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Abstract In the realm of experimental and epidemiological research, the impact of endotoxemia caused by obesity on male fertility is widely acknowledged. However, the existing body of evidence lacks rigorous studies to substantiate this notion. To address this gap, we have selected protocatechuic acid (PCA) as a potential inhibitor of endotoxemia induced by obesity. This selection is further supported by our utilization of a male model of C57BL/6J mice induced by a high‐fat diet (HFD) and the fecal microbiota transplantation assay. Our findings reveal a negative correlation between semen quality and endotoxin levels in the mice model induced by an HFD. Furthermore, intervention with PCA resulted in the restoration of testicular morphology, sperm traits, and function. The transplantation of PCA did not exhibit restorative effects on semen quality, but it did effectively prevent obesity‐induced intestinal leakage and endotoxemia. By directly enhancing antioxidant capacity, PCA successfully reversed the fertility reduction caused by obesity. These findings offer substantiation that endotoxemia does not play a significant role in the diminished fertility observed in obese males and propose that the inclusion of dietary antioxidant supplementation can potentially restore male fertility.

After the Minxian-Zhangxian magnitude 6.6 earthquake on July 22, 2013, debris flow occurred in Fangjiagou, Zhangxian County. To reduce the potential damage of debris flow, a three-level check dam and drainage channel were built in the gully to regulate the peak flow of debris flow and reduce the threat to the downstream accumulation fan protection objects. However, The control project currently in place in the study area has been designed based on the characteristics of previous debris flow occurrences, and its effectiveness for future incidents remains to be tested. This study used the bilinear interpolation method to fine process DEM data of high-precision remote sensing image, reconstructed the check dam and topographic model of Fangjiagou small watershed, and adopted FLO-2D software to simulate and analyze the movement characteristics and risk of Fangjiagou debris flow under different precipitation probability conditions; the effect of debris flow control project thus then was evaluated. The results show that: As the intensity of rainfall gradually increases, the desilting ability of the barrier dam for debris flow increases gradually, and the debris flow does not pass the barrier dam. The limiting efficiency of flow rate of debris flow is 80.1%, which greatly weakens the impact of failure ability of debris flow. The area with a high risk of debris flow is reduced by 45.34%, which effectively reduces the influence range of debris flow. This study presents that the debris flow blocking project has a remarkable treatment effect under the simulation condition of Fangjiagou dam construction, which can provide effective guidance for the feasibility test of debris flow blocking projects in similar small watersheds.

Abstract The root-associated microbiota plays an important role in the response to environmental stress. However, the underlying mechanisms controlling the interaction between salt-stressed plants and microbiota are poorly understood. Here, by focusing on a salt-tolerant plant wild soybean (Glycine soja), we demonstrate that highly conserved microbes dominated by Pseudomonas are enriched in the root and rhizosphere microbiota of salt-stressed plant. Two corresponding Pseudomonas isolates are confirmed to enhance the salt tolerance of wild soybean. Shotgun metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing reveal that motility-associated genes, mainly chemotaxis and flagellar assembly, are significantly enriched and expressed in salt-treated samples. We further find that roots of salt stressed plants secreted purines, especially xanthine, which induce motility of the Pseudomonas isolates. Moreover, exogenous application for xanthine to non-stressed plants results in Pseudomonas enrichment, reproducing the microbiota shift in salt-stressed root. Finally, Pseudomonas mutant analysis shows that the motility related gene cheW is required for chemotaxis toward xanthine and for enhancing plant salt tolerance. Our study proposes that wild soybean recruits beneficial Pseudomonas species by exudating key metabolites (i.e., purine) against salt stress.

ABSTRACTObesity is becoming a major global health problem in children that can cause diseases such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders, which are closely related to the gut microbiota. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, a significant positive correlation was observed between Prevotella copri (P. copri) and obesity in children (p = 0.003). Next, the effect of P. copri on obesity was explored by using fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiment. Transplantation of P. copri. increased serum levels of fasting blood glucose (p

The Cyber Evaluation and Management Toolkit (CEMT) is an open-source university research-based plugin for commercial digital model-based systems engineering tools that streamlines conducting cybersecurity risk evaluations for complex cyber-physical systems. The authors developed this research tool to assist the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with the cybersecurity evaluation of complicated systems operating in an increasingly contested and complex cyber environment. This paper briefly outlines the functionality of the CEMT including the inputs, methodology, and outputs required to apply the toolkit using a sample model of the process applied to a generic insider threat attack. A face validity trial was conducted on the CEMT, surveying subject-matter experts in the field of complex cybersecurity analysis and risk assessment to present the generic case study and gather data on the expected benefits of a real-world implementation of the process. The results of the face validity broadly supports the effectiveness and usability of the CEMT, providing justification for industry research trials of the CEMT.

Abstract It is without question that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on the U.S. economy. Stay-at-home orders led to reduced vehicular traffic and widespread declines in anthropogenic emissions (e.g., nitrogen oxides (NOx)). This study is the first to explore the potential consequences of O3 changes resulting from the economic shutdown in the United States on soybean crop yields for 2020. The pandemic’s impact on surface O3 is quantified using the NOAA’s National Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC), which is based on the Community Multi-Scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model for May–July 2020. The “would-be”, 2020 level business-as-usual (BAU) emissions are compared to a simulation that uses representative COVID-19 (C19) emissions. For each emissions scenario, crop exposures are calculated using the AOT40 cumulative exposure index and then combined with county-level soybean production totals to determine regional yield losses. Exposure changes ranged between – 2 and 2 ppmVhr−1. It was further shown that increased exposures (0.5 to 1.10 ppmVhr−1) in the Southeast U.S. counteracted decreased exposures (0.8 to 0.5 ppmVhr−1) in the other soybean-producing regions. As a result, corresponding yield improvements counteracted yield losses around the Mississippi River Valley and allowed for minimal improvements in soybean production loss totaling $6.5 million over CONUS.

Abstract The misunderstanding and incorrect configurations of cryptographic primitives have exposed severe security vulnerabilities to attackers. Due to the pervasiveness and diversity of cryptographic misuses, a comprehensive and accurate understanding of how cryptographic misuses can undermine the security of an Android app is critical to the subsequent mitigation strategies but also challenging. Although various approaches have been proposed to detect cryptographic misuse in Android apps, studies have yet to focus on estimating the security risks of cryptographic misuse. To address this problem, the authors present an extensible framework for deciding the threat level of cryptographic misuse in Android apps. Firstly, the authors propose a general and unified specification for representing cryptographic misuses to make our framework extensible and develop adapters to unify the detection results of the state‐of‐the‐art cryptographic misuse detectors, resulting in an adapter‐based detection tool chain for a more comprehensive list of cryptographic misuses. Secondly, the authors employ a misuse‐originating data‐flow analysis to connect each cryptographic misuse to a set of data‐flow sinks in an app, based on which the authors propose a quantitative data‐flow‐driven metric for assessing the overall risk of the app introduced by cryptographic misuses. To make the per‐app assessment more useful for app vetting at the app‐store level, the authors apply unsupervised learning to predict and classify the top risky threats to guide more efficient subsequent mitigation. In the experiments on an instantiated implementation of the framework, the authors evaluate the accuracy of our detection and the effect of data‐flow‐driven risk assessment of our framework. Our empirical study on over 40,000 apps, and the analysis of popular apps reveal important security observations on the real threats of cryptographic misuse in Android apps.

Over time, natural materials have evolved to be lightweight, high-strength, tough, and damage-tolerant due to their unique biological structures. Therefore, combining biological inspiration and structural design would provide traditional materials with a broader range of performance and applications. Here, the application of an ink-based three-dimensional (3D) printing strategy to the structural design of a Lunar regolith simulant-based geopolymer (HIT-LRS-1 GP) was first reported, and high-precision carbon fiber/quartz sand-reinforced biomimetic patterns inspired by the cellular sandwich structure of plant stems were fabricated. This study demonstrated how different cellular sandwich structures can balance the structure–property relationship and how to achieve unprecedented damage tolerance for a geopolymer composite. The results presented that components based on these biomimetic architectures exhibited stable non-catastrophic fracture characteristics regardless of the compression direction, and each structure possessed effective damage tolerance and anisotropy of mechanical properties. The results showed that the compressive strengths of honeycomb sandwich patterns, triangular sandwich patterns, wave sandwich patterns, and rectangular sandwich patterns in the Y-axis (Z-axis) direction were 15.6, 17.9, 11.3, and 20.1 MPa (46.7, 26.5, 23.8, and 34.4 MPa), respectively, and the maximum fracture strain corresponding to the above four structures could reach 10.2%, 6.7%, 5.8%, and 5.9% (12.1%, 13.7%, 13.6%, and 13.9%), respectively.

Bovine enterovirus (BEV), bovine coronavirus (BCoV), and bovine rotavirus (BRV) are still the major worldwide concerns in the health care of cattle, causing serious economic losses in the livestock industry. It is urgent to establish specific and sensitive methods to detect viruses for the early control of diseases. Droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) has been proposed to effectively detect viral particles, and it does not involve Ct values or standard curves. In this study, we designed specific primers and probes, based on conserved regions of viral genomes, to optimize protocols for a dual ddPCR assay for detecting BCoV and BRV and a multiplex ddPCR assay for BEV, BCoV, and BRV. Sensitivity assays revealed that the lower limit of detection for qPCR was 1,000 copies/μL and for ddPCR for BEV, BCoV, and BRV, 2.7 copies/μL, 1 copy/μL and 2.4 copies/μL, respectively. Studying 82 samples collected from diarrheal calves on a farm, our dual ddPCR method detected BCoV, BRV, and co-infection at rates of 18.29%, 14.63%, and 6.1%, respectively. In contrast, conventional qPCR methods detected BCoV, BRV, and co-infection at rates of 10.98%, 12.2%, and 3.66%, respectively. On the other hand, studying 68 samples from another farm, qPCR detected BCoV, BRV, BEV, and co-infection of BCoV and BEV at rates of 14.49%, 1.45%, 5.80%, and 1.45%, respectively. Our multiplex ddPCR method detected BCoV, BRV, BEV, co-infection of BCoV and BEV, and co-infection of BRV and BEV. at rates of 14.49%, 2.9%, 8.7%, 2.9%, and 1.45%, respectively. Studying 93 samples from another farm, qPCR detected BCoV, BRV, BEV, and co-infection of BCoV and BEV was detected at rates of 5.38%, 1.08%, 18.28%, and 1.08%, respectively. Co-infection of BCoV, BRV, BEV, BCoV, and BEV, and co-infection of BRV and BEV, were detected by multiplex ddPCR methods at rates of 5.38%, 2.15%, 20.45%, 1.08%, and 1.08%, respectively. These results indicated that our optimized dual and multiplex ddPCR methods were more effective than conventional qPCR assays to detect these viral infections.

Abstract Background Glioma is characterized by high morbidity, high mortality, and poor prognosis. Despite tremendous advances in the treatment of glioma, the prognosis of patients with glioma is still unsatisfactory. There is an urgent need to discover novel molecular markers that effectively predict prognosis in patients with glioma. The investigation of the role of WEE2-AS1 in various tumors is an emerging research field, but the biological function and prognostic value of WEE2-AS1 in glioma have rarely been reported. This study aimed to assess the value of WEE2-AS1 as a potential prognostic marker of glioma. Methods Gene expression (RNA-Seq) data of patients with glioma were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. The Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to analyze the expression of WEE2-AS1 in the cells and tissues of glioma. The Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, and logistic regression were used to evaluate the relationship between clinical variables and expression of WEE2-AS1. Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan–Meier method were used to evaluate the prognostic factors in glioma. A nomogram based on Cox multivariate analysis was used to predict the impact of WEE2-AS1 on glioma prognosis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to identify key WEE2-AS1-associated signaling pathways. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to elucidate the association between WEE2-AS1 expression and immune cell infiltration levels. Results We found that WEE2-AS1 was overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including glioma. High expression of WEE2-AS1 was associated with glioma progression. We determined that the expression of WEE2-AS1 might be an independent risk factor for the survival and prognosis of patients with glioma. We further observed that the mechanism of WEE2-AS1-mediated tumorigenesis involved neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cell cycle, and the infiltration of immune cells into the glioma microenvironment. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that WEE2-AS1 is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with glioma. An increased understanding of its effects on the regulation of cell growth may lead to the development of clinical applications that improve the prognostic status of patients with glioma.

The driver’s mental workload is closely related to driving safety. However, how to analyze the driver’s mental workload in a reasonable and correct manner remains an open question. As an important factor to evaluate mental workload, changes in physiology encounter two clear problems: (1) Physiological factor contains multi-characteristic indicators, there is a lack of reasonable means for synchronizing multi-dimensional tabular data, and the limits of tabular data processing in the evaluation of mental workload have a significant impact on the evaluation results. (2) The physiological data obtained during the driving process are of the time-series variety. The correlation of numerous indicators must be considered in time-series data correlation analysis. Mental workload should be the result of multiple indicators interacting over time, rather than a single instant. In this regard, we propose a model, that is the long time sequences and multiple physiological factors(LTS-MPF), for classifying and predicting multiple physiological changes in the time series. In contrast to previous methods of processing data in a single instant, LTS-MPF can directly analyze all time-series factors that may affect the driver’s mental workload during a time interval, such as Heart rate growth, Heart rate variability, and Electrodermal activity, and so on. Furthermore, LTS-MPF can predict the driver’s mental workload in the next 1s as well as classify the current sequence’s results. Specifically, we collect physiological data from drivers via sensors. These collected data are processed and transformed into tabular data. The table’s columns represent features, while the rows represent all feature data at one moment in time. The row order also indicates the forward and backward order of the different moments. We convert each row in this table into an embedding feature and feed the entire table into our proposed LTS-MPF based on the Transformer model. The LTS-MPF achieves time series correlation while eliminating column feature series irrelevance. The experiment results reveal that LTS-MPF exceeds earlier techniques in forecasting the driver’s mental workload, with an accuracy of up to 94.3%. And its accuracy in predicting mental workload in the future for one second can reach 93.5%. These findings suggest that LTS-MPF can be utilized to not only better evaluate a driver’s mental workload in the present, but also in the future, providing solid data for early warning of dangerous driving behaviors and enhancing driving safety.

Abstract Aspergillus genus is a key component in fermentation and food processing. However, sterigmatocystin (STE)—a mycotoxin produced by several species of Aspergillus—limits the use of some Aspergillus species (such as Aspergillus versicolor, Aspergillus inflatus, and Aspergillus parasiticus) because of its toxicity and carcinogenicity. Here, we engineered an STE‐free Aspergillus versicolor strain based on genome mining techniques. We sequenced and assembled the Aspergillus versicolor D5 genome (34.52 Mb), in which we identified 16 scaffolds and 54 biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). We silenced cytochrome P450 coding genes STC17 and STC27 by insertional inactivation. The production of STE in the Δstc17 mutant strain was increased by 282% but no STE was detected in the Δstc27 mutant. Metabolites of Δstc27 mutant exhibited growth‐promoting effect on plants. Our study makes significant progress in improving the application of some Aspergillus strains by restricting their production of toxic and carcinogenic compounds.

Measurement(s) anthropogenic emission in United States Technology Type(s) Census survey and computer models

BackgroundRapid increases in the morbidity and mortality of patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer (UGC) in high-incidence countries in Asia have raised public health concerns. Screening can effectively reduce the incidence and mortality of patients with UGC, but the low population uptake rate seriously affects the screening effect. ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the characteristics that influence residents’ preference heterogeneity for a UGC-screening program and the extent to which these characteristics predict residents’ uptake rates. MethodsA discrete choice experiment was conducted in 1000 residents aged 40-69 years who were randomly selected from 3 counties (Feicheng, Linqu, and Dongchangfu) in Shandong Province, China. Each respondent was repeatedly asked to choose from 9 discrete choice questions of 2 hypothetical screening programs comprising 5 attributes: screening interval, screening technique, regular follow-up for precancerous lesions, mortality reduction, and out-of-pocket costs. The latent class logit model was used to estimate residents’ preference heterogeneity for each attribute level, their willingness to pay, and the expected uptake rates. ResultsOf the 1000 residents invited, 926 (92.6%) were included in the final analyses. The mean age was 57.32 (SD 7.22) years. The best model contained 4 classes of respondents (Akaike information criterion=7140.989, Bayesian information criterion=7485.373) defined by different preferences for the 5 attributes. In the 4-class model, out of 926 residents, 88 (9.5%) were assigned to class 1, named as the negative latent type; 216 (3.3%) were assigned to class 2, named as the positive integrated type; 434 (46.9%) were assigned to class 3, named as the positive comfortable type; and 188 (20.3%) were assigned to class 4, named as the neutral quality type. For these 4 latent classes, “out-of-pocket cost” is the most preferred attribute in negative latent type and positive integrated type residents (45.04% vs 66.04% importance weights), whereas “screening technique” is the most preferred factor in positive comfortable type residents (62.56% importance weight) and “screening interval” is the most valued attribute in neutral quality type residents (47.05% importance weight). Besides, residents in different classes had common preference for painless endoscopy, and their willingness to pay were CNY ¥385.369 (US $59.747), CNY ¥93.44 (US $14.486), CNY ¥1946.48 (US $301.810), and CNY ¥3566.60 (US $552.961), respectively. Residents’ participation rate could increase by more than 89% (except for the 60.98% in class 2) if the optimal UGC screening option with free, follow-up for precancerous lesions, 45% mortality reduction, screening every year, and painless endoscopy was implemented. ConclusionsPublic preference heterogeneity for UGC screening does exist. Most residents have a positive attitude toward UGC screening, but their preferences vary in selected attributes and levels, except for painless endoscopy. Policy makers should consider these heterogeneities to formulate UGC-screening programs that incorporate the public’s needs and preferences to improve participation rates.

Dioscorea nipponica Makino exhibits many biological activities, including relieving cough, eliminating phlegm and preventing asthma. The present study extensively evaluated the extraction process, major components, antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities of total saponins extraction from Dioscorea nipponica Makino. In this study, the optimal extraction process of total saponins extract was optimized by single-factor test and response surface methodology as follows: extraction time 25 min, ethanol concentration 50 % and liquid to material ratio 55:1 ml/g, and the extraction rate was 1.72 %. Eighteen components were initially analyzed by UPLC-QTOF-MS method. Although total saponins extract exhibited mild antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus, and antioxidant activities against ferric-ion, ABTS and DPPH radicals, the perfect anti-inflammatory activity of TSE was demonstrated by significantly reducing the content of NO and the phagocytic activity in LPS induced RAW 264.7 cells, which provided a theoretical basis for the research and development of new anti-inflammatory Chinese medicine.

The Linxia Basin is located in the transition zone between the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau in China. Collapse–landslide–debris flow geological disasters are particularly prevalent in this region. Taking a debris flow that occurred in Zhangjiayuan gully, Dongxiang County, as an example, the characteristics and formation mechanism were studied through field investigation and remote sensing interpretation methods. The hazard zoning and influence range of the debris flow were analysed under different precipitation conditions using numerical simulations. The results show that the debris flow in Zhangjiayuan gully experienced medium-to small-scale, rapid and catastrophic viscous mud flows, with activity frequencies ranging from medium to low. Because large numbers of landslides, collapses and overland flows developed on the gully bank slope, material sources for debris flows were abundant but were supplied intermittently. Induced by heavy rainfall, the landslides on the bank slipped into the gully, and then the landslide mass blocked the channel and formed a weir dam. As water converged in the gully, the dam body softened to mud, seepage deformation occurred, and the dam then burst to form a debris flow. This disaster mode represents a kind of rainfall-type landslide–blockage–debris flow disaster chain. Under varying conditions in which heavy rainfall occurs once every 10 years or once every 50 years, debris flows may break out in Zhangjiayuan gully, and the Zheda highway and the associated tunnels located below the gully are in medium–high debris flow danger zones. When a debris flow rushes out of the gully mouth and cannot be discharged in time, it accumulates and buries the highway and tunnels. Therefore, attention should be given to preventing such small-scale sudden debris flow disasters and strengthening the early warning capacity of debris flow prevention to ensure the safe operation of highway.

Abstract Applying intelligence algorithms to conceive nanoscale meta-devices becomes a flourishing and extremely active scientific topic over the past few years. Inverse design of functional nanostructures is at the heart of this topic, in which artificial intelligence (AI) furnishes various optimization toolboxes to speed up prototyping of photonic layouts with enhanced performance. In this review, we offer a systemic view on recent advancements in nanophotonic components designed by intelligence algorithms, manifesting a development trend from performance optimizations towards inverse creations of novel designs. To illustrate interplays between two fields, AI and photonics, we take meta-atom spectral manipulation as a case study to introduce algorithm operational principles, and subsequently review their manifold usages among a set of popular meta-elements. As arranged from levels of individual optimized piece to practical system, we discuss algorithm-assisted nanophotonic designs to examine their mutual benefits. We further comment on a set of open questions including reasonable applications of advanced algorithms, expensive data issue, and algorithm benchmarking, etc. Overall, we envision mounting photonic-targeted methodologies to substantially push forward functional artificial meta-devices to profit both fields.

Rutin exists in many plants and has many pharmacological effects, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and immune regulation. In this study, the immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects of rutin were revealed by cyclophosphamide (CTX) induced mice model. The expression level of the related genes and proteins was investigated by quantification real-time PCR and Western blotting methods, respectively. The results shown that rutin could significantly improve the damage of spleen and thymus caused by CTX, and very significantly (P

Myelin repair, which is known as remyelination, is critical to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and myelination depends on not only the differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells toward oligodendrocytes but also the renewal of oligodendrocyte precursor cells under pathological conditions. However, simultaneously promoting the differentiation and proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells in lesions remains an unmet challenge and might affect demyelinating diseases. Kidney-tonifying herbs of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) are effective in improving the symptoms of degenerative patients. However, herbs or compounds with dual functions are unverified. The purpose of this study was to find a kidney-tonifying TCM that synchronously improved the differentiation and proliferation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells under pathological conditions. Compounds with dual functions were screened from highly frequently used kidney-tonifying TCM, and the effects of the obtained compound on remyelination were investigated in an in vitro oligodendrocyte precursor cell differentiation model under pathological conditions and in demyelinating mice in vivo. The compound icaritin, which is an active component of Yin-Yang-Huo (the leaves of Epimedium brevicornu Maxim), demonstrated multiple effects on the remyelination process, including enhancing oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation, facilitating the differentiation of neural progenitor cells toward oligodendrocyte precursor cells and further toward oligodendrocytes, and maturation of oligodendrocytes under corticosterone- or glutamate-induced pathological conditions. Importantly, icaritin effectively rescued behavioral functions and increased the formation of myelin in a cuprizone-induced demyelination mouse model. The multiple effects of icaritin make it a promising lead compound for remyelination therapy.

Accurate assessments of exposure to urban air pollution with higher traffic emissions and its health risks still face several challenges, such as intensive computation of air pollution modeling and the limited availability of personal activity data. The macroscopic health effects can be transmitted to the whole population for personal prevention via air quality health index (AQHI), but the possibility risk index of the specific allergic diseases is still lacking. This interdisciplinary study aims at evaluating the forecasted results of high-resolution air quality with updated traffic emissions and accessing the potential impacts of outdoor pollution on morbidity of rhinitis for urban residents. A high-resolution modelling system (1 km × 1 km) containing the online traffic emission model (VEIN), meteorological and air quality model (WRF-CHIMERE) and the health impact module was developed. A new health index of Potential Morbidity Risk Index (PMRI) was further established using higher resolution health risk coefficients of major air pollutants on allergic rhinitis, and different methods (with/without considering population distributions) targeting different user groups (residents, hospitals and health administrations) were calculated and analyzed. Operational forecasted results of hourly PMRI can be further combined with online map services to serve as an effective tool for patients with allergic rhinitis to arrange their daily activities so as to avoid acute exacerbation. The forecasted PMRIs accessible to the public will also be beneficial for the public health administrations in planning the medical resource and improving the outpatient efficiency.

Rice-crayfish field (i.e., RCF) distribution mapping is crucial for the adjustment of the local crop cultivation structure and agricultural development. The single-temporal images of two phenological periods in the year were classified separately, and then the areas where the water disappeared were identified as RCFs in previous studies. However, due to the differences in the segmentation of lakes and rivers between the two images, the incorrect extraction of RCFs is unavoidable. To solve this problem, a bi-temporal-feature-difference-coupling object-based (BTFDOB) algorithm was proposed in order to map RCFs in Sihong County. We mapped RCFs by segmenting the bi-temporal images simultaneously based on the object-based method and selecting appropriate feature differences as the classification features. To evaluate the applicability, the classification results of the previous two years obtained using the single-temporal- and object-based (STOB) method were compared with the results of the BTFDOB method. The results suggested that spectral feature differences showed high feature importance, which could effectively distinguish the RCFs from non-RCFs. Our method worked well, with an overall accuracy (OA) of 96.77%. Compared with the STOB method, OA was improved by up to 2.18% across three years of data. The RCFs were concentrated in the low-lying eastern and southern regions, and the cultivation scale was expanded in Sihong. These findings indicate that the BTFDOB method can accurately identify RCFs, providing scientific support for the dynamic monitoring and rational management of the pattern.

ABSTRACT Salinity is an important abiotic stress affecting plant growth. We have known that plants can recruit beneficial microbes from the surrounding soil. However, the ecological functions of the core microbiome in salt-tolerant plants, together with their driving factors, remain largely unexplored. Here, we employed both amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing to investigate the microbiome and function signatures of bulk soil and rhizocompartment samples from three salt-tolerant plants (legumes Glycine soja and Sesbania cannabina and nonlegume Sorghum bicolor). Strong filtration effects for microbes and functional genes were found in the rhizocompartments following a spatial gradient. The dominant bacteria belonged to Ensifer for legumes and Bacillus for S. bicolor. Although different salt-tolerant plants harbored distinct bacterial communities, they all enriched genes involved in cell motility, Na+ transport, and plant growth-promoting function (e.g., nitrogen fixation and phosphate solubilization) in rhizoplane soils, implying that the microbiome assembly of salt-tolerant plants might depend on the ecological functions of microbes rather than microbial taxa. Moreover, three metagenome-assembled genomes affiliated to Ensifer were obtained, and their genetic basis for salt stress alleviation were predicted. Soil pH, electrical conductivity, and total nitrogen were the most important driving factors for explaining the above microbial and functional gene selection. Correspondingly, the growth of an endophyte, Ensifer meliloti CL09, was enhanced by providing root exudates, suggesting that root exudates might be one of factors in the selection of rhizosphere and endosphere microbiota. Overall, this study reveals the ecological functions of the populations inhabiting the root of salt-tolerant plants. IMPORTANCE Salinity is an important but little-studied abiotic stressor affecting plant growth. Although several previous reports have examined salt-tolerant plant microbial communities, we still lack a comprehensive understanding about the functional characteristics and genomic information of this population. The results of this study revealed the root-enriched and -depleted bacterial groups, and found three salt-tolerant plants harbored different bacterial populations. The prediction of three metagenome-assembled genomes confirmed the critical role of root dominant species in helping plants tolerate salt stress. Further analysis indicated that plants enriched microbiome from soil according to their ecological functions but not microbial taxa. This highlights the importance of microbial function in enhancing plant adaptability to saline soil and implies that we should pay more attention to microbial function and not only to taxonomic information. Ultimately, these results provide insight for future agriculture using the various functions of microorganisms on the saline soil.

Taxifolin is known as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and food supplement due to its high antioxidant activity, multiple pharmacological effects, and good safety profile. Previously, taxifolin spheres (TS) were obtained from industrially produced API taxifolin in Russia (RT). In our work, we perform a pharmaceutical analysis of this new taxifolin material versus RT. TS is an amorphous material; however, it is stable without the polymer carrier, as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Both RT and TS demonstrate high safety profiles and are assigned to Class 1 of the Biopharmaceutical Classification System based on the results of experiments with MDCK cells. The water solubility of the new taxifolin form was 2.225 times higher compared with RT. Hausner ratios for RT and TS were 1.421 and 1.219, respectively, while Carr indices were 29.63% and 19.00%, respectively. Additionally, TS demonstrated sustained release from tablets compared with RT: the half-life values of tablets were 14.56 min and 20.63 min for RT and TS, respectively. Thus, TS may be a promising object for developing oral antiseptics in the form of orally dispersed tablets with sustained release patterns because of its anti-inflammatory, -protozoal, and -viral activities.

BackgroundThere are rare prediction models for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) for rural Chinese population. We aimed to develop and validate a prediction model for ESCC based on a cohort study for the population.MethodsData of 115,686 participants were collected from esophageal cancer (EC) early diagnosis and treatment of cancer program as derivation cohort while data of 54,750 participants were collected as validation cohort. Risk factors considered included age, sex, smoking status, alcohol drinking status, body mass index (BMI), tea drinking status, marital status, annual household income, source of drinking water, education level, and diet habit. Cox proportional hazards model was used to develop ESCC prediction model at 5 years. Calibration ability, discrimination ability, and decision curve analysis were analyzed in both derivation and validation cohort. A score model was developed based on prediction model.ResultsOne hundred eighty-six cases were diagnosed during 556,949.40 person-years follow-up in the derivation cohort while 120 cases from 277,302.70 in the validation cohort. Prediction model included the following variables: age, sex, alcohol drinking status, BMI, tea drinking status, and fresh fruit. The model had good discrimination and calibration performance: R2, D statistic, and Harrell’s C statistic of prediction model were 43.56%, 1.70, and 0.798 in derivation cohort and 45.19%, 1.62, and 0.787 in validation cohort. The calibration analysis showed good coherence between predicted probabilities and observed probabilities while decision curve analysis showed clinical usefulness. The score model was as follows: age (3 for 45–49 years old; 4 for 50–54 years old; 7 for 55–59 years old; 9 for 60–64 years; 10 for 65–69 years), sex (5 for men), BMI (1 for ≤25), alcohol drinking status (2 for alcohol drinkers), tea drinking status (2 for tea drinkers), and fresh fruit (2 for never) and showed good discrimination ability with area under the curve and its 95% confidence interval of 0.792 (0.761,0.822) in the deviation cohort and 0.773 (0.736,0.811) in the validation cohort. The calibration analysis showed great coherence between predicted probabilities and observed probabilities.ConclusionsWe developed and validated an ESCC prediction model using cohort study with good discrimination and calibration capability which can be used for EC screening for rural Chinese population.

In order to improve the Cs ​+ ​immobilization performance of geopolymer, in-situ reduced graphene oxide (rGO) reinforced geopolymer composites (rGO/GP) were prepared and they were further high-temperature treated to get rGO/pollucite composites. Effect of rGO addition on the thermal & mechanical properties and Cs immobilization were explored. When rGO content is 0.0125%, compressive strength of the rGO/GP composite reaches the maximum value. With the rGO content further increasing, the strength of rGO/GP shows a downward trend. DSC results show that the addition of rGO can increase the pollucite formation temperature. The presence of rGO also shows an important influence on the Cs ​+ ​immobilization of geopolymer. Compared with pure geopolymer, Cs immobilization rate of composite with 0.0125% rGO content increases by 11.5%. For the composites treated at 1000 ​°C, all the samples show high immobilization rate for Cs, which are higher than 99.5%, due to pollucite formation in all the composites.

Although comprehensive land consolidation may stimulate industrial revitalization, the interactions and pathways between land consolidation and industrial revitalization are unclear. Using villages in China as case studies, the historical development process and pathways of comprehensive land consolidation, and rural industrial revitalization, are summarized and clarified. Development processes and pathways for villages in Puhe, Maosi, Dianzi, and Baicaopo in Gansu Province were compared. The comparison suggested the following nested generic strategy for revitalization, comprising: (1). A core strategy for guiding industrial development that consolidates the spatial layout; (2). Strengthening ecological restoration as a key part of the optimization strategy with (1); and (3). Including and enhancing cultural industrialization as a desirable supplement. Our study and worked examples can be applied to other villages or regions worldwide to explore the development path of village industry revitalization under the guidance of our proposed comprehensive land consolidation framework.

Soil salinization limits crop growth and yield in agro-ecosystems worldwide by reducing soil health and altering the structure of microbial communities. Salt-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) alleviate plant salinity stress. Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. and Zucc.) is unique in agricultural ecosystems owing to its ability to grow in saline-alkali soils and fix atmospheric nitrogen via symbiotic interactions with diverse soil microbes. However, this rhizosphere microbiome and the nodule endosymbionts have not been investigated to identify PGPR. In this study, we investigated the structural and functional rhizosphere microbial communities in saline-alkali soil from the Yellow River Delta and coastal soil in China, as well as wild soybean root nodule endosymbionts. To reveal the composition of the microbial ecosystem, we performed 16S rRNA and nifH gene amplicon sequencing on root nodules and root zones under different environmental conditions. In addition, we used culture-independent methods to examine the root bacterial microbiome of wild soybean. For functional characterization of individual members of the microbiome and their impact on plant growth, we inoculated isolates from the root microbiome with wild soybean and observed nodulation. Sinorhizobium/Ensifer accounted for 97% of the root nodule microbiome, with other enriched members belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Gemmatimonadetes; the genera Sphingomonas, Microbacterium, Arthrobacter, Nocardioides, Streptomyces, Flavobacterium, Flavisolibacter, and Pseudomonas; and the family Enterobacteriaceae. Compared to saline-alkali soil from the Yellow River Delta, coastal soil was highly enriched for soybean nodules and displayed significant differences in the abundance and diversity of β-proteobacteria, δ-proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Overall, the wild soybean root nodule microbiome was dominated by nutrient-providing Sinorhizobium/Ensifer and was enriched for bacterial genera that may provide salt resistance. Thus, this reductionist experimental approach provides an avenue for future systematic and functional studies of the plant root microbiome.

Abstract Background Multiple arachnoid cysts are very rare within the central nervous system. The cysts will sometimes increase in size with age, lead to the mass effect or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow obstruction, and cause some symptoms, which requires the surgery intervention. Case presentation A 35-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with some symptoms related to hydrocephalus for 1 month. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed well-marginated cystic lesions with CSF signal intensity in the ventricular and cisternal systems, bilateral temporal lobes, and left occipital lobe. Cine phase-contrast MRI showed the aqueduct of sylvius was blocked by the cyst in the quadrigeminal cistern. We employed endoscopic ventriculocystostomy and septostomy to create the communication of the cyst with ventricular and cistern system. As a result, the patient’s symptoms were relieved. Conclusions Endoscopic management can be an effective way for treating intracranial multiple arachnoid cysts, which is the first report of this kind. We hope that this report could help improve the management of intracranial arachnoid cysts with the neuroendoscopic technology.

With the development of the mobile phone industry, mobile applications market becomes thriving. However, the immature information technology and unfriendly interface bring negative user experience (UX) to the mobile users and thus affect the service life of mobile applications, especially for the most concerned entertaining applications, mobile games. As a result, the evaluating UX and finding crucial factors of UX become a challenge. Over the last decades, numerous researches have tried to deal with this issue, but none of them has clearly identified the relations among positive-negative UX, sufficient human characteristics and specific events of applications. This paper proposes a subjective-objective evaluation method. Subjective UX of mobile games is sufficiently obtained and objective UX is verified through the electrocardiogram signals and heart rate variability. In order to reveal distinct relations among UX factors, sufficient user characteristics and categories of game events, an improved RIPPER algorithm is proposed by this paper to obtain the relations. Experiments are performed with 300 testers who played mobile parkour games for at least five minutes. The accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method have been verified through real experiments and objective measures. In addition, this paper provides an effective sampling method and a data analysis algorithm to obtain crucial UX factors for mobile applications.

Drought stress can cause huge crop production losses. Drought resistance consists of complex traits, and is regulated by arrays of unclear networks at the molecular level. A stress-responsive NAC transcription factor gene SNAC1 has been reported for its function in the positive regulation of drought resistance in rice, and several downstream SNAC1 targets have been identified. However, a complete regulatory network mediated by SNAC1 in drought response remains unknown. In this study, we performed Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq) and RNA-Seq of SNAC1-overexpression transgenic rice (SNAC1-OE) lines and wild-type under normal and moderate drought stress conditions, to identify all SNAC1 target genes at a genome-wide scale by RNA-Seq analyses. We detected 980 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the SNAC1-OE lines compared to the wild-type control under drought stress conditions. By ChIP-Seq analyses, we identified 4,339 SNAC1-binding genes under drought stress conditions (SNAC1BGDs). By combining the DEGs and SNAC1BGDs, we identified 93 SNAC1-targeted genes involved in drought responses (SNAC1TGDs). Most SNAC1TGDs are involved in transcriptional regulation, response to water loss, and other processes related to stress responses. Moreover, the major motifs in the SNAC1BGDs promoters include a NAC recognition sequence (NACRS) and an ABA responsive element (ABRE). SNAC1-OE lines are more sensitive to ABA than wild-type. SNAC1 can bind to the OsbZIP23 promoter, an important ABA signaling regulator, and positively regulate the expression of several ABA signaling genes.

The microbial food web is an important part in aquatic ecosystem, but studies on the microbial food web in freshwater ecosystem, especially in freshwater eutrophic lakes, still need further investigation. In the present study, using eutrophic Lake Nanhu as model, the community changes of phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacteria between the bloom and non-bloom period were analyzed, and microzooplankton grazing experiments were also conducted to measure the grazing pressure and selectivity of microzooplankton on phytoplankton community. Phytoplankton community in Lake Nanhu was mainly dominated by Cyanophyta (49.44%), especially Anabaena circinalis and Microcystis flos-aquae, during bloom period. Rotifers were the main components of zooplankton in Lake Nanhu (44.15%), Brachionus calyciflorus and Moina macrocopa were the most dominant zooplankton in the non-bloom and bloom period, respectively. Bacteroidetes showed significantly higher mean proportion in bloom period than that in non-bloom period (p < 0.001). The growth rates of phytoplankton ranged from −1.00 d−1 to 1.29 d−1, while grazing rates of microzooplankton ranged from −1.15 d−1 to 1.05 d−1. Results indicated that microzooplankton could respond quickly to the increase of phytoplankton during bloom period. Meanwhile, microzooplankton showed grazing preference on Cyanophyta and Cryptophyta during bloom period and non-bloom period, respectively. The microzooplankton grazing selectivity during bloom period might depend on phytoplankton community composition.

Although urban rail transit provides significant daily assistance to users, traffic risk remains. Turn-back faults are a common cause of traffic accidents. To address turn-back faults, machines are able to learn the complicated and detailed rules of the train’s internal communication codes, and engineers must understand simple external features for quick judgment. Focusing on turn-back faults in urban rail, in this study we took advantage of related accumulated data to improve algorithmic and human diagnosis of this kind of fault. In detail, we first designed a novel framework combining rules and algorithms to help humans and machines understand the fault characteristics and collaborate in fault diagnosis, including determining the category to which the turn-back fault belongs, and identifying the simple and complicated judgment rules involved. Then, we established a dataset including tabular and text data for real application scenarios and carried out corresponding analysis of fault rule generation, diagnostic classification, and topic modeling. Finally, we present the fault characteristics under the proposed framework. Qualitative and quantitative experiments were performed to evaluate the proposed method, and the experimental results show that (1) the framework is helpful in understanding the faults of trains that occur in three types of turn-back: automatic turn-back (ATB), automatic end change (AEC), and point mode end change (PEC); (2) our proposed framework can assist in diagnosing turn-back faults.

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are a class of natural toxins with hepatotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. They are endogenous and adulterated toxic components widely found in food and herbal products. In this study, a sensitive and efficient ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) method was used to detect the PAs in 386 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of 0.007 μg/kg body weight (bw)/day was adopted as the safety baseline. The margin of exposure (MOE) approach was applied to evaluate the chronic exposure risk for the genotoxic and carcinogenic potential of PAs. Results showed that PAs was detected in 271 out of 386 samples with a content of 0.1–25,567.4 μg/kg, and there were 20 samples with EDI values above the baseline, 0.007 μg/kg bw/day. Beyond that, the MOE values for 10 out of 271 positive samples were below 10,000. Considering the actual situation, Haber’s rule was used to assume two weeks exposure every year during lifetime, and still the MOE values for four out of 271 positive samples were under 10,000, indicating these products may have potential health risk. The developed method was successfully applied to detect the PAs-containing Chinese herbal medicines. This study provides convincing data that can support risk management actions in China and a meaningful reference for the rational and safe use of Chinese herbal medicines.

Jasmonates (JAs) and abscisic acid (ABA) are phytohormones known play important roles in plant response and adaptation to various abiotic stresses including salinity, drought, wounding, and cold. JAZ (JASMONATE ZIM-domain) proteins have been reported to play negative roles in JA signaling. However, direct evidence is still lacking that JAZ proteins regulate drought resistance. In this study, OsJAZ1 was investigated for its role in drought resistance in rice. Expression of OsJAZ1 was strongly responsive to JA treatment, and it was slightly responsive to ABA, salicylic acid, and abiotic stresses including drought, salinity, and cold. The OsJAZ1-overexpression rice plants were more sensitive to drought stress treatment than the wild-type (WT) rice Zhonghua 11 (ZH11) at both the seedling and reproductive stages, while the jaz1 T-DNA insertion mutant plants showed increased drought tolerance compared to the WT plants. The OsJAZ1-overexpression plants were hyposensitive to MeJA and ABA, whereas the jaz1 mutant plants were hypersensitive to MeJA and ABA. In addition, there were significant differences in shoot and root length between the OsJAZ1 transgenic and WT plants under the MeJA and ABA treatments. A subcellular localization assay indicated that OsJAZ1 was localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Transcriptome profiling analysis by RNA-seq revealed that the expression levels of many genes in the ABA and JA signaling pathways exhibited significant differences between the OsJAZ1-overexpression plants and WT ZH11 under drought stress treatment. Quantitative real-time PCR confirmed the expression profiles of some of the differentially expressed genes, including OsNCED4, OsLEA3, RAB21, OsbHLH006, OsbHLH148, OsDREB1A, OsDREB1B, SNAC1, and OsCCD1. These results together suggest that OsJAZ1 plays a role in regulating the drought resistance of rice partially via the ABA and JA pathways.

This work investigated the effect of honing morphologies of CuNiCr iron liner on its tribological properties sliding against the Cr-Al2O3 coated piston ring. The worn surface morphology and elements distribution as well as the wear behaviors of CuNiCr iron liner were analyzed to explore the influencing of the honing angle and roughness height on the friction and wear resistance. The results show that the optimized honing angle and roughness can improve the tribological performance of the iron liner, and different tribological characteristics are closely related to different roughness parameters. The wear process of the CuNiCr iron liner against Cr-Al2O3 coated piston rings in sequence was platform flattening, plastic flow, growth of the flakes on the platform edge and flakes debonding. For the smooth surface, the plastic deformed flakes were much fewer due to the low height of the platforms, thus the grooves were not fully filled and there was a slight effect of the debonded debris on the friction pair.

The wear evolution of the glass fiber reinforced Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) sliding against duplex steel at elevated temperature was investigated using the interrupted wear tests coupling with the worn surface observations. The morphological changes of the PTFE composite during the sliding were related to the variation of the tribological properties to analyze the underlying wear mechanisms. Results show that the coefficient of friction and wear rate change with the increase of temperature. During the sliding, three regions can be identified regardless of the temperature. The high temperature is beneficial to the formation of tribo-film. The sequence of wear evolution is PTFE removal, load transfer to glass fiber, and minor formation of tribo-film for the low temperature condition. For high temperatures, the wear behaviors are more complicated. The different phenomena include the third body abrasion, flake delamination of PTFE matrix, scratching and reformation of transfer film on the counterface, and the filling of the large scale PTFE groove. These behaviors may dominate the different stages in the stable region, but occur simultaneously and cause the dynamic steady wear. As a result, the wear rate at 200 °C is slightly fluctuant.

The functions of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) in adipose tissues and adipocytes have not been well understood. In the present study, male mice were fed with a regular diet (n = 6, lean mice) or a high-fat diet (n = 6, obese mice) for 30 weeks. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were analyzed for IL-17A levels. SAT and VAT were treated with IL-17A and analyzed for inflammatory and metabolic gene expression. Mouse 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes were differentiated into adipocytes, followed with IL-17A treatment and analysis for inflammatory and metabolic gene expression. We found that IL-17A levels were higher in obese SAT than lean SAT; the basal expression of inflammatory and metabolic genes was different between SAT and VAT and between lean and obese adipose tissues. IL-17A differentially induced expression of inflammatory and metabolic genes, such as tumor necrosis factor α, Il-6, Il-1β, leptin, and glucose transporter 4, in adipose tissues of lean and obese mice. IL-17A also differentially induced expression of inflammatory and metabolic genes in pre-adipocytes and adipocytes, and IL-17A selectively activated signaling pathways in adipose tissues and adipocytes. These findings suggest that IL-17A differentially induces inflammatory and metabolic gene expression in the adipose tissues of lean and obese mice.