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Sun-like stars are well represented in the solar neighbourhood but are currently underutilized, with many studies of chemical and kinematic evolution focusing on red giants (which can be observed further away) or turn-off stars (which have well-measured ages). Recent surveys (e.g. GALAH) provide spectra for large numbers of nearby Sun-like stars, which provides an opportunity to apply our newly developed method for measuring metallicities, temperatures, and surface gravities – the |${\small EPIC}$| algorithm – which yields improved ages via isochrone fitting. We test this on moving groups, by applying it to the large GALAH DR3 sample. This defines a sample of |$72\,288$| solar analogue targets for which the stellar parameter measurements are most precise and reliable. These stars are used to estimate, and test the accuracy and precision of, age measurements derived with the samd isochrone fitting algorithm. Using these ages, we recover the age–metallicity relationships for nearby (⁠|$\lesssim 1 \,{\rm kpc}$|⁠) moving groups, traced by solar analogues, and analyse them with respect to the stellar kinematics. In particular, we found that the age–metallicity relationships of all moving groups follow a particular trend of young (⁠|$\textrm {age}\lt 6 \,{\rm Gyr}$|⁠) stars having constant metallicity and older (⁠|$\textrm {age} \ge 6 \,{\rm Gyr}$|⁠) stars decreasing in metallicity with increasing age. The Hercules stream carries the highest fraction of metal-rich young stars (⁠|$\sim 0.1 \,{\rm dex}$|⁠) in our sample, which is consistent with a migrating population of stars from the inner Galaxy, and we discuss the possible causes of this migration in the context of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maize stalk lignin and cellulose contents are linked to lodging resistance, disease resistance, feed quality and ethanol conversion efficiency. After the six-leaf stage of maize (V6), these constituents are biosynthesized and accumulated under the control of related enzymes and genes. However, the key enzymes, critical MYB transcription factors, and their dynamic alterations pattern under natural field circumstances are still unknown. Hence, we selected five cultivars with significant differences in lignocellulose content and lodging resistance as testing materials, performed field experiments for two years, and investigated the dynamics of lignin and cellulose content, related enzyme concentrations, and gene expression levels in the 3rd and 5th internodes above the ground after V6. The results showed that lignin and cellulose content increased after V6, stabilizing during the silking stage. This study identified COMT (caffeic acid 3-Omethyltransferase), TAL (tyrosine ammonia-lyase) and PAL (phenylalanine ammonia-lyase) as the key enzymes of lignin biosynthesis, while ZmCOMT, ZmCesA10 and ZmCesA8 were identified as essential genes. ZmMYB8, ZmMYB31 and ZmMYB39 were involved in regulating the expression of genes related to lignin synthesis, with ZmMYB31 potentially acting as a key negative regulator, while ZmMYB39 and ZmMYB8 acting as positive regulators. The study also found that around 14 d after V6 was a critical stage for regulating lignocellulose synthesis in the 3rd to 5th basal internode. This provides a theoretical foundation for developing regulatory techniques and breeding new cultivars to enhance lodging and disease resistance as well as the utility of maize stalks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable food supply chain management (SFSC) can control food loss and waste by reducing resource consumption and environmental pollution, thereby ensuring sustainable food consumption and production patterns. Scholars have investigated specific aspects or links in SFSC but rarely studied the sustainability evaluation and selection of a whole supply chain to provide management suggestions under uncertain decision-making environments. This paper presents a comprehensive multiple criteria decision-making method called the SMAA-ORESTE method for SFSC selection. To reduce experts' efforts, the holistic acceptability index in the SMAA-2 method is used to screen inferior SFSCs from a large number of alternatives. Then, the ORESTE method is combined with the SMAA method to evaluate SFSCs under uncertain information. The ORESTE method can specifically analyze the relationship between alternatives, and the SMAA method can analyze alternatives with unknown criteria weights by Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed method ensures the robustness and credibility of obtained ranking results. An illustrative example validates the applicability and robustness of the proposed method in selecting SFSCs with unknown criteria weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of airborne infections during meal consumption in diverse restaurant settings have been extensively reported. It is widely recognized that effective ventilation strategies are essential to minimize the infection risk in indoor environments, and these strategies should be tailored to the heat sources. The purpose of this study is to compare the spatial distribution of risk in restaurant rooms that use mixing or displacement ventilation, specifically focusing on the heat sources used for different food types, namely hotpot, normal Chinese food, and iced food. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to assess exposure risk. Our results indicate that the use of low-temperature heat sources can elevate the risk of infection by increasing the local vertical temperature gradient. In comparison to no heat source, the risk increased by 190.9% and 99.6% for displacement and mixing ventilation strategies, respectively. Under mixing ventilation, both low-temperature and no heat sources showed lower infection risks when compared to displacement ventilation. However, displacement ventilation is found to be highly effective in reducing the risk of infection when using a high-temperature heat source, with only 12.3% of the infection risk observed in mixing ventilation. Furthermore, the use of displacement ventilation resulted in a significant reduction in the odors emitted by hotpot, which were instead absorbed by clothes in the mixing ventilation scenario. Our findings provide crucial insights into the development of appropriate ventilation strategies for reducing personal exposure to airborne infections in diverse restaurant settings. Specifically, we recommend using displacement ventilation in restaurants that utilize high-temperature heat sources, as it can substantially reduce the risk of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the significant role of epigenetics in women's reproductive health, focusing on the impact of environmental factors. It highlights the crucial link between epigenetic modifications--such as DNA methylation and histones post-translational modifications--and reproductive health issues, including infertility and pregnancy complications. The paper reviews the influence of pollutants like PM2.5, heavy metals, and endocrine disruptors on gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, emphasizing the need for understanding how dietary, lifestyle choices, and exposure to chemicals affect gene expression and reproductive health. Future research directions include deeper investigation into epigenetics in female reproductive health and leveraging gene editing to mitigate epigenetic changes for improving IVF success rates and managing reproductive disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question whether interference with the ubiquitous splicing machinery can lead to cell-type specific perturbation of cellular function is addressed here by T cell specific ablation of the general U5 snRNP assembly factor CD2BP2/U5-52K. This protein defines the family of nuclear GYF domain containing proteins that are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes with essential functions ascribed to early embryogenesis and organ function. Abrogating CD2BP2/U5-52K in T cells, allows us to delineate the consequences of splicing machinery interferences for T cell development and function. Increased T cell lymphopenia and T cell death are observed upon depletion of CD2BP2/U5-52K. A substantial increase in exon skipping coincides with the observed defect in the proliferation/differentiation balance in the absence of CD2BP2/U5-52K. Prominently, skipping of exon 7 in Mdm4 is observed, coinciding with upregulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression profiles upon CD2BP2/U5-52K depletion. Furthermore, we observe enhanced sensitivity of naïve T cells compared to memory T cells to changes in CD2BP2/U5-52K levels, indicating that depletion of this general splicing factor leads to modulation of T cell homeostasis. Given the recent structural characterization of the U5 snRNP and the crosslinking mass spectrometry data given here, design of inhibitors of the U5 snRNP conceivably offers new ways to manipulate T cell function in settings of disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are important factors in initiating and perpetuating inflammation. However, the role of NETs in different subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been rarely studied. Therefore, we aimed to explore the ability of JIA-derived neutrophils to release NETs and the effect of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) inhibitors on NET formation both in vitro and in vivo, and evaluate the associations of NET-derived products with clinical and immune-related parameters. Methods: The ability of neutrophils to release NETs and the effect of adalimumab on NET formation was assessed via in vitro stimulation and inhibition studies. Plasma NET-derived products were detected to assess the incidence of NET formation in vivo. Furthermore, flow cytometry and western blotting were used to detect NET-associated signaling components in neutrophils. Results: Compared to those derived from HCs, neutrophils derived from patients with oligoarticular-JIA, polyarticular-JIA and enthesitis-related arthritis were more prone to generate NETs spontaneously and in response to TNF-α or PMA in vitro. Excessive NET formation existed in peripheral circulation of JIA patients, and elevated plasma levels of NET-derived products (cell-free DNA and MPO-DNA complexes) could accurately distinguish JIA patients from HCs and were positively correlated with disease activity. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that erythrocyte sedimentation rate and TNF-a levels were independent variables and were positively correlated with cell-free DNA concentration. Notably, TNF-a inhibitors could effectively prevent NET formation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of NET-associated kinases in JIA-derived neutrophils were markedly increased. Conclusion: Our data suggest that NETs might play pathogenic roles and may be involved in TNF-α-mediated inflammation in JIA. Circulating NET-derived products possess potential diagnostic and disease monitoring value. Furthermore, the preliminary results related to the molecular mechanisms of NET formation in JIA patients provide a theoretical basis for NETtargeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial neuromorphic devices can emulate dendric integration, axonal parallel transmission, along with superior energy efficiency in facilitating efficient information processing, offering enormous potential for wearable electronics. However, integrating such circuits into textiles to achieve biomimetic information perception, processing, and control motion feedback remains a formidable challenge. Here, we engineer a quasi-solid-state iontronic synapse fiber (ISF) comprising photoresponsive TiO2, ion storage Co-MoS2, and an ion transport layer. The resulting ISF achieves inherent short-term synaptic plasticity, femtojoule-range energy consumption, and the ability to transduce chemical/optical signals. Multiple ISFs are interwoven into a synthetic neural fabric, allowing the simultaneous propagation of distinct optical signals for transmitting parallel information. Importantly, IFSs with multiple input electrodes exhibit spatiotemporal information integration. As a proof of concept, a textile-based multiplexing neuromorphic sensorimotor system is constructed to connect synaptic fibers with artificial fiber muscles, enabling preneuronal sensing information integration, parallel transmission, and postneuronal information output to control the coordinated motor of fiber muscles. The proposed fiber system holds enormous promise in wearable electronics, soft robotics, and biomedical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern agriculture, Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) stands out as a contemporary production mode that leverages precise control over environmental conditions such as nutrient, temperature, light, and other factors to achieve efficient and high-quality agricultural production. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of manipulating these environmental factors in the short period before harvest to enhance crop yield and quality in CEA. This comprehensive review aims to provide insight into various pre-harvest practices employed in CEA, including nutrient deprivation, nutrient supply, manipulation of the light environment, and the application of exogenous hormones, with the objective of improving yield and quality in horticultural crops. Additionally, we propose an intelligent pre-harvest management system to cultivate high-quality horticultural crops. This system integrates sensor technology, data analysis, and intelligent control, enabling the customization of specific pre-harvest strategies based on producers' requirements. The envisioned pre-harvest intelligent system holds the potential to enhance crop quality, increase yield, reduce resource wastage, and offer innovative ideas and technical support for the sustainable development of CEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formaldehyde is an important carcinogen commonly found indoors. Its indoor sources have been intensively investigated. But study on outdoor formaldehyde concentration, which is potentially an important source to indoors, remains scarce. This study attempts to characterize temporal and spatial distribution of the atmospheric formaldehyde concentration in Chinese cities. Diurnal variation of ambient formaldehyde was examined in 6 cities and peak hours were identified between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Consequently, outdoor formaldehyde concentrations were measured in the peak hours in 30 cities during the summer months of Jul.-Aug., 2022. The formaldehyde concentrations in the peak hours fell into a range of 0.005-0.087 mg/m3 (median value is 0.027 mg/m3), 87.7% of which have exceeded the chronic reference exposure criteria of 0.009 mg/m3 set by Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Health risk analysis suggests that exposure to ambient formaldehyde could cause a median carcinogenic risk of 1.9 × 10-5 (3.17 ×10-6 -6.13 ×10-5), higher than threshold limit of 10-6. Pearson correlation analysis of the 30 cities shows that ambient summertime atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations of the city are positively correlated with its Gross Domestic Product (r = 0.48). We also found that the outdoor formaldehyde concentrations in urban areas (median: 0.017 mg/m3) is slightly higher than those in suburban areas (median: 0.013 mg/m3). Results here prove that outdoor formaldehyde is ubiquitous in Chinese cities and reduces effectiveness of ventilation in dilution indoor concentrations. Neglecting it would underestimate air cleaner capacity needed by a factor of about two. It should be accounted for in health analysis and air quality engineering control design of built environment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient sensing and adaptation in the placenta are essential for pregnancy viability and proper fetal growth. Our recent study demonstrated that the placenta adapts to nutrient insufficiency through mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition-mediated trophoblast differentiation toward syncytiotrophoblasts (STBs), a highly specialized multinucleated trophoblast subtype mediating extensive maternal-fetal interactions. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we unravel the indispensable role of the mTORC1 downstream transcriptional factor TFEB in STB formation both in vitro and in vivo. TFEB deficiency significantly impaired STB differentiation in human trophoblasts and placenta organoids. Consistently, systemic or trophoblast-specific deletion of Tfeb compromised STB formation and placental vascular construction, leading to severe embryonic lethality. Mechanistically, TFEB conferred direct transcriptional activation of the fusogen ERVFRD-1 in human trophoblasts and thereby promoted STB formation, independent of its canonical function as a master regulator of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. Moreover, we demonstrated that TFEB directed the trophoblast syncytialization response driven by mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. TFEB expression positively correlated with the reinforced trophoblast syncytialization in human fetal growth-restricted placentas exhibiting suppressed mTORC1 activity. Our findings substantiate that the TFEB-fusogen axis ensures proper STB formation during placenta development and under nutrient stress, shedding light on TFEB as a mechanistic link between nutrient-sensing machinery and trophoblast differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potentially lethal zoonotic disease alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the metacestode larval stages of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Metacestode growth and proliferation occurs within the inner organs of mammalian hosts, which is associated with complex molecular parasite-host interactions. The host has developed various ways to resist a parasitic infection, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the most important strategies. Here, we found that scavenging of ROS reduced metacestode larval growth and germinative cell proliferation in in vivo models. Furthermore, using in vitro-cultured metacestode vesicles, we found that increased ROS levels enhanced metacestode growth and germinative cell proliferation, which was achieved by positively activating the ROS-EmERKEmHIF1α axis. These results indicate that, beside its capacity to damage the parasite, ROS also play critical roles in metacestode growth and germinative cell proliferation. This study suggests that the effects of ROS on parasite may be bidirectional during AE infection, reflecting the parasite's adaptation to the oxidative stress microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of digital twins and their applications in Industry 4.0. Digital twin technology has become more advanced and widespread, driving the development of Industry 4.0. It is used in various sectors such as product design, predictive maintenance, and virtual reality applications. The article highlights different articles in a special issue that explore the potential applications of digital twins in sectors like construction, education, energy, manufacturing, and maritime. The article concludes by discussing the future research directions and challenges in implementing digital twin technology. [Extracted from the article]

It is essential to design and fabricate semiconductor-based photocatalysts with excellent activity to split H2O into H2 and O2 using sunlight because of the depletion of fossil resources and environmental pollution. LaVO4 is a visible light catalyst with a narrow band gap, satisfactory stability, and a low price. Therefore, in this work, alkali metal-doped LaVO4 was manufactured. Alkali metal-modified LaVO4 was prepared by a hydrothermal method as a photocatalyst for water splitting under visible light illumination, and a series of characterizations was carried out. The results showed that alkali metal doping improved the catalytic performance of pure LaVO4 and mainly optimized the hydrogen and oxygen production of Na-doped LaVO4 so that a maximum H2 and O2 evolution of 2.83 and 0.71 mmol g-1 h-1, respectively was obtained. The superior photocatalytic activity of Na-doped LaVO4 was mainly attributed to synergistic effects, including the extended visible-light response and improved charge separation. This study provides a new idea for the design of a highly efficient LaVO4-based water-cracking photocatalys.t. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essential regulator of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the gut microbiota. Alterations in intestinal permeability brought on by gut microbiota dysregulation encourage neuroinflammation, central immune dysregulation, and peripheral immunological dysregulation in AD, as well as hasten aberrant protein aggregation and neuronal death in the brain. However, it is unclear how the gut microbiota transmits information to the brain and how it influences brain cognition and function. In this review, we summarized the multiple pathways involved in the gut microbiome in AD and provided detailed treatment strategies based on the gut microbiome. Based on these observations, this review also discusses the problems, challenges, and strategies to address current therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To investigate genetic loci associated with ocular axial length (AL) in the Chinese population. Methods A genome-wide association study meta-analysis was conducted in totalling 2644 Chinese individuals from 3 cohorts: the Guangzhou cohort (GZ, 537 high myopes and 151 hyperopes), Wenzhou cohort (334 high myopes and 6 hyperopes) and Guangzhou Twin Eye Study (1051 participants with normally distributed AL). Functional mapping was performed to annotate the significant signals, possible tissues and cell types by integrating available multiomics data. Logistic regression models using AL-associated SNPs were constructed to predict three AL status in GZ. Results Two novel loci (1q25.2 FAM163A and 7p22.2 SDK1) showed genome-wide significant associations with AL, together explaining 29.63% of AL variance in GZ. The two lead SNPs improved the prediction accuracy for AL status, especially for hyperopes. The frequencies of AL decreasing (less myopic) alleles of the two SNPs were lowest in East Asians as compared with other populations (rs17370084: fEAS=0.03, fEUR=0.24, fAFR=0.05; rs73046501: fEAS=0.06, fEUR=0.07, fAFR=0.20), which was in line with the global distribution of myopia. The cerebral cortex and gamma-aminobutyric acidergic interneurons showed possible functional involvement in myopia development, and the galactose metabolic pathways were significantly enriched. Conclusion Our study identified two population-specific novel loci for AL, expanding our understanding of the genetic basis of AL and providing evidence for a role of the nervous system and glucose metabolism in myopia pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refinery sour water primarily originates from the tops of towers in various units and coker condensate, and cannot be discharged directly to a wastewater treatment plant due to high levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and organic sulfur contents. Even after the recovery of H2S from the sour water by the stripping process, the effluent still contains a high concentration of dissolved organic sulfur (DOS), which can have a huge bad influence. While chemical composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in refinery wastewater has been extensively studied, the investigation of recalcitrant DOS from sour waters remains unclear. In the present study, chemical composition of sour water DOMs (especially DOS) was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy (excitation-emission matrix, EEM) and mass spectrometry, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-resolution Orbitrap MS. The GC-MS and EEM results showed that volatile and low-aromaticity compounds were effectively removed during the stripping process, while compounds with high hydrophilicity and humification degree were found to be more recalcitrant. The Orbitrap MS results showed that weak-polar oxygenated sulfur compounds were easier to be removed than oxygenated compounds. However, the effluent still contained significant amounts of sulfur-containing compounds with multiple sulfur atoms, particularly in the form of highly unsaturated and aromatic compounds. The Orbitrap MS/MS results of CHOS-containing compounds from the effluent indicate that the sulfur atoms may exist as sulfonates, disulfide bonds, thioethers. Understanding the composition and structure of sour water DOS is crucial for the development of effective treatment processes that can target polysulfide compounds and minimize their impact on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on ABAQUS mechanical simulation software and the same bending radius, this paper simulated and an alyzed the strain change trends of metal wires on the different schemes for other key influencing films, such as BPL, PI and TPOC. On the basis of the simulation results, the conclusions are follows: PI thickness thinn ing or TPOC thickness increases can decrease the stra in of the metal wires at bending region. However, the change of BPL thickness has no significant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoexcited carrier dynamics of high-purity (HPSI) and vanadium-doped semi-insulating (VDSI) 4H-SiC irradiated by lasers with different wavelengths and powers were investigated. Raman spectra were measured at room temperature and the photoexcited carrier concentrations were extracted from the Raman line shape analysis of longitudinal optical phonon–plasmon coupled mode. It was found that the longitudinal optical (LO) peaks of HPSI and VDSI did not shift with laser power variations, due to a low concentration of photoexcited carriers, when a 532- nm laser was used. However, when a 355- nm laser was adapted, the relationship between the photoexcited carrier concentrations and the laser power was found to be nonlinear because of the dominance of trap-assisted Auger (TAA) recombination. The coefficient of TAA recombination was laser power–dependent. The proposed carrier dynamic model deepens the understanding of the physical mechanism of semi-insulating SiC irradiated by nanosecond laser and provides an insight into the interpretation of experimental phenomena related to laser energy in optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment has garnered significant attention due to their health risk to human beings. Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is considered as an important way for ARG dissemination. There are four general routes of HGT, including conjugation, transformation, transduction and vesiduction. Selection of appropriate examining methods is crucial for comprehensively understanding characteristics and mechanisms of different HGT ways. Moreover, combined with the results obtained from different experimental methods, mathematical models could be established and serve as a powerful tool for predicting ARG transfer dynamics and frequencies. However, current reviews of HGT for ARG spread mainly focus on its influencing factors and mechanisms, overlooking the important roles of examining methods and models. This review, therefore, delineated four pathways of HGT, summarized the strengths and limitations of current examining methods, and provided a comprehensive summing-up of mathematical models pertaining to three main HGT ways of conjugation, transformation and transduction. Finally, deficiencies in current studies were discussed, and proposed the future perspectives to better understand and assess the risks of ARG dissemination through HGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functions of cellular organelles and sub-compartments depend on their protein content, which can be characterized by spatial proteomics approaches. However, many spatial proteomics methods are limited in their ability to resolve organellar sub-compartments, profile multiple sub-compartments in parallel, and/or characterize membrane-associated proteomes. Here, we develop a cross-link assisted spatial proteomics (CLASP) strategy that addresses these shortcomings. Using human mitochondria as a model system, we show that CLASP can elucidate spatial proteomes of all mitochondrial sub-compartments and provide topological insight into the mitochondrial membrane proteome. Biochemical and imaging-based follow-up studies confirm that CLASP allows discovering mitochondria-associated proteins and revising previous protein sub-compartment localization and membrane topology data. We also validate the CLASP concept in synaptic vesicles, demonstrating its applicability to different sub-cellular compartments. This study extends the scope of cross-linking mass spectrometry beyond protein structure and interaction analysis towards spatial proteomics, and establishes a method for concomitant profiling of sub-organelle and membrane proteomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the development of a multidisciplinary nursing informatics curriculum. The aim is to integrate multiple disciplines to meet the educational objectives of undergraduate nursing students. The curriculum design included a thorough needs assessment, curriculum development, and evaluation. Of the 29 undergraduate nursing students enrolled in the course, 21 completed the course evaluation with a response rate of 72.4%. The comprehensive assessment of the course (part 1) scored 93.7 out of 100, while the quality of the teacher's teaching (part 2) scored 93.4 out of 100. In addition, in response to the subjective questions, students expressed satisfaction with the course design and teaching methods, and emphasized the usefulness of the course for their future nursing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulating planting density and nitrogen (N) fertilization could delay chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and leaf senescence in maize cultivars. This study measured changes in ear leaf green area (GLAear), Chl content, the activities of Chl a-degrading enzymes after silking, and the post-silking dry matter accumulation and grain yield under multiple planting densities and N fertilization rates. The dynamic change of GLAear after silking fitted to the logistic model, and the GLAear duration and the GLAear at 42 d after silking were affected mainly by the duration of the initial senescence period (T1) which was a key factor of the leaf senescence. The average chlorophyllase (CLH) activity was 8.3 times higher than pheophytinase activity and contributed most to the Chl content, indicating that CLH is a key enzyme for degrading Chl a in maize. Increasing density increased the CLH activity and decreased the Chl content, T1, GLAear, and GLAear duration. Under high density, appropriate N application reduced CLH activity, increased Chl content, prolonged T1, alleviated high-density-induced leaf senescence, and increased post-silking dry matter accumulation and grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To examine the association between napping characteristics and glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design. Methods: A convenience sample of people with type 2 diabetes (N=226) were included. Glycemic control was indicated by HbA1c which was measured by A1C Now®+. Napping characteristics including napping frequency, duration, timing, and type were measured by validated questionnaires. Other variables, such as insomnia, cognitive impairment, and depression were measured by the Insomnia Severity Index, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed. Results: The sample consisted of 122 women (54.0%), with a median age of 67 years. Their median HbA1c was 6.8%. No significant relationship was found between napping frequency and HbA1c. Among nappers, after controlling for covariates, long napping duration (=60 min) and morning napping were both associated with poorer glycemic control. Compared with appetitive napping, restorative napping was associated with better glycemic control. Conclusion: Daytime napping (e.g., duration and type) is an important modifiable factor for glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. This study provides new insights into the relationship between napping and glucose management among people with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fecal DNA test has emerged as a non-invasive alternative for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in average-risk population. However, there is currently insufficient evidence in China to demonstrate the effectiveness of populationbased CRC screening using fecal DNA based test. Here, a large-scale real-world study for CRC screening was implemented in Wuhan, Hubei province, China. A total of 98,683 subjects aged between 45 and 60 years were screened by a fecal DNA test (ColoTect®) which detected methylation status of SDC2, ADHFE1, and PPP2R5C. Participants who tested positive were advised to receive diagnostic colonoscopy. 4449 (4.5%) subjects tested positive for fecal DNA test, and 3200 (71.9%) underwent colonoscopy. Among these, 2347 (73.3%) had abnormal colonoscopy findings, of which 1330 (56.7%) subjects received pathological diagnosis. Detection rates for CRC and advanced precancerous lesions were 1.3% and 2.3%, respectively. Detection rates for nonadvanced adenomas and polyps were 14.0% and 21.6%, respectively. 28.0% of all colonoscopies showed colorectal neoplasm but lack pathological diagnosis. 6.1% showed other abnormalities such as enteritis. In conclusion, preliminary real-world evidence suggested that fecal DNA tests had promising diagnostic yield in populationbased CRC screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) can negatively affect hippocampal function through various molecular mechanisms. Protein acetylation, a frequently occurring modification, plays crucial roles in synaptic plasticity and cognitive processes. However, the global protein acetylation induced by CIH in the hippocampus and its specific effects on hippocampal function and behavior remain poorly understood. Methods: To address this gap, we conducted a study using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to analyze the lysine acetylome and proteome of the hippocampus in healthy adult mice exposed to intermittent hypoxia for 4 weeks (as a CIH model) compared to normoxic mice (as a control). Results: We identified and quantified a total of 2,184 lysine acetylation sites in 1,007 proteins. Analysis of these acetylated proteins revealed disturbances primarily in oxidative phosphorylation, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and glycolysis, all of which are localized exclusively to mitochondria. Additionally, we observed significant changes in the abundance of 21 proteins, some of which are known to be associated with cognitive impairments. Discussion: This study helps to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying CIH-induced changes in protein acetylation in the hippocampus. By providing valuable insights into the pathophysiological processes associated with CIH and their impacts on hippocampal function, our findings contribute to a better understanding of the consequences of CIH-induced changes in protein acetylation in the hippocampus and the potential role of CIH in cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effects of different processing methods on the quality and nutrition of soymilk, as well as the changes in storage stability (centrifugal sedimentation rate (CSR), viscosity, and particle size) and shelf‐life of soymilk at different storage temperatures (25°C, 35°C, 45°C, and 55°C). Results showed that soymilk processed via the repeated boiling‐to‐filtering method (RBFM) exhibited the highest protein content (3.89 g/100 g), carbohydrate content (1.27 g/100 g), and stability coefficient (0.950). The CSR and particle size of RBFM soymilk increased gradually during storage at different temperatures, while the viscosity and sensory score decreased. The correlation between the CSR and the sensory score of RBFM soymilk was the highest (R2 =.9868). The CSR was selected as the key indicator to predict the shelf‐life of RBFM soymilk. The average residual variation in RBFM soymilk shelf‐life based on the predictive model was 10.78%, indicating the strong accuracy of the model for predicting the shelf‐life of RBFM soymilk stored at temperatures ranging from 25–45°C. This study provides a theoretical basis and technological support for the development, transportation, and storage of soymilk and soymilk beverage products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyolitha represent one of the major constituents of the Cambrian Evolutionary Fauna, first appearing in the Terreneuvian and rapidly diversifying soon after. Recent work has both enriched the hyolith fossil record and expanded our understanding of their biology, but studies documenting the evolutionary trajectory of Cambrian hyoliths remain scarce. Here we present the first study of changes in morphological disparity in Cambrian hyoliths over time with the aim of characterizing the evolutionary trajectory of hyoliths throughout their primary period of diversification. Our results show that hyoliths occupied distinct regions of morphospace at different times during the Cambrian, with an expansion in morphospace occupation associated with the increase in hyolith diversity in the early Cambrian. Both the Sinsk Event and multiple abiotic factors led to a decline in hyolith diversity in the Miaolingian, and morphological disparity also contracts in association with this reduction in diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article introduces MetaMMF, a dynamic multimodal fusion framework for micro-video recommendation. It is reported that MetaMMF dynamically assigns parameters to fusion functions based on meta-learning, treating multimodal fusion for each micro-video as an independent task.It is further noted that extensive experiments show significant improvements over state-of-the-art models.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder with a neurodevelopmental origin. Although schizophrenia results from changes in the brain, the underlying biological mechanisms are unknown. Transcriptomics studies quantitative expression changes or qualitative changes of all genes and isoforms, providing a more meaningful biological insight. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques play roles in revealing brain structure and function. We give a narrative focused review on the current transcriptome combined with MRI studies related to schizophrenia and summarize the research methodology and content of these studies to identify the research commonalities as well as the implications for future research, in an attempt to provide new insights into the mechanism, clinical diagnosis, and treatments of schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Onion Router (Tor) network is one of the most prominent technologies for accessing online resources while preserving anonymity. Effectively employing the technology is not a trivial process and involves the following steps: (1) motivated by needs, (2) becoming aware of and learning the technology, and (3) realizing desired purposes by usage. Using country-level panel data, this study examines the knowledge accumulation process through which motivated users eventually employ Tor. The results suggest that Tor is often searched in less free countries for censorship circumvention, while it is employed for Dark Web activities in more free countries. There is also an indirect relationship between being aware of the technology and its usage through how-to knowledge accumulation. This study is the first attempt to understand the role of knowledge accumulation in the global usage of Tor. The findings provide insights into the worldwide concerns of online privacy and Dark Web regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the ergodicity of graphene liquid cell electron microscope measurements, we report that loop states of circular DNA interconvert reversibly and that loop numbers follow the Boltzmann distribution expected for this molecule in bulk solution, provided that the electron dose is low (80-keV electron energy and electron dose rate 1-20 e- Å-2 s-1). This imaging technique appears to act as a "slow motion" camera that reveals equilibrated distributions by imaging the time average of a few molecules without the need to image a spatial ensemble. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimal phosphorus (P) levels in lateritic soils are key for sustainable crop production. However, the effect of various fertilizers on soil phosphorus pools, crop phosphorus uptake and crop yields remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of different fertilizer application strategies on plant growth and soil P fractions and determined the contribution of biotic and abiotic factors to insoluble P release. We found that resin-P, NaHCO3-P and NaOH-P represented the primary active P pools in the lateritic soil, contributing 59.8% of the total P in conventional fertilizer application (CF), with Fe/Al-bound P (NaOH-P) being 42.1% of the active P pool. Combining Nangbowang (NBW), a microbial organic fertilizer inoculated with Bacillus subtilis (=2 × 107 million CFU g-1), with reduced chemical fertilizer (NBW + CR) increased soil P availability and promoted the release of Fe/Al-bound P and residual-P, decreasing the Fe/Al-bound P to 21.7%. Soil biological factors mainly influenced the P transformation process. With the consumption of soil active P, NBW bio-organic fertilizer enhanced the niche filtration of P-solubilizing bacterial communities (Gemmatimonadetes, Sphingomonas and Halomonas), altered the soil functional microbial community structure and promoted P form conversion. The NBW + CR treatment also enhanced nitrogen and P nutrient uptake by pepper plants (Capsicum annuum), with increased total P concentrations in pepper fruit and stem, and improved crop yield. NBW increased active P concentrations in the soil and promoted Fe/Al-P release and transformation by impacting autochthonous microbes involved in the conversion of P chemical species. These results can guide the improvement of P availability and release in lateritic red soils using bio-organic fertilizer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the development of a lightweight multi-behavior recommendation model called Cascading Residual Graph Convolutional Network (CRGCN). Topics include multi-behavior recommendation, the challenges of data sparsity in traditional recommendation models, and the development of CRGCN as an efficient and effective solution for improving recommendation systems by modeling user preferences across different behaviors.

Skin pigmentation abnormalities, ranging from aesthetic concerns to severe hyperpigmentation disease, have profound implications for individuals’ psychological and economic wellbeing. The intricate etiology of hyperpigmentation and our evolving comprehension of its underlying mechanisms underscore the need for robust animal models. Zebrafish, renowned for their transparent embryos and genetic parallels to humans, have been spotlighted as a pivotal model for skin pigmentation studies. This review offers a concise overview of zebrafish skin attributes, highlighting the shared melanin production pathways with humans. We systematically dissect the diverse strategies to craft zebrafish models of abnormal skin pigmentation, spanning physical, chemical, and genetic interventions, while critically appraising the merits and constraints of each approach. Additionally, we elucidate the metrics employed to gauge the efficacy of these models. Concluding, we cast a visionary gaze on prospective breakthroughs in the domain, aiming to steer forthcoming efforts in refined zebrafish models for skin pigmentation research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct a line-by-line differential analysis of a sample of 125 co-moving pairs of stars (dwarfs and subgiants near solar metallicity). We obtain high-precision stellar parameters with average uncertainties in effective temperature, surface gravity, and metallicity of 16.5 K, 0.033 and 0.014 dex, respectively. We classify the co-moving pairs of stars into two groups, chemically homogeneous (conatal; |Δ[Fe/H]| ≤ 0.04 dex) and inhomogeneous (non-conatal), and examine the fraction of chemically homogeneous pairs as a function of separation and effective temperature. The four main conclusions from this study are (1) A spatial separation of Δ s  = 106 au is an approximate boundary between homogeneous and inhomogeneous pairs of stars, and we restrict our conclusions to only consider the 91 pairs with Δ s  ≤ 106 au; (2) There is no trend between velocity separation and the fraction of chemically homogeneous pairs in the range Δ v  ≤ 4 km s−1; (3) We confirm that the fraction of chemically inhomogeneous pairs increases with increasing T eff and the trend matches a toy model of that expected from planet ingestion; (4) Atomic diffusion is not the main cause of the chemical inhomogeneity. A major outcome from this study is a sample of 56 bright co-moving pairs of stars with chemical abundance differences ≤ 0.02 dex (5 per cent) which is a level of chemical homogeneity comparable to that of the Hyades open cluster. These important objects can be used, in conjunction with star clusters and the Gaia 'benchmark' stars, to calibrate stellar abundances from large-scale spectroscopic surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on ABAQUS mechanical simulation software and the same bending radius, this paper simulated and analyzed the strain change trends of metal wires on the different schemes for other key influencing films, such as BPL and PI. On the basis of the simulation results, the conclusions are follows: PI thickness thinning can decrease the strain of the metal wires at bending region. However, the change of BPL thickness has no significant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most popular Siamese trackers optimize the classification map from the tracking head using a fixed cosine window penalty. However, this fixed operation, which sets the weight and center of the cosine window to fixed values, can lead to tracking errors when there are similar interferences or the target is out of view. In addition, traditional graph attention networks determine attention weights only based on the cosine similarity between nodes, ignoring the relationship between the positions of nodes in the template and search region. To address these issues, this paper proposes a spatial graph attention network-based object tracking with adaptive cosine window in tracking head. The adaptive cosine window combines spatial-temporal information and adjusts the cosine window, using a positional bias Kalman filter to predict the offset of the target in the search region. The location-based attention mask module considers both the similarity between nodes and their positions in the template and search region, rather than just node similarity, which reduces the impact of similar surroundings. The attention weights between nodes are constrained using a position matrix based on Gaussian functions. Extensive experiments on four challenging public datasets (GOT-10k, UAV123, OTB-100, and LaSOT) show that our tracker outperforms other state-of-the-art trackers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerotic heart disease (AHD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels is a key strategy to prevent and treat AHD. Inclisiran is a novel siRNA drug that targets proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) gene expression and reduces LDL-C levels with only two or three injections per year. This review summarizes the mechanism, efficacy, safety, and applications of Inclisiran in various populations and settings, based on recent literature. It also compares Inclisiran with other lipid-lowering drugs, especially other PCSK9 inhibitors. We conclude that Inclisiran is a promising lipid-lowering agent that can provide convenience and effectiveness for patients with high cardiovascular risk. However, some challenges and limitations remain for Inclisiran, such as its long-term safety and efficacy, its cost-effectiveness and accessibility, and its interactions and synergies with other drugs. These issues need further investigation and evaluation in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To construct a comprehensive nomogram model for predicting the risk of post-stroke depression (PSD) by using clinical data that are easily collected in the early stages, and the level of DNA methylation, so as to help doctors and patients prevent the occurrence of PSD as soon as possible. Methods. We continuously recruited 226 patients with a history of acute ischemic stroke and followed up for three months. Socio-demographic indicators, vascular-risk factors, and clinical data were collected at admission, and the outcome of depression was evaluated at the third month after stroke. At the same time, a DNA-methylation- related sequencing test was performed on the fasting peripheral blood of the hospitalized patients which was taken the morning after admission. Results. A total of 206 samples were randomly divided into training dataset and validation set according to the ratio of 7:3. We screened 24 potentially-predictive factors by Univariate logistic regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, and 10 of the factors were found to have predictive ability in the training set. The PSD nomogram model was established based on seven significant variables in multivariate logistic regression. The consistency statistic (C-index) was as high as 0.937, and the area under curve (AUC) in the ROC analysis was 0.933. Replication analysis results in the validation set suggest the C-index was 0.953 and AUC was 0.926. This shows that the model has excellent calibration and differentiating abilities. Conclusion. Gender, Rankin score, history of hyperlipidemia, time from onset to hospitalization, location of stroke, National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS) score, and the methylation level of the cg02550950 site are all related to the occurrence of PSD. Using this information, we developed a prediction model based on methylation characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Developing strategies to reduce carcass fatness is vital to the profitability of animal production, particularly in a market where excessive backfat causes price penalties. Studies have shown that betaine supplementation has inconsistent effects on carcass fatness, which are due in part to variability in the betaine dose, duration of supplementation and growth state. Grower pigs have a greater lean:fat deposition ratio than do finisher pigs and are more sensitive to anabolic stimuli. The betaine-spared energy may be deposited as more lean tissue when betaine is supplemented during the grower phase. We hypothesised that 0.1% betaine supplementation within the grower phase is more effective in reducing carcass backfat than is supplementing in the finisher phase. Such an effect may also interact with sex. Aims. The objective was to optimise betaine supplementation duration to reduce carcass backfat thickness of finisher pigs. Methods. Eighty pens of pigs (39 pigs/pen) were allocated to a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement on the basis of sex (immunocastrated male vs female pigs), betaine supplementation (0 vs 0.1%) during the grower phase (10-16 weeks of age) and the finisher phase (16 weeks of age to approximately 22 weeks of age). Growth performance, carcass weight and backfat thickness were recorded. Key results. Betaine supplementation during the grower phase or finisher phase reduced backfat thickness in female pigs by 0.7 mm and 0.5 mm respectively. But the effect in reducing female backfat diminished when the supplementation extended to both grower and finisher phases. No such effect was found in immunocastrated male pigs (grower phase diet × finisher phase diet × sex, P < 0.05). Betaine supplementation during the finisher phase reduced growth rate by 40 g per day, regardless of sex (finisher phase diet, P < 0.05). Conclusions. The effect of betaine in reducing carcass backfat was observed in female pigs only. Additionally, this occurred only when betaine was supplemented for 6 weeks in either the grower or finisher period, with supplementation for the 12-week period negating the effect. Implications. The effectiveness of betaine supplementation in reducing carcass backfat is sex and duration dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]