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Abstract Background Weiss-Kruszka syndrome (WSKA) is a rare autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by multiple congenital anomalies caused by variants in the zinc finger protein 462 gene (ZNF462). About 40 cases of Weiss-Kruszka syndrome have been reported worldwide, and the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic causes of three patients from two Weiss-Kruszka syndrome family pedigrees with the aim of accumulating more data on the disease. Objective To explore the clinical and genetic characteristics of two pedigrees with Weiss–Kruszka syndrome. Methods The clinical data and family history of patients and family members of two pedigrees with Weiss–Kruszka syndrome were collected, and the pathogenic genes of the patients were analysed by whole-exon sequencing. Suspicious variants were verified by Sanger sequencing verification and bioinformatics prediction. Results Proband 1 has developmental delay, autistic behaviour, and abnormal electroencephalogram results. WES revealed a classical heterozygous c.6696–2 A > C splice variant of the ZNF462 gene, which was detected in neither parent. This position was conserved, and the variant was predicted to be deleterious. Minigene assays revealed that three types of aberrantly spliced mRNAs were produced. MRI of proband 2 suggested dysplasia of the corpus callosum with the formation of hemispheric cleft cysts, with a teardrop-like appearance in the lateral ventricle. WES revealed that a heterozygous c.4891 C > T:p. The Glu1631Ter nonsense variant of the ZNF462 gene was inherited from her mother. According to the guidelines of the American Society of Medical Genetics and combined with its clinical manifestations, c.6696–2 A > C and c.4891 C > T:p. Glu1631Ter was determined to be a possible pathogenic variant. Conclusion The c.6696-2 A>C and c.4891C > T:p.Glu1631Ter of the ZNF462 gene likely underlies Weiss–Kruszka syndrome in children (foetus), which enriches the variant spectrum of Chinese patients with Weiss–Kruszka syndrome and provides a basis for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counselling.

Non-contact remote sensing techniques, such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry, have been globally applied for landslide monitoring in high and steep mountainous areas. These techniques acquire terrain data and enable ground deformation monitoring. However, practical application of these technologies still faces many difficulties due to complex terrain, limited access and dense vegetation. For instance, monitoring high and steep slopes can obstruct the TLS sightline, and the accuracy of the UAV model may be compromised by absence of ground control points (GCPs). This paper proposes a TLS- and UAV-based method for monitoring landslide deformation in high mountain valleys using traditional real-time kinematics (RTK)-based control points (RCPs), low-precision TLS-based control points (TCPs) and assumed control points (ACPs) to achieve high-precision surface deformation analysis under obstructed vision and impassable conditions. The effects of GCP accuracy, GCP quantity and automatic tie point (ATP) quantity on the accuracy of UAV modeling and surface deformation analysis were comprehensively analyzed. The results show that, the proposed method allows for the monitoring accuracy of landslides to exceed the accuracy of the GCPs themselves by adding additional low-accuracy GCPs. The proposed method was implemented for monitoring the Xinhua landslide in Baoxing County, China, and was validated against data from multiple sources.

Abstract Exposure to mercury has been associated with adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. However, there is limited literature on mercury exposure and pregnancy outcomes in Chinese pregnant women. Our study was to investigate the possible association between maternal mercury exposure and spontaneous preterm birth and birth weight. This study was a nested case-control study. The association between blood mercury concentration and both spontaneous preterm birth and birth weight was analyzed using conditional logistic regression and linear regression adjusted for the potential confounding factors, respectively. The dose-response relationship between mercury concentration and birth outcomes was estimated using restricted cubic spline regression. The mean concentration of mercury was 2.8 ± 2.2 µg/L. A positive relationship was observed between maternal blood mercury concentration and SPB when analyzed as a continuous variable. However, it was not found to be statistically significant (adjusted OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.95–1.26, P = 0.202). Moderate mercury exposure was associated with a higher risk of SPB (Q3 vs. Q1: crude OR = 2.50, 95% CI = 1.16–5.41, P = 0.02; adjusted OR = 3.49, 95% CI = 1.33–9.11, P = 0.011). After considering the combined effects of chemicals other than mercury exposure (including lead, selenium, and cadmium), the results remained consistent. There was no statistically significant association between blood mercury levels and birth weight (adjusted coefficient = 18.64, P-value = 0.075). There were no statistically significant dose-response associations between mercury concentration and birth outcomes (SPB: P = 0.076; birth weight: P = 0.885). Public health policies should focus on reducing environmental releases of mercury, improving food safety standards, and providing education to pregnant women about the risks of mercury exposure and preventive measures.

Making accurate predictions of the construction cost is essential for ensuring the smooth implementation of projects and guaranteeing economic benefits. The problem to be studied in this article is how to predict construction project costs accurately. The related factors affecting construction project costs are briefly introduced in this paper. A back-propagation neural network (BPNN) was proposed to predict construction engineering costs, and the AdaBoost algorithm was used to improve it. Then, simulation experiments were carried out. It was found that the Adaboost-BPNN algorithm converged to stability faster, and the mean square error was smaller (10-5) when it was stable. Compared with the support vector machine and traditional BPNN algorithms, the AdaBoost-BPNN algorithm had better goodness of fit (0.787) and provided more accurate prediction results for construction engineering costs (mean average error: 0.467, root-mean-square error: 1.118). The novelty of this article lies in utilizing AdaBoost to combine multiple weak predictors into a strong predictor, thereby enhancing the performance of the BPNN algorithm. The contribution lies in improving the predictive performance of the BPNN through the combination principle of AdaBoost, providing an effective reference for accurate cost prediction in construction engineering.

Abstract Background The congenital ventricular outflow tract malformations (CVOTMs) is a major congenital heart diseases (CHDs) subtype, and its pathogenesis is complex and unclear. Lipid metabolic plays a crucial role in embryonic cardiovascular development. However, due to the limited types of detectable metabolites in previous studies, findings on lipid metabolic and CHDs are still inconsistent, and the possible mechanism of CHDs remains unclear. Methods The nest case-control study obtained subjects from the multicenter China Teratology Birth Cohort (CTBC), and maternal serum from the pregnant women enrolled during the first trimester was utilized. The subjects were divided into a discovery set and a validation set. The metabolomics of CVOTMs and normal fetuses were analyzed by targeted lipid metabolomics. Differential comparison, random forest and lasso regression were used to screen metabolic biomarkers. Results The lipid metabolites were distributed differentially between the cases and controls. Setting the selection criteria of P value 1.2 or

The technology of expansion fracturing with liquid CO2 (EFLCO2) has attracted increasing attention due to reduced vibration and damage. The disposable fracturing tube has been developed and is gradually replacing the Cardox tube. However, there is a lack of impact pressure testing of disposable tubes under real working conditions, selection of gas explosion design parameters, and systematic analysis of blasting vibration. This limitation has constrained the widespread application of disposable fracturing tubes in engineering. A joint monitoring of the pressure-time curves in the disposable tubes and boreholes was conducted. The rock-breaking effect of varying hole spacing parameters in the EFLCO2 design was analyzed, and a systematic study was carried out on the vibration peak value, frequency, and energy characteristics. The results show that (1) the pressure distribution characteristics, stress peak value, and duration in the disposable tubes are different from those of Cardox tubes, which show multi-peak distribution, low-pressure peak value, and short duration. The correlation between the pressure in the disposable tube, filling pressure, and liquid CO2 weight is established, and a theoretical calculation method for the borehole wall pressure is proposed; (2) The hole spacing in rocks of different hardness is suggested; and (3) At the same scale distance, the peak particle velocity (PPV) caused by EFLCO2 (PPVCO2) is significantly smaller than that caused by blasting (PPVexplosive). The ratio of PPVexplosive to PPVCO2 is a power function related to scale distance, and a distance-related zonality exist in this relationship. The frequency composition of the vibration signal caused by EFLCO2 is relatively simple with a narrow frequency band. Its PPV and energy are mainly concentrated in the low-frequency band. This research contributes to the optimization of disposable fracturing tubes, gas explosion design, and vibration hazard control.

Abstract Background COVID-19 is a new infectious disease. To investigate whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection increases the adverse reactions of subcutaneous specific immunotherapy (SCIT) in children. Methods This study was conducted by collecting relevant data from children who underwent house dust mite SCIT from April 3, 2021, to March 18, 2023, including information on the time of COVID-19 infection, symptoms, and adverse reactions after each allergen injection. A mixed effects model was used to analyze the changes in adverse reactions before and after the COVID-19 infection. Results Among the records of adverse reactions from 2658 injections in 123 children who underwent SCIT, the overall adverse reaction rate before COVID-19 infection was 39.8% and 30.0% after COVID-19 infection. Compared with pre-infection with COVID-19, the risks of overall adverse reactions, local adverse reactions, and systemic adverse reactions of immunotherapy after COVID-19 infection were reduced (odds ratio [OR] = 0.24, 0.31, and 0.28, all P

【Objective】Purple leaf mustard is a new variety of mustard with high anthocyanin bred by crossing green leaf Shuidong mustard (A national product of geographical indication in China), and its fertilization technology needs to be further studied. Replacing part of chemical fertilizer by organic fertilizer is considered to be a more effective fertilization measure for soil improvement and increase of crop yield and quality. It is of great significance to provide guidance for the scientific production of mustard by studying the effects of different fertilization treatments on soil properties, yield and quality of mustard.【Method】In the study, the Ganoderma lucidum residue compost was used as the tested organic fertilizer, the green leaf Shuidong mustard and purple leaf mustard were used as the tested crops for pot experiment. Taking the single application of chemical fertilizer (conventional application of compound fertilizer only) as control (CK), under the condition of 3/4 reduction of chemical fertilizer, three treatments of low (7.90 g), medium (15.80 g) and high (31.60 g) mushroom residue compost were set: T1, T2 and T3, the indexes of soil pH value, physical clay (PC, < 0.01 mm), OM, AN, AP, AK, PH, FW, RL, Chl, Ant, SS and Vc contents of mustard after harvest were measured, and the differences of soil properties and yield and quality of mustard under different treatments were analyzed.【Result】The results showed that, with the increase of the amount of G. lucidum residue compost, except for soil pH value and PC content, the other 11 indexes showed an increasing trend. The soil OM, RL, SS and Vc content of T1, T2 and T3 were higher than those of CK, while the AN content was lower than that of CK; the contents of soil AP, AK, FW, Chl and Ant of mustard of T3 were higher than those of CK, and the PH of T3 and CK were equivalent, but higher than that of T2 and T1. Compared with CK, the soil OM, AP and AK contents of green leaf Shuidong mustard and purple leaf mustard under T3 increased by 13.24%/14.28%, 6.74%/6.06% and 6.43%/6.04%, AN content decreased by 0.81%/1.45%, respectively; FW, RL, the contents of Chl, SS and Vc of two kinds of mustards increased by 0.33%/6.64%, 34.65%/43.29%, 11.03%/6.53%, 53.36%/44.45% and 16.66%/15.44%, respectively. Under the same treatment, the PH, RL, FW, Chl, Ant, SS, and Vc content of purple leaf mustard were significantly higher than those of green leaf Shuidong mustard.【Conclusion】It shows that the G. lucidum residue compost replacing part of chemical fertilizer can improve the soil and the production and quality of mustard, with T3 showing the best fertilizer effect. Under the same fertility, purple leaf mustard has better growth, pigment content and quality tcompared with green leaf Shuidong mustard.

Abstract Background TTN is a complex gene with large genomic size and highly repetitive structure. Pathogenic variants in TTN have been reported to cause a range of skeletal muscle and cardiac disorders. Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations tend to cause a wide spectrum of phenotypes with congenital or childhood onset. The onset and severity of the features were considered to be correlated with the types and location of the TTN variants. Methods Whole-exome sequencing was performed on three unrelated families presenting with fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS), mainly characterized by reduced fetal movements and limb contractures. Sanger sequencing was performed to confirm the variants. RT-PCR analysis was performed. Results TTN c.38,876–2 A > C, a meta transcript-only variant, with a second pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant in trans, was observed in five affected fetuses from the three families. Sanger sequencing showed that all the fetal variants were inherited from the parents. RT-PCR analysis showed two kinds of abnormal splicing, including intron 199 extension and skipping of 8 bases. Conclusions Here we report on three unrelated families presenting with FADS caused by four TTN variants. In addition, our study demonstrates that pathogenic meta transcript-only TTN variant can lead to defects which is recognizable prenatally in a recessive manner.

Elaeocarpus glabripetalus Merr. is a notable species within the Elaeocarpus genus, particularly in the temperate regions of China. Distinguished by its cold resistance compared to other species, it encounters challenges in accurate identification, often prone to confusion with other related species. To address this issue, we present the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of E. glabripetalus in this study. The cp genome was 158,144 bp in length including two inverted repeats (IRs) of 27,388 bp, which were separated by large single copy (LSC) and small single copy (SSC) of 85,699 bp and 17,669 bp, respectively. The GC content was 37.1%. The genome encoded 135 functional genes, including 90 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that E. glabripetalus was clustered with other Elaeocarpus species and was a sister to E. sylvestris. This study provided the first report on the complete cp genome of E. glabripetalus, which is useful for further studies on species identification, germplasm conservation, and plant breeding in the Elaeocarpus genus and Elaeocarpaceae family.

The legacy of industry reflects a city's journey and marks its cultural essence, highlighting the significance of preserving and promoting such historical assets. There is a noticeable gap in the discourse surrounding the intrinsic value of industrial heritage attractions and their impact on the fidelity of tourists. In light of this, the present investigation, rooted in the ABC attitude framework, examines the linkage between the perceived value, contentment, and allegiance of initial visitors to these sites. The study delves into the intermediary function of contentment and the variable influence of gender. Focusing on the Maoming Open-pit Ecological Park as a case in point, this research gathered and scrutinized 320 valid questionnaires. The outcomes demonstrate that the perceived value exerts a positive effect on both the satisfaction and the steadfastness of tourists. Satisfaction is identified as an intermediary between perceived value and tourist steadfastness. Additionally, gender plays a notable role in moderating specific aspects of the model. This inquiry aids in harnessing the potential of industrial heritage sites for the advancement of tourism, fostering economic prosperity and the rebirth of cultural practices. Furthermore, it lays down essential theoretical and practical building blocks for the evolution of industrial heritage as a tourism asset.

Abstract Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a significant cause of mortality in patients with sepsis. Despite extensive research, its exact cause remains unclear. Our previous research indicated a relationship between non-hepatic hyperammonemia (NHH) and SAE. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NHH and SAE and the potential mechanisms causing cognitive impairment. In the in vivo experimental results, there were no significant abnormalities in the livers of mice with moderate cecal ligation and perforation (CLP); however, ammonia levels were elevated in the hippocampal tissue and serum. The ELISA study suggest that fecal microbiota transplantation in CLP mice can reduce ammonia levels. Reduction in ammonia levels improved cognitive dysfunction and neurological impairment in CLP mice through behavioral, neuroimaging, and molecular biology studies. Further studies have shown that ammonia enters the brain to regulate the expression of aquaporins-4 (AQP4) in astrocytes, which may be the mechanism underlying brain dysfunction in CLP mice. The results of the in vitro experiments showed that ammonia up-regulated AQP4 expression in astrocytes, resulting in astrocyte damage. The results of this study suggest that ammonia up-regulates astrocyte AQP4 expression through the gut-brain axis, which may be a potential mechanism for the occurrence of SAE.

Abstract Background Few studies have utilized whole blood samples to investigate the association between metal mixture exposure during early pregnancy and spontaneous preterm birth (SPB). We conduct this nested case–control study to investigate both the independent and joint effect of each metal, and identify critical metals in the metal mixture. Results A total of 120 pregnant women with SPB and 120 pregnant women with full-term delivery were selected from the prospective birth cohort. We measured 14 metal concentrations in maternal blood collected during 10–13 weeks gestation. Conditional logistic regression showed that high concentrations of vanadium (V), magnesium, and copper were positively associated with SPB (Adjusted OR = 5.76 (95% CI 2.46–13.53), 3.64 (95% CI 1.64–8.09), 2.88 (95% CI 1.29–6.41), respectively). Moderate manganese (Mn) concentration (50th–75th percentile) group had the lowest estimated OR (Adjusted OR = 0.32 (95% CI 0.13–0.76)). The high level of strontium (Sr) was negatively associated with SPB (Adjusted OR = 0.39 (95% CI 0.17–0.91)). The BKMR model showed a significant positive joint effect of metal mixture exposure on SPB, while V was the most important metal. The non-linear effects of V and lead (Pb) on SPB, and the interaction effects between V–Pb, Sr–Mn were also revealed. Conclusions Maternal blood metal mixtures in the first trimester were found to be positively associated with SPB, with V exhibiting the strongest independent association. Mn had a potential U-shaped association with SPB. Elimination of metal contamination in the environment has a positive impact on maternal and child health.

The mechanical characteristics and acoustic behavior of rock masses are greatly influenced by stochastic joints. In this study, numerical models of rock masses incorporating intermittent joints with different numbers and dip angles were produced using the finite element method (FEM) with the intrinsic cohesive zone model (ICZM). Then, the uniaxial compressive and wave propagation simulations were performed. The results indicate that the joint number and dip angle can affect the mechanical and acoustic properties of the models. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and wave velocity of rock masses decrease monotonically as the joint number increases. However, the wave velocity grows monotonically as the joint dip angle increases. When the joint dip angle is 45°–60°, the UCS of the rock mass is lower than that of other dip angles. The wave velocity parallel to the joints is greater than that perpendicular to the joints. When the dip angle of joints remains unchanged, the UCS and wave velocity are positively related. When the joint dip angle increases, the variation amplitude of the UCS regarding the wave velocity increases. To reveal the effect of the joint distribution on the velocity, a theoretical model was also proposed. According to the theoretical wave velocity, the change in wave velocity of models with various joint numbers and dip angles was consistent with the simulation results. Furthermore, a theoretical indicator (i.e. fabric tensor) was adopted to analyze the variation of the wave velocity and UCS.

Abstract Nickel is the most widely used inexpensive active metal center of the heterogeneous catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methane. However, Ni-based catalysts suffer from severe deactivation in CO2 methanation reaction due to the irreversible sintering and coke deposition caused by the inevitable localized hotspots generated during the vigorously exothermic reaction. Herein, we demonstrate the inverse CeAlOx/Ni composite constructed on the Ni-foam structure support realizes remarkable CO2 methanation catalytic activity and stability in a wide operation temperature range from 240 to 600 °C. Significantly, CeAlOx/Ni/Ni-foam catalyst maintains its initial activity after seven drastic heating-cooling cycles from RT to 240 to 600 °C. Meanwhile, the structure catalyst also shows water resistance and long-term stability under reaction condition. The promising thermal stability and water-resistance of CeAlOx/Ni/Ni-foam originate from the excellent heat and mass transport efficiency which eliminates local hotspots and the formation of Ni-foam stabilized CeAlOx/Ni inverse composites which effectively anchored the active species and prevents carbon deposition from CH4 decomposition.

Abstract The global environmental issue of soil contamination with antibiotic-resistance genes has garnered increased attention in recent years due to its impact on ecosystems and human health. Despite this recognition, researchers face challenges in comprehensively understanding the mechanisms underlying the production and dissemination of soil resistance genes, particularly in relation to their implications for human health. This lack of understanding poses a barrier to the development of effective and precise control strategies. Biochar, a sustainable material, exhibits favorable adsorption properties characterized by its large pores and specific surface area. Therefore, we propose to explore the potential application of biochar addition in soil resistance gene management. In order to establish a solid research foundation in this area, in this paper we review the mechanisms underlying the generation and accumulation of soil resistance genes over the last decade, along with their transmission pathways and interfacial interactions. Biochar may help repair soil resistance genes by affecting factors like antibiotic levels, environmental conditions, enzymatic activity, and gene migration mechanisms, opening up new research possibilities. Graphical Abstract

The TEOSINTE-BRANCHED1/CYCLOIDEA/PROLEFERATING-CELL-FACTORS (TCP) gene family is a plant-specific transcriptional factor family involved in leaf morphogenesis and senescence, lateral branching, hormone crosstalk, and stress responses. To date, a systematic study on the identification and characterization of the TCP gene family in kiwifruit has not been reported. Additionally, the function of kiwifruit TCPs in regulating kiwifruit responses to the ethylene treatment and bacterial canker disease pathogen (Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae, Psa) has not been investigated. Here, we identified 40 and 26 TCP genes in Actinidia chinensis (Ac) and A. eriantha (Ae) genomes, respectively. The synteny analysis of AcTCPs illustrated that whole-genome duplication accounted for the expansion of the TCP family in Ac. Phylogenetic, conserved domain, and selection pressure analysis indicated that TCP family genes in Ac and Ae had undergone different evolutionary patterns after whole-genome duplication (WGD) events, causing differences in TCP gene number and distribution. Our results also suggested that protein structure and cis-element architecture in promoter regions of TCP genes have driven the function divergence of duplicated gene pairs. Three and four AcTCP genes significantly affected kiwifruit responses to the ethylene treatment and Psa invasion, respectively. Our results provided insight into general characters, evolutionary patterns, and functional diversity of kiwifruit TCPs.

Abstract Background Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS‐I) is a rare autosomal recessive genetic lysosomal storage disorder that is caused by pathogenic variants of the α‐L‐iduronidase (IDUA) gene. This study aimed to identify the genetic causes of MPS‐I in a Chinese patient and construct a minigene of IDUA to analyze its variants upon splicing. Methods Whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were used to confirm the potential causative variants. Single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was subsequently performed to confirm uniparental disomy (UPD). Minigene assay was performed to analyze the effect on splicing of mRNA. We meanwhile explored the conservative analysis and protein homology simulation. Results A novel homozygous splicing mutation of IDUA, c.159‐9T>A, was identified in an individual presenting with overlapping features of MPS‐I. Interestingly, only the father and sisters, but not the mother, carried the variant in a heterozygous state. WES and SNP array analyses validated paternal UPD on chromosome 4. Minigene splicing revealed two aberrant splicing events: exon 2 skipping and intron 1 retention. Moreover, the specific structure of the mutant protein obviously changed according to the results of the homologous model. Conclusions This study describes a rare autosomal recessive disorder with paternal UPD of chromosome 4 leading to the homozygosity of the IDUA splicing variant in patients with MPS‐I for the first time. This study expands the variant spectrum of IDUA and provides insights into the splicing system, facilitating its enhanced diagnosis and treatment.

BackgroundCervical cancer, primarily driven by high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection, ranks as the second most common cancer globally. Understanding combined infections’ role, including Cervical fungi, is crucial in cervical carcinogenesis. This study aims to explore the potential correlation between HR-HPV, cervical fungi, and cervical cancer, while adjusting for various factors.MethodsThe study population comprised patients undergoing colposcopy and conization due to abnormal cervical screening results. Clinical data including age, gravidity, HPV (human papillomavirus) genotypes, cervical pathology, and p16/Ki67 expression were extracted. Cervical TCT (ThinPrep Pap Test) and HPV testing are utilized for screening cervical lesions, with fungal presence suggested by TCT results. 5,528 participants were included in this study. Statistical analyses investigated associations between HPV/fungi co-infection and cervical lesions, employing multinomial logistic regression and interaction analysis.ResultsCo-infection with fungi and HPV may decrease the risk of cervical lesions compared to HPV infection alone. In the co-infection group, compared with HPV infection alone, the risk of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) was reduced by 27% (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.59–0.90), the risk of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) was reduced by 35% (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.51–0.82), and the risk of cervical cancer was reduced by 43% (OR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35–0.92). The interaction analysis revealed a negative interaction between fungal and HPV infections in the development of cervical cancer (RERI = −6.25, AP = −0.79, SI = 0.52), HSIL (RERI = −19.15, AP = −0.37, SI = 0.72) and LSIL (RERI = −1.87, AP = −0.33, SI = 0.71), suggesting a sub-additive effect, where the combined effect of the two infections was less than the sum of their individual effects. This indicates that fungal infection may attenuate the promoting effect of HPV on cervical lesions. In exploring the potential mechanism, we found that the co-infection group had significantly lower p16 positivity (54.6%) compared to the HPV-only group (60.2%) (p = 0.004), while there was no statistically significant difference in Ki67 positivity.ConclusionThis study unveils the intricate relationship between cervical fungi and HPV in cervical lesions. Co-infection with fungi and HPV against cervical lesions compared to HPV infection alone, indicating a novel clinical interaction. Lower p16 positivity in co-infection hints at a protective mechanism, urging further exploration.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to define the superiority of icariin and its derivatives' anti-inflammatory activities and to create a reference framework for evaluating preclinical evidence. This method combines machine learning and meta-analysis to identify underlying biological pathways. Methods: Data came from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. SYRCLE was used to evaluate the risk of bias in a subset of research. Meta-analysis and detailed subgroup analyses, categorized by species, genders, disease type, dosage, and treatment duration, were performed using R and STATA 15.0 software to derive nuanced insights. Employing R software (version 4.2.3) and the tidymodels package, the analysis focused on constructing a model and selecting features, with TNF-α as the dependent variable. This approach aims to identify significant predictors of drug efficacy. An in-depth literature facilitated the synthesis of anti-inflammatory mechanisms attributed to icariin and its constituent compounds. Results: Following a meticulous search and selection process, 19 studies, involving 370 and 260 animals were included in the meta-analysis and machine-learning assessment, respectively. The findings revealed that icariin and its derivatives markedly reduced inflammation markers, including TNF-α and IL-1β. Additionally, machine-learning outcomes, with TNF-α as the target variable, indicated enhanced anti-inflammatory effects of icariin across respiratory, urological, neurological, and digestive disease types. These effects were more pronounced at doses exceeding 27.52 mg/kg/day and treatment durations beyond 31.22 days. Conclusion: Strong anti-inflammatory effects are exhibited by icariiin and its derivatives, which are especially beneficial in the management of digestive, neurological, pulmonary, and urinary conditions. Effective for periods longer than 31.22 days and at dosages more than 27.52 mg/kg/day. Subsequent research will involve more targeted animal experiments and safety assessments to obtain more comprehensive preclinical evidence.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester and the incidence of congenital heart diseases (CHDs) in offspring. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in the southeast of China and involved 21,425 pregnant women and their offspring in the final analysis between 2019 and 2022. Fasting blood samples from pregnant women participating in the Fujian birth cohort study (11.3 ± 1.40 weeks of gestation) were analyzed for serum uric acid levels. The perinatal outcome was the incidence of CHDs. All fetuses with CHDs were confirmed by echocardiography doctors and pediatric cardiologists. Logistic regression analysis and restricted cubic spline (RCS) modeling were employed to investigate the relationship between serum uric acid level and the incidence of CHDs. Results: We observed that maternal log2-transformed values of serum uric acid were strongly associated with odds of CHDs in offspring (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.589, 95 % CI [1.149, 2.198]). Compared to the lowest quartile, the AORs for maternal uric acid levels in the other quartiles and the corresponding risk of CHDs in offspring were 1.363 (95 % CI [1.036, 1.793]), 1.213 (95 % CI [0.914, 1.610]), and 1.472 (95 % CI [1.112, 1.949]), respectively. Hyperuricemia in the first trimester significantly increased the risk of CHDs in offspring 1.837 (95 % CI [1.073, 3.145]). Furthermore, RCS showed a linear relationship between maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester and the incidence of CHDs (P for nonlinearity = 0.71). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that elevated maternal serum uric acid levels in the first trimester were associated with an increased incidence of CHDs in offspring.

Leaf mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss), an important vegetable crop, experiences pronounced adversity due to seasonal drought stress, particularly at the seed germination stage. Although there is partial comprehension of drought-responsive genes, the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in adjusting mustard’s drought stress response is largely unexplored. In this study, we showed that the drought-tolerant cultivar ‘Weiliang’ manifested a markedly lower base water potential (−1.073 MPa vs −0.437 MPa) and higher germination percentage (41.2% vs 0%) than the drought-susceptible cultivar ‘Shuidong’ under drought conditions. High throughput RNA sequencing techniques revealed a significant repertoire of lncRNAs from both cultivars during germination under drought stress, resulting in the identification of 2,087 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) and their correspondingly linked 12,433 target genes. It was noted that 84 genes targeted by DEL exhibited enrichment in the photosynthesis pathway. Gene network construction showed that MSTRG.150397, a regulatory lncRNA, was inferred to potentially modulate key photosynthetic genes (Psb27, PetC, PetH, and PsbW), whilst MSTRG.107159 was indicated as an inhibitory regulator of six drought-responsive PIP genes. Further, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) corroborated the involvement of light intensity and stress response genes targeted by the identified DELs. The precision and regulatory impact of lncRNA were verified through qPCR. This study extends our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms governing drought stress responses in mustard, which will help strategies to augment drought tolerance in this crop.

Mitochondria are important organelles in cells for energy production, and mitochondrial damage caused by various reasons is an important factor promoting disease progression. Mitochondrial damage involves structural damage and mitochondrial DNA damage, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of respiratory system diseases. In recent years, a large number of studies have confirmed the significant role of mitochondrial damage in the progression of respiratory system diseases, which may be an important target for the treatment of respiratory system diseases with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This article reviews the role of TCM in regulating mitochondrial damage for intervention in respiratory system diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, acute lung injury, asthma, and pneumonia, aiming to provide a basis for the study of the pathogenesis and drug action targets of respiratory system diseases.

BackgroundPersistent HR-HPV causes cervical cancer, exhibiting geographic variance. Europe/Americas have higher HPV16/18 rates, while Asia/Africa predominantly have non-16/18 HR-HPV. This study in Fujian, Asia, explores non-16/18 HR-HPV infections, assessing their epidemiology and cervical lesion association for targeted prevention.MethodsA total of 101,621 women undergoing HPV screening at a hospital in Fujian Province from 2013 to 2019 were included. HPV genotyping was performed. A subset of 11,666 HPV-positive women with available histopathology results were analyzed to characterize HPV genotype distribution across cervical diagnoses.ResultsIn 101,621 samples, 24.5% tested positive for HPV. Among these samples, 17.3% exhibited single infections, while 7.2% showed evidence of multiple infections. The predominant non-16/18 high-risk HPV types identified were HPV 52, 58, 53, 51, and 81. Single HPV infections accounted for 64.1% of all HPV-positive cases, with 71.4% of these being non-16/18 high-risk HPV infections. Age-related variations were observed in 11,666 HPV-positive patients with pathological results. Cancer patients were older. In the cancer group, HPV52 (21.8%) and HPV58 (18.6%) were the predominant types, followed by HPV33, HPV31, and HPV53. Compared to single HPV16/18 infection, non-16/18 HPV predominated in LSIL. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for LSIL were elevated: multiple HPV16/18 (OR 2.18), multiple non-16/18 HR-HPV (OR 2.53), and multiple LR-HPV (OR 2.38). Notably, solitary HPV16/18 conferred higher odds for HSIL and cancer.ConclusionOur large-scale analysis in Fujian Province highlights HPV 52, 58, 53, 51, and 81 as predominant non-16/18 HR-HPV types. Multiple HPV poses increased LSIL risks, while solitary HPV16/18 elevates HSIL and cancer odds. These findings stress tailored cervical cancer prevention, highlighting specific HPV impacts on lesion severity and guiding region-specific strategies for optimal screening in Asia, emphasizing ongoing surveillance in the vaccination era.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the association of lipid profile in early pregnancy and the risk of congenital heart disease (CHD) in offspring. This study was a prospective cohort design based on the Fujian Birth Cohort Study in China. We recruited pregnant women at ≤ 14 weeks of gestation between 2019 and 2022, and all participants in this study filled out the questionnaire about periconceptional exposure. Simultaneously, we collected participants’ fasting blood samples to measure their lipid profile by automatic biochemical analyzer. The outcome was defined as offspring with CHD. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to calculate adjusted odds ratio (AOR) risk estimates, which indicate the associations between maternal lipid profiles and CHD in offspring. Restricted cubic splines were used to estimate their nonlinear relationship. A total of 21,425 pregnant women with an average gestational age of 11.3 (± 1.40) weeks were included in the analysis. The higher triglyceride (AOR 1.201, 95% CI [1.036, 1.394]), low-density lipoprotein (AOR 1.216, 95% CI [1.048, 1.410]), apolipoprotein B (Apo B) (AOR 2.107, 95% CI [1.179, 3.763]) levels were correlated with increased odds of CHD in offspring, while high-density lipoprotein (OR 0.672, 95% CI [0.490, 0.920]) related with decreased odds of CHD in offspring. The restricted cubic spline suggested a nonlinear relationship between total cholesterol (TC) levels and the risk of CHD in offspring (P = 0.0048), but no significant nonlinear relationships were found in other lipid profile. Apolipoprotein A was not related to the risk of CHD in offspring as either a continuous variable or a hierarchical variable. Elevated lipid profile in early pregnancy levels are associated with an increased risk of CHD in offspring. Additionally, there is a non-linear relationship between TC levels and the risk of CHD in offspring.

Abstract Integrating hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) has an encouraging prospect for the energy‐saving hydrogen production, demanding the high‐performance bifunctional HER/HzOR electrocatalyst. Ruthenium phosphide/doped carbon composites have exhibited superior activity toward multiple electrocatalytic reactions. To explore the decent water‐soluble precursors containing both N and P elements is highly attractive to facilely prepare metal phosphide/doped carbon composites. Herein, as one kind ecofriendly biomolecules, adenine nucleotide was first employed to selectively fabricate the highly pure RuP nanoparticles embedded into porous N,P‐codoped carbons (RuP/PNPC) with a straightforward “mix‐and‐pyrolyze” approach. The newly prepared RuP/PNPC only requires 4.0 and −83.0 mV at 10 mA/cm2 separately in alkaline HER and HzOR, outperforming most of reported electrocatalysts, together with the outstanding neutral bifunctional performance. Furthermore, the two‐electrode alkaline and neutral overall hydrazine splitting both exhibit significant power‐efficiency superiority to the corresponding overall water splitting with the voltage difference of larger than 2 V, which can be also easily driven by the fuel cells and solar cells with considerable H2 generation. Our report innovates the N‐ and P‐bearing adenine nucleotide to effortlessly synthesize the high‐quality RuP/doped carbon composite catalysts, highly potential as a universal platform for metal phosphide‐related functional materials.

To improve the real-time image acquisition and stabilization ability of dynamic robotic dog video acquisition devices, a dynamic robotic dog video image stabilization algorithm based on local low-rank regularization is proposed. Firstly, by studying the image acquisition system of a dynamic robotic dog video acquisition device, a real-time image acquisition and stabilization algorithm suitable for this system was developed based on the prior knowledge of motion morphology components. Then, the rolling curtain effect of the loading video capture device was eliminated through the principle of grid. These results confirmed that the improved algorithm achieved stable performance with approximate Gaussian weights between 170 frames and 230 frames, with the highest ITF value at $\tau =1$ and an average IFT value of 33.42 after 20 iterations. Then, $r=30$ , $\beta =1000$ , and $\omega _{2}$ were selected as the default parameters. The average cropping rate of the improved algorithm was only 0.61, the average distortion was 0.42, and the average stability was 0.69. The improved algorithm scored 3.33 in the “crowd” category of videos, ranking first. After verification, the real-time image acquisition and stabilization algorithm designed by the research institute had good real-time performance and stability. It can meet the real-time image acquisition and stabilization requirements of dynamic robotic dog video acquisition devices.

The retina of zebrafish can regenerate completely after injury. Multiple studies have demonstrated that metabolic alterations occur during retinal damage; however to date no study has identified a link between metabolites and retinal regeneration of zebrafish. Here, we performed an unbiased metabolome sequencing in the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-damaged retinas of zebrafish to demonstrate the metabolomic mechanism of retinal regeneration. Among the differentially-expressed metabolites, we found a significant decrease in p-aminobenzoic acid in the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-damaged retinas of zebrafish. Then, we investigated the role of p-aminobenzoic acid in retinal regeneration in adult zebrafish. Importantly, p-aminobenzoic acid activated Achaetescute complex-like 1a expression, thereby promoting Müller glia reprogramming and division, as well as Müller glia-derived progenitor cell proliferation. Finally, we eliminated folic acid and inflammation as downstream effectors of PABA and demonstrated that PABA had little effect on Müller glia distribution. Taken together, these findings show that PABA contributes to retinal regeneration through activation of Achaetescute complex-like 1a expression in the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid-damaged retinas of zebrafish.

Different intelligent devices have different operating systems, data interaction modes and network connection modes, which greatly hinder the realization of the Internet of everything. In view of the above problems, the combination of multi-IP core and Internet of Things application server, and the field programmable door array to improve its response speed, and reduce the system power consumption. Then a set of data communication technology is designed on the basis of Huffman coding to improve the data compression efficiency of the system and adapt to the transmission of various data. The experimental results show that the propagation efficiency of this data communication technology is about 73% on average, and the transmission rate fluctuates between 8MB and 14MB per second, which can reduce the coding time by about 10% compared with the traditional Huffman coding.

Abstract O-GlcNAcylation, an important post-translational modification catalyzed by O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), plays critical roles in several biological processes. In this study, we present our findings on the function of FpOGT in regulating physiological processes and pathogenicity of Fusarium proliferatum (Fp), the alfalfa root rot fungus. The deletion of FpOGT impaired mycelial growth and altered macroconidia morphology in Fp. Furthermore, ΔFpOGT mutant displayed altered tolerance to various stressors, including cell wall perturbing agents, osmotic stressors, metal ionic stressors, and fungicides. Deletion of FpOGT significantly decreased Fp virulence toward alfalfa. The transcriptome analysis demonstrated that FpOGT plays a regulatory role in glucose metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and hexosamine biosynthesis pathway (HBP), by influencing the expression of relevant genes. The downregulation of the glucokinase gene, FpGCK, was observed in ΔFpOGT, and the disruption of FpGCK led to a decrease in Fp virulence. Additionally, FpOGT affected the expression levels of the FpGCK-AS1 isoform, thereby impacting glucokinase function. The molecular docking analysis elucidated the plausible physical interaction between FpOGT and FpGCK, thereby offering valuable insights into their interrelationship. These findings underscore the indispensable involvement of FpOGT, the sole O-GlcNAc transferase in Fp, in various biological processes and the pathogenicity through its regulation of fundamental metabolic processes. Consequently, this study emphasizes the significance and elucidates the molecular mechanism underlying the role of O-GlcNAc transferase in diverse fundamental biological processes and the pathogenicity of phytopathogenic fungi.

Abstract Background Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is a group of fatal primary immunodeficiencies characterized by the severe impairment of T-cell differentiation. IL7R deficiency is a rare form of SCID that usually presents in the first months of life with severe and opportunistic infections, failure to thrive, and a high risk of mortality unless treated. Although recent improvements in early diagnosis have been achieved through newborn screening, few IL7R-related SCID patients had been reported in the Chinese population. Case presentation Here, we retrospectively analyzed a case of SCID in a 5-month-old girl with symptoms, including severe T-cell depletion, recurrent fever, oral ulcers, pneumonia, hepatosplenomegaly, bone marrow hemophagocytosis, and bacterial and viral infections. Whole-exome sequencing (WES), quantitative PCR (qPCR), and chromosome microarray analysis (CMA) were performed to identify the patient’s genetic etiology. We identified a 268 kb deletion and a splicing variant, c.221 + 1G > A, in the proband. These two variants of IL7R were inherited from the father and mother. Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first report of whole IL7R gene deletion in combination with a pathogenic splicing variant in a patient with SCID. This deletion also expands the pathogenic variation spectrum of SCID caused by IL7R. The incorporation of exome-based copy number variant analysis makes WES a powerful molecular diagnostic technique for the clinical diagnosis of pediatric patients.

The volatility and uncertainty associated with the high proportion of wind and PV output in the new power system significantly impact the power and energy balance, making it challenging to accurately assess the risks related to renewable energy abandonment and supply guarantee. Therefore, a probabilistic power and energy balance risk analysis method based on distributed robust optimization is proposed. Firstly, the affine factor and the flexible ramp reserve capacity of thermal power are combined to establish a probabilistic index, which serves to characterize the risk associated with the power and energy balance. Drawing upon the principles of the conditional value at risk theory, the risk indexes of the load shedding power and curtailment power under a certain confidence probability are proposed. Secondly, the probability distribution fuzzy sets of uncertain variables are constructed using the distributionally robust method to measure the Wasserstein distance between different probability distributions. Finally, aiming at minimizing the operation cost of thermal power, the risk cost of power abandonment, and the risk cost of load shedding, a distributed robust optimal scheduling model based on a flexible ramp reserve of thermal power is established.

With the increasing share of renewable energy generation and the integration of large-scale electric vehicles (EVs) into the grid, the reasonable charging and discharging scheduling of electric vehicles is essential for the stable operation of power grid. Therefore, this paper proposes a bi-objective optimal scheduling strategy for microgrids based on the participation of electric vehicles in vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) mode. Firstly, the system structure for electric vehicles participating in the charging and discharging schedule was established. Secondly, a bi-objective optimization model was formulated, considering load mean square error and user charging cost. A heuristic method was employed to handle constraints related to system energy balance and equipment output. Then, the Monte Carlo method was employed to simulate electric vehicle loads and to facilitate the generation of and reduction in scenario scenes. Finally, the model was solved using an improved multi-objective barebones particle swarm optimization algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed scheduling strategy has a lower charging cost (CNY 11,032.4) and lower load mean square error (12.84 × 105 kW2) than the strategy employed in the comparison experiment, which ensures the economic and stable operation of the microgrid.

Introduction: Myocardial infarction (MI), the most prevalent ischemic heart disease, constitutes a primary cause of global cardiovascular disease with incidence and mortality. The pathogenesis of MI is exceedingly intricate, with PANoptosis playing a pivotal role in its pathological process. Xian Ling Gu Bao capsule (XLGB) contains various active components, including flavonoids, terpenes, and phenylpropanoids, and exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities. However, it remains unclear whether XLGB can protect the myocardium from damage after MI. This study aimed to investigate the impact of XLGB on isoprenaline (ISO)-induced MI in mice and its potential mechanisms.Methods: This study assessed the protective effects of XLGB against ISO-induced MI through techniques such as echocardiography, HE staining, Masson staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, the potential mechanisms of XLGB's protective effects on MI were explored using bioinformatics, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. These mechanisms were further validated through immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting.Results: The results demonstrated that various doses of XLGB exhibited a significant reduction in myocardial injury induced by myocardial infarction. Intriguingly, higher dosages of XLGB displayed superior therapeutic efficacy compared to the positive control metoprolol. This protective effect is primarily achieved through the inhibition of oxidative stress and the inflammatory processes. Furthermore, we have elucidated that XLGB protected the myocardium from MI-induced damage by suppressing PANoptosis, with a critical role played by the NLRP3/Caspase3/RIP1 signaling pathway. Of particular note, the primary compounds of XLGB were found to directly interact with NLRP3/Caspase3/RIP1, a discovery further validated through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. This suggests that NLRP3/Caspase3/RIP1 may be a therapeutic target for XLGB-induced myocardial protection.Conclusion: In summary, our findings reveal a novel property of XLGB: reverses myocardial damage following MI by inhibiting the NLRP3/Caspase3/RIP1-mediated PANoptosis pathway.

BackgroundNeonatal screening for inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) has been revolutionized by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). This study aimed to enhance neonatal screening for IMDs using machine learning (ML) techniques.MethodsThe study involved the analysis of a comprehensive dataset comprising 309,102 neonatal screening records collected in the Ningbo region, China. An advanced ML system model, encompassing nine distinct algorithms, was employed for the purpose of predicting the presence of 31 different IMDs. The model was compared with traditional cutoff schemes to assess its diagnostic efficacy. Additionally, 180 suspected positive cases underwent further evaluation.ResultsThe ML system exhibited a significantly reduced positive rate, from 1.17% to 0.33%, compared to cutoff schemes in the initial screening, minimizing unnecessary recalls and associated stress. In suspected positive cases, the ML system identified 142 true positives with high sensitivity (93.42%) and improved specificity (78.57%) compared to the cutoff scheme. While false negatives emerged, particularly in heterozygous carriers, our study revealed the potential of the ML system to detect asymptomatic cases.ConclusionThis research provides valuable insights into the potential of ML in pediatric medicine for IMD diagnosis through neonatal screening, emphasizing the need for accurate carrier detection and further research in this domain.

Abstract Bimetallic layered double hydroxide (LDH) delivers competitive performance in lithium‐ion battery (LIB) because of the unique layered structure. However, the electrochemical performance of LDH is hindered by the low conductivity and the huge structure change upon cycling. To face this challenge, the 1D/2D NiCo‐LDH nanowire/MXene composites (NiCo‐LDH/MXene) are dedicatedly constructed via a simple one‐step hydrothermal method. Owing to the robust conductive skeleton is enabled by MXene nanosheets and abundant electroactive sites provided by NiCo‐LDH nanowires, the NiCo‐LDH/MXene anode exhibits rapid ion diffusion, exceptional redox reaction, and superior structural stability. Consequently, it offers a high specific capacitance of 1081 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at the current density of 100 mA g−1 and impressive rate performance, i.e., 439 mAh g−1 at the current density of 1000 mA g−1. These results will motivate the exploration of advanced electrode materials for application in energy storage devices.

ObjectiveTo analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including clinical features, disease prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis (PM), and drug sensitivity of S. pneumoniae isolates in Chinese children.MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical, laboratory microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children less than 15 years of age with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals in China.ResultsA total of 160 PM patients were diagnosed, including 103 males and 57 females The onset age was 15 days to 15 years old, and the median age was 1 year and 3 months. There were 137 cases (85.6%) in the 3 months to

Based on the parallel rock samples of tight oil reservoirs, the imbibition comparison experiments respecting to formation water and active water under different experimental conditions have been initiated. With adoption of the experimental measures i.e. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), the micro-production mechanism of the enforcement of the imbibition oil recovery effect by the active agent has been analyzed. Surfactant may promote the imbibition effect of samples with different wettability, different water saturation and different sizes. The imbibition recovery ratios of No. 1 hydrophilic core in formation water and active water are respective 15.79% and 17.68%, and the active water imbibition increased by 1.88%, with an enforcement ratio of 11.97%. The imbibition recovery ratios of No. 3 lipophilic core in formation water and active water are respective 10.64% and 13.26%, and the active water imbibition increased by 2.62%, with an enforcement ratio of​ 24.62%. The enforcement effect of surfactant on the lipophilic core is higher than that on the hydrophilic core. The enforcement ratio of No. 1 core in macropores is 8.78%, and that of No. 3 rock is 36.14%, indicating that the surfactant can effectively reduce the seepage resistance of the lipophilic cores and enhance the imbibition recovery ratio of macropores. The increase magnitude and the enforcement ratio of the imbibition recovery of No. 4 low water-contained core are lower than those of No. 6 high water-contained core, indicating that the surfactant has a greater impact on the imbibition of high water-contained cores. The enforcement ratio in active water imbibition in core No. 4 is 28.59% in micropores and 15.46% in macropores; and respective 1460.74% and 9.56% for No. 6 core. The enforcement ratios of micropores in the two cores are both higher than those in macropores. It shows that the surfactant has a great influence on the permeability of micropores in the core. The increment magnitude in active water imbibition of small No. 2 core is 22%, and that of No. 2 large core is 26.93%, indicating that the surfactant has a greater impact on the imbibition of large cores.

Tintinnids (Ciliophora) are important microzooplankton grazers. In the Southern Ocean, they are found in the Antarctic Zone, Polar Front and Subantarctic Zone. The Antarctic Zone encompasses large gyres (Weddell Gyre and Ross Gyre) and the Antarctic Slope Current around the continent. The influence of these water masses on tintinnid communities has not been studied. This study investigated the tintinnid community structure in the Weddell and Cosmonaut seas in the summer of 2022. In the Weddell Gyre, tintinnid abundance was significantly lower in the interior than at the fronts. The dominant species differed between the east and west fronts: the proportion of Codonellopsis gaussi was high at the west front, whilst Laackmanniella naviculaefera, Salpingella sp. and Salpingella faurei showed high abundances at the east front. Tintinnid communities varied from inshore to offshore of the Cosmonaut Sea, possibly because of the influence from the Antarctic Slope Current and Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The Antarctic Slope Current was characterized by the occurrence of Cymatocylis drygalskii, whilst the Antarctic Circumpolar Current was characterized by Codonellopsis glacialis, Cymatocylis convallaria and Cy. calyciformis. We proposed that Cy. drygalskii can be used as an indicator of the Antarctic Slope Current. Moreover, we classify polymorphic C. gaussi into three types, in accordance with their loricae, and report their distribution characteristics in water masses. Our results contribute to a better understanding of tintinnid horizontal distribution in different parts of the Weddell Gyre and water masses and serve as a baseline for future studies of pelagic community responses to climate change in the Southern Ocean.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with motor deficits due to nigrostriatal dopamine depletion and with the non-motor/premotor symptoms (NMS) such as anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, depression, hyposmia, and sleep disorders. NMS is presented in at least one-fifth of the patients with PD. With the histological information being investigated, stem cells are shown to provide neurotrophic supports and cellular replacement in the damaging brain areas under PD conditions. Pathological change of progressive PD includes degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. The current stem cell beneficial effect addresses dopamine boost for the striatal neurons and gliovascular mechanisms as competing for validated PD drug targets. In addition, there are clinical interventions for improving the patient’s NMS and targeting their autonomic dysfunction, dementia, mood disorders, or sleep problems. In our and many others’ research using brain injury models, multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells demonstrate an additional and unique ability to alleviate depressive-like behaviors, independent of an accelerated motor recovery. Intranasal delivery of the stem cells is discussed for it is extensively tested in rodent animal models of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we attempt to discuss the repairing potentials of transplanted cells into parkinsonism pathological regions of motor deficits and focus on preventive and treatment effects. From new approaches in the PD biological therapy, it is believed that it can as well benefit patients against PD-NMS.

The prevailing customized electricity pricing methods in China primarily utilize a single power price, which is an extra service cost charged per kWh. This paper suggests a customed power pricing optimization method that takes into account not only electricity quantity (kWh), but also capacity (kVA), and considers the gaming ability of both users and the electricity retail company. Firstly, the method for determining level of the quality of power is introduced in this paper, which is based on various quality of power indices Next, an optimization model for the customized electricity pricing is suggested, which takes into account the gaming ability of both users and the new power sales company (NPSC). Lastly, this paper conducts a case study of four representative users situated in an industrial park in Chengdu, Sichuan province to demonstrate the practical application of the proposed approach. The findings indicate that the suggested approach can allocate customized electricity charges between capacity and electricity consumed by users in a rational manner, thus enhancing the efficiency of production equipment for users.

State of health (SOH) estimation plays a vital role in ensuring the safe and stable operation of lithium-ion battery management systems (BMSs). Data-driven methods are widely used to estimate SOH; however, existing methods often suffer from fixed or excessively high feature dimensions, impacting the model’s adjustability and applicability. This study first proposed a layered knee point strategy based on the charging voltage curve, which reduced the complexity of feature extraction. Then, a new hybrid framework called the adaptive gated sequence network (AGSN) model was proposed. This model integrated independently recurrent neural network (IndRNN) layers, active state tracking long short-term memory (AST-LSTM) layers, and adaptive gating mechanism (AGM) layers. By integrating a multi-layered structure and an adaptive gating mechanism, the SOH prediction performance was significantly improved. Finally, batteries under different operating conditions were tested using the NASA battery dataset. The results show that the AGSN model demonstrated higher accuracy and robustness in battery SOH estimation, with estimation errors consistently within 1%.

The aims of this study were to explore the significant chemical changes in functional components induced by the traditional processing method and evaluate whether this method based on nine cycles of steaming and drying can effectively enhance the medicinal effects of Polygonatum cyrtonema rhizome. A global analysis on dynamic changes in secondary metabolites during nine processing cycles was performed, and the significantly differentially accumulated secondary metabolites were initially identified based on the secondary metabolome. Unsupervised principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLA-DA) on secondary metabolites clearly showed that processing significantly increased the global accumulation of secondary metabolites in processed P. cyrtonema rhizomes compared to unprocessed crude rhizomes. The first six processing cycles induced drastic changes in the accumulation of functional components, while the last three did not induce further changes. The accumulations of most functional components were significantly enhanced after the first three cycles and stabilized after six cycles; meanwhile, the first three cycles also led to numerous new components. However, the enhancing effects were unavoidably reversed or weakened under continued processing lasting 6–9 cycles. Furthermore, continued processing also reduced the contents of a small number of original components to undetectable levels. Processing induced some significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, among which the first three processing cycles enhanced the synthesis of various secondary metabolites and significantly affected the metabolisms of amino acids. In conclusion, this study not only reveals that processing can effectively enhance the medicinal effects, by two main mechanisms including enhancing chemical synthesis and inducing structural transformation of functional components, but also provides theoretical guidance for the optimization of the traditional processing method based on nine cycles of steaming and drying for achieving optimal effects on enhancing the medicinal effects of P. cyrtonema rhizome.

This study aims to understand the functional component compositions of traditional herbal health beverages made from Polygonatum cyrtonema rhizomes and to reveal the pharmacodynamic chemical basis for their claimed health benefits. Two traditional methods, rhizome decoction and rhizome infusion, were used to make health herbal beverages, including “Huangjin” tea and “Huangjin” wine, respectively. The secondary metabolites of “Huangjin” beverages were investigated and compared by widely targeted metabolomics. The results clearly showed that the major functional components in “Huangjin” beverages were phenolic acids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. The “Huangjin” wine has a greater variety of flavonoids and alkaloids than “Huangjin” tea, and the functional components in “Huangjin” wine were more abundant than those in “Huangjin” tea. Homoisoflavones and amide alkaloids were the dominating flavonoids and alkaloids in “Huangjin” wine, respectively. Continuous rhizome infusion could not increase the content of functional components in “Huangjin” wine. In conclusion, this study not only provides primary evidence to support the claimed health benefits of “Huangjin” beverages but also suggests that making traditional herbal beverages by rhizome infusion has superior health benefits than making them by rhizome decoction, which is attributed to the higher yields of functional components extracted by Chinese liquor than hot water. Therefore, Chinese liquor shows advantages in its use as a superior binary ethanol–water solvent in making herbal health beverages to enhance the solubility of poorly water-soluble functional components.

The rare and endangered plant species Abies fanjingshanensis, which has a limited habitat, a limited distribution area, and a small population, is under severe threat, particularly due to poor leaf health. The plant endophytic microbiome is an integral part of the host, and increasing evidence indicates that the interplay between plants and endophytic microbes is a key determinant for sustaining plant fitness. However, little attention has been given to the differences in the endophytic microbial community structure, network complexity, and assembly processes in leaves with different leaf health statuses. Here, we investigated the endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in healthy leaves (HLs) and non-healthy leaves (NLs) of A. fanjingshanensis using 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer sequencing and evaluated how leaf health status affects the co-occurrence patterns and assembly processes of leaf endophytic microbial communities based on the co-occurrence networks, the niche breadth index, a neutral community model, and C-score metrics. HLs had significantly greater endophytic bacterial and fungal abundance and diversity than NLs, and there were significant differences in the endophytic microbial communities between HLs and NLs. Leaf-health-sensitive endophytic microbes were taxonomically diverse and were mainly grouped into four ecological clusters according to leaf health status. Poor leaf health reduced the complexity of the endophytic bacterial and fungal community networks, as reflected by a decrease in network nodes and edges and an increase in degrees of betweenness and assortativity. The stochastic processes of endophytic bacterial and fungal community assembly were weakened, and the deterministic processes became more important with declining leaf health. These results have important implications for understanding the ecological patterns and interactions of endophytic microbial communities in response to changing leaf health status and provide opportunities for further studies on exploiting plant endophytic microbes to conserve this endangered Abies species.

The direct-drive selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) is widely used in high-end manufacturing fields, as it omits the mechanical transmission structures and has the advantages of high positioning accuracy and fast movement speed. However, due to the intensifying dynamic coupling problem of structures in the direct-drive SCARA, the permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) located at the joints will take on nonstationary loads, which causes excessive internal temperature and reduces the lifetime of PMSMs. To address these issues, the lifetime prediction of PMSMs is studied. The kinematic and dynamic models of the SCARA are established to calculate the torque curve required by the PMSM in specific typical motion tasks. Additionally, considering thermal stress as the main factor affecting lifetime, accelerated degradation tests are conducted on insulation material. Then, the reliability function of the PMSM is formulated based on the accelerated degradation model. Based on the parameters and working conditions of the PMSM, the temperature field distribution is obtained through simulation. The maximum temperature is used as the reference temperature to conduct reliability evaluation and lifetime prediction of the PMSM. The research results show that for a typical point-to-point task, the PMSM can run for 102,623 h while achieving the reliability requirement of 0.99.

Plant DnaJA proteins act as molecular chaperones in response to environmental stressors. The purpose of this study was to characterize the function and regulatory mechanisms of DnaJA genes in soybean. Gene expression profiles in various soybean tissues at various stages of development indicated that GmDnaJAs function in the coordination of stress and plant hormone responses. GmDnaJA6 was identified as a candidate regulator of saline and alkaline stress resistance and GmDnaJA6 overexpression lines showed increased soybean saline and alkaline tolerance. DnaJ interacted with Hsp70, and GmHsp70 increased the saline and alkaline tolerance of plants with chimeric soybean hairy roots.

Abstract Background Rhizomelic limb shortening with dysmorphic features (RLSDF) has already been a disorder of the rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia, just having a few reported cases. RLSDF is caused by protein kinase domain containing, cytoplasmic(PKDCC)gene variants. In this study, we describe the clinical features and potential RLSDF molecular etiology in a fetus from China. Methods Genomic DNA (gDNA) extracted from the fetal muscle tissue and parents’ peripheral blood was subjected to chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and trio-based whole exome sequencing (Trio-WES). The candidate pathogenic variants were verified by using Sanger sequencing. Results Trio-WES identified two compound heterozygous variants in PKDCC, c.346delC (p.Pro117Argfs*113) and c.994G > T (p.Glu332Ter), inherited from the father and mother, respectively. Both variants are classified as pathogenic according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. Conclusions We reported the first prenatal case of RLSDF caused by PKDCC in the Chinese population. Our findings extended the variation spectrum of PKDCC and emphasized the necessity of WES for the early diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia and other ultrasound structural abnormalities in fetuses.

Local geometric information and discontinuity features are key aspects of the analysis of the evolution and failure mechanisms of unstable rock blocks in rock tunnels. This study demonstrates the integration of terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) with distinct element method for rock mass characterization and stability analysis in tunnels. TLS records detailed geometric information of the surrounding rock mass by scanning and collecting the positions of millions of rock surface points without contact. By conducting a fuzzy K-means method, a discontinuity automatic identification algorithm was developed, and a method for obtaining the geometric parameters of discontinuities was proposed. This method permits the user to visually identify each discontinuity and acquire its spatial distribution features (e.g. occurrences, spacings, trace lengths) in great detail. Compared with hand mapping in conventional geotechnical surveys, the geometric information of discontinuities obtained by this approach is more accurate and the identification is more efficient. Then, a discrete fracture network with the same statistical characteristics as the actual discontinuities was generated with the distinct element method, and a representative numerical model of the jointed surrounding rock mass was established. By means of numerical simulation, potential unstable rock blocks were assessed, and failure mechanisms were analyzed. This method was applied to detection and assessment of unstable rock blocks in the spillway and sand flushing tunnel of the Hongshiyan hydropower project after a collapse. The results show that the noncontact detection of blocks was more labor-saving with lower safety risks compared with manual surveys, and the stability assessment was more reliable since the numerical model built by this method was more consistent with the distribution characteristics of actual joints. This study can provide a reference for geological survey and unstable rock block hazard mitigation in tunnels subjected to complex geology and active rockfalls.

Abstract The Guizhou golden monkey (Rhinopithecus brelichi) is a critically endangered wildlife species, and understanding its diet composition may be useful for assessing its feeding strategies. DNA metabarcoding was used to determine the dietary diversity of R. brelichi. DNA was extracted from 31 faecal samples and amplified chloroplast rbcL and mitochondrial COI DNA was sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq platform. A comparative analysis of the sequences revealed that the five most abundant plant genera were Magnolia, Morinda, Viburnum, Tetradium and Eurya. In winter, R. brelichi mostly consumed shrubs, herbs and shrubs/trees according to the habit of plant genera with higher abundances comparatively. The five most abundant families in animal diet were Psychodidae, Trichinellidae, Staphylinidae, Scarabaeidae and Trichoceridae. This study is the first to show the composition of the winter animal diets of R. brelichi based on DNA metabarcoding. These results provide an important basis for understanding the diet of wild R. brelichi, which inhabits only the Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve, China.