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Abstract Background Some research indicates that unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in the diet could enhance reproductive outcomes in infertile women. However, other research holds different views, possibly due to differences in the conversion rates of UFAs from various foods and bioavailability in the body. Therefore, this research examined the link between serum UFAs and infertility issues. Methods This research included reproductive-age women participating in the 2013–2014 American National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Serum levels of four UFAs, including palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7), vaccenic acid (18:1n-7), oleic acid (18:1n-9), and linoleic acid (18:2n-6) were measured through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Infertility data was collected by affirmative responses to targeted questionnaire items. Associations between serum UFA levels and infertility were evaluated utilizing Poisson regression models and smooth curve fitting methods. Sensitivity analysis was also conducted. Results This study included 535 women, aged between 18 and 45. Poisson regression analysis, both adjusted and unadjusted for confounders, revealed no associations between palmitoleic acid, vaccenic acid, oleic acid, or linoleic acid and female infertility (all P > 0.05). However, four UFAs all showed non-linear relationships with infertility in smooth curve fitting analysis. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the findings. Conclusion This research established non-linear associations between serum UFAs and infertility in American women. Specifically, maintaining appropriate serum levels of these UFAs may lower infertility risk. These findings offer new insights and practical dietary recommendations for improving female fertility.

Abstract Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with high heritability, characterized by positive and negative symptoms as well as cognitive abnormalities. Dysfunction in glutamate synapse is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, the precise role of the perturbed glutamatergic system in contributing to the cognitive abnormalities of schizophrenia at the synaptic level remains largely unknown. Although our previous work found that Opcml promotes spine maturation and Opcml-deficient mice exhibit schizophrenia-related cognitive impairments, the synaptic mechanism remains unclear. By using whole-cell patch clamp recording, we found that decreased neuronal excitability and alterations in intrinsic membrane properties of CA1 PNs in Opcml-deficient mice. Furthermore, Opcml deficiency leads to impaired glutamatergic transmission in hippocampus, which is closely related to postsynaptic AMPA/NMDA receptors dysfunction, resulting in the disturbances of E/I balance. Additionally, we found that the aripiprazole which we used to ameliorate abnormal cognitive behaviors also rescued the impaired glutamatergic transmission in Opcml-deficient mice. These findings will help to understand the synaptic mechanism in schizophrenia pathogenesis, providing insights into schizophrenia therapeutics with glutamatergic disruption.

Abstract Background The ratio (E/Ea) of mitral Doppler inflow velocity to annular tissue Doppler wave velocity by transthoracic echocardiography and diaphragmatic excursion (DE) by diaphragm ultrasound have been confirmed to predict extubation outcomes. However, few studies focused on the predicting value of E/Ea and DE at different positions during a spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), as well as the effects of △E/Ea and △DE (changes in E/Ea and DE during a SBT). Methods This study was a reanalysis of the data of 60 difficult-to-wean patients in a previous study published in 2017. All eligible participants were organized into respiratory failure (RF) group and extubation success (ES) group within 48 h after extubation, or re-intubation (RI) group and non-intubation (NI) group within 1 week after extubation. The risk factors for respiratory failure and re-intubation including E/Ea and △E/Ea, DE and △DE at different positions were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of E/Ea (septal, lateral, average) and DE (right, left, average) were compared with each other, respectively. Results Of the 60 patients, 29 cases developed respiratory failure within 48 h, and 14 of those cases required re-intubation within 1 week. Multivariate logistic regression showed that E/Ea were all associated with respiratory failure, while only DE (right) and DE (average) after SBT were related to re-intubation. There were no statistic differences among the ROC curves of E/Ea at different positions, nor between the ROC curves of DE. No statistical differences were shown in △E/Ea between RF and ES groups, while △DE (average) was remarkably higher in NI group than that in RI group. However, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that △DE (average) was not associated with re-intubation. Conclusions E/Ea at different positions during a SBT could predict postextubation respiratory failure with no statistical differences among them. Likewise, only DE (right) and DE (average) after SBT might predict re-intubation with no statistical differences between each other.

Accurate landslide susceptibility mapping (LSM) relies on a detailed landslide inventory and relevant influencing factors. In this study, Sentinel 2 remote sensing imagery is employed to establish a comprehensive landslide inventory leveraging attention U-Net backbone networks in Zhangjiajie City of Hunan Province, China. Subsequently, the refined landslide inventory, with more precise boundaries, is integrated into LSM process. A multi-scale sampling three-dimensional convolutional neural network (3D-CNN) is introduced into LSM, facilitating the extraction of multi-scale neighbourhood characteristics and deep information of relevant topographical, hydrological, meteorological, geological, and human activity factors. Experimental results demonstrate that this method achieves the highest accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Moreover, its recall and F1-score significantly higher surpass those of other small-, medium-, and large-scale models, with the F1-score being more than 10% higher. This superior performance is attributed to its proficiency in discerning the nonlinear spatial correlation between landslide occurrences and influencing factors. The comprehensive consideration of scale characteristics through the multi-scale sampling strategy outperforms the single-scale CNN models across all evaluation metrics. This study furnishes a suite of high-precision methodologies for landslide hazard assessment in Zhangjiajie City, thereby offering invaluable support to decision-makers engaged in large-scale land use planning and geologic disaster prevention.

TCRαβ+ CD4− CD8− double-negative T (DNT) cells are minor populations in peripheral blood, and their roles have mostly been discussed in inflammation and autoimmunity. However, the functions of DNT cells in tumor microenvironment remain to be elucidated. We investigated their characteristics, possible origins and functions in colorectal cancer tissues as well as their corresponding tumor-draining lymph nodes. We found a significant enrichment of DNT cells in tumor tissues compared with their corresponding lymph nodes, especially in tumors with lower T cell infiltration. T cell receptor (TCR) sequence analysis of CD4+ T, CD8+ T and DNT cells indicated that TCR sequences detected in DNT cells were found in CD8+ T cells, but rarely in CD4+ T cells, suggesting that a part of DNT cells was likely to be originated from CD8+ T cells. Through a single-cell transcriptomic analysis of DNT cells, we found that a DNT cell cluster, which showed similar phenotypes to central memory CD8+ T cells with low expression of effector and exhaustion markers, revealed some specific gene expression patterns, including higher GZMK expression. Moreover, in flow cytometry analysis, we found that DNT cells lost production of cytotoxic mediators. These findings imply that DNT cells might function as negative regulators of anti-tumor immune responses in tumor microenvironment.

The occurrence and increased dispersion of plant viruses and insect vectors are serious global threat to the production of agricultural crops. Facing novel pathogenic plant viruses, the ability to accurately identify plant virus species, and understand the interaction between plant viruses, host plants and their insect vectors would provide an important basis for formulating effective plant virus control measures. In this study, we explored the transmission mechanism, pathogenic symptoms, host range and the interactions between virus and aphid vectors of a novel polerovirus from Nicotiana tabacum, named Tobacco yellow virus (TYV). The results indicate that TYV can be transmitted by Myzus persicae in a persistent manner, and cause yellowing and shrinking of tobacco leaves. TYV can successfully infect a total of 9 plant species belonging to 3 families. The effect of TYV-infected tobacco plants on M. persicae behavior and life characteristics was found to be stage-dependent. TYV can directly and indirectly manipulate the performance and life history traits of M. persicae vectors to promote their own transmission. These results provide a certain theoretical basis for the possibility of control strategies of the virus, and the in-depth exploration of the interaction among plant virus, vector aphid and host plants.

BackgroundThe majority of elderly individuals prefer to spend their final days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). ICU nurses are key providers in hospice care, and their attitudes toward death influence the quality of end-of-life nursing. Positive psychology emphasizes promoting positive attitudes toward death. A sense of meaning in life and resilience are critical aspects of positive psychology, which are essential for shaping ICU nurses’ attitudes toward death.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate whether a sense of meaning in life indirectly affects attitudes toward death through the mediation of resilience.MethodA total of 212 ICU nurses from four tertiary general hospitals in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, China, participated in this study. They completed an online questionnaire, including the Death Attitude Profile-Revised, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the China Meaning in Life Questionnaire for ICU nurses.ResultsICU nurses scored highest in natural acceptance (3.26 ± 0.53), followed by escaping acceptance (2.54 ± 0.59), and fear of death (2.53 ± 0.78). The proposed model fit the data well. Both the presence of meaning and the search for meaning were positive predictors of resilience (β = 0.313, p

Abstract Background Variations in hydraulic conductivity may arise from species-specific differences in the anatomical structure and function of the xylem, reflecting a spectrum of plant strategies along a slow-fast resource economy continuum. Spruce (Picea spp.), a widely distributed and highly adaptable tree species, is crucial in preventing soil erosion and enabling climate regulation. However, a comprehensive understanding of the variability in anatomical traits of stems and their underlying drivers in the Picea genus is currently lacking especially in a common garden. Results We assessed 19 stem economic properties and hydraulic characteristics of 17 Picea species grown in a common garden in Tianshui, Gansu Province, China. Significant interspecific differences in growth and anatomical characteristics were observed among the species. Specifically, xylem hydraulic conductivity (K s) and hydraulic diameter exhibited a significant negative correlation with the thickness to span ratio (TSR), cell wall ratio, and tracheid density and a significant positive correlation with fiber length, and size of the radial tracheid. PCA revealed that the first two axes accounted for 64.40% of the variance, with PC1 reflecting the trade-off between hydraulic efficiency and mechanical support and PC2 representing the trade-off between high embolism resistance and strong pit flexibility. Regression analysis and structural equation modelling further confirmed that tracheid size positively influenced K s, whereas the traits DWT, D_r, and TSR have influenced K s indirectly. All traits failed to show significant phylogenetic associations. Pearson’s correlation analysis demonstrated strong correlations between most traits and longitude, with the notable influence of the mean temperature during the driest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation during the wettest quarter, and aridity index. Conclusions Our results showed that xylem anatomical traits demonstrated considerable variability across phylogenies, consistent with the pattern of parallel sympatric radiation evolution and global diversity in spruce. By integrating the anatomical structure of the stem xylem as well as environmental factors of origin and evolutionary relationships, our findings provide novel insights into the ecological adaptations of the Picea genus.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition marked by impairments in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Emerging evidence suggests that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway plays a critical role in ASD pathogenesis; however, the precise pathogenic mechanisms remain elusive. This study utilizes multi-omics approaches to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of ASD susceptibility genes within the IGF pathway. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) revealed a significant enrichment of rare variants in key IGF signaling components, particularly the IGF receptor 1 (IGF1R), in a cohort of Chinese Han individuals diagnosed with ASD, as well as in ASD patients from the SFARI SPARK WES database. Subsequent single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of cortical tissues from children with ASD demonstrated elevated expression of IGF receptors in parvalbumin (PV) interneurons, suggesting a substantial impact on their development. Notably, IGF1R appears to mediate the effects of IGF2R on these neurons. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis of brain organoids derived from ASD patients indicated a significant association between IGF1R and ASD. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) and gene regulatory network (GRN) analyses further identified ASD susceptibility genes that interact with and regulate IGF1R expression. In conclusion, IGF1R emerges as a central node within the IGF signaling pathway, representing a potential common pathogenic mechanism and therapeutic target for ASD. These findings highlight the need for further investigation into the modulation of this pathway as a strategy for ASD intervention.

As a response of the coastal oceans to more severe anthropogenic disturbance, increasing coastal primary production has been more frequently observed in recent years. This raises the question of how this progressive change reshapes the long-term carbon sequestration in the coastal oceans. With this question in mind, we investigated the sediment organic matter (OM) preserved on the shelf of the northern South China Sea (NSCS) where high primary production has been observed. Across this sediment core, relatively low total organic carbon content of around 0.60% was observed. Fatty acids with less carbon numbers exhibit exponential decreases downward with degradation rate constants ranging from 0.10 to 0.17 y-1, no matter they were from single sources (14:0 presumably from marine OM and ai-15:0, i-15:0, 15:0 from bacterial OM) or mixed sources (16:0). Meanwhile fatty acids with more carbon numbers, either 18:0 and 24:0 from mixed sources, or 26:0 and 28:0 presumably from terrestrial input, were less varied in concentrations with depth. This demonstrates a preferential decomposition of labile fatty acids during the early diagenesis of coastal sediment organic matter. A decrease of labile fatty acids δ13C values was observed with the decomposition, from which kinetic isotope fractionations were predicted ranging from 0.7 to 1.5‰. This provides an isotopic constraint of the mixing model to quantify labile organic matter from terrestrial input and local phytoplankton production, from which declined contribution of local phytoplankton production to labile fatty acids was identified in more recent sediment. This finding together with the low organic carbon content and rapid removal of fatty acids in the top sediment, demonstrates the poor preservation of labile organic matter on the shelf of NSCS, implying that the increasing primary production has not enhanced the coastal carbon sequestration yet, but rather leads to more intensified respiration with a potential risk to increase the CO2 outgassing from the coastal oceans.

Precise developmental timing control is essential for organism formation and function, but its mechanisms are unclear. In C. elegans, the microRNA lin-4 critically regulates developmental timing by post-transcriptionally downregulating the larval-stage-fate controller LIN-14. However, the mechanisms triggering the activation of lin-4 expression toward the end of the first larval stage remain unknown. We demonstrate that the transmembrane transcription factor MYRF-1 is necessary for lin-4 activation. MYRF-1 is initially localized on the cell membrane, and its increased cleavage and nuclear accumulation coincide with lin-4 expression timing. MYRF-1 regulates lin-4 expression cell-autonomously and hyperactive MYRF-1 can prematurely drive lin-4 expression in embryos and young first-stage larvae. The tandem lin-4 promoter DNA recruits MYRF-1GFP to form visible loci in the nucleus, suggesting that MYRF-1 directly binds to the lin-4 promoter. Our findings identify a crucial link in understanding developmental timing regulation and establish MYRF-1 as a key regulator of lin-4 expression.

In Web service clustering, the service function vector (SFV) directly determines the quality of service (QoS) clustering. To improve service clustering performance, a method is proposed in this paper by integrating label-enhanced functional semantics and service collaboration. It improves the SFV from three aspects: generation model, corpus, and structural auxiliary information. At the generation model level, a Sentence-BERT is constructed based on singular value decomposition (SVD), to alleviate the anisotropy problem of BERT in vectorizing service descriptions. For corpus, the semantic features of SFV are supplemented by extracting specific named entities from service descriptions. Meanwhile, the service collaboration graph is established according to the collaboration relationship among Web services, which is conducive to the variational graph auto-encoders (VGAE) to realize service collaboration feature aggregation and further improve the SFV. Experiments show that the improved model, corpus and structural auxiliary information effectively enhance the SFV clustering. The proposed Web service clustering method is superior to the state-of-the-art methods.

Abstract Background Alterations in surface area (SA) in specific regions of the cortex have been reported in many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, the genetic background between ASD and SA is still unclear. This study estimated the genetic correlation and causal effect of ASD and cortical SA. Methods Summarized data of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were separately downloaded from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (18,381 cases of ASD, and 27,969 controls) and the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis Consortium (33,992 participants of Europeans). We used Linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) and Heritability Estimation from Summary Statistics (HESS) to calculate the heritability of each trait. As for the genetic correlation between ASD and SA, LDSC was used for global correlation and HESS was used to examine the local genetic covariance further. We used three Mendelian randomization (MR) methods, Inverse-variance weighted, MR-Egger, and weighted median to estimate the causal relationship. Results LDSC observed a nominal significant genetic correlation (rg = 0.1229, P-value = 0.0346) between ASD and SA of the rostral anterior cingulate gyrus whereas analysis through HESS did not reveal any significant loci having genetic covariance. Based on MR results, statistically meaningful estimations were found in the following areas, postcentral cortex (β (SE) = 21.82 (7.84) mm, 95% CI: 6.46 to 37.19 mm, PIVW = 5.38 × 10− 3, PFDR = 3.09 × 10− 2), posterior cingulate gyrus (β (SE) = 6.23 (2.69) mm, 95% CI: 0.96 to 11.49 mm, PIVW = 2.05 × 10− 2, PFDR = 4.26 × 10− 2), supramarginal gyrus (β (SE) = 19.25 (8.43) mm, 95% CI: 29.29 to 35.77 mm, PIVW = 2.24 × 10− 2, PFDR = 4.31 × 10− 2). Conclusion Our results provided genetic evidence to support the opinion that individuals with ASD tend to develop differences in cortical SA of special areas. The findings contributed to understanding the genetic relationship between ASD and cortical SA.

Shear Thickening Fluid (STF) is a specialized high-concentration particle suspension capable of rapidly and reversibly altering its viscosity when exposed to sudden impacts. Consequently, STF-based dampers deliver a self-adaptive damping force and demonstrate significant potential for applications in structural vibration control. This study presents both a modeling and experimental investigation of a novel double-rod structured STF damper. Initially, a compound STF is formulated using silica particles as the dispersed phase and polyethylene glycol solution as the dispersing medium. The rheological properties of the STF are then experimentally evaluated. The STF’s constitutive rheological behavior is described using the G-R model. Following this, the flow behavior of the STF within the damper’s annular gap is explored, leading to the development of a two-dimensional axisymmetric fluid simulation model for the damper. Based on this model, the dynamic mechanism of the proposed STF damper is analyzed. Subsequently, the STF damper is optimally designed and subjected to experimental investigation using a dynamic testing platform under different working conditions. The experimental results reveal that the proposed STF damper, whose equivalent stiffness can achieve a nearly threefold change with excitation frequency and amplitude, exhibits good self-adaptive capabilities. By dividing the damper force into two parts: the frictional damping pressure drop, and the osmotic pressure drop generated by the “Jamming effect”. A fitting model is proposed, and it aligns closely with the nonlinear performance of the STF damper.

IntroductionEthical voice is a valuable ethical behavior that enables organizations to promptly recognize and rectify unethical issues and practices, thus preventing severe dilemmas and crises. Despite its importance, the extant literature has yet to fully explore the impact of a leader’s ethical voice on subordinate outcomes. This study bridges this gap by integrating social identity theory and social exchange theory to scrutinize the process by which a leader’s ethical voice affects subordinate task performance.MethodsWe employ a serial mediation model to explore the mechanisms by which a leader’s ethical voice enhances subordinates’ task performance. Our theoretical framework is empirically validated using a dataset that includes 449 subordinate-leader pairings from Chinese enterprises.ResultsThe survey results demonstrate that a leader’s ethical voice has a significant positive impact on subordinate task performance. Subordinate identification with leader and leader-member exchange not only individually mediate the effects of a leader’s ethical voice on subordinate task behavior but also jointly serve as a chain-mediated mechanism in the influence of a leader’s ethical voice on subordinate task behavior.DiscussionThese findings illuminate the substantial effects that ethical leadership behaviors exert on employee performance and offer fresh perspectives on the intricate dynamics that govern this influence.

To address the problem of frequent battery replacement for wearable sensors applied to fall detection among the elderly, a portable and low-cost triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based self-powered sensor for human gait monitoring is proposed. The main fabrication materials of the TENG are polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, aluminum (Al) foil, and polyimide (PI) film, where PTFE and Al are the friction layer materials and the PI film is used to improve the output performance. Exploiting the ability of TENGs to monitor changes in environmental conditions, a self-powered sensor based on the TENG is placed in an insole to collect gait information. Since a TENG does not require a power source to convert physical and mechanical signals into electrical signals, the electrical signals can be used as sensing signals to be analyzed by a computer to recognize daily human activities and fall status. Experimental results show that the accuracy of the TENG-based sensor for recognizing human gait is 97.2%, demonstrating superior sensing performance and providing valuable insights for future monitoring of fall events in the elderly population.

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play essential regulatory functions in various physiological and pathological processes in the brain. To systematically characterize the ncRNA profile in cortical cells, we downloaded single-cell SMART-Seq v4 data of mouse cerebral cortex. Our results revealed that the ncRNAs alone are sufficient to define the identity of most cortical cell types. We identified 1,600 ncRNAs that exhibited cell type specificity, even yielding to distinguish microglia from perivascular macrophages with ncRNA. Moreover, we characterized cortical layer and region specific ncRNAs, in line with the results by spatial transcriptome (ST) data. By constructing a co-expression network of ncRNAs and protein-coding genes, we predicted the function of ncRNAs. By integrating with genome-wide association studies data, we established associations between cell type-specific ncRNAs and traits related to neurological disorders. Collectively, our study identified differentially expressed ncRNAs at multiple levels and provided the valuable resource to explore the functions and dysfunctions of ncRNAs in cortical cells.

Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder of neurodevelopment, the function of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in ASD remains essentially unknown. In the present study, gene networks were used to explore the ASD disease mechanisms integrating multiple data types (for example, RNA expression, whole-exome sequencing signals, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and protein-protein interaction) and datasets (five human postmortem datasets). A total of 388 lncRNAs and five co-expression modules were found to be altered in ASD. The downregulated co-expression M4 module was significantly correlated with ASD, enriched with autism susceptibility genes and synaptic signaling. Integrating lncRNAs from the M4 module and microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation data from the literature identified competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. We identified the downregulated mRNAs that interact with miRNAs by the miRTarBase, miRDB, and TargetScan databases. Our analysis reveals that MIR600HG was downregulated in multiple brain tissue datasets and was closely associated with 9 autism-susceptible miRNAs in the ceRNA network. MIR600HG and target mRNAs (EPHA4, MOAP1, MAP3K9, STXBP1, PRKCE, and SCAMP5) were downregulated in the peripheral blood by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis (false discovery rate

Due to the high background fluoride content in part of China's Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Shanxi and other high-fluorine regions, the concentrated brine with high concentrations of fluoride ions was produced after membrane treatment of coking industry wastewater using coal as raw material. Crystallization and salt separation of brine salt is a necessary method to achieve "zero emission", but the excessive fluoride concentration can have adverse effects on the treatment of concentrated brine. In order to reduce the corrosion of evaporator caused by high concentration of fluoride ions in concentrated brine and its impact on the purity of salt separation, this paper took concentrated brine from a coking enterprise in Hebei, discussed the effects of co-existing ions SO4 2−, NO3 − and Cl− on defluorination agents based on the water quality characteristics of concentrated brine and the defluorination agent developed by our research group. Meanwhile, SEM and EDS were used to characterize the defluorination agents and treated flocs, and the mechanism of defluorination was analyzed. The defluorination effect of one stage treatment process with CaCl2, PAC and defluorination agent was compared. The combined process of CaCl2 and defluorination agent applied in the actual concentrated brine was designed and optimized, then analyzed the economic costs of different treatment schemes. The results showed that the influence order of the three co-existing ions on the effect of defluorination agent was SO4 2−>NO3 −>Cl−. SEM and EDS analysis indicated that F element was uniformly distributed in the floc and could be efficiently removed through the surface adsorption, surface complexation, and surface hydroxyl exchange mechanism. One stage treatment process with defluorination agent was better than the effect of CaCl2 or PAC, when the dosage of defluorination agent was 8 g/L, the removal rate reaches 92.3%. The combined process of CaCl2 and defluorination agent could reduce the concentration of fluoride ions from 238.27 mg/L to less than 10 mg/L. The combination cost of CaCl2 dosage of 6 g/L and fluoride removal agent dosage of 2 g/L was the lowest, which was 14.03 yuan per ton of coking concentrated brine. The two-stage defluorination process with CaCl2+defluorination agent can economically and efficiently remove high concentration fluoride ions from coking concentrated brine which can provide a technical reference for zero discharge of wastewater in the coking industry.

As the global demand for food increases, the efficiency and environmental sustainability of refrigeration systems have become increasingly critical issues. Cascaded refrigeration systems (CRSs) are widely used in the Chinese food cold chain due to their capacity to meet a wide range of temperature requirements. However, energy consumption of these systems is always high. If phase change materials (PCMs) are combined with the refrigeration systems, the energy-saving effect is remarkable. The paper reviews the integration of PCMs within CRS, focusing on their potential to reduce energy consumption, thereby improving food safety and reducing reliance on conventional, electricity-intensive refrigeration methods. The study categorizes and explores the low-temperature applications of PCMs in CRS, providing novel insights into enhancing energy efficiency in food cold chain logistics. Despite most PCM research focusing on single-stage systems, this review innovates by introducing PCM integration in multistage cascade systems, which is particularly relevant for low-temperature requirements. The discussion encompasses the structure, working fluids, and applications of CRSs in the cold chain, emphasizing the role of PCMs in sustainable cold chain management. The review concludes by highlighting the need for further research on PCMs in CRS, especially regarding their economic viability and large-scale implementation potential.

With the increasing number of distributed power sources such as photovoltaic power and wind power and electric vehicles connected to the grid, the structure and operation state of the traditional distribution network have undergone great changes. Therefore, through the establishment of a distributed power grid-connected evaluation system, it has become an important research topic to evaluate the access of distributed power and the carrying capacity of electric vehicles in the distribution network of new power systems. Firstly, the situation of distributed power supply and electric vehicles and the impact of grid connection are introduced. Secondly, the traditional distribution network carrying capacity evaluation method is studied and introduced. Then, the distribution network carrying capacity evaluation considering uncertainty is reviewed and investigated. Finally, in view of the lack of existing research, further research is needed, aiming to provide a reference for the realization of distributed power supply and grid-connected EV carrying capacity evaluation and a scientific basis for the future operation planning of distributed power supply and EV integration into the distribution network.

Abstract Propionic acidemia (PA) is a rare autosomal recessive congenital disease caused by mutations in the PCCA or PCCB genes. Elevated propionylcarnitine, 2-methylcitric acid (2MCA), propionylglycine, glycine and 3-hydroxypropionate can be used to diagnose PA. Early-onset PA can lead to acute deterioration, metabolic acidosis, and hyperammonemia shortly after birth, which can result in high mortality and disability. Late-onset cases of PA have a more heterogeneous clinical spectra, including growth retardation, intellectual disability, seizures, basal ganglia lesions, pancreatitis, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmias, adaptive immune defects, rhabdomyolysis, optic atrophy, hearing loss, premature ovarian failure, and chronic kidney disease. Timely and accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are crucial to saving patients’ lives and improving their prognosis. Recently, the number of reported PA cases in China has increased due to advanced diagnostic techniques and increased research attention. However, an overview of PA prevalence in China is lacking. Therefore, this review provides an overview of recent advances in the pathogenesis, diagnostic strategies, and treatment of PA, including epidemiological data on PA in China. The most frequent variants among Chinese PA patients are c.2002G > A in PCCA and c.1301C > T in PCCB, which are often associated with severe clinical symptoms. At present, liver transplantation from a living (heterozygous parental) donor is a better option for treating PA in China, especially for those exhibiting a severe metabolic phenotype and/or end-organ dysfunction. However, a comprehensive risk–benefit analysis should be conducted as an integral part of the decision-making process. This review will provide valuable information for the medical care of Chinese patients with PA.

Abstract Background Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) have been associated with psychiatric disorders in observational studies; however, the causality of associations remains unestablished. Methods Specifically, cyclic nucleotide PDEs were collected from genome-wide association studies (GWASs), including PDEs obtained by hydrolyzing both cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) (PDE1A, PDE2A, and PDE3A), specific to cGMP (PDE5A, PDE6D, and PDE9A) and cAMP (PDE4D and PDE7A). We performed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the relationship between PDEs and nine psychiatric disorders. The inverse-variance-weighted (IVW) method, MR-Egger, and weighted median were used to estimate causal effects. The Cochran’s Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, MR Steiger test, leave-one-out analyses, funnel plot, and MR pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) were used for sensitivity analyses. Results The PDEs specific to cAMP were associated with higher-odds psychiatric disorders. For example, PDE4D and schizophrenia (SCZ) (odds ratios (OR) = 1.0531, P IVW = 0.0414), as well as major depressive disorder (MDD) (OR = 1.0329, P IVW = 0.0011). Similarly, PDE7A was associated with higher odds of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (OR = 1.0861, P IVW = 0.0038). Exploring specific PDE subtypes and increase intracellular cAMP levels can inform the development of targeted interventions. We also observed PDEs (which hydrolyzes both cAMP and cGMP) was associated with psychiatric disorders [OR of PDE1A was 1.0836 for autism spectrum disorder; OR of PDE2A was 0.8968 for Tourette syndrome (TS) and 0.9449 for SCZ; and OR of PDE3A was 0.9796 for MDD; P

Background: Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social interaction deficits, impairments in communication, and restricted and repetitive stereotyped behavior and activities. Family and twin studies suggested an essential role of genetic factors in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Also, other studies found SORCS3 and GSDME (DFNA5) might be involved in brain development and susceptible to ASD. Methods: In this study, 17 genome-wide significant SNPs reported in previous ASD genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and 7 SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium with known ASD GWAS hits were selected to investigate the association between these SNPs and autism in the Han Chinese population. Then, 10 tagSNPs in SORCS3 and 11 tagSNPs in GSDME were selected to analyze the association between these SNPs and autism. The selected 24 SNPs and tagSNPs were genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY SNP genotyping assay in 757 Han Chinese autism trios. Results: Rs1484144 in NAA11 was significantly associated with autism; significance remained after the Bonferroni correction (P

Knowledge graphs (KGs) often suffer from incompleteness. Knowledge graph completion (KGC) is proposed to complete missing components in a KG. Most KGC methods focus on direct relations and fail to leverage rich semantic information in multi-hop paths. In contrast, path-based embedding methods can capture path information and utilize extra semantics to improve KGC. However, most path-based methods cannot take advantage of full multi-hop information and neglect to capture multiple semantic associations between single and multi-hop triples. To bridge the gap, we propose a novel path-enhanced joint learning approach called PEJL for KGC. Rather than learning multi-hop representations, PEJL can recover multi-hop embeddings by encoding full multi-hop components. Meanwhile, PEJL extends the definition of translation energy functions and generates new semantic representations for each multi-hop component, which is rarely considered in path-based methods. Specifically, we first use the path constraint resource allocation (PCRA) algorithm to extract multi-hop triples. Then we use an embedding recovering module consisting of a bidirectional gated recurrent unit (GRU) layer and a fully connected layer to obtain multi-hop embeddings. Next, we employ a KG modeling module to leverage various semantic information and model the whole knowledge graph based on translation methods. Finally, we define a joint learning approach to train our proposed PEJL. We evaluate our model on two KGC datasets: FB15K-237 and NELL-995. Experiments show the effectiveness and superiority of PEJL.

Abstract Objective To investigate the prevalence of hypertension in adolescents and children in the Taicang area and analyse related factors to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of hypertension in this region. Methods A total of 1,000 students who were visited and surveyed in primary schools in the Taicang area in 2021 were selected for statistical testing using a cluster random sampling method, and a survey was conducted on their dietary habits. dietary habits, such as the consumption of meals that included protein-rich animal products, beans and dairy products, vegetables and fruits, salty foods and fried food, was taken into consideration, along with physical fitness indices, waist-to-height ratio and waist circumference. Results Of the 1,000 adolescents and children surveyed, 222 were classified into the hypertensive group and 778 into the normotensive group. There were 138 boys (a prevalence rate of 6.3%) and 84 girls (a prevalence rate of 4.1%) in the hypertensive group. The physical fitness indices of the hypertensive group were significantly higher than those of the normotensive group. Concerning dietary structure, the frequency of cereal intake between the two groups was comparable, while the hypertensive group’s intake of vegetables, fruits, beans and dairy products was significantly lower than that of the normotensive group. Finally, a logistic multivariate regression analysis of related factors was carried out, and it was concluded that waist-to-height ratio, waist circumference and salty and fried food intake were positively correlated with the prevalence of hypertension. Conclusion The prevalence of hypertension among adolescents and children in the Taicang area is high. Body weight and dietary structure can be used as reference indicators for the prevalence of hypertension in this age group.

Reduced photosynthesis results directly from nitrogen or water deficiency in wheat plants, and leads to a decrease in grain yield. In this study, by measuring the effects of water and N deficiencies, both individually and combined, we characterized the responses of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Yumai 49–198) plants to these two deficiencies using physiological measurements and comparative proteomics. Significant decreases in grain yield and leaf photosynthetic performance were observed in all deficiency conditions, and 106 photosynthetic proteins that showed responses were identified. Nitrogen deficiency induced the least change in photosynthetic proteins, and similar changes in most of these proteins were also observed for the combined nitrogen and water deficiencies. Water deficiency induced the largest change in photosynthetic proteins and resulted in the lowest 1000-kernel weight. Severe decreases in photosynthesis in both the water-deficiency and combined N and water deficiency groups were reflected mainly in an imbalanced ATP/NADPH ratio associated with the light reaction, which influences carbon metabolism in the Calvin cycle. Photorespiration was respectively stimulated or inhibited by N or water deficiency, while suppression of photorespiratory flux and activation of nitrogen recycling were observed in the combined N and water deficiency treatments. Comparison of photosynthetic proteins between experimental sites suggested that precipitation affected linear electron flow in the photoreaction, and thus photosynthetic efficiency. Our results provide a baseline for future studies of the roles of these photosynthetic proteins in the response to N or water deficiency and their effect on 1000-kernel weight.

The path planning of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is crucial in UAV search and rescue operations to ensure efficient and safe search activities. However, most existing path planning algorithms are not suitable for post-disaster mountain rescue mission scenarios. Therefore, this paper proposes the IGWO-IAPF algorithm based on the fusion of the improved grey wolf optimizer (GWO) and the improved artificial potential field (APF) algorithm. This algorithm builds upon the grey wolf optimizer and introduces several improvements. Firstly, a nonlinear adjustment strategy for control parameters is proposed to balance the global and local search capabilities of the algorithm. Secondly, an optimized individual position update strategy is employed to coordinate the algorithm’s search ability and reduce the probability of falling into local optima. Additionally, a waypoint attraction force is incorporated into the traditional artificial potential field algorithm based on the force field to fulfill the requirements of three-dimensional path planning and further reduce the probability of falling into local optima. The IGWO is used to generate an initial path, where each point is assigned an attraction force, and then the IAPF is utilized for subsequent path planning. The simulation results demonstrate that the improved IGWO exhibits approximately a 60% improvement in convergence compared to the conventional GWO. Furthermore, the integrated IGWO-IAPF algorithm shows an approximately 10% improvement in path planning effectiveness compared to other traditional algorithms. It possesses characteristics such as shorter flight distance and higher safety, making it suitable for meeting the requirements of post-disaster rescue missions.

A nanocomposite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) decorated with molybdenum dioxide (MoO2) nanoparticles is fabricated through the reduction of phosphomolybdic acid hydrate on functionalized MWCNTs in a hydrogen–argon (10%) atmosphere in a tube furnace. The MoO2/MWCNTs composite is proposed as an anodic modification material for microbial fuel cells (MFCs). MWCNTs have outstanding physical and chemical peculiarities, with functionalized MWCNTs having substantially large electroactive areas. In addition, combined with the exceptional properties of MoO2 nanoparticles, the synergistic advantages of functionalized MWCNTs and MoO2 nanoparticles give a MoO2/MWCNTs anode a large electroactive area, excellent electronic conductivity, enhanced extracellular electron transfer capacity, and improved nutrient transfer capability. Finally, the power harvesting of an MFC with the MoO2/MWCNTs anode is improved, with the MFC showing long-term repeatability of voltage and current density outputs. This exploratory research advances the fundamental application of anodic modification to MFCs, simultaneously providing valuable guidance for the use of carbon-based transition metal oxide nanomaterials in high-performance MFCs.

Earthquakes pose significant risks to national stability, endangering lives and causing substantial economic damage. This study tackles the urgent need for efficient post-earthquake relief in search and rescue (SAR) scenarios by proposing a multi-UAV cooperative rescue task allocation model. With consideration the unique requirements of post-earthquake rescue missions, the model aims to minimize the number of UAVs deployed, reduce rescue costs, and shorten the duration of rescue operations. We propose an innovative hybrid algorithm combining particle swarm optimization (PSO) and grey wolf optimizer (GWO), called the PSOGWO algorithm, to achieve the objectives of the model. This algorithm is enhanced by various strategies, including interval transformation, nonlinear convergence factor, individual update strategy, and dynamic weighting rules. A practical case study illustrates the use of our model and algorithm in reality and validates its effectiveness by comparing it to PSO and GWO. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis on UAV capacity highlights its impact on the overall rescue time and cost. The research results contribute to the advancement of vehicle-routing problem (VRP) models and algorithms for post-earthquake relief in SAR. Furthermore, it provides optimized relief distribution strategies for rescue decision-makers, thereby improving the efficiency and effectiveness of SAR operations.

ABSTRACTDysregulation of the gut microbiota by environmental factors is associated with a variety of autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases. In addition, naturally-occurring extracellular antibiotic resistance genes (eARGs) might directly enter the gut via the food chain. However, following gut microbiota exposure to eARGs, the ecological processes shaping the microbiota community assembly, as well as the interplay between the microbiota composition, metabolic function, and the immune responses, are not well understood. Increasing focus on the One Health approach has led to an urgent need to investigate the direct health damage caused by eARGs. Herein, we reveal the significant influence of eARGs on microbiota communities, strongly driven by stochastic processes. How eARGs-stimulate variations in the composition and metabolomic function of the gut microbiota led to cytokine responses in mice of different age and sex were investigated. The results revealed that cytokines were significantly associated with immunomodulatory microbes, metabolites, and ARGs biomarkers. Cytokine production was associated with specific metabolic pathways (arachidonic acid and tryptophan metabolic pathways), as confirmed by ex vivo cytokine responses and recovery experiments in vivo. Furthermore, the gut microbial profile could be applied to accurately predict the degree of intestinal inflammation ascribed to the eARGs (area under the curve = 0.9616). The present study provided a comprehensive understanding of the influence of an eARGs on immune responses and intestinal barrier damage, shedding light on the interplay between eARGs, microbial, metabolites, and the gut antibiotic resistome in modulating the human immune system.

Abstract A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the senile plaque, which contains β‐amyloid peptides (Aβ). Ganglioside GM1 is the most common brain ganglioside. However, the mechanism of GM1 in modulating Aβ processing is rarely known. Aβ levels are detected by using Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme‐linked immune‐sorbent assay (ELISA). Cryo‐electron microscopy (Cryo‐EM) is used to determine the structure of γ‐secretase supplemented with GM1. The levels of the cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP)/Cadherin/Notch1 are detected using Western blot analysis. Y maze, object translocation, and Barnes maze are performed to evaluate cognitive functions. GM1 leads to conformational change of γ‐secretase structure and specifically accelerates γ‐secretase cleavage of APP without affecting other substrates including Notch1, potentially through its interaction with the N‐terminal fragment of presenilin 1 (PS1). Reduction of GM1 levels decreases amyloid plaque deposition and improves cognitive dysfunction. This study reveals the mechanism of GM1 in Aβ generation and provides the evidence that decreasing GM1 levels represents a potential strategy in AD treatment. These results provide insights into the detailed mechanism of the effect of GM1 on PS1, representing a step toward the characterization of its novel role in the modulation of γ‐secretase activity and the pathogenesis of AD.

Abstract Background The effect of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) or rather polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) on adjacent intervertebral discs is still controversial. The evidence from experimental study to clinical study presents bipolar conclusions. In this study, we investigated the effect of PKP on adjacent intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Methods The experimental group included adjacent intervertebral discs of vertebrae treated with the PKP procedure, and the control group included adjacent intervertebral discs of non-traumatized vertebrae. All measurements were taken by magnetic resonance imaging or X-ray. The intervertebral disc height, the modified Pfirrmann grading system (MPGS), and its differences with Klezl Z and Patel S (ZK and SP) classifications were compared. Results A total of 264 intervertebral discs from 66 individuals were selected for the study. The comparison of intervertebral disc height between the two groups pre and post-operatively resulted in a p-value of > 0.05. No significant change was observed in the adjacent discs in the control groups post-operatively. Post-operatively, the mean Ridit increased significantly from 0.413 to 0.587 in the upper disc and from 0.404 to 0.595 in the lower disc in the experimental group. The comparison of MPGS differences showed that the predominant value was 0 in the Low-grade leaks group and 1 in the Medium and high-grade leaks group. Conclusions The PKP procedure can accelerate adjacent IDD, but it does not cause disc height changes in the early stage. The quantity of cement leaking into the disc space positively correlated with the rate of disc degeneration progression.

Abstract Background We investigated the role of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in limited‐stage small‐cell lung cancer (LS‐SCLC) according to tumor response in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) era. Methods We retrospectively evaluated patients with LS‐SCLC without brain metastases (BMs) on MRI who achieved either complete response (CR) or partial response (PR) after initial chemoradiotherapy at our center from 2006 to 2017. Results This study comprised 116 patients (median age, 58 years; men, 92; women, 24). After initial chemoradiotherapy, 53 patients achieved CR, while 63 patients achieved PR. Eighty‐three patients received PCI. Patients who received PCI had better overall survival (OS, 5‐year: 52.5% vs. 35.1%; p = 0.012) and progression‐free survival (PFS, 5‐year: 45.0% vs. 28.2%; p = 0.001) and a lower incidence of BMs (5‐year: 18.3% vs. 39.4%; p = 0.010). In the subgroup analysis, PCI improved OS (5‐year: 67.8% vs. 46.7%, p = 0.005) and PFS (5‐year: 65.2% vs. 35.0%, p = 0.021) and decreased BM risk (5‐year: 12.1% vs. 52.4%, p = 0.002) for patients with CR. However, PCI had no benefit (5‐year OS: 40.5% vs. 35.6%, p = 0.763; 5‐year BMs: 24.6% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.561) for patients with PR. Conclusions Tumor response remained an important factor for selecting patients for PCI in the MRI era. PCI should be recommended for patients with LS‐SCLC who achieve CR after initial thoracic chemoradiotherapy.

Knowledge graph completion (KGC) has attracted significant research interest in applying knowledge graphs (KGs). Previously, many works have been proposed to solve the KGC problem, such as a series of translational and semantic matching models. However, most previous methods suffer from two limitations. First, current models only consider the single form of relations, thus failing to simultaneously capture the semantics of multiple relations (direct, multi-hop and rule-based). Second, the data-sparse problem of knowledge graphs would make part of relations challenging to embed. This paper proposes a novel translational knowledge graph completion model named multiple relation embedding (MRE) to address the above limitations. We attempt to embed multiple relations to provide more semantic information for representing KGs. To be more specific, we first leverage PTransE and AMIE+ to extract multi-hop and rule-based relations. Then, we propose two specific encoders to encode extracted relations and capture semantic information of multiple relations. We note that our proposed encoders can achieve interactions between relations and connected entities in relation encoding, which is rarely considered in existing methods. Next, we define three energy functions to model KGs based on the translational assumption. At last, a joint training method is adopted to perform KGC. Experimental results illustrate that MRE outperforms other baselines on KGC, demonstrating the effectiveness of embedding multiple relations for advancing knowledge graph completion.

Abstract Purpose The mixed Candida/bacterial bloodstream infections (mixed C/B-BSIs) is worthy of particular attention recently, and we analyzed the incidence, co-pathogens, clinical characteristics, risk factors, and outcomes of mixed C/B-BSIs compared with monomicrobial candidemia (mono-candidemia) in adult patients in China. Methods All hospitalized adults with candidemia were recruited for this retrospective observational study from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2019. Results Of the 296 patients with candidemia, 78 cases (26.3%) were mixed C/B-BSIs. Candida albicans (C. albicans) was the most common Candida species among all candidemia, and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) was the most concomitant bacteria (30.6%), followed by Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) (12.9%) and Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) (11.8%) in mixed C/B-BSIs. In the multivariable analysis, prior β-lactams exposure [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.97; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–3.87], burn injury (aOR, 6.35; 95% CI 1.82–22.21) and continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) (aOR, 3.00; 95% CI 1.46–6.17) were independent risk factors for mixed C/B-BSIs. Compared with mono-candidemia, patients with mixed C/B-BSIs developed with more proportion of septic shock (55.1% vs. 39.9%, P

Abstract Feather weight (FeW) cipher is a lightweight block cipher proposed by Kumar et al. in 2019, which takes 64 bits plaintext as input and produces 64 bits ciphertext. As Kumar et al. said, FeW is a software oriented design with the aim of achieving high efficiency in software based environments. It seems that FeW is immune to many cryptographic attacks, like linear, impossible differential, differential and zero correlation attacks. However, in recent work, Xie et al. reassessed the security of FeW. More precisely, they proved that under the differential fault analysis (DFA) on the encryption states, an attacker can completely recover the master secret key. In this paper, we revisit the block cipher FeW and consider the DFA on its key schedule algorithm, which is rather popular cryptanalysis for kinds of block ciphers. In particular, by respectively injected faults into the 30th and 29th round subkeys, one can recover about 55/80 ≈ 69% bits of master key. Then the brute force searching remaining bits, one can obtain the full master secret key. The simulations and experiment results show that our analysis is practical.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic hepatic disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation, and is the major risk for cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. We explored the therapeutic effect of gypenosides (Gyps) in combination with capsaicinoids (Caps) against high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced rat hyperlipidemia and oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated Raw264.7 cells. Network pharmacology analysis predicted that the potential molecular mechanism of Gyps/Caps combination against hyperlipidemia was mainly associated with steroid metabolism, lipid synthesis and inflammatory response. Animal experiment demonstrated that Gyps/Caps combination lowered the liver weight, liver index, serum lipid profile and hepatic cholesterol content, improved liver function by reducing the serum markers of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), thereby relieving the hepatic injury. Moreover, Gyps/Caps combination inhibited oxidative stress by decreasing the lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and increasing the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Western blotting result suggested that Gyps/Caps combination could upregulate the expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ (PPARγ), liver X receptor α (LXRα), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) and ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1) in the liver tissue. Cellular experiment revealed that the combination treatment protected RAW264.7 cells from ox-LDL induction through inhibiting apoptosis, lipid-decreasing and anti-inflammation, and caused the dramatic enhancement on PPARγ expression. Notably, the combined use of Gyps and Caps did not influence the pharmacological outcomes of each other, but significantly enhanced the overall therapeutic effect in ameliorating HFD-induced hyperlipidemia. Our research provided an experimental basis for advanced research and clinical application of Gyps/Caps combination. Importantly, our cumulative data indicated that combination use of Gyps and Caps may be an effective therapeutic strategy for alleviating hyperlipidemia-induced NAFLD.

IntroductionUnethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) can hinder the development of the organization. The existing literature on UPB rarely examines whether and how employees remedy such ethical misconduct after they have committed it. Based on moral compensation theory and social exchange theory, this study explores the self-moral compensation process of employees who engage in UPB.MethodsSpecifically, we adopt a moderated mediating model to examine how and when UPB facilitates ethical voice. We tested our theoretical model using data from 415 full-time employees in Chinese companies, which we obtained via a three-stage questionnaire.ResultsThe results of the regression analysis revealed that UPB has a significant positive effect on ethical voice, and that moral ownership plays a mediating role between UPB and ethical voice. Furthermore, the results support the moderating role of benevolent leadership in the positive direct effect of UPB on ethical voice, and the positive indirect effect of UPB on ethical voice via moral ownership. When benevolent leadership is strong, the direct effect of UPB on ethical voice and indirect mediating effect of moral ownership are both significantly positive, whereas neither are significant when benevolent leadership is weak.DiscussionThese findings show the ethical compensation effect of UBP on ethical voice and provide a novel and comprehensive understanding of the consequences of UPB. They also have significant value for ethical practices in managing employee (mis)behavior.

IntroductionAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by core symptoms of impaired social interaction and communication. The pathological mechanism and treatment are not clear and need further study. Our previous study found that the deletion of high-risk gene Autism Susceptibility 2 (AUTS2) in mice led to dentate gyrus (DG) hypoplasia that highly associated with impaired social novelty recognition. Here we aim to improve the social deficit through increasing the neurogenesis in the subgranular zone (SGZ) and expanding the newborn granule neurons in DG.MethodsThree approaches including repeated oxytocin administration, feeding in enriched environment and overexpression of cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4)-CyclinD1 complex in DG neural stem cells (NSCs) at the post-weaning stage were conducted.ResultsWe found that the number of EdU labeled proliferative NSCs or retrovirus labeled newborn neurons was significantly increased after manipulations. The social recognition deficit was also significantly improved.DiscussionOur findings suggested a possible strategy to restore the social deficit through expansion of newborn neurons in hippocampus, which might provide a new insight into the treatment of autism.

BackgroundIn recent years, a large number of studies have focused on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study used bibliometric analysis to describe the state of ASD research over the past decade and identify its trends and research fronts.MethodsStudies on ASD published from 2011 to 2022 were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Bibliometrix, CiteSpace, and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric analysis.ResultsA total of 57,108 studies were included in the systematic search, and articles were published in more than 6,000 journals. The number of publications increased by 181.7% (2,623 in 2011 and 7,390 in 2021). The articles in the field of genetics are widely cited in immunology, clinical research, and psychological research. Keywords co-occurrence analysis revealed that “causative mechanisms,” “clinical features,” and “intervention features” were the three main clusters of ASD research. Over the past decade, genetic variants associated with ASD have gained increasing attention, and immune dysbiosis and gut microbiota are the new development frontiers after 2015.ConclusionThis study uses a bibliometric approach to visualize and quantitatively describe autism research over the last decade. Neuroscience, genetics, brain imaging studies, and gut microbiome studies improve our understanding of autism. In addition, the microbe-gut-brain axis may be an exciting research direction for ASD in the future. Therefore, through visual analysis of autism literature, this paper shows the development process, research hotspots, and cutting-edge trends in this field to provide theoretical reference for the development of autism in the future.

Abstract Background Picea species are distributed and planted world-wide due to their great ecological and economic values. It has been reported that Picea species vary widely in growth traits in a given environment, which reflects genetic and phenotypic differences among species. However, key physiological processes underlying tree growth and the influencing factors on them are still unknown. Results Here, we examined needle structures, needle chemical components, physiological characteristics and growth traits across five Picea species in a common garden in Tianshui, Gansu province in China: Picea glauca, P. mariana, P. likiangensis, P. koraiensis, and P. crassifolia, among which P. glauca and P. mariana were introduced from North America, P. likiangensis was from Lijiang, Yunan province in China, P. koraiensis was from Yichun, Heilongjiang province in China, and P. crassifolia was native to the experimental site. It was found that nearly all traits varied significantly among species. Tissue-level anatomical characteristics and leaf mass per area (LMA) were affected by needle size, but the variations of them were not associated with the variations in photosynthetic and biochemical capacity among species. Variations in area-based maximum photosynthesis (Pnmax) were affected by stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm) and biochemical parameters including maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax), and maximum electron transport rate (Jmax). The fraction of N allocated to different photosynthetic apparatus displayed contrasting values among species, which contributed to the species variations in photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE) and Pnmax. Additionally, all growth traits were positively correlated with Pnmax and PNUE. Conclusion Needle structures are less important than needle biochemical parameters in determining the variations in photosynthetic capacity across the five Picea species. Pnmax and PNUE are closedly associated with the fraction of N allocated to photosynthetic apparatus (Pphoto) compared with leaf N content per area (Narea). The tremendous growth differences among the five Picea species were substantially related to the interspecies variation in Pnmax and PNUE.

Research on soil heavy metal(loid) pollution and health risk assessment is extensive, but a notable gap exists in systematically examining uncertainty in this process. We employ the Nemerow index, the health risk assessment model, and the geographic detector model (GDM) to analyze soil heavy metal(loid) pollution, assess health risks, and identify driving factors in Hunan Province, China. Furthermore, the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method is utilized to quantitatively evaluate the uncertainties associated with the sampling point positions, model parameters, and classification boundaries of the driving factors in these processes. The experimental findings reveal the following key insights: (1) Regions with high levels of heavy metal(loid) pollution, accompanied by low uncertainty, are identified in Chenzhou and Hengyang Cities in Hunan Province. (2) Arsenic (As) and chromium (Cr) are identified as the primary contributors to health risks. (3) The GDM results highlight strong nonlinear enhanced interactions among lithology and other factors. (4) The input GDM factors, such as temperature, river distance, and gross domestic product (GDP), show high uncertainty on the influencing degree of soil heavy metal(loid) pollution. This study thoroughly assesses high heavy metal(loid) pollution in Hunan Province, China, emphasizing uncertainty and offering a scientific foundation for land management and pollution remediation.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasingly prevalent and serious health problem. Its onset is typically associated with metabolic disorders and disturbances in the gut microbiota. Previous studies have reported the anti-T2DM effects of Pueraria thomsonii Radix as a functional food. However, the mechanism of action is still unknown. In this study, rich polyphenols and polysaccharides from Pueraria Thomsonii Radix water extract (PTR) were quantitatively determined, and then the effects of PTR on db/db mice were evaluated by pharmacology, metabolomics, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results showed that PTR could alleviate pancreatic tissue damage, significantly decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting serum insulin (FINS), homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), urinary glucose (UGLU), and urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR). Metabolomics showed that the Diabetes Control (DM) group produced 109 differential metabolites, of which 74 could be regulated by PTR. In addition, 16S rRNA sequencing was performed in fecal samples and results showed that PTR could reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes(F/B) ratio and regulate three beneficial bacteria and one harmful bacterium. In conclusion, the results showed that PTR could ameliorate the T2DM symptoms, metabolic disorder, and gut microbiota imbalance of db/db mice, and it was superior to metformin in some aspects. We suggested for the first time that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) may be involved in the regulation of the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGB) and thus affects the metabolic disorders associated with T2DM. This study will provide a scientific basis for the development of functional food with PTR.

Abstract QTc interval prolongation is one of the most common antipsychotic-induced side effects which could lead to ventricular tachycardia or Torsade de Pointes, even cardiac arrest. There is very limited understanding on the genetic factors that associated with antipsychotic-induced QTc interval change. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of antipsychotic-induced QTc interval change among patients with schizophrenia. A total of 2040 patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned to six groups (olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine, aripiprazole, ziprasidone, and first-generation antipsychotics; first-generation antipsychotics including haloperidol or perphenazine were also assigned randomly) and received 6-week antipsychotic treatment. We identified two novel loci (rs200050752 in ATAD3B and rs186507741 in SKIL) that were associated with antipsychotic-induced QTc interval change at a genome-wide significance level. The combination of polygenic risk score (PRS), based the GWAS of myocardial infarction from BioBank Japan project, and clinical data (sex, heart rate and QTc interval at baseline) could be applied to predict whether patients with schizophrenia have QTc interval prolongation (10 ms was applied as threshold, P

Water shortage is a global risk that could arguably be mitigated using water more efficiently. However, the profound relationship between water use efficiency and regional economic size has not been empirically tested. The research design employed an exploratory empirical analysis done through non-linear curve function and attempted to analyze the evolution of water use efficiency over economic growth. First, the water use efficiency change was decomposed into pure technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change, and technological advance change. Second, the scale efficiency is generally less than 1, revealing that it is the main reason for the decreased water use efficiency by the empirical analysis of trends across China. Third, the fitting function between water use efficiency and economic development was constructed. The results supported the existence of an inverted-S shape between water use efficiency and regional economic growth. This analysis will be the reference to formulate scenarios for economic and demographic growth coupled with water use, particularly for planning and managing future water provision and demand. HIGHLIGHTS Water use efficiency was decomposed into three parts.; The inverted-S shape between water use efficiency and economic growth was simulated.; The cubic curve model can be used to simulate and predict the future water demand.;

In 2011, Wu and Zhang proposed a lightweight block cipher named LBlock, whose plaintext size and key size are 64 bits and 80 bits, respectively. As they said, LBlock can be efficiently implemented in constrained hardware environments, such as wireless sensor network. In this paper, we study the security of LBlock against the differential fault analysis (DFA) on its key scheduling. As far as we know, this is the first time the DFA on key schedule is used to analyze LBlock. More concretely, our DFA attack adopts the random nibble fault model. When the fault is injected in the subkeys in round 30 and 31, most bits of the subkeys in round 31 and 32 can be recovered, which leads to the leakage of the bits of master secret key according to the key scheduling. A quantitative analysis of the input-output differentials of the S-boxes in LBlock shows that our attack reduces the searching space of master key from 280 to 223. Then the exhaustive search of all 223 possible keys can uniquely determine the true master key. Finally, we also implement LBlock and simulate the DFA on its key scheduling. The experiment results show that our attack is effective.

IntroductionThe mechanism of the immediate adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced by ShenMai injection (SMI) has not been completely elucidated. Within 30 minutes, the ears and lungs of mice injected with SMI for the first time showed edema and exudation reactions. These reactions were different from the IV hypersensitivity. The theory of pharmacological interaction with immune receptor (p-i) offered a new insight into the mechanisms of immediate ADRs induced by SMI.MethodsIn this study, we determined that the ADRs were mediated by thymus-derived T cells through the different reactions of BALB/c mice (thymus-derived T cell normal) and BALB/c nude mice (thymus-derived T cell deficient) after injecting SMI. The flow cytometric analysis, cytokine bead array (CBA) assay and untargeted metabolomics were used to explain the mechanisms of the immediate ADRs. Moreover, the activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway was detected by western blot analysis.ResultsIn BALB/c mice, the vascular leakage and histopathology results showed the occurrence of the immediate ADRs induced by SMI. The flow cytometric analysis revealed that CD4+ T cell subsets (Th1/Th2, Th17/Treg) were imbalanced. And the levels of cytokines such as IL-2, IL-4, IL12P70 and INF-γ increased significantly. However, in BALB/c nude mice, all the indicators mentioned above have not changed significantly. The metabolic profile of both BALB/c mice and BALB/c nude mice was significantly changed after injecting SMI, and the notable increase in lysolecithin level might have a greater association with the immediate ADRs induced by SMI. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed that LysoPC (18:3(6Z,9Z,12Z)/0:0) showed a significant positive correlation with cytokines. After injecting SMI, the levels of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway-related protein increased significantly in BALB/c mice. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) showed that the increased lysolecithin levels might be related to the activation of the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.DiscussionTogether, the results of our study revealed that the immediate ADRs induced by SMI were mediated by thymus-derived T cells, and elucidated the mechanisms of such ADRs. This study provided new insights into the underlying mechanism of immediate ADRs induced by SMI.

ABSTRACTAn effective ligand for the Ullmann-type C–N coupling reaction in water has been obtained using a novel tactic, namely, introducing a third group into the ligand to both improve the ligand’s water solubility and enhance the ligand’s coordinating ability. Applying this method, we have developed an effective ligand for the Cu-catalyzed amination of aryl halides, in particular, for aryl chlorides in water. The substrate diversity of the catalyst system, relatively less time required (6–12 h), and water as the reaction solvent make it attractive in both academia and industry.