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Abstract Background Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) show a rapid growth trend. It has brought a huge economic burden to the society and become a serious occupational health problem that needs to be solved urgently. This study aimed to analyze the local muscle response under continuous ergonomic load, screen sensitive fatigue-related biomarkers and provide data support for the early prevention of local muscle damage and the exploration of early warning indicators. Methods Thirteen male college student volunteers were recruited to perform simulated repetitive manual lifting tasks in the laboratory. The lifting task was designed for 4 periods which lasted for 12 min in each, and then paused for 3 min for sampling. Local muscle fatigue is assesed by the Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and the Joint analysis of sEMG spectrum and amplitude (JASA). Elbow venous blood was collected and 14 kinds of biomarkers were analyzed, which included Metabolic markers Ammonia (AMM), Lactic acid (LAC), Creatine kinase (CK), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), C-telopeptide of collagen I and II (CTX-I, CTX-II) and Calcium ion (Ca2+); Oxidative stress marker Glutathione (GSH); Inflammatory markers C-reaction protein (CRP), Prostaglandin E2 (PG-E2), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); Pain marker Neuropeptide Y (NPY). Repeated measures analysis of variance (Repeated ANOVA), linear regression analysis, t-test and spearman correlation analysis were used to analyze the data. Results Both subjective and objective fatigue appeared at the same period. Serum AMM, LAC, CK, LDH, COMP, CTX-II, Ca2+ and NPY after fatigue were significantly higher than those before fatigue (p

Abstract Background Higher education students exhibit heightened sensitivity to environmental changes as they navigate the critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to universities worldwide, exemplifying a crisis that profoundly affects the learning outcomes and psychological status of college students. Although it is known that campus lockdown has triggered dramatic changes in lifestyles, learning outcomes, and psychological statuses, in-depth knowledge of the causal relationships among these changes remains largely unclear. Methods Here, we conducted a cross-sectional survey designed to assess the impact of campus closure during COVID-19 on lifestyle, educational performance, and anxiety levels among college students. We surveyed over 3,500 junior college, undergraduate and graduate participants from 94 colleges/universities across 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China.We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the relationships between changes in lifestyle, educational performance, and levels of anxiety associated with campus open or closure regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Our results discovered that sleep duration, physical activity involvement, and social connections were crucial for sustaining students' learning outcomes and mental health. The shift to online learning and campus lockdown exacerbated stressors, contributing to heightened anxiety (β = 0.066), disrupted sleep patterns, and enhanced physical activity (β = 0.070) and reduced learning effect (β = -0.059). Sleep patterns were disrupted by the campus lockdown, an effect mediated by the degradation of relationships among classmates. Nonetheless, the best-fitting SEM uncovered the intricate relationships among lifestyle changes, learning outcomes, and psychological status in response to sudden environmental changes (Fisher’s C = 80.949, P = 0.328). These results highlight the critical role of adaptable, supportive campus policies tailored to meet the diverse needs and interests of students during and beyond crises (Fisher’s C = 59.568, P = 0.809). Conclusions Our study advocates for a holistic approach that addresses the multifaceted aspects of student life to cultivate a resilient academic community. This approach contributes to a deeper understanding of the effects of sudden environmental changes on students' psychological well-being and academic performance in the post-pandemic era.

This paper investigates the impact of surface effects on the propagation behavior of longitudinal waves in a nanorod. A theoretical model has been established on the basis of a newly proposed theory of elastic waves with surface effects. The surface effects comprise two components: the effect of surface energy and the effect of surface inertia. An analytical formula for the longitudinal wave velocity of a nanorod has been derived. Two inherent lengths at nanoscale have been deduced to characterize these two types of surface effects. The results indicate that the longitudinal wave in a nanorod is still nondispersive. However, an attractive phenomenon uncovered is that when the size of a rod reduces to the inherent lengths at nanoscale, the longitudinal wave velocity becomes size-dependent due to the effects of surface energy and surface inertia. The former increases the longitudinal wave velocity, whereas the latter decreases it. This can be understood as the former equivalently increasing the stiffness of the nanorod, whereas the latter enhancing its effective density. On the other hand, when the rod is at the macroscale, the longitudinal wave velocity degenerates to the classical velocity for a macroscopic rod without any surface effects. The current findings not only enhance our understanding of the size-dependent wave velocity of longitudinal waves in nanorods but also facilitate precisely designing the elastic wave nanodevices.

Root caries is a subtype of dental caries that predominantly impacts older adults. The occurrence and progression of root caries are associated with the homeostasis of dental plaque biofilm, and microbial synergistic and antagonistic interactions in the biofilm play a significant role in maintaining the oral microecological balance. The objective of the current study was to investigate the role of Veillonella parvula in the microbial interactions and the pathogenesis of root caries. The analysis of clinical samples from patients with/without root caries revealed that Veillonella and V. parvula were abundant in the saliva of patients with root caries. More importantly, a significantly increased colonization of V. parvula was observed in root carious lesions. Further in vitro biofilm and animal study showed that V. parvula colonization increased the abundance and virulence of Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans, leading to the formation of a polymicrobial biofilm with enhanced anti‐stress capacity and cariogenicity, consequently exacerbating the severity of carious lesions. Our results indicate the critical role of V. parvula infection in the occurrence of root caries, providing a new insight for the etiological investigation and prevention of root caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphohistidine (pHis) is a reversible protein post-translational modification (PTM) that is currently poorly understood. The P-N bond in pHis is heat and acid-sensitive, making it more challenging to study than the canonical phosphoamino acids pSer, pThr, and pTyr. As advancements in the development of tools to study pHis have been made, the roles of pHis in cells are slowly being revealed. To date, a handful of enzymes responsible for controlling this modification have been identified, including the histidine kinases NME1 and NME2, as well as the phosphohistidine phosphatases PHPT1, LHPP, and PGAM5. These tools have also identified the substrates of these enzymes, granting new insights into previously unknown regulatory mechanisms. Here, we discuss the cellular function of pHis and how it is regulated on known pHis-containing proteins, as well as cellular mechanisms that regulate the activity of the pHis kinases and phosphatases themselves. We further discuss the role of the pHis kinases and phosphatases as potential tumor promoters or suppressors. Finally, we give an overview of various tools and methods currently used to study pHis biology. Given their breadth of functions, unraveling the role of pHis in mammalian systems promises radical new insights into existing and unexplored areas of cell biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of microfluidics has significantly highlighted the role of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) in microfluidic actuation. SAW influences droplet manipulation, inducing interface instability and processes such as droplet splitting, jetting, and atomization, which have been key research focal points. Previous studies have identified a close correlation between these instability mechanisms and three critical parameters: the Marangoni number (M a), associated with piezoelectric substrate thermal effects; the slip coefficient ( β 0 ), related to piezoelectric substrate slip; and the acoustic capillary number (C). Given the intimate link between the aspect ratio (H / L , where H is the characteristic height, and L is the characteristic width of droplets) and atomization size, this study comprehensively investigates the combined effects of these factors on the droplet aspect ratio H / L. Specifically, increases in the acoustic capillary number C and slip coefficient β 0 promote reductions in droplet height (H) and outward expansion (L), while the Marangoni number M a counteracts this expansion, maintaining larger H / L values. This inhibitory effect is particularly pronounced when C and β 0 are small but diminishes as their values increase. Additionally, higher values of C and β 0 accelerate the convergence of the H / L ratio, whereas M a decreases the rate of this convergence. Through the coordinated interplay of M a , β 0 , and C , multidimensional and fine-tuned adjustments of the droplet aspect ratio H / L over a wide range can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine pollution, a major disturbance to the sustainable use of oceans, is becoming more prevalent around the world. Multidimensional and sustainable ocean governance have become increasingly focused on managing, reducing, and eliminating marine pollution. Artificial intelligence has been used more and more in recent years to monitor and control marine pollution. This systematic literature review, encompassing studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, delineates the extensive role of artificial intelligence in marine pollution management, revealing a significant surge in research and application. This review aims to provide information and a better understanding of the application of artificial intelligence in marine pollution. In marine pollution, 57% of AI applications are used for monitoring, 24% for management, and 19% for prediction. Three areas are emphasized: (1) detecting and responding to oil pollution, (2) monitoring water quality and its practical application, and (3) monitoring and identifying plastic pollution. Each area benefits from the unique capabilities of artificial intelligence. If the scientific community continues to explore and refine these technologies, the convergence of artificial intelligence and marine pollution may yield more sophisticated solutions for environmental conservation. Although artificial intelligence offers powerful tools for the treatment of marine pollution, it does have some limitations. Future research recommendations include (1) transferring experimental outcomes to industrial applications in a broader sense; (2) highlighting the cost-effective advantages of AI in marine pollution control; and (3) promoting the use of AI in the legislation and policy-making about controlling marine pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We investigated trends in the use of therapeutic drugs for pregnant patients with rheumatic diseases in nine Chinese cities (Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin, and Zhengzhou) to provide a reference for drug use in clinic. Methods: Outpatient prescription data for pregnant patients diagnosed with rheumatic diseases in nine cities across China in 2016-2021 were extracted from the Hospital Prescription Cooperation Project of the Hospital Pharmacy Professional Committee of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association. A retrospective analysis was then performed, incorporating data on patient age, defined daily doses (DDDs), defined daily cost (DDC), and other metrics. Results: In 2016-2020, more than 70% of the pregnant patients diagnosed with rheumatic diseases in these nine cities were 25 to < 35 years of age. The most common rheumatic diseases during pregnancy were antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In terms of the routine use of daily therapeutic drugs, the DDDs of low molecular weight heparins (LMWHs), glucocorticoids, and immunosuppressive agents dominated the top three. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) have been used since 2019 and had been in the forefront of the DDC. Conclusion: The number and total cost of prescriptions for therapeutic drugs of pregnancy complicated by rheumatic diseases, have increased significantly over the study interval. Conventional therapeutic drugs, especially glucocorticoids, LMWHs, and hydroxychloroquine were the most widely used drugs in pregnant patients with rheumatic diseases. However, IVIG and TNFi, relatively high cost, have shown gradual increases in clinical use since 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundShoemaking industry workers are prone to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to long-term awkward postures during the work process. There is little research on the prevalence and influencing factors of WMSDs in the knee region of this industry, and it should be taken seriously. ObjectiveTo estimate the prevalence of work-related knee pain among shoemaking workers and analyze the related influencing factors. MethodsA total of 6982 shoemaking workers were selected from 26 shoemaking factories in Guangdong, Hubei, Fujian, Chongqing, Shandong, Zhejiang, and Jingxi by convenience sampling. Prevalence of work-related knee pain in past year, demographic characteristics, occupational related factors, and work posture were collected by a cross-sectional survey using the electronic version of Musculoskeletal Disorder Questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the influencing factors that may lead to work-related knee pain.ResultsThis survey collected 6982 valid questionnaires with a recovery rate of 98.3%. The prevalence of work-related knee pain of shoemaking workers in the past 12 months was 13.0% (908/6982). According to the results of logistic regression analysis, compared with workers with less than 5 years of service, workers with 5-10 years of service (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.45) and more than 10 years (1.53, 95%CI: 1.27, 1.83) showed a higher risk of knee WMSDs; sometimes, often and very frequent (reference : rarely or never) long-term standing (OR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.08, 1.64; OR=2.67, 95%CI: 2.10, 3.39; OR=2.75, 95%CI: 2.08, 3.63) and sometimes, often and very frequent (reference: rarely or never) long-term squatting or kneeling (OR=1.80, 95%CI: 1.47, 2.21; OR=2.43, 95%CI: 1.58, 3.75; OR=3.22, 95%CI: 1.66, 6.24) increased the risk of knee pain: long-term bending (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.34, 1.89) and often repeated movement of lower limbs and ankles (OR=1.48, 95%CI: 1.25, 1.75) were also risk factors for knee WMSDs among shoemaking industry workers (P

Highlights Developing a universal strategy of the p–n homojunction engineering that could significantly boost electron mobility of electron transport layer (ETL) by two orders of magnitude. Proposing a new mechanism based on p–n homojunction to explain inhibited carrier loss at buried interface. Setting a new performance benchmark as high as 25.50% for planar perovskite solar cells employing TiO2 as ETLs.

Abstract Silent information regulator 2 (Sir2) proteins typically catalyze NAD+-dependent protein deacetylation. The recently identified bacterial Sir2 domain-containing protein, defense-associated sirtuin 2 (DSR2), recognizes the phage tail tube and depletes NAD+ to abort phage propagation, which is counteracted by the phage-encoded DSR anti-defense 1 (DSAD1), but their molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we determine cryo-EM structures of inactive DSR2 in its apo form, DSR2–DSAD1 and DSR2–DSAD1–NAD+, as well as active DSR2–tube and DSR2–tube–NAD+ complexes. DSR2 forms a tetramer with its C-terminal sensor domains (CTDs) in two distinct conformations: CTDclosed or CTDopen. Monomeric, rather than oligomeric, tail tube proteins preferentially bind to CTDclosed and activate Sir2 for NAD+ hydrolysis. DSAD1 binding to CTDopen allosterically inhibits tube binding and tube-mediated DSR2 activation. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into DSR2 assembly, tube-mediated DSR2 activation, and DSAD1-mediated inhibition and NAD+ substrate catalysis in bacterial DSR2 anti-phage defense systems.

Abstract Thermoelectric materials are highly promising for waste heat harvesting. Although thermoelectric materials research has expanded over the years, bismuth telluride‐based alloys are still the best for near‐room‐temperature applications. In this work, a ≈38% enhancement of the average ZT (300−473 K) to 1.21 is achieved by mixing Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 with an emerging thermoelectric material Sb2Si2Te6, which is significantly higher than that of most BiySb2−yTe3‐based composites. This enhancement is facilitated by the unique interface region between the Bi0.4Sb1.6Te3 matrix and Sb2Si2Te6‐based precipitates with an orderly atomic arrangement, which promotes the transport of charge carriers with minimal scattering, overcoming a common factor that is limiting ZT enhancement in such composites. At the same time, high‐density dislocations in the same region can effectively scatter the phonons, decoupling the electron‐phonon transport. This results in a ≈56% enhancement of the thermoelectric quality factor at 373 K, from 0.41 for the pristine sample to 0.64 for the composite sample. A single‐leg device is fabricated with a high efficiency of 5.4% at ΔT = 164 K further demonstrating the efficacy of the Sb2Si2Te6 compositing strategy and the importance of the precipitate‐matrix interface microstructure in improving the performance of materials for relatively low‐temperature applications.

The hematopoietically-expressed homeobox gene (HHEX) played a critical role in regulating the immune system that the abnormality of which was involved in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism on the susceptibility and cognitive deficits of first-episode schizophrenic patients (FSP). We assessed cognitive function in 239 first-episode patients meeting DSM-IV for schizophrenia, and 368 healthy controls using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism was genotyped. Our results showed that the allelic and genotypic frequencies of HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism didn't differ between FSP and healthy controls (both p > 0.05) after adjusting for sex and age. Cognitive test scores in FSP were significantly lower than those in healthy controls on all scales (all p 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. There was a significant genotype (p 0.05) effect on the delayed memory score after adjusting for covariates. The HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism was significantly associated with the delayed memory score in FSP (p 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. Our findings supported that the HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism did not contribute to the susceptibility to FSP. However, this polymorphism might influence the delayed memory in FSP. Moreover, FSP had poorer cognitive function than healthy controls except for the visuospatial/constructional domain.

Cliffs are essential refuges for endangered plants, but their inaccessibility and inadequate reliable survey methods make the assessment of the survival status of these plants difficult. We employed the drone-based Nap-of-the-Object Photography (NoOP) technique, which involves flying close to an object's surface to automatically capture high-precision images of the object surface, to investigate an endangered cliff plant, Clematis acerifolia, in North China. A drone (DJI M300 RTK) equipped with a visible-light mapping camera (DJI Zenmuse P1) was used for automated NoOP flights, enabling the collection and reconstruction of millimeter-level, high-precision three-dimensional (3D) models of the cliff plots. Across 12 cliffs, we identified and measured the precise coordinates and values of eight microtopographical and five morphological characteristic factors for 1444 C. acerifolia plants. The Ground sampling distance (GSD) of the high-precision 3D models reached 0.10 cm/pixel, and the mean value of the root mean squared error of the sampled positioning coordinates was 4.65 cm/pixel. Correlation and correspondence analyses were used for data analyses. The results indicated that the growth status of C. acerifolia was significantly influenced by a complex factor interaction, particularly plant altitude, crevice width, and crevice length. This method for cliff plant surveys using drone-based NoOP determines the parameters for such surveys and demonstrates the effectiveness and potential of this method for cliff plant investigations. The primary microtopographical factors affecting the growth and distribution status of C. acerifolia were identified, providing pointers for translocation conservation and propagation reintroduction of this endangered plant.