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A study published in the journal iMeta highlights the effectiveness of the CRISPR/Mb2Cas12a genome editing system in cotton plants. The system achieved a high efficiency rate of over 90% at target sites and demonstrated tolerance to different temperatures. It also expanded the editing range in the cotton genome. The study also developed a multiplex genome editing system using Mb2Cas12a, allowing for simultaneous editing of eight target sites. These findings suggest that CRISPR/Mb2Cas12a is a precise and efficient tool for genome editing in cotton plants, which has important implications for cotton breeding and genetic studies. [Extracted from the article]

Importance: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial.We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population.A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors.During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001).Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults.Objective: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial.We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population.A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors.During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001).Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults.Methods: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial.We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population.A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors.During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001).Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults.Results: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial.We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population.A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors.During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001).Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults.Conclusion: Epidemiological evidences regarding the association between whole grain intake and the risk of new-onset hypertension are still controversial.We aimed to investigate the relationship between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension and examine possible effect modifiers in the general population.A total of 10,973 participants without hypertension from the China Health and Nutrition Survey were enrolled, with follow-up beginning in 1997 and ending in 2015. Whole grain intake was assessed by 3 consecutive 24-h dietary recalls combined with a household food inventory. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression model after adjusting for potential risk factors.During a median follow-up of 7.0 years, 3,733 participants developed new-onset hypertension. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were as follows: for quartile 2 (HR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.47–0.57), quartile 3 (HR: 0.46; 95% CI: 0.42–0.51), and quartile 4 (HR: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.31–0.38), compared with quartile 1. Different types of whole grain types, including wheat (adjusted HR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.32–0.39), maize (adjusted HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.42–0.59), and millet (adjusted HR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.30–0.48), showed significant associations with a reduced risk of hypertension. The association between whole grain intake and new-onset hypertension was stronger in individuals with older age (P for interaction < 0.001) and higher BMI (P for interaction < 0.001).Higher consumption of whole grains was significantly associated with a lower risk of new-onset hypertension. This study provides further evidence supporting the importance of increasing whole grain intake for hypertension prevention among Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A cyanine-based fluorescent probe (Cy-H) with built-in self-calibration ratio mode was successfully synthesized. • This probe Cy-H exhibits specific recognition performance for hypochlorite with an LOD of 0.49 μM. • The probe showed good biocompatibility and relatively low biological toxicity, and was successfully applied to the detection and analysis of ClO− labeled imaging in live cells and zebrafish. Hypochlorite (ClO−), a weakly acidic reactive oxygen species, plays a crucial role in antibacterial and anti-inflammatory defense mechanisms. However, elevated levels of ClO− or disruptions in endogenous sites can lead to tissue damage and various diseases including cardiovascular disease, neuronal degeneration, and arthritis. To address this, the development of a specific fluorescent probe with a built-in self-calibration ratio mode for the analysis and biological imaging of ClO− is essential. In this study, a cyanine-based fluorescent probe (Cy-H) was designed for ratiometric fluorescent detection of ClO−, utilizing its aggregation behavior as a novel approach in this field. Upon exposure to ClO−, the phenolic hydroxyl group in probe Cy-H was oxidized into benzoquinone, leading to the formation of cyanine products that displayed a strong tendency to aggregate. As a result, the maximum emission peak of the probe shifted from 700 nm to 485 nm. Notably, a linear relationship was observed between the peak intensity ratio (I 485 /I 700) and the concentration of hypochlorite, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.49 μM. Furthermore, this probe was successfully employed for imaging analysis of hypochlorite in living cells and zebrafish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most recently, worldwide interest in butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) as a potential target for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) has increased. In this study, the previously obtained selective BChE inhibitors with benzimidazole-oxadiazole scaffold were further structurally modified to increase their aqueous solubility and pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics. S16 – 1029 showed improved solubility (3280 μM, upgraded by 14 times) and PK parameters, including plasma exposure (AUC 0-inf = 1729.95 ng/mL*h, upgraded by 2.6 times) and oral bioavailability (F po = 48.18%, upgraded by 2 times). S16 – 1029 also displayed weak or no inhibition against Cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and human ether a-go-go related gene (h ERG) potassium channel. In vivo experiments on tissue distribution revealed that S16 – 1029 could cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and reach the central nervous system (CNS). In vivo cognitive improvement efficacy and good in vitro target inhibitory activity (eq BChE IC 50 = 11.35 ± 4.84 nM, h BChE IC 50 = 48.1 ± 11.4 nM) were also assured. The neuroprotective effects against several AD pathology characteristics allowed S16 – 1029 to successfully protect the CNS of progressed AD patients. According to the findings of this study, altering molecular planarity might be a viable strategy for improving the drug-like property of CNS-treating drugs. [Display omitted] • Improving aqueous solubility through disrupting molecular plane. • Detailed analyzation of relationship between melting point and solubility. • Good in vitro BChE inhibitory activity and in vivo cognitive-enhancing effects. • Neuroprotective effects against multiple AD-related nerve damage. • Good in vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic characteristics and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Rapid and direct detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from sterile body fluids. • Magnetic separation enriched bacteria and identified specific protein peaks by MALDI-TOF MS. • The enrichment efficiency in cerebrospinal fluid and blood was greater than 80.95 % and 83.6 %. • The whole detection process could be completed within 1.5 h. • It breaks through the problems of long time and high technical requirements of traditional bacterial culture. As a result of the extensive use of antibiotics, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has emerged, leading to serious clinical and epidemiological problems. This study established a rapid and accurate method for detection of MRSA in clinical samples. The MRSA detection procedure involved a magnetic separation technique and Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), and the characteristic peaks of proteins were compared to achieve the detection of MRSA. We treated PBS, blood and cerebrospinal fluid with MRSA, and identified it after short-term culture. The time and detection limit for identifying MRSA were determined. At the same time, we used the method to detect different proportions of mixed bacteria. The results revealed that the enrichment efficiency of Amp-MBs for MRSA in PBS, blood and cerebrospinal fluid was greater than 95 %, 80.95 % and 83.6 %, respectively. The whole detection process could be completed within 1.5 h. The negative and positive percent agreement of MRSA detection were 83 % and 95 %, respectively. In mixed bacterial samples, bacteria can be detected when the proportion of MRSA is greater than 50 %. Overall, this study provides an effective method for bacterial preconcentration and detection, which has high potential for rapid and sensitive diagnosis of MRSA infection [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the characteristics of cold events affecting eastern China during November–March of 1979–2018 using station observations and the ERA5 reanalysis, focusing five major cities (Beijing, Zhengzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai and Guangzhou) for their high vulnerability and distinct local thermal conditions than the broader climate regimes. For each city, cold day (CD) (one or more continuous days where the temperature falls below the local 5th percentiles) and cold surge (CS) (a period of 1–3 days with a total temperature decrease exceeding 8°C) were both examined in aspects of occurrence frequency, circulation characteristics and health impacts. Results show that the northern cities are relatively more/less exposed to CD/CS than the southern cities. At all five cities, the two types of events rarely coincide and exhibit distinct multiple‐year variations, as CD and CS are, respectively, dominated by continental‐ and regional‐scale circulations. However, both types of events are associated with the interplay of the East Asia trough at 300 hPa and the Siberian high, Aleutian low and subtropical high at 850 hPa. Results also show that during CDs in these cities, the effective temperatures (ET), which take into account of the near‐surface wind speed and humidity, are often about 5°C lower than the actual temperatures. The ET decreases are larger than the actual temperature drops in most CSs, yet in specific scenarios (primarily in Beijing and Zhengzhou when the temperature drop is relatively small), the ET drop can be less pronounced, as the possible decrease of wind speed and/or humidity can partially mitigate the ET decrease caused by dropping temperatures. These underline the complexity of health impacts of cold events, which vary regionally due to differences in covariations of temperature, wind speed and relative humidity. There aspects are worthy of further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During summers with intensive rainfall, water droplets and/or rock moisture are observed in some of the ancient caves of the Yungang Grottoes, northern China. There is debate on whether the water is derived from infiltrating precipitation or from condensation of water vapor, and this restricts the choice of appropriate methods to alleviate weathering of the stone carvings. By monitoring soil water content at the top of the vadose zone and analyzing responses to rainfall events, it is found that the silt overlying the rock mass plays the role of barrier to rainfall infiltration. By monitoring rock moisture in a cave wall at shallow depth, using frequency domain reflectometry, it was found that variations in rock moisture are directly controlled by the fluctuating vapor concentration. Moreover, there is a significant linear relationship between the magnitude of rock wetting (moisture addition) and the cumulative difference in vapor concentration between the inside and outside of the cave. Thus, the condensation of water vapor, which leads to decreased vapor concentration in the cave atmosphere, is the source of the rock moisture. Also, the period associated with rapidly increasing rock moisture and the highest rock moisture corresponds to the period with occurrence of water droplets in some caves. This study confirms that the water vapor is an important source of water which is responsible for weathering in caves, and indicates that the approach of estimating groundwater recharge based on cave drip rates should be used with caution, especially in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to heavy metals alone or in combination can promote systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between multiple plasma heavy metals and markers of systemic immune inflammation. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study, routine blood tests were performed on 3355 participants in Guangxi, China. Eight heavy metal elements in plasma were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Immunoinflammatory markers were calculated based on peripheral blood WBC and its subtype counts. A generalised linear regression model was used to analyse the association of each metal with the immunoinflammatory markers, and the association of the metal mixtures with the immunoinflammatory markers was further assessed using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Results: In the single-metal model, plasma metal Fe (log10) was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR, and plasma metal Cu (log10) was significantly positively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII and PLR. In addition, plasma metal Mn (log10 conversion) was positively correlated with the levels of immune inflammatory markers NLR and PLR. The above associations remained after multiple corrections. In the mixed-metal model, after WQS regression analysis, plasma metal Cu was found to have the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on SII and PLR, while plasma metals Mn and Fe had the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on NLR and LMR, respectively. In addition, blood Fe had the greatest weight in the negative effects of the metal mixtures for SII, PLR and NLR. Conclusion: Plasma metals Cu and Mn were positively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR. While plasma metal Fe was negatively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR, and PLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we demonstrate a strategy that two orthogonal modes in a dielectric cavity can efficiently couple with each other through the bridging effect of a plasmonic antenna. In such a dielectric-antenna hybrid system, a plasmonic antenna can coherently interact with both modes of the dielectric cavity, which brings sufficient coherent energy transfers between the two orthogonal modes. Specifically, a broad electromagnetic mode and a narrow whispering gallery mode (WGM) in a subwavelength silicon disk are considered, where they cannot directly interact with each other through near-field couplings. By introducing a plasmonic antenna, coherent energy transfer between the above two modes occurs, which is confirmed by both far-field spectra and near-field distributions. More investigations show that spectral and spatial overlaps between the involved modes can largely affect energy transfer behaviors. Those overlaps are highly dependent on various parameters of the system. The WGM response in the hybrid system can even exceed that of an individual disk. Our proposed strategy can be extended to other similar systems and the modified optical responses can find applications in enhanced light-matter interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, defects, such as chalcogen vacancies, play an important role in determining their properties. Herein, monolayer MoSe2 with varying Se vacancy concentrations is successfully prepared by adjusting the amount of the precursors during the chemical vapor deposition synthesis. The Raman and low‐temperature photoluminescence spectra are systematically studied at varying defect concentrations. Furthermore, it is found that Se vacancies introduce in‐gap electronic states, leading to distinct localized exciton emissions, which can be engineered by controlling the concentration of Se vacancies. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the observed variations in localized exciton emission are attributed to the change of defect level with increasing defect concentration. The results provide insights into the influence of varying Se vacancy concentrations on defect‐induced Raman and PL spectroscopy in MoSe2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary CRISPR‐Cas9 is widely used for genome editing, but its PAM sequence requirements limit its efficiency. In this study, we explore Faecalibaculum rodentium Cas9 (FrCas9) for plant genome editing, especially in rice. FrCas9 recognizes a concise 5′‐NNTA‐3′ PAM, targeting more abundant palindromic TA sites in plant genomes than the 5′‐NGG‐3′ PAM sites of the most popular SpCas9. FrCas9 shows cleavage activities at all tested 5′‐NNTA‐3′ PAM sites with editing outcomes sharing the same characteristics of a typical CRISPR‐Cas9 system. FrCas9 induces high‐efficiency targeted mutagenesis in stable rice lines, readily generating biallelic mutants with expected phenotypes. We augment FrCas9's ability to generate larger deletions through fusion with the exonuclease, TREX2. TREX2‐FrCas9 generates much larger deletions than FrCas9 without compromise in editing efficiency. We demonstrate TREX2‐FrCas9 as an efficient tool for genetic knockout of a microRNA gene. Furthermore, FrCas9‐derived cytosine base editors (CBEs) and adenine base editors (ABE) are developed to produce targeted C‐to‐T and A‐to‐G base edits in rice plants. Whole‐genome sequencing‐based off‐target analysis suggests that FrCas9 is a highly specific nuclease. Expression of TREX2‐FrCas9 in plants, however, causes detectable guide RNA‐independent off‐target mutations, mostly as single nucleotide variants (SNVs). Together, we have established an efficient CRISPR‐FrCas9 system for targeted mutagenesis, large deletions, C‐to‐T base editing, and A‐to‐G base editing in plants. The simple palindromic TA motif in the PAM makes the CRISPR‐FrCas9 system a promising tool for genome editing in plants with an expanded targeting scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a common and critical condition encountered in clinical practice that can lead to multi-organ dysfunction. Sepsis-induced coagulopathy (SIC) significantly affects patient outcomes. However, the precise mechanisms remain unclear, making the identification of effective prognostic and therapeutic targets imperative. The analysis of transcriptome data from the whole blood of sepsis patients, facilitated the identification of key genes implicated in coagulation. Then we developed a prognostic model and a nomogram to predict patient survival. Consensus clustering classified sepsis patients into three subgroups for comparative analysis of immune function and immune cell infiltration. Single-cell sequencing elucidated alterations in intercellular communication between platelets and immune cells in sepsis, as well as the role of the coagulation-related gene FYN. Real-time quantitative PCR determined the mRNA levels of critical coagulation genes in septic rats' blood. Finally, administration of a FYN agonist to septic rats was observed for its effects on coagulation functions and survival. This study identified four pivotal genes—CFD, FYN, ITGAM, and VSIG4—as significant predictors of survival in patients with sepsis. Among them, CFD, FYN, and ITGAM were underexpressed, while VSIG4 was upregulated in patients with sepsis. Moreover, a nomogram that incorporates the coagulation-related genes (CoRGs) risk score with clinical features of patients accurately predicted survival probabilities. Subgroup analysis of CoRGs expression delineated three molecular sepsis subtypes, each with distinct prognoses and immune profiles. Single-cell sequencing shed light on heightened communication between platelets and monocytes, T cells, and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, alongside reduced interactions with neutrophils in sepsis. The collagen signaling pathway was found to be essential in this dynamic. FYN may affect platelet function by modulating factors such as ELF1, PTCRA, and RASGRP2. The administration of the FYN agonist can effectively improve coagulation dysfunction and survival in septic rats. The research identifies CoRGs as crucial prognostic markers for sepsis, highlighting the FYN gene's central role in coagulation disorders associated with the condition and suggesting novel therapeutic intervention strategies. [Display omitted] • Found four key genes for sepsis prognosis linked to coagulation. • Created sepsis survival nomogram combining gene scores and clinical data. • Unveiled three sepsis subtypes with unique prognoses and immune traits. • Showed potential of FYN agonist in treating sepsis-induced coagulopathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorite impact and solar wind irradiation are two major processes of space weathering on the Moon, but their effects on lunar soils remain poorly understood. We report the first discovery of native copper and FeCo alloy from a Chang'e-5 lunar basaltic clast. The native copper grains (∼0.1–2 μm) coexist exclusively with thin Cu-sulfide (digenite) layers (∼50–100 nm) that cover troilite, the associated iron whiskers and adjacent pyroxene and ilmenite. The FeCo alloy (∼100–200 nm) was associated with the iron metal on troilite. Both Cu and Co are probably exogenous since they are not detected in the troilite. These observations suggest that the digenite layer, native copper and FeCo alloy condensed from an impact-induced vapor with a high Cu/S ratio and Co-bearing composition. Our discoveries shed light on complicated space weathering processes on the Moon. • Native copper and FeCo alloy were first observed in Chang'e-5 lunar soil. • The thin digenite layer on troilite suggests an impact-induced vapor deposit origin. • The coexisting of Cu, FeCo and digenite indicate they were formed in an impact event. • Both Cu and Co may be introduced into the Chang'e-5 lunar soil by meteorite impactor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure to heavy metals alone or in combination can promote systemic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between multiple plasma heavy metals and markers of systemic immune inflammation. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study, routine blood tests were performed on 3355 participants in Guangxi, China. Eight heavy metal elements in plasma were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Immunoinflammatory markers were calculated based on peripheral blood WBC and its subtype counts. A generalised linear regression model was used to analyse the association of each metal with the immunoinflammatory markers, and the association of the metal mixtures with the immunoinflammatory markers was further assessed using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. Results: In the single-metal model, plasma metal Fe (log10) was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR, and plasma metal Cu (log10) was significantly positively correlated with the levels of immune-inflammatory markers SII and PLR. In addition, plasma metal Mn (log10 conversion) was positively correlated with the levels of immune inflammatory markers NLR and PLR. The above associations remained after multiple corrections. In the mixed-metal model, after WQS regression analysis, plasma metal Cu was found to have the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on SII and PLR, while plasma metals Mn and Fe had the greatest weight in the positive effects of metal mixtures on NLR and LMR, respectively. In addition, blood Fe had the greatest weight in the negative effects of the metal mixtures for SII, PLR and NLR. Conclusion: Plasma metals Cu and Mn were positively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR and PLR. While plasma metal Fe was negatively correlated with immunoinflammatory markers SII, NLR, and PLR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the quality of tobacco leaves and optimize the smoking experience, diverse strains of functional bacteria and their associated metabolites have been used in tobacco aging. Exogenous cellulase additives are frequently employed to facilitate the degradation of cellulose and other macromolecular matrices and enhance the quality of the tobacco product. However, little is known about how microbial metabolites present in exogenous enzyme additives affect tobacco quality. In this study, crude cellulase solutions, produced by a tobacco-originating bacterium Bacillus subtilis FX-1 were employed on flue-cured tobacco. The incorporation of cellulase solutions resulted in the reduction of cellulose crystallinity in tobacco and the enhancement of the overall sensory quality of tobacco. Notably, tobacco treated with cellulase obtained from laboratory flask fermentation demonstrated superior scent and flavor attributes in comparison to tobacco treated with enzymes derived from industrial bioreactor fermentation. The targeted and untargeted metabolomic analysis revealed the presence of diverse flavor-related precursors and components in the cellulase additives, encompassing sugars, alcohols, amino acids, organic acids, and others. The majority of these metabolites exhibited significantly higher levels in the flask group compared to the bioreactor group, probably contributing to a pronounced enhancement in the sensory quality of tobacco. Our findings suggest that the utilization of metabolic products derived from B. subtilis FX-1 as additives in flue-cured tobacco holds promise as a viable approach for enhancing sensory attributes, establishing a solid theoretical foundation for the potential development of innovative tobacco aging additives. Cellulase solutions obtained from Bacillus subtilis FX-1, a bacterium originating from tobacco, were applied to flue-cured tobacco during the aging process. The cellulase structure of tobacco was analyzed using 13C cross-polarization magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy. Sensory evaluation was utilized to assess the sensory attributes and quality characteristics. Targeted and untargeted metabolomics were utilized to investigate the chemical components present in the cellulase solutions. The inclusion of cellulase additives altered the cellulose structure in tobacco and introduced various flavor-related precursors and components. The utilization of cellulase additives derived from B. subtilis FX-1 substantially improved the overall quality of the tobacco product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the goal of enhancing the low sensitivity of the conventional atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source due to the ion divergence, here is reported a T-shaped ion source to improve the sensitivity with a portable mass spectrometer for the rapid determination of the pesticides ethoprophos and atrazine in water. Compared with conventional APCI, the ion source improves the sensitivity for the analytes. The results show that the analysis requires less than 2 s, the limit of detection (LOD) is better than 0.1 μ g · mL − 1 , and the relative standard deviation (RSD) is 16% at 1, 5, and 25 μ g · mL − 1 . The recoveries of the analytes are between 80% and 130%, meeting the requirements for rapid pesticide determination in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteoporotic fractures are a growing problem in an aging society. The association between body mass index (BMI) and osteoporotic fractures varies by fracture site and ethnicity. Limited knowledge exists regarding this association in native Chinese, particularly utilizing local databases as reference sources. Objective: To investigate the association between BMI and osteoporotic fractures at different sites in Chinese women. Methods: Three thousand ninety-eight female patients with radiographic fractures and 3098 age- and sex-matched healthy controls without fractures were included in the study. Both of them underwent assessment using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), with BMD measurements calculated using our own BMD reference database. Participants were classified into underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (18.5 ≤ BMI < 24.0 kg/m2), overweight (24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) according to the Chinese BMI classification standard. Results: There were 2296 (74.1%) vertebral fractures, 374 (12.1%) femoral neck fractures, and 428 (13.8%) other types of fractures in the case group. Bone mineral density (BMD) was almost lower in the fracture groups compared to the control groups (p = 0.048 to < 0.001). Compared with normal weight, underweight had a protective effect on total [odds ratio (OR) = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49 –0.75; P< 0.001], and lumbar fractures (OR = 0.52; 95% CI, 0.41 – 0.67; P < 0.001), while obesity was associated with an increased risk for total (OR = 2.26; 95% CI, 1.85 – 2.76; P < 0.001), lumbar (OR = 2.17; 95% CI, 1.72 – 2.73; P < 0.001), and femoral neck fractures (OR = 4.08; 95% CI, 2.18 – 7.63; P < 0.001). Non-linear associations were observed between BMI and fractures: A J-curve for total, lumbar, and femoral neck fractures, and no statistical change for other types of fractures. Underweight was found to be a risk factor for other types of fracturess after adjusting for BMD (OR = 2.29; 95% CI, 1.09 – 4.80; P < 0.001). Osteoporosis and osteopenia were identified as risk factors for almost all sites of fracture when compared to normal bone mass. Conclusions: Underweight has a protective effect on total and lumbar spine fractures in Chinese women, while obesity poses a risk factor for total, lumbar, and femoral neck fractures. The effect of BMI on fractures may be mainly mediated by BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Lunar soil preserves numerous fragments of meteorites impacting on the Moon, providing a unique opportunity to investigate the distribution of the types of projectiles over billions of years. Here we report the first discovery of an iron meteorite fragment from the Chang'e-5 lunar soil, which consists mainly of martensite (quenched from taenite), kamacite, and schreibersite, with a trace of pentlandite. The meteorite fragment is Ni- and P-rich, S-poor, and based on its mineral chemistry and bulk composition, can be classified into the IID-group, a rare and carbonaceous group of iron meteorite originating in the outer Solar System. This meteorite fragment experienced only limited partial melting followed by fast cooling, suggestive of efficient preservation of intact remnants of iron meteorites impacting on the porous lunar regolith. Alternatively, it is a relic of a low-velocity impact of submillimeter-sized metal grains originated from an IID-like iron meteorite. Our observations demonstrate that it is feasible to achieve the type distribution of meteorites impacting on the Moon via systematically analyzing a large number of metal grains separated from lunar soils, thus shedding light on the dynamic evolution of the Solar System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we describe the minimal reducing subspaces of Toeplitz operators induced by non-analytic monomials on the weighted Bergman spaces and Dirichlet spaces over the unit ball B2\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$${\mathbb{B}_2}$$\end{document}. It is proved that each minimal reducing subspace M is finite dimensional, and if dim M ≥ 3, then M is induced by a monomial. Furthermore, the structure of commutant algebra ν(Tw¯NzN):={MwN∗MzN,MzN∗MwN}′\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\nu ({T_{\overline w {N_z}N}}): = {\{ M_{{w^N}}^ * {M_{{z^N}}},M_{{z^N}}^ * {M_{{w^N}}}\} ^\prime }$$\end{document} is determined by N and the two dimensional minimal reducing subspaces of Tw¯NzN\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$${T_{\overline w {N_z}N}}$$\end{document}. We also give some interesting examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Graphitic N-pyridinic N-thiophene S synergistic active sites were constructed in HSNGS. • HSNGS exhibited the highest efficiency to degrade TC in practical water with TOF of 6.24 min−1. • Continuous and fast removal of TC in practical water was achieved. • Thiophene S coordinated metal ions in practical water, leading to a synergistic enhancement of the degradation performance and stability. The rational design of active sites in nanocarbons are the long-term pursuit for their practical applications. However, N, as the most potential active site, still encounters the problems of low atom utilization efficiency and stability in practical environmental remediation. Herein, we successfully constructed synergistic active sites consisting of graphitic N, pyridinic N, and thiophene S in heavy S, N co-doped hollow graphene spheres (HSNGS). The HSNGS exhibited exceptional efficiency in degrading tetracycline in real water, with a turnover frequency of 6.24 min−1, which is among the highest reported. Moreover, tetracycline dissolved in practical water could be continuously and rapidly eliminated by passing through a column filled with HSNGS, maintaining its high performance even after 40 consecutive cycles. In the synergistic active sites, graphitic N and pyridinic N species accepted electrons from peroxymonosulfate, generating singlet oxygen for tetracycline degradation. Simultaneously, thiophene S coordinated with metal ions present in the practical water, synergistically enhancing the degradation of tetracycline. Additionally, the coordinated metal ions provided protection for the synergistic active sites during peroxymonosulfate activation, preventing their oxidation and enabling the continuous and rapid degradation of tetracycline. This work opens up possibilities for the industrial application of nanocarbon materials in environmental remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based magnetic observatories and geomagnetic satellites can observe the induced magnetic field generated by the motion of seawater containing sodium and chlorine ions. Calculating the three-dimensional (3-D) spatial distribution of tide-induced magnetic fields (TIMF) is crucial for inverting the electrical conductivity structure of the oceanic lithosphere. It also serves as an essential basis for designing optimal geomagnetic observatories and satellite orbits. However, existing methods for simulating TIMF suffer from limitations in inaccurately modeling realistic coastlines, heterogeneous land and sea surface properties, and complex deep Earth structures, thereby the interpretational level of TIMF data is reduced. To overcome this issue, we developed a tetrahedral-based finite element method for simulating TIMF, which can efficiently approximate realistic coastlines, heterogeneous land and sea surface properties, and complex deep Earth structures. Firstly, we derived the boundary value problem for the seawater motion-induced electromagnetic field, which was solved using the vector finite element method based on tetrahedral elements. Secondly, using the latest ocean depth and seafloor sediment layer models, we constructed a 3-D conductivity model of the Earth, which includes realistic coastlines, heterogeneous land and sea conductivity distributions. We then computed the TIMF using the M2 tidal source as an example and validated our method by comparing it with results obtained from spherical harmonic finite element and integral equation methods. Finally, utilizing the computed high-precision M2, N2, and O1 TIMF signals, we marked global observatories capable of observing strong M2, N2, and O1 TIMF signals and predicted alternative stations suitable for tide signal observations. Additionally, we calculated TIMF at heights of 450 and 200 km for the Macau Science Satellite 1 and its subsequent satellites. The results indicate that the amplitude of the tidal-induced magnetic field at 200 km is approximately twice that at 450 km. The maximum amplitudes of M2, N2 and O1 TIMF at 200 km are eight, two, and three times the measurement accuracy of the magnetic sensing payload (0.5 nT), respectively. The 200 km orbit has great potential for detecting high-resolution electrical structures of the seafloor lithosphere and asthenosphere in regions such as New Zealand, southern Iceland, the southern Indian Ocean, the Ross Sea region of Antarctica, and the Sea of Okhotsk. It also holds the potential for studying large-scale oceanic dynamic processes and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The humid-heat exposure has more substantial impacts on morbidity compared to high temperature alone. • Humid-heat-related morbidity burden in Shanghai is projected to escalate as GHGs emission increase, particularly in humid-heat nights. • Adhering to SSP126 scenario will reduce the humid-heat-related morbidity burden by nearly 13.0% relative to SSP585. Increased attention has been paid to humid-heat extremes as they are projected to increase in both frequency and intensity. However, it remains unclear how compound extremes of heat and humidity affects morbidity when the climate is projected to continue warming in the future, in particular for a megacity with a large population. We chose the Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) index as the metric to characterize the humid-heat exposure. The historical associations between daily outpatient visits and daily mean WBGT was established using a Distributed Lag Non-linear Model (DLNM) during the warm season (June to September) from 2013 to 2015 in Shanghai, a prominent megacity of China. Future morbidity burden related to the combined effect of high temperature and humidity were projected under four greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370 and SSP585). The humid-heat weather was significantly associated with a higher risk of outpatient visits in Shanghai than the high-temperature conditions. Relative to the baseline period (2010–2019), the morbidity burden due to humid-heat weather was projected to increase 4.4 % (95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.1 %–10.1 %) even under the strict emission control scenario (SSP126) by 2100. Under the high-GHGs emission scenario (SSP585), this burden was projected to be 25.4 % (95 % CI: 15.8 %–38.4 %), which is 10.1 % (95 % CI: 6.5 %–15.8 %) more than that due to high-temperature weather. Our results also indicate that humid-hot nights could cause large morbidity risks under high-GHGs emission scenarios particularly in heat-sensible diseases such as the respiratory and cardiovascular disease by the end of this century. Humid heat exposures significantly increased the all-cause morbidity risk in the megacity Shanghai, especially in humid-hot nights. Our findings suggest that the combined effect of elevated temperature and humidity is projected to have more substantial impact on health compared to high temperature alone in a warming climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) with multiple configurations was fabricated by acid gas cutting strategy. • The C–O–C configurations is capable of lowering the doping energy barrier of K. • K heteroatom content is directly related to the photosynthesis H 2 O 2 yield. • O 2 adsorption configuration transformed into a K–O–O–C bridge model on PCN surface. • The mechanism of multiple configurations in PCN for photosynthesis H 2 O 2 were studied. A oxygen and potassium co-doped polymeric carbon nitride (O/K-PCNs) was simply constructed by an acid gas cutting strategy for photocatalytic H 2 O 2 generation. The effect of each accompanied configurations on photosynthesis of H 2 O 2 was systematically analyzed. The C–O–C structure formed by O doping is capable of decreasing K ions incorporated energy barrier, thus remarkably improving the content of crucial K active sites. Dual heteroatom sites synergistically enhance O 2 adsorption and surface ORR by a bridge K–O–O–C model. Moreover, the accompanied cyano defect and poly(heptazine imide) is responsible for improving in-plane and interlayer carriers separation, respectively. The optimal O/K-PCNs exhibits 60-fold higher photocatalytic H 2 O 2 production rate than pure PCN. A positive correlation between the H 2 O 2 production rate and the K heteratoms content was established. This work clarifies role of multiple configurations in PCN, especially O-containing groups, providing a new insight for design heteroatoms-doped materials for solar energy conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper underscores the critical role of temperature distribution in the molten pool on the resulting solidification microstructure during selective laser melting (SLM) process. A powder-resolved computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of Ti-Nb alloy is established to investigate heat transfer and fluid flow in the molten pool. When comparing the bulk model to the powder bed model, discrepancies in temperature gradient and cooling rate can reach up to 26.29 % and 18.32 %, respectively. Utilizing the powder bed CFD model, temperature gradient and cooling rate data at the molten pool boundary are integrated into the finite interface dissipation phase-field model. The simulation results illuminate the non-equilibrium solidification microstructure in the SLMed Ti-Nb alloy. Results indicate that the rapid solidification fosters a pronounced solute trapping effect, mitigating solute microsegregation. The microstructure manifests as cellular and dendritic structures, with Nb concentration in cellular cores and depletion in intercellular region. Predicted primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) or cell size range between 0.4 to 0.6 μm, consistent with experimental observations. In particular, the study reveals a transition from dendritic to cellular and from cellular to planar structures, with an accompanying analysis of the underlying mechanisms. [Display omitted] (a) Temperature distribution in the molten pool of SLMed Ti-25Nb alloy; (b-d) solidification microstructure at various heights along the molten pool boundary: (b) top; (c) middle; (d) bottom; and (e) comparison with experimental observation (Reprinted from Acta Mater. 68 (2014) 150–158 with permission from Elsevier). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we endeavor to localize all potential objects in an image and infer their visual categories, attributes, and shapes, even in instances where certain objects have not been encompassed in the model’s supervised training. This is similar to the challenge posed by open-vocabulary object detection and recognition. The proposed OV-DAR framework, in contrast to previous object detection and recognition frameworks, offers superior advantages and performance in terms of generalization, universality, and granularity expression. Specifically, OV-DAR disentangles the open-vocabulary object detection and recognition problem into two components: class-agnostic object proposal and open-vocabulary classification. It employs co-training to maintain a balance between the performance of these two components. For the former, we construct class-agnostic object proposal networks based on the anchor/query with the SAM foundation model, which demonstrates robust generalization in object proposing and masking. For the latter, we merge available object-centered category classification and attribute prediction data, take co-learning for efficient fine-tuning of CLIP, and subsequently augment the open-vocabulary capability on object-centered category/attribute prediction tasks using freely accessible online image–text pairs. To ensure the efficiency and accuracy of open-vocabulary classification, we devise a structure akin to Faster R-CNN and fully exploit the knowledge of object-centered CLIP for end-to-end multi-object open-vocabulary category and attribute prediction by knowledge distillation. We conduct comprehensive experiments on VAW, MS-COCO, LSA, and OVAD datasets. The results not only illustrate the complementarity of semantic category and attribute recognition for visual scene understanding but also underscore the generalization capability of OV-DAR in localizing, categorizing, attributing, and masking tasks and open-world scene perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate determination of the electrostatic force exerted on multipole moments is essential in comprehending the interaction between charged bodies and dielectric layers. A comprehensive solution is presented in this study for the calculation of the electric potential, field, and force generated by n th-order electric multipole above a semi-infinite dielectric body covered by a dielectric layer using the image multipole method. The present study investigates the impact of dielectric thickness, permittivity, and separation distance on the electrostatic interaction between an electric multipole moment and a semi-infinite dielectric body. The calculation results indicate that as the thickness of the dielectric layer increases and the dielectric constant of the surrounding medium surpasses that of the dielectric layer, the electrostatic attractive force undergoes a transition to a repulsive force. The magnitude of the electrostatic force acting on a n th-order electric multipole moment is directly proportional to the square of the value of the electric multipole moment and inversely proportional to the 2 (n +1) power of the distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, the goal of Video Instance Segmentation (VIS) is to segment and categorize objects in videos from a closed set of training categories, lacking the generalization ability to handle novel categories in real-world videos. To address this limitation, we make the following three contributions. First, we introduce the novel task of Open-Vocabulary Video Instance Segmentation (OV-VIS), which aims to simultaneously segment, track, and classify objects in videos from open-set categories, including novel categories unseen during training. Second, to benchmark OV-VIS, we collect a Large-Vocabulary Video Instance Segmentation dataset (LV-VIS), that contains well-annotated objects from 1196 diverse categories, significantly surpassing the category size of existing datasets by more than an order of magnitude. Third, we propose a transformer-based OV-VIS model, OV2Seg+, which associates per-frame segmentation masks with a memory-induced transformer and clarifies objects in videos with a voting module given language guidance. In addition, to monitor the progress, we set up the evaluation protocols for OV-VIS and propose a set of strong baseline models to facilitate future endeavors. Extensive experiments on LV-VIS and four existing VIS datasets demonstrate the strong zero-shot generalization ability of OV2Seg+. The dataset and code are released here https://github.com/haochenheheda/LVVIS. The competition website is provided here https://www.codabench.org/competitions/1748. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a common heavy metal pollutant in the environment, and the widespread use of products containing Cd compounds in industry has led to excessive levels in the environment, which enter the animal body through the food chain, thus seriously affecting the reproductive development of animals. Related studies have reported that Cd severely affects spermatogonia development and spermatogenesis in animals. In contrast, the reproductive toxicity of Cd in males and its mechanism of action have not been clarified. Therefore, this paper reviewed the toxic effects of Cd on germ cells, spermatogonia somatic cells and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) of male animals and its toxic action mechanisms of oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy from the perspectives of cytology, genetics and neuroendocrinology. The effects of Cd stress on epigenetic modification of reproductive development in male animals were also analyzed. We hope to provide a reference for the in-depth study of the toxicity of Cd on male animal reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tremendous progresses have been made in remote sensing image captioning (RSIC) task in recent years, yet there still some unresolved problems: (1) facing the gap between the visual features and semantic concepts, (2) reasoning the higher-level relationships between semantic concepts. In this work, we focus on injecting high-level visual-semantic interaction into RSIC model. Firstly, the semantic concept extractor (SCE), end-to-end trainable, precisely captures the semantic concepts contained in the RSIs. In particular, the visual-semantic co-attention (VSCA) is designed to grain coarse concept-related regions and region-related concepts for multi-modal interaction. Furthermore, we incorporate the two types of attentive vectors with semantic-level relational features into a consensus exploitation (CE) block for learning cross-modal consensus-aware knowledge. The experiments on three benchmark data sets show the superiority of our approach compared with the reference methods. • We propose an end-to-end trainable network architecture for remote sensing image captioning task, aiming to extract explicit high-level semantic from remote sensing image, learn discriminative cross-modal linguistic-aware features, and exploit cross-modal alignment. • To capture the explicit semantic concepts, semantic concept extractor is designed to generate a series of semantic words. The designed network based on visual features and semantic concepts is effective for visual-semantic features extracting. • For modeling the visual features and semantic concepts, a visual-semantic co-attention module with two parallel attentive branches is designed, which learns the linguistic awareness between visual features and enhances the region-related semantic contents. • In order to facilitate the alignment between cross-modal features, a consensus exploitation is devised for exploring the multi-modal consensus-aware representations based on the constructed concept correlation graph. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]