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To determine the influence of mucin on the intestinal digestion and release of proanthocyanidins derived from persimmon, the physicochemical characteristics of persimmon proanthocyanidins-mucin complexes and the interaction mechanisms between persimmon proanthocyanidins and mucin were analyzed using laser particle size analyzer, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Results indicated that the particle size and absolute ζ-potential of the complexes were positively correlated with the concentrations of persimmon proanthocyanidins and their structural units (epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate). The introduction of phenolic hydroxyl groups from persimmon proanthocyanidins decreased the thermal stability and surface hydrophobicity of mucin with an increase in persimmon proanthocyanidins concentration. Infrared spectroscopy revealed that hydrogen bonding and free amino groups participated in the reaction between mucin and persimmon proanthocyanidins. It was also found that persimmon proanthocyanidins and their structural units effectively quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of mucin, with static quenching being the dominant mechanism. Thermodynamic parameter values obtained using the Van’t Hoff equation were ∆G

Abstract Accumulating evidence has shown that tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) play crucial roles in malignant tumor development. However, whether serum tsRNAs can act as potential biological markers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still largely unknown. In the current study, a novel tsRNA, namely tsRNA-Thr-5-0015, was prominently elevated in the sera of HCC patients than that of hepatitis cases and healthy check-ups, and it was related with TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis of HCC patients. Moreover, methodological evaluation confirmed that tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 had excellent stability, precision, accuracy and linear range. Additionally, the combined detection of serum tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 with AFP as well as PIVKA-II improved the diagnostic sensitivity for HCC. Furthermore, dynamic monitoring found that the serum tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 was drastically decreased in the postoperative HCC patients. Besides, Kaplan–Meier analysis displayed that patients with high level of serum tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 had shorter overall survival than that of the low level ones. In addition, bioinformatic prediction unveiled that the downstream targets of tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 were enriched in several signaling pathways, such as MAPK, PI3K-Akt, etc. In summary, tsRNA-Thr-5-0015 may be a promising biomarker for HCC diagnosis, therapeutic effect assessment and prognosis judgement. Especially, the combination with serum tsRNA-Thr-5-0015, AFP and PIVKA-II can enhance the diagnostic efficiency for HCC.

IntroductionCircadian rhythm disturbances have long been associated with the development of psychiatric disorders, including mood and substance use disorders. Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable time for the onset of psychiatric disorders and for circadian rhythm and sleep disruptions. Preclinical studies have found that circadian rhythm disruption (CRD) impacts the brain and behavior, but this research is largely focused on adult disruptions. Here, we hypothesized that adolescent CRD would have a greater effect on psychiatric-related behaviors, relative to adult disruption.MethodsWe determined the long-term behavioral and neurobiological effects of CRD during early adolescence by exposing mice to 12 h shifts in the light/dark cycle. Adult mice were exposed to the same CRD paradigm. Behavior testing began approximately 4 weeks later for both groups. To identify possible mechanisms, we also measured gene expression in brain regions relevant to circadian rhythms, mood and reward.ResultsCRD during early adolescence, but not adulthood, persistently increased exploratory drive (risk-taking behavior) and cocaine preference when tested later in life. Interestingly, we found sex differences when intravenous cocaine self-administration was tested. While female mice with a history of adolescent CRD had a greater propensity to self-administer cocaine, as well as increased motivation and cue-induced reinstatement, male adolescent CRD mice had reduced motivation and extinction responding. Importantly, we found that transcripts in the SCN were affected by adolescent CRD and these were largely distinct across sex.ConclusionOverall, adolescent CRD in mice caused persistent increases in risky behavior, cocaine reward and cocaine self-administration, which suggests that CRD during adolescence may predispose individuals toward substance use disorders. Future research is required to elucidate how adolescent CRD affects behaviors relevant to mood-and substance use-related disorders across the 24-h day, as well as to identify intervention strategies to alleviate disruption during adolescence and novel therapeutic approaches once symptoms have begun.

Abstract End-to-end speech to text translation aims to directly translate speech from one language into text in another, posing a challenging cross-modal task particularly in scenarios of limited data. Multi-task learning serves as an effective strategy for knowledge sharing between speech translation and machine translation, which allows models to leverage extensive machine translation data to learn the mapping between source and target languages, thereby improving the performance of speech translation. However, in multi-task learning, finding a set of weights that balances various tasks is challenging and computationally expensive. We proposed an adaptive multi-task learning method to dynamically adjust multi-task weights based on the proportional losses incurred during training, enabling adaptive balance in multi-task learning for speech to text translation. Moreover, inherent representation disparities across different modalities impede speech translation models from harnessing textual data effectively. To bridge the gap across different modalities, we proposed to apply optimal transport in the input of end-to-end model to find the alignment between speech and text sequences and learn the shared representations between them. Experimental results show that our method effectively improved the performance on the Tibetan-Chinese, English-German, and English-French speech translation datasets.

Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) have been considered the ultimate anode materials for next-generation batteries. However, the uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth and huge volume expansion that can occur during charge and discharge seriously hinder the practical application of LMAs. Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials, which possess the merits of huge specific surface area, excellent porosity, and flexible composition/structure tunability, have demonstrated great potential for resolving both of these issues. This article first explores the mechanism of lithium dendrite formation as described by four influential models. Subsequently, based on an in-depth understanding of these models, we propose potential strategies for utilizing MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrite growth. We then provide a comprehensive review of research progress with respect to various applications of MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrites and inhibit volume expansion. The paper closes with a discussion of perspectives on future modifications of MOFs and their derivatives to achieve stable and dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.

Abstract This study assesses the midsummer precipitation prediction over eastern China by the dynamic downscaling method. Based on the Climate Forecast System version 2 of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, the prediction performance of global and regional models on the July precipitation over eastern China is further analyzed by hindcast experiments from 1982 to 2010 and prediction experiments from 2011 to 2021. The results suggest that the regional model forced by the global model can noticeably improve the prediction skill for precipitation in eastern China, especially in the region from the South of North China to the Yangtze River Basin, referred as the northern China in this paper. In addition, we perform a diagnostic analysis of the reason for the improvement of the model prediction skill. The results indicate that the high resolution of the regional model and the refinement of physical process parameterizations contribute to improving the simulation ability for the East Asian atmospheric circulation pattern, heat flux, especially for the meridional teleconnection pattern in East Asia and the sensible heat flux in the northern China, thus further improving precipitation prediction.

Transshipment is an effective method for reducing mismatches between supply and demand among retailers. Consumers attempting to purchase out-of-stock items may wait for transshipment, purchase at another store, or choose not to buy. In this paper, the consumer behavioral heterogeneity is characterized using the transshipment request rate and consumer switching rate. It affects the replenishment and transshipment decisions, as well as the system profits. The inventory replenishment and transshipment decisions are studied in both centralized and decentralized two-location inventory systems with consumer behavioral heterogeneity. We characterize optimal replenishment decisions in a centralized system, prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in a decentralized system with a specific demand distribution, and determine the coordinating transshipment price for some decentralized systems. In numerical studies, the performance of various systems is analyzed for consumers with identical (symmetric) or differing (asymmetric) behavior between retailers. For scenarios with symmetric consumers, a higher transshipment request rate and consumer switching rate resulted in increased total profit in all systems. For scenarios with asymmetric consumers, the retailer with the higher consumer switching rate should reduce ordering in a centralized system but increase ordering in a decentralized system. Moreover, the retailer with the higher transshipment request rate reduces ordering to increase profit, whereas the other retailer increases order quantity yet earns less profit.

This study aims to investigate the role of corporate social responsibility as a mediator between social factors and sustainable socially responsible purchases in the food industry of Sindh, Pakistan. To determine the findings of this study, a sample size of 250 is drawn from the study’s primary data. The department of purchasing is requested to voluntarily complete the questionnaire utilized in previous studies. The convenience sampling strategy and the snowball sampling strategy are considered for data collection. For data analysis, SmartPLS version 3 is utilized. This study revealed that corporate social responsibility partially mediates the connection between human rights, social welfare, and sustainable socially responsible purchasing. Nevertheless, the full mediation effect between safety and health for socially responsible purchasing has been uncovered. The novel finding of this study is that the mediation effect was not previously conducted a. However, the mediating role of corporate social responsibility and the food industry has been evaluated in the context of Sindh, Pakistan.

An innovative iron supplement crucial for treating iron-deficiency anemia was developed in this study. Polysaccharide was extracted from Eucommia ulmoides leaves using a microwave-assisted hot water method, and subsequently, the polysaccharide–iron complex was synthesized through co-thermal synthesis with FeCl3. The physicochemical properties, structure, and thermal stability of the complex were analyzed using FE-SEM, SEC-MALLS, FT-IR, XRD, and DSC techniques. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide–iron complex was evaluated through an experiment in vitro. The results revealed that the polysaccharide–iron complex had an iron content of 6.1% and an average particle size of 860.4 nm. The microstructure analysis indicated that the polysaccharide–iron complex possessed a flaky morphology with smooth and compact surfaces. Moreover, the formation of the Fe3+ complex did not alter the structural framework of the polysaccharide; instead, it enhanced the polysaccharide’s thermal stability. Compared to traditional iron supplements, the E. ulmoides-derived polysaccharide–iron complex demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. Therefore, this novel compound exhibits significant potential as a viable iron supplement.

Highlights A triple functional additive with a trace amount (1 mM) was proposed to protect Zn anodes. The additive lowers the hydrogen evolution reaction potential, encourages the formation of an in situ solid electrolyte interphase and shields the “tip effect” Dendrite free Zn deposition and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behaviors were realized by the triple protections

Abstract Background The particular occupational stress of psychiatric nurses has a negative impact on their mental health. There is evidence that psychological resilience can promote mental health; however, the relationship between resilience in occupational stress and mental health of psychiatric nurses is unclear, and mental health was assessed from a psychopathological perspective, neglecting the role of positive psychology. Therefore, this study was based on a dual-factor model of mental health, describing mental health in terms of both positive well-being and psychiatric symptoms. We aimed to investigate the level of psychiatric nurses' mental health and whether resilience plays a mediating or moderating role between occupational stress and mental health in psychiatry nurses. Methods A cross sectional survey of 450 psychiatric nurses in five hospitals in Jiangsu Province was conducted using a convenience sampling method, of which 413 were valid questionnaires with an effective rate of 91.8%. The evaluation included the Chinese Nurses’ Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and Spearman correlation analyses were performed using SPSS25.0 while mediating and moderating effects were performed using SmartPLS3.0. Results Based on a dual-factor model of mental health, this study found that psychiatric nurses had a low general state of mental health, with 54.5% positive mental health, 7% vulnerable, 21.8% symptomatic but content, and 16.7% completely troubled. In addition, we found that resilience plays a mediating role in stress and mental health [β = -0.230, 95% CI of (-0.310, -0.150)] and does not play a moderating role [β = -0.018, 95%CI (-0.091, 0.055)]. Conclusions Psychiatric nurses are in a poor state of mental health, and psychological resilience partly mediates occupational stress and mental health. This study suggests that attention should be paid to both positive and negative aspects of psychiatric nurses' mental health, and strategies should be developed to reduce occupational stress and develop psychological resilience.

Eucommia ulmoides seed meal protein prepared by alkali extraction and acid precipitation was utilized as raw material. On the basis of single factor experiment, the total evaluation value of the hydrolysis degree and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) as response value was used to optimize the addition of enzyme, hydrolysis time and substrate concentration. And the Box-Behnken method was used for three factors and three levels response surface test design to determine the best enzymatic preparation process of hydrolyzed peptides from Eucommia ulmoides seed meal. The antioxidant activity of the obtained hydrolyzed peptides was determined in vitro. The results showed that neutral protease was the best protease, and the best enzymatic hydrolysis condition were enzyme was 10000 U/g, hydrolysis time 1.50 h and substrate concentration 20 g/L. Under these conditions, the degree of hydrolysis and T-AOC of hydrolyzed peptides were 47.45%±1.50% and 30.62±0.59 μmol/g, separately; the IC50 for DPPH free radical, superoxide anion radical and ABTS free radical scavenging rates were 0.731, 4.258 and 0.407 mg/mL, respectively. The Eucommia ulmoides seed meal peptides prepared under these conditions had great antioxidant capacity and provided a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of Eucommia ulmoides seed meal and the development of antioxidant peptide functional products.

Due to their potential for high energy density, low cost, and environmental sustainability, zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have emerged as a promising energy storage technology. The performance, safety, and overall efficiency of ZIBs are significantly impacted by the properties of the electrolyte, such as ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability window, viscosity, and compatibility with other battery components. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) in ZIBs has gained extensive attention in recent years due to their desirable properties, such as high thermal stability, low volatility, wide electrochemical window, and tunable physicochemical properties. Therefore, this paper provides a bibliometric analysis of recent advances in the use of ILs as electrolytes in ZIBs. Current research trends, authorship patterns, and publications of ILs in ZIBs are analyzed. Our review reveals a growing interest in the use of ILs as electrolytes in ZIBs, and the development of novel ILs with tailored properties to meet the specific requirements of ZIBs is of a specific focus. This paper provides insights into the recent advancements and future research directions in the field of ILs as electrolytes for ZIBs.

Zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), which are inexpensive and environmentally friendly, have a lot of potential for use in grid‐scale energy storage systems, but their use is constrained by the availability of suitable cathode materials. MnO2‐based cathodes are emerging as a promising contenders, due to the great availability and safety, as well as the device's stable output voltage platform (1.5 V). Improving the slow kinetics of MnO2‐based cathodes caused by low electrical conductivity and mass diffusion rate is a challenge for their future use in next‐generation rapid charging devices. Herein, the aforementioned challenges are overcome by proposing a sodium‐intercalated manganese oxide (NMO) with 3D varying thinness carbon nanotubes (VTCNTs) networks as appropriate free‐standing, binder‐free cathodes (NMO/VTCNTs) without any heat treatment. A network construction strategy based on CNTs of different diameters is proposed for the first time to provide high specific capacity while achieving high mass loading. The specific capacity of as‐prepared cathodes is significantly increased. The resulting free‐standing binder‐free cathodes achieve excellent capacity (329 mAh g−1 after 120 cycles at 0.2 A g−1 and 225 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 1 A g−1) and long‐term cycling stability (158 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 1000 cycles).

Abstract Background Patients undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer often suffer from poor psychosocial adaptation, low compliance with endocrine therapy and poor quality of life. However, the relationship among the three is not completely clear. The aims of this study were to investigate the status of psychosocial adaptation (PSA), medication adherence and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer women with adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET), and to analyze the influencing factors of QOL and explore the relationship among them. Methods 346 breast cancer women were selected who underwent endocrine therapy after surgery, and data collected by the general information questionnaire, the PSA questionnaire among breast cancer women with AET, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). The relationship among the variables was investigated by univariate analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis and mediating effect analysis. Results The scores of PSA, medication adherence and QOL were slightly above the medium level. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in QOL among breast cancer women of AET with different types of exercise, medical payment methods, discomfort symptoms (headache, hypomnesis, arthralgia, perturbation), type of discomfort symptoms, medication adherence and PSA; Multi-factor analysis showed that PSA and medication adherence were the influential factors of QOL; mediating effect showed that medication adherence played a partial mediating role in PSA and QOL. Conclusion The QOL of breast cancer women with AET will be directly affected by PSA. Medication compliance has a weak mediating effect in the indirect impact of PSA on the QOL. In the future, clinical nursing work should take targeted measures to improve the PSA level of patients, and effectively improve the compliance of patients with medication, so as to better improve the QOL of breast cancer women.

Abstract Severe and persistent disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms are common in people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Preclinical evidence suggests altered molecular rhythms in the brain modulate opioid reward and relapse. However, whether molecular rhythms are disrupted in the brains of people with OUD remained an open question, critical to understanding the role of circadian rhythms in opioid addiction. Using subjects’ times of death as a marker of time of day, we investigated transcriptional rhythms in the brains of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected comparison subjects. We discovered rhythmic transcripts in both the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), key brain areas involved in OUD, that were largely distinct between OUD and unaffected subjects. Fewer rhythmic transcripts were identified in DLPFC of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected subjects, whereas in the NAc, nearly double the number of rhythmic transcripts was identified in subjects with OUD. In NAc of subjects with OUD, rhythmic transcripts peaked either in the evening or near sunrise, and were associated with an opioid, dopamine, and GABAergic neurotransmission. Associations with altered neurotransmission in NAc were further supported by co-expression network analysis which identified OUD-specific modules enriched for transcripts involved in dopamine, GABA, and glutamatergic synaptic functions. Additionally, rhythmic transcripts in DLPFC and NAc of subjects with OUD were enriched for genomic loci associated with sleep-related GWAS traits, including sleep duration and insomnia. Collectively, our findings connect transcriptional rhythm changes in opioidergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic signaling in the human brain to sleep-related traits in opioid addiction.

To investigate the influence of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum co-fermentation on the storage characteristics of noodles. Texture analyzer (TA), low field pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the quality changes of noodles during storage at 4 ℃. The main research results were as follows: The breakage rate and pH of fermented noodles were lower than these of blank group, there was no significant difference in water absorption rate among different samples(P>0.05), titratable acid (TTA) value increased with fermentation time prolonging. At the same storage time, the hardness and chewiness of the fermented noodles was lower than that of blank group. The cohesiveness decreased with time and was lower than that of blank group after 10~15 days storage. The elasticity first increased and then decreased during the storage duration. Compared with the blank group, the relaxation time of strongly bound water showed a descending trend. After stored at low temperature, the proportion of strongly bound water decreased. The X-ray diffraction pattern illustrated that the relative crystallinity (RC) of the blank group noodles was 16.77% after low temperature storage for 15 days, and the RC value of noodles fermented for 60 min was 12.10%, which was significantly lower than the blank group (P

Recent studies suggest that the interaction between presbycusis and cognitive impairment may be partially explained by the cognitive-ear link. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we combined magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate auditory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels, intra- and inter-network functional connectivity, and their relationships with auditory and cognitive function in 51 presbycusis patients and 51 well-matched healthy controls. Our results confirmed reorganization of the cognitive-ear link in presbycusis, including decreased auditory GABA and Glu levels and aberrant functional connectivity involving auditory networks (AN) and cognitive-related networks, which were associated with reduced speech perception or cognitive impairment. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that decreased auditory GABA levels and dysconnectivity between the AN and default mode network (DMN) mediated the association between hearing loss and impaired information processing speed in presbycusis. These findings highlight the importance of AN-DMN dysconnectivity in cognitive-ear link reorganization leading to cognitive impairment, and hearing loss may drive reorganization via decreased auditory GABA levels. Modulation of GABA neurotransmission may lead to new treatment strategies for cognitive impairment in presbycusis patients.

This paper aimed to explore the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules fermentation on the quality of carrot chips, and the change of viable cell count under freeze-drying and simulated gastric juice conditions. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules were prepared by extrusion method using sodium alginate and isolated whey protein as wall materials. The carrot chips fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules were used as experimental group and the carrot chips fermented without microcapsules were used as control group. The results showed that there were no significant differences in texture, color, total sugar content, carotene content and ascorbic acid content between test group and control group (P>0.05). In freeze-drying and simulated gastric juice environment, the number of viable bacteria in the test group was significantly higher than that in the control group, which remained (8.47±0.02) and (8.31±0.01) lg(CFU/g), respectively. Microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation had no prominent effect on the quality of carrot chips and could improve the resistance of Lactobacillus plantarum to adverse environments (such as freeze-drying and gastric juice).

Environmental devaluation is a major concern for European countries as they seek to scrutinize strategies for development anthropology. Germany holds diversified ties with the socioeconomic and environmental development of the region. In accordance with global obligations, Germany's research on environmental issues, protection laws and actions, and universities and scientific research institutions in the field of environmental protection are progressing toward the development of a sustainable future securing the development anthropology. However, Germany's research on environmental issues is unclear to the rest of the world. Chinese scholars also lack effective countermeasures and suggestions for implementing environmental protection cooperation between China and Germany under the Belt and Road Initiative to draw a sustainable global drain. Understanding the current situation and frontier trend of environmental research in German academic circles is essential and irreplaceable for relying on research results data and quantitative analysis theory to carry out the research process. The methodology of this paper established a quantitative analysis based on “institutions,” “scholars,” “research objects,” and “frequency of keywords” among the research results on environmental issues in Germany. It constructs a digital portrait of the field of environmental research in Germany. Knowledge mapping is extensively used in this study as the primary research tool to show the development of environmental research in Germany. The standard deviation of social science research has roughly doubled in that time. CiteSpace, a visual tool for document statistical analysis, is used to analyze the research results on environmental protection published by German scholars from 2008 to 2018. The study results include Web of Science Network, and finally, a visual map is drawn. This study analyzes the status quo, research institutions, keywords, research hotspots, and research trends of international cooperation in environmental research in Germany. The findings are in supportive position of environment study that is the key to human existence and societal development. Leading to this Germans are in concern of human anthropology being reflected in scholarly published work. In response to practical challenges, “global warming” and “sustainable development” became the most frequently used keywords. It provides sustainable thoughts and countermeasures to strengthen Sino-German environmental protection exchange and cooperation further.

Twelve-hour (12 h) ultradian rhythms are a well-known phenomenon in coastal marine organisms. While 12 h cycles are observed in human behavior and physiology, no study has measured 12 h rhythms in the human brain. Here, we identify 12 h rhythms in transcripts that either peak at sleep/wake transitions (approximately 9 AM/PM) or static times (approximately 3 PM/AM) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in cognition. Subjects with schizophrenia (SZ) lose 12 h rhythms in genes associated with the unfolded protein response and neuronal structural maintenance. Moreover, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein translation, which normally peak at sleep/wake transitions, peak instead at static times in SZ, suggesting suboptimal timing of these essential processes.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, especially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer worldwide; nevertheless, there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for treating NASH until now. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is an interesting therapeutic target for treating metabolic disorders in the clinic, including NASH. Herpetrione, a natural lignan compound isolated from Tibetan medicine Herpetospermum caudigerum, exerts various hepatoprotective effects, but its efficacy and molecular mechanism in treating NASH have not yet been elucidated. Here, we discovered that herpetrione lessened lipid accumulation and inflammation in hepatocytes stimulated with oleic acid and lipopolysaccharide, and effectively alleviated NASH caused by a high-fat diet or methionine-choline-deficient diet by regulating glucolipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Mechanistically, RNA-sequencing analyses further showed that herpetrione activated PPAR signaling, which was validated by protein expression. Furthermore, the analysis of molecular interactions illustrated that herpetrione bound directly to the PPARα protein, with binding sites extending to the Arm III domain. PPARα deficiency also abrogated the protective effects of herpetrione against NASH, suggesting that herpetrione protects against hepatic steatosis and inflammation by activation of PPARα signaling, thereby alleviating NASH. Our findings shed light on the efficacy of a natural product for treating NASH, as well as the broader prospects for NASH treatment by targeting PPARα.

The widely-used pyrethroid pesticides have attracted public attention because of their potentials to cause environmental pollution and toxic effects on non-target organisms. Esterase is a kind of hydrolytic enzyme that can catalyze the cleavage or formation of ester bonds. it plays a pivotal role in the decomposition of pyrethroids and esters containing industrial pollutants through the hydrolysis of ester bonds. Here, a new esterase gene est882 was successfully screened, which encodes Est882, a SGNH family esterase composed of 294 amino acids. It was heterogeneously expressed, identified and immobilized. Multiple sequence alignment showed that Est882 had a typical GDS(X) conserved motif and a catalytic triad composed of Ser79, Asp269 and His275. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Est882 shall belong to a new esterase family. Biochemical characterization demonstrated that the optimum condition was 40°C and pH 9.0. Est882 immobilization was studied with mesoporous silica SBA-15 as the carrier and found to significantly improve the tolerance and stability of Est882. Its optimum pH increased to 10.0 and stabilized within pH 8.0–11.0. Free Est882 can effectively degrade various pyrethroids within 30 min, with a degradation rate above 80%. The immobilized Est882 yet degraded more than 70% of pyrethroids within 30 min. The present study indicated that Est882 has outstanding potential in bioremediation of a pyrethroid-polluted environment. These characteristics endow Est882 with potential values in various industrial applications and hydrolysis of pyrethroid residues.

Histone acetylation has been shown to involve in stress responses. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms that how histone deacetylases and transcription factors function in drought stress response remain to be understood. In this research, we show that ENAP1 and ENAP2 are positive regulators of drought tolerance in plants, and the enap1enap2 double mutant is more sensitive to drought stress. Both ENAP1 and ENAP2 interact with MYB44, a transcription factor that interacts with histone deacetylase HDT4. Genetics data show that myb44 null mutation enhances the sensitivity of enap1enap2 to drought stress. Whereas, HDT4 negatively regulates plant drought response, the hdt4 mutant represses enap1enap2myb44 drought sensitive phenotype. In the normal condition, ENAP1/2 and MYB44 counteract the HDT4 function for the regulation of H3K27ac. Upon drought stress, the accumulation of MYB44 and reduction of HDT4 leads to the enrichment of H3K27ac and the activation of target gene expression. Overall, this research provides a novel molecular mechanism by which ENAP1, ENAP2 and MYB44 form a complex to restrict the function of HDT4 in the normal condition; under drought condition, accumulated MYB44 and reduced HDT4 lead to the elevation of H3K27ac and the expression of drought responsive genes, as a result, plants are drought tolerant. Author summary Water deficiency has become one of the greatest concerns limiting sustainable crop production. Uncovering the molecular mechanisms of drought stress response has been one of hot research topics worldwide. Histone modification and transcription factors have been shown to function in the drought stress response collectively. Yet, the detailed molecular mechanisms are still remained to study. In this research, we found a novel molecular mechanism that the histone binding protein ENAP1 and ENAP2 form a complex with MYB44 to restrict the function of histone deacetylase HDT4 from regulating H3K27 acetylation in the target genes in a normal condition; Whereas, under drought condition, MYB44 proteins are accumulated, and the HDT4 proteins are reduced, leading to elevations of H3K27ac and the expression of drought responsive genes, as a result, plants are drought tolerant. This research provides a new insight of how histone deacetylase, histone binding protein and transcription factor coordinate to regulate drought stress response in plants.

Abstract Constructing intimate coupling between transition metal and carbon nanomaterials is an effective means to achieve strong immobilization of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) in the applications of lithium–sulfur (LiS) batteries. Herein, a universal spinning‐coordinating strategy of constructing continuous metal–nitrogen–carbon (MNC, M = Co, Fe, Ni) heterointerface is reported to covalently bond metal nanoparticles with nitrogen‐doped porous carbon fibers (denoted as M/MN@NPCF). Guided by theoretical simulations, the Co/CoN@NPCF hybrid is synthesized as a proof of concept and used as an efficient sulfur host material. The polarized CoNC bridging bonds can induce rapid electron transfer from Co nanoparticles to the NPCF skeleton, promoting the chemical anchoring of LiPSs to improve sulfur utilization. Hence, the as‐assembled LiS battery presents a remarkable capacity of 781 mAh g−1 at 2.0 C and a prominent cycling lifespan with a low decay rate of only 0.032% per cycle. Additionally, a well‐designed Co/CoN@NPCF‐S electrode with a high sulfur loading of 7.1 mg cm−2 is further achieved by 3D printing technique, which demonstrates an excellent areal capacity of 6.4 mAh cm−2 at 0.2 C under a lean‐electrolyte condition. The acquired insights into strongly coupled continuous heterointerface in this work pave the way for rational designs of host materials in LiS systems.

Dynamic high pressure microfluidization (DHPM) is considered an emerging and promising technique for the continuous production of fluid foods. This study measured the effect of DHPM on yam juice. After DHPM processing, the content of total soluble solids (TSS), turbidity, flavonoid and non-enzymatic browning was significantly decreased, with the biggest drops being 35.5, 86.2, 20.7, and 66.7%, respectively. Moreover, the average particle size was decreased from 1 944 nm to 358 nm, which showed a strong positive correlation with turbidity. The reduction coefficients and electric conductivity of Escherichia coli, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum were increased significantly after DHPM processing. Combined with morphological analysis, DHPM processing had good bactericidal effects on E. coli and S. cerevisiae. These results provided reference values for the application of DHPM technology in the development of yam juice.

Abstract Dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) are catecholamines primarily studied in the central nervous system that also act in the pancreas as peripheral regulators of metabolism. Pancreatic catecholamine signaling has also been increasingly implicated as a mechanism responsible for the metabolic disturbances produced by antipsychotic drugs (APDs). Critically, however, the mechanisms by which catecholamines modulate pancreatic hormone release are not completely understood. We show that human and mouse pancreatic α- and β-cells express the catecholamine biosynthetic and signaling machinery, and that α-cells synthesize DA de novo. This locally-produced pancreatic DA signals via both α- and β-cell adrenergic and dopaminergic receptors with different affinities to regulate glucagon and insulin release. Significantly, we show DA functions as a biased agonist at α2A-adrenergic receptors, preferentially signaling via the canonical G protein-mediated pathway. Our findings highlight the interplay between DA and NE signaling as a novel form of regulation to modulate pancreatic hormone release. Lastly, pharmacological blockade of DA D2-like receptors in human islets with APDs significantly raises insulin and glucagon release. This offers a new mechanism where APDs act directly on islet α- and β-cell targets to produce metabolic disturbances.

This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab (BEV) in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with brain metastases (BM) by performing meta-analyses of response and survival indices. Seventeen studies were included. BEV treatment was associated with a lower new BM incidence (hazard ratio: 0.30 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14, 0.46]) during follow-up. Disease control rate (DCR) of BEV-treated patients with BM was 91% [95% CI: 85, 95]. However, intracranial DCR was relatively higher (94% [95% CI: 87, 98]) than extracranial DCR (86% [95% CI: 74, 96]). DCR of NSCLC patients with BM was significantly better with BEV than with control therapies (odds ratio: 2.71 [95% CI: 1.26, 5.86], P = 0.01). Progression-free survival (PFS) of BEV-treated patients with and without BM was 7.1 months [95% CI: 6.2, 8.0] and 7.4 months [95% CI: 6.3, 8.4], respectively. Intracranial PFS of BEV-treated patients with BM was 8.0 months [95% CI: 6.0, 10.0]. Overall survival of BEV-treated NSCLC patients with and without BM was 13.5 months [95% CI: 11.4, 15.6] and 12.5 months [95% CI: 10.2, 14.8], respectively. The incidence of bleeding/hemorrhage in the central nervous system was 1% with BEV treatment.

Abstract In recent years, the prevalence and spread of coronavirus has had a huge impact on global public health. Due to the incomplete understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of the virus, it is difficult for humans to fight against the virus quickly and effectively once the outbreak occurs. In early 2020, a novel coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan, China. Soon after, similar cases were found in other countries around the world, and the number of infected people increased rapidly. So far, the global cumulative number of infected people has exceeded 3 million, and more than 200,000 people have died, which has had a huge impact on global human health and economic development. Every outbreak of disease makes a deep impression on mankind. Herein, we summarize the virology, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2, and hope that countries can control the outbreak as soon as possible to minimize the loss.

Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common carcinoma of the gastrointestinal tract with high incidence and mortality worldwide. Studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in CRC. Our purpose is to investigate the potential of serum Linc01836 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in CRC.Methods: We evaluated the expression of Linc01836 via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The serum CEA, CA19-9, Cyfra21-1, and CA72-4 concentrations were measured by Architect I4000 SR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to estimate the diagnostic value in CRC. Relationship between serum Linc01836 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of CRC cases was analyzed via chi-square test. The underlying mechanism of Linc01836 on the development and prognosis in CRC was predicted by bioinformatic analysis.Results: The method of qRT-PCR for Linc01836 detection was confirmed with high precision and specificity. Serum Linc01836 expression in CRC patients was significantly higher than that in healthy donors (p

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems are ubiquitous in various commercial applications. These systems typically rely on machine learning techniques for transcribing voice commands into text for further processing. Despite their success in many applications, audio Adversarial Examples (AEs) have emerged as a major security threat to ASR systems. This is because audio AEs are able to fool ASR models into producing incorrect results. While researchers have investigated methods for defending against audio AEs, the intrinsic properties of AEs and benign audio are not well studied. The work in this paper shows that the machine learning decision boundary patterns around audio AEs and benign audio are fundamentally different. Using dimensionality-reduction techniques, this work shows that these different patterns can be visually distinguished in two-dimensional (2D) space. This in turn allows for the detection of audio AEs using anomal- detection methods.

Sleep disturbance is common in psychiatric disease, and this may contribute to altered circadian rhythm in gene expression. Here the authors show that rhythms in gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia are different to that seen in healthy controls.

Presbycusis (PC) is characterized by preferential hearing loss at high frequencies and difficulty in speech recognition in noisy environments. Previous studies have linked PC to cognitive impairment, accelerated cognitive decline and incident Alzheimer’s disease. However, the neural mechanisms of cognitive impairment in patients with PC remain unclear. Although resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies have explored low-frequency oscillation (LFO) connectivity or amplitude of PC-related neural activity, it remains unclear whether the abnormalities occur within all frequency bands or within specific frequency bands. Fifty-one PC patients and fifty-one well-matched normal hearing controls participated in this study. The LFO amplitudes were investigated using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) at different frequency bands (slow-4 and slow-5). PC patients showed abnormal LFO amplitudes in the Heschl’s gyrus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), frontal eye field and key nodes of the speech network exclusively in slow-4, which suggested that abnormal spontaneous neural activity in PC was frequency dependent. Our findings also revealed that stronger functional connectivity between the dlPFC and the posterodorsal stream of auditory processing, as well as lower functional coupling between the PCC and key nodes of the DMN, which were associated with cognitive impairments in PC patients. Our study might underlie the cross-modal plasticity and higher-order cognitive participation of the auditory cortex after partial hearing deprivation. Our findings indicate that frequency-specific analysis of ALFF could provide valuable insights into functional alterations in the auditory cortex and non-auditory regions involved in cognitive impairment associated with PC.

Abstract Size engineering is deemed to be an adoptable method to boost the electrochemical properties of potassium‐ion storage; however, it remains a critical challenge to significantly reduce the nanoparticle size without compromising the uniformity. In this work, a series of MoP nanoparticle splotched nitrogen‐doped carbon nanosheets (MoP@NC) is synthesized. Due to the coordinate and hydrogen bonds in the water‐soluble polyacrylamide hydrogel, MoP is uniformly confined in a 3D porous NC to form ultrafine nanoparticles which facilitate the extreme exposure of abundant three‐phase boundaries (MoP, NC, and electrolyte) for ionic binding and storage. Consequently, MoP@NC‐1 delivers an excellent capacity performance (256.1 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1) and long‐term cycling durability (89.9% capacitance retention after 800 cycles). It is further confirmed via density functional theory calculations that the smaller the MoP nanoparticle, the larger the three‐phase boundary achieved for favoring competitive binding energy toward potassium ions. Finally, MoP@NC‐1 is applied as highly electroactive additive for 3D printing ink to fabricate 3D‐printed potassium‐ion hybrid capacitors, which delivers high gravimetric energy/power density of 69.7 Wh kg−1/2041.6 W kg−1, as well as favorable areal energy/power density of 0.34 mWh cm−2/9.97 mW cm−2.

Armeniaca cathayana, a new species described in 2010, belongs to gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system which is under S-allele control. One new non-S-ribonuclease (non-S-RNase) was found in A. cathayana through comparing its nucleotide and amino acid sequences with sequences of the S-allele in Genbank. The BLAST analysis showed that the one new non-S-RNase S68-RNase (GenBank Accession No. MH155952) had the highest 96% nucleotide sequence homology with Prunus webbii non-S-RNase PW1 (EU809938.1). Alignment of deduced amino acid sequences of A. cathayana S68-RNase shared 83% similarity with P. webbii PW1. The new non-S-RNase determined in this study will provide new information to GSI of Rosaceae.

Presbycusis (PC) is characterized by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at high frequencies and speech-perception difficulties in noisy environments and has a strikingly detrimental impact on cognitive function. As the neural consequences of PC may involve the whole brain, we hypothesized that patients with PC would show structural alterations not only in the auditory cortex but also in the cortexes involved in cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to use surface-based morphometry (SBM) analysis to elucidate whole-brain structural differences between patients with PC and age-matched normal hearing controls. Three-dimensional T1-weighted MR images of 26 patients with mild PC and 26 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls (HCs) were acquired. All participants underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests. Our results revealed gray matter atrophy in several auditory cortical areas, nodes of the default mode network (DMN), including the bilateral precuneus and inferior parietal lobule, the right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and the right insula of patients with PC compared to that in the HCs. Our findings also revealed that hearing loss was associated with reduced gray matter volume in the right primary auditory cortex of patients with PC. Moreover, structural alterations in the nodes of the DMN were associated with cognitive impairments in PC patients. Additionally, this study provides evidence that a thicker right insula is associated with better speech perception in patients with PC. Based on these findings, we argue that the onset of PC seems to trigger its own cascade of conditions, including a need for increased cognitive resources during speech comprehension, which might lead to auditory and cognition-related cortical reorganization.

Free-form reticulated shells should not only satisfy the requirement of a specific geometric configuration but also have rational mechanical properties. This article introduced two form-finding methods of free-form configuration. The first method was a reverse realization method that is based on hanging fabric with a given boundary condition; the second method was a numerical simulation method that is based on the equilibrium characteristics of a natural tension membrane combined with a geometrical characteristics analysis and a mechanical properties optimization. The article then discusses the conducted beneficial comparison. The analytical results demonstrate that both these form-finding methods are feasible for obtaining rational free-form shells, and the numerical simulation method is more convenient for obtaining the surface family.

Based on the analysis of the whole system of magnesium alloy melting furnace, the functional requirements of the temperature control system are clarified. Based on the analysis of the melting process of magnesium alloy, the thermal stress situation in the heating furnace temperature rise period is analyzed by means of analysis of heat transfer simulation, the reasonable heating rate and magnesium melt temperature variation are determined. The method of control strategy based on PLC algorithm and multipoint temperature measuring are put forward to solve the temperature control system of magnesium melt temperature fluctuation in improper rate control and continuous casting. A set of control system based on PC and PLC is designed according to the functional requirements of magnesium alloy furnace temperature control system. The system uses PLC as the main control unit to realize the automatic heating control and data acquisition. At the same time, PC is taken as a human-computer interaction platform, and VB6.0 is used to develop computer monitoring software to realize on-line control of upper computer and lower computer and centralized control of the whole control system, which simplifies the operation, reduces the failure rate of the equipment, improve the work efficiency and the accuracy and flexibility of the system. The hardware configuration and software design of temperature control system for magnesium alloy melting furnace is completed, the temperature control system performance is tested, and the feasibility of heating system and the rationality that based on the duty ratio of hybrid control of output control and PID control are verified. According to the experimental results, the experimental system of magnesium alloy melting furnace is established, and the temperature control experiment is carried out. The experimental results show that the temperature control system achieves the expected control objectives.

We aimed to purify polyphenols from distiller’s grain extract using macroporous resins and to identify its polyphenolic components. The influence of operational parameters on purification efficiency was investigated. The polyphenolic composition was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and then quantified by UPLC-MS using authenticated standards. The results showed that the optimal purifying conditions were D101 resin with a dosage of 3 g, four hours adsorption, three hours desorption time, and 60% ethanol as the eluent, producing the highest purification rate of 51%. The purified distiller’s grain extract exhibited stronger antioxidant activity than the unpurified extracts, which was assessed using DPPH and ABTS methods (IC50 DPPH = 34.03 and 16.21 μg/mL, respectively; IC50 ABTS = 20.31 and 5.73 μg/mL, respectively). UPLC-MS results indicated that (−)-epicatechin is the major compound found in distiller’s grain extract which was quantified as 562.7 μg/g extract, followed by ferulic acid (518.2 μg/g), p-hydroxybenzoic acid (417.7 μg/g), caffeic acid (217.1 μg/g), syringic acid (158.0 μg/g) and quercetin (147.8 μg/g). Two compounds, vanillic acid (66.5 μg/g) and gallic acid (41.4 μg/g), were found in lower concentrations. The findings of this study suggest that purification of polyphenolic compounds from distiller’s grain by macroporous resins is feasible, providing a new and effective method for the secondary use of distiller’s grain resources.

Cave animals are often adapted to digging and life underground, with claw toes similar in structure and function to a sampling scoop. In this paper, the clawed toes of the Himalayan marmot were selected as a biological prototype for bionic research. Based on geometric parameter optimization of the clawed toes, a bionic sampling scoop for use on Mars was designed. Using a 3D laser scanner, the point cloud data of the second front claw toe was acquired. Parametric equations and contour curves for the claw were then built with cubic polynomial fitting. We obtained 18 characteristic curve equations for the internal and external contours of the claw. A bionic sampling scoop was designed according to the structural parameters of Curiosity’s sampling shovel and the contours of the Himalayan marmot’s claw. Verifying test results showed that when the penetration angle was 45° and the sampling speed was 0.33 r/min, the bionic sampling scoops’ resistance torque was 49.6% less than that of the prototype sampling scoop. When the penetration angle was 60° and the sampling speed was 0.22 r/min, the resistance torque of the bionic sampling scoop was 28.8% lower than that of the prototype sampling scoop.

Objective. The CLEC16A gene is related to the genetic susceptibility to T1DM with racial variability. This study investigated the association between CLEC16A gene polymorphisms and T1DM in Chinese children. Methods. 131 Chinese children with T1DM were selected for study, and 121 healthy adult blood donors were selected as normal controls. PCR and mass spectrometry was used to study the distributions of 17 CLEC16A alleles in patients and controls. The relationship between CLEC16A gene polymorphisms and T1DM was studied. Results. The distributions of two polymorphisms (rs12921922, rs12931878) of CLEC16A in T1DM and healthy controls were significantly different, while the distributions of other CLEC16A polymorphisms show no significant differences. The alleles of rs12921922 are C and T. The frequency of the T allele was significantly increased in patients versus healthy controls. The alleles of rs12931878 are A and C. The frequencies of the A allele are significantly increased in T1DM patients versus healthy controls. Conclusion. Two polymorphisms in the CLEC16A gene correlate with increased susceptibility to T1DM in Chinese children, revealing that it was another new gene that correlates with susceptibility to T1DM in multiple populations.

Macrophages induce a number of inflammatory response genes in response to stimulation with microbial ligands. In response to endotoxin Lipid A, a gene-activation cascade of primary followed by secondary-response genes is induced. Epigenetic state is an important regulator of the kinetics, specificity, and mechanism of gene activation of these two classes. In particular, SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes are required for the induction of secondary-response genes, but not primary-response genes, which generally exhibit open chromatin. Here, we show that a recently discovered variant of the SWI/SNF complex, the noncanonical BAF complex (ncBAF), regulates secondary-response genes in the interferon (IFN) response pathway. Inhibition of bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9), a subunit of the ncBAF complex, with BRD9 bromodomain inhibitors (BRD9i) or a degrader (dBRD9) led to reduction in a number of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) following stimulation with endotoxin lipid A. BRD9-dependent genes overlapped highly with a subset of genes differentially regulated by BET protein inhibition with JQ1 following endotoxin stimulation. We find that the BET protein BRD4 is cobound with BRD9 in unstimulated macrophages and corecruited upon stimulation to ISG promoters along with STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9, components of the ISGF3 complex activated downstream of IFN-alpha receptor stimulation. In the presence of BRD9i or dBRD9, STAT1-, STAT2-, and IRF9-binding is reduced, in some cases with reduced binding of BRD4. These results demonstrate a specific role for BRD9 and the ncBAF complex in ISG activation and identify an activity for BRD9 inhibitors and degraders in dampening endotoxin- and IFN-dependent gene expression.

In macrophages, homeostatic and immune signals induce distinct sets of transcriptional responses, defining cellular identity and functional states. The activity of lineage-specific and signal-induced transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility and other epigenetic modulators. Glucocorticoids are potent antiinflammatory drugs; however, the mechanisms by which they selectively attenuate inflammatory genes are not yet understood. Acting through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glucocorticoids directly repress inflammatory responses at transcriptional and epigenetic levels in macrophages. A major unanswered question relates to the sequence of events that result in the formation of repressive regions. In this study, we identify bromodomain containing 9 (BRD9), a component of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, as a modulator of glucocorticoid responses in macrophages. Inhibition, degradation, or genetic depletion of BRD9 in bone marrow-derived macrophages significantly attenuated their responses to both liposaccharides and interferon inflammatory stimuli. Notably, BRD9-regulated genes extensively overlap with those regulated by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Pharmacologic inhibition of BRD9 potentiated the antiinflammatory responses of dexamethasone, while the genetic deletion of BRD9 in macrophages reduced high-fat diet-induced adipose inflammation. Mechanistically, BRD9 colocalized at a subset of GR genomic binding sites, and depletion of BRD9 enhanced GR occupancy primarily at inflammatory-related genes to potentiate GR-induced repression. Collectively, these findings establish BRD9 as a genomic antagonist of GR at inflammatory-related genes in macrophages, and reveal a potential for BRD9 inhibitors to increase the therapeutic efficacies of glucocorticoids.