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Abstract The olfactory system can generate unique sensory memories of various odorous molecules, guiding emotional and cognitive decisions. However, most existing electronic noses remain constrained to momentary concentration, failing to trigger specific memories for different smells. Here, we report an artificial olfactory memory system utilizing conductive metal-organic frameworks (Ce-HHTP) that integrates sensing and memory and exhibits short- and long-term memory responses to alcohols and aldehydes. Experiments and theoretical calculations show that distinct memories are derived from the specific combinations of Ce-HHTP with O atoms in different guest. An unmanned aircraft equipped with this system realized the sensory memories in established areas. Moreover, the fusion of portable detection boxes and wearable flexible electrodes demonstrated the immense potential in off-site pollution monitoring and health management. This work represents an artificial olfactory memory system with two specific sensory memories under simultaneous conditions, laying the foundation for bionic design with qualities of human olfactory memory.

Abstract This paper examines the efficacy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) decoupling on stock price crash risk (SPCR). Selecting Chinese listed companies over the 2010–2019 period as a sample, we find that CSR decoupling exacerbates SPCR, and this relationship still holds after a battery of endogeneity and robustness tests. Further analysis reveals that within companies characterized by higher agency risks, CSR decoupling exacerbates SPCR more significantly, suggesting the role of information asymmetry as a crucial mechanism through which CSR decoupling influences SPCR. Our results show CSR decoupling’s harm on the capital market and help clarify mixed evidence in existing studies.

Abstract Background Based on CSS 2019 data, this article analyzes the impact of Basic Medical Insurance for Urban and Rural Residents (BMIUR) on perceived social equity of residents. Method Using the CSS data of 2019, this article analyzes the influence of BMIUR on the perception of social equity of residents, on the basis of 2SLS model and mediating effect model. Results We find that BMIUR has a significantly positive impact on the perception of social equity. That is to say, BMIUR can improve residents’ evaluation of social equity and further promote the level of social equity, which makes residents more happiness. The conclusion remains valid after using robustness test and propensity score matching to conduct counterfactual reasoning. The discussion of mechanism indicates that the influence of BMIUR is mediated by enhancing social capital, improving satisfaction of income distribution and reducing self-paid medical expenses. This study also finds that the influence of BMIUR is more obvious in the low-income, low-skilled and mid-west groups. Conclusion The reform of the medical security system should be regarded as a foothold for improving people’s well-being and promoting social equity; Expanding people’s social capital through multiple channels and improving income distribution mechanisms; Strengthen vocational skills training, especially to provide more public services and social security for low-income groups, low-skilled groups, and groups in the western region of China, in order to improve the welfare and policy effectiveness of China's social security reform.

Abstract Federated learning (FL) has emerged as a significant method for developing machine learning models across multiple devices without centralized data collection. Candidemia, a critical but rare disease in ICUs, poses challenges in early detection and treatment. The goal of this study is to develop a privacy-preserving federated learning framework for predicting candidemia in ICU patients. This approach aims to enhance the accuracy of antifungal drug prescriptions and patient outcomes. This study involved the creation of four predictive FL models for candidemia using data from ICU patients across three hospitals in China. The models were designed to prioritize patient privacy while aggregating learnings across different sites. A unique ensemble feature selection strategy was implemented, combining the strengths of XGBoost’s feature importance and statistical test p values. This strategy aimed to optimize the selection of relevant features for accurate predictions. The federated learning models demonstrated significant improvements over locally trained models, with a 9% increase in the area under the curve (AUC) and a 24% rise in true positive ratio (TPR). Notably, the FL models excelled in the combined TPR + TNR metric, which is critical for feature selection in candidemia prediction. The ensemble feature selection method proved more efficient than previous approaches, achieving comparable performance. The study successfully developed a set of federated learning models that significantly enhance the prediction of candidemia in ICU patients. By leveraging a novel feature selection method and maintaining patient privacy, the models provide a robust framework for improved clinical decision-making in the treatment of candidemia.

Abstract Bone metastasis is an essential factor affecting the prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa), and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are closely related to distant tumor metastasis. Here, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and Cytoscape application were used to identify diagnostic markers for metastatic events in PCa. We screened ten hub genes, eight of which had area under the ROC curve (AUC) values > 0.85. Subsequently, we aim to develop a bone metastasis-related model relying on differentially expressed genes in CTCs for accurate risk stratification. We developed an integrative program based on machine learning algorithm combinations to construct reliable bone metastasis-related genes prognostic index (BMGPI). On the basis of BMGPI, we carefully evaluated the prognostic outcomes, functional status, tumor immune microenvironment, somatic mutation, copy number variation (CNV), response to immunotherapy and drug sensitivity in different subgroups. BMGPI was an independent risk factor for disease-free survival in PCa. The high risk group demonstrated poor survival as well as higher immune scores, higher tumor mutation burden (TMB), more frequent co-occurrence mutation, and worse efficacy of immunotherapy. This study highlights a new prognostic signature, the BMGPI. BMGPI is an independent predictor of prognosis in PCa patients and is closely associated with the immune microenvironment and the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Abstract Ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) play an important role in various load-bearing applications. However, fabricating CMCs with both high toughness and stiffness, which are normally mutually exclusive properties, is challenging. Here, we develop an SiOC composite film reinforced with nanoscale tungsten-based particles with a structure and property gradient by integrating hybrid nanoparticle inkjet printing and selective laser sintering. Mechanical results of the resulting SiOC-WOx films exhibit a stiffness-toughness co-enhancement, including a 2-fold improvement in hardness and modulus, and a 3.8-fold better fracture toughness than the matrix material. Moreover, the films exhibit interfacial bonding strengths of up to 86.6 MPa and operate stably at 1050 °C. This performance is attributed to a gradient in the metal-to-ceramic composition and uniformly dispersed self-assembled nanoscale reinforcing particles. This nanoparticle laser sintering method could be used to prepare other materials with structure and property gradients.

Abstract Depression is a prevalent mental disorder with a complex biological mechanism. Following the rapid development of systems biology technology, a growing number of studies have applied proteomics and metabolomics to explore the molecular profiles of depression. However, a standardized resource facilitating the identification and annotation of the available knowledge from these scattered studies associated with depression is currently lacking. This study presents ProMENDA, an upgraded resource that provides a platform for manual annotation of candidate proteins and metabolites linked to depression. Following the establishment of the protein dataset and the update of the metabolite dataset, the ProMENDA database was developed as a major extension of its initial release. A multi-faceted annotation scheme was employed to provide comprehensive knowledge of the molecules and studies. A new web interface was also developed to improve the user experience. The ProMENDA database now contains 43,366 molecular entries, comprising 20,847 protein entries and 22,519 metabolite entries, which were manually curated from 1370 human, rat, mouse, and non-human primate studies. This represents a significant increase (more than 7-fold) in molecular entries compared to the initial release. To demonstrate the usage of ProMENDA, a case study identifying consistently reported proteins and metabolites in the brains of animal models of depression was presented. Overall, ProMENDA is a comprehensive resource that offers a panoramic view of proteomic and metabolomic knowledge in depression. ProMENDA is freely available at https://menda.cqmu.edu.cn .

Highlights Pt–Ni bonded Pt single-atom (SA) catalyst, rather than classic Pt–O bonded SA catalyst, was successfully constructed. The electronic states of Pt SA catalyst were deeply regulated and negatively charged Pt δ− was realized. Pt–Ni bonded Pt SA catalyst-enhanced absorbability for activated hydrogen atoms and promoted hydrogen absorption.

IntroductionMultifunctional nanomaterials are emerging as promising tools for treating both cancer and bacterial infections. However, integrating dual therapeutic capabilities into a single system remains challenging. This study presents multifunctional nanoparticles (ECI-NPs) based on Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) oligomers, Curcumin (CUR), and Indocyanine Green (ICG) for combined cancer and bacterial treatment.MethodsECI-NPs were synthesized via oxidative coupling of EGCG, CUR, and ICG. The nanoparticles were characterized for stability, size, drug loading, and release profiles. Cellular uptake, phototoxicity in melanoma cells, and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were also evaluated.ResultsECI-NPs demonstrated optimal stability, high drug loading, and controlled release. Cellular studies showed increased uptake and greater phototoxicity in melanoma cells compared to free drugs. ECI-NPs also exhibited enhanced anticancer effects and strong antibacterial activity, outperforming the individual components.DiscussionThe polyphenol-based ECI-NPs offer synergistic therapeutic effects, overcoming the limitations of free drugs in terms of solubility and efficacy. This dual-function platform shows potential for broader biomedical applications, addressing challenges in cancer and bacterial infections. Further research will focus on in vivo studies and clinical translation.

BackgroundNon-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) is a major contributor of male infertility. Herein, we used existing datasets to identify novel biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of NOA, which could have great significance in the field of male infertility.MethodsNOA datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. CIBERSORT was utilized to analyze the distributions of 22 immune cell populations. Hub genes were identified by applying weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), machine learning methods, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The expression of hub genes was verified in external datasets and was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was applied to explore the important functions and pathways of hub genes. The mRNA–microRNA (miRNA)–transcription factors (TFs) regulatory network and potential drugs were predicted based on hub genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing data from the testes of patients with NOA were applied for analyzing the distribution of hub genes in single-cell clusters. Furthermore, testis tissue samples were obtained from patients with NOA and obstructive azoospermia (OA) who underwent testicular biopsy. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to validate hub gene expression.ResultsTwo immune-related oxidative stress hub genes (SHC1 and FGFR1) were identified. Both hub genes were highly expressed in NOA samples compared to control samples. ROC curve analysis showed a remarkable prediction ability (AUCs > 0.8). GSEA revealed that hub genes were predominantly enriched in toll-like receptor and Wnt signaling pathways. A total of 24 TFs, 82 miRNAs, and 111 potential drugs were predicted based on two hub genes. Single-cell RNA sequencing data in NOA patients indicated that SHC1 and FGFR1 were highly expressed in endothelial cells and Leydig cells, respectively. RT-PCR and Western blot results showed that mRNA and protein levels of both hub genes were significantly upregulated in NOA testis tissue samples, which agree with the findings from analysis of the microarray data.ConclusionIt appears that SHC1 and FGFR1 could be significant immune-related oxidative stress biomarkers for detecting and managing patients with NOA. Our findings provide a novel viewpoint for illustrating potential pathogenesis in men suffering from infertility.

Abstract Incorporating metal nanoparticles (MNPs) in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) demonstrated great potential in the field of photo‐/photothermal‐catalysis. However, the oriented design and optimization of the 3D nano‐architectures of MOF substrates to achieve high‐efficiency light harvesting remains a challenge. Herein, guided on theoretical simulation, a facile etching strategy was employed to fabricate a 3D orderly‐stacked‐MOF‐nanosheet‐structure (CASFZU‐1) with a high electric field energy‐density‐distribution; well‐dispersed MNPs were afterwards encapsulated onto the MOF support. The unique nanosheet structure improved the light absorbance over the broadband spectrum, thereby enhancing the plasmonic photothermal effects of the MNPs@CASFZU‐1 composites. Based on the plasmon‐driven photothermal conversion, the MNPs@CASFZU‐1 composites exhibited approximately twofold catalytic efficiency in the hydrogenation reaction and a lower temperature for the full conversion of carbon monoxide, compared to their bulk‐type composites. The surface‐plasmon‐driven photothermal effects can be exploited in innovative MNPs@MOF platforms for various applications.

Abstract Aim To identify the latent profiles and predictors of family management styles for children with asthma. Design This is a secondary data analysis. The demographic data of 506 primary caregivers of children with asthma and their scores of the Family Management Scale in a cross‐sectional study were used. Latent profile analysis and multiple logistic regression analyses were employed. Results Three family management styles were identified: Thriving (Profile 1), Accommodating (Profile 2), and Enduring (Profile 3) Family Management Style. The child's age, gender, mother's education level, family structure, influence of illness on parents' work and family life, whether they had follow‐up plans and whether their parents had read disease and health knowledge pamphlets were found to be the predictors of different styles. Conclusion Three distinct family management styles exist for children with asthma. Future interventions designed to enhance family management for children with asthma should be based on their demographic characteristics and family management styles. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care The precise classification of family management styles in this study can serve as a guide to form multi‐disciplinary teams of physicians and nurses to provide individualized care and conduct in‐depth research to explore the mechanisms of biomedicine and the social psychology of asthma in the future. Impact This paper aims to identify the latent profiles and predictors of family management styles of children with asthma. Thriving, accommodating, and enduring family management styles were identified in this paper. Child's characteristics, family and organizational factors were the predictors of different family management styles. Findings of this paper provide guidance for physicians and nurses to offer individualized care and conduct in‐depth research to explore the mechanisms of biomedicine and the social psychology of asthma in the future. Reporting Method The article was reported according to the STROBE Checklist. Patient or Public Contribution No Patient or Public Contribution.

Congenital melanocytic nevi (CMN) are common skin tumors. Large and specially located nevi cannot be completely removed by surgery, posing the risks of both cosmetic deformities and potential malignancy. Nonsurgical treatments, such as laser therapy and physical dermabrasion, can overcome the limitations of surgery; however, the high rate of repigmentation remains an unresolved global challenge. We conducted a self-controlled observational study of a patient with a nevus on the chest. Two areas of the lesion were treated with an Er:YAG laser and 5% imiquimod cream was applied to one of these areas. After nearly 7-months of follow-up, we observed a significant difference in color between the two areas, suggesting that topical imiquimod may inhibit repigmentation and significantly enhance the effectiveness of laser treatment.

Abstract This paper empirically examines the efficacy of corporate digital transformation on a firm’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) decoupling. Adopting the text analysis method and using a sample of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2010 to 2019, this paper finds that digital transformation can significantly alleviate ESG decoupling, and this relationship persists after robustness tests. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital transformation reduces ESG decoupling by improving information processing ability and relieving information asymmetry. The relationship between corporate digital transformation and ESG decoupling is stronger among companies in eastern China and firms that do not follow GRI guidance. The economic consequence analysis suggests that corporate digital transformation promotes firms’ high-quality development by reducing ESG decoupling. This study helps reveal corporate digital transformation’s empowering role and governance role in ESG decoupling and contributes to the growing literature on ESG decoupling and corporate digital transformation.

The optimal scheduling of the active distribution network (ADN) is increasingly challenging due to the rising risk of ADN operation and the growth of user-side flexible resources, driven by clean energy and home device popularization. The method proposed in this paper utilizes network-side and user-side flexible resources to lower operating costs and raise system performance levels under the consideration of grid demand and user demand. In this study, mathematical models of the soft open point (SOP) and electric water heater were first constructed, and the optimal power flow model of the ADN with dynamic network reconfiguration (DNR) was established. By utilizing second-order cone relaxation (SOCR), the original mixed integer nonlinear problem (MINLP) is converted into mixed-integer second-order cone problem (MISOCP). Finally, considering the privacy of user information, a distributed optimization method for ADN integrated with SOPs and user side flexible resources is proposed based on the alternating direction method of multiplier (ADMM). An IEEE 33 bus system is used to confirm the viability of the proposed approach. The results show that the proposed method can lower the operating cost of the ADN, improve the system voltage quality, and improve system performance.

Glycyrrhizin (GL) has immunoregulatory effects on various inflammatory diseases including hepatitis and nephritis. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of GL on renal inflammation are not fully understood. Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a functional acute renal impairment that occurs in severe liver disease, and we found that kidney injury also occurs in Con A-induced experimental hepatitis in mice. We previously found that GL can alleviate Con A-induced hepatitis by regulating the expression of IL-25 in the liver. We wanted to investigate whether GL can alleviate Con A-induced nephritis by regulating IL-25. IL-25 regulates inflammation by modulating type 2 immune responses, but the mechanism by which IL-25 affects kidney disease remains unclear. In this study, we found that the administration of GL enhanced the expression of IL-25 in renal tissues; the latter promoted the generation of type 2 macrophages (M2), which inhibited inflammation in the kidney caused by Con A challenge. IL-25 promoted the secretion of the inhibitory cytokine IL-10 by macrophages but inhibited the expression of the inflammatory cytokine IL-1β by macrophages. Moreover, IL-25 downregulated the Con A-mediated expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 on macrophages. By comparing the roles of TLR2 and TLR4, we found that TLR4 is required for the immunoregulatory effect of IL-25 on macrophages. Our data revealed that GL has anti-inflammatory effects on Con A-induced kidney injury and that the GL/IL-25/M2 axis participates in the anti-inflammatory process. This study suggested that GL is a potential therapeutic for protecting against acute kidney injury.

Background: Patient-ventilator asynchrony (PVA) frequently occurs in mechanically ventilated patients within the ICU and has the potential for harm. Depending solely on the health care team cannot accurately and promptly identify PVA. To address this issue, our team has developed a cloud-based platform for monitoring mechanical ventilation (MV), comprising the PVA-RemoteMonitor system and the 24-h MV analysis report. We conducted a survey to evaluate physicians' satisfaction and acceptance of the platform in 14 ICUs. Methods: Data from medical records, clinical information systems, and ventilators were uploaded to the cloud platform and underwent data processing. The data were analyzed to monitor PVA and displayed in the front-end. The 24-h analysis report for MV was generated for clinical reference. Critical care physicians in 14 hospitals' ICUs that involved in the platform participated in a questionnaire survey, among whom 10 physicians were interviewed to investigate physicians’ acceptance and opinions of this system. Results: The PVA-RemoteMonitor system exhibited a high level of specificity in detecting flow insufficiency, premature cycle, delayed cycle, reverse trigger, auto trigger, and overshoot, with sensitivities of 90.31 %, 98.76 %, 99.75 %, 99.97 %, 100 %, and 99.69 %, respectively. The 24-h analysis report supplied essential data about PVA and respiratory mechanics. 86.2 % (75/87) of physicians supported the application of this platform. Conclusions: The PVA-RemoteMonitor system accurately identified PVA, and the MV analysis report provided guidance in controlling PVA. Our platform can effectively assist ICU physicians in the management of ventilated patients.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to systematically determined the effect of 28 h ahemeral light cycle on production performance, egg quality, blood parameters, uterine morphological characteristics, and gene expression of hens during the late laying period. At 74 wk, 260 Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly divided into 2 groups of 130 birds each and in duplicates. Both a regular (16L:8D) and an ahemeral light cycle (16L:12D) were provided to the hens. The oviposition pattern in an ahemeral cycle shifted into darkness, with oviposition mostly occurring 3 to 5 h after light out. Production performance was unaffected by light cycle (P > 0.05). Nonetheless, compared to the normal group, the ahemeral group exhibited increased egg weight, eggshell weight, eggshell percentage, yolk percentage, eggshell thickness, and eggshell strength (P < 0.05). There were rhythmic changes in the uterine morphological structure in both cycles, however, the ahemeral group maintained a longer duration and had more uterine folds than the normal group. In the ahemeral cycle, the phases of the CLOCK and PER2 genes were phase-advanced for 3.96 h and 4.54 h compared to the normal cycle. The PHLPP1 gene, which controls clock resetting, exhibited a substantial oscillated rhythm in the ahemeral group (P < 0.05), while the expression of genes presenting biological rhythm, such as CRY2 and FBXL3, was rhythmically oscillated in normal cycle (P < 0.05). The ITPR2 gene, which regulates intracellular Ca2+ transport, displayed a significant oscillated rhythm in ahemeral alone (P < 0.05), while the CA2 gene, which presents biomineralization, rhythmically oscillated in both cycles (P < 0.05). The ahemeral cycle caused 2.5 h phase delays in the CA2 gene compared to the normal cycle. In conclusion, the 28 h ahemeral light cycle preserved the high condition of the uterine folds and changed the uterine rhythms of CLOCK, PER2, ITPR2, and CA2 gene expression to improve ion transport and uterine biomineralization.

Row-diagonal parity (RDP) code is a classical $(k+2,~k)$ systematic maximum distance separable (MDS) array code with $k \leq L-1$ under sub-packetization level $l = L-1$ , where L is a prime integer. When $k = L-1$ , its encoding requires $2-{}\frac {2}{k}$ XORs per original data bit, which exactly achieves theoretical optimal lower bound. In this paper, we present three new constructions of $(k+2,~k)$ systematic MDS array codes. First, under sub-packetization level $l = 4$ , we novelly design a $(17,~15)$ array code ${\mathcal {C}}_{1}$ , where k can reach the largest possible value to satisfy the MDS property. Moreover, when $k \leq 7$ , the encoding complexity of its subcodes can exactly achieve the theoretical optimal $2-{}\frac {2}{k}$ XORs per original data bit, and likewise, the decoding complexity of the subcodes with $k \leq 4$ is also exactly optimal. Under sub-packetization level $l = L-1$ with certain primes L, the second construction yields an MDS array code ${\mathcal {C}}_{2}$ with $k \leq {}\frac {L(L-1)}{2}$ , and the encoding complexity of ${\mathcal {C}}_{2}$ is also exactly optimal for $k = L-1$ , $2L-3$ . Furthermore, based on bit permutation, the third MDS array code ${\mathcal {C}}_{3}$ is obtained with $k \leq L(L-1)$ under sub-packetization level $l = 2(L-1)$ with certain primes L. In particular, as an extension of ${\mathcal {C}}_{2}$ , ${\mathcal {C}}_{3}$ exactly achieves the optimal encoding complexity for $k = 2(2L-3)$ , which does not hold for other array codes in the literature.

[Abstract]: Objective: This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis for the nonsurgical correction of complex auricular deformities. Methods: Clinical data were collected from 2020 to 2021 for 6 patients who underwent correction using a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis. The indications, corrective effects, and complications associated with use of the orthosis were analyzed. Results: There were four indications for treatment: cryptotia with helix adhesion; cryptotia with grade I microtia; cryptotia with excessive helix thickness; and auricular deformity beyond the treatment time window (≥6 months). Excellent corrective effects were observed in all 6 patients. Complications occurred in one patient, who recovered after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion: The use of a strip-shaped cymba conchae orthosis alone or combined with a U-shaped helix orthosis presents a feasible approach for correcting complex auricular deformities or deformities beyond the treatment time window in pediatric patients.

Highlights The distinctive characteristics, underlying mechanisms, diverse range of selected materials, and modification methods of contact electrification (CE) at various interfaces are summarized and comparatively analyzed, offering valuable guidance for future investigations of triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) at different interfaces. This review gives a detailed insight into the unique applications of TENG relying on different interfacial electrification. The challenges and development prospects of TENGs based on CE are discussed.

The preparation of new solder joint materials for chip packaging by designing a variety of brazing material mixes has become one of the future research directions for solder joints. They added low melting point elements to traditional solder materials to prepare low-temperature hybrid solder to meet the low-temperature packaging trend. To improve the performance of low-temperature solder, adding some alloying elements can refine the grain, change the IMC morphology and size, and improve the joint strength to a certain extent. The design of the hybrid solder joint system needs to be based on different metal pads. There are various failure modes of interconnected solder joints on different metal pads. Therefore, the interfacial response, microstructure, and mechanical properties between different hybrid solder and different metal pads need to be studied to optimize the design of the hybrid solder joint system. This paper investigated hybrid low-temperature Sn–3Ag-0.5Cu/Sn–58Bi solder joints on Au/Ni/Cu (ENIG) and Au/Pd/Ni/Cu (ENEPIG) substrates. The addition of Pd elements can change the IMC morphology of hybrid solder joints and affect the fracture failure mode of the joints under shear, with a higher average shear strength at different process parameters than ENIG welded joints. Finally, the presence form of Pd elements in the solder joints was observed under TEM and the fracture mechanism was analyzed. The results showed that Pd atoms on ENEPIG pads can replace some Cu atoms to form (Cu, Pd)6Sn5 intermetallic compounds, distorting the lattice stripe to produce distortions. And compared to ENIG pads, the IMC morphology is pin-rod-like and finer, with more complex grain boundary paths between the grains of the hybrid solder.

In recent years, in order to adapt to the trend of low-temperature assembly and integration, low-temperature hybrid solders with multiple elements added to the tin solder matrix have been investigated. In this regard, the morphology and size of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are altered by adding some alloying elements, and the strength of solder joints is improved to some extent. Different pad surface treatments affect the growth of IMC, which leads to various failure modes in interconnect solder joints. Therefore, it is necessary to study the interfacial reaction, microstructure and mechanical properties of hybrid solder and different metal pads to explore the growth mechanism of IMC and the failure modes of solder joints. In this paper, mixed Sn–3Ag-0.5Cu/Sn–58Bi low-temperature solder joints on Au/Ni/Cu (ENIG) and Au/Pd/Ni/Cu (ENEPIG) substrates are investigated. The results show that the addition of palladium element can change the IMC morphology, refine the grain size of the hybrid solder joints, and affect the fracture failure mode of the solder joints under shear force. The average shear strength is significantly higher than that of solder joints with ENIG surfaces under different process parameters. Thermodynamic calculations of enthalpy change and the effect of Jackson's parameter α value on IMC morphology are also investigated in this paper. The addition of palladium elements increases the α value and is more favorable to the formation of columnar grains. This provides guidance for the grain growth of IMC in hybrid solder joints with added alloying elements.

Abstract The severity of heat stroke (HS) is associated with intestinal injury, which is generally considered an essential issue for HS. Heat acclimation (HA) is considered the best strategy to protect against HS. In addition, HA has a protective effect on intestinal injuries caused by HS. Considering the essential role of gut microbes in intestinal structure and function, we decided to investigate the potential protective mechanism of HA in reducing intestinal injury caused by HS. HA model was established by male C57BL/6J mice (5–6 weeks old, 17–19 g) were exposed at (34 ± 0.7)°C for 4 weeks to establish an animal HA model. The protective effect of HA on intestinal barrier injury in HS was investigated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and nontargeted liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS) metabolomics. According to the experimental results, HA can change the composition of the gut microbiota, which increases the proportion of lactobacilli, faecal bacteria, and urinobacteria but decreases the proportion of deoxycholic acid. Moreover, HA can reduce liver and kidney injury and systemic inflammation caused by HS and reduce intestinal injury by enhancing the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In addition, HA regulates inflammation by inhibiting NF‐κB signalling and increasing tight junction protein expression in HS mice. HA induces changes in the gut microbiota, which may enhance tight junction protein expression, thereby reducing intestinal inflammation, promoting bile acid metabolism, and ultimately maintaining the integrity of the intestinal barrier. In conclusion, HA induced changes in the gut microbiota. Among the gut microbiota, lactobacilli may play a key role in the potential protective mechanism of HA.

Stable isotope techniques have become a critical tool for tracking mine water and identifying its contamination. In order to explore in depth the research hotspots and trends in stable isotope technology in the study of mine water and the environmental pollution it induces, the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database of the relevant literature in this field from 1998 to 2023 was used for visual bibliometric analysis by applying CiteSpace software (version 5.7R5). The results showed that the periodical literature in this field shows a fluctuating upward trend. In the cooperation network of country and institution, the centrality of the United States was as high as 0.74 and 0.23, much higher than that of other countries, which means that in terms of the institutions, the number of publications, and the status of research, the United States is ahead of other countries. China’s research started later than the United States’s but is developing rapidly. Although its importance and influence in this research field are only slightly lower than those of the United States, China still needs to improve its cooperation with other countries and regions. The research hotspots in this area center around identifying and understanding pollution processes, studying mine water sources and mixing, exploring the evolution of water chemistry and its isotopic composition, and investigating the environmental impacts of mine water. Innovative isotope-tracing methods and techniques, isotope fractionation mechanisms, sources of sulfate, and their impact on the water environment will remain the focus of the forthcoming research phase. This study uses bibliometrics to systematically summarize the research hotspots and trends in stable isotope techniques in mine water problems in terms of their footprint in the academic literature, which is of great significance for the utilization of water resources in mine drainage and pollution control in mines.

Background: Research into the pivotal role of potassium in chronic diseases and their comorbidities remains scarce. Our aim is to elucidate the relationship between potassium and chronic diseases, including comorbid conditions, and to provide evidence-based recommendations for potassium intake in patients. Methods: This study is anchored in a representative, population-based survey conducted in Zhejiang Province, China, in 2017, encompassing participants aged 18 to 69 years. Data collection included questionnaire responses, physical measurements, and biological samples, obtained through a multistage cluster random sampling method. A subset of 1496 participants provided complete 24 h urine samples. Results: The median age of the participants was 48.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 24.0), with 51.1% being female, and hypertension was identified in more than one third (35.6%) of the participants. The prevalence of diabetes was approximately 9.0%, dyslipidemia was found in 34.2%, and microalbuminuria in 8.8%. The 24 h urinary excretion levels were 3613.3 mg/24 h (IQR 2161.7) for sodium and 1366.0 mg/24 h (IQR 824.9) for potassium, respectively. Potassium excretion exhibited an inverse relationship with blood pressure. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between potassium excretion and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, with an elevation of 0.03 mmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00 to 0.05). In binary logistic regression analysis, individuals in the fourth quartile of potassium excretion (Q4) exhibited an odds ratio (OR) of 0.56 (95% CI 0.36–0.87) for hypertension compared to those in the first quartile (Q1). Urinary potassium excretion was inversely associated with low HDL-C levels, with Q4 individuals having 0.62 times the odds of having low HDL-C levels (OR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.39–1.00) compared to Q1. Conclusions: Potassium excretion demonstrated a direct negative correlation with certain comorbidities. This study underscores the pivotal role of potassium in the management of chronic diseases and associated comorbidities, thereby highlighting the significance of potassium in both public health initiatives and clinical practice.

ZnIn2S4 has attracted extensive attention in the field of photocatalytic hydrogen production because of its suitable band gap and excellent photoelectrochemical properties. However, its lower photogenerated carrier separation efficiency and high degree of photocorrosion severely restricts its photocatalytic activity. In this work, the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance of ZnIn2S4 modified with 3-aminopropylmethoxysilane was studied. Surface modification by amino silane not only regulated the band gap and enhanced the light absorption of ZnIn2S4 but it also increased the colloidal stability of the ZnIn2S4 suspension and enhanced the adsorption of H+ on the active surface sites, thereby improving the photocatalytic hydrogen production performance. Compared with that of unmodified ZnIn2S4, the photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of surface-modified ZnIn2S4 increased by 1.46 times, and after four cycles for 12 h, the hydrogen production efficiency remained at 75.14%.

The ratiometric fluorescent probe UiO-OH@Tb, a zirconium-based MOF functionalized with Tb3+, was synthesized using a hydrothermal method. This probe employs the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) mechanism between Tb3+ and malachite green (MG) for the double-inverse signal ratiometric fluorescence detection of MG. The probe’s color shifts from lime green to blue with an increasing concentration of MG. In contrast, the monometallic MOFs’ (UiO-OH) probe shows only blue fluorescence quenching due to the inner filter effect (IFE) after interacting with MG. Additionally, the composite fluorescent probe (UiO-OH@Tb) exhibits superior sensitivity, with a detection limit (LOD) of 0.19 μM, which is significantly lower than that of the monometallic MOFs (25 μM). Moreover, the content of MG can be detected on-site (LOD = 0.94 μM) using the RGB function of smartphones. Hence, the UiO-OH@Tb probe is proven to be an ideal material for MG detection, demonstrating significant practical value in real-world applications.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a great plant protein source for human diet since it has high protein content in the kernel. Therefore, seed protein content (SPC) is considered a major agronomic and quality trait in peanut breeding. However, few genetic loci underlying SPC have been identified in peanuts, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain unknown, limiting the effectiveness of breeding for high-SPC peanut varieties. In this study, a major QTL (qSPCB10.1) controlling peanut SPC was identified within a 2.3 Mb interval in chromosome B10 by QTL-seq using a recombinant inbred line population derived from parental lines with high and low SPCs, respectively. Sequence comparison, transcriptomic analysis, and annotation analysis of the qSPCB10.1 locus were performed. Six differentially expressed genes with sequence variations between two parents were identified as candidate genes underlying qSPCB10.1. Further locus interaction analysis revealed that qSPCB10.1 could not affect the seed oil accumulation unless qOCA08.1XH13 was present, a high seed oil content (SOC) allele for a major QTL underlying SOC. In summary, our study provides a basis for future investigation of the genetic basis of seed protein accumulation and facilitates marker-assisted selection for developing high-SPC peanut genotypes.

Electrocatalytic alcohol oxidation (EAO) is an attractive alternative to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction in electrochemical hydrogen evolution cells. However, the development of high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts is a major challenge. Herein, we developed a nitrogen-doped bimetallic oxide electrocatalyst (WO-N/NF) by a one-step hydrothermal method for the selective electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzoic acid in alkaline electrolytes. The WO-N/NF electrode features block-shaped particles on a rough, inhomogeneous surface with cracks and lumpy nodules, increasing active sites and enhancing electrolyte diffusion. The electrode demonstrates exceptional activity, stability, and selectivity, achieving efficient benzoic acid production while reducing the electrolysis voltage. A low onset potential of 1.38 V (vs. RHE) is achieved to reach a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte with only 0.2 mmol of metal precursors, which is 396 mV lower than that of water oxidation. The analysis reveals a yield, conversion, and selectivity of 98.41%, 99.66%, and 99.74%, respectively, with a Faradaic efficiency of 98.77%. This work provides insight into the rational design of a highly active and selective catalyst for electrocatalytic alcohol oxidation.

Abstract Zn–CO2 batteries are excellent candidates for both electrical energy output and CO2 utilization, whereas the main challenge is to design electrocatalysts for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reactions with high selectivity and low cost. Herein, the three‐phase heterojunction Cu‐based electrocatalyst (Cu/Cu2O‐Sb2O3‐15) is synthesized and evaluated for highly selective CO2 reduction to CO, which shows the highest faradaic efficiency of 96.3% at −1.3 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, exceeding the previously reported best values for Cu‐based materials. In situ spectroscopy and theoretical analysis indicate that the Sb incorporation into the three‐phase heterojunction Cu/Cu2O‐Sb2O3‐15 nanomaterial promotes the formation of key *COOH intermediates compared with the normal Cu/Cu2O composites. Furthermore, the rechargeable aqueous Zn–CO2 battery assembled with Cu/Cu2O‐Sb2O3‐15 as the cathode harvests a peak power density of 3.01 mW cm−2 as well as outstanding cycling stability of 417 cycles. This research provides fresh perspectives for designing advanced cathodic electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn–CO2 batteries with high‐efficient electricity output together with CO2 utilization.

BackgroundAlthough studies on the effects of diet on fertility has progressed, some cumulative evidence has piled against popular hypotheses. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of 31 diets including 23 individual dietary intakes and 8 dietary habits on infertility in men and women.MethodsThe datas of diets and infertility were collected from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Mendelian randomization (MR) methods were used to analyze causal relationships. Multivariate MR (MVMR) adjusted for the effects of other exposures on causality. And MR-Egger, Cochran’s Q, radial MR, and MR-PRESSO tests were employed to assess heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy.ResultsOur study found that coffee intake (OR, 3.6967; 95% CI, 1.0348 – 13.2065; P = 0.0442) and cooked vegetable intakes (OR, 54.7865; 95% CI, 2.9011 – 1030.5500; P = 0.0076) increased the risk of male infertility. For women, beer was a risk factor for infertility (OR, 4.0932; 95% CI, 1.8728 – 8.9461; P = 0.0004); but processed meat was negatively associated with infertility (OR, 0.5148; 95% CI, 0.2730 – 0.9705; P = 0.0401). MVMR demonstrated selenium as a protective factor against female infertility (OR, 7.4474e-12; 95% CI, 5.4780e-22 – 1.0125e-01; P = 0.0314).ConclusionWe found the causal relationships between four diets and infertility. We look forward to more high-quality epidemiologic studies to prove our conclusions.

BackgroundThe relation between mental disorders (MDs) and infertility can be reciprocal. But exactly which MD affects infertility remains controversial. Our aim was to use Mendelian randomization (MR) to explore bidirectional causality between 15 MDs and male infertility and female infertility.MethodsThe data of MDs, male infertility, and female infertility were derived from published genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The inverse variance weighted method was considered to be the main analytical approach. Sensitivity analysis was performed using MR-Egger, Cochran’s Q, radial MR, and MR-PRESSO tests.ResultsOur results found that mood disorders (OR, 1.4497; 95% CI, 1.0093 – 2.0823; P = 0.0444) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR, 1.3921; 95% CI, 1.0943 – 1.7709; P = 0.0071) were positively correlated with male infertility, but obsessive-compulsive disorder (OR, 0.8208; 95% CI, 0.7146 – 0.9429; P = 0.0052) was negatively associated with male infertility. For females, anorexia nervosa (OR, 1.0898; 95% CI, 1.0070 – 1.1794; P = 0.0329), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (OR, 1.1013; 95% CI, 1.0041 – 1.2079; P = 0.0406), and major depressive disorder (OR, 1.1423; 95% CI, 1.0213 – 1.2778; P = 0.0199) increased risk of infertility. In reverse relationship, female infertility increased the incidence of bipolar disorder (OR, 1.0009; 95% CI, 1.0001 – 1.0017; P = 0.0281).ConclusionWe demonstrated the association between five MDs and male or female infertility. Female infertility was also found to be associated with an increased risk of one MD. We look forward to better designed epidemiological studies to support our results.

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) was involved in widely transcriptional changes in central and peripheral tissues. While, previous studies focused on single tissues, making it difficult to represent systemic molecular changes throughout the body. Thus, there is an urgent need to explore the central and peripheral biomarkers with intrinsic correlation. Methods: We systematically retrieved gene expression profiles of blood and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). 3 blood datatsets (84 MDD and 88 controls) and 6 ACC datasets (100 MDD and 100 controls) were obtained. Differential expression analysis, RobustRankAggreg (RRA) analysis, functional enrichment analysis, immune associated analysis and protein-protein interaction networks (PPI) were integrated. Furthermore, the key genes were validated in an independent ACC dataset (12 MDD and 15 controls) and a cohort with 120 MDD and 117 controls. Results: Differential expression analysis identified 2211 and 2021 differential expressed genes (DEGs) in blood and ACC, respectively. RRA identified 45 and 25 robust DEGs in blood and ACC based on DEGs, and all of them were closely associated with immune cells. Functional enrichment results showed both the robust DEGs in blood and ACC were enriched in humoral immune response. Furthermore, PPI identified 8 hub DEGs (CD79A, CD79B, CD19, MS4A1, PLP1, CLDN11, MOG, MAG) in blood and ACC. Independent ACC dataset showed the area under the curve (AUC) based on these hub DEGs was 0.77. Meanwhile, these hub DEGs were validated in the serum of MDD patients, and also showed a promising diagnostic power. Conclusions: The biomarker panel based on hub DEGs yield a promising diagnostic efficacy, and all of these hub DEGs were strongly correlated with immunity. Humoral immune response may be the key link between the brain and blood in MDD, and our results may provide further understanding for MDD.

This paper is concerned with practical fixed-time (FT) stabilization problem of discretetime impulsive switched port-controlled Hamiltonian systems (DISPCH). First, starting with discrete-time port-controlled Hamiltonian systems, a novel controller is presented to achieve practical FT stability of the obtained closed-loop system. Moreover, in order to well handle the abrupt changes at switch moments in practical switched systems, another novel controller is presented in terms of positive-order Lyapunov functions approach and range dwell time method to make discrete-time impulsive switched port-controlled Hamiltonian system practical FT stable. Ultimately, the validity of proposed methods is illustrated by simulations.

BackgroundAlthough immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) show a significant overall survival advantage over standard advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC) therapies, tumor response to these agents remains poor. Some studies have shown that combination therapy including an ICI appears to be the best treatment; however, the overall benefit in terms of efficacy and toxicity still needs to be assessed. Thus, we performed a network meta-analysis to evaluate the differences in the efficacy of several combinations that include an ICI to provide a basis for clinical treatment selection.MethodsWe conducted a thorough search of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for articles from January 2010 to June 2023. R 4.4.2 and STATA 16.0 were used to analyze data; hazard ratio (HR) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the results.ResultsAn indirect comparison showed that nivolumab plus cabozantinib and pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib were the most effective treatments for progression-free survival (PFS), with no significant differences between the two interventions (HR, 1.31; 95% CI, 0.96–1.78; P=0.08); rank probability showed that pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib had a 57.1% chance of being the preferred treatment. In the absence of indirect comparisons between pembrolizumab plus axitinib, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, avelumab plus axitinib, nivolumab plus cabozantinib, and pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib, pembrolizumab plus axitinib (40.2%) was the best treatment option for overall survival (OS). Compared to pembrolizumab plus lenvatinib, nivolumab plus ipilimumab (OR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.01–0.65; P=0.02) and pembrolizumab plus axitinib (OR, 0.05; 95% CI, 0.00–0.78; P

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized with vascular remodeling, which is intiated by vascular endothelial dysfunction. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification mediates gene expression in many ways including mediating RNA degradation, splicing, nuclear export et al. m6A modification have been found to be associated with the development of PH. However, the role of m6A regulators in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) dysfunction of PH is still under research. Methods: The expression levels of m6A regulators in PAECs were analyzed with the single-cell sequencing Data(scRNA). Next, the target differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of m6A regulators in PAECs were functionally annotated. The analysis of cellular interactions included the examination of receptor—ligand pairs regulated by m6A regulators. Pseudo-time trajectory analyses and a ceRNA network involving lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs were conducted in PAECs. Furthermore, microarray data (GSE180169) for Sugen Hypoxia PH (SuHx PH) mouse models was screened for DEGs and m6A regulators in PAECs. Moreover, the expression of YTHDC1 in the lung samples of SuHx PH models was determined using immunofluorescence. In vitro, the mRNA expression of YTHDC1 in HPAECs under hypoxia conditions was detected. The effect of YTHDC1 recombinant protein on HPAEC proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8). Results: Dysregulation of m6A regulators was observed in mouse PAECs. The m6A reader of YTHDC1 was decreased in PAECs in scRNA data and RNAseq data of isolated PAECs of SuHx PH models. Downregulation of YTHDC1 was caused by hypoxia in PAECs in vitro and similar results was observed in PAECs of SuHx PH mouse models. Next, YTHDC1 recombinant protein was found to inhibit HPAECs proliferation. The DEGs targeted by YTHDC1 were enriched in angiogenesis, endothelial cell migration, fluid shear stress, and stem cell maintenance. Analysis indicates that interactions among endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells, mediated by specific YTHDC1 target genes (e.g., PTPRC-MRC1, ITBG2-ICAM1, COL4A1-CD44), contribute to PH development. Also, the YTHDC1 expression were consistent with Thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP). What's more, the predicted transcription factors showed that NFKB1, Foxd3 may be involved in the regulation of YTHDC1. Lastly, our data suggest that YTHDC1 may be involved in regulating PAECs dysfunction through lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA network. Conclusion: For the first time, we analyzed changes in the expression and biological functions of m6A regulators in SuHx PH mouse models. We causatively linked YTHDC1 to PAECs dysfunction, providing novel insight into and opportunities to diagnose and treat PH.

Abstract Background Recent studies have suggested that genital mycoplasma infections may be associated with male infertility. However, this association remains controversial due to time lapse, sample size, and regional prevalence. Objectives This study aimed to systematically evaluate the relationship between genital mycoplasma and male infertility through a meta-analysis and to provide a basis for the clinical management of male infertility. Methods We conducted a search on PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases, from January 2000 to June 2023 to identify case–control studies on the interrelationship between genital mycoplasma infection and male infertility. Two independent researchers performed an assessment of the methodological quality of trials according to the Newcastle–Ottawa scale and extracted data strictly based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and afterward, we carried out a meta-analysis using Stata 16.0. Pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess this relationship. Results This meta-analysis included 21 studies from seven countries with a total of 53025 infertility cases and 6435 controls; the age range of the participating men was from 20 to 59 years old. The results obtained showed a higher prevalence of M. genitalium, M. hominis and U. urealyticum infections in infertile men than in the controls, with the opposite result for U. parvum (M. genitalium, OR, 3.438 [95% CI: 1.780, 6.643], with P = 0.000; M. hominis, OR, 1.840 [95% CI: 1.013, 3.343], with P = 0.045; U. urealyticum, OR, 3.278 [95% CI: 2.075, 5.180], with P = 0.000; U. parvum, OR, 1.671 [95% CI: 0.947, 2.950], with P = 0.077). Further, two subgroup analyses also showed that M. hominis and U. urealyticum infections were strongly associated with male infertility in China (M. hominis, P = 0.009; U. urealyticum, P = 0.000); however, M. hominis and U. urealyticum infection was not strongly associated with male infertility worldwide (M. hominis, P = 0.553; U. urealyticum, P = 0.050). Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed that male infertility was significantly associated with M. genitalium, M. hominis and U. urealyticum infections, while U. parvum infection was not. Further, our study showed that genital mycoplasma infection influences male infertility and provides a basis for future treatment.

Abstract Aphid infestation poses a significant threat to crop production, rural communities, and global food security. While chemical pest control is crucial for maximizing yields, applying chemicals across entire fields is both environmentally unsustainable and costly. Hence, precise localization and management of aphids are essential for targeted pesticide application. The paper primarily focuses on using deep learning models for detecting aphid clusters. We propose a novel approach for estimating infection levels by detecting aphid clusters. To facilitate this research, we have captured a large-scale dataset from sorghum fields, manually selected 5447 images containing aphids, and annotated each individual aphid cluster within these images. To facilitate the use of machine learning models, we further process the images by cropping them into patches, resulting in a labeled dataset comprising 151,380 image patches. Then, we implemented and compared the performance of four state-of-the-art object detection models (VFNet, GFLV2, PAA, and ATSS) on the aphid dataset. Extensive experimental results show that all models yield stable similar performance in terms of average precision and recall. We then propose to merge close neighboring clusters and remove tiny clusters caused by cropping, and the performance is further boosted by around 17%. The study demonstrates the feasibility of automatically detecting and managing insects using machine learning models. The labeled dataset will be made openly available to the research community.

Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a key oil- and protein-providing legume crop of the world. It is full of nutrients, and its nutrient profile is comparable to that of other nuts. Peanut is a unique plant as it showcases a pegging phenomenon, producing flowers above ground, and after fertilization, the developing peg enters the soil and produces seeds underground. This geocarpic nature of peanut exposes its seeds to soil pathogens. Peanut seeds are protected by an inedible pericarp and testa. The pericarp- and testa-specific promoters can be effectively used to improve the seed defense. We identified a pericarp- and testa-abundant expression gene (AhN8DT-2) from available transcriptome expression data, whose tissue-specific expression was further confirmed by the qRT-PCR. The 1827bp promoter sequence was used to construct the expression vector using the pMDC164 vector for further analysis. Quantitative expression of the GUS gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed its high expression in the pericarp. GUS staining showed a deep blue color in the pericarp and testa. Cryostat sectioning of stained Arabidopsis seeds showed that expression is only limited to seed coat (testa), and staining was not present in cotyledons and embryos. GUS staining was not detected in any other tissues, including seedlings, leaves, stems, and roots, except for some staining in flowers. Under different phytohormones, this promoter did not show an increase in expression level. These results indicated that the AhN8DT-2 promoter drives GUS gene expression in a pericarp- and testa-specific manner. The identified promoter can be utilized to drive disease resistance genes, specifically in the pericarp and testa, enhancing peanut seed defense against soil-borne pathogens. This approach has broader implications for improving the resilience of peanut crops and other legumes, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices and food security.

Maneuver simulation of a standard ship model gives indication of numerical accuracy. In the numerical calculation of ship maneuvering, uncertainty analysis is a necessary step to ensure the accuracy of the calculation. In this study, uncertainty pair analysis is carried out in the simulation of the turning circle motion of the standard ship model ONRT in waves. According to the uncertainty analysis procedure recommended by the International Towing Tank Conference (ITTC), the change of ship resistance caused by the number of grids is studied to determine the influence of grid density on the numerical prediction. The simulation of turning motion in waves is carried out based on the uncertainty analysis. It is found that the minimum number of overset grids for this simulation is 1.4 million. The numerical results are fairly accurate compared to experimental results, and this technique provides a method with low calculated cost for this simulation.

The Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes acute and chronic Hepatitis E and is a global public health concern. HEV genotypes 3 (HEV-3) and 4 (HEV-4) are common to humans and animals, and domestic pigs and wild boars have been identified as the main reservoirs. However, limited information is available on the status of HEV infection in pigs, particularly in the Guangdong Province, China. This study aimed to investigate the seroprevalence of HEV in pig farms within the Guangdong Province. A total of 1568 serum samples were collected from 25 farms and tested for anti-HEV IgG antibodies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results revealed that 57.53% (902/1568) of serum samples from 24 farms (24/25, 96%) were positive for anti-HEV IgG antibodies. Year, season, region, and age were all linked risk factors for HEV in Guangdong, with season and region showing more significant impacts. The results showing a high seroprevalence of HEV confirmed its circulation among domestic pigs in the Guangdong Province, China. The presence of this antibody indicates that HEV infection was or is present on farms, posing a risk of zoonotic transmission of HEV from pigs to exposed workers and from pork or organs to consumption.

Aphid infestations are one of the primary causes of extensive damage to wheat and sorghum fields and are one of the most common vectors for plant viruses, resulting in significant agricultural yield losses. To address this problem, farmers often employ the inefficient use of harmful chemical pesticides that have negative health and environmental impacts. As a result, a large amount of pesticide is wasted on areas without significant pest infestation. This brings to attention the urgent need for an intelligent autonomous system that can locate and spray sufficiently large infestations selectively within the complex crop canopies. We have developed a large multi-scale dataset for aphid cluster detection and segmentation, collected from actual sorghum fields and meticulously annotated to include clusters of aphids. Our dataset comprises a total of 54,742 image patches, showcasing a variety of viewpoints, diverse lighting conditions, and multiple scales, highlighting its effectiveness for real-world applications. In this study, we trained and evaluated four real-time semantic segmentation models and three object detection models specifically for aphid cluster segmentation and detection. Considering the balance between accuracy and efficiency, Fast-SCNN delivered the most effective segmentation results, achieving 80.46% mean precision, 81.21% mean recall, and 91.66 frames per second (FPS). For object detection, RT-DETR exhibited the best overall performance with a 61.63% mean average precision (mAP), 92.6% mean recall, and 72.55 on an NVIDIA V100 GPU. Our experiments further indicate that aphid cluster segmentation is more suitable for assessing aphid infestations than using detection models.

Abstract Eye tracking provides valuable insight for analyzing visual attention and underlying thinking progress through the observation of eye movements. Here, a transparent, flexible and ultra-persistent electrostatic sensing interface is proposed for realizing active eye tracking (AET) system based on the electrostatic induction effect. Through a triple-layer structure combined with a dielectric bilayer and a rough-surface Ag nanowire (Ag NW) electrode layer, the inherent capacitance and interfacial trapping density of the electrostatic interface has been strongly enhanced, contributing to an unprecedented charge storage capability. The electrostatic charge density of the interface reached 1671.10 μC·m−2 with a charge-keeping rate of 96.91% after 1000 non-contact operation cycles, which can finally realize oculogyric detection with an angular resolution of 5°. Thus, the AET system enables real-time decoding eye movements for customer preference recording and eye-controlled human-computer interaction, supporting its limitless potentiality in commercial purpose, virtual reality, human computer interactions and medical monitoring.

Abstract Evidences have shown that both LRFN5 and OLFM4 can regulate neural development and synaptic function. Recent genome-wide association studies on major depressive disorder (MDD) have implicated LRFN5 and OLFM4, but their expressions and roles in MDD are still completely unclear. Here, we examined serum concentrations of LRFN5 and OLFM4 in 99 drug-naive MDD patients, 90 drug-treatment MDD patients, and 81 healthy controls (HCs) using ELISA methods. The results showed that both LRFN5 and OLFM4 levels were considerably higher in MDD patients compared to HCs, and were significantly lower in drug-treatment MDD patients than in drug-naive MDD patients. However, there were no significant differences between MDD patients who received a single antidepressant and a combination of antidepressants. Pearson correlation analysis showed that they were associated with the clinical data, including Hamilton Depression Scale score, age, duration of illness, fasting blood glucose, serum lipids, and hepatic, renal, or thyroid function. Moreover, these two molecules both yielded fairly excellent diagnostic performance in diagnosing MDD. In addition, a combination of LRFN5 and OLFM4 demonstrated a better diagnostic effectiveness, with an area under curve of 0.974 in the training set and 0.975 in the testing set. Taken together, our data suggest that LRFN5 and OLFM4 may be implicated in the pathophysiology of MDD and the combination of LRFN5 and OLFM4 may offer a diagnostic biomarker panel for MDD.

ObjectiveTo explore the association between the detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational hazards exposure among permanent residents ≥ 40 years old in Zhejiang province for providing evidence to COPD prevention. MethodsFace-to-face questionnaire interview, anthropometry measurement and pulmonary function test were conducted among 3 004 permanent urban/rural residents aged 40 years and above recruited with stratified multistage random sampling in five counties/prefectures of Zhejiang province during April – December 2019. Unconditional multivariate logistic regression model was applied to analyze the correlation between occupational hazards exposure and the detection of COPD. Results Among the 2 926 participants (51.3% males, 48.7% females) finally included in the analysis, 1 004 (34.3%) and 755 (25.8%) reported having been exposed to occupational dust and harmful gas; the percentages of the participants reporting specific occupational history were 1.6% (48 participants) for coal/mining/quarrying/gas industry, 1.8% (53) for metallurgy/casting/machine manufacturing industry, 3.2% (95) for cement/asbestos/ceramics/glass/graphite produc-tion, 4.1% (119) for engineering/construction engineering/traffic construction, 3.7% (108) for petrochemical/chemical/pharma-ceutical industry, 5.4% (157) for wood processing/furniture processing/house decoration industry, 3.4% (100) for textile/papermaking/cotton/fur processing, 2.2% (63) for dry cleaning/cleaning/cook/porter work, and 18.8% (551) for farm work, respectively. Totally 361 (12.34%) participants were detected as having COPD based on the results of pulmonary function test (forced expiratory volume in one second [FEV1]/forced vital capacity [FVC] < 70%). The results of logistic regression analysis revealed that the participants with farm work history were more likely to have COPD (odds ratio = 1.38, 95% confidence interval: 1.05 − 1.89) after adjusting for sex, age, education, marital status, body mass index and smoking status. ConclusionBeing engaged in farm work may be a risk factor for COPD among residents 40 years old and above in Zhejiang province.

Female breast cancer is the most common and the fifth deadliest cancer worldwide. It is influenced by a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. The excision repair cross-complementation group 3 gene (ERCC3) has recently been identified as a breast cancer susceptibility gene in various cohorts of different geographical and ethnic origin. To explore the role of ERCC3 mutations in breast cancer development and pathological diagnosis, genetic analysis was conducted in 291 patients and 291 controls from mainland China. Bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed. A novel ERCC3 mutation p.Y116X was identified in a breast cancer family, while no frequency bias for the genotype and allele of rs754010782 and rs371627165 was observed (all P>0.05). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that ERCC3 expression was negatively associated with estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), nontriple-negative status, and nodal status of breast cancers. ERCC3 amplifications and deep deletions primarily occurred in breast invasive cancer not otherwise specified (NOS) and metaplastic breast cancer, respectively. The decreased ERCC3 expression in tumor tissues of patient with p.Y116X mutation was found by IHC. The ERCC3 mutation p.Y116X may increase breast cancer risk in the Han-Chinese population. ERCC3 exhibits potential as a biomarker for the pathological diagnosis of breast cancer.

IntroductionTestosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a generally accepted method treating for aging-related late-onset hypogonadism (LOH). However, the efficacy and safety of TRT remain controversial. An updated systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the effectiveness and security of TRT treating for LOH.MethodsRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) of TRT for LOH were searched in the databases of Pubmed, Embase, Clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane from 1990 to 2023 and an updated meta-analysis was conducted.ResultsThe results of 28 RCTs involving 3461 patients were included and scrutinized in this analysis. Among these, 11 RCTs were of long-term duration (≥12 months), while 18 RCTs were short-term studies (

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between education level and health behavior including sleep, work activity, exercise activity, and sedentary behavior among emerging adults.MethodsThis study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 2007 and 2018. The study sample included 4,484 emerging adults aged 18–25 years and the weighted participants were 30,057,813. Weighted multivariable regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between education level and the aforementioned health behavior, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, poverty-income ratio, BMI, smoking, and alcohol drinking status.ResultsThis study revealed that higher education level was associated with shorter sleep duration [Fully adjusted model, β (95% CI): −0.588 (−0.929, −0.246), p < 0.001]. Additionally, those with higher education levels were more likely to allocate time in sedentary behavior [β (95% CI): 90.162 (41.087, 139.238), p < 0.001]. Moreover, higher education level was related to less work activity [β (95% CI): −806.991 (−1,500.280, −113.703), p = 0.023] and more exercise activity time [β (95% CI): 118.196 (−21.992, 258.385), p = 0.097]. Subgroup analysis further verified this trend and detected that males with higher education level tended to participate in less work activity [β (95% CI): −1,139.972 (−2,136.707, −143.237), p = 0.026] while females with higher education level tended to engage in more exercise activity [Fully adjusted model, β (95% CI): 141.709 (45.468, 237.950), p = 0.004].ConclusionThis study highlighted the importance of education level as a significant factor in promoting healthy behavior among emerging adults. The findings underscored the need for the Ministry of Education to prioritize educating this demographic about the significance of maintaining adequate sleep patterns and reducing sedentary habits. Encouraging them to allocate more time for work and physical activities can significantly contribute to their overall wellbeing and success, ultimately fostering a healthier next generation.