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To improve heat dissipation performance of panel-type radiator for transformers, this study investigated the flow and heat transfer characteristics in the air-side metal foam partially filled channels of the radiator. The porous thin-layer filled (PTLF) and porous fin filled (PFF) methods and the filling ratio (V p) were analyzed and compared. The result indicated that the permeability and interfacial turbulent kinetic energy in the porous region of PFF channel are higher. Increasing V p can promote flow mixing and heat transfer. For Re = 5,125–15,375, when V p = 11.1%, the performance evaluation criterion in PFF channel can increase by 12.0–30.8% as compared with PTLF channel. Then, the effects of metal foam material, porosity (φ), and pore density (ω) were explored. The results show that decreasing φ, increasing ω, and using copper metal foam are all beneficial for enhancing the heat transfer performance of the PFF channel within the range studied. Finally, when V p = 11.1%, the PFF channels filled with Cu-10-9.5 and Al-10-9.7 samples were selected for comparison with previous related studies, which demonstrated the feasibility of the metal foam partial filling method on the air side of the panel-type radiator.

[Objective] This study aims to explore the regulation of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the growth and quality of Leonurus japonicus under drought stress, in order to provide theoretical basis for cultivation and quality improvement of L. japonicus under drought stress. [Methods] 100 μmol/L sodium nitroprusside (SNP, a NO donor) was used as pretreatment, and 10%, 20%, and 30% polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 was used to simulate different degrees of drought stress. The effect of exogenous NO on seed germination, seedling growth, and the content of medicinal components of L. japonicus seedlings under drought stress was analyzed. [Results] (1) Seed germination under 10% and 20% PEG treatment was improved by the regulation of amylase activity through exogenous NO. (2) Exogenous NO mitigated growth inhibition of L. japonicus seedlings under drought stress, which was likely attributable to the reduction in malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels, thereby decreasing oxidative damage. (3) Analysis of medicinal components showed that exogenous NO enhanced leonurine hydrochloride content, stachydrine hydrochloride content, and flavonoid biosynthesis in L. japonicus under drought stress. [Conclusion] Exogenous application of NO could alleviate seed germination and seedling growth of L. japonicus under mild and moderate drought stress, and promote the accumulation of medicinal components under stress.

Abstract CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been widely utilized to enhance productive performance, increase disease resistance and generate medical models in livestock. The FecB allele in sheep is a mutation in the BMPRIB gene, recognized as the first major gene responsible for the high fecundity trait in sheep, leading to an increased ovulation rate in ewe. In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homologous-directed repair (HDR) to introduce a defined point mutation (c.746 A > G) using single-stranded oligonucleotides (ssODN) and the ligase IV inhibitor (SCR7) into the BMPRIB gene of fine wool sheep. A total of nine gene-edited sheep were produced, six of which carried the targeted point mutation, with a precise base substitution efficiency (A > G) of 31.6%. Based on the six targeted founders (F0), we expanded the BMPRIB-targeted population, which included F1 heterozygous (B+) and F2 homozygous(BB) or heterozygous offspring. The average litter size of F1 ewes carrying the B + allele reached 170%, comparable to that of heterozygous native Australian Booroola sheep. Gene-edited ewes with B + and BB genotype produced 0.62 and 0.42 more lambs, respectively, compared to wide-type ewes (p

Abstract Background Accurate identification of small metastatic lymph nodes (LNs) remains a significant challenge with conventional ultrasound (US) due to its limitations in sensitivity for smaller LNs. The use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), especially with perfluorobutane in the postvascular phase of CEUS, may improve the diagnosis of metastatic LNs in cancer patients. We sought to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the postvascular phase of CEUS with perfluorobutane in identifying suspected small cervical LNs in cancer patients. Methods This prospective study enrolled consecutive cancer patients with small cervical LNs suspected to be malignant on US from May 2023 to January 2024. All patients underwent CEUS with perfluorobutane injection, followed by observation during the vascular (6–60 s) and postvascular (10–30 min) phases before biopsy. The reference standard was histological assessment of the LNs through biopsy. The US and CEUS features were analyzed to assess the diagnostic performance of the US, vascular phase-CEUS, and postvascular phase-CEUS features, as well as their association with LN size. Results The final dataset included 229 participants (mean age, 57 years ± 11 [SD] [range, 28–80]; 121 women) with 229 suspected LNs, including 125 metastatic and 104 benign LNs. Hypo-enhancement or no enhancement in the postvascular phase of CEUS show excellent sensitivity (97%) and a high negative predictive value (93%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of postvascular phase-CEUS is 0.763, significantly higher than that for US (0.574; P

Abstract Obesity (OB) and atherosclerosis (AS) represent two highly prevalent and detrimental chronic diseases that are intricately linked. However, the shared genetic signatures and molecular pathways underlying these two conditions remain elusive. This study aimed to identify the shared diagnostic genes and the associated molecular mechanism between OB and AS. The microarray datasets of OB and AS were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis and the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were conducted to identify the shared genes. Then least absolute shrinkage selection (LASSO) algorithm was used for diagnostic genes discovery. The diagnostic genes were validated using expression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Furthermore, Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to investigate molecular pathways and immune infiltration related to the diagnostic genes. TF-gene and miRNA-gene networks were also constructed by utilizing the NetworkAnalyst tool. By intersecting the key module genes of WGCNA with DEGs in OB and AS, 56 shared genes with the same expression trend were identified. Using LASSO algorithm, we obtained two shared diagnostic genes, namely SAMSN1 and PHGDH. Validation confirmed their expression patterns and robust predictive abilities. GSEA revealed the crucial roles of SAMSN1 and PHGDH in disease-associated pathways. Additionally, higher immune cell infiltration expression was found in both diseases and strongly linked to the diagnostic genes. Finally, we constructed the TF-gene and miRNA-gene networks. We identified SAMSN1 and PHGDH as potential diagnostic genes for OB and AS. Our findings provide novel insights into the molecular underpinnings of the OB-AS link.

ABSTRACT Rapeseed protein, as a valuable plant protein, holds great potential as a natural emulsifier for construction of food‐grade high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). In this work, rapeseed protein, obtained through salt extraction combined with ultrafiltration, was employed as a sole stabilizer to formulate algae oil‐based HIPEs. The effects of protein concentration and pH changes on the physicochemical properties of HIPEs are systematically evaluated. The results show that a protein concentration of 0.5 wt% is sufficient to form stable and self‐supporting HIPEs. As the protein concentration increases, the droplet size of HIPEs gradually decreases, leading to a more robust structure and enhanced stability. Compared to neutral conditions (pH 7.0), the HIPEs under acidic pH 3.5 exhibit more densely packed emulsion droplets with smaller size and more uniform distribution, contributing to superior mechanical properties (higher G′ and yield stress) as well as preferable thixotropic and creep recovery behaviors, which thereby improve their physical stability during storage, thermal processing, and freeze‐thaw cycles. Furthermore, the rapeseed protein‐stabilized HIPEs inhibit the oxidation of algae oil, especially at pH 3.5. The results of oral lubrication indicate that the reduction in the friction coefficient is mainly associated with an increase in protein concentration, with minor effect from pH variation. These findings suggest that rapeseed protein is an effective emulsifier for preparing stable and processable HIPEs, especially under acidic conditions, which have great potential for applications in semi‐solid emulsion foods or edible oil structuring.

Despite the challenges to the development of an underwater adhesive with strong and rapid properties, we innovatively proposed the use of tertiary amine groups to crosslink linear molecules containing urea groups, forming a mesh structure to achieve strong cohesion. Additionally, the formation of more high-energy crosslinks could enhance interfacial adhesion strength, resulting in the development of a novel adhesive that promised complete cure underwater with exceptional underwater adhesion properties. The tensile strength of this adhesive on an iron substrate was 8.07 MPa, which far surpassed commercially available adhesives used in the air. Atomic force microscopy measurements revealed microscopic adhesion forces up to 185.610 nN. Further studies demonstrated that the novel adhesive maintained excellent adhesion performance in saline solutions and at lower curing temperatures (0–10 °C), indicating promising applications in high-salinity, low-temperature aquatic environments. Moreover, the use of methyl propionate, a food-grade synthetic flavoring agent, as a reaction solvent not only provided hydrophobic protection, but also enhanced the safety of the adhesive, expanding its applications. This research presents a novel adhesive with strong underwater adhesion properties, with potential applications in high-salinity, low-temperature aquatic environments, thus offering new insights in this field.

Dielectric capacitors with high power density and fast charge-discharge speed play an essential role in the development of pulsed power systems. The increased demands for miniaturization and practicality of pulsed power equipment also necessitate the development of dielectric materials that possess high energy density while maintaining ultrahigh efficiency (η). In particular, ultrahigh efficiency signifies minimal energy loss, which is essential for practical applications but challenging to effectively mitigate. Here, we demonstrate a strategy of incorporating heterovalent elements into Ba(Zr0·1Ti0.9)O3, which contributes to achieving relaxor ferroelectric ceramics and reducing lattice strain, thereby improving the comprehensive energy storage performance. Finally, optimal energy storage performance is attained in 0.85Ba(Zr0·1Ti0.9)O3-0.15Bi(Zn2/3Ta1/3)O3 (BZT-0.15BiZnTa), with an ultrahigh η of 97.37% at 440 kV/cm (an advanced level in the lead-free ceramics) and an excellent recoverable energy storage density (Wrec) of 3.74 J/cm3. Notably, the BZT-0.15BiZnTa ceramics also exhibit exceptional temperature stability, maintaining fluctuations in Wrec within ∼10% and η consistently exceeding 90% across the wide temperature range of −55 °C to160 °C, and under a high electric field of 250 kV/cm. All these features demonstrate that the relaxor and lattice strain engineering strategies have been successful in achieving high-performance lead-free ceramics, paving the way for designing high-efficiency dielectric capacitors with a wide temperature range.

Summary: Clinical studies have shown that combination therapy of PD-1 and VEGF antibodies significantly improves clinical benefit over PD-1 antibody alone in certain settings. Ivonescimab, an on-market tetravalent anti-PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, was designed to improve efficacy and safety over combo therapy. In this study, the mechanism of action is investigated. In the presence of VEGF, ivonescimab forms soluble complexes with VEGF dimers, leading to the enhanced binding avidity of ivonescimab to PD-1 therefore promoting its increased potency on PD-1/PD-L1-signaling blockade. Likewise, PD-1 binding enhanced ivonescimab binding to VEGF, therefore enhancing VEGF-signaling blockade. Furthermore, ivonescimab treatment demonstrated statistically significant anti-tumor response in vivo. Moreover, ivonescimab contains Fc-silencing mutations abrogating FcγRI/IIIa binding and showed significantly reduced effector function in vitro which is consistent with the better safety profile of ivonescimab in monkeys and humans. Briefly, ivonescimab displays unique cooperative binding and promotes the increased in vitro functional bioactivities with a favorable safety profile.

Environment hypoxia and Aeromonas veronii infection represent the major physiological challenge for the economic aquaculture species. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these stresses remain incompletely elucidated. This study focused on evaluating hypoxia stress and A. veronii infection in Eriocheir sinensis, and elucidating the molecular mechanisms via biochemical, histopathological and transcriptomic analyses. 360 healthy E. sinensis were equally divided into four groups: a normoxic control (C) at 7.5 ± 0.5 mg/L DO, a hypoxic treatment (Th) at 1.5 ± 0.5 mg/L DO, an A. veronii-infected group (Tv) at 3.5 × 107 CFU/mL under normal DO conditions, and a dual-stress condition (Thv) combining hypoxia and infection. Results demonstrated significantly elevated levels of antioxidant enzymes (T-AOC, SOD, and CAT), and immune enzymes (AKP, ACP) in treatments Th, Tv, and Thv, with a contrasting decrease in MDA contents. Moreover, structural damage in hepatopancreas and gills, notably vacuolation and lobular membrane thickening among these treatments. Transcriptome analysis highlighted 157, 135 and 161 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in treatments Th, Tv, and Thv, respectively, relative to C. KEGG pathway analysis indicated these DEGs were predominantly associated with pathways linked to immunity and metabolism. Hypoxia activated genes involved in energy metabolism while down-regulated those related to protein synthesis. A. veronii infection, meanwhile, reduced the expression of genes associated with lipid and nitrogen metabolism. Under dual stress, protein synthesis and lipid metabolism were further repressed, and immune-related gene expression was markedly up-regulated. Notably, hypoxia and A. veronii infection exhibit a synergistic toxic effect on E. sinensis. Finally, 29 DEGs were identified as critical in responding to hypoxia stress and A. veronii infection. These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms of stress responses in aquatic animals, potentially aiding in the development of strategies to enhance health and productivity in aquaculture.

The poor temperature stability of the BaTiO3 ceramic has always been the main problem limiting their application. This situation has been improved but sacrifices the intrinsic polarization, which significantly reduces the dielectric constant. In this work, the mechanism of multiple polarization was creatively introduced, and the temperature stability and dielectric properties of BaTiO3-based ceramics are simultaneously enhanced. In particular, the Ba0.9925Bi0.005Ti0.995Ca0.005O2.995 (BBTC0.5) ceramic sample achieved excellent temperature stability (−14.8% to 8.85%) over an ultra-wide temperature range (−47 to 400 °C) and exhibited colossal permittivity (27,125, 25 °C, 1 kHz) and low dielectric loss (0.07, 25 °C, 1 kHz). The dielectric properties, complex impedance spectra combined with XPS results indicate that the defective dipole clusters (Ti3+-VO..-Ti3+, BiBa. and CaTi″-VO..) along with surface effects lead to colossal permittivity effect. More importantly, SEM images show the presence of the second phase at grain boundaries, which prevent the carriers within the grains from accumulating at the grain boundaries. As a result, the dielectric loss was reduced and the temperature stability was further extended. This strategy breaks the traditional limitation of single/noncomprehensive enhancement by single-polarization mechanism, and is of great theoretical and practical significance to promote the research and application of high-performance BaTiO3-based ceramic materials.