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Despite the advancements in alternative fuels and energy sources, there continues to be a significant global dependence on oil production and extraction. A substantial volume of oilfield-produced water (OPW) is generated during the production and extraction processes of oil fields. Recurrent OPW treatments encountered significant challenges in addressing this particular type of wastewater. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are regarded as a promising alternative approach for the degradation of recalcitrant organic compounds in the OPW. This review focuses on the characterization of OPW. The treatment of organic pollutants in wastewater using AOPs, such as ozonation, Fenton oxidation-based processes, heterogeneous photocatalysis, and persulfate oxidation, is comprehensively reviewed in terms of their efficiency for pollutant degradation. The primary challenges in this field and the future directions for development are proposed, with the aim of providing a valuable reference for achieving highly effective treatment of OPW. HIGHLIGHTS Characteristics of oilfield-produced water were analyzed.; Treatment of oilfield-produced water using advanced oxidation processes was discussed.; Recommendation and future research are proposed.;

Research purpose: This study aims to outline the fundamental status of the German academic community's research in the field of renewable energy and to foster collaboration between China and Germany in this area. Research methods: This study examines documents published by German scholars from 2008 to 2023, which are part of the “Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection” database and related to renewable energy issues, using the bibliometric visualization tool CiteSpace 6.2.R6. Research conclusions: The study examines the co-occurrence and burst of keywords, changes in publication volume, international collaboration networks, research institution collaboration networks, and researcher collaboration networks. It concluded that: (1) German academic research in the field of renewable energy can be divided into three phases: nascent (2008–2014), surge (2015–2021), and decline (2022–2023). (2) The Helmholtz Association and Reinhard Madlener, among other prominent institutions and academicians, are responsible for the close cooperation among personnel and institutions, the significant leading effect, and the emphasis on cutting-edge topics. Research in this field notably focuses on cutting-edge issues like life cycle assessment and developing countries. The study observes a transition in research concentration from macro to micro perspectives. In the context of a global collective response to climate change, the analysis of the German academic community’s overall situation will enhance the collaboration between the two countries in the field of renewable energy research.

Abstract Objectives This study aims to construct and apply a training course system which was scientific and comprehensive to foster the core competence of infectious disease specialist nurses. Design A two-round Delphi consultation survey was carried out to collect feedback from experts on constructing the training course system of core competence for infectious disease specialist nurses. Besides, a non-randomized controlled experimental study was adopted to check the application effect of the courses. Methods This study adopted a series of methods including group discussion, theoretical analysis and Delphi consultation to draft the training course content of core competence of infectious disease specialist nurses. Twenty-one Chinese experts were invited to participate in the Delphi consultation from November 2021 to December 2021. From October 2022 to January 2023, a total of 105 infectious disease specialist nurses from two training bases were selected by the convenience sampling method, of which the nurses in one training base were the control group and the nurses in the other training base were the observation group. The observation group was trained by the constructed core competence training course. Questionnaire evaluation was used to compare the core competence of infectious disease specialist nurses and the training effect. Results The experts, regarded as the authorities on the subject, were highly motivated in this study. Besides, they reached a consensus on the results. The final training course system of core competence for infectious disease specialist nurses focused on 5 competence modules and was composed of 12 categories of courses with 66 classes and corresponding objectives. The core competence scores of the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group after training (P

Short video advertisements are a novel and influential medium for promoting furniture products, but their effects on consumers’ purchase intentions remain underexplored. This study applies the extended stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework, a psychological theory that elucidates how stimuli (short video ads), organisms (consumers), and responses (purchase intentions) are interrelated. This study quantitatively examines these relationships using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results reveal that the Flow experience and Telepresence experience significantly affect purchase intentions, indicating that consumers who experience high levels of engagement and immersion while viewing short furniture-related video ads are more likely to exhibit buying behavior. This study also identifies three critical antecedents of the Telepresence experience: social influence, perceived entertainment value, and perceived interactivity. These factors may enhance the effectiveness of short-form video advertising by increasing consumer interaction and engagement. Moreover, convenience conditions, perceived entertainment value, and media richness significantly influence consumers’ flow experience. This suggests that these factors should be considered when designing short video advertisements to optimize consumers’ flow experience and thus increase purchase intentions. This study provides empirical evidence for the SOR framework, investigates the impact of short video advertisements on furniture consumers’ purchase intention, and offers practical implications and recommendations for marketing practitioners.

A fractional-order memristor load Buck-Boost converter causes periodic system oscillation, electromagnetic noise, and other phenomena due to the frequent switching of the switch in actual operation, which is detrimental to the stable operation of the power electronic converter. It is of great significance to the study of the modeling method and chaos control strategy to suppress the nonlinear behavior of the Buck-Boost converter and expand the safe and stable operation range of the power system. An estimation-correction modeling method based on a fractional active voltage-controlled memristor load peak current Buck-Boost converter is proposed. The discrete numerical solution of the state variables in the continuous mode of the inductor current is derived. The bursting oscillation phenomenon when the system introduces external excitation is analyzed. Using bifurcation, Lyapunov exponent, and phase diagrams, a large number of numerical simulations are performed. The results show that the Buck-Boost converter is chaotic for certain selected parameters, which is the prerequisite for the introduction of the controller. Based on the idea of parameter perturbation and state association, a three-dimensional hybrid control strategy for a fractional memristor Buck-Boost converter is designed. The effectiveness of the control strategy is verified by simulations, and it is confirmed that the system is controlled in a stable periodic state when the external tunable parameter s, which represents the coupling strength between the state variables in the system, gradually decreases in [−0.4, 0]. Compared with integer-order controlled systems, the stable operating range of fractional-order controlled systems is much larger.

Abstract Aims This study was designed to develop a biosafety incident response competence scale and evaluate its validity and reliability among clinical nurses. Design This study employed a sequential approach, comprising four phases: (1) the establishment of a multidimensional conceptual model, (2) the preliminary selection of the items, (3) further exploration and psychometric testing of the items, (4) the application of the scale among clinical nurses. Methods The biosafety incident response competence conceptual model was developed through literature review and the Delphi method. A total of 1,712 clinical nurses participated in the preliminary items selection, while 1,027 clinical nurses were involved in the further psychometric testing from July 2023 to August 2023. The item analysis, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to evaluate the construct validity. Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability, while validity analysis included content validity, structural validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. From September to November 2023, we conducted a survey using the established scale with a total of 4338 valid questionnaires collected. T-test and variance analysis was employed to determine potential variations in biosafety incident response competence based on participants characteristics. Results The final scale is composed of 4 factors and 29 items, including monitoring and warning abilities, nursing disposal abilities, biosafety knowledge preparedness, and infection protection abilities. The explanatory variance of the 4 factors was 75.100%. The Cronbach’s alpha, split-half reliability and test-retest reliability were 0.974, 0.945 and 0.840 respectively. The Scale-level content validity index was 0.866. The Average Variance Extracted of the 4 factors was larger than 0.5, the Construct Reliability was larger than 0.7, and the Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio were less than 0.9. There were significant differences in the scores of response competence among nurses of different ages, working years, titles, positions, departments, marital status and participation in biosafety training (all P

Secreted chemokines form concentration gradients in target tissues to control migratory directions and patterns of immune cells in response to inflammatory stimulation; however, how the gradients are formed is much debated. Heparan sulfate (HS) binds to chemokines and modulates their activities. In this study, we investigated the roles of HS in the gradient formation and chemoattractant activity of CCL5 that is known to bind to HS. CCL5 and heparin underwent liquid–liquid phase separation and formed gradient, which was confirmed using CCL5 immobilized on heparin-beads. The biological implication of HS in CCL5 gradient formation was established in CHO-K1 (wild-type) and CHO-677 (lacking HS) cells by Transwell assay. The effect of HS on CCL5 chemoattractant activity was further proved by Transwell assay of human peripheral blood cells. Finally, peritoneal injection of the chemokines into mice showed reduced recruitment of inflammatory cells either by mutant CCL5 (lacking heparin-binding sequence) or by addition of heparin to wild-type CCL5. Our experimental data propose that co-phase separation of CCL5 with HS establishes a specific chemokine concentration gradient to trigger directional cell migration. The results warrant further investigation on other heparin-binding chemokines and allows for a more elaborate insight into disease process and new treatment strategies.

Black ginseng as the functional food, has been used to improve obesity and insulin resistance. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. We found that Black ginseng extract (BGS) significantly ameliorated diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance in mice. The components eluted by 70% and 95% ethanol from BGS by using polystyrene resin (BGS/70) had superior anti-obesity effects when compared with other fractions. It significantly decreased the abundance of bile salt hydrolase (BSH)-producing genera and increased serum taurine-bound bile acids in obese mice. BGS/70 administration-related metabolic improvements in obese mice was lost in TGR5 gut-specific knockout mice and antibiotic mixture (ABX)-cleared enterobacteria mice. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments demonstrated that the anti-obesity effects of BGS/70 were mediated by gut flora. Taken together, our results suggest that BGS can treat obesity via gut microbiota and the activation of TGR5. Thus, BGS may be a promising therapy for obesity.

Under the background of global change, the lake water environment is facing a huge threat from eutrophication. The rapid increase in curly-leaf pondweed (Potamogeton crispus L.) in recent years has seriously threatened the ecological balance and the water diversion safety of the eastern route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project. The monitoring and control of curly-leaf pondweed is imperative in shallow lakes of northern China. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have great potential for monitoring aquatic vegetation. However, merely using satellite remote sensing to detect submerged vegetation is not sufficient, and the monitoring of UAVs on aquatic vegetation is rarely systematically evaluated. In this study, taking Nansi Lake as a case, we employed Red–Green–Blue (RGB) UAV and satellite datasets to evaluate the monitoring of RGB Vegetation Indices (VIs) in pondweed and mapped the dynamic patterns of the pondweed Fractional Vegetation Coverage (FVC) in Nansi Lake. The pondweed FVC values were extracted using the RGB VIs and the machine learning method. The extraction of the UAV RGB images was evaluated by correlations, accuracy assessments and separability. The correlation between VIs and FVC was used to invert the pondweed FVC in Nansi Lake. The RGB VIs were also calculated using Gaofen-2 (GF-2) and were compared with UAV and Sentinel-2 data. Our results showed the following: (1) The RGB UAV could effectively monitor the FVC of pondweed, especially when using Support Vector Machine that (SVM) has a high ability to recognize pondweed in UAV RGB images. Two RGB VIs, RCC and RGRI, appeared best suited for monitoring aquatic plants. The correlations between four RGB VIs based on GF-2, i.e., GCC, BRI, VDVI, and RGBVI and FVCSVM calculated by the UAV (p < 0.01) were better than those obtained with other RGB VIs. Thus, the RGB VIs of GF-2 were not as effective as those of the UAV in pondweed monitoring. (2) The binomial estimation model constructed by the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) of Sentinel-2 showed a high accuracy (R2 = 0.7505, RMSE = 0.169) for pondweed FVC and can be used for mapping the FVC of pondweed in Nansi Lake. (3) Combined with the Sentinel-2 time-series data, we mapped the dynamic patterns of pondweed FVC in Nansi Lake. It was determined that the flooding of pondweed in Nansi Lake has been alleviated in recent years, but the rapid increase in pondweed in part of Nansi Lake remains a challenging management issue. This study provides practical tools and methodology for the innovative remote sensing monitoring of submerged vegetation.

BackgroundThis research aims to investigate the relationship between Life’s Essentials 8 (LE8), the American Heart Association’s latest indicator, and periodontitis. The purpose is to provide guidance on preventative measures.MethodsData for our investigation were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009–2014, with a total of 8,784 participants eligible. LE8 scores were compiled from 8 index scores (the score for each component of diet, physical activity, nicotine exposure, sleep duration, body mass index, blood lipids, blood glucose, and blood pressure). Periodontitis was classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Periodontology (CDC/AAP). The study utilized multivariable logistic analyses to investigate the potential correlation.ResultsAfter controlling for all covariates, LE8 was discovered to have a significant negative correlation with periodontitis prevalence [0.91 (0.88, 0.94)]. This trend continued to hold statistical significance even after converting LE8 into a categorical variable. Furthermore, a noteworthy adverse correlation was discovered across both genders, specifically males [0.35 (0.22, 0.55)] and females [0.39 (0.25, 0.60)], as well as for the majority of categorical classifications, namely ethnicity, age, education level, and marital status. However, only the age subgroups displayed some degree of significant difference from each other.ConclusionLife’s essential 8 was negatively associated with periodontitis, but more prospective trails are needed to confirm our findings.

Background: To summarize the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) positivity (determined by next-generation sequencing), review the relevant literature, and explore the significance of EBV presence in the CSF of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods: A patient presenting with headache as the initial symptom was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and admitted to the Eighth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital on March 3, 2021. Available databases were screened for reports on nasopharyngeal carcinoma with EBV-positive CSF and analyzed. The patients’ general information, initial symptoms, treatment, and prognosis were subsequently evaluated. Results: EBV-positive CSF is commonly observed in patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, no reports of EBV-positive CSF in patients with primary nasopharyngeal carcinoma have been published to date. Conclusion: The presence of EBV in the CSF of patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma is indicative of a poor prognosis. Thus, newly diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients should undergo a lumbar puncture as soon as possible to have their CSF tested for EBV. Such a measure would promptly predict the prognosis and facilitate the development of a personalized treatment strategy.

Individual personality traits are powerful determinants of behavior, and they can profoundly influence consumer decisions as a comprehensive understanding of consumer personality traits. Their role in decision-making can improve the predictability of consumer-related behavior. In this study, data on consumers’ preferences and personality traits were collected through questionnaires using the Wood Furniture Product Characteristics Consumer Preference Scale and the Big Five Personality Inventory Simplified. Bivariate correlation analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to investigate the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) and wood furniture product characteristics consumer preferences. Correlation analysis indicated that neuroticism was correlated negatively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were correlated positively with wood furniture product characteristic consumer preference scores. There was no correlation between openness and consumer preference. Regression analysis indicated that neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness predicted wood furniture product trait consumer preferences. Overall, assessing personality traits can help provide insight into the psychological and behavioral characteristics of consumers when purchasing wood furniture products, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of market demand and more effective marketing and product positioning strategies.

Ultrasonic technology, which has been receiving increasing attention from the petroleum industry, has emerged as a promising environmentally-friendly technology due to its high adaptability, simple operation, low cost, and lack of pollution; the mechanisms of this technology are clarified herein. At the same time, this paper presents a comprehensive review of the impact of ultrasound on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) by removing plugs, reducing oil viscosity, and demulsifying crude oil, while highlighting the latest advancements in this field. Lastly, this paper delves into the challenges and prospects associated with the industrial implementation of power ultrasound. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of recent advancements, serving as a valuable reference for future investigations on ultrasound-assisted EOR. Oil field results demonstrate that oil production increased by 26.5% to 100%, water cut decreased by 5% to 96%, the success rate ranged from 75% to 90%, and the effect can last for a duration of 4 h to 12 months.

Fault step zones are well developed in faulted lake basins in the eastern part of China, among which, forward fault step zones account for a large proportion, and their spatiotemporal configuration relationship, oil and gas accumulation periods and accumulation conditions, which play a key role in the geological evaluation of regional oil and gas exploration, are difficult to study. In order to further clarify its hydrocarbon accumulation mode and filling period, the authors, by taking the Paleogene Dongying and Shahejie formations in the study area as the main target layers, and selecting wells Qidong 3-1, Zhang 10 and Chenghai 16 to represent the low, medium and high fault levels of the fault area, respectively, conducted in-depth research on the oil and gas properties and distribution laws of different charging stages in various districts of Chengbei through reservoir microlithography observation, fluid inclusion identification, salt water inclusion homogenization temperature and salinity test, GOI statistical analysis and other technologies; applied laser Raman test to effectively identify the gas composition of single inclusions in wells Zhang-10 and Qidong 3-1, determined the specific oil and gas accumulation time in Chengbei fault step zone in combination with the single well burial history, paleogeothermal history and autoclastic illite K-Ar isotopic dating technology of well Qidong 3-1, and summarized the four accumulation elements of source rocks, reservoirs, preservation and transportation in Chengbei area. There are two charging stages in the reservoir, the specific accumulation time of the first stage is from the end of Dongying to the early stage of Guantao, about 16 Ma ±, while that of the second stage is in the early stage of Minghua Town, starting from 6 Ma ± and continuing to the present. Multiple sets of reservoir layers are developed in the study area, and the special fault step structure plays a controlling role in channeling the source rocks and reservoirs, the sealing and preservation of oil and gas, and the transportation and accumulation of reservoirs. The regional accumulation conditions are relatively mature, and the lateral migration-accumulation mode of dual-source hydrocarbon supply and multi-stage accumulation and the longitudinal migration-accumulation mode of fault-sand coupling and relay climbing are reflected in the process of oil and gas accumulation.

Background: Adipose fibrosis is a major factor of adipose dysfunction, which causes metabolic dysfunction during obesity, but its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. This study investigated the role and potential mechanisms of mTORC1 in obesity-induced adipose fibrosis. Methods: ob/ob mice were injected with rapamycin or the same volume of normal saline. The level of fibrosis in epididymal adipose tissue (EAT) was detected by observing aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix. Expression of fibrotic related genes was analysed using RNA-seq. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were treated with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and TGF-β1 to induce preadipocyte fibrosis. The fibrosis-related gene expression and protein levels were determined by RT-PCR, WB, and immunofluorescence in two types of fibrotic preadipocytes with or without rapamycin. Results: Compared with vehicle treatment, EAT fibrosis-related aberrant deposition of extracellular matrix proteins and fibrotic gene expression were reduced in ob/ob mice treated with rapamycin. Both CoCl2-induced hypoxia and TGF-β1 successfully promoted adipocyte fibrosis, and the upregulated fibrosis-related genes expression was inhibited after the mTORC1 pathway was inhibited by rapamycin. Conclusion: Inhibition of the mTORC1 pathway ameliorates adipose fibrosis by suppressing fibrosis-related genes in hypoxia- and TGF-β-induced fibrotic preadipocytes.

The sustainable extraction of saponins was investigated using natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs) combined with ultrasound-assisted extraction. A novel NADES (butyric acid-urea) that was responsive to ionic strength was designed and used as the extractant. Ultrasound treatment and a catalyst ferric chloride with plant cell wall breaking function were applied to improve the extraction efficiency. Since the solubility of the NADES varied significantly with ionic strength, 95% of NADES was readily separated from the water phase after the addition of sodium chloride, while saponins remained in the water phase for easy collection. The reuse capacity of NADES, the eco-friendliness of the extraction method, and the antioxidant activity of the extract were further evaluated. NADES was continuously recovered and used to extract Polygonatum sibiricum powder: the yield of saponins did not decrease after five cycles of recovery and re-extraction. The penalty point on the “Eco-scale” suggested that the extraction method was “green” (i.e. eco-friendly). Compared with ethanol extracts, the NADES extracts showed a higher saponin concentration and antioxidant activity. The study can contribute to the sustainable and green extraction of hydrophilic active substances in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Abstract Background Since the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index can reflect insulin resistance, it has been proven to be an efficient predictor of glycolipid-metabolism-related diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the TyG index for visceral obesity (VO) and body fat distribution in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Abdominal adipose tissue characteristics in patients with T2DM, including visceral adipose area (VAA), subcutaneous adipose area (SAA), VAA-to-SAA ratio (VSR), visceral adipose density (VAD), and subcutaneous adipose density (SAD), were obtained through analyses of computed tomography images at the lumbar 2/3 level. VO was diagnosed according to the VAA (> 142 cm2 for males and > 115 cm2 for females). Logistic regression was performed to identify independent factors of VO, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to compare the diagnostic performance according to the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Results A total of 976 patients were included in this study. VO patients showed significantly higher TyG values than non-VO patients in males (9.74 vs. 8.88) and females (9.59 vs. 9.01). The TyG index showed significant positive correlations with VAA, SAA, and VSR and negative correlations with VAD and SAD. The TyG index was an independent factor for VO in both males (odds ratio [OR] = 2.997) and females (OR = 2.233). The TyG index ranked second to body mass index (BMI) for predicting VO in male (AUC = 0.770) and female patients (AUC = 0.720). Patients with higher BMI and TyG index values showed a significantly higher risk of VO than the other patients. TyG-BMI, the combination index of TyG and BMI, showed significantly higher predictive power than BMI for VO in male patients (AUC = 0.879 and 0.835, respectively) but showed no significance when compared with BMI in female patients (AUC = 0.865 and 0.835, respectively). Conclusions . TyG is a comprehensive indicator of adipose volume, density, and distribution in patients with T2DM and is a valuable predictor for VO in combination with anthropometric indices, such as BMI.

Abstract Enabled resistance or innate insensitiveness to antiandrogen are lethal for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unfortunately, there seems to be little can be done to overcome the antiandrogen resistance because of the largely unknown mechanisms. In prospective cohort study, we found that HOXB3 protein level was an independent risk factor of PSA progression and death in patients with metastatic CRPC. In vivo, upregulated HOXB3 contributed to CRPC xenografts progression and abiraterone resistance. To uncover the mechanism of HOXB3 driving tumor progression, we performed RNA-sequencing in HOXB3 negative (HOXB3-) and HOXB3 high (HOXB3 + ) staining CRPC tumors and determined that HOXB3 activation was associated with the expression of WNT3A and enriched WNT pathway genes. Furthermore, extra WNT3A and APC deficiency led HOXB3 to be isolated from destruction-complex, translocated to nuclei, and then transcriptionally regulated multiple WNT pathway genes. What’s more, we also observed that the suppression of HOXB3 could reduce cell proliferation in APC-downregulated CRPC cells and sensitize APC-deficient CRPC xenografts to abiraterone again. Together, our data indicated that HOXB3 served as a downstream transcription factor of WNT pathway and defined a subgroup of CRPC resistant to antiandrogen which would benefit from HOXB3-targeted therapy.

Abstract Background The fear of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with hypoglycemia has seriously affected their quality of life. They are always afraid of hypoglycemia and often take excessive action to avoid it. Yet, researchers have investigated the relationship between hypoglycemia worries and excessive avoiding hypoglycemia behavior using total scores on self-report measures. However, network analysis studies of hypoglycemia worries and excessive avoiding hypoglycemia behavior in T2DM patients with hypoglycemia are lacking. Purpose The present study investigated the network structure of hypoglycemia worries and avoiding hypoglycemia behavior in T2DM patients with hypoglycemia and aimed to identify bridge items to help them correctly treat hypoglycemia and properly deal with hypoglycemia fear. Methods A total of 283 T2DM patients with hypoglycemia were enrolled in our study. Hypoglycemia worries and avoiding hypoglycemia behavior were evaluated with the Hypoglycemia Fear Scale. Network analyses were used for the statistical analysis. Results B9 “Had to stay at home for fear of hypoglycemia” and W12 “I am worried that hypoglycemia will affect my judgment” have the highest expected influences in the present network. In the community of hypoglycemia worries, W17 “I worry about hypoglycemia during sleep” has the highest bridge expected influence. And in the community of avoiding hypoglycemia behavior, B9 “Had to stay at home for fear of hypoglycemia” has the highest bridge expected influence. Conclusion Complex patterns of associations existed in the relationship between hypoglycemia worries and avoiding hypoglycemia behavior in T2DM patients with hypoglycemia. From the perspective of network analysis, B9 “Had to stay at home for fear of hypoglycemia” and W12 “I am worried that hypoglycemia will affect my judgment” have the highest expected influence, indicating their highest importance in the network. W17 “I worry about hypoglycemia during sleep” aspect of hypoglycemia worries and B9 “Had to stay at home for fear of hypoglycemia” aspect of avoiding hypoglycemia behavior have the highest bridge expected influence, indicating they have the strongest connections with each community. These results have important implications for clinical practice, which provided potential targets for interventions to reduce hypoglycemia fear and improve the quality of life in T2DM patients with hypoglycemia.

Ultrasonic treatment has been widely used in the mineral flotation process due to its advantages in terms of operational simplicity, no secondary pollutant formation, and safety. Currently, many studies have reported the effect of ultrasonic treatment on mineral flotation and shown excellent flotation performance. In this review, the ultrasonic mechanisms are classified into three types: the transient cavitation effect, stable cavitation effect, and acoustic radiation force effect. The effect of the main ultrasonic parameters, including ultrasonic power and ultrasonic frequency, on mineral flotation are discussed. This review highlights the uses of the application of ultrasonic treatment in minerals (such as the cleaning effect, ultrasonic corrosion, and desulfuration), flotation agents (such as dispersion and emulsification and change in properties and microstructure of pharmaceutical solution), and slurry (such formation of microbubbles and coalescence). Additionally, this review discusses the challenges and prospects of using ultrasonic approaches for mineral flotation. The findings demonstrate that the application of the ultrasonic effect yields diverse impacts on flotation, thereby enabling the regulation of flotation behavior through various treatment methods to enhance flotation indices and achieve the desired objectives.

Genetic predisposition and disruption of host gut microbiota and immune system can result in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Here, we show that miRNA-149-5p (miR-149-5p) and miRNA-149-3p (miR-149-3p) play crucial roles in IBD. Mice lacking miR-149-3p were considerably more susceptible to dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis than wild-type (WT) mice, accompanied by more serious inflammatory symptoms and increased gene expression of certain inflammatory cytokines. Both miR-149-5p and miR-149-3p suppressed colon inflammatory response in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiota between WT and miR-149-3p−/− mice by 16S rRNA sequencing. Co-housing endowed susceptibility to WT mice against DSS-induced colitis compared with the WT control group. However, susceptibility of miR-149-3p−/− mice against DSS-induced colitis was still present after antibiotic treatment. These findings suggest that the deletion of miR-149-3p altered gut microbiota and influenced pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation, but sensitivity of miR-149-3p−/− mice to DSS-induced colitis is not conferred by microbiota. In addition, we identified the roles of miR-149-5p and miR-149-3p in colon inflammation, which may serve as an attractive therapeutic tool for colitis or IBD, and even colitis-associated carcinoma.

Abstract Background The existing detection methods for porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) specific antibodies in serum cannot determine the infection status, thus it is necessary to establish a method for detecting PCV2 antigen. The capsid protein (CAP) of PCV2, as a major structural protein that plays a significant role in viral replication and in inducing host’s immune response, is an ideal target antigen to monitor PCV2 infection. Therefore, a gold immunochromatographic assay (GICA) for rapid detection of PCV2 antigen based on the polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) against PCV2-CAP will be developed. Results The truncated CAP protein (dCAP) was used to immunize rabbits to generate anti-serum. After preliminary purification by caprylic acid/ammonium sulfate precipitation (CAAS), specific PAbs were purified by affinity chromatography column coupled with dCAP and its titer was about two-fold higher than preliminary purified PAbs. Colloidal gold-PAbs conjugate was synthesized under the optimum conditions. The specific anti-dCAP PAbs and goat anti-rabbit antibody (GAR) were then sprayed onto nitrocellulose (NC) membrane as a test line (TL) and a control line (CL), respectively. The visual limit detection (vLOD) of the GICA strips was 5 ng/mL. Specificity assay indicated that the GICA strips had specifically detected PCV2 and was not reactive for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) or classic swine fever virus (CSFV). A total of 36 porcine serum samples were detected by this GICA and commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Kit, 9 positive samples were found by the developed strip with the rate of 25.0% comparing with 11 positive samples detected by the commercially ELISA Kit which positive rate was 30.5%, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that the relative sensitivity and specificity of this GICA strip were 72.7 and 96.0%, respectively, with an area of 87.2%. Conclusions This study established an efficient detection method with high sensitivity and specificity for the clinical diagnosis of PCV2 antigen, that will facilitate a rapid and convenient way to evaluate the infection status of vaccinated pigs.

Abstract The mining of genomes from non-cultivated microorganisms using metagenomics is a powerful tool to discover novel proteins and other valuable biomolecules. However, function-based metagenome searches are often limited by the time-consuming expression of the active proteins in various heterologous host systems. We here report the initial characterization of novel single-subunit bacteriophage RNA polymerase, EM1 RNAP, identified from a metagenome data set obtained from an elephant dung microbiome. EM1 RNAP and its promoter sequence are distantly related to T7 RNA polymerase. Using EM1 RNAP and a translation-competent Escherichia coli extract, we have developed an efficient medium-throughput pipeline and protocol allowing the expression of metagenome-derived genes and the production of proteins in cell-free system is sufficient for the initial testing of the predicted activities. Here, we have successfully identified and verified 12 enzymes acting on bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET) in a completely clone-free approach and proposed an in vitro high-throughput metagenomic screening method.

The dynamic physical simulation of natural gas accumulation process is one of the important means to reveal the mechanism of natural gas migration and accumulation and to summarize its distribution law. However, due to the characteristics of natural gas itself including "easy to leak, difficult to move and difficult to observe" have become holdbacks for the physical simulation of natural gas migration and accumulation. In order to reveal the migration and accumulation mechanisms of fault-controlled gas reservoirs, and to summarize the formation sequence and distribution pattern of gas reservoirs, typical reservoirs in Dongping, Mahai and Nanbaxian areas in the northwestern part of Tarim Basin were taken as examples to establish a geological evolution model for each reservoir. Aiming at the problems of gas reservoir simulation, an adjustable simulation device for gas migration and accumulation was designed, which could realize the dynamic process of structural change and clarify the phenomenon of gas charging and migration, and the formation process of typical gas reservoirs such as Dongping, and Mahai-Nanbaxian, etc. was successfully simulated. It is clear that the fault not only acts as a channel for gas migration and power transmission, but also controls the evolution sequence and distribution pattern. The formation and evolution sequence models of two different types of natural gas reservoirs, named "late accumulation" and "long-term accumulation", were proposed, the mechanism of natural gas migration and accumulation driven by "fault transmission and high pressure" was revealed, and the vertical preservation sequence featured by "co-existence of natural gas in both deep and shallow formations, and the deeper formations are more favorable for preservation" was concluded. A new concept of natural gas exploration was put forward that "if there are shallow gas reservoirs, there must be deep ones", and we can find natural gas from shallow to deep formations.

Abstract Aim This study aimed to explore the factors associated with attitudes towards the older adults among nursing students, to clarify the impact of empathy and end‐of‐life care on the attitude of the older adults, and to provide a basis for the follow‐up of education courses related to older adults care and the training of older adults care talents. Design A cross‐sectional study. Methods A cross‐sectional survey on nursing students' knowledge and attitudes towards older adults was conducted from 24 December 2020–24 February 2021. The Chinese versions of the end‐of‐life Attitudes Scale, Jefferson Empathy Scale‐Nursing Version and Kogan Attitudes Scale for the Elderly were used for this cross‐sectional study. We used the purposive sampling method to conduct a questionnaire survey on nursing students at Heilongjiang Nursing College (n = 371, effective response rate: 64.52%). Results The average score of FATCOD‐B was 99.04 (7.71), and the score of C‐JSE‐HPS was 100.67 (12.90). The total average score of nursing students' attitudes towards older adults was 139.91 (15.79). The hierarchical regression analysis showed that education (β = −.125, p = .025) and personal experience (β = −.132, p = .008) correlated negatively with attitudes towards the older adults, while the end‐of‐life care (β = .140, p = .013) and empathy (β = .285, p

AimThe aim of this study is to investigate the quality of life of nurses who collected nucleic acid samples throughout the COVID-19 epidemic's routine management, as well as the factors that may have influenced it.BackgroundAfter the outbreak of COVID-19, normalized epidemic prevention and control throughout China were implemented. Nucleic acid testing has become an effective measure for the early detection of virus-infected individuals. Nurses collecting nucleic acid samples undertake important tasks. Their quality of life is significant to maintaining team stability and containing the epidemic. However, research on their quality of life is still limited.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1,292 nurses who collected nucleic acid samples from five tertiary general hospitals in Xi'an through self-reported electronic questionnaires (including general demographic information, the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the Social Support Rating Scale, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Scale). Descriptive, one-way ANOVA and multiple linear regression were performed using SPSS 26.0. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the influencing factors.ResultsThe nurses collecting nucleic acid samples had a modest level of quality of life. Age, marital status, average daily sleep duration, frequency of exercise, psychological resilience, and social support were all influencing factors of quality of life, according to multiple linear regression analysis. Quality of life was found to be significantly related to psychological resilience and social support.ConclusionDemographic characteristics, psychological resilience, and social support are the factors affecting the quality of life of nurses who collect nucleic acid samples. Nursing managers should focus more on these factors to improve the quality of life for nurses.Relevance to clinical practiceNursing managers should realize the importance of the quality of life of nurses who collect nucleic acid samples in maintaining a vigorous nursing team and ensuring optimized epidemic control. Social support should also be provided to nurses to improve their psychological resilience, thereby improving their quality of life.

The forest ecosystem of Beijing is an important barrier that preserves the ecological environment in the capital city of China. Therefore, the study of plant water utilization techniques in Beijing holds considerable importance in establishing a theoretical framework for the rehabilitation, administration, and preservation of forest ecosystem structures and functions. Here, the samples of precipitation, xylem water, and soil water were collected during the months of August and December 2021 from both mountainous and plains areas of Beijing. We measured the hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope values (δ2H and δ18O, respectively) and demonstrated the water use strategies of two typical tree species (Pinus tabuliformis Carr. and Acer truncatum Bunge) using the MixSIAR model. Divergent water use strategies were found in the mountainous and plains areas of Beijing. In the mountainous area, the two tree species exhibited seasonal differences in water use strategies. The xylem water of P. tabuliformis was mainly derived from the surface soil water (0~20 cm). In contrast, the xylem water of A. truncatum mainly originated from the surface soil water during the growing season, and it mainly originated from the deep soil water (60~100 cm) during the nongrowing season. However, in the plains area, the water sources of P. tabuliformis and A. truncatum did not show seasonal differences and originated mainly from the deep soil water. The findings of our study emphasize the notable disparity in water utilization strategies among tree species in the mountainous and plains areas. Consequently, it is imperative to formulate sustainable forestry management approaches that align with the water use efficiency of trees in various locations of Beijing.

Core-shell thermally expandable microspheres (TEMs) were prepared via Pickering suspension polymerization. Acrylonitrile (AN), methacrylic acid (MAA) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) were used as the comonomers, the 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was used as the initiator and the ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) was used as the crosslinker. The effects of initiator concentration, cross-linking agent concentration and modified monomer type on the morphology, thermal properties and encapsulation content of TEMs were investigated. The results show that the small change in initiator concentration had a significant effect on the properties of TEMs. When the initiator concentration was 0.55%, the microspheres showed core-shell structure and the maximum expansion ratio was 3.06 times. According to the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image, the heat resistance of the microspheres increased with the increase of the content of crosslinking agent. The lower the water solubility of the modified monomer, the more stable the foaming of the TEMs. When methyl acrylate (MA) was used as a modified monomer, the initial expansion temperature of the microspheres was 163.2°C, the maximum expansion temperature was 223.5 °C, and the encapsulation content of the blowing agent was 14.70%.

Abstract In this work, a novel method of solid sample pretreatment technique of bismuth fire assay (Bi-FA) combined with solid sample determination by laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS) was reported for the determination of ultra-trace Pt and Pd in geochemical samples. Bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) was used as fire assay collector to directly enrich Pt and Pd from solid samples, and Ag protection cupellation was employed to generate Ag granules. After cleaning, weighing and annealing, the Ag granules were compressed into thin slices and determined by LA-ICP-MS for 195Pt, 105Pd and 109Ag (109Ag was selected as the internal standard isotope). Bi2O3 provided exceptionally low blanks compared to nickel oxide and lead oxide commonly employed in fire assay procedures, and could be applied directly without purification. Different from traditional empirical coefficient method, the Chinese Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) for Pt and Pd were treated by the same procedure to obtain completely matrix matched Ag slices. And then modified empirical coefficient method and internal standard calibration strategy was used to reduce the instability of LA-ICP-MS, and random multipoint laser ablation was employed to further reduce analytical variation resulting from heterogeneity of Pt and Pd in the Ag slice. Under optimal conditions, excellent calibration curves for Pt and Pd were obtained (0.407–2958 μg g−1 and 0.407–2636 μg g−1, respectively), with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.9996. The method detection limits for Pt and Pd were 0.074 and 0.037 ng g−1, respectively. The established method was applied successfully to analysis of real geochemical samples, with determined values in good agreement with the results of traditional Pb-FA graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS), and spiked recoveries between 87.8 and 125.0%.

Abstract Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal type of malignancy and is characterized by high invasiveness without severe symptoms. It is difficult to detect PC at an early stage because of the low diagnostic accuracy of existing routine methods, such as abdominal ultrasound, CT, MRI, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). Therefore, it is of value to develop new diagnostic techniques for early detection with high accuracy. In this review, we aim to highlight research progress on novel biomarkers, artificial intelligence, and nanomaterial applications on the diagnostic accuracy of pancreatic cancer.

Abstract Background Promoting the browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) is a promising approach for the treatment of obesity and related comorbidities because it increases energy expenditure. In this study, we investigated whether Dihydromyricetin (DHM), a flavonoid component, could ameliorate diet-induced obesity through promoting the browning of WAT. Methods Male C57BL/6 J mice were received a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity and subsequently were treated with DHM (100 mg/kg/day) or vehicle for 4 weeks. The effects of DHM on weight reduction and metabolic phenotype improvement were observed in the mice. The expression of genes and protein involved in browning of WAT were assessed in inguinal WAT (iWAT) of the mice. Then, the effect of DHM on the inducing browning program was verified in adipocytes differentiated from stromal vascular fraction (SVF) cells of mouse iWAT. Finally, the mechanism by which DHM improves the browning of WAT was explored using RNA-seq and luciferase reporter assay. Results We find that DHM reduces body weight, decreases WAT mass, improves glucose and lipid metabolic disorders, and ameliorates hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Further studies show that DHM induces WAT browning, which is manifested by increased expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator (PGC)-1α and enhanced mitochondrial activity in iWAT and primary adipocytes. In addition, we also find that DHM enhances interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) expression, which is a key transcriptional regulator of PGC-1α. Conclusion Our findings identify that DHM prevents obesity by inducing the browning of WAT through the upregulation of IRF4/PGC-1α, which may have potential therapeutic implications for the treatment of obesity.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial-based membranes feature attractive properties for molecular separation and transport, which exhibit huge potential in various chemical processes. However, the low permeability and bio-fouling of the MXene membrane in water treatment become huge obstacles to its practical application. Herein, a highly permselective and anti-bacterial 2D nanofiltration membrane is fabricated by intercalating a polycation of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDDA) into the Ti3C2Tx MXene laminar architecture through a facile and patternable electrostatic assembly strategy. As a result, the as-fabricated Ti3C2Tx/PDDA composite membrane exhibits higher water permeance up to 73.4 L m−2 h−1 with a rejection above 94.6% for MgCl2. The resultant membrane simultaneously possesses good resistance to swelling and long-term stability in water environments, even after 8 h. Additionally, the Ti3C2Tx/PDDA membrane also demonstrates a high flux recovery ratio of nearly 96.1% to bovine serum albumin proteins after being cleaned. More importantly, the current membrane shows excellent anti-adhesive and anti-microbial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), with inhibition rates of 90% and 95% against E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. This holds great potential for the application of the polyelectrolyte-intercalated MXene membrane in serving as a promising platform to separate molecules and/or ions in an aquatic environment.

As a major coastal economic province in the east of China, it is of great significance to clarify the temporal and spatial patterns of regional development in Shandong Province in recent years to support regional high-quality development. Nightlight remote sensing data can reveal the spatio-temporal patterns of social and economic activities on a fine pixel scale. We based the nighttime light patterns at three spatial scales in three geographical regions on monthly nighttime light remote sensing data and social statistics. Different cities and different counties in Shandong Province in the last 10 years were studied by using the methods of trend analysis, stability analysis and correlation analysis. The results show that: (1) The nighttime light pattern was generally consistent with the spatial pattern of construction land. The nighttime light intensity of most urban, built-up areas showed an increasing trend, while the old urban areas of Qingdao and Yantai showed a weakening trend. (2) At the geographical unit scale, the total nighttime light in south-central Shandong was significantly higher than that in eastern and northwest Shandong, while the nighttime light growth rate in northwest Shandong was significantly highest. At the urban scale, Liaocheng had the highest nighttime light growth rate. At the county scale, the nighttime light growth rate of counties with a better economy was lower, while that of counties with a backward economy was higher. (3) The nighttime light growth was significantly correlated with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population growth, indicating that regional economic development and population growth were the main causes of nighttime light change.

ObjectivesCollateral status (CS) is a crucial determinant of outcome in patients with ischemic stroke. We aimed to test whether the cerebral blood volume (CBV) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) based on computed tomography perfusion (CTP) measurements can quantitatively evaluate CS and explore the predictive ability of CTP parameters in determining clinical outcomes in patients with MCA severe stenosis or occlusion presenting beyond 24 h.Materials and methodsIn this retrospective study, data obtained from September 2018 to March 2022 in consecutive stroke patients caused by isolated middle cerebral artery severe stenosis or occlusion were reviewed within 24–72 h after onset. Correlation between the collateral score systems assessed with CT angiography (CTA) and CTP parameters was calculated using the Spearman correlation. The optimal threshold of the CBV ratio for predicting a good outcome was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.ResultsA total of 69 patients met inclusion criteria. Both the CBV ratio and the CBF ratio had significant correlation with collateral score systems assessed with CTA [CBV ratio and Tan score: rs = 0.702, P < 0.0001; CBV ratio and regional leptomeningeal collateral (rLMC) score: rs = 0.705, P < 0.0001; CBV ratio and Miteff score: rs = 0.625, P < 0.0001. CBF ratio and Tan score: rs= 0.671, P < 0.0001; CBF ratio and rLMC score: rs = 0.715, P < 0.0001; CBF ratio and Miteff score: rs = 0.535, P < 0.0001]. ROC analysis revealed the CBV ratio performed better than the qualitative collateral assessments and the CBF ratio in the prediction of a favorable 90-day modified Rankin scale score. The CBV ratio was a useful parameter that predicted a good functional outcome [area under the curve (AUC), 0.922; 95% CI, 0.862 ± 0.982].ConclusionsIn late time window stroke patients, the CBV and CBF ratio on CTP may be valuable parameters for quantitatively revealing the collateral status after stroke. In addition, the CBV ratio was the predictor of clinical outcomes in patients with MCA severe stenosis or occlusion.

Fragaria pentaphylla, a wild diploid quinquefoliolate species of Fragaria, is native to Southwest China. It has two morphs of red and white fruit color in nature and has characteristics of unique fragrance and resistance, which made it not only a valuable breeding material but also a potential model plant for molecular function researches. Here, we generate a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of a F. pentaphylla accession, BAAFS-FP039 employing a combination of PacBio Long-Read Sequencing, Illumina Short-Read Sequencing, and Hi-C Sequencing. The assembled genome contained 256.74 Mb and a contig N50 length of 32.38 Mb, accounting for 99.9% of the estimated genome (256.77 Mb). Based on Hi-C data, seven pseudo-chromosomes of F. pentaphylla-FP039 genome were assembled, covering 99.39% of the genome assembly. The genome was composed of 44.61% repetitive sequences and 29,623 protein-coding genes, 97.62% of protein-coding genes could be functionally annotated. Phylogenetic and chromosome syntenic analysis revealed that F. pentaphylla-FP039 was closely related to F. nubicola. This high-quality genome could provides fundamental molecular resources for evolutionary studies, breeding efforts, and exploring the unique biological characteristics of F. pentaphylla.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) are sensitive to salt stress, and breeding salt-tolerant strawberry cultivars is the primary method to develop resistance to increased soil salinization. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms mediating the response of strawberry to salinity stress remain largely unknown. This study evaluated the salinity tolerance of 24 strawberry varieties, and transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis were performed of ‘Sweet Charlie’ (salt-tolerant) and ‘Benihoppe’ (salt-sensitive) to explore salt tolerance mechanisms in strawberry. Compared with the control, we identified 3412 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 209 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in ‘Benihoppe,’ and 5102 DEGs and 230 DAMs in ‘Sweet Charlie.’ DEGs Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs in ‘Benihoppe’ were enriched for ion homeostasis related terms, while in ‘Sweet Charlie,’ terms related to cell wall remodeling were over-represented. DEGs related to ion homeostasis and cell wall remodeling exhibited differential expression patterns in ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Sweet Charlie.’ In ‘Benihoppe,’ 21 ion homeostasis-related DEGs and 32 cell wall remodeling-related DEGs were upregulated, while 23 ion homeostasis-related DEGs and 138 cell wall remodeling-related DEGs were downregulated. In ‘Sweet Charlie,’ 72 ion homeostasis-related DEGs and 275 cell wall remodeling-related DEGs were upregulated, while 11 ion homeostasis-related DEGs and 20 cell wall remodeling-related DEGs were downregulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses showed only four KEGG enriched pathways were shared between ‘Benihoppe’ and ‘Sweet Charlie,’ including flavonoid biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and ubiquinone, and other terpenoid-quinone biosynthesis. Integrating the results of transcriptomic and metabolomics analyses showed that adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and flavonoid pathway genes might play important roles in the salt stress response in strawberry, and DAMs and DEGs related to ABC transporter and flavonoid pathways were differentially expressed or accumulated. The results of this study reveal that cell wall remodeling and ABC transporters contribute to the response to salt stress in strawberry, and that related genes showed differential expression patterns in varieties with different salt tolerances. These findings provide new insights into the underlying molecular mechanism of strawberry response to salt stress and suggest potential targets for the breeding of salt-tolerant strawberry varieties.

Background: Exercise has been widely reported to promote bone health, but it is unknown whether is associated with a reduction in advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs). This study aimed to investigate the effects of 14 weeks of cheerleading exercise on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) and AGEs.Methods: In this study, 46 female teenagers (age, 19.52 ± 1.21 years; body mass index, 20.15 ± 2.47 kg/m2) were randomly divided into a cheerleading group (CHE, n = 21) and a control group (CON, n = 25). The CHE group was subjected to cheerleading practice twice a week for 14 weeks; the CON group maintained their daily routine. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure aBMD, and autofluorescence (AF) values were used to reflect AGEs. Physical fitness testing all-in-one machines are used to test body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle fitness and flexibility. A mixed ANOVA model was used to examine the effect of the intervention on each outcome. A multiple mediation model with covariates for physical activity and eating behaviors was performed to explore the mediators between cheerleading exercise and aBMD.Results: After 14 weeks of cheerleading practice, 1) aBMD increased significantly in both groups with significantly higher increases in the CHE group (p < 0.05). 2) AGEs significantly decreased in the CHE group (−2.7%), but not in the CON group (p > 0.05). 3) Vertical jumps and sit-ups significantly increased in the CHE group (p < 0.05), but not in the CON group (p > 0.05). 4) ΔAF values was significantly negatively correlated with Δ aBMD (r = −0.302, p < 0.05). 5) ΔAF values mediated the effect of exercise on the aBMD (indirect effect: 0.0032, 95% CI 0.0002–0.0079).Conclusion: Cheerleading practice improved aBMD and physical fitness and reduced AGEs accumulation in female adolescents. The effect of exercise on aBMD was partially mediated by AGEs.

Forest phenology is sensitive to climate change, and its responses affect many land surface processes, resulting in a feedback effect on climate change. Human activities have been the main driver of climate change’s long-term shifts in temperature and weather patterns. Forest phenology, understood as the timing of the annual cycles of plants, is extremely sensitive to changes in climate. Quantifying the responses of temperate forest phenology under an elevational range of topographic conditions that mimic climate change is essential for making effective adaptive forest ecosystem management decisions. Our study utilized the Google Earth Engine (GEE), gap filling, and the Savitzky–Golay (GF-SG) algorithm to develop a long-time series spatio-temporal remote sensing data fusion. The forest phenology characteristics on the north slope of Changbai Mountain were extracted and analyzed annually from 2013 to 2022. Our study found that the average start of the growing season (SOS) on the north slope of Changbai Mountain occurred between the 120th–150th day during the study period. The end of the growing season (EOS) occurred between the 270th–300th day, and the length of the growing season (LOS) ranged from the 110th–190th day. A transect from the northeast to southwest of the study area for a 10-year study period found that SOS was delayed by 39 d, the EOS advanced by 32 d, and the LOS was gradually shortened by 63 d. The forest phenology on the north slope of Changbai Mountain showed significant topographic differentiations. With an increase of 100 m in altitude, the mean SOS was delayed by 1.71 d (R2 = 0.93, p < 0.01). There were no obvious trends in EOS variation within the study area altitude gradient. LOS decreased by 1.23 d for each 100 m increase in elevation (R2 = 0.90, p < 0.01). Forests on steep slopes had an earlier SOS, a later EOS, and a longer LOS than forests on gentle slopes. For each degree increase in slope, SOS advanced by 0.12 d (R2 = 0.53, p = 0.04), EOS was delayed by 0.18 d (R2 = 0.82, p = 0.002), and the LOS increased by 0.28 d (R2 = 0.78, p = 0.004). The slope aspect had effects on the EOS and the LOS but had no effect on the SOS. The forest EOS of the south aspect was 3.15 d later than that of the north aspect, and the LOS was 6.47 d longer. Over the 10-year study period, the phenology differences between the north and south aspects showed that the LOS difference decreased by 0.85 d, the SOS difference decreased by 0.34 d, and the EOS difference decreased by 0.53 d per year. Our study illustrates the significance of the coupling mechanism between mountain topography and forest phenology, which will assist our future understanding of the response of mountain forest phenology to climate change, and provide a scientific basis for further research on temperate forest phenology.

Black ginseng is a new type of processed ginseng that is traditionally used in herbal medicine in East Asian countries. It is prepared from fresh, white, or red ginseng by undergoing a process of steaming and drying several times. However, the chemical differentiation of black ginseng with different processing levels is not well understood. The aim of this study was to propose a new method for discriminating and quantifying black ginseng. Six ginsenosides from black ginseng were accurately quantified, and based on this, the black ginseng samples were divided into incomplete and complete black ginseng. Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole-time of flight/mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) combined with a multivariate statistical analysis strategy was then employed to differentiate the two groups. A total of 141 ions were selected as analytical markers of black ginseng, with 45 of these markers being annotated by matching precise m/z and MS/MS data from prior studies.

With rapid urbanization and the requirements for new buildings and infrastructure, cement production is expected to increase in China. Meanwhile, China’s energy consumption and carbon emissions associated with cement industry are expected to increase, as cement production is one of the most energy intensive industries. Introducing new and more pertinent technologies with better management, as indicated by government goals and measures, can improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emission. However, many challenges and uncertainties in the cement industry have been addressed without considering several interconnected processes among sectors including industry, energy, construction, and services, which lead to little improvements in the industry. Nexus approaches are recognized as effective methods to simultaneously examine interactions among multiple sectors with various elements. This research intends to provide insights for future energy-cement-carbon emission nexus, through integrated assessment capabilities, related to China’s new urbanization planning toward 2050. Several challenges and uncertainties, including different trends in population growth, structural transformation of economic driving forces, and new but stricter policy targets for resource use efficiency and environment production, are put into multiple scenarios. The results of our analysis provide perspectives on future direction to underscore the growing interconnection among energy, cement and carbon emission with clear and more specific roadmap for promoting integrated planning, management and governance.

Abstract The surface evapotranspiration (ET) process is the key link in the interaction between land and atmosphere. However, the influence of different environmental factors on ET over transitional climate zones and the physical pattern of the interaction between multiple factors remain unclear. Therefore, based on the continuous observation data during the vegetation growing season of a typical grassland in the Semi‐Arid Climate and Environment Observation of Lanzhou University (SACOL) station from 2007 to 2012, the influence pattern of multiple environmental factors on ET over China's transitional climate zone was analysed. Each environmental factor exhibited significant seasonal and interannual variations. The mean value of ET was 1.67 mm day−1. Although the maximum values of sensible heat flux and vapour pressure deficit occurred in April and June, respectively, the maximum values of other environmental factors appeared from July to August. Net radiation, soil moisture, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were the main controlling factors of ET over the grassland, with correlation coefficients of 0.54, 0.52, and 0.46, respectively. The analysis of multiple environmental factors showed that when soil moisture, wind speed, net radiation, and NDVI reached 0.2 m3 m−3, 2 m s−1, 100 W m−2, and 0.2, respectively, ET varied in contrast with vapour pressure, vapour pressure deficit, and air temperature under the influences of weather processes, land–atmosphere coupling, and drought stress. These findings deepen our understanding of the role of ET in the land–atmosphere coupling process over the transitional climate zone in China.

Computation-intensive vehicle tasks sharply increase with the rapid growth of intelligent vehicles. The technology of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) has the possibility of assisting vehicles with computation offloading. To solve the problem of computation resource management and guarantee the security of resource transaction, we jointly combine the MEC network and the blockchain networks to build a blockchain based MEC offloading model. The non-cooperative interactions between MEC server and vehicles formulate a two-stage Stackelberg game in an aim to maximize their benefits and information security. We theoretically demonstrate the unique existence of Nash equilibrium, which enables participants to decide their optimal strategies. Finally, the performance of the proposed model is analyzed by conducting simulation experiments. Our proposed model optimizes resource allocation and also improves the security of the whole network.

The summer monsoon transition zone (SMTZ) in China represents an unusual land type with an agro-pasture ecotone, and it is a climate-sensitive region. Changes in climate aridity and changes in meteorological drought are mutually related yet fundamentally different. In this study, potential evapotranspiration (ETO) is calculated using Penman–Monteith, based on China’s national meteorological stations data from 1961 to 2013. An ETO-based climate aridity index (IAI) and ETO-based standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) are used as the metrics for climate aridity and meteorological drought, respectively. The result shows a significant difference between climate aridity and meteorological drought in the SMTZ, compared with the monsoon and non-monsoon zone. This difference varies on different time scales (1–48 months), and the greatest differences between IAI and SPEI are on seasonal and monthly scales (1–12 months), but lower at longer time scales (>12 months). The first reason for the difference is the desynchronicity of meteorological drought and the background climate. After the background climate becomes a relatively arid state (such as 0.96 < IAI < 1) from a semi-arid state (0.50 < IAI < 0.80), the continued arid state with weak IAI fluctuations eventually results in increasingly severe meteorological droughts, or the recurrence of equally severe droughts with drastic reduction. Consequently, the onset of the most severe climate aridity is two to seven months (mostly three to four months) ahead of the onset of the most severe drought events, until the climate returns to a semi-arid state. Second, climate aridity represents the average state of the background climate over a long time period and changes gently, while meteorological droughts are stochastic climate events and change drastically. These findings indicate that IAI can serve as a predictor of the onset of meteorological drought events, especially in the SMTZ, but it fails to characterize the progression of meteorological drought events well. Therefore, this result is of great significance for drought prediction and early warning.

Abstract Background Chenopodium quinoa Willd. (quinoa) is a pseudocereal crop of the Amaranthaceae family and represents a promising species with the nutritional content and high tolerance to stressful environments, such as soils affected by high salinity. The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor represents exclusively in eukaryotes and can be related to many biological processes. So far, the genomes of quinoa and 3 other Amaranthaceae crops (Spinacia oleracea, Beta vulgaris, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus) have been fully sequenced. However, information about the bZIPs in these Amaranthaceae species is limited, and genome-wide analysis of the bZIP family is lacking in quinoa. Results We identified 94 bZIPs in quinoa (named as CqbZIP1-CqbZIP94). All the CqbZIPs were phylogenetically splitted into 12 distinct subfamilies. The proportion of CqbZIPs was different in each subfamily, and members within the same subgroup shared conserved exon-intron structures and protein motifs. Besides, 32 duplicated CqbZIP gene pairs were investigated, and the duplicated CqbZIPs had mainly undergone purifying selection pressure, which suggested that the functions of the duplicated CqbZIPs might not diverge much. Moreover, we identified the bZIP members in 3 other Amaranthaceae species, and 41, 32, and 16 orthologous gene pairs were identified between quinoa and S. oleracea, B. vulgaris, and A. hypochondriacus, respectively. Among them, most were a single copy being present in S. oleracea, B. vulgaris, and A. hypochondriacus, and two copies being present in allotetraploid quinoa. The function divergence within the bZIP orthologous genes might be limited. Additionally, 11 selected CqbZIPs had specific spatial expression patterns, and 6 of 11 CqbZIPs were up-regulated in response to salt stress. Among the selected CqbZIPs, 3 of 4 duplicated gene pairs shared similar expression patterns, suggesting that these duplicated genes might retain some essential functions during subsequent evolution. Conclusions The present study provided the first systematic analysis for the phylogenetic classification, motif and gene structure, expansion pattern, and expression profile of the bZIP family in quinoa. Our results would lay an important foundation for functional and evolutionary analysis of CqbZIPs, and provide promising candidate genes for further investigation in tissue specificity and their functional involvement in quinoa’s resistance to salt stress.

During the progression of type 2 diabetes, insulin-producing β-cells can lose their identity and become reprogrammed into other cell types. Here the authors show that murine diabetic β-cells require the protein Raptor for maintaining β-cell health and preventing them from turning into α-cells, independent of Raptor’s involvement in regulating blood sugar levels.

Currently there is tremendous interest in the discovery of natural polysaccharide immunomodulators for treating immune-related diseases. Herein, the immunomodulatory activities of a polysaccharide fraction isolated from blackberry seeds (BSP-2) were examined in RAW264.7 cells. The results revealed that BSP-2 at 37.5–300 µg/mL could significantly enhance the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells and their ability to release NO, TNF-α and IL-6 cytokines. BSP-2 could significantly up-regulate the mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6, as well as the phosphorylation of p65, p38, ERK and JNK proteins. The mechanisms underlying the immunomodulatory actions of BSP-2 likely involve the activation of the NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and up-regulation of the phosphorylation of key proteins involved in these pathways. These findings suggest that BSP-2 could be applied as a polysaccharide immunotherapeutic adjuvant with the effective dose as low as 70 µg/mL (BSP-2 may be cytotoxic at levels > 600 μg/mL). Highlights Immunostimulatory potential of a blackberry seed polysaccharide (BSP-2) was examined. BSP-2 at 37.5–300 µg/mL could enhance the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells. BSP-2 could significantly up-regulate the mRNA expression of iNOS, TNF-α and IL-6. BSP-2 up-regulated the phosphorylation of p65, p38, ERK and JNK proteins. Immunostimulatory BSP-2 acted via activating the NF-κB and MAPK signalling pathways.

To solve the problem of trajectory tracking control of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under white noise disturbance, a new active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), an active disturbance rejection switching control (ADRSC) algorithm of the quadrotor based on a robust differentiator, is proposed. The dynamic model of the quadrotor is stated in three sub-equations, and a control algorithm is designed. The exact robust differentiator (ERD) replaces the tracking differentiator in the traditional ADRC algorithm to improve the accuracy and robustness of the differential signal. The ADRSC algorithm controls the quadrotor to improve its anti-white-noise disturbance ability and control accuracy. Simulation results show that the quadrotor has an anti-white-noise disturbance ability of no more than 0.1 dB intensity with this algorithm.

The number of cyber-attacks and data breaches has immensely increased across different enterprises, companies, and industries as a result of the exploitation of the weaknesses in securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The increasing number of various devices connected to IoT and their different protocols has led to growing volume of zero-day attacks. Deep learning (DL) has demonstrated its superiority in big data fields and cyber-security. Recently, DL has been used in cyber-attacks detection because of its capability of extracting and learning deep features of known attacks and detecting unknown attacks without the need for manual feature engineering. However, DL cannot be implemented on IoT devices with limited resources because it requires extensive computation, strong power and storage capabilities. This paper presents a comprehensive attack detection framework of a distributed, robust, and high detection rate to detect several IoT cyber-attacks using DL. The proposed framework implements an attack detector on fog nodes because of its distributed nature, high computational capacity and proximity to edge devices. Six DL models are compared to identify the DL model with the best performance. All DL models are evaluated using five different datasets, each of which involves various attacks. Experiments show that the long short-term memory model outperforms the five other DL models. The proposed framework is effective in terms of response time and detection accuracy and can detect several types of cyber-attacks with 99.97% detection rate and 99.96% detection accuracy in binary classification and 99.65% detection accuracy in multi-class classification.

Emotion recognition has shown many valuable roles in people's lives under the background of artificial intelligence technology. However, most existing emotion recognition methods have poor recognition performance, which prevents their promotion in practical applications. To alleviate this problem, we proposed an expression-EEG interaction multi-modal emotion recognition method using a deep automatic encoder. Firstly, decision tree is applied as objective feature selection method. Then, based on the facial expression features recognized by sparse representation, the solution vector coefficients are analyzed to determine the facial expression category of the test samples. After that, the bimodal deep automatic encoder is adopted to fuse the EEG signals and facial expression signals. The third layer of BDAE extracts features for training of supervised learning. Finally, LIBSVM classifier is used to complete classification task. We carried out experiments on a constructed video library to verify the proposed emotion recognition method. The results show that the proposed method can effectively extract and integrate high-level emotion-related features in EEG and facial expression signals. The recognition rate of discrete emotion state type and the average emotion recognition rate have been improved relatively, in which the average emotion recognition rate is 85.71%. Overall, the emotion recognition ability has been greatly improved.