Search

Abstract Here we review scanning tunneling microscopy research on the surface determination for various types of kagome materials, including 11-type (CoSn, FeSn, FeGe), 32-type (Fe3Sn2), 13-type (Mn3Sn), 135-type (AV3Sb5, A = K, Rb, Cs), 166-type (TbMn6Sn6, YMn6Sn6 and ScV6Sn6), and 322-type (Co3Sn2S2 and Ni3In2Se2). We first demonstrate that the measured step height between different surfaces typically deviates from the expected value of ±0.4 ∼0.8Å, which is owing to the tunneling convolution effect with electronic states and becomes a serious issue for Co3Sn2S2 where the expected Sn-S interlayer distance is 0.6Å. Hence, we put forward a general methodology for surface determination as atomic step geometry imaging, which is fundamental but also experimentally challenging to locate the step and to image with atomic precision. We discuss how this method can be used to resolve the surface termination puzzle in Co3Sn2S2. This method provides a natural explanation for the existence of adatoms and vacancies, and beyond using unknown impurity states, we propose and use designer layer-selective substitutional chemical markers to confirm the validity of this method. Finally, we apply this method to determine the surface of a new kagome material Ni3In2Se2, as a cousin of Co3Sn2S2, and we image the underlying kagome geometry on the determined Se surface above the kagome layer, which directly visualizes the p-d hybridization physics. We emphasize that this general method does not rely on theory, but the determined surface identity can provide guidelines for first-principles calculations with adjustable parameters on the surface-dependent local density of states and quasi-particle interference patterns.

Abstract Fructus hippophae (Hippophae rhamnoides spp. mongolica×Hippophae rhamnoides sinensis), a hybrid variety of sea buckthorn that Hippophae rhamnoides spp. mongolica serves as the female parent and Hippophae rhamnoides sinensis serves as the male parent, is a traditional plant with great potentials of economic and medical values. Herein, we gained a chromosome-level genome of Fructus hippophae about 918.59 Mb, with the scaffolds N50 reaching 83.65 Mb. Then, we anchored 440 contigs with 97.17% of the total genome sequences onto 12 pseudochromosomes. Next, de-novo, homology and transcriptome assembly strategies were adopted for gene structure prediction. This predicted 36475 protein-coding genes, of which 36226 genes could be functionally annotated. Simultaneously, various strategies were used for quality assessment, both the complete BUSCO value (98.80%) and the mapping rate indicated the high assembly quality. Repetitive elements, which occupied 63.68% of the genome, and 1483600 bp of non-coding RNA were annotated. Here, we provide genomic information on female plants of a popular variety, which can provide data for pan-genomic construction of sea buckthorn and for the resolution of the mechanism of sex differentiation.

Abstract Background Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a novel form of IMRT, which can deliver more accurate dose distribution and shorten treatment time. Compared to MRI-guided adaptive brachytherapy, which is recommended as gold standard imaging for cervical cancer contours, CT-guided adaptive brachytherapy (CTGAB) is more available, more widespread, and more affordable in many centers. This study aims to retrospectively analyze the efficacy and the safety of VMAT combined with CTGAB for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods and materials This study retrospectively analyzed 102 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer who underwent VMAT and CTGAB. Clinical outcomes including local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), tumor response to treatment evaluated by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) (version 1.1), and toxicities including gastrointestinal toxicity, urinary toxicity and hematologic toxicity evaluated by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) (version 5.0) were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate LC, OS, and PFS. Results Median follow-up time was 19 months. Complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) occurred in 68 (66.7%), 24 (23.5%), 4 (3.92%), and 6 (5.88%), respectively. The 2-year and 3-year OS were 89.6% and 83%, respectively. The 2-year and 3-year PFS were 84.2% and 74.3%, respectively. The 2-year and 3-year LC were 90.1% and 79.3%, respectively. The average cumulative D2cm 3 in the rectum, the bladder, the colon, and the small intestine were 78.07 (SD: 0.46) Gy, 93.20 (SD: 0.63) Gy, 63.55 (SD: 1.03) Gy and 61.07 (SD: 0.75) Gy, respectively. The average cumulative D90% of the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) was 92.26 (SD: 0.35) Gy. Grade ≥ 3 gastrointestinal and urinary toxicities occurred in 4.9% and 0.98%, respectively. 1.96% of patients were observed grade ≥ 4 gastrointestinal toxicities and none of the patients observed grade ≥ 4 urinary toxicities. Conclusion VMAT combined with CTGAB for locally advanced cervical cancer was an effective and safe treatment method, which showed satisfactory LC, OS, PFS, and acceptable toxicities.

In situ phase separation precipitates play an important role in enhancing the thermoelectric properties of copper sulfides by suppressing phonon transmission. In this study, Cu1.8S composites were fabricated by melting reactions and spark plasma sintering. The complex structures, namely, micron-PbS, Sb2S3, nano-FeS, and multiscale pores, originate from the introduction of FePb4Sb6S14 into the Cu1.8S matrix. Using effective element (Fe) doping and multiscale precipitates, the Cu1.8S+0.5 wt% FePb4Sb6S14 bulk composite reached a high dimensionless figure of merit (ZT) value of 1.1 at 773 K. Furthermore, the modulus obtained for this sample was approximately 40.27 GPa, which was higher than that of the pristine sample. This study provides a novel strategy for realizing heterovalent doping while forming various precipitates via in situ phase separation by natural minerals, which has been proven to be effective in improving the thermoelectric and mechanical performance of copper sulfides and is worth promoting in other thermoelectric systems.

Borehole instability in naturally fractured rocks poses significant challenges to drilling. Drilling mud invades the surrounding formations through natural fractures under the difference between the wellbore pressure (Pw) and pore pressure (Pp) during drilling, which may cause wellbore instability. However, the weakening of fracture strength due to mud intrusion is not considered in most existing borehole stability analyses, which may yield significant errors and misleading predictions. In addition, only limited factors were analyzed, and the fracture distribution was oversimplified. In this paper, the impacts of mud intrusion and associated fracture strength weakening on borehole stability in fractured rocks under both isotropic and anisotropic stress states are investigated using a coupled DEM (distinct element method) and DFN (discrete fracture network) method. It provides estimates of the effect of fracture strength weakening, wellbore pressure, in situ stresses, and sealing efficiency on borehole stability. The results show that mud intrusion and weakening of fracture strength can damage the borehole. This is demonstrated by the large displacement around the borehole, shear displacement on natural fractures, and the generation of fracture at shear limit. Mud intrusion reduces the shear strength of the fracture surface and leads to shear failure, which explains that the increase in mud weight may worsen borehole stability during overbalanced drilling in fractured formations. A higher in situ stress anisotropy exerts a significant influence on the mechanism of shear failure distribution around the wellbore. Moreover, the effect of sealing natural fractures on maintaining borehole stability is verified in this study, and the increase in sealing efficiency reduces the radial invasion distance of drilling mud. This study provides a directly quantitative prediction method of borehole instability in naturally fractured formations, which can consider the discrete fracture network, mud intrusion, and associated weakening of fracture strength. The information provided by the numerical approach (e.g. displacement around the borehole, shear displacement on fracture, and fracture at shear limit) is helpful for managing wellbore stability and designing wellbore-strengthening operations.

Glucose plays a vital part in milk protein synthesis through the mTOR signaling pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC). The objectives of this study were to determine how glucose affects hexokinase (HK) activity in BMEC and investigate the regulatory effect of HK in kappa casein (CSN3) synthesis via the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway in BMEC. For this, HK1 and HK2 were knocked out in BMEC using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The gene and protein expression, glucose uptake, and cell proliferation were measured. We found that glucose uptake, cell proliferation, CSN3 gene expression levels, and expression of HK1 and HK2 increased with increasing glucose concentrations. Notably, glucose uptake was significantly reduced in HK2 knockout (HK2KO) BMEC treated with 17.5 mM glucose. Moreover, under the same glucose treatment conditions, the proliferative ability and abundance of CSN3 were significantly diminished in both HK1 knockout (HK1KO) and HK2KO BMEC compared with that in wild-type BEMC. We further observed that the phosphorylation levels of ribosome protein subunit 6 kinase 1 (S6K1) were reduced in HK1KO and HK2KO BMEC following treatment with 17.5 mM glucose. As expected, the levels of glucose-6-phosphate and the mRNA expression levels of glycolysis-related genes were decreased in both HK1KO and HK2KO BMEC following glucose treatment. These results indicated that the knockout of HK1 and HK2 inhibited cell proliferation and CSN3 expression in BMEC under glucose treatment, which may be associated with the inactivation of the S6K1 and inhibition of glycolysis.

The Hulunbuir region, known for its diverse terrain and rich wildlife, is a hotspot for various natural epidemic diseases. Between 2021 and 2023, we collected 885 wild rodent samples from this area, representing three families, seven genera, and eleven species. Metagenomic analysis identified three complete nucleic acid sequences from the S, M, and L segments of the Hantaviridae family, which were closely related to the Khabarovsk virus. The nucleotide coding sequences for S, M, and L (1392 nt, 3465 nt, and 6491 nt, respectively) exhibited similarities of 82.34%, 81.68%, and 81.94% to known sequences, respectively, while protein-level analysis indicated higher similarities of 94.92%, 94.41%, and 95.87%, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis placed these sequences within the same clade as the Khabarovsk, Puumala, Muju, Hokkaido, Topografov, and Tatenalense viruses, all of which are known to cause febrile diseases in humans. Immunofluorescence detection of nucleic acid-positive rodent kidney samples using sera from patients with hemorrhagic fever and renal syndrome confirmed the presence of viral particles. Based on these findings, we propose that this virus represents a new member of the Hantaviridae family, tentatively named the Amugulang virus, after its primary distribution area.

The ROP (rate of penetration) within the horizontal section of shale gas wells in the Luzhou oil field is low, seriously delaying the exploration and development process. It is proved that reducing mud density mitigates the bottom-hole differential pressure (ΔP) and increases the ROP during overbalanced drilling. However, wellbore collapse may occur when wellbore pressure is excessively low. It is urgent to ascertain the optimal equilibrium point between improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability. The safe mud weight window and the lower limit of mud density in the horizontal section of the Luzhou block are predicted using the piecewise fitting method based on conventional logging data. Then, the accuracy of the collapse pressure prediction was verified using the distinct element method (DEM), and the effect of wellbore pressure, in-situ stress, rock cohesion, and natural fracture density on borehole collapse was investigated. Finally, a fitting model of ΔP and ROP of the horizontal section in the Luzhou block is established to predict ROP promotion potential after mud density reduction. The field application of this approach, demonstrated in 8 horizontal wells in the Luzhou block, effectively validates the efficiency of reducing mud density for ROP improvement. This study provides a useful method for simultaneously improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability and offers significant insights for petroleum engineers in the design of drilling parameters.

Abstract The realization of artificial synapses based on biomaterials is of great significance for the development of environmentally friendly neuromorphic hardware systems and artificial intelligence. In this sense, a bioartificial synapse composited with egg albumen (EA) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) is fabricated. Based on the adjustable weight of the artificial synapse, the plasticity of electrical synapses is explored. Due to the photogenerated carriers and thermoelectric effects of carbon nanotubes, the device has optoelectronic properties, so the optoelectronic synaptic plasticity of the device is explored under light pulses. The device is well suited for biological synapses and shows great potential for applications in future high‐density storage and neuromorphic computing systems. In addition, to further study the physical mechanism of the conductive process of the device, the electrical characteristics of the contact interface between carbon nanotubes doped with Fe substitution and the upper electrode Al are mainly analyzed by first principles, and the adsorption, charge distribution, and band structure between them are theoretically studied.

Abstract Atmospheric nitrogen deposition may affect the biodeterioration process of stone monuments through direct and indirect pathways, but relevant studies are lacking. Therefore, taking the biologically colonized rocks around the Leshan Giant Buddha (World Heritage - Mixed Property) as the research objects, we studied the effects of multiple nitrogen addition levels (0, 9, 18, 36, 72 kg N hm-2 a-1; N0, N1; N2 ; N3; N4) on the bacterial community structure and soil nutrients on the surfaces of stones with four biocolonization types, including naked rock (NR), and lichen (LR), bryophyte (BS) and vascular plant (VS) colonization, to investigate the potential effect of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on the rock weathering of the Leshan Giant Buddha. The results demonstrated that nitrogen addition impacted soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients, as well as bacterial community structure and composition, but the responses to nitrogen input varied among different colonization types. Nitrogen fertilization promoted the accumulation of total organic carbon and total nitrogen in NR and LR, and increased the content of total phosphorus in VS. Bacterial α-diversity decreased with nitrogen addition in NR but increased with nitrogen addition in VS. Nitrogen addition significantly (R > 0.9, p

Abstract Hippophae gyantsensis, which is a native tree species in China, is ideal for windbreak and sand-fixing forests. It is an economically and ecologically valuable tree species distributed exclusively in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. In our study, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of H. gyantsensis using Illumina sequencing, Nanopore sequencing and chromosome structure capture technique. The genome was 716.32 Mb in size with scaffold N50 length of 64.84 Mb. A total of 716.25 Mb genome data was anchored and orientated onto 12 chromosomes with a mounting rate of up to 99.99%. Additionally, the genome was found to comprise approximately 56.84% repeat sequences, of which long terminal repeats(LTRs) that accounted for 33.19% of the entire genome. Meanwhile, a total of 32,316 protein-coding genes were predicted, and 91.07% of these genes were functionally annotated. We also completed a series of comparative genomic analyses to provide researchers with useful reference material for future studies on seabuckthorn.

Objective The high hip center (HHC) technique has been proposed for the treatment of patients with developmental dysplaisa of the hip (DDH) who have an acetabular bone defect. However, the importance of global femoral offset (FO) in the application of this technique has not been sufficiently appreciated. Our goals were to confirm that the HHC technique is feasible in the treatment of patients with DDH and to assess the function of global FO in this procedure. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 73 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty using high hip center technique for unilateral DDH at our hospital between January 2014 and June 2019. According to global FO, the patients were split into three groups: increased FO group (increment greater than 5 mm), restored FO group (restoration within 5 mm) and decreased FO group (reduction greater than 5 mm). Patients' medical records and plain radiographs were reviewed. One‐way ANOVA was used to compare radiographic outcomes and Harris hip score (HHS). Paired t‐test was used to assess preoperative and postoperative HHS and leg length discrepancy. Trochanteric pain syndrome, Trendelenburg sign and postoperative limp was evaluated with Fisher's exact test. Results The average follow‐up time was 7.5 ± 1.4 years. The patients' HHS and leg length discrepancy were significantly improved (p

This study proposes a high-resolution rotation-measuring system for miniaturized MEMS ultrasonic motors using tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensors for the first time. Initially, the architecture and principle of the rotation-measuring system are described in detail. Then, the finite element simulation is implemented to determine the miniaturized permanent magnet’s residual magnetization, dimensions, and TMR sensor position. Finally, the experiments are implemented to evaluate the performance. Using calibration based on a high-precision servo motor, it is found that the relationship between the output and rotational angle is highly linear and immune to the rotor’s out-of-plane movement. Meanwhile, the angle-detecting resolution is higher than 0.1°. After the calibration, the continuous rotation of the MEMS ultrasonic motor is tested. It is found that the angle testing result varies with a period close to 360°, which indicates that the rotation-measuring system has successfully detected the motor’s rotation.

Abstract Background Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack, commonly called orange jessamine in the family Rutaceae, is an important ornamental plant in tropical and subtropical regions which is famous for its strong fragrance. Although genome assemblies have been reported for many Rutaceae species, mainly in the genus Citrus, full genomic information has not been reported for M. paniculata, which is a prerequisite for in-depth genetic studies on Murraya and manipulation using genetic engineering techniques. Here, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of M. paniculata and aim to provide insights on the molecular mechanisms of flower volatile biosynthesis. Results The genome assembly with a contig N50 of 18.25 Mb consists of 9 pseudomolecules and has a total length of 216.86 Mb. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that M. paniculata diverged from the common ancestor approximately 25 million years ago and has not undergone any species-specific whole genome duplication events. Genome structural annotation and comparative genomics analysis revealed that there are obvious differences in transposon contents among the genomes of M. paniculata and Citrus species, especially in the upstream regions of genes. Research on the flower volatiles of M. paniculata and C. maxima at three flowering stages revealed significant differences in volatile composition with the flowers of C. maxima lacking benzaldehyde and phenylacetaldehyde. Notably, there are transposons inserted in the upstream region of the phenylacetaldehyde synthase (PAAS) genes Cg1g029630 and Cg1g029640 in C. maxima, but not in the upstream region of three PAAS genes Me2G_2379, Me2G_2381, and Me2G_2382 in M. paniculata. Our results indicated that compared to the low expression levels of PAAS genes in C. maxima, the higher expression levels of the three PAAS genes in M. paniculata are the main factor affecting the phenylacetaldehyde biosynthesis and causing the content difference of phenylacetaldehyde. The phenylacetaldehyde synthetic activities of the enzymes encoded by M. paniculata PAAS genes were validated by in vitro analyses. Conclusions Our study provides useful genomic resources of M. paniculata for further research on Rutaceae plants, identifies new PAAS genes, and provides insights into how transposons contribute to variations in flower volatiles among Murraya and Citrus plants.

Red mud is an industrial by-product produced in the process of alumina refining. It contains many iron elements, and the traditional resource utilization method is to extract it. This study took an alternative approach by using red mud's iron content as the substrate to synthesize a novel iron-biochar adsorbent for removing heavy metals from wastewater. Walnut shell biochar was reacted with the iron in red mud via an in-situ reduction–oxidation process to produce an iron-carbon composite adsorbent (FexOy-BC). A series of characterization analyses (e.g., SEM, FTIR, XPS, etc.) and batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the properties and Cd(II) removal performance of the adsorbent, respectively. Response surface methodology was further employed to optimize the adsorption conditions, identifying the ideal 6 g/L adsorbent dose, 10 mg/L initial Cd(II) concentration (C0), and pH 6. The optimized quadratic model demonstrated excellent fit, with an average Cd(II) removal efficiency of 92.59 % under optimal conditions. The adsorption mechanism, renewability, and preliminary cost-benefit analysis indicate that FexOy-BC has the potential to be a highly efficient and sustainable adsorbent. In summary, the new method can recover resources from red mud waste and synthesize heavy metal adsorbents, which comprehensively solves two long-standing problems of industrial waste.

Abstract In massive multiuser multiple antenna systems, the knowledge of the users’ channel covariance matrix is crucial for minimum mean square error channel estimation in the uplink and it plays an important role in several multiuser beamforming schemes in the downlink. Due to the large number of base station antennas, accurate covariance estimation is challenging especially in the case where the number of samples is limited and thus comparable to the channel vector dimension. As a result, the standard sample covariance estimator may yield a too large estimation error which in turn may yield significant system performance degradation with respect to the ideal channel covariance knowledge case. To address such problem, we propose a method based on a parametric representation of the channel angular scattering function. The proposed parametric representation includes a discrete specular component which is addressed using the well-known MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) method, and a diffuse scattering component, which is modeled as the superposition of suitable dictionary functions. To obtain the representation parameters, we propose two methods, where the first solves a nonnegative least-squares problem and the second maximizes the likelihood function using expectation–maximization. Our simulation results show that the proposed methods outperform the state of the art with respect to various estimation quality metrics and different sample sizes.

Probiotics, recognized as beneficial and active microorganisms, often face challenges in maintaining their functionality under harsh conditions such as exposure to stomach acid and bile salts. In this investigation, we developed probiotic microcapsules and assessed their protective effects and underlying mechanisms in a murine model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis using male C57BL/6J mice. The administration of the probiotic microcapsules significantly mitigated body weight loss, prevented colon length shortening, decreased the disease activity index scores, and reduced histopathological scores in mice with DSS-induced colitis. Concurrently, the microencapsulated probiotics preserved intestinal barrier integrity by upregulating the expressions of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, as well as the mucus layer component MUC-2. Moreover, the treatment with probiotic microcapsules suppressed the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway in the context of DSS-induced colitis. In conclusion, these findings support the utilization of probiotic microcapsules as a potential functional food ingredient to maintain the permeability of the intestinal barrier and alleviate colonic inflammation in UC.

The use of hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (HC-ARF) as a transmission medium for the terahertz (THz) frequency range is attracting increasing attention from researchers. This paper introduces a low-loss, high birefringence anti-resonant fiber. The proposed structure achieves a maximum birefringence of 2.72 × 10−3 around 1 THz and maintains a birefringence above the 10−3 level over a wide frequency band (0.7∼1.12 THz). It has a minimum loss of 0.2 dB/m and a minimum bend radius of 0.3 m, and the paper validates that this structure has good manufacturing error tolerance. Furthermore, three methods for introducing high birefringence into low-loss ARFs are proposed and three structures are selected for verification. These findings contribute to the development of more efficient and reliable THz transmission systems.

Minimizing patient risk to thermal failure in wearable electronics typically requires complex circuit control, sensors, or passive materials. Here, Yoo et al. present an active materials system with a self-inflating bladder that delaminates upon excessive heat, mitigating the risk of thermal injury.

Abstract Background The combination of anti-programmed death-1 antibodies and chemotherapy is effective; however, there are no reliable outcome prediction factors. We investigated the prognostic factors based on 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) quantitative and hematological parameters to predict progression-free survival (PFS) in relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R cHL) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapy. Methods This retrospective study included 31 patients who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT before and during treatment. Pretreatment metabolic and hematological parameters were evaluated using Cox regression analysis to identify predictors of PFS. Based on the cut-off values calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, patients were classified into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Kaplan–Meier curves and the log-rank test were used to compare survival differences between the groups. Results Cox multivariable analysis indicted that the treatment response based on Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Lugano classification and SUVmax were independent predictors of PFS (P = 0.004, 0.007 and 0.039, respectively). The optimal cut-off values for SUVmax and LDH were 11.62 and 258.5 U/L, respectively (P

Abstract Text recognition has been applied in many fields recently, such as robot vision, video retrieval, and scene understanding. However, minimal research has been conducted in the field of logistics wherein images of express sheets captured by cameras are mostly curved, distorted, and have low resolution. In this study, a new method is proposed to address the aforementioned research gap while simultaneously considering irregular and low-resolution English letters. The entire approach comprises a rectification module, a convolutional neural network (CNN) extractor, a semantic context module (SCM), a global context module (GCM), and a lightweight transformer decoder that can exhibit improved training speed. In particular, we propose the idea of context modeling in our proposed method. (1) The proposed SCM is introduced to capture full-image dependencies and generates rich semantic context information. (2) We propose the GCM, which not only enhances long-range dependencies from the output of SCM but also outputs abundant pixel information to the self-attention decoder. (3) To solve the low-resolution text recognition problem in a large number of express sheet scenes, we propose Chinese datasets for improving intelligent logistics. Experiments conducted on six public benchmarks demonstrate that the developed method achieves better robustness to low-resolution and irregular text images.

Abstract Corn stover could be pyrolysed to prepare biochar for removing pollutants in water and realizing the resource utilization of biomass. The aims of the present study were to investigate the optimal preparation and adsorption conditions of biochar and to reveal the adsorption characteristics and mechanisms of Cd2+ in water by biochar. For this purpose, with Cd2+ as the target pollutant, the pyrolysis conditions involved in the pyrolysis temperature, retention time, and heating rate were evaluated and optimized. Additionally, the characteristics, mechanisms and optimal adsorption conditions of Cd2+ by biochar were determined. A series of characterization techniques was employed, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and specific surface area analysis (SBET). The optimum pyrolysis parameters were a pyrolysis temperature of 700 °C, a retention time of 2.5 h, and a heating rate of 5 °C/min. Acid/base modification did not improve the adsorption capacity of biochar. The Langmuir and the Elovich model were the most suitable isotherm and kinetic models for equilibrium data, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity fitted by Langmuir model was 13.4 mg/g. Furthermore, mineral precipitation and π electron interactions were shown to be the main adsorption mechanisms of Cd2+. The optimum adsorption conditions for Cd2+ in water were a CaCl2 electrolyte solution of 0.01 mol/L, a pH level of 6.7, and a biochar dosage of 0.4 g. Our results indicated that corn stover biochar was an appropriate approach for improving the status of water with Cd2+ contamination in the short term and for promoting a new perspective for the rational utilization of corn stover and the low-cost pollution control of heavy metals in water.

Silicon carbide (SiC), as a widely used material, has great properties. To improve the flowability of ultrafine silicon carbide slurry, this study used sodium humate, tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), and N-(β-monoaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethyl(ethoxysilane) (KH792) to modify the ultrafine silicon carbide powder produced by Qingzhou Micro Powder Company. The effects of different modifiers on improving the flowability of ultrafine silicon carbide slurry were investigated by means of viscosity tests, sedimentation experiments, and SEM observations. Their modification mechanisms were investigated by means of zeta potential tests, XPS tests, and so on. In this paper, the initial modification of SiC was carried out with KH792, followed by the secondary modification with anionic and cationic modifiers (tetramethylammonium hydroxide and sodium humate), and the optimal modification conditions were investigated by means of a viscosity test, which showed that the lowest viscosity of the modified SiC reached 0.076 Pa·s and that the absolute maximum value of the zeta potential increased from 47.5 at the time of no modification to 63.7 (maximum values) at the time of modification. This means it has an improved surface charge, which improves dispersion. The adsorption results of the modifier on the silicon carbide surface were also demonstrated by the XPS test results.

This experiment investigated the effects of different levels of bile acid (BA) additives in diets on the lactation performance, serum antioxidant metabolites, and serum biochemical indices of 60 multiparous mid-lactation dairy cows. The cows were randomized to receive one of the four homogeneous treatments, with the BA preparation supplemented at 0, 6, 12, and 18 g/head/d. The experiment lasted for 14 weeks. The first 2 weeks were the pre-feeding period. The milk yield and composition data were recorded weekly, and the dry matter intake and antioxidative blood index were analyzed on the 6th, 10th, and 14th weeks of the study. On the 84th day of the experiment, the experimental group exhibited significantly higher levels of total protein and albumin, by 57.5% and 55.6%, respectively, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). On both the 28th and 84th days of the trial, the experimental group showed a markedly higher lipase content compared to the control group, by 26.5% and 25.2%, respectively (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the experimental group displayed notably elevated levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity, surpassing the control group by 17.4%, 21.6%, and 8.7%, respectively. In conclusion, BA additives improve the serum antioxidant indices of dairy cows, thereby enhancing the performance of these cows.

IntroductionThe excessive use of chemical fertilizer causes increasing environmental and food security crisis. Organic fertilizer improves physical and biological activities of soil. Rhizosphere microbiota, which consist of highly diverse microorganisms, play an important role in soil quality. However, there is limited information about the effects of different fertilization conditions on the growth of Qingke plants and composition of the rhizosphere microbiota of the plants.MethodsIn this study, we characterized the rhizosphere microbiota of Qingke plants grown in three main Qingke-producing areas (Tibet, Qinghai, and Gansu). In each of the three areas, seven different fertilization conditions (m1–m7, m1: Unfertilized; m2: Farmer Practice; m3: 75% Farmer Practice; m4: 75% Farmer Practice +25% Organic manure; m5: 50% Farmer Practice; m6: 50% Farmer Practice +50% Organic manure; m7: 100% Organic manure) were applied. The growth and yields of the Qingke plants were also compared under the seven fertilization conditions.ResultsThere were significant differences in alpha diversity indices among the three areas. In each area, differences in fertilization conditions and differences in the growth stages of Qingke plants resulted in differences in the beta diversity of the rhizosphere microbiota. Meanwhile, in each area, fertilization conditions, soil depths, and the growth stages of Qingke plants significantly affected the relative abundance of the top 10 phyla and the top 20 bacterial genera. For most of microbial pairs established through network analysis, the significance of their correlations in each of the microbial co-occurrence networks of the three experimental sites was different. Moreover, in each of the three networks, there were significant differences in relative abundance and genera among most nodes (i.e., the genera Pseudonocardia, Skermanella, Pseudonocardia, Skermanella, Aridibacter, and Illumatobacter). The soil chemical properties (i.e., TN, TP, SOM, AN, AK, CEC, Ca, and K) were positively or negatively correlated with the relative abundance of the top 30 genera derived from the three main Qingke-producing areas (p

In this paper, we using the first-principles theory systemically investigate the geometric and electronic properties of the PtXY (X, Y = S, Se and Te) monolayers under the applied biaxial strains and electric fields. The optimized morphologies, deformation charge density, band structure and orbital DOS are plotted and analyzed. Our findings indicate that the applied biaxial strains can largely impact the morphologies of the PtXY systems while the electric fields do not. Given the remarkable charge-transfer crossing the X and Y planes caused by applied biaxial strains and electric field, the electronic property as well as the bandgap of the PtXY systems are modulated largely. It is conclude that PtSSe monolayer is a proper tensile sensing material while the PtSTe and PtSeTe monolayers are potential compressive sensing candidate. Meanwhile, PtSSe and PtSTe systems have desirable linear sensitivity to the applied electric field in terms of electrical conductivity, while the PtSeTe monolayer is only linearly sensitive for the negative electric field. The I-V analysis reveals the resistance property of the PtXY monolayers under various voltages and is consistent with the BS analysis. Our work uncover the physicochemical properties of the PtXY monolayer for typical applications and give the guidance to unfold a new orientation to explore novel semiconductor devices.

Abstract Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication plays a crucial role in gastric cancer prevention, but the antimicrobial resistance of H. pylori is obstructing this elimination process. In this study, we developed nanoclusters (NCs) from Zn0.3Fe2.7O4 nanoparticles using a poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone)-based nanocarrier as an innovative antibiotic-independent H. pylori management. Results The nanocluster showed minimal toxicity and maximal biocompatibility. With a low concentration (50 µg/mL) of NCs under a short time period (~ 2 min) of near-infrared (808 nm) irradiation, we kept the culture medium temperature to 41 °C for 20 min with continuous irradiation. The heated NCs exhibited efficient photothermal effects and resulted in an excellent inhibition of H. pylori growth, adhesion and ability to induce vacuolization in eukaryotic cells in in vitro investigation. Transmission electron microscopy showed a dramatic morphologic change after NCs photothermia on H. pylori, including cell wall and membrane rupture, as well as ribosome damage. Besides, levofloxacin and clarithromycin resistance was decreased after photothermal treatment in H. pylori NCTC 11637 and/or clinical strains, however metronidazole resistance was unchanged. We also discovered a significant decrease in the biofilm formation of H. pylori under the NCs-based photothermal application, while efflux pump function was unchanged. Conclusions Based on this novel NCs-based photothermal approach, we were able to demonstrate in vitro a significant inhibition of both H. pylori growth and molecular toxicity, and its improvement in antibiotic sensitivity alone with the eradication of H. pylori biofilms previously believed to be tolerant to conventional antibiotics.

As artificial synapse devices, memristors have attracted widespread attention in the field of neuromorphic computing. In this paper, Al/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/egg albumen (EA)–graphene quantum dots (GQDs)/PMMA/indium tin oxide (ITO) electrically/optically tunable biomemristors were fabricated using the egg protein as a dielectric layer. The electrons in the GQDs were injected from the quantum dots into the dielectric layer or into the adjacent quantum dots under the excitation of light, and the EA–GQDs dielectric layer formed a pathway composed of GQDs for electronic transmission. The device successfully performed nine brain synaptic functions: excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC), paired-pulse facilitation (PPF), short-term potentiation (STP), short-term depression (STD), the transition from short-term plasticity to long-term plasticity, spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), spike-rate-dependent plasticity (SRDP), the process of learning, forgetting, and relearning, and Pavlov associative memory under UV light stimulation. The successful simulation of the synaptic behavior of this device provides the possibility for biomaterials to realize neuromorphic computing.

Glucose and amino acids are important sources of nutrients in the synthetic milk of dairy cows, and understanding the fate of amino acids is essential to optimize the utilization of amino acids in milk protein synthesis, thereby reducing nutrient inefficiencies during lactation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of LPS and different concentrations of glucose on (1) the expression of inflammatory factors and genes, (2) the glucose metabolism, and (3) amino acid utilization in BMECs. The results showed that there was an interaction (LPS × glucose, p < 0.05) between LPS and glucose content in the inflammatory cytokine genes (IL-6 and TNF-α) and the inflammatory regulatory genes (CXCL2, CXCL8, and CCL5). With the addition of LPS, the HG + LPS group caused downregulated (p < 0.05) expression of IL-6 and TNF-α, compared with the LG + LPS group. Interestingly, compared with the LG + LPS group, the HG + LPS group upregulated (p < 0.05) the expression of CXCL2, CXCL8, and CCL5. LPS supplementation increased (p = 0.056) the consumption of glucose and GLUT1 gene expression (p < 0.05) and tended to increase (p = 0.084) the LDHA gene expression of BMECs under conditions of different concentrations of glucose culture. High glucose content increased (p < 0.001) the consumption of glucose and enhanced (p < 0.05) the GLUT1, HK1, HK2, and LDHA gene expression of BMECs with or without LPS incubation, and there was an interaction (LPS × glucose, p < 0.05) between LPS and glucose concentrations in GLUT1 gene expression. In this study, LPS enhanced (p < 0.05) the consumption of amino acids such as tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, valine, histidine, and glutamate, while high levels of glucose decreased (p < 0.01) consumption, except in the case of tyrosine. For histidine, leucine, isoleucine, and valine consumption, there was an interaction (LPS × glucose, p < 0.05) between LPS and glucose levels. Overall, these findings suggest that relatively high glucose concentrations may lessen the LPS-induced BMEC inflammatory response and reduce amino acid consumption, while low glucose concentrations may increase the demand for most amino acids through proinflammatory responses.

The modulation accuracy of Multi-Plane Light Conversion (MPLC) mainly depends on the positioning accuracy of the phase mask on the Spatial Light Modulator (SLM). To improve positioning accuracy, the impact of phase mask shift on modulation accuracy is investigated, and a position method is proposed. In order to investigate the influence of phase mask offset on the input light conversion effect, a convolution transmission model for the adjustable multi-pass cavity is established. Then, the positioning process for the phase masks is analyzed and simulated, and a method of positioning the phase masks is presented. This method reduces the positioning time and increases the positioning accuracy to 8 μm. Finally, experiments are performed to verify the feasibility of the method. Experimental results show that the similarity of the adjustable multi-pass cavity positioned by this method can reach 93.44%.

Studies on intestinal microbiota in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients are scarce and correlation studies with dietary intake are lacking. The case-control study included 150 participants (74 T2DM patients and 76 controls) and microbiome analysis was performed using 16S rDNA sequencing. Principal component analysis was used to determine dietary patterns and correlation analysis was used to evaluate the associations between microbiota diversity, T2DM indicators and dietary variables. Compared to controls, the T2DM group had different gut flora characteristics, including lower alpha diversity, higher Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratios, statistically significant beta diversity and other specific bacterial species differences. Gut microbiota was associated with several diabetes-related metabolic markers including HOMA2-β, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and fasting insulin. Significant associations were also observed between dietary intake pattern and gut flora. The animal foods pattern scores were positively correlated with the relative abundance of the phylum Fusobacteria, and the vegetarian diet pattern scores were positively correlated with the relative abundance of the phylum Actinobacteria. Phylum Actinobacteria mediated the association of vegetarian diet pattern with fasting insulin and HOMA2-β (all P < 0.05). Composition of intestinal microbiota in Chinese T2DM patients differs from that of control population, and the intestinal flora is affected by dietary intake while being associated with several diabetes-related metabolic markers. The gut microbiota may play an important role in linking dietary intake and the etiology of T2DM.

The plant height of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) is a significant agronomic trait that is closely related to its plant architecture, lodging resistance, and final yield. However, the genes underlying the regulation of plant height in broomcorn millet are rarely reported. Here, an F2 population derived from a cross between a normal variety, “Longmi12,” and a dwarf mutant, “Zhang778,” was constructed. Genetic analysis for the F2 and F2:3 populations revealed that the plant height was controlled by more than one locus. A major quantitative trait locus (QTL), PH1.1, was preliminarily identified in chromosome 1 using bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq). PH1.1 was fine-mapped to a 109-kb genomic region with 15 genes using a high-density map. Among them, longmi011482 and longmi011489, containing nonsynonymous variations in their coding regions, and longmi011496, covering multiple insertion/deletion sequences in the promoter regions, may be possible candidate genes for PH1.1. Three diagnostic markers closely linked to PH1.1 were developed to validate the PH1.1 region in broomcorn millet germplasm. These findings laid the foundation for further understanding of the molecular mechanism of plant height regulation in broomcorn millet and are also beneficial to the breeding program for developing new varieties with optimal height.

Bovine liver mainly utilizes the propionate as a gluconeogenic substrate to synthesize the glucose. However, the mechanism underlying the regulatory effects of propionate on the glucose production in bovine hepatocytes remains less known. Previous studies have demonstrated G protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) as receptors for propionate. We hypothesized that propionate may regulate the glucose production by GPR41 in bovine hepatocytes. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the regulatory effects of propionate and GPR41 on glucose production in bovine hepatocytes. Hepatocytes with GPR41 overexpression were incubated in the presence of either 0 or 3 mM propionate for 24 h. These results showed that the expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 2 (PCK2) and pyruvate carboxylase (PC) genes involved in gluconeogenesis was enhanced (P < 0.01) with propionate treatment. Remarkably, the addition of propionate promotes the glucose production in bovine hepatocytes. Expression of GPR41 was increased by the addition of propionate in bovine hepatocytes overexpressed GPR41 by overexpression plasmid AAV1 compared with the absence of propionate. Interestingly, expression of PCK2 was markedly attenuated in GPR41 overexpressed-hepatocytes with propionate. Importantly, overexpression of GPR41 attenuated glucose output in propionate-induced bovine hepatocytes. These findings revealed that GPR41 negatively regulates glucose production by downregulating the expression of PCK2 in propionate-induced bovine hepatocytes.

Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) will cause an increase in endotoxin, which will have a negative effect on the bovine rumen epithelial cells (BREC). Flavonoids are effective in treating inflammation caused by endotoxin. Quercetin is a vital flavonoid widely occurring in fruits and vegetables and has received significant interest as a prospective anti-inflammatory antioxidant. Nonetheless, quercetin’s protective machinery against such damage to BREC induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remains unclear. A combined quercetin and LPS-induced BREC inflammation model was utilized to elucidate the effect of quercetin protecting BREC from LPS-induced injury. After treating BREC with different doses of LPS (1, 5, and 10 μg/mL) for 6 h or 24 h, the mRNA expression of inflammatory factors was detected. Our experimental results show the establishment of the BREC inflammation model via mRNA high expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in BREC following 6 h treatment with 1 µg/mL LPS. The promotive effect of 80 μg/mL quercetin on BREC growth via the cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was observed. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, notably tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, CC-motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), CCL20, CCL28, and CXC motif chemokine 9 (CXCL9), etc., was significantly reduced by quercetin supplementation. We also analyzed the mRNA detection of related pathways by qRT-PCR. Our validation studies demonstrated that quercetin markedly curbed the mRNA expression of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and myeloid differentiation primary response protein (MyD88) and the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in LPS-treated BREC. In addition, western blot result outcomes confirmed, as expected, that LPS significantly activated phosphorylation of p44/42 extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2) and NF-κB. Unexpectedly, this effect was reversed by adding quercetin. To complement western blot results, we assessed p-ERK1/2 and p-p65 protein expression using immunofluorescence, which gave consistent results. Therefore, quercetin’s capacity to bar the TLR4-mediated NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways may be the cause of its anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-induced inflammatory reactions in BREC. According to these results, quercetin may be utilized as an anti-inflammatory medication to alleviate inflammation brought on by high-grain feed, and it also lays out a conceptual foundation regarding the development and utilization of quercetin in the later stage.

Abstract Transient stability of a multi‐unit hydroelectric generating system significantly influences the safety operation of power stations. The uncertainty of operating parameter is one of the important factors to influence the system stability during the transient process. For this reason, the target of this paper aims to explore the optimised operating parameter in order to enhance the stability of a multi‐unit hydroelectric generating system. To overcome the limitations of existing methods in literature, a new high‐dimensional, complex and non‐linear dynamic model of the multi‐unit hydroelectric generating system that combines the conventional hydro‐turbine governing system and the shaft system is established. Then, the dynamic behaviour of the proposed system targeting the transient process is exhaustingly investigated with the change of the critical parameters. The calm interval of critical parameters is also determined in order to improve the transient stability of the system. The obtained results not only enrich the theoretical knowledge of transient dynamics but also ensure the safety operation of hydropower stations. Meanwhile, the presented research method, high‐dimensional non‐linear dynamic model and the interesting findings in transient process can promote the development of the theory of non‐linear dynamics.

ObjectiveWe compared the efficacy of post-therapy whole-body scintigraphy (Tx-WBS) in terms of detecting lesions in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) on days 3, 7, and 10 after 131I treatment, and we determined the optimal imaging time.MethodsClinical data from 161 DTC patients treated with 131I were collected. All patients underwent day 3 imaging, but only 98 patients underwent day 3 and day 7 imaging, and 63 patients underwent day 3 and day 10 imaging at the same time. And the thyroid bed uptake was visually graded. The radioactivity ratios of the thyroid bed, neck lymph nodes, lungs, and liver (to the background) were calculated to allow a semiquantitative analysis.ResultsVisual analysis showed that delayed imaging revealed more lymph node and lung radioactivity, early imaging showed more residual thyroid tissue, and significant differences in uptake were apparent at days 3, 7, and 10 (P < 0.001). Semiquantitative analysis revealed significant differences in the target-to-background ratios of the residual thyroid bed, lungs, and liver at days 3, 7, and 10. On these days, the imaging sensitivities in terms of detecting metastatic lymph nodes were 29.58%, 39.02%, and 19.35%, and the specificities were 75.56%, 75.86%, and 75% (P = 0.465, 0.154, and 0.763, respectively). In terms of lung metastasis detection, the sensitivities were 29.58%, 38.46%, and 13.33% respectively, and the specificities were 98.33%, 100%, and 95.83% (P < 0.001, < 0.001, and P=0.238).ConclusionMore residual thyroid tissue can be detected by imaging on day 3; imaging on day 7 more effectively detects lung metastases than does imaging on day 3 or 10.

Bovine mastitis is one of the most common clinical diseases in dairy cows, causing huge economic losses to the dairy industry. Quercetin is an important flavonoid existing in many food resources, which has attracted widespread attention as a potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. However, the molecular mechanism of quercetin on inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) remains unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of quercetin on inflammation responses, oxidative stress, and barrier function of BMEC induced by LPS. Our results showed that BMEC viability was not affected by treatment with 50 and 100 μg/ml of quercetin and 1 μg/ml of LPS compared with control group. The results of oxidative stress indicators and related genes of barrier function indicated that 100 μg/ml of quercetin effectively protected the BMECs from damage of oxidative and barrier induced by 1 μg/ml of LPS. Moreover, the messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and chemokines CXCL2, CXCL5, CCL5, and CXCL8 were markedly decreased in the LPS-treated bovine retinal endothelial cells (BRECs) with 100 μg/ml of quercetin relatively to LPS alone. More importantly, the mRNA expressions of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), CD14, myeloid differential protein-2 (MD2), and myeloid differentiation primary response protein (MyD88) genes involved in TLR4 signal pathway were significantly attenuated by the addition of quercetin in LPS-treated BMEC, suggesting that quercetin can inhibit the TLR4 signal pathway. In addition, immunocytofluorescence showed that quercetin significantly inhibited the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in BMEC induced by LPS. Therefore, the protective effects of quercetin on inflammatory responses in LPS-induced BMEC may be due to its ability to suppress the TLR4-mediated NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings suggest that quercetin can be used as an anti-inflammatory reagent to treat mastitis induced by exogenous or endogenous LPS release.

The increased use of antibiotics continues to pose a threat to public health because of the increasing concern of antibiotic residue. Tea tree oil (TTO) is an extract of the Australian plant Melaleuca alternifolia with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. However, there is little information on TTO supplementation in the diet of finishing pigs. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of TTO supplemented diets on the growth performance, meat quality, serum biochemical indices, and antioxidant capacity of the finishing pigs. Our results showed that TTO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA expression of insulin-like growth factors -I (IGFs-I), growth acceleration hormone (GH), and heart fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), while the mRNA expression of myostatin gene (MSTN), and calpain-1 (CAST) decreased by the TTO supplementation, compared with the control group. In addition, TTO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), immunoglobulin G (IgG), and IgM levels but decreased (P < 0.05) serum aspartate transaminase (AST) concentration, relative to the control group. In addition, we found that the live weight and intramuscular fat enhanced (P < 0.05) significantly, and muscle pH 24 min value, cooking loss, and shear force decreased (P < 0.05) dramatically in the TTO group. The TTO supplementation increased (P < 0.05) C18:2n6t concentration and decreased (P < 0.05) C12:0 and C16:0 concentration, relative to the control group. Dietary supplementation with TTO decreased (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased (P < 0.05) glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum. These results indicated that TTO supplementation could improve immunity and antioxidant, carcass traits, the nutritional value of pork, and the antioxidant capacity of finishing pigs. Therefore, TTO has potential positive effects as a feed additive in the pig industry.

Abstract Thermal modification is an effective method that induces significant expansion of the antimicrobial properties and other valuable properties of chicken egg white lysozyme. In our latest research, a new innovative method of enzyme modification was developed, in which microwave radiation was used as an energy source to process liquid lysozyme concentrate (LLC). After modification, high-quality preparations were obtained. However, long-term storage in a concentrated form initiated various processes that caused darkening over time and could also lead to other significant changes to their structure and, consequently, to their functional properties. This necessitated multidirectional research to explain this phenomenon. This paper presents the results of research aimed at assessing the physicochemical changes in the properties of microwave-modified lysozyme in the form of a liquid concentrate after long-term storage under refrigeration conditions. The assessment also considered the conditions under the acidity of the modifying medium and the duration of the microwave modification. The analysis showed that the values of the basic parameters determining the quality and usefulness of the modified enzyme significantly improved during long-term storage of the preparations. The greatest changes were observed in the preparations modified for the longest time and in the most acidic environment (process time 260 s, pH 2.0), the number of oligomers under these conditions increased by 18% after 12 months of holding, and the surface hydrophobicity increased by as much as 31%. In addition, microbiological tests showed that the preparations of microwave-modified lysozyme had an effect on gram-positive bacteria as well as on gram-negative, and this effect was significantly enhanced after 12 months. The results confirm that LLC modification with microwave radiation is a highly efficient method to prepare high-quality and high utility potential lysozyme. Notably, an interesting and important phenomenon was the observation of the unconventional behaviour of the preparations during their long-term storage, which increased their utility potential significantly.

An exceptionally high-performance, high-birefringent photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is meticulously designed. The core design features a unique arrangement in which the central row of circular air holes is substituted by three rows of smaller circular holes. Subsequently, the middle row is adjusted to achieve various rectangular mode field configurations. With the optimized structure parameters, the birefringence of the PCF can reach 3.57 × 10−2 at a wavelength of 1.55 μm. The confinement loss is as low as 8.4 × 10−6 dB/m. The nonlinear coefficient is up to 41 W−1·km−1. The dispersion is relatively flat within the range from 1.3 μm to 1.9 μm. These remarkable characteristics render the proposed PCF a strong candidate for applications in polarization preservation, dispersion compensation, wideband supercontinuum generation, and other related fields.

Objective: To accurately achieve distal contact force, a novel temperature-compensated sensor is developed and integrated into an atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation catheter. Methods: A dual elastomer-based dual FBGs structure is used to differentiate the strain on the two FBGs to achieve temperature compensation, and the design is optimized and validated by finite element simulation. Results: The designed sensor has a sensitivity of 90.5 pm/N, resolution of 0.01 N, and root–mean–square error (RMSE) of 0.02 N and 0.04 N for dynamic force loading and temperature compensation, respectively, and can stably measure distal contact forces with temperature disturbances. Conclusion: Due to the advantages, i.e., simple structure, easy assembly, low cost, and good robustness, the proposed sensor is suitable for industrial mass production.

We propose a novel demodulation scheme based on measuring interference fringe visibility and demonstrate it using a typical Michelson interferometer (MI) configuration. The key component to achieve the scheme is a section of highly birefringent fiber (HBF) spliced into the sensing arm to function as the sensing element. The optical path difference (OPD) leads to interference fringes, while the birefringence of the HBF results in a visibility envelop. It is possible to detect measurands associated with birefringence through measuring the visibility, which is attributed to a flexible use of the fundamental principle of interferometry. As one of the potential applications, temperature sensing employing the MI configuration is performed. Moreover, the technique has the advantage of being immune to element instabilities, such as power fluctuation of the light source, phase shift of the reference arm, noise of the photo detector, and wavelength shift of the optical spectrum analyzer (OSA). This work may provide an alternative method to achieve high precision interferometry with low cost.

Maps based on virtual reality (VR) are evolving and are being increasingly used in the field of geography. However, the advantages of VR based on the map use processes of users over desktop-based environments (DEs) are not fully understood. In this study, an experiment was conducted in which 120 participants performed map use tasks using maps and globes in VR and DE. The participants’ eye movements and questionnaires were collected to compare the map use performance differences. We analyzed the general metrics, information searching and processing metrics of participants (e.g. response time, RT; average fixation duration, AFD; average saccade duration, ASD; saccade frequency, SF, etc.) using maps and globes in different environments. We found that the participants using VR processed information more efficiently (AFDDE = 233.34 ms, AFDVR = 173.09 ms), and the participants using DE had both a significantly shorter response time (RTDE = 88.68 s, RTVR = 124.05 s) and a shorter visual search time (ASDDE = 60.78 ms, ASDVR = 112.13 ms; SFDE = 6.30, SFVR = 2.07). We also found similarities in accuracy, satisfaction and readability. These results are helpful for designing VR maps that can adapt to human cognition and reflect the advantages of VR.

This study aimed to evaluate whether sodium butyrate (SB) attenuates the ruminal response to LPS-stimulated inflammation by activating GPR41 in bovine rumen epithelial cells (BRECs). We examined the SB regulation of GPR41 and its impact on LPS-induced inflammation using GPR41 knockdown BRECs. The LPS-induced BRECs showed increases in the expression of genes related to pro-inflammation and decreases in the expression of genes related to tight junction proteins; these were attenuated by pretreatment with SB. Compared with that in LPS-stimulated BRECs, the ratio of phosphorylated NF-κB (p65 subunit) to NF-κB (p65 subunit) and the ratio of phosphorylated IκBα to IκBα were suppressed with SB pretreatment. The LSB group abated LPS-induced apoptosis and decreased the expression of Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 9 mRNA relative to the LPS group. In addition, the LSB group had a lower proportion of cells in the G0–G1 phase and a higher proportion of cells in the S phase than the LPS group. The mRNA expression of ACAT1 and BDH1 genes related to volatile fatty acid (VFA) metabolism were upregulated in the LSB group compared to those in LPS-induced BRECs. In addition, pretreatment with SB promoted the gene expression of GPR41 in the LPS-induced BRECs. Interestingly, SB pretreatment protected BRECs but not GPR41KD BRECs. Our results suggest that SB pretreatment protects against the changes in BRECs LPS-induced inflammatory response by activating GPR41.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of replacing isonitrogenous and isoenergetic basis alfalfa hay (AH) with stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) hay in dairy cow diets on nutrient digestion, milk performance, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen (N) utilization. In this study, 24 healthy Holstein lactating dairy cattle with a similar milk yield of 33.70 ± 2.75 (mean ± SD) kg, days in milk 95.98 ± 23.59 (mean ± SD) days, and body weight 587.75 ± 66.97 (mean ± SD) kg were selected and randomly allocated into three groups. The constituents of the three treatments were (1) 30.0% AH, and 0% stevia hay (SH) for the AH group; (2) 24.0% AH, and 6% SH for the 6% SH group; (3) 18.0% AH, and 12% SH for the 12% SH group. The substitution of AH with SH did not affect dry matter intake (DMI), gross energy (GE), and other nutrients intake but increased the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Compared with the AH diet, the cows fed the 6% SH diet had a higher milk yield and concentration of milk fat. Fecal and urinary nitrogen (N) were lower in cows fed a 6% SH diet than in cows fed the AH diet. Milk N secretion and milk N as a percentage of N intake were higher in cows fed a 6% SH diet than in cows fed AH diets. The concentration of ruminal volatile fatty acids, acetic acid, and ammonia-N were higher in cows fed a 6% SH diet than in cows fed an AH diet. By comparison, the 12% SH group did not affect milk yield, milk composition, N utilization, and rumen fermentation compared with the AH and 6% SH groups. In conclusion, it appears that feeding 6% SH, replacing a portion of AH, may improve lactation performance and N utilization for lactating dairy cows.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of buffalo milk and cow milk on lipid metabolism in obese mice. Milk composition analysis showed fat, protein, and total solid content in buffalo milk was higher than cow milk, while the lactose content of buffalo milk was lower than cow milk. After milk metabolite extraction and LC-MS/MS analysis, differential metabolites were mainly enriched in “linoleic acid metabolism pathways,” “pentose and glucuronate interconversion pathways,” and “metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 pathways.” We fed three groups of C57BL/6J mice (n = 6 per group) for 5 weeks: (1) high-fat diet group (HFD group); (2) high-fat diet + buffalo milk group (HBM group); and (3) high-fat diet + cow milk group (HCM group). Our results showed that body weight of mice was significantly decreased in HBM and HCM groups from 1 to 4 weeks compared with the HFD group. The mRNA expression of ACAA2, ACACB, and SLC27A5 genes involved in the lipid metabolism in liver tissue were significantly elevated in HCM group, relatively to HFD and HBM group. In addition, the adipocyte number, size and lipid accumulation in the liver were significantly decreased in HCM group compared with the HFD group by H&E staining and oil red O staining, but was not change in HBM group. The mRNA levels of TNF-α and IL-1β inflammatory genes were significantly increased in HBM group, relatively to HFD and HCM group, which is consistent with results from inflammatory cell infiltration and tissue disruption by colon tissue sections. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of cow milk has beneficial effects on loss of weight and lipid metabolism in obese mice.