wucai germplasm resources as well as the breeding of new varieties with improved quality, yield, and stress resistance. It also provides a good empirical reference for the genetic breeding of closely related Brassica species.

Effects of 3 wt% RE (rare earth) addition on microstructures and mechanical properties of a high-pressure die casting Mg–8Zn–6Al (ZA86) alloy before and after aging treatment was thoroughly studied in this work. Microstructural characterizations present that RE addition has indiscernible influence on the well-defined dendrite structure and grain size, but would additionally introduce Al-RE intermetallic phases, which were identified as Al3RE and Al11RE. Simultaneously, two groups of Mg–Al–Zn ternary phases were detected in alloys with/without RE addition, while their volume fraction was clearly reduced by RE addition. After aging at 90 °C for 320 h, a large density of precipitates were observed particularly near grain/cell boundaries, and were identified as MgZn2, Mg4Zn7, and I-phase. Although RE addition seems to have no influence on the components of precipitates, it obviously improves their volume fraction and slightly increases their size. Finally, the yield strength of the ZA86 alloy after aging was improved by ∼33 MPa by RE addition. Therefore, the die cat ZA86 alloy exhibits high-strength and certain precipitation strengthening ability, and RE addition can significantly enhance the precipitation strengthening, accomplishing the highest yield strength in the reported HPDC magnesium alloys, being ∼267 MPa.

Abstract Flexible aqueous zinc batteries (FAZBs) with high safety and environmental friendliness are promising smart power sources for smart wearable electronics. However, the bare zinc anode usually suffers from damnable dendrite growth and rampant side reaction on the surface, greatly impeding practical applications in FAZBs. Herein, a composite polymer interface layer is artificially self‐assembled on the surface of the zinc anode by graft‐modified fluorinated monomer (polyacrylic acid‐2‐(Trifluoromethyl)propenoic acid, PAA‐TFPA), on which an organic–inorganic hybrid (PAA‐Zn/ZnF2) solid electrolyte interface (SEI) with excellent ionic conductivity is formed by interacting with Zn2+. Both the pouch cell and fiber zinc anode exhibit excellent plating/stripping reversibility after protecting by this organic–inorganic SEI, which can be stably cycled more than 3000 h in symmetric Zn||Zn cells or 550 h in fiber Zn||Zn cells. Additionally, this interface layer preserves zinc anode with excellent mechanical durability under various mechanical deformation (stably working for another 1200 h after bending 100 h). The corresponding PAA‐Zn/ZnF2@Zn||MnO2 full cell displays an ultra‐long life span (79% capacity retention after 3000 cycles) and mechanical robustness (85% of the initial capacity for another 3000 cycles after bending 100 times). More importantly, the as‐assembled cells can easily power smart wearable devices to monitor the user's health condition.

Abstract Background Microspore embryogenesis is an extraordinarily complicated process, comprehensively regulated by a composite network of physiological and molecular factors, among which hormone is one of the most crucial factors. Auxin is required for stress-induced microspore reprogramming, however, the mechanism of its regulation of microspore embryogenesis is still unclear. Results In this study, we found exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA on the buds of Wucai significantly increased the rate of microspore embryogenesis, and moreover accelerated the process of embryogenesis. Physiological and biochemical tests showed that the contents of amino acids, soluble total sugar, soluble protein, and starch were significantly increased after IAA treatment. Furthermore, exogenously spraying 100 mg·L− 1 IAA significantly enhanced IAA, GA4, and GA9 content, increased catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and reduced abscisic acid (ABA), MDA and soluble protopectin content, H2O2 and O2· − production rate in the bud with the largest population of late-uninucleate-stage microspores. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on buds respectively treated with 100 mg·L− 1 IAA and fresh water. A total of 2004 DEGs were identified, of which 79 were involved in micropores development, embryonic development and cell wall formation and modification, most of which were upregulated. KEGG and GO analysis revealed that 9.52% of DEGs were enriched in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction pathways, pentose and glucuronic acid exchange pathways, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Conclusions These findings indicated that exogenous IAA altered the contents of endogenous hormone content, total soluble sugar, amino acid, starch, soluble protein, MDA and protopectin, the activities of CAT and peroxidase (POD), and the production rate of H2O2 and O2· − . Combined with transcriptome analysis, it was found that most genes related to gibberellin (GA) and Auxin (IAA) synthesis and signal transduction, pectin methylase (PME) and polygalacturonase (PGs) genes and genes related to ATP synthesis and electron transport chain were upregulated, and genes related to ABA synthesis and signal transduction were downregulated. These results indicated that exogenous IAA treatment could change the balance of endogenous hormones, accelerate cell wall degradation, promote ATP synthesis and nutrient accumulation, inhibit ROS accumulation, which ultimately promote microspore embryogenesis.

In the context of the continuous development of Internet technology and international logistics, the impact of cross-border e-commerce is expanding. Cross-border e-commerce transactions are characterized by a wide variety of products, low prices, and short procurement times. As a result, consumers are increasingly intention to shop on cross-border e-commerce platforms. The number of consumers placing orders is also increasing. Simultaneously, consumer perception, trust and attitude play crucial roles in influencing consumers' shopping behavior on cross-border e-commerce platforms. This study employs structural equation and intermediary effect analysis to explore the mechanism through which various factors influence consumers' purchase intention. The authors examine the relationship between five components: consumer perception, trust, attitude, and purchase intention. The findings reveal the following: (1) The improvement of consumers' perceived value and subjective display intention positively influences their purchase intention. Conversely, a decrease in these factors hampers consumers' intention to buy. (2) When the level of shopping risk increases, consumers' purchase intention tends to decrease. Conversely, when the risk of shopping is reduced, consumers' intention to buy shows an increase. (3) Consumer trust and attitude play a significant mediating role in the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables. This study lays an important theoretical foundation for future research in this field. It expands the application scenarios of related research methods. Additionally, the conclusions of this study provide valuable references for managers of cross-border e-commerce enterprises in making informed management decisions.

Abstract A large number of data suggest that caloric restriction (CR) has a protective effect on myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (I/R) in the elderly. However, the mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we created the I/R model in vivo by ligating the mice left coronary artery for 45 min followed by reperfusion. C57BL/6J wild-type mice were randomly divided into a young group fed ad libitum (y-AL), aged fed ad libitum (a-AL) and aged calorie restriction group (a-CR, 70% diet restriction), and fed for 6 weeks. The area of myocardial infarction was measured by Evan’s blue-TTC staining, plasma cholesterol content quantified by ELISA, fatty acids and glucose measured by Langendorff working system, as well as protein expression of AMPK/SIRT1/PGC1a signaling pathway related factors in myocardial tissue detected by immunoblotting. Our results showed that CR significantly reduced infarct size in elderly mice after I/R injury, promoted glycolysis regardless of I/R injury, and restored myocardial glucose uptake in elderly mice. Compared with a-AL group, CR significantly promoted the expression of p-AMPK, SIRT1, p-PGC1a, and SOD2, but decreased PPARγ expression in aged mice. In conclusion, our results suggest that CR protects elderly mice from I/R injury by altering myocardial substrate energy metabolism via the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC1a pathway.

Introduction In the Chinese healthcare system, where there is overcrowding in hospitals, especially in tertiary care centres, adoption of same-day discharge (SDD) post-percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) could potentially lead to significant savings of healthcare resources and costs. This study is a non-inferiority trial examining whether post-PCI SDD is feasible in China. The primary hypothesis is that patient outcomes in post-urgent PCI SDD patients are non-inferior to regular discharge patients.Methods and analysis Post-Urgent PCI Same-DaY is an investigator-initiated multicentre randomised unblinded clinical non-inferiority trial, with 1:1 centralised randomisation to the SDD or usual care (UC) group. Based on sample size calculations, 1296 patients from at least three hospitals, with mild to moderate myocardial infarction, will be included, and acute coronary syndrome patients will be excluded. All patients will receive UC while patients assigned to the SDD group will be discharged on the same day or within 12 hours post-PCI. The primary outcome is major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events 30 days after discharge. The secondary outcomes are all-cause mortality, bleeding and access site complications. The outcome rates will be compared between groups with the absolute risk difference with a 95% CI.Ethics and dissemination The study protocol V.2.0 has been approved on 21 January 2022 by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University (approval number: 2021 KLSD No. 23). The outcomes of this study will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed journal and presented at international conferences.Trial registration number ChiCTR 2200057065; China Clinical Trial Registration.

High temperatures have adverse effects on the yield and quality of vegetables. Bok choy, a popular vegetable, shows varying resistance to heat. However, the mechanism underlying the thermotolerance of bok choy remains unclear. In this study, 26 bok choy varieties were identified in screening as being heat-resistant at the seedling stage; at 43 °C, it was possible to observe obvious heat damage in different bok choy varieties. The physiological and biochemical reactions of a heat-tolerant cultivar, Jinmei (J7), and a heat-sensitive cultivar, Sanyueman (S16), were analyzed in terms of the growth index, peroxide, and photosynthetic parameters. The results show that Jinmei has lower relative conductivity, lower peroxide content, and higher total antioxidant capacity after heat stress. We performed transcriptome analysis of the two bok choy varieties under heat stress and normal temperatures. Under heat stress, some key genes involved in sulfur metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the ribosome pathway were found to be significantly upregulated in the heat-tolerant cultivar. The key genes of each pathway were screened according to their fold-change values. In terms of sulfur metabolism, genes related to protease activity were significantly upregulated. Glutathione synthetase (GSH2) in the glutathione metabolism pathway and the L3e, L23, and S19 genes in the ribosomal pathway were significantly upregulated in heat-stressed cultivars. These results suggest that the total antioxidant capacity and heat injury repair capacity are higher in Jinmei than in the heat-sensitive variety, which might be related to the specific upregulation of genes in certain metabolic pathways after heat stress.

Multiple-thermal-fluid (MTF) stimulation technology has been successfully applied in heavy-oil reservoir development, resulting in the significant enhancement of oil production. However, the underlying mechanism of multi-component coupling remains unclear. This paper constructs a coupling model for MTF stimulation, investigates the coupling mechanism of different media in various zones during multiple-cycle stimulation operations, and compares the implementation effect with field results. The findings reveal that (1) based on media distribution, the area from near-wellbore to far well locations can be divided into four zones: high-temperature oil-viscosity-reduction zones, compound action zones, energy-replenishment zones, and unaffected zones. (2) In the high-temperature oil-viscosity-reduction zone, the latent heat of vaporization is released by steam, and ultra-heavy oil absorbs heat and reduces its viscosity, which plays a dominant role in the production of MTF. In the compound action zone, hot water, CO2, and N2 exhibit a synergistic effect which enhances overall performance. In the energy-replenishment zone, a small amount of N2 provides pressure maintenance and an additional energy supply. (3) As more cycles of stimulation are conducted, the compound action zone expands, while the energy-replenishment zone contracts. Simultaneously, there is a decrease in contribution rate from the high-temperature viscosity-reduction zone to oil production but an increase from both the compound action zone and energy-replenishment zone up to 30%. Based on the dynamic law of representative wells, this paper proposes a multi-media zonal coupling mechanism, providing a reference for subsequent research on MTF stimulation mechanisms and the adjustment of production measures.

Abstract Dehydration responsive element binding protein (DREB) is a significant transcription factor class known to be implicated in abiotic stresses. In this study, we systematically conducted a genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the DREB gene family, including gene structures, evolutionary relationships, chromosome distribution, conserved domains, and expression patterns. A total of 65 DREB family gene members were identified in Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L.) and were classified into five subgroups based on phylogenetic analysis. Through analysis of the conserved domains of BrDREB family genes, only one exon existed in the gene structure. Through the analysis of cis-acting elements, these genes were mainly involved in hormone regulation and adversity stress. In order to identify the function of BrDREB2B, overexpressed transgenic Arabidopsis was constructed. After different stress treatments, the germination rate, root growth, survival rate, and various plant physiological indicators were measured. The results showed that transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing BrDREB2B exhibited enhanced tolerance to salt, heat and drought stresses. Taken together, our results are the first to report the BrDREB2B gene response to drought and heat stresses in Chinese cabbage and provide a basis for further studies to determine the function of BrDREBs in response to abiotic stresses.

Abstract Background Takeda G protein receptor 5 (TGR5) is widely recognized as a potential drug target for the treatment of metabolic diseases. TGR5 is not only a metabolic regulator, but also has a potential role that participating in developing and progressing of gastrointestinal cancer. We aimed to investigate the potential role of TGR5 in pancreatic cancer by utilizing molecular experiments and the liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) based metabolomics. Methods Herein, we assessed pancreatic cancer proliferation, migration and invasion in response to TGR5 antagonist SBI-115 in vitro experiments. Cell death was examined by using TUNEL assay on agarose-embedded sections. Then we investigated the effects of TGR5 on PANC-1 and BXPC3 cells via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Moreover, LC–MS-based metabolomics was performed to explore the potential underlying mechanisms of TGR5 in pancreatic cancer. The correlations between TGR5 and the metabolism-related genes were further analysed by GEPIA 2 database. Results We found the proliferation capacities were decreased significantly in PANC-1 and BXPC3 cells after the treatment of SBI-115 for 48 h. The results of TUNEL assay showed that antagonism of TGR5 by SBI-115 had a remarkable effect on inducing cell death. Analysis of TEM demonstrated that SBI-115 treatment could impair the morphology of mitochondria in most PANC-1 and BXPC3 cells. The LC–MS-based analyses revealed that antagonism of TGR5 could alter the metabolic profiles of PANC-1 cells in vitro. Moreover, TGR5 was associated with some metabolism-related genes in pancreatic cancer. Conclusion Our data suggests that antagonism of TGR5 may suppress cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. TGR5 may affect the metabolism of pancreatic cancer, and TGR5 would be an attractive target for pancreatic cancer treatment.

In this paper, we study the friction and wear properties of gray cast iron with different carbon contents at various ambient temperatures. We also examine the failure forms of gray cast iron friction and wear. The research concludes that under low-temperature wear conditions, the graphite in the gray cast iron structure can enter into the interface between the friction pair, have a lubricating effect on the wear surface, and reduce the friction coefficient and wear loss of the gray cast iron material. As the graphite content in the gray cast iron structure increases, its lubrication and protection effects enhance. Consequently, the primary cause of wear failure in gray cast iron is fatigue peeling induced by plastic deformation. Under high-temperature wear conditions, an oxide layer gradually forms on the wear surface. As the experimental temperature increases, the thickness of the oxide layer on the wear surface also increases. When the oxide layer formed on the wear surface reaches a certain level of thickness, the internal expansion stress of the oxide layer increases considerably, causing the oxide layer to peel off and increase the roughness of the wear surface, friction coefficient, and wear loss. Additionally, an increase in the graphite content in the gray cast iron structure makes the surface more prone to oxidation. This leads to increased friction coefficient and wear loss, with the wear failure of gray cast iron primarily caused by the peeling of the oxidation layer.

In order to make the identification and utilization of nutritional quality components in Chinese cabbage more predictive, to obtain ideal raw materials, and to help screen functional Chinese cabbage varieties that have high nutritional value, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional quality of different Chinese cabbage varieties. In this study, 17 nutritional quality indexes of 35 Chinese cabbage varieties, including crude fiber (CF), crude protein (CP), vitamin C (VC), glucose (Glc), fructose (Fru), malic acid (MA), citric acid (CA), oxalic acid (OA), total amino acid (TAA) and CA, K, Mg, P, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, were analyzed using diversity analysis, correlation analysis, principal component analysis, membership function analysis and cluster analysis. The results showed that there were different degrees of variation in the 17 nutritional quality indexes, and the coefficients of variation ranged from 11.45% to 91.47%. The correlation analysis found that there were significant or extremely significant correlations between different nutrient elements of Chinese cabbage, which indicated that principal component analysis could be carried out, and the comprehensive score (D value) of different materials could be obtained using principal component analysis and the membership function method. The nutritional quality of Chinese cabbage was classified into five grades by cluster analysis. Finally, a mathematical model for evaluating the nutritional quality of Chinese cabbage was established using the D value and multiple stepwise regression methods, and 10 key indexes were selected from the 17 indexes, which could be used for the rapid identification of the nutritional quality of Chinese cabbage. This study provided a theoretical basis for the nutritional quality evaluation and variety breeding of Chinese cabbage.

Abstract Background Wucai suffers from low temperature during the growth period, resulting in a decline in yield and poor quality. But the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in wucai are still unclear. Results According to the phenotypes and physiological indexes, we screened out the cold-tolerant genotype “W18” (named CT) and cold-sensitive genotype “Sw-1” (named CS) in six wucai genotypes. We performed transcriptomic analysis using seedling leaves after 24 h of cold treatment. A total of 3536 and 3887 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the low temperature (LT) and control (NT) comparative transcriptome in CT and CS, respectively, with 1690 DEGs specific to CT. The gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that the response to cadmium ion (GO:0,046,686), response to jasmonic acid (GO:0,009,753), and response to wounding (GO:0,009,611) were enriched in CT (LT vs NT). The DEGs were enriched in starch and sucrose metabolism and glutathione metabolism in both groups, and α-linolenic acid metabolism was enriched only in CT (LT vs NT). DEGs in these processes, including glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), 13S lipoxygenase (LOX), and jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ), as well as transcription factors (TFs), such as the ethylene-responsive transcription factor 53 (ERF53), basic helix-loop-helix 92 (bHLH92), WRKY53, and WRKY54.We hypothesize that these genes play important roles in the response to cold stress in this species. Conclusions Our data for wucai is consistent with previous studies that suggest starch and sucrose metabolism increased the content of osmotic substances, and the glutathione metabolism pathway enhance the active oxygen scavenging. These two pathways may participated in response to cold stress. In addition, the activation of α-linolenic acid metabolism may promote the synthesis of methyl jasmonate (MeJA), which might also play a role in the cold tolerance of wucai.

Abstract Background Chlorophyll (Chl) is a vital photosynthetic pigment involved in capturing light energy and energy conversion. In this study, the color conversion of inner-leaves from green to yellow in the new wucai (Brassica campestris L.) cultivar W7–2 was detected under low temperature. The W7–2 displayed a normal green leaf phenotype at the seedling stage, but the inner leaves gradually turned yellow when the temperature was decreased to 10 °C/2 °C (day/night), This study facilitates us to understand the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying leaf color changes in response to low temperature. Results A comparative leaf transcriptome analysis of W7–2 under low temperature treatment was performed on three stages (before, during and after leaf color change) with leaves that did not change color under normal temperature at the same period as a control. A total of 67,826 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly enriched in porphyrin and Chl metabolism, carotenoids metabolism, photosynthesis, and circadian rhythm. In the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolic pathways, the expression of several genes was reduced [i.e. magnesium chelatase subunit H (CHLH)] under low temperature. Almost all genes [i.e. phytoene synthase (PSY)] in the carotenoids (Car) biosynthesis pathway were downregulated under low temperature. The genes associated with photosynthesis [i.e. photosystem II oxygen-evolving enhancer protein 1 (PsbO)] were also downregulated under LT. Our study also showed that elongated hypocotyl5 (HY5), which participates in circadian rhythm, and the metabolism of Chl and Car, is responsible for the regulation of leaf color change and cold tolerance in W7–2. Conclusions The color of inner-leaves was changed from green to yellow under low temperature in temperature-sensitive mutant W7–2. Physiological, biochemical and transcriptomic studies showed that HY5 transcription factor and the downstream genes such as CHLH and PSY, which regulate the accumulation of different pigments, are required for the modulation of leaf color change in wucai under low temperature.

Abstract Background Wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen) is a cold-tolerant plant that is vulnerable to high temperature. This study explored the response mechanism of wucai to low temperature. In this study, wucai seedlings were treated with different temperatures, including low temperature (LT), high temperature (HT), and a control. Results According to transcriptomics analysis, the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HT and LT was 10,702 and 7267, respectively, compared with the control. The key genes associated with the physiological response of wucai to the treatments were analyzed. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology annotations indicated the importance of the photosynthesis and photosynthetic-antenna protein pathways. We found that a high-temperature environment greatly inhibited the expression of important genes in the photosynthetic pathway (BrLhc superfamily members, PsaD, PsaE, PsaD, PsaD, PsbO, PsbP, PsbQ, PsbR, PsbS, PsbW, PsbY, Psb27, and Psb28), whereas low temperature resulted in the expression of certain key genes (BrLhc superfamily members, Psa F, Psa H, Psb S, Psb H, Psb 28). In addition, the wucai seedlings exhibited better photosynthetic performance under low-temperature conditions than high-temperature conditions. Conclusions Based on the above results, we speculate that upon exposure to low temperature, the plants developed higher cold tolerance by upregulating the expression of genes related to photosynthesis. Conversely, high-temperature stress inhibited the expression of pivotal genes and weakened the self-regulating ability of the plants.

Abstract Background The discovery of male sterile materials is of great significance for the development of plant fertility research. Wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen) is a variety of non-heading Chinese cabbage. There are few studies on the male sterility of wucai, and the mechanism of male sterility is not clear. In this study, the male sterile mutant MS7–2 and the wild-type fertile plant MF7–2 were studied. Results Phenotypic characteristics and cytological analysis showed that MS7–2 abortion occurred at the tetrad period. The content of related sugars in the flower buds of MS7–2 was significantly lower than that of MF7–2, and a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was accumulated. Through transcriptome sequencing of MS7–2 and MF7–2 flower buds at three different developmental stages (a–c), 2865, 3847, and 4981 differentially expressed genes were identified in MS7–2 at the flower bud development stage, stage c, and stage e, respectively, compared with MF7–2. Many of these genes were enriched in carbohydrate metabolism, phenylpropanoid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation, and most of them were down-regulated in MS7–2. The down-regulation of genes involved in carbohydrate and secondary metabolite synthesis as well as the accumulation of ROS in MS7–2 led to pollen abortion in MS7–2. Conclusions This study helps elucidate the mechanism of anther abortion in wucai, providing a basis for further research on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of male sterility and the screening and cloning of key genes in wucai.

The impact of international electronic commerce (IEC) on export trade increases along with its expanding scale. Based on relevant data and the gravity model of China’s IEC export trade, this paper develops a theoretical model that can be used in IEC scenarios, applies regression equations, a Hausman test, and other empirical methods to verify relevant data, and performs a robustness test. The purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanism of IEC impact on China’s trade, and hopefully to study the temporal structural changes of the impact of IEC activities on China’s export trade based on the financial crisis and European debt crisis variables. The innovation of this paper is mainly reflected in the large sample of China’s trade selected in this paper. It can also determine the changes in the distance effect of international trade in the era of IEC, and reveal the mechanism by which IEC applications help foreign trade enterprises overcome economic crises. Four key conclusions are obtained as follows. First, the development of IEC has significantly promoted the expansion of China’s export trade scale. Second, in the context of the global financial crisis and European debt crisis, the positive promotion effect of IEC on exports is not significant. Third, the promotion effects of IEC on China’s exports to both developing and industrialized countries are significant, with the impact on developed country exports being slightly greater. Fourth, although the geographical distance for measuring transportation costs has a negative effect on China’s exports, such effect has been greatly weakened.

Abstract Background Leaf color mutants are the ideal materials to explore the pathways of chlorophyll (Chl) metabolism, chloroplast development, and photosynthesis system. In this study, a spontaneous yellow-green leaf wucai (Brassica campestris L.) mutant “WY16–13” was identified, which exhibited yellow-green leaf color during its entire growth period. However, current understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying Chl metabolism and chloroplast development of “WY16–13” is limited. Results Total Chl and carotenoid content in WY16–13 was reduced by 60.92 and 58.82%, respectively, as compared with its wild type parental line W16–13. Electron microscopic investigation revealed fewer chloroplasts per cell and looser stroma lamellae in WY16–13 than in W16–13. A comparative transcriptome profiling was performed using leaves from the yellow-green leaf type (WY16–13) and normal green-leaf type (W16–13). A total of 54.12 million (M) (WY16–13) and 56.17 M (W16–13) reads were generated. A total of 40,578 genes were identified from the mapped libraries. We identified 3882 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in WY16–13 compared with W16–13 (i.e., 1603 upregulated genes and 2279 downregulated genes). According to the Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, these DEGs are involved in porphyrin and Chl metabolism [i.e., chlorophyllase (CLH), heme oxygenase (HO), chlorophyll (ide) b reductase (NYC), and protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) genes], carbohydrate metabolism, photosynthesis, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. Moreover, deficiency in Chl biosynthetic intermediates in WY16–13 revealed that the formation of the yellow-green phenotype was related to the disorder of heme metabolism. Conclusions Our results provide valuable insights into Chl deficiency in the yellow-green leaf mutant and a bioinformatics resource for further functional identification of key allelic genes responsible for differences in Chl content.

Abstract Background Vernalization is a type of low temperature stress used to promote rapid bolting and flowering in plants. Although rapid bolting and flowering promote the reproduction of Chinese cabbages (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis), this process causes their commercial value to decline. Clarifying the mechanisms of vernalization is essential for its further application. We performed RNA sequencing of gradient-vernalization in order to explore the reasons for the different bolting process of two Chinese cabbage accessions during vernalization. Results There was considerable variation in gene expression between different-bolting Chinese cabbage accessions during vernalization. Comparative transcriptome analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed for different-bolting Chinese cabbage during different vernalization periods. The biological function analysis and hub gene annotation of highly relevant modules revealed that shoot system morphogenesis and polysaccharide and sugar metabolism caused early-bolting ‘XBJ’ to bolt and flower faster; chitin, ABA and ethylene-activated signaling pathways were enriched in late-bolting ‘JWW’; and leaf senescence and carbohydrate metabolism enrichment were found in the two Chinese cabbage-related modules, indicating that these pathways may be related to bolting and flowering. The high connectivity of hub genes regulated vernalization, including MTHFR2, CPRD49, AAP8, endoglucanase 10, BXLs, GATLs, and WRKYs. Additionally, five genes related to flower development, BBX32 (binds to the FT promoter), SUS1 (increases FT expression), TSF (the closest homologue of FT), PAO and NAC029 (plays a role in leaf senescence), were expressed in the two Chinese cabbage accessions. Conclusion The present work provides a comprehensive overview of vernalization-related gene networks in two different-bolting Chinese cabbages during vernalization. In addition, the candidate pathways and hub genes related to vernalization identified here will serve as a reference for breeders in the regulation of Chinese cabbage production.

High temperatures have a serious impact on the quality and yield of cold-loving Chinese cabbage, which has evolved to have a unique set of stress mechanisms. To explore the relationship between these mechanisms and the heat-tolerance of Chinese cabbage, the physiological indicators of the heat-tolerant ‘268’ line and heat-sensitive ‘334’ line were measured. Under heat stress, the proline (Pro), soluble sugar (SS), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) indexes of the ‘268’ line increased significantly. When additionally using transcriptome analysis, we found that the identified 3,360 DEGs were abundantly enriched in many metabolic pathways including ‘plant hormone signal transduction’, ‘carbon metabolism’, and ‘glycolysis/gluconeogenesis’. Dynamic gene expression patterns showed that HKL1 in Cluster 15 may be a key factor in the regulation of sugar homeostasis. The interaction network screened four ABA-related genes in Cluster 15, suggesting that high temperatures lead to changes in hormonal signaling, especially an increase in ABA signaling. Compared with the ‘334’ line, the expressions of Prx50, Prx52, Prx54, SOD1, and SOD2 in the ‘268’ line were significantly upregulated, and these genes were actively involved in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging process. In summary, our results revealed the relationship between plant heat tolerance, physiology, and biochemistry and may also provide ideas for the future development of high-quality and heat-tolerant Chinese cabbage germplasm resources.

Zizania latifolia is a perennial aquatic vegetable, whose symbiosis with the fungus Ustilago esculenta (member of Basidiomycota, class Ustilaginaceae) results in the establishment of swollen gall formations. Here, we analyzed symbiotic relations of Z. latifolia and U. esculenta, using a triadimefon (TDF) treatment and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). Specifically, accurately identify the whole growth cycle of Z. latifolia. Microstructure observations showed that the presence of U. esculenta could be clearly observed after gall formation but was absent after the TDF treatment. A total of 17,541 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, based on the transcriptome. According to gene ontology term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway results, plant hormone signal transduction, and cell wall–loosening factors were all significantly enriched due to U. esculenta infecting Z. latifolia; relative expression levels of hormone-related genes were identified, of which downregulation of indole 3-acetic acid (IAA)-related DEGs was most pronounced in JB_D versus JB_B. The ultra–high performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed that IAA, zeatin+trans zeatin riboside, and gibberellin 3 were increased under U. esculenta infection. Based on our results, we proposed a hormone–cell wall loosening model to study the symbiotic mechanism of gall formation after U. esculenta infects Z. latifolia. Our study thus provides a new perspective for studying the physiological and molecular mechanisms of U. esculenta infection of Z. latifolia causing swollen gall formations as well as a theoretical basis for enhancing future yields of cultivated Z. latifolia.

Abstract Background Proline-rich extension-like receptor protein kinases (PERKs) are an important class of receptor kinases located in the plasma membrane, most of which play a vital role in pollen development. Results Our study identified 25 putative PERK genes from the whole Brassica rapa genome (AA). Phylogenetic analysis of PERK protein sequences from 16 Brassicaceae species divided them into four subfamilies. The biophysical properties of the BrPERKs were investigated. Gene duplication and synteny analyses and the calculation of Ka/Ks values suggested that all 80 orthologous/paralogous gene pairs between B. rapa and A. thaliana, B. nigra and B. oleracea have experienced strong purifying selection. RNA-Seq data and qRT-PCR analyses showed that several BrPERK genes were expressed in different tissues, while some BrPERKs exhibited high expression levels only in buds. Furthermore, comparative transcriptome analyses from six male-sterile lines of B. rapa indicated that 7 BrPERK genes were downregulated in all six male-sterile lines. Meanwhile, the interaction networks of the BrPERK genes were constructed and 13 PERK coexpressed genes were identified, most of which were downregulated in the male sterile buds. Conclusion Combined with interaction networks, coexpression and qRT-PCR analyses, these results demonstrated that two BrPERK genes, Bra001723.1 and Bra037558.1 (the orthologs of AtPERK6 (AT3G18810)), were downregulated beginning in the meiosis II period of male sterile lines and involved in anther development. Overall, this comprehensive analysis of some BrPERK genes elucidated their roles in male sterility.

In patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), treatment using ticagrelor demonstrated significant ischemic benefits over clopidogrel; however, it was associated with increased bleeding complications leading to frequent de-escalation to clopidogrel. The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of de-escalation in early and late phase after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We performed a retrospective study of 4678 ACS patients from March 2016 to April 2017 who initially received ticagrelor then de-escalated to clopidogrel and categorized them into Group 1: early phase (1–30 days) and Group 2: late phase (>30 days–1 year) switching groups. The primary efficacy endpoints included cardiovascular death, definite/probable stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization, and stroke. The safety endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium classification 3 or 5 bleeding events within 1 year after PCI. The incidence of switching occurred in 1019 patients; 380 (37.3%) in Group 1 (median 14 days, interquartile range 4–30 days) versus 639 (62.7%) in Group 2 (median 180 days, interquartile range 90–270 days). The ischemic endpoints occurred in 53 (13.9%) patients in Group 1 versus 35 (5.4%) in Group 2 (HR 1.93,95%CI 1.22–3.08, p

ImportancePostoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) gives patients a bad experience and negates their good recovery from surgery.ObjectiveThis trial aims to assess the preventive effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the incidence of PONV in high-risk surgical patients.DesignThe large sample size, multicenter, evaluator-blinded, and randomized controlled study was conducted between September 3, 2019 to February 6, 2021.SettingThe 12 hospitals were from different Chinese provinces.ParticipantsAfter obtaining ethics approval and written informed consent, 1,655 patients with Apfel score ≥ 3 points were enrolled for selective laparoscopic non-gastrointestinal surgery under general anesthesia.InterventionsPatients were randomly allocated into the TEAS and Sham group with a 1:1 ratio. The TEAS group was stimulated on bilateral Neiguan and Zusanli acupoints after recovery from anesthesia on the surgical day and the next morning for 30 min, while the Sham group received an identical setting as TEAS but without currents delivered. Electronic patient self-reported scale was used to evaluate and record the occurrence of PONV.Main Outcomes and MeasuresPrimary clinical end point is the incidence of PONV which was defined as at least one incidence of nausea, retching, or vomiting after operation within postoperative 24 h.ResultsCompared with the Sham treatment, the TEAS lowered the PONV incidence by 4.8% (29.4 vs. 34.2%, P = 0.036) and vomiting incidence by 7.4% (10.4 vs. 17.8%, P < 0.001). TEAS also lowered persistent nausea incidence and PONV scores and decreased PONV related complications and Quality of Recovery−40 scores (P < 0.05). TEAS lowered the 24 h PONV risk by 20% (OR, 0.80, 95% CI, 0.65 −0.98; P = 0.032), and lowered hazard ratio by 17% (HR, 0.83, 95% CI, 0.70–0.99; P = 0.035). Both TEAS and palonosetron were the independent PONV risk protective factors for 24 h PONV incidence and cumulative PONV incidence. The combination of TEAS and palonosetron was the most effective strategy to reduce the PONV incidence (P < 0.001).Conclusions and RelevanceTEAS attenuated the PONV incidence and severity in high-risk surgical patients and may be applied clinically as a complement therapy to prevent PONV.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04043247, identifier: NCT04043247.

Abstract Atmospheric turbulence and the planetary boundary layer (PBL) can significantly modulate the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration near the ground surface. However, the mechanism by which they affect the variation in PM2.5 is poorly understood. Using surface‐based meteorological and PM2.5 observations, turbulence measurements, and high‐resolution soundings, this study analyzed the properties of turbulence and PBL stratification during a severe regional pollution transport event in Xiangyang, a city in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, from January 3 to January 9, 2019. During the growth stage, PM2.5 was observed to increase continuously under a northerly wind of 2–4 m s−1 that brought a polluted air mass to central China. During the entire pollution event, the turbulent kinetic energy and sensible heat flux tended to be lower at high PM2.5 concentrations. This correlation varied greatly depending on the stage of the event. A negative correlation existed in the initial and maintenance stages, whereas the relationship was positive during the growth stage, when regional transport dominated the variation in PM2.5. There was no obvious inversion layer below 500 m during the entire pollution episode, and a weak inversion layer appeared at higher altitudes in the initial and maintenance stages. Vertically homogeneous northerly winds favored the transboundary transport of pollutants, causing a significant increase in ground‐level PM2.5 concentration. By contrast, the presence of wind shear in the prevailing northerly winds suppressed pollutant transport to the ground, resulting in a low‐value gap in PM2.5 concentration between high altitudes and the ground surface.

Specific Emitter Identification (SEI) detects the individual emitter according its varied signal characteristics. The method operates in the physical layer of the internet and can effectively improve the security of the Internet of Things (IoT). Generally, SEI identifies the uniqueness of the transmitting platform by using the unintentional modulation information of the emitter such as radar, which has “fingerprint” characteristics. Existing SEI methods are based on hand-crafted features to distinguish different emitters. In this paper, traditional feature extraction methods are studied and a new recognition method is proposed. To determine the effectiveness of the method, the output signals of eight amplifiers are collected as the research object. The power spectrum characteristics and adjacent channel power ratio (ACPR) of the signal are then extracted and eight amplifiers are distinguished. Finally, the quadrature-phase signals are converted into pictures, and convolutional neural networks are used to automatically extract features for classification and recognition. The results show that the recognition rate of converting signals into pictures can reach 95%, when SNR is 20dB.

Abstract Background Brassinosteroids (BRs) have a positive effect on many processes during plant growth and development, and in response to various abiotic stressors. Low-temperature (LT) stress constricts the geographic distribution, growth, and development of wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen). However, there is little information on the global gene expression of BRs under LT stress in wucai. In this study, the molecular roles of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) after exogenously application, were explored by RNA sequencing under LT conditions. Results According to the Gene Ontology (GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses, photosynthesis was significantly enriched after spraying EBR under LT. The transcripts encoding the photosystem II (PSII) oxygen-evolving enhancer protein, photosystem I (PSI) subunit, light-harvesting chlorophyll protein complexes I and II, and ferredoxin were up-regulated after the application of EBR. Transcripts encoding several key enzymes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis were also up-regulated, accompanied by significant differences in the contents of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA), porphobilinogen (PBG), protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX), Mg-protoporphyrin IX (Mg-proto IX), protochlorophyllide (Pchl), and photosynthetic pigments. Notably, transcriptional and physiological analyses revealed that under LT stress, plant responses to EBR involved a major reorientation of photosynthesis, as well as porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism. Conclusion This study explored the role of EBR as an LT stress tolerance mechanism in wucai. At the transcription level, LT tolerance manifests as an enhancement of photosynthesis, and the amelioration of porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism.

Systemic signals allows plants to mount immune responses in sites that are distal from the local infection site. Here, the authors provide evidence that nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD + ) is a potential systemic signal that induces immunity via the lectin receptor kinase LecRK-VI.2 and BAK1.

Abstract Objective Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an important cause of premature coronary artery disease (CAD). Prognosis data are lacking in patients with FH and coronary artery disease particularly in the era of widespread statin use. We compared long-term prognosis between patients with and without FH after a coronary event. Methods In this retrospective study, 865 patients younger than 40 years of age with CAD were enrolled. FH was diagnosed based on the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network algorithm. Baseline characteristics, coronary angiographic findings and prognosis during median follow-up of 5 (3–8) years were compared between patients with or without FH. Results Definite or probable FH was detected in 37 patients (4.3%) and possible FH in 259 patients (29.9%). FH was associated with significantly higher prevalence of multi-vessel lesions (p

In this article, we consider the problem of optimally selecting a subset of transmitters from a transmitter set available to a multiple-input and multiple-output radar network. The aim is to minimize the location estimation error of underlying targets under a power constraint. We formulate it as a minimum-variance estimation problem and show that the underlying variance reduction function is submodular. From the properties of submodularity, we present a balanced selection policy which minimizes the worst-case error value using a minimax strategy. A greedy algorithm with guaranteed performance with respect to optimal solutions is given to efficiently implement the scheduling policy. The effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed algorithm are demonstrated in simulated examples.

Low-light stress will lead to abnormal soybean growth and a subsequent yield reduction. Association mapping is a useful alternative to linkage mapping for the detection of marker–phenotype associations. This study aimed to evaluate low-light-resistant soybean accessions and identify markers associated with low-light resistance. We assessed the plant height, stem diameter, number of bean pods, and cotyledon height of soybean plants under low and normal light conditions. These traits were evaluated in 185 soybean accessions, and the accessions 11HX-020, 11HX-025, 11HX-029, 11HX-064, 11HX-127, 11HX-166, 11HX-183, and 11HX-216 showed stable performance under low-light conditions. These 185 accessions were genotyped with 639 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and 98 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. A total of 75 markers—i.e., traits associated with low-light resistance—were identified. These associated markers were distributed on 14 linkage groups (LGs) of soybean, and some markers were associated with two or more traits. According to the results, excellent germplasm material and low-light-resistance related markers can be used for low-light resistance breeding of soybean and will help identify the low-light resistance genes.

Non-expressor of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes1 (NPR1) is a key transcription coactivator of plant basal immunity and systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Two mutant alleles, npr1-1 and npr1-3, have been extensively used for dissecting the role of NPR1 in various signaling pathways. However, it is unknown whether npr1-1 and npr1-3 are null mutants. Moreover, the NPR1 transcript levels are induced two- to threefold upon pathogen infection or salicylic acid (SA) treatment, but the biological relevance of the induction is unclear. Here, we used molecular and biochemical approaches including quantitative PCR, immunoblot analysis, site-directed mutagenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to address these questions. We show that npr1-3 is a potential null mutant, whereas npr1-1 is not. We also demonstrated that a truncated npr1 protein longer than the hypothesized npr1-3 protein is not active in SA signaling. Furthermore, we revealed that TGACG-binding (TGA) factors are required for NPR1 induction, but the reverse TGA box in the 5’UTR of NPR1 is dispensable for the induction. Finally, we show that full induction of NPR1 is required for basal immunity, but not for SAR, whereas sufficient basal transcription is essential for full-scale establishment of SAR. Our results indicate that induced transcript accumulation may be differentially required for different functions of a specific gene. Moreover, as npr1-1 is not a null mutant, we recommend that future research should use npr1-3 and potential null T-DNA insertion mutants for dissecting NPR1’s function in various physiopathological processes.

Acid fracturing has been widely used as an industry practice in explored and developed carbonate reservoirs. It is very important to understand responses of reservoirs and improve production performance of a well due to the presence of fracture networks by stimulation treatments. Pressure transient analysis is one of the most effective diagnostic techniques available to enhance our understanding of natural and artificial-etched fracture behavior. This work presented a novel mathematical model for unsteady state flow of naturally fractured porous medium into multiple etched fractures intersecting a vertical well, and three different geometric shapes of matrix blocks containing slabs, cylinders and spheres were considered. The new solution was derived by using the Laplace transformation and the point source function integral approach. The polar coordinate transformation was used to deal with the radial distribution of arbitrary fracture number and angle. Then the model was validated by comparison with three published cases. Finally, type curves were plotted to identify flow regimes: linear flow, transitional flow, pseudoradial flow, and boundary dominant flow if the closed or constant pressure boundary exists. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was investigated. The results showed that the acid-etched fracture parameters containing fracture number, fracture distribution and conductivity had a significant impact on pressure behavior at early times. However, natural fracture storativity coefficient and interporosity flow parameter mainly affected the transitional flow at intermediate times. Moreover, the shape of matrix blocks had a little influence on transient responses at intermediate times. It is found that multiple etched fractures existing near the wellbore consume less pressure drop and increase the productivity of a well as a whole.

Lower stiffness can improve the performance of capacitive-based microelectromechanical systems sensors. In this paper, softened beams, achieved by the electrostatic assembly approach, are proposed to lower the stiffness of a capacitive MEMS accelerometer. The experiments show that the stiffness of the accelerometer is reduced by 43% with softened beams and the sensitivity is increased by 72.6%. As a result, the noise of the accelerometer is reduced to 26.2 μg/√Hz with an improvement of 44.5%, and bias instability is reduced to 5.05 μg with an enhancement of 38.7%. The electrostatic assembly-based stiffness softening technique is proven to be effective and can be used in many types of MEMS devices.

Abstract Background Wucai (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. rosularis Tsen) is a variant of nonheading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L.), which is one of the major vegetables in China. Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has been used for Wucai breeding in recent years. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of Wucai CMS remains unclear. In this study, the phenotypic and cytological features of Wucai CMS were observed by anatomical analysis, and a comparative transcriptome analysis was carried out to identify genes related to male sterility using Illumina RNA sequencing technology (RNA-Seq). Results Microscopic observation demonstrated that tapetum development was abnormal in the CMS line, which failed to produce fertile pollen. Bioinformatics analysis detected 4430 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the fertile and sterile flower buds. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to better understand the functions of these DEGs. Among the DEGs, 35 genes (53 DEGS) were implicated in anther and pollen development, and 11 genes were involved in pollen cell wall formation and modification; most of these showed downregulated expression in sterile buds. In addition, several genes related to tapetum development (A6, AMS, MS1, MYB39, and TSM1) and a few genes annotated to flowering (CO, AP3, VIN3, FLC, FT, and AGL) were detected and confirmed by qRT-PCR as being expressed at the meiosis, tetrad, and uninucleate microspore stages, thus implying possible roles in specifying or determining the fate and development of the tapetum, male gametophyte and stamen. Moreover, the top four largest transcription factor families (MYB, bHLH, NAC and WRKY) were analyzed, and most showed reduced expression in sterile buds. These differentially expressed transcription factors might result in abortion of pollen development in Wucai. Conclusion The present comparative transcriptome analysis suggested that many key genes and transcription factors involved in anther development show reduced gene expression patterns in the CMS line, which might contribute to male sterility in Wucai. This study provides valuable information for a better understanding of CMS molecular mechanisms and functional genome studies in Wucai.

Abstract ZnO@NiO core–shell heterostructures with high photocatalytic efficiency and reusability were prepared via electrochemical deposition on carbon fiber cloth substrates. Their photocatalytic properties were investigated by measuring the degradation of rhodamine B and methyl orange (MO) under ultraviolet light irradiation. The photodegradation efficiency of the ZnO@NiO heterostructures toward both dyes was better than those of the pure ZnO nanorods and NiO nanosheets. The higher performance could be attributed to the formation of p–n heterojunction between ZnO and NiO. Especially, the ZnO@NiO heterostructure formed upon deposition of NiO for 10 min degraded 95% of MO under ultraviolet light irradiation for 180 min. The high photodegradation efficiency of the ZnO@NiO heterostructures was also attributed to the high separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers, as confirmed by the higher photocurrent of the ZnO@NiO heterostructures (eightfold) when compared with that of the pure ZnO nanorods. Moreover, the high photodegradation efficiency of the ZnO@NiO heterostructures was maintained over three successive degradation experiments and decreased to 90% after the third cycle.

Taking layer J-II of Upper Jurassic of Kumkol South oilfield in South Turgay Basin, Kazakstan as an example, the article studied the architecture characteristics and heterogeneity of delta sandstones, and determined the influence of sandstone architecture on waterflooding sweep characteristics using fine characterization of sandstones, comprehensive interpretation of waterflooded layers, statistical analysis of production and injection profiles, reservoir numerical simulation methods. The result shows that the delta sandstones have a complex architecture of mosaic structure with mudstone baffles and mud-interbeds, and the sandstone architecture controls the sweeping characteristics of waterflood: due to impermeable or low permeable boundaries between single sand bodies, and lateral and vertical blocking of underwater distributaries bay mudstone, sands in delta have very complicated architecture, and the injected water flows priorly into underwater distributaries channel sand and estuary bar sand with better physical properties, making these two types of sands suffer stronger warterflooding, and have higher recovery degree and better waterflooding sweep effect in plane. Inside single sand bodies, on the one hand, underwater distributaries channel sand and estuary bar sand have high vertical producing degree and good waterflooding sweep effect because mud interbeds in the sands have vertical blocking and shunt effect on injected water; on the other hand, these two types of sands have inhomogeneous waterflood sweeping because of large permeability difference and high development of dominant water channels. In contrast, made up of thin homogeneous fine sand with poor physical properties, lateral sheet sand often has even water-flooding and poor waterflooding sweep effect. Key words: Kazakstan, South Turgay Basin, delta, sandstone architecture, heterogeneity, waterflooding sweep characteristics, warterflooding characteristics

Abstract CdS decorated CuS structures have been controllably synthesized through a one-pot hydrothermal method. The morphologies and compositions of the as-prepared samples could be concurrently well controlled by simply tuning the amount of CdCl2 and thiourea. Using this strategy, the morphology of the products experienced from messy to flower-like morphologies with multiple porous densities, together with the phase evolution from pure CuS to the CdS/CuS composites. Serving as a photocatalyst, the samples synthesized with the addition of 1 mmol cadmium chloride and 3 mmol thiourea during synthetic process, showed the best photocatalytic activity, which could reach a maximum photocatalytic efficiency of 93% for methyl orange (MO) photodegradation after 150 min. The possible mechanism for the high photocatalytic efficiency of the sample was proposed by investigating the composition, surface area, structure, and morphology before and after photocatalytic reaction.

Extracellular NAD is emerging as an important signal molecule in animal cells, but its role in plants has not been well-established. Although it has been shown that exogenous NAD+ activates defense responses in Arabidopsis, components in the exogenous NAD+-activated defense pathway remain to be fully discovered. In a genetic screen for mutants insensitive to exogenous NAD+ (ien), we isolated a mutant named ien2. Map-based cloning revealed that IEN2 encodes ELONGATA3 (ELO3)/AtELP3, a subunit of the Arabidopsis Elongator complex, which functions in multiple biological processes, including histone modification, DNA (de)methylation, and transfer RNA modification. Mutations in the ELO3/AtELP3 gene compromise exogenous NAD+-induced expression of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes and resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. maculicola ES4326, and transgenic expression of the coding region of ELO3/AtELP3 in elo3/Atelp3 restores NAD+ responsiveness to the mutant plants, demonstrating that ELO3/AtELP3 is required for exogenous NAD+-induced defense responses. Furthermore, mutations in genes encoding the other five Arabidopsis Elongator subunits (ELO2/AtELP1, AtELP2, ELO1/AtELP4, AtELP5, and AtELP6) also compromise exogenous NAD+-induced PR gene expression and resistance to P. syringae pv. maculicola ES4326. These results indicate that the Elongator complex functions as a whole in exogenous NAD+-activated defense signaling in Arabidopsis.

A fracture-pore carbonate reservoir in eastern Pre-Caspian basin was taken as an example to analyze the oil phase behavior change and seepage physical characteristics change of weakly volatile oil reservoirs with the decrease of formation pressure. Based on the analysis, the water-flooding development technique policy of the reservoir under different formation pressure was presented. Experiments show that the weakly volatile crude oil degasifies as the formation pressure decreases, with methane and intermediate hydrocarbons separated out successively, and the crude oil gradually transforms into ordinary black oil. With the separation of light hydrocarbons, the saturation of in-place oil drops rapidly, the viscosity increases, and the oil permeability reduces, leading to lower well productivity. Retention of formation pressure is a vital factor controlling the reservoir development effect. The lower the formation pressure, the lower the ultimate recovery. Given low formation pressure, water-flooding is required to recover the formation pressure. In water-flooding, the lower level the formation pressure is retained at, the lower the reasonable pressure to be recovered is, and the lower the ultimate recovery is. Compared with zones without fractures, the zone with fractures provides lower injection-production ratio when water-flooding is conducted under the same formation pressure, and its water-flooding time has more impact on oilfield recovery. Therefore, it is recommended to develop weakly volatile oil reservoir by early water-flooding in a moderate way. Key words: carbonate reservoir, weakly volatile oil, phase behavior change, seepage characteristics, formation pressure, water-flooding time