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Objectives: We aimed to explore the relationship between clinical characteristics and circulating lymphocyte profiles in Chinese male patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). Method: Data from 397 patients with pSS were analyzed retrospectively. 37 were male, which is a prevalence of 9.3%. The clinical, laboratory, and immunophenotypic profiles of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were compared between male and female pSS patients. Results: Male patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome have unique clinical manifestations and circulating lymphocyte profiles. Male patients complained more about xerophthalmia and presented with more extra-glandular manifestations as compared with female patients. The CD4+/CD8+ ratio (P = 0.030), the prevalence of CD4−CD8− T cells in lymphocytes (P = 0.020), the absolute number of CD4−CD8− T cells (P = 0.035), the prevalence of CD4+ T cells in lymphocytes (P < 0.001), and the absolute number of CD4+ T cells (P = 0.023) were significantly lower in male patients compared to female patients. On the other hand, the prevalence of CD8+CD28+ T cells (P = 0.030) and CD4+CD25high T cells (P = 0.040) in lymphocytes was significantly higher in male patients than in female patients. Moreover, compared to females with pSS, an elevated serum IgG level, low C3 and C4 levels, anti-SSB positivity, and ANA titers of ≥ 1:160 positivity were more frequent in male with pSS. Conclusions: Male patients with pSS have distinctive peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations, present with more severe clinical symptoms and immunological features, and have an unfavorable prognosis. Key Points • Male patients with pSS have more severe clinical symptoms and specific characteristics of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets. • Male pSS patients exhibit a higher intensity of the disease (as evaluated by ESSDAI). • Male patients with pSS require individualized treatment regimens and closer follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, multiple higher-order pole solutions of spinor Bose–Einstein condensates are explored by means of the inverse scattering transform, which are associated with different higher-order pole pairs of the transmission coefficient and give solutions to the spin-1 Gross–Pitaevskii equation. First, a direct scattering problem is introduced to map the initial data to the scattering data, which includes discrete spectrums, reflection coefficients, and a polynomial that replaces the normalized constants. In order to analyze symmetries and discrete spectra in the direct scattering problem, a generalized cross product is defined in four-dimensional vector Space. The inverse scattering problem is then characterized in terms of the 4 × 4 matrix Riemann–Hilbert problem that is subject to the residual conditions of these higher-order poles. In the reflectionless case, the Riemann–Hilbert problem can be converted into a linear algebraic system, which has a unique solution and allows us to explicitly obtain multiple higher-order pole solutions to the spin-1 Gross–Pitaevskii equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the probable existence of a causal relationship between sleep phenotypes and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with sleep phenotypes were selected as instrumental variables at the genome-wide significance threshold (P < 5 × 10−8). Inverse‐variance weighted was applied as the primary Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis method, and MR Egger regression, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode methods were used as complementary analysis methods to estimate the causal association between sleep phenotypes and PDR. Results indicated that genetically predicted sleep phenotypes had no causal effects on PDR risk after Bonferroni correction (P = 0.05/10) [Chronotype: P = 0.143; Daytime napping: P = 0.691; Daytime sleepiness: P = 0.473; Insomnia: P = 0.181; Long sleep duration: P = 0.671; Morning person:P = 0.113; Short sleep duration: P = 0.517; Obstructive sleep apnea: P = 0.091; Sleep duration: P = 0.216; and snoring: P = 0.014]. Meanwhile, there are no reverse causality for genetically predicted PDR on sleep phenotypes [Chronotype: P = 0.100; Daytime napping: P = 0.146; Daytime sleepiness: P = 0.469; Insomnia: P = 0.571; Long sleep duration: P = 0.779; Morning person: P = 0.040; Short sleep duration: P = 0.875; Obstructive sleep apnea: P = 0.628; Sleep duration: P = 0.896; and snoring: P = 0.047]. This study's findings did not support the causal effect of between sleep phenotypes and PDR. Whereas, longitudinal studies can further verify results validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most previous advanced backbones usually ignore the requirements on real-time and speed, which are directly affected by model size. In our study, we present a light-weight model, IDPNet. We design a dense layer and identity block parallel block as the basic block of the backbone. And we introduce an intra-level block fusion representation head to fuse high-resolution. As a result, our IDPNet decreases the number of parameters by 85.3% on both two datasets, and the GFLOPs by 80.4% and 60.7%, respectively. To extend the usability, we propose two extra variant networks IDPNet-Balance and IDPNet-Precision. We train and test our IDPNet over the COCO keypoint detection dataset and the MPII human pose dataset without pretrain. The best accuracy in both datasets is prior than previous networks. During testing process, all models can predict per image at the speed of 13 ms, 20 ms and 21 ms, respectively, and they also achieve real-time fundamentally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing carbon productivity (CP) is key to achieving carbon reduction goals while maintaining economic growth. Digital technology plays a significant role in improving CP. Based on panel data from 136 countries worldwide from 2000 to 2020, this study empirically examines the impact of digitalization on CP and its mechanisms using fixed-effects and mediation models. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Overall, digitalization significantly enhances CP. (2) In terms of the mechanism, digitalization primarily improves CP through technological innovation and mitigating income inequality. (3) In terms of the quantile regression results, as the quantile level of CP increases, the promoting effect of digitalization on CP gradually strengthens. (4) From the perspective of heterogeneity among regions, income levels and human capital levels, digitalization has the greatest promotion effect on carbon productivity in European countries, high-income countries and high human capital countries. This study provides a reference for policymakers worldwide to use digital technology in achieving carbon emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authentic SARS-CoV-2 requires to be handled in Biosafety Level 3 laboratories, which restrains investigation by the broader scientific community. Here, we report the development of a novel SARS-CoV-2 viral vector composed of all 4 SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, the packaging signal sequence of SARS-CoV-2, a reporter gene, and an RNA amplification component of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). This VEE-SARS-CoV-2 viral vector transduces target cells in an ACE2-dependent manner, and all 4 structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 are indispensable for its transduction activity. Comparative studies show that the incorporation of the VEEV self-amplification mechanism increases the gene expression level by ~ 65-fold and extends the transgene expression up to 11 days in transduced cells. Additionally, we demonstrated the significant applications of this new VEE-SARS-CoV-2 vector for neutralizing antibody quantification and antiviral drug testing. The VEE-SARS-CoV-2 vectors developed will be an important and versatile tool for investigating SARS-CoV-2 molecular virology, developing antiviral agents targeting receptor binding, and studying RNA genome packaging and function of the essential but not well studied structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Bone mineral density (BMD) is an essential predictor of osteoporosis and fracture. We conducted a genome-wide trajectory analysis of BMD and analyzed the BMD change. Purpose: This study aimed to identify the genetic architecture and potential biomarkers of BMD. Methods: Our analysis included 141,261 white participants from the UK Biobank with heel BMD phenotype data. We used a genome-wide trajectory analysis tool, TrajGWAS, to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BMD. Then, we validated our findings in previously reported BMD genetic associations and performed replication analysis in the Asian participants. Finally, gene-set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of the identified candidate genes was conducted using the FUMA platform. Results: A total of 52 genes associated with BMD trajectory mean were identified, of which the top three significant genes were WNT16 (P = 1.31 × 10−126), FAM3C (P = 4.18 × 10−108), and CPED1 (P = 8.48 × 10−106). In addition, 114 genes associated with BMD within-subject variability were also identified, such as AC092079.1 (P = 2.72 × 10−13) and RGS7 (P = 4.72 × 10−10). The associations for these candidate genes were confirmed in the previous GWASs and replicated successfully in the Asian participants. GSEA results of BMD change identified multiple GO terms related to skeletal development, such as SKELETAL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT (Padjusted = 2.45 × 10−3) and REGULATION OF OSSIFICATION (Padjusted = 2.45 × 10−3). KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in WNT SIGNALING PATHWAY. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that the CPED1-WNT16-FAM3C locus plays a significant role in BMD mean trajectories and identified several novel candidate genes contributing to BMD within-subject variability, facilitating the understanding of the genetic architecture of BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing deep learning-based image super-resolution (SR) algorithms have made great achievements on synthetic LR–HR pairs in a fully supervised manner. However, the real image degradation process is complicated and unclear, leading to a domain gap between the synthetic LR images and real LR images. To address this issue, the most widely used alternatives are GAN-based methods trained with unpaired data. But most GAN-based methods tend to follow complex multi-stage pipelines and still suffer from the vast cost of hyperparameter tuning on the loss function. In this paper, in contrast to complicated two-stage or multi-stage GAN, a straightforward and simple one-stage GAN-based framework is proposed. Different from the current one-stage GAN, our approach exclusively fits the CycleGAN pattern without any other restrictions, fully leveraging images from unpaired datasets. Specifically, our framework consists of a DegradeNet and an SRNet, which implicitly models the degradation and SR process between the source LR domain and target HR domain. Such a simple one-stage GAN allows us to flexibly learn the data distribution without any assumptions, greatly reducing the model complexity and training difficulty. To further address the inherent practice of empirically setting hyperparameters in previous methods, we propose an adaptive weighting network to automatically learn the contribution weights of different losses in a meta-learning manner. This flexible strategy could shorten the gap between various losses and meanwhile help the model to adaptively optimize in an efficient way. Extensive experiments demonstrate the superiority of our proposed method in terms of indicators and perceptual quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early-Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (Early-GDM) is a complex condition that may cause complications in infants of affected mothers. The aim of this case–control study was to analyze the effects of genetic-epigenetic interaction on Early-GDM and fetal development with respect to cytosine modifications (i.e., 5mC, 5-methylcytosines; and 5hmC, 5-hydroxymethylcytosines) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MTHFR, a key gene involving cytosine modifications. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 92 women in their first or second trimester of pregnancy (Early-GDM, n = 14; Controls, n = 78). Global DNA 5mC and 5hmC were quantified by HPLC-MS/MS, and MTHFR SNPs (rs1801133 C > T and rs1801131 A > C) were determined by TaqMan-qPCR. Association analysis suggested that MTHFR rs1801133 TT genotype was a risk factor of Early-GDM (OR [odds ratio] = 4.00; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.24, 12.86; p = 0.02). The C allele of rs1801131 appeared to be a protective factor for the 2-h OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) (OR = -0.79; 95% CI: -1.48, -0.10; p = 0.03). Patients with Early-GDM had higher global 5mC and lower global 5hmC. The reduction of global 5hmC and the TT genotype of rs1801133 were associated with higher level of the 1st-FBG (fasting blood glucose in the first trimester) (p < 0.05). Additionally, global 5mC showed a positive correlation with birth weight, body length and head circumference of newborns, while global 5hmC showed a negative correlation with birth weight. The current study implicated MTHFR SNPs and cytosine modifications in the development of Early-GDM and potential complications in their newborns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation method shows improved computational advantages for building high-precision 3D geological models. However, in the case of varying geological borehole distribution characteristics, the statistical range of local adjacent points and the type of membership function are two important factors that affect the adaptive calculation of the weight power value in the IDW method. Therefore, this study attempts to build a general adaptive IDW model unaffected by the spatial distribution of geological boreholes sample data. This study uses a combination of nearest neighbor point statistics and membership function mapping to modify the IDW weights automatically. Moreover, it investigates the accuracy of IDW interpolation under two types of nearest neighbor point statistics ranges (fixed number and area) and three types of membership functions (triangle, trapezoidal, and Gaussian) interactions. The results showed that fixing the search window to determine the local neighbor statistics range and utilizing the triangle membership function to map adjustment weights exhibit strong distribution patterns. The minimum interpolation relative error for 10 sample boreholes reached 0.86%, whereas the average minimum interpolation relative error was 18.80%. Each borehole achieved optimal interpolation accuracy. The research findings significantly impact building adaptive spatial interpolation techniques and high-precision 3D geological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is one of the most notorious insect pests, and a major threat to maize (Zea mays) and other important crops, such as wheat (Triticum aestivum). Although the push–pull strategy based on intercropping has been reported to effectively prevent damage caused to maize, the potential of wheat-based intercropping systems for S. frugiperda management has rarely been assessed. In this study, the offspring performance, oviposition, and feeding preferences of S. frugiperda on four commonly planted crops—maize, pea (Pisum sativum), faba bean (Vicia faba), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa)—in wheat-based intercropping system were investigated to evaluate the roles of those host plants in the pest management. The results showed that S. frugiperda larvae performed poorly on pea and faba bean plants, as indicated by the longest duration for larval developmental, total pre-oviposition period, and mean generation time as well as the lowest pupal weight and larval survival rate. Lower offspring performance on pea and faba bean leaves coincided with lower efficiency of larval consumption. Preference tests revealed that female adults and larvae exhibited a stronger oviposition on, and feeding preference for maize than wheat, whereas no-preference was observed for faba bean plants. This study revealed the adaptability of S. frugiperda and its preference for wheat and its four common intercropped host plants and provided an insight into the management of S. frugiperda through the establishment of a push–pull strategy in wheat-based intercropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authentic SARS-CoV-2 requires to be handled in Biosafety Level 3 laboratories, which restrains investigation by the broader scientific community. Here, we report the development of a novel SARS-CoV-2 viral vector composed of all 4 SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins, the packaging signal sequence of SARS-CoV-2, a reporter gene, and an RNA amplification component of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV). This VEE-SARS-CoV-2 viral vector transduces target cells in an ACE2-dependent manner, and all 4 structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 are indispensable for its transduction activity. Comparative studies show that the incorporation of the VEEV self-amplification mechanism increases the gene expression level by ~ 65-fold and extends the transgene expression up to 11 days in transduced cells. Additionally, we demonstrated the significant applications of this new VEE-SARS-CoV-2 vector for neutralizing antibody quantification and antiviral drug testing. The VEE-SARS-CoV-2 vectors developed will be an important and versatile tool for investigating SARS-CoV-2 molecular virology, developing antiviral agents targeting receptor binding, and studying RNA genome packaging and function of the essential but not well studied structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Similar patient retrieval has become increasingly important with the explosive growth of electronic health records (EHRs). A similar patient cohort identified from all patients can provide data-driven insights for personalized healthcare. However, the high dimensionality and heterogeneity of EHRs increase the difficulty of measuring patient similarity. How to accurately and efficiently retrieve similar patients from a large number of EHRs remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a novel similar patient retrieval method based on interactive patient labeling and automatic model updating. Combined with the knowledge and experience of physicians, it can be adaptively modified for different patients and diseases. We also develop a visual analytics system to assist patient labeling through pairwise comparisons and support outcome analysis of similar patients. The case studies on two real-world datasets in collaboration with physicians demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of our method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faults divide the strata into discontinuous blocks, making describing the spatial relationship between geological bodies more difficult. However, the literature still lacks simplification methods for addressing this issue. Long-term geological information research has accumulated many spatial models for building engineering geological objects. The low degree of sharing of various geological models and complex data operations has weakened the spatial analysis ability of three-dimensional geological information models. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate a new data structure and algorithm to maintain its consistency before and after the three-dimensional fault modeling so that it is possible to conduct geological analysis. This study develops a three-dimensional stratum model based on the previous research results and the GTP (generalized triangular prism) model. It includes fault data to simulate stratum fracture and proposes a three-dimensional fault modeling method under GTP element reconstruction. First, the types of GTP elements for fault cutting are analyzed. Auxiliary lines and nodes are inserted into the polyhedron with a complex shape generated after the GTP element is sectioned. The polyhedron is reconstructed into the GTP model, maintaining the consistency of the data structure. This method achieves good results in building three-dimensional geological structure models of faults at different spatial positions, indicating that the GTP model and its reconstruction method are very flexible in data storage and expression and are suitable for geological modeling. The results have significant implications for modeling and sharing operations of complex geological structures, including faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As mentioned in Biondini et al. (Commun Math Phys 348:475–533, 2016), the complete theory of the inverse scattering transform for the multi-component focusing nonlinear Schrödinger equation with nonzero boundary conditions still remains open. In this paper, we attempt to investigate the above problem with a particular class of nonzero boundary conditions. The direct problem is shown to be well posed for potential q such that q (· , t) - q ± lies in the L 1 , 1 (R ±) space. By introducing two modified Lax pairs and generalized cross product operations in C N + 1 , the analyticity properties and the symmetries of a complete set of eigenfunctions and scattering data are obtained. The inverse problem is characterized in terms of a 3 × 3 block matrix Riemann–Hilbert problem, whose solution exists uniquely due to the growth conditions at branch points and the symmetries of jump matrices, residue conditions and asymptotics at two infinities of Riemann surface. In the reflectionless case, some special solutions including soliton and breather are displayed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of hypertension is related to many factors including active angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) and excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), the combination of ACE inhibition and antioxidant activity in one compound might be useful for the treatment of hypertension. Sipunculus nudus L contain high protein content, which can be used as a valuable raw material to prepare bio-active peptides. In this study, two novel tripeptides, LPK and PRP, with dual bioactivity of ACE inhibition and antioxidant were purified and identified from the worm. The antioxidant activities of LPK and PRP are dose-dependent, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical scavenging activities. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of PRP was stronger than that of LPK. In addition, LPK and PRP also show higher ACE inhibitory activity, with IC50 of 6.54 and 0.42 mM, respectively. Molecular docking simulation showed that both the peptides could interact with the active ACE sites via hydrogen bonds, which can reduce the production of Ang II, thereby; LPK and PRP treatment could decrease Ang II-triggered superoxide production, and meanwhile, the peptides treatment could directly remove excess reactive oxygen species. The above-mentioned advantageous effects appeared to involve the stress of the RAS and scavenging ROS, both were benefit to treat hypertension. This research showed that LPK and PRP had potential to be developed as antihypertension agents, which might be a new strategy for high value utilization of Sipunculus nudus L as functional food material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: Amorphous MoOx with pre-insertion of Al3+ was prepared via ion-exchange protocol. Al-MoOx anode had remarkable capacity and record-level cycling stability for proton battery. The proton battery using Al-MoOx anode achieved a high voltage of 1.37 V. Developing advanced electrode materials is crucial for improving the electrochemical performances of proton batteries. Currently, the anodes are primarily crystalline materials which suffer from inferior cyclic stability and high electrode potential. Herein, we propose amorphous electrode materials for proton batteries by using a general ion-exchange protocol to introduce multivalent metal cations for activating the host material. Taking Al3+ as an example, theoretical and experimental analysis demonstrates electrostatic interaction between metal cations and lattice oxygen, which is the primary barrier for direct introduction of the multivalent cations, is effectively weakened through ion exchange between Al3+ and pre-intercalated K+. The as-prepared Al-MoOx anode therefore delivered a remarkable capacity and outstanding cycling stability that outperforms most of the state-of-the-art counterparts. The assembled full cell also achieved a high voltage of 1.37 V. This work opens up new opportunities for developing high-performance electrodes of proton batteries by introducing amorphous materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify the ideal entry point for pediatric C2 pedicle screw and to obtain parameters of it for the indication of pediatric atlantoaxial fusion arthrodesis. Methods: The pediatric cervical CT images were reconstructed into the 3D digital models and the C2 vertebrae were separated. The location of ideal entry point and screw placement related linear and angular parameters were assessed on the 3D digital models. Results: A total of 214 pedicles from 107 C2 digital models were analyzed. The average entry point for C2 was 3.80 ± 2.78 mm medial to the lateral notch (LN) and 2.57 ± 1.70 mm superior to the LN. The average pedicle diameter (PD) was 6.02 ± 1.31 mm, and the average pedicle screw length (PSL) was 25.63 ± 3.46 mm. Statistical differences were found between different sex for PD and PSL (P < 0.05). As patient age increases, using the most lateral and inferior edge of the lateral mass as a reference marker, the entry point tends to move medial and cephalad, when using the LN as a reference marker, the entry point tends to move medial and slightly caudad. Univariate linear regression analysis suggested that these linear parameters were associated with age (P < 0.01). Conclusion: In this study, we found that the measurement results of C2 pedicle screw varied based on sex, laterality, and ages for children younger than 18 years. The entry point of the screws facilitating ideal trajectory tends to change in a linear way as a function of age. This information helps the surgeon to establish the specific anatomy related to C2 pedicle screw placement to facilitate fixation in the pediatric patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymers play important roles in the development of our society, ranging from common foods and medical products to synthetic resins and biodegradable materials. But traditional production of polymers mainly depends on non-renewable fossil fuels, which not only cause resource scarcity, but also lead to environmental deterioration. Biopolymers produced from renewable biomass have broad applicability, market demand, and promising prospects, due to their low cost and environmental friendliness. The methods of producing a variety of biodegradable biopolymers by microbial cell factories have hence attracted considerable attention. With the development of biotechnologies, more effective tools and strategies are developed to build highly performance engineered microorganisms and applied to generate various biopolymers including polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), polylactic acid (PLA), glycosaminoglycan, rubber, and other macromolecular materials. This review summarizes the recent evolution of the main technologies and applications of metabolic engineering strategies involved in the research of biomass-based synthetic polymers, and some key issues were also highlighted. On this basis, it is expected that more efficient technologies and strategies could be developed to solve these issues and promote the industrial production of these biopolymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global incidence and prevalence of arrhythmias are continuously increasing. However, the precise mechanisms of underlying arrhythmogenesis and the optimal measures for effective treatment remain incompletely understood. The inducible form of heme oxygenase, known as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), is recognized as a potent antioxidant molecule capable of exerting anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects. Recent research indicates that HO-1 plays a role in preventing arrhythmias by mitigating cardiac remodeling, including electrical remodeling, ion remodeling, and structural remodeling. This review aimed to consolidate current knowledge regarding the involvement of HO-1 in arrhythmias and elucidate its underlying mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Drunken horse grass (DHG, Achnatherum inebrians) is a perennial grass widely distributed in the grasslands of northwestern China, forming a symbiosis with the Epichloë endophyte, and has a strong growth advantage in the community. However, the mechanism of its competitive success remains unclear.Epichloë gansuensis-infected (EI) and endophyte-free (EF) DHG were employed in greenhouse experiments. EI plants served as competitive species, while EF plants were the target species. Aggressivity was employed to quantify the competitiveness. The effects of endophyte, plant density, and three different nitrogen levels in the pot on the competitiveness of plants were investigated.This study indicates that under 0.1 mM and 1 mM nitrogen stress, E. gansuensis enhances its competitiveness by improving the growth performance, light utilization capacity, and nitrogen absorption efficiency of the host plant, with a relative increase of 15.0% and 5.2%, 72.0% and 23.0%, 21.5% and 17.2%. Notably, the gain effect of E. gansuensis on the competitiveness of DHG gradually weakened with the decrease in the number of EI plants.The E. gansuensis enhances DHG competitiveness under nitrogen limitation but diminishes as soil nitrogen content increases. These results provide insights into the competitive solid advantage of EI DHG and the high infection rate of DHG in natural grasslands with harsh habitats.Methods: Drunken horse grass (DHG, Achnatherum inebrians) is a perennial grass widely distributed in the grasslands of northwestern China, forming a symbiosis with the Epichloë endophyte, and has a strong growth advantage in the community. However, the mechanism of its competitive success remains unclear.Epichloë gansuensis-infected (EI) and endophyte-free (EF) DHG were employed in greenhouse experiments. EI plants served as competitive species, while EF plants were the target species. Aggressivity was employed to quantify the competitiveness. The effects of endophyte, plant density, and three different nitrogen levels in the pot on the competitiveness of plants were investigated.This study indicates that under 0.1 mM and 1 mM nitrogen stress, E. gansuensis enhances its competitiveness by improving the growth performance, light utilization capacity, and nitrogen absorption efficiency of the host plant, with a relative increase of 15.0% and 5.2%, 72.0% and 23.0%, 21.5% and 17.2%. Notably, the gain effect of E. gansuensis on the competitiveness of DHG gradually weakened with the decrease in the number of EI plants.The E. gansuensis enhances DHG competitiveness under nitrogen limitation but diminishes as soil nitrogen content increases. These results provide insights into the competitive solid advantage of EI DHG and the high infection rate of DHG in natural grasslands with harsh habitats.Results: Drunken horse grass (DHG, Achnatherum inebrians) is a perennial grass widely distributed in the grasslands of northwestern China, forming a symbiosis with the Epichloë endophyte, and has a strong growth advantage in the community. However, the mechanism of its competitive success remains unclear.Epichloë gansuensis-infected (EI) and endophyte-free (EF) DHG were employed in greenhouse experiments. EI plants served as competitive species, while EF plants were the target species. Aggressivity was employed to quantify the competitiveness. The effects of endophyte, plant density, and three different nitrogen levels in the pot on the competitiveness of plants were investigated.This study indicates that under 0.1 mM and 1 mM nitrogen stress, E. gansuensis enhances its competitiveness by improving the growth performance, light utilization capacity, and nitrogen absorption efficiency of the host plant, with a relative increase of 15.0% and 5.2%, 72.0% and 23.0%, 21.5% and 17.2%. Notably, the gain effect of E. gansuensis on the competitiveness of DHG gradually weakened with the decrease in the number of EI plants.The E. gansuensis enhances DHG competitiveness under nitrogen limitation but diminishes as soil nitrogen content increases. These results provide insights into the competitive solid advantage of EI DHG and the high infection rate of DHG in natural grasslands with harsh habitats.Conclusion: Drunken horse grass (DHG, Achnatherum inebrians) is a perennial grass widely distributed in the grasslands of northwestern China, forming a symbiosis with the Epichloë endophyte, and has a strong growth advantage in the community. However, the mechanism of its competitive success remains unclear.Epichloë gansuensis-infected (EI) and endophyte-free (EF) DHG were employed in greenhouse experiments. EI plants served as competitive species, while EF plants were the target species. Aggressivity was employed to quantify the competitiveness. The effects of endophyte, plant density, and three different nitrogen levels in the pot on the competitiveness of plants were investigated.This study indicates that under 0.1 mM and 1 mM nitrogen stress, E. gansuensis enhances its competitiveness by improving the growth performance, light utilization capacity, and nitrogen absorption efficiency of the host plant, with a relative increase of 15.0% and 5.2%, 72.0% and 23.0%, 21.5% and 17.2%. Notably, the gain effect of E. gansuensis on the competitiveness of DHG gradually weakened with the decrease in the number of EI plants.The E. gansuensis enhances DHG competitiveness under nitrogen limitation but diminishes as soil nitrogen content increases. These results provide insights into the competitive solid advantage of EI DHG and the high infection rate of DHG in natural grasslands with harsh habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability in trauma patients. However, the effects and mechanism of autophagy after TBI remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether tetrandrine could ameliorate TBI through autophagy to reduce ferroptosis. A mice model for TBI was implemented. Behavioral and histomorphological experiments were performed to evaluate outcomes of the mice. The ferroptosis levels was detected by Perls staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to detect malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) levels in the brain tissue. Western blot test was performed to detect Beclin 1, light chain 3 (LC3) II/I, p62, GPX4, SCL7A11, and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) levels, and the expression of LC3B, Beclin 1, GPX4, and FTH1 in the brain tissue was detected by immunofluorescence (IF). The behavioral and histomorphological results demonstrated that tetrandrine improved the neurological function and cerebral edema on days 1, 3, and 7 after TBI. The ELISA results suggested that tetrandrine reduced the MDA concentration and increased GSH concentration on days 1, 3, and 7 after TBI. IF staining and Perls staining reflected that tetrandrine promoted autophagy and inhibited ferroptosis on days 1, 3, and 7 after TBI, respectively. Tetrandrine further improved the neurological function, cerebral edema, autophagy, and ferroptosis on days 1, 3, and 7 after TBI after adding the autophagy inducer rapamycin. The effect of TET in alleviating TBI increased with the increase of time and dose. Tetrandrine ameliorated TBI by regulating autophagy to reduce ferroptosis, providing a new therapeutic strategy for TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The micro-hole array machined by micro-electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) has been widely used in aerospace, electronic communication, and other industrial fields. However, due to the unavoidable electrode wear and the unstable discharge state during the electrode breakthrough, the electrode breakthrough detection is usually inaccurate, and the servo tracking performance is also poor, which has adverse effect on the machining efficiency and quality of micro-hole array. In the present study, a three-dimensional flow field model was established, and the gap flow field before and after electrode breakthrough based on the model was analyzed. Simulation results showed that the flow field pattern of dielectric was changed and the flow velocities in bottom gap increased in general after electrode broke through the workpiece, which enabled to analyze the influence of the variation in flushing mechanism of debris on the discharge state in breakthrough stage to some extent. A scheme was proposed for online detecting the breakthrough by monitoring the variations of the gap voltage and the electrode displacement, and the verification experiment was carried out. The proposed scheme has been shown to guarantee the electrode breakthrough, while in the same time controlling the distance of electrode feeding past the micro-hole outlet not exceeding 25 μm. In addition, a segmented servo strategy was proposed to ensure the machining performance of micro-hole array, and it was experimentally tested. This strategy could reduce the average machining time of micro-hole array by about 36% and ensure the machining quality of micro-hole outlet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: The unique 0D-2D ZnS nanodots/Ti3C2Tx MXene hybrids with strong interfacial interaction enable to achieve stable cyclability and excellent rate performance for lithium storage. The lithium storage mechanism of ZnS is clarified and new insights into phase transition mechanism are proposed. The strong interfacial interaction between ZnS nanodots and MXene nanosheets at the ZnS-MXene heterointerface exhibits high lithium adsorption capability, enhanced interfacial electron transfer, and low lithium diffusion energy barrier.ZnS has great potentials as an anode for lithium storage because of its high theoretical capacity and resource abundance; however, the large volume expansion accompanied with structural collapse and low conductivity of ZnS cause severe capacity fading and inferior rate capability during lithium storage. Herein, 0D-2D ZnS nanodots/Ti3C2Tx MXene hybrids are prepared by anchoring ZnS nanodots on Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets through coordination modulation between MXene and MOF precursor (ZIF-8) followed with sulfidation. The MXene substrate coupled with the ZnS nanodots can synergistically accommodate volume variation of ZnS over charge–discharge to realize stable cyclability. As revealed by XPS characterizations and DFT calculations, the strong interfacial interaction between ZnS nanodots and MXene nanosheets can boost fast electron/lithium-ion transfer to achieve excellent electrochemical activity and kinetics for lithium storage. Thereby, the as-prepared ZnS nanodots/MXene hybrid exhibits a high capacity of 726.8 mAh g−1 at 30 mA g−1, superior cyclic stability (462.8 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles at 0.5 A g−1), and excellent rate performance. The present results provide new insights into the understanding of the lithium storage mechanism of ZnS and the revealing of the effects of interfacial interaction on lithium storage performance enhancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For various reasons, such as new requirements, architecture refactoring, and bug fixing, software projects often evolve to yield better quality and performance. All changes produced during the development process are reflected in the source code, which provides an opportunity to explore software evolution. In this paper, we propose a visual analytics system to support evolution analysis based on topic modeling. We focus on three aspects: (1) when significant changes to source code occur, (2) how software features evolve, and (3) why software evolution occurs. Each source file is regarded as a document and represented by its topic vector. The files of each two successive versions are classified into four types to quantify version differences, and the number of topic-associated files is denoted as the topic assignment to characterize feature evolution. Finally, we inspect the causes of software evolution through the visual comparison between versions. Two case studies on JavaScript libraries demonstrate the usefulness and effectiveness of our system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large software system contains millions of lines of source code, and the development often involves many developers over a long period. How to understand and analyze its complex code dependencies is challenging but meaningful to developers for program comprehension. In this paper, we propose a novel visual analytics system to explore code dependencies between files for visually understanding software architecture and interactively analyzing bad dependencies. The dependencies between files are abstracted as a directed graph (i.e., the dependency graph) at different levels via the file hierarchy to show the modularization design of source code. Node embeddings of the dependency graph are learned to identify the files with specific dependencies and analyze the similarity between bad dependencies. Finally, we evaluate the usability of our system by two case studies in different JavaScript libraries as well as a user study on software architecture understanding and bad dependency analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the solute transport in heterogeneous media described by the time-fractional mobile/immobile advection diffusion model, where the integer and the fractional time derivatives are employed to characterize the movement of the particles in the mobile and immobile zone, respectively. We propose a fully discrete characteristic finite element scheme for the model, in which the modified method of characteristics is applied to handle the domination of advection. The optimal L2 error estimate is derived with first-order accuracy in time and second-order accuracy in space. Several practical numerical experiments are presented to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface properties of CeAlO3 (110)/NbC (111) were calculated by the first-principles and the refinement of CeAlO3 on NbC in hypereutectic Fe–Cr–C–Nb hardfacing alloy was demonstrated by experiments. The calculation results show that the mismatch of CeAlO3 (110)/NbC (111) is 7.2%, which indicates that the interface between CeAlO3 (110) and NbC (111) is a semi-coherent interface. Then, 11 layer CeAlO-terminated CeAlO3 (110) surface was selected to build interface with NbC (111) surface, whose surface energy is 0.380 eV/Å2. Because of the instability of O-terminated CeAlO3 (110) surface, its surface energy cannot achieve convergence. 6 kinds of interfaces between CeAlO3 (110)/NbC (111) were constructed, in which, interface-3 is the most stable with strong ionic and covalent bonds. Theoretically, CeAlO3 can act as the heterogeneous nucleation site for NbC. The experimental results show that the (Cr, Fe)7C3, NbC and γ-Fe phases exist in hypereutectic Fe–Cr–C–Nb–CeAlO3 hardfacing alloys. When CeAlO3 was added into the alloy, NbC can be refined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Escherichia coli are two major foodborne pathogens. In this paper, the antibiofilm activities of the ethanol extract of cinnamon against these two bacteria were studied in detail. The antibacterial activity and the MIC of the extract were determined, and the inhibition and removing effects of the extract on the biofilms of V. parahaemolyticus and E. coli were investigated. The biofilms stained with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and concanavalin A (Con A) were also observed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The results indicated that the extract exhibited high antibacterial activity, with the MIC against V. parahaemolyticus and E. coli was 6.25 mg/mL. The effects on V. parahaemolyticus biofilm were significant with the inhibition rate of 75.46% at MIC, and the eradication rate of 93.26% at 32MIC, respectively. As to E. coli, the inhibition rate was 48.18% at MIC, and the eradication rate was 46.16% at 8MIC. Meanwhile, the extract could notably reduce the metabolic activities and the secretion of EPS in biofilm, it inhibited 78.57% EPS formation in V. parahaemolyticus biofilm at MIC, and eliminated 61.28% EPS in mature biofilm at 4MIC. CLSM images showed that the EPS of the treated biofilm became thinner and biofilm structure was looser, when compared with the untreated control. This study elucidated that the cinnamon extract was effective to prevent biofilm formation and eradicate mature biofilms of V. parahaemolyticus and E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iris is a perennial flowering plant, usually cultivated through seeds or bulbs. However, due to the limitations of traditional reproduction, the establishment of a callus regeneration system is particularly important, and callus induction and plant regeneration are the keys to transgenic technology. The callus regeneration system was studied using the I. sanguinea flower stem as explants. The experiment investigated the impact of different disinfectant solution concentrations, disinfection exposure times, and hormone concentrations on the explant growth status at various culture stages. The research analyzed the impact of the experimental variables on explant regeneration to determine the optimum callus regeneration system for I. sanguinea. In this research, it was determined that when I. sanguinea flower stems, that were used for explants, were treated with 75% alcohol for 30 s and 2% NaClO for 8 min for disinfection, there was a 54.48% callus induction rate. The callus induction medium was Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) + 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA) 1.0 mg/L + 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA) 0.2 mg/L + 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) 2.0 mg/L for 40 d. The optimum medium for callus multiplication was MS + 6-BA 0.5 mg/L + 2,4-D 0.5 mg/L, while the optimum medium for callus adventitious bud induction was MS + 6-BA 1.0 mg/L + NAA 0.2 mg/L + kinetin (KT) 0.5 mg/L, 60 d. The adventitious bud differentiation rate from flower stem calli was 46.03%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show the use of visualization and topological relaxation methods to analyze and understand the underlying structure of mathematical surfaces embedded in 4D. When projected from 4D to 3D space, mathematical surfaces often twist, turn, and fold back on themselves, leaving their underlying structures behind their 3D figures. Our approach combines computer graphics, relaxation algorithm, and simulation to facilitate the modeling and depiction of 4D surfaces, and their deformation toward the simplified representations. For our principal test case of surfaces in 4D, this for the first time permits us to visualize a set of well-known topological phenomena beyond 3D that otherwise could only exist in the mathematician's mind. Understanding a fairly long mathematical deformation sequence can be aided by visual analysis and comparison over the identified "key moments" where only critical changes occur in the sequence. Our interface is designed to summarize the deformation sequence with a significantly reduced number of visual frames. All these combine to allow a much cleaner exploratory interface for us to analyze and study mathematical surfaces and their deformation in topological space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial interpolation is a main research method in 3D geological modeling, which has important impacts on 3D geological structure model accuracy. The inverse distance weighting (IDW) method is one of the most commonly used deterministic models, and its calculation accuracy is affected by two parameters: search radius and inverse-distance weight power value. Nevertheless, these two parameters are usually set by humans without scientific basis. To this end, we introduced the concept of "correlation distance" to analyze the correlations between geological borehole elevation values, and calculate the correlation distances for each stratum elevation. The correlation coefficient was defined as the ratio of correlation distance to the sampling interval, which determined the estimation point interpolation neighborhood. We analyzed the distance-decay relationship in the interpolation neighborhood to correct the weight power value. Sampling points were selected to validate the calculations. We concluded that each estimation point should be given a different weight power value according to the distribution of sampling points in the interpolated neighborhood. When the spatial variability was large, the improved IDW method performed better than the general IDW and ordinary kriging methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) geological modeling includes structure modeling and property modeling. Presently, numerous studies on 3D geological structure modeling theory and methodology exist; however, emphasis on 3D geological property modeling is lacking. Generalized triangular prism (GTP) models are a kind of spatial data model designed for building 3D geological structure models. In this study, we describe the characteristics of GTP models and its resolution form, summarize the relationship between interpolation times and control nodes, and define GTP volume coordinates. Coordinates are combined with the B-net method to design a B-spline interpolation method for GTP elements to express the spatial heterogeneity of geological properties. An example is given in which standard penetration test (SPT) N63.5 values for an area are modeled. Correlation distance is described and calculated for multiple stratigraphic layers. Based on the 3D geological structure model, the heterogeneity of the N63.5 value in each geological unit is simulated. The calculation method accounts for geotechnical parameters inherent to autocorrelation, adjusts the property values according to correlation distance, and solves problems caused by a spatial change in geotechnical parameters. Results of this study provide a new method for 3D geological property modeling, which can be also used to express other geological parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulforhodamine B (SRB) is widely utilized for cell staining and laser field. But its application is limited by aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ). In this work, we evaluated the use of UiO-66 and UiO-67 of Zr-based metal organic frameworks (Zr-MOFs) as the host to adsorb SRB molecules due to the high stabily and good loading capacity of Zr-MOFs. The fluorescence properties of the compounds were then discussed respectively. Due to the aperture difference between UiO-66 and UiO-67, they showed distinct fluorescence properties after loading SRB. When the concentration reaches 5 ppm, fluorescence quenching begins to occur in SRB@UiO-66, while it occurs in SRB@UiO-67 at 2 ppm. The solution of quenching phenomenon could open new avenues for the extensive use of SRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsupervised random-walk keyphrase extraction models mainly rely on global structural information of the word graph, with nodes representing candidate words and edges capturing the co-occurrence information between candidate words. However, using word embedding method to integrate multiple kinds of useful information into the random-walk model to help better extract keyphrases is relatively unexplored. In this paper, we propose a random-walk-based ranking method to extract keyphrases from text documents using word embeddings. Specifically, we first design a heterogeneous text graph embedding model to integrate local context information of the word graph (i.e., the local word collocation patterns) with some crucial features of candidate words and edges of the word graph. Then, a novel random-walk-based ranking model is designed to score candidate words by leveraging such learned word embeddings. Finally, a new and generic similarity-based phrase scoring model using word embeddings is proposed to score phrases for selecting top-scoring phrases as keyphrases. Experimental results show that the proposed method consistently outperforms eight state-of-the-art unsupervised methods on three real datasets for keyphrase extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical significance of periconceptional folic acid supplementation (FAS) in the prevention of neonatal neural tube defects (NTDs) has been recognized for decades. Epidemiological data and experimental findings have consistently been indicating an association between folate deficiency in the first trimester of pregnancy and poor fetal development as well as offspring health (i.e., NTDs, isolated orofacial clefts, neurodevelopmental disorders). Moreover, compelling evidence has suggested adverse effects of folate overload during perinatal period on offspring health (i.e., immune diseases, autism, lipid disorders). In addition to several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes related to folate one-carbon metabolism (FOCM), folate concentrations in maternal serum/plasma/red blood cells must be considered when counseling FAS. Epigenetic information encoded by 5-methylcytosines (5mC) plays a critical role in fetal development and offspring health. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), a methyl donor for 5mC, could be derived from FOCM. As such, folic acid plays a double-edged sword role in offspring health via mediating DNA methylation. However, the underlying epigenetic mechanism is still largely unclear. In this review, we summarized the link across DNA methylation, maternal FAS, and offspring health to provide more evidence for clinical guidance in terms of precise FAS dosage and time point. Future studies are, therefore, required to set up the reference intervals of folate concentrations at different trimesters of pregnancy for different populations and to clarify the epigenetic mechanism for specific offspring diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we focus on designing and implementing SmartMeeting, an intelligent system for generating meeting minutes from meeting audio data. SmartMeeting mainly consists of four parts: the first part is the meeting speech detection, which is used to automatically extract multiple speech segments of each speaker and then sort them by time, and mark the corresponding speakers separately in different time periods; The second part is the meeting voice text transcription, the voice segment cut in the previous step is transcribed into a complete meeting text; The third part is the extraction of the meeting minutes, extracting meaningful key phrases and abstract sentences from the complete meeting text; The fourth part is the next work plan extraction, through the emotion recognition algorithm to filter out the negative emotion summary from the multiple meeting minutes, so as to show the next work plan of the meeting. By comparing and evaluating different baseline algorithms on real-world audio meeting datasets, experiments have proven that SmartMeeting can accurately summarize meetings and analyze agreed actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vibrio alginolyticus is an important fish pathogen causing pandemic diseases in marine animals. Small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) are important posttranscriptional modulators of gene expression and involved in the pathogenesis of bacterial pathogens. Thus far, no cell density-dependent sRNA has been reported in V. alginolyticus. In this study, a cell density-dependent sRNA, Qrr, predicted based on the previous RNA-Seq analysis of V. alginolyticus cultured at low cell density (LCD) and high cell density (HCD), was characterized. The Qrr mutant showed significantly impaired growth and decreased swimming and swarming ability, and increased biofilm formation, extracellular polysaccharide content, serine protease production, and LD50 values during zebrafish infection in contrast to the wild-type strain. Qrr modulates the master regulators LuxR and AphA in quorum sensing (QS) pathways possibly at the posttranscriptional level by base pairing with the 5′-untranslated regions (5′-UTRs). Meanwhile, both LuxR and AphA could directly bind to the promoter of qrr to activate or repress its transcription, respectively. Moreover, our unbiased metabolic approaches revealed that Qrr modulates a large quantity of metabolic and lipidomic pathways, including amino acids, purine and pyrimidine derivatives, tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) intermediates, and lipids. Collectively, this work contributes to a systematic understanding of regulatory roles of the cell density-dependent sRNA, Qrr, in V. alginolyticus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binary blend materials containing the modified recycled rubber powder with maleic a hydride modified polypropylene thermoplastic elastomer were prepared by dynamic vulcanization and blended with a variety of additives such as activated agent, accelerator, solubilizer, and the crosslinking agent. The thermal properties and mechanical properties including tensile strengths and impact strengths of pristine rubber, polypropylene and their corresponding binary blends were investigated. Besides, the effects of the amount of rubber powder, polypropylene, crosslinking agent, accelerator, activator, and solvent were studied and the microstructures of the pristine rubber, pristine polypropylene, and their corresponding binary blends were observed by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the compatibilizer could effectively disperse the size of 120 mesh of recycled rubber powder into the polypropylene in the same manner and the homogeneous tear section of the rubber/polypropylene thermoplastic elastomer was obtained. The results on the effects of additives on mechanical and morphological properties of recycled rubber/polypropylene binary blends guide the rational design of novel polymeric composites from recycled polymeric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial and biofilm infections pose great challenges to clinical treatments. This study reports the application of long-wavelength-emitting silicon quantum dots (SiQDs) as antibacterial and antibiofilm agents, and for multi-colored bacterial imaging. Several SiQDs–protein complexes were prepared and screened to obtain high-efficient antibacterial nanocomplex, and SiQDs–polylysin (SiQDs–PLL) exhibited the best antibacterial behavior with minimum inhibitory concentration values against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 10 and 15.62 μg mL−1, respectively, superior to the ability of pure SiQDs. Compared to Cu2+ and Mn2+, Zn2+ combined with SiQDs–PLL also showed enhanced antibacterial activity because of the synergistic effect. Furthermore, compared to SiQDs, SiQDs–PLL showed an excellent inhibitory effect against the S. aureus biofilm, by completely inhibiting its growth and achieving 62.13% biofilm removal rate at the concentrations of 60 and 200 μg mL−1, respectively. The antibacterial mechanisms of SiQDs and SiQDs–PLL were explored: SiQDs and SiQDs–PLL exerted antibacterial effects by destroying the bacterial cell membrane and promoting the leakage of cell content (DNA and RNA), thus exhibiting the potential as ideal candidates as antimicrobial agents in clinical settings. SiQDs and SiQDs–PLL also exhibit potential in bacterial imaging due to their excellent optical properties and low cytotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipogenesis is a complicated process involving global transcriptional reprogramming of lipogenic pathways. It is commonly believed that nitrogen starvation triggers a metabolic shift that reroutes carbon flux from Krebs cycles to lipogenesis. In this study, we systematically surveyed and dynamically profiled the transcriptional activity of 22 lipogenic promoters aiming to delineate a picture how nitrogen starvation regulates lipogenesis in Y. lipolytica. These lipogenic promoters drive the expression of critical pathways that are responsible for the generation of reducing equivalents (NADPH), carbon backbones (acetyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, DHAP, etc.), synthesis and degradation of fatty acids. Specifically, our investigated promoters span across an array of metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, Krebs cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, mannitol cycle, glutamine–GABA cycle, fatty acid and lipid synthesis, glyoxylate, β-oxidation, and POM (pyruvate–oxaloacetate–malate) cycle. Our work provides evidences that mannitol cycle, glutamine–GABA cycle and amino acid degradation, pyruvate oxidation, and acetate assimilation pathways are lipogenesis-related steps involved in generating cytosolic NADPH and acetyl-CoA precursors. This systematic investigation and dynamic profiling of lipogenic promoters may help us better understand lipogenesis, facilitate the formulation of structure-based kinetic models, as well as develop efficient cell factories for fuels and chemical production in oleaginous species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes significant animal morbidity and mortality and economic losses worldwide. In this study, we analyzed the microbiota in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL), mucosa, and feces in cecum of the PRRSV-challenged pigs using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform, to investigate the role of microbiota in the pathogenesis and development of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). Quantitative insights into microbial ecology analyses indicated that the dominant bacterial groups in the lung from the PRRSV-challenged pigs were Haemophilus parasuis and Mycoplasma hyorhinis, with a relative abundance of 35-48% and 27-41%, respectively. Our results were consistent with the clinical observation that the PRRSV-infected pigs are always co-infected with other bacteria, such as Haemophilus and Mycoplasma. On the other hand, Campylobacter and Clostridium became the two most abundant bacteria in the mucosal and luminal microbiota of the cecum of the PRRSV-challenged pigs, and the relative abundance was four times higher than that in the healthy pigs. This suggested that Campylobacter and Clostridium might be associated with the pathogenesis of diarrhea in PRRS. Linear discriminant analysis effect size reveals significant microbial dysbiosis of BAL, mucosa, and feces in cecum of the PRRSV-challenged pigs. We have identified a structural imbalance of the microbiota, characterized by a reduced diversity of microbiota and abundance alterations of certain bacteria in the PRRSV-challenged pigs. The observed microbiota dysbiosis in this study provides insight into the roles of the microbiota in the complications of the PRRSV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by hyperplastic synovium, pannus formation, immune cell infiltration, and potential articular cartilage damage. Notably, fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS), especially rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RAFLS), exhibit specific overexpression of glycolytic enzymes, resulting in heightened glycolysis. This elevated glycolysis serves to generate ATP and plays a pivotal role in immune regulation, angiogenesis, and adaptation to hypoxia. Key glycolytic enzymes, such as hexokinase 2 (HK2), phosphofructose-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), significantly contribute to the pathogenic behavior of RAFLS. This increased glycolysis activity is regulated by various signaling pathways. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to retrieve relevant studies published from January 1, 2010, to the present, focusing on RAFLS glycolysis, RA pathogenesis, glycolytic regulation pathways, and small-molecule drugs targeting glycolysis. Conclusion: This review provides a thorough exploration of the pathological and physiological characteristics of three crucial glycolytic enzymes in RA. It delves into their putative regulatory mechanisms, shedding light on their significance in RAFLS. Furthermore, the review offers an up-to-date overview of emerging small-molecule candidate drugs designed to target these glycolytic enzymes and the upstream signaling pathways that regulate them. By enhancing our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of RA and highlighting the pivotal role of glycolytic enzymes, this study contributes to the development of innovative anti-rheumatic therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To build T2WI-based multiregional radiomics for predicting tumor deposit (TD) and prognosis in patients with resectable rectal cancer. Materials and methods: A total of 208 patients with pathologically confirmed rectal cancer from two hospitals were prospectively enrolled. Intra- and peritumoral features were extracted separately from T2WI images and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator was used to screen the most valuable radiomics features. Clinical-radiomics nomogram was developed by radiomics signatures and the most predictive clinical parameters. Prognostic model for 3-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was constructed using univariate and multivariate Cox analysis. Results: For TD, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for intratumoral radiomics model was 0.956, 0.823, and 0.860 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. AUC for the peritumoral radiomics model was 0.929, 0.906, and 0.773 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model was 0.976, 0.918, and 0.874 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The AUC for clinical-radiomics nomogram was 0.989, 0.777, and 0.870 in the training cohort, test cohort, and external validation cohort, respectively. The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radiomics signature score (radscore)–based TD and MRI-reported lymph nodes metastasis (LNM) indicated good performance for predicting 3-year RFS, with AUC of 0.824, 0.865, and 0.738 in the training cohort, test cohort and external validation cohort, respectively. Conclusion: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model showed good performance for predicting TD. Combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM indicated the recurrence risk. Clinical relevance statement: Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model could help accurately predict tumor deposits. Combining this predictive model-based tumor deposits with MRI-reported lymph node metastasis was associated with relapse risk of rectal cancer after surgery. Key Points: • Combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model provided better diagnostic performance than that of intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics model alone for predicting TD in rectal cancer. • The predictive performance of the clinical-radiomics nomogram was not improved compared with the combined intra- and peritumoral radiomics model for predicting TD. • The prognostic model constructed by combining intra- and peritumoral radscore-based TD and MRI-reported LNM showed good performance for assessing 3-year RFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: CuZnO catalysts were prepared by different methods, characterized by applying a combination of techniques, and the effect of preparation method on the structure and the catalytic performance for syngas hydrogenation at low temperature in liquid phase was investigated. The results showed that due to the difference of the interaction between Cu and Zn, the preparation method greatly affected the crystallinity of CuZnO. The crystallinity of CuZnO had a direct relation with the CO adsorption property. The total CO adsorption amount determined the catalytic activity, the weak adsorption of CO accounted for the methanol synthesis, while the strong adsorption of CO accounted for the ethanol synthesis. CuZnO prepared by the homogeneous precipitation with the lowest crystallinity exhibited the highest total carbon conversion of 68.6% with the methanol selectivity of 84.9%, while CuZnO prepared by the sol gel with the highest crystallinity exhibited the highest ethanol selectivity of 47.6%.Graphical Abstract: The preparation method of CuZnO had a significant effect on the CO adsorption property and then resulted in a substantial modification in the product distribution for the syngas hydrogenation at low temperature in liquid phase. The catalytic activity was determined by the total amount of CO adsorption, the weak CO adsorption accounted for the methanol synthesis and the strong CO adsorption accounted for the ethanol synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Riemann-Hilbert problem for the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation is formulated on the basis of the corresponding 3×3 matrix spectral problem. Using the nonlinear steepest descent method, we obtain leading-order asymptotics for the Cauchy problem of the coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polypropylene/glass fiber (PP/GF) composites with excellent antistatic performance and improved mechanical properties have been reported by incorporation of a very small amount of the organic salt, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Li-TFSI), into the PP/GF composites. It was considered that GF could play the role as the pathways for the movements of ions in the ternary composites. In this work, the interactions between Li-TFSI and glass fiber and the effects of such interactions on the physical properties of the composites have been systematically investigated. Three types of glass fibers with different -OH group concentrations have been prepared in order to compare the interactions between GF and Li-TFSI. It was found that the -OH group concentrations on the surface of glass fiber have significant effects on interactions between glass fibers and Li-TFSI. Such interactions are crucial for both the antistatic and mechanical performances of the final PP/GF/Li-TFSI composites. The investigation indicated that the GF with high -OH group concentrations confined the movement of TFSI−, which decreased the antistatic properties of PP/GF/Li-TFSI composites. On the other hand, the GF with low -OH group concentrations inhibited the absorption of Li-TFSI onto the GF, which also hindered the formation of Li-TFSI conductive pathway. The best antistatic performance of the ternary composites can be achieved at the intermediate -OH concentrations on the GF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the approximation errors of interpolation methods in non-uniform rational b-spline (NURBS) interpolation, feed fluctuation is inevitable, which has great effects on the machining quality and should be minimized. Based on the idea of zero feed fluctuation, a polynomial equation-based interpolation method of NURBS tool path is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a polynomial equation with respect to the curve parameter increment is formulized according to the sampling step size, which is determined by the scheduled feedrate, acceleration, and jerk. Then, Newton's method is utilized to solve the high-degree polynomial equation with taking both convergence rate and computational load. In order to improve the computing efficiency in real-time interpolation, a fast-evaluation and derivation algorithm is proposed, which uses the Taylor series expansion to accelerate the calculation of any order derivatives of NURBS. Simulations are conducted among the proposed method and the chord-tracking algorithm (CTA) method, and the results of each method are compared on the basis of computing time and feed fluctuation, which shows that the proposed method is better than the CTA method. Experiment is also conducted to verify the feasibility and applicability of the proposed method in practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]