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The rapid development of China's economy has been accompanied by high levels of energy consumption and pollution. This development mode poses great challenges to the sustainable development of China's economy and environment, and it also creates contradictions in regional environmental governance. To realize healthy, harmonious and sustainable economic development, improving technology, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions have become choices that China has to make for intensive economic growth. In this study, we first estimate energy efficiency at the provincial level in China with the super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (SE-DEA) model; we then analyze the current status of carbon emissions and estimate the reverse technology spillover effect of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI). Second, Tobit regression and fixed effects models are used to test the impact of the reverse technology spillovers of OFDI and energy efficiency on carbon emissions, and the instrumental variable method is used to test for endogeneity. The regression results of various methods prove that our conclusion is robust. Finally, the mediating effect of energy efficiency is estimated, confirming that the reverse technology spillovers of OFDI not only directly affect carbon emissions but also indirectly affect carbon emissions through energy efficiency. Based on the research above, we propose policy recommendations for using the reverse technology spillovers of OFDI to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a perfect quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol, quantum states should be prepared and measured with mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). However, in a practical QKD system, quantum states are generally prepared and measured with imperfect MUBs using imperfect devices, possibly reducing the secret key rate and transmission distance. To analyze the security of a QKD system with imperfect MUBs, we propose virtual MUBs to characterize the quantum channel against collective attack, and analyze the corresponding secret key rate under imperfect state preparation and measurement conditions. More generally, we apply the advantage distillation method for analyzing the security of QKD with imperfect MUBs, where the error tolerance and transmission distance can be sharply improved. Our analysis method can be applied to benchmark and standardize a practical QKD system, elucidating the security analysis of different QKD protocols with imperfect devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring and controlling the carbon emissions need machine learning-based forecasting models at this modern era. Despite various of artificial neural networks (ANNs), we propose a novel FD3 framework to tackle carbon emissions prediction. In our approach, three "FD" procedures are executed: (1) frequency decomposition achieved by using complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (CEEMDAN), an advanced version of the famous empirical mode decomposition (EMD); (2) forecasting dendritic neuron model (DNM) that has proved validity on numerous prediction tasks, showing advanced nonlinear fitting ability than traditional network-structured ANNs; and (3) fluctuation density measurement (FD function) that used to regulate the predicting strategy for each decomposed subseries. In experiments, the FD3 framework has shown better performance than seven baseline models in terms of three widely used time series prediction evaluation metrics. The success of our FD3 has confirmed the validity of "preprocessing-forecasting" workflow and provides better solutions for carbon emissions prediction. Furthermore, the design of FD function can give more insights for signal analysis that the selection of decomposed subseries can have huge impacts on the original data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of divertor pumping on divertor detachment and core performance are investigated using SOLPS-ITER simulations for the H-mode discharges with argon (Ar) seeding on EAST. The simulation results show that a relatively low pumping speed (S) is advantageous for achieving divertor detachment due to an increased Ar density and enhanced radiative dissipation. On the other hand, a relatively low S results in a high Ar density in the core region, which is detrimental to the core performance. Increasing S improves the particle removal capacity, which is not conducive to obtaining detachment but is conducive to reducing the Ar accumulation in the core region. In order to evaluate the compatibility of detachment and high core plasma performance, the impact of S on the divertor Ar retention (measured by impurity compression CAr and enrichment EAr) and the corresponding physical mechanisms were analyzed. In cases with relatively low and medium upstream density ( n e , sep OMP ), a higher S is beneficial to increase CAr and EAr, i.e. better core-divertor compatibility, mainly due to the diminished neutral diffusion towards the upstream and the enhanced net force on the Ar towards the target. At relatively high n e , sep OMP , both CAr and EA show no clear change with increasing S. This is because the negative contribution of the reduced relative distance between the Ar ionization front and the velocity stagnation point of the Ar ions to the Ar retention becomes significant with increasing S, which can even offset the positive contribution of the neutral diffusion and the net force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive, heterogeneous rare disease manifesting as ATTR polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), ATTR cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), or a mixed phenotype. Tafamidis meglumine (20 mg po qd) is approved in some markets to delay neurologic progression in ATTR-PN, while high-dose tafamidis (80/61 mg po qd) is approved worldwide to reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization in ATTR-CM. The objective of this study was to assess the real-world benefit of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic progression in patients with mixed-phenotype variant ATTR-CM (ATTRv-CM). Methods: This exploratory, retrospective, observational cohort study evaluated anonymized electronic medical records and included adult patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM treated with high-dose tafamidis for at least 6 months. Neurologic assessments included the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength, Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS) muscle weakness subscale, and Polyneuropathy Disability (PND) instrument. Modified body mass index (mBMI) was also assessed. Results: Patients (N = 10) started tafamidis treatment an average of 3.8 months after diagnosis, with an average treatment duration of 20.8 months. Seven of 10 patients demonstrated normal muscle strength on the MRC scale throughout the study, and 9 of 10 patients had no decline in muscle strength during the post-treatment period. The NIS muscle weakness subscale score was ≤ 60 for all patients in the study at all time points, suggesting normal function to mild impairment. Six of 10 patients had no change in walking capacity as measured by the PND instrument at pre- and post-assessments, while one-third of patients had a decrease in PND stage (signaling improvement) from pre- to post-assessment. mBMI remained relatively stable throughout the study. Conclusion: This is the first real-world study to demonstrate the potential value of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic disease progression in patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary assessment for patients with ATTR amyloidosis. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05139680. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In peer-to-peer(P2P) networks, content delivery is very critical, but there are not many relevant research results in content delivery technology. In this paper, in order to simulate content delivery in P2P mode, the number of online players is abstracted into the number of servers that can provide services, the peers write content to buffer is abstracted into the arrival of customers, and the players read content from buffer is abstracted into the service process of the servers. Based on the consideration of the effect of the number of P2P online players on energy consumption, an M/M/c queueing model with random variation in the number of servers is developed, and negative customers and preemptive priority policies are introduced. The matrix–geometric solution method and Gauss-Seidel iterative method are used to derive the performance measures of the system at steady state for two types of contents. And some numerical examples are given using Matlab for analyzing the trend of performance measures in P2P networks with parameters. The benefit function is established to obtain the parameter values that make the social benefit optimal by Nash equilibrium and social optimal strategy, and provide the theoretical basis for the scheduling of P2P peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Video salient object detection is an effective measure for identifying objects of interest within video sequences, which requires the processing of information from spatial-motion patterns. While plenty of traditional video salient object detection models have historically aimed to develop efficient features capturing spatial and motion features to obtain salient objects of global consistency, the presence of repetitive spatial information from consecutive identical objects can reduce the models' generalization ability and stability. Previous attempts have been made to integrate spatial and motion information to enhance the inter-frame correlation of salient objects, but they often focus on simple spatio-temporal fusion, inadvertently introducing redundant information and leading to suboptimal detection performance. Therefore, there is a need to shift the focus towards more effective fusion of the feature information from different modalities to mitigate the negative effects of redundant information. In this study, we propose a self-attention guided fully supervised multilayer cross-stack fusion for video salient object detection, which extracts multimodal features for facilitating bidirectional information transfer. Our approach utilizes spatial and temporal knowledge to complement each other, refining the cross-stack of the interacted information and spatial features to optimize local and global saliency. Consequently, the approach significantly reduces redundant spatial information, mitigating the misidentification of salient objects due to blurred backgrounds or moving objects. Additionally, it adaptively activates more weights of the salient object to achieve globally consistent saliency. Extensive experiments on five publicly available video salient object detection datasets demonstrated that the performance of our approach was superior to those of multiple state-of-the-art video salient object detection models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entropy or information is a fundamental quantity contained in a system in statistical mechanics and information theory. In this paper, a definition of classical information entropy of parton distribution functions is suggested.The extensive and supper-additive properties of the defined entropy are discussed.The concavity is also deduced for the defined entropy. As an example, the classical information entropy of the gluon distribution of the proton is presented. There are some particular features of the evolution of the information entropy in the saturating domain,which could be used in finding the signals of gluon saturation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Spatial simulation and projection of ecosystem services value (ESV) changes caused by urban growth are important for sustainable development in arid regions. We developed a new model of cellular automata based grasshopper optimization algorithm (named GOA-CA) for simulating urban growth patterns and assessing the impacts of urban growth on ESV changes under climate change scenarios. The results show that GOA-CA yielded overall accuracy exceeding 98%, and FOM for 2010 and 2020 were 43.2% and 38.1%, respectively, indicating the effectiveness of the model. The prairie lost the highest economic ESVs (192 million USD) and the coniferous yielded the largest economic ESV increase (292 million USD) during 2000-2020. Using climate change scenarios as urban future land use demands, we projected three scenarios of the urban growth of Urumqi for 2050 and their impacts on ESV. Our model can be easily applied to simulating urban development, analyzing its impact on ESV and projecting future scenarios in global arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in psychology and sociology have documented that anti-rich mentality is a threat to the stability of society and harms personal mental health, but few studies have investigated ways to intervene in anti-rich mentality. In the current work, we took an initial step to explore whether anti-rich mentality can be reduced by appreciative joy, a positive psychological concept that refers to feeling happy for others with an appreciative and unenvious attitude. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in Study 1 (n = 632) first established a negative association between appreciative joy and anti-rich mentality. In Study 2, a randomized controlled trial further evaluated the effects of appreciative joy intervention (n = 499). The results showed that the intervention increased appreciative joy and decreased anti-rich mentality. Moreover, two concepts closely related to anti-rich mentality (i.e., perceived fairness in allocation and envy) were influenced by appreciative joy intervention. Our findings not only confirm the possibility of a positive psychology intervention to relieve anti-rich mentality but also highlight the effectiveness of appreciative joy in changing attitudes toward social groups. Implications for practices and prospects for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To retrospectively analyze the difference between triple-modal pre-rehabilitation and common treatment in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: A total of 145 patients with CRC diagnosed by pathology and admitted to our hospital for surgery between June 2020 and June 2022 were included in the study. All patients were divided into two groups: the triple-modal pre-rehabilitation group (pre-rehabilitation group) and the common treatment group. The triple-modal pre-rehabilitation strategy included exercise (3–5 times per week, with each session lasting more than 50 min), nutritional support, and psychological support. The study was designed to assess the potential of the pre-rehabilitation intervention to accelerate postoperative recovery by assessing the 6-min walk test, nutritional indicators, and HADS score before and after surgery. Results: The pre-rehabilitation intervention did not reduce the duration of initial postoperative recovery or the incidence of postoperative complications, but it did increase the patients’ exercise capacity (as determined by the 6-min walk test), with the pre-rehabilitation group performing significantly better than the common group (433.0 (105.0) vs. 389.0 (103.5), P < 0.001). The study also found that triple-modal pre-rehabilitation was beneficial for the early recovery of nutritional status in surgical patients and improved anxiety and depression in patients after surgery, especially in those who had not received neoadjuvant therapy. Conclusion: The triple-modal pre-rehabilitation strategy is of significant importance for reducing stress and improving the functional reserve of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) during the perioperative period. The results of our study provide further support for the integration of the triple-modal pre-rehabilitation strategy into the treatment and care of CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the gluon distribution functions of the pion and kaon in small-x and large-x regions, and compare them with the results obtained from lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. Whether in the small-x region or the large-x region, our gluon distribution of the pion is consistent with the results of lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. We also calculate the first four moments of gluon distributions of the pion and kaon at different Q 2 scales. In addition, we present the mass decomposition of the pion and kaon with the dynamical parton distribution functions calculated by the DGLAP equation with parton–parton recombination corrections. The mass structures of the pion and kaon are completely different from that of the proton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of industrial society is also accompanied by the generation of a large amount of heavy metal wastewater, which has caused serious harm to the ecological environment and human society. Natural sphalerite has an important value in the environmental field due to its own semiconducting properties. In order to effectively remove Ag+ from wastewater containing silver, this study develops a natural mineral-based Ag+ adsorbent material (sphalerite) based on elemental affinity qualities and mineralization principles. The results of batch experiments showed that the initial Ag+ concentration of 50 mg/L reduced to 0.094 mg/L with a reaction duration of 15 min, a sphalerite dose of 5 g/L, an initial particle size of −400 mesh (38 μm), a reaction temperature of 25 °C, and a pH of 5. The highest adsorption capacity is 19.77 mg/g, and the adsorption behavior is consistent with the Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo-second-order adsorption kinetics. The results of solution chemical analysis indicate that the presence of Ag+ is primarily influenced by the presence of S2−. Further analysis using SEM-EDS, FTIR, and XPS techniques reveals that Ag+ is chemically adsorb onto the mineral surface, resulting in the formation of Ag2S. DFT calculations further confirm the overlap between the Ag 4d orbitals and the S 3p orbitals on the surface of sphalerite, further confirming its chemical adsorption. Mulliken populations suggest that charge transfer occurs between Ag+ and S atoms in the sphalerite surface. This research systematically reveals the Ag+ adsorption mechanism on sphalerite surface and expands research ideas for treating heavy metal wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is considered that high emotional intelligence teams bring high innovation performance to team members by improving their creative self-efficacy, but there is a lack of empirical research on its mechanism and whether it is scientific. The study constructs the cross-level mechanism model of team emotional intelligence on employee creative self-efficacy and innovation performance, discusses how team emotional intelligence affects employees' innovation performance, the mediating role of employee creative self-efficacy, and moderating role of team identity. The study uses multi-level data from multiple sources, namely, 50 teams and 250 team members from different firms in China. The results show that: Team emotional intelligence has a cross-level positive impact on employees' innovation performance; Team emotional intelligence has a significant positive impact on creative self-efficacy, creative self-efficacy has a significant positive impact on employees' innovation performance, and creative self-efficacy plays a mediating effect between team emotional intelligence and employees' innovation performance; Team identity plays a positive moderating role between team emotional intelligence and creative self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to create bacterial cellulose (BC) membranes/sheets which can be degraded by the enzymes in body fluids on implantation for soft and hard tissue regeneration. BC has been explored for its use in hard and soft tissue regeneration such as bone, dental, wound, hernia, dura mater, skin, nerve, cornea, and blood vessels. The limiting factor in the use of BC as biomedical implant material is that it is practically non-biodegradable in vitro and in vivo. However, reactive hydroxyl groups on BC allow a variety of chemical modifications which can be beneficial for the development of smart degradable biomedical materials. The use of ionic liquids (IL) is the greener and non-toxic alternative to the chemical treatment for the degradation of BC. The IL affect the degradability of BC by interacting with the functional groups and decreasing its crystallinity. Two non-toxic and biocompatible IL i.e. Pyridinium hydrogen sulfate (Py-HSO4) and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium hydrogen sulfate (BMIM-HSO4) were used in the current study. The biodegradation of BC using these IL has not been studied previously for biomedical implants. The characterizations of the IL treated BC were done using XRD, FTIR analysis, SEM, contact angle studies, degradation assay, drug delivery, and in vitro biocompatibility. SEM results suggest a clear change in the morphology of the BC nano fibers after treatment with ionic liquids. Furthermore, significant degradation was observed over 28 days where BC (Py-HSO4) degraded by 36% and BC (BMIM-HSO4) treated had degraded by 56%. Additionally, the IL treated BC could carry antibacterial drugs and showed potential for their sustained release. The modified membranes supported cell attachment and proliferation and were non-toxic and highly biocompatible. These results suggest that BC pellicles/sheets treated with IL can be used as a degradable implant material for tissue engineering, regeneration, and drug delivery for various regenerative biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study investigated the potential applicability and the underlying mechanisms of flavokawain C, a natural compound derived from kava extracts, in liver cancer treatment. Methods: Drug distribution experiment used to demonstrate the preferential tissues enrichment of flavokawain C. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration effect of flavokawain C were determined by MTT, colony formation, EdU staining, cell adhesion, transwell, flow cytometry and western blot assay. The mechanism was explored by comet assay, immunofluorescence assay, RNA-seq-based Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis, molecular dynamics, bioinformatics analysis and western blot assay. The anticancer effect of flavokawain C was further confirmed by xenograft tumor model. Results: The studies first demonstrated the preferential enrichment of flavokawain C within liver tissues in vivo. The findings demonstrated that flavokawain C significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of liver cancer cells, induced cellular apoptosis, and triggered intense DNA damage along with strong DNA damage response. The findings from RNA-seq-based KEGG analysis, molecular dynamics, bioinformatics analysis, and western blot assay mechanistically indicated that treatment with flavokawain C notably suppressed the FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in liver cancer cells. This effect was attributed to the induction of gene changes and the binding of flavokawain C to the ATP sites of FAK and PI3K, resulting in the inhibition of their phosphorylation. Additionally, flavokawain C also displayed the strong capacity to inhibit Huh-7-derived xenograft tumor growth in mice with minimal adverse effects. Conclusions: These findings identified that flavokawain C is a promising anticancer agent for liver cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate a new noninvasive diagnostic model for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on features of tongue images. Methods: Healthy controls and volunteers confirmed to have NAFLD by liver ultrasound were recruited from China-Japan Friendship Hospital between September 2018 and May 2019, then the anthropometric indexes and sampled tongue images were measured. The tongue images were labeled by features, based on a brief protocol, without knowing any other clinical data, after a series of corrections and data cleaning. The algorithm was trained on images using labels and several anthropometric indexes for inputs, utilizing machine learning technology. Finally, a logistic regression algorithm and a decision tree model were constructed as 2 diagnostic models for NAFLD. Results: A total of 720 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 432 patients with NAFLD and 288 healthy volunteers. Of them, 482 were randomly allocated into the training set and 238 into the validation set. The diagnostic model based on logistic regression exhibited excellent performance: in validation set, it achieved an accuracy of 86.98%, sensitivity of 91.43%, and specificity of 80.61%; with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.68–0.98]. The decision tree model achieved an accuracy of 81.09%, sensitivity of 91.43%, and specificity of 66.33%; with an AUC of 0.89 (95% CI 0.66–0.92) in validation set. Conclusions: The features of tongue images were associated with NAFLD. Both the 2 diagnostic models, which would be convenient, noninvasive, lightweight, rapid, and inexpensive technical references for early screening, can accurately distinguish NAFLD and are worth further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The high altitude area is characterized by low pressure and hypoxia, and rapidly entering the high altitude area will cause a series of damage to the body. Some studies have shown that hypoxia can cause damage to the reproductive system. In recent years, researchers have been paying attention to the effects of hypoxia on hormone level, ovarian reserve, embryonic development, testicular development, sperm motility level, and have begun to explore its injury mechanism, but its mechanism is not clear. In this paper, the mechanism of hypoxia on the reproductive system is reviewed, which is expected to provide a new idea for solving the problem of the low fertility rate of humans and animals at high altitudes. Methods: A comprehensive PubMed search was conducted, selecting all relevant peer-reviewed English papers published before January 2022. Other relevant papers were selected from the list of references. Results: Studies have shown that the complete fertility rate of people living at low altitudes is 7.7, and the complete fertility rate of people living at high altitudes is 4.77, and the hypoxic environment at high altitudes reduces fertility. At the same time, high-altitude, low-oxygen environments are associated with increased infant mortality and post-neonatal mortality. To date, most studies seem to point to a correlation between anoxic exposure at high altitudes and low fertility in humans and animals. Conclusion: Although the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, the effects of hypoxia at high altitude on hormonal level, ovarian reserve, embryonic development, testicular development, and sperm motility and levels require further research to investigate this complex topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical NO-to-NH3 under ambient conditions could be a viable alternative having advantages in terms of energy consumption and exhaust gas recycling of NO, replacing a traditional ammonia synthesis method of the Haber–Bosch process. In synthesizing boron (B-) and nitrogen (N-) co-doped carbon nanotube (CNT) based gold (Au) catalysts, B-dopants elevate the conductivity of carbon nanotube by sp2 hybridization on graphene and implant B–N domains within the graphene layer, and result in facilitating the embedding amount of Au accompanied by high dispersibility with low particle size. Theoretical density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that the electron cloud transmitted from B-dopant to the active site of Au induces the Lewis acidic site, and the O-distal pathway occurs following a spontaneous reaction. Increment of the electron-deficient B-doping area accompanied by N-defects and B–O edges retains the major valence state of Au as Auδ+, and suppresses hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by repulsing the hindrance of H⋆. This record exhibits the highest faradaic efficiency (FE) of 94.7%, and NH3 yield rate of 1877.4 µg·h−1·mgcat−1, which is the optimal yield over energy consumption in the field of the ambient reduction of aqueous NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape changes by anthropologic activities such as damming threaten local biodiversity through deforestation and subsequent geographic isolation. Ecological restoration through planting pioneer species could buffer the negative effects of landscape changes. As genetic variation of a species is important for its long-term persistence in the face of land use change, the temporal genetic variation of a pioneer plant species must be evaluated. Yet, it has received little attention. In this study, we used nuclear microsatellites to study the genetic variation of a wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed pioneer tree Pinus massoniana (Pinaceae) on islands in the Thousand-island Lake (TIL) formed by damming in 1959. Overall, high genetic diversity was observed in all individuals (HE = 0.692), which is positively related to island size and independent of geographic isolation. Additionally, similar genetic diversity and differentiation was observed between old (within 5 generations after damming) and young cohorts (around 5–10 generations after damming). These results imply that P. massoniana did not lose genetic variation after the formation of the TIL. Furthermore, smaller variance in genetic differentiation that is dependent on geographic distance was found in the young cohort suggesting gene flow was maintained in the face of geographic isolation after damming. Overall, our findings revealed that pioneer wind-pollinated and wind-dispersed plant species are resistant to the negative effects of damming, and they could be used to restore disturbed habitats caused by anthropogenic landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipterocarpoideae species form the emergent layer of Asian rainforests. They are the indicator species for Asian rainforest distribution, but they are severely threatened. Here, to understand their adaptation and population decline, we assemble high-quality genomes of seven Dipterocarpoideae species including two autotetraploid species. We estimate the divergence time between Dipterocarpoideae and Malvaceae and within Dipterocarpoideae to be 108.2 (97.8‒118.2) and 88.4 (77.7‒102.9) million years ago, and we identify a whole genome duplication event preceding dipterocarp lineage diversification. We find several genes that showed a signature of selection, likely associated with the adaptation to Asian rainforests. By resequencing of two endangered species, we detect an expansion of effective population size after the last glacial period and a recent sharp decline coinciding with the history of local human activities. Our findings contribute to understanding the diversification and adaptation of dipterocarps and highlight anthropogenic disturbances as a major factor in their endangered status. Dipterocarp trees are iconic but severely threatened species in Asian rainforests. This study assembles high-quality genomes of seven dipterocarp species to reveal the molecular basis of key adaptations and identifies a recent sharp population decline coinciding with local human activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensors for which the output signal is an intensity change for a single-emission peak are easily disturbed by many factors, such as the stability of the instrument, intensity of the excitation light, and biological background. However, for ratiometric fluorescence sensors, the output signal is a change in the intensity ratio of two or more emission peaks. The fluorescence intensity of these emission peaks is similarly affected by external factors; thus, these sensors have the ability to self-correct, which can greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of the detection results. To accurately image glutathione (GSH) in cells, gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) with intrinsic double emission at wavelengths of 606 nm and 794 nm were synthesized from chloroauric acid. With the emission peak at 606 nm as the recognition signal and the emission peak at 794 nm as the reference signal, a near-infrared dual-emission ratio fluorescence sensing platform was constructed to accurately detect changes in the GSH concentration in cells. In vitro and in vivo analyses showed that the ratiometric fluorescent probe specifically detects GSH and enables ultrasensitive imaging, providing a new platform for the accurate detection of active small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bone metastasis is a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality in advanced prostate cancer, and early diagnosis is challenging due to its insidious onset. The use of machine learning to obtain prognostic information from pathological images has been highlighted. However, there is a limited understanding of the potential of early prediction of bone metastasis through the feature combination method from various sources. This study presents a method of integrating multimodal data to enhance the feasibility of early diagnosis of bone metastasis in prostate cancer. Methods and materials: Overall, 211 patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) at Gansu Provincial Hospital between January 2017 and February 2023 were included in this study. The patients were randomized (8:2) into a training group (n = 169) and a validation group (n = 42). The region of interest (ROI) were segmented from the three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences (T2WI, DWI, and ADC), and pathological features were extracted from tissue sections (hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] staining, 10 × 20). A deep learning (DL) model using ResNet 50 was employed to extract deep transfer learning (DTL) features. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method was utilized for feature selection, feature construction, and reducing feature dimensions. Different machine learning classifiers were used to build predictive models. The performance of the models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves. The net clinical benefit was assessed using decision curve analysis (DCA). The goodness of fit was evaluated using calibration curves. A joint model nomogram was eventually developed by combining clinically independent risk factors. Results: The best prediction models based on DTL and pathomics features showed area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.799–0.989) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.714–0.989), respectively. The AUC for the best prediction model based on radiomics features and combining radiomics features, DTL features, and pathomics features were 0.86 (95% CI, 0.735–0.979) and 0.93 (95% CI, 0.854–1.000), respectively. Based on DCA and calibration curves, the model demonstrated good net clinical benefit and fit. Conclusion: Multimodal radiomics and pathomics serve as valuable predictors of the risk of bone metastases in patients with primary PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to investigate the safety and advantages of different surgical approaches applied to overweight or obese cervical cancer patients by comparing their surgical and oncological outcomes. This is a retrospective cohort study. 382 patients with a body mass index of at least 24.0 kg/m2 and stage IB-IIA (The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, FIGO 2009) cervical cancer were enrolled, and then were divided into three groups: open radical hysterectomy (ORH) group, laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (LRH) group, and robot-assisted radical hysterectomy (RRH) group according to the surgical approach. IBM SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze data. There were 51 patients in ORH group, 225 patients in LRH group and 106 patients in RRH group. In the comparison of surgical outcomes, compared to LRH and ORH, RRH had the shortest operating time, the least estimated blood loss, the shortest postoperative hospital stay, and the shortest recovery time for bowel function (P < 0.05). In the comparison of postoperative complications, ORH has the highest rate of postoperative infection and wound complication compared to LRH and RRH (P < 0.05), and RRH has the highest proportion of urinary retention. After a median follow-up time of 61 months, there was no statistically significant difference between the three groups in terms of 5-year overall survival (OS) rate and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate, (P = 0.262, P = 0.453). In patients with overweight or obese cervical cancer, the long-term outcomes of the three surgical approaches were comparable, with RRH showing significant advantages over ORH and LRH in terms of surgical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regeneration of Tetracentron sinense Oliv. is poor in the understory and in open areas due to the characteristics of natural regeneration of the species on forest edges and in gaps. It is unclear whether different light intensities in various habitats affect eco-physiological characteristics of saplings and their natural regeneration. In this study, the light intensity in T. sinense habitats was simulated by artificial shading (L1: 100% NS (natural sunlight) in the open; L2: 50% NS in a forest gap or edge; L3: 10% NS in understory) to investigate differences in morphology, leaf structure, physiology, and photosynthesis of 2-year-old saplings, and to analyze the mechanism of light intensity on sapling establishment. Significant differences were observed in morphology (including leaf area, and specific leaf area) under different light intensities. Compared to L1 and L3, chloroplast structure in L2 was intact. With increasing time, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in L2 became gradually higher than under the other light intensities, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was opposite. Shading decreased osmoregulation substance contents of leaves but increased chlorophyll. The results suggest that light intensities significantly affect the eco-physiological characteristics of T. sinense saplings and they would respond most favorably at intermediate levels of light by optimizing eco-physiological characteristics. Therefore, 50% natural sunlight should be created to promote saplings establishment and population recovery of T. sinense during in situ conservation, including sowing mature seeds in forest edges or gaps and providing appropriate shade protection for seedlings and saplings in the open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This letter to the editor discusses the case of a 58-year-old man with Acute Wernicke Encephalopathy who underwent PET/CT imaging. The imaging revealed increased uptake in the midbrain, medial thalamus, and periaqueductal gray matter, which contrasts with previously reported decreased uptake associated with Wernicke encephalopathy. Treatment with vitamin B1 injection resulted in clinical improvement, and follow-up imaging showed decreased FDG uptake in the cerebral lesion areas. The study suggests that PET/CT can reflect glucose metabolism changes in vital organs affected by thiamine deficiency in Acute Wernicke's encephalopathy. [Extracted from the article]

4D printing technology combines 3D printing and stimulus-responsive materials, enabling construction of complex 3D objects efficiently. However, unlike smart soft materials, 4D printing of ceramics is a great challenge due to the extremely weak deformability of ceramics. Here, we report a feasible and efficient manufacturing and design approach to realize direct 4D printing of ceramics. Photocurable ceramic elastomer slurry and hydrogel precursor are developed for the fabrication of hydrogel-ceramic laminates via multimaterial digital light processing 3D printing. Flat patterned laminates evolve into complex 3D structures driven by hydrogel dehydration, and then turn into pure ceramics after sintering. Considering the dehydration-induced deformation and sintering-induced shape retraction, we develop a theoretical model to calculate the curvatures of bent laminate and sintered ceramic part. Then, we build a design flow for direct 4D printing of various complex ceramic objects. This approach opens a new avenue for the development of ceramic 4D printing technology. Four-dimensional (4D) printing ceramics is a challenge due to their weak deformability. Here, the authors report a hydrogel-dehydration-driven direct 4D printing approach, enabling simple and efficient manufacturing of various complex ceramic objects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terrestrialecosystems are significant carbon sinks and are crucial for understanding the regional and global carbon cycles, energy flow, and climate change. As land use change is a significant process affecting ecosystem carbon stocks and striving for land degradation neutrality (LDN), studying it is essential for comprehending the evolution of regional carbon sink functions and achieving sustainable development goals. The drastically diverse land use patterns in each of the study area's regions resulted in significant differences in carbon stock. This study explores the evolution traits of carbon stocks based on land use data and their driving mechanisms in Chongqing during the past 30 years by using spatial analysis, the InVEST model, and geographic probes. The results demonstrate that from 1990 to 2020, land degradation in Chongqing was made worse by the demand for land for construction land, but the strategy of converting cropland back to forests raised the carbon stock of forest land. The overall result is a decrease in total carbon stocks of 5.1078 Tg or 1.5%. The main pathway for carbon loss pathway in the evolution of carbon stock is the conversion of cropland to construction land, and the primary carbon compensation pathway is the conversion of grassland and cropland to forest land, with a spatial distribution characterized by "higher in the whole area and obvious local differences." The land use intensity index has the most significant influence on the evolution of carbon stock. Moreover, the interaction of pairwise factors played a more important role in affecting the evolution of carbon stocks than did each factor individually. The case study in this paper shows that land use change is a significant driving mechanism for the evolution of carbon stock, and the development of a driving model theory is appropriate for deciphering the trajectory of carbon stock evolution and offering research suggestions for other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microglia regulate synaptic function in various ways, including the microglial displacement of the surrounding GABAergic synapses, which provides important neuroprotection from certain diseases. However, the physiological role and underlying mechanisms of microglial synaptic displacement remain unclear. In this study, we observed that microglia exhibited heterogeneity during the displacement of GABAergic synapses surrounding neuronal soma in different cortical regions under physiological conditions. Through three-dimensional reconstruction, in vitro co-culture, two-photon calcium imaging, and local field potentials recording, we found that IL-1β negatively modulated microglial synaptic displacement to coordinate regional heterogeneity in the motor cortex, which impacted the homeostasis of the neural network and improved motor learning ability. We used the Cre-Loxp system and found that IL-1R1 on glutamatergic neurons, rather than that on microglia or GABAergic neurons, mediated the negative effect of IL-1β on synaptic displacement. This study demonstrates that IL-1β is critical for the regional heterogeneity of synaptic displacement by coordinating different actions of neurons and microglia via IL-1R1, which impacts both neural network homeostasis and motor learning ability. It provides a theoretical basis for elucidating the physiological role and mechanism of microglial displacement of GABAergic synapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal carotid artery occlusion (ICAO) is a relatively uncommon but important cause of transient ischaemic attack and cerebral infarction. Hybrid surgery (HS) improves cerebral perfusion, but its impact on neurocognitive function has been controversial. Patients with symptomatic chronic ICAO treated by hybrid surgery or medical treatment from 2016 to 2019 were included. We recorded and analysed the clinical characteristics, angiographic data, outcomes and cognitive status. Functional assessments, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Barthel Index, and a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subtest (ADAS-cog), verbal fluency, and Colour Trail test Parts 1 and 2, were administered. Significant improvements in the ADAS (before, 7.5 ± 6.2 versus after, 5.2 ± 5.7; P = 0.022), MMSE (before, 25.5 ± 2.8 versus after, 28.1 ± 2.3; P = 0.013), and Colour Trail test Part 1 (before, 118.3 ± 26.5 versus after, 96.2 ± 23.1; P = 0.016) were observed six months after HS. Moreover, the abovementioned postprocedure scales were ameliorated in the HS group. This study found that in patients with multiple symptomatic ICAO and objective ipsilateral ischaemia, successful HS leads to improvement in the scores of three cognitive tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ion-exchangeable ammonium (IE-A) that accounts for 60–90% of the total residual ammonium in rare earth tailings has great potential to pollute the surrounding environment, and much research has been done to seek an effective elution method. However, the current study mainly focused on the single salt solution, which made it hard to reach the desired elution efficiency. In this study, the efficient binary compound eluent was prepared, and the response surface experiments and dynamic elution were performed to optimize the elution condition and evaluate the practical application prospect. Batch experimental results showed that the best IE-A elution efficiency could be achieved at the K:Mg molar ratio of 8:2, the liquid–solid ratio of 26:1, and the concentration of 0.1 mol/L at the natural solution pH. Dynamic experimental results indicated that a higher concentration, flow rate, and elution temperature could all accelerate the elution process, and the highest elution efficiency could reach 99%. The fitting results by shrinking core models show that the apparent activation energy of IE-A was 4.24 kJ/mol in the temperature range of 288–328 K, and the reaction order was 0.16. XPS and FTIR revealed that IE-A was effectively eluted by a potassium and magnesium compound leaching agent via an ion-exchange reaction. Overall, the developed compound solution with potassium and magnesium is a candidate for an elution agent that could be used to remove residual ammonium in a closed field of rare earth ores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the existence of invariant manifolds for a coupled problem of nonlinear hyperbolic–parabolic PDEs on a 3-D torus. The problem arises usually in the study of wave propagation phenomena with viscous damping which are heat generating. The spectral gap condition could fail for it. We prove that there exists a Lipschitz manifold which is locally invariant under the semiflow. The local asymptotic stability and regularity of the manifold are also considered. Moreover, under more assumptions on the nonlinearity, it is proved that the manifold is provided with the feature as that global manifold usually holds, i.e., it contains the global attractor. Through it all, no large damping and heat diffusivity are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetanus toxin (TeNT) and botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are neuroprotein toxins, with the latter being the most toxic known protein. They are structurally similar and contain three functional domains: an N-terminal catalytic domain (light chain), an internal heavy-chain translocation domain (HN domain), and a C-terminal heavy chain receptor binding domain (Hc domain or RBD). In this study, fusion functional domain molecules consisting of the TeNT RBD (THc) and the BoNT/A RBD (AHc) (i.e., THc-Linker-AHc and AHc-Linker-THc) were designed, prepared, and identified. The interaction of each Hc domain and the ganglioside receptor (GT1b) or the receptor synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2 (SV2) was explored in vitro. Their immune response characteristics and protective efficacy were investigated in animal models. The recombinant THc-linker-AHc and AHc-linker-THc proteins with the binding activity had the correct size and structure, thus representing novel subunit vaccines. THc-linker-AHc and AHc-linker-THc induced high levels of specific neutralizing antibodies, and showed strong immune protective efficacy against both toxins. The high antibody titers against the two novel fusion domain molecules and against individual THc and AHc suggested that the THc and AHc domains, as antigens in the fusion functional domain molecules, do not interact with each other and retain their full key epitopes responsible for inducing neutralizing antibodies. Thus, the recombinant THc-linker-AHc and AHc-linker-THc molecules are strong and effective bivalent biotoxin vaccines, protecting against two biotoxins simultaneously. Our experimental design will be valuable to develop recombinant double-RBD fusion molecules as potent bivalent subunit vaccines against bio-toxins. Key points: • Double-RBD fusion molecules from two toxins had the correct structure and activity. • THc-linker-AHc and AHc-linker-THc efficiently protected against both biotoxins. • Such bivalent biotoxin vaccines based on the RBD are a valuable experimental design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The prognostic nutrition index (PNI) has been associated with the prognosis of various medical disorders. This study aimed to explore the correlation between PNI and the long-term outcomes of adult patients afflicted with moyamoya disease (MMD). Methods: This prospective study initially employed 138 adult patients diagnosed with MMD. After excluding 15 patients who did not meet the criteria, a total of 123 patients were included. Participants were divided into three groups based on the tertile of change in the PNI score. Statistical analysis compared clinical information and lab tests among the groups. The study was conducted between July 1 and December 31, 2019. Results: After adjusting for multiple variables, patients in the upper two tertiles (tertiles 2–3) exhibited a significantly lower risk of adverse long-term outcomes compared to those in the lowest tertile (tertile 1) (OR, 0.089; 95% CI, 0.009–0.895; P = 0.040). Furthermore, adding PNI tertile to traditional risk factors substantially improved predicting adverse long-term outcomes (net reclassification improvement: 98.03%, P = 0.000; integrated discrimination improvement: 4.65%, P = 0.030). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the first PNI tertile (tertile 1) and the upper two tertiles (tertiles 2–3) in the Kaplan–Meier curve of stroke incidence (log-rank test, P = 0.244). Conclusions: A higher PNI level was significantly associated with a reduced risk of unfavorable long-term outcomes. Nevertheless, the PNI score did not predict stroke recurrence during extended follow-up. This study provides insights into a potential predictor of adverse long-term outcomes after revascularization in MMD patients. Registration number: ChiCTR2000031412 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogenic bacterium responsible for a range of severe infections, such as skin infections, bacteremia, and pneumonia. Due to its antibiotic-resistant nature, current research focuses on targeting its virulence factors. Sortase A (SrtA) is a transpeptidase that anchors surface proteins to the bacterial cell wall and is involved in adhesion and invasion to host cells. Through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), we identified echinacoside (ECH), a natural polyphenol, as a potential SrtA inhibitor with an IC50 of 38.42 μM in vitro. It was demonstrated that ECH inhibited SrtA-mediated S. aureus fibrinogen binding, surface protein A anchoring, and biofilm formation. The fluorescence quenching assay determined the binding mode of ECH to SrtA and calculated the KA-binding constant of 3.09 × 105 L/mol, demonstrating the direct interaction between the two molecules. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that ECH–SrtA interactions occurred primarily at the binding sites of A92G, A104G, V168A, G192A, and R197A. Importantly, the combination of ECH and vancomycin offered protection against murine models of MRSA-induced pneumonia. Therefore, ECH may serve as a potential antivirulence agent against S. aureus infections, either alone or in combination with vancomycin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐performance organic neuromorphic devices with miniaturized device size and computing capability are essential elements for developing brain‐inspired humanoid intelligence technique. However, due to the structural inhomogeneity of most organic materials, downscaling of such devices to nanoscale and their high‐density integration into compact matrices with reliable device performance remain challenging at the moment. Herein, based on the design of a semicrystalline polymer PBFCL10 with ordered structure to regulate dense and uniform formation of conductive nanofilaments, we realize an organic synapse with the smallest device dimension of 50 nm and highest integration size of 1 Kb reported thus far. The as‐fabricated PBFCL10 synapses can switch between 32 conductance states linearly with a high cycle‐to‐cycle uniformity of 98.89% and device‐to‐device uniformity of 99.71%, which are the best results of organic devices. A mixed-signal neuromorphic hardware system based on the organic neuromatrix and FPGA controller is implemented to execute spiking‐plasticity‐related algorithm for decision-making tasks. Designing high performance organic neuromorphic devices remains a challenge. Here, Liu et al. report the development of an organic synapse based on a semicrystalline polymer PBFCL10 with device dimension of 50 nm and integration size of 1 Kb and a mixed‐signal neuromorphic hardware system based on the organic neuromatrix and FPGA controller for decision‐making tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior is one of the important factors reflecting the health status of dairy cows, and when dairy cows encounter health problems, they exhibit different behavioral characteristics. Therefore, identifying dairy cow behavior not only helps in assessing their physiological health and disease treatment but also improves cow welfare, which is very important for the development of animal husbandry. The method of relying on human eyes to observe the behavior of dairy cows has problems such as high labor costs, high labor intensity, and high fatigue rates. Therefore, it is necessary to explore more effective technical means to identify cow behaviors more quickly and accurately and improve the intelligence level of dairy cow farming. Automatic recognition of dairy cow behavior has become a key technology for diagnosing dairy cow diseases, improving farm economic benefits and reducing animal elimination rates. Recently, deep learning for automated dairy cow behavior identification has become a research focus. However, in complex farming environments, dairy cow behaviors are characterized by multiscale features due to large scenes and long data collection distances. Traditional behavior recognition models cannot accurately recognize similar behavior features of dairy cows, such as those with similar visual characteristics, i.e., standing and walking. The behavior recognition method based on 3D convolution solves the problem of small visual feature differences in behavior recognition. However, due to the large number of model parameters, long inference time, and simple data background, it cannot meet the demand for real-time recognition of dairy cow behaviors in complex breeding environments. To address this, we developed an effective yet lightweight model for fast and accurate dairy cow behavior feature learning from video data. We focused on four common behaviors: standing, walking, lying, and mounting. We recorded videos of dairy cow behaviors at a dairy farm containing over one hundred cows using surveillance cameras. A robust model was built using a complex background dataset. We proposed a two-pathway X3DFast model based on spatiotemporal behavior features. The X3D and fast pathways were laterally connected to integrate spatial and temporal features. The X3D pathway extracted spatial features. The fast pathway with R(2 + 1)D convolution decomposed spatiotemporal features and transferred effective spatial features to the X3D pathway. An action model further enhanced X3D spatial modeling. Experiments showed that X3DFast achieved 98.49% top-1 accuracy, outperforming similar methods in identifying the four behaviors. The method we proposed can effectively identify similar dairy cow behaviors while improving inference speed, providing technical support for subsequent dairy cow behavior recognition and daily behavior statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a new tool, differential staining fluorescence microscopy (DSFM), to measure the biovolume and track the location of enteric pathogens in mixed-species biofilms which can pose a risk to food safety in beef processing facilities. DSFM was employed to examine the impact of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and three different Salmonella enterica strains on mixed-species biofilms of beef processing facilities. Fourteen floor drain biofilm samples from three beef processing plants were incubated with overnight BacLight stained enteric pathogens at 7 °C for 5 days on stainless steel surface then counter-stained with FM-1-43 biofilm stain and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. Notable variations in biovolume of biofilms were observed across the fourteen samples. The introduction of E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica strains resulted in diverse alterations of biofilm biovolume, suggesting distinct impacts on mixed-species biofilms by different enteric pathogens which were revealed to be located in the upper layer of the mixed-species biofilms. Pathogen strain growth curve comparisons and verification of BacLight Red Stain staining effectiveness were validated. The findings of this study show that the DSFM method is a promising approach to studying the location of enteric pathogens within mixed-species biofilms recovered from processing facilities. Understanding how foodborne pathogens interact with biofilms will allow for improved targeted antimicrobial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the detection speed of cow mounting behavior and the lightness of the model in dense scenes, this study proposes a lightweight rapid detection system for cow mounting behavior. Using the concept of EfficientNetV2, a lightweight backbone network is designed using an attention mechanism, inverted residual structure, and depth-wise separable convolution. Next, a feature enhancement module is designed using residual structure, efficient attention mechanism, and Ghost convolution. Finally, YOLOv5s, the lightweight backbone network, and the feature enhancement module are combined to construct a lightweight rapid recognition model for cow mounting behavior. Multiple cameras were installed in a barn with 200 cows to obtain 3343 images that formed the cow mounting behavior dataset. Based on the experimental results, the inference speed of the model put forward in this study is as high as 333.3 fps, the inference time per image is 4.1 ms, and the model mAP value is 87.7%. The mAP value of the proposed model is shown to be 2.1% higher than that of YOLOv5s, the inference speed is 0.47 times greater than that of YOLOv5s, and the model weight is 2.34 times less than that of YOLOv5s. According to the obtained results, the model proposed in the current work shows high accuracy and inference speed and acquires the automatic detection of cow mounting behavior in dense scenes, which would be beneficial for the all-weather real-time monitoring of multi-channel cameras in large cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the essential components in ecosystems, lakes play a major role in the global phosphorus (P) cycle. It is helpful for further understanding of the inside lake P geochemical cycle to research P pollution and storage in lakes, which is of positive significance for lake eutrophication restoration. In this study, we investigated the total phosphorus concentrations (TPC) of water and sediments from 37 lakes in the Eastern Plain Lake Zone (EPL) of China, evaluated the P pollution degree of lakes, and estimated P storage in lake sediments with quantitative data of lake area and number. The results indicate that the total phosphorus concentrations of water (TPCW) and total phosphorus concentrations of the surface sediments (0–1 cm, TPCSS) in EPL were high, the mean values were 0.11 mg·L−1 and 869.85 mg·kg−1 respectively, with obvious differences between urban and rural areas, as well as between different river basins. Over half (56.76% and 70.27% respectively) of the lakes reached severe pollution levels in water and surface sediments. There were 16224 lakes (> 0.01 km2) with a total area of 21662.37 km2 in the EPL, and the P storage in the lake sediments (0–30 cm) was about 4.87 ± 2.08 Tg (1 Tg = 1 × 1012 g), accounting for about 2.74% of the basin soil. TPCW and TPCSS of lakes in the EPL were significantly positively correlated, may suggest a close nutrient cycling relationship between the lake water and the sediment. During periods of high winds and waves, the stored P in the top sediments in the EPL may continue to participate in the internal P geochemical cycle and migrate to the overlying water, posing a potential pollution hazard. Therefore, it is crucial to take into account the sediment P pools when formulating effective lake phosphorus management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Four Fanconi anemia (FA) genes (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2 and RAD51C) are defined as breast cancer (BC) susceptibility genes. Other FA genes have been inconsistently associated with BC. Thus, the role of other FA genes in BC should be explored in specific populations. Methods: Mutations in 16 FA genes were screened with a 98-gene panel sequencing assay in a cohort of 1481 Chinese patients with high-risk hereditary BC. The association between mutations and clinicopathological characteristics as well as prognosis was analyzed. The risk of BC in carriers of FA gene mutations was assessed in the Genome Aggregation Database and the Westlake Biobank for Chinese cohort. Results: A total of 2.57% (38/1481) BC patients were identified who had 12 other FA gene germline mutations. Among them, the most frequently mutated gene was FANCA (8/1481, 0.54%). These 38 patients carried 35 distinct pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants, of which 21 were novel. We found one rare FANCB deleterious variant (c.1327-3dupT) in our cohort. There was a statistically significant difference in lymph node status between FA gene mutation carriers and non-carriers (p = 0.041). We observed a trend that mutation carriers had larger tumor sizes, lower estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) positivity rates, and lower 3.5-year invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) and distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) rates than non-carriers (tumor size > 2 cm: 51.43% vs. 45.63%; ER positivity rates: 51.43% vs. 60.81%; PR positivity rates: 48.57% vs. 55.16%; 3.5-year iDFS rates: 58.8% vs. 66.7%; 3.5-year DRFS rates: 58.8% vs. 68.8%). The frequency of the mutations in FANCD2, FANCM and BRIP1 trended to be higher among BC cases than that in controls (p = 0.055, 0.08 and 0.08, respectively). Conclusion: This study comprehensively estimated the prevalence, clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis and risk of BC associated with deleterious variants in FA genes in Chinese high-risk hereditary BC patients. It enriches our understanding of the role of FA genes with BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has linked cultural differences between a sojourner's home and host country with their cultural transformation. Nonetheless, the results of empirical studies are inconclusive due to different operationalizations of cultural differences and testing among different groups of sojourners. We extend previous investigations by examining the effects of cultural novelty (i.e., the subjective perception of cultural differences) on the experience of international students (N = 1114) in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland, and the USA. Drawing on acculturation and social learning theories, we conceptualized a model of students' adjustment and satisfaction taking into account cultural novelty. We tested the model through multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) and examined the various relationships across subsamples from all five countries. We determined the significant effects of cultural novelty and a range of factors impacting students' intercultural experience, such as their cultural intelligence, cultural background, second-language skills, time in the host country, and socialization with domestic students, and how the effects may vary by the host country. We discuss implications for future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combined effects of natural, anthropogenic, and socioeconomic factors have resulted in significant transformations of land use and landscape pattern in global mountains over the past two centuries, but related studies typically focus on local and regional scales, and analyses on global scale are lacking. Therefore, this study conducts a systematic review of land use and landscape patterns evolution in mountains by selecting relevant case studies to investigate the characteristics and trends at the global scale. The results show that (1) land use change in mountains is different from the global general trend, and there is a bidirectional variation relationship between forest land and agricultural land in global mountains. (2) Land use in mountains roughly experiences the natural period, agricultural expansion period, transition period, and polarization period. The corresponding landscape pattern evolution is reflected in natural mountain landscape, traditional mountain landscape, transitional mountain landscape and modern mountain landscape. (3) Due to disparities in socioeconomic development, different mountain regions are in different stages of land use and landscape pattern evolution at the same time. (4) There are two opposite trends in recent decades of land use and landscape pattern transformation in global mountains. On the positive trend, land use is polarized, and the landscape pattern has distinct heterogeneity in vertical space. On the reverse trend, the mountain landscape pattern is represented by the traditional mountain landscape of the agricultural expansion period. Overall, the results reveal the uniqueness of land use and landscape pattern transformation in global mountains, which has enlightenment for the global sustainable land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Eucommia ulmoides (E. ulmoides) leaves are identified as a new resource of medicine and food homology. In this study, the structural characterization, physicochemical properties, and antioxidant activity of E. ulmoides polysaccharides (EUP) were studied. Results: Three components with different molecular weights of 1.51 × 105 Da (EUP1), 3.05 × 104 Da (EUP2) and 1.17 × 105 Da (EUP3) were purified from E. ulmoides leaves. They were composed of l-rhamnose (Rha), d-arabinose (Ara), d-mannose (Man), d-glucose (Glu) and d-galactose (Gal), while EUP2 also contained small amounts of d-xylose (Xyl). Three components all had typical polysaccharides absorption peaks, which may be polysaccharides with β configuration of pyranose structure, and amorphous structure of acid polysaccharides with good thermal stability below 270 ℃. However, the molecular weight, monosaccharide composition and apparent morphology of the three components were different, resulting in a stronger scavenging ability of EUP2 and EUP3 against DPPH and OH free radicals. Conclusion: The results will provide a theoretical reference for developing EUP-related foods and drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apiose is a natural pentose containing an unusual branched-chain structure. Apiosides are bioactive natural products widely present in the plant kingdom. However, little is known on the key apiosylation reaction in the biosynthetic pathways of apiosides. In this work, we discover an apiosyltransferase GuApiGT from Glycyrrhiza uralensis. GuApiGT could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, and exhibits strict selectivity towards UDP-apiose. We further solve the crystal structure of GuApiGT, determine a key sugar-binding motif (RLGSDH) through structural analysis and theoretical calculations, and obtain mutants with altered sugar selectivity through protein engineering. Moreover, we discover 121 candidate apiosyltransferase genes from Leguminosae plants, and identify the functions of 4 enzymes. Finally, we introduce GuApiGT and its upstream genes into Nicotiana benthamiana, and complete de novo biosynthesis of a series of flavonoid apiosides. This work reports an efficient phenolic apiosyltransferase, and reveals mechanisms for its sugar donor selectivity. Apiosides are plant bioactive natural products containing apiose, but the details of the key apiosylation reaction in their biosynthesis are missing. Here, the authors identify the apiosyltransferase GuApiGT that could efficiently catalyze 2″-O-apiosylation of flavonoid glycosides, solve its crystal structure and obtain mutants with altered sugar selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]