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Previous studies suggested that pyrethroid exposure was associated with elevated type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk, while it remains uncertain whether genetic predisposition modifies this association. A nested case-control study within the prospective Dongfeng-Tongji cohort comprised 1832 T2D cases, age- (±5 years) and sex-matched controls with qualified genotyping data. Serum pyrethroids were measured by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Overall diabetes-related genetic risk score (GRS) or pathway-specific GRS, including unweighted GRSs (uGRS) and weighted GRSs (wGRS), was developed by genetic variants identified in Asian populations. Higher overall diabetes-related GRS and GRS specific to the pathway of impaired beta cell function (Beta-cell GRS) were associated with a higher incident T2D risk. Beta-cell uGRS significantly modified the association of serum permethrin (Pinteraction=0.04) and deltamethrin (Pinteraction=0.01) with T2D. Specifically, for each doubling increase in serum deltamethrin, the odds ratios (ORs) (95 % confidence intervals [CIs]) for T2D were 1.23 (0.98–1.56) and 0.91 (0.77–1.07) in the highest and lowest Beta-cell uGRS group, as well as 1.23 (1.02–1.47) and 0.95 (0.78–1.15) for Beta-cell wGRS group, respectively. When considering jointly, those with the highest deltamethrin levels and highest Beta-cell GRS had a substantially higher T2D risk, compared with the reference group (OR for uGRS: 3.79 [95 % CI: 2.03–7.07], Pinteraction=0.03 and 3.23 [95 % CI: 1.78–5.87], Pinteraction=0.05 for wGRS). Our findings suggested that genetic susceptibility to impaired beta-cell function should be considered for T2D prevention targeting pyrethroid exposure, particularly deltamethrin.

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that bisphenol A exposure is associated with the risk of hypertension; however, most of them are cross-sectional and the conclusions are not consistent. ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between bisphenol A exposure and the incident risk of hypertension. MethodsBased on a nested case-control design involving 1990 subjects derived from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort, a total of 1080 subjects were included in this study after excluding 887 hypertensive cases at baseline and 23 subjects with missing blood pressure data in follow-up visits. Epidemiological information was collected through questionnaire survey, and serum bisphenol A concentration was detected by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Logistic regression model was used to analyze the potential association between serum bisphenol A level and the risk of hypertension incidence, and linear regression model was used to analyze the association between serum bisphenol A level and blood pressure changes between baseline and follow-up. ResultsThe average age of the 1 080 participants was (62.03±7.45) years, of which 41.1% were male. During the follow-up period, a total of 477 (44.2%) developed hypertension. The median serum concentration of bisphenol A in the total population was 3.15 μg·L−1, and the baseline bisphenol A concentration in the new case group (3.24 μg·L−1) was higher than that in the control group (2.98 μg·L−1) (P0.05). ConclusionBisphenol A exposure is positively associated with the risk of hypertension.

Prospective epidemiological evidence was lacking on the association of phthalates (PAEs) exposure with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. In present nested case-control study, we identified 1006 T2DM cases and matched 1006 controls based on Dongfeng-Tongji cohort study, and 6 PAEs were detected in baseline serum. The conditional logistic regression model, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) model and Quantile-based g-computation were applied to evaluate the associations of determined PAEs, either as individuals or as a mixture, with incident T2DM risk. Subgroup analysis was conducted to identify the potential sensitive population of PAEs effects on T2DM. After multiple adjustment, no statistically significant association was observed between single or mixture of PAEs and incident T2DM risk in the whole population. However, serum levels of Di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) [OR= 2.06; 95% CI: (1.11–3.96)], Σdibutyl phthalate (ΣDBP) [OR= 1.96; 95% CI: (1.06–3.76)], and Σlow-molecular- weight phthalate (ΣLMW) [OR= 2.27; 95% CI: (1.17–4.57)] were significantly associated with T2DM in current drinker group. Moreover, significant potential interactions were observed among Di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), DnBP, Butyl-benzyl phthalate (BBP), ΣDBP, and ΣLMW with drinking status on T2DM risk (P for interaction = 0.036, 0.005, 0.049. 0.010, and 0.005). We did not find significant associations between serum PAEs levels and T2DM in the whole population. However, current alcohol drinkers expose to higher levels of DnBP, ΣDBP, and ΣLMW had higher risk of T2DM.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems are increasingly applied to complex tasks that involve interaction with multiple agents. Such interaction-based systems can lead to safety risks. Due to limited perception and prior knowledge, agents acting in the real world may unconsciously hold false beliefs and strategies about their environment, leading to safety risks in their future decisions. For humans, we can usually rely on the high-level theory of mind (ToM) capability to perceive the mental states of others, identify risk-inducing errors, and offer our timely help to keep others away from dangerous situations. Inspired by the biological information processing mechanism of ToM, we propose a brain-inspired theory of mind spiking neural network (ToM-SNN) model to enable agents to perceive such risk-inducing errors inside others' mental states and make decisions to help others when necessary. The ToM-SNN model incorporates the multiple brain areas coordination mechanisms and biologically realistic spiking neural networks (SNNs) trained with Reward-modulated Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity (R-STDP). To verify the effectiveness of the ToM-SNN model, we conducted various experiments in the gridworld environments with random agents' starting positions and random blocking walls. Experimental results demonstrate that the agent with the ToM-SNN model selects rescue behavior to help others avoid safety risks based on self-experience and prior knowledge. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides a new perspective to explore how agents help others avoid potential risks based on bio-inspired ToM mechanisms and may contribute more inspiration toward better research on safety risks.

Background The physical appearance of tongue coatings is vital for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to diagnose health and disease status. The microbiota of different tongue coatings could also influence coating formation and be further associated with specific diseases. Previous studies have focused on bacteria from different tongue coatings in the context of specific diseases, but the normal variations in healthy individuals remain unknown.Aim: We examined the tongue microbiota by metagenomics in 94 healthy individuals classified into eight different tongue types.Results: The overall composition of the tongue coating microbiome is not drastically different among different coating types, similar to the findings of previous studies in healthy populations. Further analysis revealed microbiota characteristics of each coating type, and many of the key bacteria are reported to be implicated in diseases. Moreover, further inclusion of diabetic patients revealed disease-specific enrichment of Capnocytophaga, even though the same tongue coatings were studied.Conclusions: This work revealed the characteristic compositions of distinctive tongue coatings in a healthy population, which serves as a basis for understanding the tongue coating formation mechanism and provides a valuable reference to further investigate disease-specific tongue coating bacterial markers.

Crystal (Cry) proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been widely used in transgenic crops due to their toxicity against insect pests. However, the distribution and metabolism of these toxins in insect tissues and organs have remained obscure because the target insects do not ingest much toxin. In this study, several Cry1Ac-resistant strains of Helicoverpa armigera, fed artificial diets containing high doses of Cry1Ac toxin, were used to investigate the distribution and metabolism of Cry1Ac in their bodies. Cry1Ac was only detected in larvae, not in pupae or adults. Also, Cry1Ac passed through the midgut into other tissues, such as the hemolymph and fat body, but did not reach the larval integument. Metabolic tests revealed that Cry1Ac degraded most rapidly in the fat body, followed by the hemolymph, peritrophic membrane and its contents. The toxin was metabolized slowly in the midgut, but was degraded in all locations within 48 h. These findings will improve understanding of the functional mechanism of Bt toxins in target insects and the biotransfer and the bioaccumulation of Bt toxins in arthropod food webs in the Bt crop ecosystem.

[Objectives] This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different treatments on rooting and germination of Paeonia rockii T. Hong et J. J. Li seeds. [Methods] Different stratification time and temperatures and different GA3 concentrations and treatment time were set to screen the optimum treatment method for promoting seed rooting and germination. [ Results] The rooting rate was the highest when the seeds were subjected to 30 d of stratification treatment in an incubator at 25 k , and treated with 300 mg/L GA3 for 24 h. Soaking the seeds with 300 mg/L GA3 for 24 h combined with 30 d of stratification treatment was most beneficial to germination, and the germination rate was over 90%. [ Conclusions] This study provides technical guidance and basic information for the rooting and germination of P. rocCii seeds [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] This study aimed to determine the optimal medium components and culture conditions for the induction and proliferation of Dioscorea nipponica Makino axilary buds in vitro. [Methods] The effects of basic medium (MS, WPM, B5 and N6), cytokinins type and concentration (0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg/L 6-BA; 0, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 mg/L KT), auxins type and concentration (0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 mg/L IBA, 2,4-D and NAA) on the induction of D. nipponica axillary buds were respectively measured and compared. Then, the eifects of sugar source (30 g/L sucrose, fructose, white sugar, maltose and glucose) and light intensity (0, 800, 1 600, 2 400 and 3 200 lx) on the proliferation coefficient of D. nipponica axiilary buds were evaluated. [Results] Using stem segments with l e a ails as the explants, the highest induction rate (90. 8%) of axiilary buds was achieved in MS supplemented with 2.5 mg/L 6-BA and 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D, and the fresh and dry weights of tissue culture seedling in this medium were also the highest, up to 1.5 g and 160.9 mg, respectively. Then, the highest proliferation coefficient of was D. nipponica axiilary buds noted when sucrose was used as the sugar source in medium, and the optimal light intensity for the proliferation of D. nipponica axiilary buds was 2 400 lx. [Conclusions] The results provide an experimental evidence for rapid propagation of D. nipponica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the perspective of flight technology and flight safety, the unsaturated clayey foundation soil of a high plateau airport in the mountainous area of southwest China is taken as the research object, and the calculation method of the composite modulus of CFG pile composite foundation with the soil between the piles as the unsaturated soil is established according to the relevant characteristics of unsaturated soil, and the calculation method of the composite foundation's settlement is carried out on the basis of this method. At the same time, Plaxis finite element analysis software is used to model the actual project and numerically analyze the settlement characteristics of the composite foundation. Finally, the calculation results of the two methods are compared and studied with the actual settlement monitoring values on site. The study shows that: 1) the theoretical analysis method is able to consider the effects of pile length, pile modulus, and matrix suction in unsaturated soil of rigid piles on the composite modulus, which is more in line with the reality than the conventional composite modulus method that does not consider the unsaturated nature of the soil between the piles; 2) the resultant values computed by the theoretical and numerical analysis methods recommended in this paper are both smaller than those measured at the site but the difference is within the range of 10%, so that in the actual plateau of the High Plains airports can choose the two analysis methods recommended in this paper to conduct related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on the unsaturated cohesive soil of a high-plateau airport in the southwest mountainous area of China, and the standard penetration tests, laboratory tests, and static cone penetration tests were respectively adopted to carry out a comparative study on the bearing capacity of the foundation soil. The results showed that among the three testing methods, the static cone penetration test method yielded the highest bearing capacity values, The bearing capacity determined by the laboratory test was secondary, and the bearing capacity determined by the standard penetration test method was the minimum. The bearing capacity value determined by the standard penetration test was close to the laboratory test method, and the difference value was not more than 5%. The difference between the static test method and the other two methods was more than 5%. For the studied soil samples, it is suggested that the bearing capacity value should be determined by the standard penetration test method or the laboratory test method, but the static test method is not recommended. The results have some theoretical guidance and practical significance for the analysis of engineering characteristics for the same type of soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to ensure flight safety, the requirement of foundation settlement of high-plateau airport is stricter than that of airport in plain area. In order to monitor the abnormal state of runway foundation in the process of use of a high-plateau airport and prevent and resolve the major risk of foundation settlement to flight safety. It takes a high-plateau airport in the southwest mountain area as an example, selecting two representative A and B sections for analysis. It takes the first 60 days' monitoring data as training samples, which shows nonlinear characteristics. The Long and Short Term Memory neural network (LSTM) prediction model and BP neural network model are constructed to predict the trend of foundation settlement after construction. In the process of building the LSTM model, the minimum root-mean-square error of test samples was selected as the fitness function, and the parameters of the LSTM model were modified by Genetic Algorithm (GA). And then the modified LSTM prediction model based on the early settlement of the foundation was constructed. The results shows that the modified LSTM model and BP model constructed in this paper are generally consistent with the field measured values in the prediction of airport foundation settlement of high-plateau, but the modified LSTM model is more sensitive to the abrupt change of data and has a more stable trend than the BP model. The predicted values of the modified LSTM model are all greater than those of the BP model, and the predicted values of the modified LSTM model are closer to the monitored values in the field than the predicted values of the BP model, and the relative error between the predicted values and the monitored values is less than 3%. The research can provide a reliable theoretical reference for the design, construction, operation management and later maintenance of high-plateau airport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the foundation soil in airport engineering belongs to unsaturated soil. The subsidence law and stress change rule of unsaturated soil foundation in the filling phase of embankment were analyzed by the software of Midas/GTS. The one-dimensional consolidation theory of unsaturated soil and the Van Genuchten model of soil water characteristics were considered in the programs. The results showed the stress decreased with depth increased and they could be seen as two straight lines. The interval time in filling phase of unsaturated soil had little impact on the stress. The depth-settlement curves had big difference between the overall filling and layered filling that the settlement of layered filling was far greater than the overall filling. In the layered filling, the curves of depth-settlement were similar with different interval time that could be approximately separated into two phases and the largest settlement appeared on the surface of the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triaxial tests were performed on samples of unsaturated moraine soil at a high-plateau airport of China by using the unsaturated soil triaxial apparatus. In the tests, the matric suction and net confining pressure were controlled. In the scheme of the tests, the matric suctions were controlled at 0 kPa, 50 kPa, 100 kPa and 200 kPa. The net confining pressures were controlled at 100 kPa, 200 kPa, 300 kPa and 400 kPa. The results showed that for the unsaturated moraine soil, c' and φ ' increase in the matric suction and their growth rates were similar. The relationship between volumetric strain and net confining pressure showed that the specimens were in a state of dilatancy with a small net confining pressure and the amount of dilatancy rapidly decreased and developed into a shear shrinkage state with an increase in net confining pressure. The last amount of shrinkage was stable at approximately 0.6%. Also, the soil suction characteristic curve for the studied soil was obtained by the tests and the suction stress increased with the matric suction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]