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It is still poorly understood how the first intermediates of CO2 reduction are formed and converted to multi-carbon products over Cu-based electrodes. Herein, Ag is used to decorate dendritic Cu and a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) for C2H4 (25%) is obtained on a CuAg electrode, which is about five times higher than dendritic Cu. The intermediates including *CO2 -, OH groups, Cu-CO, C-O rotation, and CHx species are investigated by in situ Raman spectroscopy. This work provides spectroscopic evidence that the first intermediate of CO2 reduction on Ag-decorated Cu is carboxylate anion *CO2 - bonded with the catalyst surface through the C and O atom. The formation and evolution process of the *CO2 - intermediate over the applied potential are investigated in depth as well. This research contributes to a better understanding of the mechanism of CO2 reduction and multi-carbon product formation pathways over Agdecorated Cu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monodisperse Fe@SiO2 core-shell nanocapsules were synthesised via hydrothermal reaction followed with heat treatment. Nanostructures were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The magnetic properties of Fe@SiO2 nanocapsules were evaluated with magnetic property measurement system. The results show that Fe@SiO2 core-shell nanocapsules are highly monodispersed. The silica thickness of Fe@SiO2 nanocapsules increased from 10-20 to 25-35 nm with increasing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) amount. In the Fe@SiO2 nanocapsules prepared with 900 µl TEOS, as the reaction temperature increases, the mean particle size of Fe@SiO2 nanocapsules increases from 328 to 546 nm. It is remarkable that the saturation magnetisation of Fe@SiO2 nanocapsules decreases with increasing silica thickness. However, the coercivity of nanocapsules has less influence with the variation of silica thickness and particles' length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increased awareness of heterogeneous reaction on mineral dust, the knowledge of how the intensity of solar irradiation influences the photochemistry activity remains a crucially important part in atmospheric research. Relevant studies have not seriously discussed the photochemistry under weak sunlight during haze, and thus ignored some underlying pollution and toxicity. Here, we investigated the heterogeneous formation of nitrate and nitrite under various illumination conditions by laboratory experiments and field observations. Observed by in-situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), water-solvated nitrate was the main surface product, followed by other species varying with illumination condition. The growth of nitrate formation rate tends to be slow after the initial fast with increasing light intensity. For example, the geometric uptake coefficient (γgeo) under 30.5 mW/cm2 (5.72 × 10-6) has exceeded the 50 % of that under 160 mW/cm2 (1.13 × 10-5). This case can be explained by the excess NO2 adsorption under weak illumination while the excess photoinduced active species under strong irradiation. Being negatively associated with nitrate (R2 = 0.748, P < 0.01), nitrite acts as the intermediate and decreases with increasing light intensity via oxidation pathways. Similar negative dependence appears in coarse particles collected during daytime (R2 = 0.834, P < 0.05), accompanied by the positive association during nighttime (R2 = 0.632, P < 0.05), suggesting illumination a substantial role in atmospheric nitrogen cycling. Overall, for the nitrate formation, the conspicuous response under slight illumination offers opportunities to explain the secondary aerosol burst during haze episodes with weak irradiation. Additionally, high nitrite levels accompanied by low nitrate concentrations may induce great health risk which was previously neglected. Further, Monte Carlo simulation coupled with sensitivity analysis may provide a new insight in the estimations of kinetics parameters for atmospheric modelling studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is the most common native valve disease. Valvular interstitial cell (VIC) osteogenic differentiation and valvular endothelial cell (VEC) dysfunction are key steps in CAVD progression. Circular RNA (circRNAs) is involved in regulating osteogenic differentiation with mesenchymal cells and is associated with multiple disease progression, but the function of circRNAs in CAVD remains unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect and potential significance of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks in CAVD. Methods. Two mRNA datasets, one miRNA dataset, and one circRNA dataset of CAVD downloaded from GEO were used to identify DE-circRNAs, DE-miRNAs, and DE-mRNAs. Based on the online website prediction function, the common mRNAs (FmRNAs) for constructing circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks were identified. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed on FmRNAs. In addition, hub genes were identified by PPI networks. Based on the expression of each data set, the circRNA-miRNA-hub gene network was constructed by Cytoscape (version 3.6.1). Results. 32 DE-circRNAs, 206 DE-miRNAs, and 2170 DE-mRNAs were identified. Fifty-nine FmRNAs were obtained by intersection. The KEGG pathway analysis of FmRNAs was enriched in pathways in cancer, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, cell cycle, and MAPK signaling pathway. Meanwhile, transcription, nucleolus, and protein homodimerization activity were significantly enriched in GO analysis. Eight hub genes were identified based on the PPI network. Three possible regulatory networks in CAVD disease were obtained based on the biological functions of circRNAs including: hsa_circ_0026817-hsa-miR-211-5p-CACNA1C, hsa_circ_0007215-hsa-miR-1252-5p-MECP2, and hsa_circ_0007215-hsa-miR-1343-3p- RBL1. Conclusion. The present bionformatics analysis suggests the functional effect for the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in CAVD pathogenesis and provides new targets for therapeutics.

The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ranks first among the five major pastoral areas in terms of lamb breeding of China. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has a vast territory, with many famous grasslands and thousands of forage plants and multiple local high-quality lamb breeds. After hundreds of years of artificial breeding and improvement, Mongolian sheep have developed many varieties. Different diets, feeding and treatment methods have effects on the production performance, lipid deposition and flavor composition of mutton sheep. Therefore, understanding the relationship among Inner Mongolian lamb, meat quality, and flavor will improve the production of high-quality mutton. The regulation of meat quality and flavor will have a profound impact on the deep processing and income-generating capabilities of mutton. Non-genetic factors affect the quality and flavor of mutton, which are more intuitive than genetic factors. In this review, we cover the contributions made by scientists to explore and improve the quality and flavor of Inner Mongolia lambs through non-genetic means, compare the differences between grazing and drylot-feeding in detail, and summarize some feed additives. We hope that based on our review, we can provide some inspiration to improve the meat quality of Mongolian sheep.

Fusarium root rot, caused by Fusarium spp. in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), adversely impacts alfalfa by diminishing plant quality and yield, resulting in substantial losses within the industry. The most effective strategy for controlling alfalfa Fusarium root rot is planting disease-resistant varieties. Therefore, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying alfalfa’s resistance to Fusarium root rot is imperative. In this study, we observed the infection process on alfalfa seedling roots infected by Fusarium acuminatum strain HM29-05, which is labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP). Two alfalfa varieties, namely, the resistant ‘Kangsai’ and the susceptible ‘Zhongmu No. 1’, were examined to assess various physiological and biochemical activities at 0, 2, and 3 days post inoculation (dpi). Transcriptome sequencing of the inoculated resistant and susceptible alfalfa varieties were conducted, and the potential functions and signaling pathways of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed through gene ontology (GO) classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. Meanwhile, a DEG co-expression network was constructed though the weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) algorithm. Our results revealed significant alterations in soluble sugar, soluble protein, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in both the ‘Kangsai’ and ‘Zhongmu No. 1’ varieties following the inoculation of F. acuminatum. WGCNA analysis showed the involvement of various enzyme and transcription factor families related to plant growth and disease resistance, including cytochrome P450, MYB, ERF, NAC, and bZIP. These findings not only provided valuable data for further verification of gene functions but also served as a reference for the deeper explorations between plants and pathogens.

Oedaleus decorus asiaticus is one of the dominant harmful pests in central Inner Mongolia, China. Large-scale outbreaks of this pest create many serious problems in animal husbandry and agriculture. Therefore, understanding the underlying mechanisms between plant losses and Odecorus at different density levels and growth stages can guide the development of monitoring and prediction measures to reduce damage. In this study, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a camera was employed to collect multi-spectral data. Further, nine vegetation indices (VIs) were analyzed to explore the most suitable indices for estimating plant loss caused by O. decorus in different growth stages. The following results were obtained: (1) The second instar nymphs of O. decorus could promote vegetation growth. As the density level in each cage increased, the biomass of each cage increased (nymph density < 30 nymphs/m2) and then decreased (nymph density ≥ 30 nymphs/m2). When nymph density was greater than 60 nymphs/m2, the biomass in those cages decreased significantly. (2) With respect to the control group, large damage began to emerge during the third instar nymphal stage. In particular, the largest vegetation loss was caused by fourth nymphal larvae. (3) The ratio vegetation index (RVI) appeared as the most excellent index for reflecting Leymus chinensis loss caused by O. decorus at different growth stages. Nevertheless, the difference vegetation index (DVI) was better than the RVI in the fifth instar nymphal stage.

Pig counting is an important task in pig sales and breeding supervision. Currently, manual counting is low-efficiency and high-cost and presents challenges in terms of statistical analysis. In response to the difficulties faced in pig part feature detection, the loss of tracking due to rapid movement, and the large counting deviation in pig video tracking and counting research, this paper proposes an improved pig counting algorithm (Mobile Pig Counting Algorithm with YOLOv5xpig and DeepSORTPig (MPC-YD)) based on YOLOv5 + DeepSORT model. The algorithm improves the detection rate of pig body parts by adding two different sizes of SPP networks and using SoftPool instead of MaxPool operations in YOLOv5x. In addition, the algorithm includes a pig reidentification network, a pig-tracking method based on spatial state correction, and a pig counting method based on frame number judgment on the DeepSORT algorithm to improve pig tracking accuracy. Experimental analysis shows that the MPC-YD algorithm achieves an average precision of 99.24% in pig object detection and an accuracy of 85.32% in multitarget pig tracking. In the aisle environment of the slaughterhouse, the MPC-YD algorithm achieves a correlation coefficient (R2) of 98.14% in pig counting from video, and it achieves stable pig counting in a breeding environment. The algorithm has a wide range of application prospects.

Modelling both long- and short-term user interests from historical data is crucial for generating accurate recommendations. However, unifying these metrics across multiple application domains can be challenging, and existing approaches often rely on complex, intertwined models which can be difficult to interpret. To address this issue, we propose a lightweight, plug-and-play interest enhancement module that fuses interest vectors from two independent models. After analyzing the dataset, we identify deviations in the recommendation performance of long- and short-term interest models. To compensate for these differences, we use feature enhancement and loss correction during training. In the fusion process, we explicitly split long-term interest features with longer duration into multiple local features. We then use a shared attention mechanism to fuse multiple local features with short-term interest features to obtain interaction features. To correct for bias between models, we introduce a comparison learning task that monitors the similarity between local features, short-term features, and interaction features. This adaptively reduces the distance between similar features. Our proposed module combines and compares multiple independent long-term and short-term interest models on multiple domain datasets. As a result, it not only accelerates the convergence of the models but also achieves outstanding performance in challenging recommendation scenarios.

Alfalfa Fusarium Root Rot (AFRR) is a serious soil-borne disease with a complex pathogenicity. Diseased samples suspected of AFRR were collected from Hohhot, Ordos, Hulunbeier, Chifeng, and Bayannur in Inner Mongolia, China, leading to 317 isolates. The isolates were identified as Fusarium acuminatum, F. solani, F. equiseti, F. incarnatum, F. oxysporum, F. avenaceum, F. verticillioides, F. proliferatum, F. falciforme, F. tricinctum, F. virguliforme, and F. redolens, and the results of pathogenicity testing showed that 12 Fusarium species could cause alfalfa root rot. Among these, F. verticillioides, F. falciforme, and F. virguliforme have not previously been reported to cause AFRR in China. Although the population structure of the pathogens differed in different regions, the dominant pathogenic species was F. acuminatum. Fungicide toxicity tests showed that seven fungicides inhibited F. acuminatum, of which fludioxonil, kresoxim-methyl, and triadimefon were found to be strongly toxic towards F. acuminatum with EC50 values of 0.09, 2.28, and 16.37 μg/mL, respectively, suggesting that these could be used as alternative fungicides for the control of AFRR. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for exploring the occurrence and epidemiology of alfalfa root rot and strategies for its control.

Abstract Background Carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) have been reported to boost plant growth, while the mechanism that CNPs enhanced potassium uptake for plant growth has not been reported so far. Results In this study, the function that CNPs promoted potassium uptake in BY-2 cells was established and the potassium accumulated in cells had a significant correlation with the fresh biomass of BY-2 cells. The K+ accumulation in cells increased with the increasing concentration of CNPs. The K+ influx reached high level after treatment with CNPs and was significantly higher than that of the control group and the negative group treated with K+ channels blocker, tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA+). The K+ accumulation was not reduced in the presence of CNPs inhibitors. In the presence of potassium channel blocker TEA+ or CNPs inhibitors, the NKT1 gene expression was changed compared with the control group. The CNPs were found to preferentially transport K+ than other cations determined by rectification of ion current assay (RIC) in a conical nanocapillary. Conclusions These results indicated that CNPs upregulated potassium gene expression to enhance K+ accumulation in BY-2 cells. Moreover, it was speculated that the CNPs simulated protein of ion channels via bulk of carboxyl for K+ permeating. These findings will provide support for improving plant growth by carbon nanoparticles.

Flexible electrothermal mats with rapid responsiveness were prepared by spray-coating of graphene nanoplates (GNP) acetone dispersion on carbon fiber veil and following curing of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) on the mats. Morphological feature, electrical property, and electrothermal behavior of the mats with different area density from 55 to 20 g m−2 were investigated. Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) confirmed that pristine graphene nanoplates were uniformly deposited on the surface of carbon fiber resulting in volume resistance decreased substantially. Compared with the carbon fiber veil without coated GNP, the electric heating behavior of graphene-coated carbon fiber/PDMS mats were improved largely, such as the stead-state maximum temperature reached 297 °C, the maximum heating rate reached 5°Cs−1 tested by an infrared camera, the maximum power density reached 11.11 kW m−2. The respond time from room temperature 25 °C–200 °C was only 40 s tested by infrared thermal image. Even under high twisting/bending state or continuous stepwise voltage changes, the graphene-coated carbon fiber/PDMS mats retained stable electrical heating performance in aspects of temperature responsiveness and steady-state maximum temperature. Keywords: Graphene, Carbon fiber veil, Polydimethylsiloxane, Electrothermal mat, Flexibility, Lightweight

The codling moth, Cydia pomonella, is one of the major pests of pome fruit (apples and pears) and walnuts. Here, the authors sequence and analyze its genome, providing insights on olfactory and detoxification processes that may underlie its worldwide expansion.

Abstract Background Recently, many studies have shown the role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) expression in the outcome of bone tumor. However, the results remain inconclusive. It is necessary to carry out a meta-analysis of all the current available data to clarify the relationship between HIF-1α and survival or clinicopathological features of bone tumor. Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang databases were used to search the relationship between HIF-1α and bone tumor. Articles investigating clinicopathological and prognostic value of HIF-1α in bone tumor patients were enrolled in this meta-analysis. Overlapping articles, duplicate data, reviews, case reports, and letters without original data were excluded. The pooled risk ratios (RRs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were used to evaluate the clinicopathological and prognostic value of HIF-1α on bone tumor patients, respectively. Results A total of 28 studies including 1443 patients were included in this meta-analysis, which were involved in three different types of bone tumor including 3 chondrosarcomas, 2 giant cell tumors of bone, and 23 osteosarcomas. Our results showed that high expression levels of HIF-1α were associated with poorer OS (overall survival) (HR = 2.61, 95% CI 2.11–3.23, P

The beet webworm (Loxostege sticticalis L.) is an important agricultural pest and can tolerate harsh environmental conditions by entering diapause. The diapause mechanism of beet webworm is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a transcriptomic study of the process from diapause induction to diapause release in beet webworms. The results revealed 393 gene modules closely related to the diapause of beet webworm. The hub gene of the red module was the HDACI gene, which acts through histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes. HDAC enzyme activity was regulated by the light duration and influenced the JH content under induced beet webworm diapause conditions (12 h light:12 h dark). In addition, transcriptomic data suggested that circadian genes may not be the key genes responsible for beet webworm diapause. However, we showed that the photoperiod affects HDAC enzyme activity, and HDAC can regulate the involvement of JH in beet webworm diapause. This study provided a new module for studying insect diapause and links histone acetylation and diapause at the transcriptome level.

Grasshoppers are highly destructive pests, and their outbreak can directly damage livestock development. Grasshopper outbreaks can be monitored and forecasted through dynamic analysis of their potential geographic distribution and main influencing factors. By integrating vegetation, edaphic, meteorological, topography, and other geospatial data, this study simulated the grasshopper suitability index in Hulunbuir grassland using maximum entropy species distribution modeling (Maxent). The Maxent model showed high accuracy, with the training area under the curve (AUC) value ranging from 0.897 to 0.973 and the testing AUC ranging from 0.853 to 0.971 for the past 13 years. The results showed that suitable areas, including the most suitable area and moderately suitable area, accounted for a small proportion and were mainly located in the eastern and southern parts of the study area. According to model analysis based on 51 environmental factors, not all factors played a significant role in the grasshopper cycle. Moreover, differences in environmental factors drive the spatial variability of suitable areas for grasshoppers. The monitoring and prediction of potential outbreak areas can be improved by identifying major environmental factors having large variability between suitable and unsuitable areas. Future trends in grasshopper suitability indices are likely to contradict past trends in most of the study area, with only approximately 33% of the study area continuing the past trend. The results are expected to guide future monitoring and prediction of grasshoppers in Hulunbuir grassland.

A planar ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna with triple-notched bands using triple-mode stepped impedance resonator (SIR) is presented in this paper. By coupling the novel triple-mode SIR beside the microstrip feedline, band-rejected filtering properties around the C-band satellite communication band, the 5.8 GHz WLAN band, and the X-band satellite communication band are generated. The notched frequencies can be adjusted according to specification by altering the triple-mode SIR. The results indicate that the proposed planar antenna not only retains an ultra wide bandwidth but also owns triple band-rejections capability. The UWB antenna demonstrates omnidirectional radiation patterns across nearly whole operating bandwidth, which is suitable for UWB communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THIS EMPIRICAL STUDY ON early childhood education (ECE) in China looks into a randomly selected sample of 91 kindergartens and 178 classrooms providing ECE for children aged three to six in Zhejiang Province. Drawing on internationally established theories on ECE and adopting the Chinese Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (CECERS), a measurement instrument specially designed for quality assessment of ECE programs for Chinese children, the researchers have sought to find out how important and effective whole-group teaching is as compared with individual, child-centred free play. Some of the findings may appear alarming to ECE scholars in the west, and this phenomenon, as well as the limitations of this study, indicates fruitful avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point absorbers utilize the relative motion between the floating body and the submerged body to harvest the wave energy. This paper presents the parametric study of a two-body wave energy point absorber to investigate the influence of key design factors. The absorber employs a slotless Halbach linear generator as the power take-off system to improve the energy conversion efficiency. In this work, we linearized our developed nonlinear time domain model and presented it in frequency domain to improve the simulation efficiency, where the results of the time domain model and the frequency domain model are compared. The stochastic linearization method is employed to linearize the nonlinear dragging effect of a two-body point absorber. The case study suggests that both stiffness of the power take-off system and viscous floater dragging coefficient should be as small as possible and the optimal mass of the bodies should be adopted to achieve the maximum power output. Under the irregular wave condition, the power matrix against the wind speed and the damping coefficient of the power take-off system shows that the optimal damping coefficient is determined by the local weather and geographic condition. Regarding the determinants of the damping coefficient, the factors that affect the power take-off system is investigated. We find that the Halbach PM array length and the coil width should be specially optimized to obtain the desired damping coefficient of the power take-off system at a given point absorber dimension. Lastly, a test-rig has been built to validate the magnetic domain model.