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The complete mitochondrial genome of the Parotis chlorochroalis was sequenced, revaeling a length of 15239 bp with 37 genes and an A + T-rich region. All c13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons, except COI gene, which starts with CGA. Eleven genes terminate with TAA, two with T–. All 22 tRNA genes exhibit typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1 P. chlorochroalis has two relatively conserved intergenic regions and two relatively conserved overlapping regions. Phylogenetic analysis support P. chlorochroalis belongs to subfamily Spilomelinae, the topologies of Crambidae are highly congruent with previous studies. This newly sequences mitochondrial genome provides valuable resources for taxonomic inference and evolutionary studies of genus Parotis.

Background Chronic pruritus is the most prevalent and severe symptom of atopic dermatitis (AD).Objective This network meta-analysis aims to assess the comparative efficacy of systemic targeted monotherapies in alleviating pruritus among adults and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD.Methods Data were collected from phase 3/4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until 24 August 2024, focusing on targeted therapies for moderate-to-severe AD. The outcome measure was the proportion of patients achieving a ≥ 4-point improvement from baseline on the Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). This analysis included both primary endpoints (week 12 or week 16) and secondary endpoints (weeks 2, 4, and 8).Results Eleven reports comprising 16 studies with 8,462 participants were included. At all time points examined, targeted therapies demonstrated statistically significant efficacy over placebo, with upadacitinib 30 mg showing the highest response rate. The next most effective treatments at the primary endpoint were abrocitinib 200 mg, upadacitinib 15 mg, dupilumab 300 mg, and lebrikizumab 250 mg. Cumulative ranking probabilities at secondary endpoints varied based on time points.Conclusion Targeted therapies, particularly upadacitinib 30 mg, showed significant advantages in managing moderate-to-severe AD pruritus. Further direct comparative trials are needed for conclusive evidence.

Novel semiconductor material with both high strength and ductility is urgently needed to meet the demands of increasing complex applications for electronic components. However, overcoming the inherent trade-off between strength and ductility has remained a longstanding challenge in materials science research. Herein, we proposed a three-dimensional carbon allotrope, oc-C24 with pure sp2 hybridization. This structure comprises arrays of carbon chains in an “8”-shape helix configuration, in between the C-chains which interlinked by the oriented ethylene with a planar π-conjugation. The distinctive structural unit imbues oc-C24 with remarkable tensile behavior, characterized by multi-stage chemical bond rearrangements and structural phase transitions along [010] crystallographic direction, displaying multi-level stress re-enhancement phenomena. A tensile strength of 104.2 GPa and a record strain of 1.05 are observed along [010] direction. Electronic band analysis reveals that oc-C24 is a semiconductor with an indirect band gap of 2.91 eV. The impressive tensile resistance and ductility of oc-C24 suggest its strong potential applications in electronic devices under extreme conditions. Our findings offer valuable insights and methodological strategies for designing novel carbon allotropes with unique mechanical responses.

In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction analysis (EBSD), and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) were used to investigate the impact of rare-earth Sc on the interface microstructure and mechanical properties of Al/steel bimetallic composites fabricated by liquid–solid casting. With the addition of 0.3% Sc, the morphology of eutectic Si changed from needle-like to fibrous and granular. The addition of Sc did not change the types of intermetallic compounds in the Al/steel reaction layer, which comprised the Al5Fe2, τ1-Al2Fe3Si3, Al13Fe4, τ5-Al7Fe2Si, and τ6-Al9Fe2Si2 phases. The thickness of the first layer decreased, whereas that of the second layer increased as the Sc content increased to 0.3%. Furthermore, the Al5Fe2 and τ1 phase percentages of the reaction layer decreased, whereas the Al13Fe4, τ5, and τ6 phase percentages increased. Sc was mainly enriched in the front of the ternary compound layer (τ6) near the Al side. The addition of 0.3% Sc reduced the grain size of each phase in the interfacial reaction layer and did not change the preferred orientation of the Al5Fe2, Al13Fe4, τ5, and τ6 phases, but increased the polar density of the Al13Fe4, τ5, and τ6 phases and decreased the polar density of the Al5Fe2 phase. With the addition of 0.3% Sc, the average nanohardness of the reaction layer decreased by 5% and the bonding strength increased by 48%.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the clinical application effect of an augmented reality (AR) plasticity model on the postoperative visual function recovery of children with concomitant exotropia.MethodsBetween September 2019 and October 2021, 28 patients with concomitant exotropia who visited Shenzhen Children’s Hospital (9 male and 19 female) were enrolled in this study. The average age of the patients was 6.4 ± 1.8 years. Postoperative rehabilitation training was conducted using a personalized AR binocular visual perception plasticity model developed based on the patient’s examination results. After 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training, the patients returned to the hospital for examinations of perceptual eye position, static zero-order stereopsis, dynamic first-order fine stereopsis, and dynamic second-order coarse stereopsis to compare the changes in eye position control and stereovision function.ResultsAfter 6 months of eye position training, the horizontal perception eye position of the 28 patients was significantly lower than that before training. The difference in eye position at the first and third months compared with that before training was not statistically significant (1st month: z = −2.255, p = 0.024 > 0.017; 3rd month: z = −2.277, p = 0.023 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −3.051, p = 0.002 0.017; 3rd month: z = −1.189, p = 0.234 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −2.225, p = 0.026 > 0.017). The difference in 0.8-m static zero-order stereopsis before and after training was not statistically significant (1st month: z = −2.111, p = 0.035 > 0.017; 3rd month: z = −1.097, p = 0.273 > 0.017; 6th month: z = −1.653, p = 0.098 > 0.017). The 1.5-m static zero-order stereopsis was improved after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of training compared with that before training (1st month: z = −3.134, p = 0.002

Four Si3N4 crystal structures were predicted using an ab initio evolutionary methodology. The mechanical and dynamic stabilities were confirmed by the density functional theory assuming zero-pressure conditions. Energetic stability calculations indicated that the structures are metastable phases at ambient pressure, but their formation is more favorable at high pressures. At zero pressure, the densities of the hp-Si3N4, cp-Si3N4, oc-Si3N4, and ti-Si3N4 phases were 3.21, 3.28, 3.70, and 3.24 g/cm3, respectively. The calculated band structures and densities of states indicated that they have semiconductive properties, with gaps ranging from 0.754 to 3.968 eV. Mechanical property calculations revealed that the hardness of the Si3N4 compounds ranged between 11.2 and 23.3 GPa, which were higher than the corresponding values for the synthesized Si3N4 phases. These four Si3N4 structures are potentially valuable candidates for the synthesis of Si3N4 compounds.

BackgroundIn this study, we evaluated the clinical characteristics, prognosis, and gene mutations of five children with citrullinemia type I (CTLN1) diagnosed in our department and identified two novel ASS1 gene mutations.MethodsWe examined the clinical characteristics, prognosis, and gene mutations of the five children through data collection, tandem mass spectrometry, and whole-exon sequencing. MutationTaster, regSNP-intron, and SWISS-MODEL were used for bioinformatic analysis to evaluate the two novel gene mutations. We analyzed differences in blood ammonia and citrulline levels based on clinical phenotypes. Finally, we reviewed the medical literature describing Chinese children with CTLN1.ResultsASS1 C773 + 6T > G and c.848 delA as well as c.952_953 del insTT and c.133G > A have not been previously reported in the Human Gene Mutation Database. Using MutationTaster and regSNP-intron, we predicted that these mutations affected protein function. The 3D structure obtained using SWISS-MODEL supported this prediction. Through comparative analysis showed that the ammonia level of the neonatal type was markedly higher than that of other types, whereas citrulline levels did not differ between groups.ConclusionWe identified two novel mutations that cause disease. The blood ammonia level of neonatal form citrullinemia was markedly higher than that of other types. The genotype-phenotype association in Chinese patients remains unclear and should be further evaluated in genetic studies of larger sample sizes.

Bundle sheath cells play a crucial role in photosynthesis in C4 plants, but the structure and function of photosystem II (PSII) in these cells is still controversial. Photoprotective roles of bundle sheath chloroplasts at the occurrence of environmental stresses have not been investigated so far. Non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) of chlorophyll a fluorescence is the photoprotective mechanism that responds to a changing energy balance in chloroplasts. In the present study, we found a much higher NPQ in bundle sheath chloroplasts than in mesophyll chloroplasts under a drought stress. This change was accompanied by a more rapid dephosphorylation of light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) subunits and a greater increase in PSII subunit S (PsbS) protein abundance than in mesophyll cell chloroplasts. Histochemical staining of reactive oxygen species (ROS) suggested that the high NPQ may be one of the main reasons for the lower accumulation of ROS in bundle sheath chloroplasts. This may maintain the stable functioning of bundle sheath cells under drought condition. These results indicate that the superior capacity for dissipation of excitation energy in bundle sheath chloroplasts may be an environmental adaptation unique to C4 plants.

In this paper, a N-rich B–N polymorph named as B20N24 is proposed through first-principles calculations. The stability of the B20N24 polymorph at ambient conditions is confirmed using the phonon dispersion spectra and the Born stability criteria. Electronic properties calculations show that B20N24 exhibits a semiconducting feature, with a 0.87 eV direct band gap derived from HSE06 functions, which is much lower than many other B–N polymorphs. Specifically, owing to its cage-like framework, B20N24 may be used in hydrogen storage at a capacity of ~6.8 wt.%. The B20N24 polymorph enriches the B–N system theoretically, and this polymorph is promising for use in electronic devices and hydrogen storage.

Abstract In China, the prevalence of undernutrition among children under 5 years of age has declined significantly during recent decades. However, noticeable gaps exist between rural and urban areas. Since 2012, a government‐funded nutrition programme, Ying Yang Bao (YYB; soybean powder‐based iron‐rich supplement) programme, has been implemented in poor rural areas to decrease the risk of developing anaemia among children aged 6–23 months, but there are still inadequate health care awareness, feeding knowledge and skills among caregivers. From June 2018 to December 2020, a child health counselling intervention was delivered through a home visit based on the YYB programme in Liangshan. Child health messages were given by trained village child health assistants while distributing YYB. Surveys were conducted before and after the intervention to analyse changes in child health check‐up frequency, complementary feeding practice and prevalence of undernutrition. After the intervention, the proportion of children who had regular health check‐ups, who were vaccinated and who met the minimum YYB consumption significantly increased from 26.0%, 81.6%, and 67.8% to 59.7%, 95.0%, and 79.2%. Increased rates of IYCF indicators (introduction of solid, semisolid, or soft foods, minimum dietary diversity and consumption of iron‐rich or iron‐fortified foods) were observed after the intervention. The prevalence of stunting, underweight, wasting, and anaemia significantly decreased from 26.3% to 10.8%, 13.4% to 8.7%, 14.0% to 10.5%, and 52.1% to 43.9%. This intervention can be well integrated into the YYB programme with less additional resources. Children in resource‐limited areas will benefit more from a comprehensive nutritional package, including food supplements and child health education.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Metaphycus eriococci (Timberlake, 1916) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was obtained via next-generation sequencing. This mitochondrial genome is 15,749 bp in length with 37 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial genes and an A + T-rich region. All the 13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons. Among them, 12 PCG genes terminate with TAA, only one with TAG. All of the 22 tRNA genes, ranging from 58 to 72 bp with typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1 and trnE, whose dihydrouridine arm forms a simple loop. A dramatic gene rearrangement with a large inversion of six protein-coding genes (nad3-cox3-atp6-atp8-cox2-cox1) also found in M. eriococci. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported the monophyly of Pteromalidae, Eupelmidae, and Encyrtidae are sister groups. Within Encyrtidae, Metaphycus eriococci and Aenasius arizonensis are close to each other.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Cerceris quinquefasciata (Rossi, 1792) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) was obtained via next-generation sequencing. This mitochondrial genome is 16,188 bp in length with 37 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial genes and two A + T-rich region. All the 13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons. Among them, eleven PCG genes terminate with TAA, two with T–. All of the 22 tRNA genes, ranging from 58 to 72 bp with typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1, whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported Crabronidae is the sister group of anthophila bees.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Cerceris bucculata (A. Costa, 1860) (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) was obtained via next-generation sequencing. This mitochondrial genome is 16178 bp in length with 37 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial genes and an A + T-rich region. All the 13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons. Among them, eleven PCG genes terminate with TAA, two with T––. All of the 22 tRNA genes, ranging from 58 to 72 bp with typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1, whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported Crabronidae shown as sister group of anthophila bees.

Improving wear resistance and reducing the coefficient of friction of the cylinder liner are critical to improving the service life and energy savings of internal combustion engines. In this paper, the effect of the characteristics of cementite precipitation on the tribological performance was studied using a medium carbon steel (AISI 1045 steel), which can be used to make cylinder liners. Three kinds of microstructures with different characteristics of cementite were obtained by heat treatments. Abrasive wear tests and dry sliding friction tests were conducted on the samples of each microstructure. The study indicated that the abrasive wear resistance of medium carbon steel mainly depends on its hardness rather than on the characteristics of cementite precipitation. However, increasing the hardness alone did not guarantee improvement of the dry sliding friction performance of medium carbon steel. The specimen with a spherical pearlite microstructure, which was granular cementite distributed in the ferrite matrix showed the best friction performance. Moreover, the abrasive wear mechanism and dry sliding friction mechanism were discussed. In the end, the correlation between the characteristics of cementite and tribological behavior was established. These findings can help develop multiphase materials with outstanding tribological performance.

Accurate acquisition of real-time aerosol distribution indoors is crucial to both estimating real-time infection risk of indoor respiratory infectious diseases as well as rapidly optimizing the ventilation effectiveness of building structure during the design stage. Real-time prediction of aerosol distribution can hardly be achieved by CFD model due to its iterative solution strategy, while the Markov chain model can greatly reduce computing time by implementing the non-iterative state transfer process. In this study, a real-time visualization algorithm for aerosol dispersion in limited space is developed based on the Markov chain principle and pre-solved flow field. Then the reliability of the proposed algorithm is verified by experimental data. An interactive user interface is further constructed based on the validated algorithm to realize real-time simulation of the dynamic release process of multiple indoor pollution sources. Results show that the simulation outcomes agree well with the experimental validation data, and the dynamic real-time distribution of aerosols can be well visualized for steady-state airflow. The present study aims to provide a new effective prediction method for real-time visualization of indoor pollutant dispersion and rapid evaluation of the impacts of building structure on ventilation effectiveness.

The mitochondrial genome of the Platencyrtus parkeri Feriere (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) was obtained via next-generation sequencing. The assembled mitogenome is 13,393 bp in length, which contains 33 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial genes with three tRNA genes and rrnS gene missing. All the 13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons. The 19 detected tRNAs range from 58 to 70 bp in length with typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1, whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. Meanwhile, they have six tRNAs inserted between nad2 and nad3 compared with Encyrtus infelix. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported the monophyly of Pteromalidae. Eupelmidae and Encyrtidae have a close relationship. Within Encyrtidae, Platencyrtus parkeri Feriere and Encyrtus infelix are close to each other.

The mitochondrial genome of the Encyrtus infelix was sequenced and it is the first completed mitochondrial genome of species in the family Encyrtidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea). This mitochondrial genome is 15,698 bp in length with 37 classical eukaryotic mitochondrial genes and an A + T-rich region. All the 13 PCGs begin with typical ATN codons. Among them, seven genes terminate with TAA, one with TA– and five with T––. All of the 22 tRNA genes range from 56 to 70 bp with typical cloverleaf structure except for trnS1, whose dihydrouridine (DHU) arm forms a simple loop. Gene directions and arrangements are similar to Eurytoma sp. mitochondrial genome. Encyrtus infelix also has a dramatic gene rearrangement, the placements of some genes are peculiar to Chalcidoidea. Phylogenetic analysis highly supported the monophyly of both Chalcidoidea and Pteromalidae.

Abstract Background Stable reference genes are essential for accurate normalization in gene expression studies with reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). A synanthropic fly, Chrysomya megacephala, is a well known medical vector and forensic indicator. Unfortunately, previous studies did not look at the stability of reference genes used in C. megacephala. Results In this study, the expression level of Actin, ribosomal protein L8 (Rpl8), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), elongation factor 1α (EF1), α-tubulin (α-TUB), β-tubulin (β-TUB), TATA binding box (TBP), 18S rRNA (18S) and ribosomal protein S7 (Rps7) were evaluated for their stability using online software RefFinder, which combines the normal software of the ΔCt method, BestKeeper, Normfinder, and geNorm. Moreover the number of suitable reference gene pairs was also suggested by Excel-based geNorm. The expression levels of these reference genes were evaluated under different experimental conditions with special perspectives of forensic applications: developmental stages (eggs, first, second and third instar larvae, pupae and adults); food sources of larvae (pork, fish and chicken); feeding larvae with drugs (untreated control, Estazolam and Marvelon); feeding larvae with heavy metals (untreated control, cadmium and zinc); tissues of adults (head, thorax, abdomen, legs and wings). According to RefFinder, EF1 was the most suitable reference gene of developmental stages, food and tissues; 18S and GAPDH were the most suitable reference genes for drugs and heavy metals, respectively, which could be widely used for quantification of target gene expression with qPCR in C. megacephala. Suitable reference gene pairs were also suggested by geNorm. Conclusion This fundamental but vital work should facilitate the gene studies of related biological processes and deepen the understanding in physiology, toxicology, and especially medical and forensic entomology of C. megacephala.

Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to be efficacious and safe in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), yet the optimal current intensity for pain control in KOA remains unspecified. The present meta-analysis aimed to compare the effects of high-intensity and low-intensity EA in terms of pain relief and functional improvement in KOA. Methods: A thorough and comprehensive literature search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs), all looking at the intensity of EA for KOA, was carried out in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science Journal Citation Report (VIP) and Wanfang database, as well as ClinicalTrials.gov. All databases were searched from their inception until April 2022. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias (RoB)2 tool. Finally, a meta-analysis of all eligible RCTs was performed using Review Manager 5.3. Results: Three studies with 472 individuals were included in the meta-analysis. The pain intensity reductions were significantly different between the high-intensity EA group and low-intensity EA group (mean difference (MD) = −0.22, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.26 to −0.18, p < 0.00001). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores (MD = −3.62, 95% CI = −12.22 to 4.98, p = 0.41). High-intensity EA significantly improved emotional scale (ES) scores compared to low-intensity EA (MD = −0.72, 95% CI = −0.76 to −0.67, p < 0.00001). Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that high-intensity EA provides superior pain relief and has a bigger impact on emotional scale scores in patients with KOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrite growth is a complex liquid-solid phase transition process involving multiple physical factors. A phase-field lattice-Boltzmann method was developed to simulate the two- and three-dimension dendrite growth of Al-Cu alloy. The effect of fully coupled thermal-solute-convection interaction on the dendrite growth was investigated by incorporating a parallel-adaptive mesh refinement algorithm into the numerical model. By accurately reproducing the latent heat release, solute diffusion and convective transport behaviors at the liquid-solid interface, the interaction mechanism among thermal-solute-convection transport as well as their coupling effects on the dendrite growth dynamics were discussed. The simulation results show that the release of latent heat slows down the dendrite growth rate, and both natural and forced convection disrupt the symmetrical growth of dendrites. Their combination makes the growth of dendrites more complex, capturing important physical aspects such as recalescence, dendrite tip splitting, dendrite tilting, dendrite remelting, and solute plume in the simulation case. Based on the robustness and powerful ability of the numerical model, the formation mechanisms of these physical aspects were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of slow shot speed on externally solidified crystal (ESC), porosity and tensile property in a newly developed high-pressure die-cast Al-Si alloy was investigated by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laboratory computed tomography (CT). Results showed that the newly developed AlSi9MnMoV alloy exhibited improved mechanical properties when compared to the AlSi10MnMg alloy. The AlSi9MnMoV alloy, which was designed with trace multicomponent additions, displays a notable grain refining effect in comparison to the AlSi10MnMg alloy. Refining elements Ti, Zr, V, Nb, B promote heterogeneous nucleation and reduce the grain size of primary a-Al. At a lower slow shot speed, the large ESCs are easier to form and gather, developing into the dendrite net and net-shrinkage. With an increase in slow shot speed, the size and number of ESCs and porosities significantly reduce. In addition, the distribution of ESCs is more dispersed and the net-shrinkage disappears. The tensile property is greatly improved by adopting a higher slow shot speed. The ultimate tensile strength is enhanced from 260.31 MPa to 290.31 MPa (increased by 11.52%), and the elongation is enhanced from 3.72% to 6.34% (increased by 70.52%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]