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Abstract The incidence of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is significantly higher than that of other neuroendocrine disorders, but the mechanism is still elusive. We used mass spectrometry to identify differentially expressed proteins in cerebrospinal fluid samples from a well-characterized cohort of patients. A total of 683 proteins were identified, including 39 upregulated proteins in the GHD group. ADAM9 was most highly associated with GHD. In vivo, ADAM9 colocalized with M1 microglia markers, GH and cognitive ability of mice decreased significantly, and microglia secreted ADAM9 significantly. ADAM9 regulates pyroptosis of GHRH neurons by the Mad2L2-JNK-caspase-1 pathway. Sorafenib inhibits ADAM9 secretion by microglia and improves GH levels and the cognitive ability of mice. This study found that the crosstalk between GHRH neurons and neuroglial cells in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, i.e., microglia, is an essential factor in the formation of GHD in SAH. We propose that neutralization of ADAM9 production by microglia might be a potential therapy for GHD after SAH. Graphical abstract

Abstract Few aerobic hyperthermophilic microorganisms degrade polysaccharides. Here, we describe the genome-enabled enrichment and optical tweezer-based isolation of an aerobic polysaccharide-degrading hyperthermophile, Fervidibacter sacchari, previously ascribed to candidate phylum Fervidibacteria. F. sacchari uses polysaccharides and monosaccharides for growth at 65–87.5 °C and expresses 191 carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) according to RNA-Seq and proteomics, including 31 with unusual glycoside hydrolase domains (GH109, GH177, GH179). Fluorescence in-situ hybridization and nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry confirmed rapid assimilation of 13C-starch in spring sediments. Purified GHs were optimally active at 80–100 °C on ten different polysaccharides. Finally, we propose reassigning Fervidibacteria as a class within phylum Armatimonadota, along with 18 other species, and show that a high number and diversity of CAZymes is a hallmark of the phylum, in both aerobic and anaerobic lineages. Our study establishes Fervidibacteria as hyperthermophilic polysaccharide degraders in terrestrial geothermal springs and suggests a broad role for Armatimonadota in polysaccharide catabolism.

Abstract G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), the largest family of membrane proteins in human body, involve a great variety of biological processes and thus have become highly valuable drug targets. By binding with ligands (e.g., drugs), GPCRs switch between active and inactive conformational states, thereby performing functions such as signal transmission. The changes in binding pockets under different states are important for a better understanding of drug-target interactions. Therefore it is critical, as well as a practical need, to obtain binding sites in human GPCR structures. We report a database (called GPCR-BSD) that collects 127,990 predicted binding sites of 803 GPCRs under active and inactive states (thus 1,606 structures in total). The binding sites were identified from the predicted GPCR structures by executing three geometric-based pocket prediction methods, fpocket, CavityPlus and GHECOM. The server provides query, visualization, and comparison of the predicted binding sites for both GPCR predicted and experimentally determined structures recorded in PDB. We evaluated the identified pockets of 132 experimentally determined human GPCR structures in terms of pocket residue coverage, pocket center distance and redocking accuracy. The evaluation showed that fpocket and CavityPlus methods performed better and successfully predicted orthosteric binding sites in over 60% of the 132 experimentally determined structures. The GPCR Binding Site database is freely accessible at https://gpcrbs.bigdata.jcmsc.cn . This study not only provides a systematic evaluation of the commonly-used fpocket and CavityPlus methods for the first time but also meets the need for binding site information in GPCR studies.

Abstract Background Oral Health Literacy (OHL), defined as an ability to obtain, understand, and apply information related to oral health, plays a crucial role in promoting effective oral health outcomes and behaviors. Given the pressing need to enhance oral health among older adults, this scoping review aims to summarize the impact of OHL on oral health behaviors and outcomes in this population. Methods The authors performed an electronic search up through July 22, 2024. Among the 2,226 articles identified, the authors included studies in which the investigators evaluated the association between OHL and oral health behaviors or outcomes restricted to individuals aged 60 years and older. Thematic analysis was used to develop the domain for oral health behaviors or outcomes. Results Among the 10 studies analyzed, significant correlations were identified between OHL and various oral health indicators, including periodontitis, the number of remaining teeth, dental prosthesis use, oral hygiene, oral health-related quality of life among men, as well as dissatisfaction with oral health (p

In this study, on the basis of single factor experiments, the effects of raw material mass concentration, ethanol volume fraction, ultrasonic power, extraction temperature, and extraction time on the lipase inhibition activity of mulberry leaves extract were investigated in combination with response surface methodology to optimize the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of the lipase-inhibiting components of mulberry leaves. Meanwhile, the active ingredients of mulberry leaves extract were analyzed by UPLC-Q-TOF HRMS. The results showed that the optimal extraction process parameters for the lipase-inhibiting components of mulberry leaves were as follows: The mass concentration of raw material was 0.05 g/mL, volume fraction of ethanol was 70%, ultrasonic power was 195 W, extraction temperature was 31 ℃ and the extraction time was 40 min. Under these conditions, the lipase inhibition rate of mulberry leaves extract was 39.68%. A total of 1067 compounds were identified. Flavonoids and phenolic acids accounted for the highest proportion, containing 203 and 201 compounds, respectively. These compounds might be the material basis for the lipase inhibiting activity of mulberry leaves extract. In this study, the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of mulberry leaves was optimized to improve the extraction efficiency of the lipase-inhibiting active components, and the main active ingredients were analyzed. The results may provide a reference for the functional application of mulberry leaves in improving lipid metabolism and the development of health food.

Outbreaks of airborne infections during meal consumption in diverse restaurant settings have been extensively reported. It is widely recognized that effective ventilation strategies are essential to minimize the infection risk in indoor environments, and these strategies should be tailored to the heat sources. The purpose of this study is to compare the spatial distribution of risk in restaurant rooms that use mixing or displacement ventilation, specifically focusing on the heat sources used for different food types, namely hotpot, normal Chinese food, and iced food. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to assess exposure risk. Our results indicate that the use of low-temperature heat sources can elevate the risk of infection by increasing the local vertical temperature gradient. In comparison to no heat source, the risk increased by 190.9% and 99.6% for displacement and mixing ventilation strategies, respectively. Under mixing ventilation, both low-temperature and no heat sources showed lower infection risks when compared to displacement ventilation. However, displacement ventilation is found to be highly effective in reducing the risk of infection when using a high-temperature heat source, with only 12.3% of the infection risk observed in mixing ventilation. Furthermore, the use of displacement ventilation resulted in a significant reduction in the odors emitted by hotpot, which were instead absorbed by clothes in the mixing ventilation scenario. Our findings provide crucial insights into the development of appropriate ventilation strategies for reducing personal exposure to airborne infections in diverse restaurant settings. Specifically, we recommend using displacement ventilation in restaurants that utilize high-temperature heat sources, as it can substantially reduce the risk of infection.

Diabetic ureteral injury (DUI) is a condition characterized by damage to the ureter, causing functional and morphological changes in the urinary system, which have a significant impact on a quality of life and requires appropriate medical treatment. The present study describes to novel design of luteolin (LT), a type of natural flavonoid, encapsulated selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) to attain therapeutic potential for DUI. The physico-chemical characterizations of prepared Se NPs have benefitted zeta potential (−18 mV) and particle size (10–50 nm). In vitro assays were demonstrated the potential of LT-SeNPs by HEK 293 cells stimulated by STZ for DUI. Cytotoxicity assays on HEK 293 and NIH-3T3 showed >90% cell viability, which demonstrates the suitability of the nanoformulation for DUI treatment. The LT-SeNPs significantly inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome through Nrf2/ARE pathway, which benefits for DUI treatment. The developed LT-SeNPs could be an effective formulation for the DUI therapy.

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is a sleep-disordered breathing characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH) that may cause cognitive dysfunction. However, the impact of IH on molecular processes involved in cognitive function remains unclear. Methods C57BL / 6 J mice were exposed to either normoxia (control) or IH for 6 weeks. DNA hydroxymethylation was quantified by hydroxymethylated DNA immunoprecipitation (hMeDIP) sequencing. ten-eleven translocation 1 (Tet1) was knocked down by lentivirus. Specifically, cognitive function was assessed by behavioral experiments, pathological features were assessed by HE staining, the hippocampal DNA hydroxymethylation was examined by DNA dot blot and immunohistochemical staining, while the Wnt signaling pathway and its downstream effects were studied using qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and Luminex liquid suspension chip analysis. Results IH mice showed pathological changes and cognitive dysfunction in the hippocampus. Compared with the control group, IH mice exhibited global DNA hydroxylmethylation in the hippocampus, and the expression of three hydroxylmethylases increased significantly. The Wnt signaling pathway was activated, and the mRNA and 5hmC levels of Wnt3a, Ccnd2, and Prickle2 were significantly up-regulated. Further caused downstream neurogenesis abnormalities and neuroinflammatory activation, manifested as increased expression of IBA1 (a marker of microglia), GFAP (a marker of astrocytes), and DCX (a marker of immature neurons), as well as a range of inflammatory cytokines (e.g. TNFa, IL3, IL9, and IL17A). After Tet1 knocked down, the above indicators return to normal. Conclusion Activation of Wnt signaling pathway by hippocampal Tet1 is associated with cognitive dysfunction induced by IH. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background To study and compare the effects of clear aligners without brackets and traditional fixed aligners in orthodontic treatment. Methods The samples were collected from January 2022 to April 2023. The control group (n = 26) received orthodontic treatment using traditional fixed appliances. The research group (n = 20) received orthodontic treatment using the clear aligners without brackets. Compare the therapeutic effects and related evaluation indicators between two groups. Results The total effective ratio was compared between the 2 groups, and the study group was greater(P

Abstract Climate models commonly overestimate warm rain frequency and underestimate its intensity over the ocean, primarily due to insufficient representation of the aerosol effects. This pertains to both fine aerosols (FA) and coarse sea spray aerosols (CSA), where the latter is mostly absent in the models. Here, our observations show that adding CSA enhances vertical warm rain structure, in contrast to the effect of FA. The magnitude of the effect of CSA is larger than the opposite effect of the FA. For rain with top heights of 2–3 km, the raindrop size, concentration, and rain rate can be increased by factors of 1.03, 1.47, and 1.60, respectively. These CSA-induced changes are larger for thicker clouds, reaching a maximum by factors of 1.12, 1.85, and 2.21, respectively. Therefore, the combined FA and CSA effects should be incorporated into climate models for accurately simulated precipitation microphysical processes.

Formaldehyde is an important carcinogen commonly found indoors. Its indoor sources have been intensively investigated. But study on outdoor formaldehyde concentration, which is potentially an important source to indoors, remains scarce. This study attempts to characterize temporal and spatial distribution of the atmospheric formaldehyde concentration in Chinese cities. Diurnal variation of ambient formaldehyde was examined in 6 cities and peak hours were identified between 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm. Consequently, outdoor formaldehyde concentrations were measured in the peak hours in 30 cities during the summer months of Jul.-Aug., 2022. The formaldehyde concentrations in the peak hours fell into a range of 0.005–0.087 mg/m3 (median value is 0.027 mg/m3), 87.7% of which have exceeded the chronic reference exposure criteria of 0.009 mg/m3 set by Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Health risk analysis suggests that exposure to ambient formaldehyde could cause a median carcinogenic risk of 1.9 × 10−5 (3.17×10−6–6.13×10−5), higher than threshold limit of 10−6. Pearson correlation analysis of the 30 cities shows that ambient summertime atmospheric formaldehyde concentrations of the city are positively correlated with its Gross Domestic Product (r = 0.48). We also found that the outdoor formaldehyde concentrations in urban areas (median: 0.017 mg/m3) is slightly higher than those in suburban areas (median: 0.013 mg/m3). Results here prove that outdoor formaldehyde is ubiquitous in Chinese cities and reduces effectiveness of ventilation in dilution indoor concentrations. Neglecting it would underestimate air cleaner capacity needed by a factor of about two. It should be accounted for in health analysis and air quality engineering control design of built environment in the future.

Abstract We construct the generalized $$\beta $$ β and (q, t)-deformed partition functions through W representations, where the expansions are respectively with respect to the generalized Jack and Macdonald polynomials labeled by N-tuple of Young diagrams. We find that there are the profound interrelations between our deformed partition functions and the 4d and 5d Nekrasov partition functions. Since the corresponding Nekrasov partition functions can be given by vertex operators, the remarkable connection between our $$\beta $$ β and (q, t)-deformed W-operators and vertex operators is revealed in this paper. In addition, we investigate the higher Hamiltonians for the generalized Jack and Macdonald polynomials.

Abstract Objectives To compare the clinical efficacy and safety of single-use and reusable digital flexible ureteroscopy for the treatment of lower pole stones. Methods We enrolled 135 patients underwent reusable flexible ureteroscopy (FURS) and 78 patients underwent single-use digital FURS. Demographic, clinical variables, anatomical parameters of the lower calyx and perioperative indicators were compared in the two groups. Results Thirty-six patients in the infundibuloureter angle (IPA) 0.05). In terms of the success rate of lithotripsy, there was also no statistical difference in the IPA ≥ 45° subgroup (P > 0.05), whereas single-use FURS was superior in the IPA 0.05). Conclusions Single-use and reusable FURS are alternative methods for removal of lower pole stones (i.e., 2 cm or less). Single-use FURS has a high success rate of lithotripsy, shorter operation time, and high stone-free rate.

Abstract The early phases of clathrin mediated endocytosis are organized through a highly complex interaction network mediated by clathrin associated sorting proteins (CLASPs) that comprise long intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs). AP180 is a CLASP exclusively expressed in neurons and comprises a long IDR of around 600 residues, whose function remains partially elusive. Using NMR spectroscopy, we discovered an extended and strong interaction site within AP180 with the major adaptor protein AP2, and describe its binding dynamics at atomic resolution. We find that the 70 residue-long site determines the overall interaction between AP180 and AP2 in a dynamic equilibrium between its bound and unbound states, while weaker binding sites contribute to the overall affinity at much higher concentrations of AP2. Our data suggest that this particular interaction site might play a central role in recruitment of adaptors to the clathrin coated pit, whereas more transient and promiscuous interactions allow reshaping of the interaction network until cargo uptake inside a coated vesicle.

Abstract Thermal comfort studies are usually employed to find subjective thermal responses [indicated by neutral temperature (NT), i.e. the temperature with no thermal stress] of residents from a region towards thermal environments. According to the recently published works in the literature, NTs are affected by many factors, such as geographical location and microenvironments. To elucidate the origins of these effects, the impact of microenvironment elements around a water surface on pedestrians’ thermal perceptions was systematically investigated in this work. The Fujiang River (FJR) in Mianyang City was taken as the sample site. The municipal meteorology station is located next to the site by around 2.5 km. By performing meteorology measurements combining questionnaires, it was found that the riverside NT (indicated by physiologically equivalent temperature, PET) of Mianyang in the summer of 2023 was 21.4 °C. The relationship between the distance from the water (DFW) and NT was quadratic linear. The same phenomenon took place by using either PET or Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indexes. Meanwhile, the meteorological contexts also affected NTs, including relative humidity (RH) and air velocity (Va). Regarding RH, the NPET increased from 15.2 °C (RH = 50%) to 26.9 °C (RH = 90%). In contrast, the NPET dropped from 23.0 to − 50.6 °C when the Va increased from 0.2 to 2.5 m/s, respectively. From our analysis, it was demonstrated that human thermal responses are significantly affected by both the microenvironmental and meteorological backgrounds around the water surface. Our work provides valuable insights for the proper use of water surfaces in urban design for adjusting thermal comfort.

Abstract Background Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) in the elderly increase refracture risk post-surgery, leading to higher mortality rates. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified susceptibility genes for osteoporosis, but the phenotypic variance explained by these genes has been limited, indicating the need to explore additional causal factors. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, may influence osteoporosis and refracture risk. However, prospective cohorts for assessing epigenetic alterations in Chinese elderly patients are lacking. Here, we propose to conduct a prospective cohort study to investigate the causal network of DNA polymorphisms, DNA methylation, and environmental factors on the development of osteoporosis and the risk of refracture. Methods We will collect vertebral and peripheral blood from 500 elderly OVCF patients undergoing surgery, extract DNA, and generate whole genome genotype data and DNA methylation data. Observation indicators will be collected and combined with one-year follow-up data. A healthy control group will be selected from a natural population cohort. Epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS) of osteoporosis and bone mineral density will be conducted. Differential methylation analysis will compare candidate gene methylation patterns in patients with and without refracture. Multi-omics prediction models using genetic variants and DNA methylation sites will be built to predict OVCF risk. Discussion This study will be the first large-scale population-based study of osteoporosis and bone mineral density phenotypes based on genome-wide data, multi-time point methylation data, and phenotype data. By analyzing methylation changes related to osteoporosis and bone mineral density in OVCF patients, the study will explore the feasibility of DNA methylation in evaluating postoperative osteoporosis intervention effects. The findings may identify new molecular markers for effective anti-osteoporosis treatment and inform individualized prevention and treatment strategies. Trial registration chictr.org.cn ChiCTR2200065316, 02/11/2022.

Abstract Background The geographic patterns of plant diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) have been widely studied, but few studies have focused on wetland plants. This study quantified the geographic patterns of wetland plant diversity in the QTP through a comprehensive analysis of taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional indices. Methods Based on a large number of floras, monographs, specimens and field survey data, we constructed a comprehensive dataset of 1,958 wetland plant species in the QTP. Species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), functional diversity (FD), net relatedness index (NRI) and net functional relatedness index (NFRI) were used to assess the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of wetland plants. We explored the relationships between the diversity indices and four categories of environmental variables (i.e. energy-water, climate seasonality, topography and human activities). We used four diversity indices, namely endemic species richness, weighted endemism, phylogenetic endemism and functional endemism, together with the categorical analysis of neo- and paleo-endemism (CANAPE), to identify the endemic centers of wetland plants in the QTP. Results SR, PD and FD were highly consistent and showed a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest, decreasing with increasing elevation. The phylogenetic structure of wetland plant assemblages in most parts of the plateau is mainly clustered. The functional structure of wetland plant assemblages in the southeast of the plateau is overdispersed, while the functional structure of wetland plant assemblages in other areas is clustered. Energy-water and climate seasonality were the two most important categories of variables affecting wetland plant diversity. Environmental variables had a greater effect on the functional structure of wetland plants than on the phylogenetic structure. This study identified seven endemic centres, mainly in the Himalayas and Hengduan Mountains. Conclusions Climate and topography are the main factors determining the geographic distribution of wetland plant diversity at large scales. The majority of grid cells in the QTP with significant phylogenetic endemism were mixed and super-endemism. At large scales, compared to climate and topography, human activities may not have a negative impact on wetland plant diversity in the QTP.

Abstract Backgrounds Microfibril-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) is a protein presenting in the extracellular matrix that governs the activity of microfibrils through its interaction with fibrillin. While the involvement of MFAP2 in metabolic disorders has been documented, its expression and prognostic significance in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remain unexplored. Methods We acquired datasets pertaining to breast cancer (BC) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. Next, a Venn diagram was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs were used to perform Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein–protein interaction (PPI), immune and survival analysis. The expressions of MFAP2, PD-1 and PD-L1 were examined by immunohistochemistry and western blot and their relationship with clinical pathological parameters were analyzed by clinical specimen samples from patients with TNBC. Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER, https://cistrome.shinyapps.io/timer/ ) was adopted to calculate the immune infiltration level of TNBC. The link between gene expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) was described using Spearman’s correlation analysis. Results We identified 66 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that were up-regulated. Among these DEGs, MFAP2 was found to be overexpressed in TNBC and was associated with a lower probability of survival. This finding was confirmed through the use of immunohistochemistry and western blot techniques. Additionally, MFAP2 was found to be related to various pathological parameters in TNBC patients. Mechanistically, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that MFAP2 primarily influenced cellular biological behavior in terms of epithelial mesenchymal transition, glycolysis, and apical junction. Notably, MFAP2 expression was positively correlated with the abundance of macrophages, while a negative correlation was observed with the abundance of B cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, neutrophils and dendritic cells through immune analysis. Furthermore, it was observed that MFAP2 displayed a negative correlation not only with tumor mutational burden (TMB), a recognized biomarker for PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, but also with PD-L1 in samples of TNBC. Conclusion MFAP2 may be an important prognostic biomarker for TNBC, as well as a viable target for immunotherapy in this disease.

Desmin is a type III intermediate filament protein specifically expressed in muscle cells, which is encoded by the DES gene. Defects in the desmin protein and cytoskeletal instability may interfere with cardiac muscle conduction signals, a fundamental mechanism for arrhythmias in patients with desmin-related myopathy. This current case report presents a female patient in her early 20s who presented with early-onset complete atrioventricular block and complete left bundle branch block over the previous decade. More recently, she had developed ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation and other arrhythmias. Echocardiography revealed non-compaction of the ventricular myocardium and pulmonary hypertension. Whole-exome sequencing analysis identified a heterozygous missense mutation in the DES gene: c.1216C>T (p.Arg406Trp). She was eventually diagnosed with arrhythmias due to desmin-related myopathy. A literature review of international databases was undertaken to summarise the clinical characteristics of the cardiac involvement associated with this DES gene mutation.

Sustainable food supply chain management (SFSC) can control food loss and waste by reducing resource consumption and environmental pollution, thereby ensuring sustainable food consumption and production patterns. Scholars have investigated specific aspects or links in SFSC but rarely studied the sustainability evaluation and selection of a whole supply chain to provide management suggestions under uncertain decision-making environments. This paper presents a comprehensive multiple criteria decision-making method called the SMAA-ORESTE method for SFSC selection. To reduce experts’ efforts, the holistic acceptability index in the SMAA-2 method is used to screen inferior SFSCs from a large number of alternatives. Then, the ORESTE method is combined with the SMAA method to evaluate SFSCs under uncertain information. The ORESTE method can specifically analyze the relationship between alternatives, and the SMAA method can analyze alternatives with unknown criteria weights by Monte Carlo simulation. The proposed method ensures the robustness and credibility of obtained ranking results. An illustrative example validates the applicability and robustness of the proposed method in selecting SFSCs with unknown criteria weights.

Cavitation generated during injector jetting can significantly affect fuel atomization. Laser-induced cavitation bubble is an important phenomenon in laser induced plasma ignition technology. Limited by the difficulties in experimental measurements, numerical simulations have become an important tool in the study of laser-induced cavitation bubble, but most previous numerical models used to study the dynamics of laser-induced cavitation bubble usually ignore the effect of chemical reactions. In this study, the finite volume method is used to solve the compressible two-dimensional reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equation by considering the heat and mass transfer as well as the chemical reactions within the cavitation bubble. The effects of overall reaction and elementary reactions on the cavitation bubble are evaluated, respectively. It is found that by additionally considering chemical reactions within the numerical model, lower maximum temperatures and higher maximum pressures are predicted within the bubble. And the generated non-condensable gases produced by the chemical reactions enhance the subsequent expansion process of the cavitation bubble. Besides, the effect of the one-sided wall boundary condition on cavitation bubble is compared with the infinite boundary condition. Influenced by the wall boundary, the cavitation bubble forms a localized high pressure on the side of the bubble away from the wall during the collapse process, which causes the bubble to be compressed into a ”crescent” shape. The maximum pressure and temperature inside the bubble are lower due to localized losses caused by the wall.

Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by Mycoplasma bovis. It is particularly prevalent in calves, posing a significant threat to animal health and leading to substantial economic losses. Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction is often used to treat this condition in veterinary clinics. It exhibits robust anti-inflammatory effects and can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to preliminarily explore the molecular mechanism of Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction for treating mycoplasma pneumonia in calves through a combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulation methods, and experimental validation. The active components and related targets of Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction were extracted from several public databases. Additionally, complex interactions between drugs and targets were explored through network topology, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. Subsequently, the binding affinity of drug to disease-related targets was verified through molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. Finally, the pharmacodynamics were verified via animal experiments. The primary network topology analysis revealed two core targets and 10 key active components of Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction against Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis showed that the mechanism of Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction for treating mycoplasma bovis pneumonia involved multiple signaling pathways, with the main pathways including PI3K-Akt and IL17 signaling pathways. Moreover, molecular docking predicted the binding affinity and conformation of the core targets of Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction, IL6, and IL10, with the associated main active ingredients. The results showed a strong binding of the active ingredients to the hub target. Further, molecular docking dynamics simulation revealed three key active components of IL10 induced by Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction against Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia. Finally, animal experiments confirmed Dang-Shen-Yu-Xing decoction pharmacodynamics, suggesting that it holds potential as an alternative therapy for treating mycoplasma bovis pneumonia.

The question whether interference with the ubiquitous splicing machinery can lead to cell-type specific perturbation of cellular function is addressed here by T cell specific ablation of the general U5 snRNP assembly factor CD2BP2/U5–52K. This protein defines the family of nuclear GYF domain containing proteins that are ubiquitously expressed in eukaryotes with essential functions ascribed to early embryogenesis and organ function. Abrogating CD2BP2/U5–52K in T cells, allows us to delineate the consequences of splicing machinery interferences for T cell development and function. Increased T cell lymphopenia and T cell death are observed upon depletion of CD2BP2/U5–52K. A substantial increase in exon skipping coincides with the observed defect in the proliferation/differentiation balance in the absence of CD2BP2/U5–52K. Prominently, skipping of exon 7 in Mdm4 is observed, coinciding with upregulation of pro-apoptotic gene expression profiles upon CD2BP2/U5–52K depletion. Furthermore, we observe enhanced sensitivity of naïve T cells compared to memory T cells to changes in CD2BP2/U5–52K levels, indicating that depletion of this general splicing factor leads to modulation of T cell homeostasis. Given the recent structural characterization of the U5 snRNP and the crosslinking mass spectrometry data given here, design of inhibitors of the U5 snRNP conceivably offers new ways to manipulate T cell function in settings of disease.

Regulating planting density and nitrogen (N) fertilization could delay chlorophyll (Chl) degradation and leaf senescence in maize cultivars. This study measured changes in ear leaf green area (GLAear), Chl content, the activities of Chl a-degrading enzymes after silking, and the post-silking dry matter accumulation and grain yield under multiple planting densities and N fertilization rates. The dynamic change of GLAear after silking fitted to the logistic model, and the GLAear duration and the GLAear at 42 d after silking were affected mainly by the duration of the initial senescence period (T1) which was a key factor of the leaf senescence. The average chlorophyllase (CLH) activity was 8.3 times higher than pheophytinase activity and contributed most to the Chl content, indicating that CLH is a key enzyme for degrading Chl a in maize. Increasing density increased the CLH activity and decreased the Chl content, T1, GLAear, and GLAear duration. Under high density, appropriate N application reduced CLH activity, increased Chl content, prolonged T1, alleviated high-density-induced leaf senescence, and increased post-silking dry matter accumulation and grain yield.

Abstract An important epigenetic component of tyrosine kinase signaling is the phosphorylation of histones, and epigenetic readers, writers, and erasers. Phosphorylation of protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs), have been shown to enhance and impair their enzymatic activity. In this study, we show that the hyperactivation of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) by the V617F mutation phosphorylates tyrosine residues (Y149 and Y334) in coactivator-associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), an important target in hematologic malignancies, increasing its methyltransferase activity and altering its target specificity. While non-phosphorylatable CARM1 methylates some established substrates (e.g. BAF155 and PABP1), only phospho-CARM1 methylates the RUNX1 transcription factor, on R223 and R319. Furthermore, cells expressing non-phosphorylatable CARM1 have impaired cell-cycle progression and increased apoptosis, compared to cells expressing phosphorylatable, wild-type CARM1, with reduced expression of genes associated with G2/M cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis. The presence of the JAK2-V617F mutant kinase renders acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells less sensitive to CARM1 inhibition, and we show that the dual targeting of JAK2 and CARM1 is more effective than monotherapy in AML cells expressing phospho-CARM1. Thus, the phosphorylation of CARM1 by hyperactivated JAK2 regulates its methyltransferase activity, helps select its substrates, and is required for the maximal proliferation of malignant myeloid cells.

Abstract The functions of cellular organelles and sub-compartments depend on their protein content, which can be characterized by spatial proteomics approaches. However, many spatial proteomics methods are limited in their ability to resolve organellar sub-compartments, profile multiple sub-compartments in parallel, and/or characterize membrane-associated proteomes. Here, we develop a cross-link assisted spatial proteomics (CLASP) strategy that addresses these shortcomings. Using human mitochondria as a model system, we show that CLASP can elucidate spatial proteomes of all mitochondrial sub-compartments and provide topological insight into the mitochondrial membrane proteome. Biochemical and imaging-based follow-up studies confirm that CLASP allows discovering mitochondria-associated proteins and revising previous protein sub-compartment localization and membrane topology data. We also validate the CLASP concept in synaptic vesicles, demonstrating its applicability to different sub-cellular compartments. This study extends the scope of cross-linking mass spectrometry beyond protein structure and interaction analysis towards spatial proteomics, and establishes a method for concomitant profiling of sub-organelle and membrane proteomes.

Abstract Aims A therapeutic strategy for chronic heart failure (HF) is to lower resting heart rate (HR). Ivabradine is a well‐known HR‐lowering agent, but limited prospective data exist regarding its use in Chinese patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine in Chinese patients with chronic HF. Methods and results This multicentre, single‐arm, prospective, observational study enrolled Chinese patients with chronic HF. The primary outcome was change from baseline in HR at 1 and 6 months, measured by pulse counting. Effectiveness was also evaluated using laboratory tests, the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) clinical summary score (CSS) and overall summary score (OSS), and New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed. A post hoc analysis examined the effectiveness and safety of ivabradine combined with an angiotensin receptor–neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) or beta‐blocker. A total of 1003 patients were enrolled [mean age 54.4 ± 15.0 years, 773 male (77.1%), mean baseline HR 88.5 ± 11.3 b.p.m., mean blood pressure 115.7/74.4 ± 17.2/12.3 mmHg, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 30.9 ± 7.6%, NYHA Classes III and IV in 48.8% and 22.0% of patients, respectively]. HR decreased by a mean of 12.9 and 16.1 b.p.m. after 1 and 6 months, respectively (both P

Abstract Although intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)-resistant Kawasaki disease (KD) presents with persistent inflammatory stimulation of the blood vessels and an increased risk of coronary artery dilatation. However, the pathogenesis of this disease is unclear, with no established biomarkers to predict its occurrence. This study intends to explore the utility of S100A12/TLR2-related signaling molecules and clinical indicators in the predictive modeling of IVIG-resistant KD. The subjects were classified according to IVIG treatment response: 206 patients in an IVIG-sensitive KD group and 49 in an IVIG-resistant KD group. Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of S100A12, TLR2, MYD88, and NF-κB in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients, while collecting demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, and laboratory test results of KD children. Multi-factor binary logistic regression analysis identified procalcitonin (PCT) level (≥ 0.845 ng/mL), Na level (≤ 136.55 mmol/L), and the relative expression level of S100A12 (≥ 10.224) as independent risk factors for IVIG-resistant KD and developed a new scoring model with good predictive ability to predict the occurrence of IVIG-resistant KD.

Abstract Background Mechanical damage to plants triggers local and systemic electrical signals that are eventually decoded into plant defense responses. These responses are constantly affected by other environmental stimuli in nature, for instance, light fluctuation. In recent years, studies on decoding plant electrical signals powered by various machine learning models are increasing in a sense of early prediction or detection of different environmental stresses that threaten plant growth or crop yields. However, the main bottleneck is the low-throughput nature of plant electrical signals, making it challenging to obtain a substantial amount of training data. Consequently, training these models with small datasets often leads to unsatisfactory performance. Results In the present work, we set out to decode wound-induced electrical signals (also termed slow wave potentials, SWPs) from plants that are deprived of light to different extents. Using non-invasive electrophysiology, we separately collected sets of local and distal SWPs from the treated plants. Then, we proposed a workflow based on few-shot learning to automatically identify SWPs. This workflow incorporates data preprocessing, feature extraction, data augmentation and classifier training. We established the integral and the first-order derivative as features for efficiently classifying SWPs. We then proposed an Adversarial Autoencoder (AAE) structure to augment the SWP samples. Combining them, the Random Forest classifier allowed remarkable classification accuracies of 0.99 for both local and systemic SWPs. In addition, in comparison to two other reported methods, our proposed AAE structure enabled better classification results using our tested features and classifiers. Conclusions The results of this study establish new features for efficiently classifying wound-induced electrical signals, which allow for distinguishing dark-affected local and systemic plant wound responses. We also propose a new data augmentation structure to generate virtual plant electrical signals. The methods proposed in this study could be further applied to build models for crop plants using electrical signals as inputs, and also to process other small-scale signals.

Background and aims: C–C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) is a pro-inflammatory chemokine important for monocyte recruitment to the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaques. Global knockout of Ccl2 reduces plaque formation and macrophage content in mice, but the importance of different plaque cell types in mediating this effect has not been resolved. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) can adopt a potentially pro-inflammatory function with expression of CCL2. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that SMC-secreted CCL2 is involved in early atherogenesis in mice. Methods: SMC-restricted Cre recombinase was activated at 6 weeks of age in mice with homozygous floxed or wildtype Ccl2 alleles. Separate experiments in mice lacking the Cre recombinase transgene were conducted to control for genetic background effects. Hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis were induced by a tail vein injection of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) encoding proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) and a high-fat diet for 12 weeks. Results: Unexpectedly, mice with SMC-specific Ccl2 deletion developed higher levels of plasma cholesterol and larger atherosclerotic plaques with more macrophages compared with wild-type littermates. When total cholesterol levels were incorporated into the statistical analysis, none of the effects on plaque development between groups remained significant. Importantly, changes in plasma cholesterol and atherosclerosis remained in mice lacking Cre recombinase indicating that they were not caused by SMC-specific CCL2 deletion but by effects of the floxed allele or passenger genes. Conclusions: SMC-specific deficiency of Ccl2 does not significantly affect early plaque development in hypercholesterolemic mice.

The cementitious paste containing a high volume of calcined clay exhibits poor fluidity due to the thixotropic nature of the clay suspension. The study focuses on the impact of the stepwise addition of PCE and protein-based alkaline retarder (PAR) on the rheological properties of cement-calcined clay blends with varying calcined clay replacement levels. The addition sequences included prior addition (PA), simultaneous addition (SA), and delayed addition (DA) of PCE. The blends were evaluated based on their fluidity, rheology, and setting time. The results showed that the DA sequence notably improved the workability of the blends, minimizing the fluidity loss over 60 minutes and reduced the yield stress of the paste by up to 89.8 %. The adsorption of polymers on mineral particles was analyzed by total organic carbon (TOC), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Zeta potential test to reveal its mechanism. The results revealed a 17 % increase in polymer adsorption with the DA sequence, while the zeta potential of the blend experienced only a slight change. These findings suggest that the sequence of chemical admixture addition can significantly influence the working performance of cement-calcined clay blends. This provides new insights for improving the dispersion performance of these blends and promotes the application of limestone calcined clay cement.

ABSTRACTObjective To investigate the associations of the oral microbiome status with diabetes characteristics in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods A questionnaire was used to assess age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, flossing frequency, T2DM duration and complications, and a blood test was used to determine the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level. Sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from saliva samples was used to analyze the oral microbiome.Results Differential analysis revealed that Streptococcus and Weissella were significantly enriched in the late-stage group, and Capnocytophaga was significantly enriched in the early-stage group. Correlation analysis revealed that diabetes duration was positively correlated with the abundance of Streptococcus (r= 0.369, p= 0.007) and negatively correlated with the abundance of Cardiobacterium (r= -0.337, p= 0.014), and the level of HbA1c was not significantly correlated with the oral microbiome. Network analysis suggested that the poor control group had a more complex microbial network than the control group, a pattern that was similar for diabetes duration. In addition, Streptococcus has a low correlation with other microorganisms.Conclusion In elderly individuals, Streptococcus emerges as a potential biomarker linked to diabetes, exhibiting elevated abundance in diabetic patients influenced by disease exposure and limited bacterial interactions.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are alloys composed of five or more primary elements in equal or nearly equal proportions of atoms. In the present study, the thermophysical properties of the CoCrFeNiCu high entropy alloy (HEA) were investigated by a molecular dynamics (MD) method at nanoscale. The effects of the content of individual elements on lattice thermal conductivity kp were revealed, and the results suggested that adjusting the atomic content can be a way to control the lattice thermal conductivity of HEAs. The effects of temperature on kp were investigated quantitively, and a power-law relationship of kp with T−0.419 was suggested, which agrees with previous findings. The effects of temperature and the content of individual elements on volumetric specific heat capacity Cv were also studied: as the temperature increases, the Cv of all HEAs slightly decreases and then increases. The effects of atomic content on Cv varied with the comprising elements. To further understand heat transfer mechanisms in the HEAs, the phonon density of states (PDOS) at different temperatures and varying atomic composition was calculated: Co and Ni elements facilitate the high-frequency vibration of phonons and the Cu environment weakens the heat transfer via low-frequency vibration of photons. As the temperature increases, the phonon mean free path (MFP) in the equiatomic CoCrFeNiCu HEA decreases, which may be attributed to the accelerated momentum of atoms and intensified collisions of phonons. The present research provides theoretical foundations for alloy design and have implications for high-performance alloy smelting.

ObjectiveNeutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are important factors in initiating and perpetuating inflammation. However, the role of NETs in different subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) has been rarely studied. Therefore, we aimed to explore the ability of JIA-derived neutrophils to release NETs and the effect of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) inhibitors on NET formation both in vitro and in vivo, and evaluate the associations of NET-derived products with clinical and immune-related parameters.MethodsThe ability of neutrophils to release NETs and the effect of adalimumab on NET formation was assessed via in vitro stimulation and inhibition studies. Plasma NET-derived products were detected to assess the incidence of NET formation in vivo. Furthermore, flow cytometry and western blotting were used to detect NET-associated signaling components in neutrophils.ResultsCompared to those derived from HCs, neutrophils derived from patients with oligoarticular-JIA, polyarticular-JIA and enthesitis-related arthritis were more prone to generate NETs spontaneously and in response to TNF-α or PMA in vitro. Excessive NET formation existed in peripheral circulation of JIA patients, and elevated plasma levels of NET-derived products (cell-free DNA and MPO-DNA complexes) could accurately distinguish JIA patients from HCs and were positively correlated with disease activity. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that erythrocyte sedimentation rate and TNF-α levels were independent variables and were positively correlated with cell-free DNA concentration. Notably, TNF-α inhibitors could effectively prevent NET formation both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of NET-associated kinases in JIA-derived neutrophils were markedly increased.ConclusionOur data suggest that NETs might play pathogenic roles and may be involved in TNF-α-mediated inflammation in JIA. Circulating NET-derived products possess potential diagnostic and disease monitoring value. Furthermore, the preliminary results related to the molecular mechanisms of NET formation in JIA patients provide a theoretical basis for NET-targeted therapy.

Wound healing is a complex process that is critical for maintaining the barrier function of the skin. However, when a large quantity of microorganisms invade damaged skin for an extended period, they can cause local and systemic inflammatory responses. If left untreated, this condition may lead to chronic infected wounds. Infected wounds significantly escalate wound management costs worldwide and impose a substantial burden on patients and healthcare systems. Recent clinical trial results suggest that the utilization of effective antimicrobial wound dressing could represent the simplest and most cost-effective strategy for treating infected wounds, but there has hitherto been no comprehensive evaluation reported on the efficacy of antimicrobial wound dressings in promoting wound healing. Therefore, this review aims to systematically summarize the various types of antimicrobial wound dressings and the current research on antimicrobial agents, thereby providing new insights for the innovative treatment of infected wounds.

In modern agriculture, Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) stands out as a contemporary production mode that leverages precise control over environmental conditions such as nutrient, temperature, light, and other factors to achieve efficient and high-quality agricultural production. Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of manipulating these environmental factors in the short period before harvest to enhance crop yield and quality in CEA. This comprehensive review aims to provide insight into various pre-harvest practices employed in CEA, including nutrient deprivation, nutrient supply, manipulation of the light environment, and the application of exogenous hormones, with the objective of improving yield and quality in horticultural crops. Additionally, we propose an intelligent pre-harvest management system to cultivate high-quality horticultural crops. This system integrates sensor technology, data analysis, and intelligent control, enabling the customization of specific pre-harvest strategies based on producers’ requirements. The envisioned pre-harvest intelligent system holds the potential to enhance crop quality, increase yield, reduce resource wastage, and offer innovative ideas and technical support for the sustainable development of CEA.

The utilization of sludge from sewage treatment plants, ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) and recycled fine aggregate (RFA) from demolition of abandoned buildings in the production of geopolymer recycled aggregate mortar (GRM) offers a sustainable solution to reduce Ordinary Portland cement (OPC) application, and to address the growing volume of municipal sludge and construction waste. This work aims to investigate the workability, mechanical performance and microstructure of GGBFS and sewage sludge ash (SSA) based alkali activated GRM. GGBFS and SSA based geopolymer was used to replace 100% of OPC and RFA was employed to substitute various proportions (0%, 15%, 30% and 50%) of natural fine aggregates (NFA). Influences of SSA and RFA content on the consistency, setting time, compressive strength and flexural strength of GRM were investigated. The geopolymerization products were characterized through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) tests. Results show that the consistency value and setting time of GRM decrease when the SSA and RFA content increases. When SSA content is 10% and RFA content is 15% (S10R15 sample), sample's microstructure becomes more compact, displaying robust mechanical properties. And S10R15 sample attained an average 28-day compressive strength of 51.7 MPa and flexural strength of 7.2 MPa. This demonstrates that GRM exhibits satisfactory working performance, mechanical properties. This study is expected to offer more insights into the application of SSA and RFA.

Abstract Spike‐protein‐based pseudotyped viruses were used to evaluate vaccines during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, they cannot be used to evaluate the envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. The first generation of virus‐like particle (VLP) pseudotyped viruses contains these four structural proteins, but their titers for wild‐type severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) are relatively low, even lower for the omicron variant, rendering them unsuitable for neutralizing antibody detection. By optimizing the spike glycoprotein signal peptide, substituting the complexed M and E proteins with SARS‐COV‐1, optimizing the N protein with specific mutations (P199L, S202R, and R203M), and truncating the packaging signal, PS9, we increased the titer of the wild‐type VLP pseudotyped virus over 100‐fold, and successfully packaged the omicron VLP pseudotyped virus. The SARS‐CoV‐2 VLP pseudotyped viruses maintained stable titers, even through 10 freeze–thaw cycles. The key neutralization assay parameters were optimized, including cell type, cell number, and viral inoculum. The assay demonstrated minimal variation in both intra‐ and interassay results, at 11.5% and 11.1%, respectively. The correlation between the VLP pseudotyped virus and the authentic virus was strong (r = 0.9). Suitable for high‐throughput detection of various mutant strains in clinical serum. In summary, we have developed a reliable neutralization assay for SARS‐CoV‐2 based on VLP pseudotyped virus.

The potentially lethal zoonotic disease alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the metacestode larval stages of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Metacestode growth and proliferation occurs within the inner organs of mammalian hosts, which is associated with complex molecular parasite–host interactions. The host has developed various ways to resist a parasitic infection, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the most important strategies. Here, we found that scavenging of ROS reduced metacestode larval growth and germinative cell proliferation in in vivo models. Furthermore, using in vitro-cultured metacestode vesicles, we found that increased ROS levels enhanced metacestode growth and germinative cell proliferation, which was achieved by positively activating the ROS-EmERK-EmHIF1α axis. These results indicate that, beside its capacity to damage the parasite, ROS also play critical roles in metacestode growth and germinative cell proliferation. This study suggests that the effects of ROS on parasite may be bidirectional during AE infection, reflecting the parasite’s adaptation to the oxidative stress microenvironment.

Snow dumping stations can be a hotspots for pollutants to water resources. However, little is known about the amount of microplastics including tyre wear particles transported this way. This study investigated microplastics and metals in snow from four snow dumping stations in Riga, Latvia, a remote site (Gauja National Park), and a roof top in Riga. Microplastics other than tyre wear particles were identified with Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) (>500 µm) and focal plane array based micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (FPA-µFTIR) imaging (10–500 µm), tyre wear particles by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (Py-GC–MS), and total metals by Inductively Coupled Plasma with Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Microplastics detected by FTIR were quantified by particle counts and their mass estimated, while tyre wear particles were quantified by mass. The concentrations varied substantially, with the highest levels in the urban areas. Microplastic concentrations measured by FTIR ranged between 26 and 2549 counts L−1 of melted snow with a corresponding estimated mass of 19–573 µg/L. Tyre wear particles were not detected at the two reference sites, while other sites held 44–3026 µg/L. Metal concentrations varied several orders of magnitude with for example sodium in the range 0.45–819.54 mg/L and cadmium in the range 0.05–0.94 µg/L. Correlating microplastic measured by FTIR to metal content showed a weak to moderate correlation. Tyre wear particles, however, correlated strongly to many of the metals. The study showed that snow can hold considerable amounts of these pollutants, which upon melting and release of the meltwater to the aquatic environment could impact receiving waters.

Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have become a favorable tool for magnetoencephalography (MEG) measurement, offering a non-invasive method of measurement. OPMs do not require cryogenic environments, sensors can be more closely aligned with the brain. We employed a passive single-stimulus paradigm in conjunction with OPMs with a sensitivity of 20 fT/ Hz to investigate the auditory response of rats to inter-stimulus interval (ISI) and frequencies, recording the rat auditory event-related magnetic fields (ERMFs). Our findings include: (1) Auditory evoked fields can be detected non-invasively by OPMs; (2) The amplitude of the rat auditory ERMFs varies with changes in ISI, with more pronounced amplitude changes observed after 5 s; (3) When the sound stimulus frequency is altered at the same ISI, the amplitude of the rats ERMFs changes with frequency, indicating significant differences in attention. Our method offers a valuable tool for the clinical application of a single stimulus paradigm and opens up a new avenue for research on the brain magnetic field detections.

Summary: The decidua plays a crucial role in providing structural and trophic support to the developing conceptus before placentation. Following embryo attachment, embryonic components intimately interact with the decidual tissue. While evidence indicates the participation of embryo-derived factors in crosstalk with the uterus, the extent of their impact on post-implantation decidual development requires further investigation. Here, we utilize transgenic mouse models to selectively eliminate primary trophoblast giant cells (pTGCs), the embryonic cells that interface with maternal tissue at the forefront. pTGC ablation impairs decidualization and compromises decidual interferon response and lipid metabolism. Mechanistically, pTGCs release factors such as interferon kappa (IFNK) to strengthen the decidual interferon response and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to enhance lipid accumulation within the decidua, thereby promoting decidualization. This study presents genetic and metabolomic evidence reinforcing the proactive role of pTGC-derived factors in mobilizing maternal resources to strengthen decidualization, facilitating the normal progression of early pregnancy.

Protecting ecosystem integrity and maintaining ecosystem service (ES) supply–demand process through ecological connectivity (EC) is crucial for achieving sustainable development of metropolitan area. Currently, EC research focuses more on the combination of protecting the ES supply and maintaining ecosystem integrity, and less on effectively meeting human needs. To bridge this gap, we integrated the theory of ES supply–demand process, connectivity research methods to form a demand-oriented EC research framework, and conducted empirical research on the Wuhan metropolitan area (WHA). Firstly, we evaluated the supply–demand matches status of the key four ESs; And then, from the aspects of flow quantity, flow direction, flow boundary, and allocation principles, the spatial process of ESs flow were decomposed, and the ecological sources that meet demand while supporting the ESs supply–demand process were identified; Finally, based on the comprehensive resistance surface, connected corridors and important strategic points that are crucial for ecological protection were extracted, and an EC network was constructed. The results were the following:(1) the supply and demand of the key ESs in the study area showed a significant spatial mismatch, especially for water conservation (WC) and carbon sequestration (CS); (2)55 ecological sources, 84 ecological corridors and 25 strategic points were identified, and a stable structurally EC network was constructed; (3) The ecological sources were also crucial for ESs supply while meeting human demand and supporting the spatial process of ESs supply–demand. This research is beneficial for deepening the understanding of the supply–demand status of ESs, and providing a support for ecological lands protection planning.

Pansharpening is a fundamental and crucial image processing task for many remote sensing applications, which generates a high-resolution multispectral image by fusing a low-resolution multispectral image and a high-resolution panchromatic image. Recently, vision transformers have been introduced into the pansharpening task for utilizing global contextual information. However, long-range and local dependencies modeling and multiscale feature learning are all essential to the pansharpening task. Learning and exploiting these various information raises a big challenge and limits the performance and efficiency of existing pansharpening methods. To solve this issue, we propose a pansharpening network based on multiscale embedding and dual attention transformers (MDPNet). Specifically, a multiscale embedding block is proposed to embed multiscale information of the images into vectors. Thus, transformers only need to process a multispectral embedding sequence and a panchromatic embedding sequence to efficiently use multiscale information. Furthermore, an additive hybrid attention transformer is proposed to fuse the embedding sequences in an additive injection manner. Finally, a channel self-attention transformer is proposed to utilize channel correlations for high-quality detail generation. Experiments over QuickBird and WorldView-3 datasets demonstrate the proposed MDPNet outperforms state-of-the-art methods visually and quantitatively with low running time. Ablation studies further verify the effectiveness of the proposed multiscale embedding and transformers in pansharpening.

The inclusion of the sensing functionality in the coming generations of cellular networks, necessitates a rethink of dense cell deployments. In this paper, we analyze and optimize dense cell topologies for dual-functional radar-communication (DFRC) cellular networks. With the aid of tools from stochastic geometry, we derive new analytical expressions of the potential area spectral efficiencies in $(\textrm {bit}/\textrm {sec}/m^{2})$ of radar and communication systems using zero-forcing precoding scheme. Based on the new formulations of the potential area spectral efficiencies, the energy efficiency (bit/Joule) of DFRC systems is provided in a closed-form formula. Then, an optimization problem to obtain the optimal base station (BS) density that maximizes the network-level energy efficiency is formulated and investigated. Our analytical and numerical results demonstrate that the inclusion of the sensing functionality clearly differentiates the optimal BS topologies for the DFRC systems against classical communication-only systems.

Purposes Aiming at the problems of large computation and high reference quantity in existing traffic sign detection algorithms, in this paper we proposed a lightweight traffic sign detection algorithm based on improved YOLOv7. Methods The algorithm is divided into four parts: input, backbone network of feature extraction, neck network of feature fusion, and head network of target prediction. Large kernel convolution was introduced into the backbone network, which increases the effective receptive field and improves the ability of feature extraction. The detection of neck fusion coordinate attention, random pooling, and other methods can not only build channel attention and capture accurate position, but also improve the generalization ability of the network. In addition, a comprehensive depth-separable convolution module was proposed to extract image features by reducing the number of parameters and the radical sign. Results Experimental results show that the detection accuracy of the proposed algorithm on the CCTSDB2021 data set reaches 93.13%, and mAP also reaches 87.59%, which is a great improvement with respect to other methods of the same type. The network achieves a high accuracy rate under the condition of low parameter number and calculation amount, which can not only accurately capture the location information of traffic signs, but also achieve a high accuracy rate. At the same time, it can accurately predict the traffic signs.

Degradation of the mechanical properties of oil-immersed louver contacts is an important cause of exceeding the DC resistance on the valve side of extra-high voltage converter transformers. In this paper, the mapping relationship between force-deformation and force-contact resistance of oil-immersed louver contacts is measured and obtained by utilizing the performance test platform of oil-immersed louver contacts. Based on the stress-strain curves of the stainless steel of the strap under different temperature conditions, a mechanical simulation model of the oil-immersed louver contacts was established. Based on this model, the effects of the plastic deformation temperature of the louver contacts and the stainless steel keel structure on the heating power of the strap are investigated. The results show that the mechanical properties of the louver contacts decrease with the increase in temperature, and the permanent plastic deformation of the strap occurs when the operating temperature reaches 400 °C. Appropriately increasing the torsion angle and thickness of the stainless steel keel can slow down the local overheating of the louver contacts caused by eccentricity. The research results are helpful to understand the mechanism of local overheating failure of oil-immersed electric contact parts, and provide a reference for the design, fault analysis and further research of oil-immersed electric contact parts.