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This study aimed to examine the factors influencing Chinese tourists’ shopping behavior during shopping tourism in Korea using a theoretical framework based on the modified theory of planned behavior (TPB). A quantitative research method was used; the questionnaire for this study was posted on Wenjuanxing for data collection and 269 valid questionnaires were analyzed in September 2024 using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results of analyzing the 269 questionnaires showed that attitude, conformity, perceived behavioral control, and perceived quality of goods influenced shopping intention. However, face consciousness did not affect shopping intentions. Additionally, Chinese tourists’ shopping intentions influenced their shopping behavior during shopping tourism in Korea. The results of this study reveal the potential mechanisms of the influence of shopping intentions with conformity (a factor of Chinese-subjective norms) and the perceived quality of goods (a new factor) in shopping behavior, and they provide theoretical guidance and appropriate marketing strategies for companies in the Korean tourism field.

Casing treatments improve compressor stability but often at the expense of compressor efficiency. In this study, the differential entropy generation rate (DEGR) was applied to both efficiency evaluation and stall margin estimation. Rotor 67 was used as the compressor in this study and the simulation results were analyzed to correlate the distribution of the DEGR with the flow structures in the rotor at three rotating speeds. The characteristics of the DEGR at each speed were analyzed, exhibiting the characteristics of the flow structures at peak efficiency (PE) and near stall (NS) flow conditions. Loss analysis was conducted on the peak efficiency operating condition, particularly at 100% rotating speed. The critical state of the DEGR was investigated to identify stall occurrences on the near-stall condition. It was thus concluded that the DEGR can be a unified measure of both efficiency and stall margin. This theoretical exploration was subsequently applied to the design of casing treatments with two objectives: enhancing peak efficiency at 100% rotating speed and improving stability margins at all speeds. Two casing treatments were designed, with two circumferential grooves positioned axially at different locations. Their mechanisms for reducing the high DEGR area in the peak efficiency condition of 100% speed and suppressing an increase in DEGR during approaching stall were investigated, respectively. The results indicated that the presence of a groove near the leading edge of the blade tip can effectively suppress stall at all speeds. In order to achieve peak efficiency at high speeds, the extent of casing treatment coverage above the shock wave plays a crucial role in minimizing losses.

Enhanced denitrification has been reported under weak electric fields. However, it is difficult to investigate the mechanism of enhanced denitrification due to the complex interspecific interactions of mixed-culture systems. In this study, Pseudomonas stutzeri, capable of denitrification under anaerobic conditions, was selected for treating low COD/N (2.0, ratio between concentration of chemical oxygen demand and NO3−-N) artificial wastewater under constant external voltages of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 V. The results revealed that P. stutzeri exhibited the highest efficiency in nitrate reduction at 0.2 V. Moreover, the maximum nitrate removal rate was 15.96 mg/(L·h) among the closed-circuit groups, 19.39% higher than that under the open-circuit group. Additionally, a notable reduction in nitrite accumulation was observed under weak electric fields. Enzyme activity analysis showed that the nitrate reductase activities were significantly increased among the closed-circuit groups, while nitrite reductase activities were inhibited. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism were increased, enhancing the resistance of P. stutzeri to environmental stress and the efficiency of carbon source utilization for denitrification. The current study examined the impacts of weak electric fields on enzyme activities and microbial metabolic pathways and offers valuable insights into the mechanism by which denitrification is enhanced by weak electric fields.

Due to the resistance of Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 to most clinically relevant antimicrobials, the use of traditional antibiotic treatments in hospitals is challenging. The formation of biofilms, which is regulated by the quorum-sensing (QS) system of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA), is an important cause of drug resistance. There are three main QS systems in P. aeruginosa: the las system, the rhl system, and the pqs system. The inhibitors of the las system are the most studied. Previously, the compound AOZ-1 was found to have a certain inhibitory effect on the las system when screened. In this study, twenty-four compounds were designed and synthesized by modifying the Linker and Rings of AOZ-1. Using C. violaceum CV026 as a reporter strain, this study first assessed the inhibitory effects of new compounds against QS, and their SAR was investigated. Then, based on the SAR analysis of compound AOZ-1 derivatives, the parent core of AOZ-1 was replaced to explore the structural diversity. Then, nine new compounds were designed and synthesized with a new nucleus core component of 3-amino-tetrahydro-l,3-oxazin-2-one. The compound Y-31 (IC50 = 91.55 ± 3.35 µM) was found to inhibit the QS of C. violaceum CV026. Its inhibitory effect on C. violaceum CV026 was better than that of compound AOZ-1 (IC50 > 200 µM). Furthermore, biofilm formation is one of the important causes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 resistance. In this study, it was found that compound Y-31, with a new nucleus core component of 3-amino-tetrahydro-l,3-oxazin-2-one, had the highest biofilm inhibition rate (40.44%). The compound Y-31 has a certain inhibitory effect on the production of PAO1 virulence factors (pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, and elastase) and swarming. When the concentration of compound Y-31 was 162.5 µM, the inhibition rates of pyocyanin, rhamnolipid, and elastase were 22.48%, 6.13%, and 22.67%, respectively. In vivo, the lifetime of wildtype Caenorhabditis elegans N2 infected with P. aeruginosa PAO1 was markedly extended by the new parent nucleus Y-31. This study also performed cytotoxicity experiments and in vivo pharmacokinetics experiments on the compound Y-31. In conclusion, this study identified a compound, Y-31, with a new nucleus core component of 3-amino-tetrahydro-l,3-oxazin-2-one, which is a potential agent for treating P. aeruginosa PAO1 that is resistant to antibiotics and offers a way to discover novel antibacterial medications.

Sea Island cotton is renowned for its superior fiber quality. Although mechanical harvesting has the potential to significantly increase efficiency and reduce the production cost of Sea Island cotton, there is still little research in this area. In this study, we analyzed 240 Sea Island cotton germplasm resources and evaluated 19 traits related to mechanical harvesting. The coefficient of variation ranged from 5.42% to 66.96%, and the genetic diversity index spanned from 1.57 to 2.07. In most traits studied, there was a strong correlation between the height of the first fruiting branch and the defoliation rate. The 19 traits were categorized into 6 factorial groups by principal component analysis, in which the defoliation factor contributed the most (30.89%). The cluster analysis divided the 240 cotton accessions into four main groups, with the second group exhibiting favorable mechanical harvesting characteristics such as higher defoliation rate and first fruit branch height. Using stepwise regression, a model was constructed with the joint evaluation score F-value as the response variable and eight traits (X1: PH, X2: SNB, X3: SBN, X4: MBL, X5: AFBM, X7: MLIA, X8: NB, and X13: 15 d DR) as predictors: Y = −7.2 + 0.01X1 + 0.23X2 + 0.192X3 + 0.038X4 + 0.007X5 + 0.014X7 + 0.025X8 + 2.952X13. Selected materials suitable for machine harvesting, such as MoShi729, were identified. This study provides valuable theoretical insights into the mechanical harvesting of Sea Island cotton germplasm resources and identifies promising materials for targeted breeding and improvement programs.

The construction of high-performance n-type semiconductors is crucial for the advancement of organic electronics. As an attractive n-type semiconductor, molecular systems based on perylene diimide derivatives (PDIs) have been extensively investigated over recent years. Owing to the fascinating aggregated structure and high performance, S-heterocyclic annulated PDIs (SPDIs) are receiving increasing attention. However, the relationship between the structure and the electrical properties of SPDIs has not been deeply revealed, restricting the progress of PDI-based organic electronics. Here, we developed two novel SPDIs with linear and dendronized substituents in the imide position, named linear SPDI and dendronized SPDI, respectively. A series of structural and property characterizations indicated that linear SPDI formed a long-range-ordered crystalline structure based on helical supramolecular columns, while dendronized SPDI, with longer alkyl side chains, formed a 3D-ordered crystalline structure at a low temperature, which transformed into a hexagonal columnar liquid crystal structure at a high temperature. Moreover, no significant charge carrier transport signal was examined for linear SPDI, while dendronized SPDI had a charge carrier mobility of 3.5 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 and 2.1 × 10−3 cm2 V−1 s−1 in the crystalline and liquid crystalline state, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of the structure–function relationship in PDIs, and also offer useful roadmaps for the design of high-performance organic electronics for down-to-earth applications.

In recent years, capsule endoscopes (CEs) have appeared as an advanced technology for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases. However, only capturing the images limits the advanced diagnostic procedures and so on in CE’s applications. Herein, considering other extended functions like tissue sampling, a novel wireless biopsy CE has been presented employing active locomotion. Two permanent magnets (PMs) have been placed into the robots, which control the actuation of the capsule robot (CR) and biopsy mechanism by employing an external electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system. A spring has been attached to the biopsy mechanism to retract the biopsy tool after tissue collection. A camera module has also been attached to the front side of the CR to detect the target point and observe the biopsy process on the lesion. A prototype of CR was fabricated with a diameter of 12 mm and a length of 32 mm. A spring mechanism with a biopsy needle was placed inside the CR and sprang out around 5 mm. An in vitro experiment was conducted, which demonstrated the precise control translation (2 mm/s and 3 mm/s in the x and y directions, respectively) and desired extrusion of the biopsy mechanism (~5 mm) for sampling the tissue. A needle-based biopsy capsule robot (NBBCR) has been designed to perform the desired controlled locomotion and biopsy function by external force. This proposed active locomoted untethered NBBCR can be wirelessly controlled to perform extended function precisely, advancing the intestinal CE technique for clinical applications.

In this study, moso bamboo was used as a raw material. To increase the plasticity of bamboo to achieve a greater softening effect, the softening method of hydrothermal treatment was used. Hardness and the flexural elastic modulus were used as the evaluation indices, and the crystallinity and main functional groups of the softened bamboo were analysed using X-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Combined with the examination of timber colour, micromorphology, bending strength, and nanomechanical tests, our analysis showed the effects of the hydrothermal treatment on bamboo. The results showed that the hardness and flexural moduli of bamboo decreased with the increase in hydrothermal treatment temperature. However, cracking occurred after 3.5 and 4 h of treatment at 180 °C and 190 °C. This indicated that the softening effect was most pronounced when the treatment temperature and time were 180 ℃ and 3 h, respectively. The cellulose crystallinity of bamboo increased and then decreased with the increase in treatment temperature. Cracks were produced in the cell structure, starch locally disappeared, and the hardness and the elasticity modulus of the thin-walled bamboo cells first increased and then decreased with the increase in treatment temperature.

This study aimed to investigate whether presoaking with hemin (5 μmol·L−1) could alleviate NaCl stress during rapeseed seedlings’ growth and its role in the regulation of photosynthesis. In this experiment, ‘HUAYOUZA 62 (HYZ 62)’ and ‘HUAYOUZA 158R (158R)’ were used as materials for pot experiments to study the morphology, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant activity, and osmoregulatory factors of seedlings under different salt concentrations, as well as the regulatory effects of hemin-presoaked seeds. Our findings revealed that, compared the control, NaCl stress inhibited the growth of two rapeseed varieties, decreased the seedling emergence rate, and increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), the electrolyte leakage rate (EL) and antioxidant enzyme activity. Hemin soaking alleviated the adverse effects of salt stress and increased plant height, root elongation and dry matter accumulation. Compared with all NaCl treatments, hemin significantly enhanced photosynthetic indexes, including a percent increase of 12.99–24.36% and 5.39–16.52% in net photosynthetic rate (Pn), 17.86–48.08% and 8.6–23.44% in stomatal conductivity (Gs), and 15.42–37.94% and 11.09–19.08% in transpiration rate (Tr) for HYZ62 and 158R, respectively. Moreover, hemin soaking also increased antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), reducing the malondialdehyde, and thus resulting in the alleviation of oxidative damage caused by NaCl stress. Furthermore, hemin stimulated the formation of soluble protein, which effectively regulated the osmo-protective qualities. The current findings strongly elucidate that hemin soaking could effectively alleviate the negative impacts of NaCl stress by regulating the morphological, photosynthetic, and antioxidant traits. This study provides a new idea regarding the effect of Hemin on the salt tolerance of rapeseed, and provides a basis for the practical application of Hemin in saline–alkali soil to improve the salt tolerance of cultivated rapeseed.

To address the uncertainty of optimal vibratory frequency fov of high-speed railway graded gravel (HRGG) and achieve high-precision prediction of the fov, the following research was conducted. Firstly, commencing with vibratory compaction experiments and the hammering modal analysis method, the resonance frequency f0 of HRGG fillers, varying in compactness K, was initially determined. The correlation between f0 and fov was revealed through vibratory compaction experiments conducted at different vibratory frequencies. This correlation was established based on the compaction physical–mechanical properties of HRGG fillers, encompassing maximum dry density ρdmax, stiffness Krd, and bearing capacity coefficient K20. Secondly, the gray relational analysis algorithm was used to determine the key feature influencing the fov based on the quantified relationship between the filler feature and fov. Finally, the key features influencing the fov were used as input parameters to establish the artificial neural network prediction model (ANN-PM) for fov. The predictive performance of ANN-PM was evaluated from the ablation study, prediction accuracy, and prediction error. The results showed that the ρdmax, Krd, and K20 all obtained optimal states when fov was set as f0 for different gradation HRGG fillers. Furthermore, it was found that the key features influencing the fov were determined to be the maximum particle diameter dmax, gradation parameters b and m, flat and elongated particles in coarse aggregate Qe, and the Los Angeles abrasion of coarse aggregate LAA. Among them, the influence of dmax on the ANN-PM predictive performance was the most significant. On the training and testing sets, the goodness-of-fit R2 of ANN-PM all exceeded 0.95, and the prediction errors were small, which indicated that the accuracy of ANN-PM predictions was relatively high. In addition, it was clear that the ANN-PM exhibited excellent robust performance. The research results provide a novel method for determining the fov of subgrade fillers and provide theoretical guidance for the intelligent construction of high-speed railway subgrades.

Biochar application has the potential for mitigating N2O emissions from agricultural soils and has been suggested as a management practice to ameliorate soil fertility and increase crop productivity. Nevertheless, the influence of biochar addition on N2O emissions from soils with different pH levels is not yet clear, which results in a poor understanding of the mechanisms regarding biochar application to soil N2O mitigation. A 40-day incubation experiment was carried out in the present study to investigate the impact of biochar on N2O emissions from soils with different natural pH. Four treatments (control, nitrogen fertilizer application, biochar amendment, and N plus biochar amendment) were set up separately in soils with three different natural pH levels (acidic vegetable soil, neutral rice soil, and alkaline soil). Our results showed that adding biochar significantly decreased N2O emissions by 20.8% and 47.6% in acidic vegetable soil for both N and no N addition treatments, respectively. For neutral and alkaline soils, the reduction of N2O emissions by biochar amendment was only significant for N addition treatments in alkaline soil. Soil pH and NO3−-N concentration were significantly affected by biochar amendment (soil pH increased by 1.43–1.56, 0.57–0.70, and 0.29–0.37 units for acidic vegetable soil, neutral rice soil, and alkaline soil, respectively). Thus, biochar amendment could be used as an effective management practice for mitigating N2O emissions from acidic and alkaline soils.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been employed extensively for remote-sensing missions. However, due to their energy limitations, UAVs have a restricted flight operating time and spatial coverage, which makes remote sensing over huge regions that are out of UAV flight endurance and range challenging. PAD is an autonomous wireless charging station that might significantly increase the flying time of UAVs by recharging them in the air. In this work, we introduce PADs to simplify UAV-based remote sensing over a huge region, and then we explore the UAV route planning problem once PADs have been predeployed throughout a huge remote sensing region. A route planning scheme, named PAD-based remote sensing (PBRS), is proposed to solve the problem. The PBRS scheme first plans the UAV’s round-trip routes based on the location of the PADs and divides the whole target region into multiple PAD-based subregions. Between adjacent subregions, the UAV flight subroute is planned by determining piggyback points to minimize the total time for remote sensing. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme by conducting several sets of simulation experiments based on the digital orthophoto model of Hutou Village in Beibei District, Chongqing, China. The results show that the PBRS scheme can achieve excellent performance in three metrics of remote sensing duration, the number of trips to charging stations, and the data-storage rate in UAV remote-sensing missions over huge regions with predeployed PADs through effective planning of UAVs.

Noble metal-free electrocatalysts have received widespread attention in a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to the importance of renewable energy development. Herein, a Co2P/CoP heterojunction embedded on an N-doped carbon (Co2P/CoP/NC) electrocatalyst was prepared via an in situ pyrolysis method. The as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibited efficient electrocatalytic activity for HER in an acidic solution. The Co2P/CoP/NC catalyst displayed an overpotential of 184 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a low Tafel slope of 82 mV dec−1, which could be attributed to the tight Co2P/CoP heterojunction and the synergetic effect of Co2P/CoP and N-doped carbon. In addition, the electrochemical active surface area of Co2P/CoP/NC was 75.2 m2 g−1, which indicated that more active regions can be applied for the HER process. This report may pave a new way for the design of efficient and low-cost N-doped-carbon-supported 3d transition metal phosphide electrocatalysts.

(1) Background: Current studies show conflicting results regarding the relationship between dietary acid load (DAL) and blood pressure. (2) Methods: The study used data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2009. DAL was assessed on the basis of potential renal acid load (PRAL) and net endogenous acid production (NEAP). To examine the link between DAL and the risk of hypertension, a multivariate logistic regression model was utilized. (3) Results: A total of 7912 subjects were enrolled in the study, of whom 2133 participants had hypertension, a prevalence of 27.0%. After accounting for potential covariates, higher PRAL and NEAP scores were associated with a greater likelihood of developing hypertension, with ORs of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.10–1.62) and 1.29 (95% CI, 1.09–1.53) for PRAL and NEAP scores in Q4, respectively, compared with Q1. In the male group, PRAL and NEAP scores were positively linked to hypertension risk, with ORs of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.06–1.67) and 1.46 (95% CI, 1.14–1.85) for PRAL and NEAP scores in Q4, respectively, compared with Q1, while no significant associations were observed in the female group. Correlations between PRAL scores and hypertension risk lacked significance in the subgroup analyses for participants aged

Trionyx sinensis hemorrhagic syndrome virus (TSHSV) is an aquatic arterivirus causing a high mortality rate for T. sinensis (Chinese soft-shelled turtle), but the detailed infection properties of TSHSV are unclear, and no effective treatment is available. In this study, cell culture and histopathology were performed to elucidate the infection properties of TSHSV. Furthermore, the anti-TSHSV and immune-enhancing effects of curcumin were evaluated using survival statistics, qPCR, and tissue immunofluorescence. The results demonstrated that TSHSV could proliferate in the spleen cell line of T. sinensis, leading to cytopathic effects. TSHSV damaged the livers, kidneys, and lungs, characterized by cell disintegration and hyperemia. Curcumin at 250 mg/kg improved the survival of T. sinensis, and significantly reduced the viral load in the spleens, kidneys, and lungs. Moreover, curcumin inhibited the mRNA expression of immune-related genes, RSAD2, IFN-γ, and TNF-α (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these results imply that TSHSV is pathogenic to the spleen cell line, liver, spleen, kidney, and lung of T. sinensis. Curcumin effectively inhibits TSHSV and modulates the immune function of T. sinensis, so it holds promise as a means to prevent TSHSV.

Stability and efficiency are the two most important performance indicators of highly loaded aviation axial compressors; however, they often cannot be achieved simultaneously. As an effective means of stability expansion, casing treatment usually damages the peak efficiency. In this study, the differential entropy generation rate was used as a unified measure of stall margin and efficiency, so that both stability enhancement and efficiency improvement could be considered at the initial casing treatment design stage. NASA Rotor 67 was selected, and two single circumferential grooves at two different axial positions were applied, which served as a test case to check how entropy generation rates in the flow field vary with changes in peak efficiency and stall margin. The distribution of entropy generation and differential entropy generation rate were compared with that of the solid casing. The correlation between differential entropy generation rate and the peak efficiency was analyzed, and how the flow mechanism of casing treatments affects entropy generation was determined. Methods for measuring and comparing the impact of different casing treatments on peak efficiency are proposed. At the same time, the distributions of differential entropy generation rate in the near stall were explored, and the relationships between the differential entropy generation rate and the flow structures are detailed. A comparison of the influence of different casing treatment on stability is given with respect to the contours of the differential entropy generation rates. It is demonstrated that the differential entropy generation rate is a unified measure to balance the tradeoffs between the stability and the peak efficiency for different casing treatments for the same compressor.

Rakicidin B1 was isolated and purified from the culture broth of a marine Streptomyces sp. as a potent anti-cancer agent, and lately the compound and its derivatives have firstly been found to possess anti-Clostridium difficile (CD) activity but with high cytotoxicity. Herein, following our previous discovery on anti-CD activity of Rakicidin B1, structure modification was performed at the OH position of Rakicidin B1 and a new Rakicidin B1-PEG hybrids FIMP2 was facilely designed and synthesized by conjugating the PEG2000 with the scaffolds of Rakicidin B1 via the linkage of carbamate. The cytotoxicity of the FIMP2 was first evaluated against three different cancer cell lines, including HCT-8 cells, PANC-1, and Caco-2, with IC50 values at 0.519 μM, 0.815 μM, and 0.586 μM, respectively. Obviously, as compared with a positive control group treated with Rakicidin B1, the IC50 value of FIMP2 increased by nearly 91-fold, 50-fold, and 67-fold, suggesting that the PEGylation strategy significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of FIMP2. Thus, this preliminary result may be beneficial to increase its safety index (SI) value due to the decreased cytotoxicity of FIMP2. In addition, this decreased cytotoxicity of FIMP2 was further confirmed based on a zebrafish screening model in vivo. Thereafter, the anti-CD activity of FIMP2 was evaluated in vivo, and its efficacy to treat CDI was found to be better than that of vancomycin. The mortality and recurrence rate of FIMP2 is not as low compared with that of vancomycin; these results demonstrated that compound FIMP2 is a new, promising anti-CD agent with significant efficacy against CD recurrence with low cytotoxicity towards bodies.

Phase-change energy-storage paraffin regulates the thermal management of buildings, and the material can regulate room temperature as it absorbs and discharges heat. As a porous adsorbent material, bamboo has high permeability. The aim of this study was to increase the amount of paraffin inside bamboo and the latent heat of the phase change. It was performed using vacuum pressurization (VP) and ultra-high-pressure (UHP) impregnation treatments. The effect of UHP impregnation and properties of bamboo were studied. The weight gain, paraffin loss and dimensional changes were measured and compared. The morphology of UHP-impregnated bamboo were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The main conclusions are as follows: After UHP impregnation, the highest weight gain was 42%. The loss of paraffin was low, and a high weight percentage gain was maintained. The crystallinity of cellulose decreased to 24% at 100 MPa. The latent heat of the bamboo slices was up to 25.66 J/g at 50 MPa, and the phase change temperature was close to room temperature. At 150 MPa, the hydroxyl content was reduced, and the hydrophilicity decreased. In addition, the content of substances such as hemicellulose in the amorphous zone was reduced under UHP, no new characteristic peaks appeared, and no chemical modifications occurred. The vascular bundles were compressed and dense, and the pores and cell gaps decreased. The thin-walled cells were deformed, and the original cell structure was completely destroyed. The surface of the cells was wrapped or covered with paraffin, confirming that the paraffin could impregnate the bamboo cells under UHP. Therefore, bamboo impregnated with paraffin can regulate temperature and save energy in buildings. It is resistant to biological attacks, and UHP improves the impregnation efficiency.

The loss mechanism of transonic axial compressors is a long-standing problem that involves almost all types of entropy generation in fluid flows, such as skin friction, shock waves, shear flows, corner separation, and tip vortices. Primarily, sources need to be identified and quantitative comparisons of their contributions need to be made. For such determination, we propose herein a differential approach to entropy generation, called the “differential approach”. Two case studies are analyzed to determine the applicability of this approach: (1) laminar and turbulent incompressible flows in straight circular ducts and (2) turbulent compressible flows in convergent-and-divergent nozzles with shock waves. The results lead to the following conclusions: (a) Qualitatively, the differential approach works well, and the quantified measure is reliable if it is calculated with quality meshes and a suitable turbulence model. This means that the differential approach can be a good tool for predesign optimization. (b) When shocks occur within flow fields, the shock-induced boundary-layer separation can generate more loss than the shock loss alone. Subsequently, the differential approach is applied to complex flows in the NASA Rotor 67, which is a well-known bench-test transonic rotor. The results show that the differential approach not only determines the local losses and associates the source of losses with the flow structures but also qualitatively compares and identifies the largest contributors. These results provide a theoretical foundation for optimizing rotor design and enhancing stability.

Sea Island cotton is the best quality tetraploid cultivated cotton in the world, in terms of fiber quality. Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide in cotton production, and the improper use of herbicides has led to pollen abortion in sea island cotton and, consequently, to a dramatic decrease in yield; however, the mechanism remains unclear. In this study, different concentrations (0, 3.75, 7.5, 15, and 30 g/L) of glyphosate were applied to CP4-EPSPS transgenic sea island cotton Xinchang 5 in 2021 and 2022 at Korla, with 15 g/L glyphosate chosen as the suitable concentration. By comparing the paraffin sections of 2–24 mm anthers in the 15 g/L glyphosate treatment group with those in the water control group, we showed that the key period of anther abortion after glyphosate treatment was the formation and development of tetrads, which corresponded to 8–9 mm buds. Transcriptome sequencing analysis of the treated and control anthers revealed a significant enrichment of differentially expressed genes in phytohormone-related pathways, in particular abscisic acid response and regulation pathways. Additionally, after treatment with 15 g/L of glyphosate, there was a significant increase in the amount of abscisic acid in the anthers in the 8–9 mm buds. Further analysis of the differential expression of abscisic acid response and regulatory genes, an abscisic acid response gene GbTCP14 (Gbar_A11G003090) was identified, which was significantly upregulated in buds with 15 g/L glyphosate treatment than the control, and it could be a key candidate gene for the subsequent research involving male sterility induced by glyphosate in sea island cotton.

The use of photosensitive proteins has become a competitive solar energy solution, owing to its pollution-free nature, high conversion efficiency, and good biocompatibility. Bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is an important light-sensitive protein that is widely used in the fabrication of photoelectronic devices. However, research on the optimization and comparison of the immobilization techniques is lacking. In this study, in order to obtain bR films with a high energy conversion efficiency, three immobilization techniques, namely dropcasting, electrophoretic sedimentation, and Langmuir–Blodgett deposition, were used to fabricate films, and their topographical and photoelectrical characteristics were compared. All three immobilization techniques can transfer bR molecules to substrates, forming functional photosensitive bR films. The absorption of the bR films at 568 nm reached the highest value of 0.3 under the EPS technique. The peak photocurrent for the EPS technique reached 5.03 nA. In addition, the EPS technique has the highest efficiency factor of 13.46, indicating that it can generate the highest value of photocurrent under the same light conditions, owing to the improved orientation, and no significant decrease in the peak photocurrent was observed after three weeks, which indicates the stability of the photoelectric response. These results indicate that the EPS technique has a great potential for the photoelectrical device fabrication and solar-energy conversion.

The lattice structure was prepared by selective laser melting of 316L metal powder, and the epoxy was naturally infiltrated into the pores of the 316L metallic lattice structure. The epoxy/316L metallic lattice composites with integrated structure and function were prepared. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the microstructure of the epoxy/316L metallic lattice composites. The damping performance of the epoxy/316L metallic lattice composites were studied by modal measurement method. At the same time, the engineering stress–strain curve was obtained by a quasi-static compression experiment on a universal testing machine. The results show that the interface of epoxy and 316L metallic lattice is well bonded, and there are a few bubbles in the epoxy. The epoxy/316L metallic lattice composites have high damping characteristics with damping ratio over 10%. The energy absorption of epoxy/316L metallic lattice composites is as high as 68.32 MJ/m3, showing high energy absorption characteristics.

The practice of deep-braced excavation in congested urban environments involves frequently buried pipelines, which can exert a significant effect on the performance of the excavation. The objective of this paper is to investigate the performance of a 12.5-m-deep-braced excavation spanned by two shallowly buried large-diameter pressurized pipelines. A suspension structure is installed within the excavation to protect the in situ pipelines during the construction. The excavation performance is investigated by performing a three-dimensional finite element analysis. The finite element method is verified based on the observations at the site. The results indicate that, as expected, the excavation support structures displace together with varying degrees of deformation toward the excavated area. The strut shear forces are found to be distributed axially in linear manners, while the strut bending moments are in symmetric manners. The benefit of using the proposed pipeline suspension structure is demonstrated. By using this structure, pipeline deformation can be well controlled, and the structural integrity and safety of the pipelines can be ensured. This benefit depends on the convenient operation in that the elevation of the cork base of the pipeline suspension structure is stably lowered during the construction process.

Action observation (AO) combined with motor imagery (MI) was verified as more effective in improving limb function than AO or MI alone, while the underlying mechanism of swallowing was ambiguous. The study aimed at exploring the efficacy of AO combined with MI in swallowing. In this study, twelve subjects performed the motor imagery of swallowing (MI-SW) during magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanning, and trials were divided into three groups: the non-induced group (control group, CG), male AO-induced group (M-AIG), and female AO-induced group (F-AIG). We used event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) and phase locking value (PLV) to assess the degree of activation and connectivity of the brain regions during MI-SW in the three groups. The results showed that compared to CG, F-AIG and M-AIG significantly activated more brain regions in the frontoparietal, attention, visual, and cinguloopercular systems. In addition, M-AIG significantly activated the sensorimotor cortex compared to CG and F-AIG. For the brain network, F-AIG and M-AIG increased the diffusion of non-hub hot spots and cold hubs to the bilateral hemispheres which enhanced interhemispheric functional connectivity and information transmission efficiency in the MI-SW task. This study provided supporting evidence that AO induction could enhance the effect of MI-SW and supported the application of AO-induced MI-SW in clinical rehabilitation.

In this paper, a simple and environmentally friendly method was developed for the preparation of highly stable C@Fe3O4 composites with controllable morphologies using sodium alginate as the carbon source and the easily obtained α-Fe2O3 as the precursors. The morphologies of the as-prepared C@Fe3O4 composites, inherited from their corresponding precursors of α-Fe2O3, survived from the annealing treatments, were characterized by the field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The C@Fe3O4 composites resisted to oxidation, acidification and aggregation, exhibiting porous structures and ferromagnetic properties at room temperature. Moreover, the adsorption performance of the C@Fe3O4 composites was evaluated by absorbing MB (methylene blue) in liquid environment. Experiments indicated that the C@Fe3O4 composites exhibited highly enhanced adsorption capacities and efficiencies as compared with their corresponding precursors of α-Fe2O3. This generalized method for the synthesis of C@Fe3O4 composites provides promising applications for the highly efficient removal of MB from industrial effluents.

Reliable methods are always greatly desired for the practice of food inspection. Currently, most food inspection techniques are mainly dependent on the identification of special components, which neglect the combination effects of different components and often lead to biased results. By using Chinese liquors as an example, we developed a new food identification method based on the combination of machine learning with GC × GC/TOF-MS. The sample preparation methods SPME and LLE were compared and optimized for producing repeatable and high-quality data. Then, two machine learning algorithms were tried, and the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was finally chosen for its better performance. It is shown that the method performs well in identifying both the geographical origins and flavor types of Chinese liquors, with high accuracies of 91.86% and 97.67%, respectively. It is also reasonable to propose that combining machine learning with advanced chromatography could be used for other foods with complex components.

Cyclic mechanical stretching, including uniaxial strain, has been manifested to regulate the cell morphology and functions directly. In recent years, many techniques have been developed to apply cyclic mechanical stretching to cells in vitro. Pneumatically actuated stretching is one of the extensively used methods owing to its advantages of integration, miniaturization, and long-term stretching. However, the intrinsic difficulty in fabrication and adjusting the strain mode also impedes its development and application. In this study, inspired by the topological defects principle, we incorporated a ridge structure into the membrane surface of a traditional pneumatic cavity stretching chip to regulate the strain mode. Our results showed that the surface ridge structure can directly change the equiaxial stretching mode to the standard uniaxial strain, and it is ridge width-independent. The uniaxial strain mode was further proved by the cell orientation behavior under cyclic stretching stimulation. Moreover, it is easy to realize the multimodal strain fields by controlling the width and height of the ridge and to achieve high-throughput testing by creating a cavity array using microfabrication. Together, we propose a smart method to change the surface strain field and introduce a simple, yet effective, high-throughput pneumatically actuated uniaxial stretching platform, which can not only realize the multimodal mechanical stimulation but also achieve multiscale mechanosensing behaviors of single-cell or multi-cell (tissue and/or organoid) mechanobiology applications.

Fluorescence-based microarray offers great potential in clinical diagnostics due to its high-throughput capability, multiplex capabilities, and requirement for a minimal volume of precious clinical samples. However, the technique relies on expensive and complex imaging systems for the analysis of signals. In the present study, we developed a smartphone-based application to analyze signals from protein microarrays to quantify disease biomarkers. The application adopted Android Studio open platform for its wide access to smartphones, and Python was used to design a graphical user interface with fast data processing. The application provides multiple user functions such as “Read”, “Analyze”, “Calculate” and “Report”. For rapid and accurate results, we used ImageJ, Otsu thresholding, and local thresholding to quantify the fluorescent intensity of spots on the microarray. To verify the efficacy of the application, three antigens each with over 110 fluorescent spots were tested. Particularly, a positive correlation of over 0.97 was achieved when using this analytical tool compared to a standard test for detecting a potential biomarker in lupus nephritis. Collectively, this smartphone application tool shows promise for cheap, efficient, and portable on-site detection in point-of-care diagnostics.

Radioactivity levels of 210Pb and 226Ra were detected in a sediment core obtained using a multi-corer from the polymetallic nodule area inside the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a contract area of the China Ocean Mineral Resources Association (COMR) in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The profile of excess 210Pb (210Pbex) shows that the specific activity of 210Pbex has three parts with different distributions at depths of 0–16 cm (I), 17–36 cm (II), and 37–48 cm (III). When the I section of nonlocal mixing was excluded, using a steady-state diffusion mode, the bioturbation coefficients of the core were estimated to be 24.2 cm2/a at 17–36 cm deep and 5.9 cm2/a at 37–48 cm deep, which were greater compared to previously published results. This is most likely owing to bioturbations caused by various organism species in the two sections.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) has been endemic in most parts of the world since its emergence in the 1970s. It infects the small intestine and intestinal villous cells, spreads rapidly, and causes infectious intestinal disease characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration, leading to high mortality in newborn piglets and causing massive economic losses to the pig industry. The entry of PEDV into cells is mediated by the binding of its spike protein (S protein) to a host cell receptor. Here, we review the structure of PEDV, its strains, and the structure and function of the S protein shared by coronaviruses, and summarize the progress of research on possible host cell receptors since the discovery of PEDV.

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and synthetic chemicals targeting specific proteins or various molecular pathways for tumor suppression, such as ERK inhibitors and degraders, have been intensively investigated. The targets of ERK participate in the regulation of critical cellular mechanisms and underpin the progression of anticancer therapy. In this study, we identified a novel small molecule, which we named Z734, as a new mitogen–activated protein kinase 1 (ERK2) degrader and demonstrated that Z734 inhibits cell growth by inducing p53–mediated apoptotic pathways in human breast cancer cells. Treatment with Z734 resulted in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and migration invasion, as well as cancer cell death via apoptosis. In addition, the Co–IP and GST pulldown assays indicated that the HECT and RLD domains containing E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 3 (HERC3) could directly interact with ERK2 through the HECT domain, promoting ERK2 ubiquitination. We also observed a strong link between HERC3 and p53 for the modulation of apoptosis. HERC3 can increase the protein and phosphorylation levels of p53, which further promotes apoptotic activity. In a xenograft mouse model, the effect was obtained in a treatment group that combined Z734 with lapatinib compared with that of the single–treatment groups. In summary, our results indicated that Z734 actively controls the development of breast cancer through apoptosis, and HERC3 may mediate ERK2 and p53 signaling, which offers new potential targets for clinical therapy.

The Secchi disk is often used to monitor the transparency of water. However, the results of personal measurement are easily affected by subjective experience and objective environment, and it is time-consuming. With the rapid development of computer technology, using image processing technology is more objective and accurate than personal observation. A transparency measurement algorithm is proposed by combining deep learning, image processing technology, and Secchi disk measurement. The white part of the Secchi disk is cropped by image processing. The classification network based on resnet18 is applied to classify the segmentation results and determine the critical position of the Secchi disk. Then, the semantic segmentation network Deeplabv3+ is used to segment the corresponding water gauge at this position, and subsequently segment the characters on the water gauge. The segmentation results are classified by the classification network based on resnet18. Finally, the transparency value is calculated according to the segmentation and classification results. The results from this algorithm are more accurate and objective than that of personal observation. The experiments show the effectiveness of this algorithm.

Classical swine fever (CSF) caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) has resulted in severe losses to the pig industry worldwide. It has been proposed that lipid synthesis is essential for viral replication, and lipids are involved in viral protein maturation and envelope production. However, the specific crosstalk between CSFV and host cell lipid metabolism is still unknown. In this study, we found that CSFV infection increased intracellular cholesterol levels in PK-15 cells. Further analysis demonstrated that CSFV infection upregulated PCSK9 expression to block the uptake of exogenous cholesterol by LDLR and enhanced the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, which disrupted the type I IFN response in PK-15 cells. Our findings provide new insight into the mechanisms underpinning the pathogenesis of CSFV and hint at methods for controlling the disease.

Strontium-90 (90Sr) is one of the most hazardous radionuclides, and it contributes to radiation exposure by ingestion. The routine determination of 90Sr in marine biological samples is highly desirable given the development of the nuclear power industry. A fast, simple, and low-detection-limit method was developed for the measurement of 90Sr in marine biological samples based on determining 90Y by means of coprecipitation and solvent extraction with bis-2-ethylhexyl-phosphoric acid (HDEHP) in n-heptane. The interfering 210Bi is removed using Bi2S3 precipitation. The separation and purification of eight samples per day can be accomplished through this method. The detection limit of 90Sr for this method is 0.10 Bq/kg (ash weight). The radiochemical procedure was validated by fitting the decay curve of the sample source and by the determination of 90Sr standards.

Photocatalytic water splitting is one of the promising approaches to solving environmental problems and energy crises. However, the sluggish 4e− transfer kinetics in water oxidation half-reaction restricts the 2e− reduction efficiency in photocatalytic water splitting. Herein, cobalt vanadate-decorated polymeric carbon nitride (named CoVO/PCN) was constructed to mediate the carrier kinetic process in a photocatalytic water oxidation reaction (WOR). The photocatalysts were well-characterized by various physicochemical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, TEM, and XPS. Under UV and visible light irradiation, the O2 evolution rate of optimized 3 wt% CoVO/PCN reached 467 and 200 μmol h−1 g−1, which were about 6.5 and 5.9 times higher than that of PCN, respectively. Electrochemical tests and PL results reveal that the recombination of photogenerated carriers on PCN is effectively suppressed and the kinetics of WOR is significantly enhanced after CoVO introduction. This work highlights key features of the tuning carrier kinetics of PCN using charge-conducting materials, which should be the basis for the further development of photocatalytic O2 reactions.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Currently, the main therapeutic strategy involves the use of intravenous thrombolysis to restore cerebral blood flow to prevent the transition of the penumbra to the infarct core. However, due to various limitations and complications, including the narrow time window in which this approach is effective, less than 10% of patients benefit from such therapy. Thus, there is an urgent need for alternative therapeutic strategies, with neuroprotection against the ischemic cascade response after IS being one of the most promising options. In the past few decades, polyphenolic compounds have shown great potential in animal models of IS because of their high biocompatibility and ability to target multiple ischemic cascade signaling pathways, although low bioavailability is an issue that limits the applications of several polyphenols. Here, we review the pathophysiological changes following cerebral ischemia and summarize the research progress regarding the applications of polyphenolic compounds in the treatment of IS over the past 5 years. Furthermore, we discuss several potential strategies for improving the bioavailability of polyphenolic compounds as well as some essential issues that remain to be addressed for the translation of the related therapies to the clinic.

Exposure to the stress (HS) negatively affects physiology, performance, reproduction and welfare of buffalo. However, the mechanisms by which HS negatively affects rumen bacteria and its associated metabolism in buffalo are not well known yet. This study aimed to gain insight into the adaption of bacteria and the complexity of the metabolome in the rumen of six buffalo during HS using 16S rDNA and gas chromatography metabolomics analyses. HS increased respiratory rate (p < 0.05) and skin temperature (p < 0.01), and it decreased the content of acetic acid (p < 0.05) and butyric acid (p < 0.05) in the rumen. Omics sequencing revealed that the relative abundances of Lachnospirales, Lachnospiraceae, Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group and Clostridia_UCG-014 were significantly (p < 0.01) higher under HS than non-heat stress conditions. Several bacteria at different levels, such as Lactobacillales, Streptococcus, Leuconostocaceae and Leissella, were significantly (p < 0.05) more abundant in the rumen of the non-heat stress than HS condition. Thirty-two significantly different metabolites closely related to HS were identified (p < 0.05). Metabolic pathway analysis revealed four key pathways: D-Alanine metabolism; Lysine degradation, Tropane; piperidine and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesis; and Galactose metabolism. In summary, HS may negatively affected rumen fermentation efficiency and changed the composition of rumen community and metabolic function.

The morphology and mesoporosity of zeolite are two vital properties to determine its performance in diverse applications involving adsorption and catalysis; while it remains a big challenge for the synthesis and regulation of zeolites with exceptional morphology/porosity only through inorganic-ions-based modification. Herein, by simply optimizing the alkali metal type (K+ or Na+), as well as alkali/water ratio and crystallization temperature, the zeolite ZSM-5 mesocrystals with diverse mesostructures are simply and controllably prepared via fine-tuning the crystallization mechanism in an organotemplate-free, ions-mediated seed-assisted system. Moreover, the impacts of these key parameters on the evolution of seed crystals, the development and assembly behavior of aluminosilicate species and the solution-phase process during zeolite crystallization are investigated by means of directional etching in NH4F or NaOH solutions. Except for the morphology/mesoporosity modulation, their physical and chemical properties, such as particle size, microporosity, Si/Al ratio and acidity, can be well maintained at a similar level. As such, the p/o-xylene adsorption and catalytic performance of o-xylene isomerization are used to exhaustively evaluate the synergistically enhanced catalytic activity and shape selectivity of the obtained products. This work demonstrates the possibility of effectively constructing novel zeolite mesostructures by simply altering parameters on simple ions-controlled crystallization and provides good models to inspect the impacts of mesoporosity or morphology on their catalytic performances.

The electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) process is typically carried out using a layer thickness between 50 and 100 μm with the accelerating voltage of 60 kV for the electron beam. This configuration ensures forming accuracy but limits building efficiency. The augmentation of the accelerating voltage enlarges the molten pool due to the rise in penetrability, suggesting that a higher layer thickness can be used. Therefore, the effects of layer thickness and accelerating voltage were investigated simultaneously in this study to explore the feasibility of efficiency improvement. Ti6Al4V was fabricated by EB-PBF using layer thicknesses of 200 and 300 μm. Two accelerating voltage values of 60 and 90 kV were used to study their effects under expanded layer thickness. The results reveal that dense parts with the ultimate tensile strength higher than 950 MPa and elongation higher than 9.5% could be fabricated even if the layer thickness reached 300 μm, resulting in a building rate of up to 30 mm3/s. The expansion of the layer thickness could decrease the minimum bulk energy density needed to fabricate dense parts and increase the α platelet thickness, which improved the energy efficiency. However, expanding layer thickness had a significant negative effect on surface roughness, but it could be improved by applying augmented accelerating voltage.

Nitrogen (N) and water irrigation are two vital factors influencing the agriculture sustainability in various regions across the world, such as the North China Plain (NCP). Exploring optimal N application and water-efficient irrigation methods are needed for achieving greater crop productivity benefits and increasing the efficiency of inputs (N and water) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in the NCP. For this reason, we conducted a two-year field experiment with four N application rates interacting with three irrigation methods to examine the effects of N fertilization and water-efficient irrigation on grain yield, biomass production, economic benefits, and N- and water-use efficiencies of winter wheat in the NCP. The optimal N fertilization rate was ≈200 kg N ha−1, achieving a high grain yield of winter wheat (≈6000 kg ha−1). At this N dose, the highest net economic benefit was also achieved by the local farmer due to the increased grain yield, which was accompanied by more water-efficient irrigation. N recovery efficiency, agronomy efficiency, and the partial factor productivity of wheat decreased sharply with the N application rate. Water-use efficiency was significantly increased through drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation. Considering the wheat productivity, input (N and water) efficiencies, and economic performance, water-efficient irrigation accompanied with an N application rate of 200 kg N ha−1 is optimal for achieving high economic returns for local farmers in the NCP.

Wearable devices use sensors to evaluate physiological parameters, such as the heart rate, pulse rate, number of steps taken, body fat and diet. The continuous monitoring of physiological parameters offers a potential solution to assess personal healthcare. Identifying outliers or anomalies in heart rates and other features can help identify patterns that can play a significant role in understanding the underlying cause of disease states. Since anomalies are present within the vast amount of data generated by wearable device sensors, identifying anomalies requires accurate automated techniques. Given the clinical significance of anomalies and their impact on diagnosis and treatment, a wide range of detection methods have been proposed to detect anomalies. Much of what is reported herein is based on previously published literature. Clinical studies employing wearable devices are also increasing. In this article, we review the nature of the wearables-associated data and the downstream processing methods for detecting anomalies. In addition, we also review supervised and un-supervised techniques as well as semi-supervised methods that overcome the challenges of missing and un-annotated healthcare data.

The present study aimed to analyze the phytoconstituents of Neptunia triquetra (Vahl) Benth. Anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities of ethanol (EE), chloroform (CE) and dichloromethane (DCME) of stem extracts were evaluated using in vivo experimental models. The extracts were analyzed for phytoconstituents using GC-HRMS. Anti-inflammatory activity of CE, EE and DCME was accessed using carrageenan-induced paw oedema, cotton pellet-induced granuloma and the carrageenan-induced air-pouch model in Wistar albino rats. The hepatotoxicity-induced animal models were investigated for the biochemical markers in serum (AST, ALT, ALP, GGT, total lipids and total protein) and liver (total protein, total lipids, GSH and wet liver weight). In the in vivo study, animals were divided into different groups (six in each group) for accessing the anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activity, respectively. GC-HRMS analysis revealed the presence of 102 compounds, among which 24 were active secondary metabolites. In vivo anti-inflammatory activity of stem extracts was found in the order: indomethacin > chloroform extract (CE) > dichloromethane extract (DCME) > ethanolic extract (EE), and hepatoprotective activity of stem extracts in the order: CE > silymarin > EE > DCME. The results indicate that N. triquetra stem has a higher hepatoprotective effect than silymarin, however the anti-inflammatory response was in accordance with or lower than indomethacin.

Aconitum chasmanthum Stapf ex Holmes, a highly valued medicinal plant, is a critically endangered plant species with restricted global distribution. Because there is no published report on the in vitro micropropagation of A. chasmanthum, the present study was undertaken to contribute to the development of an efficient micropropagation protocol for its conservation. Seeds collected from the wild showed enhanced germination after being given a chilling treatment (−4 °C and −20 °C) for different durations (10, 20, 30 and 40 days). Seeds given a chilling treatment of −4 °C for 10 days showed enhanced germination rates of 47.59 ± 0.53% with a mean germination time of 10.78 ± 0.21 days compared to seeds kept at room temperature when grown in an MS basal medium. Nodes, leaves and stems, taken from 20–40-day-old seedlings, were used as an explant for micropropagation. An MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of cytokinins (BAP, Kn), auxins (2,4-D, NAA), and an additive adenine sulphate were tested for callusing, direct shoot regeneration and rooting. Only nodal explants responded and showed direct multiple shoot regeneration with 7 ± 0.36 shoots with an elongation of 5.51 ± 0.26 cm in the MS medium supplemented with BAP 0.5 mg/L, and with a response time (RT) of 10.41 ± 0.51 days and a percentage culture response of 77.77 ± 2.77%. Rhizome formation was observed after 8 weeks, with the highest culture response of 36.66 ± 3.33% in the MS basal media with an RT of 43.75 ± 0.50 days. These rhizomes showed a 60% germination rate within 2 weeks and developed into plantlets. The present in vitro regeneration protocol could be used for the large-scale propagation and conservation of A. chasmanthum.

The role of insulin and insulin-like peptides (ILPs) in vertebrate animals is well studied. Numerous ILPs are also found in invertebrates, although there is uncertainty as to the function and role of many of these peptides. We have identified transcripts with similarity to the insulin family in the tentacle transcriptomes of the sea anemone Oulactis sp. (Actiniaria: Actiniidae). The translated transcripts showed that these insulin-like peptides have highly conserved A- and B-chains among individuals of this species, as well as other Anthozoa. An Oulactis sp. ILP sequence (IlO1_i1) was synthesized using Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis of the individual chains, followed by regioselective disulfide bond formation of the intra-A and two interchain disulfide bonds. Bioactivity studies of IlO1_i1 were conducted on human insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptors, and on voltage-gated potassium, sodium, and calcium channels. IlO1_i1 did not bind to the insulin or insulin-like growth factor receptors, but showed weak activity against KV1.2, 1.3, 3.1, and 11.1 (hERG) channels, as well as NaV1.4 channels. Further functional studies are required to determine the role of this peptide in the sea anemone.

Melon fly (Bactrocera cucurbitae) is the most common pest of cucurbits, and it directly causes damage to cucurbit fruits in the early developmental stage. The infection of fruit tissues induces oxidative damage through increased generation of cellular reactive oxygen species. The effects of melon fly infestation on the production of defensive enzymes and antioxidant capabilities in five cucurbit species, namely, bottle gourd, chayote, cucumber, snake gourd, and bitter gourd, were investigated in this study. The total phenolic and flavonoid content was considerably higher in melon fly infestation tissues compared to healthy and apparently healthy tissues. The chayote and bottle gourd tissues expressed almost 1.5- to 2-fold higher phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to the tissues of bitter gourd, snake gourd, and cucumber upon infestation. Defensive enzymes, such as peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and catalase (CAT), were high in healthy and infected tissues of chayote and bottle gourd compared to bitter gourd, snake gourd, and cucumber. The activity of POD (60–80%), SOD (30–35%), PPO (70–75%), and CAT (40–50%) were high in infected chayote and bottle gourd tissue, representing resistance against infestation, while bitter gourd, snake gourd, and cucumber exhibited comparatively lower activity suggesting susceptibility to melon fly infection. The antioxidant properties were also high in the resistant cucurbits compared to the susceptible cucurbits. The current research has enlightened the importance of redox-regulatory pathways involving ROS neutralization through infection-induced antioxidative enzymes in host cucurbit resistance. The melon fly infestation depicts the possible induction of pathways that upregulate the production of defensive enzymes and antioxidants as a defensive strategy against melon fly infestation in resistant cucurbits.

Excessive mercury ions (Hg2+) cause great pollution to soil/water and pose a major threat to human health. The high sensitivity and high selectivity in the Hg2+ detection demonstrated herein are significant for the research areas of analytical chemistry, chemical biology, physical chemistry, drug discovery, and clinical diagnosis. In this study, a series of simple, low-cost, and highly sensitive biochips based on a graphene oxide (GO)/DNA hybrid was developed. Hg2+ is detected with high sensitivity and selectivity by GO/DNA hybrid biochips immobilized on glass slides. The performance of the biosensors can be improved by introducing more phosphorothioate sites and complementary bases. The best limit of detection of the biochips is 0.38 nM with selectivity of over 10:1. This sensor was also used for Hg2+ detection in Dendrobium. The results show this biochip is promising for Hg2+ detection.

Photocatalysis has been considered an effective method for environmental purification and pollutant removal, with many experiments having being performed. The sustainable development of environmentally friendly materials that can photocatalytically oxidize and degrade contaminants is widely studied. Here, we report the results of the photocatalytic oxidation of contaminants (over 99% conversion of the contaminants was achieved) on a tri-component photocatalyst by the simultaneous decoration of Au nanoparticles and a new type of Sn-substituted Keggin structure polyoxometalate (POM) on a TiO2 semiconductor (denoted as AuPT). The light absorption and the electron–hole pair separation capacity of TiO2 was significantly ameliorated on AuPT. The synergistic effect of the Au resonance energy transfer (RET) course and the POM redox transformation can be advantageous to the efficient transmission of photogenerated electrons and holes in a way that achieves efficient photocatalytic oxidation of contaminants.

Various floating debris in the waterway can be used as one kind of visual index to measure the water quality. The traditional image processing method is difficult to meet the requirements of real-time monitoring of floating debris in the waterway due to the complexity of the environment, such as reflection of sunlight, obstacles of water plants, a large difference between the near and far target scale, and so on. To address these issues, an improved YOLOv5s (FMA-YOLOv5s) algorithm by adding a feature map attention (FMA) layer at the end of the backbone is proposed. The mosaic data augmentation is applied to enhance the detection effect of small targets in training. A data expansion method is introduced to expand the training dataset from 1920 to 4800, which fuses the labeled target objects extracted from the original training dataset and the background images of the clean river surface in the actual scene. The comparisons of accuracy and rapidity of six models of this algorithm are completed. The experiment proves that it meets the standards of real-time object detection.

Below-canopy UAVs hold promise for automated forest surveys because their sensors can provide detailed information on below-canopy forest structures, especially in dense forests, which may be inaccessible to above-canopy UAVs, aircraft, and satellites. We present an end-to-end autonomous system for estimating tree diameters using a below-canopy UAV in parklands. We used simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) and LiDAR data produced at flight time as inputs to diameter-estimation algorithms in post-processing. The SLAM path was used for initial compilation of horizontal LiDAR scans into a 2D cross-sectional map, and then optimization algorithms aligned the scans for each tree within the 2D map to achieve a precision suitable for diameter measurement. The algorithms successfully identified 12 objects, 11 of which were trees and one a lamppost. For these, the estimated diameters from the autonomous survey were highly correlated with manual ground-truthed diameters (R2=0.92, root mean squared error = 30.6%, bias = 18.4%). Autonomous measurement was most effective for larger trees (>300 mm diameter) within 10 m of the UAV flight path, for medium trees (200–300 mm diameter) within 5 m, and for trees with regular cross sections. We conclude that fully automated below-canopy forest surveys are a promising, but still nascent, technology and suggest directions for future research.

In a nuclear emergency, the application of in situ spectrometers for monitoring environmental radioactivity is significantly important, as information on the type and activity of radionuclides released from the accident can be obtained quickly. However, in emergency environmental radiological monitoring, a balance between energy resolution and detecting efficiency must be considered in selecting an appropriate detector. In this study, in situ gamma spectrometry was conducted with the LaBr3 detector to determine the radioactivity of seawater at the discharging outlet of a coastal nuclear power plant in southeast China. The results show that the LaBr3 scintillator has excellent energy resolution and detection efficiency, making it a promising detector for emergency monitoring.