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Controlled-release urea (CRU) releases nitrogen (N) at the same pace that rice takes it up, which can effectively improve N use efficiency, increase rice yield and improve rice quality. However, few studies have described the effects of CRU application on the photosynthetic rate and endogenous enzyme activities of rice. Accordingly, a two-year field trial was conducted with a total of seven treatments: CK, no N fertilizer; BBF, regular blended fertilizer; RBBF, 20% N-reduced regular blended fertilizer; CRF1, 70% CRU+30% regular urea one-time base application; CRF2, 60% CRU+40% regular urea one-time base application; RCRF1, CRF1 treatment with 20% N reduction; and RCRF2, CRF2 treatment with 20% N reduction. Each treatment was conducted in triplicate. The results showed that the N recovery efficiency (NRE) of the controlled-release bulk blending fertilizer (CRBBF) treatments was significantly greater over the two years. There were significant yield increases of 4.1–5.9% under the CRF1 treatment and 5.6–7.6% under the CRF2 treatment compared to the BBF treatment, but the differences between the reduced-N treatments RBBF and RCRF2 were not significant. Photosynthetic rates under the CRF1 and CRF2 treatments were significantly higher than under the other treatments, and they had significantly greater RuBPCase, RuBisCO, glutamate synthase (GOGAT) and glutamine synthetase (GS) enzyme activities. Additionally, the soil NH4+-N and NO3−-N contents under the CRBBF treatments were significantly higher at the late growth stage of rice, which was more in-line with the fertilizer requirements of rice throughout the reproductive period. CRBBF also led to some improvement in rice quality. Compared with the BBF and RBBF treatments, the protein contents under the CRBBF treatments were reduced but the milling, appearance, eating and cooking qualities of the rice were improved. These results showed that the application of CRBBF can improve the NRE, photosynthetic rate and endogenous enzyme activities of rice, ensuring sufficient N nutrition and photosynthetic material production during rice growth and thereby achieving improved rice yield and quality.

Abstract To analyze the prevalence and influencing factors of myopia among children and adolescents in Hangzhou city, and provide ideas for the formulation of myopia prevention and control measures. A cross-sectional school-based study using stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 31,880 students from 113 schools in Hangzhou city. Myopia screening and questionnaires on the influencing factors of poor visual acuity were carried out. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to screen possible risk factors of myopia. The overall prevalence of myopia was found to be 55.3% (17,630/31,880), with the myopia rates observed among students in kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and senior high school, at 5.8%, 34.9%, 74.2%, and 85.0%, respectively. As the academic year progresses, there has been an observable increase in the prevalence of myopia (χ2 = 8676.748, P

Abstract A pile group under lateral loading is a complex pile‒soil-pile interaction problem. In this study, numerical analysis was used to investigate the lateral behavior of pile groups arranged in a 3 × 3 configuration with varying piles spacings. The hypoplastic constitutive model embedded into ABAQUS software through the UMAT subroutine was used to characterize the stress‒strain relationship of Toyoura sand. The effects of the pile spacing on the load‒displacement relationship of the pile group, the bending moment-depth relationship of each pile in the pile group, the deflection-depth relationship, and the soil resistance distribution were investigated. The results indicate that the lateral bearing capacity of the pile group decreases by more than 50% when the pile spacing is reduced from 7D to 3D. When the pile spacing is greater than 5D, the “edge effect” of the laterally loaded pile group gradually decreases, and when the pile spacing is greater than 7D, the “shadowing effect” can be negligible, and the wedge-shaped failure zone of the pile group occurs within a depth of 5D below the mud surface.

Abstract Adaptive governance has emerged as a prominent theoretical and methodological approach in environmental governance, recognized for its capacity to address evolving conditions and future uncertainties. Despite the extensive literature on adaptive governance since its inception in 2003, a comprehensive review of the literature spanning two decades remains to be conducted. This study addresses that gap by selecting 3274 articles from the Web of Science Core Collection and performing a global scientometric visualization analysis. Our analysis identifies the most productive institutions, authors, journals, publication trends, and research frontiers in adaptive governance research. The findings reveal that there has been a significant acceleration in global research on adaptive governance over the past two decades. Furthermore, the majority of contributions to the field of adaptive governance research have been made by scholars based in the United States, Australia, England, Canada, and the Netherlands. Additionally, existing studies in adaptive governance field focus mainly on subject categories of environmental studies, environmental sciences, and ecology. Finally, the concept of adaptive governance, environmental governance, social-ecological systems, climate change adaptation and social learning were identified as hot topics and emerging trends. This study provides researchers and practitioners with an extensive understanding of the salient research themes, trends, and patterns in global adaptive governance research in an intuitive manner.

Abstract Background Brassica napus L. (B. napus) is susceptible to waterlogging stress during different cultivation periods. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance the resistance to waterlogging stress to achieve a high and stable yield of B. napus. Results Here we observed significant differences in the responses of two B. napus varieties in root under waterlogging stress. The sensitive variety (23651) exhibited a more pronounced and rapid reduction in cell wall thickness and root integrity compared with the tolerant variety (Santana) under waterlogging stress. By module clustering analysis based on transcriptome data, we identified that cell wall polysaccharide metabolism responded to waterlogging stress in root. It was found that pectin content was significantly reduced in the sensitive variety compared with the tolerant variety. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed that the expression of two homologous genes encoding polygalacturonase-inhibiting protein 2 (PGIP2), involved in polysaccharide metabolic pathways, was highly upregulated in root of the tolerant variety under waterlogging stress. BnaPGIP2s probably confer waterlogging resistance by inhibiting the activity of polygalacturonases (PGs), which in turn reduces the degradation of the pectin backbone polygalacturonic acid. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that cell wall polysaccharides in root plays a vital role in response to the waterlogging stress and provide a theoretical foundation for breeding waterlogging resistance in B. napus varieties.

Abstract Background Macular hole (MH) is a rare complication of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and has an adverse impact on residual visual function. At present, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood and surgical experience is limited. Methods We reviewed the medical records and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans in a cohort of eight eyes of seven RP patients with MH in order to report their OCT features and vitreoretinal surgical prognosis. Results This study includes four lamellar macular holes (LMHs) and four full-thickness macular holes (FTMHs). Pre-operative OCT revealed other macular abnormalities in all eyes, such as epiretinal membrane (ERM), cystoid macular edema (CME), lamellar hole-associated epiretinal proliferation (LHEP) and vitreoretinal traction. MH progression and subjective vision worsening were noted in one LMH eye during a seven-month follow-up. All holes closed after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. At final follow-up, one eye had improved vision and seven eyes remained stable compared to baseline. Conclusions The occurrence of MH in RP is accompanied by various imaging characteristics, such as ERM, CME and LHEP, suggesting a multifactorial pathogenesis. Considering poor vision in most RP patients with potentially progressive MH, surgery appears to be effective in maintaining or improving the central vision in a period of time. Thus, vitrectomy should be performed as soon as possible and flap-assisted techniques or episcleral surgeries are needed for some special cases.

Abstract The Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects subsurface carbon storage at rates of 1 – 30 GtCO2 yr−1 by 2050. These projections, however, overlook potential geological, geographical, and techno-economic limitations to growth. We evaluate the feasibility of scaling up CO2 storage using a geographically resolved growth model that considers constraints from both geology and scale-up rate. Our results suggest a maximum global storage rate of 16 GtCO2 yr−1 by 2050, but this is contingent on the United States contributing 60% of the total. These values contrast with projections in the Sixth Assessment Report that vastly overestimate the feasibility of deployment in China, Indonesia, and South Korea. A feasible benchmark for global CO2 storage projections, and consistent with current government technology roadmaps, suggests a global storage rate of 5-6 GtCO2 yr−1, with the United States contributing around 1 GtCO2 yr−1.

Abstract The anxiolytic effect of oxytocin (OXT) on psychosocial stress has been well documented, but the effectiveness under the interference of other factors still requires in-depth research. Previous studies have shown that nicotine addiction interacts with OXT on psychosocial stress on the behavioral level. However, the underlying neural mechanism of interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction on psychosocial stress has not been examined, and we conducted two experiments to reveal it. Firstly, after intranasal administration of randomized OXT or placebo (saline), a group of healthy participants (n = 27) and a group of smokers (n = 26) completed the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) in an MRI scanner. Secondly, a group of smokers (n = 22) was recruited to complete a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) experiment, in which anodal tDCS was applied on subjects’ anterior right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG). In both experiment, subjective stress ratings, salivary cortisol samples and the amount of daily cigarette consumption were obtained from each participant. Analysis of variance were applied on both behavioral and neural data to examine the effects of OXT and nicotine addiction, and correlation analysis were used to examine relationships between neural and behavioral data. In first fMRI experiment, analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed an interaction of OXT and nicotine addiction on subjective stress. In smokers, OXT failed to suppress the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after psychosocial stress. A voxel-wise ANOVA of fMRI data identified an interaction between OXT and nicotine addiction in anterior rSTG, and its functional connectivity with right middle frontal gyrus. Correlations between this functional connectivity and subjective psychosocial stress were also found abnormal in smokers. In second tDCS experiment, we found that under tDCS, OXT successfully suppressed the elevation of subjective stress and craving ratings after stress. In summary, we found that nicotine addiction blocked OXT’s anxiolytic on psychosocial stress, which was related to abnormalities in anterior rSTG. By applying anodal tDCS on anterior rSTG, OXT’s anxiolytic effect was restored in smokers. These findings will support further development on oxytocin’s intervention of psychosocial stress in nicotine addiction, and provides essential information for indicating OXT’s effectiveness.

Abstract Background Amino acids are crucial for nutrition and metabolism, regulating metabolic pathways and activities vital to organismal health and stability. Glycine and histidine act as potent antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents; however, limited knowledge exists regarding the associations between these amino acids and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between dietary glycine and histidine, and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Methods This population-based cross-sectional study evaluated the influence of dietary glycine and histidine, as well as their combined effect, on hyperlipidemia and hypertension in Chinese adults participating in the Nutrition Health Atlas Project (NHAP). General characteristics were acquired using a verified Internet-based Dietary Questionnaire for the Chinese. Binary logistic regression, along with gender, age groups, and median energy intake subgroup analyses, was employed to investigate the associations between dietary glycine and histidine and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of excluding individuals who smoke and consume alcohol on the results. Results Based on the study’s findings, 418 out of 1091 cases had hyperlipidemia, whereas 673 had hypertension. A significant inverse relationship was found between dietary glycine, histidine, and glycine + histidine and hyperlipidemia and hypertension. Compared with the 1st and 2nd tertiles, the multivariable-adjusted odd ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals) (CIs) of the 3rd tertile of dietary glycine for hyperlipidemia and hypertension were 0.64 (0.49–0.84) (p

Abstract Background Phosphorus is a macronutrient necessary for plant growth and development and its availability and efficient use affect crop yields. Leaves are the largest tissue that uses phosphorus in plants, and membrane phospholipids are the main source of cellular phosphorus usage. Results Here we identify a key process for plant cellular phosphorus recycling mediated by membrane phospholipid hydrolysis during leaf senescence. Our results indicate that over 90% of lipid phosphorus, accounting for more than one-third of total cellular phosphorus, is recycled from senescent leaves before falling off the plants. Nonspecific phospholipase C4 (NPC4) and phospholipase Dζ2 (PLDζ2) are highly induced during leaf senescence, and knockouts of PLDζ2 and NPC4 decrease the loss of membrane phospholipids and delay leaf senescence. Conversely, overexpression of PLDζ2 and NPC4 accelerates the loss of phospholipids and leaf senescence, promoting phosphorus remobilization from senescent leaves to young tissues and plant growth. We also show that this phosphorus recycling process in senescent leaves mediated by membrane phospholipid hydrolysis is conserved in plants. Conclusions These results indicate that PLDζ2- and NPC4-mediated membrane phospholipid hydrolysis promotes phosphorus remobilization from senescent leaves to growing tissues and that the phospholipid hydrolysis-mediated phosphorus recycling improves phosphorus use efficiency in plants.

Abstract Objective This study was based on MRI features and number of tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells in post-operative pathology, in predicting meningioma recurrence risk. Methods Clinical, pathological, and imaging data of 102 patients with surgically and pathologically confirmed meningiomas were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into recurrence and non-recurrence groups based on follow-up. Tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells in tissue samples were quantitatively assessed with immunohistochemical staining. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram parameters from preoperative MRI were quantified in MaZda. Considering the high correlation between ADC histogram parameters, we only chose ADC histogram parameter that had the best predictive efficacy for COX regression analysis further. A visual nomogram was then constructed and the recurrence probability at 1- and 2-years was determined. Finally, subgroup analysis was performed with the nomogram. Results The risk factors for meningioma recurrence were ADCp1 (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.961, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.937 ~ 0.986, p = 0.002) and CD8 + T cells (HR = 0.026, 95%CI: 0.001 ~ 0.609, p = 0.023). The resultant nomogram had AUC values of 0.779 and 0.784 for 1- and 2-years predicted recurrence rates, respectively. The survival analysis revealed that patients with low CD8 + T cells counts or ADCp1 had higher recurrence rates than those with high CD8 + T cells counts or ADCp1. Subgroup analysis revealed that the AUC of nomogram for predicting 1-year and 2-year recurrence of WHO grade 1 and WHO grade 2 meningiomas was 0.872 (0.652) and 0.828 (0.751), respectively. Conclusions Preoperative ADC histogram parameters and tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells may be potential biomarkers in predicting meningioma recurrence risk. Clinical relevance statement The findings will improve prognostic accuracy for patients with meningioma and potentially allow for targeted treatment of individuals who have the recurrent form.

Abstract Objectives To quantify the relationship between abdominal computed tomography (CT)-based body composition parameters and renal function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and evaluate the potential effect of insulin resistance on this relationship. Methods SLE patients from institutions A and B between January 2017 and August 2023 were enrolled. Areas and attenuation values of subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue, intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), and skeletal muscle index on CT images were measured at the L3 vertebral level. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with decreased renal function. Linear regression models were used to describe the relationships between body composition parameters and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Finally, we used a single-point insulin sensitivity estimator to indirectly reflect the degree of insulin resistance and assess its mediating effect on the association between IMAT area and decreased renal function. Results Three-hundred thirty-nine SLE patients from institution A (internal dataset) and 114 SLE patients from institution B (external validation dataset) were included. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that IMAT area (odds ratio (OR)institution A: 1.05 (95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 1.01, 1.10), and ORinstitution B: 1.19 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.39)) was an independent risk factor for decreased renal function in SLE patients. In the adjusted linear regression model, high IMAT area was significantly associated with reduced eGFR (β institution A = −1.15, P institution A = 0.005; β institution B = −0.98, P institution B = 0.049). Additionally, insulin resistance contributed a mediating role of 22.8% to the association. Conclusion High IMAT area was associated with decreased renal function in SLE patients and insulin resistance mediated this relationship. Critical relevance statement High intermuscular adipose tissue area is associated with decreased renal function in systemic lupus erythematosus patients mediated by insulin resistance and is correlated with chronicity index in lupus nephritis patients. Key Points High intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) area was associated with decreased renal function in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. Insulin resistance mediated the association between IMAT area and eGFR. IMAT area was associated with chronicity index in lupus nephritis patients. Graphical Abstract

Abstract This paper proposes a deep learning method to predict the electromagnetic emission spectrum in the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) test of aerospace products. A threshold‐based data decomposition method is used to propose the spike signal, reconstruct the original test data, and solve the contradiction between the overfitting and prediction accuracy of the deep learning method to deal with the EMC test spectrum. Using a long short‐term memory neural network architecture for predicting electromagnetic emission spectrum, the Bayesian optimization method is used to optimize the network hyperparameter, and the acquisition function is introduced into the loss function to improve the comprehensive training optimization of deep learning network. Apply the method to three numerical examples: signal line current conduction emission, power line voltage conduction emission, and electric field radiation emission. The analysis results indicate that at a 95% confidence level, the predicted electromagnetic emission spectrum is basically consistent with the test results. The prediction results can be used as the basis for EMC evaluation of aerospace electronic equipment.

Abstract Purpose This pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of REX exoskeleton rehabilitation robot training on the balance and lower limb function in patients with sub-acute stroke. Methods This was a pilot, single-blind, randomized controlled trial. Twenty-four patients with sub-acute stroke (with the course of disease ranging from 3 weeks to 3 months) were randomized into two groups, including a robot group and a control group. Patients in control group received upright bed rehabilitation (n = 12) and those in robot group received exoskeleton rehabilitation robot training (n = 12). The frequency of training in both groups was once a day (60 min each) for 5 days a week for a total of 4 weeks. Besides, the two groups were evaluated before, 2 weeks after and 4 weeks after the intervention, respectively. The primary assessment index was the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), whereas the secondary assessment indexes included the Fugl-Meyer Lower Extremity Motor Function Scale (FMA-LE), the Posture Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS), the Activities of Daily Living Scale (Modified Barthel Index, MBI), the Tecnobody Balance Tester, and lower extremity muscle surface electromyography (sEMG). Results The robot group showed significant improvements (P

IntroductionGroundcover management plays a crucial role in improving water retention and soil nutrition in orchard systems, thereby preventing environmental constrains by non-point source pollution. However, effectiveness of groundcover management in citrus orchards developed on sloping farmland with eroded purple soil has not been studied in detail. In particular, information on the soil nutrient losses, e.g., nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), through interflow and its effects on growth and nutrition of citrus plants has not been reported.MethodsThe present study evaluated the effects of different cover crops, i.e., Lolium perenne L. (Lolium), Vicia villosa Roth (Vicia) and Orychophragmus violaceus (Ory), on nutrition and growth of citrus trees as well as water, soil and nutrient retention in an orchard developed in sloping farmland during two consecutive years.Results and discussionThe results show that the groundcover species Lolium and Vicia mediated nursing effects on nutrition and growth of citrus trees. These nursing effects included enhanced foliar levels of carbon(C), N and P as well as increased tree height, stem diameter, and crown width. Groundcover management generally reduced the annual surface runoff, interflow, soil loss, total N loss and total P loss. Among the cover crop species studied, Lolium and Vicia were overall more efficient than Ory in this context. Lolium reduced the average annual total loss of N and P by 42.53% and 49.23%, respectively, compared with clean tillage. The estimated annual reduction potentials of soil, N and P losses in Southwestern China were 16.3, 3.4 and 8.5 million tons yr-1, respectively. Obviously, Lolium and Vicia provide highly beneficial ground coverage on sloping farmland and, thus, can be used for future sustainable development of citrus orchards.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated significant impacts on transport policy. Exploring barriers and enablers to active travel through the lens of the practitioners planning for and promoting its uptake can uncover underlying mechanisms that shape travel choices and encourage more effective interventions. This study uses online survey data from practitioners working in the planning and provision of active travel related initiatives (N = 40), to understand international experiences, as influenced by the surge of interest in active travel during the pandemic. We base our investigations and analysis on two policy process theories – the Multiple Streams Framework and Punctuated Equilibrium Theory. Drawing tools and concepts from both, we provide a synthesis of international experiences with planning for active travel, and analyse how professionals perceive existing obstacles and opportunities for active travel provision once the immediate impacts of the pandemic have waned. Our findings reveal a pervasive adherence to the status quo – while certain policies temporarily adapted to accommodate the pandemic’s disruptions, the pandemic failed to trigger substantial actions for our sample. The primary challenge lies in the enduring dominance of car-centric cultures and urban form, suggesting both a lack of community understanding about the issues associated with car usage, and ongoing structural barriers of cities planned around cars. Notwithstanding, the emergence of active travel projects and strategies since the onset of the pandemic, coupled with increasing public awareness of active travel, could be valuable in laying the groundwork for future long-term changes, even if their immediate impact is not yet evident.

BackgroundUnder the background of population aging in China, the demand for older-adult care services and products is growing, and the older-adult care industry has great development prospects. A sound older-adult care policy system, that is, an effective policy tool mix, plays an important role in improving the sustainable development of older-adult care industry.Materials and methodsBased on older-adult care policy documents from 31 Chinese provinces, this research extracts older-adult care policy tools via text mining. Then extracted policy tools are taken as conditional variables, and the development of older-adult care industry, which is manifested by the number of older-adult care companies across 31 regions is taken as the result variable. Through applying qualitative comparative analysis, the combined effect of different policy tools on the development of older-adult care industry is obtained.Results and discussionsResults show that a single policy tool cannot constitute the necessary condition to facilitate the older-adult care industry. Hence, policy tools should be applied in combination. Five sustainable policy tool mixes which can promote the development of older-adult care industry are summarized, namely supporting policy-driven mode, fiscal and tax support mode led by supply-oriented policy tools, double-team mode driven by fiscal and tax support and the consumer market, multi-subject joint force mode, and technology compensation mode. The overall findings of this study imply that exploring the policy tool combinations is of vital importance to the sustainable development of older-adult care industry.

Cover crops are one of the climate-smart agricultural practices used to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. However, the SOC sequestration potential and underlying mechanisms under different cover crops, especially in orchard agroecosystems, have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated three orchards in China using SOC fractionation methods, high-throughput sequencing, and biomarker analysis. Our objectives were to determine the effect of cover crops on the physical fractions and chemical compositions of SOC, as well as on microbial properties, and to clarify why legume and non-legume cover crops sequester SOC differently. The results showed different increases in SOC between legume and non-legume cover crops (+38% vs. +16%) compared with those in the control plots without cover crops. Legume cover crops increased mineral-associated and particulate organic carbon, whereas non-legume cover crops increased mineral-associated organic carbon only. These differences were attributed to their distinct effects on microbial SOC transformation pathways. Legume cover crops positively impacted microbial pathways by increasing the availability of soil substrates and nitrogen, such as dissolved organic carbon (+84%), O-alkyl carbon (+18%), and ammonium nitrogen (+42%). These results were supported by the increases in carbon and nitrogen enzyme activities, microbial community diversity indices, the abundance of dominant fungal taxa (Sordariomycetes), microbial biomass carbon (+105%), and microbial necromass carbon (+47%). Non-legume cover crops might have induced microbial nitrogen starvation, decreasing the efficiency of microbial pathways, as evidenced by the low β-glucosidase to β-N-acetylglucosaminidase ratios (−7%) and the lack of significant changes in the bacterial Shannon index or microbial necromass carbon. In addition, redundancy analysis revealed that enzyme activity, the microbial community, and microbial necromass carbon collectively dominated the changes in the SOC physical fraction. Site-specific soil properties such as soil texture and nitrogen availability were important factors influencing SOC sequestration under cover crops. Our study provides essential insights for optimizing cover crop management to increase SOC sequestration in orchard agroecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) is a notable pathogen that frequently leads to avian colibacillosis, posing a substantial risk to both the poultry industry and public health. The commercial vaccines against avian colibacillosis are primarily inactivated vaccines, but their effectiveness is limited to specific serotypes. Recent advances have highlighted bacterial membrane vesicles (MV) as a promising candidate in vaccine research. How to produce bacterial MVs vaccines on a large scale is a significant challenge for the industrialization of MVs. The msbB gene encodes an acyltransferase and has been implicated in altering the acylation pattern of lipid A, leading to a decrease in lipid A content in lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Here, we evaluated the immunoprotective efficacy of MVs derived from the LPS low-expressed APEC strain FY26ΔmsbB, which was an APEC mutant strain with a deletion of the msbB gene. The nitrogen cavitation technique was employed to extract APEC MVs, with results indicating a significant increase in MVs yield compared to that obtained under natural culture. The immunization effectiveness was assessed, revealing that FY26ΔmsbB MVs elicited an antibody response of laying hens and facilitated bacterial clearance. Protective efficacy studies demonstrated that immunization with FY26ΔmsbB MVs conferred the immune protection in chickens challenged with the wild-type APEC strain FY26. Notably, LPS low-carried MVs recovered from the mutant FY26ΔmsbB also displayed cross-protective capabilities, and effectively safeguarding against infections caused by O1, O7, O45, O78, and O101 serotypes virulent APEC strains. These findings suggest that MVs generated from the LPS low-expressed APEC strain FY26ΔmsbB represent a novel and empirically validated subunit vaccine for the prevention and control of infections by various APEC serotypes.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to explore the impact of dietary supplementation of Poria cocos polysaccharide (PCP) on the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced intestinal inflammation, morphology, and barrier damage in broilers. A total of 240 1-day-old male Arbor Acre broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design comprising PCP supplementation (0 or 2 g/kg PCP from d 1 to 23) and LPS challenge (intraperitoneal injection of 1.5 mg/kg body weight of LPS or the same volume of sterile saline at d 22). Our results showed that compared to the non-LPS-treated groups, the treated birds showed a decrease in the ADG, VH, V/C, and the expression of ZO-1, occludin, claudin 1, and mucin2 in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05). However, dietary PCP supplementation significantly mitigated these effects (P < 0.05) except for mucin2 in the duodenum. Furthermore, LPS treatment increased the levels of sIgA and upregulated the mRNA abundances of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, TLR-4, and MyD88 both in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa (P < 0.05). Whereas, PCP supplementation significantly reversed the LPS-induced effects on these genes (P < 0.05) except for the TLR-4 and MyD88. However, LPS did not impact the expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10 in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa (P > 0.05). Briefly, this study implied that dietary PCP supplementation could ameliorate intestinal inflammation and mucosal damage of LPS-challenged broilers, improving broiler performance.

ABSTRACT Gut microbe dysbiosis increases repetitive inflammatory responses, leading to an increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer. Recent studies have revealed that specific microbial species directly instigate mutations in the host nucleus DNA, thereby accelerating the progression of colorectal cancer. Given the well-established role of mitochondrial dysfunction in promoting colorectal cancer, it is reasonable to postulate that gut microbes may induce mitochondrial gene mutations, thereby inducing mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we focus on gut microbial genotoxins and their known and potential targets in mitochondrial genes. Consequently, we propose that targeted disruption of genotoxin transport pathways may effectively reduce the rate of mitochondrial gene mutations and yield substantial benefits for the prevention of colorectal carcinogenesis.

IntroductionSemen Cuscutae is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that tonifies the kidneys and prevents miscarriage. According to Chinese medicine theory, kidney deficiency is one of the main causes of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The previous studies showed that raw product of Semen Cuscutae (SP) and Semen Cuscutae processed with salt solution (YP) have ameliorative effects on RSA, and that YP is superior to SP. However, the active components of YP to ameliorate RSA remain unclear and require further studies. The objective of this study is to investigate the active components of YP in ameliorating RSA.MethodsFirst, a rat model of RSA was established using hydroxyurea in combination with mifepristone. Aqueous decoction of YP was given by gavage to rats. Second, pregnant rats were sampled on days 5, 7, 9, 10 and 12 during the modelling period. The content of Hyperin (HY), astragalin (AS) and kaempferol-3-O-β-D-glucuronide (KA) in blood and liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney tissues were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). The pharmacodynamic indicators including progesterone (P), chorionic gonadotropin β (β-HCG), estradiol (E2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TFN-α), interleukin 4 (IL-4), and tryptophan (TRP) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) Pearson's correlation analysis and grey relational analysis were used to establish the relationship between the pharmacodynamic indexes and chemical constituents.ResultsThe pharmacokinetic results showed that the area under curve (AUC) value of KA was the largest. The tissue distribution results showed that astragalin was widely distributed in liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney in the RSA model rats, while HY was detected only in the uterus, and KA was detected only in the kidney. The pearson correlationl analysis showed that KA was significantly and positively correlated with the contents of E2, P, β-HCG and TRP. Both AS and HY were significantly negatively correlated with the content of TNF-α, respectively.DiscussionThis study reveals the pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of KA, AS and HY in rats with RSA. It was elucidated that all three were involved in the regulation of progesterone levels and immune function. It initially revealed the mechanism of action of YP in enhancing the improvement of RSA, and it provided a theoretical basis for the quality assessment of YP.

This paper introduces a new tool, the lunar phase visualisation, and conducts a multitemporal analysis of the spatial patterns and their changes in China’s intercity mobility during the Spring Festival travel rush between 2019 and 2023. By associating the volume of intercity movement in China across various years with lunar phases, it illustrates that during both the return home (first 20 days) and back-to-city (last 20 days) periods, intercity mobility demonstrates a trend of initial decline followed by an increase. This trend aligns with the onset and subsequent mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more pronounced changes observed at the city level versus the provincial level. It also underscores the resilience of mobility during traditional holidays amid a public health crisis.

The safety in the coal-producing mines in China is continuously improving, but coal and gas outburst accidents still occur. The prediction of coal and gas outbursts allows the scientific application of outburst prevention measures, which can ensure the safe coal mining to a certain extent. Machine learning is an interdisciplinary field involving probability theory, statistics, and computer science, which can explore the nonlinear relationship between outburst accidents and its associated indicators. The application of machine learning in coal and gas outburst prediction has received relatively widespread attention, and with the rapid progress of artificial intelligence and computer technology, it will play a greater role in the field of outburst prediction. Therefore, this paper provides a comprehensive review of the research on machine learning in coal and gas outburst prediction, analyzes the difficulties in outburst prediction and prospects its development direction. Firstly, the paper provides a brief overview of the research status on the hypothesis, occurrence mechanism, and prediction index selection of coal and gas outbursts. Then, it summarizes the research progress in the field of outburst prediction, including the application of support vector machines, neural networks, extreme learning machines, and ensemble learning algorithms. In addition, it also points out the existing problems in the current research, such as imbalanced samples, missing data indicators, and small sample sizes. Finally, the paper gives an outlook on the developments of coal and gas outburst prediction based on machine learning, including improving algorithm performance, optimizing feature engineering, and increasing sample size. With the continuous improvement of computer performance, more powerful models may be proposed, which can further improve the prediction accuracy of outburst accidents.

Lactoferricin, a multifunctional peptide located in the N-terminal region of lactoferrin, has a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic activity. It is a promising candidate as a food additive and immune fortification agent and does not have the risks associated with drug residues and drug resistance. First, we performed promoter and host cell screening to achieve the recombinant expression of lactoferricin in Pichia pastoris, showing an initial titer of 19.5 mg/L in P. pastoris X-33 using PAOX1 promoter. Second, we constructed a 0030-α hybrid signal peptide by fusing the 0030 signal peptide with the pro-sequence of α-factor secretory signal peptide. This further increased the production of lactoferricin, with a titer of 28.8 mg/L in the fermentation supernatant in the shaking flask. Next, we increased the expression of lactoferricin by fusing it with anionic antioxidant peptides. The neutralization of positive charges yielded a titer of 55.3 mg/L in the shaking flask, and a highest titer of 193.9 mg/L in a 3-L bioreactor. The antimicrobial activity analysis showed that recombinant-expressed lactoferricin exhibited potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. This study provides a reference for the construction of microbial cell factories capable of efficiently synthesizing antimicrobial peptides.

Atherosclerosis (AS) ultimately cause major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). While traditional strategies by lipid-reducing have reduced MACEs, many patients continue to face significant risks. It might attribute to the upregulation of CD47 expression in AS lesions, that mediated anti-efferocytosis of macrophages. Therefore, we propose simultaneously blocking ANGPTL3, a vital regulator of lipid metabolism, and CD47 might be a potential approach for AS therapy. Firstly, we investigate the role of a novel anti-ANGPTL3 nanobody-Fc (FD03) in AS. We found that FD03 treatment significantly decreased circulating lipids, plaque size, and lipid deposition in apoE-/- mice compared to control Ab, but there was a twofold increase in plaque formation in comparison to baseline. However, immunofluorescence indicated the upregulation of CD47 expression in the plaques even after FD03 treatment compared to normal vascular tissue. Next, a bifunctional protein containing signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) and FD03 (SIRPαD1-FD03) was constructed to block CD47 and ANGPTL3 concurrently, which had high purity, robust stability, and high affinity to CD47 and ANGPTL3 with biological activity in vitro. Furthermore, SIRPαD1-FD03 fusion protein exhibited the enhanced therapeutic effect on AS compared with SIRPαD1-Fc or FD03, regressing plaque contents and the necrotic core equal to baseline. Mechanistically, SIRPαD1-FD03 reduced serum lipids, augmented the efferocytosis rate and macrophage M2 polarization, and decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation level in atherosclerotic plaques. Collectively, our project suggests an effective approach for AS by simultaneously blocking ANGPTL3 and CD47 to regulate lipid metabolism, macrophage activity and lipid peroxidation.

Introduction: Peptide drugs are highly regarded for their therapeutic versatility, safety, and efficacy in treating conditions like cancer, hepatitis, and diabetes. Animal-derived Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) are promising peptide sources, often outperforming plant-based alternatives. The therapeutic effects of leeches, earthworms, and Eupolyphaga sinensis Walkers in thrombosis and blood stasis have been clinically validated, with anticoagulant peptides as key components; however, their pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. This review categorizes and summarizes anticoagulant peptides from animal-derived TCMs by species. Methods: This study explores the important role of anticoagulant peptides from animal-sourced medicine in treating thrombosis-related diseases. A literature search using keywords like “anticoagulant peptides,” “leech peptides,” and “earthworm peptides” yielded over 120 articles, of which 85 were selected. Priority was given to studies from the past 20 years, while significant historical research was also noted. Articles lacking specific information on the animal sources of these peptides were excluded. Data were obtained from a diverse range of references, including both ancient and modern texts, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Springer, and CNKI. Conclusion: This study reviews six promising animal-derived anticoagulant drugs currently in clinical use: leeches, earthworms, scorpions, Eupolyphaga sinensis Walkers, and centipedes. Key peptides under development include hirudin (Hirudo nipponica), WP-30 (Whitmania pigra), Lomburkinase (Eisenia foetida). These peptides exhibit potent anticoagulant, antiplatelet, and anti-inflammatory effects, rendering them valuable in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, amenorrhea, cerebral thrombosis, and atherosclerosis. Discussion: This study critically evaluates the therapeutic mechanisms of anticoagulant peptides in animal-sourced medicines, emphasizing the potential of peptide-based therapies across different strains of the same species for traditional Chinese medicine and modern clinical use. Despite promising potential, challenges such as low bioavailability, difficulties in peptide identification, pharmacological evaluation, and toxicity assessment persist. Addressing these issues will facilitate deeper exploration and development of peptide-based therapies.

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious, fatal disease of pigs caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). The complexity of ASFV and our limited understanding of its interactions with the host have constrained the development of ASFV vaccines and antiviral strategies. To identify host factors required for ASFV replication, we developed a genome-wide CRISPR knockout (GeCKO) screen that contains 186,510 specific single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) targeting 20,580 pig genes and used genotype II ASFV to perform the GeCKO screen in wild boar lung (WSL) cells. We found that knockout of transmembrane protein 239 (TMEM239) significantly reduced ASFV replication. Further studies showed that TMEM239 interacted with the early endosomal marker Rab5A, and that TMEM239 deletion affected the co-localization of viral capsid p72 and Rab5A shortly after viral infection. An ex vivo study showed that ASFV replication was significantly reduced in TMEM239-/- peripheral blood mononuclear cells from TMEM239 knockout piglets. Our study identifies a novel host factor required for ASFV replication by facilitating ASFV entry into early endosomes and provides insights for the development of ASF-resistant breeding.

Summary: The integrated stress response (ISR) is activated in response to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli, playing a role in tumor progression and drug resistance. The regulatory role and mechanism of ISR in liver cancer, however, remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that OTU domain-containing protein 3 (OTUD3) is a deubiquitylase of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α), antagonizing ISR and suppressing liver cancer. OTUD3 decreases interactions between eIF2α and the kinase EIF2ΑK3 by removing K27-linked polyubiquitylation on eIF2α. OTUD3 deficiency in mice leads to enhanced ISR and accelerated progression of N-nitrosodiethylamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. Additionally, decreased OTUD3 expression associated with elevated eIF2α phosphorylation correlates with the progression of human liver cancer. Moreover, ISR activation due to decreased OTUD3 expression renders liver cancer cells resistant to sorafenib, while the combined use of the ISR inhibitor ISRIB significantly improves their sensitivity to sorafenib. Collectively, these findings illuminate the regulatory mechanism of ISR in liver cancer and provide a potential strategy to counteract sorafenib resistance.

Foamed magnesium oxysulfate cement (FMOSC) as a new type of porous building material has many advantages, but deficiencies such as low strength and poor water resistance limit its application to an extent. To mitigate them, this study aims to optimize the performance of the FMOSC system using the modifiers 1-Hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP) and potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP). The individual and combined effects of the two modifiers on the compressive strength, water resistance, and pore structure of FMOSC are compared. The microstructure and phase composition of FMOSC are further analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), laser microscopic Raman spectroscopy (Raman), thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (FESEM-EDS). The findings reveal that both single and compound modifiers positively influence the FMOSC systems. The compressive strength, water resistance and pore structure of the specimens were significantly optimized when the dosage of compound modifier was 0.75 % m(HEDP):m(KDP)=2:1 compared to the single modifier. HEDP and KDP stabilize [Mg(OH)(H2O)x]+ through chelation and adsorption, respectively, thereby promoting the generation of the 5·1·7 phase. Furthermore, a positive synergistic effect generates more 5·1·7 phases when both are added simultaneously. Additionally, with the aid of anionic surfactants, the 5·1·7 phase in the bubble wall region grows more densely compared to the 5·1·7 phase in the triangle region. The results of this study show that adding modifiers to FMOSC can expand the scope of its applications, increasing its potential as a structural building material and contributing to building energy efficiency and sustainable development.

Vegetation plays an essential role in terrestrial carbon balance and climate systems. Exploring and understanding relationships between vegetation dynamics and climate changes in Southwest China is of great significance for ecological environment conservation. Nonlinear relationships between vegetation and natural factors are extraordinarily complex in Southwest China with complicated topographic conditions and changeable climatic characteristics. Considering the complex nonlinear relationships, the Random Forest (RF) and an integration of Convolutional Neural Networks and Long Short-Term Memory network (CNN-LSTM) were used with multi-source data from 2000–2020. Performance of two models were compared with precision indicators, and influence of topographic and hydro-climatic factors on vegetation was quantified based on the optimal models. Results revealed that the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index had a significant negative correlation with elevation and a positive correlation with land surface temperature and evapotranspiration. According to precision indicators, the RF model (RF3) built with longitude, latitude, elevation, slope, temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and surface solar radiation as inputs outperformed other models. Relative importance of the eight natural factors was quantified based on the RF3, and results indicated that elevation, temperature and evapotranspiration were major factors that influenced vegetation growth. Responses of vegetation toward climatic variables exhibited significant seasonal change, and there were different decisive factors, which influenced vegetation growth in forests, grasslands and croplands.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited effective treatment options. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is a bioactive substance present primarily in the cruciferous vegetables. PEITC has exhibited anti-cancer properties in various cancers, including lung, bile duct, and prostate cancers. It has been demonstrated that PEITC can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of SK-Hep1 cells, while effectively inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in HepG2 cells. However, knowledge of its anti-carcinogenic effects on Huh7.5.1 cells and its underlying mechanism remains elusive. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the anti-carcinogenic effects of PEITC on human HCC Huh7.5.1 cells. Methods MTT assay and colony formation assay was performed to investigate the anti-proliferative effects of PEITC against Huh7.5.1 cells. The pro-apoptosis effects of PEITC were determined by Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay by flow cytometry (FCM), mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MMP) measurement, and Caspase-3 activity detection. A DAPI staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay was conducted to estimate the DNA damage in Huh7.5.1 cells induced by PEITC. Cell cycle progression was determined by FCM. Transwell invasion assay and wound healing migration assay were performed to investigate the impact of PEITC on the migration and invasion of Huh7.5.1 cells. In addition, transcriptome sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of the inhibitory effects of PEITC on HCC. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis was performed to verify the transcriptome data. Results MTT assay showed that treatment of Huh7.5.1 cells with PEITC resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in viability, and colony formation assay further confirmed its anti-proliferative effect. Furthermore, we found that PEITC could induce mitochondrial-related apoptotic responses, including a decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, activation of Caspase-3 activity, and generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species. It was also observed that PEITC caused DNA damage and cell cycle arrest in the S-phase in Huh7.5.1 cells. In addition, the inhibitory effect of PEITC on the migration and invasion ability of Huh7.5.1 cells was assessed. Transcriptome sequencing analysis further suggested that PEITC could activate the typical MAPK, PI3K-Akt, and p53 signaling pathways, revealing the potential mechanism of PEITC in inhibiting the carcinogenic properties of Huh7.5.1 cells. Conclusion PEITC exhibits anti-carcinogenic activities against human HCC Huh7.5.1 cells by activating MAPK/PI3K-Akt/p53 signaling pathways. Our results suggest that PEITC may be useful for the anti-HCC treatment.

Abstract Background Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) have been verified to have antioxidative and antiaging activities in the mouse liver and brain. However, the effect of APS on aortic endothelial senescence in old rats and its underlying mechanism are currently unclear. Here, we aimed to elucidate the effects of APS on rat aortic endothelial oxidative stress and senescence in vitro and in vivo and investigate the potential molecular targets. Methods Twenty-month-old natural aging male rats were treated with APS (200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg, 800 mg/kg daily) for 3 months. Serum parameters were tested using corresponding assay kits. Aortic morphology was observed by staining with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Verhoeff Van Gieson (VVG). Aging-related protein levels were evaluated using immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. Primary rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs) were isolated by tissue explant method. RAEC mitochondrial function was evaluated by the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) measured with the fluorescent lipophilic cationic dye JC‑1. Intracellular total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was detected by a commercial kit. Cellular senescence was assessed using senescence-associated-β-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal) staining. Results Treatment of APS for three months was found to lessen aortic wall thickness, renovate vascular elastic tissue, improve vascular endothelial function, and reduce oxidative stress levels in 20-month-old rats. Primary mechanism analysis showed that APS treatment enhanced Sirtuin 1 (SIRT-1) protein expression and decreased the levels of the aging marker proteins p53, p21 and p16 in rat aortic tissue. Furthermore, APS abated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell senescence and restored H2O2-induced impairment of the MMP and T-AOC in RAECs. Similarly, APS increased SIRT-1 and decreased p53, p21 and p16 protein levels in senescent RAECs isolated from old rats. Knockdown of SIRT-1 diminished the protective effect of APS against H2O2-induced RAEC senescence and T-AOC loss, increased the levels of the downstream proteins p53 and p21, and abolished the inhibitory effect of APS on the expression of these proteins in RAECs. Conclusion APS may reduce rat aortic endothelial oxidative stress and senescence via the SIRT-1/p53 signaling pathway.

The widespread adoption of Cloud-Based Web Microservices (CBWMs) and DevSecOps (Development, Security, and Operations) methodologies has significantly improved modern software development, particularly regarding scalability, agility, and security. However, the true success of these implementations hinges on the ability to measure their effectiveness accurately. Metrics serve as a critical tool in this process, providing quantifiable data on service performance, security, and operational efficiency. By leveraging these metrics, organizations can better assess the efficiency of their DevSecOps practices, making them invaluable for informed decision-making, trend analysis, process management, and continuous improvement. This paper introduces 12 key quantitative metrics specifically designed to evaluate the quality of CBWMs developed through DevSecOps practices. These metrics were identified using a Multi-Vocal Literature Review methodology, sourcing information from 92 relevant studies (2018-2023) on IEEE Xplore, Springer, and Google Scholar. The selected metrics are widely applicable across CBWMs and are easy to measure with existing tools, offering a comprehensive framework for thorough assessment.

The accurate and robust detection of small infrared (IR) targets in complex backgrounds is crucial for the effective operation of IR search and track systems. However, the high-intensity components in background regions could easily be confused with the real targets among local contrast features, which makes it an inevitable and challenging problem. To efficiently alleviate this issue, a real-time IR small target detection method is proposed by using the double dilate contrast measure (DDCM). The proposed method is a robust and efficient detector that takes into account various aspects, including target property, background information, and their interrelations. First, an enhancement layer is considered to enlarge the difference between the target and the background with dilation operation as the core component. Second, based on considering the relationship between the local maximum and regional mean, a suppression layer is introduced to further eliminate the clutter and noise from the high-intensity regions, and the dilate operation is also used as the core component. Finally, the DDCM map is obtained by fusing the enhancement and suppression layers, after which an adaptive segmentation operation is adopted to extract the small targets. Extensive experimental results on nine sequences demonstrate that DDCM outperforms other existing methods in terms of detection rate and false alarm rate while also exhibiting high efficiency.

The localization of electromagnetic radiation leakage through cabin gaps is a critical and challenging aspect of electromagnetic compatibility design for spacecraft. This paper proposes a localization method based on synthetic aperture interferometric passive radiometry imaging. Electromagnetic radiation signals are measured at a certain distance from the spacecraft surface to form visibility samples. These visibility samples and the modified brightness temperature of the spacecraft surface electromagnetic radiation leakage constitute a pair for Fourier transform. The electromagnetic leakage location image of spacecraft surface is obtained through inverse Fourier transform. A sparse sampling method based on particle swarm optimization is proposed to improve testing efficiency. The impacts of various factors, including positional parameters, positioning accuracy of the test antenna, and scanning parameters on the imaging results are analyzed. Experiments are conducted on a cabin with 1 m $\times 1$ m $\times 1$ m having 51 holes on one surface. The algorithm proposed in this article is validated to effectively image and locate electromagnetic leakage points at different frequencies, with an absolute positioning error not exceeding 16mm. In addition, the effectiveness of the sparse sampling method is confirmed. Hence, it can accurately locate the position of electromagnetic leakage by saving 83.3% of the test time, with a misjudgment rate of 5.9%.

As the last link of product manufacturing, assembly determines the quality of mutual cooperation between parts, which is directly related to the quality of the product. Therefore, it is very important to identify the transmission of assembly errors and key assembly features in the assembly process of complex mechanical products. In order to better realize it, a recognition method based on complex network theory is proposed. The assembly network is established based on the weighting method of complex mechanical assembly features. Then, the crucial assembly features are identified by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method and grey relation analysis (GRA). Finally, taking a medium-speed marine diesel engine as the analysis object, the assembly network model is established with the assembly features as the data set of a complex network. The crucial assembly features in the assembly process are identified. The network service efficiency verifies the identified crucial assembly features. The research results show that the proposed method can effectively and accurate identify the crucial feature nodes in the complex mechanical assembly process.

Abstract Background Accumulating evidence has indicated that oxidative stress (OS) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) may contribute to the mechanism of schizophrenia. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the associations of OS parameters and MMP-9 levels with psychopathological symptoms in male chronic schizophrenia patients. Methods This study was an observational, cross-sectional, retrospective case-control study. Plasma hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) levels were assayed in 80 male patients with chronic schizophrenia and 80 matched healthy controls. Schizophrenia symptoms were assessed by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Multivariate regression was used to analyze relationships between OS parameters and MMP-9, and clinical symptoms. Results Our results demonstrated that levels of antioxidant enzymes, SOD, GSH-Px, H2O2, and MDA were significantly decreased, whereas CAT and MMP-9 levels were increased in patients with schizophrenia, when compared with healthy controls (all P 0.05). Conclusions Our results showed that alterations of plasma OS parameters in male patients with chronic schizophrenia were associated with psychopathology and MMP-9, suggesting that OS and neuroinflammation may play important role in the mechanism of schizophrenia.

Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) is an extremely influential painter in the history of modern Chinese painting. Among his works, the lotus paintings hold a special place in Zhang Daqian’s artistic career. This paper conducts a comparative study of Zhang Daqian’s early and late lotus paintings through quantitative analysis on three levels. Firstly, from the perspective of ink color, a quantitative comparative analysis concludes that the early works are characterized by high brightness, low contrast, and negative skewness. This indicates that the paintings possess a soft, delicate, and bright visual effect, giving a fresh and tranquil feeling. In contrast, the late works are characterized by low brightness, high contrast, and zero skewness, presenting a strong contrast, vivid colors, and visual balance. The color distribution in the late paintings is relatively balanced, forming a stark contrast to the soft style of the early works. Secondly, from the level of visual complexity, it is concluded that the early works have unique texture characteristics, while the late works are more uniform, consistent, and regular in these aspects, with stronger color contrast and dynamics, and more boldness. Finally, by extracting specific elements of “flowers, stems, leaves” for texture strokes and ink color gradation analysis, applying data quantification-based feature extraction and capturing important data information in MATLAB for data comparison, combined with professional analysis and research on related indicators of the artwork, the comparative results of quantitative analysis of Zhang Daqian’s early and late lotus paintings are given, summarizing the quantitative analysis results in descriptive language. The experimental results show that the algorithm has good performance, providing a solid basis for the quantitative analysis and comparative study of Zhang Daqian’s lotus paintings from early and late periods, and objectively presenting the style changes from “following the ancient” to “transforming the ancient” in Zhang Daqian’s lotus paintings through data.

Granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) are one of the main subgroups of MDSCs, which are widely enriched in most cancers. It can inhibit the killing function of T-lymphocyte through the expression of arginase-1 (Arg-1) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), reshape the tumor immune microenvironment, and promote the occurrence and development of tumors. In recent years, more and more studies have found that G-MDSCs are significantly correlated with the prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, and the use of drugs specifically targeting the recruitment, differentiation and function of G-MDSCs can effectively inhibit tumor progression. This article reviews the immunosuppressive effect of G-MDSCs in non-small cell lung cancer and the progress of related pathway targeting drugs.

To enhance the removal of COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) by microalgae, this study constructed a novel microalgae–microalgae microbial fuel cell system (AA-MFC). It investigated the coupling relationship between the COD treatment efficiency at the anode and the production of high-value microalgal products at the cathode, as well as explored the effects of different initial inoculum densities and light–dark cycles. The experiment first measured the operational performance of the newly constructed AA-MFC in open-circuit and closed-circuit modes, demonstrating that this novel AA-MFC could start up rapidly within 32 h and operate stably. The results showed that the AA-MFC enhanced the removal of COD and the growth of microalgae biomass at the anode while maintaining stable power generation. When the initial inoculation density of the anode was 1.2 × 108 cell/cm2 and the light–dark cycle time was 18:6 h, the AA-MFC had the most obvious promoting effect on the COD removal of the anode. Compared with normal culture conditions, the COD removal rate increased by 26.0% to 96.1%. These results indicate that the AA-MFC can not only effectively remove pollutants, but also promote the accumulation of high-value microalgae biomass.

This study aimed to assess the impact of pre-competition training by comparing the differences of collegiate sprinters in physiological state between strengthening and tapering training period by sportomics and combining their sport performance. Fifteen collegiate sprinters were investigated or tested on their body composition, dietary habits, energy expenditure, sleep efficiency, heart rate and respiratory rate during training, blood (blood cells, biochemical and immune markers) and urine (urinalysis), gut microbiome distribution, microbiome and blood metabolites, and their functions during the strengthening (Group A) and tapering training period (Group B) prior to competing in the national competitions. We found that 26.67% of sprinters achieved personal bests (PB) after the competition. The limb skeletal muscle mass and lymphocyte ratio of male sprinters in Group B were lower than those in Group A, and the serum creatine kinase (CK) level was higher than Group A (p < 0.05). The levels of serum CK, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and urine-specific gravity (SG) of the two groups were higher than the upper limit of the reference value. The detection rates of urine white blood cell (WBC) and protein in Group B were higher than those in Group A. The gut microbiome health index (GMHI) of Group A was higher than that of Group B, and the microbial dysbiosis index was lower than that of Group B. The ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) in Group A was higher than that in Group B. There were 65 differential metabolites in the A/B group, and the enriched pathway was mainly the NF-kappa B signaling pathway (up); B/T cell receptor signaling pathway (up); Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation (up); phenylalanine metabolism (up); and growth hormone synthesis, secretion, and action (up). There were significant differences in blood metabolites between the A and B groups, with a total of 89 differential metabolites, and the enriched pathway was mainly the NF-kappa B signaling pathway (up), T cell receptor signaling pathway (up), Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation (up), and glycerophospholipid metabolism (down). In conclusion, the imbalance of the gut microbiome and inflammation and immune-related metabolites of collegiate sprinters during the pre-competition tapering training period may be the cause of their limited sports performance.

Machining quality prediction is the critical link of quality control in parts machining. With the advent of the Industry 4.0 era, intelligent manufacturing and data-driven technologies bring new ideas for quality control in complex machining processes. Quality control is complicated for multi-process, multi-condition, small-batch, and high-precision parts processing requirements. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a machining quality prediction method based on the machining error transfer network and the grey neural network. Initially, by constructing a processing error transfer network, the error transfer law in part processing is described, and the PageRank algorithm and the influence degree of the nodes are used to determine the critical quality features. Additionally, the problem of low prediction accuracy due to small sample data and multiple coupling relationships is solved using the grey neural network algorithm, and a high accuracy prediction of critical quality features is achieved. Finally, the effectiveness and reliability of the method are verified by the case of medium-speed marine diesel engine fuselage processing. The results indicate that this method not only effectively identifies critical quality features in the machining process of complex parts, but it also maintains a high predictive accuracy for these features, even with small samples and limited data.

Dongting Lake is the second largest freshwater lake in China, located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Since the 21st century, it has faced intensified human activities, particularly the Three Gorges Dam impoundment and sand mining. The water quality of Dongting Lake has significantly changed due to human activities and climate change. Currently, quantitative studies on the spatial–temporal variations of total suspended matter (TSM) during Dongting Lake’s dry season and the human impacts on its concentration are lacking. This study utilizes Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-8 OLI data to estimate the changes in TSM concentration during the dry season from 1986 to 2021, analyzing their spatial–temporal variations and driving mechanisms. By evaluating the atmospheric calibration accuracy and model precision metrics, we select a model based on the ratio of red to green band, achieving an R2 of 0.84, RMSE of 18.94 mg/L, and MRE of 27.32%. Applying this model to the images, we map the distribution of the TSM concentration during the dry season from 1986 to 2021, analyzing its spatial pattern and inter-annual variation, and further investigate the impacts of natural factors and human activities on the TSM concentration. Our results show the following: (1) From 1986 to 2021, the TSM concentration during the dry season ranges from 0 to 200 mg/L of Dongting Lake, with an area-wide average value between 41.61 and 75.44 mg/L. (2) The TSM concentration from 1986 to 2021 is significantly correlated with the water level. Before 2006, it correlates positively, but no significant correlation exists from 2006 onward. (3) From 2006 onward, the mean TSM concentration is notably decreased compared to that before 2006, likely due to the Three Gorges Dam, while our analysis indicates a significant positive correlation between the TSM concentration and sand mining intensity during this period. This study highlights the influence of the Three Gorges Dam and sand mining on the TSM concentration in Dongting Lake during the dry season, providing valuable insights for related research on similar lakes.

To address the problem of predicting machining quality for critical features in the manufacturing process of mechanical products, a method that combines information entropy and XGBoost (version 2.1.1) hyperparameter optimization is proposed. Initially, machining data of mechanical products are analyzed based on information entropy theory to identify critical quality characteristics. Subsequently, a quality prediction model for these critical features is established using the XGBoost machine learning framework. The model’s hyperparameters are then optimized through Bayesian optimization. This method is applied as a case study to a medium-speed marine diesel engine piston. After the critical quality characteristics in the machining process are identified, the machining quality of these vital characteristics is predicted, and the results are compared with those obtained from a machine learning model without hyperparameter optimization. The findings demonstrate that the proposed method effectively predicts the machining quality of mechanical products.

Although the finite element head model (FEHM) has been widely utilized to analyze injury locations and patterns in traumatic brain injury, significant controversy persists regarding the selection of a mechanical injury variable and its corresponding threshold. This paper aims to determine an objective injury threshold for maximum principal strain (MPS) through a novel data-driven method, and to validate and apply it. We extract the peak responses from all elements across 100 head impact simulations to form a dataset, and then determine the objective injury threshold by analyzing the relationship between the combined injury degree and the threshold according to the stationary value principle. Using an occipital impact case from a clinical report as an example, we evaluate the accuracy of the injury prediction based on the new threshold. The results show that the injury area predicted by finite element analysis closely matches the main injury area observed in CT images, without the issue of over- or underestimating the injury due to an unreasonable threshold. Furthermore, by applying this threshold to the finite element analysis of designed occipital impacts, we observe, for the first time, supra-tentorium cerebelli injury, which is related to visual memory impairment. This discovery may indicate the biomechanical mechanism of visual memory impairment after occipital impacts reported in clinical cases.

Natural killer (NK) cells represent key player in immune surveillance to eliminate transformed or malignant cells. One of mechanisms of action of NK cells is antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) by recognizing tumor antigens on the surface of cancer cells. However, the heterogeneity of tumor antigens and the scarcity of membrane surface targets significantly restrict this strategy. Recently, we constructed a new cargo by tethering a low pH insertion peptide (pHLIP) to the C terminus of the ectodomain of programed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) and demonstrated its ability to modulate immune responses. Herein, the potential application of PD-L1-pHLIP in cancer therapy was determined. pHLIP tethering had no effect on the binding capacity of PD-L1 protein to an anti-PD-L1 antibody (i.e. avelumab). Association of pHLIP rendered PD-L1 segment display on the surface of cellular membrane in the acidic buffer instead of the neutral solution. Importantly, plate-coated or beads-coupled PD-L1-pHLIP enable robust activation and expression of cytotoxic mediators of NK cells via engaging avelumab. Overall, this work provides proof of concept that recombinant PD-L1 protein decorated on the cellular membrane driven by pHLIP in combination with appropriate monoclonal antibody has potentials to elicit NK cytotoxicity, which may represent a novel and promising therapeutic avenue in cancer.

Perovskite‐based memristors with tunable nonvolatile states are developed to mimic the synaptic interconnects of biological nervous systems and map neuromorphic computing networks to integrated circuits. To emulate the plasticity of synaptic structures, memristors with robust multilevel resistive states are fabricated in this work using high‐density polycrystalline MAPbCl3 nanowires (NWs) array that vertically integrated using solution method. In particular, the fabricated memristors exhibit both short‐ and long‐term plasticity and traits akin to biological synapses. A fabricated memristor device is precisely programmed to 18 resistive states and each state exhibits stable data retention of more than 100 000 s. Furthermore, a matrix processing unit using a 4‐by‐4 memristor array is fabricated as the hardware core of an encoder–decoder artificial neural network to demonstrate high accuracy and reliable in‐image font conversion. The resistive states of the 16 memristors are precisely programmed to the corresponding resistance values for specific synaptic weights of the artificial‐neural‐network‐trained offline. In addition, experimental characterization and first‐principles simulations attribute the continuous programmability and high reliability features of the memristors to the confinement mechanisms of the horizontal grain‐boundary structure in polycrystalline perovskite NWs.

Abstract Objective To summarize the clinical characteristics and imaging manifestations of patients with nonketotic hyperglycemic hemichorea (NH‐HC) and to explore the possible pathogenesis, diagnosis. and treatment of the disease in order to improve the understanding of this disease and avoid misdiagnosis. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the case data of five patients with NH‐HC admitted to our hospital in recent years. The patients were treated in the department of endocrinology, department of neurology, and department of neurosurgery in our hospital, respectively. Meanwhile, relevant literatures were consulted for further learning. Results NH‐HC is usually presented as a triad of nonketotic hyperglycemia, lateral chorea, and typical imaging manifestations of head magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography, but the clinical manifestations are not the same, and imaging features may also be different, presenting a diversified trend in clinical practice. All five patients were given glucose‐lowering drugs and improved with or without combination of drugs to control symptoms of chorea. Conclusion NH‐HC is a rare complication of diabetes, characterized by hyperglycemia and hemichorea. How to identify the extreme situation and make fast judgment is a top priority. Timely and correct control of blood glucose is the key to the treatment, and when necessary, application of dopamine receptor antagonists in patients with combination therapy can accelerate improvement of the clinical symptoms. The prognosis of NH‐HC is good, the clinician should strengthen comprehensive understanding of this disease to avoid missed diagnosis or misdiagnosis and enable patients to get more timely and effective treatment.