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This study aims to investigate the distribution patterns of bird species in urban built-up areas and their impact factors from multiple dimensions, including spatiotemporal distribution, environmental changes, and anthropogenic disturbances, as well as overall distribution and local hotspots. Leveraging geographic distribution data of 383 bird species from 70 families and 21 orders, the study recorded dynamic changes in bird distribution within urban built-up areas characterized by highly heterogeneous core areas and suburban areas. It examined species distribution across different seasons and land cover types, evaluated population fluctuations based on migratory behaviors, and assessed the relative abundance of bird families and species in hotspot areas. Additionally, this study employed three tree-based machine learning algorithms—Decision Tree (DT), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost)—to investigate the influence of environmental factors on bird species distribution within urban built-up areas. The findings showed that, temporally, the number of observed bird species in the study area peaked in May and September, while the lowest numbers of species (54.83 %) and individuals (5.45 %) were recorded during the high-temperature period from June to August. Spatially, (1) woodlands, including stable mature forests, unstable juvenile forests, and sparse vegetation, recorded the highest frequencies of bird observations (2,053 times), bird species (369 species), and bird individuals (38,623 individuals); (2) comprehensive parks, where bird species demonstrated higher adaptability to anthropogenic disturbances, experienced a more significant decline in species richness compared to country parks; and (3) the number of bird species in hotspot areas located in the core areas, which developed earlier, has decreased annually, while the number of species in suburban areas, which developed later, has increased annually. In terms of impact factors, water area (WA), point of interest kernel density (DPOI), relative humidity (RH), green space area (GSA), and nighttime light pollution (NL) were identified as the five most important environmental factors affecting bird species richness. These results suggest that although birds exhibit some adaptability to environmental changes and anthropogenic disturbances, species distribution remains significantly impacted. This research aims to provide a planning framework for future urban development that promotes biodiversity and adaptability, thereby bolstering the resilience of urban ecosystems.

Abstract Objective The optimal timing for surgery following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy for lung squamous cell carcinoma appears to be a topic of limited data. Many clinical studies lack stringent guidelines regarding this timing. The objective of this study is to explore the effect of the interval between neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and surgery on survival outcomes in patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma. Methods This study conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy between January 2019 and October 2022 at The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Patients were divided into two groups based on the treatment interval: ≤33 days and > 33 days. The primary observational endpoints of the study were Disease-Free Survival (DFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Secondary observational endpoints included Objective response rate (ORR), Major Pathological Response (MPR), and Pathological Complete Remission (pCR). Results Using the Kaplan-Meier methods, the ≤ 33d group demonstrated a superior DFS curve compared to the > 33d group (p = 0.0015). The median DFS for the two groups was 952 days and 590 days, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the OS curves between the groups (p = 0.66), and the median OS was not reached for either group. The treatment interval did not influence the pathologic response of the tumor or lymph nodes. Conclusions The study observed that shorter treatment intervals were associated with improved DFS, without influencing OS, pathologic response, or surgical safety. Patients should avoid having a prolonged treatment interval between neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and surgery.

Abstract Until now, there are still few comparisons between neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy and chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with stage IB-IIIB lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). In addition, the ability of pathologic response to predict long-term survival has still not been established. In this retrospective, controlled clinical trial, we ultimately enrolled 231 patients with stage IB to IIIB LUSC who received 2–4 cycles perioperative immunochemotherapy or chemotherapy alone, followed by resection. The primary endpoint of this study was pathological response. Secondary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), surgical resection rate and adverse events (AEs). The rates of major pathologic response (MPR) and pathologic complete response (pCR) in the immunochemotherapy group were 66.7% and 41.9%, respectively, which were both higher than that in the other group (MPR: 25.0%, pCR: 20.8%) (P

Temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) is an effective technique for CO2 capture, but the temperature swing procedure is energy-intensive. Herein, we report a low-energy-consumption system by combining passive radiative cooling and solar heating for the uptake of CO2 on commercial activated carbons (CACs). During adsorption, the adsorbents are coated with a layer of hierarchically porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) [P(VdF-HFP)HP], which cools the adsorbents to a low temperature under sunlight through radiative cooling. For desorption, CACs with broad absorption of the solar spectrum are exposed to light irradiation for heating. The heating and cooling processes are completely driven by solar energy. Adsorption tests under mimicked sunlight using the CACs show that the performance of this system is comparable to that of the traditional ones. Furthermore, under real sunlight irradiation, the adsorption capacity of the CACs can be well maintained after multiple cycles. The present work may inspire the development of new temperature swing procedures with little energy consumption.

Background Previous criteria had limited value in early diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Here, we constructed a novel machine learning (ML)-derived, “in-time” diagnostic system for PJI and proved its validity. Methods We filtered “in-time” diagnostic indicators reported in the literature based on our continuous retrospective cohort of PJI and aseptic prosthetic loosening patients. With the indicators, we developed a two-level ML model with six base learners including Elastic Net, Linear Support Vector Machine, Kernel Support Vector Machine, Extra Trees, Light Gradient Boosting Machine and Multilayer Perceptron), and one meta-learner, Ensemble Learning of Weighted Voting. The prediction performance of this model was compared with those of previous diagnostic criteria (International Consensus Meeting in 2018 (ICM 2018), etc.). Another prospective cohort was used for internal validation. Based on our ML model, a user-friendly web tool was developed for swift PJI diagnosis in clinical practice. Results A total of 254 patients (199 for development and 55 for validation cohort) were included in this study with 38.2% of them diagnosed as PJI. We included 21 widely accessible features including imaging indicators (X-ray and CT) in the model. The sensitivity and accuracy of our ML model were significantly higher than ICM 2018 in development cohort (90.6% vs. 76.1%, P = 0.032; 94.5% vs. 86.7%, P = 0.020), which was supported by internal validation cohort (84.2% vs. 78.6%; 94.6% vs. 81.8%). Conclusions Our novel ML-derived PJI “in-time” diagnostic system demonstrated significantly improved diagnostic potency for surgical decision-making compared with the commonly used criteria. Moreover, our web-based tool greatly assisted surgeons in distinguishing PJI patients comprehensively. Level of evidence Diagnostic Level III.

Abstract So-called Z-scheme systems permit overall water splitting using narrow-bandgap photocatalysts. To boost the performance of such systems, it is necessary to enhance the intrinsic activities of the hydrogen evolution photocatalyst and oxygen evolution photocatalyst, promote electron transfer from the oxygen evolution photocatalyst to the hydrogen evolution photocatalyst, and suppress back reactions. The present work develop a high-performance oxysulfide photocatalyst, Sm2Ti2O5S2, as an hydrogen evolution photocatalyst for use in a Z-scheme overall water splitting system in combination with BiVO4 as the oxygen evolution photocatalyst and reduced graphene oxide as the solid-state electron mediator. After surface modifications of the photocatalysts to promote charge separation and redox reactions, this system is able to split water into hydrogen and oxygen for more than 100 hours with a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 0.22%. In contrast to many existing photocatalytic systems, the water splitting activity of the present system is only minimally reduced by increasing the background pressure to 90 kPa. These results suggest characteristics suitable for applications under practical operating conditions.

Precipitation in a high-strength low-alloy steel containing V and Nb additions during coiling at 500 °C, was investigated by advanced characterization techniques including electron backscattered diffraction, focused ion beam, transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. During coiling, nano precipitates were preferentially formed around dislocations and grain/sub-grain boundaries in the high Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) areas associated with bainite. Precipitates were frequently observed around cementite in the low KAM areas with cementite which were identified as granular bainite. Interphase clusters were found in the low KAM areas associated with ferrite. The site-specific methods reveal the co-existence of different kinds of precipitates. Analysis of the results indicates that the precipitation of microalloy particles close to cementite could lower the precipitation hardening contribution that could be achieved through microalloying.

Shaker potassium channels play a crucial role in potassium (K+) nutrition and stress resistance in plants. However, systematic research on Shaker K+ channels in Chinese cabbage [Brassica rapa var. chinensis (L.) Kitamura] remains scarce. This study identified 13 Shaker K+ channel members within the cabbage genome, which are unevenly distributed across eight chromosomes. Notably, the number of Shaker K+ channel members in Chinese cabbage exceeds that found in the model plants Arabidopsis (9) and rice (10). This discrepancy is attributed to a higher number of homologous proteins in Groups II and V of Chinese cabbage, with gene segmental duplication in these two subgroups being a significant factor contributing to the expansion of the Shaker K+ channel gene family. Interspecies collinearity analysis revealed that the whole genome and the Shaker K+ channel family of Chinese cabbage show greater similarity to those of Arabidopsis than to those of rice, indicating that Shaker K+ channels from the Brassicaceae family have a closer relationship than that from the Poaceae family. Given that gene expansion occurs in Group II, we investigated whether a functional difference exists between BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 using yeast assays and promoter analysis. The expression of two BrKAT1 genes in the potassium uptake-deficient yeast mutant R5421 can restore growth under low potassium conditions, indicating their role in potassium absorption. Truncation of the N-terminal 63 amino acids of BrKAT1.2 resulted in the loss of potassium absorption capability, suggesting that the N-terminus is essential for maintaining the potassium absorption function of BrKAT1.2. Furthermore, the expression of the two BrKAT1 genes in the salt-sensitive yeast G19 enhances yeast tolerance to salt stress. These results demonstrate that BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 exhibit similar abilities in potassium uptake and salt tolerance. The difference between BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2 lay in their promoter regulatory elements, suggesting that differences in transcriptional regulation contributed to the functional differentiation of BrKAT1.1 and BrKAT1.2. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the evolution and functional mechanisms of the Shaker K+ channel family in Chinese cabbage and for improving potassium nutrition and salt tolerance in this species through the manipulation of BrKAT1.

A model has been developed for describing the competition between the formation of microalloyed carbonitrides by strain-induced precipitation (SIP) and by epitaxial growth on pre-existing TiN particles in γ-Fe. It is assumed that Nb and C/N atoms in the matrix will either feed the growth of pre-existing TiN precipitates or precipitate as new strain-induced particles. The model is successfully applied to the data set obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in a model alloy. Using this model, it is possible to estimate the effects of process parameters (T, applied strain), the number density of pre-existing TiN, and the Nb, C, N and Mn content on precipitate evolution and precipitation hardening. Notably, it is shown that the presence of a high number density of pre-existing TiN precipitates can suppress SIP. The conditions where epitaxial growth dominates and those in which strain-induced precipitation dominates are predicted and summarized in the form of processing maps.

Carbide-free nano-bainite steel holds significant potential for applications in mining as an ultra-high strength wear-resistant steel, but the wear mechanisms are not yet fully understood. This study aims to explore the effect of austempering temperature on microstructure, mechanical properties and wear resistance of carbide-free nano-bainitic steel. The relationship between the content and mechanical stability of retained austenite (RA) and mechanical properties was investigated to elucidate the mechanisms of pin-on-disc wear and impact wear. The results show that in the range of Ms∼300 °C, the phase transformation incubation period and completion time significantly increase with decreasing austempering temperature, which is mainly related to higher phase transformation driving force resulting from a larger subcooling degree and slow growth of carbon content in RA. Optimal strength and hardness of 2099 MPa and 615 HBW, respectively, are achieved after austempering at 210 °C for 83 h. Austempering at 270 °C for 11 h yields the best balance of strength and plasticity, with a strength-plasticity product of 28.8 GPa%. The micro-cutting mechanism of pin-on-disc wear leads to serious weight loss. The RA with poor mechanical stability accelerates the stress-induced martensite transformation, while internal stress support due to volume expansion reduces the penetration depth of abrasive particles. The weight loss in impact wear is primarily caused by shedding due to fatigue failure. With the increase of RA content and mechanical stability, the persistent stress-induced martensite transformation effectively hinders micro-crack propagation, thereby enhancing impact wear resistance.

Abstract The gut microbiota of rodents is essential for survival and adaptation and is susceptible to various factors, ranging from environmental conditions to genetic predispositions. Nevertheless, few comparative studies have considered the contribution of species identity and geographic spatial distance to variations in the gut microbiota. In this study, a random sampling survey encompassing four rodent species (Apodemus agrarius, Cricetulus barabensis, Tscherskia triton and Rattus norvegicus) was conducted at five sites in northern China's farming–pastoral ecotone. Through a cross‐factorial comparison, we aimed to discern whether belonging to the same species or sharing the same capture site predominantly influences the composition of gut microbiota. Notably, the observed variations in microbiome composition among these four rodent species match the host phylogeny at the family level but not at the species level. The gut microbiota of these four rodent species exhibited typical mammalian characteristics, predominantly characterized by the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes phyla. As the geographic distance between populations increased, the number of shared microbial taxa among conspecific populations decreased. We observed that within a relatively small geographical range, even different species exhibited convergent α‐diversity due to their inhabitation within the same environmental microbial pool. In contrast, the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota in the allopatric populations of A. agrarius demonstrated marked differences, similar to those of C. barabensis. Additionally, geographical environmental elements exhibited significant correlations with diversity indices. Conversely, host‐related factors had minimal influence on microbial abundance. Our findings indicated that the similarity of the microbial compositions was not determined primarily by the host species, and the location of the sampling explained a greater amount of variation in the microbial composition, indicating that the local environment played a crucial role in shaping the microbial composition.

IntroductionChronic lower back pain (cLBP), frequently attributed to lumbar disk herniation (LDH), imposes substantial limitations on daily activities. Despite its prevalence, the neural mechanisms underlying lower back pain remain incompletely elucidated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) emerges as a non-invasive modality extensively employed for investigating neuroplastic changes in neuroscience. In this study, task-based and resting-state fMRI methodologies are employed to probe the central mechanisms of lower back pain.MethodsThe study included 71 chronic lower back pain patients (cLBP group) due to LDH and 80 age, gender, and education-matched healthy volunteers (HC group). The subjects are mainly middle-aged and elderly individuals. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and Japanese Orthopedic Association Scores (JOA) were recorded. Resting-state and task-based fMRI data were collected.Results/discussionNo significant differences were observed in age, gender, and education level between the two groups. In the cLBP group during task execution, there was diffuse and reduced activation observed in the primary motor cortex and supplementary motor area. Additionally, during resting states, notable changes were detected in brain regions, particularly in the frontal lobe, primary sensory area, primary motor cortex, precuneus, and caudate nucleus, accompanied by alterations in Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuation, Regional Homogeneity, Degree Centrality, and functional connectivity. These findings suggest that chronic lower back pain may entail reduced excitability in sensory-motor areas during tasks and heightened activity in the sensory-motor network during resting states, along with modified functional connectivity in various brain regions.

Abstract Zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is essential for early embryonic development. However, the regulation of ZGA remains elusive in mammals. Here we report that a maternal factor TDP-43, a nuclear transactive response DNA-binding protein, regulates ZGA through RNA Pol II and is essential for mouse early embryogenesis. Maternal TDP-43 translocates from the cytoplasm into the nucleus at the early two-cell stage when minor to major ZGA transition occurs. Genetic deletion of maternal TDP-43 results in mouse early embryos arrested at the two-cell stage. TDP-43 co-occupies with RNA Pol II as large foci in the nucleus and also at the promoters of ZGA genes at the late two-cell stage. Biochemical evidence indicates that TDP-43 binds Polr2a and Cyclin T1. Depletion of maternal TDP-43 caused the loss of Pol II foci and reduced Pol II binding on chromatin at major ZGA genes, accompanied by defective ZGA. Collectively, our results suggest that maternal TDP-43 is critical for mouse early embryonic development, in part through facilitating the correct RNA Pol II configuration and zygotic genome activation.

Heterostructured austenitic stainless steels (ASS) are becoming a significant research area because of their outstanding mechanical properties and considerable potential for various applications. However, the thermal stability of heterogeneous microstructures, particularly the bimodal microstructure, has received limited attention and lacks systematic investigation. Additionally, there is a scarcity of reports regarding the biocompatibility of bimodal microstructures. Herein, the thermal stability and biocompatibility of the bimodal microstructure prepared by cold rolling and annealing in Cr–Mn–N series ASS (without and with Nb microalloying) are studied. The findings demonstrate that the bimodal microstructures of ASS are formed after annealing at 700 °C, 800 °C, and short-time annealing at 900 °C. Moreover, the addition of Nb significantly enhances the thermal stability of the bimodal microstructure and maintains the bimodal feature up to 1000 °C. The thermal stability of bimodal microstructures depends on the competition in coarse and fine grains growth. The good thermal stability of Nb(C, N) at high temperatures leads to consistently higher pinning force within the fine-grained zone. As a result, the growth of fine grains lags behind that of coarse grains, which leads to the persistence of bimodal microstructure at higher temperatures. The bimodal microstructure of ASS demonstrates superior biocompatibility, attributed to its ability to promote higher cell viability, exhibit stronger fibronectin intensity, and facilitate a wider fibronectin expression network in osteoblasts. These characteristics make the bimodal ASS more favorable for osteoblast attachment and proliferation compared to its coarse-grained counterpart. This study significantly enhances our understanding of the thermal stability and cellular functionality of bimodal ASS, highlighting its potential for various biomedical applications.

Hydrogen is now recognized as the primary alternative to fossil fuels due to its renewable, safe, high-energy density and environmentally friendly properties. Efficient hydrogen production through water splitting has laid the foundation for sustainable energy technologies. However, when hydrogen production is scaled up to industrial levels, operating at high current densities introduces unique challenges. It is necessary to design advanced electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) under high current densities. This review will briefly introduce the challenges posed by high current densities on electrocatalysts, including catalytic activity, mass diffusion, and catalyst stability. In an attempt to address these issues, various electrocatalyst design strategies are summarized in detail. In the end, our insights into future challenges for efficient large-scale industrial hydrogen production from water splitting are presented. This review is expected to guide the rational design of efficient high-current density water electrolysis electrocatalysts and promote the research progress of sustainable energy.

High-quality ultrafast light sources are critical for developing advanced time- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (TrARPES). While the application of high harmonic generation (HHG) light sources in TrARPES has increased substantially over the past decade, the optimization of the HHG probe beam size and selective control of the light polarization, which are important for TrARPES measurements, have been rarely explored. In this work, we report the implementation of high-quality HHG probe source with an optimum beam size down to 57 μm × 90 μm and selective light polarization control, together with mid-infrared (MIR) pumping source for TrARPES measurements using a 10-kHz amplifier laser. The selective polarization control of the HHG probe source allows to enhance bands with different orbital contributions or symmetries, as demonstrated by experimental data measured on a few representative transition metal dichalcogenide materials as well as topological insulator Bi2Se3. Furthermore, by combining the HHG probe source with MIR pumping at 2-μm wavelength, TrARPES on a bilayer graphene shows a time resolution of 140 fs, allowing to distinguish 2 different relaxation processes in graphene. Such high-quality HHG probe source together with the MIR pumping expands the capability of TrARPES in revealing the ultrafast dynamics and light-induced emerging phenomena in quantum materials.