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Abstract Most blockchain users run light nodes on mobile devices. Due to limited storage and computation, light nodes cannot perform transaction validation. This shortage makes opportunities for malicious nodes to produce blocks containing invalid transactions, which results in the loss of funds for light nodes. Fraud proofs play a significant role in ensuring transaction security for light nodes. However, existing fraud proof schemes require honest collaborators and the processing of entire blocks. To address these limitations, Independent Single Transaction Verification Protocol for Light node Using Fraud Proofs without Collaborator called ISTVP is proposed that enables light nodes to independently verify transactions and generate fraud proofs without relying on collaborators or processing the entire block. To support ISTVP, SVST is introduced, an efficient block structure for single‐transaction verification. SVST not only efficiently indexes historical transaction outputs to improve verification efficiency, but also significantly reduces the storage requirements for verifying transactions to O(h+logn). Furthermore, the authors analyze the security of ISTVP and demonstrate that it satisfies both persistence and liveness, while maintaining the level of security of full node.

To explore the effect of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) on the storage quality of postharvest chives, the changes in the microbial load and storage quality of postharvest chives subjected to SAEW immersion treatment at different concentrations (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg/L) for 5 minutes were analyzed during low temperature ((4 ± 1) ℃) storage. The results showed that immersion treatment with 200 mg/L SAEW was more effective in maintaining the organoleptic quality of chives and inhibiting the increase of the total number of colonies when compared with the other groups. Furthermore, 200 mg/L SAEW treatment was able to inhibit the increase of mass loss and rot rate, slow down the decrease of chlorophyll, vitamin C, soluble sugar, and soluble protein contents, and reduce the accumulation of total free amino acids, malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitrite in chives. It is evident that immersion treatment with 200 mg/L SAEW can not only effectively inhibit microbial growth on chives during low-temperature storage, but also effectively delay the loss of nutrients in chives, thus improving the quality preservation of chives. Therefore, SAEW can be used as an effective sterilization and preservation method to maintain the storage quality and delay the aging process of postharvest chives.

Abstract The 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid isopropyl ester (HMBi), a rumen protective methionine, has been extensively studied in dairy cows and beef cattle and has been shown to regulate gastrointestinal microbiota and improve production performance. However, knowledge of the application of HMBi on cashmere goats and the simultaneous study of rumen and hindgut microbiota is still limited. In this study, HMBi supplementation increased the concentration of total serum protein, the production of microbial protein in the rumen and feces, as well as butyrate production in the feces. The results of PCoA and PERMANOVA showed no significant difference between the rumen microbiota, but there was a dramatic difference between the fecal microbiota of the two groups of Cashmere goats after the HMBi supplementation. Specifically, in the rumen, HMBi significantly increased the relative abundance of some fiber-degrading bacteria (such as Fibrobacter) compared with the CON group. In the feces, as well as a similar effect as in the rumen (increasing the relative abundance of some fiber-degrading bacteria, such as Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group and ASV32), HMBi diets also increased the proliferation of butyrate-producing bacteria (including Oscillospiraceae UCG-005 and Christensenellaceae R-7 group). Overall, these results demonstrated that HMBi could regulate the rumen and fecal microbial composition of Liaoning cashmere goats and benefit the host.

Abstract Background With the increasing prevalence of colorectal cancer (CRC), optimizing perioperative management is of paramount importance. This study investigates the potential of stellate ganglion block (SGB), known for its stress response-mediating effects, in improving postoperative recovery. We postulate that preoperative SGB may enhance the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing laparoscopic CRC surgery. Methods We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 57 patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery at a single center. Patients, aged 18–70 years, were randomly assigned to receive either preoperative SGB or standard care. SGB group patients received 10 mL of 0.2% ropivacaine under ultrasound guidance prior to surgery. Primary outcome was time to flatus, with secondary outcomes encompassing time to defecation, lying in bed time, visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, hospital stays, patient costs, intraoperative and postoperative complications, and 3-year mortality. A per-protocol analysis was used. Results Twenty-nine patients in the SGB group and 28 patients in the control group were analyzed. The SGB group exhibited a significantly shorter time to flatus (mean [SD] hour, 20.52 [9.18] vs. 27.93 [11.69]; p = 0.012), accompanied by decreased plasma cortisol levels (mean [SD], postoperatively, 4.01 [3.42] vs 7.75 [3.13], p = 0.02). Notably, postoperative pain was effectively managed, evident by lower VAS scores at 6 h post-surgery in SGB-treated patients (mean [SD], 4.70 [0.91] vs 5.35 [1.32]; p = 0.040). Furthermore, patients in the SGB group experienced reduced hospital stay length (mean [SD], day, 6.61 [1.57] vs 8.72 [5.13], p = 0.042). Conclusions Preoperative SGB emerges as a promising approach to enhance the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing laparoscopic CRC surgery. Clinical trial registration ChiCTR1900028404, Principal investigator: Xia Feng, Date of registration: 12/20/2019.

We previously demonstrated that baicalin had efficacy against gouty arthritis (GA) by oral administration. In this paper, a novel baicalin-loaded microemulsion-based gel (B-MEG) was prepared and assessed for the transdermal delivery of baicalin against GA. The preparation method and transdermal capability of B-MEG was screened and optimized using the central composite design, Franz diffusion cell experiments, and the split-split plot design. Skin irritation tests were performed in guinea pigs. The anti-gout effects were evaluated using mice. The optimized B-MEG comprised of 50 % pH 7.4 phosphate buffered saline, 4.48 % ethyl oleate, 31.64 % tween 80, 13.88 % glycerin, 2 % borneol, 0.5 % clove oil and 0.5 % xanthan gum, with a baicalin content of (10.42 ± 0.08) mg/g and particle size of (15.71 ± 0.41) nm. After 12 h, the cumulative amount of baicalin permeated from B-MEG was (672.14 ± 44.11) μg·cm−2. No significant skin irritation was observed following B-MEG application. Compared to the model group, B-MEG groups significantly decreased the rate of auricular swelling (P

Abstract Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains a challenging area in regenerative medicine. Nerve guide conduit (NGC) transplantation is a common treatment for PNI, but the prognosis of NGC treatment is unsatisfactory due to 1) neuromechanical unmatching and 2) the intra‐conduit inflammatory microenvironment (IME) resulting from Schwann cell pyroptosis and inflammatory‐polarized macrophages. A neuromechanically matched NGC composed of regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) loaded with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (P:P) and dimethyl fumarate (DMF) are designed, which exhibits a matched elastic modulus (25.1 ± 3.5 MPa) for the peripheral nerve and the highest 80% elongation at break, better than most protein‐based conduits. Moreover, the NGC can gradually regulate the intra‐conduit IME by releasing DMF and monitoring sciatic nerve movements via piezoresistive sensing. The combination of NGC and electrical stimulation modulates the IME to support PNI regeneration by synergistically inhibiting Schwann cell pyroptosis and reducing inflammatory factor release, shifting macrophage polarization from the inflammatory M1 phenotype to the tissue regenerative M2 phenotype and resulting in functional recovery of neurons. In a rat sciatic nerve crush model, NGC promoted remyelination and functional and structural regeneration. Generally, the DMF/RSF/P:P conduit provides a new potential therapeutic approach to promote nerve repair in future clinical treatments.

In recent years, mixed protein systems composed of animal and plant proteins have gradually attracted the attention of researchers. Numerous studies have shown that mixing animal and plant proteins can improve the processing functional properties of proteins under specific conditions, such as gelling, emulsifying, foaming and film-forming properties. In terms of nutritional functional properties, mixing animal and plant proteins can also achieve better performance on digestion, absorption and amino acid scoring patterns for the nutritional quality assessment compared with single proteins, of which whey-soy ‘dual-protein’, discovered by studying the dose-effect and mechanisms of synergism and interactions of different animal-plant mixed proteins, have been demonstrated significant nutrition quality improvement on hematopoietic reconstruction, immune function, muscle level, lipid metabolism and osteoporosis. The paper reviews the interaction, structural characterization, processing and nutritional properties of animal-plant mixed proteins, and provides an outlook on the future research trend of animal-plant mixed proteins in the food processing field.

Abstract Let α ≥ 2 $\alpha \geq 2$ , m ≥ 2 $m\geq 2 $ be integers, p be an odd prime with p ∤ m ( m + 1 ) $p\nmid m (m+1 )$ , 0 < λ 1 $0 max { [ 1 λ 1 ] , [ 1 λ 2 ] } $q=p^{\alpha }> \max \{ [ \frac{1}{\lambda _{1}} ], [ \frac{1}{\lambda _{2}} ] \}$ . For any integer n with ( n , q ) = 1 $(n,q)=1$ and a nonnegative integer k, we define M λ 1 , λ 2 ( m , n , k ; q ) = ∑ ′ a = 1 q ∑ ′ b = 1 [ λ 1 q ] ∑ ′ c = 1 [ λ 2 q ] a b ≡ 1 ( mod q ) c ≡ a m ( mod q ) n ∤ b + c ( b − c ) 2 k . $$ M_{\lambda _{1},\lambda _{2}} ( m,n,k;q )=\mathop{\mathop{ \mathop{\mathop{{\sum }'}_{a=1}^{q}\mathop{{\sum }'}_{b=1}^{ [ \lambda _{1}q ]}\mathop{{\sum }'}_{c=1}^{ [\lambda _{2}q ]}}_{ab\equiv 1(\bmod q)}}_{c\equiv a^{m}(\bmod q)}}_{n\nmid b+c} ( b-c )^{2k}. $$ In this paper, we study the arithmetic properties of these generalized Kloosterman sums and give an upper bound estimation for it. By using the upper bound estimation, we discuss the properties of M λ 1 , λ 2 ( m , n , k ; q ) $M_{\lambda _{1},\lambda _{2}} ( m,n,k;q )$ and obtain an asymptotic formula.

In order to explore the formation mechanism of the emulsion gel induced by high pressure processing (HPP) and its encapsulation and protection of functional ingredients, a curcumin-loaded whey protein isolate (WPI)/κ-carrageenan (κ-CG) composite emulsion gel induced by HPP was prepared. The effect of pressure (400, 500 and 600 MPa), holding time (10, 20 and 30 min) and concentration of κ-CG (0.8%, 1.0% and 1.2%, w/v) on the swelling rate, gel strength, the stability of curcumin in the emulsion gel, water distribution and its mobility, as well as the contents of interface protein were characterized. The results showed that the addition of κ-CG significantly reduced the protein concentration required for the formation of emulsion gel induced by HPP and greatly reduced the swelling rate of the emulsion gel. The gel strength and storage stability of the composite emulsion gels increased with the increase in pressure (400–600 MPa) and holding time (10–30 min). When the pressure increased to 500 MPa, the stability of curcumin in the emulsion gel significantly improved. When the ratio of WPI to κ-CG was 12:1 (the κ-CG concentration was 1.0%), both the photochemical and thermal stability of curcumin were higher than those of the other two ratios. The HPP significantly increased the mobility of monolayer water in the system, while the mobility of multilayer water and immobilized water was significantly reduced. Increasing the holding time and the concentration of κ-CG both can result in an increase in the interfacial protein content in the oil/water system, and the HPP treatment had a significant effect on the composition of the interfacial protein of the emulsion gel.

The benzofuran core inhibitors HCV-796, BMS-929075, MK-8876, compound 2, and compound 9B exhibit good pan-genotypic activity against various genotypes of NS5B polymerase. To elucidate their mechanism of action, multiple molecular simulation methods were used to investigate the complex systems of these inhibitors binding to GT1a, 1b, 2a, and 2b NS5B polymerases. The calculation results indicated that these five inhibitors can not only interact with the residues in the palm II subdomain of NS5B polymerase, but also with the residues in the palm I subdomain or the palm I/III overlap region. Interestingly, the binding of inhibitors with longer substituents at the C5 position (BMS-929075, MK-8876, compound 2, and compound 9B) to the GT1a and 2b NS5B polymerases exhibits different binding patterns compared to the binding to the GT1b and 2a NS5B polymerases. The interactions between the para-fluorophenyl groups at the C2 positions of the inhibitors and the residues at the binding pockets, together with the interactions between the substituents at the C5 positions and the residues at the reverse β-fold (residues 441–456), play a key role in recognition and the induction of the binding. The relevant studies could provide valuable information for further research and development of novel anti-HCV benzofuran core pan-genotypic inhibitors.

The global emergence of many severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants jeopardizes the protective antiviral immunity induced after infection or vaccination. To address the public health threat caused by the increasing SARS-CoV-2 genomic diversity, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases within the National Institutes of Health established the SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) programme. This effort was designed to provide a real-time risk assessment of SARS-CoV-2 variants that could potentially affect the transmission, virulence, and resistance to infection- and vaccine-induced immunity. The SAVE programme is a critical data-generating component of the US Government SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group to assess implications of SARS-CoV-2 variants on diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, and for communicating public health risk. Here we describe the coordinated approach used to identify and curate data about emerging variants, their impact on immunity and effects on vaccine protection using animal models. We report the development of reagents, methodologies, models and notable findings facilitated by this collaborative approach and identify future challenges. This programme is a template for the response to rapidly evolving pathogens with pandemic potential by monitoring viral evolution in the human population to identify variants that could reduce the effectiveness of countermeasures.

ABSTRACT: Eggs rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), known as functional eggs, are animal products deemed beneficial to human health and possess high economic value. The production of functional eggs involves supplementing exogenous additives with the ability to regulate lipid metabolism. As N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) serves as an endogenous arginine synthesizer, and arginine acts as the substrate for the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the biological function of NCG is partially mediated by NO. NO is a key regulatory molecule in lipid metabolism, suggesting that NCG may also have the ability to modulate lipid metabolism. In order to assess the capacity of NCG in regulating liver lipid metabolism and its potential application in producing functional eggs, we conducted a study to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of NCG on production performance, serum, and liver NO levels, yolk fatty acid composition, and the liver transcriptome of layers. In this study, we utilized 30 layers of the Jinghong No.1 breed, all aged 45 wk. All the birds were randomly divided into 2 groups. Each group had 5 replicates, and each replicate had 3 birds. We provided them with different diets: one group received the basic diet, and the other group's diet was supplemented with 0.08% NCG. The experiment lasted for 14 wk. The results did not reveal any positive impact of NCG on production performance. However, NCG supplementation elevated NO levels in serum and liver, along with an increase in yolk PUFA, ω-3, and ω-6 fatty acids. Liver transcriptome analysis identified 124 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 43 downregulated DEGs due to NCG supplementation. Functional annotation using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database highlighted 3 upregulated DEGs (CPT1A, MOGAT1, and CHKA) and 2 downregulated DEGs (FASN and ETNPPL) associated with lipid metabolism. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that CPT1A was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway and the PPAR signaling pathway, while FASN was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, CPT1A and FASN are potential functional genes related to lipid metabolism facilitated by NCG supplementation. In summary, our study suggests that NCG supplementation modulates liver lipid metabolism, leading to the production of functional eggs in layers.

Using the elementary method of the classical Gauss sums and the properties of character sums, we study a linear recurrence formula about the form $ G\left(n\right) = 1+\sum_{a = 1}^{p-1}\left(\frac{a^2+n\bar{a}^2}{p}\right) $ and about the mean value of $ G(n) $. This is a further exploration of Yuan and Zhang's research in 2022, which help us to better understand the character sums wide range application.

Abstract Background Early leaf spot disease, caused by Cercospora arachidicola, is a devastating peanut disease that has severely impacted peanut production and quality. Chemical fungicides pollute the environment; however, Bacillus bacteria can be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chemical fungicides. To understand the novel bacterial strain and unravel its molecular mechanism, De novo whole-genome sequencing emerges as a rapid and efficient omics approach. Results In the current study, we identified an antagonistic strain, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens TA-1. In-vitro assay showed that the TA-1 strain was a strong antagonist against C. arachidicola, with an inhibition zone of 88.9 mm. In a greenhouse assay, results showed that the TA-1 strain had a significant biocontrol effect of 95% on peanut early leaf spot disease. De novo whole-genome sequencing analysis, shows that strain TA-1 has a single circular chromosome with 4172 protein-coding genes and a 45.91% guanine and cytosine (GC) content. Gene function was annotated using non-redundant proteins from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Swiss-Prot, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), clusters of orthologous groups of proteins, gene ontology, pathogen-host interactions, and carbohydrate-active enZYmes. antiSMASH analysis predicted that strain TA-1 can produce the secondary metabolites siderophore, tailcyclized peptide, myxochelin, bacillibactin, paenibactin, myxochelin, griseobactin, benarthin, tailcyclized, and samylocyclicin. Conclusion The strain TA-1 had a significant biological control effect against peanut early leaf spot disease in-vitro and in greenhouse assays. Whole genome analysis revealed that, TA-1 strain belongs to B. amyloliquefaciens and could produce the antifungal secondary metabolites.

The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays a significant role in immune defense and protection against tumor proliferation. Many cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) analogues have been reported to regulate its activity, but the dynamic process involved when the ligands activate STING remains unclear. In this work, all-atom molecular dynamics simulations were performed to explore the binding mode between human STING (hSTING) and four cyclic adenosine–inosine monophosphate analogs (cAIMPs), as well as 2′,3′-cGMP-AMP (2′,3′-cGAMP). The results indicate that these cAIMPs adopt a U-shaped configuration within the binding pocket, forming extensive non-covalent interaction networks with hSTING. These interactions play a significant role in augmenting the binding, particularly in interactions with Tyr167, Arg238, Thr263, and Thr267. Additionally, the presence of hydrophobic interactions between the ligand and the receptor further contributes to the overall stability of the binding. In this work, the conformational changes in hSTING upon binding these cAIMPs were also studied and a significant tendency for hSTING to shift from open to closed state was observed after binding some of the cAIMP ligands.

The electrical microenvironment plays an important role in bone repair. However, the underlying mechanism by which electrical stimulation (ES) promotes bone regeneration remains unclear, limiting the design of bone microenvironment–specific electroactive materials. Herein, by simple co-incubation in aqueous suspensions at physiological temperatures, biocompatible regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) is found to assemble into nanofibrils with a β-sheet structure on MXene nanosheets, which has been reported to inhibit the restacking and oxidation of MXene. An electroactive hydrogel based on RSF and bioencapsulated MXene is thus prepared to promote efficient bone regeneration. This MXene/RSF hydrogel also acts as a piezoresistive pressure transducer, which can potentially be utilized to monitor the electrophysiological microenvironment. RNA sequencing is performed to explore the underlying mechanisms, which can activate Ca2+/CALM signaling in favor of the direct osteogenesis process. ES is found to facilitate indirect osteogenesis by promoting the polarization of M2 macrophages, as well as stimulating the neogenesis and migration of endotheliocytes. Consistent improvements in bone regeneration and angiogenesis are observed with MXene/RSF hydrogels under ES in vivo. Collectively, the MXene/RSF hydrogel provides a distinctive and promising strategy for promoting direct osteogenesis, regulating immune microenvironment and neovascularization under ES, leading to re-establish electrical microenvironment for bone regeneration.

Abstract Cell fusion plays a critical role in cancer progression and metastasis. However, effective modulation of the cell fusion behavior and timely evaluation on the cell fusion to provide accurate information for personalized therapy are facing challenges. Here, it demonstrates that the cancer cell fusion behavior can be efficiently modulated and precisely detected through employing a multifunctional delivery vector to realize cancer targeting delivery of a genome editing plasmid and a molecular beacon‐based AND logic gate. The multifunctional delivery vector decorated by AS1411 conjugated hyaluronic acid and NLS‐GE11 peptide conjugated hyaluronic acid can specifically target circulating malignant cells (CMCs) of cancer patients to deliver the genome editing plasmid for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) knockout. The cell fusion between CMCs and endothelial cells can be detected by the AND logic gate delivered by the multifunctional vector. After EGFR knockout, the edited CMCs exhibit dramatically inhibited cell fusion capability, while unedited CMCs can easily fuse with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) to form hybrid cells. This study provides a new therapeutic strategy for preventing cancer progression and a reliable tool for evaluating cancer cell fusion for precise personalized therapy.

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the association between spinal alignment and preoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) and to identify the independent risk factors for worse preoperative PROs. Methods In total, 101 patients suffering from DLS were retrospectively studied within a single medical center. Age, sex, height, weight, and body mass index were uniformly recorded. PRO-related indicators include the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the Japanese Orthopedic Association’s (JOA) score, and the visual analog scale (VAS) for back and leg pain. Sagittal alignment, coronal balance, and stability of the L4/5 level were evaluated through whole-spine anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and dynamic lumbar X-ray. Results Increasing age (P = 0.005), higher sagittal vertical axis (SVA) (P

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1/KDM1A) has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for treating various cancers (such as breast cancer, liver cancer, etc.) and other diseases (blood diseases, cardiovascular diseases, etc.), owing to its observed overexpression, thereby presenting significant opportunities in drug development. Since its discovery in 2004, extensive research has been conducted on LSD1 inhibitors, with notable contributions from computational approaches. This review systematically summarizes LSD1 inhibitors investigated through computer-aided drug design (CADD) technologies since 2010, showcasing a diverse range of chemical scaffolds, including phenelzine derivatives, tranylcypromine (abbreviated as TCP or 2-PCPA) derivatives, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic (pyridine, pyrimidine, azole, thieno[3,2-b]pyrrole, indole, quinoline and benzoxazole) derivatives, natural products (including sanguinarine, phenolic compounds and resveratrol derivatives, flavonoids and other natural products) and others (including thiourea compounds, Fenoldopam and Raloxifene, (4-cyanophenyl)glycine derivatives, propargylamine and benzohydrazide derivatives and inhibitors discovered through AI techniques). Computational techniques, such as virtual screening, molecular docking and 3D-QSAR models, have played a pivotal role in elucidating the interactions between these inhibitors and LSD1. Moreover, the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence holds promise in facilitating the discovery of novel LSD1 inhibitors. The comprehensive insights presented in this review aim to provide valuable information for advancing further research on LSD1 inhibitors.

Abstract Low dielectric constant (k) polymers with excellent comprehensive properties are useful materials in the microelectronics industry as matrix resins or encapsulation layers. With the inherent low polarization, high reactivity, good processability, and low cost, poly(dicyclopentadiene) (PDCPD) has received considerable attention as low‐k materials. However, its practical application is limited by the relatively high thermal expansion and k value. Herein, three norbornene‐functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) with T8, T10, and T12 polyhedral cores are synthesized and employed for enhancing the dielectric and comprehensive properties of PDCPD via reactive blending. The results show that these POSSs have good compatibility with PDCPD matrix and nano‐dispersed POSSs particles could be obtained. As a result, the materials’ properties can be largely enhanced by varying the POSS content and POSS size. Especially, PT12N12‐40 (40 wt% of T12N12) shows the lowest k value (2.1) and coefficient of thermal expansion (63.4 ppm°C−1), highest glass transition temperature (202.5 °C), yield strength (78.0 MPa), and elastic modulus (2.36 GPa), along with excellent hydrophobicity. This study highlights a useful strategy to fabricate high‐performance low‐k polymer nanocomposites by using larger POSS and reactive blending, which provides useful materials for the future microelectronic industry and high frequency communication.

Low-dielectric-constant (low-k) materials are an indispensable part of microprocessors as they can alleviate electronic crosstalk, charge build-up, and signal propagation delay. However, existing low-k materials usually have k values higher than 2 and inferior thermo-mechanical properties, which restrict the development of microelectronic devices. Although we have recently discovered that larger polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) are useful building blocks for fabricating advanced ultra-low-k materials, it remains to be seen whether a POSS cage and linker could be leveraged to tune the structure-property of the materials and create ultra-low-k materials with improved comprehensive properties. Herein, we propose a series of POSS-based hybrid materials (i.e., c-TnPBn and c-TnFn, n = 8, 10, and 12) that consist of distinct POSS cages and linkers. When the linker is kept identical, the gradual enlargement of the POSS cage enhances the porosity/free volume fraction of materials, resulting in quasi-linearly reduced k values for the resulting materials (k = 1.93 for c-T12PB12, 2.14 for c-T12F12). Meanwhile, the materials’ comprehensive properties can be significantly improved by increasing the POSS cage size or varying the linker’s length and type. As a result, ultra-low-k materials with good processability, low surface roughness (< 0.40 nm), excellent thermostability (> 480 °C), mechanical properties (elastic modulus > 2.5 GPa), and hydrophobicity have been obtained, and the low-k values can be maintained under high temperature (e.g., 300 °C) and wet condition. This work reveals the critical contribution of POSS cage size and linker to the structure and properties of POSS-based low-k materials and offers promising materials for the future of the microelectronic industry.

The latest research results show that there is a unified magma system and heating channel beneath the Arxan volcanic field, indicating a potential risk of eruption. The Arxan volcanic field features multiple gas emission sites (e.g., Jinjianggou hot springs and Yinjianggou hot springs) and exhibits strong hydrothermal activity. In this study, measurements of the hot spring gas composition and soil CO2 flux in the Arxan Holocene volcanic field were conducted, and the results were combined with previous research results to analyze the degassing characteristics of this region. The results show that the volcanic gases in the Arxan volcanic field are composed of 0.07%–1.09% CO2, 0.33–12 ppm CH4, 1.57–53 ppm H2, 800–30,241 ppm He, and 1.14%–1.86% Ar. The He content in this area is notably higher than that in other dormant volcanoes in China. This difference is possibly caused by U–Th decay in the Mesozoic granodiorite and acidic volcanic rocks in the study area, which can produce substantial radiogenic He. The soil gas concentrations near the Jinjianggou and Yinjianggou hot springs are higher than those of two Holocene volcanoes. The peak CO2 concentration in the soil near the Jinjianggou hot spring can reach 35,161 ppm. The single-site soil microseepage CO2 flux in the Arxan volcanic field is 4.66–107.18 g m−2 d−1, and the estimated annual CO2 emission flux from the volcanic field to the atmosphere is 0.63 × 105 t, which also demonstrates that soil CO2 flux of Arxan volcano is comparable to the soil CO2 emission level of the Iwojima volcano.

The droplet size, zeta potential, interface protein adsorption rate, physical stability and microrheological properties of high-pressure-homogenization (HPH)-modified, dual-protein-based whey–soy (whey protein isolate—soy protein isolate) emulsions containing different oil phase concentrations (5%, 10% and 15%; w/w) were compared in this paper. The in vitro digestion characteristics and storage stability of the dual-protein emulsions before and after HPH treatment were also explored. The results show that with an increase in the oil phase concentration, the droplet size and interface protein adsorption rate of the untreated dual-protein emulsions increased, while the absolute value of the zeta potential decreased. When the oil phase concentration was 10% (w/w), HPH treatment could significantly reduce the droplet size of the dual-protein emulsion, increase the interface protein adsorption rate, and improve the elasticity of the emulsion. Compared with other oil phase concentrations, the physical stability of the dual-protein emulsion containing a 10% (w/w) oil phase concentration was the best, so the in vitro digestion characteristics and storage stability of the emulsions were studied. Compared with the control group, the droplet size of the HPH-modified dual-protein emulsion was significantly reduced after gastrointestinal digestion, and the in vitro digestibility and release of free amino groups both significantly increased. The storage stability results show that the HPH-modified dual-protein emulsion showed good stability under different storage methods, and the storage stability of the steam-sterilized dual-protein emulsion stored at room temperature was the best. These results provide a theoretical basis for the development of new nutritional and healthy dual-protein liquid products.

Background: Tanreqing injection (TRQI) is a Chinese patent medicine. It is commonly used in the treatment of acute exacerbation of COPD in China. It substantially improves the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), and lung function in patients with COPD combined with respiratory failure (RF) and improves the total clinical effective rate. Materials and methods: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the treatment of COPD combined with RF with TRQI were collected through search of PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, CBM, VIP, Wanfang, and CNKI up to October 2, 022. Two investigators in this study independently evaluated the quality of the literature and utilized RevMan 5.4 software for analysis. In network pharmacology, TCMSP database, PubChem database, DisGeNet, Genecards, and other databases were searched to screen the chemical components and targets of TRQI and mapped with COPD-RF targets to obtain potential action targets, which were then analyzed using bioinformatics techniques to initially explore their effects. Result: A total of 18 RCTs containing 1485 patients, showed that TRQI combined with conventional treatment improved the total clinical efficiency of patients with COPD combined with RF compared with that of the conventional treatment group ([RR = 1.33, 95% CI (1.25, 1.41), P

ABSTRACT: This experiment aimed to explore the interaction of β-1,3-glucan and Clostridium perfringens on the growth performance, intestinal health and cecal microflora of broilers. A total of 384 one-day-old Arbor Acre broilers were sorted into 4 treatments with 6 replications. There were 2 factors in this trial: dietary β-1,3-glucan addition including 0 and 250 mg/kg, intestinal enteritis challenged with Clostridium perfringens attack or not. Results showed that Clostridium perfringens infection disrupted the integrity of the intestinal mucosa by reducing the jejunal Occludin and Claudin-1 mRNA expression of broiler chickens at 21 d of age (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, when considering Clostridium perfringens as the main effect, it also decreased the mRNA expression of the glucose transporter recombinant sodium/glucose cotransporter 1 (SGLT1) at d 21 and the fatty acid transporter liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) at d 42 (P < 0.05) as well as affect cecum microbial diversity, especially in relative abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. In addition, Clostridium perfringens infection reduced body weight, daily weight gain, and feed-gain ratio (FCR) in broilers at d 42 (P < 0.05). The dietary β-1,3-glucan could alleviate intestinal mucosal damage caused by the Clostridium perfringens to some extent. When considering β-1,3-glucan as the main effect, it increased the SGLT1 at 42 d of age (P < 0.05), and stabilized gut microbiota disorder caused by Clostridium perfringens. More over dietary β-1,3-glucan addition increased body weight at 42-day-old (P < 0.05), and improved daily weight gain and FCR during 1 to 42 d (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary β-1,3-glucan could improve growth performance and intestinal health in broilers infected with Clostridium perfringens.

Due to the dual effects of fluvial and tides, the tidal sand bars in estuaries have complex sedimentary characteristics and complex internal structures, making them difficult to predict and describe. In this paper, the sedimentary dynamics numerical simulation method is used to establish a tidal-controlled estuary model. The effects of tidal range and sediment grain size on tidal sand bars are simulated. The length, width, and thickness of tidal sand bars, as well as the length and thickness of the internal shale layer, are also analyzed. The results show that in the environment of a tide-controlled estuary, the tidal range has a more significant effect on tidal sand bars compared to the sediment grain size under the specific conditions used in this study. The main effect of tidal range on tidal sand bars is that the greater the tidal range, the greater the length-to-width ratio of the sandbank, and the higher the degree of sandbank development. In a tidal-controlled estuary environment, the formation and distribution of shale layer structures are also affected by tides: the length of the shale layer increases as the tidal energy increases, but the changes in the thickness are not obvious. Numerical simulations of the development and distribution of the tidal sand bars and shale layers in estuaries based on sedimentary dynamics will provide a basis for the sedimentary evolution of tide-controlled estuaries and will provide guidance for the exploration and development of tidal estuaries.

On January 15th, 2022, a submarine volcano in Tonga erupted violently and explosively, ejecting a large amount of ash, gas and water vapor which entered the stratosphere to form a huge ash cloud. The volcanic eruption caused widespread concern at home and abroad. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the geological background, eruption history, eruption process, disaster impact, and eruption mechanism of the Tonga Volcano. This draws attention to the current activity of active volcanoes in China, especially to Changbaishan Tianchi volcano, which is the largest active volcano with most potentially catastrophic eruption risk. It warns us that we should take precautionary measures to further strengthen the monitoring and early warning of domestic volcanic hazards. Drawing on the experience of this volcanic disaster in Tonga, it is particularly important to scientifically study and judge the dynamics of volcanoes and improve the domestic volcanic disaster risk monitoring and early warning system.

This study determined the effects of rumen-protected methionine (RPM) supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilisation and plasma amino acid profiles of Liaoning cashmere goats during cashmere fibre growth. Twenty-four yearling male cashmere goats (body weight: 35.41 ± 1.13 kg) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a corn–soybean meal basal diet deficient in methionine (negative control, NC) and a basal diet supplemented with 1, 2 and 3 g/kg of RPM. The RPM supplementation quadratically increased the average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the feed to gain ratio (p = 0.001) without affecting the final body weight and dry matter intake. In particular, compared to NC, 2 g/kg RPM supplementation increased the ADG by 35 g/d (p < 0.001) and resulted in the lowest feed to gain ratio (p < 0.001). RPM increased the apparent total tract digestibility of N and decreased the faecal N levels, both in a linear fashion (p = 0.005). Urinary N levels did not have an effect, but the N retention levels increased linearly with PRM (p = 0.032). Moreover, the RPM decreased the plasma urea N levels (p < 0.001) and increased the plasma Met levels quadratically (p < 0.001). In conclusion, RPM supplementation in the diet of cashmere goats can enhance the utilisation of N and improve ADG during the cashmere fibre growing period, and 2 g/kg of RPM in the diet is suggested.

It has been proven that high-pressure homogenization (HPH) could improve the functional properties of proteins by modifying their structure. This study researched the effect of HPH on the structural and functional properties of whey-soy dual-protein (Soy Protein Isolation-Whey Protein Isolation, SPI-WPI). Different protein solution samples were treated with HPH at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 MPa, and the structure changed under different pressures was analyzed by measuring particle size, zeta potential, Fourier infrared spectrum (FTIR), fluorescence spectrum and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that HPH significantly reduced the particle size of SPI-WPI, changed the secondary and tertiary structures and improved the hydrophobic interaction between molecules. In addition, HPH significantly improved the solubility and emulsification of all proteins, and the improvement effect on SPI-WPI was significantly better than SPI and WPI. It was found that SPI-WPI treated with 60 MPa had the best physicochemical properties. Secondly, we researched the effect of HPH by 60 MPa on the emulsion properties of SPI-WPI. In this study, the SPI-WPI had the lowest surface tension compared to a single protein after HPH treatment. The emulsion droplet size was obviously decreased, and the elastic properties and physical stability of SPI-WPI emulsion were significantly enhanced. In conclusion, this study will provide a theoretical basis for the application of HPH in modifying the structure of dual-protein to improve its development and utilization in liquid specialty food.

Route guidance strategies are an important part of advanced traveler information systems, which are a subsystem of intelligent transportation systems (ITSs). In previous research, many scholars have proposed a variety of route guidance strategies to guide vehicles in order to relieve traffic congestion, but few scholars have considered a strategy to control transportation infrastructure. In this paper, to cope with tidal traffic, we propose a dynamic lane reversal strategy (DLRS) based on the density of congestion clusters over the total road region. When the density reaches 0.37, the reversible lane converts to the opposite direction. When the density falls off to below 0.22, the reversible lane returns back to the conventional direction. The simulation results show that the DLRS has better adaptability for coping with the fluctuation in tidal traffic.

Carrier reuse technology is an important method to reduce the cost of Passive Optical Networks (PON) and multiplexing technology is the main method to improve the transmission capacity of PON. A PON system is designed in this paper. By combing the Subcarrier Multiplexing (SCM) and Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology, the transmission capacity of PON is increased significantly. The passive reflection filter is used in the system to realize carrier reuse, which greatly reduces the system cost. In the SCM/WDM-PON system, the carrier reuse is achieved by the reflection filter, which is built in the Optisystem software. Using 3 and 6 GHz radio frequency signals as subcarriers in the SCM system, 8 wavelengths signal with a wavelength interval of 200 GHz ranging from 193.1~194.5 THz are used as optical carriers in WDM, and the data rate of users for uplink and downlink transmission is 1 Gbit/s. The effects of the reflection coefficient, optical carrier power and transmission distance on uplink and downlink data transmission performance are studied. When the reflection coefficient of the reflection filter is 97%, the overall system performance is optimal with the optical carrier power of 5 dBm and the transmission distance less than 27.2 km.

ObjectiveTo estimate whether the new obesity indicator tri-ponderal mass index (TMI) has a better capacity to predict adolescent hypertension (HTN) and HTN subtypes at three separate blood pressure (BP) visits than the conventionally used body mass index (BMI).MethodsA total of 36,950 adolescents who had initial normal BP from 2012 to 2019 were included in Suzhou, China. HTN was defined as having three separate visits of elevated BP in 2020. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), false-positive rate, false-negative rate, total misclassification rates, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement were calculated to compare the discriminative ability of HTN between BMI and TMI.ResultsTMI had better predictive abilities than BMI among all of the participants when predicting HTN (difference in AUC = 0.019, 95% CI = 0.007–0.031; NRI = 0.067, 95% CI = 0.008–0.127) and isolated systolic hypertension (difference in AUC = 0.021, 95% CI = 0.005–0.036; NRI = 0.106, 95% CI = 0.029–0.183). The difference in prediction abilities between BMI and TMI was more obvious in the subgroup of age ≥16. Also, TMI outperformed BMI in predicting adolescent HTN in girls but not in boys.ConclusionCompared with BMI, TMI may have a better predictive capacity for HTN, particularly in girls and older adolescents. TMI has the potential to be used as an effective predictor for HTN in clinic practice. Further studies are needed to verify the utility of TMI.