Search

Social controllability, or the ability to exert control during social interactions, is crucial for optimal decision-making. Inability to do so might contribute to maladaptive behaviors such as smoking, which often takes place in social settings. Here, we examined social controllability in nicotine-dependent humans as they performed an fMRI task where they could influence the offers made by simulated partners. Computational modeling revealed that smokers under-estimated the influence of their actions and self-reported a reduced sense of control, compared to non-smokers. These findings were replicated in a large independent sample of participants recruited online. Neurally, smokers showed reduced tracking of forward projected choice values in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and impaired computation of social prediction errors in the midbrain. These results demonstrate that smokers were less accurate in estimating their personal influence when the social environment calls for control, providing a neurocomputational account for the social cognitive deficits in this population. Pre-registrations: OSF Registries|How interoceptive state interacts with value-based decision-making in addiction (fMRI study). OSF Registries|COVID-19: social cognition, mental health, and social distancing (online study). A neurocomputational model of social forward thinking shows that smokers under-estimate the influence of their actions on future interactions, a cognitive deficit associated with aberrant prefrontal and midbrain activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) presents impediment to wound healing. While ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure showed therapeutic potential in various skin conditions, its capacity to mediate diabetic wound healing remains unclear. To investigate the efficacy of UVB on wound healing and its underlying basis. Materials and Methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to the high‐fat diet followed by streptozotocin administration to establish the diabetic model. Upon confirmation of diabetes, full‐thickness wounds were inflicted and the treatment group received UVB radiation at 50 mJ/cm2 for 5 min every alternate day for 2 weeks. Wound healing rate was then assessed, accompanied by evaluations of blood glucose, lipid profiles, CD31 expression, and concentrations of ghrelin and leptin. Concurrently, in vitro studies were executed to evaluate the protective role of ghrelin on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) under high glucose (HG) conditions. Results: Post UVB exposure, there was a marked acceleration in wound healing in DM mice without alterations in hyperglycemia and lipid profiles. Compared to non‐UVB‐exposed mice, the UVB group showed enhanced angiogenesis manifested by a surge in CD31 expression. This trend appeared to be in harmony with the elevated ghrelin levels. In vitro experiments indicated that ghrelin significantly enhanced the migratory pace and angiogenic properties of HUVEC under HG‐induced stress, potentially mediated by an upregulation in vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Conclusion: UVB exposure bolstered wound healing in diabetic mice, plausibly mediated through augmented angiogenesis induced by ghrelin secretion. Such findings underscore the vast potential of UVB‐induced ghrelin in therapeutic strategies targeting diabetic wound healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Associations between psychiatric disorders and digestive tract cancers have been proposed. However, the causal link between these factors remains unclear. This study pioneers Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the genetic link between psychiatric disorders and digestive tract cancers risk. We analysed data on six psychiatric disorders [schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and panic disorder (PD)] and digestive tract cancers [esophagus cancer (EC), gastric cancer (GC), and colorectal cancer (CRC)] from genome-wide association studies databases. Using instrumental variables identified from significant single nucleotide polymorphism associations, we employed the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method alongside the weighted median (WM) method and MR-Egger regression. The results revealed no causal link between psychiatric disorders and the risk of EC or GC. Psychiatric disorders were not identified as risk factors for CRC. Notably, PD demonstrated a lower CRC risk (OR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.66–0.93, P = 0.01). This MR analysis underscores the lack of a causal association between psychiatric disorders and digestive tract cancers risk while suggesting a potential protective effect of PD against CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral infection can regulate the cell cycle, thereby promoting viral replication. Hijacking and altering the cell cycle are important for the virus to establish and maintain a latent infection. Previously, Spodoptera exigua multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (SeMNPV)-latently infected P8-Se301-C1 cells, which grew more slowly than Se301 cells and interfered with homologous SeMNNPV superinfection, were established. However, the effects of latent and superinfection with baculoviruses on cell cycle progression remain unknown. In this study, the cell cycle profiles of P8-Se301-C1 cells and SeMNPV or Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV)-infected P8-Se301-C1 cells were characterized by flow cytometry. The results showed that replication-related genes MCM4, PCNA, and BAF were down-regulated (p < 0.05) in P8-Se301-C1 cells, and the S phase of P8-Se301-C1 cells was longer than that of Se301 cells. P8-Se301-C1 cells infected with SeMNPV did not arrest in the G2/M phase or affect the expression of Cyclin B and cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Furthermore, when P8-Se301-C1 cells were infected with SeMNPV after synchronized treatment with hydroxyurea and nocodazole, light microscopy and qRT-PCR analysis showed that, compared with unsynchronized cells and S and G2/M phase cells, SeMNPV-infected P8-Se301-C1 cells in G1 phase induced G2/M phase arrest, and the amount of virus adsorption and intracellular viral DNA replication were significantly increased (p < 0.05). In addition, budded virus (BV) production and occlusion body (OB)-containing cells were both increased at 120 h post-infection (p < 0.05). The expression of Cyclin B and CDK1 was significantly down-regulated at 48 h post-infection (p < 0.05). Finally, the arrest of SeMNPV-infected G1 phase cells in the G2/M phase increased BV production (p < 0.05) and the number of OB-containing cells. In conclusion, G1 phase infection and G2/M arrest are favorable to SeMNPV proliferation in P8-Se301-C1 cells, thereby alleviating the homologous superinfection exclusion. The results contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between baculoviruses and insect cell cycle progression and regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sisal fiber exhibits a fibrous and porous structure with significant surface roughness, making it highly suitable for storing phase change materials (PCMs). Its intricate morphology further aids in mitigating the risk of PCM leakage. This research successfully employs vacuum adsorption to encapsulate paraffin within sisal fiber, yielding a potentially cost-effective, durable, and environmentally friendly phase change energy storage medium. A systematic investigation was carried out to evaluate the effects of sisal-to-paraffin mass ratio, fiber length, vacuum level, and negative pressure duration on the loading rate of paraffin. The experimental results demonstrate that a paraffin loading rate of 8 wt% can be achieved by subjecting a 3 mm sisal fiber to vacuum adsorption with 16 wt% paraffin for 1 h at −0.1 MPa. Through the utilization of nano-CT imaging enhancement technology, along with petrographic microscopy, this study elucidates the mechanism underlying paraffin storage within sisal fiber during vacuum adsorption. The observations reveal that a substantial portion of paraffin is primarily stored within the pores of the fiber, while a smaller quantity is firmly adsorbed onto its surface, thus yielding a durable phase change energy storage medium. The research findings contribute to both the theoretical foundations and the available practical guidance for the fabrication and implementation of paraffin/sisal fiber composite phase change energy storage mediums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the CRISPR/Cas9 genomic editing technology, we constructed a transgenic mouse model to express specific fluorescent protein in pancreatic β cells, which harbor tdTomato exogenous gene downstream of the Ins2 promoter in C57BL/6 J mice. The Ins2-specific single-guide RNA-targeted exon2 was designed for the CRISPR/Cas9 system and Donor vector was constructed at the same time. Then Cas9, sgRNA, and Donor vector were microinjected in vitro into the mouse zygotes that were implanted into pseudo-pregnant mice. We obtained homozygotes through mating heterozygotes, and verified the knockin effect through genotype identification, in vivo imaging, and frozen section. Six F0 mice and stable inherited Ins2-IRES-tdTomato F1 were obtained. Genome sequencing results showed that the knockin group had no change in the Ins2 exon compared with the control group, while only the base sequence of tdTomato was added and no base mutation occurred. However, in vivo imaging and frozen section did not observe the expression of red fluorescent protein (RFP), and the protein expression of knockin gene tdTomato was negative. As a result, the expressions of tdTomato protein and fluorescence intensity were low and the detection threshold was not reached. In the CRISP/Cas9 technique, the exogenous fragment of IRES connection would affect the transcription level of the preceding gene, which in turn would lead to low-level expression of the downstream gene and affect the effect of gene insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Purpose: Challenges remain in dose accumulation for cervical cancer radiotherapy combined with external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and brachytherapy (BT) as there are many large and complex organ deformations between different treatments. This study aims to improve deformable image registration (DIR) accuracy with the introduction of multi-metric objectives for dose accumulation of EBRT and BT. (2) Materials and methods: Twenty cervical cancer patients treated with EBRT (45–50 Gy/25 fractions) and high-dose-rate BT (≥20 Gy in 4 fractions) were included for DIR. The multi-metric DIR algorithm included an intensity-based metric, three contour-based metrics, and a penalty term. Nonrigid B-spine transformation was used to transform the planning CT images from EBRT to the first BT, with a six-level resolution registration strategy. To evaluate its performance, the multi-metric DIR was compared with a hybrid DIR provided by commercial software. The DIR accuracy was measured by the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD) between deformed and reference organ contours. The accumulated maximum dose of 2 cc (D2cc) of the bladder and rectum was calculated and compared to simply addition of D2cc from EBRT and BT (ΔD2cc). (3) Results: The mean DSC of all organ contours for the multi-metric DIR were significantly higher than those for the hybrid DIR (p ≤ 0.011). In total, 70% of patients had DSC > 0.8 using the multi-metric DIR, while 15% of patients had DSC > 0.8 using the commercial hybrid DIR. The mean ΔD2cc of the bladder and rectum for the multi-metric DIR were 3.25 ± 2.29 and 3.54 ± 2.02 GyEQD2, respectively, whereas those for the hybrid DIR were 2.68 ± 2.56 and 2.32 ± 3.25 GyEQD2, respectively. The multi-metric DIR resulted in a much lower proportion of unrealistic D2cc than the hybrid DIR (2.5% vs. 17.5%). (4) Conclusions: Compared with the commercial hybrid DIR, the introduced multi-metric DIR significantly improved the registration accuracy and resulted in a more reasonable accumulated dose distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficient control of thermal comfort has been already an important part of residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, the optimisation of energy saving control for thermal comfort is not an easy task due to the complex dynamics of HVAC systems, the dynamics of thermal comfort and the trade-off between energy saving and thermal comfort. To solve the above problem, we propose a deep reinforcement learning-based thermal comfort control method in multi-zone residential HVAC. In this paper, firstly we design a SVR-DNN model, consisting of Support Vector Regression and a Deep Neural Network to predict thermal comfort value. Then, we apply Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) based on the output of the SVR-DNN model to achieve an optimal HVAC thermal comfort control strategy. This method can minimise energy consumption while satisfying occupants' thermal comfort. The experimental results show that our method can improve thermal comfort prediction performance by 20.5% compared with DNN; compared with deep Q-network (DQN), energy consumption and thermal comfort violation can be reduced by 3.52% and 64.37% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver nanowire (Ag NW)-based transparent back electrodes prepared via all solution-process are promising for bifacial and semitransparent perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, the inadequate electrical contact between the silver nanowires themselves and the contact with substrate leads to reduced overall solar cell performance; meanwhile, serious corrosion of Ag NW in ambient environment restricting the further applications. In this work, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a binder in Ag NW electrode significantly enhances the conductivity and transparency at the same time improving the interface electric contact. The PSC with PVP modified Ag NW electrode demonstrated frontside and backside efficiency approaching 18 % and 14.1 % (AM1.5, 1 Sun), respectively, which achieves 82 % efficiency with normal Ag device and bifacial factor of 79 %. The long-term storage stability of PSC is also improved by PVP protection. The final device structure is ITO/Ni O x /MeO/(FA0.92MA0.08)0.95Cs0.05Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3/PEAI/PC61BM/BCP/ Ag NW. This work highlights the method to fabricate robust transparent Ag NW electrode for bifacial perovskite solar cells. • Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) in Ag nanowire (Ag NW) electrode significantly enhances the conductivity and transparency. • PVP modified Ag NW electrode improves the interface electric contact and charge transport of the solar cell. • The Perovskite solar cell (PSC) with PVP modified Ag NW electrode demonstrated high efficiency and bifacial factor. • The long-term storage stability of PSC is also improved by PVP protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivation of sloping land is a main cause for soil erosion. Conservation practices, such as soil and stone terraces, may reduce the impacts of erosion but their impacts on soil microbial diversity and functioning related to carbon (C) and nutrient metabolisms remain unclear. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of slope gradients (5°, 8°, 15°, 25°) and conservation practices (cultivated, uncultivated, soil terrace, and stone terrace) on bacterial and fungal diversities, metagenomic and metabolomic functioning associated with basic soil properties. Our results showed that steep slopes at 25° significantly decreased soil pH, silt percentage, and bacterial and fungal abundances, but that soil and stone terraces increased soil organic C (SOC), silt and clay contents, and fungal abundance compared to sloping cultivated lands. In addition, soil and stone terraces increased both bacterial and fungal alpha diversities, and relative abundances of Crenarchaeota, Nitrospirota, and Latescibacterota, but reduced the proportions of Actinobacteriota and Patescibacteria, thus shifting microbial beta diversities, which were significantly associated with increased SOC and silt content. For metagenomics, soil and stone terraces greatly increased the relative abundance of functional genes related to Respiration, Virulence, disease and defense, Stress response, and nitrogen and potassium metabolisms, such as Denitrification and Potassium homeostasis. For soil metabolomics, a total of 22 soil metabolites was enriched by soil and stone terraces, such as Lipids and lipid-like molecules (Arachidonic acid, Gamma-Linolenic acid, and Pentadecanoic acid), and Organoheterocyclic compounds (Adenine, Laudanosine, Methylpyrazine, and Nicotinic acid). To sum up, soil and stone terraces could reduce some of the negative impacts of steep slope cultivation on soil microbial diversity as well as their metagenomic and metabolomic functioning related to C and nutrient metabolism useful for soil health improvement, potentially bolstering the impact of sustainable practices in erosion hotspots around the world. [Display omitted] • Steep slopes significantly decreased bacterial and fungal abundances. • Soil and/or stone terraces increased bacterial and fungal alpha diversities. • Terraces shifted microbial communities from oligotrophic to copiotrophic groups. • Microbes in terraces used more energy for self-growth or improving competitiveness. • Lipids and organoheterocyclic compounds were enriched by soil and stone terraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the mining industry and the overuse of inorganic fertilizers have led to an excess of manganese (Mn) in the soil, thereby, contaminating the soil environment and people's health. On heavy metal-contaminated soils, the combined arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-phytoremediation technique becomes a hotspot because of its environmentally friendly, in situ remediation. AMF inoculation often leads to a decrease in host Mn acquisition, which provides a basis for its application in phytoremediation of contaminated soils. Moreover, the utilization value of native AMF is greater than that of exotic AMF, because native AMF can adapt better to Mn-contaminated soils. In addition to the fact that AMF enhance plant Mn tolerance responses such as regionalization, organic matter chelation, limiting uptake and efflux, and so on, AMF also develop plant-independent fungal pathways such as direct biosorption of Mn by mycorrhizal hyphae, fungal Mn transporter genes, and sequestration of Mn by mycorrhizal hyphae, glomalin, and arbuscule-containing root cortical cells, which together mitigate excessive Mn toxicity to plants. Clarifying AMF-plant interactions under Mn stress will provide support for utilizing AMF as a phytoremediation in Mn-contaminated soils. The review reveals in detail how AMF develop its own mechanisms for responding to excess Mn and how AMF enhance plant Mn tolerance, accompanied by perspectives for future research. [Display omitted] • AMF inoculation diversely affects host Mn levels, dominated by reduced Mn uptake. • Mn-contaminated soils reduce AMF diversity, along with Glomus as the dominant genus and native AMF more tolerant. • AMF enhances plant Mn tolerance such as regionalization and chelation. • AMF hyphae have direct biosorption and sequestration of Mn. • Fungal Mn transporters, glomalin, and arbuscule-contained cortical cells mitigate Mn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the efficacy of uterine artery embolization (UAE) in the treatment of uterine fibroid and share the experience of transvaginal fibroid expulsion (FE) after UAE. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the changes in uterine and fibroid volume in 152 patients with symptomatic uterine fibroid after UAE at Fujian Provincial Hospital and Fujian Longyan People Hospital from March 2014 to March 2020. After a 12-month follow-up, the improvement in postoperative clinical symptoms and the incidence of complications were evaluated. We also shared the clinical features and imaging findings of four patients with FE after UAE. Results: All 152 patients successfully underwent UAE. After a 12-month follow-up, the postoperative volumes of the uterus and fibroid at 3, 6, and 12 months were significantly reduced or disappeared compared to those before surgery (P < 0.05). Clinical symptoms, such as menorrhagia, dysmenorrhea, prolonged menstrual period, anemia, increased leucorrhea, pelvic discomfort, and urinary tract compression, were significantly improved after UAE. Among the 152 patients, the incidences of postoperative fever, nausea, vomiting, lower abdominal pain, and increased vaginal secretion were 7.89%, 7.24%, 3.95%, 19.08%, and 4.61%, respectively. Additionally, there were six cases of FE, with an incidence of 3.95%. Three cases of fibroid specimens and pathological images of fibroid biopsy, which were expelled through the vagina, were also provided. Conclusion: UAE is a satisfactory alternative surgical method for symptomatic uterine fibroid with definitive efficacy and high safety. However, it is necessary to guard against the occurrence of postoperative complications such as FE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) is a common phenomenon in oil and gas industries. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) often leads to MIC and oilfield acidification. Glutaraldehyde is a highly effective biocide, which is used to kill SRB. In this paper, the effect of glutaraldehyde as a biocide against the MIC of X80 steel has been studied by weight-loss tests, electrochemical measurements, and surface analysis techniques. The results show that glutaraldehyde can effectively alleviate the MIC problem caused by SRB. After adding 100 parts per million (ppm) of glutaraldehyde, the number of SRB cells and the corrosion rate of samples decrease significantly. The damage of pitting corrosion caused by SRB on the surface of X80 steel is controlled by glutaraldehyde. Electrochemical measurements corroborate the weight-loss measured data and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black hole shadow and gravitational lensing play important roles in testing gravitational theories in the strong field regime. As the first-order modifications from quantum gravity, the nonlocality can be manifested by black hole shadow and gravitational lensing. For example, the nonlocal parameter introduced by nonlocality will affect the shape and size of the black hole shadow, and also affect the deflection angle of light rays. In this paper, we mainly investigate the effects of the nonlocality on the black hole shadow and the gravitational lensing for two types of rotating black holes in nonlocal gravity. It is found that the size of the black hole shadow decreases with the nonlocal parameter since the nonlocality weakens the gravitational constant, and the shape of the shadow becomes more deformed with the increase in the nonlocal parameter. However, if the rotation parameter is small, the shape of the shadow is almost a circle even though the nonlocal parameter approaches its maximum. The energy emission rate in both models is also studied. The results show that there is a peak for each curve and the peak decreases and shifts to the low frequency with the increase in the nonlocal parameter. In addition, we also explore the shadow of both types of black holes surrounded by a nonmagnetized pressureless plasma which satisfies the separability condition. It is found that the plasma has a frequency-dependent dispersive effect on the size and shape of the black hole shadow. For the gravitational lensing, we find that the nonlocal parameter of model A makes a positive contribution to the deflection angle, which can be compared with the contribution of the rotation parameter, while the nonlocal parameter of model B makes a negative contribution which can be ignored. These results may be helpful for probing nonlocal gravity in future observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chest X-ray (CXR) is widely used to diagnose conditions affecting the chest, its contents, and its nearby structures. In this study, we used a private data set containing 1630 CXR images with disease labels; most of the images were disease-free, but the others contained multiple sites of abnormalities. Here, we used deep convolutional neural network (CNN) models to extract feature representations and to identify possible diseases in these images. We also used transfer learning combined with large open-source image data sets to resolve the problems of insufficient training data and optimize the classification model. The effects of different approaches of reusing pretrained weights (model finetuning and layer transfer), source data sets of different sizes and similarity levels to the target data (ImageNet, ChestX-ray, and CheXpert), methods integrating source data sets into transfer learning (initiating, concatenating, and co-training), and backbone CNN models (ResNet50 and DenseNet121) on transfer learning were also assessed. The results demonstrated that transfer learning applied with the model finetuning approach typically afforded better prediction models. When only one source data set was adopted, ChestX-ray performed better than CheXpert; however, after ImageNet initials were attached, CheXpert performed better. ResNet50 performed better in initiating transfer learning, whereas DenseNet121 performed better in concatenating and co-training transfer learning. Transfer learning with multiple source data sets was preferable to that with a source data set. Overall, transfer learning can further enhance prediction capabilities and reduce computing costs for CXR images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acetylcholine (ACh) and norepinephrine (NE) are representative neurotransmitters of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves, respectively, that antagonize each other to coregulate internal body functions. This also includes the control of different kinds of hormone secretion from pancreatic islets. However, the molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated, and whether innervation in islets is abnormal in diabetes mellitus also remains unclear. Methods and results: Immunofluorescence colocalization and islet perfusion were performed and the results demonstrated that ACh/NE and their receptors were highly expressed in islet and rapidly regulated different hormones secretion. Phosphorylation is considered an important posttranslational modification in islet innervation and it was identified by quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic analyses in this study. The phosphorylated islet proteins were found involved in many biological and pathological processes, such as synaptic signalling transduction, calcium channel opening and insulin signalling pathway. Then, the kinases were predicted by motif analysis and further screened and verified by kinase‐specific siRNAs in different islet cell lines (αTC1‐6, Min6 and TGP52). After functional verification, Ksr2 and Pkacb were considered the key kinases of ACh and NE in insulin secretion, and Cadps, Mlxipl and Pdcd4 were the substrates of these kinases measured by immunofluorescence co‐staining. Then, the decreased expression of receptors, kinases and substrates of ACh and NE were found in diabetic mice and the aberrant rhythm in insulin secretion could be improved by combined interventions on key receptors (M3 (pilocarpine) or α2a (guanfacine)) and kinases (Ksr2 or Pkacb). Conclusions: Abnormal innervation was closely associated with the degree of islet dysfunction in diabetic mice and the aberrant rhythm in insulin secretion could be ameliorated significantly after intervention with key receptors and kinases in the early stage of diabetes mellitus, which may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for diabetes mellitus in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterotrimeric G proteins function as key players in guard cell signaling to many stimuli, including ultraviolet B (UV-B) and ethylene, but whether guard cell G protein signaling is activated by the only one potential G protein-coupled receptor, GCR1, is still unclear. Here, we found that gcr1 null mutants showed defects in UV-B- and ethylene-induced stomatal closure and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in guard cells, but these defects could be rescued by the application of a Gα activator or overexpression of a constitutively active form of Gα subunit GPA1 (cGPA1). Moreover, the exogenous application of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or NO triggered stomatal closure in gcr1 mutants and cGPA1 transgenic plants in the absence or presence of UV-B or ethylene, but exogenous ethylene could not rescue the defect of gcr1 mutants in UV-B-induced stomatal closure, and gcr1 mutants did not affect UV-B-induced ethylene production in Arabidopsis leaves. These results indicate that GCR1 positively controls UV-B- and ethylene-induced stomatal closure by activating GPA1-dependent ROS and NO production in guard cells and that ethylene acts upstream of GCR1 to transduce UV-B guard cell signaling, which establishes the existence of a classic paradigm of G protein signaling in guard cell signaling to UV-B and ethylene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the coninuous improvement and development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, this technology has been used in the asset management of companies. To improve the asset management level of Chinese start-ups, firstly, back-propagation neural network (BPNN) has been studied in depth, and an evaluation system of the company's asset quality has been established. Secondly, the BPNN is integrated with the evaluation indicators of asset quality, and an evaluation model of asset quality based on BPNN is constructed. Next, start-up A is taken as the experimental object; the evaluation score of the asset quality of A company is input into the model, which proves that there is still a certain gap between the asset management level of start-ups and mature companies. Finally, to find out the problems of the company's asset quality, the traditional financial analysis method is used to carry out a specific microanalysis of the evaluation indicators of its asset quality. In view of the existing problems, suggestions are put forward for prudent investment, improve inventory operation efficiency, increase investment in R&D and innovation, improve the quality of sales outlets, and increase the proportion of high-quality intangible assets. The asset quality evaluation system for start-ups established here includes 19 evaluation indicators. The BPNN-based asset quality evaluation model selects 5 mature companies in the same industry as sample companies. The scores of the evaluation indicators of asset quality of the 5 sample companies in the past three years are normalized and input into the model. The model contains 19 nodes of the input layer, 39 nodes of the hidden layer, and 1 node of the output layer. The target error rate is 0.001, the learning rate is 0.1, the number of training times is 1000, and the training function is the trainlm function. This research has a certain reference for the application of AI technology in the asset management of start-ups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the drying quality and obtain a crispy texture of papaya slices, microwave vacuum drying (MVD) was studied in this research. The effects of different slice thickness (3, 6, 9, 12 mm), microwave power density (6, 8, 10, 12 W/g), drying temperature (50, 55, 60, 65, 70°C), and vacuum degree in relative pressure (−75, −80, −85, −90 kPa) on the drying characteristics and comprehensive quality of papaya slice were discussed. The Box–Behnken central combination experiments were designed and the response surface optimization analysis was carried out. According to the results of the response surface experiments, the impact factors during papaya slices drying on the comprehensive score were ranked from largest to smallest as follows: microwave power density, vacuum degree, and drying temperature. The fragility and hardness of papaya slices showed an upward trend with the increase of thickness. The optimum technologic parameters were set at the microwave power density of 10 W/g, vacuum degree of −90 kPa, drying temperature of 54.58°C, and slice thickness of 6 mm. The comprehensive score F can be up to the maximum value of 8.80 with the deviation from the verification test of 4.4%, and the papaya slices with obvious pore structure and remarkable crispness were obtained. Novelty impact statement: Microwave vacuum drying technology combines the advantages of microwave drying and vacuum drying, which has remarkable drying efficiency through internal heating and promotes the slices to form a crispy texture. In this work, the influence of different factors on the fragility and hardness quality of papaya chips were explored firstly. Increasing drying temperature has no significant influence on the fragility and hardness value. Meanwhile, the hardness value went up while the fragility fluctuated slightly as the power density was added. The variation trend of papaya porosity microstructure gradually expanded with the increase of vacuum degree. The results provided theoretical support for the application of microwave vacuum drying technology in papaya crisp chips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the great changes of social development environment and the lack of psychological preparation of many students, many college students have many psychological problems in the process of adapting to the environment. If the problem cannot be solved in time, it will seriously affect their future adaptation and mental health. In order to solve the psychological problems of college students, the networked dynamic model constructed by using big data modeling technology can realize the system functions required by users and model the model accordingly. The main research direction of this paper is to study the influencing factors and change trend of college students' mental health under the background of big data. In the network-oriented scenario, the missing value of the data is supplemented, and the sequence prediction technology is added to the data. Finally, by adding corresponding data samples to the improved big data dynamic model, the results of the addition completion method and data sequence prediction technology are analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficient control of thermal comfort has been already an important part of residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. However, the optimisation of energy saving control for thermal comfort is not an easy task due to the complex dynamics of HVAC systems, the dynamics of thermal comfort and the trade-off between energy saving and thermal comfort. To solve the above problem, we propose a deep reinforcement learning-based thermal comfort control method in multi-zone residential HVAC. In this paper, firstly we design a SVR-DNN model, consisting of Support Vector Regression and a Deep Neural Network to predict thermal comfort value. Then, we apply Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) based on the output of the SVR-DNN model to achieve an optimal HVAC thermal comfort control strategy. This method can minimise energy consumption while satisfying occupants' thermal comfort. The experimental results show that our method can improve thermal comfort prediction performance by 20.5% compared with DNN; compared with deep Q-network (DQN), energy consumption and thermal comfort violation can be reduced by 3.52% and 64.37% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating CD25hi B cells, a subset of regulatory B cells in humans, are closely related to inflammation and autoimmune diseases. This study is aimed at investigating the alternation of CD25hi Bregs and their correlation with CD4 effector and regulatory T cells in T1D individuals. We included 68 autoantibody-positive T1D and 68 age-matched healthy individuals with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and assessed them with CD25hi Bregs and CD4 effector or regulatory T cells by flow cytometry. Here, we demonstrate that the frequency of CD25hi Bregs was significantly decreased in T1D subjects (P = 0.0016), but they were not affected by disease status (age at T1D diagnosis or duration) or T1D risk loci (rs2104286 or rs12251307) in IL2RA (all P > 0.05). Moreover, higher IgD (P = 0.043) and lower CD27 (P = 0.0003) expression was observed in CD25hi Bregs of T1D individuals, but not the expression of IgM, CD24, or CD38 (all P > 0.05). Although there was no correlation between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 effector T cell subsets in either T1D or healthy individuals (all P > 0.05), we found a positive correlation between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 Tregs in healthy controls (Sp. r = 0.3544 , P = 0.0249), which disappeared in T1D subjects (Sp. r = 0.137 , P = 0.401). In conclusion, our results suggest that decreased CD25hi Bregs and alternation of their phenotypes are features of T1D regardless of disease duration and T1D genetic risk loci, and an impaired balance between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 Tregs might contribute to the pathogenesis of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metal–organic framework (MOF) built from a combination of metal cations, neutral azole ligands and sulphate anions, [Cu2(DHBDI)3(SO4)2]n (1, DHBDI = 1H,5H-benzo[1,2-d:4,5-d′]diimidazole), was synthesized. MOF 1 exhibits good chemical stability in acids, bases and boiling water while showing high hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, MOF 1 exhibits a proton conductivity of 1.14 × 10−3 S cm−1 at 90 °C and 98% RH, among the best for MOF materials with uncoordinated N sites. Temperature-dependent conductivity measurements suggest a vehicle mechanism (Ea = 0.64 eV) for proton transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circulating CD25hi B cells, a subset of regulatory B cells in humans, are closely related to inflammation and autoimmune diseases. This study is aimed at investigating the alternation of CD25hi Bregs and their correlation with CD4 effector and regulatory T cells in T1D individuals. We included 68 autoantibody-positive T1D and 68 age-matched healthy individuals with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and assessed them with CD25hi Bregs and CD4 effector or regulatory T cells by flow cytometry. Here, we demonstrate that the frequency of CD25hi Bregs was significantly decreased in T1D subjects (P = 0.0016), but they were not affected by disease status (age at T1D diagnosis or duration) or T1D risk loci (rs2104286 or rs12251307) in IL2RA (all P > 0.05). Moreover, higher IgD (P = 0.043) and lower CD27 (P = 0.0003) expression was observed in CD25hi Bregs of T1D individuals, but not the expression of IgM, CD24, or CD38 (all P > 0.05). Although there was no correlation between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 effector T cell subsets in either T1D or healthy individuals (all P > 0.05), we found a positive correlation between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 Tregs in healthy controls (Sp. r = 0.3544, P = 0.0249), which disappeared in T1D subjects (Sp. r = 0.137, P = 0.401). In conclusion, our results suggest that decreased CD25hi Bregs and alternation of their phenotypes are features of T1D regardless of disease duration and T1D genetic risk loci, and an impaired balance between CD25hi Bregs and CD4 Tregs might contribute to the pathogenesis of T1D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Growing studies have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumor progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential roles of lncRNA LINC00958 (LINC00958) and its biological functions in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods. The expression of LINC00958 in 11 cases of EOC and adjacent nontumor specimens and five cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. CCK-8, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays were conducted to study the cell viabilities of EOC cells. Wound scratch and transwell analyses were carried out for the examination of cell invasion and migration of EOC cells. The targeting associations between LINC00958 and STAT1 were demonstrated by ChIP analyses combined with luciferase reporter assays. The related proteins of Wnt/β-catenin signaling were determined using RT-PCR. Results. Higher levels of LINC00958 were observed in EOC tissues and cell lines. Our data also revealed that high LINC00958 expression was partly induced by STAT1. Functionally, knockdown of LINC00958 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of EOC cells. Mechanistic investigation showed that the inhibitory effect of LINC00958 knockdown on EOC cells was mediated by the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Conclusion. Our findings suggested that STAT1-induced overexpression of LINC00958 promoted EOC progression by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of an adverse maternal environment (AME) in conjunction with a postweaning Western diet (WD) in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in adult offspring has not been explored. Likewise, the molecular mechanisms associated with AME-induced NAFLD have not been studied. The fatty acid translocase or cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) has been implicated to play a causal role in the pathogenesis of WD-induced steatosis. However, it is unknown if CD36 plays a role in AME-induced NAFLD.Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the isolated and additive impact of AME and postweaning WD on the expression and DNA methylation of hepatic Cd36 in association with the development of NAFLD in a novel mouse model.Methods: AME constituted maternal WD and maternal stress, whereas the control (Con) group had neither. Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a WD [40% fat energy, 29.1% sucrose energy, and 0.15% cholesterol (wt/wt)] 5 wk prior to pregnancy and throughout lactation. Non invasive variable stressors (random frequent cage changing, limited bedding, novel object, etc.) were applied to WD dams during the last third of pregnancy to produce an AME. Con dams consumed the control diet (CD) (10% fat energy, no sucrose or cholesterol) and were not exposed to stress. Male offspring were weaned onto either CD or WD, creating 4 experimental groups: Con-CD, Con-WD, AME-CD, and AME-WD, and evaluated for metabolic and molecular parameters at 120 d of age.Results: AME and postweaning WD independently and additively increased the development of hepatic steatosis in adult male offspring. AME and WD independently and additively upregulated hepatic CD36 protein and mRNA expression and hypomethylated promoters 2 and 3 of the Cd36 gene.Conclusions: Using a mouse AME model together with postweaning WD, this study demonstrates a role for CD36 in AME-induced NAFLD in offspring and reveals 2 regions of environmentally induced epigenetic heterogeneity within Cd36. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the thick brane system in the so-called f(Q) gravity, where the gravitational interaction was encoded by the nonmetricity Q like scalar curvature R in general relativity. With a special choice of f (Q) = Q - b Q n , we find that the thick brane system can be solved analytically with the first-order formalism, where the complicated second-order differential equation is transformed to several first-order differential equations. Moreover, the stability of the thick brane system under tensor perturbation is also investigated. It is shown that the tachyonic states are absent and the graviton zero mode can be localized on the brane. Thus, the four-dimensional Newtonian potential can be recovered at low energy. Besides, the corrections of the massive graviton Kaluza–Klein modes to the Newtonian potential are also analyzed briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Both laser/chlorine and laser/PS systems could efficiently degrade CBZ. • HO·, Cl· and ClO· were dominant for CBZ degradation in laser/chlorine system. • CBZ degradation in laser/PS system was primarily attributed to HO· and SO 4. -. • The degradation pathways of CBZ were proposed based on DFT analysis. Residual carbamazepine (CBZ) in water is difficult to remove through conventional treatment processes, threatening the safety of drinking water. Ultraviolet-based advanced oxidation processes (UV-AOPs) have shown promise in removing refractory organic pollutants, while the low energy and efficiency of traditional mercury lamps hinder their practical applications. In this study, the performance and mechanism of an intensive-energy light source, UV laser, were systematically explored in UV-AOPs (laser/chlorine, laser/persulfate (PS)). It was found that UV laser exhibited a significantly activating ability for chlorine and PS due to its precise wavelength and high pulse energy. When exposed to UV laser (266 nm, 4.2 mW/cm2) combined with 200 μM chlorine and PS, the kinetic rate constants for the degradation of 10 μM CBZ were determined to be 3.160 × 10-3 and 1.227 × 10-3 s−1, respectively. The degradation of CBZ was dominated by hydroxyl radicals (60.98 %) and sulfate radicals (23.15 %) in laser/PS system, while in laser/chlorine system, hydroxyl radicals (54.90 %), chlorine radicals (27.43 %), and chlorine oxide radicals (13.81 %) were primary reactive species. Furthermore, both the laser/chlorine and laser/PS systems demonstrated compatibility with a wide pH range of 5.0–9.0 and high resistance to anionic interference. Moreover, the electrophilic and nucleophilic sites of CBZ and energy barrier of the initial reaction were calculated based on the density functional theory (DFT). Additionally, the degradation pathways of CBZ and the toxicity of transformation products in laser/chlorine and laser/PS processes were proposed and evaluated. These results demonstrated that the UV laser-based processes exhibited promising prospects in eliminating refractory organic pollutants in water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell transplantation has brought about a breakthrough in the treatment of nerve injuries, and the efficacy of cell transplantation compared to drug and surgical therapies is very exciting. In terms of transplantation targets, the classic cells include neural stem cells (NSCs) and Schwann cells, while a class of cells that can exist and renew throughout the life of the nervous system - olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) - has recently been discovered in the olfactory system. OECs not only encircle the olfactory nerves but also act as macrophages and play an innate immune role. OECs can also undergo reprogramming to transform into neurons and survive and mature after transplantation. Currently, many studies have confirmed the repairing effect of OECs after transplantation into injured nerves, and safe and effective results have been obtained in clinical trials. However, the specific repair mechanism of OECs among them is not quite clear. For this purpose, we focus here on the repair mechanisms of OECs, which are summarized as follows: neuroprotection, secretion of bioactive factors, limitation of inflammation and immune regulation, promotion of myelin and axonal regeneration, and promotion of vascular proliferation. In addition, integrating the aspects of harvesting, purification, and prognosis, we found that OECs may be more suitable for transplantation than NSCs and Schwann cells, but this does not completely discard the value of these classical cells. Overall, OECs are considered to be one of the most promising transplantation targets for the treatment of nerve injury disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With escalating demand for urban parking structures, the columns within these structures are more susceptible to hazards resulting from vehicle collisions compared to other public buildings. Moreover, it is crucial to emphasize the significant increase in the risk of collapse in parking structures subjected to vehicle collisions, primarily owing to their heightened dynamic response and low required bearing capacity. Consequently, to prevent vehicles from directly crashing on the columns, besides providing an alternate load path, urgent implementation of protective measures utilizing energy-absorbing materials is necessary for parking structures. This study proposes a honeycomb panel-based (HP) protective device for steel parking structures aimed at absorbing energy and mitigating damage resulting from vehicle collisions. A simplified multi-scale simulation, considering reasonable material models and boundary conditions, is employed to study the performance of parking structures under transverse impact. The deformation patterns, impact loads, transverse deflections, internal energies, and horizontal reactions are compared for the parking structures with and without the HP protective devices. Innovatively, a classical progressive collapse loading scheme is employed to simulate the vertical residual resistance of the beam-column substructure after the transverse impact. Finally, a comprehensive investigation is conducted on the effects of critical parameters of HP protective device. The results demonstrate that a properly designed HP protective device can significantly enhance the resistance of parking structures to transverse impact, thereby effectively mitigating the risk of progressive collapse in such structures after impact. • A honeycomb panel-based (HP) protective device for steel parking structures is proposed. • A simplified multi-scale simulation considering reasonable material and boundary is employed. • A vertical residual resistance of substructure after transverse impact is innovatively simulated. • The HP protective device with a reasonable design can present a noticeable protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the influence of the parameters for the accelerating Kerr-Newman black hole on the shadows and the constraints, extensively. We find that the rotating parameter a , the charge parameter e , and the inclination angle θ 0 affect the shadow qualitatively similar to that of Kerr-Newman black holes. The result shows that the size of the shadow will scale down with the accelerating factor A. Besides, the factor A also can affect the best viewing angles, which make the observations maximum deviate from θ 0 = π 2 , and the degree of the deviations are less than 1%. Then, we assume the M87* as an accelerating Kerr-Newman black hole with the mass M = 6.5 × 10 9 M ⊙ and the distance r 0 = 16.8 M p c. Combining the EHT observations, we find that neither the observations, circularity deviation Δ C or axial ratio D x can distinguish the accelerating black hole or not. However, the characteristic areal-radius of the shadow curve R a can give corresponding constraints on the parameters of the accelerating Kerr-Newman black hole. The result shows that the bigger accelerating factor A is, the stronger constraints on the rotating parameter a and charged parameter e. The maximum range of the accelerating factor is A r 0 ≤ 0.558 for a accelerating Schwarzschild case with (a / M = e / M = 0) , and for an extremely slow accelerating case (A r 0 ≤ 0.01) , the ranges of rotating parameter a and charged parameter e are a / M ∈ (0 , 1) and e / M ∈ (0 , 0.9). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the classical molecular dynamic method, we investigated the evolution of spall damage through a series of stretching simulations for solid–liquid mixed aluminum at several initial temperatures. The results show that a turning point appears before void nucleation when the initial temperature is higher than 940 K in mixed Al at a strain rate of 3 × 108 s−1. The formation mechanism of the turning point is due to the local liquid phase nucleation. The growth of the local liquid phase gradually destroys the consecutive solid phases. The lower tensile strength of liquid Al than solid Al leads to the formation of the turning point. The voids tend to nucleate in the liquid phase in mixed Al at different initial temperatures except at 940 K. The time of void nucleation will be delayed due to the melting process before void nucleation in mixed Al. A nucleation and growth (NAG) model can describe the nucleation and growth of voids very well in mixed Al at 900, 920, 960, and 980 K. By adding the criterion of liquid phase proportion, the NAG model can also well describe the void volume fraction history of mixed Al at 940 K. We clarified the micro-mechanisms of spall damage evolution in mixed Al through tension simulation. The relevant results can provide a reference for future work on spall damage studies in solid–liquid mixed metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The magnetic property and magnetocaloric effect of the rare-earth based metallic glasses R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 (R = Ho, Dy) ribbons were studies. • The typical spin glass behavior is observed in the metallic glasses R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 (R = Ho, Dy) ribbons. • The glass forming ability (GFA) of R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 (R = Ho, Dy) was evaluated by DSC traces. • The significant - Δ S M m a x and RC values make the metallic glasses R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 ribbons a promising hydrogen liquefaction magnetic refrigerant for applications. Metallic glass alloys are suitable systems for the development of magnetocaloric refrigerated materials due to the stable physical properties and the adjustable magnetic phase transition temperature. Here, the glass formation ability (GFA), magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects of R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 (R = Ho, Dy) amorphous ribbons prepared by the melt-spinning technique were investigated. The X-ray diffraction and DSC measurement indicated that the metallic glass alloys have a completely amorphous structure and excellent glass formation ability. The amorphous ribbons were demonstrated to undergo a second-order magnetic phase transition (ferromagnetic to paramagnetic) around T c ∼ 18 K for Ho 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 , ∼34 K for Dy 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 , respectively. The maximum magnetic entropy change (- Δ S M max) and the corresponding refrigerant capacity (RC) values are 12.7 J/kg K, 343 J/kg for Ho 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 , 9.1 J/kg K, 334 J/kg for Dy 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 under a field change Δ H = 5 T. The large - Δ S M max and high RC suggest that R 55 Co 30 Al 10 Si 5 (R = Ho, Dy) amorphous ribbons have potential applications in low temperature magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocorrosion of X80 steel for Desulfovibrio desulfuricans and Pseudomonas stutzeri under elastic stress and yield stress was performed in neutral soil environment. Electrochemical results showed that yield stress resulted in higher corrosion rate for X80 specimens compared to elastic stress. When both yield stress and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans were applied to the specimens, the surface pit diameter and depth of the X80 specimens were the largest of all conditions and numerous secondary pits appeared at the bottom of primary pits. However, the introduction of Pseudomonas stutzeri significantly reduced the corrosion caused by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. • Yield stress causes more serious corrosion damage than elastic stress. • SRB and yield stress synergistically lead to the formation of secondary pits. • The synergistic effect of SRB and stress is greater than Pseudomonas stutzeri. • Pseudomonas stutzeri can significantly reduce the pit depth caused by SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricated the Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 ribbons by melt-spun technology and determined its glass forming ability (GFA), magnetic properties, magnetic phase transition (MPT) character, and magnetocaloric performance. The Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 melt-spun ribbon exhibits fully amorphous nature and excellent GFA. A second order (SO) type MPT from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic was observed around the Curie temperature of 30.3 K. Moreover, considerable MCE and magnetocaloric performance in Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 amorphous ribbon were realized with the maximum magnetic entropy change, temperature-averaged entropy change of 10 K lift, and relative cooling powder/refrigerant capacity of 9.4 J/kgK, 9.0 J/kgK, and 527.2/422.1 J/kg under 0–5 T field change, respectively. These magnetocaloric parameters are close to most of the recently reported magnetocaloric materials, which made the Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 amorphous HE ribbon amorphous ribbon also of potential for practical cryogenic MR applications. • The amorphousized Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 ribbons were fabricated. • Magnetic properties and MCE in Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 amorphous ribbon were studied. • Tm 20 Ho 20 Gd 20 Ni 20 Al 20 ribbons are potential for practical cryogenic MR applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.167, 0.222 and 0.4) nanoparticles were prepared by a new kind of mesoporous template-compacted fumed silica. • The doping of Al3+ can decrease the size of ε-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and effectively reduce the formation of α-Fe 2 O 3 impurity in the samples. • With the increase of Al3+ content, the coercivity of ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 increases firstly to a maximum and then decreases. • The magnetic phase transition temperature of the ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 samples decreases with the increase of Al3+ and finally vanishes. ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.167, 0.222 and 0.4) nanoparticles were manufactured by a new kind of mesoporous template-compacted fumed silica. The effect of Al3+ composition on the purity and magnetic performances of the ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 samples were investigated. The structural and magnetic performances of the samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope and SQUID magnetometer. The results indicate that the doping of Al3+ can decrease the dimension of ε-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles and effectively reduce the formation of α-Fe 2 O 3 impurity in the samples. And the magnetic phase transition temperature of the ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 samples decreases with the increase of Al3+. And the low temperature magnetic phase transition finally vanishes at x = 0.222. The ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 samples exhibit large coercivity. With the increase of Al3+ content, the coercivity of ε-Al x Fe 2-x O 3 increases firstly to a maximum and then decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of Desulfovibrio desulfurican (D. desulfurican) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (P. stutzeri) on the biocorrosion of X80 pipeline steel for different nitrate and nitrite concentrations were studied. After treatment with nitrate and nitrite, the number of D. desulfurican cells decreased rapidly, and the inhibition effect of nitrite was more significant. However, the samples treated with nitrate suffered serious pitting corrosion, while the surface of the samples treated with nitrite formed γ-Fe 2 O 3 passivation films, which hindered the formation of erosion pits. Furthermore, nitrite also resulted in a significant decrease in the content of FeS, which was helpful to reduce corrosion. • Nitrate weakens SRB corrosion but enhances NRB corrosion. • Nitrite can passivate the steel surface to prevent corrosion. • The production of sulfide can be greatly inhibited by nitrite. • Nitrite treatment of SRB corrosion is superior to nitrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microbial corrosion of X80 pipeline steel is studied. • Either SRB or NRB leads to pitting corrosion of X80 steel. • Biologically competitive exclusion process of SRB and NRB is revealed. • Nitrite, a metabolite of NRB, can chemically remove sulfide. In this paper, we have investigated the corrosion mechanism of X80 carbon steel in the presence of nitrate reducing bacteria (NRB), sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) or both in the Shenyang soil solution. The results show that both SRB and NRB increase the corrosion rate of steel specimens and cause pitting corrosion of steel. Electrochemical tests and weight-loss data show that the addition of NRB in the SRB-containing environment leads to the reduction of corrosion. The thermodynamic analyses confirm the competitive advantage of NRB for the nutrients (organic carbon sources and irons) and the chemical oxidation of ferrous sulfide by nitrite, which results in a mitigation in the microbiologically influence corrosion (MIC) of SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19, which is caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a major global health threat. The dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2 has changed over time due to continuous evolution. We aimed to evaluate the coverage of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among employees in China, explore their willingness to receive the SARS-CoV-2 variant vaccine and examine the potential factors influencing vaccination coverage and willingness. Methods: A cross-sectional epidemiological survey was conducted online from January 1, 2022, to January 30, 2022. The information collected in the survey included sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, vaccination coverage, willingness to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 variants and the reasons for vaccination and willingness. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the associations of potential factors with the rate of vaccination and the willingness to be vaccinated. Results: Among 62,395 eligible participants, the coverage of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination was 98.9% for at least one dose and 70.1% for a booster. The great majority of vaccinated individuals (94.4%) voluntarily received the vaccine. A total of 60,694 respondents (97.7%) were willing to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 variants, mainly due to confidence in the effectiveness of vaccines (92.8%). A total of 1431 respondents were unwilling to be vaccinated, mainly because of concerns about the adverse effects of vaccines (77.6%). Longer education duration was associated with a higher rate of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and willingness to be vaccinated. General or poor health status and having no history of influenza vaccination were associated with a lower rate of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and willingness to be vaccinated. Additionally, we observed a significant positive association of abuse experience with the willingness to be vaccinated. Conclusion: Although the rate of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the willingness to be vaccinated were relatively high in the study population, there were still some respondents with vaccine hesitancy. Relevant strategies based on significant related factors should be developed and implemented to encourage vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Br−-ABTS method was based on the oxidative coloration of ABTS by Br−-induced PMS. • The Br−-ABTS method was convenient, rapid, accurate, and sensitive. • The Br−-ABTS method could measure as low as 0.03 μM PMS concentration. • The Br−-ABTS method tolerated the interference of water matrix. • The Br−-ABTS method was more flexible than DPD method for monitoring PMS concentration. A sensitive spectrophotometric method (the Br−-ABTS method) for measuring monopersulfate (PMS) of 0–20 μM in water was established. The Br−-ABTS method was based on the oxidation coloration reaction where Br− as catalyst promoted PMS for oxidation of ABTS forming the green-colored ABTS radical (ABTS•+) under pH 3.0 (50 mM phosphate buffer). ABTS•+ could be quantitatively measured at 415 nm, 650 nm, 732 nm and 820 nm using UV–vis spectrophotometer. There was a well linear relationship between the absorbance of ABTS•+ and PMS concentration with the value of R2 being 0.999. The proposed Br−-ABTS method was highly sensitive, and the absorbance generated by Br−-ABTS at 415 nm was 6.59 × 104 cm−1 per M (mol L–1) of PMS. The changes of pH from 3.0 to 9.0 had an insignificant effect on the calibration curve of Br−-ABTS method. The reaction of PMS with ABTS had a stoichiometric coefficient of 1:1.96 at the pH 3.0. The residual absorbance of ABTS•+ in ultrapure water, Xiangjiang water and Hou-lake water was stable within 30 min. Moreover, the trace PMS concentration of 0.03–20 μM in ultrapure water, 0.05–20 μM in natural water (e. g. Xiangjiang water and Hou-lake water) and 1–20 μM in wastewater was accurately measured with the proposed Br−-ABTS method. Additionally, the interference of natural water matrix (e. g. humic acid), metal ions (e. g. Co(II), Fe(III) and Cu(II)) and hydroxylamine had barely interference for the proposed Br−-ABTS method. Furthermore, the Br−-ABTS method was more accurate and flexible to determine PMS concentration than DPD method during the decolorization of rhodamine B in the Co(II)/PMS system, Cu(II)/PMS system and hydroxylamine/Fe(III)/PMS process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous genome‑wide association studies (GWAS) have suggested rs912304 in 14q12 as a suggestive risk variant for type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, the association between this risk region and T1D subgroups and related clinical risk features, the underlying causal functional variant(s), putative candidate gene(s), and related mechanisms are yet to be elucidated. Methods: We assessed the association between variant rs912304 and T1D, as well as islet autoimmunity and islet function, stratified by the diagnosed age of 12. We used epigenome bioinformatics analyses, dual luciferase reporter assays, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to prioritize the most likely functional variant and potential causal gene. We also performed functional experiments to evaluate the role of the causal gene on islet function and its related mechanisms. Results: We identified rs912304 as a risk variant for T1D subgroups with diagnosed age ≥ 12 but not < 12. This variant is associated with residual islet function but not islet-specific autoantibody positivity in T1D individuals. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that rs912304 is a functional variant exhibiting spatial overlaps with enhancer active histone marks (H3K27ac and H3K4me1) and open chromatin status (ATAC-seq) in the human pancreas and islet tissues. Luciferase reporter gene assays and eQTL analyses demonstrated that the biallelic sites of rs912304 had differential allele-specific enhancer activity in beta cell lines and regulated STXBP6 expression, which was defined as the most putative causal gene based on Open Targets Genetics, GTEx v8 and Tiger database. Moreover, Stxbp6 was upregulated by T1D-related proinflammatory cytokines but not high glucose/fat. Notably, Stxbp6 over-expressed INS-1E cells exhibited decreasing insulin secretion and increasing cell apoptosis through Glut1 and Gadd45β, respectively. Conclusions: This study expanded the genomic landscape regarding late-onset T1D risk and supported islet function mechanistically connected to T1D pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary diversity has been suggested as a potential preventive measure against frailty in older adults, but the effect of changes in dietary diversity on frailty is unclear. This study was conducted to examine the association between the dietary diversity score (DDS) and frailty among older Chinese adults. Methods: A total of 12,457 adults aged 65 years or older were enrolled from three consecutive and nonoverlapping cohorts from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (the 2002 cohort, the 2005 cohort, and the 2008 cohort). DDS was calculated based on nine predefined food groups, and DDS changes were assessed by comparing scores at baseline and the first follow-up survey. We used 39 self-reported health items to assess frailty. Cox proportional hazard models were performed to examine the association between DDS change patterns and frailty. Results: Participants with low-to-low DDS had the highest frailty incidence (111.1/1000 person-years), while high-to-high DDS had the lowest (41.1/1000 person-years). Compared to the high-to-high group of overall DDS pattern, participants in other DDS change patterns had a higher risk of frailty (HRs ranged from 1.25 to 2.15). Similar associations were observed for plant-based and animal-based DDS. Compared to stable DDS changes, participants with an extreme decline in DDS had an increased risk of frailty, with HRs of 1.38 (1.24, 1.53), 1.31 (1.19, 1.44), and 1.29 (1.16, 1.43) for overall, plant-based, and animal-based DDS, respectively. Conclusions: Maintaining a lower DDS or having a large reduction in DDS was associated with a higher risk of frailty among Chinese older adults. These findings highlight the importance of improving a diverse diet across old age for preventing frailty in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body posture and biological sex exhibit independent effects on the sympathetic neural responses to dynamic exercise. However, the neural mechanisms (e.g., baroreflex) by which posture impacts sympathetic outflow during rhythmic muscular contractions, and whether biological sex affects posture-mediated changes in efferent sympathetic nerve traffic during exercise, remain unknown. Thus, we tested the hypotheses that increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) would be greater during upright compared with supine rhythmic handgrip (RHG) exercise, and that females would demonstrate smaller increases in MSNA during upright RHG exercise than males. Twenty young (30 [6] yr; means [SD]) individuals (9 males, 11 females) underwent 6 min of supine and upright (head-up tilt 45°) RHG exercise at 40% maximal voluntary contraction with continuous measurements of MSNA (microneurography), blood pressure (photoplethysmography), and heart rate (electrocardiogram). In the pooled group, absolute MSNA burst frequency (P < 0.001), amplitude (P = 0.009), and total MSNA (P < 0.001) were higher during upright compared with supine RHG exercise. However, body posture did not impact the peak change in MSNA during RHG exercise (range: P = 0.063–0.495). Spontaneous sympathetic baroreflex gain decreased from rest to RHG exercise (P = 0.006) and was not impacted by posture (P = 0.347). During upright RHG exercise, males demonstrated larger increases in MSNA burst amplitude (P = 0.002) and total MSNA (P = 0.001) compared with females, which coincided with greater reductions in sympathetic baroreflex gain among males (P = 0.004). Collectively, these data indicate that acute attenuation of baroreflex-mediated sympathoinhibition permits increases in MSNA during RHG exercise and that males exhibit a greater reserve for efferent sympathetic neural recruitment during orthostasis than females. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: The impact of posture and sex on cardiovascular control during rhythmic handgrip (RHG) exercise is unknown. We show that increases in muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) during RHG are partly mediated by a reduction in sympathetic baroreflex gain. In addition, males demonstrate larger increases in total MSNA during upright RHG than females. These data indicate that the baroreflex partly mediates increases in MSNA during RHG and that males have a greater sympathetic vasoconstrictor reserve than females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic liver disease is one of the diseases with the highest fatality rate worldwide. The cellular process of autophagy which recycles damaged organelles to maintain protein and organelle homeostasis is found to positively influence survival during hepatic insufficiency, although the mechanism is poorly understood. Palmatine (PLT) has a variety of biological functions, such as broad‐spectrum antibacterial action, neuroprotective, antioxidant stress, and antiviral and anti‐inflammatory activities. However, it is not known whether PLT has a protective effect against alcoholic liver injury. Here, we investigated the protective effect of PLT in a cellular model of alcohol‐induced acute liver injury and further explored its mechanism of action. In this study, we show for the first time that PLT attenuates alcohol‐induced hepatocyte injury by promoting autophagy to play an essential protective role. As PLT treatment induced a brief increase in LC3‐II conversion and p62 degradation, it also upregulated the expression of ATG5 and ATG7. The expression levels of the proapoptotic proteins Bax, Caspase 3, and Caspase 9 significantly decreased, while the antiapoptotic protein levels of Bcl‐2 upregulated after treatment with PLT. However, in presence of the autophagy inhibitor, 3‐methyladenine, the effect of PLT in inhibiting ethanol‐induced hepatocyte injury reversed significantly. Mechanistically, the protective effects of PLT may be mediated by promoting the activation of the AMP‐activated protein kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Therefore, we believe that the development of alcoholic liver injuries may be controlled by PLT by inhibiting hepatocyte apoptosis through the autophagy pathway. The study lays a solid theoretical and practical basis for future animal models and clinical studies of PLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms are unclear but impaired autonomic function may contribute. However, research in this field has shown contradictory results and the causal links between PTSD, autonomic dysfunction, and cardiovascular risk remain unknown. This brief review summarizes the current knowledge on alterations in autonomic function and cardiovascular risk in patients with PTSD. A PubMed search of the literature was performed using the following keywords: autonomic function, heart rate variability, blood pressure variability, sympathetic activity, baroreflex function, and cardiovascular risk in combination with PTSD. Evidence-based studies conducted between 2000 and 2021 were selected. In total 1221 articles were identified and of these, 61 (48 original research papers, 13 review articles) were included in this review. Many, though not all, studies have reported increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system and decreased activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (namely, autonomic imbalance) in PTSD patients. There seems to be enough evidence to suggest impairments in baroreflex function in PTSD, leading to blood pressure dysregulation. It appears that the chronicity of PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which may be linked with impaired autonomic function. Increased cardiovascular risk may be associated with autonomic dysfunction in PTSD. Whether autonomic dysfunction can serve as a biomarker for the onset and progression of PTSD remains to be determined. It also needs to determine if autonomic imbalance increases the risk of developing PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The corrosion of X80 pipeline steel by alternating current (AC) and nitrate reducing bacteria (NRB) is studied. • Either AC or NRB lead to pitting corrosion of X80 steel. • The cooperation of AC and NRB results in larger and deeper pits on the steel surface. • In the AC environment containing NRB, the samples have the deepest pitting pits and the highest corrosion rate. In this work, electrochemical measurements and surface analysis techniques were used to investigate the effects of alternating current (AC) and nitrate reducing bacteria (NRB) on the corrosion behavior of X80 pipeline steel in the Shenyang soil extract solution. Either AC or NRB increases the corrosion rate of X80 steel samples, and the combination of AC and NRB can make the corrosion rate reach about 16.5 times of that without AC and NRB. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images show that the maximum pitting depth is up to 38.3 μm through the synergistic effect of AC and NRB. The data in this paper strongly confirms that AC and NRB synergistically accelerate the pitting formation of X80 pipeline steel, and lead to the generation of deeper and larger pits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]