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Abstract Molecular dynamics (MD) is an indispensable atomistic-scale computational tool widely-used in various disciplines. In the past decades, nearly all ab initio MD and machine-learning MD have been based on the general-purpose central/graphics processing units (CPU/GPU), which are well-known to suffer from their intrinsic “memory wall” and “power wall” bottlenecks. Consequently, nowadays MD calculations with ab initio accuracy are extremely time-consuming and power-consuming, imposing serious restrictions on the MD simulation size and duration. To solve this problem, here we propose a special-purpose MD processing unit (MDPU), which could reduce MD time and power consumption by about 103 times (109 times) compared to state-of-the-art machine-learning MD (ab initio MD) based on CPU/GPU, while keeping ab initio accuracy. With significantly-enhanced performance, the proposed MDPU may pave a way for the accurate atomistic-scale analysis of large-size and/or long-duration problems which were impossible/impractical to compute before.

Abstract Non-invasive imaging in the near-infrared region (NIR) offers enhanced tissue penetration, reduced spontaneous fluorescence of biological tissues, and improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), rendering it more suitable for in vivo deep tissue imaging. In recent years, a plethora of NIR photoresponsive materials have been employed for disease diagnosis, particularly acute kidney injury (AKI). These encompass inorganic nonmetallic materials such as carbon (C), silicon (Si), phosphorus (P), and upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs); precious metal nanoparticles like gold and silver; as well as small molecule and organic semiconductor polymer nanoparticles with near infrared responsiveness. These materials enable effective therapy triggered by NIR light and serve as valuable tools for monitoring AKI in living systems. The review provides a concise overview of the current state and pathological characteristics of AKI, followed by an exploration of the application of nanomaterials and photoresponsive nanomaterials in AKI. Finally, it presents the design challenges and prospects associated with NIR photoresponsive materials in AKI. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Porphyria is a group of rare metabolic disorders caused by mutations in the genes encoding crucial enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway. However, the lack of comprehensive genetic analysis of porphyria patients in the Chinese population makes identifying and diagnosing carriers of the condition challenging. Using the ChinaMAP database, we determined the frequencies of P/LP porphyria-associated gene variants according to the ACMG guidelines. We also calculated the carrier rates and prevalence of each type of porphyria in the Chinese population under Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Compared with the variants in the gnomAD database, the genetic spectrum of porphyria-related P/LP variants in the Chinese population is distinct. In the ChinaMAP database, we identified 23 variants. We estimated the carrier rates for autosomal dominant porphyrias (AIP, HCP, VP, PCT) in the Chinese population to be 1/1059, 1/1513, 1/10588, and 1/1765, respectively. For autosomal recessive porphyrias (ADP, EPP, HEP, CEP), the estimated carrier rates were 1/5294, 1/2117, 1/1765, and 1/2647, respectively, with predicted prevalence rates of 8.92 × 10−9, 7.51 × 10−5, 8.02 × 10−8, and 3.57 × 10−8, respectively. Notably, 12 of the variants we identified were unique to the Chinese population. The predicted prevalence rate of EPP was the highest among the various types of porphyria in the Chinese population, while the others were moderate to low. This is the first comprehensive genetic study on porphyria in the Chinese population. Clarifying the genetic characteristics of various porphyria types among the Chinese population provides scientifically sound reference data for both research and genetic screening to identify porphyria carriers.

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involves chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and complex immune cell interactions, leading to joint destruction. Traditional treatments are often limited by off-target effects and systemic toxicity. This study introduces a novel therapeutic approach using hyaluronic acid (HA)-conjugated, redox-responsive polyamino acid nanogels (HA-NG) to deliver tacrolimus (TAC) specifically to inflamed joints. The nanogels’ disulfide bonds enable controlled TAC release in response to high intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels in activated macrophages, prevalent in RA-affected tissues. In vitro results demonstrated that HA-NG/TAC significantly reduced TAC toxicity to normal macrophages and showed high biocompatibility. In vivo, HA-NG/TAC accumulated more in inflamed joints compared to non-targeted NG/TAC, enhancing therapeutic efficacy and minimizing side effects. Therapeutic evaluation in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice revealed HA-NG/TAC substantially reduced paw swelling, arthritis scores, synovial inflammation, and bone erosion while suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. These findings suggest that HA-NG/TAC represents a promising targeted drug delivery system for RA, offering potential for more effective and safer clinical applications.

Abstract Background Computer gaming has recently been suggested to be associated with benefits for cognition, but its impact on incident dementia remains uncertain. We aimed to investigate the observational associations of playing computer games with incident dementia, cognitive functions, and brain structural measures, and further explore the genetic associations between computer gaming and dementia. Methods We included 471,346 White British participants without dementia at baseline based on the UK Biobank, and followed them until November 2022. We estimated the risk of dementia using Cox proportional hazard models, and assessed the changes of cognitive functions and brain structural measures using logistic regression models and linear regression models. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were performed to examine the association between genetically determined computer gaming and dementia. Results High frequency of playing computer games was associated with decreased risk of incident dementia (HR, 0.81 [95% CI: 0.69, 0.94]). Individuals with high frequency of playing computer games had better performance in prospective memory (OR, 1.46 [1.26, 1.70]), reaction time (beta, -0.195 [-0.243, -0.147]), fluid intelligence (0.334 [0.286, 0.382]), numeric memory (0.107 [0.047, 0.166]), incorrect pairs matching (-0.253 [-0.302, -0.203]), and high volume of gray matter in hippocampus (0.078 [0.023, 0.134]). Genetically determined high frequency of playing computer games was associated with a low risk of dementia (OR, 0.37 [0.15, 0.91]). Conclusions Computer gaming was associated with a decreased risk of dementia, favorable cognitive function, and better brain structure, suggesting that computer gaming could modulate cognitive function and may be a promising target for dementia prevention.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) genomic research has discovered actionable genetic changes that might guide treatment decisions and clinical trials. Nonetheless, due to a lack of large-scale multicenter clinical validation, these putative targets have not been converted into patient survival advantages. So, it's crucial to ascertain whether genetic analysis is clinically feasible, useful, and whether it can be advantageous for patients. We sequenced tumour tissue and blood samples (as normal controls) from 111 Chinese HCC patients at Qingdao University Hospital using the 508-gene panel and the 688-gene panel, respectively. Approximately 95% of patients had gene variations related to targeted treatment, with 50% having clinically actionable mutations that offered significant information for targeted therapy. Immune cell infiltration was enhanced in individuals with TP53 mutations but decreased in patients with CTNNB1 and KMT2D mutations. More notably, we discovered that SPEN, EPPK1, and BRCA2 mutations were related to decreased median overall survival, although MUC16 mutations were not. Furthermore, we found mutant MUC16 as an independent protective factor for the prognosis of HCC patients after curative hepatectomy. In conclusion, this study connects genetic abnormalities to clinical practice and potentially identifies individuals with poor prognoses who may benefit from targeted treatment or immunotherapy.

Background Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs) have been reported to be involved in platelet‐mediated thrombosis and inflammation, but the impact on the prognosis of ischemic stroke remains unclear. We aimed to examine whether the association between baseline platelet count (PLT) and long‐term clinical outcomes within 2 years after ischemic stroke onset is modulated by aPLs. Methods and Results A total of 2938 patients with ischemic stroke were included in this prospective cohort study. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association between the baseline PLT stratified by aPLs status and 2‐year clinical outcomes after stroke onset, and an interaction effect between PLT and aPLs on clinical outcomes was tested by likelihood ratio test. There was a significant interaction effect of aPLs and PLT on recurrent stroke (Pinteraction=0.002) and cardiovascular events (Pinteraction=0.001) within 2 years after stroke onset. After multivariate adjustment, high PLT was associated with increased risks of recurrent stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 2.78 [95% CI, 1.03–7.45]; Ptrend=0.039) and cardiovascular events (HR, 2.58 [95% CI, 1.12–5.90]; Ptrend=0.024) when 2 extreme tertiles were compared among patients with aPL positive, but not among those with aPL negative. Conclusions The aPLs had a modifying effect on the association between PLT and clinical outcomes within 2 years after ischemic stroke onset. Increased PLT was associated with recurrent stroke and cardiovascular events after ischemic stroke onset among patients with aPL positive, but not in those with aPL negative.

Abstract There is a deficiency in population-based studies investigating the impact of HPV infection on vaginal microenvironment, which influences the risk of persistent HPV infection. This prospective study aimed to unravel the dynamics of vaginal microbiota (VM) and vaginal metabolome in reaction to the changed state of HPV infection. Our results propose that the vaginal metabolome may be a superior indicator to VM when assessing the impact of altered HPV state on the vaginal microenvironment.

Abstract Background Undernutrition (UN) is a critical public health issue that threatens the lives of children under five in developing countries. While evidence indicates the crucial role of the gut microbiome (GM) in UN pathogenesis, the strain-level inspection and bacterial co-occurrence network investigation in the GM of UN children are lacking. Results This study examines the strain compositions of the GM in 61 undernutrition patients (UN group) and 36 healthy children (HC group) and explores the topological features of GM co-occurrence networks using a complex network strategy. The strain-level annotation reveals that the differentially enriched species between the UN and HC groups are due to discriminated strain compositions. For example, Prevotella copri is mainly composed of P. copri ASM1680343v1 and P. copri ASM345920v1 in the HC group, but it is composed of P. copri ASM346549v1 and P. copri ASM347465v1 in the UN group. In addition, the UN-risk model constructed at the strain level demonstrates higher accuracy (AUC = 0.810) than that at the species level (AUC = 0.743). With complex network analysis, we further discovered that the UN group had a more complex GM co-occurrence network, with more hub bacteria and a higher clustering coefficient but lower information transfer efficiencies. Moreover, the results at the strain level suggested the inaccurate and even false conclusions obtained from species level analysis. Conclusions Overall, this study highlights the importance of examining the GM at the strain level and investigating bacterial co-occurrence networks to advance our knowledge of UN pathogenesis.

The magnetoelectric (ME) coupling effect is a more effective approach for reducing antenna size. Nevertheless, at low frequencies, a single ME structure generates a weak signal strength and a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This study utilized an array strategy to improve the radiation and induced electromagnetic field performance of ME antennas. In this study, the array ME coupling structure, composed of Metglas and Pb (Zr1−xTix) O3 (PZT) bilayers, was operated through ME coupling resonance modes. The relationship between the sensitivity and SNR of the serially connected ME antenna array and the number of series connections was determined. On the transmission side, the impact of the multi-source power supply modes on the radiation intensity and directivity of the ME antennas was analyzed. The sensitivity, SNR, magnetic detection limit, directivity, and radiation range of the single ME and array ME antennas were tested for the key parameters. Finally, it was demonstrated that at a frequency of 31.75 kHz, the array strategy achieved a low-frequency signal transmission distance of up to 48.1 m, which is 1.7 times that of a single ME antenna. This array strategy significantly enhances the radiation intensity and magnetic field SNR of ME antennas in the low-frequency range, demonstrating its application prospects in the field of low-frequency communication.

Accurate environmental sensing is an important prerequisite for autonomous driving in off-road environments. Most targets in off-road environments do not have regular shapes, colors, textures and other features, making them difficult to identify. In addition, complex driving conditions can cause large, broadband vibrations in off-road vehicles, which interfere with environment sensing and affect the accuracy and efficiency of perception. To address the above problems, this paper proposes an improved 3D point cloud filtering algorithm for unstructured environments and a point cloud classification method using neural networks, and provides an experimental proof-of-principle of the proposed methods. A comparison of the results under six conditions shows that the amount of data processed by the improved filtering algorithm is 65%–85% of that processed by the conventional filtering algorithm, and the trained neural network model achieves an accuracy of 98.0% and a loss value as low as 0.008 when classifying three typical targets in an unstructured environment. A comparison with algorithms proposed in other papers shows that the proposed method is highly feasible.

Abstract Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the joints and bone destruction. Because of systemic administration and poor targeting, traditional anti‐rheumatic drugs have unsatisfactory treatment efficacy and strong side effects, including myelosuppression, liver or kidney function damage, and malignant tumors. Consequently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)‐involved therapy is proposed for RA therapy as a benefit of their immunosuppressive and tissue‐repairing effects. This review summarizes the progress of MSCs‐involved RA therapy through suppressing inflammation and promoting tissue regeneration and predicts their potential clinical application.

Summary: The decidua plays a crucial role in providing structural and trophic support to the developing conceptus before placentation. Following embryo attachment, embryonic components intimately interact with the decidual tissue. While evidence indicates the participation of embryo-derived factors in crosstalk with the uterus, the extent of their impact on post-implantation decidual development requires further investigation. Here, we utilize transgenic mouse models to selectively eliminate primary trophoblast giant cells (pTGCs), the embryonic cells that interface with maternal tissue at the forefront. pTGC ablation impairs decidualization and compromises decidual interferon response and lipid metabolism. Mechanistically, pTGCs release factors such as interferon kappa (IFNK) to strengthen the decidual interferon response and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to enhance lipid accumulation within the decidua, thereby promoting decidualization. This study presents genetic and metabolomic evidence reinforcing the proactive role of pTGC-derived factors in mobilizing maternal resources to strengthen decidualization, facilitating the normal progression of early pregnancy.

Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood poses a significant threat to vegetable and ornamental crops in temperate zones, resulting in notable reductions in yield and substantial economic burdens. In order to find compounds with high insecticidal activity against T. vaporariorum, five compounds were isolated and identified from the crude extract of Streptomyces sp. SA61. These include three new polyketides, named strekingmycins F–H (1–3); one new diterpenoid, named phenalinolactone CD8 (4); and one known compound, strekingmycin A (5). Their structures were analyzed using high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy data and by comparing them with previously reported data. The insecticidal activities of compounds 1–5 against T. vaporariorum were evaluated. Among them, compound 5 exhibited the highest insecticidal activity, with an LC50 of 6.949 mg/L against T. vaporariorum at 72 h using the leaf-dip method. Lower insecticidal activities were found in compounds 1–4, with LC50 values of 22.817, 19.150, 16.981 and 41.501 mg/L, respectively. These data indicate that strekingmycin could be a potential candidate for a novel insecticide to control T. vaporariorum.

Transmission lines serve as pivotal equipment within the power system. Conductors, the primary medium for power transmission and distribution, directly influence the construction cost, operational performance, and long-term benefits of transmission line projects. This study first provides a detailed introduction to the life cycle cost of transmission lines. It utilizes linear regression analysis, the grey model, and the autoregressive integrated moving average model to forecast the electricity sales benefit and quantify the carbon reduction benefits of energy-saving conductors through a methodology. Through the life cycle cost model, we found that operating costs, particularly energy loss costs, dominate the total expenses, accounting for 65% to 66.2%. The JLHA3-425 scheme offers the lowest life cycle cost of 22,891.66 k$. Comparing economic indicators like ENPV, EIRR, and DPP confirmed that the JLHA3-425 medium-strength aluminum alloy stranded wire emerged as the most economically viable option among the evaluated schemes, holding substantial promise for fostering economic and environmental sustainability in electrical power transmission.

In order to fully achieve energy saving goals, it is necessary to establish a comprehensive evaluation system for carbon reduction in transmission and transformation projects. Subsequently, weights were assigned to these indicators using a combination of the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (FAHP) and the entropy weight method (EWM) through both subjective and objective methods. Finally, the ultimate weights were obtained by applying the principle of minimum information. During the construction of the evaluation model, the rank–sum ratio (RSR) method was introduced into the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for approximating ideal solution ranking. And the Euclidean distance in TOPSIS was replaced with standardized Euclidean distance, effectively avoiding evaluation discrepancies caused by different dimensions. The modified TOPSIS-RSR method was utilized to evaluate and rank power transmission and transformation projects in four regions. By comparing the test values of the two models, the superiority of the enhanced model was confirmed. Furthermore, the GM (1,1) model is used to predict the electricity sales volume of the optimal ranking area. This evaluation model can also be applied to the benefit evaluation of carbon reduction benefits in power transmission and transformation projects in other regions.

Abstract Background Preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Despite evidence shows that imbalances in the maternal microbiome associates to the risk of preterm birth, the mechanisms underlying the association between a perturbed microbiota and preterm birth remain poorly understood. Method Applying shotgun metagenomic analysis on 80 gut microbiotas of 43 mothers, we analyzed the taxonomic composition and metabolic function in gut microbial communities between preterm and term mothers. Results Gut microbiome of mothers delivering prematurely showed decreased alpha diversity and underwent significant reorganization, especially during pregnancy. SFCA-producing microbiomes, particularly species of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Eubacteriaceae, were significantly depleted in preterm mothers. Lachnospiraceae and its species were the main bacteria contributing to species’ differences and metabolic pathways. Conclusion Gut microbiome of mothers delivering prematurely has altered and demonstrates the reduction of Lachnospiraceae.

IntroductionThe initial acquisition and subsequent development of the microbiota in early life is crucial to future health. Cesarean-section (CS) birth is considered to affect early microbial transmission from mother to infant.MethodsIn this study, we collected fecal samples from 34 CS infants and their mothers from West China Second Hospital, Sichuan University to assess the microbiota developmental trajectory of mothers and infants. We explored mother-infant gut microbiome transmission via comparison with corresponding Finnish data.ResultsMetagenomic analysis of gut microbiota profiles indicated that the communities of mothers and infants were distinct. The composition of the infant gut microbiome was highly variable but also followed predictable patterns in the early stages of life. Maternal communities were stable and mainly dominated by species from Bacteroidacea spp. We used PStrain to analyze and visualize strain transmission in each mother-infant pair. Excluding missing data, we included 32 mother-infant pairs for analysis of strain transmission. Most CS deliveries (65.6%, 21/32) did not demonstrate transmission of strains from mother to infant. To further explore the mother-infant strain transmission, we analyzed metagenomics data from Finnish mother-infant pairs. A total of 32 mother-infant pairs were included in the analysis, including 28 vaginal delivery (VD) infants and four CS infants. Strain transmission was observed in 30 infants, including 28 VD infants and two CS infants. All VD infants received transmitted stains from their mothers. Finally, a total of 193 strain transmission events were observed, comprising 131 strains and 45 species.DiscussionTaken together, our data suggested that delivery mode was an important factor influencing the mother-infant strain transmission.

Background. Altered maternal serum lipid metabolism is associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP). However, its range in pregnancy and characteristic among different subgroups of HDPs are unclear. Methods. Pregnant women with HDP who underwent antenatal care and delivered in Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University during January 2018 to August 2022 were enrolled. The levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), apolipoprotein (Apo)-A, B, and E, free fatty acids (FFA), and small and dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (sdLDL) were measured during 4–16 weeks and 28–42 weeks of pregnancy. Results. A total of 2648 pregnant women were diagnosed with HDP, 1,880 of whom were enrolled for final analysis, including 983 (52.3%) preeclampsia (PE), 676 (36.0%) gestational hypertension (GH), and 221 (11.7%) chronic hypertension (CH). For all HDPs, serum TC, TG, LDLC, HDLC, Apo-A, Apo-B, Apo-E, and sdLDL increased significantly during pregnancy, while FFA decreased significantly. Notably, the levels of TC, LDLC, Apo-B, and sdLDL in PE group were equal to or lower than those in CH group at 4–16 weeks of pregnancy, but increased greatly during pregnancy (P

The primary challenge for long-wavelength infrared (λ = 8–13 µm) detection has long been the mitigation of dark current while achieving a high conversion efficiency of optical to electrical signals. Often overlooked is the bandwidth of detector response, despite several existing and expected future long-wave infrared high bandwidth applications. Here, we demonstrate ultra-fast response times in long-wave infrared detectors leveraging ultra-thin absorbers. The time response of the detectors is characterized using mid-infrared femtosecond pulses generated by an optical parametric amplifier, as a function of the device temperature and operating bias, as well as excitation wavelength. An equivalent circuit model for the detectors is presented and compared to our experimental results with excellent agreement. We demonstrate detector impulse response times of 3.5 GHz). Spectral response measurements confirm that the detectors have a resonant cavity mode enhanced response in the long-wave infrared, peaking at 10.2 µm. The presented detectors offer a potential solution for a range of high-frequency applications in the long-wave infrared.

PurposeThe purpose of our meta-analysis and systematic review was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic effectiveness of [18F]FET PET and [18F]FDOPA PET in detecting glioma recurrence.MethodsSensitivities and specificities were assessed using the DerSimonian and Laird methodology, and subsequently transformed using the Freeman-Tukey double inverse sine transformation. Confidence intervals were computed employing the Jackson method, while heterogeneity within and between groups was evaluated through the Cochrane Q and I² statistics. If substantial heterogeneity among the studies was observed (P < 0.10 or I² > 50%), we conducted meta-regression and sensitivity analyses. Publication bias was assessed through the test of a funnel plot and the application of Egger’s test. For all statistical tests, except for assessing heterogeneity (P < 0.10), statistical significance was determined when the two-tailed P value fell below 0.05.ResultsInitially, 579 publications were identified, and ultimately, 22 studies, involving 1514 patients(1226 patients for [18F]FET PET and 288 patients for [18F]FDOPA PET), were included in the analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of [18F]FET PET were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75-0.90) and 0.86 (95% CI, 0.80-0.91), respectively, while for [18F]FDOPA PET, the values were 0.95 (95% CI, 0.86-1.00) for sensitivity and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.77-0.98) for specificity. A statistically significant difference in sensitivity existed between these two radiotracers (P=0.04), while no significant difference was observed in specificity (P=0.58).ConclusionIt seems that [18F]FDOPA PET demonstrates superior sensitivity and similar specificity to [18F] FET PET. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to emphasize that [18F]FDOPA PET results were obtained from studies with limited sample sizes. Further larger prospective studies, especially head-to-head comparisons, are needed in this issue.Systematic Review Registrationidentifier CRD42023463476

Purpose: This study aims to revolutionize the treatment of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), notorious for its resistance to standard therapies. By ingeniously combining Tamoxifen (TMX) and Docetaxel (DTX) within a lipid-coated mesoporous silica nanoparticle (LP-MSN) delivery system, we intend to enhance therapeutic efficacy while circumventing DTX resistance mediated by CYP3A4 expression. Methods: We rigorously tested TNBC cell lines to confirm the responsiveness to Docetaxel (DTX) and Tamoxifen (TMX). We adeptly engineered LP-MSN nanoparticles and conducted a thorough examination of the optimal drug release strategy, evaluating the LP-MSN system's ability to mitigate the impact of CYP3A4 on DTX. Additionally, we comprehensively analyzed its pharmacological performance. Results: Our innovative approach utilizing TMX and DTX within LP-MSN showcased remarkable efficacy. Sequential drug release from the lipid layer and mesoporous core curbed CYP3A4-mediated metabolism, substantially enhancing cytotoxic effects on TNBC cells without harming normal cells. Conclusion: This pioneering research introduces a breakthrough strategy for tackling TNBC. By capitalizing on synergistic TMX and DTX effects via LP-MSN, we surmount drug resistance mediated by CYP3A4. This advancement holds immense potential for transforming TNBC treatment, warranting further clinical validation.

In this paper, we investigate the features of spatiotemporal change in fractional vegetation cover (FVC) throughout the Yellow River Basin between 2000 and 2022 and identify the driving factors behind the change using the MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) as a data source. On that basis, our research involves trend analysis and the center migration model to examine the correlation between vegetation cover changes and various factors, such as climates, topographies, soils, and human activities. In this way, we aim to uncover how such correlation contributed to the reduction in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in surface runoff. Results suggest that (1) the FVC of the Yellow River Basin has been trending upward over the past 23 years, and vegetation growth has been remarkably improved; (2) the center of medium-high and denser vegetation cover has progressively migrated from the upper reaches of the Yellow River down to its middle-lower segments; (3) soil erosion control measures are critical to improve vegetation cover, given the great impact of the shifting natural elements on vegetation cover changes on a local basis; (4) an improvement in vegetation cover leads to considerable positive change in the runoff and SSC of the Yellow River mainstem. This study has yielded noteworthy contributions in correctly understanding the current vegetation changes and related factors in the Yellow River Basin. Furthermore, it has laid the groundwork for further research in improving the accuracy of basic data and deepening the correlation between factors.

Summary: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with no targeted therapeutics. The luminal androgen receptor (LAR) subtype constitutes 15% of TNBC and is enriched for androgen receptor (AR) and AR target genes. Here, we show that a cohort of TNBC not only expresses AR at a much higher rate (∼80%) but also expresses AR splice variants (AR-SVs) (∼20%), further subclassifying LAR-TNBC. Higher AR and AR-SV expression and corresponding aggressive phenotypes are observed predominantly in specimens obtained from African American women. LAR TNBC specimens are enriched for interferon, Janus kinase (JAK)-signal activator and transducer (STAT), and androgen signaling pathways, which are exclusive to AR-expressing epithelial cancer cells. AR- and AR-SV-expressing TNBC cell proliferation and xenograft and patient-tumor explant growth are inhibited by AR N-terminal domain-binding selective AR degrader or by a JAK inhibitor. Biochemical analysis suggests that STAT1 is an AR coactivator. Collectively, our work identifies pharmacologically targetable TNBC subtypes and identifies growth-promoting interaction between AR and JAK-STAT signaling.

There are a large number of microorganisms in the gut of insects, which form a symbiotic relationship with the host during the long-term co-evolution process and have a significant impact on the host's nutrition, physiology, development, immunity, stress tolerance and other aspects. However, the composition of the gut microbes of Hyphantria cunea remains unclear. In order to investigate the difference and diversity of intestinal microbiota of H. cunea larvae feeding on different host plants, we used PacBio sequencing technology for the first time to sequence the 16S rRNA full-length gene of the intestinal microbiota of H. cunea. The species classification, β diversity and function of intestinal microflora of the 5th instar larvae of four species of H. cunea feeding on apricot, plum, redbud and Chinese ash were analysed. The results showed that a total of nine phyla and 65 genera were identified by PacBio sequencing, amongst which Firmicutes was the dominant phylum and Enterococcus was the dominant genus, with an average relative abundance of 59.29% and 52.16%, respectively. PERMANOVA analysis and cluster heat map showed that the intestinal microbiomes of H. cunea larvae, fed on different hosts, were significantly different. LEfSe analysis confirmed the effect of host diet on intestinal community structure and PICRUSt2 analysis showed that most of the predictive functions were closely related to material transport and synthetic, metabolic and cellular processes. The results of this study laid a foundation for revealing the interaction between the intestinal microorganisms of H. cunea and its hosts and provided ideas for exploring new green prevention and control strategies of H. cunea.

The interest in refractory materials is increasing rapidly in recent decades due to the development of hypersonic vehicles. However, the substance that has the highest melting point (Tm) keeps a secret, since precise measurements in extreme conditions are overwhelmingly difficult. In the present work, an accurate deep potential (DP) model of a Hf–Ta–C–N system was first trained, and then applied to search for the highest melting point material by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and Bayesian global optimization (BGO). The predicted melting points agree well with the experiments and confirm that carbon site vacancies can enhance the melting point of rock-salt-structure carbides. The solid solution with N is verified as another new and more effective melting point enhancing approach for HfC, while a conventional routing of the solid solution with Ta (e.g., HfTa4C5) is not suggested to result in a maximum melting point. The highest melting point (~4236 K) is achieved with the composition of HfC0.638N0.271, which is ~80 K higher than the highest value in a Hf–C binary system. Dominating mechanism of the N addition is believed to be unstable C–N and N–N bonds in liquid phase, which reduces liquid phase entropy and renders the liquid phase less stable. The improved melting point and less gas generation during oxidation by the addition of N provide a new routing to modify thermal protection materials for the hypersonic vehicles.

Optical cavity has long been critical for a variety of applications ranging from precise measurement to spectral analysis. A number of theories and methods have been successful in describing the optical response of a stratified optical cavity, while the inverse problem, especially the inverse design of a displacement sensitive cavity, remains a significant challenge due to the cost of computation and comprehensive performance requirements. This paper reports a novel inverse design methodology combining the characteristic matrix method, mixed-discrete variables optimization algorithm, and Monte Carlo method-based tolerance analysis. The material characteristics are indexed to enable the mixed-discrete variables optimization, which yields considerable speed and efficiency improvements. This method allows arbitrary response adjustment with technical feasibility and gives a glimpse into the analytical characterization of the optical response. Two entirely different light-displacement responses, including an asymmetric sawtooth-like response and a highly symmetric response, are dug out and experimentally achieved, which fully confirms the validity of the method. The compact Fabry-Perot cavities have a good balance between performance and feasibility, making them promising candidates for displacement transducers. More importantly, the proposed inverse design paves the way for a universal design of optical cavities, or even nanophotonic devices.

ABSTRACT Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a type of digestive system disease with high mortality. Previous studies have shown that gut microbiota can participate in developing and treating acute pancreatitis by affecting the host’s metabolism. In this study, we followed 20 AP patients to generate longitudinal gut microbiota profiles and activity during disease (before treatment, on the third day of treatment, and 1 month after discharge). We analyzed species composition and metabolic pathways’ changes across the treatment phase, severity, and etiology. The diversity of the gut microbiome of patients with AP did not show much variation with treatment. In contrast, the metabolic functions of the gut microbiota, such as the essential chemical reactions that produce energy and maintain life, were partially reinstated after treatment. The severe AP (SAP) patients contained less beneficial bacteria (i.e., Bacteroides xylanisolvens, Clostridium lavalense, and Roseburia inulinivorans) and weaker sugar degradation function than mild AP patients before treatment. Moreover, etiology was one of the drivers of gut microbiome composition and explained the 3.54% variation in species’ relative abundance. The relative abundance of pathways related to lipid synthesis was higher in the gut of hyperlipidemia AP patients than in biliary AP patients. The composition and functional profiles of the gut microbiota reflect the severity and etiology of AP. Otherwise, we also identified bacterial species associated with SAP, i.e., Oscillibacter sp. 57_20, Parabacteroides johnsonii, Bacteroides stercoris, Methanobrevibacter smithii, Ruminococcus lactaris, Coprococcus comes, and Dorea formicigenerans, which have the potential to identify the SAP at an early stage. Importance Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a type of digestive system disease with high mortality. Previous studies have shown that gut microbiota can participate in the development and treatment of acute pancreatitis by affecting the host’s metabolism. However, fewer studies acquired metagenomic sequencing data to associate species to functions intuitively and performed longitudinal analysis to explore how gut microbiota influences the development of AP. We followed 20 AP patients to generate longitudinal gut microbiota profiles and activity during disease and studied the differences in intestinal flora under different severities and etiologies. We have two findings. First, the gut microbiota profile has the potential to identify the severity and etiology of AP at an early stage. Second, gut microbiota likely acts synergistically in the development of AP. This study provides a reference for characterizing the driver flora of severe AP to identify the severity of acute pancreatitis at an early stage.

Summary: The underlying mechanisms governing parturition remain largely elusive due to limited knowledge of parturition preparation and initiation. Accumulated evidences indicate that maternal decidua plays a critical role in parturition initiation. To comprehensively decrypt the cell heterogeneity in decidua approaching parturition, we investigate the roles of various cell types in mouse decidua process and reveal previously unappreciated insights in parturition initiation utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). We enumerate the cell types in decidua and identity five different stromal cells populations and one decidualized stromal cells. Furthermore, our study unravels that stromal cells prepare for parturition by regulating local retinol acid (RA) synthesis. RA supplement decreases expression of extracellular matrix-related genes in vitro and accelerates the timing of parturition in vivo. Collectively, the discovery of contribution of stromal cells in parturition expands current knowledge about parturition and opens up avenues for the intervention of preterm birth (PTB).

Background Chitinase‐3 like protein 1 (CHI3L1, YKL‐40) was reported to be implicated in the development of ischemic stroke, but whether the association between them was causal remained unclear. We conducted a 2‐sample Mendelian randomization study to explore the associations of genetically determined plasma YKL‐40 with ischemic stroke and its subtypes (large artery stroke, small vessel stroke, and cardioembolic stroke). Methods and Results Based on genome‐wide association study data of 3394 European‐descent individuals, we selected 13 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms associated with plasma YKL‐40 as genetic instruments. Summary data about ischemic stroke and its subtypes were obtained from the Multiancestry Genome‐wide Association Study of Stroke Consortium, involving 34 217 ischemic stroke cases and 406 111 controls of European ancestry. We used the inverse‐variance weighted method followed by a series of sensitivity analyses to assess the causal associations of plasma YKL‐40 with ischemic stroke and its subtypes. The primary analysis showed that genetically determined high YKL‐40 levels were associated with increased risks of large artery stroke (odds ratio [OR], 1.08 [95% CI, 1.04–1.12]; P=1.73×10−4) and small vessel stroke (OR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01–1.09]; P=7.96×10−3) but not with ischemic stroke or cardioembolic stroke. Sensitivity analyses further confirmed these associations, and Mendelian randomization‐Egger indicated no evidence of genetic pleiotropy. In addition, supplementary analysis based on the summary data from the Olink proximity extension assay cardiovascular I (Olink CVD‐I) panel showed that high YKL‐40 levels were positively associated with the risks of large artery stroke (OR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.08–1.22]; P=4.16×10−6) but not with small vessel stroke. Conclusions Genetically determined high plasma YKL‐40 levels were causal associated with increased risks of large artery stroke.

Purpose: Proton vertebral body sparing craniospinal irradiation (CSI) treats the thecal sac while avoiding the anterior vertebral bodies in an effort to reduce myelosuppression and growth inhibition. However, robust treatment planning needs to compensate for proton range uncertainty, which contributes unwanted doses within the vertebral bodies. This work aimed to develop an early in vivo radiation damage quantification method using longitudinal magnetic resonance (MR) scans to quantify the dose effect during fractionated CSI. Methods and Materials: Ten pediatric patients were enrolled in a prospective clinical trial of proton vertebral body sparing CSI, in which they received 23.4 to 36 Gy. Monte Carlo robust planning was used, with spinal clinical target volumes defined as the thecal sac and neural foramina. T1/T2-weighted MR scans were acquired before, during, and after treatments to detect a transition from hematopoietic to less metabolically active fatty marrow. MR signal intensity histograms at each time point were analyzed and fitted by multi-Gaussian models to quantify radiation damage. Results: Fatty marrow filtration was observed in MR images as early as the fifth fraction of treatment. Maximum radiation-induced marrow damage occurred 40 to 50 days from the treatment start, followed by marrow regeneration. The mean damage ratios were 0.23, 0.41, 0.59, and 0.54, corresponding to 10, 20, 40, and 60 days from the treatment start. Conclusions: We demonstrated a noninvasive method for identifying early vertebral marrow damage based on radiation-induced fatty marrow replacement. The proposed method can be potentially used to quantify the quality of CSI vertebral sparing and preserve metabolically active hematopoietic bone marrow.

Abstract This study analyses the influence of the Asian summer monsoon on volcanic aerosol transport. Realistic, altitude-resolved SO2 emissions of a middle-latitude volcanic eruption (Sarychev 2009) and a tropical volcanic eruption (Nabro 2011) were retrieved and used to initialize the simulations of the long-range transport and dispersion of the sulfate aerosol plumes. The barrier effect of the Asian summer monsoon anticyclone (ASMA) isolated the Sarychev eruption plume outside of the ASMA but constrained the Nabro eruption plume inside of the ASMA, which is most evident in the UTLS region between isotropic surfaces of 360–420 K. Meanwhile, the ASMA could transport a fraction of the plume outside of ASMA quasi-horizontally to the tropical tropopause layer along the southeastern periphery of the anticyclonic circulation, and lift the volcanic plume inside the ASMA anticyclonically across the tropopause with an ascent rate of approximately 0.8 K/day. By enhancing the meridional transport in the UTLS region and lifting volcanic aerosols across the tropopause, the ASMA significantly expanded the potential effects of volcanic eruptions.

Abstract Background Inferring historical population admixture events yield essential insights in understanding a species demographic history. Methods are available to infer admixture events in demographic history with extant genetic data from multiple sources. Due to the deficiency in ancient population genetic data, there lacks a method for admixture inference from a single source. Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) estimates the historical effective population size from lineage genomes of a single individual, based on the distribution of the most recent common ancestor between the diploid’s alleles. However, PSMC does not infer the admixture event. Results Here, we proposed eSMC, an extended PSMC model for admixture inference from a single source. We evaluated our model’s performance on both in silico data and real data. We simulated population admixture events at an admixture time range from 5 kya to 100 kya (5 years/generation) with population admix ratio at 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, and 4:1, respectively. The root means the square error is $$\pm 7.61$$ ± 7.61 kya for all experiments. Then we implemented our method to infer the historical admixture events in human, donkey and goat populations. The estimated admixture time for both Han and Tibetan individuals range from 60 kya to 80 kya (25 years/generation), while the estimated admixture time for the domesticated donkeys and the goats ranged from 40 kya to 60 kya (8 years/generation) and 40 kya to 100 kya (6 years/generation), respectively. The estimated admixture times were concordance to the time that domestication occurred in human history. Conclusion Our eSMC effectively infers the time of the most recent admixture event in history from a single individual’s genomics data. The source code of eSMC is hosted at https://github.com/zachary-zzc/eSMC .

Effective chemotherapy for clinical treatment of brain diseases is still lacking due to the poor penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The aim of this study was to construct a folate modified pterostilbene (Pt) loaded polymeric micellar delivery system (F-Pt/M) with mPEG-PCL as carrier material to aim at penetrating the BBB for brain tissue targeting via receptor-mediated endocytosis. In this study, F-Pt/M was prepared using thin-film hydration method and then optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) with the entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading (DL) and hydrodynamic diameter (HD) as indexes. The average hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of optimal F-Pt/M were 133.2 nm and 24.6 mV, respectively. DL (18.3%) and EE (98.6%) made the solubility of Pt in water about 25 times higher than that of crude Pt. Results of DSC evaluation revealed that drugs were successfully encapsulated inside the polymeric micelles. TEM images showed that homogeneous spherical micellar structures with a narrow size distribution were developed. The release result in vitro showed that F-Pt/M presented sustained release behavior compared to control free Pt solution. Compared to non-targeted Pt/M, F-Pt/M had a significantly higher cytotoxicity against FR-overexpressing A172 cells. In vitro cellular uptake tests illustrated that the micellar delivery system could significantly improve the accumulation of drugs in target cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis. BBB penetration value (P) of F-Pt/M was about 4 folds higher than that of free Pt group. In addition, drug targeting index (DTI) was calculated to determine targeting of F-Pt/M to the brain which was found to be 4.89, implying improved brain targeting was achieved. Hence, the developed F-Pt/M exhibited great potential for delivering more drug molecules across the BBB for the treatment of brain diseases.

Background High plasma prekallikrein was reported to be associated with increased risks of stroke, but the causality for these associations remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the associations of genetically predicted plasma prekallikrein concentrations with all‐cause stroke, ischemic stroke, 3 ischemic stroke subtypes, and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) using a 2‐sample Mendelian randomization approach. Methods and Results Seven independent prekallikrein‐related single‐nucleotide polymorphisms were identified as genetic instruments for prekallikrein based on a genome‐wide association study with 1000 European individuals. The summary statistics for all‐cause stroke, ischemic stroke, and ischemic stroke subtypes were obtained from the Multiancestry Genome‐wide Association Study of Stroke Consortium with 40 585 cases and 406 111 controls of European ancestry. The summary statistics for ICH were obtained from the ISGC (International Stroke Genetics Consortium) with 1545 ICH cases and 1481 controls of European ancestry. In the main analysis, the inverse‐variance weighted method was applied to estimate the associations of plasma prekallikrein concentrations with all‐cause stroke, ischemic stroke, ischemic stroke subtypes, and ICH. Genetically predicted high plasma prekallikrein levels were significantly associated with elevated risks of all‐cause stroke (odds ratio [OR] per SD increase, 1.04 [95% CI, 1.02–1.06]; P=5.44×10−5), ischemic stroke (OR per SD increase, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.03–1.07]; P=1.42×10−5), cardioembolic stroke (OR per SD increase, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.03–1.12]; P=3.75×10−4), and small vessel stroke (OR per SD increase, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.06–1.17]; P=3.02×10−5). However, no significant associations were observed for genetically predicted prekallikrein concentrations with large artery stroke and ICH. Conclusions This Mendelian randomization study found that genetically predicted high plasma prekallikrein concentrations were associated with increased risks of all‐cause stroke, ischemic stroke, cardioembolic stroke, and small vessel stroke, indicating that prekallikrein might have a critical role in the development of stroke.

Background We examined whether the relationship between baseline platelet count and clinical outcomes is modulated by HS‐CRP (high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein) in patients with ischemic stroke. Methods and Results A total of 3267 patients with ischemic stroke were included in the analysis. The primary outcome was a combination of death and major disability at 1 year after ischemic stroke. Secondary outcomes included major disability, death, vascular events, composite outcome of vascular events or death, and an ordered 7‐level categorical score of the modified Rankin Scale at 1 year. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the association between the baseline platelet count and clinical outcomes stratified by HS‐CRP levels when appropriate. There was an interaction effect of platelet count and HS‐CRP on the adverse clinical outcomes after ischemic stroke (all Pinteraction

To investigate the economic impact of carbon reduction technology on power transmission and transformation projects, carbon reduction technologies adapted to power transmission and transformation projects were investigated, and the evaluation indicator system for cost-benefit in power transmission and transformation projects was established based on AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) and EWM (Entropy Weight Method). Taking 110 kV and 220 kV transmission and transformation projects in a province located in northwest China as an example, a sensitivity analysis was carried out for the weight of each carbon reduction technology. Additionally, based on the evaluation indicator system, eight alternative carbon reduction schemes were proposed, and the net present value and scheme scores were analyzed with TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution). The results showed that in the criterion layer of the 110 kV case, the highest proportion of weight is “high-efficiency transformer”, accounting for 34.12%, and in the indicator layer, the highest proportion of weight is “ parasitic losses”, accounting for 12.35%. After conducting error analysis on the 110 kV and 220 kV cases, it was found that the errors were within an acceptable range both in the criterion layer and index layer. Moreover, it is expected to achieve greater economic benefits through lower costs according to Scheme VI, and due to the limitations of carbon reduction technologies and the lack of a relevant policy system, it is difficult to achieve the goal of covering costs with benefits for the eight schemes studied.

Wetlands have powerful runoff regulation functions, which can effectively store and retain surface runoff. The runoff regulation function of wetlands is affected by wetland areas, which affect the capacity of flood control. To explore the law of the area change of the main wetlands of the Naolihe River Basin (MWNRB), the visual interpretation method was used to extract wetlands. To identify the reasons for area changes in the MWNRB, the maximum likelihood method, minimum distance method, and neural network method were used to classify land use types from remote sensing images; the M-K variation point test and Theil-Sen trend analysis were used to test the variation point and calculate the trend of precipitation and temperature series. To clarify the influence of wetland areas on runoff, the Gini coefficient and SRI of runoff were used to calculate runoff temporal inhomogeneity. The results showed that the area of the MWNRB obviously decreased, with 74.5 × 106 m2/year from 1993 to 2008, and increased slowly from 2008 to 2015, with 27.7 × 106 m2/year. From 1993 to 2008, 50.74% and 38.87% of wetlands were transformed into paddy fields and dry fields, respectively. From 2008 to 2015, 61.69% and 7.76% of wetlands were transformed from paddy fields and dry fields, respectively. The temperature of the MWNRB increased slowly by 0.04 °C/year from 1993 to 2008 and increased obviously by 0.16 °C/year from 2008 to 2015. The precipitation decreased by 5.6–8.1 mm/year and increased by 16.6–41.2 mm/year in 1993–2008 and 2008–2015, respectively. Compared with precipitation and temperature, land use change caused by human activities is the main cause of wetland area change. The area change of the MWNRB has a certain influence on the runoff regulation and storage capacity. The Gini coefficient and SRI index increased from 0.002/year (0.008) to 0.023/year from 1993 to 2008 and decreased from 0.046/year (0.045) to 0.161/year from 2008 to 2015, respectively.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are a toxic substance present in certain natural plants. Direct human exposure to these plants containing AAs leads to a severe and irreversible condition known as aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). Additionally, AAs accumulation in the food chain through environmental mediators can trigger Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), an environmental variant of AAN. This paper presents a concise overview of the oncogenic pathways associated with AAs and explores the various routes of environmental exposure to AAs. The detection and removal of AAs in natural plants, drugs, and environmental and biological samples were classified and summarized, and the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods were analyzed. It is hoped that this review can provide effective insights into the detection and removal of AAs in the future.

The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter ABCG2 is a significant urate transporter with a high capacity, and it plays a crucial role in the development of hyperuricemia and gout. Therefore, it has the potential to be targeted for therapeutic interventions. Cortex Fraxini, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been found to possess anti-hyperuricemia properties. However, the specific constituents of Cortex Fraxini responsible for this effect are still unknown, particularly the compound that is responsible for reducing uric acid levels in vivo. In this study, we propose a target screening protocol utilizing bio-affinity ultrafiltration mass spectrometry (BA-UF-MS) to expediently ascertain ABCG2 ligands from the plasma of rats administered with Cortex Fraxini. Our screening protocol successfully identified fraxin as a potential ligand that interacts with ABCG2 when it functions as the target protein. Subsequent investigations substantiated fraxin as an activated ligand of ABCG2. These findings imply that fraxin exhibits promise as a drug candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia. Furthermore, the utilization of BA-UF-MS demonstrates its efficacy as a valuable methodology for identifying hit compounds that exhibit binding affinity towards ABCG2 within TCMs.

The key to critical bone regeneration in tissue engineering relies on an ideal bio-scaffold coated with a controlled release of growth factors. Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and Hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA) have been a novel topic of interest in bone regeneration while introducing appropriate nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAP) to improve its mechanical properties. And the exosomes derived from human urine-derived stem cells (human USCEXOs) have also been reported to promote osteogenesis in tissue engineering. The present study aimed to design a new GelMA-HAMA/nHAP composite hydrogel as a drug delivery system. The USCEXOs were encapsulated and slow-released in the hydrogel for better osteogenesis. The characterization of the GelMA-based hydrogel showed excellent controlled release performance and appropriate mechanical properties. The in vitro studies showed that the USCEXOs/GelMA-HAMA/nHAP composite hydrogel could promote the osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and the angiogenesis of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), respectively. Meanwhile, the in vivo results confirmed that this composite hydrogel could significantly promote the defect repair of cranial bone in the rat model. In addition, we also found that USCEXOs/GelMA-HAMA/nHAP composite hydrogel can promote the formation of H-type vessels in the bone regeneration area, enhancing the therapeutic effect. In conclusion, our findings suggested that this controllable and biocompatible USCEXOs/GelMA-HAMA/nHAP composite hydrogel may effectively promote bone regeneration by coupling osteogenesis and angiogenesis.

Summary: We describe a protocol to integrate genome variation data from different datasets and explore the population structure and migration history of human populations. This protocol provides semi-automated scripts to perform and visualize the effect of variant filtering strategy on eliminating batch effects, principal component analysis, ancestry component analysis, historical population effective size inference, and migration and isolation analysis based on independent biallelic SNPs, genotype likelihoods, and haplotypes. The protocol can be adapted to variation data from other sources.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Zhang et al. (2022).1 : Publisher’s note: Undertaking any experimental protocol requires adherence to local institutional guidelines for laboratory safety and ethics.

Background: To date, there is no licensed vaccine for preventing herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The current treatment to address the infection and prevent its transmission is not always satisfactory. Methods: We constructed two recombinant vectors, one encoding HSV-2 glycoprotein D (gD, SeV-dF/HSV-2-gD) and one encoding HSV-2-infected cell protein 27 (ICP27, SeV-dF/HSV-2-ICP27), based on a replication-defective Sendai virus through reverse genetics, collectively comprising a combinatorial HSV-2 therapeutic vaccine candidate. The immunogenicity and proper immunization procedure for this vaccine were explored in a murine model. The therapeutic effect that helps prevent recurrent HSV-2 disease was evaluated in HSV-2-infected guinea pigs. Results: Both a robust humoral immune response and a cellular immune response, characterized by the neutralizing antibody titer and the IFN-γ level, respectively, were elicited in BALB/c mice. A further study of cellular immunogenicity in mice revealed that T lymphocytes were successfully enhanced with the desirable secretion of several cytokines. In HSV-2-seropositive guinea pigs, vaccination could reduce the severity of HSV-2 in terms of recurrent lesions, duration of recurrent outbreak, and frequency of recurrence by 58.66%, 45.34%, and 45.09%, respectively, while viral shedding was also significantly inhibited in the vaccine-treated group compared to the group treated with phosphate-buffered saline. Conclusions: The replication-defective recombinant Sendai viruses conveying HSV-2-gD and ICP27 proteins showed great immunogenicity and potential for preventing recurrent HSV-2 disease.

A one-dimensional fluid model was employed to investigate the influence of the small secondary electron emission (SEE) coefficient on the characteristic properties of an Ar/O2 gas discharge at atmospheric pressure driven by a dual frequency source. The study includes basic physical quantities such as particle density, electron temperature, the electron heating mechanism, and energy loss. The research results illustrate that with an increase in the secondary electron emission coefficient, the electron density increases, while electron temperature and electric field decrease. The densities of various particles increase to different degrees, except for the metastable O2* molecule and the O atom. The density of the metastable O2* molecule and the density of the O atom are hardly affected by the SEE coefficient; however, the time required for both to reach steady state decreases. The time required for the electron density to reach steady state increases. Electron heating and energy loss increase to varying degrees when the SEE coefficient changes from 0.001 to 0.01.

Laser cladding is a new technology for fabricating coatings with good properties, such as wear resistance, lubrication, and corrosion resistance. Usually, parts of 45 steel are used as a shaft under conditions of high-speed rotation or friction and wear, and they have a short service life and sometimes cause accidents. In order to avoid serious accidents, a cladding coating made from a Ni-based alloy with ceramic particles was fabricated via laser technology on a substrate of 45 steel in this research. The microstructure and properties were investigated via SEM, EDS, XRD, and a wear and friction tester. The results show that there was an obvious boundary between the cladding coating and the substrate. The main phases were γ(Fe, Ni), WC, TiC, Cr2Ti, and Cr23C6. In the middle of cladding coating, the microstructure was composed of dendrite and cellular crystals, while the microstructure was composed of equiaxial crystals in the bonding region. Inside the cellular crystal, the main phase was γ~(Fe, Ni), which occasionally also showed the appearance of some white particles inside the cellular crystal. Compared with the cellular crystal, the boundary had less of the Fe and Ni elements and more of the Cr and W elements. The amount of C element around the dendrite crystal was more than that around the boundary of cellular crystal due to the long formation time of dendrite. The white particles around the boundary were carbides, such as WC and Cr23C6 phases. Meanwhile, the segregation of the Si element also appeared around the boundaries of the crystal. The maximum microhardness was 772.4 HV0.5, which was about 3.9 times as much as the substrate’s microhardness. The friction coefficients of the 45 steel substrate and Ni-based alloy coating were usually around 0.3 and 0.1, respectively. The Ni-based coating had a smaller coefficient and more stable fluctuations. The wear volume of the cladding coating (0.16 mm3) was less than that of the substrate (1.1 mm3), which was about 14.5% of the wear volume of 45 steel substrate. The main reason was the existence of reinforced phases, such as γ~(Fe, Ni), Cr23C6, and Cr2Ti. The added small WC and TiC particles also enhanced the wear resistance further. The main wear mechanism of the cladding coating was changed to be adhesive wear due to the ceramic particles, which was helpful in improving the service life of 45 steel.

The high specific capacity of transition metal sulfides (TMSs) opens up a promising new development direction for lithium-ion batteries with high energy storage. However, the poor conductivity and serious volume expansion during charge and discharge hinder their further development. In this work, trimetallic sulfide Zn–Co–Fe–S@nitrogen-doped carbon (Zn–Co–Fe–S@N–C) polyhedron composite with a core–shell structure is synthesized through a simple self-template method using ZnCoFe–ZIF as precursor, followed by a dopamine surface polymerization process and sulfidation during high-temperature calcination. The obvious space between the internal core and the external shell of the Zn–Co–Fe–S@N–C composites can effectively alleviate the volume expansion and shorten the diffusion path of Li ions during charge and discharge cycles. The nitrogen-doped carbon shell not only significantly improves the electrical conductivity of the material, but also strengthens the structural stability of the material. The synergistic effect between polymetallic sulfides improves the electrochemical reactivity. When used as an anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), the prepared Zn–Co–Fe–S@N–C composite exhibits a high specific capacity retention (966.6 mA h g−1 after 100 cycles at current rate of 100 mA g−1) and good cyclic stability (499.17 mA h g−1 after 120 cycles at current rate of 2000 mA g−1).

Recently, the realization of electromagnetic wave signal transmission and reception has been achieved through the utilization of the magnetoelectric effect, enabling the development of compact and portable low-frequency communication systems. In this paper, we present a miniaturized low-frequency communication system including a transmitter device and a receiver device, which operates at a frequency of 44.75 kHz, and the bandwidth is 1.1 kHz. The transmitter device employs a Terfenol-D (80 mm × 10 mm × 0.2 mm)/PZT (30 mm × 10 mm × 0.2 mm)/Terfenol-D glued composite heterojunction magnetoelectric antenna and the strongest radiation in the length direction, while the receiver device utilizes a manually crafted coil maximum size of 82 mm, yielding a minimum induced electromagnetic field of 1 pT at 44.75 kHz. With an input voltage of 150 V, the system effectively communicates over a distance of 16 m in air and achieves reception of electromagnetic wave signals within 1 m in simulated seawater with a salinity level of 35% at 25 °C. The miniaturized low-frequency communication system possesses wireless transmission capabilities, a compact size, and a rapid response, rendering it suitable for applications in mining communication, underwater communication, underwater wireless energy transmission, and underwater wireless sensor networks.