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Positive psychological therapy has been found to be effective in psychological health in the broader cancer patient population. However, specific evidence regarding its effectiveness for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients remains limited. More research is needed to determine the optimal approaches for alleviating distress in this particular group. We evaluated the efficacy of character strength-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CS-CBT) versus cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for distress in AYA patients with cancer. In a randomized controlled three-arm trial, cancer patients aged 15-39 years were assigned to one of three groups using a random number table to ensure equal group sizes: (1) CS-CBT, which incorporated specific exercises focused on identifying and utilizing character strengths within the CBT framework; (2) CBT; or (3) control group. The primary outcome was improvement in patients' overall mental health on the Distress Thermometer and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale 3 months after assignment to the groups. Analyses used generalized estimating equations. A total of 162 AYAs were randomly and equally assigned to three groups. Improvements in primary outcomes were significantly greater after CS-CBT than after CBT, and no significant differences were found between the CBT and control group. Among all primary and secondary outcomes, the only non-significant difference found was in quality of life with CS-CBT compared to CBT. AYA cancer patients rated their overall mental health and sense of thriving as more improved after CS-CBT than after CBT. However, quality-of-life indicators supported equal intervention effects in both groups. These findings support the effectiveness of the use of CS-CBT intervention in reducing distress and improving thriving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aicardi–Goutières syndrome 6 (AGS6) is a serious auto-immunization-associated acute neurologic decompensation. AGS6 manifests as acute onset of severe generalized dystonia of limbs and developmental regression secondary to febrile illness mostly. Dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria (DSH), as pigmentary genodermatosis, is a characterized mixture of hyperpigmented and hypopigmented macules. Both AGS6 and DSH are associated with ADAR1 pathogenic variants. To explore the etiology of a proband with developmental regression with mixture of hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation macules, we used the trio-WES. Later, to clarify the association between variants and diseases, we used guidelines of ACMG for variants interpretation and quantitative Real-time PCR for verifying elevated expression levels of interferon-stimulated genes, separately. By WES, we detected 2 variants in ADAR1 and a variant in TSC2, respectively, were NM_001111.5:c.1096_1097del, NM_001111.5:c.518A>G, and NM_000548.5:c.1864C>T. Variants interpretation suggested that these 3 variants were both pathogenic. Expression levels of interferon-stimulated genes also elevated as expected. We verified the co-occurrence of pathogenic variants of ADAR1 and TSC2 in AGS6 patients with DSH. Our works contributed to the elucidation of ADAR1 pathogenic mechanism, given the specific pathogenic mechanism of ADAR1, and it is necessary to consider with caution when variants were found in ADAR1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DDoS attacks launched by IoT botnets can be classified into low-rate and high-rate DDoS attacks, which depict two distinct scenarios of data imbalance, namely, the minimal and maximal proportion of attack traffic. Developing a detection model that can effectively address two data imbalance scenarios concurrently is crucial in safeguarding computers against DDoS attacks. This necessitates the development of a model with enhanced generalizability. However, in the examination of cross-evaluation across datasets which is closely associated with the generalizability of models, there is a limited focus on addressing the issue of data imbalance. This oversight has led to a significant decrease in model performance when compared to training and testing on a single dataset. To identify guiding principles within this context, the literature suggests employing an undersampling technique on benign instances during the preprocessing phase to eliminate redundant data. Additionally, the literature conducts simulations of various cross-evaluation scenarios and evaluates the performance of classifiers. This evaluation is done after applying representative oversamplers, undersamplers, and the method proposed in this paper. After analyzing the experiment results, it is advisable to employ oversamplers for low-rate DDoS datasets and undersamplers for high-rate DDoS datasets. Moreover, optimizing SMOTE-based algorithms for specific models will yield optimal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though temporal information matters for the quality of video saliency detection, many problems still arise/emerge in present network frameworks, such as bad performance in time-space coherence and edge continuity. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes a full convolutional neural network, which integrates temporal differential and pixel gradient to fine tune the edges of salient targets. Considering the features of neighboring frames are highly relevant because of their proximity in location, a co-attention mechanism is used to put pixel-wise weight on the saliency probability map after features extraction with multi-scale pooling so that attention can be paid on both the edge and central of images. And the changes of pixel gradients of original images are used to recursively improve the continuity of target edges and details of central areas. In addition, residual networks are utilized to integrate information between modules, ensuring stable connections between the backbone network and modules and propagation of pixel gradient changes. In addition, a self-adjustment strategy for loss functions is presented to solve the problem of overfitting in experiments. The method presented in the paper has been tested with three available public datasets and its effectiveness has been proved after comparing with 6 other typically stat-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapeseed is a critical cash crop globally, and understanding its distribution can assist in refined agricultural management, ensuring a sustainable vegetable oil supply, and informing government decisions. China is the leading consumer and third-largest producer of rapeseed. However, there is a lack of widely available, long-term, and large-scale remotely sensed maps on rapeseed cultivation in China. Here this study utilizes multi-source data such as satellite images, GLDAS environmental variables, land cover maps, and terrain data to create the China annual rapeseed maps at 30 m spatial resolution from 2000 to 2022 (CARM30). Our product was validated using independent samples and showed average F1 scores of 0.869 and 0.971 for winter and spring rapeseed. The CARM30 has high spatial consistency with existing 10 m and 20 m rapeseed maps. Additionally, the CARM30-derived rapeseed planted area was significantly correlated with agricultural statistics (R2 = 0.65–0.86; p < 0.001). The obtained rapeseed distribution information can serve as a reference for stakeholders such as farmers, scientific communities, and decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall goal of this research was to develop the Vis/BC-BiOI/PMS system, integrating multiple advanced oxidation technologies, to effectively treat Enrofloxacin (ENR), a typical antibiotic pollutant known for its resistance to degradation. The modified biochar underwent thorough characterization, including analysis of its structure, morphology, surface material composition, and other properties. Adsorption experiments revealed that the Biochar (BC) component exhibited the most robust adsorption removal rate, reaching 15%, followed by Bismuth Iodide Oxide loaded Biochar (BC-BiOI) (9%) and Bismuth Iodide Oxide (BiOI) (2%). The control experiment was separately conducted under dark or visible light conditions, demonstrating that photocatalysis primarily contributed to ENR degradation. The subsequent degradation kinetics also showed this point. The pathway and mechanism of ENR degradation in the Vis/BC-BiOI/PMS system were extensively analyzed. The contribution of each active substance was determined through free radical quenching tests and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectra. The results indicated that ·OH and SO4−· played dominant roles in the early stages of ENR degradation, while 1O2 became the primary contributor in the later stages, with 1O2 > ·OH > SO4−·. In addition, the toxicity and applicability of the Vis/BC-BiOI/PMS system were evaluated. This study demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the Vis/BC-BiOI/PMS system in treating ENR wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human organic cation transporter 1 (hOCT1), also known as SLC22A1, is integral to hepatic uptake of structurally diversified endogenous and exogenous organic cations, influencing both metabolism and drug pharmacokinetics. hOCT1 has been implicated in the therapeutic dynamics of many drugs, making interactions with hOCT1 a key consideration in novel drug development and drug–drug interactions. Notably, metformin, the frontline medication for type 2 diabetes, is a prominent hOCT1 substrate. Conversely, hOCT1 can be inhibited by agents such as spironolactone, a steroid analog inhibitor of the aldosterone receptor, necessitating a deep understanding of hOCT1–drug interactions in the development of new pharmacological treatments. Despite extensive study, specifics of hOCT1 transport and inhibition mechanisms remain elusive at the molecular level. Here, we present cryo-electron microscopy structures of the hOCT1-metformin complex in three distinct conformational states — outward open, outward occluded, and inward occluded as well as substrate-free hOCT1 in both partially and fully open states. We also present hOCT1 in complex with spironolactone in both outward and inward facing conformations. These structures provide atomic-level insights into the dynamic metformin transfer process via hOCT1 and the mechanism by which spironolactone inhibits it. Additionally, we identify a 'YER' motif critical for the conformational flexibility of hOCT1 and likely other SLC22 family transporters. Our findings significantly advance the understanding of hOCT1 molecular function and offer a foundational framework for the design of new therapeutic agents targeting this transporter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide deformation monitoring is crucial for early warning and disaster prevention. This study presents a comprehensive landslide monitoring approach using global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) and automated inclinometers through a case study in Qinghai, China. Numerical modeling utilizing smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) predicted potential hazards from dynamic landslide movements. The results demonstrate that the combination of GNSS and automated inclinometer systems provides accurate and real-time data on landslide movements, enabling timely responses to mitigate the risks associated with landslides. Monitoring results demonstrate active deformation of Zone III with sliding velocities up to 2.5 mm/day and deep subsurface displacement along bedrock shear planes at 14–26 m depths. SPH simulations predict a maximum run out of 115 m over 50 s for potential slope failure under a Ms 7.0 earthquake, with debris flows capable of blocking the river channel and inducing secondary hazards. Additionally, the numerical modeling using SPH provides useful insights into the potential hazard of landslides, which can be used to develop more effective mitigation strategies in the future. The findings of this study contribute to the development of a more holistic and effective approach to landslide monitoring and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cortisol awakening response (CAR) refers to the dynamic change of cortisol concentration within 1 h after awakening. Trait anxiety is a general risk marker of anxiety disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of trait anxiety on CAR using R30 (change in cortisol level at 30 min after awakening) and AUCi (the area under the curve with respect to the increase) as indicators. 133 college students were divided into high trait anxiety (HTA) and low trait anxiety (LTA) group according to the median score of the trait version of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Saliva samples were collected immediately upon awakening, 30 min, 45 and 60 min on two consecutive mornings. The results showed that, (1) decreased CAR was found for the male than female participants. (2) Compared to the LTA group, the HTA group showed decreased R30 and AUCi. (3) Both R30 and AUCi were negatively correlated with trait anxiety scores. These results demonstrated that trait anxiety might weaken the CAR, and both R30 and AUCi can be used as CAR indicators in detecting trait anxiety. Future research on CAR should consider the moderating effect of trait anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Land use conversion of natural ecosystems to intensive agriculture can alter soil biogeochemical processes and nutrient cycling, while increasing potential for land degradation. The disturbance of soil microbial community, due to land use conversion, may also lead to detrimental effects on soil ecosystem processes and services. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine how sugarcane cultivation alters soil nitrogen (N) bioavailability and associated microbial processes in tropical Australia. Methods: Two adjacent paired sites (native forest vs sugarcane cultivation for 78 years; pasture vs sugarcane cultivation for 78 years) were selected and five composite surface soils (0–10 cm) were collected from each site. Results: Sugarcane cultivations decreased total organic carbon (OC; 45–48%), total N (51–54%), and total phosphorus (P; 26–37%) pools compared with native forest and pasture. Total mineral N (NH4+-N + NO3−-N), dissolved organic C and N contents and cumulative aerobic respiration were also lower in sugarcane than native forest and pasture lands. Reduction in soil microbial biomass (60%) following long-term conversion to sugarcane has resulted in higher metabolic quotient (qCO2) and lower C use efficiency, indicating higher level of environmental stresses in sugarcane sites. Among N cycling-associated genes, only narG showed significantly higher abundance in sugarcane than pasture land use, while narG, nosZ, nirK and nirS genes had significantly lower copy numbers in sugarcane compared with native forest. Conclusion: Sugarcane cultivation decreased soil health and biochemical quality, N bioavailability, and N cycling processes in tropical climate of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires are natural disasters that can occur suddenly and can be very damaging, burning thousands of square kilometers. Prevention is better than suppression and prediction models of forest fire occurrence have developed from the logistic regression model, the geographical weighted logistic regression model, the Lasso regression model, the random forest model, and the support vector machine model based on historical forest fire data from 2000 to 2019 in Jilin Province. The models, along with a distribution map are presented in this paper to provide a theoretical basis for forest fire management in this area. Existing studies show that the prediction accuracies of the two machine learning models are higher than those of the three generalized linear regression models. The accuracies of the random forest model, the support vector machine model, geographical weighted logistic regression model, the Lasso regression model, and logistic model were 88.7%, 87.7%, 86.0%, 85.0% and 84.6%, respectively. Weather is the main factor affecting forest fires, while the impacts of topography factors, human and social-economic factors on fire occurrence were similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effects of different types of exercise on the plasma metabolomics of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depressed rats based on 1H-NMR metabolomics techniques, and to explore the potential mechanisms of exercise for the treatment of depression. Rats were randomly divided into blank control group (C), CUMS control group (D), pre-exercise with CUMS group (P), CUMS with aerobic exercise group, CUMS with resistance exercise group (R), and CUMS with aerobic + resistance exercise group (E). The corresponding protocol intervention was applied to each group of rats. Body weight, sucrose preference and open field tests were performed weekly during the experiment to evaluate the extent of depression in rats. Plasma samples from each group of rats were collected at the end of the experiment, and then the plasma was analyzed by 1H-NMR metabolomics combined with multivariate statistical analysis methods to identify differential metabolites and perform metabolic pathway analysis. (1) Compared with the group D, the body weight, sucrose preference rate, and the number of crossings and standings in the different types of exercise groups were significantly improved (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). (2) Compared to group C, a total of 15 differential metabolites associated with depression were screened in the plasma of rats in group D, involving 6 metabolic pathways. Group P can regulate the levels of 6 metabolites: valine, lactate, inositol, glucose, phosphocreatine, acetoacetic acid. Group A can regulate the levels of 6 metabolites: N-acetylglycoprotein, leucine, lactate, low density lipoprotein, glucose and acetoacetic acid. Group R can regulate the levels of 6 metabolites: choline, lactate, inositol, glucose, phosphocreatine and acetoacetic acid. Group E can regulate the levels of 5 metabolites: choline, citric acid, glucose, acetone and acetoacetic acid. The different types of exercise groups can improve the depressive symptoms in CUMS rats, and there are common metabolites and metabolic pathways for their mechanism of effects. This study provides a powerful analytical tool to study the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of exercise, and provides an important method and basis for the early diagnosis, prevention and treatment of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Serum cortisol and inflammatory markers may play a role in depression and anxiety, but little is known about whether various features of serum cortisol and inflammatory markers have different associations with depression and anxiety. This study examines the associations of serum cortisol and inflammatory marker features with depression and anxiety in young women with gynecologic cancer. Methods: Sixty-four young women with gynecologic cancer, aged 15–39 years, were recruited in a tertiary general hospital and a tertiary hospital specializing in oncology in China from May to December 2021. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to evaluate depression and anxiety. Blood samples were taken at 8 am, 4 pm, and 10 pm on the same day to examine the various features (average, variability, and diurnal patterns) of serum cortisol and inflammatory markers, namely C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Results: Young women with gynecologic cancer who reported depression/anxiety had significantly higher average levels of serum cortisol, IL-6 and TNF-α than those who did not. The dysregulations in the diurnal patterns of serum cortisol and IL-6 were associated with depression and anxiety. Serum cortisol levels were significantly higher in the depression/anxiety group at 10 pm. Depression and anxiety were associated with elevated levels of IL-6 and TNF-α at each time point. Conclusion: This study revealed various associations of serum cortisol and inflammatory marker features with depression and anxiety in young women with gynecologic cancer. Further research is needed to understand the role of serum cortisol and inflammatory marker features in the progression of depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti6Al4V/Inconel625 bimetallic structure (TC4/IN625 BS) exhibits promising applications in the aerospace field under harsh environments, such as high temperatures and strong corrosion. Herein, two bimetallic structures of TC4 and IN625 are prepared by laser melting deposition (LMD) through gradient transition. The gradient transition layers of specimen 1 are TC4-xIN625 (x in the order of 20 wt.%, 40 wt.%, 60 wt.%, and 80 wt.%), whereas the gradient transition layers of specimen 2 are TC4-yIN625 (y in the order of 20 wt.% and 40 wt.%). The results reveal that, from TC4 side to IN625 side, the phase compositions of six regions of specimen 1 were α-Ti + β-Ti → α-Ti + β-Ti + Ti2Ni → β-Ti + Ti2Ni → TiNi + TiNi3 + (Cr, Mo) → TiNi + TiNi3 + γ-Ni + (Cr, Mo) → γ-Ni + laves, whereas the phase compositions of four regions of specimen 2 were α-Ti + β-Ti → α-Ti + β-Ti + Ti2Ni → β-Ti + Ti2Ni → γ-Ni + laves. Moreover, due to the generation of TiNi + TiNi3 eutectic structures and (Cr, Mo) brittle phases, specimen 1 exhibits transverse grain-piercing cracks in the transition layer with 60 wt.% IN625 content, whereas specimen 2 does not exhibit any cracks or other metallurgical defects. In the case of specimen 2, the tensile strength is about 215.97 MPa. This is a noticeable improvement compared with specimen 1, which cannot be measured due to the formation of cracks. These results indicate that the selection of a suitable gradient transition layer can effectively prevent crack formation in LMD-processed TC4/IN625 bimetallic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracellular vesicles derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-EVs) are emerged as carriers of therapeutic targets against bone disorders, yet its isolation and purification are limited with recent techniques. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) can load EVs with a unique targeted drug delivery system. We constructed gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles (GMNPs) by decorating the surface of the Fe3O4@SiO2 core and a silica shell with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-aldehyde (CHO) and examined the role of BMSC-EVs loaded on GMNPs in diabetic osteoporosis (DO). The osteoporosis-related differentially expressed miR-150-5p was singled out by microarray analysis. DO models were then established in Sprague–Dawley rats by streptozotocin injection, where poor expression of miR-150-5p was validated in the bone tissues. Next, GMNPE was prepared by combining GMNPs with anti-CD63, after which osteoblasts were co-cultured with the GMNPE-BMSC-EVs. The re-expression of miR-150-5p facilitated osteogenesis in osteoblasts. GMNPE could promote the enrichment of EVs in the bone tissues of DO rats. BMSC-EVs delivered miR-150-5p to osteoblasts, where miR-150-5p targeted MMP14 and consequently activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This effect contributed to the enhancement of osteoblast proliferation and maturation. Furthermore, GMNPE enhanced the EV-based delivery of miR-150-5p to regulate the MMP14/Wnt/β-catenin axis, resulting in promotion of osteogenesis. Overall, our findings suggest the potential of GMNP-BMSC-EVs to strengthen osteoblast proliferation and maturation in DO, showing promise as an appealing drug delivery strategy against DO. 1. GMNPs-BMSCs-EVs-miR-150-5p promotes the osteogenesis of DO rats. 2. miR-150-5p induces osteoblast proliferation and maturation by targeting MMP14. 3. Inhibition of MMP14 activates Wnt/β-catenin and increases osteogenesis. 4. miR-150-5p activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by downregulating MMP14. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients with advanced cancer are usually willing to participate in shared decision-making (SDM), but in clinical practice, patient participation is easily ignored. This study aimed to analyze the current SDM status of advanced cancer patients and related factors. Methods: In quantitative research, we administered a cross-sectional survey to 513 advanced cancer patients in 16 tertiary hospitals in China. A sociodemographic information questionnaire, the Control Preference Scale (CPS), and Perceived-Involvement in Care Scale (PICS) were used to analyze current SDM status and influencing factors. Our qualitative research was based on the Ottawa Decision Support Framework (ODSF), and 17 advanced cancer patients were interviewed to explore their perceptions of SDM. Results: Our quantitative results show that patients’ actual and expected decision-making participation differed; statistically significant influencing factors were age, insurance, and whether patients were worried about the therapeutic effects. We also found that dynamic decision-making mode changes, disease information acquisition, decision-making participation obstacles, and family members’ roles affected patients’ SDM through qualitative interviews. Conclusion: Advanced cancer patients’ SDM in China is dominated by sharing and continuously fluctuates. Influenced by Chinese traditional culture, family members play an important role in SDM. In clinical work, we should pay attention to the dynamic changes in patients’ participation in decision-making and the role of family members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The α1A-adrenergic receptor (α1AAR) belongs to the family of G protein-coupled receptors that respond to adrenaline and noradrenaline. α1AAR is involved in smooth muscle contraction and cognitive function. Here, we present three cryo-electron microscopy structures of human α1AAR bound to the endogenous agonist noradrenaline, its selective agonist oxymetazoline, and the antagonist tamsulosin, with resolutions range from 2.9 Å to 3.5 Å. Our active and inactive α1AAR structures reveal the activation mechanism and distinct ligand binding modes for noradrenaline compared with other adrenergic receptor subtypes. In addition, we identified a nanobody that preferentially binds to the extracellular vestibule of α1AAR when bound to the selective agonist oxymetazoline. These results should facilitate the design of more selective therapeutic drugs targeting both orthosteric and allosteric sites in this receptor family. α1A-adrenergic receptor (α1AAR) regulates smooth muscle contraction and cognitive functions. Here, authors provide structural insight into α1AAR activation and binding modes of the orthosteric ligands and an extracellular allosteric nanobody. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faithful inheritance of parental histones is essential to maintain epigenetic information and cellular identity during cell division. Parental histones are evenly deposited onto the replicating DNA of sister chromatids in a process dependent on the MCM2 subunit of DNA helicase. However, the impact of aberrant parental histone partition on human disease such as cancer is largely unknown. In this study, we construct a model of impaired histone inheritance by introducing MCM2-2A mutation (defective in parental histone binding) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. The resulting impaired histone inheritance reprograms the histone modification landscapes of progeny cells, especially the repressive histone mark H3K27me3. Lower H3K27me3 levels derepress the expression of genes associated with development, cell proliferation, and epithelial to mesenchymal transition. These epigenetic changes confer fitness advantages to some newly emerged subclones and consequently promote tumor growth and metastasis after orthotopic implantation. In summary, our results indicate that impaired inheritance of parental histones can drive tumor progression. Here the authors show disturbing parental histone inheritance in cancer cells drives tumor progression by reprogramming the epigenetic profile and conferring fitness advantages to some of the newly emerged subclones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the uneven burden of same-type holes reducing the blasting efficiency due to the limitation of drilling equipment, we need a double-face program-controlled planning method for hole position parameters used on a computer-controlled drilling jumbo. The cross-section splits into even and uneven areas. It also considers the uneven burden at the hole's entrance and bottom. In the uneven area, various qualifying factors are made to optimize the hole spacing and maximize the burden uniformity, combined with the features of the area edges and grid-based segmentation methods. The hole position coordinates and angles in the even area are derived using recursion and iteration algorithms. As a case, this method presents all holes in a 4.8 m wide and 3.6 m high cross-section. Compared with the design produced by the drawing method, our planning in the uneven area improved the standard deviation of the hole burden by 40%. The improved hole layout facilitates the evolution of precise, efficient, and intelligent blasting in underground mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Two UDP-glycosyltransferases from Panax vienamensis var. fuscidiscus involved in ocotillol-type ginsenoside MR2 (majonside-R2) biosynthesis were identified. PvfUGT1 and PvfUGT2 sequentially catalyzes 20S,24S-Protopanxatriol Oxide II and 20S,24R-Protopanxatriol Oxide I to pseudoginsenoside RT4/RT5 and RT4/RT5 to 20S, 24S-MR2/20S, 24S-MR2. Ocotilol type saponin MR2 (majonside-R2) is the main active component of Panax vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus (commonly known as ‘jinping ginseng’) and is well known for its diverse pharmacological activities. The use of MR2 in the pharmaceutical industry currently depends on its extraction from Panax species. Metabolic engineering provides an opportunity to produce high-value MR2 by expressing it in heterologous hosts. However, the metabolic pathways of MR2 remain enigmatic, and the two-step glycosylation involved in MR2 biosynthesis has not been reported. In this study, we used quantitative real-time PCR to investigate the regulation of the entire ginsenoside pathway by MeJA (methyl jasmonate), which facilitated our pathway elucidation. We found six candidate glycosyltransferases by comparing transcriptome analysis and network co-expression analysis. In addition, we identified two UGTs (PvfUGT1 and PvfUGT2) through in vitro enzymatic reactions involved in the biosynthesis of MR2 which were not reported in previous studies. Our results show that PvfUGT1 can transfer UDP-glucose to the C6-OH of 20S, 24S-protopanaxatriol oxide II and 20S, 24R-protopanaxatriol oxide I to form pseudoginsenoside RT4 and pseudoginsenoside RT5, respectively. PvfUGT2 can transfer UDP-xylose to pseudoginsenoside RT4 and pseudoginsenoside RT5 to form 20S, 24S-MR2 and 20S, 24S-MR2. Our study paves the way for elucidating the biosynthesis of MR2 and producing MR2 by synthetic biological methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the chip adhesion behavior of titanium alloy Ti–6Al–4 V under different cutting parameters, and the image extraction technology was used to quantify the surface chip adhesion rate. The correlation among cutting speed, feed rate, radial cutting width, and machined surface chip adhesion rate was discussed. Moreover, the effect of these different parameters on temperature was investigated to analyze further the correlation between cutting temperature and chip adhesion. In addition, factors such as tool wear and the mechanical vibration are ignored in the experiment. The results show that chip adhesion occurs in almost all machining conditions, both down-milling and up-milling. With the same cutting parameters, the chip adhesion rate after up-milling is much higher than that after down-milling. Furthermore, cutting speed is one of the most critical factors affecting the adhesion of chips. Especially at a high cutting speed of 151 m/min, the chip adhesion rate of up-milling is about 18 times that of down-milling. It was also found that the surface roughness and cutting temperature values of down-milling are lower than those of up-milling. This study provides an essential reference for the suppression of chip adhesion during the milling of titanium alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoelectrochemical water splitting has long been considered an ideal approach to producing green hydrogen by utilizing solar energy. However, the limited photocurrents and large overpotentials of the anodes seriously impede large-scale application of this technology. Here, we use an interfacial engineering strategy to construct a nanostructural photoelectrochemical catalyst by incorporating a semiconductor CdS/CdSe-MoS2 and NiFe layered double hydroxide for the oxygen evolution reaction. Impressively, the as-prepared photoelectrode requires an low potential of 1.001 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode for a photocurrent density of 10 mA cm−2, and this is 228 mV lower than the theoretical water splitting potential (1.229 vs. reversible hydrogen electrode). Additionally, the generated current density (15 mA cm−2) of the photoelectrode at a given overpotential of 0.2 V remains at 95% after long-term testing (100 h). Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy revealed that the formation of highly oxidized Ni species under illumination provides large photocurrent gains. This finding opens an avenue for designing high-efficiency photoelectrochemical catalysts for successive water splitting.The limited photocurrents and large overpotentials impede practical application of photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here, the authors construct a CdS-CdSe/MoS2/NiFe layered double hydroxides photoanode, delivering a low potential and large photocurrent gains due to the formation of highly oxidized Ni species under illumination [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling Co resource from spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is significant for Co deficiency and environmental protection. A novel approach for in situ recovery of cobalt oxalate (Co(II)-oxalate) from spent LiCoO2 cathodes is proposed. 98.9% Co and 99.6% Li were obtained under the optimized conditions of 1.0 mol/L L-tartaric acid with 5 vol.% H2O2, 10 g/L solid-to-liquid ratio, and 10 min leaching time at 80 °C. Meanwhile, the leaching of Co and Li fits well to Avrami equation model with apparent activation energy of 48.86 and 28.03 kJ/mol, respectively. The first and second stability constants of Co (II) and L-tartaric acid are 1.05 (log K1) and 0.26 (log K2), respectively. 91.8% of high-purity Co(II)-oxalate was regenerated using 5 vol.% H2O2 at 80 °C for 6 h. The whole reaction mechanism was investigated by time-dependent UV–Vis spectroscopy. The proposed in situ Co recovery process proceeds according to the following pathway: Co(III)-tartrate → Co(II)-tartrate → Co(II)-oxalate. In the process, L-tartaric acid mainly acts as a chelating agent and acts as a precursor to form oxalate. Meanwhile, H2O2 mainly acts as a reducing agent and an oxidant. The process may provide an effective and environmentally friendly route for the sustainable recovery of Co(II)-oxalate from spent LIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) within the same subfamily often share high homology in their orthosteric pocket and therefore pose challenges to drug development. The amino acids that form the orthosteric binding pocket for epinephrine and norepinephrine in the β1 and β2 adrenergic receptors (β1AR and β2AR) are identical. Here, to examine the effect of conformational restriction on ligand binding kinetics, we synthesized a constrained form of epinephrine. Surprisingly, the constrained epinephrine exhibits over 100-fold selectivity for the β2AR over the β1AR. We provide evidence that the selectivity may be due to reduced ligand flexibility that enhances the association rate for the β2AR, as well as a less stable binding pocket for constrained epinephrine in the β1AR. The differences in the amino acid sequence of the extracellular vestibule of the β1AR allosterically alter the shape and stability of the binding pocket, resulting in a marked difference in affinity compared to the β2AR. These studies suggest that for receptors containing identical binding pocket residues, the binding selectivity may be influenced in an allosteric manner by surrounding residues, like those of the extracellular loops (ECLs) that form the vestibule. Exploiting these allosteric influences may facilitate the development of more subtype-selective ligands for GPCRs.Constrained catecholamines gain β2AR selectivity. Although the orthosteric pockets are identical in β1AR and β2AR, surrounding residues allosterically modify the pockets and contribute to the β2AR selectivity of the constrained catecholamines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution-aging treatment of Ti6Al4V titanium alloy by laser-directed energy deposition (LDED) is an efficient way to enhance their microstructure and properties, as well as to achieve their structural stability. The present work is aimed at investigating the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the as-deposited and solution-aged LDEDed Ti6Al4V. The solution treatment is carried out within the temperature ranges of the (α + β) dual-phase and β single-phase regions. In the first case, the solution-aged LDEDed Ti6Al4V possesses a basketweave structure. With the increase in solution temperature, the coarsening (thickening) of the primary α(αI) phases in the basketweave organization is evident. Moreover, the content of (α + β) microstructures between the αI phases gradually increases, and the density of secondary reticular and punctate β (βII) phases within the αI phases becomes higher, as well. In turn, the αI phases from the initial β phase grain boundaries gradually disappear. In the second case, the structural modifications with increasing solution temperature of LDEDed Ti6Al4V are found to be mainly the same as in the above dual-phase region. The only difference is that Widmanstatten structure is formed, the αI phases of the lamellar structure become more apparent, and the primary αI phases at the grain boundaries of the initial β phases gradually increase. Besides, an increase in the solution temperature causes the tensile strength and the yield strength of Ti6Al4V to increase. On the contrary, the elongation and reduction of the area gradually decrease, but both are plastic fractures. Moreover, under 910 °C/1 h/WQ + 550 °C/4 h/AC and 950 °C/1 h/WQ + 550 °C/4 h/AC solution-aging conditions, the tensile properties of the alloy are found to be basically equivalent to the standard of forgings. However, the sample's mechanical properties after solution-aging treatment of the β single-phase region did not fully meet the requirements of forging standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel fiber-optic magnetic field sensor with high interrogation speed and resolution by using an etched fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in conjunction with a dual-loop optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A commercial FBG is firstly dipped into mixed hydrofluoric acid solution to remove the cladding layer and then is embedded with the magnetic fluid (MF) as a sensing element. The central wavelength reflected from the FBG is related to the overall time delay of the dual-loop OEO, which determines the oscillating frequency of the OEO. Therefore, the magnetic field can be estimated by measuring the oscillating frequency shift of OEO. The experimental results show that the oscillating frequency linearly increases with the increment of the magnetic field, achieving the sensitivity of 16.3 Hz/Oe with a R-square of 0.991 in the range of 5 mT–10 mT. In addition, the maximum error is within ±0.05 mT in the range of 7 mT–8 mT, which offers potentials in many fields where the high-precision magnetic field measurement is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PIGA (PIG class A) gene codes for the PIG-A protein, which is a catalytic subunit of GPI-GlcNAc transferase. GPI-anchored proteins play an important role in the metabolism of mammals. Somatic variants of PIGA genes in bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells often result in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria, and the germline PIGA variants cause multiple congenital anomalies hypotonia seizures syndrome 2 (MCAHS2) because of glycosylphosphatidylinositol metabolic abnormalities. Methods: Whole exome sequencing was performed on peripheral blood sample of the patient with MCAHS2. A novel germline PIGA variant was found, and Sanger sequencing was performed as verification for the variant. After that, we used the keywords to retrieve relevant reports and provided a literature review. Results: A novel hemizygous germline PIGA variant (NM_002641.3:c.971G > A) at exon4 was identified through whole exome sequencing. And it was a highly probable pathogenic variant. Sanger sequencing yielded consistent results. The missense variant cause change of p.(Cys324Tyr) in the transcription product according to the predicted outcomes. Conclusion: We reported a case of MCAHS2 caused by a novel PIGA variant. Following a review of the literature, we suggested that MCAHS2 should be considered as a disorder spectrum consisting of core symptoms, multi-system impairment, and premature death. The core symptoms include hypotonia, psychomotor delay, epilepsy (intractable epilepsy mostly) and early death. Core symptoms nearly happened to almost all patients. Meanwhile, MCAHS2 involves a wide range of organ and system impairments with changeable form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of cloud computing, more and more security problems like "fuzzy boundary" are exposed. To solve such problems, unsupervised anomaly detection is increasingly used in cloud security, where density estimation is commonly used in anomaly detection clustering tasks. However, in practical use, the excessive amount of data and high dimensionality of data features can lead to difficulties in data calibration, data redundancy, and reduced effectiveness of density estimation algorithms. Although auto-encoders have made fruitful progress in data dimensionality reduction, using auto-encoders alone may still cause the model to be too generalized and unable to detect specific anomalies. In this paper, a new unsupervised anomaly detection method, MemAe-gmm-ma, is proposed. MemAe-gmm-ma generates a low-dimensional representation and reconstruction error for each input sample by a deep auto-encoder. It adds a memory module inside the auto-encoder to better learn the inner meaning of the training samples, and finally puts the low-dimensional information of the samples into a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) for density estimation. MemAe-gmm-ma demonstrates better performance on the public benchmark dataset, with a 4.47% improvement over the MemAe model standard F1 score on the NSL-KDD dataset, and a 9.77% improvement over the CAE-GMM model standard F1 score on the CIC-IDS-2017 dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid contamination existing as solid particles in power fluid transmission systems may lead to transmission performance reduction, system failures, and component damage. The hydraulic reservoir will deposit the contamination and store hydraulic fluid. To investigate its purification ability for solid contamination, experiments and simulations for the motion and deposition status of the typical hydraulic system particles are carried out to reveal the interaction of particles and fluid in hydraulic water reservoirs. The results show that the CFD-DEM coupling method could predict the accurate deposition position of iron particles and sand particles when ignoring the small-scale turbulence effect in the flow field. Besides, the particle motion traces and deposition patterns in the reservoir illustrate that the flow development on the bottom surface results in the particles turning, and particles tend to settle in the low flow energy position. The motion of particles is also linked to particles Stokes number, and the same-size sand particles are easily driven by the fluid. The contribution of this paper could provide a guide for predicting the particle motion and deposition pattern in the hydraulic reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Determine whether a diverse set of problems experienced by breast cancer survivors (BCS) following curative treatment can be formulated into a reduced number of clusters, potentially simplifying the conceptualization of these problems. Method: Female BCS were recruited from four cancer hospitals in China. The Chinese translation of the Cancer Survivor Profile (CSPro) was used to measure 18 common problem areas, as supported by epidemiological and phenomenological research. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast (FACT-B) was used to measure quality of life, as a validation of any observed groupings. Hierarchical clustering using multiple distance criteria and aggregation methods to detect patterns of problems was used. Results: A total of 1008 BCS (mean 46.51 years old) living in both urban and rural areas were investigated. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two major clusters of problems. One set was classified as "functional limitations," while the other cluster was labeled "multi-problems." Those who fell into the multi-problem cluster experienced poorer quality of life. Conclusion: Eighteen non-medical problems were broken down into two major clusters: (1) limitations in higher level functions required of daily life and (2) limitations in health care–seeking skills, problems with certain symptoms, unhealthy behaviors, and financial problems related to cancer. The breakdown of problem areas into these two clusters may help identify common mechanisms. Implications for Cancer Survivors: In the future, the search for common clusters and the mechanisms for the many problems that breast cancer survivors and other cancer survivors can experience following primary treatment may improve how we help manage these problems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater communication is a critical and challenging issue, on account of the complex underwater environment. This study introduces an underwater wireless communication approach via Maxwell's displacement current generated by a triboelectric nanogenerator. Underwater electric field can be generated through a wire connected to a triboelectric nanogenerator, while current signal can be inducted in an underwater receiver certain distance away. The received current signals are basically immune to disturbances from salinity, turbidity and submerged obstacles. Even after passing through a 100 m long spiral water pipe, the electric signals are not distorted in waveform. By modulating and demodulating the current signals generated by a sound driven triboelectric nanogenerator, texts and images can be transmitted in a water tank at 16 bits/s. An underwater lighting system is operated by the triboelectric nanogenerator-based voice-activated controller wirelessly. This triboelectric nanogenerator-based approach can form the basis for an alternative wireless communication in complex underwater environments. Underwater communication, despite constant development, still remains a challenging technology. Here, authors report an underwater wireless communication approach based on the triboelectric nanogenerator, which provides a self-powered communication system in complex underwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine mammals relying on tactile perception for hunting are able to achieve a remarkably high prey capture rate without visual or acoustic perception. Here, a self-powered triboelectric palm-like tactile sensor (TPTS) is designed to build a tactile perceptual system for underwater vehicles. It is enabled by a three-dimensional structure that mimics the leathery, granular texture in the palms of sea otters, whose inner neural architecture provides additional clues indicating the importance of tactile information. With the assistance of palm structure and triboelectric nanogenerator technology, the proposed TPTS has the ability to detect and distinguish normal and shear external load in real-time and approximate the external stimulation area, especially not affected by the touch frequency, that is, it can maintain stable performance under high-frequency contact. The results show that the TPTS is a promising tool for integration into grippers mounted on underwater vehicles to complete numerous underwater tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy is a promising renewable energy source for a low-carbon society. This study is to develop a fully packaged vortex-induced vibration triboelectric nanogenerator (VIV-TENG) for scavenging wind energy. The VIV-TENG consists of a wind vane, internal power generation unit, an external frame, four springs, a square cylinder and a circular turntable. The internal power generation unit consists of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) balls, a honeycomb frame and two copper electrodes. Different from most of the previous wind energy harvesting TENGs, the bouncing PTFE balls are fully packaged in the square cylinder. The distinct design separates the process of contact electrification from the external environment, and at the same time avoids the frictional wear of the ordinary wind energy harvesting TENGs. The corresponding VIV parameters are investigated to evaluate their influence on the vibration behaviors and the energy output. Resonant state of the VIV-TENG corresponds to the high output performance from the VIV-TENG. The distinct, robust structure ensures the full-packaged VIV-TENG can harvest wind energy from arbitrary directions and even in undesirable weather conditions. The study proposes a novel TENG configuration for harvesting wind energy and the VIV-TENG proves promising powering micro-electro-mechanical appliances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The spread of invasive weeds threatens biodiversity and stability of ecosystems. Jacobaea vulgaris is an invasive weed in some countries and an outbreak species in its native European range. Although biological control using specialist herbivores is available, controlling with soil microorganisms remains far less explored.Twenty bacteria strains isolated from roots of J. vulgaris were used to examine bacterial effects on seed germination, root morphology and early plant growth. Moreover, we tested direct effects of the bacteria on a specialist herbivore of J. vulgaris, the leaf chewing caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae), commonly used in biocontrol. We also tested indirect effects of bacteria, via the plant, on the performance of T. jacobaeae and the aphid species Aphis jacobaeae. Lastly, we examined the host specificity of two tested bacteria on three other forbs.Two Gammaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas brassicacearum and Serratia plymuthica, significantly reduced root growth of seedlings in-vitro, while seed germination was unaffected. However, these negative effects were observed across other forb species as well. Bacillus spp. injection led to the highest T. jacobaeae caterpillar mortality, while ingestion had no effect. Inoculation of the plants with bacteria did not affect aphid performance, but significantly affected T. jacobaeae preference. Specifically, P. syringae and one Bacillus sp. strain significantly increased T. jacobaeae preference.Our results show that two root-associated bacteria inhibit J. vulgaris growth, but their lack of host specificity restricts their potential for biocontrol. Our study also highlights that belowground microorganisms can hamper or enhance the performance of aboveground insects.Methods: The spread of invasive weeds threatens biodiversity and stability of ecosystems. Jacobaea vulgaris is an invasive weed in some countries and an outbreak species in its native European range. Although biological control using specialist herbivores is available, controlling with soil microorganisms remains far less explored.Twenty bacteria strains isolated from roots of J. vulgaris were used to examine bacterial effects on seed germination, root morphology and early plant growth. Moreover, we tested direct effects of the bacteria on a specialist herbivore of J. vulgaris, the leaf chewing caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae), commonly used in biocontrol. We also tested indirect effects of bacteria, via the plant, on the performance of T. jacobaeae and the aphid species Aphis jacobaeae. Lastly, we examined the host specificity of two tested bacteria on three other forbs.Two Gammaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas brassicacearum and Serratia plymuthica, significantly reduced root growth of seedlings in-vitro, while seed germination was unaffected. However, these negative effects were observed across other forb species as well. Bacillus spp. injection led to the highest T. jacobaeae caterpillar mortality, while ingestion had no effect. Inoculation of the plants with bacteria did not affect aphid performance, but significantly affected T. jacobaeae preference. Specifically, P. syringae and one Bacillus sp. strain significantly increased T. jacobaeae preference.Our results show that two root-associated bacteria inhibit J. vulgaris growth, but their lack of host specificity restricts their potential for biocontrol. Our study also highlights that belowground microorganisms can hamper or enhance the performance of aboveground insects.Results: The spread of invasive weeds threatens biodiversity and stability of ecosystems. Jacobaea vulgaris is an invasive weed in some countries and an outbreak species in its native European range. Although biological control using specialist herbivores is available, controlling with soil microorganisms remains far less explored.Twenty bacteria strains isolated from roots of J. vulgaris were used to examine bacterial effects on seed germination, root morphology and early plant growth. Moreover, we tested direct effects of the bacteria on a specialist herbivore of J. vulgaris, the leaf chewing caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae), commonly used in biocontrol. We also tested indirect effects of bacteria, via the plant, on the performance of T. jacobaeae and the aphid species Aphis jacobaeae. Lastly, we examined the host specificity of two tested bacteria on three other forbs.Two Gammaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas brassicacearum and Serratia plymuthica, significantly reduced root growth of seedlings in-vitro, while seed germination was unaffected. However, these negative effects were observed across other forb species as well. Bacillus spp. injection led to the highest T. jacobaeae caterpillar mortality, while ingestion had no effect. Inoculation of the plants with bacteria did not affect aphid performance, but significantly affected T. jacobaeae preference. Specifically, P. syringae and one Bacillus sp. strain significantly increased T. jacobaeae preference.Our results show that two root-associated bacteria inhibit J. vulgaris growth, but their lack of host specificity restricts their potential for biocontrol. Our study also highlights that belowground microorganisms can hamper or enhance the performance of aboveground insects.Conclusions: The spread of invasive weeds threatens biodiversity and stability of ecosystems. Jacobaea vulgaris is an invasive weed in some countries and an outbreak species in its native European range. Although biological control using specialist herbivores is available, controlling with soil microorganisms remains far less explored.Twenty bacteria strains isolated from roots of J. vulgaris were used to examine bacterial effects on seed germination, root morphology and early plant growth. Moreover, we tested direct effects of the bacteria on a specialist herbivore of J. vulgaris, the leaf chewing caterpillar (Tyria jacobaeae), commonly used in biocontrol. We also tested indirect effects of bacteria, via the plant, on the performance of T. jacobaeae and the aphid species Aphis jacobaeae. Lastly, we examined the host specificity of two tested bacteria on three other forbs.Two Gammaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas brassicacearum and Serratia plymuthica, significantly reduced root growth of seedlings in-vitro, while seed germination was unaffected. However, these negative effects were observed across other forb species as well. Bacillus spp. injection led to the highest T. jacobaeae caterpillar mortality, while ingestion had no effect. Inoculation of the plants with bacteria did not affect aphid performance, but significantly affected T. jacobaeae preference. Specifically, P. syringae and one Bacillus sp. strain significantly increased T. jacobaeae preference.Our results show that two root-associated bacteria inhibit J. vulgaris growth, but their lack of host specificity restricts their potential for biocontrol. Our study also highlights that belowground microorganisms can hamper or enhance the performance of aboveground insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of the shear fracture mechanism under cyclic loading holds significant implications for controlling instability in the surrounding rock of roadways. Both uniaxial constant amplitude and stepwise linear loading and unloading tests were carried out to reveal the fatigue damage and shear fracture mechanisms of the coal–rock mass under cyclic stress disturbance. The rock samples for the tests were taken from the lane side of the coal mine’s haulage trough, and the evolution of microcrack extension and shear damage were analyzed from the perspective of deformation modulus and energy evolution using the CT scanning technique and excavating the hidden stress–strain information. The results indicate that the microcracks undergo intermittent expansion under constant amplitude cyclic loading and unloading, while they exhibit progressive expansion under stepwise linear cyclic loading and unloading. In both cases, the cumulative damage caused to the rock samples is irreversible. The test discovered a rarely reported phenomenon of shear fracture oscillation, showing a process of “hysteresis–reciprocation–hysteresis–reciprocation,” and the corresponding fracture zone formed by shear fracture exhibited a pronounced domino structure. The results also show that the shear oscillation phenomenon is a unique stress–strain state of domino structural evolution. During the failure process of the rock sample, the trends of deformation modulus, energy, stress–strain rate, and rebound strain rate show a high spatial and temporal correlation and spatial synergy. The process of shear fracture oscillation can be subdivided into six stages: initial crack micro-extension, initial crack extension, main shear fracture extension, metastable fracture extension, rapid fracture extension, and accelerated failure. The rotation–gyration motion of the domino structure can slowly release and dissipate excessive energy, providing a potential coping strategy for optimizing the supporting system and controlling the stability of surrounding rock in coal mines by fully utilizing the structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed the effects of aerobic exercise on endogenous serum metabolites in response to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) using a rat model, aiming to identify the metabolic regulatory pathways involved in the antidepressant effect resulted from a 28-day treadmill aerobic exercise intervention. The animals were randomly divided into four groups (n = 8): normal control, normal with aerobic exercise, CUMS control, and CUMS with aerobic exercise. Body weight, sucrose preference and open field tests were performed weekly during the intervention period for changes in depressant symptoms. Serum metabolic profiles obtained by using the LC–MS/MS metabolomics were analyzed to explore the regulatory mechanism for the effect of the aerobic exercise on depression. Behavior tests showed that the aerobic exercise resulted in a significant improvement in depression-like behavior in the CUMS rats. A total of 21 differential metabolites were identified as being associated with depression in serum metabolic profile, of which the aerobic exercise significantly modulated 15, mainly related to amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. Collectively, this is the first study that LC–MS/MS techniques were used to reveal the modulatory effects of aerobic exercise on the serum metabolic profile of depressed rats and the findings further enriched our understanding of potential mechanisms of aerobic exercise interventions on depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkylation of benzene to value-added, high octane number and low toxic toluene and xylenes provides a way to lower benzene content in gasoline pool, and is hence a method to promote fuel quality. On the other hand, CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere causes global warming and requires effective route for its valorization. Utilization of CO2 as a carbon source for benzene alkylation could achieve both goals. Herein, alkylation of benzene with CO2 and H2 was realized by a series of low-cost bifunctional catalysts containing zinc/titanium oxides (Zn/Ti oxides) and HZSM-5 molecular sieves in a fixed-bed reactor. By regulating and controlling oxygen vacancies of Zn/Ti oxides and the acidities of HZSM-5, benzene conversion and CO2 conversion reached 28.7% and 29.9% respectively, along with a total selectivity of toluene and xylene higher than 90%. In this process, more than 25% CO2 was effectively utilized and incorporated into the target products. Moreover, the mechanism of the reaction was analyzed and the course was simultaneously traced. CO2 was transformed into methanol firstly, and then methanol reacted with benzene generating toluene and xylene. The innovation provides a new method for upgrading of fuels and upcycling the emissions of CO2, which is of great environmental and economic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Plants can influence the level of herbivory experienced by neighboring plants. The importance of such belowground associational effects are poorly understood. In this study we examine whether Jacobaea vulgaris provides associational resistance against nematodes to neighboring plants. Methods: Thirteen species (6 forbs, 3 grasses and 4 legumes) were each grown in mixtures with J. vulgaris and in monocultures. A nematode community was introduced to half of the pots. After 12 weeks, plant dry mass was assessed for each individual plant in each pot, and the number of nematodes in the soil and roots were identified. We then examined for each plant species its performance in mixtures and in monocultures, in presence and absence of nematodes and analyzed the abundance and composition of nematodes. Results: Forbs produced more, grasses similar, and legumes less biomass in mixtures with J. vulgaris than in monocultures. Nematode addition did not influence biomass. There were fewer root-feeding nematodes in the soil in mixtures than in monocultures, but this was only true for plants that were good hosts for nematodes. The community composition of soil nematodes was different in monocultures and mixtures. Densities of migratory endoparasitic nematodes in the roots of neighboring plants were lower in mixtures than in monocultures. Moreover, the presence of nematodes changed the outcome of plant-plant interactions, often in favor of J. vulgaris. Conclusions: Jacobaea vulgaris provides belowground associational resistance to other plants against migratory endoparasitic nematodes, and the presence of nematodes can change the outcome of plant-plant interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To access the nutritional quality of the Ruditapes philippinarum, a comprehensive quality evaluation procedure is always important to be established. In this study, fifteen nutritional quality evaluation indicators of R. philippinarum from 7 months were analyzed, and the most important indicators were determined using a combination of multiple chemometric methods such as correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), and system cluster analysis (SCA). Significant differences in nutritional quality were observed across the 7 months, as per the ANOVA results (P < 0.05). The coefficient of variation values for the fifteen evaluation indicators for R. philippinarum across 7 months was 1.67–43.47%. The CA results revealed that some indicators were correlated to each other within a certain range. Four principal components with eigen-values > 1 were obtained with PCA, and a cumulative contribution of 92.11% was achieved. In addition, four essential quality indicators were extracted using SCA. Using these four indicators, a simple and efficient procedure can be applied for quality control in aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional association rule mining algorithms can have a long runtime, high memory consumption, and generate a huge number of rules. Browsing through numerous rules and adjusting parameters to find just enough rules is a tedious task for users, who are often only interested in finding the strongest rules. Hence, many recent studies have focused on mining the top-k most frequent association rules that have a minimum confidence so as to limit the number of rules by ranking them by frequency. Though this redefined task has many applications, the performance of current algorithms remains an issue. To address this issue, this paper presents a novel algorithm named FTARM (Fast Top-K Association Rule Miner) to efficiently find the set of top-k association rules using a novel technique called Rule Generation Property Pruning (RGPP). This technique reduces the search space by analyzing the internal relationships between items of the database to be mined and the parameters set by users. Furthermore, a novel candidate pruning property is used by this technique to speed up the mining process. FTARM's efficiency was evaluated on various public benchmark datasets. A substantial reduction of the association rule mining time and memory usage was observed, and that FTARM has good scalability, which can benefit to many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning is the fastest growing field in artificial intelligence and has led to many transformative innovations in various domains. However, lack of interpretability sometimes hinders its application in hypothesis-driven domains such as biology and healthcare. In this paper, we propose a novel deep learning model with individual feature ranking. Several simulated datasets with the scenarios that contributing features are correlated and buried among non-contributing features were used to characterize the novel analysis approach. A publicly available clinical dataset was also applied. The performance of the individual level dropout feature ranking model was compared with commonly used artificial neural network model, random forest model, and population level dropout feature ranking model. The individual level dropout feature ranking model provides a reasonable prediction of the outcomes. Unlike the random forest model and population level dropout feature ranking model, which can only identify global-wise contributing features (i.e., at population level), the individual level dropout feature ranking model allows further identification of impactful features on response at individual level. Therefore, it provides a basis for clustering patients into subgroups. This may provide a new tool for enriching patients in clinical drug development and developing personalized or individualized medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation provides an eco-friendly and cost-effective approach to reclaim Cd- and Pb-contaminated soils. In this work, incubation and pot experiments were established to investigate the effect of Streptomyces pactum (Act12) combined with compost on soil physicochemical properties, enzymatic activities, and thereby acted on phytoextraction of Cd and Pb by using potherb mustard (Brassica juncea Coss.). The addition of Act12 and compost increased EC (7.2%), available phosphorus (P) (14.9%), available potassium (K) (17.0 folds), DOC (37.7%), OM (2.8 folds), urease (49.8%), dehydrogenase (2.2 folds), and alkaline phosphatase (23.0 folds) of soil, while reduced pH (7.7%) compared with control. Significant decrease of available Cd and Pb uptake was observed after adding compost and Act12 by 29.1% and 32.2%. Presence of compost and Act12 enhanced the biomass by 3.98 folds and 1.83 folds in shoots and roots of plant. Results showed the assimilation of Cd and Pb in shoots was increased by 103.8% and 48.7% due to the increased of biomass. Meanwhile, the rhizosphere effect of soil microorganisms increased the uptake of Cd (60.4%) and Pb (19.2%) in roots. These findings suggested that Act12 joined with compost-strengthened potherb mustard phytoremediation of Cd- and Pb-polluted soils, which may provide new insights into the clean-up of mining-contaminated soils in field practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil potentially toxic metals (PTMs) pollution caused by anthropogenic activities has become serious concern with respect to the crop safety production. In this study, an emerging biochar derived from kiwi pruning branches waste was employed as amendment aiming to evaluate its remediation potential on smelter- and mining-contaminated soils. The effect of biochar on the soil physicochemical properties, leachability, and chemical fractions acted on stabilization practice of PTMs in soil was investigated. The results showed that the addition of biochar increased the soil pH, cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, urease, and sucrase) but reduced the extraction toxicity of PTMs in both smelter (Fengxian, FX) and mining (Tongguan, TG) soils. The fraction analysis showed that the maximum reduction of exchangeable fraction of Cd, Zn, and Pb in the 4% biochar amended soils decreased by 11.1, 13.3, and 24.7% in FX soil and 7.67, 22.8, and 7.89% in TG soil, respectively, in comparison with to control (no biochar added). Additionally, the residual fraction of Cd, Zn, and Pb increased by 55.9, 7.14, and 11.0% in FX soil and 23.7, 5.86, and 10.0% in TG soil, respectively. The further greenhouse experiment showed that the Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) production increased with the increasing application dosages of biochar, while the PTMs uptakes in plant notably decreased after amendments. Conversion of kiwi pruning branches waste into emerging biochar benefits the agricultural waste recycling utilization and enhances PTMs-contaminated soil remediation in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the wide use of electromagnetic information equipment, a large number of wireless radiation systems coexisting in the same region produce intentional or unintentional interference on electronic receivers. For the purpose of intentional electromagnetic interference, it is necessary to realise the efficient suppression of other receivers at little cost. When multiple transmitting sources are used to interfere with multiple receivers, the parameters of multiple transmitting sources are required to be comprehensively optimised and set so as to achieve a desired high-efficiency interference. Therefore, we propose a novel method to optimise the setting of parameters of a multi-source, multi-object and multi-domain (M-SOD) interference system based on intelligent optimisation approaches. Furthermore, this study also builds an intelligent optimisation model, which contains multiple transmitters and receivers which involved many parameters include position, direction of space domain, frequency, bandwidth, and power. Then the model is abstracted to the problem of single-objective optimisation with constraints and optimised through a traditional GA and an improved FWA method. The extensive experiments and comparisons show that the proposed algorithm is an effective approach for setting the parameters of an M-SOD electromagnetic interference system and superior to the conventional method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing, with the features of flexible resource assignment, timely on-demand service and transparent by-quantity pricing, has been widely applied recently. As a new business service model, cloud platform must be capable of satisfying user demand and enhancing quality of service. Therefore, an excellent resource scheduling scheme is requisite to improve the working efficiency of cloud platform and ensure its stability. To achieve the goal of meeting user demand and maximizing the benefit of cloud platform, a dynamic allocation model for cloud resource, which takes into account requirement of users and benefit of cloud platform, is proposed. On the one hand, the concept of user satisfaction is presented to meet the different requirements of different users on time and cost. And a dynamic pricing model is designed to realize the flexible conversion between time and cost, which can instead serve to ensure quality of service and win customer loyalty. On the other hand, genetic algorithm is employed to schedule cloud resources, which can reduce operating cost, shorten makespan, lessen energy consumption, and ensure load balancing, stability and fluency of cloud platform, in order to maximize the benefit of cloud platform as possible. Finally, the results of 5 comparative experiments show that the dynamic pricing model presented is reasonable and the dynamic resource assignment scheme proposed is feasible and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the atomistic origin of defects in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides, their impact on the electronic properties, and how to control them is critical for future electronics and optoelectronics. Here, we demonstrate the integration of thermochemical scanning probe lithography (tc-SPL) with a flow-through reactive gas cell to achieve nanoscale control of defects in monolayer MoS2. The tc-SPL produced defects can present either p- or n-type doping on demand, depending on the used gasses, allowing the realization of field effect transistors, and p-n junctions with precise sub-μm spatial control, and a rectification ratio of over 104. Doping and defects formation are elucidated by means of X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and density functional theory. We find that p-type doping in HCl/H2O atmosphere is related to the rearrangement of sulfur atoms, and the formation of protruding covalent S-S bonds on the surface. Alternatively, local heating MoS2 in N2 produces n-character. Bipolar conductivity is fundamental for electronic devices based on two-dimensional semiconductors. Here, the authors report on-demand p- and n-doping of monolayer MoS2 via defects engineering using thermochemical scanning probe lithography, and achieve a p-n junction with rectification ratio over 104. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish protein hydrolysates have garnered much attention owing to their beneficial properties and potential application. In this study, the effect of different hydrolysis times (4 h, 8 h) of the giant squid hydrolysates (GSHs) on rheological properties and microstructure of konjac glucomannan-κ-carrageenan-locust bean gum gel (P gel) was observed in this study. Rheological measurement showed that GSH-P gels obtained higher viscoelastic modulus and stronger interaction, corresponding to the micro-phase separation of polysaccharides-proteins/peptides and large junction zones, as observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The molecular weight distribution and ζ-potential results indicated that the molecular weight and charge density of 4 h-GSH was higher than those of 8 h-GSH, resulting in a greater degree of phase separation from polysaccharides. In conclusion, GSHs can be used as a reinforcing agent for polysaccharide gels to adjust the gel texture, providing a theoretical basis for the development of new gel products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is considered to be a vital method for utilizing hydrocarbon fuel with low carbon emissions. A honeycomb fixed-bed reactor is a new kind of reactor for CLC. However, the further application of the reactor is limited by the inadequacy of the kinetic equations for CLC. In this paper, the experimental studies on the kinetic of Fe-based oxygen carriers were carried out by the CLC experiments using syngas which was obtained from one typical type of coal gasification products. The experimental results show that there were two individual stages for the kinetic characteristics during the fuel reaction process. Therefore, the CLC fuel reaction process could be described by a two-stage unreacted-core shrinking model and the reaction rate equations for each of the two phases were provided. In both stages, the dominant resistances were analyzed. The activation energy and the reaction order in both stages were calculated respectively as well. Comparing the experimental results of reaction rate with the calculated results of the obtained rate equations, it could be clearly seen that the reaction kinetics model was appropriate for the CLC in the honeycomb reactor. This work is expected to provide a guideline for the future development and industrial design of the honeycomb CLC reactors from the perspective of kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]