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The first pandemic wave of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced a considerable increase in several antivirals and antibiotics in surface water. The common symptoms of COVID-19 are viral and bacterial infections, while comorbidities (e.g., hypertension and diabetes) and mental shock (e.g., insomnia and anxiety) are nonnegligible. Nevertheless, little is known about the long-term impacts of comorbidities and mental shock on organic micropollutants (OMPs) in surface waters. Herein, we monitored 114 OMPs in surface water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Wuhan, China, between 2019 and 2021. The pandemic-induced OMP pollution in surface water was confirmed by significant increases in 26 OMP concentrations. Significant increases in four antihypertensives and one diabetic drug suggest that the treatment of comorbidities may induce OMP pollution. Notably, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine) increased 155 times to 187 ng·L−1, which might be associated with increased smoking. Additionally, the increases in zolpidem and sulpiride might be the result of worsened insomnia and depression. Hence, it is reasonable to note that mental-health protecting drugs/behavior also contributed to OMP pollution. Among the observed OMPs, telmisartan, lopinavir, and ritonavir were associated with significantly higher ecological risks because of their limited WWTP-removal rate and high ecotoxicity. This study provides new insights into the effects of comorbidities and mental shock on OMPs in surface water during a pandemic and highlights the need to monitor the fate of related pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment and to improve their removal efficiencies in WWTPs.

The forming, microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of three kinds of vacuum electron beam welded joints with different shapes were studied. The results of X-ray inspection of the joints showed that the three shapes of welded joints could meet the requirements of the quality inspection. The results of microstructure characterization show that the worm or bone-like δ-ferrite appears in the upper and lower regions of the funnel-shaped and bell-shaped joints, while only a small amount of δ-ferrite appears in the local regions of the nail-shaped joints. The test results of mechanical properties show that the micro-hardness of the weld center in the three kinds of shaped joints is the lowest. All the specimens fracture in the weld, and the bell-shaped weld presents the highest impact energy and bending load. Funnel-shaped weld shows the worst corrosion resistance due to the element segregation of the weld. Thus, the bell-shaped joint exhibits the best comprehensive performance.

Background: Previous studies showed that MSCs could mitigate damage in the pancreas during acute pancreatitis (AP). However, acute mortality associated with AP was more often a result of persistent failure of remote organs, rather than local damage, especially in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), and the effect of MSCs may vary depending on their origin. Methods: An SAP model was induced in 8-week C57BL/6 J male mice by retrograde injection of 5 % sodium taurocholate solution through the bile duct. SAP mice were divided into the SAP group, UC-MSCs group, and BMSCs group, which were treated with saline, 1 × 106 UC-MSCs, and 1 × 106 BMSCs respectively, through the tail vein. After treatment, serum markers, inflammation, and morphology were assessed in the pancreas, kidneys, lungs, and hearts. Results: MSCs infusion ameliorated the systemic inflammatory response in SAP mice. In the MSCs-treated SAP mice, local tissue injury and inflammation response in the pancreas were alleviated. But more importantly, the renal and lung injury were all significantly and drastically mitigated, and the levels of pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6, MCP-1, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the kidney, lung and heart were sharply decreased. In terms of origin, UC-MSCs exhibited superior efficacy compared with BMSCs. Furthermore, compared to the normal control mice, UC-MSCs showed an earlier appearance, higher distribution densities, and longer duration of presence in the injured tissue. Conclusions: This study provides compelling evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of MSCs in SAP treatment and particularly their ability to mitigate multi-organ failure. Our results also suggested that UC-MSCs may offer greater advantages over BMSCs in SAP therapy.

Yuanbaoshancha (YBSC) is characterized as a new wild tea relative morphologically and phytochemically distinguished from the closest wild tea plants Rongjiangcha (Camellia yungkiangensis, RJC) and Tulecha (Camellia costata, TLC). YBSC young leaves contain higher tea polyphenol and theobromine contents but lower caffeine and theanine as compared with RJC, TLC, and other tea landraces and modern cultivars. The major alkaloid detected in YBSC, TLC, and RJC is theobromine while caffeine is a minor; the primary catechins in YBSC leaves are non-galloylated catechins, significantly different from Camellia sinensis and other low-caffeine tea resources. The unique phytochemical profiles featured YBSC black tea with extremely lower caffeine and higher theobromine, as well as unique flavors and health benefits. This botanical characterization of YBSC and two related low-caffeine wild tea resources lays a foundation for future better utilization for the production of a highly valuable natural low-caffeine/high-theobromine tea. Chemical compounds: Caffeine (PubChem CID: 2519); Theobromine (PubChem CID: 5429); Catechins (PubChem CID: 9064); Epigallocatechin gallate (PubChem CID: 65064); Theanine (PubChem CID: 439378); Jasmone (PubChem CID: 1549018); cis-3-Hexenyl hexanoate (PubChem CID: 5352543); Hexyl 2-methylbutanoate (PubChem CID: 24838).

Osteocytes are terminally differentiated cells derived from osteoblasts and are deeply embedded within the bone matrix. They play a critical role in bone remodeling by generating a lacuno-canalicular network (LCN) and controlling the transport of nutrients. Due to the absence of blood vessels within the bone matrix, it is widely believed that osteocytes develop in a hypoxic environment. However, the mechanisms of osteocytogenesis and the role of oxygen sensing in this process remain unclear. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are major transcriptional factors involved in oxygen sensing. Previous studies have shown that accumulation of HIFs in osteoblasts leads to abnormal bone remodeling, potentially linked with the alterations of the LCN network. Specifically, HIF-1α is hypothesized to play a more significant role in regulating bone remodeling compared to HIF-2α. Therefore, we investigated the functions of HIF-1α in dendrite formation and the establishment of the LCN network during osteocytogenesis. Immunostaining and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the E11 protein aggregates to form a ring structure that defines the site for dendrite initiation. This process is followed by activation of the ERM/RhoA pathway and recruitment of matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) to facilitate extracellular matrix degradation, enabling dendrite elongation. However, both hypoxic treatment and overexpression of HIF-1α impair ring formation, resulting in reduced ERM/RhoA activity and decreased matrix degradation capability. These findings suggest that abnormal HIF-1α activity in local areas could contribute to impaired LCN network formation and abnormal bone remodeling observed in bone diseases such as osteopenia and aging.

Porcine circovirus types 2 (PCV2) and 3 (PCV3) are the two most prevalent porcine circoviruses in China, all of which can infect swine herds and cause serious diseases. To detect coinfection with PCV2 and PCV3, primers and probes for duplex PCV2 and PCV3 real-time PCR were designed to target their cap genes based on the constructed plasmids pUC57-PCV2 and pUC57-PCV3. The established duplex PCV2 and PCV3 real-time PCRs were specific to PCV2 and PCV3 and showed no cross-reactions with other porcine viral pathogens. The limit of detection was 5 and 50 copies for the PCV2 and PCV3 plasmids, respectively. The intra- and interassay repeatability had coefficients of variation below 3 %. The established methods were used to analyze clinical samples from Liaoning and Jilin provinces of China. The coinfection rates of PCV2 and PCV3 in pigs extensively fed in Liaoning and Jilin, large-scale farmed pigs in Liaoning and large-scale farmed pigs in Jilin were 15.0 % (6/40), 36.7 % (11/30) and 35.4 % (62/175), respectively. This study established a useful duplex PCV2 and PCV3 real-time PCR method that can be used for the detection of PCV2 and PCV3 in local clinical samples.

Mechanical stirring can promote uniform distribution of crude oil temperature and increase the heating rate, but the effect is different for different heating methods in crude oil storage tank. In this paper, jet heating and tubular heating are used as the heating methods in the tank, the physical and mathematical models under the synergy of two heating methods and mechanical stirring are established, FVM and SIMPLE algorithm are used to numerical calculate. The results show that mechanical stirring can enhance the flow of crude oil in the tank, affect greatly the temperature and velocity fields of crude oil and improve uniformity of the temperature field. Mechanical stirring has more significant effect on tubular heating for the 1000 m3 actual oil storage tank. For tubular heating, mechanical stirring can increase the crude oil average velocity 13.8 times, heating rate by 0.123 °C/h, heating efficiency by 8.37 % and reduce the temperature variance by 92.03 % during 2h of heating. At the same time, the indicators of economic benefits for different heating methods are put forward, and the order of energy consumption per unit temperature rise is obtained: Tubular heating > Jet heating > Jet heating and stirring > Tubular heating and stirring.

The aim of this study was to expose anti-obesity effect of Gnaphalium affine (GA) and its underlying mechanism by combining biochemical analysis, 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results showed GA alleviated high-fat diet (HFD)-mediated oxidative stress, fat accumulation and inflammation. Moreover, GA improved gut barrier and immunity in HFD-fed mice through up-regulating tight junction protein, decreasing Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level and inhibiting pro-inflammatory makers production in LPS/ toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) / Myd88 / NF-κB pathway. Additionally, GA and its extracts altered composition and metabolism of gut microbiota. GA promoted abundances of Dubosiella and decreased abundance of Alistipes in HFD-fed mice, which were closely linked to 5-Hydroxy-6,7-dimethoxylflavone from GA and levels of weight, inflammatory markers, gut microbial metabolites of mice. Collectively, GA offers its anti-obesity properties through regulating gut microbiota by mucosal barrier functions, indicating that GA and its natural compounds hold great potential as a functional food ingredient.

With the tertiary oil recovery in the oilfield, the content of aging oil emulsion with high water content and complex components has become more prevalent, so it is crucial for aging oil to break the emulsification. In this paper, the experimental laws of water content are explored under the conditions of different transducer input powers through the ultrasonic reforming of aging oil, and the microscopic topography, particle size, components, etc. of oil samples before and after the irradiation of ultrasound are characterized through the microscopic analysis, particle size analysis and component analysis and other ways. The results show that the oil samples achieve the effect of demulsification and dehydration in the presence of ultrasonic cavitation effect, with a maximum dehydration rate of 98.24 %, and that the dehydration rate follows an “M−type” trend with the increase of power. The results of microscopic and particle size analyses demonstrate that ultrasonic irradiation destabilizes the oil–water interfacial membrane, and causes droplets of different sizes to collide, agglomerate, and settle. It was also observed that the droplets of the emulsion system are more evenly distributed and the intervals are increased. Furthermore, we hypothesize that ultrasound may be less irreversible in demulsification and dehydration of aging oil.

The blotched snakehead (Channa maculata) is a freshwater species of economic importance, widely distributed throughout Southeast Asia and Southern China. The comprehension of genetic regulatory mechanisms underlying growth traits, particularly body weight, is paramount for the advancement and economic viability of blotched snakehead aquaculture. Despite its importance, limited investigations have been undertaken regarding the growth properties of this species. To enhance our grasp of the genetic regulation mechanisms dictating growth traits and identify pertinent genetic loci, the inaugural genome-wide association study (GWAS) was executed. In this study, eight growth traits of 500 blotched snakeheads were measured and whole genome resequencing (WGS) were conducted. Genetic parameters were estimated for the eight traits, revealing moderate to high heritability (0.2245–0.5184) for seven traits, while one exhibited low heritability (0.1081). A comprehensive set of 2, 225, 993 high-quality SNPs were identified in the 500 blotched snakehead individuals, and the mixed linear model in GEMMA was applied for GWAS analysis. A total of 51 significant SNPs related to the seven growth traits were identified, and 112 genes were obtained by scanning 50 kb upstream and downstream regions. Thirteen genes harboring significant SNP sites were considered as important candidate genes, and these genes were associated with organelle formation, signal transduction, cell proliferation, and muscle growth. Notably, the HS6ST1 gene was significantly associated with body weight, body length and total length, designating it as a key candidate gene. This investigation makes a substantive contribution to our comprehension of the genetic architecture governing growth traits in the blotched snakehead, establishing a robust foundation for future initiatives in molecular marker-assisted selection and breeding strategies.

The effects of dietary emodin supplementation on the growth, gut health, and gut microbiota of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) were evaluated in this study. The basal diet (CONTROL group) was supplemented with 5 g/kg (EMODIN 5 group), 10 g/kg (EMODIN 10 group) and 20 g/kg (EMODIN 20 group) emodin for 6 weeks. Compared with the CONTROL alone group, the EMODIN 10 and EMODIN 20 groups of common carp had a significantly increased weight gain rate (WG%), specific growth rate (SGR%), and condition factor ratio (CF%) and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR). The activities of intestinal digestive enzymes, including α-amylase (AMS), protease (PRT) and lipase (LPS), were also significantly increased in the emodin group (EMODIN 10 and EMODIN 20). Emodin also enhanced intestinal barrier function by increasing the length of intestinal villi, the number of goblet cells, and expression of the occludin gene. The dominant gut probiotics Cetobacterium and Actinobacteriota_unclassified were significantly enriched in the emodin group, while Aeromonas abundance was depleted, indicating that the intestinal barrier health of the emodin-treated carp improved. We also observed elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were reduced in the serum of the treatment group, which means that the fish's immunity was improved. There was functional enrichment of gut microbiota immune system pathways in the emodin group, which highlights the importance of gut immunity. Network pharmacology analysis showed that the NF-κB signaling pathway was significantly enriched in the intestine-immunity axis. Accordingly, RTPCR showed that emodin affected the intestinal expression of NF-κB signaling pathway-related immune factors in artificially infected fish, including decreased NF-κB, IL-6 and TNF-α expression and increased TLR22 expression. Correlation analysis showed that downregulated NF-κB expression upon emodin addition (EMODIN 20) was related to increased Cetobacterium abundance. Therefore, dietary emodin supplementation may enhance intestinal immune defense by regulating the intestinal microbiota, which promotes common carp growth.

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a serious type of hemorrhagic stroke. It is very important to predict the prognosis at early phase. In this work, we intend to characterize early changes in peripheral blood cells after aSAH and explore the association between peripheral blood cells and clinical outcomes after aSAH. Methods: aSAH patients admitted between December 2019 and September 2022 were enrolled. A retrospective observational study was performed. Total leukocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, erythrocytes, lymphocytes and platelets counts were recorded on the day of admission (day 1), day 3, day 5 and day 7. Statistical tests included Chi-square test, analysis of variance and multivariate logistic regression (MLR) models. 197 patients were analyzed. Results: Leukocytes and neutrophils were higher in poor outcome groups from day 1 to day 7 and in delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) groups from day 3 to day 7. Lymphocytes were higher at day 5 and day 7 in good outcome groups and no DCI groups. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was lower from day 3 to day 7 in good outcome groups and no DCI groups. Erythrocytes were higher from day 3 to day 7 in good outcome groups and no DCI groups. Lymphocytes were negatively related to poor outcomes on day 1 (OR = 0.457), indicating higher lymphocytes predicted good outcomes, Neutrophils were positively related to poor outcomes on day 3 (OR = 3.003) indicating higher neutrophils predicted poor outcomes. Lymphocytes were negatively related to DCI on day 5 (OR = 0.388) indicating higher lymphocytes predicted no DCI, Erythrocytes were negatively related to DCI on day 5 (OR = 0.335) and day 7 (OR = 0.204) indicating higher erythrocytes predicted no DCI. The improved ability of neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes to predict DCI or poor functional outcomes were revealed by ROC curve analysis. Conclusions: The dynamic changes of peripheral blood cell counts were related to poor functional outcomes and DCI after aSAH. Elevated neutrophils, leukocytes, NLR, and decreased lymphocytes, erythrocytes were accompanied by DCI and poor outcome. Neutrophils, lymphocytes and erythrocytes counts could be beneficial to predict DCI and outcomes after aSAH.

With large-scale wind power connected to the power grid, accurate short-term wind power forecasting has become a key technology for safe, economic power grid operation. Therefore, a short-term wind power forecasting and uncertainty analysis method based on the FCM-WOA-ELM-GMM was proposed. Fuzzy C-means (FCM) was used to cluster the numerical weather prediction (NWP) and wind farm power data, and the data points with similar meteorological information are classified into one class. Using the rapid convergence and high convergence accuracy of the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), the input weight and hidden layer threshold of the extreme learning machine (ELM) model were optimized to improve the ELM calculation speed and forecasting accuracy. The WOA-ELM model was trained using the clustered NWP and wind farm power data and the short-term wind power was projected using the trained forecasting model. To accurately calculate the forecasting error probability density distribution, the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) was applied and the wind power forecast confidence intervals under different climatic conditions and time scales were calculated. The forecasting accuracies of the WOA-ELM, ELM, PSO-LSSVM, LSSVM, LSTM, PSO-BP, and WNN models were compared and analyzed, and the RMSE values of the 4-h forecasting results in April were as follows: WOA-ELM, 5.95%; ELM, 26.73%; PSO-LSSVM, 3.78%; LSSVM, 5.19%; LSTM, 23.71%; PSO-BP, 15.63%; and WNN, 23.23%. The RMSE values of 24-h forecasting results in April were: WOA-ELM, 6.62%; ELM, 19.86%; PSO-LSSVM, 9.91%; LSSVM, 13.73%; LSTM, 23.69%; PSO-BP, 14.08%; and WNN, 20.11%. The RMSE values of 72-h forecasting results in April were as follows: WOA-ELM, 5.24%; ELM, 13.64%; PSO-LSSVM, 12.03%; LSSVM, 13.67%; LSTM, 16.61%; PSO-BP, 15.46%; and WNN, 20.22%. According to the calculation results, under different climatic conditions and forecasting time scales, the forecasting accuracy of the FCM-WOA-ELM-GMM model is higher than those of the other models.

The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of alkali-activated slag (AAS)-based cemented paste backfill (CPB) is influenced by multiple design parameters. However, the experimental methods are limited to understanding the relationships between a single design parameter and the UCS, independently of each other. Although machine learning (ML) methods have proven efficient in understanding relationships between multiple parameters and the UCS of ordinary Portland cement (OPC)-based CPB, there is a lack of ML research on AAS-based CPB. In this study, two ensemble ML methods, comprising gradient boosting regression (GBR) and random forest (RF), were built on a dataset collected from literature alongside two other single ML methods, support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural network (ANN). The results revealed that the ensemble learning methods outperformed the single learning methods in predicting the UCS of AAS-based CPB. Relative importance analysis based on the best-performing model (GBR) indicated that curing time and water-to-binder ratio were the most critical input parameters in the model. Finally, the GBR model with the highest accuracy was proposed for the UCS predictions of AAS-based CPB.

RNA editing plays an extensive role in the initiation and progression of cancer. However, the overall profile and molecular functions of RNA editing in different ovarian cancer subtypes have not been fully characterized and elucidated. Here, we conducted a study on RNA editing in four cohorts of ovarian cancer subtypes through large-scale parallel reporting and bioinformatics analysis. Our findings revealed that RNA editing patterns exhibit subtype-specific characteristics within cancer subtypes. The expression pattern of ADAR and the number of differential editing sites varied under different conditions. CCOC and EOC exhibited significant editing deficiency, whereas HGSC and MOC displayed significant editing excess. The sites within the turquoise module of the coedited network also revealed their correlation with ovarian cancer. In addition, we identified an average of over 40,000 cis-edQTLs in the four subtypes. Finally, we explored the association between RNA editing and drug response, uncovering several potentially effective editing-drug pairs (EDP) and suggesting the conceivable utility of RNA editing sites as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. Overall, our comprehensive study has identified and characterized RNA editing events in various subtypes of ovarian cancer, providing a new perspective for ovarian cancer research and facilitating the development of medical interventions and treatments.

The effect of underwater noise environment generated by equipment in industrial recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) on fish is evident. However, different equipment generate noise in various frequency ranges. Understanding the effects of different frequency ranges noise on cultured species is important for optimizing the underwater acoustic environment in RAS. Given this, the effects of underwater noise across various frequency bands in RAS on the growth, physiology, and collective behavior of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were comprehensively evaluated here. In this study, three control groups were established: low-frequency noise group (80–1000 Hz, 117 dB re 1μPa RMS), high-frequency noise group (1–19 kHz, 117 dB re 1μPa RMS), and ambient group. During a 30-day experiment, it was found that: 1) industrial RAS noise with different frequency bands all had a certain inhibitory effect on the growth of fish, which the weight gain rate and product of length and depth of caudal peduncle in the ambient group were significantly higher than those of the two noise groups, with the low-frequency noise group showing significantly lower values than the high-frequency noise group; 2) industrial RAS noise had a certain degree of adverse effect on the digestive ability of fish, with the low-frequency noise group being more affected; 3) industrial RAS noise affected the collective feeding behavior of fish, with the collective feeding signal propagation efficiency and feeding intensity of the noise groups being significantly lower than those of the ambient group, and the high-frequency noise group performing better than the low-frequency noise group as a whole therein. From the above, the underwater noise across different frequency bands generated by equipment operation in industrial RAS both had an impact on juvenile largemouth bass, with the low-frequency noise group being more severely affected.

Background: Influenced by socio-cultural and world events, Chinese society has significant intergenerational differences. With rapid economic and cultural development, the unique characteristics of Generation Z nursing students in China may influence the clinical education environment. However, the research on Generation Z in China is still in its infancy. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of Generation Z nursing students during their practicum in an intensive care unit (ICU) in the context of China's unique cultural and historical background. Methods: A phenomenological approach was used in this qualitative study. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with fifteen Generation Z nursing students doing practicum in the ICU in a third-level hospital in Shanghai, China. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method. Result: Three themes emerged: intelligent medical services empowering critical care, perception of multiple challenges, and affirmation of the teaching work in the ICU. Conclusions and implications: The clinical instructors should use a combination of online and offline pedagogy, give positive guidance through role modeling, and develop the self-learning skills of Generation Z nursing students. This might help Generation Z nursing students relieve the stress of practicum in the ICU, more quickly adapt to the clinical environment, and enter nursing positions. The result of this research provided valuable information to help clinical practicum programs in China effectively educate Generation Z nursing students. Good education ensures that health care is safe and effective, making it easier for patients to get better.

This paper proposed a lightweight design method for orthotropic steel bridge deck U-ribs. Firstly, the U-rib is analyzed in static structural properties. An analytic hierarchy model was constructed to maximize the stiffness for multi-objective topology optimization. Secondly, a parametric reconfiguration model of the topologically optimized U-rib was established. Finally, static tests are carried out and the performance of the 3D printing scale model was tested. The test results show that the method is effective. Weight of the original model with U-rib is 99.8 kg, and the weight of its optimized model is 76.8 kg. The method achieved a weight reduction of 23% for the U-ribs, and the stiffness still met the permitted conditions. The orthotropic steel bridge deck composed of the optimized U-ribs effectively reduced the weight by 150 kg on the basis of basically unchanged stiffness. The method provides an important reference for the lightweight transformation of assembled bridge structures.

To evaluate the effects of dietary protein on reproductive performance, egg quality and larval health of the blotched snakehead Channa maculata, three groups were designed: a high protein group (HP) with 48% protein content, a low protein group (LP) with 44% protein content, and a control group (C) fed with commercial feed containing 40% protein. The results demonstrated that the HP diet significantly enhanced maternal absolute fecundity, egg size and offspring health; however, it had no impact on fertilization rate and hatching rate. The maternal plasma levels of 11-ketotestosterone, 17β-estradiol, and vitellogenin in the HP group were found to be significantly higher compared to those in the C group. Plasma SOD activity and T-AOC capacity in the HP group were significantly higher than those in the C group, while MDA content showed an opposite trend. The trend of T-AOC in 7 days post-hatching larvae exhibited a consistent pattern with that observed in the maternal. Metabolomics and transcriptomics results indirectly indicated that the differences in reproductive and egg quality of the broodstock were associated with the regulation of arachidonic acid metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, cholesterol metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. The expression levels of star, zp3, foxo3, tgf-β, ghr, igf, cyp17a1, and cyp19a1 genes associated with reproduction and were significantly upregulated in the HP group. By depleting the abundance of metabolites in key pathway such as the pentose phosphate pathway, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism within the ovary, there is an elevation in arachidonic acid metabolite abundance, thereby facilitating ovarian maturation and regulating egg quality. In conclusion, the high protein diet may affect the reproductive process and egg quality by inducing an upregulation of TGF-beta signaling pathway and ovarian steroidogenesis and arachidonic acid metabolism, leading to increased plasma cholesterol levels and enhanced steroid hormone synthesis.

In recent decades, climate change has significantly affected water quality and algal blooms in lakes worldwide. Studying the temporal dynamics patterns of algal production efficiency and its drivers in individual lakes is useful for analyzing the evolutionary trajectory of Chla-TP changes, and identifying the main controlling factors of eutrophication to guide lake management. In this study, we used a dataset for the Lake Gehu (1986–2020) to analyze the drivers of the ETP variability on interannual and seasonal time scales and to quantify the relative impacts and contributions of nutrient and climatic factors on the ETP. The results showed a negative correlation of the Chla-TP relationship appeared in years with very high ETP. The effects of nutritional and climatic factors on the ETP at different time scales were quantified using a generalized additive model. The results showed that the total phosphorus (TP) concentration had a significant effect on the interannual ETP variation, explaining up to 28.9 %. At the intra-annual scale, climatic variables had a much greater effect on the ETP than the nutrient concentration, and the explanatory effect was ranked as temperature > wind speed > rainfall > total nitrogen (TN). Based on the characteristics of seasonal ETP variations, the TPa of Lake Gehu were 50 μg/L, 33 μg/L, 20 μg/L with ETP levels of 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, respectively. This research highlights the significance of nutrient and climatic factors in interannual and seasonal scale, respectively. In addition, ETP influenced by the coupling of nutrient and climate provides a criterion for establishing the seasonal nutrient threshold of lakes.

For interconnected system, this paper proposes a control strategy of virtual oscillators with adjustable tie line power. A distributed intra-region control layer is designed based on the dispatchable virtual oscillator-controlled converters. It achieves the distribution of power and maintains frequency stability in different regions. The dispatchable virtual oscillator control improves the transient stability of the system, and the distributed structure enhances the system communication reliability. Further, a centralized inter-region control layer is designed based on the existing scheduling system. It enables power regulation of tie lines and maintains the frequency stability of the whole system. The proposed control strategy is simulated in a high percentage of new energy interconnected system for both sudden load changes and tie line power regulation. The results verify the effectiveness of the method for tie line power regulation and frequency recovery in the interconnected system.

Since the implementation of the Grain for Green Project, the vegetation coverage of Loess Plateau has been greatly improved. However, the contradiction between the increasing vegetation water demand (VWD) and the regional rainwater utilization potential (RUP) has become an important factor threatening the sustainable development of vegetation. In order to figure out whether the available water can support the water consumption of vegetation restoration, it is necessary to quantitatively explore the balance between the RUP and the VWD. Based on these, this study utilized the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and Penman–Monteith (PM) method to quantitatively evaluate the vegetation–water mutual suitability of a typical area in the Loess Plateau’s Helong Region (HLR). The results showed that both RUP and VWD exhibited significant increasing trends (95 % confidence level) from 1982 to 2018, with a rate of 18.19 mm/10a and 25.22 mm/10a, respectively. Spatially, RUP was lower in the northwest and higher in the southeast and south regions, whereas VWD decreased from the southeast to the northwest. According to the evaluation results, the annual average vegetation–water mutual suitability matching degree was 0.64 in Period I (1982–1999) and 0.67 in Period II (2000–2018). The matching degree was higher in the northwest and middle regions, lower in the southeast, and above 0.60 in most regions. Under the future climate scenarios of RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5, the matching degree of water supply and demand also improved to 0.69 and 0.72. Overall, the available water resources can basically support vegetation growth in the HLR. Future vegetation restoration in HLR should try to select annual herbaceous plants that consume less water, and it is not recommended to continue vegetation restoration in the southeast. The results of this study can provide scientific guidance and reference for vegetation restoration policies in HLR.

Objective: To investigate the accuracy of calcicum supression (CaSupp) technique derived from double-layer detector spectral computed tomography (DSCT) in the diagnosis of traumatic bone marrow edema in the knee. Methods: Twenty-three patients with trauma in the knee who underwent DSCT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University from October 2021 to March 2022 were retrospectively collected. To make the evaluation more detailed and accurate, each knee was divided into 10 partitions. Bone marrow edema in each partition of the knee was evaluated by two physicians (physician A and B) using CaSupp images combined with conventional CT-CaSupp fusion false-color images. MRI results were used as the gold standard and the accuracy of the CaSupp technique was analyzed in the diagnosis of traumatic bone marrow edema in the knee. The CaSuppCT values of the normal bone marrow area and the bone marrow edema area were delineated, and receiver operating curve (ROC curve) was drawn to find the optimal cut-off value of CaSuppCT as the quantitative parameter for the diagnosis of bone marrow edema. Results: The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of physician A were 83.1 %, 98.1 %, 95.5 % and 92.1 %, respectively; those of physician B were 93.5 %, 97.4 %, 94.7 % and 96.8 %, respectively. The CaSuppCT values in the bone marrow edema areas were higher than those in the normal areas, and the difference was statistically significant. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the CaSuppCT values was 0.979, and the cut-off value was 7.05Hu*. The corresponding diagnostic sensitivity was 87.0 %, and specificity was 100.0 %. Conclusion: The CaSupp technique derived from DSCT has high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of traumatic bone marrow edema in the knee, and can provide more imaging information for clinical practice.

Summary: We describe a retrograde synaptic signal at the C. elegans GABAergic neuromuscular junction. At this synapse, GABA release is controlled by two voltage-activated calcium channels (UNC-2/CaV2 and EGL-19/CaV1), and muscle responses are mediated by a single GABA receptor (UNC-49/GABAA). Mutations inactivating UNC-49 or those preventing UNC-49 synaptic clustering cause retrograde defects in GABAergic motor neurons, whereby UNC-2/CaV2 levels at active zones, UNC-2 current, and pre-synaptic GABA release are decreased. Inactivating post-synaptic GABAA receptors has no effect on GABA neuron EGL-19/CaV1 levels nor on several other pre-synaptic markers. The effect of GABAA receptors on pre-synaptic strength is not a consequence of decreased GABA transmission and is input selective. Finally, pre-synaptic UNC-2/CaV2 levels are increased when post-synaptic GABAA receptors are increased but are unaffected by increased extra-synaptic receptors. Collectively, these results suggest that clustered post-synaptic GABAA receptors adjust the strength of their inputs by recruiting CaV2 to contacting active zones.

Understanding the response of the microbial community to external disturbances such as micropollutants is vital for ecological risk evaluation. In this study, the effect of chronic antibiotic exposure on community compositions and functions was investigated by two batch experiments. The first experiment investigated the effect of chronic sulfamethoxazole (SMX) exposure, while the second investigated the combined effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) sources and multi-antibiotic exposure. The results showed that the community responses to chronic antibiotic exposure depended on the dynamic balance among community resistance, adaptation, recovery, and selection, leading to nonlinear composition diversity variations. The disturbance strength of chronic SMX exposure increased with concentration (0.5–50 μg/L). However, complex sources and structures of coexisting organic matter might delay the disturbance by elevating metabolic activity and generating functional redundancy. Especially, when nutrient was a limiting factor, the disturbance strength by DOM source was greater than that by chronic antibiotic exposure. The resistance of abundant taxa to external distributions resulted in a low explanation of community diversity, while rare taxa played key roles in response to community variation and thereby affected community assembly. Long-term SMX exposure reduced the number of key species and favored the deterministic assembly process by 21%. However, elevated community adaptability might weaken the influence of antibiotic selection. Chronic SMX exposure elevated the relative abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1, sul2) by a factor of 1.2–4.3, while that of nitrogen-fixing genes (nifH, nifK) and the metabolic pathways related to the toluene, ethylbenzene, and dioxin degradation decreased. However, the combined influence of DOM sources and multi-antibiotic exposure barely caused the difference in the genes linking to element metabolism and drug resistance of microbial communities between blank and exposed groups. This study suggested that more concern should be given to the chronic environmental effect of organic micropollutants.

With the process of medical informatization, medical diagnosis results are recorded and shared in the form of electronic data in the computer. However, the security of medical data storage cannot be effectively protected and the unsafe sharing of medical data among different institutions is still a hidden danger that cannot be underestimated. To solve the above problems, a secure storage and sharing model of private data based on blockchain technology and homomorphic encryption is constructed. Based on the idea of blockchain decentralization, the model maintains a reliable medical alliance chain system to ensure the safe transmission of data between different institutions; A privacy data encryption and computing protocol based on homomorphic encryption is constructed to ensure the safe transmission of medical data; Using its complete anonymity to ensure the Blockchain of medical data and patient identity privacy; A strict transaction control management mechanism of medical data based on Intelligent contract automatic execution of preset instructions is proposed. After security verification, compared with the traditional medical big data storage and sharing mode, the model has better security and sharing.

Summary: Background: Mediastinal neoplasms are typical thoracic diseases with increasing incidence in the general global population and can lead to poor prognosis. In clinical practice, the mediastinum's complex anatomic structures and intertype confusion among different mediastinal neoplasm pathologies severely hinder accurate diagnosis. To solve these difficulties, we organised a multicentre national collaboration on the basis of privacy-secured federated learning and developed CAIMEN, an efficient chest CT-based artificial intelligence (AI) mediastinal neoplasm diagnosis system. Methods: In this multicentre cohort study, 7825 mediastinal neoplasm cases and 796 normal controls were collected from 24 centres in China to develop CAIMEN. We further enhanced CAIMEN with several novel algorithms in a multiview, knowledge-transferred, multilevel decision-making pattern. CAIMEN was tested by internal (929 cases at 15 centres), external (1216 cases at five centres and a real-world cohort of 11 162 cases), and human–AI (60 positive cases from four centres and radiologists from 15 institutions) test sets to evaluate its detection, segmentation, and classification performance. Findings: In the external test experiments, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting mediastinal neoplasms of CAIMEN was 0·973 (95% CI 0·969–0·977). In the real-world cohort, CAIMEN detected 13 false-negative cases confirmed by radiologists. The dice score for segmenting mediastinal neoplasms of CAIMEN was 0·765 (0·738–0·792). The mediastinal neoplasm classification top-1 and top-3 accuracy of CAIMEN were 0·523 (0·497–0·554) and 0·799 (0·778–0·822), respectively. In the human–AI test experiments, CAIMEN outperformed clinicians with top-1 and top-3 accuracy of 0·500 (0·383–0·633) and 0·800 (0·700–0·900), respectively. Meanwhile, with assistance from the computer aided diagnosis software based on CAIMEN, the 46 clinicians improved their average top-1 accuracy by 19·1% (0·345–0·411) and top-3 accuracy by 13·0% (0·545–0·616). Interpretation: For mediastinal neoplasms, CAIMEN can produce high diagnostic accuracy and assist the diagnosis of human experts, showing its potential for clinical practice. Funding: National Key R&D Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Beijing Natural Science Foundation.

This study aimed to investigate the interaction between 24-Epibrassinolide (EBR) and melatonin (MT) and their effects on cadmium (Cd)-stressed Primula forbesii Franch. P. forbesii seedlings were hydroponically acclimatized at 6–7 weeks, then treated with Cd (200 μmol L–1), 24-EBR (0.1 μmol L–1), and MT (100 μmol L–1) after two weeks. Cd stress significantly reduced crown width, shoot, root length, shoot fresh weight, and fresh and dry root weights. Herein, 24-EBR, MT, and 24-EBR+MT treatments attenuated the growth inhibition caused by Cd stress and improved the morphology, growth indexes, and ornamental characteristics of P. forbesii under Cd stress. 24-EBR had the best effect by effectively alleviating Cd stress and promoting plant growth and development. 24-EBR significantly increased all growth parameters compared to Cd treatment. In addition, 24-EBR significantly improved the gas exchange parameters, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and the cycle efficiency of AsA-GSH. Furthermore, 24-EBR increased the activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione reductase (GR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), and monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR) by 127.29%, 61.31%, 61.22%, and 51.04%, respectively, compared with the Cd treatment. Therefore, 24-EBR removed the reactive oxygen species produced by stress, thus protecting plants against stress damage. These results indicate that 24-EBR can effectively enhance the tolerance of P. forbesii to Cd stress.

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1547 (LINC01547) presents a notable relationship with prognosis in patients with ovarian cancer. Herein, we examined the expression of LINC01547 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to ascertain its clinical significance. We also explored the detailed functions of LINC01547 in regulating the aggressive phenotype of NSCLC and the molecular mechanism of action underlying its carcinogenic activities events in NSCLC. Furthermore, we applied the data acquired from the tissue specimens and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to analyze the level of LINC01547 in NSCLC and conducted functional assays to address the regulatory effect of LINC01547. Further, we examined the mechanistic interaction among LINC01547, microRNA-195-5p (miR-195-5p), and homeobox C8 (HOXC8) using bioinformatics prediction and luciferase reporter assay. LINC01547 was noticeably overexpressed, as affirmed by data from TCGA and our own cohort; moreover, poor prognosis was associated with increased LINC01547 levels in patients with NSCLC. LINC01547 regulates cell proliferation, colony-forming, migration, and invasion, and its absence produced tumor-repressing effects in NSCLC. Mechanistically, as a competitive endogenous RNA, LINC01547 decoyed miR-195-5p and consequently resulted in the overexpression of HOXC8 in NSCLC cells. Using rescue experiments, we found that the regulatory activities of LINC01547 deficient in repressing the malignant properties of NSCLC cells could be counteracted by hindering miR-195-5p or overexpressing HOXC8. Conclusively, LINC01547 serves as a crucial component to worsen the oncogenicity of NSCLC cells by controlling the miR-195-5p/HOXC8 axis. Thus, the newly identified competing endogenous RNA pathway may potentially be an attractive therapeutic for NSCLC management.

Thermoplastic carbon fibre reinforced polyetheretherketone (CF/PEEK) and thermoset CF/epoxy composites have been widely applied in various industries. However, there is still a lack of knowledge concerning the milling performance and residual mechanical behavior of these two types of composites. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the machinability during milling of both composites, with a focus on cutting force, machining temperature, chip characteristics, and milling-induced damages. To our knowledge, this is the first report documenting the correlation between surface integrity under different cutting conditions and residual tensile behaviour in both composites. The results demonstrate that CF/PEEK exhibits better machining quality than CF/epoxy due to its ductile matrix and strong interface bonding with fibres. Furthermore, down-milling was found to be preferable to up-milling for minimizing top layer surface damage, while petal-shaped chips with good integrity were found to be generated by CF/PEEK during milling. Moreover, CF/PEEK exhibited a significantly higher residual tensile strength (12.05%–63.22%) compared to CF/epoxy.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most frequent health issues. The improvement of NAFLD is related to the activation of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Typhaneoside (TYP) is the main component of Typha orientalis Presl, which plays a positive role in the resistance of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders. This study aims to investigate the alleviative effect and the underlying mechanism of TYP on OAPA-induced cells and high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced mice with disorders of glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress and lower thermogenesis through FXR signaling. All the serum lipid, body weight, oxidative stress and inflammatory levels of WT mice were significantly increased after HFD administration. These mice were presented with pathological injury, liver tissue attenuation, energy expenditure, insulin resistance, and impaired glucose tolerance. These above-mentioned changes in HFD-induced mice were remarkably reversed by TYP, which improved HFD-induced energy expenditure, oxidative stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, and lipid accumulation in a dose-dependent manner by activating the expression of FXR. Furthermore, using a high throughput drug screening strategy based on fluorescent reporter genes, we found that TYP functions as a natural agonist of FXR.TYP-mediated FXR activation also significantly repressed TG hyperaccumulation in mouse primary Hepatocytes (MPHs). However, these beneficial effects of TYP were not observed in FXR-/- MPHs. Overall, activation of the FXR pathway by TYP is related to the improvement of metabolic parameters, such as blood glucose, lipid accumulation, insulin resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress and energy expenditure in vitro and in vivo.

In this paper, we research the temperature field, flow field and melting law of gelled crude oil with different diameters, locations and inclination angles of heating tube by numerical simulation method. Using the synergy angle, temperature variance and effective heating ratio as evaluation indices, the effect of the heating tube and distribution homogeneity of the temperature field were examined. The simulation results show that the temperature field and velocity field of waxy crude oil and the melting law of gelled crude oil are basically the same under different conditions. The most important factor affecting average temperature and temperature variance is the location of heating tube, which can increase the average temperature by 1.252 °C and decrease the temperature variance by 9.019°C2. The most important factor affecting the synergy angle is the inclination angle of heating tube, which can be reduced by 4.104°. In the 8 cases, when the inclination angle of the heating tube is 45°, the temperature maintaining effect of tubular heating is the best, and the synergy angle is the smallest. The least temperature variance is the uniform arrangement of heating tube. The results of this study will provide theoretical guidance for the optimization design of tubular heater structure.

The power system load is obviously affected by external factors, and the meteorological factor is one of the most important factors that change the load power. In order to improve the power grid’s adaptability to changing weather and to enhance its observable and measurable ability to load, this paper incorporates the random matrix theory, improves the traditional analytic hierarchy process, and proposes the fusion analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) as a new evaluation system construction method. A comprehensive evaluation study of meteorological factors and grid correlation indicators is carried out based on meteorological data and power grid active load data. Firstly, the augmented matrix method is leveraged to construct the data source matrix to determine the meteorological factor indicators and correlation analysis indicators. Secondly, the random matrix spectrum analysis theoretical Ring law and Pearson coefficient are established to complete the correlation analysis. Finally, FAHP is used to construct a comprehensive evaluation system of meteorological factor indicators. The proposed method can avoid the subjective factors of the traditional analytic hierarchy process, improving the accuracy and objectivity of weight distribution. It can effectively describe the correlation between active load and meteorological characteristics of the local area, providing strong support for subsequent index feature extraction and prediction of changes in load data under similar climatic characteristics.

A 62-years old Alzheimer's disease (AD) male patient donated his Peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The non-integrating episomal vector system used to reprogram PBMCs with Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2 and c-Myc transcription factors. The pluripotency of transgene-free pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) was confirmed by immunocytochemistry for pluripotency markers-SOX2, NANOG, OCT3/4, SSEA4, TRA1-60, and TRA1-81. The differentiation capacity of the iPSCs into endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm was assessed by AFP, SMA and βIII-TUBULIN, respectively. In addition, the iPSC line displayed a normal karyotype. This iPSC line might offer a good cell model to explore the pathological mechanisms and treatment strategies for AD.

ABSTRACT: This study aims to compare the effect of quercetin and daidzein on production performance, anti-oxidation, hormones, and cecal microflora in laying hens during the late laying period. A total of 360 53-week-old healthy Hyline brown laying hens were randomly divided into 3 groups (control, 0.05% quercetin, and 0.003% daidzein). Diets were fed for 10 wk, afterwards 1 bird per replicate (6 replicates) were euthanized for sampling blood, liver and cecal digesta. Compared with the control, quercetin significantly increased laying rate and decreased feed-to-egg weight ratio from wk 1 to 4, wk 5 to 10, and wk 1 to 10 (P < 0.05). Quercetin significantly increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and decreased catalase (CAT) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum and liver (P < 0.05) and increased content of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in liver (P < 0.05). Quercetin increased content of estradiol (E2), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in serum (P < 0.05). Quercetin significantly decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroidaceae and Bacteroides (P < 0.01) and significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae and Lactobacillus (P < 0.05) at family and genus levels in cecum. Daidzein did not significantly influence production performance from wk 1 to 10. Daidzein significantly increased SOD activity and decreased CAT activity and MDA content in serum and liver (P < 0.05), and increased T-AOC content in liver (P < 0.05). Daidzein increased content of FSH, IGF-1, T3 in serum (P < 0.05). Daidzein increased the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group at genus level in cecum (P < 0.05). Quercetin increased economic efficiency by 137.59% and 8.77%, respectively, compared with daidzein and control. In conclusion, quercetin improved production performance through enhancing antioxidant state, hormone levels, and regulating cecal microflora in laying hens during the late laying period. Quercetin was more effective than daidzein in improving economic efficiency.

Traditionally, harvested coffee cherries are subjected to fermentation processes during primary methods either wet, natural dry or semidry. The main function of the fermentation is to remove the outside bean layers leaving two dried seeds. A wide range of endogenous isolates was detected with pectinolytic activities including bacteria such as Klebsiella, Erwinia, Bacillus and Lactobacillus and yeasts such as Pichia, Saccharomyces, and Candida. Fermentation was also impacting coffee's sensory quality. Studies have shown that desired microbial metabolites were produced during fermentation that is believed to migrate inside coffee seeds and correlated to modulation of the final product flavor, aroma, and sensory quality. Converting spontaneous fermentation into a controlled and standardized process using starter culture and bioreactors is currently employed. This review provides a detailed explanation of these topics and mainly explores the main roles of the microflora detected during spontaneous coffee fermentation and the possible ways to convert the traditional process into a more controlled and industrialized one compromising the needs of the current extending and sustainable economy.

Triclosan (TCS) is a commonly used antibacterial agent present in personal care and household products. Recently, there have been increasing concerns about the association between children’s health and TCS exposure during gestation, but the toxicological effects of TCS exposure on embryonic lung development remain undetermined. In this study, through using an ex vivo lung explant culture system, we found that prenatal exposure to TCS resulted in impaired lung branching morphogenesis and altered proximal-distal airway patterning. These TCS-induced dysplasias are accompanied by significantly reduced proliferation and increased apoptosis within the developing lung, as a consequence of activated Bmp4 signaling. Inhibition of Bmp4 signaling by Noggin partially rescues the lung branching morphogenesis and cellular defects in TCS-exposed lung explants. In addition, we provided in vivo evidence that administration of TCS during gestation leads to compromised branching formation and enlarged airspace in the lung of offspring. Thus, this study provides novel toxicological information on TCS and indicated a strong/possible association between TCS exposure during pregnancy and lung dysplasia in offspring.

Here, we find that B-doped TiO2-x prepared via a one-pot method exhibit excellent performance on adsorption and photodegradation of various dyes. The B-doping extends the light absorption edge to 520 nm and its major role is the adsorption of organic dyes, while Ti3+-doping is responsible for the light response at 500–800 nm and > 800 nm and contributes more for the dye degradation. >15 dyes were investigated and high adsorption efficiency was achieved for cationic dyes without -COOH/-SO3H groups. Besides electrostatic adsorption, direct bonding of = N+(CH3)2 with B/B-O sites play an important role in enhancing the adsorption capability.

The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of carboxymethyl pachymaran (CMP) on the short-term stress mice model. The behavioural tests revealed the CMP treatment can improve depression-like behaviour in the mice model. Short-term stress induced over-expression of occludin and claudin-2 proteins in the blood–brain barrier (BBB) was significantly reversed by CMP through regulation of the inflammatory cytokines-JNK/ERK/P38 pathway. Systemic inflammation caused by short-term stress was suppressed by CMP treatment through increasing concentrations of propionic, and valeric acids, and decreasing isovaleric acid concentrations in the feces. In addition, CMP elevated the levels of hippocampal 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE). In conclusion, CMP attenuates depression-like behaviours caused by short-term stress, which may be associated with mediating the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-inflammatory cytokines-ERK/JNK/p38 pathway to down-regulate the expression of occludin and claudin-2 proteins in the BBB, and also may be related to elevated levels of NE and 5-HT in the hippocampus.

In underground rock engineering, water-bearing faults may be subjected to dynamic loading, resulting in the coupling of hydraulic and dynamic hazards. Understanding the interaction mechanism between the stress waves induced by dynamic loadings and liquid-filled rock joints is therefore crucial. In this study, an auxiliary device for simulating the liquid-filled layer was developed to analyze the dynamic response characteristics of liquid-filled rock joints in laboratory. Granite and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) specimens were chosen for testing, and high-amplitude shock waves induced by a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) were used to produce dynamic loadings. Impact loading tests were conducted on liquid-filled rock joints with different joint inclinations. The energy propagation coefficient and peak liquid pressure were proposed to investigate the energy propagation and attenuation of waves propagating across the joints, as well as the dynamic response characteristics of the liquid in the liquid-filled rock joints. For the inclination angle range considered herein, the experimental results showed that the energy propagation coefficient gently diminished with increasing joint inclination, and smaller coefficient values were obtained for granite specimens compared with PMMA specimens. The peak liquid pressure exhibited a gradually decreasing trend with increasing joint inclination, and the peak pressure for granite specimens was slightly higher than that for PMMA specimens. Overall, this paper may provide a considerably better method for studying liquid-filled rock joints at the laboratory scale, and serves as a guide for interpreting the underlying mechanisms for interactions between stress waves and liquid-filled rock joints.

Due to the excellent properties of PEEK and their widely applications in medical industry, it is necessary to conduct a comparative study into the drilling performance and residual tensile behavior of PEEK plates under varying cutting conditions. In this study, the effects of tool geometry, drilling parameters, and slope angles on the thrust force, tool temperature, hole quality are discussed. The residual tensile behavior of the drilled PEEK plates is elucidated in terms of the full-field strain evolution during tensile testing by the Digital Image Correction system. The results showed that drilling parameter and tool geometry affect significantly cutting forces, tool temperature, and resulting hole quality. The relationship between the machinability and the residual tensile property of PEEK is reported for the first time. Full-field strains during tensile testing are sensitive to the level of drilling-induced damages, which have an impact on the residual tensile property of PEEK components.

Summary: Background: Amino acids are key to protein synthesis, energy metabolism, cell signaling and gene expression; however, the contribution of specific maternal amino acids to fetal growth is unclear. Methods: We explored the effect of maternal circulating amino acids on fetal growth, proxied by birthweight, using two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) and summary data from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of serum amino acids levels (sample 1, n = 86,507) and a maternal GWAS of offspring birthweight in UK Biobank and Early Growth Genetics Consortium, adjusting for fetal genotype effects (sample 2, n = 406,063 with maternal and/or fetal genotype effect estimates). A total of 106 independent single nucleotide polymorphisms robustly associated with 19 amino acids (p