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Modern electronic structure theory is built around the Born–Oppenheimer approximation and the construction of an electronic Hamiltonian H ̂ e l (X) that depends on the nuclear position X (and not the nuclear momentum P). In this article, using the well-known theory of electron translation (Γ′) and rotational (Γ″) factors to couple electronic transitions to nuclear motion, we construct a practical phase-space electronic Hamiltonian that depends on both nuclear position and momentum, H ̂ P S (X , P). While classical Born–Oppenheimer dynamics that run along the eigensurfaces of the operator H ̂ e l (X) can recover many nuclear properties correctly, we present some evidence that motion along the eigensurfaces of H ̂ P S (X , P) can better capture both nuclear and electronic properties (including the elusive electronic momentum studied by Nafie). Moreover, only the latter (as opposed to the former) conserves the total linear and angular momentum in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that standard Ehrenfest dynamics does not conserve linear and angular momentum when using a basis of truncated adiabatic states. However, we also show that previously proposed effective Ehrenfest equations of motion [M. Amano and K. Takatsuka, "Quantum fluctuation of electronic wave-packet dynamics coupled with classical nuclear motions," J. Chem. Phys. 122, 084113 (2005) and V. Krishna, "Path integral formulation for quantum nonadiabatic dynamics and the mixed quantum classical limit," J. Chem. Phys. 126, 134107 (2007)] involving the non-Abelian Berry force do maintain momentum conservation. As a numerical example, we investigate the Kramers doublet of the methoxy radical using generalized Hartree–Fock with spin–orbit coupling and confirm that angular momentum is conserved with the proper equations of motion. Our work makes clear some of the limitations of the Born–Oppenheimer approximation when using ab initio electronic structure theory to treat systems with unpaired electronic spin degrees of freedom, and we demonstrate that Ehrenfest dynamics can offer much improved, qualitatively correct results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alumni can offer authentic perceptions of how university education is relevant to career requirements with direct educational experiences and frontline work experiences. This study captures the experiences of alumni in the engineering field to illuminate the multi-faceted distinctions between the higher education and employment systems. Based on semi-structured interviews and artefact collection, the findings reveal that the university system focuses more on fragmented and theoretical knowledge in course goals, using classical textbooks as the main means of instruction, while the workplace system emphasises the whole picture and application competence, using cutting-edge instruments and project-based approaches to enhance employees' abilities. Students at universities are less incentivised to work hard and collaborate with each other than employees at companies due to different incentive rules and different community milieu. The workplace system also has a better division of labour than universities in cultivating talents. Practical implications are discussed regarding aspects of higher education reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Octamer-binding transcription factor 4-positive circulating tumor cell (OCT4+CTC) exhibits high stemness and invasive potential, which may influence the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). This study aimed to assess the prognostic role of OCT4+CTC in advanced cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) patients who received ICI treatment. Methods: In total, 40 advanced CCA patients who received ICI treatment were included, and CTC and OCT4 counts were detected via a Canpatrol system and an RNA in situ hybridization method before ICI treatment. Patients were subsequently divided into none CTC, OCT4−CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups. Patients were followed up for a median of 10.4 months. Results: The percentages of patients in none CTC, OCT4−CTC, and OCT4+CTC groups were 25.0%, 30.0%, and 45.0%, respectively. The proportion of patients with lymph node metastasis was highest in OCT4+CTC group, followed by none CTC group, and lowest in OCT4−CTC group (P = 0.025). The objective response rate (ORR) was lowest in OCT4+CTC group, moderate in OCT4−CTC group, and highest in none CTC group (P = 0.009), while disease control rate was not different among three groups (P = 0.293). In addition, progression-free survival (PFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001) were shorter in the OCT4+CTC group than in none CTC & OCT4−CTC group. Moreover, OCT4+CTC (versus none CTC) was independently linked with poorer PFS [hazard ratio (HR) = 6.752, P = 0.001] and OS (HR = 6.674, P = 0.003) in advanced CCA patients. Conclusion: OCT4+CTC relates to lymph node metastasis and shows a good predictive value for poor treatment response and survival in advanced CCA patients who receive ICI treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic experimental study has been conducted on the simulated intercritical coarse‐grained heat affected zone of 690 MPa grade heavy‐plate medium Mn steel by tailoring heat input of the first welding pass to obtain the influence of initial microstructure on the austenite reversion mechanism, recrystallization, and resultant impact toughness. Results reveal that prior austenite grain size significantly increases from 30 ± 11, 41 ± 14 to 54 ± 15 μm with the increasing heat input from 15, 30 to 50 kJ cm−1, which affect the nucleation site of reversed austenite, recrystallization mechanism, and final microstructure. Accordingly, impact toughness is better at the heat input of 30 kJ cm−1 (75.2 ± 0.8 J) in comparison with that of 15 kJ cm−1 (63.3 ± 13.3 J) and 50 kJ cm−1 (26.7 ± 6.5 J) at −40 °C, which is mainly ascribed to the formation of lamellar heterogeneous structures, multiplication of slip system and morphology of high‐angle grain boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an efficient version of ensemble Hartree–Fock/density functional theory to calculate a set of two charge-transfer states for systems with odd-numbers of electrons. The approach does require definitions of donor/acceptor fragments; however, the approach is not very sensitive to such definitions—even in the limit of very strong electronic coupling. The key ansatz is that, by mandating that the vector space spanned by the active orbitals projects equally onto the donor and acceptor fragments, such a constraint eliminates all intra-molecular local excitations and makes it far easier to generate potential energy surfaces that are smooth over a wide region of configuration space. The method is fast, working with only two electron configurations, and should be useful for ab initio non-adiabatic dynamics in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of fewest-switch surface hopping (FSSH) dynamics, one often wishes to remove the angular component of the derivative coupling between states J and K . In a previous set of papers, Shu et al. [J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 11, 1135–1140 (2020)] posited one approach for such a removal based on direct projection, while we isolated a second approach by constructing and differentiating a rotationally invariant basis. Unfortunately, neither approach was able to demonstrate a one-electron operator O ̂ whose matrix element J O ̂ K was the angular component of the derivative coupling. Here, we show that a one-electron operator can, in fact, be constructed efficiently in a semi-local fashion. The present results yield physical insight into designing new surface hopping algorithms and are of immediate use for FSSH calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous cooling tnsformation of deformed austenite and relationship to mechanical properties in medium-Mn steel was investigated by combining thermomechanical controlled processing and continuous cooling processes. The results indicated that the microstructure of experimental steel consists of lath martensite and a small amount of retained austenite. The stability of austenite was significantly improved by manganese, and martensite tnsformation occurred only during the slowly furnace-cooling process. The morphology of prior austenite gins changed from equiaxed recrystallization type to flat-elongated type with decreasing rolling tempeture. The martensitic tnsformation tempeture was decreased by the fgmentation of prior austenite gins and the stin hardening introduced by hot rolling, resulting in refined martensitic laths. The excellent mechanical properties were obtained in the steel rolled in the non-recrystallization region with combination of yield strength of 910 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 1288 MPa and Vickers hardness number of 386.4 HV, which were mainly attributed to the refined martensitic laths, high density dislocation in matrix and high gin boundary length per unit area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Outbreaks caused by infectious diseases are now serious public health events. At present, most hospitals have a high number of fever clinic attendances. In order to improve the efficiency of fever clinic screening, timely detection and control of infection sources, early detection, early isolation, and early treatment, our hospital explored the construction and effect of our fever clinic management model during the response period by constructing a fever clinic regular management model based on the principles of infection control. Methods. 1300 cases (September 2021 to February 2022) with or without epidemiological history were divided into the control group (without epidemiological history) and the observation group (with epidemiological history) and patients were given differentiated management. A model of permanent management of a fever clinic during the epidemic was set up and evaluated by implementing the person responsible for epidemic positions, optimizing tertiary care, and strengthening nosocomial infection protection for health care workers. Results. The results showed that patients in the observation group had a lower age of onset, a longer consultation time, and a higher proportion of patients with fever, which was different from the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the proportion of routine blood tests, the proportion of four respiratory virus tests, and the per capita cost were higher in the observation group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). There were no missed diagnoses, underreporting, cross-infections, or nosocomial infections in either group, and there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of patients' evaluation of management quality and satisfaction with management (P > 0.05). The skill level, management attitude, and standardized operation of outpatient clinic managers improved after the construction of a fever clinic standing management model based on infection control, and the recognition of patients was higher in the observation group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The construction of a fever outpatient routine management model based on the principle of infection control is conducive to the standardized implementation of the management and treatment of health care workers, early detection of the source of transmission to cut off the transmission route, avoiding cross-infection and nosocomial infection, and ensuring the safety of patients and health care workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thyroid nodule segmentation of ultrasound images is a critical step for the early diagnosis of thyroid cancers in clinics. Due to the weak edge of ultrasound images and the complexity of thyroid tissue structure, it is still challenging to accurately segment the delicate contour of thyroid nodules. A local and context-attention adaptive network (LCA-Net) for thyroid nodule segmentation is proposed to address these shortcomings, which leverages both local feature information from convolution neural networks and global context information from transformers. Firstly, since most existing thyroid nodule segmentation models are skilled at local detail features and lose some context information, we propose a transformers-based context-attention module to capture more global associative information for the network and perceive the edge information of the nodule contour. Secondly, a backbone module with 7 × 1 , 1 × 7 convolutions and the activation function Mish is designed, which enlarges the receptive field and extracts more feature details. Furthermore, a nodule adaptive convolution (NAC) module is introduced to adaptively deal with thyroid nodules of different sizes and positions, thereby improving the generalization performance of the model. Simultaneously, an optimized loss function is proposed to solve the pixels class imbalance problem in segmentation. The proposed LCA-Net, validated on the public TN-SCUI2020 and TN3K datasets, achieves Dice scores of 90.26% and 82.08% and PA scores of 98.87% and 96.97%, respectively, which outperforms other state-of-the-art thyroid nodule segmentation models. This paper demonstrates the superiority of the proposed LCA-Net for thyroid nodule segmentation, which possesses strong generalization performance and promising segmentation accuracy. Consequently, the proposed model has wide application prospects for thyroid nodule diagnosis in clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the Galerkin spectral approximation of an optimal control problem governed by a fourth-order partial differential equation (PDE), in which an L 2 -norm constraint on control variable is equipped. First, the optimality conditions for both the original control problem and its spectral approximation problem are, respectively, obtained. Then, a priori error estimates of the spectral approximation problem are established in detail. Next, a posteriori error estimates for the approximation problem are also investigated, which include not only H 2 -error estimate for the state and co-state but also L 2 -error estimate for the control, state and co-state. Finally, three numerical examples are executed to validate the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a system without spin–orbit coupling, the (i) nuclear plus electronic linear momentum and (ii) nuclear plus orbital electronic angular momentum are good quantum numbers. Thus, when a molecular system undergoes a nonadiabatic transition, there should be no change in the total linear or angular momentum. Now, the standard surface hopping algorithm ignores the electronic momentum and indirectly equates the momentum of the nuclear degrees of freedom to the total momentum. However, even with this simplification, the algorithm still does not conserve either the nuclear linear or the nuclear angular momenta. Here, we show that one way to address these failures is to dress the derivative couplings (i.e., the hopping directions) in two ways: (i) we disallow changes in the nuclear linear momentum by working in a translating basis (which is well known and leads to electron translation factors) and (ii) we disallow changes in the nuclear angular momentum by working in a basis that rotates around the center of mass [which is not well-known and leads to a novel, rotationally removable component of the derivative coupling that we will call electron rotation factors below, cf. Eq. (96)]. The present findings should be helpful in the short term as far as interpreting surface hopping calculations for singlet systems (without spin) and then developing the new surface hopping algorithm in the long term for systems where one cannot ignore the electronic orbital and/or spin angular momentum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large yellow croaker iridovirus (LYCIV) poses a growing threat to large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) aquaculture, requiring early diagnosis for effective prevention and control. However, current detection methods are time-consuming, labor-intensive, or require specialized equipment, hindering timely diagnosis. To address this concern, we developed a novel platform combining CRISPR/Cas12a and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) for rapid and sensitive LYCIV detection. Our strategy targeted the conserved ATPase gene, utilizing specific crRNA and RPA primers for selective detection. Additionally, we employed a lateral flow strip technique for intuitive visual assessment. The performance evaluation demonstrated outstanding specificity and sensitivity, with a limit of detection as low as 5 × 103 copies / reaction of iridovirus. Validation on spiked and clinical fish samples confirmed the accuracy through PCR analysis. Overall, our developed platform offers a convenient, on-site, and user-friendly tool for early diagnosis, prevention, and control of LYCIV-related diseases in large yellow croaker aquaculture. • A CRISPR/Cas12a-powered platform was developed to detect large yellow croaker iridovirus. • The specific crRNAs and RPA primers were designed to target the ATPase gene. • This platform was a convenient, on-site, and user-friendly iridovirus detection tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of nitrification inhibitors (nitrapyrin) and urease inhibitors (N-(N-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide) under conventional water resources has been considered as an effective means to improve nitrogen utilization efficiency and mitigate soil greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is not known whether the inhibitors still have an inhibitory effect under unconventional water resources (reclaimed water and livestock wastewater) irrigation and whether their use in combination with biochar improves the mitigation effect. Therefore, unconventional water resources were used for irrigation, with groundwater (GW) control. Nitrapyrin and N-(N-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide were used alone or in combination with biochar in a pot experiment, and CO 2 , N 2 O, and CH 4 emissions were measured. The results showed that irrigation of unconventional water resources exacerbated global warming potential (GWP). All exogenous substance treatments increased CO 2 and CH 4 emissions and suppressed N 2 O emissions, independent of the type of water, compared to no substances (NS). The inhibitors were ineffective in reducing the GWP whether or not in combination with biochar, and the combined application of inhibitors with biochar further increased the GWP. This study suggests that using inhibitors and biochar in combination to regulate the greenhouse effect under unconventional water resources irrigation should be done with caution. [Display omitted] • Reclaimed water and livestock wastewater irrigation increased direct GWP. • Biochar did not hold water in the soil as expected. • Co-application of inhibitors and biochar failed to reduce GWP. • Inhibitors reduced N 2 O emissions while promoting CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we are concerned with the Galerkin spectral approximation of an H 1 -norm state-constrained optimal control problem governed by a fourth-order partial differential equation (PDE). In the investigations, the optimality conditions for both the original control problem and its spectral approximation problem are, respectively, established, which are helpful to analyze the solution property of the spectral approximation problem. A priori and a posteriori error estimates of the spectral approximation problem are, therewith, built in detail. Finally, two numerical examples are carried out to validate the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas plecoglossicida is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes chronic granulomatous diseases in fish. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its pathogenicity are poorly understood. Here, we identified a novel two-component system (TCS) named PvgAS in P. plecoglossicida , which regulates the expression of genes including the type VI secretion system-1 (T6SS-1), a key virulence factor, as well as the type III secretion system (T3SS) gene cluster and several genes associated with metabolic pathways. We showed that PvgAS is essential for bacterial virulence in large yellow croaker (LYC), an important aquaculture species, by controlling T6SS-1 expression, which is crucial for tissue colonization and intracellular survival. In contrast, T3SS was dispensable for P. plecoglossicida virulence in this model. We also confirmed T6SS-1 gene regulation by PvgAS at the transcriptional and translational levels using RNA-seq, RT-qPCR, lacZ reporter, and western blot assays. Our study reveals a regulatory and functional role of PvgAS in P. plecoglossicida pathogenicity and suggests that PvgAS may be a potential target for new therapeutic interventions against this bacterium. • Identified a novel two-component system PvgAS in Pseudomonas plecoglossicida. • PvgAS regulates type III and type VI secretion systems and bacterial virulence. • T3SS is dispensable but T6SS-1 is essential for P. plecoglossicida pathogenicity. • PvgAS is a potential target for developing new therapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the feedback control system in magnetic confinement devices, aiming to mitigate magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) instabilities and optimize plasma confinement within the Keda Torus eXperiment (KTX). The system includes saddle sensors as the input signal, a real-time control system as the core controller, a digital power amplifier (DPA) array as the actuator, and saddle coils as the brake to restrain the MHD instabilities. A flexible, distributed real-time control system based on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) has been developed and implemented for MHD control in KTX. This is the first time FPGA has been used to verify presupposed magnetic field mode, perform data acquisition, real-time calculation, and real-time feedback in KTX. It fulfills the real-time requirements of the experiment completely. The system is presently utilized in MHD control experiments, successfully achieving experiments at the current stage that reach the limit of Ohmic discharge, with good reproducibility. • A novel, flexible, and distributed real-time MHD feedback control was successfully implemented in the Keda Torus eXperiment (KTX). • A FPGA-based real-time system with a feedback frequency of 25 kHz and a total delay of less than 50 μ s was constructed. • The real-time control system effectively suppressed plasma instabilities, significantly extended plasma discharge duration to triple the shell time of KTX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nuclear–electronic orbital (NEO) method is a well-established approach for treating nuclei quantum mechanically in molecular systems beyond the usual Born–Oppenheimer approximation. In this work, we present a strategy to implement the NEO method for periodic electronic structure calculations, particularly focused on multicomponent density functional theory (DFT). The NEO-DFT method is implemented in an all-electron electronic structure code, FHI-aims, using a combination of analytical and numerical integration techniques as well as a resolution of the identity scheme to enhance computational efficiency. After validating this implementation, proof-of-concept applications are presented to illustrate the effects of quantized protons on the physical properties of extended systems, such as two-dimensional materials and liquid–semiconductor interfaces. Specifically, periodic NEO-DFT calculations are performed for a trans-polyacetylene chain, a hydrogen boride sheet, and a titanium oxide–water interface. The zero-point energy effects of the protons as well as electron–proton correlation are shown to noticeably impact the density of states and band structures for these systems. These developments provide a foundation for the application of multicomponent DFT to a wide range of other extended condensed matter systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the repeated low velocity impact responses and compression‐after‐impact (CAI) behaviors of woven glass fiber‐reinforced composite laminates were studied at the same total impact energy. Three types of impact energies, 30, 40, and 60 J, were chosen for the repeated impact tests relative to the single 120 J impact event. The impact behaviors including impact contact force–displacement and energy–time curves during the impact testing were recorded. The variations of the impact mechanical characteristics such as peak impact force, maximum displacement, and energy absorption were evaluated. The methods of visual inspection and stereo microscope were applied to identify the damage morphology of the impacted laminates. The damage accumulation was evaluated employing the absorbed energy fraction and normalized maximum displacement. It was found that the influences of impact energy on the repeated impact mechanical response are more remarkable than that of the impact number, and the impact events with fewer impact numbers cause more damage to the laminates for the same accumulative impact energy. Furthermore, the load–displacement and the CAI strength versus impact number curves were compared for the CAI testing. The ultimate load and the resulted CAI strength decrease with the increase of impact number owing to the influence of damage accumulation in repeated impacts. Highlights: Repeated impact responses were studied at the same total impact energy.The impact energy makes significant influence on the impact dynamic responses.The impact events with fewer impact numbers cause more damage to the composites.The CAI behavior was explored considering the effect of damage accumulation.The CAI strength of damaged laminates decreases with impact number increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of austempering temperature on the microstructure, crystallographic characteristics, mechanical properties and damping capacity of a low-carbon bainitic steel were investigated in the present study. The results showed that a decrease in the austempering temperature from 380 to 320 °C led to an increase in both the fractions of bainitic ferrite and retained austenite, especially those with filmy morphology. Meanwhile, the thickness of bainitic ferrite laths was refined and the carbon concentration of retained austenite was increased, thereby significantly improving the yield strength, impact toughness and total elongation. Moreover, the variant selection effect became less important with decreasing austempering temperature, so that variants changed from belonging to the same Bain groups with low-angle grain boundaries to sharing the same parallel relation of close-packed groups with high-angle grain boundaries, which is an effective way to increase the impact toughness. The density of dislocation and the amounts of bainitic ferrite and retained austenite are the significant factors that enhance the damping capacity of austempered steel. An outstanding combination of both mechanical properties and damping capacity (925 ± 10 MPa yield strength, 1440 ± 2 MPa tensile strength, total elongation of 12.8 ± 0.4%, and V-notch unit impact toughness at 20 and − 40 °C of 56 ± 3 and 31 ± 2 J/cm2, as well as the maximum logarithmic decrement coefficient of 0.1164, respectively) was achieved by austempering at 320 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In this paper, a three-round nested PCR assay with high specificity and sensitivity (2.62 copies/reaction), employing the Pseudomonas plecoglossicida sctU gene, was established. The detection system was used to detect large yellow croaker samples in the Zhejiang and Fujian areas. It was found that March and April were the peak times of visceral white nodules disease, which was inversely related to temperature. Using this detection method, early detection of visceral white nodules disease in large yellow croakers could be realized. The visceral white nodules disease in the internal organs of Larimichthys crocea has caused significant harm in the aquaculture of this species, with Pseudomonas plecoglossicida considered one of the core pathogens causing this disease. In this study, we designed three pairs of specific nested PCR primers targeting the sctU gene of P. plecoglossicida, a crucial component of the Type III secretion system (T3SS), which is instrumental in bacterial pathogenesis and virulence. Through the optimization of PCR reaction conditions, specificity testing, and sensitivity determination, a method was established for the accurate detection of P. plecoglossicida. This method yielded single amplification products, exhibited a false positive rate of zero for reference bacteria, and achieved a detection sensitivity of a minimum of 2.62 copies/reaction for the target sequence. Using the detection method, we conducted analyses on the diseased populations of L. crocea, involving a total of 64 screened fishes along the southeast coast of China from 2021 to 2023. The results revealed that the infection rate of P. plecoglossicida in diseased L. crocea exceeded over 90% in March and April, while in other months, the maximum recorded infection rate was merely 10%. The detection method developed in this study shows potential for early warning and routine monitoring of visceral white nodules disease in the internal organs of species such as L. crocea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refracturing treatment is widely used to enhance the well productivity in shale gas reservoirs, particularly for initially fractured wells with low productivity. The principal of this work is based on the transient behavior of pressure and rate for a vertically refractured well in a shale gas reservoir, considering the fracture reorientation and adsorption and desorption property. Based on the point-source theory and Laplace transform, a semi-analytical solution for a refractured well is obtained by coupling the point-source solution of a shale gas reservoir and the solution of artificial fractures. The validation of this new solution is carried out smoothly by comparison with the results from the commercial software COMSOL. Five typical flow regimes are identified on the transient pressure curve, namely bi-linear flow regime, formation linear flow regime, mid-radial flow regime, inter-porosity flow regime, and pseudo-radial flow regime. A groove segment occurs on the transient-pressure derivative curve, and its width and depth largely depend on the adsorption and desorption constant and storativity ratio. Due to fracture reorientation, bi-linear flow regime, formation linear flow regime, and mid-radial flow regime may be significantly impacted. In addition, the transient rate of the refractured well in a shale gas reservoir is positively proportional to the storativity ratio, inter-porosity coefficient, and adsorption and desorption constant, while it is inversely proportional to fracture reorientation. These results provide important references for parameter design, property inversion, and productivity prediction of refracturing treatment in shale gas reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of manganese prepartitioning treatment (Mn‐PrPT) in the intercritical region on bainitic transformation behavior, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties of a low‐carbon bainitic steel is elucidated, herein. The results indicate that the Mn‐depleted and Mn‐enriched regions existed in the austenite after austenitizing as a result of Mn‐PrPT, which are evaluated by thermodynamic calculation, and validated by dilatometric and wavelength dispersive X‐ray spectrometry (WDS) measurement. The introduction of Mn‐PrPT before austenitizing has little effect on the prior austenite grain size, whereas it affects martensite start (MS) temperature remarkably, which increased by 30 °C. Moreover, the dilatation rate with Mn‐PrPT shows a two‐peak feature during the bainitic transformation, which is believed to be attributed to the varied bainitic transformation domain for Mn‐depleted and Mn‐enriched regions. In addition, the Mn‐PrPT contributes to an increase in both fraction of retained austenite and its carbon concentration, and consequently, the elongation is significantly improved without compromising the tensile strength, leading to an enhancement of the product of strength and elongation. However, it has a slightly negative effect on impact toughness due to an increment in the fraction of blocky retained austenite with low mechanical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Proper flowering time is important for the growth and development of plants, and both too early and too late flowering impose strong negative influences on plant adaptation and seed yield. Thus, it is vitally important to study the mechanism underlying flowering time control in plants. In a previous study by the authors, genome-wide association analysis was used to screen the candidate gene SISTER OF FCA (SSF) that regulates FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a central gene encoding a flowering suppressor in Arabidopsis thaliana. Results: SSF physically interacts with Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5, SKB1). Subcellular co—localization analysis showed that SSF and SKB1 interact in the nucleus. Genetically, SSF and SKB1 exist in the same regulatory pathway that controls FLC expression. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing analysis showed that both SSF and SKB1 regulate certain common pathways. Conclusions: This study shows that PRMT5 interacts with SSF, thus controlling FLC expression and facilitating flowering time control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the neuroprotective effects of ARA290 and the role of β‐common receptor (βCR) in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: This study included male C57BL/6J mice that underwent MCAO and reperfusion. The neuroprotective effect of ARA290 on MCAO‐induced brain injury was investigated using neurological function tests (Longa and modified neurological severity score). Cerebral infarction was examined by 2, 3, 5‐triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining, neuronal apoptosis was assessed by immunofluorescence staining, blood parameters were measured using a flow cytometry‐based automated hematology analyzer, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the serum metabolomics signature, inflammatory cytokines and liver index were detected by commercially available kits, and the protein levels of the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor and βCR were measured by western blot. Results: ARA290 exerted a qualitatively similar neuroprotective effect after MCAO as EPO. ARA290 significantly reduced neuronal apoptosis and the level of inflammatory cytokines in the brain tissue. However, ARA290's neuroprotective effect was significantly suppressed following the injection of siRNA against βCR. Conclusion: ARA290 provided a neuroprotective effect via βCR in cerebral ischemic mice without causing erythropoiesis. This study provides novel insights into the role of ARA290 in ischemic stroke intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Austempering is conducted below and above martensite start temperature (Ms) at the fine and coarse prior austenite grain size (PAGS), respectively, in a low‐carbon bainitic steel, and the relationship between multiphase microstructure and mechanical properties is investigated. The study indicates that refinement of bainite laths can be obtained by decreasing the PAGS and/or austempering temperature from above to below Ms. The former reduces bainite content, and increases the volume fraction of retained austenite (RA), thereby obtaining higher uniform elongation and strain hardening exponent. However, the latter effectively decreases the size and amount of blocky RA, as well as bainite content and conversely increases the ratio of volume fraction of film RA to that of blocky RA, which leads to significant improvement in yield strength and impact toughness. In addition, the variant selection is relatively weak with the decrease in the PAGS and austempering temperature, which has a beneficial effect on toughness. Furthermore, an outstanding combination of mechanical properties (1070 MPa yield strength, 1466 MPa tensile strength, total elongation of 11.68%, and V‐notch impact toughness at 20 and −40 °C of 78 and 44 J cm−2, respectively) is achieved by austempering below Ms in the finer PAGS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flowering is the transition from vegetative to reproductive growth and is critical for plant adaptation and reproduction. FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) plays a central role in flowering time control, and dissecting its regulation mechanism provides essential information for crop improvement. Here, we report that DECAPPING5 (DCP5), a component of processing bodies (P-bodies), regulates FLC transcription and flowering time in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). DCP5 and its interacting partner SISTER OF FCA (SSF) undergo liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) that is mediated by their prion-like domains (PrDs). Enhancing or attenuating the LLPS of both proteins using transgenic methods greatly affects their ability to regulate FLC and flowering time. DCP5 regulates FLC transcription by modulating RNA polymerase II enrichment at the FLC locus. DCP5 requires SSF for FLC regulation, and loss of SSF or its PrD disrupts DCP5 function. Our results reveal that DCP5 interacts with SSF, and the nuclear DCP5–SSF complex regulates FLC expression at the transcriptional level. The P-body component DCP5 regulates FLC transcription and is dependent on SSF in Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn leaf aphid (Rhopalosiphum maidis) is a major maize pest that frequently causes substantial yield losses. Exploring the genetic basis of resistance to aphids is important for improving maize yield and quality. Here, we used a maize recombinant inbred line population derived from two parents with different susceptibility to aphids, B73 (susceptible) and Abe2 (resistant), and performed quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using aphid resistance scores as an indicator. We mapped a stable QTL, qRTA6 , to chromosome 6 using data from 2 years of field trials, which explained 40.12–55.17% of the phenotypic variation. To further investigate the mechanism of aphid resistance in Abe2, we constructed transcriptome and metabolome libraries from Abe2 and B73 leaves with or without aphid infestation at different time points. Integrating QTL mapping and transcriptome data revealed three aphid resistance candidate genes (Zm00001d035736, Zm00001d035751, and Zm00001d035767) associated with the hypersensitive response, the jasmonic acid pathway, and protein ubiquitination. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes and metabolites were enriched in flavonoid biosynthesis. These findings extend our understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling aphid resistance in maize, and the QTL and candidate genes are valuable resources for increasing this resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep disorders are common among pregnant females. However, its association with postpartum depression (PPD) is unknown. We aimed to assess if sleep disorders during pregnancy increase the risk of PPD by a systematic review. The databases of PubMed, CENTRAL, ScienceDirect, Embase, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reporting the association between any type of sleep disorder during pregnancy and the risk of PPD. Effect sizes were pooled in a random-effects model. Sixteen studies with data of 12,614 women were included. Meta-analysis indicated that sleep disorders during pregnancy resulted in a statistically significant increased risk of PPD (OR: 2.36 95% CI: 1.72, 2.32). The overall result had high heterogeneity (I2 = 84%). Sub-group analysis based on study location (Asian vs Western), sample size (> 500 vs < 500), depression scale, and PPD assessment time did not change the results. However, we found that only poor sleep quality but not insomnia was associated with PPD. The risk was also increased only with sleep disorders measured in the 3rd trimester but not for the 1st and 2nd trimesters. Evidence suggests that sleep disorders during pregnancy may increase risk of PPD. The risk is high for sleep disorders occurring in the 3rd trimester. Based on these findings, there is a need for thorough screening and subsequent corrective measures to ensure adequate and quality sleep among pregnant females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the expression and biological function of retinoic acid inducible gene I (RIG-I) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Materials and methods: An immunohistochemical analysis was performed on 86 pairs of tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples of patients with ESCC. We generated RIG-I-overexpressing ESCC cell lines KYSE70 and KYSE450, and RIG-I- knockdown cell lines KYSE150 and KYSE510. Cell viability, migration and invasion, radioresistance, DNA damage, and cell cycle were evaluated using CCK-8, wound-healing and transwell assay, colony formation, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry and Western blotting, respectively. RNA sequencing was performed to determine the differential gene expression between controls and RIG-I knockdown. Tumor growth and radioresistance were assessed in nude mice using xenograft models. RIG-I expression was higher in ESCC tissues compared with that in matched non-tumor tissues. RIG-I overexpressing cells had a higher proliferation rate than RIG-I knockdown cells. Moreover, the knockdown of RIG-I slowed migration and invasion rates, whereas the overexpression of RIG-I accelerated migration and invasion rates. RIG-I overexpression induced radioresistance and G2/M phase arrest and reduced DNA damage after exposure to ionizing radiations compared with controls; however, it silenced the RIG-I enhanced radiosensitivity and DNA damage, and reduced the G2/M phase arrest. RNA sequencing revealed that the downstream genes DUSP6 and RIG-I had the same biological function; silencing DUSP6 can reduce the radioresistance caused by the overexpression of RIG-I. RIG-I knockdown depleted tumor growth in vivo, and radiation exposure effectively delayed the growth of xenograft tumors compared with the control group. RIG-I enhances the progression and radioresistance of ESCC; therefore, it may be a new potential target for ESCC-targeted therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lepidopteran crop pest Plutella xylostella causes severe constraints on Brassica cultivation. Here, we report a novel role for RPX1 (resistance to P. xylostella) in resistance to this pest in Arabidopsis thaliana. The rpx1‐1 mutant repels P. xylostella larvae, and feeding on the rpx1‐1 mutant severely damages the peritrophic matrix structure in the midgut of the larvae, thereby negatively affecting larval growth and pupation. This resistance results from the accumulation of defence compounds, including the homoterpene (3E)−4,8‐dimethyl‐1,3,7‐nonatriene (DMNT), due to the upregulation of PENTACYCLIC TRITERPENE SYNTHASE 1 (PEN1), which encodes a key DMNT biosynthetic enzyme. P. xylostella infestation and wounding induce RPX1 protein degradation, which may confer a rapid response to insect infestation. RPX1 inactivation and PEN1 overexpression are not associated with negative trade‐offs for plant growth but have much higher seed production than the wild‐type in the presence of P. xylostella infestation. This study offers a new strategy for plant molecular breeding against P. xylostella. Summary statement: Plutella xylostella pests show severely negative influence on plant growth and reproduction, and the identification of resistant genes is essential. This study reveals that inactivation of RPX1 confers significant resistance to the pest by enhancing PEN1 expression and accumulating the homoterpene DMNT in Arabidopsis thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing high‐efficiency surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates has attracted explosive attention in recent decades for their novel and potential applications. Great achievements have been made to optimize the intrinsic activity of nanomaterial in SERS substrates, while little attention has been paid to the unique structural design of the nanomaterial building blocks. Herein, a new strategy is provided for assembling Au nanoparticles into well‐defined ordered structures by using a highly ordered arrangement nanowires template to explore the ordering effect on the SERS performance. The highly ordered Au nanoparticle arrays show a detection limit of 10−9 m that exceeds disordered Au particles by two orders of magnitude, as well as over treble enhancement factor at the same detection concentration. Importantly, this novel scientific discovery can be further confirmed in various probed molecules or nanoparticles with different diameters, which means SERS substrate design can be pushed forward further combined with traditional intrinsic activity design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas plecoglossicida is an important pathogenic bacterium in aquaculture that causes visceral granulomas in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Uridine diphosphate glucose phosphorylase encoded by galU plays a key role in biosynthesis of the bacterial envelope, particularly lipopolysaccharide and the capsule. In this study, we inactivated the galU gene in the P. plecoglossicida isolate XSDHY‐P. The galU mutant strain showed impaired growth in the early exponential stage and lacked the O polysaccharide side chain in lipopolysaccharide, but almost no defect in biofilm formation was detected. The galU mutant strain also exhibited significantly more sensitivity to the bactericidal action of normal fish serum mediated by the complement system compared to the wild‐type strain. In a cell model originating from the head kidney of large yellow croaker, the galU mutant strain showed lower capacities of adhesion, invasion, and intracellular survival compared to the wild‐type strain. In addition, the deficiency of the galU mutant drastically decreased bacterial loads in tissues and attenuated P. plecoglossicida virulence in fish. These results suggest that the galU gene of P. plecoglossicida is required for in vivo survival in large yellow croaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To investigate the effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs)/neural progenitors (NPs) in the treatment of hypoxic–ischemic injury and its potential mechanisms. Methods: Fetal NSCs/NPs were treated with EPO after oxygen and glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). Cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation of NSCs/NPs were detected by CellTiter‐Glo, Edu assay, flow cytometry, and quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR). Immunofluorescence staining, co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP), and western blotting were used to test the existence of EPO receptor/β common receptor (EPOR/βCR) heterodimer on NSCs/NPs and the possible pathway. Results: EPO treatment at different time points increased cell viability without affecting proliferation. EPO treatment immediately after OGD/R promoted oligodendrocyte and astrocyte differentiation, while decreasing neuronal differentiation of NSCs/NPs. EPOR/βCR heterodimer existed on the cell surface of the fetal cortical NSCs/NPs, EPO treatment significantly increased the mRNA expression of βCR and elevated the correlation between EPOR and βCR levels. In addition, mass spectrometry analysis identified Syne‐1 as a downstream signaling molecule of the EPOR/βCR heterodimer. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting indicated that the βCR/Syne‐1/H3K9me3 pathway was possibly involved in the differentiation of fetal neural stem cells into the glial cell effect of EPO. Conclusion: EPO treatment immediately after OGD/R could not facilitate fetal NSCs/NPs neurogenesis but promoted the formation of the EPOR/βCR heterodimer on fetal NSCs/NPs, which mediates its function in glial differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grafting of watermelon plants to rootstocks is common due to the strong capacity of rootstocks to adapt to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the effect of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) on grafted watermelon plant growth and bacterial structures in root soil is unclear. In this study, the growth and hormone levels of grafted plants were measured, and the bacterial communities under cadmium (Cd) stress and inoculation with PSB were sequenced in three treatments (S1, control; S2, 50 μmol Cd [CdCl 2 ]; and S3, 50 μmol Cd plus inoculation with the Cd-resistant PSB strain 'N3′). The results showed that inoculation with PSB significantly (P < 0.05) improved the total dry weight of the grafted plants. Typically, inoculation with PSB significantly (P < 0.05) reduced Cd content in scions and roots. The level of the phytohormone jasmonic acid increased in treatment S2, but decreased in treatment S3 under inoculation with PSB. The functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa showed that Cd decreased the abundance of nitrogen respiration and chloroplast functional groups. Nevertheless, inoculation with PSB helped restore bacterial community structures. These findings provide a new understanding of the effect of PSB on the promotion of seedling growth and bacterial communities in grafted watermelon plants under Cd stress. [Display omitted] • PSB significantly increased the root length in the grafted watermelon plants under Cd stress. • PSB reduced Cd accumulation in the scion and root by 24.1% and 28.4%, respectively. • Cd increased the level of the plant hormone JA, whereas PSB decreased the level of JA. • Cd reduced the abundance of nitrogen respiration and chloroplast functional groups. • PSB can abate the toxic effect of Cd and restore the bacterial community structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Revealing that IGFBP1 and Umod are characteristic genes of cystitis; • Clarified the new mechanism by which IGFBP1 stabilizes Umod expression through m6A modification; • Overexpression of Umod and IGFBP1 genes could suppress cell apoptosis; • As confirmed, IGFBP1 inhibits the generation of pro-inflammatory factors by suppressing the NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways; • Established a rat cystitis model for in vivo mechanism verification. Cystitis is a common disease closely associated with urinary tract infections, and the specific mechanisms underlying its occurrence and development remain largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that IGFBP1 suppresses the occurrence and development of cystitis by stabilizing the expression of Umod through m6A modification, inhibiting the NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways. Initially, we obtained a bladder cystitis-related transcriptome dataset from the GEO database and identified the characteristic genes Umod and IGFBP1. Further exploration revealed that IGFBP1 in primary cells of cystitis can stabilize the expression of Umod through m6A modification. Overexpression of both IGFBP1 and Umod significantly inhibited cell apoptosis and the NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways, ultimately suppressing the production of pro-inflammatory factors. Finally, using a rat model of cystitis, we demonstrated that overexpression of IGFBP1 stabilizes the expression of Umod, inhibits the NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways, reduces the production of pro-inflammatory factors, and thus prevents the occurrence and development of cystitis. Our study elucidates the crucial role of IGFBP1 and Umod in cystitis and reveals the molecular mechanisms that inhibit the occurrence and development of cystitis. This research holds promise for offering new insights into the treatment of cystitis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of crops and significantly affects plant adaptation and seed production. Flowering time varies greatly among maize (Zea mays) inbred lines, but the genetic basis of this variation is not well understood. Here, we report the comprehensive genetic architecture of six flowering time-related traits using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population obtained from a cross between two maize genotypes, B73 and Abe2, and combined with genome-wide association studies to identify candidate genes that affect flowering time. Results: Our results indicate that these six traits showed extensive phenotypic variation and high heritability in the RIL population. The flowering time of this RIL population showed little correlation with the leaf number under different environmental conditions. A genetic linkage map was constructed by 10,114 polymorphic markers covering the whole maize genome, which was applied to QTL mapping for these traits, and identified a total of 82 QTLs that contain 13 flowering genes. Furthermore, a combined genome-wide association study and linkage mapping analysis revealed 17 new candidate genes associated with flowering time. Conclusions: In the present study, by using genetic mapping and GWAS approaches with the RIL population, we revealed a list of genomic regions and candidate genes that were significantly associated with flowering time. This work provides an important resource for the breeding of flowering time traits in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Flowering time is an important agronomic trait of crops and significantly affects plant adaptation and seed production. Flowering time varies greatly among maize (Zea mays) inbred lines, but the genetic basis of this variation is not well understood. Here, we report the comprehensive genetic architecture of six flowering time-related traits using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population obtained from a cross between two maize genotypes, B73 and Abe2, and combined with genome-wide association studies to identify candidate genes that affect flowering time. Results: Our results indicate that these six traits showed extensive phenotypic variation and high heritability in the RIL population. The flowering time of this RIL population showed little correlation with the leaf number under different environmental conditions. A genetic linkage map was constructed by 10,114 polymorphic markers covering the whole maize genome, which was applied to QTL mapping for these traits, and identified a total of 82 QTLs that contain 13 flowering genes. Furthermore, a combined genome-wide association study and linkage mapping analysis revealed 17 new candidate genes associated with flowering time. Conclusions: In the present study, by using genetic mapping and GWAS approaches with the RIL population, we revealed a list of genomic regions and candidate genes that were significantly associated with flowering time. This work provides an important resource for the breeding of flowering time traits in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flux of magnetic helicity characterizes how the topology of a magnetic field changes and helicity and its transport play essential roles in plasma equilibrium and instabilities in the reversed-field pinch (RFP) device configuration. Used to suppress magnetohydrodynamic instabilities effectively, the stabilizing conducting shell located at the boundary of an RFP device is always characterized by an eddy-current distribution that evolves rapidly with time. After measuring and analyzing the eddy currents on this stabilizing shell during tokamak discharges in the Keda Torus eXperiment device, the distributions of multiple physical quantities on the shell are obtained, including the magnetic fields, eddy currents, and electric fields. An experimental technique for measuring helicity flux density is demonstrated, combined with eddy-current diagnosis and these physical vectors on the boundary. How the magnetic and current helicity flux densities evolve is given by a feasible mathematical analysis, and data suggest that the plasma mediates both the generation and transport of magnetic helicity during the discharge. The experimental results of the distribution of the magnetic helicity flux densities (MHFDs) due to the instability on the boundary are given, and the average of these MHFDs over the whole boundary surface is far less than the maximum value of the MHFDs. In addition, the results of current helicity flux densities on the boundary are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PGIP can reduce significantly the disease incidence and index of grape and strawberry fruits. • PGIP inhibits the decrease in total pectin and cellulose content. • PGIP regulates transcription factors and cell wall metabolic proteins in response to biological stress in various plants. • PGIP interacts with GLU and PR-4 to regulate the callose layer in the cell wall and chitin in the fungal cell wall. Polygalacturonase inhibitor protein (PGIP) plays an active role in resisting pathogens from degrading cell walls. Strawberry fruit quality is strongly affected by Botrytis cinerea (B. cinerea), so PGIP genes from heterologous species were cloned and analyzed to identify genes having good B.cinerea infection resistance. In this study, a PGIP gene from grape fruit was isolated and heterologously transiently expressed in strawberry fruit. The results revealed that VvPGIP (PGIP O) overexpression in strawberry fruit led to B. cinerea infection resistance, but RNA interference of VvPGIP (PGIP I) made fruit susceptible to B. cinerea infection. qPCR indicated that expression levels of FaPGIP was increased after transient expression of VvPGIP in PGIP O fruit for 48 h as compared to the control and that polygalacturonase enzyme (PG) was significantly down-regulated, whereas PGIP I fruit had the opposite effect, suggesting that VvPGIP may activate the FaPGIP expression levels, thereby reducing the disease incidence and index of strawberry fruits and improving the disease resistance of the fruits. VvPGIP also inhibited the decrease of total pectin and cellulose content. Transcriptome and metabolome results showed that PGIP is widely involved in photosynthesis, signal transduction, and secondary metabolism of fruits. In addition, many enzyme activities and defense reaction were also significantly enriched. Using Y2H and BiFC technology, we screened and verified the interaction protein of VvPGIP with Endo-1, 3-Beta-Glucanase (VvGLU) and pathogen-related protein 4 (VvPR-4) on the cell membrane. Taken together, PGIP as a key protein in plant defense response functions a key role in regulating the strength of cell walls and can inhibit the degradation of plant cell walls by pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several clinical parameters and biomarkers have been proposed as prognostic markers for stroke. However, it has not been clarified whether the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke are similar. In this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (sLOX-1) levels and the prediction of the functional outcome in patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke. A total of 266 patients with recurrent and first-ever stroke, who underwent follow-up for 3 months, were included in this study. Plasma samples were collected within 24 h after onset. The results showed that biomarkers for the prognosis of patients with recurrent stroke were different from that of those with first-ever stroke. sLOX-1 levels were correlated with modified Rankin Scale scores of patients with recurrent stroke alone (r = 0.3232 , p = 0.001). sLOX-1 levels were also associated with an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes in patients with recurrent stroke with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.489 (95% confidence interval, 1.204–1.842, p < 0.0001). Combining the risk factors showed greater accuracy for prognosis, yielding a sensitivity of 93.2% and a specificity of 75%, with an area under the curve of 0.916, evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. These findings suggest that the diagnosis and prognosis are different between patients with recurrent stroke and those with first-ever stroke, and sLOX-1 level is an independent prognostic marker in patients with recurrent stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neonicotinoid residue was higher in tributaries than in the mainstream. • Neonicotinoid residue was negatively correlated with river width. • Neonicotinoid residue was positively correlated with water turbidity. • Transport of neonicotinoids from farmland to rivers affected by various factors. • Point source drives spatial distribution of neonicotinoids in Zhejiang rivers. Neonicotinoid insecticides are widely applied in farmland, with high detection rates in soils and surface waters, posing potential risks to biodiversity and human health. As a nonpoint emission, surface runoff is widely regarded as the major source of neonicotinoid pollution in surface waters, but few studies have determined the point source contribution to rivers that may be primarily from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Here, we collected the surface water from eight river basins in Zhejiang Province of China and quantified residual concentrations of eight widely commercialized neonicotinoids. Four of these were detected in all samples, with concentrations of dinotefuran and nitenpyram of 119 ± 166 and 87.6 ± 25.3 ng/L, respectively, representing more than 90 % of the total (282 ± 174 ng/L). Neonicotinoid residues were higher in tributaries due to nearby farmland and more dilution effects in the mainstream, and the residues were higher in lower reaches which can be explained by the water flow direction. Significant spatial differences in neonicotinoid distribution between surface water and agricultural soils result from environmental factors (e.g., water turbidity, precipitation, temperature) impacting migration and transport processes. Neonicotinoid residues in surface water showed a significant positive correlation with total WWTP emissions after adjusting for environmental factors. Conversely, no significant association was observed with cropland density (a nonpoint emission source), indicating that point emission source (contributing 20.6 %) predominantly influenced neonicotinoid residue spatial variation in river basin-scale surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Contouring subclavian-axillary veins underestimates grade ≥ 2 RIBP risk in dosimetry. • Significant underestimation of BP doses was observed in patients with PTV-B. • Maximum and 0.3 cc biologically effective doses to BP may be predictors of RIBP. Examine the significance of contouring the brachial plexus (BP) for toxicity estimation and select metrics for predicting radiation-induced brachial plexopathy (RIBP) after stereotactic body radiotherapy. Patients with planning target volume (PTV) ≤ 2 cm from the BP were eligible. The BP was contoured primarily according to the RTOG 1106 atlas, while subclavian-axillary veins (SAV) were contoured according to RTOG 0236. Apical PTVs were classified as anterior (PTV-A) or posterior (PTV-B) PTVs. Variables predicting grade 2 or higher RIBP (RIBP2) were selected through least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression and logistic regression. Among 137 patients with 140 BPs (median follow-up, 32.1 months), 11 experienced RIBP2. For patients with RIBP2, the maximum physical dose to the BP (BP-D max) was 46.5 Gy (median; range, 35.7 to 60.7 Gy). Of these patients, 54.5 % (6/11) satisfied the RTOG limits when using SAV delineation; among them, 83.3 % (5/6) had PTV-B. For patients with PTV-B, the maximum physical dose to SAV (SAV-D max) was 11.2 Gy (median) lower than BP-D max. Maximum and 0.3 cc biologically effective doses to the BP based on the linear-quadratic-linear model (BP-BED max LQL and BP-BED 0.3cc LQL , α/β = 3) were selected as predictive variables with thresholds of 118 and 73 Gy, respectively. Contouring SAV may significantly underestimate the RIBP2 risk in dosimetry, especially for patients with PTV-B. BP contouring indicated BP-BED 0.3cc LQL and BP-BED max LQL as potential predictors of RIBP2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) porous carbon-based materials are commonly considered to be a hopeful microwave absorbing materials owing to their lightweight and broadband absorption. However, the structure between dissipation mechanism is still not clear. Therefore, in this work, the nitrogen-doped porous Fe 3 C@C nanocomposites derived from Fe(NO 3) 3 ·9 H 2 O and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were fabricated through pre-blowing followed by in situ carbonization method with various temperatures. The obtained material treated at 600 °C, which the content of N was 4.07 %, exhibits the most excellent microwave absorption (MA) property with the minimal reflection loss of − 63.1 dB at 5.0 GHz while the matching thickness is 4.6 mm. The MA performance of the composite is originated from the synergy of magnetic-dielectric loss and improved interfacial polarization. This research provides a way to prepare high-property MA absorbers. [Display omitted] ● Fe 3 C@ porous carbon was successfully synthesized via a facile strategy. ● The microstructure and Fe 3 C particles ensure the excellent absorption performance. ● The RL min of PC-600 with 4.6 mm thickness is − 63.1 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• For the first time, we identified the factors influencing EDRIC and evaluated the role of EDRIC in ES-NSCLC patients who were treated with SBRT with a relatively large number of clinical cases. • Our study population was not interfered with chemotherapy or immunotherapy, therefore, EDRIC can be better used to assess the effects of RT on the immune system. • In the present study, multivariate analysis found that EDRIC was the most important prognostic predictor associated with DMFS and CSS. • We found that EDRIC was affected by GTV and tumor location. GTV showed a positive correlation with EDRIC (r = 0.707, P = 0.000), and central tumors had significantly higher EDRIC compared with peripheral ones. • The effects of SBRT on the immune cells were confirmed by changes of peripheral blood lymphocyte count at different time points during radiation therapy, and a significant inverse correlation was observed between lymphocyte nadir and EDRIC (r = −0.691, P < 0.001). Although the effects of estimated dose of radiation to immune cells (EDRIC) in stage III NSCLC, LA-NSCLC, LS-SCLC and esophageal cancer on clinical outcomes have been studied, its impact in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (ES-NSCLC) is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the role of EDRIC and identified the factors influencing EDRIC in this population. We retrospectively analyzed 211 pathologically confirmed ES-NSCLC patients who were treated with SBRT between 2007 and 2020. EDRIC was calculated based on the model developed by Jin et al. and improved by Ladbury et al. Kaplan–Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression were adopted to estimate CSS, PFS, LPFS, and DMFS. Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlation between variables. We further validated our findings in an independent cohort of 119 patients with ES-NSCLC. A total of 211 patients were included with median follow-up of 48 months in the training cohort. The median EDRIC was 2.178 Gy (range: 0.426–6.015). GTV showed a positive correlation with EDRIC (r = 0.707, P = 0.000). In multivariate analysis, higher EDRIC was significantly associated with worse CSS (HR = 1.468, P = 0.009) and DMFS (HR = 1.491, P = 0.016). Considering each EDRIC quartile, there was a significant difference in CSS between 1st and 4th and 1st and 3rd quartile (P = 0.000, P = 0.004, respectively); and DMFS between 1st and 4th,1st and 3rd, and 1st and 2nd quartile (P = 0.000, P = 0.000, P = 0.008, respectively). In the subgroup and validation cohort, EDRIC was also the important prognostic predictor of CSS and DMFS using multivariate analysis. EDRIC was an independent predictor of CSS and DMFS in ES-NSCLC, and it was affected by GTV and tumor location. Though EDRIC is a critical determinant of treatment outcomes, it is quantifiable and potentially modifiable. Additional researches exploring the feasibility of achieving lower EDRIC while maintaining adequate tumor coverage during radiotherapy are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High DSi concentration occurring in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir were contributed from intense weathering of the widely distributed silicate rocks in the basin. • The most prominent DSi retain in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir occurs in the Riverine zone, and contributes to the overall DSi sink of the Xinfengjiang Reservoir within a complete hydrological year. • The riverine DSi change in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir was controlled by multiple factors, such as the input, assimilation into biogenic silica, sedimentation/re-decomposition of phytoplankton and water regulation of the reservoir. Damming significantly influences silicon (Si) biogeochemical cycles in river system. Its mechanism, however, is still not clear to date. We here carried out spatial and temporal field observations over a complete hydrological year in the Xinfengjiang Reservoir on a tributary of the Pearl River to explore the influence of the reservoir on the biogeochemical cycles of Dissolved Silicon (DSi) by exploring in different functional zones. The results showed that DSi concentration was temporally and spatially different, showing variable behaviors in different functional zones. In the Riverine zone, the DSi concentration was largely controlled by input from chemical weathering of silicate minerals in the watershed and seasonal changes in precipitation. In the Transition zone, the biological activity of phytoplankton was the key to control the DSi change, especially during the wet season. In the Lacustrine zone, the effect of the 'biological pump' was limited but some other factors influenced the Si and C cycle, such as phytoplankton settlement/re-decomposition, input of terrigenous substances. In the Dammed zone, the spatial distribution of DSi concentrations was significantly influenced by water regulation of the reservoir. Based on these observations, the DSi interception efficiency of the Xinfengjiang Reservoir was estimated to be about 40.5% and 16.3% when selecting Up-Dammed zone and Down-Dammed zone as output endmember, respectively, over a complete hydrological year. Such DSi sink significance was mainly contributed from the Riverine zone during the wet season. Our studies benefit the understanding of the spatial and temporal heterogenic effects on DSi biogeochemical cycles in a reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas plecoglossicida is a facultative Gram-negative bacteria that causes 'visceral granulomas disease' (VGD) in large yellow croaker (LYC; Larimichthys crocea) and several other fish species leading to high economic losses. Currently, there are no commercial vaccines against VGD. Thus, we evaluated the efficacy of a live attenuated vaccine (LAV) made by our laboratory in LYC administered orally in alginate-coated LAV-loaded feeds. To evaluate the tolerance of the LAV in the acidic environment of the stomach, we treated the alginate-coated LAV with a simulated gastric juice without pepsin. There was a 10-fold decrease in the number of viable LAV cells after treatment with the simulated gastric juice (pH 2.0). Despite so, we found a significant increase in LAV cells in the liver and hindgut within 4 h post first feeding of oral vaccine (hpff), which increased to high levels by 24 hpff indicating that LAV cells that survived the stomach acidic environment reached the hindgut for adsorption. Although there was a transient change in the composition of the gut microbiota at 24 hpff, analysis using the Shannon and β-diversity indices showed a similarity in the bacterial composition found before and after vaccination indicating that the LAV had no long-term adverse effect on the gut microbiota. Systemic and mucosal humoral responses were characterized by high serum antibody levels and upregulation of the pig and sign while activation of cell-mediated immunity was characterized by upregulation of MHC-Iα, MHC-IIβ, Prf1 and IFNγ genes. The overall protection in vaccinated LYC was estimated at relative percent survival (RPS) of 60%. Altogether, this study has shown that LAVs can be used as oral vaccines to confer protective immunity without impacting adverse effects on the fish microbiota. • P. plecoglossicida causes 'visceral granulomas disease' (VGD) in large yellow croaker. • This is the first report of a promising live attenuated vaccine against VGD by oral administration. • Oral vaccination confers protective immunity without impacting adverse effects on the fish microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]