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Abstract Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and overweight/obesity are significant global public health issues. Appropriate free-time physical activity (PA) is essential for overweight/obese patients with chronic kidney disease, but specific guidelines are lacking. The present study was conducted to determine the association between PA and all-cause mortality in these patients. Methods Data from 3,434 overweight/obese adults with CKD from the 1999–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were analyzed. Associations between clinical/laboratory findings and PA intensity (moderate and vigorous) were investigated. The all-cause mortality of patients in different PA categories were compared by Kaplan–Meier analysis. Factors associated with all-cause mortality were determined using a Cox proportional hazards model. A restricted cubic spline was employed to obtain a more flexible and detailed representation of the relationship between PA intensity and all-cause mortality, with better predictive capability. Results The Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that greater all-cause mortality was associated with

Abstract Vibrational energy transfer in collisions between ions and neutrals is a fundamental process in interstellar media, planetary atmospheres, and plasmas. The conventional wisdom is that glancing collisions with large impact parameters are forward-scattered with low vibrational excitation, while hard collisions with small impact parameters are sideway- or backward-scattered with relatively high vibrational excitation. Here, we report experimental observations with a three-dimensional velocity-map imaging crossed-beam apparatus in the inelastic scattering process Ar++N2(v′′ = 0, J′′)→Ar++N2(v′, J′), where all the vibrationally excited N2 products are dominated by forward scattering, contradicting the textbook model. Trajectory surface hopping calculations not only reproduced the experimental observation qualitatively, but also revealed that the vibrational excitation mainly occurs through a transient charge-transfer process. The hard collision glory mechanism, which has so far only been observed in inelastic rotational energy transfer between neutrals, is shown to play a major role for vibrational excitation in the inelastic Ar++N2 collision, via the frustrated charge transfer process.

Abstract The main features of early caries are the massive colonization of cariogenic bacteria and demineralization of tooth enamel by the acids that they produce. Owing to the lack of effective treatments, the development of anticaries therapeutics with both antimicrobial and remineralizing properties is urgently required. Black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNs) are ideal therapeutics for the treatment of early caries because they can mediate photothermal antibacterial activity and subsequently promote remineralization by generating PO43−. However, the dynamic and wet environment of the oral cavity prevents the long‐term adhesion of BPNs to the tooth surface. In this study, using catechol‐modified chitosan and PLGA‐PEG‐PLGA as raw materials, a mussel‐inspired versatile hydrogel, BP@CP5, is presented that can be used to physically load BPNs. BP@CP5 has exceptional injectability and can firmly adhere to tooth surfaces for up to 24 h. Upon irradiation, BP@CP5 can quickly eliminate ≈99% of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis; furthermore, the PO43− generated via degradation also promotes rapid remineralization of enamel slabs. Importantly, the vivo rodent caries modeling results further confirm the excellent caries‐prevention properties of BP@CP5. This study demonstrates that BP@CP5 is a promising anticaries material for caries management.

Changes in the porosity and permeability of oil shale under the overburden pressure often have a significant impact on the subsequent development of reservoirs. The authors of this article investigated the over burden porosity and permeability characteristics of tight oil reservoirs in two regions in China: the Fushun West Open-pit Mine in Liaoning and the Jimsar shale oilfield in Xinjiang. Overburden porosity and permeability experiments were conducted on oil shale cores. Three-dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of the micropore structure of cores under different effective stresses were used to model the relationship between oil shale porosity, permeability, and effective stress. In addition, the stress sensitivity of oil shale reservoirs was analyzed, using the damage rates of permeability and stress sensitivity coefficients. The results indicated that in both regions, oil shale porosity and permeability exhibited a decreasing trend with increasing effective stress, following a negative exponential function. When the effective stress was less than 8 MPa, the permeability stress sensitivity coefficient decreased sharply. Once the effective stress exceeded 8 MPa, the stress sensitivity of permeability in both regions weakened, maintaining a range between 0.2 and 0.4 MPaâ1. The results of three-dimensional visualization simulations were the same as the experimental results. Taken together, the results showed that the porosity of different-sized pores decreased with increased stress, which reflected the synergistic effect of different-sized pores on porosity in shale. This study has practical significance for revealing the variation in pore size in shale reservoirs and establishing the physical characteristics of oil shale reservoirs.

Efficient order allocation and inventory management are essential for the success of supply chain operations in today’s dynamic and competitive business environment. This research introduces an innovative decision-making model incorporating dependability factors into redesigning and optimizing order allocation and inventory management systems. The proposed model aims to enhance the overall reliability of supply chain operations by integrating stochastic factors such as demand fluctuations, lead time uncertainty, and variable supplier performance. The system, named Dynamic Reliability-Driven Order Allocation and Inventory Management (DROAIM), combines stochastic models, reliability-based supplier evaluation, dynamic algorithms, and real-time analytics to create a robust and flexible framework for supply chain operations. It evaluates the dependability of suppliers, transportation networks, and internal procedures, offering a comprehensive approach to managing supply chain operations. A case study and simulations were conducted to assess the efficacy of the proposed approach. The findings demonstrate significant improvements in the overall reliability of supply chain operations, reduced stockout occurrences, and optimized inventory levels. Additionally, the model shows adaptability to various industry-specific challenges, making it a versatile tool for practitioners aiming to enhance their supply chain resilience. Ultimately, this research contributes to existing knowledge by providing a thorough decision-making framework incorporating dependability factors into order allocation and inventory management processes. Practitioners and experts can implement this framework to address uncertainties in their operations.

Background: To explore the causal association between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, herpesvirus infection and periodontitis (PD) from a genetic perspective using Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods: The PD data were derived from genome-wide association study (GWAS) from the Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) consortium, and the FinnGen Biobank provided data on H. pylori and herpesvirus infections. In addition, we examined GWAS data for subtypes of H. pylori and herpesvirus infection. Inverse variance weighting (IVW) was selected as a major analysis technique, and weighted median (WM), weighted model, simple model, and MR-Egger regression were added as supplementary methods. To verify the findings, the effects of pleiotropy and heterogeneity were assessed. Results: Genetically predicted H. pylori infection (OR = 0.914, 95%CI = 0.693–1.205, P = 0.523), anti-H. pylori VacA (OR = 0.973, 95%CI = 0.895–1.057, P = 0.515), anti-H. pylori CagA (OR = 1.072, 95%CI = 0.986–1.164; P = 0.102), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (OR = 1.026, 95%CI = 0.940–1.120, P = 0.567), Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection (OR = 0.962, 95%CI = 0.883–1.048, P = 0.372), cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection (OR = 1.025, 95%CI = 0.967–1.088, P = 0.415), EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA1) (OR = 1.061, 95%CI = 0.930–1.209, P = 0.378), EBV virus capsid antigen (VCA) (OR = 1.043, 95CI% = 0.890–1.222, P = 0.603), HSV-1 (OR = 1.251, 95%CI = 0.782–2.001, P = 0.351), HSV-2 (OR = 1.020, 95%CI = 0.950–1.096, P = 0.585), CMV IgG (OR = 0.990, 95CI% = 0.882–1.111, P = 0.861) were not associated with PD, indicated that H. pylori and herpesvirus infection had no causal relationship to PD. Reverse studies also found no cause effect of PD on H. pylori or herpesvirus infection. The results of the sensitivity analysis suggested the robustness of the MR results. Conclusion: This study offered preliminary proof that H. pylori and herpesvirus infections were not causally linked to PD, and vice versa. However, more robust instrumental variables (IVs) and larger samples of GWAS data were necessary for further MR analysis.

Patients with osteoporosis face challenges such as decreased bone density, a sparse trabecular structure, weakened osteogenic ability, and impaired angiogenesis, leading to poor osseointegration and implant failure. Surface modification of implants with biologically active molecules possessing various functions is an effective strategy to improve osseointegration. In this study, we constructed a simple multifunctional coating interface that significantly improves osseointegration. In brief, a multifunctional coating interface was constructed by coupling the Rgd adhesive peptide, Ogp osteogenic peptide, and Ang angiogenic peptide to Lys6 (k6), which self-assembled layer by layer with TA to form the (TA-Rgd@ogp@ang)n composite membrane. This study characterized the surface morphology and biomechanical properties of the coating under both gas and liquid phases and monitored the deposition process and reaction rate of the two peptides with TA using a quartz crystal microbalance. Moreover, (TA-Rgd@ogp@ang)n exhibited a triple synergistic effect on cell migration and adhesion, osteogenic differentiation, and angiogenesis. It also ameliorated the high ROS environment characteristic of osteoporosis pathology, promoted angiogenic bone defect regeneration in osteoporosis, thereby avoiding poor osseointegration. This work provides a new approach for the prevention of implant failure in pathological environments by constructing multifunctional coatings on implants, with tremendous potential applications in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry.

Abstract In an era where environmental conservation is increasingly critical, identifying pathways through which technological innovations like virtual reality tourism (VRT) can promote sustainable behaviors is vital. This study investigates the impact of ‘ecological presence’, a newly proposed sub-dimension of presence in VRT, on tourists’ environmentally responsible behavior (TERB). Through structural equation modeling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis of data from 290 participants, we unveil that ecological presence—defined as the authenticity and immersion of tourists in virtual ecological environments—significantly bolsters biospheric values, environmental self-identity, and personal norms. Additionally, our findings indicate that ecological presence in VRT indirectly promotes TERB, predominantly through the mediation of enhanced biospheric values and environmental self-identity. Notably, ecological presence, biospheric values, and environmental self-identity constitutes a sufficient condition for achieving a high level of TERB. This research highlights the potential of VRT as an innovative tool for tourism administrators to foster environmental stewardship, offering a novel approach to leveraging technology for conservation efforts.

Abstract Ar++N2 → Ar+N2 + has served as a paradigm for charge-transfer dynamics studies during the last several decades. Despite significant experimental and theoretical efforts on this model system, state-resolved experimental investigations on the microscopic charge-transfer mechanism between the spin-orbit excited Ar+(2P1/2) ion and N2 have been rare. Here, we measure the first quantum state-to-state differential cross sections for Ar++N2 → Ar+N2 + with the Ar+ ion prepared exclusively in the spin-orbit excited state 2P1/2 on a crossed-beam setup with three-dimensional velocity-map imaging. Trajectory surface-hopping calculations qualitatively reproduce the vibrationally dependent rotational and angular distributions of the N2 + product. Both the scattering images and theoretical calculations show that the charge-transfer dynamics of the spin-orbit excited Ar+(2P1/2) ion differs significantly from that of the spin-orbit ground Ar+(2P3/2) when colliding with N2. Such state-to-state information makes quantitative understanding of this benchmark charge-transfer reaction within reach.

High-solid anaerobic digestion (HSAD) reject water, distinguished by elevated levels of chemical oxygen demand (COD), NH4+-N and an imbalanced COD/TIN, presents a significant challenge for treatment through conventional partial nitritation/ anammox (PN/A) process. This study introduced a revised two-stage PN/A process, namely partial nitritation/denitritation-anammox (PN-DN/A) process. Its effectiveness was investigated through both pilot-scale (12 t/d) and full-scale (400 t/d) operations, showcasing stable operation with an impressive total removal rate of over 90 % for total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and exceeding 60 % for COD. Notably, 30 % of TIN was eliminated through heterotrophic denitritation in partial nitritation-denitritation (PN-DN) stage, while approximately 55 % of TIN removal occurred in the anammox stage with anaerobic ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) enrichment (Candidatus Kuenenia, 25.9 % and 26.6 % relative abundance for pilot and full scale). In the PN-DN stage, aerobic-anaerobic alternation promoted organics elimination (around 50 % COD) and balanced nitrogen species. Microbial and metagenomic analysis verified the coupling between autotrophic and heterotrophic denitritation and demonstrated that PN-DN stage acted as a protective buffer for anammox stage. This comprehensive study highlights the PN-DN/A process's efficacy in stably treating HSAD reject water.

Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is an important pathogen that can cause severe hospital- and community-acquired infections. To systematically investigate its methylation features, we determined the whole-genome sequences of 14 K. pneumoniae strains covering varying serotypes, multilocus sequence types, clonal groups, viscosity/virulence, and drug resistance. Their methylomes were further characterized using Pacific Biosciences single-molecule real-time and bisulfite technologies. We identified 15 methylation motifs [13 N6-methyladenine (6mA) and two 5-methylcytosine (5mC) motifs], among which eight were novel. Their corresponding DNA methyltransferases were also validated. Additionally, we analyzed the genomic distribution of GATC and CCWGG methylation motifs shared by all strains, and identified differential distribution patterns of some hemi-/un-methylated GATC motifs, which tend to be located within intergenic regions (IGRs). Specifically, we characterized the in vivo methylation kinetics at single-base resolution on a genome-wide scale by simulating the dynamic processes of replication-mediated passive demethylation and MTase-catalyzed re-methylation. The slow methylation of the GATC motifs in the replication origin (oriC) regions and IGRs implicates the epigenetic regulation of replication initiation and transcription. Our findings illustrate the first comprehensive dynamic methylome map of K. pneumoniae at single-base resolution, and provide a useful reference to better understand epigenetic regulation in this and other bacterial species.

The basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factors possess DNA-binding and dimerization domains and are involved in various biological and physiological processes, such as growth and development, the regulation of secondary metabolites, and stress response. However, the bHLH gene family in C. tinctorius has not been investigated. In this study, we performed a genome-wide identification and analysis of bHLH transcription factors in C. tinctorius. A total of 120 CtbHLH genes were identified, distributed across all 12 chromosomes, and classified into 24 subfamilies based on their phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, the 120 CtbHLH genes were subjected to comprehensive analyses, including protein sequence alignment, evolutionary assessment, motif prediction, and the analysis of promoter cis-acting elements. The promoter region analysis revealed that CtbHLH genes encompass cis-acting elements and were associated with various aspects of plant growth and development, responses to phytohormones, as well as responses to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Expression profiles, sourced from transcriptome databases, indicated distinct expression patterns among these CtbHLH genes, which appeared to be either tissue-specific or specific to certain cultivars. To further explore their functionality, we determined the expression levels of fifteen CtbHLH genes known to harbor motifs related to abiotic and hormone responses. This investigation encompassed treatments with ABA, salt, drought, and MeJA. The results demonstrated substantial variations in the expression patterns of CtbHLH genes in response to these abiotic and hormonal treatments. In summary, our study establishes a solid foundation for future inquiries into the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the CtbHLH gene family.

The COVID-19 epidemic widely spread across China from Wuhan, Hubei Province, because of huge migration before 2020 Chinese New Year. Previous studies demonstrated that population outflows from Wuhan determined COVID-19 cases in other cities but neglected spatial heterogeneities of their relationships. Here, we use Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model to investigate the spatially varying influences of outflows from Wuhan. Overall, the GWR model increases explanatory ability of outflows from Wuhan by 20%, with the adjusted R2 increasing from ~0.6 of Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) models to ~0.8 of GWR models. The coefficient between logarithmic of outflows from Wuhan and COVID-19 cases in other cities is generally less than 1. The sub-linear scaling relationship indicates the increasing returns of outflows was restrained, proving the epidemic was efficiently controlled outside Hubei at the beginning without obvious local transmissions. Coefficients in GWR models vary in cities. Not only cities around Wuhan but also cities having close connections with Wuhan experienced higher coefficients, showing a higher vulnerability of these cities. The secondary or multi-level transmission networks deserve to be further explored to fully uncover influences of migrations on the COVID-19 pandemic.

BackgroundObesity as a risk factor of heart disease (HD) is confirmed through observational, laboratory, and intervention studies. However, it cannot explain why HD declines, but obesity increases in the United States in recent decades. This study attempted to understand this paradox.MethodsAnnual data of national HD mortality (1999–2018) were derived from Wide-Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research, biannual obesity data (1999–2016) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and smoking data (1965–1990) were from the National Health Interview Survey. Age-period-cohort method was used to decompose HD mortality into age, period, and cohort effects, and to estimate age-cohort adjusted mortality rates. To explain the paradox, age-cohort adjusted rates were associated with obesity rates to verify the positive obesity-HD relationship, while smoking rates were associated with cohort effects to explain the current declines in HD mortality.ResultsDuring 1999–2018, the prevalence of obesity increased while the crude HD mortality rate declined for both sex and all races. After controlling for the curvilinear age effect and consistent declining cohort effect, the age-cohort adjusted HD mortality sustained stable in 1999–2007 and increased thereafter. The age-cohort adjusted rate in 1999–2018 (per 100,000) increased from 189.31 to 238.56 for males, 67.23 to 90.28 for females, 115.54 to 157.39 for White, 246.40 to 292.59 for Black, 79.79 to 101.40 for Hispanics, and 49.95 to 62.86 for Asian. The age-cohort adjusted HD mortality rates were positively associated with obesity rates (r = 0.68 for males, 0.91 for females, 0.89 for White, and 0.69 for Hispanic, p < 0.05), but not significant for Black and Asian. Further, during 1965–1990, the estimated cohort effect showed a decline in HD risk and was positively associated with smoking rates (r = 0.98 for both sex, 0.99 for White, and 0.98 for Black, p < 0.01).ConclusionStudy findings reveal potential increase of HD risk and support the positive relationship between obesity and HD risk. Declines in HD mortality in the past two decades are primarily due to tobacco use reduction and this protective effect was entangled in the mortality rates as cohort effect.

Objective: We investigated the pathogenesis of a patient with severe acute pancreatitis by comprehensively analysing a rare carbapenem-resistant hypervirulent K1/ST1265 Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-HvKP) strain. Methods: We conducted virulence and multidrug-resistance phenotypic characterization and identified a CR-HvKP strain from the patient. It was subjected to Pacbio sequencing, and subsequent analysis of virulence, resistance genes and mobile genetic elements. Results: We described the phenotype and genotype of a rare CR-HvKP strain with an untypeable blaKPC-harboured conjugative plasmid and a pLVPK-like virulent plasmid. Resistance gene analysis showed that the untypeable blaKPC-2-harboured plasmid was formed by IS26-mediated recombination of blaKPC-embedded transposon Tn6500 into pCN061p4 from Escherichia coli. Interestingly, it had an R-M system that might protect plasmid from cleavage. This may facilitate the stabilization of plasmids in bacteria in the event of missing CR-plasmid during transmission. Virulence gene analysis indicated 78 virulence genes on the genome, including 67 on the chromosome (37 in high-pathogenic island) and 11 on the pLVPK-like virulence plasmid (harbouring rmpA/rmpA2). Further phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CR-HvKP evolved from HvKP through acquiring an antimicrobial-resistance plasmid. Conclusion: Our research, to our knowledge, first reported a ST1265/K1 CR-HvKP strain with an untypeable blaKPC-harboured plasmid. The trend that HvKP could evolve into CR-HvKP by obtaining stabilized/conjugative blaKPC-carrying plasmids is a considerable threat to public health and should be closely supervised.

As a time-varying evolution graph, a Multi-Layer Temporal Network (MLTN) contains the temporal dynamic of multiple subgraphs connected by various types of interactions. Compared to a single-layer network, MLTN implicates more information and complicates relationships, which leads the way that the interaction patterns in MLTN are too complicated to be extracted. In this work, we proposed a compatible MLTN encoding method for converting diverse MLTNs into tensors. Next, based on the tensor factoring technique, a tensor can be factored to main components to help us obtain the main interaction patterns in MLTN. However, the factoring result is hard to understand. Therefore, we built an MLTN visual analytic system called MuNeEye to help system users understand the factoring result of MLTN and further explore the latent patterns of MLTN. Three cases show that the method proposed by us is effective in pattern detection from various types of MLTN, such as social networks, conflict relationships between countries, and computer networks.

In higher plants, chloroplasts are essential semi-autonomous organelles with complex compartments. As part of these sub-organellar compartments, the sheet-like thylakoid membranes contain abundant light-absorbing chlorophylls bound to the light-harvesting proteins and to some of the reaction center proteins. About half of the thylakoid membrane proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and synthesized in the cytosol as precursors before being imported into the chloroplast. After translocation across the chloroplast envelope by the Toc/Tic system, these proteins are subsequently inserted into or translocated across the thylakoid membranes through distinct pathways. The other half of thylakoid proteins are encoded by the chloroplast genome, synthesized in the stroma and integrated into the thylakoid through a cotranslational process. Much progress has been made in identification and functional characterization of new factors involved in protein targeting into the thylakoids, and new insights into this process have been gained. In this review, we introduce the distinct transport systems mediating the translocation of substrate proteins from chloroplast stroma to the thylakoid membrane, and present the recent advances in the identification of novel components mediating these pathways. Finally, we raise some unanswered questions involved in the targeting of chloroplast proteins into the thylakoid membrane, along with perspectives for future research.

In higher plants, chloroplasts are vital organelles possessing highly complex compartmentalization. As most chloroplast-located proteins are encoded in the nucleus and synthesized in the cytosol, the correct sorting of these proteins to appropriate compartments is critical for the proper functions of chloroplasts as well as plant survival. Nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins are imported into stroma and further sorted to distinct compartments via different pathways. The proteins predicted to be sorted to the thylakoid lumen by the chloroplast twin arginine transport (cpTAT) pathway are shown to be facilitated by STT1/2 driven liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Liquid-liquid phase separation is a novel mechanism to facilitate the formation of membrane-less sub-cellular compartments and accelerate biochemical reactions temporally and spatially. In this review, we introduce the sorting mechanisms within chloroplasts, and briefly summarize the properties and significance of LLPS, with an emphasis on the novel function of LLPS in the sorting of cpTAT substrate proteins. We conclude with perspectives for the future research on chloroplast protein sorting and targeting mechanisms.

Recently, a new color image encryption scheme based on hybrid hyper-chaotic system and cellular automata was proposed. In order to generate different key streams according to different plaintexts, the sum of pixel values of each component of the original color image apart from the secret keys is used to determine the initial value of logistic map for encryption. It was claimed that the scheme can resist kinds of attacks. However, this paper found out three security drawbacks about the original encryption scheme and proposed an effective attack method using chosen-plaintext attack by cryptanalysis. The equivalent permutation key stream can be obtained by adjusting individual pixel values of the chosen plaintexts while keeping the sum of pixel values of each color channel unchanged, and all 256 possibilities of equivalent diffusion key streams can be obtained by using 512 specific chosen plaintexts. In addition, the main stages of the proposed attack method, including breaking diffusion and breaking permutation, are exchangeable. The effectiveness of our method is supported by both theoretical analyses and experimental results.

In contrast to flavonols, the functions of plant flavones are largely unknown. Here, the authors report the two differentially evolved glucosyltranferases (flavone 7-O-glucosyltransferase and flavone 5-O-glucosyltransferase) determine natural variation of rice flavone accumulation and UV-tolerance.

Two sets of LSGs were identified using BLAST: Caenorhabditis elegans species-specific genes (SSGs, 1423), and Caenorhabditis genus-specific genes (GSGs, 4539). The data contained in this article show SSGs and GSGs have significant differences in evolution and that most of them were formed by gene duplication and integration of transposable elements (TEs). Subsequent observation of temporal expression and protein function presents that many SSGs and GSGs are expressed and that genes involved with sex determination, specific stress, immune response, and morphogenesis are most represented. The data are related to research article “Genome-wide identification of lineage-specific genes within Caenorhabditis elegans” in Journal of Genomics [1].

Mosquito-transmitted diseases like malaria and dengue fever are global problem and an estimated 50-100 million of dengue or dengue hemorrhagic fever cases are reported worldwide every year. The mermithid nematode Romanomermis wuchangensis has been successfully used as an ecosystem-friendly biocontrol agent for mosquito prevention in laboratory studies. However, this nematode can not undergo sex differentiation in vitro culture, which has seriously affected their application of biocontrol in the field. In this study, based on transcriptome sequencing analysis of R. wuchangensis, Rwucmab-3, Rwuclaf-1 and Rwuctra-2 were cloned and used to investigate molecular regulatory function of sex differentiation. qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the expression level of Rwucmab-3 between male and female displayed obvious difference on the 3rd day of parasitic stage, which was earlier than Rwuclaf-1 and Rwuctra-2, highlighting sex differentiation process may start on the 3rd day of parasitic stage. Besides, FITC was used as a marker to test dsRNA uptake efficiency of R. wuchangensis, which fluorescence intensity increased with FITC concentration after 16 h incubation, indicating this nematode can successfully ingest soaking solution via its cuticle. RNAi results revealed the sex ratio of R. wuchangensis from RNAi treated groups soaked in dsRNA of Rwucmab-3 was significantly higher than gfp dsRNA treated groups and control groups, highlighting RNAi of Rwumab-3 may hinder the development of male nematodes. These results suggest that Rwucmab-3 mainly involves in the initiation of sex differentiation and the development of male sexual dimorphism. Rwuclaf-1 and Rwuctra-2 may play vital role in nematode reproductive and developmental system. In conclusion, transcript sequences presented in this study could provide more bioinformatics resources for future studies on gene cloning and other molecular regulatory mechanism in R. wuchangensis. Moreover, identification and functional analysis of sex differentiation genes may clarify the sex differentiation mechanism of R. wuchangensis, which are helpful to solve the uncompleted sex differentiation problem in vitro culture and the potential large-scale field application controlling the larvae of C. quinquefasciatus, A. aegypti and A. albopictus.

This paper deals with the advanced planning and scheduling (APS) problem with multilevel structured products. A constraint programming model is constructed for the problem with the consideration of precedence constraints, capacity constraints, release time and due date. A new constraint programming (CP) method is proposed to minimize the total cost. This method is based on iterative solving via branch and bound. And, at each node, the constraint propagation technique is adapted for domain filtering and consistency check. Three branching strategies are compared to improve the search speed. The results of computational study show that the proposed CP method performs better than the traditional mixed integer programming (MIP) method. And the binary constraint heuristic branching strategy is more effective than the other two branching strategies.

A series of W, N codoped TiO2 nanotube arrays with different dopant contents were fabricated by anodizing in association with hydrothermal treatment. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible light diffuse reflection spectroscopy. Moreover, the photocatalytic activity of W and N codoped TiO2 nanotube arrays was evaluated by degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation. It was found that N in codoped TNAs exists in the forms of Ti-N-O, while W exists as W6+ by substituting Ti in the lattice of TiO2. In the meantime, W and N codoping successfully extends the absorption of TNAs into the whole visible light region and results in remarkably enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The mechanism of the enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to (i) increasing number of hydroxyl groups on the surface of TNAs after the hydrothermal treatment, (ii) a strong W-N synergistic interaction leads to produce new states, narrow the band gap which decrease the recombination effectively, and then greatly increase the visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity; (iii) W ions with changing valences in all codoped samples which are considered to act as trapping sites, effectively decrease the recombination rate of electrons and holes, and improve the photocatalytic activity.

As the blueberry industry continues to evolve, the effective control of its diseases and pests has become an essential component of local agricultural development. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the principal types of blueberry diseases and pests in Guizhou Province, along with the corresponding control measures, in order to serve as a valuable reference for blueberry growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]