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Abstract The gut microbiota plays an important role in the immunology, physiology and growth and development of animals. However, currently, there is a lack of available sequencing data on the gut microbiota of Asian badgers. Studying the gut microbiota of Asian badgers could provide fundamental data for enhancing productivity and immunity of badgers’ breeding, as well as for the protection of wild animals. In this study, we first characterized the composition and structure of the gut microbiota in the large intestines of wild and captive Asian badgers during summer and winter by sequencing the V3-V4 region of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. A total of 9 dominant phyla and 12 genera among the bacterial communities of the large intestines exhibited significant differences. Our results showed that Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most predominant in both wild and captive badgers, regardless of the season. Romboutsia, Streptococcus and Enterococcus may represent potential sources of zoonoses, warranting further attention and study. Our findings indicated that the diversity and availability of food resources were the most important influencing factors on the gut microbiota of Asian badgers, providing fundamental data for the protection and conservation of wild animals. Variation in the gut microbiota due to season, age and sex in both wild and captive Asian badgers should be considered in future research directions. Furthermore, combined multi-omics studies could provide more information for wild animal conservation, and enhancing our understanding of the molecular mechanism between the microbiota and host.

Abstract The collective modes of the superconducting order parameter fluctuation can provide key insights into the nature of the superconductor. Recently, a family of superconductors has emerged in non-magnetic kagome materials AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb, Cs), exhibiting fertile emergent phenomenology. However, the collective behaviors of Cooper pairs have not been studied. Here, we report a distinct collective mode in CsV3-x Ta x Sb5 using scanning tunneling microscope/spectroscopy. The spectral line-shape is well-described by one isotropic and one anisotropic superconducting gap, and a bosonic mode due to electron-mode coupling. With increasing x, the two gaps move closer in energy, merge into two isotropic gaps of equal amplitude, and then increase synchronously. The mode energy decreases monotonically to well below $${{2}}{{\Delta }}$$ 2 Δ and survives even after the charge density wave order is suppressed. We propose the interpretation of this collective mode as Leggett mode between different superconducting components or the Bardasis-Schrieffer mode due to a subleading superconducting component.

Using renewable steam-exploded poplar (SEP) as carbon source, nickel metal doped carbon hybrid materials were designed to synthesize catalysts (Ni/SEP) with certain oxygen evolution reaction (OER) properties and were compared with nickel catalysts supported on metal organic framework structure (ZIF67-Ni). The roles of SEP support in Ni-based catalyst were considered. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images confirmed that the fiber could better hinder the aggregation of metal particles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) indicated the presence of surface OH groups after the reduction process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses confirmed the major form of metallic Ni in the resulting Ni catalysts. Carbon materials as carriers, the synergetic effect of Ni-doped, and carbon carrier played an important role in facilitating the kinetics of OER, which was similar to the carrier of metal-organic frame material. Notably, the Ni/SEP (11.3 mF/cm-2) and ZIF67-Ni (37.2 mF/cm-2) with better OER performance exhibited a smaller double layer capacitances (Cdl), suggesting the intrinsic OER catalytic activity of the Ni/SEP and ZIF67-Ni were much higher in comparison to the ZIF67-Ni/SEP. Moreover, the inferior performance of Ni/SEP further indicated that the synergistic effect between carbon and Ni/NiO contributes to the enhanced OER activity.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 infection is initiated by Spike glycoprotein binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor via its receptor binding domain. Blocking this interaction has been proven to be an effective approach to inhibit virus infection. Here we report the discovery of a neutralizing nanobody named VHH60, which was directly produced from an engineering nanobody library based on a commercialized nanobody within a very short period. VHH60 competes with human ACE2 to bind the receptor binding domain of the Spike protein at S351, S470-471and S493-494 as determined by structural analysis, with an affinity of 2.56 nM. It inhibits infections of both ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and pseudotyped viruses harboring SARS-CoV-2 wildtype, key mutations or variants at the nanomolar level. Furthermore, VHH60 suppressed SARS-CoV-2 infection and propagation 50-fold better and protected mice from death for twice as long as the control group after SARS-CoV-2 nasal infections in vivo. Therefore, VHH60 is not only a powerful nanobody with a promising profile for disease control but also provides evidence for a highly effective and rapid approach to generating therapeutic nanobodies.

Abstract Objective To investigate the anatomic risk factors of knee in patients with acute non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (aACL) ruptures to develop ramp lesions. Methods A total of 202 subjects were retrospectively divided into three groups: (1) aACL ruptures combined with ramp lesions group (n = 76); (2) isolated ACL ruptures group (n = 56) and (3) normal controls group (n = 70). Quantitative morphological parameters on MRI were measured including: diameter of medial femoral condyle (MFC), anterior-posterior length and depth of medial tibial plateau (MTP AP length and depth), lateral posterior tibial slope (LPTS) and medial posterior tibial slope (MTPS), asymmetry of LPTS and MPTS (LMPTS), lateral meniscal slope (LMS), and medial meniscal slope (MMS). Results The MTP AP length, MTP AP length/MFC diameter ratio, MTP depth, LPTS and the asymmetry of LMPTS showed significant differences among the three groups (p

Abstract Objective To evaluate the predictive value of PD-1 expression in T lymphocytes for rehospitalization due to acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in discharged patients. Methods 115 participants hospitalized with COPD (average age 71.8 ± 6.0 years) were recruited at Fujian Provincial Hospital. PD1+T lymphocytes proportions (PD1+T%), baseline demographics and clinical data were recorded at hospital discharge. AECOPD re-admission were collected at 1-year follow-up. Kaplan-Meier analysis compared the time to AECOPD readmissions among groups stratified by PD1+T%. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression and stratified analysis determined the correlation between PD1+T%, potential confounders, and AECOPD re-admission. ROC and DCA evaluated PD1+T% in enhancing the clinical predictive values of Cox models, BODE and CODEX. Results 68 participants (59.1%) were AECOPD readmitted, those with AECOPD readmission exhibited significantly elevated baseline PD-1+CD4+T/CD4+T% and PD-1+CD8 + T/CD8 + T% compared to non-readmitted counterparts. PD1+ T lymphocyte levels statistically correlated with BODE and CODEX indices. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that those in Higher PD1+ T lymphocyte proportions had reduced time to AECOPD readmission (logRank p

Abstract China’s extensive planted forests play a crucial role in carbon storage, vital for climate change mitigation. However, the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of China’s planted forest area and its carbon storage remain uncaptured. Here we reveal such changes in China’s planted forests from 1990 to 2020 using satellite and field data. Results show a doubling of planted forest area, a trend that intensified post-2000. These changes lead to China’s planted forest carbon storage increasing from 675.6 ± 12.5 Tg C in 1990 to 1,873.1 ± 16.2 Tg C in 2020, with an average rate of ~ 40 Tg C yr−1. The area expansion of planted forests contributed ~ 53% (637.2 ± 5.4 Tg C) of the total above increased carbon storage in planted forests compared with planted forest growth. This proactive policy-driven expansion of planted forests has catalyzed a swift increase in carbon storage, aligning with China’s Carbon Neutrality Target for 2060.

ObjectiveThis meta-analysis aims to evaluate the global prevalence of mental disorders among young people living with HIV.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for articles relevant to the study, published between January 2013 and June 2023. To identify sources of heterogeneity and compare prevalence estimates among various groups, subgroup analyses were conducted. Study heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran’s Q and the I2 tests. The robustness of the findings was ascertained through sensitivity analyses, while publication bias was evaluated with funnel plots and Egger’s test.ResultsSixty studies were included in this meta-analysis. It revealed that approximately one-quarter of YLWH experience depression, with a prevalence of 24.6% (95% CI: 21.1–28.2%). The prevalence of anxiety was found to be 17.0% (95% CI: 11.4–22.6%). Regarding suicidality, the prevalence of suicidal ideation and lifetime suicidal ideation in YLWH was 16.8% (95% CI: 11.3–22.4%) and 29.7% (95% CI: 23.7–35.7%), respectively. Additionally, the prevalence rates for suicidal attempts and lifetime suicidal attempts were 9.7% (95% CI: 4.0–15.4%) and 12.9% (95% CI: 2.8–23.1%), respectively. The prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder was identified as 10.5% (95% CI: 5.8–15.2%) and 5.0% (95% CI: 3.1–7.0%), respectively.ConclusionThe findings indicate a heightened risk of mental disorders among YLWH, underscoring the necessity for targeted intervention strategies to mitigate their suffering and potentially diminish the adverse impacts.Systematic Review RegistrationPROSPERO, identifier CRD42023470050, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023470050.

IntroductionAs an essential part of plant cell walls, lignin provides mechanical support for plant growth, enhances water transport, and helps to defend against pathogens. As the most abundant natural aromatic-based renewable resource on earth, its biosynthesis has always been a research focus, and it is still currently under study.MethodsIn this study, the p-coumaryl alcohol analog (HALK) and the coniferyl alcohol analog (GALK) containing an alkyne group at the ortho position were synthesized and applied to lignification in vivo and in vitro. The incorporation of these novel lignin monomers was observed via fluorescence imaging.Results and DiscussionIt was found that the two monolignol analogs could be incorporated in dehydrogenated polymers (DHPs) in vitro and in flax cell walls in vivo. The results showed that as the cultivation time and precursor concentration varied, the deposition of H and G-type lignin exhibited differences in deposition mode. At the subcellular scale, the deposited lignin first appears in the cell corner and the middle lamella, and then gradually appears on the cell walls. Furthermore, lignin was also found in bast fiber. It was demonstrated that these new molecules could provide high-resolution localization of lignin during polymerization.

Abstract Atomically precise defect engineering is essential to manipulate the properties of emerging topological quantum materials for practical quantum applications. However, this remains challenging due to the obstacles in modifying the typically complex crystal lattice with atomic precision. Here, we report the atomically precise engineering of the vacancy-localized spin–orbit polarons in a kagome magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2, using scanning tunneling microscope. We achieve the step-by-step repair of the selected vacancies, leading to the formation of artificial sulfur vacancies with elaborate geometry. We find that that the bound states localized around these vacancies undergo a symmetry dependent energy shift towards Fermi level with increasing vacancy size. As the vacancy size increases, the localized magnetic moments of spin–orbit polarons become tunable and eventually become itinerantly negative due to spin–orbit coupling in the kagome flat band. These findings provide a platform for engineering atomic quantum states in topological quantum materials at the atomic scale.

Abstract Respiratory disease caused by coronavirus infection remains a global health crisis. Although several SARS-CoV-2-specific vaccines and direct-acting antivirals are available, their efficacy on emerging coronaviruses in the future, including SARS-CoV-2 variants, might be compromised. Host-targeting antivirals provide preventive and therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and manage future outbreak of emerging coronaviruses. Cathepsin L (CTSL) and calpain-1 (CAPN1) are host cysteine proteases which play crucial roles in coronaviral entrance into cells and infection-related immune response. Here, two peptidomimetic α-ketoamide compounds, 14a and 14b, were identified as potent dual target inhibitors against CTSL and CAPN1. The X-ray crystal structures of human CTSL and CAPN1 in complex with 14a and 14b revealed the covalent binding of α-ketoamide groups of 14a and 14b to C25 of CTSL and C115 of CAPN1. Both showed potent and broad-spectrum anticoronaviral activities in vitro, and it is worth noting that they exhibited low nanomolar potency against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants of concern (VOCs) with EC50 values ranging from 0.80 to 161.7 nM in various cells. Preliminary mechanistic exploration indicated that they exhibited anticoronaviral activity through blocking viral entrance. Moreover, 14a and 14b exhibited good oral pharmacokinetic properties in mice, rats and dogs, and favorable safety in mice. In addition, both 14a and 14b treatments demonstrated potent antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2 XBB 1.16 variant infection in a K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model. And 14b also showed effective antiviral activity against HCoV-OC43 infection in a mouse model with a final survival rate of 60%. Further evaluation showed that 14a and 14b exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory effects in Raw 264.7 mouse macrophages and in mice with acute pneumonia. Taken together, these results suggested that 14a and 14b are promising drug candidates, providing novel insight into developing pan-coronavirus inhibitors with antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties.

Abstract The formation of charge density waves is a long-standing open problem, particularly in dimensions higher than one. Various observations in the vanadium antimonides discovered recently further underpin this notion. Here, we study the Kagome metal CsV3Sb5 using polarized inelastic light scattering and density functional theory calculations. We observe a significant gap anisotropy with $$2{\Delta }_{\max }/{k}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}{T}_{{{{{{{{\rm{CDW}}}}}}}}}\, \approx \, 20$$ 2 Δ max / k B T CDW ≈ 20 , far beyond the prediction of mean-field theory. The analysis of the A 1g and E 2g phonons, including those emerging below T CDW, indicates strong phonon-phonon coupling, presumably mediated by a strong electron-phonon interaction. Similarly, the asymmetric Fano-type lineshape of the A 1g amplitude mode suggests strong electron-phonon coupling below T CDW. The large electronic gap, the enhanced anharmonic phonon-phonon coupling, and the Fano shape of the amplitude mode combined are more supportive of a strong-coupling phonon-driven charge density wave transition than of a Fermi surface instability or an exotic mechanism in CsV3Sb5.

Abstract Compliant strain sensors are crucial for soft robots’ perception and autonomy. However, their deformable bodies and dynamic actuation pose challenges in predictive sensor manufacturing and long-term robustness. This necessitates accurate sensor modelling and well-controlled sensor structural changes under strain. Here, we present a computational sensor design featuring a programmed crack array within micro-crumples strategy. By controlling the user-defined structure, the sensing performance becomes highly tunable and can be accurately modelled by physical models. Moreover, they maintain robust responsiveness under various demanding conditions including noise interruptions (50% strain), intermittent cyclic loadings (100,000 cycles), and dynamic frequencies (0–23 Hz), satisfying soft robots of diverse scaling from macro to micro. Finally, machine intelligence is applied to a sensor-integrated origami robot, enabling robotic trajectory prediction (

[Abstract]: Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis for the nonsurgical correction of complex auricular deformities. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 2020 to 2021 for 6 patients who underwent correction using a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis. The indications, corrective effects, and complications associated with use of the orthosis were analyzed. Results: There were four indications for treatment: cryptotia with helix adhesion; cryptotia with grade I microtia; cryptotia with excessive helix thickness; and auricular deformity beyond the treatment time window (≥6 months). Excellent corrective effects were observed in all 6 patients. Complications occurred in one patient, who recovered after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: The use of a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis alone or combined with a U-shaped helix orthosis presents a feasible approach for correcting complex auricular deformities or deformities beyond the treatment time window in pediatric patients.

Volume stability is the key to limiting the application of high dosages of steel slag (SS) in geopolymers (GPs). In this paper, the effects of mixing time, particle size and dosage of SS powder, modulus and Na2O content of activators, and immersion treatment on the early expansion behavior of SS-based GPs were studied. The leaching behavior of free-oxides from SS was explored. Moreover, the mechanism of SS-induced early expansion of GPs was analyzed based on mineral composition and micromorphology of hydration products. The results reveal that the rapid expansion of SS-based GPs mainly occurs in the first 2.5–6 h, followed by slow shrinkage. Increasing the particle size of SS powder and the modulus and Na2O content of activators, decreasing the dosage of SS powder and the mixing time, and immersion treatment can reduce the early expansion of SS-based GPs. Free-CaO in SS will leach out and participate in the hydration reaction, resulting in amorphous gel phases (C-A-S-H, C-S-H, and N-A-S-H) and Ca(OH)2 in the hydration products. Indicating that the free-CaO from SS is the key to the early expansion of GPs. The substitution of ground granulated blast furnace slag for SS can reduce the leaching amount of free-CaO and consume Ca(OH)2, resulting in a reduction in the early and long-term expansion of GPs.

Selenoneine, an ergothioneine analog, is important for antioxidation and detoxification. SenB and SenA are two crucial enzymes that form carbon–selenium bonds in the selenoneine biosynthetic pathway. To investigate their underlying catalytic mechanisms, we obtained complex structures of SenB with its substrate UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) and SenA with N-α-trimethyl histidine (TMH). SenB adopts a type-B glycosyltransferase fold. Structural and functional analysis of the interaction network at the active center provide key information on substrate recognition and suggest a metal-ion-independent, inverting mechanism is utilized for SenB-mediated selenoglycoside formation. Moreover, the complex structure of SenA with TMH and enzymatic activity assays highlight vital residues that control substrate binding and specificity. Based on the conserved structure and substrate-binding pocket of the type I sulfoxide synthase EgtB in the ergothioneine biosynthetic pathway, a similar reaction mechanism was proposed for the formation of C–Se bonds by SenA. The structures provide knowledge on selenoneine synthesis and lay groundwork for further applications of this pathway.

Due to the short dwell time of processing temperature and pressure, the quality of the composite manufactured by AFP was not equal to the traditional processing method like autoclave or hot-press. Deeply understanding the mechanism of differences was conducive to improving the performance of the composite manufactured by AFP. In this study, the properties of high-performance carbon fiber reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (CF/PPS) thermoplastic composites manufactured by laser-assisted automated fiber placement (LAFP) in-situ consolidation and hot-press was characterized and compared. The temperature history of LAFP in situ consolidation indicated that the heating and cooling process occurred during a few seconds. And the crystallinity was only 21.6% for the laminate from LATP, while the void content was 2.75%. Due to the low crystallinity, high void content and low interlaminar bonding, the ILSS of the laminate from LAFP in situ consolidation was 34.9% lower than that of hot-press. However, the mode Ⅰ fracture toughness was 103.7% higher than hot-press.

Coal is China’s main resource, with open-pit mining accounting for a significant portion of global production. However, this activity, including mining and ecological restoration, can have a definite impact on ecosystem carbon storage and its distribution; its associated factors are also unclear. In this paper, we quantify the carbon storage changes in Haerwusu coal mine, a typical large-scale coal mine in China, based on land use/land cover (LULC) characteristics, and analyze the impact factors of carbon density from 2007 to 2022 by integrating the InVEST model with the landscape ecological function contribution ratio and multiple regression model. The results are as follows. (1) Carbon storage decreased from 159.95 × 104 to 147.51 × 104 from 2007 to 2017 and then increased to 151.91 × 104 to 2022. (2) The degree of coordination between carbon storage forest and grassland area landscape pattern coupling ranged from 0.887 to 0.867 from 2007 to 2022, with the lowest point at 0.720 in 2012. (3) Carbon storage was significantly related to vegetation indices, temperature, and elevation, and these factors can explain 37.5% of the carbon storage spatial variability; stepwise regression analysis showed that the integration of landscape patterns, such as Shannon’s diversity index (SHEI) and the aggregation index (AI), could improve the explanation by 1.4%. (4) Based on the analysis of the landscape ecological function contribution ratio, the carbon storage-sensitive areas can be classified into three levels: extremely sensitive areas ranging 0 to 4 km from the mine, sensitive areas ranging 4 to 8 km, and insensitive areas ranging beyond 8 km. This study proposes a strategy for analyzing changes of carbon storage in coal mines, highlights the important role of landscape patterns in influencing carbon storage, and provides a reliable reference support for the ecological management of coal mines.

Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of obesity and is recognized as a cancer risk. While EPA and DHA combat inflammation associated with obesity, their effects on obesity-linked intestinal tumors requires further study. This study used the azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) model in mice made obese by a high-fat diet to assess the effects of EPA and DHA on tumorigenesis. The results showed that obesity aggravates colon tumor development in mice, yet both EPA and DHA significantly suppressed tumor formation in the obese murine colon. EPA and DHA altered the intestinal epithelium's fatty acid profile, enhancing its anti-inflammatory properties. Both treatments led to a decrease in the pro-inflammatory Desulfovibrio, while EPA specifically increased probiotic Parasutterella and decreased mucus- destroying Bacteroides. In conclusion, EPA and DHA have inhibitory effects on colon tumor formation in obese mice, primarily by modulating the gut flora and inhibiting inflammation in the colon.

Calreticulin (CRT) is a calcium-binding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) protein that has been identified for multiple cellular processes, including protein folding, regulation of gene expression, calcium (Ca2+) storage and signaling, regeneration, and stress responses. However, the lack of information about this protein family in tomato species highlights the importance of functional characterization. In the current study, 21 CRTs were identified in four tomato species using the most recent genomic data and performed comprehensive bioinformatics and SlCRT expression in various tissues and treatments. In the bioinformatics analysis, we described the physiochemical properties, phylogeny, subcellular positions, chromosomal location, promoter analysis, gene structure, motif distribution, protein structure and protein interaction. The phylogenetic analysis classified the CRTs into three groups, consensus with the gene architecture and conserved motif analyses. Protein structure analysis revealed that the calreticulin domain is highly conserved among different tomato species and phylogenetic groups. The cis-acting elements and protein interaction analysis indicate that CRTs are involved in various developmental and stress response mechanisms. The cultivated and wild tomato species exhibited similar gene mapping on chromosomes, and synteny analysis proposed that segmental duplication plays an important role in the evolution of the CRTs family with negative selection pressure. RNA-seq data analysis showed that SlCRTs were differentially expressed in different tissues, signifying the role of calreticulin genes in tomato growth and development. qRT-PCR expression profiling showed that all SlCRTs except SlCRT5 were upregulated under PEG (polyethylene glycol) induced drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment and SlCRT2 and SlCRT3 were upregulated under salt stress. Overall, the results of the study provide information for further investigation of the functional characterization of the CRT genes in tomato.

In order to optimize the detection effect of audio electrical perspective, based on the exploration principle of audio electric perspective, combined with the underground exploration layout, an efficient and accurate mine audio electric perspective detection system is proposed by adopting integrated power supply network of mine audio electric perspective as detection mode, centralized control mode of power supply port and quasi-synchronous measurement method as data acquisition optimization mode. The results show that this system can optimize the construction mode of audio electrical perspective exploration, improve the efficiency of exploration, ensure the accuracy of detection, and realize the efficient and accurate detection of working face audio electrical perspective. The detection effect is ideal and the results are reliable.

Abstract Since 2019, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved rapidly and gained resistance to multiple therapeutics targeting the virus. Development of host-directed antivirals offers broad-spectrum intervention against different variants of concern. Host proteases, TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB cleave the SARS-CoV-2 spike to play a crucial role in the two alternative pathways of viral entry and are characterized as promising pharmacological targets. Here, we identify compounds that show potent inhibition of these proteases and determine their complex structures with their respective targets. Furthermore, we show that applying inhibitors simultaneously that block both entry pathways has a synergistic antiviral effect. Notably, we devise a bispecific compound, 212-148, exhibiting the dual-inhibition ability of both TMPRSS2 and CTSL/CTSB, and demonstrate antiviral activity against various SARS-CoV-2 variants with different viral entry profiles. Our findings offer an alternative approach for the discovery of SARS-CoV-2 antivirals, as well as application for broad-spectrum treatment of viral pathogenic infections with similar entry pathways.

Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) human pose recognition techniques based on spatial data have gained attention. However, existing models and algorithms fail to achieve desired precision. We propose a 3D human motion pose recognition method using deep contrastive learning and an improved Transformer. The improved Transformer removes noise between human motion RGB and depth images, addressing orientation correlation in 3D models. Two-dimensional (2D) pose features are extracted from de-noised RGB images using a kernel generation module in a graph convolutional network (GCN). Depth features are extracted from de-noised depth images. The 2D pose features and depth features are fused using a regression module in the GCN to obtain 3D pose recognition results. The results demonstrate that the proposed method captures RGB and depth images, achieving high recognition accuracy and fast speed. The proposed method demonstrates good accuracy in 3D human motion pose recognition.

Abstract Objectives To investigate the optimal parameters of spectral CT for preferably visualizing the periprosthetic vasculature and metal artifact reduction (MAR) in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods A total of 34 THA of 30 patients were retrospectively included. Image reconstructions included conventional image (CI), CI combined with MAR (CIMAR), and virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) combined with MAR (VMIMAR) at 50–120 keV. The attenuation and standard deviation of the vessel and artifact, and the width of artifact were measured. Qualitative scoring was evaluated including the vascular contour, the extent of artifact, and overall diagnostic evaluation. Results The attenuation, noise of the vessel and artifact, and the width of artifact decreased as the energy level increased (p

To retard the mutual contact of W grains to inhibit their growth, in this study, CeO2·2H2O was first coated on the surface of pure W (undoped) particles by a weight percentage of 4% using a wet chemical method to prepare CeO2·2H2O-doped W-based (doped) powders, with W particles as the core and CeO2·2H2O as the shell (W–CeO2·2H2O core–shell structure), without hydrogen reduction treatment. The undoped and doped powders were subsequently sintered using a spark plasma sintering (SPS) apparatus to fabricate bulk materials. The macroscopic migration of the CeO2 shell in the core–shell W–CeO2 system via viscous flow during the initial sintering stage was studied through simulations and experiments. The results showed that a core–shell structure with W particles as the core and CeO2·2H2O as the shell was successfully prepared. The doped powder contained approximately 3.97% CeO2, consistent with the designed content of 4%. The shell materials migrated among the selected four sintered powders, filling the pores and contributing to the improvement in the relative density of the sintered bulk.

Background: It is crucial to accurately predict the disease progression of systemic arterial hypertension in order to determine the most effective therapeutic strategy. To achieve this, we have employed a multimodal data-integration approach to predict the longitudinal progression of new-onset systemic arterial hypertension patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) at the individual level. Methods: We developed and validated a predictive nomogram model that utilizes multimodal data, consisting of clinical features, laboratory tests, and sleep monitoring data. We assessed the probabilities of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) as scores for participants in longitudinal cohorts who have systemic arterial hypertension and suspected OSA. In this cohort study, MACCEs were considered as a composite of cardiac mortality, acute coronary syndrome and nonfatal stroke. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multiple Cox regression analyses were performed to identify independent risk factors for MACCEs among these patients. Results: 448 patients were randomly assigned to the training cohort while 189 were assigned to the verification cohort. Four clinical variables were enrolled in the constructed nomogram: age, diabetes mellitus, triglyceride, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI). This model accurately predicted 2-year and 3-year MACCEs, achieving an impressive area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.885 and 0.784 in the training cohort, respectively. In the verification cohort, the performance of the nomogram model had good discriminatory power, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.847 and 0.729 for 2-year and 3-year MACCEs, respectively. The correlation between predicted and actual observed MACCEs was high, provided by a calibration plot, for training and verification cohorts. Conclusions: Our study yielded risk stratification for systemic arterial hypertension patients with suspected OSA, which can be quantified through the integration of multimodal data, thus highlighting OSA as a spectrum of disease. This prediction nomogram could be instrumental in defining the disease state and long-term clinical outcomes.

Infrared images are susceptible to interference from a variety of factors during acquisition and transmission, resulting in the inclusion of mixed noise, which seriously affects the accuracy of subsequent vision tasks. To solve this problem, we designed a mixed noise removal algorithm for infrared images based on improved CycleGAN. First, we proposed a ResNet-E Block that incorporates the EMA (Efficient Multi-Scale Attention Module) and build a generator based on it using the skip-connection structure to improve the network’s ability to remove mixed noise of different strengths. Second, we added the PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) as an extra calculation item of cycle consistency loss, so that the network can effectively retain the detailed information of infrared images while denoising. Finally, we conducted experimental validation on both synthetic noisy images and real noisy images, which proved that our algorithm can effectively remove the mixed noise in infrared images and the denoising effect is better than other similar methods.

Directional fracture blasting technology of the slit charge has broad application prospects in the drilling and blasting construction of the layered rock mass. In this paper, the method of model experiment and numerical simulation is used to preliminarily explore the fracture damage characteristics of slit charge blasting in the layered rock mass. The results show that the blasting effect of the slit charge in the layered rock mass is significantly different from that of the unlayered rock mass, and the pressure relief of the blasting gas at the layer is the main factor affecting the blasting effect. The length of directional cracks in the slit direction is significantly larger than that in other directions, and the directional fracture effect of the slit charge in the layered rock mass can still be played well. However, both the directional crack length and the damage range of rock mass in the slit direction gradually decrease along the detonation direction. In addition, the damage value of a single-layer rock mass also decreases gradually along the detonation direction. In engineering practice, the directional fracture effect of the layered rock mass can be improved by detonating at both ends of the slit charge at the same time.

IntroductionFurfural, a main inhibitor produced during pretreatment of lignocellulose, has shown inhibitory effects on S. cerevisiae.MethodIn the present study, new strains named 12–1 with enhanced resistance to furfural were obtained through adaptive laboratory evolution, which exhibited a shortened lag phase by 36 h, and an increased ethanol conversion rate by 6.67% under 4 g/L furfural.Results and DiscussionTo further explore the mechanism of enhanced furfural tolerance, ADR1_1802 mutant was constructed by CRISPR/Cas9 technology, based on whole genome re-sequencing data. The results indicated that the time when ADR1_1802 begin to grow was shortened by 20 h compared with reference strain (S. cerevisiae CEN.PK113-5D) when furfural was 4 g/L. Additionally, the transcription levels of GRE2 and ADH6 in ADR1_ 1802 mutant were increased by 53.69 and 44.95%, respectively, according to real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis. These findings suggest that the enhanced furfural tolerance of mutant is due to accelerated furfural degradation. Importance: Renewable carbon worldwide is vital to achieve “zero carbon” target. Bioethanol obtained from biomass is one of them. To make bioethanol price competitive to fossil fuel, higher ethanol yield is necessary, therefore, monosaccharide produced during biomass pretreatment should be effectively converted to ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, inhibitors formed by glucose or xylose oxidation could make ethanol yield lower. Thus, inhibitor tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae is important to this process. As one of the main component of pretreatment hydrolysate, furfural shows obvious impact on growth and ethanol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To get furfural tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae and find the underlying mechanism, adaptive laboratory evolution and CRISPR/Cas9 technology were applied in the present study

Background: To provide new ideas for the clinical and mechanism research of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this study systematically reviews clinical research and the progress of basic research of acupuncture in the treatment of COPD. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched using acupuncture and COPD as keywords in the last 10 years, and the included literature was determined according to exclusion criteria. Findings: Acupuncture can relieve clinical symptoms, improve exercise tolerance, anxiety, and nutritional status, as well as hemorheological changes (blood viscosity), reduce the inflammatory response, and reduce the duration and frequency of COPD in patients with COPD. Mechanistically, acupuncture inhibits M1 macrophage activity, reduces neutrophil infiltration, reduces inflammatory factor production in alveolar type II epithelial cells, inhibits mucus hypersecretion of airway epithelial cells, inhibits the development of chronic inflammation in COPD, and slows tissue structure destruction. Acupuncture may control pulmonary COPD inflammation through the vagal-cholinergic anti-inflammatory, vagal-adrenomedullary-dopamine, vagal-dual-sensory nerve fiber-pulmonary, and CNS-hypothalamus-orexin pathways. Furthermore, acupuncture can increase endogenous cortisol levels by inhibiting the HPA axis, thus improving airway antioxidant capacity and reducing airway inflammation in COPD. In conclusion, the inhibition of the chronic inflammatory response is the key mechanism of acupuncture treatment for COPD.

Abstract Kagome-lattice materials possess attractive properties for quantum computing applications, but their synthesis remains challenging. Herein, based on the compelling identification of the two cleavable surfaces of Co3Sn2S2, we show surface kagome electronic states (SKESs) on a Sn-terminated triangular Co3Sn2S2 surface. Such SKESs are imprinted by vertical p-d electronic hybridization between the surface Sn (subsurface S) atoms and the buried Co kagome-lattice network in the Co3Sn layer under the surface. Owing to the subsequent lateral hybridization of the Sn and S atoms in a corner-sharing manner, the kagome symmetry and topological electronic properties of the Co3Sn layer is proximate to the Sn surface. The SKESs and both hybridizations were verified via qPlus non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) and density functional theory calculations. The construction of SKESs with tunable properties can be achieved by the atomic substitution of surface Sn (subsurface S) with other group III-V elements (Se or Te), which was demonstrated theoretically. This work exhibits the powerful capacity of nc-AFM in characterizing localized topological states and reveals the strategy for synthesis of large-area transition-metal-based kagome-lattice materials using conventional surface deposition techniques.

Abstract Thermal homeostasis is vital for mammals and is controlled by brain neurocircuits. Yet, the neural pathways responsible for cold defense regulation are still unclear. Here, we found that a pathway from the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) to the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH), which runs parallel to the canonical LPB to preoptic area (POA) pathway, is also crucial for cold defense. Together, these pathways make an equivalent and cumulative contribution, forming a parallel circuit. Specifically, activation of the LPB → DMH pathway induced strong cold-defense responses, including increases in thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue (BAT), muscle shivering, heart rate, and locomotion. Further, we identified somatostatin neurons in the LPB that target DMH to promote BAT thermogenesis. Therefore, we reveal a parallel circuit governing cold defense in mice, which enables resilience to hypothermia and provides a scalable and robust network in heat production, reshaping our understanding of neural circuit regulation of homeostatic behaviors.

Abstract Kagome lattices of various transition metals are versatile platforms for achieving anomalous Hall effects, unconventional charge-density wave orders and quantum spin liquid phenomena due to the strong correlations, spin-orbit coupling and/or magnetic interactions involved in such a lattice. Here, we use laser-based angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory calculations to investigate the electronic structure of the newly discovered kagome superconductor CsTi3Bi5, which is isostructural to the AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb or Cs) kagome superconductor family and possesses a two-dimensional kagome network of titanium. We directly observe a striking flat band derived from the local destructive interference of Bloch wave functions within the kagome lattice. In agreement with calculations, we identify type-II and type-III Dirac nodal lines and their momentum distribution in CsTi3Bi5 from the measured electronic structures. In addition, around the Brillouin zone centre, $${{\mathbb{Z}}}_{2}$$ Z 2 nontrivial topological surface states are also observed due to band inversion mediated by strong spin-orbit coupling.

Abstract Background Several COVID-19 vaccines are in widespread use in China. Few data exist on comparative immunogenicity of different COVID-19 vaccines given as booster doses. We aimed to assess neutralizing antibody levels raised by injectable and inhaled aerosolized recombinant adenovirus type 5 (Ad5)-vectored COVID-19 vaccine as a heterologous booster after an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine two-dose primary series. Methods Using an open-label prospective cohort design, we recruited 136 individuals who had received inactivated vaccine primary series followed by either injectable or inhaled Ad5-vectored vaccine and measured neutralizing antibody titers against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus and Omicron BA.1 and BA.5 variants. We also measured neutralizing antibody levels in convalescent sera from 39 patients who recovered from Omicron BA.2 infection. Results Six months after primary series vaccination, neutralizing immunity against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 was low and neutralizing immunity against Omicron (B.1.1.529) was lower. Boosting with Ad5-vectored vaccines induced a high immune response against ancestral SARS-CoV-2. Neutralizing responses against Omicron BA.5 were ≥ 80% lower than against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 in sera from prime-boost subjects and in convalescent sera from survivors of Omicron BA.2 infection. Inhaled aerosolized Ad5-vectored vaccine was associated with greater neutralizing titers than injectable Ad5-vectored vaccine against ancestral and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. Conclusions These findings support the current strategy of heterologous boosting with injectable or inhaled Ad5-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccination of individuals primed with inactivated COVID-19 vaccine.

Abstract SARS-CoV-2 poses an unprecedented threat to the world as the causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among a handful of therapeutics developed for the prevention and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection, ensitrelvir is the first noncovalent and nonpeptide oral inhibitor targeting the main protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2, which recently received emergency regulatory approval in Japan. Here we determined a 1.8-Å structure of Mpro in complex with ensitrelvir, which revealed that ensitrelvir targets the substrate-binding pocket of Mpro, specifically recognizing its S1, S2, and S1' subsites. Further, our comprehensive biochemical and structural data have demonstrated that even though ensitrelvir and nirmatrelvir (an FDA-approved drug) belong to different types of Mpro inhibitors, both of them remain to be effective against Mpros from all five SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, suggesting Mpro is a bona fide broad-spectrum target. The molecular mechanisms uncovered in this study provide basis for future inhibitor design.

Tomato fruit ripening is accompanied by carotenoid accumulation and color changes. To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying carotenoid synthesis during fruit ripening, a combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis was conducted on red-fruited tomato (WP190) and orange-fruited tomato (ZH108). A total of twenty-nine (29) different carotenoid compounds were identified in tomato fruits at six different stages. The abundance of the majority of the carotenoids was enhanced significantly with fruit ripening, with higher levels of lycopene; (E/Z)-lycopene; and α-, β- and γ-carotenoids detected in the fruits of WP190 at 50 and 60 days post anthesis (DPA). Transcriptome analysis revealed that the fruits of two varieties exhibited the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 50 DPA, and a module of co-expressed genes related to the fruit carotenoid content was established by WGCNA. qRT-PCR analysis validated the transcriptome result with a significantly elevated transcript level of lycopene biosynthesis genes (including SlPSY2, SlZCIS, SlPDS, SlZDS and SlCRTSO2) observed in WP190 at 50 DPA in comparison to ZH108. In addition, during the ripening process, the expression of ethylene biosynthesis (SlACSs and SlACOs) and signaling (SlEIN3 and SlERF1) genes was also increased, and these mechanisms may regulate carotenoid accumulation and fruit ripening in tomato. Differential expression of several key genes in the fruit of two tomato varieties at different stages regulates the accumulation of carotenoids and leads to differences in color between the two varieties of tomato. The results of this study provide a comprehensive understanding of carotenoid accumulation and ethylene biosynthesis and signal transduction pathway regulatory mechanisms during tomato fruit development.

Long-term exposure to lead (Pb) can result in chronic damage to the body through accumulation in the central nervous system (CNS) leading to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This study delves into the intricate role of miR-671/CDR1as regulation in the etiology of AD-like lesions triggered by chronic Pb exposure in adult mice. To emulate the chronic effects of Pb, we established a rodent model spanning 10 months of controlled Pb administration, dividing 52 C57BL/6J mice into groups receiving varying concentrations of Pb (1, 2, or 4 g/L) alongside an unexposed control. Blood Pb levels were monitored using serum samples to ensure accurate dosing and to correlate with observed toxicological outcomes. Utilizing the Morris water maze, a robust behavioral assay for assessing cognitive functions, we documented a dose-dependent decline in learning and memory capabilities among the Pb-exposed mice. Histopathological examination of the hippocampal tissue revealed tell-tale signs of AD-like neurodegeneration, characterized by the accumulation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. At the molecular level, a significant upregulation of AD-associated genes, namely amyloid precursor protein (APP), β-secretase 1 (BACE1), and tau, was observed in the hippocampal tissue of Pb-exposed mice. This was accompanied by a corresponding surge in the protein levels of APP, BACE1, amyloid-β (Aβ), and phosphorylated tau (p-tau), further implicating Pb in the dysregulation of these key AD markers. The expression of CDR1as, a long non-coding RNA implicated in AD pathogenesis, was found to be suppressed in Pb-exposed mice. This observation suggests a potential mechanistic link between Pb-induced neurotoxicity and the dysregulation of the CDR1as/miR-671 axis, which warrants further investigation. Moreover, our study identified a dose-dependent alteration in the intracellular and extracellular levels of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). This finding implicates Pb in the modulation of NF-κB signaling, a pathway that plays a pivotal role in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. In conclusion, our findings underscored the deleterious effects of Pb exposure on the CNS, leading to the development of AD-like pathology. The observed modulation of NF-κB signaling and miR-671/CDR1as regulation provides a plausible mechanistic framework for understanding the neurotoxic effects of Pb and its potential contribution to AD pathogenesis.

Abstract Van Hove singularity (VHS) has been considered as a driving source for unconventional superconductivity. A VHS in two-dimensional (2D) materials consists of a saddle point connecting electron-like and hole-like bands. In a rare case, when a VHS appears at Fermi level, both electron-like and hole-like conduction can coexist, giving rise to an enhanced density of states as well as an attractive component of Coulomb interaction for unconventional electronic pairing. However, this van Hove scenario is often destroyed by an incorrect chemical potential or competing instabilities. Here, by using angle-resolved photoemission measurements, we report the observation of a VHS perfectly aligned with the Fermi level in a kagome superconductor CsV3-x Ta x Sb5 (x ~ 0.4), in which a record-high superconducting transition temperature is achieved among all the current variants of AV3Sb5 (A = Cs, Rb, K) at ambient pressure. Doping dependent measurements reveal the important role of van Hove scenario in boosting superconductivity, and spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy measurements indicate a distinct superconducting state in this system.

Abstract The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant evades most currently approved neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) and caused drastic decrease of plasma neutralizing activity elicited by vaccination or prior infection, urging the need for the development of pan-variant antivirals. Breakthrough infection induces a hybrid immunological response with potentially broad, potent and durable protection against variants, therefore, convalescent plasma from breakthrough infection may provide a broadened repertoire for identifying elite nAbs. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and BCR sequencing (scBCR-seq) of B cells from BA.1 breakthrough-infected patients who received 2 or 3 previous doses of inactivated vaccine. Elite nAbs, mainly derived from the IGHV2–5 and IGHV3-66/53 germlines, showed potent neutralizing activity across Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, Omicron sublineages BA.1 and BA.2 at picomolar NT50 values. Cryo-EM analysis revealed diverse modes of spike recognition and guides the design of cocktail therapy. A single injection of paired antibodies cocktail provided potent protection in the K18-hACE2 transgenic female mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract Magnetization promoted activity of magnetic catalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has attracted great attention, but remains a puzzle where the increment comes from. Magnetization of a ferromagnetic material only changes its magnetic domain structure. It does not directly change the spin orientation of unpaired electrons in the material. The confusion is that each magnetic domain is a small magnet and theoretically the spin-polarization promoted OER already occurs on these magnetic domains, and thus the enhancement should have been achieved without magnetization. Here, we demonstrate that the enhancement comes from the disappeared domain wall upon magnetization. Magnetization leads to the evolution of the magnetic domain structure, from a multi-domain one to a single domain one, in which the domain wall disappears. The surface occupied by the domain wall is reformatted into one by a single domain, on which the OER follows the spin-facilitated pathways and thus the overall increment on the electrode occurs. This study fills the missing gap for understanding the spin-polarized OER and it further explains the type of ferromagnetic catalysts which can give increment by magnetization.

The molecular mechanism of broad-spectrum neutralization of a rabbit monoclonal antibody 1H1 against Omicron sublineages is revealed by cryo-EM.

Abstract SARS‐CoV‐2 viruses are highly transmissible and immune evasive. It is critical to develop broad‐spectrum prophylactic and therapeutic antibodies for potential future pandemics. Here, we used the phage display method to discover nanobodies (Nbs) for neutralizing SARS‐CoV‐2 viruses especially Omicron strains. The leading nanobody (Nb), namely, Nb4, with excellent physicochemical properties, can neutralize Delta and Omicron subtypes, including BA.1, BA.1.1 (BA.1 + R346K), BA.2, BA.5, BQ.1, and XBB.1. The crystal structure of Nb4 in complex with the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of BA.1 Spike protein reveals that Nb4 interacts with an epitope on the RBD overlapping with the receptor‐binding motif, and thus competes with angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) binding. Nb4 is expected to be effective for neutralizing most recent Omicron variants, since the epitopes are evolutionarily conserved among them. Indeed, trivalent Nb4 interacts with the XBB1.5 Spike protein with low nM affinity and competes for ACE2 binding. Prophylactic and therapeutic experiments in mice indicated that Nb4 could reduce the Omicron virus loads in the lung. In particular, in prophylactic experiments, intranasal administration of multivalent Nb4 completely protected mice from Omicron infection. Taken together, these results demonstrated that Nb4 could serve as a potent and broad‐spectrum prophylactic and therapeutic Nb for COVID‐19.

To improve the utilization efficiency of renewable energy and adaptability of composite materials, a new mineral-based composite phase change material (Ag-Mica/CNF/PW) was designed and prepared by chemically modifying natural mica, attaching silver nanoparticles to the mica surface as functionalized support material, and using paraffin wax as the phase change functional medium. As expected, the thermal conductivity of the composite phase change material (CPCMs) increased significantly to 0.9 W/m k, which was 330.1% higher relative to pure paraffin. With the addition of silver-modified mica, the volume resistivity of CPCMs reached 11.9 × 1012 Ω cm. The relative enthalpy efficiency achieved 104.8%, and the photothermal conversion efficiency reached 91.3%, proving that the silver-modified mica-based CPCM was successful and feasible. The heat resistance index of CPCMs was 137.2 °C, and the enthalpy loss rate after 50 cycles was only 0.7 %, indicating that CPCMs have excellent thermal stability. The designed CPCMs are a promising candidate for developing thermal storage and building thermal management, electrical insulation and solar energy conversion.

Abstract The segmentation of athlete knee joint injury images can provide doctors with information about the location and extent of the athlete knee joint injury. Therefore, it is significant to segment the images of athlete knee joint injury. However, the traditional image segmentation method of athlete knee injury has the problems of low accuracy of mask region extraction, completion time of extraction and high error rate of segmentation. In the paper, we propose image segmentation method for athlete knee joint injury using the transformer model by the medical Internet of Things (MIoT). First, the MIoT was used as a way to obtain images of knee joint injury of athletes, and the images of knee joint injury of athletes were derived using the MIoT. Second, the exported image is input into the shadow expansion layer of the transformer model, which performs shadow expansion on the athlete knee joint injury image to obtain its mask region, and then the image is input into the patch embedding layer. Finally, after the patch embedding layer extracts the mask patch of the athlete knee joint injury image, the mask patch is input into the transformer block for down-sampling and up-sampling processing, and then the athlete knee joint injury image segmentation result is output using the end backpropagation layer. The results show that the proposed method has a low error rate in extracting the mask region from the knee joint injury image of athletes, and a short completion time for extracting the mask region, the most detailed and comprehensive segmented athlete knee joint injury image, the maximum error rate of image segmentation is only 6.8%, and the maximum value of segmentation time is only 3.96s. It has important research value in the field of athlete knee joint injury diagnosis.

The Eurasian otter Lutra lutra is a generalist carnivore that is widely distributed in many aquatic ecosystems. Based on its inherent attributes of opportunistic foraging behaviour and broad dietary range, it is naturally considered a potential sampler of the diversity of aquatic vertebrates. To test the ability and efficiency of otters as a diversity sampler, we used DNA metabarcoding to investigate the composition in vertebrates of the diet of otters that inhabit a forest stream area in northeast China. Twenty vertebrate prey taxa were detected in 98 otter spraints. Otter diet mainly comprised aquatic fishes (59.4%) and amphibians (39.0%). We also used traditional approaches to investigate fish communities at 60 sampling sites in the same area to determine the relationship between fish population composition in the environment and otter diet. The comparison revealed that 28 species of fish were distributed in this area, of which five are simultaneously detected in otter spraints. This indicates that molecular analysis of the diet of otters is not an ideal approach for investigating fish diversity, at least when using the 12SV5 primer pair. Based on a review of the available molecular research on otter diet, we conclude that the low species resolution may be due to the presence of many closely-related prey species in native habitats and lack of suitable barcodes. Considering the remarkable power of diet metabarcoding analysis in capturing elusive and rare species, it represents an approach that can compensate for the defects associated with fishing methods and we suggest that it can be used as an auxiliary means of measuring traditional fish diversity.

The core loss calculation is essential for the design and performance evaluation of high-frequency transformers. It is related to the dimensions, temperature rises performance, and operating efficiency of transformer designs. Some scholars have examined the correlation between the characteristics of the core and losses, such as the core air gap length and the core structure; some investigations have also analyzed the effects of harmonics, distortion flux, and other factors on core losses. However, in reality, the core operating environment of high-frequency transformers is very complex, and achieving the required accuracy of loss model calculations is difficult. This paper discussed the insufficiency of the classical Bertotti loss separation model in estimating core loss under non-sinusoidal excitation of high-frequency transformers. Based on the derivation and modification of the classical loss model, the magnetic performance test platform of the nanocrystalline core material was established. In order to obtain a higher-order correction calculation method for the core loss of high-frequency transformers under trapezoidal wave excitation, the experimentally measured loss curves of nanocrystalline materials were further corrected. Finally, the accuracy of the correction model was verified by changing the loss results by varying the trapezoidal wave rise time constant.

Abstract Predator–prey interactions are critical for understanding species composition and community assembly; however, there is still limited research on whether and how the prey species composition or community assembly in natural communities are mediated by predators. To address this question, we performed a field investigation to examine the influence of the presence of Lutra lutra on the diversity of fish communities of the Hunchun River Basin, Jilin Province, China. Our results indicate that L. lutra, as a potential umbrella species and generalist predator in the stream ecosystem, promotes the coexistence of a vast variety of fish taxa, which emphasizes the importance of top-down control in the ecological community. We suggest that L. lutra regulates the fish community assembly likely through the stochastic process. Although this was a pilot study regarding predator–prey interactions, the results highlight the effects of predators on the prey community assembly, and emphasize the role of predators on the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem function. Future conservation decisions involving ecosystem biodiversity should require the inclusion of predation intensity. The inclusion of scientific research and protection of umbrella species would thus constitute an additional and important step in biodiversity conservation.

Abstract Deadbeat predictive current control (DPCC) has been widely studied in induction motor drives due to its simple concept, quick response and excellent steady‐state performance. However, conventional DPCC uses a lot of motor parameters to predict current and voltage. Therefore, the performance of DPCC is affected by the accuracy of motor parameters in the controller. The performance of DPCC will severely deteriorate when the motor parameters used in the controller deviate greatly from their actual values. To improve the parameter robustness of DPCC, this paper proposes a robust DPCC (RDPCC), which utilizes the error between the measured currents and predicted currents to compensate for the influence of machine parameter mismatches. The proposed method is compared with the conventional DPCC, and the experimental results confirm its strong robustness against motor parameter mismatch.

Background: An inactivated poliomyelitis vaccine made from Sabin strains (sIPVs) has widely been used in China since 2015. However, the quantitative data on the instant and persistent inhibition effects of maternal poliovirus antibodies on the immune response to sIPV priming and booster vaccination have not been available yet. Objective: In this study, we aim to explore and quantify the instant and persistent inhibition effect of maternal poliovirus antibodies on the immune response elicited by sIPV primary and booster vaccination. Methods: The immunogenicity data consisting of the days 0 and 30 after the prime and booster vaccination of the sIPV in a phase IV trial were pooled for a quantitative analysis of the inhibition effect of maternal poliovirus antibody. The geometric mean ratio (GMR) was calculated using linear regression models, representing that every 2-fold higher maternal poliovirus antibody titer may result in a (1-GMR) lower postimmunization antibody titer. Results: The GMRs for poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 were 0.79 (0.77–0.82), 0.85 (0.81–0.89), and 0.87 (0.83–0.91) at 30 days after the priming series, 0.86 (0.83–0.89), 0.81 (0.76–0.85), and 0.86 (0.80–0.93) at one year after the priming series, and 0.96 (0.94–0.99), 0.89 (0.86–0.93), and 0.98 (0.93–1.03) at 30 days after the booster dose. The inhibition effect continued to exist until the booster dose 1 year later, and such a persistent inhibition effect was almost attenuated for poliovirus types 1 and 3, and partly reduced for type 2 at 30 days after the booster dose. Conclusion: A wider interval between the four sIPV doses might be a consideration for reducing the effect of maternal antibodies and subsequently eliciting and maintaining higher antibody levels to protect against poliovirus transmission and infection at the final stage of polio eradication in the global world. This study’s clinical trial registry number is NCT04224519.

Background: There are an increasing number of articles focused on the prevalence and clinical impact of pretreatment HIV drug resistance (PDR) detected by Sanger sequencing (SGS). PDR may contribute to the increased likelihood of virologic failure and the emergence of new resistance mutations. As SGS is gradually replaced by next-generation sequencing (NGS), it is necessary to assess the levels of PDR using NGS in ART-naïve patients systematically. NGS can detect the viral variants (low-abundance drug-resistant HIV-1 variants (LA-DRVs)) of virus quasi-species at levels below 20% that SGS may fail to detect. NGS has the potential to optimize current HIV drug resistance surveillance methods and inform future research directions. As the NGS technique has high sensitivity, it is highly likely that the level of pretreatment resistance would be underestimated using conventional techniques. Methods: For the systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched for original studies published in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase before 30 March 2023 that focused exclusively on the application of NGS in the detection of HIV drug resistance. Pooled prevalence estimates were calculated using a random effects model using the ‘meta’ package in R (version 4.2.3). We described drug resistance detected at five thresholds (>1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% of virus quasi-species). Chi-squared tests were used to analyze differences between the overall prevalence of PDR reported by SGS and NGS. Results: A total of 39 eligible studies were selected. The studies included a total of 15,242 ART-naïve individuals living with HIV. The prevalence of PDR was inversely correlated with the mutation detection threshold. The overall prevalence of PDR was 29.74% at the 1% threshold, 22.43% at the 2% threshold, 15.47% at the 5% threshold, 12.95% at the 10% threshold, and 11.08% at the 20% threshold. The prevalence of PDR to INSTIs was 1.22% (95%CI: 0.58–2.57), which is the lowest among the values for all antiretroviral drugs. The prevalence of LA-DRVs was 9.45%. At the 2% and 20% detection threshold, the prevalence of PDR was 22.43% and 11.08%, respectively. Resistance to PIs and INSTIs increased 5.52-fold and 7.08-fold, respectively, in those with a PDR threshold of 2% compared with those with PDR at 20%. However, resistance to NRTIs and NNRTIs increased 2.50-fold and 2.37-fold, respectively. There was a significant difference between the 2% and 5% threshold for detecting HIV drug resistance. There was no statistically significant difference between the results reported by SGS and NGS when using the 20% threshold for reporting resistance mutations. Conclusion: In this study, we found that next-generation sequencing facilitates a more sensitive detection of HIV-1 drug resistance than SGS. The high prevalence of PDR emphasizes the importance of baseline resistance and assessing the threshold for optimal clinical detection using NGS.