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Abstract Thyroid hormone (TH) plays a crucial role in regulating glucose metabolism. However, the potential impact of the FT3/FT4 ratio, which reflects peripheral sensitivity to thyroid hormones, on glycemic variability in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), has not been previously reported. To investigate the correlation between the FT3/FT4 ratio and glycemic variability in individuals with T2DM. In this retrospective analysis, a total of 468 inpatients with T2DM underwent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems for a period of 6–14 days. Baseline clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, and CGM parameters were documented to investigate the correlation between FT3/FT4 ratio and CGM parameters. The levels of HBA, MG, SD, CV, LAGE, MODD and TAR2Scale were all higher in FT3/FT4Q1 compared with FT3/FT4Q2, FT3/FT4Q3 and FT3/FT4Q4 (all P

Different initial microstructures significantly influence the final microstructures and mechanical properties of the intercritically annealed quenching and partitioning steels. Previous studies have primarily focused on the mechanism for the inheritance of different initial microstructures into the final microstructures, which affects the phase fraction and mechanical properties. However, these studies have overlooked the existence of an inheritance window in the intercritical annealing process. In this study, we investigated the inheritance window and explored the impact of varying initial microstructures on the reverse transformation of austenite, final phase fraction, and mechanical properties. Our findings reveal that the varying initial microstructure exhibits minimal influence on the final microstructure and mechanical properties for short or long annealing times. However, for the intercritical annealing treatment for 60 s, the initial microstructure of martensite with more nucleation sites accelerated the austenite reverse transformation fraction, enhanced the reverse-transformed austenite content, increased the primary martensite content, and improved the yield strength. Conversely, the coil-cooled sample, with initial microstructures consisting of ferrite and pearlite without dissoluble Mn-rich cementites, reduced the austenite reverse transformation rate, decreased the reverse-transformed austenite content, enhanced the ferrite and RA content, and improved ductility.

It is of great interest to overcome the problem of high-temperature oxidation of press-hardened steels (PHS) in press hardening with a cost-effective Cr alloying strategy. Therefore, since Cr is one of the expensive metals, the effect of Cr (Cr ≤ 3 wt%) content on the oxidation resistance of Cr–Si–Mn alloyed steels was investigated. It was found that Cr–Si–Mn alloyed PHS with a Cr content of about 1.5 wt% or less cannot form a continuous Cr2O3 layer during press hardening. However, when the Cr content reaches around 2.5 wt%, the PHS shows excellent oxidation resistance due to the formation of continuous Cr2O3 and amorphous SiO2 layers, as well as an Mn-rich oxide layer. However, further addition of 0.5 wt% could not significantly improve the oxidation resistance of this PHS. Moreover, the increase in Cr content simultaneously enhances the positive role of Si and Mn in high-temperature oxidation resistance. This work provides new insights into the design of the next generation of PHSs with economical and superior performance.

Abstract In order to study the damage properties of red sandstone under combined action of temperature, water and stress, the uniaxial compression test was carried out for red sandstone after immersing in water for 0.5 h, 1 h and 3 h at 25 ℃, 55 ℃, 85 ℃ and 95 ℃, the mechanical properties, characteristic stress points, acoustic emission RA-AF parameters and failure forms of red sandstone were analyzed, the damage constitutive equation was established, and the damage properties of red sandstone were studied. The results showed: (1) temperature could significantly improve the saturated water content percentage of red sandstone. With the increase of temperature, the saturated water content percentage showed a trend of increase first and then decrease, and was the largest at 55 ℃; with the increase of temperature, the mechanical parameters (peak intensity, elasticity modulus, and stress at start point of expansion) decreased first and then increased, and was the smallest at 55 ℃; (2) the ratio of crack initiation stress to peak stress (σci/σf) initially increases and then decreases with rising temperatures for the same soaking duration. Conversely, it initially decreases and then increases with extended soaking time at the same temperature. The RA-AF acoustic emission signals predominantly occur in the tensile region at each stage account for a relatively large proportion, with the proportion of signals in the shear region significantly increasing as soaking time extends, corresponding well with the observed damage patterns. (3) By considering the damage due to temperature and water as Initial damage to red sandstone and the damage due to stress as load-induced damage, a damage variable based on the Weibull distribution function was established. The comprehensive damage constitutive equation derived from this can be applied to water-saturated red sandstone below 100 ℃. The findings provide theoretical reference for practical engineering applications.

Abstract Aiming at the problem of cartoon piracy and plagiarism, this paper proposes a method of cartoon copyright recognition based on character personality actions. This method can be used to compare the original cartoon actions with the action characteristics of pirated or copied cartoons to identify whether there is piracy or plagiarism. Firstly, an image preprocessing scheme for character extraction is designed. GrabCut interactive image segmentation algorithm was used to obtain cartoon characters, and then binarization and morphological processing were performed on the results. Secondly, a feature extraction scheme based on character profile, moving character and character pose is designed. By extracting the perimeter and area of the character contour, the length-to-width ratio of the smallest rectangle and the inclination angle of the contour, the character contour features are obtained. The three-dimensional coordinates are established by the central point position of the cartoon character in the two-dimensional image and the change of the character's zoom in and out, and the character's motion angle characteristics are calculated. By skeletonizing a character to obtain the pose characteristics, and using deburring operation to remove redundant branches, then extract the skeleton joint angle information. Finally, feature fusion is performed on the extracted features. The experimental results show that the proposed method breaks the limitation of the conventional single feature based recognition, and can better extract the character features including contour feature, motion feature and pose feature through multi-feature based extraction, so as to protect the cartoon copyright.

This study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Zuojin Pill (ZJP) on KYSE 150 cells and xenograft tumours of the digestive tract cancer – esophageal cancer (EC) and its underlying mechanism. Initially, in vivo research demonstrated that oral administration of ZJP effectively inhibited the growth of EC tumours, and in vitro studies revealed that ZJP suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cells. Then, network pharmacology prediction identified the core target, active ingredient, and involvement of the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway in ZJP treatment of EC. Cell studies validated that ZJP affected the expression of core targets, and its active ingredients inhibited the proliferation of cells. Additionally, ZJP was shown to induce cell apoptosis, decrease mitochondrial membrane potential, and increase the level of intracellular oxidative stress. Further experimental verifications suggested that the inhibitory effects of ZJP on EC might be attributed to the modulation of PI3 K/Akt signalling pathways.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a monogenic cardiac disorder commonly induced by sarcomere gene mutations. However, the mechanism for HCM is not well defined. Here, we generated transgenic MYH7 R453C and MYH6 R453C piglets and found both developed typical cardiac hypertrophy. Unexpectedly, we found serious fibrosis and cardiomyocyte loss in the ventricular of MYH7 R453C, not MYH6 R453C piglets, similar to HCM patients. Then, RNA-seq analysis and western blotting identified the activation of ERK1/2 and PI3K-Akt pathways in MYH7 R453C. Moreover, we observed an increased expression of fetal genes and an excess of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in MYH7 R453C piglet models, which was produced by Nox4 and subsequently induced inflammatory response. Additionally, the phosphorylation levels of Smad2/3, ERK1/2 and NF-kB p65 proteins were elevated in cardiomyocytes with the MYH7 R453C mutation. Furthermore, epigallocatechin gallate, a natural bioactive compound, could be used as a drug to reduce cell death by adjusting significant downregulation of the protein expression of Bax and upregulated Bcl-2 levels in the H9C2 models with MYH7 R453C mutation. In conclusion, our study illustrated that TGF-β/Smad2/3, ERK1/2 and Nox4/ROS pathways have synergistic effects on cardiac remodelling and inflammation in MYH7 R453C mutation.

High Co–Ni secondary hardening steels are valuable in the field of aviation materials. With the increasing demand of lightweight, further enhancing its strength has received widespread attention. In this study, instead of using only M2C carbides as the reinforcements in the traditional high Co–Ni secondary hardening steels, nano-size NiAl phases were introduced to provide additional strength. To obtain the collaborative precipitation of these two reinforcements, systematically thermodynamic calculation, including the driving force, coarsening rate, etc., was made to quantitatively tailor the composition and the two-step aging parameters. The calculation results showed that adding 1 % Al into the standard composition of M54 is a plan with high potential and a second aging process at 450 °C should be added to promote NiAl precipitation. Based on the experimental validation, the target microstructure formed as the design. With the dual-phase strengthening of NiAl particles and M2C carbides, the yield and tensile strength are greater than 2.3 and 2.7 GPa, respectively, which increases the strength of M54 steel by >30 %, retaining sufficient elongation and relatively low cost. This new designed alloy increased the strength–ductility balance of high Co–Ni secondary hardening steels and aviation maraging steels from ∼12.5 to 13.5 GPa%.

Intercritically annealed Q&P steels exhibit good strength-ductility synergies. Unlike fully austenized Q&P steels, intercritically annealed Q&P steels exhibit good ductility but contain a significant amount of ferrite, resulting in a lower yield strength of the material. To address this challenge, we propose a novel short-time isothermal method for bainite-based quenching and partitioning (B-Q&P) treatments to enhance the yield strength. The experimental results indicate that a short-term isothermal bainitic transformation generates a small quantity of preformed bainitic ferrite (PFB), accelerating primary martensite (PM) transformation and enhancing the PM content during the initial quenching stage. Moreover, the B-Q&P treatment significantly refines the retained austenite (RA) and improves its mechanical stability, thus resulting in a more sustained transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) effect. Furthermore, the results reveal that the yield strength increases from 632 MPa in the conventional Q&P sample to 792 MPa in the B270-Q&P sample, representing a ∼25.3 % improvement, the total elongation increased from 22.4 % in the conventional Q&P sample to 24.1 % in the B270-Q&P sample. Additionally, the impact of the bainite-based quenching temperature on the content and transformation kinetics of the primary martensite is examined.

Abstract Background High-fat diet (HFD) is closely associated with the increased prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Excessive gut microbial metabolite deoxycholic acid (DCA) caused by HFD plays significant roles in eliciting intestinal inflammation, however, the mechanism underlining the induction of inflammatory response by DCA has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of DCA in the triggering of inflammation via affecting CD4+ T cell differentiation. Results Murine CD4+T cells were cultured under Th1, Th2 or Th17-polarizing conditions treated with or without different dosage of DCA, and flowcytometry was conducted to detect the effect of DCA on CD4+ T cell differentiation. Alteration of gene expression in CD4+ T cells upon DCA treatment was determined by RNA-sequencing and qRT-PCR. Bioinformatic analysis, cholesterol metabolic profiling, ChIP assay and immuno-fluorescent staining were further applied to explore the DCA-regulated pathway that involved in CD4+T cell differentiation. The results showed that DCA could dose-dependently promote the differentiation of CD4+ T cell into Th17 linage with pathogenic signature. Mechanistically, DCA stimulated the expression of cholesterol biosynthetic enzymes CYP51 and led to the increased generation of endogenous RORγt agonists, including zymosterol and desmosterol, therefore facilitating Th17 differentiation. Up-regulation of CYP51 by DCA was largely mediated via targeting transcription factor SREBP2 and at least partially through bile acid receptor TGR5. In addition, DCA-supplemented diet significantly increased intestinal Th17 cell infiltration and exacerbated TNBS-induced colitis. Administration of cholestyramine to eliminate fecal bile acid obviously alleviated colonic inflammation accompanied by decreased Th17 cells in HFD-fed mice. Conclusions Our data establish a link between DCA-induced cholesterol biosynthesis in immune cells and gut inflammation. Modulation of bile acid level or targeting cholesterol metabolic pathway may be potential therapeutic measurements for HFD-related colitis.

To study the damage characteristics and evolution law of granite under the influence of temperature and loading rate, uniaxial compression tests at different loading rates were performed for granite samples at 30 °C, 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C. The damage characteristics and evolution law of granite were studied in conjunction with acoustic emission ringing, acoustic emission b values, acoustic emission signaling constellations, and fractal dimensions. The results showed the following: (1) At a low loading rate (0.005 mm/s), the peak stress of the granite increases gradually as the temperature increases. At high loading rates (0.01 mm/s and 0.02 mm/s), the peak stress of the granite first decreases, then increases as the temperature increases. The elastic modulus at different loading rates decreases first, then increases as the temperature increases. The elastic modulus of the granite is the lowest at 40 °C; (2) At the same temperature, specimens subjected to higher loading rates exhibit accelerated internal damage progression, with a precipitous decrease in the b-value occurring earlier. At a loading rate of 0.005 mm/s, the total number of acoustic emission ring-down events is at least 1.7 times greater than that at other loading rates, indicating a more complex development of internal cracks in the granite specimens. Moreover, as the temperature increases under a constant loading rate, the concentration of acoustic emission ring-downs intensifies during the unstable crack development and failure phases, accompanied by progressively larger fluctuations in the b-value; (3) Under the same temperature conditions, the acoustic emission signals in the specimens loaded at 0.005 mm/s and 0.01 mm/s propagate from one end to the other. At 0.02 mm/s, emissions appear simultaneously at both ends of the specimen and converge toward the center. The proportion of damage and energy associated with compression differs with temperature; at 30 °C and 40 °C, damage and energy are concentrated in the early phase of compression, whereas at 60 °C and 80 °C, they are more significant during the later stages; and (4) The fractal dimension of the granite specimens generally decreases, then undergoes a phase of fluctuating growth, followed by a decline. With increasing loading rates at a constant temperature, the compaction of the granite specimens decreases; the orderliness of the crack patterns gradually increases. As the temperature increases, the distribution of cracks during the compaction and failure phases becomes more orderly. During the crack initiation and development phases, the dispersion of cracks and the formation of crack networks are more pronounced. These findings provide a theoretical reference for understanding the microscale damage and failure mechanisms of granite under varying loading rates and temperatures.

The spaceborne high-resolution and wide-swath synthetic aperture radar (HRWS-SAR) system combined with the ground moving target indication (GMTI) mode provides a promising prospect in the realization of wide-area target surveying and high-resolution target imaging. In this paper, a system design method is proposed for an HRWS-SAR-GMTI system with ideal reconstruction configuration. In the proposed method, the whole azimuth receiving channels are uniformly divided into multiple groups, where HRWS-SAR imaging is implemented in each sub-group and then GMTI processing is performed based on the reconstructed SAR images. Then, an optimal candidate PRF is properly selected with respect to the optimal reconstruction configuration. After that, the digital beam forming scanning on receive (DBF-SCORE) technique is applied to further enlarge the range swath and improve the noise equivalent scattering coefficient (NESZ). Based on the predesigned system, HRWS-SAR image-based GMTI processing can finally be accomplished. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated by simulated experiments.

A novel variable temperature rolling (VTR) and annealing process was conducted on a metastable austenitic stainless steel. Strain softening occurred during tensile straining in both cold rolled and cryogenic rolled-annealed steels, leading to low uniform elongations of only 2-3%. In contrast, thanks to the metastable dual-phase heterogeneous lamellar structure achieved via the VTR process, a ultra-high strength of over 1 GPa was obtained, and strain hardening led to a remarkable increase of uniform elongation up to 10%. The high strength and ductility are attributed to the significant work-hardening derived from the superior heterogeneous deformation-induced hardening and sustained transformation-induced plasticity effect.

Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked recessive genetic disease characterized by clinical symptoms such as eczema, thrombocytopenia with small platelets, immune deficiency, prone to autoimmune diseases, and malignant tumors. This disease is caused by mutations of the WAS gene encoding WASprotein (WASP). The locus and type of mutations of the WAS gene and the expression quantity of WASP were strongly correlated with the clinical manifestations of patients. We found a novel mutation in the WAS gene (c.931+5G>C), which affected splicing to produce three abnormal mRNA, resulting in an abnormally truncated WASP. This mutation led to a reduction but not the elimination of the normal WASP population, resulting in causes X-linked thrombocytopenia (XLT) with mild clinical manifestations. Our findings revealed the pathogenic mechanism of this mutation.

The pollution posed by medical waste complicate the procedures of medical waste logistics (MWL), and the increasingly frequent occurrence of public health emergencies has magnified the risks posed by it. In this study, the authors established an index of the factors influencing the risks posed by MWL along five dimensions: the logistics business, emergency capacity, equipment, personnel, and management. The best-worst case method was used to identify the critical risk-related factors and rank them by importance. Following this, we assessed the risk posed by MWL in four major cities in China as an example and propose the corresponding measures of risk control. The results showed that the linking of business processes was the most important factor influencing the risk posed by MWL. The other critical risk-related factors included the location of the storage site, the capacity for emergency transportation, measures to manage emergencies, and the safety of packaging. Of the cities considered, Beijing was found to be a high-risk city, and its MWL needed to be improved as soon as possible in light of the relevant critical risks. Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen were evaluated as general-risk cities, which meant that the risks of MWL were not a priority in these areas, and the other goals of urban development should be comprehensively considered during the long-term planning for MWL in these municipalities.

The self-healing mechanism has been newly applied in Ni superalloys to extend the creep lifetime during service. Quantitative selection criteria are proposed to screen the potential self-healing elements in Ni alloying system. Ti atoms and η-Ni3Ti precipitates are thus selected as the candidate healing atoms and the healing agent, respectively. The ideal composition interval for Ti to achieve the effective healing effects is computationally calculated as 0.076–0.1 mol fraction. On this basis, SHNi (self-healing Ni alloy) has been developed and compared with nSHNi (no self-healing Ni alloy). The creep lifetimes of SHNi alloys are observed 8–10 times higher than that of nSHNi alloys. Microstructure characterizations have shown that η-Ni3Ti healing agents in SHNi alloys can form site-specifically at the cavity sites during service. Meanwhile, the creep cavities in SHNi alloys present much smaller average sizes during creep, and the cavity growth rates are generally one magnitude lower compared to that of nSHNi alloys. The excellent creep properties of SHNi alloys can be well ascribed to their creep cavitation resistance brought by the self-healing behavior. The effectiveness of self-healing mechanism in improving the creep properties has proposed a new strategy in developing novel Ni superalloys.

Corrosion behavior and passive film properties of nickel-based alloy (Inconel 625) in phosphoric acid were investigated, by means of a variety of electrochemical methods combined with surface analysis techniques. Results showed that Inconel 625 exhibited strong passive behavior in phosphoric acid but their corrosion resistance was deteriorated with increasing concentration of phosphoric acid. The increasing concentration of phosphoric acid also accelerated the corrosion rate. The passive film of Inconel 625 was composed of an inner layer rich in Cr2O3 and an outer layer rich in FeOOH. The initial corrosion of Inconel 625 in phosphoric acid originated from the complex inclusions composed of N, Nb and Ti with a corn rich in Mg and O. At concentrations lower than 1 mol/L, inner layer of the passive film remained intact and only the outer layer was damaged. At concentrations of phosphoric acid higher than 1 mol/L, both the inner and outer layers were destroyed. The insoluble corrosion products Fe phosphate compounds precipitated on the surface of Inconel 625, which accumulated with increasing concentrations of phosphoric acid and became a loose layer covering the surface of Inconel 625 at concentrations of phosphoric acid higher than 1 mol/L.

As a pivotal node in both urban and rural power grids, the box-type substation not only serves the functions of power conversion and distribution but also need to provide structural support and environmental adaptability. However, deficiencies in strength, stiffness, or vibration characteristics may lead to vibration and noise issues, and extreme environmental changes can pose risks of structural damage. This study aims to verify and optimize the seismic resistance and environmental adaptability of box-type substations through finite element simulation methods. Using SOLIDWORKS, a three-dimensional model of the box-type substation was constructed, and static and dynamic analyses were conducted using Ansys Workbench to comprehensively evaluate the dynamic response of the box-type substation under wind, snow loads, and seismic action. Through iterative simulations and a comparison of multiple design solutions, the structural optimization of the substation was achieved. The optimized structure balances strength and stiffness, significantly reducing the weight of the substation body, with the wall thickness reduced by 60%. Additionally, the phenomenon of stress concentration on the side walls was eliminated, ensuring that the equivalent stress is below the material yield strength. This research provides methods and empirical results for enhancing the performance and reliability of box-type substations under seismic conditions, confirming the feasibility of a lightweight design, while ensuring structural safety.

Bio-inspired thin-wall structures with excellent mechanical properties, high-energy absorption capabilities, and a desirable lightweight level have been extensively applied to the passive safety protection of transportation and aerospace. Collaboration matching and the selection of optional structures with different bionic principles considering the multiple attribute evaluation index and engineering preference information have become an urgent problem. This paper proposes a parameter reduction-based indifference threshold-based attribute ratio analysis method under an interval-valued neutrosophic soft set (IVNS-SOFT) to obtain the weight vector of an evaluation indicator system for the selection of bionic thin-wall structures, which can avoid the problem of an inadequate subjective evaluation and reduce redundant parameters. An IVNS-SOFT-based multi-attributive border approximation area comparison (MABAC) method is proposed to obtain an optimal alternative, which can quantify uncertainty explicitly and handle the uncertain and inconsistent information prevalent in the expert system. Subsequently, an application of five bio-inspired thin-wall structures is applied to demonstrate that this proposed method is valid and practical. Comparative analysis, sensitivity analysis, and discussion are conducted in this research. The results show that this study provides an effective tool for the selection of bionic thin-wall structures.

In recent years, the world has experienced conflict. When political conflicts affect consumers’ emotions and alter their perceptions of a country’s image, it can influence their preferences. This study deconstructs the notion of a country image into multiple dimensions and examines their impact on consumers’ willingness to pay for imported beef from Australia, Brazil, and the United States. Using a rank-ordered probit model and data from a survey of 935 respondents, results show that consumers’ perceptions of a country’s friendliness, economy, environment, and quality all have a positive and statistically significant effect on their willingness to pay for beefsteak imported from that country. Among these dimensions of the country image, the quality is the most important, followed by the economy, friendliness, and the environment. This study also finds heterogeneity in consumer perception of friendliness towards the United States, Australia, and Brazil. This study provides valuable insights for assessing the real losses resulting from a deteriorating international environment and suggests policies to enhance competitiveness in the food market.

Abstract Due to the advantages of wide coverage, continuous remote monitoring, and high measurement accuracy, the spaceborne multi‐channel surveillance radar has been widely used for the air moving target detection and tracking. In this paper, the minimum detection velocity (MDV) definition for the aerial target detection performance evaluation in a spaceborne multi‐channel radar system is analysed, where three kinds of MDV definitions based on empirical formula, output signal‐to‐clutter‐plus‐noise ratio (SCNR) loss criterion, and output SCNR criterion are discussed in detail based on theoretical analysis and simulation verification. The analysis results will provide valuable reference for the practical spaceborne radar system designment with the air target detection mode.

Summary: Background: Landscape fire smoke, including smoke from all vegetation burning in natural and cultural landscapes, remains a threat to the health of the population. However, the future health impacts of landscape fire smoke in China have not been sufficiently investigated. We aimed to estimate the mortality risk attributable to landscape fire-related PM2·5 under different scenarios. Methods: In this health impact assessment study, we used the projected population and landscape fire-related PM2·5 concentration to calculate deaths attributable to short-term exposure to landscape fire smoke PM2·5 during 2021–2100. We did the analysis in three defined future periods: 2021–40 (near term), 2051–70 (medium term), and 2081–2100 (long term), with 1986–2005 as the historical period. We used fire-specific short-term epidemiological functions with the regional parameters specific to China. We assessed the mortality risks of landscape fire-related smoke and further identified their spatiotemporal distribution under two shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios: SSP1–2·6, an optimistic scenario with strict control of carbon emissions, and SSP2–4·5, an intermediate scenario with weaker control of carbon emissions. Findings: The national mortality rate attributable to short-term exposure (ie, a few days) to landscape fire-related PM2·5 is projected to increase compared with historical values. The national deaths attributable to landscape fire smoke PM2·5 could peak in 2021–40, with increases of 28·10% (95% CI 14·08–53·11) under the SSP1–2·6 scenario and 37·38% (14·08–53·11) under the SSP2–4·5 scenario. Deaths would then decrease slightly during 2051–70 and 2081–2100. The provinces with the highest projected number of deaths attributable to landscape fire-related PM2·5 are located in east and south-central China, and those with the largest percentage increase in projected deaths are located in northwest and southwest China. Interpretation: Our results suggest that global warming could increase the contribution of landscape fire smoke to the total PM2·5 concentration, leading to an increase in the mortality rate in China. Our findings could help policy makers implement effective interventions in hotspot areas during different periods to reduce the impact of landscape fire smoke on human health. Funding: The National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China, and the Wellcome Trust.

Introduction: Thyroid cancer (TC), a common endocrine malignant tumor with a higher incidence in females than in males, is a serious threat to human life and health. Although current clinical treatments can alleviate this disease, the recurrence rate remains high. Tuber Dioscoreae Bulbiferae, also called Huang-Yao-Zi (HYZ), has remarkable curative properties, few side effects and is used for the treatment of sore throat, goiter, hemoptysis, and other diseases in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Existing clinical studies have found that HYZ can improve the clinical symptoms of TC patients and reduce tumor volume, while in vitro studies have found that HYZ can induce the death of thyroid cancer cells. However, the mechanism of HYZ in the treatment of TC is still unclear. Methods: In this study, based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics, the target and molecular mechanism of HYZ in the treatment of TC were preliminarily explored. The results suggest that the antithyroid cancer effect of HYZ may be related to the PI3K-Akt and focal adhesion pathways. Then, a TC cell model was established to further explore the detail molecular mechanisms. Results: Fortunately, HYZ induced apoptosis in KMH-2 cells and regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins and genes. At the same time, HYZ can also significantly inhibit the migration and invasion of TC cells. Further studies showed that the pharmacological activities of HYZ were related to the regulation of the PI3K-Akt and focal adhesion pathways. Conclusion: Our study provides a reference for further animal or clinical studies investigating the effectiveness and molecular mechanisms of HYZ against thyroid cancer.

Abstract Background Hemophilia B (HB), a rare bleeding disorder, shows X‐linked recessive inheritance and is caused by heterogeneous variants in the FIX gene (F9) encoding coagulation factor IX (FIX). This study aimed to investigate the molecular pathogenesis of a novel Met394Thr variant causing HB. Methods We used Sanger sequencing to analyze F9 sequence variants in members of a Chinese family with moderate HB. Subsequently, we performed in vitro experiments on the identified novel FIX‐Met394Thr variant. In addition, we performed bioinformatics analysis of the novel variant. Results We identified a novel missense variant (c.1181T>C, p.Met394Thr) in a Chinese family with moderate HB in the proband. The proband's mother and grandmother were carriers for the variant. The identified FIX‐Met394Thr variant did not affect the transcription of F9 and the synthesis and secretion of FIX protein. The variant may, therefore, affect the physiological function of FIX protein by disrupting its spatial conformation. In addition, another variant (c.88+75A>G) in intron 1 of F9 was identified in the grandmother, which may also affect FIX protein function. Conclusion We identified FIX‐Met394Thr as a novel causative variant of HB. Further understanding of the molecular pathogenesis underlying FIX deficiency may guide novel strategies for precision HB therapy.

In this study, we used Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aerosol products acquired from 2006 to 2016 to identify global long-range aerosol transport pathways, including the trans-Atlantic, the trans-Pacific, and the trans-Arabian Sea pathways. Deep analyses were subsequently conducted focusing on two significant paths within the range of the trans-Pacific transport pathway, from which we generated a three-stage conceptual model mainly identifying aerosols from the Taklimakan Desert and aerosols from the North China Plain. The results show that in the first stage of the model, the dust or polluted-dust aerosols were emitted, raised, and mixed within the planetary boundary layer (PBL), characterized by high percentages (>70%) of aerosols in the PBL (AODPBL), while in the second stage, some aerosols were further raised into the free troposphere where the AODPBL percentages decreased to less than 40%, driven by vertical movements and turbulences; in the last stage, the aerosols gradually settled back to the surface layer due to gravity and wet deposition, inferred by increasing AODPBL percentages. We demonstrated that the proposed model is capable of characterizing different aerosol types and climate conditions on spatiotemporal scales, providing a straightforward and evident approach to exploring long-range aerosol transport pathways.

Observations have found black holes spanning 10 orders of magnitude in mass across most of cosmic history. The Kerr black hole solution is, however, provisional as its behavior at infinity is incompatible with an expanding universe. Black hole models with realistic behavior at infinity predict that the gravitating mass of a black hole can increase with the expansion of the universe independently of accretion or mergers, in a manner that depends on the black hole’s interior solution. We test this prediction by considering the growth of supermassive black holes in elliptical galaxies over 0 < z ≲ 2.5. We find evidence for cosmologically coupled mass growth among these black holes, with zero cosmological coupling excluded at 99.98% confidence. The redshift dependence of the mass growth implies that, at z ≲ 7, black holes contribute an effectively constant cosmological energy density to Friedmann’s equations. The continuity equation then requires that black holes contribute cosmologically as vacuum energy. We further show that black hole production from the cosmic star formation history gives the value of Ω _Λ measured by Planck while being consistent with constraints from massive compact halo objects. We thus propose that stellar remnant black holes are the astrophysical origin of dark energy, explaining the onset of accelerating expansion at z ∼ 0.7.

With the development of renewable energy, the exploitation and utilization of solar energy resources also need continuous progress, but solar radiation data shortage has become a serious concern. A method for estimating global solar radiation has been developed to address this issue. The sunshine-based model is currently the most widely used model due to its high calculation accuracy and few input parameters. This paper will first review 13 subcategories (8 categories in total) of the global solar radiation prediction model based on sunshine. Subsequently, the astronomical factors were introduced to modify empirical coefficients, and 8 new categories of models based on sunshine rate were introduced. The radiation data from 83 meteorological stations in China was used to train and validate the model, and the performance of the model was evaluated by using evaluation indicators, such as coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute bias error (MABE), mean bias error (MBE), and global performance index (GPI). The results show that the R2 value of the unmodified empirical model is in a range of 0.82–0.99, and the RMSE value is in a range of 0.018–3.09. In contrast, with the introduction of the astronomical factor, the model accuracy improves significantly, and the modified power function model (N3) gains its best performance. The R2 of model N3 is in a range of 0.86–0.99, and the RMSE value is in a range of 0.018–2.62. The R2 increases by 0.49%, while the RMSE value 6.44%. Above all, it does not require the input of other meteorological parameters for predicting the value of global solar radiation.

Understanding the martensitic transformation mechanism is of critical importance to control martensitic transformations and hence retained austenite. Linear defects reported in a previous study can provide nucleation sites for martensitic transformation, but their nature, formation mechanism and effect on martensitic transformation were not revealed. In this study, detailed evidence was provided that linear defects were formed by the motion of Shockley partial dislocation on a close-packed plane and usually could be in the form of faulted austenite, twins and ɛ-martensite, defined as faulted bands. Faulted bands were formed prior to martensitic transformation at a starting transition temperature higher than Ms. They can provide nucleation sites for α′-martensitic transformation but can act as an effective barrier to limit the growth of α′-martensite laths. In addition, the same plane was found between the formation plane of the faulted band and the habit plane of α′-martensite, which indicates that the variant types of α′-martensite were decided by the variant types of faulted bands.

Abstract Background This study aims to observe and analyze the effect of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the patients with locally advanced breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods Fifty patients (mean age, 48.7 years) with stage II–III breast cancer who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and preoperative MRI between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The associations between preoperative breast MRI findings/clinicopathological features and outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy were assessed. Results Clinical stage at baseline (OR: 0.104, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.021–0.516, P = 0.006) and standard apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) change (OR: 9.865, 95% CI 1.024–95.021, P = 0.048) were significant predictive factors of the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The percentage increase of standard ADC value in pathologic complete response (pCR) group was larger than that in non-pCR group at first time point (P

Template design on polymorph control, especially conformational polymorphs, is still in its infancy and the result of polymorph control is often accidental. A method of regulating the crystallization of conformational polymorphs based on the crystal structure similarity of templates and the target crystal form has been developed. Crystal structure similarity was considered to be able to introduce lattice matching (geometric term) with chemical interactions to regulate conformational polymorph nucleation. The method was successfully applied to induce the crystallization of DA7-II [HOOC–(CH2)n−2–COOH (diacids), named DAn, where n = 7, 9, 15, 17 and II represents the metastable polymorph] on the surface of DA15-II. An analogous two-dimensional plane – the (002) face of both DA15-II and DA7-II – was firstly predicted as the epitaxially attached face with similar lattice parameters and the strongest adsorption energy. The powder DA15-II template with the preferred orientation face in (002) presented much stronger inducing DA7-II ability than the template with other preferred orientation faces. The epitaxial growth of DA7-II on DA15-II through an identical (002) face was clearly observed and verified by the single-crystal inducing experiments. The molecular dynamics simulation results demonstrated that the strong interactions occurred between DA7 molecules and the (002) face of DA15-II. This method has been verified and further applied to the crystallization of DA7-II on the surface of DA17-II and DA9-II on the surface of DA15-II. This study developed a strategy based on structure similarity to regulate the conformational polymorph and verified the significant role of lattice matching and chemical effects on the design and preparation of templates.

Thin-walled structures, when used for high-speed railways, can effectively mitigate the irreversible destruction when a malfunction occurs. Nested thin-walled tubes, as energy-absorbing structures, possess excellent specific energy absorption (SEA) and crushing force efficiency (CFE). This paper conducts multi-objective optimization by focusing on a square corrugation nested structure with a double octagon inner wall, namely SCOD, to ameliorate the crashworthiness of the nested structure. The finite element model of the SCOD is constructed and validated by test data. A set of experimental design points with good spatial distribution are obtained using the optimal Latin hypercube (LHC) method. The polynomial response surface (PRS) method was applied to establish the fitting relationship between design variables and optimization objectives, and validation is accomplished. The DCNSGA-III algorithm is employed for optimization, resulting in a Pareto alternative solution set with good population diversity and convergence. In addition, to observe the optimized performance, a set of optimal solutions considering a single objective value is derived, and a comprehensive optimal solution is obtained by applying the minimum distance selection method (TMDSM). Finally, the proposed optimized system is analyzed and validated. According to the alternative reference solutions, the initial peak force (IPCF) reduces by 53.75% and CFE increases by 8.7%. This paper provides some reference for the optimization design in practical engineering.

The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus has important nutritional and medicinal value. Unfortunately, we know little of the source of active chemicals in this animal, but the plentiful pigments of these animals are thought to function in intriguing ways for translation into clinical and food chemistry usage. Here, we found key cell groups with the gene activity predicted for the color morphology of sea cucumber body using single-cell RNA-seq. We refer to these cell populations as melanocytes and quinocytes, which are responsible for the synthesis of melanin and quinone pigments, respectively. We integrated analysis of pigment biochemistry with the transcript profiles to illuminate the molecular mechanisms regulating distinct pigment formation in echinoderms. In concert with the correlated pigment analysis from each color morph, this study expands our understanding of medically important pigment production, as well as the genetic mechanisms for color morphs, and provides deep datasets for exploring advancements in the fields of bioactives and nutraceuticals.

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li has been used as a herbal medicine in China in its long history. Since ancient times, the fruits of P. fortuneana has been considered a functional food to improve various diseases. Many bioactive substances, including proanthocyanidins, phenols, polysaccharides, and dietary fibers, have been isolated and identified from the P. fortuneana, which possess diverse biological properties both in vitro and in vivo. Although the researches on the P. fortuneana have achieved extensive progress, the systematic study of its biological activities is still relatively lacking. In addition, accumulating researches focus on the landscape value of the P. fortuneana and the development of its by-products. The by-products of P. fortuneana, which show good development potentials in the field of agricultural production and environmental protection, are important for improving the economic value of P. fortuneana and its significance. After extensive reviewing and analyzing the existing published articles, books, and patents, this study aims to a systematic and summarized research trends of P. fortuneana and its phytochemical compositions, nutritional values, pharmacological effects and health benefits of its extracts/monomers, which would be beneficial for the future development of this medicinal plant as functional food or drugs.

Backgroud: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a typical neurodegenerative disease, which occurs in the elderly population. Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF) is a traditional Chinese medicine that has potential therapeutic effect on AD, but the mechanism behind it is unclear.Methods: Firstly, the main chemical components of AOF were identified by LC-MS, while the main active ingredients and targets were screened by TCMSP database. At the same time, AD-related target proteins were obtained using Genecards and OMIM databases. PPI was constructed by cross-linking AOF and AD targets, and GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed to identify the relevant biological processes and signaling pathways. Finally, based on the H2O2-stimulated PC12 cell, flow cytometry, WB and immunofluorescence experiments were performed to verify the protective effect of AOF on AD.Results: We identified 38 active ingredients with 662 non-repetitive targets in AOF, of which 49 were potential therapeutic AD targets of AOF. According to the GO and KEGG analysis, these potential targets are mainly related to oxidative stress and apoptosis. The role of AOF in the treatment of AD is mainly related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Protocatechuic acid and nootkatone might be the main active ingredients of AOF. In subsequent experiments, the results of CCK-8 showed that AOF mitigated PC12 cell damage induced by H2O2. Kits, flow cytometry, and laser confocal microscopy indicated that AOF could decrease ROS and increase the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), while AOF could also increase mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), thereby inhibiting apoptosis. Finally, immunofluorescence and WB results showed that AOF inhibited the expression of BAX and caspase-3 in PC12 cells, and promoted the expression of Bcl-2. At the same time, the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and Akt proteins were also significantly increased.Conclusion: This study suggests that AOF had the potential to treat AD by suppressing apoptosis induced by oxidative stress via the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Understanding the process of martensitic transformation and accurately predicting the fraction of retained austenite and martensite after athermal martensitic transformation are of great significance for optimizing the mechanical properties of various advanced high strength steels. This paper proposes an integral transformation model for the description of both the martensitic transformation temperature and its volume fraction considering both chemical driving force and non-chemical free energy. The proposed model was validated in both incomplete and complete martensitic transformation systems with different austenite grain sizes. Compared with the conventional Koistinen and Marburger model, the integral transformation model can predict the Ms and Mf temperatures as well as the transformation fraction in an integrated manner and depict the relationship between martensite fraction and temperature as a more realistic S-shaped curve. This can be attributed to the fact that the integral transformation model is developed from a generic energy viewpoint and takes into account not only the chemical driving force but also the significant non-chemical free energy contribution.

Abstract Background Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an inflammatory gastrointestinal disease in premature neonates with high mortality and morbidity, while the underlining mechanism of intestinal injury and profound neurological dysfunction remains unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the involvement of NLPR3 inflammasome activation in NEC-related enterocolitis and neuroinflammation, especially long-term cognitive impairment, meanwhile, explore the protective effect of NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 on NEC in mice. Methods NLRP3 inflammasome activation in the intestine and brain was assessed in the NEC mouse model, and NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 was administrated during the development of NEC. Survival rate, histopathological injury of the intestine and brain, and expression of mature IL-1β and other pro-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. Long-term cognitive impairment was evaluated by behavioral test. Results The expression of NLRP3 and mature IL-1β in the intestine and brain was greatly upregulated in NEC mice compared to the controls. MCC950 treatment efficiently improved NEC survival rate, reduced intestinal and brain inflammation, and ameliorated the severity of pathological damage in both organs. Additionally, in vivo blockage of NLRP3 inflammasome with MCC950 in early life of NEC pups potently protected against NEC-associated long-term cognitive impairment. Conclusions Our findings suggest that NLRP3 inflammasome activation participates in NEC-induced intestinal and brain injury, and early intervention with NLRP3 inhibitor may provide beneficial therapeutic effect on NEC infants.

The lack of coagulation factor VIII in patient with nonsense mutation hemophilia A leads to varying degrees of bleeding symptoms, and long-term use of alternative therapies can produce inhibitors that affect the efficacy. In this study, human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) of hemophilia A were generated by reprogramming of urine cells. Human urine cells (HUCs) were isolated by collecting patients' mid-stream urine, and cultured to good state in urine medium. Then, the HUCs were transfected with PEP4-EO2S-ET2K and pCEP4-M2L, and iPSCs were obtained in the medium without trophoblast cells and the composition was determined. Finally, alkaline phosphatase staining, karyotype analysis, immunofluorescence staining and teratoma were used to verify that we successfully reprogrammed hemophilia A-specific human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients' urine cells, providing a safe and effective cell model for the study of molecular mechanism and related treatment of hemophilia.

Abstract Aims/Introduction Dyslipidemia is commonly present in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Recently, the triglyceride : high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL‐C) ratio, a novel parameter of lipid abnormality, has been seen as an independent predictor for incident diabetes. However, the correlation of the TG/HDL‐C ratio with incident diabetes in the Chinese population and how this relationship is impacted by sex have been rarely studied. In the present study, the correlation of the TG/HDL‐C ratio with incident diabetes is investigated between different sexes of the Chinese population. Materials and Methods A total of 116,855 participants who were free of diabetes at baseline were enrolled in the study. The participants were grouped by the median value (0.82) of the TG/HDL‐C ratio. Then, participants were further analyzed according to their sex. Cumulative incidence and person‐years incidence were used to express the incidence rate. The predictive value of the TG/HDL‐C ratio for incident diabetes was probed by the Cox regression proportional hazards model. Results The mean age of the participants was 44.1 ± 12.9 years, and 53% of participants (n = 62,868) were the men. A total of 2,685 incident diabetes cases occurred during the 3.1 years of the median follow‐up period. The cumulative incidence in total incident diabetes patients, men and women was 2.30% (2.21–2.38%), 3.01% (2.87–3.14%) and 1.47% (1.37–1.57%), respectively. After the adjustment of multivariate factors, the multivariate Cox regression analysis results showed that a higher TG/HDL‐C ratio was the independent predictive factor of incident diabetes in men (hazard ratio 1.30, 95% confidence interval 1.03–1.64), compared with women (hazard ratio 0.85, 95% confidence interval 0.53–1.38). Conclusions Among the Chinese population, the TG/HDL‐C ratio is an independent predictor for incident diabetes in male patients.

Al-Si-coated boron-alloyed steels are the most widely used press-hardened steels (PHSs), which offers good oxidation resistance during hot forming due to the presence of the near eutectic Al-Si coating. In this study, a recently developed novel un-coated oxidation resistant PHS, called coating-free PHS (CF-PHS), is introduced as an alternative to the commercial Al-Si coated PHSs. With tailored additions of Cr, Mn, and Si, the new steel demonstrates superior oxidation resistance with a sub-micron oxide layer after the conventional hot stamping process. Hence, it does not require shot blasting before the subsequent welding and E-coating process. Two CF-PHS grades have been developed with ultimate tensile strengths of approximately 1.2 and 1.7 GPa, respectively. Both grades have a total elongation of 8–9%, exceeding the corresponding Al-Si-coated PHS grades (1.0 GPa/6–7%, 1.5 GPa/6–7%). Furthermore, the bendability of CF-PHS was similar to the corresponding Al-Si PHS grades. On the other hand, performance evaluations relevant to automotive applications, such as weldability, the E-coat adhesion, and tailor-welded hot stamp door ring, were also conducted on the CF-PHS steel to satisfy the requirements of manufacturing.

Sea urchins have become significant mariculture species globally, and also serve as invertebrate model organisms in developmental biology. Cis-regulatory elements (enhancers) control development and physiology by regulating gene expression. Mutations that affect the function of these sequences may contribute to phenotypic diversity. Cis-regulatory targets offer new breeding potential for the future. Here, we use the CRISPR/Cas9 system to disrupt an enhancer of Endo16 in developing Lytechinus variegatus embryos, in consideration of the thorough research on Endo16’s regulatory region. We designed six gRNAs against Endo16 Module A (the most proximal region of regulatory sequences, which activates transcription in the vegetal plate and archenteron, specifically) and discovered that Endo16 Module A-disrupted embryos failed to undergo gastrulation at 20 h post fertilization. This result partly phenocopies morpholino knockdowns of Endo16. Moreover, we conducted qPCR and clone sequencing experiments to verify these results. Although mutations were not found regularly from sequencing affected individuals, we discuss some potential causes. In conclusion, our study provides a feasible and informative method for studying the function of cis-regulatory elements in sea urchins, and contributes to echinoderm precision breeding technology innovation and aquaculture industry development.

The assembly of stellar and supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass in elliptical galaxies since z ∼ 1 can help to diagnose the origins of locally observed correlations between SMBH mass and stellar mass. We therefore construct three samples of elliptical galaxies, one at z ∼ 0 and two at 0.7 ≲ z ≲ 2.5, and quantify their relative positions in the M _BH − M _* plane. Using a Bayesian analysis framework, we find evidence for translational offsets in both stellar mass and SMBH mass between the local sample and both higher-redshift samples. The offsets in stellar mass are small, and consistent with measurement bias, but the offsets in SMBH mass are much larger, reaching a factor of 7 between z ∼ 1 and z ∼ 0. The magnitude of the SMBH offset may also depend on redshift, reaching a factor of ∼20 at z ∼ 2. The result is robust against variation in the high- and low-redshift samples and changes in the analysis approach. The magnitude and redshift evolution of the offset are challenging to explain in terms of selection and measurement biases. We conclude that either there is a physical mechanism that preferentially grows SMBHs in elliptical galaxies at z ≲ 2, or that selection and measurement biases are both underestimated, and depend on redshift.

We examine the origin of molecular gas heating in a sample of 42 infrared-luminous galaxies at z<0.3 by combining two sets of archival data: first, integrated CO line luminosities in the 1–0 and 5–4 through 13–12 transitions; second, results from radiative transfer modelling that decompose their bolometric emission into starburst, AGN, and host galaxy components. We find that the CO 1–0 and 5–4 through 9–8 lines primarily arise via radiative heating in the starburst and the host galaxy. In contrast, the CO 10–9 through 13–12 lines may arise primarily in the starburst and AGN, with an increasing contribution from mechanical heating and shocks. For the sample as a whole, we find no evidence that AGN luminosity affects the heating of molecular gas by star formation. However, for starbursts with low initial optical depths, a more luminous AGN may reduce the efficiency of starburst heating of the CO 5–4 and above lines, consistent with negative AGN feedback.

In crystallization, crystal growth defects may reduce the strength and purity of crystals, which are not welcomed in the industry. Herein, isoniazid (INH) crystals were chosen as an example to investigate the formation of crystal defects at the molecular scale by combining experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the strong interaction between the solvent and the crystal surface, high temperature, small stirring rate, and low supersaturation can lead to more pronounced crystal defects. The bulk severity of INH crystal defects was reflected by N2 adsorption–desorption measurement. Besides, the single-crystal growth experiments manifested the rough growth mechanism for the (110) surface in the axial direction and the stepwise growth mechanism for the (002) surface in the radial direction. For the (110) surface, cavities occurred under the condition where the growth rate of the crystal edges and corners was greater than that of the surface center due to the starvation phenomenon of diffusion. While for the (002) surface, when the solvent removal rate was lower than the solute insertion rate, liquid inclusions were formed, which was verified by Raman microscopy. Furthermore, the ultrasonic strategy was successfully proposed to eliminate INH crystal defects and prepare perfect INH crystals. Moreover, the mechanism of ultrasound to reduce the crystal defect was proposed. We believe this work can provide insights into the design and preparation of defect-free crystals in crystallization.

Human activities have been stressing the ecological environment since we stepped into the Anthropocene Age. It is urgent to formulate a sustainable plan for balancing socioeconomic development and ecological conservation based on a thorough understanding of ecological environment changes. The ecological environment can be evaluated when multiple remote sensing indices are integrated, such as the use of the recently prevalent Remote Sensing-based Ecological Index (RSEI). Currently, most of the RSEI-related studies have focused on the ecological quality evolution in small areas. Less attention was paid to the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of ecological quality in large-scale urban agglomerations and the potential links with Land Use and Cover Change (LUCC). In this study, we monitored the dynamics of the ecological quality in the Hangzhou Greater Bay Area (HGBA) during 1995–2020, using the RSEI as an indicator. During the construction of the RSEI, a percentile de-noising normalization method was proposed to overcome the problem of widespread noises from large-scale regions and make the RSEI-based ecological quality assessment for multiple periods comparable. Combined with the land use data, the quantitative relationship between the ecological quality and the LUCC was revealed. The results demonstrated that: (1) The ecological quality of the HGBA degraded after first improving but was still good (averaged RSEI of 0.638). It was divergent for the prefecture-level cities of the HGBA, presenting degraded, improved, and fluctuant trends for the cities from north to south. (2) For ecological quality, the improved regions have larger area (57.5% vs. 42.5%) but less increment (0.141 vs. −0.195) than the degraded regions. Mountains, downtowns, and coastal wetlands were the hot spots for the improvement and urbanization, and reclamation processes were responsible for the degradation. (3) The ecological quality was improved for forests and urban areas (△RSEI > 0.07) but degraded for farmland (∆RSEI = −0.03). As a result, the ecological cost was reduced among human-dominant environments (e.g., farmland, urban areas) while enlarged for the conversion from nature-(e.g., forests) to human-dominant environments.

Background: Vibratory massage is now widely used to alleviate muscle fatigue. The effects of different vibration massage intensities on left and right upper trapezius (UT) fatigue have not been examined. Therefore, the present study first examined whether a vibration massage intervention had an effect on UT muscles and second compared the effects of 2 different levels (36 Hz and 46 Hz) of vibratory massage on the right and left oblique muscles under 3 different fatigue conditions. Methods: A total of 23 participants (12 female, 11 male; age: 26.5 ± 3.9 year, height: 170.5 ± 1.6 cm, mass: 57.5 ± 1.5 kg, BMI: 24.3 ± 1.6 kg/m2) were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The 2 groups of subjects completed isometric contraction fatigue tasks of 30 s of fatigue, 60 s of fatigue and 90 s of fatigue in turn. The specific task of isotonic contraction was performed by subjects holding a 1 kg dumbbell in each hand and performing a straight arm weighted lateral supination exercise. After each exercise, the intervention group was randomized to apply a massage device with a vibration intensity of 36 Hz or 46 Hz on the left and right UT muscles for 5 min each. The control group did not receive any treatment. Both groups then repeated the same fatigue task as before. Then, the effects of different vibration massage interventions on UT muscles were derived by analyzing the changes in maximal voluntary contraction percentage (MVC%) of surface electromyography (sEMG) signals before and after the intervention, and the most effective vibration massage program for relieving left and right UT fatigue was summarized. Then, four classification algorithms were used to label and classify the collected sEMG data, and finally a UT muscle fatigue identification and vibration massage model was constructed. Results: After using the vibration massage level 1 (36 Hz) intervention, the MVC% of the right UT muscle showed significant reductions in the 30 s fatigue task, the 60 s fatigue task and the 90 s fatigue task (R1: p = 0.022, R2: p = 0.005, R3: p = 0.049). After using the vibration massage level 3 (46 Hz) intervention, the MVC% of the right UT muscle showed a significant decrease in both the 60 s fatigue task and the 90 s fatigue task (R2: p = 0.033, R3: p = 0.028). Significant decreases in MVC% for the left UT muscle were found only in the 90 s fatigue task (L3: p = 0.040). Then, by comparing the different performances of four commonly used classification algorithms, it was found that the bagging (accuracy = 0.860) algorithm had higher accuracy. Therefore, the bagging algorithm was used for the UT fatigue identification and vibration massage models. Conclusions: This was the first study to show the impacts of different levels of vibration massage on fatigue alleviation in the left and right UT muscles. Furthermore, the bilateral UT fatigue identification and vibration massage model developed in this study can help people to choose the most appropriate massage protocol for quick relief and relaxation of the UT muscles under three different fatigue tasks.

The closely related species Helicoverpa armigera (H. armigera) and Helicoverpa assulta (H. assulta) have different host plant ranges and share two principal components of sex pheromones but with reversed ratios. The antennae are the main olfactory organ of insects and play a crucial role in host plant selection and mate seeking. However, the genetic basis for gene expression divergence in the antennae of the two species is unclear. We performed an allele-specific expression (ASE) analysis in the antennal transcriptomes of the two species and their F1 hybrids, examining the connection between gene expression divergence and phenotypic differences. The results show that the proportion of genes classified as all cis was higher than that of all trans in males and reversed in females. The contribution of regulatory patterns to gene expression divergence in males was less than that in females, which explained the functional differentiation of male and female antennae. Among the five groups of F1 hybrids, the fertile males from the cross of H. armigera female and H. assulta male had the lowest proportion of misexpressed genes, and the inferred regulatory patterns were more accurate. By using this group of F1 hybrids, we discovered that cis-related regulations play a crucial role in gene expression divergence of sex pheromone perception-related proteins. These results are helpful for understanding how specific changes in the gene expression of olfactory-related genes can contribute to rapid evolutionary changes in important olfactory traits in closely related moths.

Background. Among adult kidney transplant (KT) recipients, the risk of post-KT adverse outcomes differs by type of induction immunosuppression. Immune response to induction differs as recipients age; yet, choice of induction is barely tailored by age likely due to a lack of evidence of the risks and benefits. Methods. Using Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients data, we identified 39336 first-time KT recipients (2010–2016). We estimated the length of stay (LOS), acute rejection (AR), graft failure, and death by induction type using logistic and Cox regression weighted by propensity score to adjust for confounders. We tested whether these estimates differed by age (65+ versus 18–64 y) using a Wald test. Results. Overall, rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) was associated with a decreased risk of AR (odds ratio = 0.79, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-0.85) compared with basiliximab. The effect of induction on LOS and death (interaction P = 0.03 and 0.003) differed by recipient age. Discharge was on average 11% shorter in rATG among younger recipients (relative time = 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81-0.99) but not among older recipients (relative time = 1.01; 95% CI, 0.95-1.08). rATG was not associated with mortality among older (hazard ratio = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.96-1.15), but among younger recipients (hazard ratio = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.80-0.95), it was associated with reduced mortality risk. Conclusions. rATG should be considered to prevent AR, especially among recipients with high-immunologic risk regardless of age; however, choice of induction should be tailored to reduce LOS and risk of mortality, particularly among younger recipients.

Many scholars are skeptical about the poverty reduction effect and the ecological effect of poverty alleviation resettlement (PAR). This study evaluates the spatial and temporal evolution of the ecological environment quality (EEQ) to analyze the effectiveness of ecological restoration from PAR. Based on cloud computing using the Google Earth Engine platform, remote-sensing data were obtained and reconstructed from 2000 to 2020. The remote-sensing ecological index (RSEI) was used to analyze the spatial and temporal evolution of EEQ. The results show that the RSEI of the study area increased by 13.07% after the implementation of PAR, and the rate of increase was higher than that in the period before PAR; the Pu’an and Qinglong areas improved most obviously, in terms of the fragile ecological environment and the prominent contradiction between peasants and land. The residual trends method indicated that the contribution rate of improvement in RSEI due to PAR was 70.56%, 88.38%, and 82.96% in 2017, 2018, and 2020, respectively. An increase in RSEI was more obvious in the area with a greater relocated population and a higher corresponding coupling coordination level. PAR has a promoting effect on EEQ improvement but does not have ecological restoration benefits in every region. It is not satisfactory in terms of the degeneration of the LST indicator and the ecological impact of human wells.

Photosynthetic pigments in higher plants, including chlorophyll and carotenoid, are crucial for photosynthesis and photoprotection. Previous studies have shown that nitric oxide (NO) plays a dual role in plant photosynthesis. However, how pigment biosynthesis is suppressed by NO remains unclear. In this study, we generated NO-accumulated gsnor mutants, applied exogenous NO donors, and used a series of methods, including reverse transcription quantitative PCR, immunoblotting, chromatin immunoprecipitation, electrophoretic mobility shift, dual-luciferase, and NO content assays, to explore the regulation of photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis by NO in tomato. We established that both endogenous and exogenous NO inhibited pigment accumulation and photosynthetic capacities. High levels of NO stimulated the degradation of LONG HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5) protein and further inactivated the transcription of genes encoding protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase C (PORC) and phytoene synthase 2 (PSY2)—two enzymes that catalyze the rate-limiting steps in chlorophyll and carotenoid biosynthesis. Our findings provide a new insight into the mechanism of NO signaling in modulating HY5-mediated photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis at the transcriptional level in tomato plants.

Selenium (Se) is a key mobile fission product in the geological disposal of nuclear waste. It is necessary to analyze the reductive deposition behavior of iron-based materials to Se(IV) and Se(VI) in groundwater. In the present work, the corrosion behavior of 304 stainless steel in simulated groundwater (SG) and the effects of corrosion products on the dissolution of Se were investigated by electrochemical and immersion tests. Experimental results revealed that passivation films formed on 304 stainless-steel samples were destroyed by polarization measurements, forming corrosion products consisting of Fe(II) compounds, such as Fe3O4 and FeO. Corrosion products deposited on the surface of steel samples previously treated by polarization measurements in SG + CaCl2/Na2CO3/Na2SiO3 solutions effectively reduced soluble Se(IV) and Se(VI) during immersion tests, depositing FeSe2 on sample surfaces.