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BackgroundAn increasing body of evidence suggests a profound interrelation between the microbiome and sleep-related concerns. Nevertheless, current observational studies can merely establish their correlation, leaving causality unexplored.Study objectivesTo ascertain whether specific gut microbiota are causally linked to seven sleep-related characteristics and propose potential strategies for insomnia prevention.MethodsThe study employed an extensive dataset of gut microbiota genetic variations from the MiBioGen alliance, encompassing 18,340 individuals. Taxonomic classification was conducted, identifying 131 genera and 196 bacterial taxa for analysis. Sleep-related phenotype (SRP) data were sourced from the IEU OpenGWAS project, covering traits such as insomnia, chronotype, and snoring. Instrumental variables (IVs) were selected based on specific criteria, including locus-wide significance, linkage disequilibrium calculations, and allele frequency thresholds. Statistical methods were employed to explore causal relationships, including inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median, and weighted Mode. Sensitivity analyses, pleiotropy assessments, and Bonferroni corrections ensured result validity. Reverse causality analysis and adherence to STROBE-MR guidelines were conducted to bolster the study’s rigor.ResultsBidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis reveals a causative interplay between selected gut microbiota and sleep-related phenotypes. Notably, outcomes from the rigorously Bonferroni-corrected examination illuminate profound correlations amid precise compositions of the intestinal microbiome and slumber-associated parameters. Elevated abundance within the taxonomic ranks of class Negativicutes and order Selenomonadales was markedly associated with heightened susceptibility to severe insomnia (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02–1.05, p = 0.0001). Conversely, the augmented representation of the phylum Lentisphaerae stands in concord with protracted sleep duration (OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01–1.04, p = 0.0005). Furthermore, heightened exposure to the genus Senegalimassilia exhibits the potential to ameliorate the manifestation of snoring symptoms (OR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96–0.99, p = 0.0001).ConclusionThis study has unveiled the causal relationship between gut microbiota and SRPs, bestowing significant latent value upon future endeavors in both foundational research and clinical therapy.

Background: Shanghai reported more than 600,000 Omicron COVID-19 cases between March 1, 2022, and June 30, 2022. Omicron-infected patients with no, mild, or moderate symptoms were transferred to the nearest Fangcang hospital, buildings constructed exclusively for the isolation and treatment of COVID-19 patients, according to the protocol for COVID‐19 diagnosis in China during that period. Methods: This was a cohort study with data collected via online questionnaires and electronic medical records (EMR) from April 15, 2022, to May 7, 2022, from a block in a Shanghai Fangcang hospital. The Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. Survival analysis techniques, including Kaplan–Meier (KM) curves and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models with time-varying coefficients, were used to analyze the association between sleep quality during SARS-CoV-2 infection and the duration of viral shedding (DVS). Results: Data from 688 participants were used in the data analysis. KM curves showed that COVID-19 patients with insomnia generally had a longer DVS than those without insomnia. Cox proportional hazards regression models suggested that the insomnia group was significantly less likely to recover from SARS-CoV-2 infection within 7 days after diagnosis than the noninsomnia group. A higher probability of rapid recovery from COVID-19 was also associated with younger age, higher HADS-A scores (i.e., increased anxiety), and lower HADS-D scores (i.e., lower depression). Conclusions: For COVID-19 patients, sleep status, anxiety and depression symptoms, and age merit greater attention. Future studies should investigate whether lifestyle interventions can reduce the risk of developing postinfection syndromes or mitigating such symptoms.

New three-dimensional (3D) lanthanide framework compounds supported by bridging thiocyanate ligand and K+ cations, K4[Ln(NCS)4(H2O)4](NCS)3(H2O)2(1: Ln = Dy, 2: Ln = Tb, 3: Ln = Gd) have been synthesized. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study showed that all three compounds were isostructural and crystallized in the I 2/a space group. The K+ ion form 2D layers with thiocyanates which are further linked by [Ln(NCS)4(H2O)4]- complexes and additional thiocyanate ions to generate an interesting 3D framework structure. Compound 1 shows slow magnetic relaxation behavior under a zero direct current (DC) field, indicating that 1 behaves as a single-ion magnet (SIM). As estimated from AC magnetic measurements, the effective energy barrier for spin reversal in 1 was Ueff = 42 cm–1. Slow relaxation of magnetization under a small external DC field was also detected for 2 and 3 at 1.8 K.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the functional abnormalities between the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the whole brain in individuals with Insomnia Disorder (ID) using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Additionally, the study aimed to explore the underlying neural mechanisms of ID.MethodsWe enrolled 18 participants with ID and 16 normal controls (NC). Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) between the NAc and the whole brain voxels was calculated and compared between the two groups to identify differential brain region. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was employed to assess the ability of differential features to distinguish between groups. Furthermore, Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between neurocognitive scores and differential features.ResultsThe ID group exhibited significantly reduced FC values in several brain regions, including the right supplementary motor area, the bilateral middle frontal gyrus, the bilateral median cingulate and paracingulate gyri and the left precuneus. The area under the curve (AUC) of the classification model based on FC in these brain regions was 83.3%. Additionally, the abnormal functional changes observed in ID patients were positively correlated with the Fatigue Severity Scale (R = 0.650, p = 0.004).ConclusionThese findings suggest that the NAc may play a crucial role in the diagnosis of ID and could serve as a potential imaging biomarker, providing insights into the underlying neural mechanisms of the disorder.

In the past decade, there have been significant advancements in the investigation of coherence-related phenomena in organic systems such as biological photosynthetic reaction centers. The d8 Pt(II) dinuclear complex or molecular aggregate with a metal–metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MMLCT) or metal-centered (MC) excited state was reported to show the vibrational coherence phenomenon in the intersystem crossing (ISC) process, due to the Metal–metal (M-M) interaction at excited state. In this study, we review the coherence effect in the Pt(II)-Pt(II) complexes which are speculated to be a coherent energy conversion system. The impacts of coherence on the photo-physics of Pt(II) dinuclear complexes have been discussed and reviewed, including the intersystem crossing process and vibrational wavepacket dynamics.

ObjectiveThe number of citations to a paper represents the weight of that work in a particular area of interest. Several highly cited papers are listed in the bibliometric analysis. This study aimed to identify and analyze the 100 most cited papers in insomnia research that might appeal to researchers and clinicians.MethodsWe reviewed the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database to identify articles from 1985 to 24 March 2022. The R bibliometric package was used to further analyze citation counts, authors, year of publication, source journal, geographical origin, subject, article type, and level of evidence. Word co-occurrence in 100 articles was visualized using VOS viewer software.ResultsA total of 44,654 manuscripts were searched on the Web of Science. Between 2001 and 2021, the top 100 influential manuscripts were published, with a total citation frequency of 38,463. The top countries and institutions contributing to the field were the U.S. and Duke University. Morin C.M. was the most productive author, ranking first in citations. Sleep had the highest number of manuscripts published in the top 100 (n = 31), followed by Sleep Medicine Reviews (n = 9). The most cited manuscript (Bastien et al., Sleep Medicine, 2001; 3,384 citations) reported clinical validation of the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) as a brief screening indicator for insomnia and as an outcome indicator for treatment studies. Co-occurrence analyses suggest that psychiatric disorders combined with insomnia and cognitive behavioral therapy remain future research trends.ConclusionThis study provides a detailed list of the most cited articles on insomnia. The analysis provides researchers and clinicians with a detailed overview of the most cited papers on insomnia over the past two decades. Notably, COVID-19, anxiety, depression, CBT, and sleep microstructure are potential areas of focus for future research.

BackgroundPrevious studies show that insomnia and hypertension are closely related. Currently, intervention for hypertension with insomnia has become a research hotspot. Acupuncture, as a representative non-pharmaceutical therapy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used in improving insomnia and hypertension. However, there are few clinical studies on acupuncture for hypertension with insomnia.MethodsA single-center, subject-and-assessor-blind, randomized, sham-controlled trial has been designed for a study to be conducted in Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine. Sixty eligible patients will be randomly assigned to the treatment group and the control group in a 1:1 ratio. The treatment group will receive acupuncture treatment, while the control group will receive sham acupuncture treatment. Both groups will be treated three times per week for 4 weeks. Data will be collected at baseline and after 4 weeks of treatment and analyzed by using SPSS 25.0. The primary outcome measures are sleep parameters of portable polysomnography before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes are Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Insomnia Severity Index, home blood pressure, and heart rate variability.DiscussionThis study aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture using the portable polysomnography combined with sleep scales, and analyze heart rate variability to preliminarily explore the underlying mechanism of acupuncture on hypertension with insomnia. The trail, if proven to be effective, will provide strong scientific evidence to support acupuncture is effective to manage patients for hypertension with insomnia.Clinical trial registrationChiCTR2200059161.

BackgroundStudies on the efficacy of acupuncture and auricular acupressure on sleep disturbances in cancer patients have been growing, but there is no specific and comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture and auricular acupressure on sleep disturbances in cancer survivors based on existing randomized clinical trials (RCTs).MethodsFour English-language and four Chinese-language biomedical databases were searched for RCTs published from database inception to July 30, 2021. RCTs comparing acupuncture and auricular acupressure with sham control, drug therapy, behavior therapy, or usual care for managing cancer were included. The quality of RCTs was appraised with the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias (ROB) tool. Mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the effect sizes.ResultsThirteen RCTs with 961 patients were included. The risk of performance bias or reporting bias for most of the included trials was high or unclear. Evidence was not found for short-term effects on sleep scales compared to sham control (MD, 1.98; 95% CI, 0.33–3.64; p = 0.02; I2 = 36%), wait list control (MD, 0.40; 95% CI, −0.87–1.68; p = 0.54; I2 = 49%), drug therapy (MD, 1.18; 95% CI, −3.09–5.46; p = 0.59; I2 = 98%). For long-term effect, two sham-controlled RCTs showed no significance of acupuncture on insomnia scale scores (MD, 1.71; 95% CI, −2.38–5.81; p = 0.41; I2 = 89%). Subgroup analyses suggested no evidence that auricular acupressure (MD, 3.14; 95% CI=1.52, 4.76; p = 0.0001; I2 = 0%) or acupuncture (MD, 0.54; 95% CI=−1.27, 2.34; p = 0.56; I2 = 0%) was associated with the reduction in insomnia scale scores.ConclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence about acupuncture or auricular acupressure in the improvement of sleep disturbances in cancer survivors in terms of short- or long-term effect. Adverse events were minor. The finding was inconsistent with previous research and suggested that more well-designed and large-scale randomized controlled trials are needed to identify the efficacy of acupuncture and auricular acupressure for sleep disturbances in cancer survivors.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, CRD42020171612.

A new molecular conductor of (TMTSF)5[Dy(NCS)4(NO3)2]CHCl3 was prepared using the electrochemical oxidation method. The complex crystallizes in the Cmc21 (36) space group, where the partially-oxidized TMTSF molecules form a 1D (one-dimensional) column structure. The crystal shows a semiconducting behavior with a room temperature conductivity of 0.2 S·cm−1 and an activation energy of 34 meV at ambient pressure.

Abstract Background Acupuncture, as an important component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely applied in the treatment of chronic insomnia in China, while there is no clinical study related to its therapeutic mechanism. Methods/design A single-center, single-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial will be conducted at Jiangsu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine. A total of 60 patients will be registered. Eligible participants will be randomly divided into acupuncture group and sham acupuncture group (n = 30 cases in each group). Patients in both groups will be treated once every other day, three times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measures are Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and concentrations of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH), corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), and cortisol (CORT). Secondary outcome measures are Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). Discussion This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on chronic insomnia by using PSQI, ISI, and FSS. The mechanism of acupuncture on CIPs will be preliminarily discussed by analyzing the changes in concentrations of CRH, ACTH, and CORT before and after treatment. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trials Register, ChiCTR1800020298.

IntroductionAcute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) constitute myeloid malignancies, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is considered as a potentially optimal approach for achieving a long term cure. However, post-allo-HSCT relapse remains a leading cause of mortality and therapeutic failure.MethodsTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining hypomethylating agents (HMAs) with Bcl-2 inhibitors in the treatment of AML/MDS relapse following allo-HSCT, we retrospectively collected data from 42 patients who experienced relapse between April 2012 and March 2022 at Peking University First Hospital. Among these patients, 21 underwent intensive chemotherapy (IC) alone, while the other 21 received treatment with HMAs after IC treatment, either alone or in combination with the Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax (VEN).ResultsThe median overall survival (OS) was 9 ± 2.153 months, and the one-year OS rate was 41.5%. The overall response rate (ORR) in the chemotherapy group and the IC+HMAs ± VEN group was 52.38% (11/21) and 76.19% (16/21), respectively, with no significant difference found (P=0.107). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant difference in OS between the chemotherapy group and the IC+HMAs ± VEN group in our retrospective cohort study (P=0.041, χ2= 4.016). Additionally, a significant difference in overall survival (OS) rates was observed between the two groups for patients categorized as intermediate/high risk (P=0.008). The secondary relapse rate was 45.45% (5/11) in the IC cohort and 25% (4/16) in the IC+HMAs ± VEN group, respectively, with no significant difference identified between the two cohorts (P=0.268). Furthermore, upon assessing the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), infection, and agranulocytosis, no notable differences were observed with the use of HMAs, suggesting that HMAs did not increase the risk. In the IC+HMAs ± VEN group, 7 patients received VEN in addition to HMAs, and no significant statistical difference was found in OS when comparing patients who received HMAs alone and those who received HMA+VEN (P=0.183), also, a statistically significant difference in OS was noted between the two groups whenaccounting for competing risks (P=0.028).ConclusionsThis retrospective study highlights the efficacy of IC+HMAs ± VEN in treating AML/MDS patients experiencing relapse post allo-HSCT, improving survival rates, especially for those classified as intermediate/high risk, with favorable tolerability.

BackgroundThe relationship between thiamine intake and risk for peripheral artery disease (PAD) is unknown. We aimed to clarify the role of thiamine intake on risk for PAD and the implications of this relationship. The secondary objective of this study is to explore the potential non-linear dose–response relationship between exposure to thiamine intake and outcome risk for PAD.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study involving 6,112 participants with US adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004). Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline were utilized to substantiate the research objectives.ResultsThe overall prevalence of risk for PAD was 7.9, 51% in males and 49% in females. After multivariable adjustment, lower thiamine intake was significantly and nonlinearly associated with higher risks of PAD among participants. Furthermore, we discovered L-shaped associations (p = 0.082) between thiamine intake and the risk of PAD, with an inflection point at 0.66 mg/day. Accordingly, in the threshold effect analysis, there was an inverse association between dietary thiamine intake and the risk in participants with dietary thiamine intake 0.05).ConclusionA non-linear association was revealed, showing that low and high levels of thiamine intake were associated with an increased the risk of peripheral artery disease in American adults. The inflection point at 0.66 mg/day and lower risk of PAD at 0.65–1.13mg/day of dietary thiamine intake may represent intervention targets for lowering the risk of PAD. The findings of this study require further validation and confirmation.

BackgroundPeripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is a common vascular disorder typically caused by atherosclerosis, leading to impaired blood supply to the lower extremities, resulting in pain, necrosis, and even amputation. Despite extensive research into the pathogenesis of PAD, many mysteries remain, particularly regarding its association with human blood metabolites.MethodsTo explore the causal relationship between 1,400 serum metabolites and PAD, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted. The Inverse Variance-Weighted (IVW) method was the primary technique used to estimate the causal impact of the metabolites on PAD. To enhance the analysis, several additional methods were employed: MR-Egger regression, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode. These methods provided a comprehensive evaluation beyond the primary IVW estimation. To ensure the validity of the MR findings, sensitivity analysis was performed. Furthermore, a bidirectional MR approach was applied to explore the possibility of a reverse causal effect between PAD and potential candidate metabolites.ResultsAfter rigorous selection, significant associations were found between 1-(1-enyl-stearoyl)-2-arachidonoyl-GPE (p-18:0/20:4) and X-17653 levels with PAD. 1-(1-enyl-stearoyl)-2-arachidonoyl-GPE (p-18:0/20:4) was positively associated with increased PAD risk (IVW OR = 1.13, 95% CI, 1.06–1.21; P

Biological experiments targeting the mammalian primary visual cortex have shown that neuronal response to a preferred orientation grating is cross-inhibited by an orthogonal orientation mask grating. The plaid formed by the overlap of the two gratings not only causes a decrease in the neuronal firing rate but also shifts the gamma oscillation to a weaker oscillation at a higher frequency. The mechanism for the above phenomena is unclarified. In this paper, a large-scale cortical neuronal network model with biological details is constructed. In this model, two modes of connectivity that may contribute to cross-inhibition are considered: the thalamo-cortical feedforward pathway and the push-pull organization of cortical layer 4. Based on this model, the modulation of firing rate and gamma oscillation by a plaid stimulation are successfully reproduced, which is consistent with biological experiments and suggests that it is the thalamo-cortical feedforward pathway that leads to cross-inhibition. Furthermore, our analysis of the neuronal spike clusters and current fluctuations suggests that the push-pull organization leads to an increase in gamma frequency during the transition of visual stimuli from grating to plaid by modulating the source of synaptic inhibition in local neuronal populations. Such results will help to understand the visual processing under multi-input integration.

Understanding the complex variations in water use efficiency (WUE) is critical for optimizing agricultural productivity and resource management. Traditional analytical methods often fail to capture the nonlinear and multiscale variations inherent in WUE, where multifractal theory offers distinct advantages. Given its limited application in WUE studies, this paper analyzes the spatiotemporal characteristics and influencing factors of the WUE in Anhui Province from 2001 to 2022 using a multifractal, multiscale approach. The results indicated that the WUE exhibited significant interannual variation, peaking in summer, especially in August (2.4552 gC·mm−1·m−2), with the monthly average showing an inverted “V” shape. Across different spatial and temporal scales, the WUE displayed clear multifractal characteristics. Temporally, the variation in fractal features between years was not prominent, while inter-seasonal variation was most complex in August during summer. Spatially, the most distinct multifractal patterns were observed in hilly and mountainous areas, particularly in regions with brown soil distribution. Rainfall was identified as the primary natural driver influencing regional WUE changes. This study aims to promote the sustainable use of water resources while ensuring the stability of agricultural production within protected farmlands.

ABSTRACT A dysfunction of human host genes and proteins in coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a key factor impacting clinical symptoms and outcomes. Yet, a detailed understanding of human host immune responses is still incomplete. Here, we applied RNA sequencing to 94 samples of COVID-19 patients with and without hematological tumors as well as COVID-19 uninfected non-tumor individuals to obtain a comprehensive transcriptome landscape of both hematological tumor patients and non-tumor individuals. In our analysis, we further accounted for the human-SARS-CoV-2 protein interactome, human protein interactome, and human protein complex subnetworks to understand the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection and host immune responses. Our data sets enabled us to identify important SARS-CoV-2 (non-)targeted differentially expressed genes and complexes post-SARS-CoV-2 infection in both hematological tumor and non-tumor individuals. We found several unique differentially expressed genes, complexes, and functions/pathways such as blood coagulation (APOE, SERPINE1, SERPINE2, and TFPI), lipoprotein particle remodeling (APOC2, APOE, and CETP), and pro-B cell differentiation (IGHM, VPREB1, and IGLL1) during COVID-19 infection in patients with hematological tumors. In particular, APOE, a gene that is associated with both blood coagulation and lipoprotein particle remodeling, is not only upregulated in hematological tumor patients post-SARS-CoV-2 infection but also significantly expressed in acute dead patients with hematological tumors, providing clues for the design of future therapeutic strategies specifically targeting COVID-19 in patients with hematological tumors. Our data provide a rich resource for understanding the specific pathogenesis of COVID-19 in immunocompromised patients, such as those with hematological malignancies, and developing effective therapeutics for COVID-19.IMPORTANCEA majority of previous studies focused on the characterization of coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease severity in people with normal immunity, while the characterization of COVID-19 in immunocompromised populations is still limited. Our study profiles changes in the transcriptome landscape post-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in hematological tumor patients and non-tumor individuals. Furthermore, our integrative and comparative systems biology analysis of the interactome, complexome, and transcriptome provides new insights into the tumor-specific pathogenesis of COVID-19. Our findings confirm that SARS-CoV-2 potentially tends to target more non-functional host proteins to indirectly affect host immune responses in hematological tumor patients. The identified unique genes, complexes, functions/pathways, and expression patterns post-SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with hematological tumors increase our understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 manipulates the host molecular mechanism. Our observed differential genes/complexes and clinical indicators of normal/long infection and deceased COVID-19 patients provide clues for understanding the mechanism of COVID-19 progression in hematological tumors. Finally, our study provides an important data resource that supports the increasing value of the application of publicly accessible data sets to public health.

Based on a neural field network model with impulsive and random disturbances, a preview control method that makes full use of known future information is proposed to reduce the static error of the target signal and the transient oscillatory behavior of the controlled system when it receives random disturbance inputs. The preview controller for epileptic seizures is constructed, and the feasibility and effectiveness of clinical single-target and multi-target stimulation in epilepsy regulation are explored from a computational perspective. In addition, a performance index function is proposed to evaluate the energy consumption of controller with and without preview under different input (target) strategies. Suggestions for different strategies are given in terms of the individualized disease environment of patients. From the perspective of seizure control effectiveness and performance consumption, the results show that the preview controller has a greater advantage. The theory of preview control is applied to the control of epileptic seizures for the first time, and the conclusions of the multifaceted study provide some references for clinical trials and controller applications.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Bacillus species exhibit biocontrol activity against fungal pathogens of fruits and vegetables. However, research on the effect of VOCs on Aspergillus flavus in stored grains is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of VOCs extracted from the strain R2, which was isolated from unhulled rice and identified as Bacillus paramycoides on A. flavus in vitro and unhulled rice. R2 VOCs effectively inhibited conidial germination and the hyphal growth of A. flavus in vitro. Moreover, R2 VOCs reduced the fungal population, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) levels, and free fatty acid (FFA) value by 90.8%, 67%, and 38.7%, respectively, in unhulled rice. Eighteen R2 VOCs were identified using headspace solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and the individual activity of the VOCs against A. flavus was tested in vitro. Benzaldehyde (Ben) and 3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol (Dmo) showed strong inhibitory activities against A. flavus on PDA plates, with inhibition rates of 100% and 91.2%, respectively, at a concentration of 20 μL/dish. Ben at the concentration of 0.09 mg/mL, Dmo at the concentration of 0.07 mg/mL, or a mixture of both at halved concentrations could reduce the fungal population, AFB1 levels, and FFA content in unhulled rice. Our findings suggest that R2 VOCs are good alternatives to traditional chemical fumigants for suppressing A. flavus in stored grains. However, further research is necessary to establish the optimal fumigation concentration of these two components in unhulled rice. The impact of their residues on grain quality should be explored through sensory evaluation and nutritional analysis, and their safety to the environment and human body should be evaluated through safety assessment.

We investigate the synchronizability of multilayer star-ring networks. Two types of multilayer networks, including aggregated coupling and divergent coupling, are established based on the connections between the hub node and the leaf nodes in the subnetwork. The eigenvalue spectrum of the two types of multilayer networks is strictly derived, and the correlation between topological parameters and synchronizability is analyzed by the master stability function framework. Moreover, the variable coupling strength has been investigated, revealing that it is significantly related to the synchronizability of the aggregated coupling while having no influence on the divergent coupling. Furthermore, the validity of the synchronizability analysis is obtained by implementing adaptive control on the multilayer star-ring networks previously mentioned. Calculations and comparisons show that the differences caused by the sizes of multilayer networks and interlayer coupling strength are not negligible. Finally, numerical examples are also provided to validate the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.

Abstract A carbene-catalyzed asymmetric access to chiral β-cyano carboxylic esters is disclosed. The reaction proceeds between β,β-disubstituted enals and aromatic thiols involving enantioselective protonation of enal β-carbon. Two main factors contribute to the success of this reaction. One involves in situ ultrafast addition of the aromatic thiol substrates to the carbon-carbon double bond of the enal substrate. This reaction converts almost all enal substrate to a Thiol-click Intermediate, significantly reducing aromatic thiol substrates concentration and suppressing the homo-coupling reaction of enals. Another factor is an in situ release of enal substrate from the Thiol-click Intermediate for the desired reaction to proceed effectively. The optically enriched β-cyano carboxylic esters from our method can be readily transformed to medicines that include γ-aminobutyric acids derivatives such as Rolipram. In addition to synthetic utilities, our control of reaction outcomes via in situ substrate modulation and release can likely inspire future reaction development.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a painful degenerative joint disease and is the leading cause of chronic disability among elderly individuals. To improve the quality of life for patients with OA, the primary goal for OA treatment is to relieve the pain. During OA progression, nerve ingrowth was observed in synovial tissue and articular cartilage. These abnormal neonatal nerves act as nociceptors to detect OA pain signals. The molecular mechanisms for transmitting OA pain in the joint tissues to the central nerve system (CNS) is currently unknown. MicroRNA miR-204 has been demonstrated to maintain the homeostasis of joint tissues and have chondro-protective effect on OA pathogenesis. However, the role of miR-204 in OA pain has not been determined. In this study, we investigated interactions between chondrocytes and neural cells and evaluated the effect and mechanism of miR-204 delivered by exosome in the treatment of OA pain in an experimental OA mouse model. Our findings demonstrated that miR-204 could protect OA pain by inhibition of SP1- LDL Receptor Related Protein 1 (LRP1) signaling and blocking neuro-cartilage interaction in the joint. Our studies defined novel molecular targets for the treatment of OA pain.

Due to the complexity of focal epilepsy and its risk for transiting to the generalized epilepsy, the development of reliable classification methods to accurately predict and classify focal and generalized seizures is critical for the clinical management of patients with epilepsy. In order to holistically understand the seizure propagation behavior of focal epilepsy, we propose a three-node motif reduced network by respectively simplifying the focal region, surrounding healthy region and their critical regions as the single node. Because three-node motif can richly characterize information evolutions, the motif analysis method could comprehensively investigate the seizure behavior of focal epilepsy. Firstly, we define a new seizure propagation marker value to capture the seizure onsets and intensity. Based on the three-node motif analysis, it is shown that the focal seizure and spreading can be categorized as inhibitory seizure, focal seizure, focal-critical seizure and generalized seizures, respectively. The four types of seizures correspond to specific modal types respectively, reflecting the strong correlation between seizure behavior and information flow evolution. In addition, it is found that the intensity difference of outflow and inflow information from the critical node (connection heterogeneity) and the excitability of the critical node significantly affected the distribution and transition of the four seizure types. In particular, the method of local linear stability analysis also verifies the effectiveness of four types of seizures classification. In sum, this paper computationally confirms the complex dynamic behavior of focal seizures, and the study of criticality is helpful to propose novel seizure control strategies.

Abstract A novel neural adaptive integral terminal sliding mode control for decentralized fault-tolerant control strategy, including the integral terminal sliding mode surface, the nonlinear disturbance observer, the radial basis neural network and robust controller, is presented in this paper to achieve fault-tolerant control of modular robot manipulators. First, the integral terminal sliding mode is designed for the fault-tolerant controller. Then, to boost the performance of the controlled system, the radial basis neural network and disturbance observer are introduced to approximate the nonlinear terms and disturbances. The reconstructed approximate uncertainty term is applied as compensation. Next, the super-twisting technique is employed to compensate for estimation errors to ensure stability. In addition, for the actuator saturation problem, the radial basis function neural network-based compensation control is proposed. Finally, the stability of the closed-loop robotic system is demonstrated based on Lyapunov theory. Computer simulations verified the efficiency and advantages of the presented approach.

Abstract A carbene-catalyzed chemoselective reaction of unsymmetric enedials is disclosed. The reaction provides a concise access to bicyclic furo[2,3-b]pyrroles derivatives in excellent selectivity. A main challenge in this reaction is chemoselective reaction of the two aldehyde moieties in the enedial substrates. Mechanistic studies via experiments suggest that our chemoselectivity controls are mostly achieved on the reducing properties of different sited Breslow intermediates. Several side reactions processes and the corresponding side adducts are also studied by high resolution mass spectroscopy analysis. Our method allows for efficient assembly of the furo[2,3-b]pyrrole structural moieties and their analogues widely found in natural products and pharmaceuticals.

Avian influenza is an infectious viral disease caused by type A virus, which occurs frequently around the world and causes serious economic losses. Therefore, the adaptive control problem is explored in this paper for an avian influenza model in consideration of slaughtering to poultry, educational campaigns to the susceptible human and treatment to the infected human. First, by analyzing the transmission mechanism of avian influenza, a nonlinear adaptive control problem of avian influenza model is formulated, where some errors between model parameters and real values are allowed. Then, the parameters are estimated by constructing adaptive laws, which can be effectively used to design the applicative controllers to achieve the control goals. Besides, the stability of controlled model is analyzed with the aid of Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, numerical examples are proposed to verify the effectiveness and robustness of the designed controllers.

The objective of this research is to achieve biologically autonomous control by utilizing a whole-brain network model, drawing inspiration from biological neural networks to enhance the development of bionic intelligence. Here, we constructed a whole-brain neural network model of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), which characterizes the electrochemical processes at the level of the cellular synapses. The neural network simulation integrates computational programming and the visualization of the neurons and synapse connections of C. elegans, containing the specific controllable circuits and their dynamic characteristics. To illustrate the biological neural network (BNN)’s particular intelligent control capability, we introduced an innovative methodology for applying the BNN model to a 12-legged robot’s movement control. Two methods were designed, one involving orientation control and the other involving locomotion generation, to demonstrate the intelligent control performance of the BNN. Both the simulation and experimental results indicate that the robot exhibits more autonomy and a more intelligent movement performance under BNN control. The systematic approach of employing the whole-brain BNN for robot control provides biomimetic research with a framework that has been substantiated by innovative methodologies and validated through the observed positive outcomes. This method is established as follows: (1) two integrated dynamic models of the C. elegans’ whole-brain network and the robot moving dynamics are built, and all of the controllable circuits are discovered and verified; (2) real-time communication is achieved between the BNN model and the robot’s dynamical model, both in the simulation and the experiments, including applicable encoding and decoding algorithms, facilitating their collaborative operation; (3) the designed mechanisms using the BNN model to control the robot are shown to be effective through numerical and experimental tests, focusing on ‘foraging’ behavior control and locomotion control.

Abstract Spine degeneration is an aging-related disease, but its molecular mechanisms remain unknown, although elevated β-catenin signaling has been reported to be involved in intervertebral disc degeneration. Here, we determined the role of β-catenin signaling in spinal degeneration and in the homeostasis of the functional spinal unit (FSU), which includes the intervertebral disc, vertebra and facet joint and is the smallest physiological motion unit of the spine. We showed that pain sensitivity in patients with spinal degeneration is highly correlated with β-catenin protein levels. We then generated a mouse model of spinal degeneration by transgenic expression of constitutively active β-catenin in Col2 + cells. We found that β-catenin-TCF7 activated the transcription of CCL2, a known critical factor in osteoarthritic pain. Using a lumbar spine instability model, we showed that a β-catenin inhibitor relieved low back pain. Our study indicates that β-catenin plays a critical role in maintaining spine tissue homeostasis, its abnormal upregulation leads to severe spinal degeneration, and its targeting could be an avenue to treat this condition.

Abstract Electroweak baryogenesis (EWBG) offers a compelling narrative for the generation of the baryon asymmetry, however it cannot be realised in the Standard Model, and leads to severe experimental tensions in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). One of the reasons for these experimental tensions is that in traditional approaches to EWBG new physics is required to enter at the electroweak phase transition, which conventionally is fixed near 100 GeV. Here we demonstrate that the addition of sub-TeV fields in supersymmetric extensions of the Standard Model permits TeV-scale strongly first-order electroweak phase transition. While earlier literature suggested no-go arguments with regards to high-temperature symmetry breaking in supersymmetric models, we show these can be evaded by employing a systematic suppression of certain thermal corrections in theories with a large number of states. The models presented push the new physics needed for EWBG to higher scales, hence presenting new parameter regions in which to realize EWBG and evade experimental tensions, however they are not expected to render EWBG completely outside of the foreseeable future experimental reach.

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is thought to be associated with neuronal hyperexcitability in the hippocampal-entorhinal cortical (EC) circuit. Due to the complexity of the hippocampal-EC network connections, the biophysical mechanisms of the different circuits in epilepsy generation and propagation are still not fully established. In this work, we propose a hippocampal-EC neuronal network model to explore the mechanism of epileptic generation. We demonstrate that enhanced excitability of pyramidal neurons in cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) can drive hippocampal-EC to produce a transition from background to seizure state and cause exaggerated phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) phenomenon of theta modulated high-frequency oscillations (HFO) in CA3, cornu ammonis 1 (CA1), dentate gyrus, and EC. Interestingly, PAC strength indirectly responds to the degree of CA3 pyramidal (PY) neuron hyperexcitability, suggesting that PAC can be used as a potential marker of seizures. Furthermore, we find that enhanced synaptic connectivity of mossy cells to granule cells and CA3 PY neurons drives the system to produce epileptic discharges. These two channels may play a key role in mossy fiber sprouting. In particular, the PAC phenomenon of delta-modulated HFO and theta-modulated HFO can be generated according to the different degrees of moss fiber sprouting. Finally, the results suggest that hyperexcitability of stellate cells in EC can lead to seizures, which supports the argument that EC can act as an independent source of seizures. Overall, these results highlight the key role of different circuits in seizures, providing a theoretical basis and new insights into the generation and propagation of TLE.

BackgroundThe widespread adoption of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Allo-HSCT) has significantly improved the survival rates of patients with hematological malignancies. However, Graft-Versus-Host Disease (GVHD) remains a formidable complication, threatening patient prognosis. Recent research has indicated that decitabine (DAC), known for its hypomethylating properties may also exhibit immune-regulatory capabilities and a potential for reducing GVHD incidence and enhancing survival.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed data from AML/MDS patients who underwent Allo-HSCT at our center from January 2010 to January 2023. From a total of 251 patients with complete data, we employed propensity score matching (PSM) to create 100 matched pairs (200 patients) for comprehensive trial analysis. Patients receiving low-dose DAC-containing regimen were matched with those who did not receive DAC.ResultsPatients in the DAC group exhibited a significantly lower incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD (aGVHD) compared to non-DAC group (21% vs. 38%, P=0.013). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated DAC intervention as a protective factor against grade II-IV aGVHD (P=0.017, OR=0.47, 95% CI 0.23-0.81; P=0.018, OR=0.46, 95% CI 0.24-0.87). Multivariate competing risk regression further supported administration of decitabine as a protective factor against grade II-IV aGVHD (P=0.038, SHR=0.53, 95%CI 0.29-0.97). There was no significant difference between both groups concerning chronic GVHD, infection, disease relapse, overall survival, disease-free survival and GVHD free, relapse free survival. In MRD negative or intermediate risk subgroup, the grade II-IV aGVHD ameliorating effect of DAC was confirmed as well.ConclusionLow-dose DAC-intensified modified conditioning regimen could improve prognosis in AML/MDS Patients treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Abstract Over the past years the International Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Monitoring and Assessment System (iGMAS) Wuhan Innovation Application Center (IAC) dedicated to exploring the potential of multi-GNSS signals and providing a set of products and services. This contribution summarizes the strategies, achievements, and innovations of multi-GNSS orbit/clock/bias determination in iGMAS Wuhan IAC. Both the precise products and Real-Time Services (RTS) are evaluated and discussed. The precise orbit and clock products have comparable accuracy with the precise products of the International GNSS Service (IGS) and iGMAS. The multi-frequency code and phase bias products for Global Positioning System (GPS), BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), Galileo navigation satellite system (Galileo), and GLObal NAvigation Satellite System (GLONASS) are provided to support multi-GNSS and multi-frequency Precise Point Positioning (PPP) Ambiguity Resolution (AR). Compared with dual-frequency PPP AR, the time to first fix of triple-frequency solution is improved by 30%. For RTS, the proposed orbit prediction strategy improves the three dimensional accuracy of predicted orbit by 1 cm. The multi-thread strategy and high-performance matrix library are employed to accelerate the real-time orbit and clock determination. The results with respect to the IGS precise products show the high accuracy of RTS orbits and clocks, 4–9 cm and 0.1–0.2 ns, respectively. Using real-time satellite corrections, real-time PPP solutions achieve satisfactory performance with horizontal and vertical positioning errors within 2 and 4 cm, respectively, and convergence time of 16.97 min.

Changes in the frequency composition of the human electroencephalogram are associated with the transitions to epileptic seizures. Cross-frequency coupling (CFC) is a measure of neural oscillations in different frequency bands and brain areas, and specifically phase–amplitude coupling (PAC), a form of CFC, can be used to characterize these dynamic transitions. In this study, we propose a method for seizure detection and prediction based on frequency domain analysis and PAC combined with machine learning. We analyzed two databases, the Siena Scalp EEG database and the CHB-MIT database, and used the frequency features and modulation index (MI) for time-dependent quantification. The extracted features were fed to a random forest classifier for classification and prediction. The seizure prediction horizon (SPH) was also analyzed based on the highest-performing band to maximize the time for intervention and treatment while ensuring the accuracy of the prediction. Under comprehensive consideration, the results demonstrate that better performance could be achieved at an interval length of 5 min with an average accuracy of 85.71% and 95.87% for the Siena Scalp EEG database and the CHB-MIT database, respectively. As for the adult database, the combination of PAC analysis and classification can be of significant help for seizure detection and prediction. It suggests that the rarely used SPH also has a major impact on seizure detection and prediction and further explorations for the application of PAC are needed.

The co-gasification of biomass and coal is helpful for achieving the clean and efficient utilization of phosphorus-rich biomass. A large number of alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEMs) present in the ash system of coal (or biomass) cause varying degrees of ash, slagging, and corrosion problems in the entrained flow gasifier. Meanwhile, phosphorus is present in the slag in the form of PO43−, which has a strong affinity for AAEMs (especially for Ca2+) to produce minerals dominated by calcium phosphates or alkaline Ca-phosphate, effectively mitigating the aforementioned problems. To investigate the changing behavior of the slag flow temperature (FT) under different CaO/P2O5 ratios, 72 synthetic ashes with varying CaO/P2O5 ratios at different Si/Al contents and compositions were prepared, and their ash fusion temperatures were tested. The effects of different CaO/P2O5 ratios on the FT were analyzed using FactSage thermodynamic simulation. A model for predicting slag FT at different CaO/P2O5 ratios was constructed on the basis of the average molar ionic potential (Ia) method and used to predict data reported from 19 mixed ashes in the literature. The results showed that Ia and FT gradually increased with a decreasing CaO/P2O5 ratio, and the main mineral types shifted from anorthite → mullite → berlinite, which reasonably explained the decrease in ash fusion temperatures in the mixed ash. The established model showed good adaptability to the prediction of 19 actual coal ash FTs in the literature; the deviation of the prediction was in the range of 40 °C. The model proposed between FT and Ia based on the different CaO/P2O5 ratios can be used to predict the low-rank coal and phosphorus-rich biomass and their mixed ashes.

Accurate soil management has long been the focus of research in agroecology. Crop productivity can be enhanced while reducing environmental threats from excessive fertilization by fully comprehending the spatial variability of soil properties and delineating management zones (MZs). A field investigation was carried out at experimental sites outside Hefei City’s administrative districts in China to study the spatial variability of soil properties and the delineation of MZs. A total of 9601 soil samples were collected in the study area. A variety of soil properties were analyzed, including the pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus, available potassium, slowly released potassium, available sulfur, available boron, available copper, available zinc, available iron, and available manganese. The coefficient of variation for various soil properties exhibited a wide range, spanning from 12.2% to 100.5%. The geostatistical results show that most soil properties have moderate to strong spatial autocorrelation, and the ordinary kriging method is used to map the distribution of soil properties. The principal component analysis method was used to reduce the dimension of 13 soil properties to 4 principal components, and the fuzzy c-means clustering method was used to delineate MZs. The calculation results of the fuzzy performance index and normalized classification entropy show that the optimum number of MZs is five. In the study area, the western part exhibits the highest soil fertility, primarily attributed to its elevated organic matter content. Additionally, organic matter emerges as a key factor influencing sustainable agricultural production in this region. These results form the basis for soil managing areas outside the administrative districts of Hefei City.

As one of the regions of China with the most serious water-shortages, the shortage of water resources and ecological deterioration of the Tarim River Basin have increasingly attracted attention, and management and sustainable utilization of water resources rely mostly on the understanding of their carrying capacity. In the present study, the water resources carrying capacity of the Tarim River Basin was evaluated using a multi-dimensional perspective of natural, social and economic factors based on a variable fuzzy evaluation model for the 2018 hydroclimatic conditions. Evaluation model results rated Aksu, Kizilsu, Kashi and Hotan districts as grade 2, where current use and overexploitation of water resources have reached a relatively high level combined with a limited water resources carrying capacity. Bazhou district, where the water resources carrying capacity is relatively higher, was evaluated and rated as grade 1 by the model. It is urgent to put forward some strategies in order to protect and improve the water resources carrying capacity in the Tarim River Basin, which include promoting more efficient utilization of water conservation schemes, strengthening the long-term investment in environmental protection, improving the ratio of industrial wastewater treatment and reducing the industrial water quota. The results of the present study are aimed to be a beneficial guide in the planning and management of the Tarim River Basin water resources and possibly for other similar river basins. HIGHLIGHTS It is imperative to evaluate the water resources carrying capacity of Tarim River Basin.; Comparing other methods, a variable fuzzy evaluation method can evaluate WRCC more regionally.; The method improved the reliability of evaluation results.; The results of this study are expected to be beneficial to the planning and management of water resources in the Tarim River Basin.;

IntroductionExisting dynamical models can explain the transmigration mechanisms involved in seizures but are limited to a single modality. Combining models with networks can reproduce scaled epileptic dynamics. And the structure and coupling interactions of the network, as well as the heterogeneity of both the node and network activities, may influence the final state of the network model.MethodsWe built a fully connected network with focal nodes prominently interacting and established a timescale separated epileptic network model. The factors affecting epileptic network seizure were explored by varying the connectivity patterns of focal network nodes and modulating the distribution of network excitability.ResultsThe whole brain network topology as the brain activity foundation affects the consistent delayed clustering seizure propagation. In addition, the network size and distribution heterogeneity of the focal excitatory nodes can influence seizure frequency. With the increasing of the network size and averaged excitability level of focal network, the seizure period decreases. In contrast, the larger heterogeneity of excitability for focal network nodes can lower the functional activity level (average degree) of focal network. There are also subtle effects of focal network topologies (connection patterns of excitatory nodes) that cannot be ignored along with non-focal nodes.DiscussionUnraveling the role of excitatory factors in seizure onset and propagation can be used to understand the dynamic mechanisms and neuromodulation of epilepsy, with profound implications for the treatment of epilepsy and even for the understanding of the brain.

The coining technology produces a wide variety of commemorative coins with exquisite patterns. However, it often encounters defects such as insufficient filling, flash lines, light bands, and so on. Process engineers usually perform multiple tryouts to avoid the above-mentioned problems in actual production. This is not only time-consuming and laborious but also ineffective. The virtual tryout of the finite element method (FEM) could assist engineers to avoid the defects in the coining process with a great improvement in product quality. In order to exactly describe complex patterns of commemorative coins, a large number of elements are employed in the classical FEM. Even then, the three dimensional elements, which come in early contact with the reliefs of the punch/die, undergo large deformation and become distorted. Errors of contact judgment between the tools and the workpiece in the FEM occur during the simulation process. Taking into account the advantage of Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) basis functions when accurately describing complex boundaries or surfaces, isogeometric analysis (IGA) is developed for studying the material filling of coin cavities. Six numerical examples involving elastic and plastic analyses with/without contact issues are considered by the presented IGA frameworks and show good performance of the present method in simulating the cavity filling compared with ABAQUS. In addition, numerical findings also indicate that the proposed method exhibits excellent contact detection and strong anti-mesh distortion in large deformation of the coining process. These encouraging observations motivate us to explore the NURBS description of complicated reliefs of coins and the corresponding IGA framework for the coining process.

Abstract Restoration of the electroweak symmetry at temperatures around the Higgs mass is linked to tight phenomenological constraints on many baryogenesis scenarios. A potential remedy can be found in mechanisms of electroweak symmetry non-restoration (SNR), in which symmetry breaking is extended to higher temperatures due to new states with couplings to the Standard Model. Here we show that, in the presence of a second Higgs doublet, SNR can be realized with only a handful of new fermions which can be identified as viable dark matter candidates consistent with all current observational constraints. The competing requirements on this class of models allow for SNR at temperatures up to ∼TeV, and imply the presence of sub-TeV new physics with sizable interactions with the Standard Model. As a result this scenario is highly testable with signals in reach of next-generation collider and dark matter direct detection experiments.

IntroductionThe dynamic reconfiguration of network oscillations is connected with cognitive processes. Changes in how neural networks and signaling pathways work are crucial to how epilepsy and related conditions develop. Specifically, there is evidence that prolonged or recurrent seizures may induce or exacerbate cognitive impairment. However, it still needs to be determined how the seizure brain configures its functional structure to shape the battle of strong local oscillations vs. slow global oscillations in the network to impair cognitive function.MethodsIn this paper, we aim to deduce the network mechanisms underlying seizure-induced cognitive impairment by comparing the evolution of strong local oscillations with slow global oscillations and their link to the resting state of healthy controls. Here, we construct a dynamically efficient network of pathological seizures by calculating the synchrony and directionality of information flow between nine patients’ SEEG signals. Then, using a pattern-based method, we found hierarchical modules in the brain’s functional network and measured the functional balance between the network’s local strong and slow global oscillations.Results and discussionAccording to the findings, a tremendous rise in strong local oscillations during seizures and an increase in slow global oscillations after seizures corresponded to the initiation and recovery of cognitive impairment. Specifically, during the interictal period, local strong and slow global oscillations are in metastable balance, which is the same as a normal cognitive process and can be switched easily. During the pre-ictal period, the two show a bimodal pattern of separate peaks that cannot be easily switched, and some flexibility is lost. During the seizure period, a single-peak pattern with negative peaks is showcased, and the network eventually transitions to a very intense strong local oscillation state. These results shed light on the mechanism behind network oscillations in epilepsy-induced cognitive impairment. On the other hand, the differential (similarity) of oscillatory reorganization between the local (non) epileptogenic network and the global network may be an emergency protective mechanism of the brain, preventing the spread of pathological information flow to more healthy brain regions.

Bradysia impatiens (Johannsen, 1912) is an important pest of various mushrooms and plant seedlings, while it also damages plants as vectors transmitting pathogens. The complete B. impatiens mitogenome is 16,479 bp in length, with an A + T content of 80.6%. The mitogenome had three overlapped regions; the longest overlap is 7 bp. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that B. impatiens is closely related to Bradysia amoena. The study provided a basis for future studies of species divergence in Bradysia.

Abstract Background Idiopathic pneumonia syndrome (IPS) is a non-infectious fatal complication characterized by a massive infiltration of leukocytes in lungs and diffuse pulmonary injury after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Conventional immunosuppressive treatments for IPS have poor therapeutic effects. Safe and effective treatments are not yet available and under explorations. Our previous study demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can alleviate IPS, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Methods Co-cultured pre-activated T cells and MSCs in vitro to observe the changes in the CCR2-CCL2 axis. By establishing an IPS mouse model and administering MSCs to further verify the results of in vitro experiments. Results Co-culture of pre-activated T cells with MSCs in vitro modulated the CCR2-CCL2 axis, resulting in quiescent T cells and polarization toward CCR2+CD4+ T cell subsets. Blocking CCR2-CCL2 interaction abolished the immunoregulatory effect of MSCs, leading to re-activation of T cells and partial reversion of polarizing toward CCR2+CD4+ T cells. In IPS mouse model, application of MSCs prolonged the survival and reduced the pathological damage and T cell infiltration into lung tissue. Activation of CCR2-CCL2 axis and production of CCR2+CD4+ T cells were observed in the lungs treated with MSCs. The prophylactic effect of MSCs on IPS was significantly attenuated by the administration of CCR2 or CCL2 antagonist in MSC-treated mice. Conclusions We demonstrated an important role of CCR2-CCL2 axis in modulating T cell function which is one of the mechanisms of the prophylactic effect of MSCs on IPS.

The master manipulator is an important part for minimally invasive surgical （MIS）robot. It is used to receive the doctor action and control the slave operator to complete the surgical operation. Based on analysis of the application requirements of the master manipulator that is already existed，the configuration design requirements of the master manipulator are analyzed，and the configuration design of the master manipulator is completed. The trajectory planning simulation of the master manipulator in joint space is also carried out，and the displacement，velocity and acceleration curves of the master manipulator joint are obtained. The simulation results show that，the configuration design of the master manipulator is reasonable，and the master manipulator moves smoothly，which lays a theoretical foundation of the further design and optimization for the master manipulator.

Abstract A stochastic susceptible–infectious–recovered epidemic model with temporary immunity and media coverage is proposed. The effects of Lévy jumps on the dynamics of the model are considered. A unique global positive solution for the epidemic model is obtained. Sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee that the epidemic disease is extinct and persistent in the mean. The threshold behavior is discussed. Numerical simulations are given to verify our theoretical results.

Theta rhythms (4–12 Hz) in the hippocampus are thought to be associated with cognitive functions such as memory processing and spatial navigation. Rhythmic oscillations in the neural system can be induced by synchronization of neural populations, while physiological mechanisms for the emergence, modulation, and regulation of such rhythms are not fully understood. Conceptual reduced models are promising in promoting current understandings toward neural synchronization because of high computational efficiency, while they appear less straightforward in biological relevance. In this study, we use a hybrid E-I network as a conceptual model of the hippocampus to investigate the dynamics of synchronous theta oscillations. Specifically, experimentally constrained Izhikevich neurons and preferential connections among neural groups specific to hippocampal CA1 are incorporated to enhance the biological relevance of the model network. Based on such a model, synaptic factors related to the balance of network excitation and inhibition are the main focus of present study. By careful parameter exploration, the distinct role of synaptic connections in theta rhythm generation, facilitation of synchronization, and induction of burst activities are clarified. It is revealed that theta rhythms can be present with AMPA mediated weak E-I couplings, or with strong NMDA current. Moreover, counter-inhibition, namely inhibition of inhibition, is found effective in modulating the degree of network synchronization, while has little effect on regulating network frequency in both regimes. Under pathological considerations where the effect of pyramidal sprouting is simulated, synchronized burst patterns are observed to be induced by elevated recurrent excitation among pyramidal cells. In the final part, we additionally perform a test on the robustness of our results under heterogeneous parameters. Our simulation results may provide insights into understanding how brain rhythms are generated and modulated, and the proposed model may serve as a useful template in probing mechanisms of hippocampal-related dynamics.

Bistable or multi-stable structures have found broad applications in the fields of adaptive structures, flow control, and energy harvesting devices due to their unique nonlinear characteristics and strong local stability behavior. In this paper, a theoretical model based on the principle of minimum potential energy and the Rayleigh–Ritz method is established to study the dynamic characteristics of a bistable unsymmetric laminate with a fixed center. Numerical results of this theoretical model were obtained and verified by an FEA model using ABAQUS. The nonlinear dynamic characteristics and the structural response under different levels of external excitation were investigated and verified by experiments. The realization conditions of single-well vibration and cross-well vibration of bistable laminates were determined, with which the actuation strategies can be optimized for targeting modal frequencies of bistable laminates.

Clinical data of patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA) were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the outcomes of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HID-HSCT) with matched related sibling hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (MSD-HSCT) in complications and survivals. Thirty consecutive patients were enrolled in the study with a median follow-up of 50 months (range 4, 141), and the median age of the patients was 21 years (range 3, 49). All the patients achieved myeloid engraftment in the two cohorts. The cumulative incidences of platelet engraftment were 95.5 and 100% in HID cohort and MSD cohort, respectively. The median time for neutrophil and platelet recovery was 11 (range 9, 19) and 15 (range 10, 25) days in HID cohort, and 12 (range 10, 19) and 14 (range 8, 25) days in MSD cohort. The cumulative incidences of grade II–IV and grade III–IV acute graft vs. host disease (aGvHD) in HID cohort and in MSD cohort were 18.9 vs. 14.3% (p = 0.77) and 10.5 vs. 0% (p = 0.42), respectively. The cumulative incidences of chronic graft vs. host disease (cGvHD) was 22.7% in HID cohort and 25.5% in MSD cohort (p = 0.868). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates and 5-year failure-free survival (FFS) rates in HID cohort and MSD cohort were 85.1 vs. 87.5% (p = 0.858), 80.3 vs. 87.5% (p = 0.635), respectively. The median time to achieve engraftment, cumulative incidence of aGvHD and cGvHD, and the 5-year OS and FFS rates were not significantly different between the two cohorts. We suggest that HID-HSCT might be a safety and effective option for SAA patients without a matched donor.

Abstract Diptera is often considered to be the richest insect group due to its great species diversity and broad ecological versatility. However, data on dipteran diversity from subtropical ecosystems have hitherto been scarce, due to the lack of studies conducted at an appropriate large scale. We investigated the diversity and composition of Diptera communities on Tianmu Mountain, Zhejiang, China, using DNA metabarcoding technology, and evaluated their dynamic responses to the effects of slope aspect, season, and altitudinal zone. A total of 5,092 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were discovered and tentatively assigned to 72 dipteran families, including 2 family records new for China and 30 family records new for the locality. Cecidomyiidae, Sciaridae, and Phoridae were the predominant families, representing 53.6% of total OTUs, while 52 families include >95% unidentified and presumed undescribed species. We found that the community structure of Diptera was significantly affected by aspect, seasonality (month) and elevation, with richer diversity harbored in north‐facing than south‐facing slopes, and seasonality a more profound driver of community structure and diversity than elevation. Overall, massive species diversity of Diptera communities was discovered in this subtropical ecosystem of east China. The huge diversity of potentially undescribed species only revealed by metabarcoding now requires more detailed taxonomic study, as a step toward an evolutionary integration that accumulates information on species’ geographic ranges, ecological traits, functional roles, and species interactions, and thus places the local communities in the context of the growing knowledge base of global biodiversity and its response to environmental change.