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Objective: Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known endocrine disruptors, that have been the subject of limited research regarding their impact on human lean body mass. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of PFAS exposure on lean body mass. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional data analysis involving 1022 adolescents and 3274 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011–2018, whose lean body mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The lean mass index (LMI) was calculated as lean body mass dividing by the square of height. The association between PFAS and LMI was examined through a multivariate-adjusted weighted generalized linear model. Moreover, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models were employed to futher examine the relationship between the mixture of PFAS and LMI. Results: Regression analyses revealed an inverse correlation between PFAS exposure and LMI after adjusting for potential covariates. Adults with higher serum PFAS concentrations manifested a reduction in whole LMI (β = −0.193, 95 % confidence interval (CI): −0.325 to −0.06). Notably, this correlation was particularly significant in adult females and individuals with obesity, and it was observed across diverse anatomical regions, including lower limbs, right arm, trunk, and whole lean body mass. In adult females, the association between PFAS and whole LMI was statistically significant (β = −0.294, 95 % CI: −0.495 to −0.094), and a similar trend was found in obese individuals (β = −0.512, 95 % CI: −0.762 to −0.261). WQS regression analyses supported the results obtained from weighted linear regression analyses. Conclusions: Our study suggests that exposure to PFAS, whether individually or in combination, is associated with decreased lean body mass in specific body areas, with sex and obesity serving as major influencing factors.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are a class of safer and higher-energy-density materials compared to conventional devices, from which solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are their essential components. To date, investigations to search for high ion-conducting solid-state electrolytes have attracted broad concern. However, obtaining SSEs with high ionic conductivity is challenging due to the complex structural information and the less-explored structure-performance relationship. To provide a solution to these challenges, developing a database containing typical SSEs from available experimental reports would be a new avenue to understand the structure-performance relationships and find out new design guidelines for reasonable SSEs. Herein, a dynamic experimental database containing >600 materials was developed in a wide range of temperatures (132.40–1261.60 ​K), including mono- and divalent cations (e.g., Li+, Na+, K+, Ag+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Zn2+) and various types of anions (e.g., halide, hydride, sulfide, and oxide). Data-mining was conducted to explore the relationships among different variates (e.g., transport ion, composition, activation energy, and conductivity). Overall, we expect that this database can provide essential guidelines for the design and development of high-performance SSEs in ASSB applications. This database is dynamically updated, which can be accessed via our open-source online system.

BackgroundEtomidate can induce myoclonus with an incidence of 50 ~ 85% during anesthesia induction. Dexamethasone, as a long-acting synthetic glucocorticoid, has neuroprotective effects. However, the effects of dexamethasone on the etomidate-induced myoclonus remain uncertain.MethodsAdult male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to receive etomidate (1.5 mg/kg) plus dexamethasone (4 mg/kg) (etomidate plus dexamethasone group) or etomidate (1.5 mg/kg) plus the same volume of normal saline (NS) (etomidate plus NS group). The mean behavioral scores, local field potentials and muscular tension were recorded to explore the effects of dexamethasone on etomidate-induced myoclonus. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometric system (LC–MS/MS), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blotting were applied to analyze the levels of glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the mRNA and protein expression of excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs), and plasma corticosterone levels at different time points after anesthesia.ResultsCompared with the etomidate plus NS treatment, the etomidate plus dexamethasone treatment significantly decreased the mean behavioral score at 1, 3, 4, and 5 min after administration; the peak power spectral density (PSD) (p = 0.0197) in the analysis of ripple waves; and the glutamate level (p = 0.0139) in the neocortex. However, compared with etomidate plus NS, etomidate plus dexamethasone increased the expression of the neocortical proteins of EAAT1 (p = 0.0207) and EAAT2 (p = 0.0022) and aggravated the inhibition of corticosterone at 4 h (p = 0.0019), 5 h (p = 0.0041), and 6 h (p = 0.0009) after administration.ConclusionDexamethasone can attenuate the myoclonus, inhibit the glutamate accumulation, and reverse the suppression of EAATs in the neocortex induced by etomidate following myoclonus, while conversely aggravating etomidate-induced adrenal suppression.

Metal oxides (MOs) are a class of electrocatalysts which could be the low-cost alternatives to precious metals. However, many MOs suffer from poor stability under electrochemical operating conditions. The Materials Project stands out as one of the largest computational materials databases to date, where the bulk Pourbaix diagrams are essential in assessing the aqueous stability of potential electrocatalysts. Herein, we performed data mining from the Materials Project database to identify potentially stable MOs for industrially important electrocatalytic reactions including oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), chlorine evolution reaction (CER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR). We found that many MOs can be potentially stable under electrocatalytic conditions, especially in neutral and alkaline medium. Finally, we summarized those MOs that had been previously experimentally synthesized but haven’t been explored as electrocatalysts. This comprehensive assessment effectively narrows down the exploration scope and facilitates the evaluation of material stability.

Abstract Structural variants (SVs), accounting for a larger fraction of the genome than SNPs/InDels, are an important pool of genetic variation, enabling environmental adaptations. Here, we perform long-read sequencing data of 320 Tibetan and Han samples and show that SVs are highly involved in high-altitude adaptation. We expand the landscape of global SVs, apply robust models of selection and population differentiation combining SVs, SNPs and InDels, and use epigenomic analyses to predict enhancers, target genes and biological functions. We reveal diverse Tibetan-specific SVs affecting the regulatory circuitry of biological functions, including the hypoxia response, energy metabolism and pulmonary function. We find a Tibetan-specific deletion disrupts a super-enhancer and downregulates EPAS1 using enhancer reporter, cellular knock-out and DNA pull-down assays. Our study expands the global SV landscape, reveals the role of gene-regulatory circuitry rewiring in human adaptation, and illustrates the diverse functional roles of SVs in human biology.

Abstract Excessive intake of oil, salt and sugar is closely associated with the prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). Canteen staff’s knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) about oil, salt and sugar directly affect the content in dishes and the consumers’ intake. However, no valid questionnaire is used to assess KAP among canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. Therefore, the present study aimed to establish and validate a questionnaire to evaluate the KAP of canteen staff about the “oil, salt and sugar”. This cross-sectional study was conducted among canteen staff randomly selected from three college canteens. Participants completed the questionnaire and retested it two weeks later. Internal and test–retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach’s α and Pearson correlation coefficients, respectively. Validity was assessed using the exploratory factor analysis. 100 participants finished the questionnaire, of which 66% were females with a mean age of 40.3 ± 10.5 years. The Cronbach’s α coefficients of the total questionnaire and Knowledge, Attitude and Practice dimensions were 0.822, 0.830, 0.752 and 0.700, respectively. The test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.968. In exploratory factor analysis, nine common factors were extracted, with 26 items, and the cumulative contribution rate was 70.9%. The questionnaire had a satisfactory property for measuring the KAP of the “oil, salt and sugar” among canteen staff in China.

Abstract Background Chinese medical schools have offered both professional and academic degrees for postgraduate students. However, there is limited information about the attitudes of professional-degree and academic-degree students. We aimed to examine the attitudes of full-time postgraduate students towards the curriculum, stratified by degree type. Methods A 29-item online questionnaire was distributed to postgraduate students in West China School of Medicine of Sichuan University in 2020. The questionnaire was designed to collect students’ demographic characteristics, attitudes towards curricular provision and content, and classroom organization. A comparison was made between groups based on degree type (academic degree versus professional degree). Results Overall, 645 out of 908 students at West China School of Medicine completed the questionnaire. Comparing with students pursuing academic degrees, professional-degree students were more interested if the curriculum included specialized knowledge and clinical skills, and expressed concerns over the excessive compulsory courses and inadequate optional courses (p

The Gannan yak, a superior livestock breed found on the Tibetan Plateau, exhibits significantly enhanced body size, weight, and growth performance in comparison to the Tianzhu white yak. MiRNAs play a pivotal role in regulating muscle growth by negatively modulating target genes. In this study, we found the average diameter, area, and length of myofibers in Gannan yaks were significantly higher than those of Tianzhu white yaks. Further, we focused on analyzing the longissimus dorsi muscle from both Gannan yaks and Tianzhu white yaks through transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed (DE)miRNAs that influence skeletal muscle development. A total of 254 DE miRNAs were identified, of which 126 miRNAs were up-regulated and 128 miRNAs were down-regulated. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of these DE miRNAs were significantly enriched in signaling pathways associated with muscle growth and development. By constructing a DE miRNA- DE mRNA interaction network, we screened 18 key miRNAs, and notably, four of the candidates (novel-m0143-3p, novel-m0024-3p, novel-m0128-5p, and novel-m0026-3p) targeted six genes associated with muscle growth and development (DDIT4, ADAMTS1, CRY2, AKIRIN2, SIX1, and FOXO1). These findings may provide theoretical references for further studies on the role of miRNAs in muscle growth and development in Gannan yaks.

Abstract Data mining from computational materials database has become a popular strategy to identify unexplored catalysts. Herein, the opportunities and challenges of this strategy are analyzed by investigating a discrepancy between data mining and experiments in identifying low‐cost metal oxide (MO) electrocatalysts. Based on a search engine capable of identifying stable MOs at the pH and potentials of interest, a series of MO electrocatalysts is identified as potential candidates for various reactions. Sb2WO6 attracted the attention among the identified stable MOs in acid. Based on the aqueous stability diagram, Sb2WO6 is stable under oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media but rather unstable under high‐pH ORR conditions. However, this contradicts to the subsequent experimental observation in alkaline ORR conditions. Based on the post‐catalysis characterizations, surface state analysis, and an advanced pH‐field coupled microkinetic modeling, it is found that the Sb2WO6 surface will undergo electrochemical passivation under ORR potentials and form a stable and 4e‐ORR active surface. The results presented here suggest that though data mining is promising for exploring electrocatalysts, a refined strategy needs to be further developed by considering the electrochemistry‐induced surface stability and activity.

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in beef play a vital role in promoting human health. Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACSL1) is a crucial gene for UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes. To investigate the protein expression profile during UFA synthesis, we performed a proteomic analysis of bovine adipocytes by RNA interference and non-interference with ACSL1 using label-free techniques. A total of 3558 proteins were identified in both the NC and si-treated groups, of which 1428 were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; fold change ≥ 1.2 or ≤ 0.83 and p-value < 0.05). The enrichment analysis of the DEPs revealed signaling pathways related to UFA synthesis or metabolism, including cAMP, oxytocin, fatty acid degradation, glycerol metabolism, insulin, and the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes (p-value < 0.05). Furthermore, based on the enrichment analysis of the DEPs, we screened 50 DEPs that potentially influence the synthesis of UFAs and constructed an interaction network. Moreover, by integrating our previously published transcriptome data, this study established a regulatory network involving differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs), highlighting 21 DEPs and 13 DELs as key genes involved in UFA synthesis. These findings present potential candidate genes for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying UFA synthesis in bovines, thereby offering insights to enhance the quality of beef and contribute to consumer health in future studies.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has been spreading globally for over 2 years, causing serious contagious disease and incalculable damage. The introduction of vaccines has slowed the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 to some extent, but there remains a need for specific and effective treatment. The high chemical diversity and safety profiles of natural products make them a potential source of effective anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 drugs. Cotton plant is one of the most important economic and medical crops and is the source of a large number of antiviral phytochemicals. In this work, we used SARS‐CoV‐2 main protein (Mpro) as the target to identify potential anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 natural products in cotton. An in vitro assay showed that of all cotton tissues examined, cotton flower extracts (CFs) exhibited optimal inhibitory effects against Mpro. We proceeded to use the CF metabolite database to screen natural Mpro inhibitors by combining virtual screening and biochemical assays. We identified that several CF natural products, including astragalin, myricitrin, and astilbin, significantly inhibited Mpro with half‐maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of 0.13, 10.73, and 7.92 μm, respectively. These findings may serve as a basis for further studies into the suitability of cotton as a source of potential therapeutics for SARS‐CoV‐2.

This article deals with common due-window assignment and single-machine scheduling with proportional-linear shortening processing times. Objective cost is a type of minmax, that is, the maximal cost among all processed jobs is minimized. Our goal is to determine an optimal schedule, the optimal starting time, and size of due-window that minimize the worst cost, which consist of four parts: earliness, tardiness, starting time and length of the due-window. Optimal properties of the problem are given, and then an optimal polynomial algorithm is proposed to solve the problem.

Abstract Thermoelectric materials can be potentially applied to waste heat recovery and solid-state cooling because they allow a direct energy conversion between heat and electricity and vice versa. The accelerated materials design based on machine learning has enabled the systematic discovery of promising materials. Herein we proposed a successful strategy to discover and design a series of promising half-Heusler thermoelectric materials through the iterative combination of unsupervised machine learning with the labeled known half-Heusler thermoelectric materials. Subsequently, optimized zT values of ~0.5 at 925 K for p-type Sc0.7Y0.3NiSb0.97Sn0.03 and ~0.3 at 778 K for n-type Sc0.65Y0.3Ti0.05NiSb were experimentally achieved on the same parent ScNiSb.

Titanium alloys fabricated by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) often suffer from limited ductility because of the inherent acicular α′ martensite embedded in the columnar parent phase grains (prior-β grains). The post-built heat treatment at a relatively high temperature (∼1075 K) necessary for decomposing martensite results in improved ductility at the cost of strength. It, however, remains difficult to achieve balances between strength and ductility in as-printed conditions due to the huge range of possible compositions of printing process variables. Herein, using LPBF-processed Ti-6Al-4V (Ti64) alloy as an example, we demonstrate that machine learning (ML) is capable of accelerating the discovery of the proper sets of processing parameters resulting in a superior synergy of strength and ductility (i.e., yield strength, Ys0.2 = 1044 ± 10 MPa, uniform elongation, UEL = 10.5 ± 1.2 % and total elongation = 15 ± 1.5 %). Such property improvement is found to be enabled by an unique refined prior-β grains decorated by confined α′-colony precipitates. In particular, the uniform deformation ability of α′ martensite is improved due to the enhanced microstructure uniformity achieved by weakening variant selection. ML-based processing parameter optimization approach is thus well-positioned to accelerate the qualification of a wide range of l-PBF manufactured alloys beyond Ti-alloys.

Severe cooling at high northern latitudes, which marked the onset of Heinrich Stadial 4, was synchronous with changes in tropical monsoon systems and preceded Antarctic warming by around 300 years, according to a compilation of speleothem and ice core records.

Abstract. Background:. Intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is an effective way for treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, its effects have not been established among AIS patients with unclear stroke symptoms or with stroke onset for >4.5 h. Methods:. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Google Scholar databases for randomized controlled trials that compared IVT (IVT group) and placebo or usual care (control group [CG]) in AIS patients with disease onset for >4.5 h. The outcomes of interest included the favorable functional outcome (defined as modified Rankin Scale [mRS] scores 0–1) at 90 days, the functional independence (defined as mRS scores 0–2) at 90 days, proportion of patients with symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and death at 90 days. We assessed the risk of bias using the Cochrane tool. Pre-specified subgroup analyses were performed by age (≤70 years or >70 years), National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS, ≤10 or >10) and time window (4.5–9.0 h or >9.0 h). Results:. Four trials involving 848 patients were eligible. The risk of bias of included trials was low. Patients in the IVT group were more likely to achieve favorable functional outcomes (45.8% vs. 36.7%; OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.12–1.96) and functional independence (63.8% vs. 55.7%; OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08–1.90) at 90 days, but had higher risk of sICH (3.0% vs. 0.5%; OR 5.28, 95% CI 1.35–20.68) at 90 days than those in the CG. No significant difference in death at 90 days was found between the two groups (7.0% vs. 4.1%; OR 1.80; 95% CI 0.97–3.34). Conclusions:. Use of IVT in patients with extended time window may improve their functional outcomes at 90 days, although IVT may induce increased risk of sICH. Care of these patients should well balance the potential benefits and harms of IVT.

Background: Heart failure (HF), the final stage of cardiovascular diseases, is a clinical syndrome of cardiac structural or functional abnormalities. QiShenYiQi Dripping Pills, short for QSYQ, showed effectiveness and safety in the treatment of HF according to modern pharmacological research and clinical studies, but the mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the mechanism of QSYQ in treating heart failure through the analysis to critical biomarkers, targets and pathways.Materials and Methods: In this study, the efficacies of QSYQ in non-human primates and rodents were evaluated, and the mechanism was demonstrated by integrating network pharmacology and metabolomics analysis. Furthermore, the targets from network pharmacology and the metabolites from targeted metabolomics were jointly analyzed to screen the critical pathways.Results: In rhesus monkeys with spontaneous chronic heart failure, nasogastric administration of QSYQ for 12 weeks caused profound improvement of systolic and diastolic function as evidenced by echocardiography detection. Consistently, QSYQ administration especially with higher dose lowered the blood pressure and improved the ventricular remodeling, collagen deposition and fibrosis markedly in Spontaneous Hypertension Rats (SHR) model. Computational prediction showed that QSYQ exhibited anti-HF effects possibly through HIF-1 signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and other enriched paths. Metabolomics analysis obtained 23 significantly altered metabolites, revealing that QSYQ significantly regulated the abnormal levels of fatty acids, carnitines, organic acids pyridines, nucleosides, which were mostly involved in myocardial energy metabolism related pathways.Conclusion: Based on serum and myocardium metabolomics and network pharmacology, the present study revealed that the actions of QSYQ in treating HF depend on multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 is exerting huge pressure on global healthcare. Understanding of the molecular pathophysiological alterations in COVID-19 patients with different severities during disease is important for effective treatment. In this study, we performed proteomic profiling of 181 serum samples collected at multiple time points from 79 COVID-19 patients with different severity levels (asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe/critical) and 27 serum samples from non-COVID-19 control individuals. Dysregulation of immune response and metabolic reprogramming was found in severe/critical COVID-19 patients compared with non-severe/critical patients, whereas asymptomatic patients presented an effective immune response compared with symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Interestingly, the moderate COVID-19 patients were mainly grouped into two distinct clusters using hierarchical cluster analysis, which demonstrates the molecular pathophysiological heterogeneity in COVID-19 patients. Analysis of protein-level alterations during disease progression revealed that proteins involved in complement activation, the coagulation cascade and cholesterol metabolism were restored at the convalescence stage, but the levels of some proteins, such as anti-angiogenesis protein PLGLB1, would not recovered. The higher serum level of PLGLB1 in COVID-19 patients than in control groups was further confirmed by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). These findings expand our understanding of the pathogenesis and progression of COVID-19 and provide insight into the discovery of potential therapeutic targets and serum biomarkers worth further validation.

Background: The effect of thromboembolism prophylaxis on clinical outcomes, such as ventilator-associated events (VAEs), ICU stays, and mortality, remains controversial. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis on VAEs, ICU stays, and ICU mortality among patients receiving mechanical ventilation (MV).Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on a well-established registry of healthcare-associated infections at ICUs in the West China Hospital system. Patients who consistently received MV for at least 4 days from 1 April 2015 to 31 December 2018 were included. Hazard ratios (HRs) were compared for three tiers of VAEs, ICU stays, and ICU mortality among patients receiving pharmacological thromboprophylaxis versus those without using the time-dependent Cox model. For the analyses of ICU stays and ICU mortality, we also used Fine-Gray models to disentangle the competing risks and outcomes of interest.Results: Overall, 6,140 patients were included. Of these, 3,805 received at least one prescription of antithrombosis agents. Treatments with antithrombosis agents were associated with lower risk of VAEs (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.98) and ICU mortality (HR: 0.72, 95% CI: 0.61, 0.86) than those without. Anticoagulants but not antiplatelet agents were associated with decreased risk of VAEs (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.75, 0.98), ICU mortality (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.51, 0.76), and less time to ICU discharge (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.28). Antithrombosis may be associated with decreased risk of VAEs in patients with D-dimer >5 mg/LFEU (HR: 0.84, 95%CI: 0.72, 0.98).Conclusions: Pharmacological thromboprophylaxis was associated with lower risk of VAEs and ICU mortality. Similar effects were observed between unfractionated heparins versus low-molecular-weight heparins.

BACKGROUND The environmental effects of heavy metal pollutants in soil are closely related to their inorganic valence. The determination of the valences of As, Cr, Sb and Se elements is of great significance, but due to the easy conversion between the valences, the determination is difficult and the degree of standardization is low. The geological industry standard DD2005-3 recommends the use of ion exchange resin separation, atomic fluorescence spectrometry to determine the valences of As, Sb, and Se, and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) to determine the valence of Cr. The preparation of these methods is cumbersome, the number of measurements is large, the workload is large, and the existence of other element forms can also cause errors in the results. OBJECTIVES To establish a set of methods suitable for determining the valences of water-soluble and exchangeable As, Cr, Sb and Se in soil samples. METHODS The valences of As, Sb and Se were separated and determined by HPLC-HG-AFS after 30 min extraction in a water bath of 50℃. The processes were simpler and more accurate than the recommended subtraction processes by AFS. To avoid the masking action of some extracting agent, the method of selective determination of Sb(Ⅲ), Sb(Ⅴ), Se(Ⅳ) and Se(Ⅵ) by AFS was developed, which has the advantage of low instrument cost. As for Cr(Ⅲ) and Cr(Ⅵ), after separation by ion-exchange resin, they were determined by ICP-MS, which has higher sensitivity than the recommended GFAAS. RESULTS The detection limits of As(Ⅲ), As(Ⅴ), Cr(Ⅲ), Cr(Ⅵ), Sb(Ⅲ), Sb(Ⅴ), Se(Ⅳ) and Se(Ⅵ) was ≤ 0.02μg/g, with the RSD of 3.8%-10.7% and the recovery of 91.0%-106.0%. These methods were successfully applied to the analysis of geological samples, and all indices met the quality requirements of DD2005-3. CONCLUSIONS Compared with non-chromatographic methods, newly established methods by HPLC-HG-AFS can determine multiple components simultaneously. At the same time, preliminary studies have shown that the valence content of elements in the soil is not high, and lacks correlation with the total amount of soil.

Generally, additively manufactured (AM) full martensitic titanium alloys (hexagonal-close-packed α’ phase) exhibits high yield strength (>1GPa) but poor elongation to failure (

The ever-changing global environment currently includes an increasing ambient temperature that can be a devastating stress for organisms. Plants, being sessile, are adversely affected by heat stress in their physiology, development, growth, and ultimately yield. Since little is known about the response of biochemical traits to high-temperature ambiance, we evaluated eight parental lines (five lines and three testers) and their 15 F1 hybrids under normal and high-temperature stress to assess the impact of these conditions over 2 consecutive years. The research was performed under a triplicate randomized complete block design including a split-plot arrangement. Data were recorded for agronomic, biochemical, and fiber quality traits. Mean values of agronomic traits were significantly reduced under heat stress conditions, while hydrogen peroxide, peroxidase, total soluble protein, superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), carotenoids, and fiber strength displayed higher mean values under heat stress conditions. Under both conditions, high genetic advance and high heritability were observed for seed cotton yield (SCY), CAT, micronaire value, plant height, and chlorophyll-a and b content, indicating that an additive type of gene action controls these traits under both the conditions. For more insights into variation, Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were performed. Significant positive associations were observed among agronomic, biochemical, and fiber quality-related traits. The multivariate analyses involving hierarchical clustering and PCA classified the 23 experimental genotypes into four groups under normal and high-temperature stress conditions. Under both conditions, the F1 hybrid genotype FB-SHAHEEN × JSQ WHITE GOLD followed by Ghuari-1, CCRI-24, Eagle-2 × FB-Falcon, Ghuari-1 × JSQ White Gold, and Eagle-2 exhibited better performance in response to high-temperature stress regarding the agronomic and fiber quality-related traits. The mentioned genotypes could be utilized in future cotton breeding programs to enhance heat tolerance and improve cotton yield and productivity through resistance to environmental stressors.

Objective To investigate the differences of heart mass and lung mass in forensic autopsy cases and to explore their application value in forensic identification. Methods The data from 1 614 autopsy cases accepted by center of Medico-legal Investigation of China Medical University between 2007 to 2016 were collected. The correlation of heart and lung mass with age, height, body weight, and body mass index （BMI）, as well as differences in different causes of death were analyzed by GraphPad Prism 6.0 software. Results The heart mass and lung mass of males were higher than those of females （P

This study proposes the establishment of a knowledge-system ontology in the nursing field. It uses advanced data mining techniques, digital publishing technologies, and new media concepts to comprehensively integrate and deepen nursing knowledge and to aggregate sources of knowledge in specialized technical fields. This study applies all forms of media and transmission channels, such as personal computers and mobile devices, to establish a knowledge-transmission system that provides knowledge services such as knowledge search, update retrieval, evaluation, questions and answers (Q&As), online viewing, information subscription, expert services, push notifications, review forums, and online learning. In doing so, this study creates an authoritative and foundational knowledge service engine for the nursing field, which provides convenient, flexible, and comprehensive knowledge services to members of the nursing industry in a digital format.

Many new physics scenarios predict the existence of the extra charged gauge boson W′, which can induce the charged-current (CC) non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI). We investigate the constraints on the CC NSI in model-independent fashion via considering the W′ contributions to the lepton flavor violating (LFV) decays ℓi→ℓjγ, the pure leptonic flavor conservation (FC) decays ℓi→ℓjνiνj¯, leptonic decays of charged pion meson, semileptonic τ decays, and superallowed β decays. We find that the constraints on the pure leptonic CC NSI are generally stronger than the ones for the CC NSI with first generation quarks. The most stringent constraints on the CC NSI arise from the LFV decay μ→eγ. The constraints on the CC NSI from direct searches at the LHC are also discussed.

We undertook a comparative study of the leaf venation characteristics of Dioscorea species from all seven sections distributed in China (33 species, 1 subspecies and 3 varieties). We established that leaf venation has a taxonomic significance in Dioscorea. The sections Combili, Opsophyton Lasiophyton and Shannicorea all show consistent acrodromous venation (a subtype of palmate venation), with Botryosicyos exhibiting consistent pinnate venation. However, sections Stenophora and Enantiophyllum show obvious intrasectional differences. For example, D. simulans and D. biformifolia of section Stenophora have acrodromously veined middle leaflets, whereas the side leaflets are pinnately veined; D. cirrhosa and D. cirrhosa var. cylindrica of section Enantiophyllum show dichotomous veinlets. Other species in the same section show either one-branched veinlets or multiple branched veinlets. In addition to the discrepancy in venation patterns, differences in many other important morphological characteristics and chemical components were also observed. Therefore, D. simulans and D. biformifolia can be reasonably excluded from section Stenophora, and section Illigerestrum can be rebuilt using these two species. In addition, D. cirrhosa and D. cirrhosa var. cylindrica should be removed from section Enantiophyllum and placed into another new section. D. simulans and D. biformifolia show pinnate venation, and the complexity of their leaf organization (with both simple and compound leaves) also points to variations between the pinnate and acrodromous veins in Dioscorea. The repeated presence of palmate and pinnate venation in multiple angiosperm clades also suggests that the formation and evolution of venation are likely the result of evolutionary adaptation to ecological environments.