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Abstract The linear power amplifier (LPA) suffers from low power supply utilization in the DC power supply mode, leading to reduced output efficiency. This paper constructs an efficient power supply mode based on closed‐loop dynamic power supply system (CLDPSs). The CLDPSs can generate a pair of bipolar dynamic power supplies based on a predetermined signal to provide power to LPA, which can maintain a small voltage drop between the power supply and the output of LPA, thereby improving the power supply utilization of LPA. In addition, the study also focuses on the conflicting relationship between the output ripple and the dynamic performance of the CLDPSs, for which a new parametric design of the LC filter circuit is proposed, aiming to achieve a balance between these two aspects. Finally, a voice coil motor driving platform is constructed for experimental testing. The results demonstrate that the output ripple and dynamic performance of the CLDPSs can be balanced. In comparison to the DC power supply mode, the CLDPSs power supply mode can enhance the efficiency of LPA by 2 times while the driving accuracy of voice coil motor is basically unchanged.

Abstract Predicting and understanding the phenomenon of surface subsidence caused by coal mining in working faces with faults are important issues for safe coal mining and efficient production. In numerical simulation experiments, it was found that the phenomenon of surface subsidence manifests when faults exist, and the degree of influence of faults with different dip angles on surface subsidence varies. This phenomenon is attributed to fault activation. According to the experimental results, the impact of faults with different dip angles on surface subsidence falls into three levels: level I for 35° faults, level II for 45° and 55° faults, and level III for 65° and 75° faults. Similarly, the relationship between the difficulty of fault activation and the dip angle of faults can be categorized as 35° faults prone to activation, 45° and 55° faults difficult to activate, and 65° and 75° faults not prone to activation. The probability integral correction model for fault mining, which integrates the surface subsidence values caused by fault-induced attenuation and the subsidence arising from separation spaces, was introduced, thereby constructing a surface subsidence prediction model. This proposed prediction model can accurately predict surface subsidence, with a root mean square error of 10.74 mm between the predicted and measured values, as validated using DInSAR results from the III 6301 working face in the Jincheng mining area.

Abstract Background The SET domain group (SDG) genes encode histone lysine methyltransferases, which regulate gene transcription by altering chromatin structure and play pivotal roles in plant flowering determination. However, few studies have investigated their role in the regulation of flowering in upland cotton. Results A total of 86 SDG genes were identified through genome-wide analysis in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). These genes were unevenly distributed across 25 chromosomes. Cluster analysis revealed that the 86 GhSDGs were divided into seven main branches. RNA-seq data and qRT‒PCR analysis revealed that lysine methyltransferase 3 (KMT3) genes were expressed at high levels in stamens, pistils and other floral organs. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), functional characterization of GhKMT3;1a and GhKMT3;2a revealed that, compared with those of the controls, the GhKMT3;1a- and GhKMT3;2a-silenced plants exhibited later budding and flowering and lower plant heightwere shorter. In addition, the expression of flowering-related genes (GhAP1, GhSOC1 and GhFT) significantly decreased and the expression level of GhSVP significantly increased in the GhKMT3;1a- and GhKMT3;2a-silenced plants compared with the control plants. Conclusion A total of 86 SDG genes were identified in upland cotton, among which GhKMT3;1a and GhKMT3;2a might regulate flowering by affecting the expression of GhAP1, GhSOC1, GhFT and GhSVP. These findings will provide genetic resources for advanced molecular breeding in the future.

Surrounding rocks of underground engineering are subjected to long-term seepage pressure, which can deteriorate the mechanical properties and cause serious disasters. In order to understand the impact of seepage pressure on the mechanical property of sandstone, uniaxial compression tests, P-wave velocity measurements, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests were conducted on saturated sandstone samples with varied seepage pressures (i.e. 0 MPa, 3 MPa, 4 MPa, 5 MPa, 6 MPa, 7 MPa). The results demonstrate that the mechanical parameters (uniaxial compressive strength, peak strain, elastic modulus, and brittleness index), total energy, elastic strain energy, as well as elastic strain energy ratio, decrease with increasing seepage pressure, while the dissipation energy and dissipation energy ratio increase. Moreover, as seepage pressure increases, the micro-pores gradually transform into meso-pores and macro-pores. This increases the cumulative porosity of sandstone and decreases P-wave velocity. The numerical results indicate that as seepage pressure rises, the number of tensile cracks increases progressively, the angle range of microcracks is basically from 50°-120° to 80°-100°, and as a result, the failure mode transforms to the tensile-shear mixed failure mode. Finally, the effects of seepage pressure on mechanical properties were discussed. The results show that decrease in the effective stress and cohesion under the action of seepage pressure could lead to deterioration of strength behaviors of sandstone.

BackgroundInfertility is increasingly recognized as a global health issue affecting couples of reproductive age, with male factors contributing to approximately 50% of infertility cases. However, the association between depression and anxiety-two of the most prevalent mental health conditions-and impaired male fertility remains a subject of ongoing debate.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, male participants seeking fertility counseling at an IVF clinic were recruited. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Generalized linear regression models (GLMs) were employed to investigate the relationships between mental health status and semen parameters.ResultsStatus of depression was negatively associated with semen quality parameters, whereas no statistically significant association was recognized between anxiety and semen quality except that sperm concentration was decreased by 25.60 (95% CI, 1.226 to 49.965, P=0.040) ×106/ml in moderate to severe anxiety group referring to normal group. Furthermore, when stratified by sleep duration, moderate to severe depression group showed a great decrease in progressive motility (PR), total motility, concentration and total sperm count (TSC) as referred to normal group in participants with sleep duration less than 7 hours.ConclusionThe present study revealed that depression rather than anxiety was a negative factor that affected semen quality, especially in individuals with shorter sleep duration.

High-quality land-use/land-cover mapping with optical remote sensing images yet presents significant work. Even though fully convolutional semantic segmentation models have recently contributed to popular solutions, the lack of annotation data may lead to severe degradations in their inference performance. Besides, the category confusion in high-resolution representations will further exacerbate the adverse effects. In this paper, we propose a category-sensitive semi-supervised semantic segmentation framework to address these weaknesses by employing massive unlabeled data. With the perturbations from adopted hybrid data augmentation structures, we first focus on the output space and execute regularization constraints to learn category-specific discriminative features. It is formulated with a consistency self-training procedure where a dynamic class-balanced threshold selection scheme is proposed to provide high-confident pseudo supervisions for each category. In addition, we introduce pixel-wise contrastive learning on the common embedding space from both labeled and unlabeled data domains to further facilitate the semantic dependencies among category features, in which the reliable labels are leveraged as guidance for pixel sample selection. We verify the proposed framework on two benchmark land-use/land-cover datasets, and the experimental results demonstrate its competitive performance to other state-of-the-art semi-supervised methods.

Quasi-Zero Stiffness (QZS) is essential for low-frequency passive vibration isolation, with the negative stiffness mechanism (NSM) being pivotal for achieving QZS. Mechanical spring-based NSMs often face issues like contact friction, parasitic high-frequency modes, and stiffness nonlinearity. This paper presents a new magnetic NSM designed to overcome these challenges effectively. The mechanism is applied to a Fast Steering Mirror (FSM) as a case study, enhancing its vibration isolation performance. Initially, a torque model for the magnetic NSM is established, exploring the impact of various structural dimensions on torque and nonlinear issues. The magnetic NSM features adjustable negative stiffness and a large, adjustable linear working range. Experiments were designed to validate the principle of the magnetic NSM and its effect on the QZS FSM’s vibration isolation performance. The experimental results confirm the accuracy of the magnetic NSM principle. The QZS FSM stiffness is significantly reduced to quasi-zero stiffness, resulting in a decrease of the resonance peak from 20.1 to −12.8 dB and lowering the minimum suppressible vibration frequency from 54.63 to 3.44 Hz, thereby enhancing the vibration isolation performance of the QZS FSM.

In this study, the dynamic process of a droplet moving with a substrate until blocked by air flow is investigated experimentally and theoretically. A sequence of experiments has been conducted to investigate the impacts of wetting properties, droplet volumes, air flow velocities, and droplet velocities. The substrate is driven by a linear motion motor to ensure the droplet moves at a certain velocity alongside the substrate. The air flow that is vertically injected from the nozzles toward the substrate is known as an impinging jet. After the air flow impacts the substrate, it will blow horizontally. When the direction of air flow is opposite to that of the droplet movement, a force will be exerted on the surface of the droplet. This action incurs the deformation of the droplet and the cessation of its movement, eventually resulting in an equilibrium state. The droplet shape and motion processes are recorded by a high-speed camera. A mathematical model considering the effect of droplet contact angle, droplet size, droplet moving velocity, and air flow velocity is established in the state of equilibrium. Correlation factors are used in the model for the drag coefficient and air average velocity acting on the droplet. It is found that the air flow rate required to stop the motion of the droplet increases with the droplet moving velocity and the droplet size but reduces with the increase in the static contact angle. The mathematical model, when equipped with suitable correlation factors, exhibits good agreement with experimental data and could potentially be utilized as a predictor of critical velocity for the cessation of the droplet motion.

Abstract Background Homegardens are small-scale land use systems with significant implications for local livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development due to their diverse flora and fauna. Conducting homegarden surveys enables researchers to gain insights into the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, preserve homegarden biodiversity, and promote sustainable livelihoods. This study has two objectives: first, to collect, record, and organize data on homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge from three communities in the Laershan Plateau, and second, to analyze the species and functional diversity of homegarden plants in the region while exploring the factors that contribute to the heterogeneous distribution of these plants among the communities of three townships. Methods This research employed field surveys in the Laershan Miao Autonomous Region in Xiangxi, China, from September 2021 to August 2023. Data were collected through observation and semi-structured interviews. The study utilized descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis, including the Relative Importance Value (RI), Use Value Index (UV), Jaccard Index (JI), and Comprehensive Index of Land Use Degree (La), to examine the diversity of local homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge, as well as community heterogeneity. Results The study area exhibited rich biodiversity, with 152 plant species recorded belonging to 62 families and 124 genera. These findings highlight the importance of homegarden plants in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing system resilience against disturbances. Homegarden plants serve multiple functions such as food, ornamental, medicinal, and fodder purposes, with edible and trade plants having the most abundant knowledge. Furthermore, this research revealed that communities with similar forest resource compositions may have similar homegarden plant compositions, demonstrating the connection between cultural exchange among different communities and patterns of plant species distribution. Conclusions The Laershan region boasts diverse homegarden plant species crucial for ecological balance and resilience. Their multifunctionality reflects human impact. Plant diversity varies with residents' lifestyles, needs, and cultural exchanges. The close connection between plants and local life is clear. Factors like resource distribution, cultural exchange, and lifestyle influence plant distribution. Further research is needed for conservation and sustainable development. Future research should focus on culturally valuable plant species and traditional knowledge applications.

[Objective] In view of the functional orientation of city railway and the inconsistency in passengers demand for travel convenience, ride comfort, and economy under the current economic and social development, it is necessary to study the train operation scheme for city railway which takes the passenger travel time value into account. [Method] A train operation scheme model considering passenger travel time value is built. In the model, passenger travel cost and train operation cost are taken as the objective function, and train capacity, inter-station passenger flow and the operating train quantity are the main constraint conditions. Meanwhile, Pareto model is used to standardize the time value of various passengers and the operating cost of trains with different marshalling. Targeting the Shanghai urban rail transit airport link as the research background, two types of train marshalling for 4-car and 8-car trains are considered to calculate, analyze and evaluate the train operation scheme for the single trip during peak hours from Hongqiao Railway Station to Shanghai East Station. [Result & Conclusion] The train operation scheme which takes the passenger travel time value into account can minimize the passenger travel cost and better meet the time demands of various passengers. Extending the travel time for passengers with lower time value and shortening the travel time for passengers with higher time value can effectively achieve the economic efficiency of the train operation scheme.

Abstract A national distribution of secondary forest age (SFA) is essential for understanding the forest ecosystem and carbon stock in China. While past studies have mainly used various change detection algorithms to detect forest disturbance, which cannot adequately characterize the entire forest landscape. This study developed a data-driven approach for improving performances of the Vegetation Change Tracker (VCT) and Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) algorithms for detecting the establishment of forest stands. An ensemble method for mapping national-scale SFA by determining the establishment time of secondary forest stands using change detection algorithms and dense Landsat time series was proposed. A dataset of national secondary forest age for China (SFAC) for 1 to 34 and with a 30-m spatial resolution was produced from the optimal ensemble model. This dataset provides national, continuous spatial SFA information and can improve understanding of secondary forests and the estimation of forest carbon storage in China.

Background: Wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt amyloidosis) is primarily diagnosed in elderly men but diagnoses in younger patients and women have recently increased. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine age- and sex-related differences in patients with ATTRwt amyloidosis enrolled in the THAOS (Transthyretin Amyloidosis Outcomes Survey). Methods: THAOS was a global, longitudinal, observational survey of patients with transthyretin amyloidosis, including both hereditary and wild-type disease, and asymptomatic carriers of pathogenic transthyretin gene variants. Patient characteristics at enrollment were analyzed by age at enrollment and sex (data cutoff date: August 1, 2022). Results: Of 1,251 patients with ATTRwt amyloidosis, 13.7%, 49.1%, 34.5%, and 2.8% were aged

Background and aimsRespiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children and the elderly, often progressing to pneumonia and severe sequelae. However, there are currently no feasible and cost-effective interventions with proven efficacy for children, making medications with anti-RSV activity urgently needed. Traditional Chinese medicine has shown promising therapeutic efficacy in alleviating viral infection symptoms. Therefore, we aimed to develop effective strategies for RSV treatment based on traditional Chinese medicine.Methods and resultsThe infection status was assessed in BALB/c mice with or without Xuanfei Formula (XFF) treatment over a one-week period using H&E staining, cytokine assays and RSV titer testing after RSV challenge. Remarkably, on the first day of XFF intervention, both the pro-inflammation cytokine levels in the serum and RSV-N gene copies in the lung of mice were plummeted, compared to the RSV-infected group. This implied that XFF might possess the immune-independent anti-RSV capability. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, we employed transcriptome analysis followed by k-means analysis. The reversal effects of XFF against RSV primarily focused on the processes of innate and adaptive immunity. Additionally, we found that XFF administration corrected the disordered fatty acid and cholesterol metabolism processes during RSV infection. Lipidomics profiling indicated consistent cholesterol abundance with transcriptional changes but not fatty acids. Cholesterol synthesis-related genes mRNA levels and cholesterol synthesis intermediates detection supported XFF’s repression upon cholesterol biosynthesis. Aberrantly increased cholesterol production has been reported as necessary for RSV infection. To mimic that, we observed lovastatin treatment inhibited RSV replication and pro-inflammation cytokine expression in vitro. Transcription factor prediction of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in cholesterol synthesis implicated SREBP2. Through network pharmacology, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were identified as the effective active ingredients within the XFF, with the help of further molecular docking and mass spectrum detection. In vitro experiments demonstrated β-sitosterol and stigmasterol reinforced the bonding between SREBP cleavage-activation protein (SCAP) and insulin-induced gene proteins (INSIGs) to inhibit SREBP2 cleavage maturation and consequent RSV infection.ConclusionXuanfei Formula (XFF) exhibits excellent anti-RSV efficacy by inhibiting SREBP2-mediated cholesterol synthesis to reduce RSV replication and ameliorate inflammation in the lung of infected mice.

To solve the problem of distance education and cope with emergencies, online education has become one of the common educational methods in recent years. Objects: This study aimed to explore the relationship between the teacher-student relationship (TSR) and mental disorders of university students in online education. Measures: 2032 full-time undergraduate and graduate students from a comprehensive university in China participated in the online survey. The Chinese version of the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale-21 Items, the Chinese version of the Mobile Phone Addiction Index (MPAI), and the 7-item Teacher-Student Relationship Perception Questionnaire were administered to the students. Results: We found that higher quality of perceived TSR and a lower level of mobile phone addiction were associated with better mental health among undergraduate and graduate students during online education. Mobile phone addiction mediated the relationship between TSR and mental disorders, and hometown setting moderated the relationship between TSR and mobile phone addiction. Specifically, a higher quality of perceived TSR was associated with a lower level of mobile phone addiction. In addition, for students with low-quality perceived TSR, those who came from rural areas had a higher level of mobile phone addiction than those who came from urban areas. In contrast, when students had high-quality perceived TSR, the differences between students from urban and rural areas in mobile phone addiction were insignificant. Conclusion: The results of this study are of great significance in improving the mental health and mobile phone addiction of undergraduate and graduate students during online education and reveal the urban-rural differences in the impact of TSRs during online education.

Abstract As one of the noninvasive screening and diagnostic tools for human breath monitoring of various diseases, chemiresistive devices with nanomaterials as the sensing interfaces for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted increasing interests. A key challenge for the practical applications is an effective integration of all components in a system level. By integrating with the system components, it provides reliable and rapid results as a fast‐screening method for healthcare, safety, and environmental monitoring. This paper highlights some of the latest developments in chemiresistive sensors designed for the detection of VOCs and human breaths. It begins with a brief introduction to the fundamental principles of chemiresistive sensors with nanoparticle‐structured sensing interfaces. This is followed by a discussion of the recent fabrication methods, with an emphasis on nanostructured materials. Some of the recent examples will be highlighted in terms of recent innovative approaches to sensor applications and system integrations. Challenges and opportunities will also be discussed for the advancement and refinement of the chemiresistive sensor technologies in breath screening and monitoring of diseases.

Mangroves play a crucial role in improving the water quality of mangrove wetlands. However, current research faces challenges, such as the difficulty in quantifying the impact of mangroves on water quality and the unclear pathways of influence. This study utilized remote sensing imagery to investigate the long-term changes in mangrove forests in the Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve and constructed a water quality index based on water quality data. Finally, structural equation modeling was employed to explore the pathways of influence and quantify the impact effects of mangroves, climate, and water quality. The study findings revealed several key points: (1) The mangrove forests in the Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve exhibited a trend of expansion towards the ocean during this period. (2) The seasonal and annual characteristics of water quality in Shenzhen Bay indicated a significant improvement in water quality from 2000 to 2020. (3) Mangroves have significant direct and indirect impacts on water quality, which are more pronounced than the effects of climate factors. These findings not only offer insights for the environmental management and conservation of Shenzhen Bay but also provide support for future comprehensive studies on the response relationships between the morphology, species, and physiological characteristics of mangroves and water quality.

In the original publication [...]

IntroductionAbiotic stress during growth readily reduces cotton crop yield. The different survival tactics of plants include the activation of numerous stress response genes, such as BREVIS RADIX (BRX).MethodsIn this study, the BRX gene family of upland cotton was identified and analyzed by bioinformatics method, three salt-tolerant and cold-resistant GhBRX genes were screened. The expression of GhBRX.1, GhBRX.2 and GhBRXL4.3 in upland cotton was silenced by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technique. The physiological and biochemical indexes of plants and the expression of related stress-response genes were detected before and after gene silencing. The effects of GhBRX.1, GhBRX.2 and GhBRXL4.3 on salt and cold resistance of upland cotton were further verified.Results and discussionWe discovered 12, 6, and 6 BRX genes in Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium raimondii and Gossypium arboreum, respectively. Chromosomal localization indicated that the retention and loss of GhBRX genes on homologous chromosomes did not have a clear preference for the subgenomes. Collinearity analysis suggested that segmental duplications were the main force for BRX gene amplification. The upland cotton genes GhBRX.1, GhBRX.2 and GhBRXL4.3 are highly expressed in roots, and GhBRXL4.3 is also strongly expressed in the pistil. Transcriptome data and qRT‒PCR validation showed that abiotic stress strongly induced GhBRX.1, GhBRX.2 and GhBRXL4.3. Under salt stress and low-temperature stress conditions, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) and the content of soluble sugar and chlorophyll decreased in GhBRX.1-, GhBRX.2- and GhBRXL4.3-silenced cotton plants compared with those in the control (TRV: 00). Moreover, GhBRX.1-, GhBRX.2- and GhBRXL4.3-silenced cotton plants exhibited greater malondialdehyde (MDA) levels than did the control plants. Moreover, the expression of stress marker genes (GhSOS1, GhSOS2, GhNHX1, GhCIPK6, GhBIN2, GhSnRK2.6, GhHDT4D, GhCBF1 and GhPP2C) decreased significantly in the three target genes of silenced plants following exposure to stress. These results imply that the GhBRX.1, GhBRX.2 and GhBRXL4.3 genes may be regulators of salt stress and low-temperature stress responses in upland cotton.

We evaluated the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines among South Asians living in Ontario, Canada compared to non-South Asians and compared the odds of symptomatic COVID-19 infection and related hospitalizations and deaths among non-vaccinated South Asians and non-South Asians. This was a test negative design study conducted in Ontario, Canada between December 14, 2020 and November 15, 2021. All eligible individuals >18 years with symptoms of COVID-19 were subdivided by ethnicity (South Asian vs other) and vaccination status (vaccinated versus not). The primary outcome was vaccine effectiveness as defined by COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, and secondary outcome was the odds of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and death comparing non-vaccinated South Asians to non-vaccinated non-South Asians. 883,155 individuals were included. Among South Asians, two doses of COVID-19 vaccine prevented 93.8% (95% CI 93.2, 94.4) of COVID-19 infections and 97.5% (95% CI 95.2, 98.6) of hospitalizations and deaths. Among non-South Asians, vaccines prevented 86.6% (CI 86.3, 86.9) of COVID-19 infections and 93.1% (CI 92.2, 93.8) of hospitalizations and deaths. Non-vaccinated South Asians had higher odds of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to non-vaccinated non-South Asians (OR 2.35, 95% CI 2.3, 2.4), regardless of their immigration status. COVID-19 vaccines are effective in preventing infections, hospitalizations and deaths among South Asians living in Canada. The observation that non-vaccinated South Asians have higher odds of symptomatic COVID-19 infection warrants further investigation.

Background. Kidney transplantation (KT) is the best treatment for end-stage renal disease. Although long and short-term survival rates for the graft have improved significantly with the development of immunosuppressants, acute rejection (AR) remains a major risk factor attacking the graft and patients. The innate immune response plays an important role in rejection. Therefore, our objective is to determine the biomarkers of congenital immunity associated with AR after KT and provide support for future research. Materials and Methods. A differential expression genes (DEGs) analysis was performed based on the dataset GSE174020 from the NCBI gene Expression Synthesis Database (GEO) and then combined with the GSE5099 M1 macrophage-related gene identified in the Molecular Signatures Database. We then identified genes in DEGs associated with M1 macrophages defined as DEM1Gs and performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Cibersort was used to analyze the immune cell infiltration during AR. At the same time, we used the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and Cytoscape software to determine the key genes. Dataset, GSE14328 derived from pediatric patients, GSE138043 and GSE9493 derived from adult patients, were used to verify Hub genes. Additional verification was the rat KT model, which was used to perform HE staining, immunohistochemical staining, and Western Blot. Hub genes were searched in the HPA database to confirm their expression. Finally, we construct the interaction network of transcription factor (TF)-Hub genes and miRNA-Hub genes. Results. Compared to the normal group, 366 genes were upregulated, and 423 genes were downregulated in the AR group. Then, 106 genes related to M1 macrophages were found among these genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these genes are mainly involved in cytokine binding, antigen binding, NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, activation of immune receptors and immune response, and activation of the inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathway. Two Hub genes, namely CCR7 and CD48, were identified by PPI and Cytoscape analysis. They have been verified in external validation sets, originated from both pediatric patients and adult patients, and animal experiments. In the HPA database, CCR7 and CD48 are mainly expressed in T cells, B cells, macrophages, and tissues where these immune cells are distributed. In addition to immunoinfiltration, CD4+T, CD8+T, NK cells, NKT cells, and monocytes increased significantly in the AR group, which was highly consistent with the results of Hub gene screening. Finally, we predicted that 19 TFs and 32 miRNAs might interact with the Hub gene. Conclusions. Through a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis, our findings may provide predictive and therapeutic targets for AR after KT.

BackgroundHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to increase in morbidity and mortality among all types of cancer. DNA methylation, an important epigenetic modification, is associated with cancer occurrence and progression. The objective of this study was to establish a model based on DNA methylation risk scores for identifying new potential therapeutic targets in HCC and preventing cancer progression.MethodsTranscriptomic, clinical, and DNA methylation data on 374 tumor tissues and 50 adjacent normal tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas–Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma database. The gene expression profiles of the GSE54236 liver cancer dataset, which contains data on 161 liver tissue samples, were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. We analyzed the relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression levels after identifying the differentially methylated and expressed genes. Then, we developed and validated a risk score model based on the DNA methylation-driven genes. A tissue array consisting of 30 human hepatocellular carcinoma samples and adjacent normal tissues was used to assess the protein and mRNA expression levels of the marker genes by immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR, respectively.ResultsThree methylation-related differential genes were identified in our study: GLS, MEX3B, and GNA14. The results revealed that their DNA methylation levels were negatively correlated with local gene expression regulation. The gene methylation levels correlated strongly with the prognosis of patients with liver cancer. This was confirmed by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical verification of the expression of these genes or proteins in tumors and adjacent tissues. These results revealed the relationship between the level of relevant gene methylation and the prognosis of patients with liver cancer as well as the underlying cellular and biological mechanisms. This allows our gene signature to provide more accurate and appropriate predictions for clinical applications.ConclusionThrough bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation, we obtained three DNA methylation marker: GLS, MEX3B, and GNA14. This helps to predict the prognosis and may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients.

A scientific understanding of the trends of water-related ecosystem services (WESs) under different scenarios is crucial to improving WESs and maintaining ecological security. However, there is a lack of high-resolution land use simulation and assessment of WESs under the SSP-RCP scenarios, and the impacts of different land-use change (LUC) on WESs are not clear. This study focused on the Poyang Lake Basin (PYLB), utilizing the SSP-RCP scenarios, the PLUS model and the InVEST model to explore the dynamic changes of land use and WESs historically and in the future, and to reveal the impacts of specific LUC on WESs from 2000 to 2020. The results demonstrated that: (1) The forest land increased under both SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios but increased first and then decreased under SSP5-8.5 scenarios; Cropland increased significantly under SSP5-8.5 scenarios, and the construction land showed an expansion trend under the three scenarios. (2) From 2000 to 2020, only the water purification capacity decreased, while the rest of the WESs increased. Under the SSP1-2.6 scenario, the overall benefits of the WESs in the PYLB were the highest. (3) Between 2000 and 2020, deforestation in the PYLB brought about the greatest increase in the water yield (+9.06 × 108 m3). The increase in the construction land brought about the most water conservation loss (−18.19 × 108 m3). Additionally, the forest expansion and cropland reduction brought about the largest increase in soil retention (+3.94 × 105 t and +4.79 × 105 t) and enhanced water purification, and the opposite was true for deforestation. The conclusions can provide an important basis for the ecological protection and high-quality development of the PYLB.

Ticks are an important type of pathogen transmission vector, and pathogens not only cause serious harm to livestock but can also infect humans. Because of the roles that ticks play in disease transmission, reducing tick pathogen infectivity has become increasingly important and requires the identification and characterization of these pathogens and their interaction mechanisms. In this study, we determined the miRNA expression profile of Hemaphysalis longicornis infected with Theileria orientalis, predicted the target genes of miRNAs involved in this infection process, and investigated the role of miRNA target recognition during host–pathogen interactions. The results showed that longipain is a target gene of miR-5309, which was differentially expressed at different developmental stages and in various tissues in the control group. However, the miR-5309 level was reduced in the infection group. Analysis of the interaction between miRNA and the target gene showed that miR-5309 negatively regulated the expression of the longipain protein during the infection of H. longicornis with T. orientalis. To verify this inference, we compared longipain with the blocking agent orientalis. In this study, the expression of longipain was upregulated by the inhibition of miR-5309 in ticks, and the ability of the antibody produced by the tick-derived protein to attenuate T. orientalis infection was verified through animal immunity and antigen–antibody binding tests. The results showed that expression of the longipain + GST fusion protein caused the cattle to produce antibodies that could be successfully captured by ticks, and cellular immunity was subsequently activated in the ticks, resulting in a subtractive effect on T. orientalis infection. This research provides ideas for the control of ticks and tickborne diseases and a research basis for studying the mechanism underlying the interaction between ticks and pathogens.

The deployment of proppant to fracture shear is a promising approach to stimulating hydraulic permeability in fractured reservoirs. However, the interactive effects of proppant and surface roughness have not been clearly revealed. To better understand this concern, direct shear tests (DSTs) are implemented on 2D rough fractures with a joint roughness coefficient (JRC) varying from 4 to 6 and 18 to 20 under propped conditions. The results show that peak shear strength is positively proportional to asperity amplitude. The highest peak shear strength is determined with a JRC of 14–16 due to it having the highest asperity of 6.34 mm. The peak shear load was decreased significantly by deploying the proppant. Shear damage only occurs in the localized zone where the upper–lower asperities contact. The shear dilatancy was attributed to both the “shear climbing” effects and the shear damage that caused the frictional slip. The proppants weaken the climbing effect but also prevent the shear damage that in turn promotes shear dilatancy.

Annexins (ANNs) are a structurally conserved protein family present in almost all plants. In the present study, 27 GhANNs were identified in cotton and were unevenly distributed across 14 chromosomes. Transcriptome data and RT-qPCR results revealed that multiple GhANNs respond to at least two abiotic stresses. Similarly, the expression levels of GhANN4 and GhANN11 were significantly upregulated under heat, cold, and drought stress. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), functional characterization of GhANN4 and GhANN11 revealed that, compared with those of the controls, the leaf wilting of GhANN4-silenced plants was more obvious, and the activities of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were lower under NaCl and PEG stress. Moreover, the expression of stress marker genes (GhCBL3, GhDREB2A, GhDREB2C, GhPP2C, GhRD20-2, GhCIPK6, GhNHX1, GhRD20-1, GhSOS1, GhSOS2 and GhSnRK2.6) was significantly downregulated in GhANN4-silenced plants after stress. Under cold stress, the growth of the GHANN11-silenced plants was significantly weaker than that of the control plants, and the activities of POD, SOD, and CAT were also lower. However, compared with those of the control, the elasticity and orthostatic activity of the GhANN11-silenced plants were greater; the POD, SOD, and CAT activities were higher; and the GhDREB2C, GhHSP, and GhSOS2 expression levels were greater under heat stress. These results suggest that different GhANN family members respond differently to different types of abiotic stress.

Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinases (PIP5Ks), essential enzymes in the phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway, are crucial for the abiotic stress responses and the overall growth and development of plants. However, the GhPIP5Ks had not been systematically studied, and their function in upland cotton was unknown. This study identified a total of 28 GhPIP5Ks, and determined their chromosomal locations, gene structures, protein motifs and cis-acting elements via bioinformatics analysis. A quantitative real-time PCR (qRT‒PCR) analysis showed that most GhPIP5Ks were upregulated under different stresses. A virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay indicated that the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content were significantly increased in GhPIP5K2- and GhPIP5K22-silenced upland cotton plants under abiotic stress. Furthermore, the expression of the stress marker genes GhHSFB2A, GhHSFB2B, GhDREB2A, GhDREB2C, GhRD20-1, GhRD29A, GhBIN2, GhCBL3, GhNHX1, GhPP2C, GhCBF1, GhSnRK2.6 and GhCIPK6 was significantly decreased in the silenced plants after exposure to stress. These results revealed that the silencing of GhPIP5K2 and GhPIP5K22 weakened the tolerance to abiotic stresses. These discoveries provide a foundation for further inquiry into the actions of the GhPIP5K gene family in regulating the response and resistance mechanisms of cotton to abiotic stresses.

Foam concrete is a type of cement mortar in which air bubbles are introduced using an appropriate foaming agent. The complex conditions for the preparation of solid particle stabilized foams limit their wide application in construction. In this study, a method of adding small amounts of calcite (Cal) and muscovite (Mus) to the cement paste matrix is proposed to improve the properties of foam concrete prepared with cationic and anionic surfactants as foaming agents. The effects of mineral powders on the flowability, compressive strength, water absorption, pore characteristics, thermal conductivity and frost resistance of foam concrete were investigated and the enhancement mechanism was revealed by the results of XRD, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and SEM. The results showed that the mineral powders interacted with anionic and cationic surfactants through physical adsorption. Whether anionic or cationic surfactants were used as foaming agents, the addition of mineral powders promoted the formation of shell-like structures around the foam, thus enhancing the performance of foam concrete. As a result, the fluidity, compressive strength and frost resistance of the foam concrete increased, the water absorption and thermal conductivity decreased, and the average size of the pores decreased.

Vitrification is a common technique for cryopreserving oocytes or embryos. However, manual vitrification is tedious and labor-intensive, and can be subject to variations caused by human factors. To address these challenges, we developed an automated vitrification-thawing system (AVTS) based on a cryo-handle. Our study firstly assessed the efficiency of cryoprotectant exchange through comparing the osmolalities of fresh and collected solutions during automated vitrification and thawing, and evaluated the cooling and warming rates of the cryo-handle. We also compared mouse oocyte survival, fertilization and embryo development after thawing and ICSI, and the development of re-frozen cleavage embryos between manual operation and automated system. The results showed that the osmolalities of collected samples were within normal range and comparable to fresh solutions. Furthermore, the automated system could obtain the reliable cooling and warming rates. Particularly, there were no significant differences in oocyte survival rates, fertilization rates, and subsequent embryo development and its quality between two procedures. Our findings suggest that AVTS has no impact on osmolalities of vitrification and thawing solutions, ensuring the proper exchange of cryoprotectants. The cryo-handle also shows the ability to achieve reliable cooling and warming rates, which benefits for the cryopreservation and thawing process. Moreover, the results from mouse oocytes and embryos indicate that automated system has effectively maintained the survival and fertilization of frozen oocytes and supported subsequent embryo development. Therefore, the automated vitrification and thawing system will inevitably represent a superior alternative to manual operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometrial cancer (ECs) stands as one of the three major malignancies impacting females globally, with its incidence steadily increasing. ECs can be categorized into two types based on their clinicopathological features. Type I ECs typically exhibit low stage, favorable histological types, and low histological grade, correlating with a more favorable prognosis. Conversely, Type II ECs present with advanced-stage disease, aggressive behavior, and poorer histological types, resulting in a worse prognosis.The expression level of progesterone receptors (PR) holds significant importance in determining the prognosis of patients with ECs. Elevated levels of PR are linked to a more favorable prognosis, primarily attributed to progesterone's inhibitory influence on cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, progesterone promotes cell cycle inhibition through its regulation of PR, further contributing to improved outcomes in ECs.Nicalin (NCLN) plays a crucial role in facilitating the translocation of multichannel membrane proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and is implicated in embryonic development. Structurally akin to NODAL Modulator (NOMO), NCLN antagonizes NOMO during embryogenesis, forming a complex that antagonizes the Nodal pathway, thereby influencing mesoderm development. However, the precise relationship between NCLN and ECs remains incompletely understood.Our research findings reveal that NCLN actively stimulates the proliferation of ECs cells and exhibits a positive correlation with PR, albeit without impacting ER. Moreover, the expression levels of NCLN in ECs demonstrate associations with distinct histological types. These observations suggest that NCLN could emerge as a promising marker in the histological classification of ECs.

The precursor MgCl2 · nROH of supported Ziegler Natta catalyst was prepared by chemical activation method, and different pre catalysts TiCl4/MgCl2 (C-Cat) were prepared by loading TiCl4. At the same time, the pre catalysts TiCl4/MgCl2 (P-Cat) and C-Cat were prepared by physical grinding method for comparison, and the copolymerization behavior of butadiene isoprene catalyzed by different pre catalysts was further studied. Research has found that the precursor particles prepared with n-propanol have a rougher surface and a larger specific surface area (51.5 m2/g). They exhibit high catalytic efficiency (6238 g/g) in catalyzing the copolymerization of butadiene and isoprene, which is 32.8% higher than the P-Cat catalytic efficiency. The Ziegler Natta pre catalysts prepared by different activation methods all exhibit high trans-1,4- structure oriented polymerization characteristics, with a trans-1,4- structure mole fraction of isoprene segments greater than 94%