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Abstract Background Insulin resistance (IR) is a recognized contributor to stroke association, and the estimated glucose disposal rate (eGDR) is a dependable indicator of IR. However, the specific connections between eGDR, stroke prevalence, and overall mortality have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to examine how eGDR correlates with stroke and overall death rate. Methods The study leveraged information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning from 2007 to 2016. To unravel the data, the team utilized logistic regression, cox proportional hazards models, and restricted cubic splines (RCS) Sensitivity analyses excluded participants with a stroke history within the previous two years. Results were validated through analysis of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Results A higher eGDR is like a protective shield against strokes, with those in the top eGDR quartile exhibited a 60% reduction in stroke association (OR = 0.40, 95% CI, 0.22–0.73, P = 0.003). Additionally, a higher eGDR correlates with a lower overall death rate (HR = 0.71, 95% CI, 0.52–0.98, P = 0.037), particularly in individuals without a history of stroke. RCS analysis demonstrated that eGDR's influence on stroke association follows a non-linear pattern. Subgroup analysis revealed that the protective effect of eGDR was stronger in non-diabetic and non-hypertensive individuals. Conclusion eGDR is inversely related to both stroke association and mortality, affirming its utility as a predictive marker of stroke.

Abstract Background Automated test assembly (ATA) represents a modern methodology that employs data science optimization on computer platforms to automatically create test form, thereby significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of test assembly procedures. In the realm of medical education, large-scale high-stakes assessments often necessitate lengthy tests, leading to elevated costs in various dimensions (such as examinee fatigue and expenses associated with item development). This study aims to augment the design of the medical education assessments by leveraging modern ATA approaches. Methods To achieve the objective, a four-step process employing psychometric methodologies was used to calibrate and analyze the item pool of the Standardized Competence Test for Clinical Medicine Undergraduates (SCTCMU), a nationwide summative test comprising 300 multiple-choice questions (MCQ) in China. Subsequently, two modern ATA approaches were employed to determine the optimal item combination, accounting for both statistical and content requirements specified in the test blueprint. The qualities of the assembled test form, generated using modern ATA approaches, underwent meticulous evaluation. Results Through an exploration of the psychometric properties of the SCTCMU as a foundational step, the evaluation revealed commendable quality in the item properties. Furthermore, the evaluation of the quality of assembled test form using modern ATA approaches indicated the ability to ascertain the optimal test length within the predefined measurement precision. Specifically, this investigation demonstrates that the application of modern ATA approaches can substantially reduce the test length of assembled test form, while simultaneously maintaining the required statistical and content standards specified in the test blueprint. Conclusions This study harnessed modern ATA approaches to facilitate the automatic construction of test form, thereby significantly enhancing the efficiency and precision of test assembly procedures. The utilization of modern ATA approaches offers medical educators a valuable tool to enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of medical education assessment.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the incidence and risk factors of psychiatric disorders following traumatic brain injury (TBI).MethodsA total of 232 patients with closed TBI admitted to our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were included. Basic demographic data, injury circumstances, and psychiatric conditions during hospitalization were collected. Patients were followed up at 9 months post-injury, and based on clinical interviews, symptoms, and questionnaires, they were categorized into those with post-TBI psychiatric disorders and those without. The study aimed to explore the predictive factors for psychiatric disorders after TBI.ResultsAmong the 232 patients, 104 developed psychiatric disorders by the end of the 9-month follow-up, resulting in an incidence rate of 44.83%. The employment rate was significantly lower in the psychiatric disorder group compared to the non-psychiatric disorder group. Additionally, the GCS scores upon admission were significantly higher in the psychiatric disorder group, along with a greater proportion of limb injuries, post-traumatic coma, intracranial hematomas, and frontal lobe injuries. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that unemployment (caused by poor recovery from TBI), lower GCS scores at admission, limb injuries, post-traumatic coma, frontal lobe injuries, and the presence of psychiatric symptoms during hospitalization were independent predictors of psychiatric disorders following TBI.ConclusionUnemployment, lower GCS score on admission, limb injury, post-traumatic coma, frontal lobe injury, onset of psychiatric symptoms during hospitalization was identified as independent predictors of post-traumatic psychiatric disorders. Routine mental health screenings for conditions such as depression and anxiety should be integrated into the care of TBI patients.

Abstract Investigations into the compositional model of the Earth, particularly the atypical concentrations of volatile elements within the silicate portion of the early Earth, have attracted significant interest due to their pivotal role in elucidating the planet’s evolution and dynamics. To understand the behavior of such volatile elements, an established ‘volatility trend’ has been used to explain the observed depletion of certain volatile elements. However, elements such as Se and Br remain notably over-depleted in the silicate Earth. Here we show the results from first-principles simulations that explore the potential for these elements to integrate into hcp-Fe through the formation of substitutional alloys, long presumed to be predominant constituents of the Earth’s core. Based on our findings, the thermodynamic stability of these alloys suggests that these volatile elements might indeed be partially sequestered within the Earth’s core. We suggest potential reservoirs for volatile elements within the deep Earth, augmenting our understanding of the deep Earth’s composition.

As a typical representative of covalent superconductors, SH_{3} has emerged as a significant milestone in superconductivity history and has greatly sparked interest in compressed hydrogen-rich superconductors. Authors of previous studies on theoretical design of ternary chalcogen-hydrogen compounds (known as chalcohydrides) have mainly focused on intercalating molecular motifs into the interstitial sites of the structural lattice or substituting atoms in the SH_{3} backbone. Given the low electronegativity and small radius, lithium (Li) is empowered to serve as an excellent electron donor that can effectively turn the crystal structure and modulate the superconducting behavior. Here, we introduce Li into binary chalcohydrides and investigate ternary Li-M-H (M = S, Se, and Te) compounds using the state-of-the-art structure prediction method in conjunction with first-principles calculations. As a result, five stable stoichiometries, including LiSH_{7}, Li_{2}SH_{6}, LiSH, Li_{2}SH, and LiS_{2}H, are identified at 100–200 GPa. Notably, metallic LiSH_{7} and Li_{2}SH_{6} exhibit a layered structure where the covalent bond between sulfur and hydrogen breaks up and the hydrogen atoms are released to recombine into molecules confined into the interlayer. Furthermore, our electron-phonon simulations reveal that the estimated superconducting transition temperature (T_{c}) of Li_{2}SH_{6} (46 K) is lower than that (77 K) of Li_{2}SeH_{6} at 200 GPa, which contrasts with the general belief that the light-weight elemental compound (high Debye temperature) has higher superconductivity. Our results offer critical insights into designing high-temperature superconductors with layered structures among multinary hydrides.

Abstract Guided nanowires grown on polymer surfaces facilitate their seamless integration as flexible devices without post‐growth processing steps. However, this is challenging due to the inability of polymer films to provide the required lattice‐matching effect. In this work, this challenge is addressed by replicating highly aligned nanogrooves from a compact disc (CD) onto a casted flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface. Leveraging the replicated nanogrooves, copper hexadecafluorophthalocyanine (F16CuPc) and various metal phthalocyanines are guided into large‐area, self‐aligned nanowires. Subsequently, by employing specifically designed shadow masks during electrode deposition, these nanowires are seamlessly integrated as either a monolithic flexible photodetector with a large sensing area or on‐chip flexible photodetector arrays. The resulting flexible photodetectors exhibit millisecond and long‐term stable response to UV–vis–NIR light. Notably, they demonstrate exceptional bending stability, retaining stable and sensitive photoresponse even at a curvature radius as low as 0.5 cm and after enduring 1000 bending cycles. Furthermore, the photodetector array showcases consistent sensitivity and response speed across the entire array. This work not only proves the viability of guided nanowire growth on flexible polymer surfaces by replicating CD nanogrooves but also underscores the potential for large‐scale monolithic integration of guided nanowires as flexible devices.

Abstract Invariant cell lineage in C. elegans enables spatiotemporal resolution of transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling the fate of each cell. Here, we develop RAPCAT (Robust-point-matching- And Piecewise-affine-based Cell Annotation Tool) to automate cell identity assignment in three-dimensional image stacks of L1 larvae and profile reporter expression of 620 transcription factors in every cell. Transcription factor profile-based clustering analysis defines 80 cell types distinct from conventional phenotypic cell types and identifies three general phenotypic modalities related to these classifications. First, transcription factors are broadly downregulated in quiescent stage Hermaphrodite Specific Neurons, suggesting stage- and cell type-specific variation in transcriptome size. Second, transcription factor expression is more closely associated with morphology than other phenotypic modalities in different pre- and post-differentiation developmental stages. Finally, embryonic cell lineages can be associated with specific transcription factor expression patterns and functions that persist throughout postembryonic life. This study presents a comprehensive transcription factor atlas for investigation of intra-cell type heterogeneity.

Abstract Background Shenqi Compound (SQC) has been used in clinic for several decades in the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications. But this is merely a heritage of experience. The primary aim of this study is to scientifically validate the therapeutic effects of SQC on diabetic vascular calcification (DVC) in an animal model and, simultaneously, uncover its potential underlying mechanisms. Method Spontaneous diabetic rat- Goto Kakizaki (GK) rats were selected for rat modeling. We meticulously designed three distinct groups: a control group, a model group, and an SQC treatment group to rigorously evaluate the influence of SQC. Utilizing a comprehensive approach that encompassed methods such as pathological staining, western blot analysis, qRT-PCR, and RNA sequencing, we thoroughly investigated the therapeutic advantages and the underlying mechanistic pathways associated with SQC in the treatment of DVC. Result The findings from this investigation have unveiled the extraordinary efficacy of SQC treatment in significantly mitigating DVC. The underlying mechanisms driving this effect encompass multifaceted facets, including the restoration of aberrant glucose and lipid metabolism, the prevention of phenotypic transformation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) into osteogenic-like states, the subsequent inhibition of cell apoptosis, the modulation of inflammation responses, the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the activation of the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway. Collectively, these mechanisms lead to the dissolution of deposited calcium salts, ultimately achieving the desired inhibition of DVC. Conclusion Our study has provided compelling and robust evidence of the remarkable efficacy of SQC treatment in significantly reducing DVC. This reduction is attributed to a multifaceted interplay of mechanisms, each playing a crucial role in the observed therapeutic effects. Notably, our findings illuminate prospective directions for further research and potential clinical applications in the field of cardiovascular health. Graphical Abstract

Rana dybowskii is one of the important aquaculture species in Northeast China. The fallopian tubes of female R. dybowskii are used to prepare oviductus ranae (an important traditional Chinese medicine). Therefore, R. dybowskii females have higher economical value than males. An increasing female R. dybowskii population can increase the benefits from R. dybowskii culture. However, the genome of amphibians is complex, making it difficult to investigate their sex determination mechanism. In this study, we analyzed the genome of male R. dybowskii using next-generation sequencing technology. A total of 200,046,452,400 bp of clean data were obtained, and the K-mer analysis indicated that the depth was 50×. The genome size of R. dybowskii was approximately 3585.05 M, with a heterozygosity rate, repeat sequence ratio, and genome GC content of 1.15%, 68.96%, and approximately 43.0%, respectively. In total, 270,785 contigs and 498 scaffolds were generated. The size of the contigs and scaffolds was 3,748,543,415 and 3,765,862,278 bp, respectively, with the N50 length of 31,988 and 336,385,783. The longest contig and scaffold were of the size 137,967,485 and 1,808,367,828 bp, respectively. The number of contigs and scaffolds > 10K nt was 99,620 and 451, respectively. Through annotation, 40,913 genes were obtained, including 156,609 CDS (i.e., 3.83 CDS per gene). Sequence alignment was performed with the assembled scaffolding genome in this study. Two and one fragment had high homology with two male-specific DNA molecular markers of R. dybowskii discovered previously (namely, MSM-222 and MSM-261, respectively). In addition, the Dmrt1 gene of R. dybowskii was obtained with a length of 18,893 bp by comparison and splicing. The forward primers amplifying MSM-222 and MSM-261 were located at 322–343 and 14,501–14,526 bp of Dmrt1, respectively. However, sequence alignment revealed that MSM-222 and MSM-261 were not located on Dmrt1, and only some homologous parts were observed. This indicated that in addition to Dmrt1, other important genes may play a crucial role in the sex determination mechanism of R. dybowskii. Our study provided a foundation for the subsequent high-quality genome construction and provided important genomic resources for future studies on R. dybowskii.

Vegetation restoration is an effective measure to cope with global climate change and promote soil carbon sequestration. However, during vegetation restoration, the turnover and properties of carbon within various aggregates change. The effects of plant source carbon input on surface soil and subsurface soil may be different. Thus, the characteristics of carbon components in aggregates are affected. Therefore, the research object of this study is the Robinia pseudoacacia forest located in 16–47a of the Loess Plateau, and compared with farmland. The change characteristics of organic carbon functional groups in 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm soil layers were analyzed by Fourier near infrared spectroscopy, and the relationship between the chemical structure of organic carbon and the content of organic carbon components in soil aggregates was clarified, and the mechanism affecting the distribution of organic carbon components in soil aggregates was revealed in the process of vegetation restoration. The results show the following: (1) The stability of surface aggregates is sensitive, while that of deep aggregates is weak. Vegetation restoration increased the surface soil organic carbon content by 1.97~3.78 g·kg−1. (2) After vegetation restoration, the relative contents of polysaccharide functional groups in >0.25 mm aggregates were significantly reduced, while the relative contents of aromatic and aliphatic functional groups of organic carbon were significantly increased. The opposite is true for aggregates smaller than 0.25 mm. (3) With the increase in soil depth, the effect of litter on organic carbon gradually decreased, while the effect of root input on the accumulation of inert carbon in deep soil was more lasting.

Aiming to reduce the short-term household load prediction error caused by small load scale and differently residential electricity consumption behavior, a novel hybrid forecasting model based on wavelet threshold denoising (WTD), variational mode decomposition (VMD) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network is proposed in this paper. In this hybrid model, WTD is used to denoise the original data firstly. Then trend feature is extracted by VMD. Finally the trend feature and historical load data are put into BiLSTM model for training and testing. The prediction effect of the proposed model is demonstrated with experiment using total household electricity consumption in the United States in a region, and comparison with common short-term household load forecasting models are presented. The experiment results show that the hybrid model improves the accuracy of short-term household load forecasting by providing more stable and more precise forecast under trend feature extraction.

The terrestrial abundance anomalies of helium and xenon suggest the presence of deep-Earth reservoirs of these elements, which has led to great interest in searching for materials that can host these usually unreactive elements. Here, using an advanced crystal structure search approach in conjunction with first-principles calculations, we show that several Xe/He-bearing iron halides are thermodynamically stable in a broad region of P–T phase space below 60 GPa. Our results present a compelling case for sequestration of He and Xe in the early Earth and may suggest their much wider distribution in the present Earth than previously believed. These findings offer insights into key material-based and physical mechanisms for elucidating major geological phenomena.

Abstract Background Parents are usually the decision-makers for vaccinations of children. Therefore, it is important to understand parental beliefs and attitudes toward severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine for themselves and their children when it was approved for children age 3–17. Method A cross-sectional survey based on an anonymous online questionnaire for parents was conducted in seven provinces of China, and demographic information, vaccination history, parental decision motives, and health belief model toward themselves and their children were collected, respectively. Results The overall parental hesitancy rate toward themselves was 20.30%, and that toward their children was 7.80%. More parental concerns on disease severity (odd ratio [OR] = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.61) and susceptibility (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.01–1.63) of children could be the causes of discrepancy in hesitancy for themselves and for their children. Parents who hesitated to vaccinate themselves might also be hesitated to vaccinate their children (β = 0.077, P

The food-energy-water nexus (F-E-W) serves as a crucial resource for the sustainability of households, while the efficiency of resource use largely depends on our understanding and management of the nexus including all three factors. Limited research has been conducted on this topic thus far because of the increasing complexity of home technologies and data availability. This study develops an evidence-based system dynamics model for assessing the synergy and trade-offs of the household F-E-W. By applying the system dynamics (SD) methodology, the FEW consumption and generation originating from home appliances were modelled and simulated. The model was applied to an eco-house in Tokyo, and its efficacy was validated with one-year hour-based observations of a home energy management system (HEMS). The findings revealed that water-related and food-related energy use accounted for approximately 55% of the total energy use. In addition, water-related energy use showed high uncertainty, suggesting a management potential of approximately 24% for reduction, and was significantly correlated with household carbon emissions. Moreover, this result verified that the effective management of household energy consumption requires the adept manipulation of the diverse array of energy sources employed for air and water heating, while HEMSs could play a key role in implementation.

Social dominance is a universal phenomenon among grouped animals that profoundly affects survival, health, and reproductive success by determining access to resources, and exerting a powerful influence on subsequent behavior. However, the understanding of pain and anxiety comorbidities in dominant or subordinate animals suffering from chronic pain is not well-defined. Here, we provide evidence that subordinate mice are more susceptible to pain-induced anxiety compared to dominant mice. We propose that the gut microbiota may play a mediating role in this mechanism. Our findings demonstrate that transplantation of fecal microbiota from subordinate mice with chronic inflammatory pain, but not dominant mice, into antibiotics-treated pseudo-germ-free mice significantly amplifies anxiety-like phenotypes, highlighting the critical involvement of gut microbiota in this behavioral response. Using chronic inflammatory pain model, we carried out 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomic analyses to explore the relationship between microbiota and metabolites in a stable social hierarchy of mice. Interestingly, anxiety-like behaviors were directly associated with some microbial genera and metabolites, especially bile acid metabolism. Overall, we have demonstrated a close relationship between social status and anxiety susceptibility, highlighting the contributions of gut microbiota and the associated metabolites in the high-anxiety state of subordinate mice with chronic inflammatory pain.

AbstractRecently, various novel drug delivery systems have been developed to overcome ocular barriers in order to improve drug efficacy. We have previously reported that montmorillonite (MT) microspheres (MPs) and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with the anti-glaucoma drug betaxolol hydrochloride (BHC) exhibited sustained drug release and thus intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effects. Here, we investigated the effect of physicochemical particle parameters on the micro-interactions with tear film mucins and corneal epithelial cells. Results showed that the MT-BHC SLNs and MT-BHC MPs eye drops significantly prolonged the precorneal retention time due to their higher viscosity and lower surface tension and contact angle compared with the BHC solution, with MT-BHC MPs exhibiting the longest retention due to their stronger hydrophobic surface. The cumulative release of MT-BHC SLNs and MT-BHC MPs was up to 87.78% and 80.43% after 12 h, respectively. Tear elimination pharmacokinetics study further confirmed that the prolonged precorneal retention time of the formulations was due to the micro-interaction between the positively charged formulations and the negatively charged tear film mucins. Moreover, the area under the IOP reduction curve (AUC) of MT-BHC SLNs and MT-BHC MPs was 1.4 and 2.5 times that of the BHC solution. Accordingly, the MT-BHC MPs also exhibit the most consistent and long-lasting IOP-lowering effect. Ocular irritation experiments showed no significant toxicity of either. Taken together, MT MPs may have the potential for more effective glaucoma treatment.

Abstract Concentrated solid solution materials with huge compositional design space and normally unexpected property attract extensive interests of researchers. In these emerging materials, local composition fluctuation such as short‐range order (SRO), has been observed and found to have nontrivial effects on material properties, and thus can be utilized as an additional degree of freedom for material optimization. To exploit SRO, its interplay with factors beyond element‐level property, including lattice symmetry and bonding environment, should be clarified. In this work by using layered transition‐metal dichalcogenide Mo(X0.5X′0.5)2 (X/X′ = O, S, Se, or Te) with mixed element in the non‐metal sublattice as the platform, the ordering phenomena are systematically studied using multiscale simulations. As expected, electronegativity difference between X and X′ strongly regulates SRO. Additionally, SRO and long‐range order (LRO) are observed in the 2H and T/T′ phase of MoXX′, respectively, indicating a strong influence of lattice symmetry on SRO. More importantly, as vdW interaction is introduced, the SRO structure in 2H‐MoXX′ bilayer can be re‐configured, while the LRO in T/T′‐MoXX′ remains unchanged. Electronic insights for SRO and the resultant property variation are obtained. This work presents a thorough understanding of SRO in bonding complex systems, benefiting the SRO‐guided material designs.

The role of stoichiometric defects in the superconducting polyhydride LaH10±δ has received little attention so far. Here, the authors use molecular-dynamics simulations to show that a small amount of stoichiometric defects will cause quantum proton diffusion in the otherwise rigid lanthanum lattice.

Abstract Background Patients suffering from chronic pain often also exhibit depression symptoms. Soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitors can decrease blood levels of inflammatory cytokines. However, whether inhibiting sEH signaling is beneficial for the comorbidity of pain and depression is unknown. Methods According to a sucrose preference test (SPT), spared nerve injury (SNI) mice were classified into pain with or without an anhedonia phenotype. Then, sEH protein expression and inflammatory cytokines were assessed in selected tissues. Furthermore, we used sEH inhibitor TPPU to determine the role of sEH in chronic pain and depression. Importantly, agonists and antagonists of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and translocator protein (TSPO) were used to explore the pathogenesis of sEH signaling. Results In anhedonia-susceptible mice, the tissue levels of sEH were significantly increased in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampus, spinal cord, liver, kidney, and gut. Importantly, serum CYP1A1 and inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and the tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), were increased simultaneously. TPPU improved the scores of mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and SPT, and decreased the levels of serum CYP1A1 and inflammatory cytokines. AHR antagonist relieved the anhedonia behaviors but not the algesia behaviors in anhedonia-susceptible mice, whereas an AHR agonist abolished the antidepressant-like effect of TPPU. In addition, a TSPO agonist exerted a similar therapeutic effect to that of TPPU, whereas pretreatment with a TSPO antagonist abolished the antidepressant-like and analgesic effects of TPPU. Conclusions sEH underlies the mechanisms of the comorbidity of chronic pain and depression and that TPPU exerts a beneficial effect on anhedonia behaviors in a pain model via AHR and TSPO signaling.

Abstract Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the serious microvascular complications of diabetes mellitus. It is often associated with clinical manifestations such as arrhythmias and heart failure, and significantly reduces the quality of life and years of survival of patients. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is the removal of unfolded and misfolded proteins and is an important mechanism for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. ERS plays an important role in the pathogenesis of DCM by causing cardiomyocyte apoptosis, insulin resistance, calcium imbalance, myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Targeting ERS is a new direction in the treatment of DCM. A large number of studies have shown that Chinese herbal medicine and active ingredients can significantly improve the clinical outcome of DCM patients through intervention in ERS and effects on myocardial structure and function, which has become one of the hot research directions.Purpose: The aim of this review is to elucidate and summarize the roles and mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine and active ingredients that have the potential to modulate endoplasmic reticulum stress, thereby contributing to better management of DCM.Methods: Databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Internet, and Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform were used to search, analyze, and collect literature, in order to review the mechanisms by which phytochemicals inhibit the progression of DCM by targeting the ERS and its key signaling pathways. Keywords used included “diabetic cardiomyopathy” and “endoplasmic reticulum stress.”Results: This review found that Chinese herbs and their active ingredients can regulate ERS through IRE1, ATF6, and PERK pathways to reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis, ameliorate myocardial fibrosis, and attenuate myocardial hypertrophy for the treatment of DCM.Conclusion: A comprehensive source of information on potential ERS inhibitors is provided in this review. The analysis of the literature suggests that Chinese herbal medicine and its active ingredients can be used as potential drug candidates for the treatment of DCM. In short, we cannot ignore the role of traditional Chinese medicine in regulating ERS and treating DCM, and look forward to more research and new drugs to come.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has emerged as a global epidemic, and conventional treatment approaches often face limitations in achieving long-term glycemic control and preventing complications. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a valuable alternative for managing T2D, with a long history of effectively using herbal formulations in clinical practice. However, the modular characteristics of these herbs and their specific mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. To comprehensively investigate the modular characteristics and mechanisms of Chinese herbs in treating T2D, as well as explore the synergistic interactions among different herbs and their modular components, we employed data mining, systematic pharmacology, and molecular docking. Our aim was to gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential therapeutic targets and pathways involved in herbal T2D treatment. In this study, a total of 1114 studies investigating the effects of TCM interventions in the treatment of T2D in adults were included. The analysis revealed 170 distinct types of Chinese herbs, 118 active components, and 238 common targets shared between the medicine and T2D. Additionally, this study identified six hub proteins (TNF, MMP2, PTGS, CASP3, CASP8, and CASP9) and two key chemicals (Diosgenin and Formononetin) found in TCM-mediated T2D suppression. It was observed that these proteins could bind with the ingredients. The MMP2-Diosgenin interaction exhibited the lowest binding free energy (−13.05 kJ/mol) and was primarily driven by hydrogen bonds with ALA-165. TNF-Diosgenin (−10.5 kcal/mol) showed three hydrogen bonds with LEU-37, ARG-82, and ASN-30. PTGS2 and Diosgenin (−8.71 kJ/mol) demonstrated a hydrogen bond with HIS-214. Furthermore, CASP9-Formononetin (−6.53 kcal/mol) exhibited the lowest binding free energy and hydrogen bonds with GLU-261 and SER-339 as the primary forces involved. CASP3-Formononetin (−6.07 kcal/mol) displayed three hydrogen bonds with ASN-342, TRP-348, and GLU-379. Lastly, CASP8 and Formononetin (−6.06 kJ/mol) formed a hydrogen bond with THR-390, TYR-392, and TYR-334. Moreover, critical therapeutic pathways, such as the immune inflammatory response, AGE-RAGE, and IL-17 signaling pathway, were found to be associated with T2D Chinese herb therapy. In conclusion, this study sheded light on the modular characteristics and mechanism of action of herbs used in Chinese Medicine for the treatment of T2D, which provided valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners in the field of Chinese Medicine, offering potential avenues for improved treatment strategies and personalized approaches to address the complex nature of T2D.

In the agroforestry system, the organic matter in the farmland and natural ecosystem enters the farmland soil in a mixed form to improve soil fertility and carbon pool quality. However, it is unclear how soil microbial carbon-degrading enzyme activity responds to carbon dynamics in this process. Therefore, we took farmland in the Loess Plateau as the research object, combining the application of corn straw and Robinia pseudoacacia leaves in a mass ratio of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3, and 0:4 for returning to the field. We measured corn grain yield, carbon emission, organic carbon pool component content, and carbon-degrading enzyme activity of the farmland. The results showed that combining corn straw and Robinia pseudoacacia leaves had a significant impact on soil organic carbon components (readily oxidizable organic carbon and recalcitrant organic carbon), carbon-degrading enzymes (polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, and cellobiohydrolase), and cumulative carbon emissions. The trend of different indicators in different treatments during the corn growth period was similar. We found that soil carbon emissions were closely related to ROC and soil oxidase activity, while soil carbon content was closely related to soil hydrolase activity. Compared to not returning straw to the field, the corn straw and Robinia pseudoacacia leaves returned to the field in a mass ratio of 1:3(Y1C3) can increase corn grain yield by 32.04%. The Y1C3 treatment has the highest soil carbon content and the lowest crop carbon emission efficiency. Soil water content plays a crucial role in the process of carbon pool transformation driven by soil carbon-degrading enzymes. In conclusion, soil carbon dynamics are closely related to the activity of soil carbon-degrading enzymes. Combining the application of corn straw and Robinia pseudoacacia leaves may be a more suitable farming measure for fragile habitats in the Loess Plateau than other solutions.

Superconductivity was recently discovered in the clathrate hydride CeH9 with superconducting temperature (T c) of 57 K at pressures below 1 megabar. Here, the authors show that T c can be increased to 148 K in the substitutional alloy (La,Ce)H9, while maintaining a pressure below 1 megabar.

Vascular endothelial injury in diabetes mellitus (DM) is the major cause of vascular disease, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of a series of vascular complications and has a serious negative impact on a patient’s health and quality of life. The primary function of normal vascular endothelium is to function as a barrier function. However, in the presence of DM, glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, insulin resistance, inflammatory reactions, oxidative stress, and other factors cause vascular endothelial injury, leading to vascular endothelial lesions from morphology to function. Recently, numerous studies have found that autophagy plays a vital role in regulating the progression of vascular endothelial injury. Therefore, this article compares the morphology and function of normal and diabetic vascular endothelium and focuses on the current regulatory mechanisms and the important role of autophagy in diabetic vascular endothelial injury caused by different signal pathways. We aim to provide some references for future research on the mechanism of vascular endothelial injury in DM, investigate autophagy’s protective or injurious effect, and study potential drugs using autophagy as a target.

.Sensitive detection of weak acoustic signals at nanometer scale is challenging. Here, the authors present an acoustic detection system based on a single molecule as a probe, where frequency and amplitude of acoustic vibrations can be extracted from its minute variations in distance to the surface of a plasmonic gold nanorod.

Intestinal flora plays an important role in maintaining the internal stability and health of the intestine. Currently, intestinal microbes are considered an important “organ” but are mostly ignored by people. This study evaluated the flora structure of each intestinal segment of blue foxes pre-weaning and explored the differences between the fecal flora and intestinal flora structure of each segment after weaning. Samples of intestinal contents from three blue foxes at 45 days of age (before weaning) and intestinal contents and feces samples from at 80 days (after weaning) were collected for 16s rRNA flora analysis. The species and distribution characteristics of microorganisms in different intestinal segments of blue foxes before and after weaning were different. Except for the rectum, the dominant flora of each intestinal segment of blue fox changed significantly after experiencing weaning, and the fecal flora structure of young fox at the weaning stage did not represent the whole intestinal flora structure but was highly similar to that of the colon and rectum. To sum up, the intestinal flora of blue foxes changed systematically before and after weaning. When performing non-invasive experiments, the microflora structure of the colon and rectum of blue foxes can be predicted by collecting fecal samples.

Carbon structures with sp ^2 – sp ^3 hybrid bonds were expected to exhibit both excellent mechanical and electronic properties. Here, we theoretically design several unique carbon structures, which contain unusual sp ^2 – sp ^3 hybrid bonds. We found that the introduction of sp ^2 bonding units into carbon structure with sp ^3 bonding can tune the electronic densities of state at Fermi level, especially resulting in 1D conductive channels in 3D structures. Further simulations indicate that Vickers hardness of these structures is close to diamond via the increase in sp ^3 building blocks. Our current work provides insights into the design of carbon structures with both excellent superhard and remarkably metallic properties.

Since the discovery of superconductivity, the realization of room-temperature superconductivity has been the long dream of mankind. Recently, it has been reported that nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride has room-temperature superconductivity at near-ambient conditions. However, there is no solid evidence of such tantalizing superconductivity in nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride synthesized by follow-up experiments. The compositions and crystal structures of the nitrogen-doped lutetium hydride are still unclear. Therefore, we here systematically study the structural stability and electronic properties of Fm3[over ¯]m LuH_{3} and N-doped Fm3[over ¯]m LuH_{3}, such as 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8% N, by first-principles calculations. Our further electronic properties calculations show that all the simulated Lu-N-H ternary compounds are metallic, except for a semiconducting phase of Lu_{4}H_{11}N (LuH_{2.75}N_{0.25}). Remarkably, the contribution of the H atoms to the electronic density of states at the Fermi level could be tuned by the increasing N concentration. Electron-phonon coupling calculations also show that both Fm3[over ¯]m LuH_{3} and Pm3[over ¯]m Lu_{4}H_{11}N are superconducting with critical temperature T_{c}'s of 23 and 32 K at 24 and 60 GPa, respectively. Our current results suggest that LuH_{3} and N-doped LuH_{3} could be potential superconductors only at high pressure, while the estimated T_{c} values are much lower than room temperature.

The pursuit of elemental superconductors with high critical temperature (T_{c}) holds immense scientific significance due to their relatively simple material composition, which not only aids in understanding the mechanisms of superconductivity but also facilitates further exploration of high-temperature superconductors in compound materials. Here, we report experimental findings of superconductivity for scandium (Sc) in the pressure range of 64 GPa to 261 GPa. As a result, the highest T_{c} of 37.6 K observed in Sc-V phase at 243 GPa sets the current record among all elements. An estimate based on the Ginzburg-Landau model gives a zero-temperature upper critical magnetic field of 21.3 T with a coherence length of 39.3 Å. Current-voltage measurements show that the zero-temperature critical current and its density can reach 0.146 A and 70 A mm^{−2} of Sc-IV at 198 GPa, and 0.116 A and 50 A mm^{−2} of Sc-V at 250 GPa, respectively. Further theoretical calculations show that pressure-induced phonon softening plays a key role in increasing T_{c} upon compression. Our current findings shed light on the understanding of high superconductivity in simple elements and provide insight into exploring high-T_{c} elemental superconductors and Sc-based superconductors.

Abstract Mitochondria are highly dynamic organelles that participate in ATP generation and involve calcium homeostasis, oxidative stress response, and apoptosis. Dysfunctional or damaged mitochondria could cause serious consequences even lead to cell death. Therefore, maintaining the homeostasis of mitochondria is critical for cellular functions. Mitophagy is a process of selectively degrading damaged mitochondria under mitochondrial toxicity conditions, which plays an essential role in mitochondrial quality control. The abnormal mitophagy that aggravates mitochondrial dysfunction is closely related to the pathogenesis of many diseases. As the myocardium is a highly oxidative metabolic tissue, mitochondria play a central role in maintaining optimal performance of the heart. Dysfunctional mitochondria accumulation is involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy and heart failure. This review discusses the most recent progress on mitophagy and its role in cardiovascular disease.

Abstract Ferroptosis is a regulated iron-dependent cell death characterized by the accumulation of lipid peroxidation. A myriad of facets linking amino acid, lipid, redox, and iron metabolisms were found to drive or to suppress the execution of ferroptosis. However, how the cells decipher the diverse pro-ferroptotic stress to activate ferroptosis remains elusive. Here, we report that protein O-GlcNAcylation, the primary nutrient sensor of glucose flux, orchestrates both ferritinophagy and mitophagy for ferroptosis. Following the treatment of ferroptosis stimuli such as RSL3, a commonly used ferroptosis inducer, there exists a biphasic change of protein O-GlcNAcylation to modulate ferroptosis. Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of O-GlcNAcylation promoted ferritinophagy, resulting in the accumulation of labile iron towards mitochondria. Inhibition of O-GlcNAcylation resulted in mitochondria fragmentation and enhanced mitophagy, providing an additional source of labile iron and rendering the cell more sensitive to ferroptosis. Mechanistically, we found that de-O-GlcNAcylation of the ferritin heavy chain at S179 promoted its interaction with NCOA4, the ferritinophagy receptor, thereby accumulating labile iron for ferroptosis. Our findings reveal a previously uncharacterized link of dynamic O-GlcNAcylation with iron metabolism and decision-making for ferroptosis, thus offering potential therapeutic intervention for fighting disease.

Summary: The study of superatoms has attracted great interest since they apparently go beyond the traditional understanding of the periodic table of elements. In this work, we clearly show that superatoms can be extended from conventional structures to states under pressure condition. By studying the compression process of the CH4@C60 system formed via embedding methane molecules inside fullerene C60, it is found that the system maintains superatomic properties in both static states, and even dynamic rotation situations influenced by quantum tunneling. Remarkably, the simulations reveal the emergence of new superatomic molecular orbitals by decreasing the confined space to approach the van der Waals boundary between CH4 and C60. Our current results not only establish a complete picture of superatoms from ambient condition to high pressure, but also offer a perspective for the discovery and exploration of new properties in superatom systems under extreme conditions.

Recent high-pressure studies have uncovered many types of chemical bonds present in noble gas compounds. Here, by extrapolating what has been found so far, the authors discuss which future discoveries can be expected and recommend further avenues of exploration.

Abstract Recently monolayer jacutingaite (Pt2HgSe3), a naturally occurring exfoliable mineral, discovered in Brazil in 2008, has been theoretically predicted as a candidate quantum spin Hall system with a 0.5 eV band gap, while the bulk form is one of only a few known dual-topological insulators that may host different surface states protected by symmetries. In this work, we systematically investigate both structure and electronic evolution of bulk Pt2HgSe3 under high pressure up to 96 GPa. The nontrivial topology is theoretically stable, and persists up to the structural phase transition observed in the high-pressure regime. Interestingly, we found that this phase transition is accompanied by the appearance of superconductivity at around 55 GPa and the critical transition temperature T c increases with applied pressure. Our results demonstrate that Pt2HgSe3 with nontrivial topology of electronic states displays a ground state upon compression and raises potentials in application to the next-generation spintronic devices.

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are contaminants of global concern, and the inadvertent consumption of PFAA-contaminated crops may pose a threat to public health. Therefore, systematically studying their source tracing, bioaccumulation prediction and risk assessments in crops is an urgent priority. This study investigated the source apportionment and transport of PFAAs and novel fluorinated alternatives (collectively as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, PFASs) from factories to agricultural fields in a fluorochemical industrial region of China. Furthermore, bioaccumulation specificities and prediction of these chemicals in different vegetables were explored, followed by a comprehensive risk assessment from agricultural fields to dinner plates which considered precursor degradation. A positive matrix factorization model revealed that approximately 70 % of PFASs in agricultural soils were derived from fluorochemical manufacturing and metal processing. Alarming levels of ∑PFASs ranged 8.28–84.3 ng/g in soils and 163–7176 ng/g in vegetables. PFAS with short carbon chain or carboxylic acid group as well as branched isomers exhibited higher environmental transport potentials and bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) across a range of vegetables. The BAFs of different isomers of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) decreased as the perfluoromethyl group moved further from the acid functional group. Hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (GenX) showed relatively low BAFs, probably related to its ether bond with a high affinity to soil. Vegetables with fewer Casparian strips (e.g., carrot and radish), or more protein, possessed larger BAFs of PFASs. A bioaccumulation equation integrating critical parameters of PFASs, vegetables and soils, was built and corroborated with a good contamination prediction. After a total oxidizable precursors (TOP) assay, incremental perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) were massively found (325–5940 ng/g) in edible vegetable parts. Besides, precursor degradation and volatilization loss of PFASs was firstly confirmed during vegetable cooking. A risk assessment based on the TOP assay was developed to assist the protection of vegetable consumers.

Compared with a conventional unscented Kalman filter (UKF), the recently proposed marginalized unscented Kalman filter (MUKF) uses a partially sampling strategy to achieve similar filter accuracy with fewer sigma points, demonstrating its powerful ability to deal with state estimation with mixed linearity and nonlinearity. However, the hypothesis that the accuracy of MUKF is equivalent to that of UKF is not true for all systems. In this paper, it is proved that when the state equation is expressed as a differential equation, the accuracy of MUKF is equivalent to that of UKF only when the propagations of the states to be sampled and the states not to be sampled in MUKF are independent of each other. The above condition corresponds to a common problem in engineering, which is a system with measurement biases. Through theoretical proof and numerical simulation, it is verified in this paper that for the systems with measurement biases, the differences of the computed means and covariances in filtering recursions between MUKF and UKF are restricted to the same order infinitesimal as the square of the scaling parameter. To sum up, this paper evaluates the accuracy of MUKF, providing references for engineers to choose MUKF or UKF in different systems.

Data-driven predictions of marine environmental variables are typically focused on single variables. However, in real marine environments, there are correlations among different oceanic variables. Additionally, sea–air interactions play a significant role in influencing the evolution of the marine environment. Both internal dynamics and external drivers contribute to these changes. In this study, a data-driven model is proposed using sea surface height anomaly (SSHA), sea surface temperature (SST), and sea surface wind (SSW) in the Bohai Sea. This model combines multivariate empirical orthogonal functions (MEOFs) with long and short-term memory (LSTM). MEOF analysis is used on the multivariate dataset of SSHA and SST, considering the correlation among sea surface variables. SSW is introduced as a predictor to enhance the predictability of the multivariate sea surface model. In the case of the Bohai Sea, the comparative tests of the model without wind field effect, the fully coupled model, and the proposed prediction model were carried out. MEOF analysis is employed in comparative experiments for oceanic variables, atmospheric variables, and combined atmospheric and oceanic variables. The results demonstrate that using wind field as a predictor can improve the forecast accuracy of SSHA and SST in the Bohai Sea. The root mean square errors (RMSE) for SSHA and SST in a 7-day forecast are 0.016 m and 0.3200 °C, respectively.

Printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) are widely used as recuperators in the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle design. The variation of heat sources will have a great impact on the heat transfer effect of the recuperator. It is of interest to study the fast calculation of flow and heat transfer performance of PCHEs under different operating conditions to obtain the optimal comprehensive performance and provide guidance for the operation control strategy analysis. Herein, a fast calculation method is established through a one-dimensional model of a PCHE based on Modelica. The effects of working medium mass flow rate and inlet temperature on the flow and heat transfer process are analyzed from the three aspects of heat transfer rate, flow pressure drop, and comprehensive performance, and the mass flow rate matching optimization is realized. The results show that increased mass flow rate increases heat transfer rate and flow pressure drop. The efficiency evaluation coefficient (EEC) has a maximum value at which the mass flow rate values of the cold and hot channels are best matched, and the comprehensive performance is optimal. When the mass flow rate of the heat channel is 4.8 g/s, the maximum EEC is 1.42, corresponding to the mass flow rate of the cold channel, 4.2 g/s. Compared with the design condition, the heat transfer rate increases by 62.1%, and the total pump power increases by 14.2%. When the cold channel inlet temperature increases, EEC decreases rapidly, whereas EEC increases when the hot channel inlet temperature increases. The conclusions can provide theoretical support for the design and operation of PCHEs.

Background: Perioperative neurocognitive disorder (PND) is a general term for cognitive impairment that negatively affects multiple domains, including memory, concentration, and physical functioning. Numerous articles have been published on PND; however, only a few quantitative analyses covering this disorder have been published. Methods and Materials: To clarify PND’s developmental history, research foci, and future directions, we conducted a bibliometric analysis using the bibliometric tools VOSviewer and CiteSpace. A total of 4704 publications were obtained from the Web of Science database, including annual publications and trends, keywords, institutions, journals, and collaboration between countries/regions and authors. Results: In addition, we found that neuroinflammation is a hotspot in recent studies. Conclusions: This bibliometric analysis provides a broad overview of studies in the field of PND.

Abstract (R)-1-[3-(Trifluoromethyl)phenyl]ethanol ((R)-MTF-PEL) is an important chiral building block for the synthesis of a neuroprotective compound, (R)-3-(1-(3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)ethoxy)azetidine-1-carboxamide. In this work, an effective whole-cell-catalyzed biotransformation was developed to produce (R)-MTF-PEL, and its productivity was increased by medium engineering strategy. The recombinant E. coli BL21(DE3)-pET28a(+)-LXCAR-S154Y variant affording carbonyl reductase was adopted for the reduction of 3'-(trifluoromethyl)acetophenone to (R)-MTF-PEL with enantiomeric excess (ee) > 99.9%. The addition of 0.6% Tween-20 (w/v) boosted the bioreduction, because the substrate concentration was increased by 4.0-fold than that in the neat buffer solution. The biocatalytic efficiency was further enhanced by introducing choline chloride: lysine (ChCl:Lys, molar ratio of 1:1) in the reaction medium, because the product yield reached 91.5% under 200 mM substrate concentration in the established Tween-20/ChCl:Lys-containing system, which is the highest ever reported for (R)-MTF-PEL production. The optimal reduction conditions were as follows: 4% (w/v) ChCl:Lys, 12.6 g (DCW)/L recombinant E. coli cells, pH 7.0, 30 ℃ and 200 rpm, reaction for 18 h. The combined strategy of surfactant and NADES has great potential in the biocatalytic process and the synthesis of chiral alcohols.

We report a phase diagram mapping for solid hydrogen based on several thousands of Raman spectroscopic data points obtained at simultaneous high-pressure and -temperature (PT) experiments. Information about phase behavior in the range of 300 K up to the melting line and 0–300 GPa for hydrogen has remained almost unknown to date; therefore, revealing it is very desirable. A network analysis of the isothermal and isobaric dependencies for various Raman modes has been used; discontinuities in these dependencies, plus the mode appearance/disappearance provide evidence for phase transitions. These transition data show self-consistency and have been used to outline possible phase boundaries for hydrogen in this PT region. Evidence we found shows hydrogen may experience a gradual molecular dissociation process before its metallization.

In the present study, we describe the development of betaxolol hydrochloride and montmorillonite with ion exchange in a single formulation to create a novel micro-interactive dual-functioning sustained-release delivery system (MIDFDS) for the treatment of glaucoma. Betaxolol hydrochloride molecule was loaded onto the montmorillonite by ion exchange and MIDFDS formation was confirmed by XPS data. MIDFDS showed similar physicochemical properties to those of Betoptic, such as particle size, pH, osmotic pressure, and rheological properties. Nevertheless, the microdialysis and intraocular pressure test revealed better in vivo performance of MIDFDS, such as pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. With regards to wettability, MIDFDS had a larger contact angle (54.66 ± 5.35°) than Betoptic (36.68 ± 1.77°), enabling the MIDFDS (2.93 s) to spread slower on the cornea than Betoptic (2.50 s). Moderate spreading behavior and oppositely charged electrostatic micro-interactions had a comprehensive influence on micro-interactions with the tear film residue, resulting in a longer precorneal retention time. Furthermore, MIDFDS had a significant sustained-release effect, with complete release near the cornea. The dual-functioning sustained-release carrier together with prolonged pre-corneal retention time (80 min) provided sufficiently high drug concentrations in the aqueous humor to achieve a more stable and long-term IOP reduction for 10 h. In addition, cytotoxicity and hemolysis tests showed that MIDFDS had better biocompatibility than Betoptic. The dual-functioning microspheres presented in this study provide the possibility for improved compliance due to low cytotoxicity and hemolysis, which suggests promising clinical implications.

Background: The COVID-19 has spread to more than 200 countries and territories. But less is known about the knowledge, protection behavior and anxiety regarding the outbreak among the general population. Methods: A cross-sectional, population-based online survey was conducted in China and abroad from January 28 to February 1, 2020. Socio-demographic information was collected and knowledge scores, practice scores, anxiety scores and perceived risk were calculated. General linear model and binary logistic regression were used to identify possible associations. Results: We included 9,764 individuals in this study, and 156 (1.6%) were from Hubei Province. The average knowledge score was 4.7 (standard deviation, 1.0) (scored on a 6-point scale); 96.1% maintained hand hygiene, and 90.3% of participants had varying levels of anxiety. People in Hubei Province were the most anxious, followed by those in Beijing and Shanghai. People who had experienced risk behaviors did not pay more attention to wearing masks and hand hygiene. Conclusions: The public had high awareness on knowledge of COVID-19 outbreak, and a high proportion of people practiced good hand hygiene behavior. Many people claimed anxiety, especially in heavily affected areas during pandemic, suggesting the importance of closing the gap between risk awareness and good practice and conduct psychological counseling to public and patients.

Background As a fundamental metabolism, leaf photosynthesis not only provides necessary energy for plant survival and growth but also plays an important role in global carbon fixation. However, photosynthesis is highly susceptible to environmental stresses and can be significantly influenced by future climate change. Methods In this study, we examined the photosynthetic responses of Phragmites australis (P. australis) to three precipitation treatments (control, decreased 30%, and increased 30%) under two thermal regimes (ambient temperature and +4 °C) in environment-controlled chambers. Results Our results showed that the net CO2 assimilation rate (Pn), maximal rate of Rubisco (Vcmax), maximal rate of ribulose-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration (Jmax) and chlorophyll (Chl) content were enhanced under increased precipitation condition, but were declined drastically under the condition of water deficit. The increased precipitation had no significant effect on malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p > 0.05), but water deficit drastically enhanced the MDA content by 10.1%. Meanwhile, a high temperature inhibited the positive effects of increased precipitation, aggravated the adverse effects of drought. The combination of high temperature and water deficit had more detrimental effect on P. australis than a single factor. Moreover, non-stomatal limitation caused by precipitation change played a major role in determining carbon assimilation rate. Under ambient temperature, Chl content had close relationship with Pn (R2 = 0.86, p < 0.01). Under high temperature, Pn was ralated to MDA content (R2 = 0.81, p < 0.01). High temperature disrupted the balance between Vcmax and Jmax (the ratio of Jmax to Vcmax decreased from 1.88 to 1.12) which resulted in a negative effect on the photosynthesis of P. australis. Furthermore, by the analysis of Chl fluorescence, we found that the xanthophyll cycle-mediated thermal dissipation played a major role in PSII photoprotection, resulting in no significant change on actual PSII quantum yield (ΦPSII) under both changing precipitation and high temperature conditions. Conclusions Our results highlight the significant role of precipitation change in regulating the photosynthetic performance of P. australis under elevated temperature conditions, which may exacerbate the drought-induced primary productivity reduction of P. australis under future climate scenarios.

Myeloblastosis (MYB) proteins represent one of the largest families of eukaryotic transcription factors and regulate important processes in growth and development. Studies on MYBs have mainly focused on animals and plants; however, comprehensive analysis across other supergroups such as SAR (stramenopiles, alveolates, and rhizarians) is lacking. This study characterized the structure, evolution, and expression of MYBs in four brown algae, which comprise the biggest multicellular lineage of SAR. Subfamily 1R-MYB comprised heterogeneous proteins, with fewer conserved motifs found outside the MYB domain. Unlike the SHAQKY subgroup of plant 1R-MYB, THAQKY comprised the largest subgroup of brown algal 1R-MYBs. Unlike the expansion of 2R-MYBs in plants, brown algae harbored more 3R-MYBs than 2R-MYBs. At least ten 2R-MYBs, fifteen 3R-MYBs, and one 6R-MYB orthologs existed in the common ancestor of brown algae. Phylogenetic analysis showed that brown algal MYBs had ancient origins and a diverged evolution. They showed strong affinity with stramenopile species, while not with red algae, green algae, or animals, suggesting that brown algal MYBs did not come from the secondary endosymbiosis of red and green plastids. Sequence comparison among all repeats of the three types of MYB subfamilies revealed that the repeat of 1R-MYBs showed higher sequence identity with the R3 of 2R-MYBs and 3R-MYBs, which supports the idea that 1R-MYB was derived from loss of the first and second repeats of the ancestor MYB. Compared with other species of SAR, brown algal MYB proteins exhibited a higher proportion of intrinsic disordered regions, which might contribute to multicellular evolution. Expression analysis showed that many MYB genes are responsive to different stress conditions and developmental stages. The evolution and expression analyses provided a comprehensive analysis of the phylogeny and functions of MYBs in brown algae.

Predicting the number of microorganisms has excellent application in the food industry. It helps in predicting and managing the storage time and food safety. This study aimed to establish a new, simple, and effective model for predicting the number of microorganisms. The dimensional analysis model (DAM) was established based on dimensionless analysis and the Pi theorem. It was then applied to predict the number of Pseudomonas in Niuganba (NGB), a traditional Chinese fermented dry-cured beef, which was prepared and stored at 278 K, 283 K, and 288 K. Finally, the internal and external validation of the DAM was performed using six parameters including R2, R2adj, root mean square error (RMSE), standard error of prediction (%SEP), Af, and Bf. High R2 and R2adj and low RMSE and %SEP values indicated that the DAM had high accuracy in predicting the number of microorganisms and the storage time of NGB samples. Both Af and Bf values were close to 1. The correlation between the observed and predicted numbers of Pseudomonas was high. The study showed that the DAM was a simple, unified and effective model to predict the number of microorganisms and storage time.

Background: The first wave of the COVID-19 epidemic in China was brought under with 3 months—from mid-January 2020 to the end of March 2020. Less studies examined dynamic psychological effect and behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine perceived risk, anxiety, and behavioral response of the general public related to the outbreak of COVID-19 in four cross-sectional surveys conducted throughout China.Methods: In 2020, four cross-sectional, population-based online survey were conducted from January 28 to February 3, from February 10 to 12, from February 20 to 22, and from March 1 to 10, respectively. Convenience sampling was used for easy recruiting survey participants under the long-term impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. The four independent online questionnaires were sent from the same approach (WeChat and MicroBlog), and anyone who receives the questionnaire on the Internet or mobile phone and meets the inclusion criteria could fill in it. The same questionnaires repeatedly used in the four surveys. Socio-demographic information and individual protective practice were collected and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) was used for measuring anxiety. Propensity score matching was used to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics among the four surveys. Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to compare people's perceived risk, anxiety and protective behaviors changes in four stages. General linear model was used to identify associations between some demographic factors and perceived risk, anxiety scores, and protective behaviors.Results: The proportion of high perceived risk has dropped from 24.7 to 4.7%. The proportion of severe anxiety has declined from 12.2 to 1.2%. The proportion of people wore masks when they went out has increased from 97.0 to 98.3%. Women were more likely to develop anxiety (OR = 1.5, 95%CI: 1.4–1.6) and more positively adopted recommended behaviors (OR = 2.1, 95%CI: 1.3–3.4) than men. People at age 30–39 years, with high-degree education, with married status, and accompanied with poor self-rated health status were prone to have higher risk perception and anxiety. Perceived risk was significantly associated with anxiety over the entire periods. Anxiety levels had stronger associations with adoption of protective behaviors (wearing mask and avoiding crowed place) in the early epidemic periods than in the late epidemic periods.Conclusions: The levels of perceived risk and anxiety showed a trend of rising first and then falling. Gradually upward trend on initiative preventive behaviors including wearing mask and avoiding visiting crowded places also was observed through scanning data at four stages. People at age 30–39 years, with high-degree education, and accompanied with poor self-rated health status were prone to have higher risk perception and anxiety. Our findings showed that people simultaneously presented both high-level risk perception and anxiety across the four wave surveys, leading to their positive self-prevention and protective behavior.

Aiming at solving the control problem caused by the large-scale change of the Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV) parameters, this paper proposes a design method of backstepping variable structure attitude controller based on Nonlinear Extended State Observer (NESO), with the characteristics of HGV model and the idea of uncertainty estimation and compensation associated. Firstly, the design of the second-order NESO is studied. Due to the large number of NESO parameters, a systematic method for determining the second-order NESO parameters is given in this paper, and the stability of the observer is proved completely using the piecewise Lyapunov analysis. Then, the NESO-assisted backstepping variable structure attitude controller employs the reduced-order modeling idea to decompose the whole system design problem into two first-order subsystem design problem, and classifies the nonlinear dynamic changes caused by the large-scale changes of the aircraft parameters into the aggregated uncertain terms of the two subsystems. The simulation results show that the backstepping attitude controller based on NESO can realize the stable and accurate tracking of the flight attitude when the aircraft parameters change in a large range.

As a frontier issue of physics and material, the structures and related properties of borides have been extensively investigated in fundamental science. The search for pressure-induced stable compounds has become a feasible approach to acquire borides that are inaccessible at atmospheric pressure. Combined with state-of-the-art swarm intelligence structure prediction and first-principles calculations, we systematically explored the Rb-B system and uncovered a series of unprecedented RbB, Rb_{2}B_{3}, RbB_{3}, RbB_{6}, RbB_{8}, and RbB_{10} under high pressure. It is found that the catenation of boron evolves from linear chain to layered sheets, clusterlike units, and further to three-dimensional tunnel structures with increasing boron content. Among them, RbB_{6} and RbB_{8} are expected phonon-mediated superconductors with T_{c} of ∼12 K and superhard material with a hardness of ∼37 GPa at ambient pressure, respectively. Additionally, RbB_{8} is a suitable precursor for obtaining the superconducting o-B_{16} boron allotrope by removing Rb due to its better stability than isomorphic SrB_{8}. The current results provide insights into the design of unforeseen borides and illustrate intriguing B-B bonding features originating from Rb → B charge transfer under pressures.