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To elucidate the genetic factors contributing to melon resistance against Phelipanche aegyptiaca and comprehend the role of differentially resistant materials in responding to changes in P. aegyptiaca parasitisation, we investigated the P. aegyptiaca-resistant line K16 and the susceptible line K27. The parasitism rate of P. aegyptiaca was assessed at 25 days. Results revealed significant differences in parasitisation rates between K16 (15.35%) and K27 (34.2%). We compared inoculated K16 and K27 to their respective controls through transcriptome analysis and contrasted inoculated K16 with inoculated K27. Eight hundred eighteen genes exhibited differential expression across all comparisons. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in nitrate transport and assimilation, cellular components, extracellular regions, binding and enzyme activities. KEGG pathway enrichment underscored the importance of phytohormone signaling, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, linolenic acid and linoleic acid metabolism, cyanoamino acid metabolism and nitrogen metabolism in the interaction between melon and P. aegyptiaca. Nine genes potentially associated with P. aegyptiaca resistance were identified, encoding cytochrome protein P450, peroxidases, β-glucosidase, acyltransferase family proteins, histidine phosphotransfer protein, and D-type cyclins. This study aims to provide insights into the mechanism of P. aegyptiaca parasitism on melons and offers implications for breeding resistant varieties

Abstract The ultrasonic rolling processing technology has been shown to significantly reduce surface roughness and enhance the residual stress of parts, thereby improving their surface properties and extending their service life. This technology is particularly effective for the precision machining and surface strengthening of ultra-high-strength steel 42CrMo. This study aims to investigate the impact of turning pre-processing on the distribution of residual stress during ultrasonic rolling, a simulation model incorporating turning pre-processing was developed and used to conduct ultrasonic rolling simulation experiments, enabling the analysis of residual stress distribution patterns. Concurrently, ultrasonic rolling strengthening experiments were performed to validate the accuracy of the simulation model. The results confirm that with increasing rotational speed and feed rate, residual stress decreases, whereas with increasing static pressure and amplitude, residual stress increases. The residual stress variation obtained from the simulation of combined turning and ultrasonic rolling closely matched the results of experimental ultrasonic rolling tests. This consistency validates the accuracy of the simulation model. This study offers a novel approach for simulating and experimentally validating ultrasonic rolling processes, particularly for shaft-like parts that undergo turning as a pre-processing step.

Abstract Intracerebral hemorrhage is a lethal cerebrovascular disease, and the inevitable secondary brain injury (SBI) is responsible for serious disability and death. Perfect therapeutic goal is to minimize SBI and restore neurobehavioral functions. Recently, neuroprotection is highlighted to reduce SBI, but it still faces “Neuronal survival but impaired functions” dilemma. Herein, this work further proposes a novel combinational therapeutic strategy of neuroprotection and neurogenesis toward this goal. However, appropriate therapeutic agents are rarely reported, and their discovery and development are urgently needed. Selenium participates in various physiological/pathological processes, which is hypothesized as a potential targeting molecule. To explore this effect, this work formulates an ultra-small selenium nanodot with a seleno-amino acid derived carbon dot domain and a hydrophilic PEG layer, surprisingly finding that it increases various selenoproteins levels at perihematomal region, to not only exert multiple neuroprotective roles at acute phase but promote neurogenesis and inhibit glial scar formation at recovery phase. At a safe dose, this combinational strategy effectively prevents SBI and recovers neurobehavioral functions to a normal level. Furthermore, its molecular mechanisms are revealed to broaden application scopes in other complex diseases. Graphical abstract

An increasing number of MOOCs use learning videos featuring an instructor and slides, but there are few specific guidelines for the design of instructor images for these videos. A pedagogical agent (PA) is a kind of virtual instructor image in a learning video, and its image design is mostly guided by anthropomorphism. Our research attempts to introduce zoomorphism, which is the opposite of traditional anthropomorphism, into the image design of PA. This study tested the effects of two different types of PA images (i.e. anthropomorphic and zoomorphic) as well as a control condition of no PA image on learning from a learning video in a sample of 94 s-grade children. The children were randomly assigned to watch one of three learning videos on pandas. The ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests showed that children who watched the zoomorphic PA image video obtained significantly higher retention, transfer, learning interest, and experience than children who watched the other two types of videos. Children self-reported more enjoyment in the zoomorphic PA image condition than in the no PA condition. Furthermore, the results of multiple regression analysis showed that children's learning interest and experience positively predicted retention and transfer scores; boredom negatively predicted transfer scores. These findings highlight the positive effect of zoomorphism on PA image design, suggesting that zoomorphism holds great prospects in PA image development.

[Objective] The participation of forage farmers in vertical coordination is an important way to solve the problem of insufficient forage supply and the loose connection of the forage industrial chain. This study aimed to explore the key factors that influence the participation of forage farmers in vertical coordination, in order to promote effective linkage between farmers and the market and improve the forage supply capacity. [Methods] A mathematical derivation model of forage farmers’ participation in vertical coordination was constructed from the perspective of internal risk preference and external transaction cost. Based on the survey data of farmers in typical forage-producing areas such as Gansu and Inner Mongolia in 2023, the multiple price list and multinomial logit model were used for empirical analysis. Robustness tests and heterogeneity analyses were also conducted. [Results] (1) The crucial role of internal risk preference in vertical coordination behavior cannot be ignored. Forage farmers with higher level of risk aversion tend to participate more in vertical coordination models of organizational collaboration, sales contract collaboration, and production contract collaboration to ensure transaction stability. (2) The information and execution costs not only directly affect the participation of forage farmers in vertical coordination but also positively regulate the participation of farmers with a high degree of risk preference in vertical coordination. (3) The information and execution costs of annual forage farmers have a significant direct effect on the vertical coordination behavior, while there is no significant impact for perennial forage farmers. The transaction cost of forage farmers in the Sickle Bay area has a significant direct impact and regulatory effect on the vertical coordination behavior, while there is no significant impact in the Huang-Huai-Hai area. [Conclusion] High degree of risk preference of farmers will have a significant inhibitory effect on participating in vertical coordination, while transaction costs will moderate the negative impact of risk preference. Future efforts should aim to enhance farmers’ awareness of the risks involved in forage production and management through both online and offline channels; encourage downstream organizations or enterprises to provide service systems for the integration of forage production and marketing; and improve the development of infrastructure such as communication networks and transportation in the Sickle Bay area.

Abstract The technique of matrix acidification or acid fracturing is commonly utilized to establish communication with natural fractures during reservoir reconstruction. However, this process often encounters limitations due to filtration, which restricts the expansion of the primary acid-etching fracture. To address this issue, a computational model has been developed to simulate the expansion of an acid-etching wormhole by considering various factors such as formation process, injection duration, pressure build-up, and time-varying acid percolation rate. By analyzing the pumping displacement of acid-etching wormholes, this model provides valuable insights into the time-dependent quantities of acid percolation. It has been revealed that the filtration rate of acid-etching wormholes is strongly influenced by pumping displacement, viscosity, and concentration of the acid fluid used in stimulation as well as physical properties of the reservoir itself. Notably, viscosity plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of acid fracturing especially in low-viscosity conditions. Acid concentration within 15% to 20% exhibits maximum impact on successful acid fracturing while concentrations below 15% or above 20% show no obvious effect. Furthermore, it was found that pumping displacement has a major influence on effective fracturing. However, beyond a certain threshold (> 5.0 m3/min), increased pumping displacement leads to slower etching distance for acids used in construction purposes. The simulation also provides real-time distribution analysis for acidity levels within eroded fractures during matrix-acidification processes and quantifies extent of chemical reactions between acids and rocks within these fractures thereby facilitating optimization efforts for design parameters related to matrix-acidification.

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) comprises immune-infiltrating cells that are closely linked to tumor development. By screening and analyzing genes associated with tumor-infiltrating M0 cells, we developed a risk model to provide therapeutic and prognostic guidance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). First, the infiltration abundance of each immune cell type and its correlation with patient prognosis were analyzed. After assessing the potential link between the depth of immune cell infiltration and prognosis, we screened the infiltrating M0 cells to establish a risk model centered on three key genes (TMEN174, LRRC19, and SAA1). The correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between the risk score and various stages of the tumor immune cycle, including B-cell recruitment. Furthermore, the risk score was positively correlated with CD8 expression and several popular immune checkpoints (ICs) (TIGIT, CTLA4, CD274, LAG3, and PDCD1). Additionally, the high-risk group (HRG) had higher scores for tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) and exclusion than the low-risk group (LRG). Importantly, the risk score was negatively correlated with the immunotherapy-related pathway enrichment scores, and the LRG showed a greater therapeutic benefit than the HRG. Differences in sensitivity to targeted drugs between the HRG and LRG were analyzed. For commonly used targeted drugs in RCC, including axitinib, pazopanib, temsirolimus, and sunitinib, LRG had lower IC50 values, indicating increased sensitivity. Finally, immunohistochemistry results of 66 paraffin-embedded specimens indicated that SAA1 was strongly expressed in the tumor samples and was associated with tumor metastasis, stage, and grade. SAA1 was found to have a significant pro-tumorigenic effect by experimental validation. In summary, these data confirmed that tumor-infiltrating M0 cells play a key role in the prognosis and treatment of patients with ccRCC. This discovery offers new insights and directions for the prognostic prediction and treatment of ccRCC.

Leaf stalk-stem angle is an important agronomic trait influencing melon architecture, photosynthetic efficiency, and crop yield. However, the mechanisms governing leaf stalk-stem angle, particularly in melon, are not well understood. In this study, we explored the comparative transcriptome in the expanded architecture line Y164 and the compact plant architecture line Z151 at 30 days after pollination. Phytohormones were measured at the leaf stalk-angle site at the same time in these two lines using liquid chromatography (LC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS) (LC-MS/MS). The phytohormones and transcriptomes were jointly analyzed. Differential hormone profiling revealed that the levels of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) and 12-oxophytodienoic acid (OPDA) in the large-angled line Y164 were significantly higher than those in the small-angled line Z151. These differences were quantified as 2.1- and 2.8-fold increases, respectively. Conversely, the content of isopentenyl adenosine (IPA) was significantly elevated in Z151, with a 3.8-fold higher concentration relative to Y164. Transcriptome analysis identified a total of 1709 differently expressed genes (DEGs), with a predominant enrichment in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways related to photosynthesis and plant hormone signal transduction. Similarly, photosynthesis and the hormone metabolic process were predominantly enriched in the biological process of Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Further integration of transcriptome and hormone analyses substantiated the close relationship between melon leaf stalk-stem angle and phytohormones, especially ACC, OPDA and IPA. Selected DEGs from phytohormone signal transduction were validated. Detailed analysis of DEGs highlighted the potential role of genes such as GH3s (LOC103490488, LOC103490483), SUARs (LOC107991561, LOC103497281 and LOC103489067), ARFs (LOC103503893, LOC103493078) and five genes in abscisic acid pathway. In summary, our findings strongly suggest a direct correlation between phytohormones and the leaf stalk-stem angles in melon.

IntroductionStreptococcus suis (SS) is one of the most important pathogens causing major economic losses in the global pig farming industry and is a serious threat to public health safety. It has multiple serotypes, with poor cross-protection between serotypes, and effective typing methods are lacking.MethodsIn this study, a quadruplex TaqMan fluorescence quantitative PCR assay that can differentiate between Streptococcus suis types 2, 7 and 9 was developed using the gdh gene, a generic gene for Streptococcus suis, and cps2J, cps7H and cps9J, genes encoding podocarp-associated genes for types 2, 7 and 9, respectively, as targets.ResultsThe method is specific enough to accurately type Streptococcus suis pigmentosus without detecting non-target pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae and et al). The sensitivity was high, with a minimum lower detection line of 10 copies for P-SS and P-SS9, and 100 copies for P-SS2 and P-SS7. The standard curves generated showed good linearity with R2 of 0.999, 0.999, 0.997 and 0.998 respectively. The repeatability was good, with coefficients of variation between batch to batch and batch to batch tests ranging from 0.21% to 1.10%. Testing of 156 samples yielded 68 positive and 88 negative samples, of which the positive rate of SS was 5.77% (9/156), SS2 was 20.51% (32/156), SS7 was 8.33% (13/156) and SS9 was 9.6% (15/156), which was in line with the existing fluorescent quantitative PCR assay of 93.75%~100%, which was higher than the detection rate of conventional PCR.DiscussionThe quadruplex TaqMan fluorescence quantitative PCR method of Streptococcus suis generic, type 2, 7 and 9 established in this study can accurately differentiate the three serotypes of Streptococcus suis that currently have high prevalence and pathogenicity, which is of great importance for accurate clinical prevention and treatment, epidemiological investigation and vaccine development.

IntroductionDNA methylation inhibitors (azacitidine, decitabine) have revolutionized the treatment dilemma of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of malignant hematopoietic disorders. This study evaluates the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) following the use of DNA methylation inhibitors in the World Health Organization (WHO) VigiAccess database and compares the characteristics of ADRs between the two drugs to select the drug with the minimum individualized risk for patients.MethodsThis study employed a retrospective descriptive analysis method. We compiled ADR reports for two marketed DNA methylation inhibitors for the treatment of MDS from WHO-VigiAccess. Data collected included demographic data such as age groups, gender, and regions of global patients covered by ADR reports, as well as data on the disease systems and symptoms caused by ADRs recorded in the annual reports and reports received by WHO. By calculating the proportion of ADRs reported for each drug, we compared the similarities and differences in ADRs between the two drugs.ResultsOverall, 23,763 adverse events (AEs) related to the two DNA methylation inhibitors were reported in VigiAccess. The results showed that the top 10 most common AEs were febrile neutropenia, bone marrow suppression, neutropenia, anemia, pancytopenia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, bone marrow failure, agranulocytosis, and hematotoxicity. The top five common types of DNA methylation inhibitor AEs were blood and lymphatic system disorders (11,178 cases, 47.0%), cardiac organ diseases (1,488 cases, 6.3%), various congenital familial genetic diseases (49 cases, 0.2%), ear and labyrinth diseases (100, 4.2%), and endocrine system diseases (57, 2.4%).ConclusionThere is no Strong correlation between DNA methylation inhibitors and ADRs. Current comparative observational studies of these inhibitors show that there are common and specific adverse reactions in the ADR reports received by WHO for these drugs. Clinicians should improve the rational use of these drugs based on the characteristics of ADRs.

Coal seam water injection is a proactive and curative measure to prevent coal mine dust hazards and also one of the essential means to prevent and control gas protrusion, impact ground pressure, and other disasters. However, many coal seams in China are characterized by high ground stress, low porosity, and low permeability, and the traditional methods and techniques face some bottlenecks such as complex water injection, long water injection cycle, and pseudo-wetting of coal. To this end, using liquid CO2 with excellent characteristics such as low-temperature freezing, high permeability, phase change self-pressurization, acidification, and unblocking, the authors put forward a new idea of fracturing and wetting coal by liquid CO2-water circulation, developed an automatic control test system of cold dipping by liquid CO2 circulation. The influence law of liquid CO2-water cycling on the pore structure of coal was investigated using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) instrumentation, and the mechanism of change in the physical properties of coal by cyclic action was investigated using an electro-hydraulic servo-pressure experimental machine. The dust production characteristics of cyclic action on the coal crushing process were investigated using the coal rock-cutting dust production experimental system. The results show that the liquid CO2-water circulation increased the effective porosity (\begin{document}${\varphi _{{\mathrm{NF}}}} $\end{document}) of the coal, and the increase was positively correlated with the number of circulations. The bound fluid inside the coal become less, the free fluid increased, and the T2cutoff value decreased. Combined with the fractal theory, it was found that based on the fractal dimensionality, Ds of seepage porosity had prominent fractal characteristics. The primary pores of the coal underwent the “enlargement” process. Microfracture and original fracture formed a through, and the circulation increased the connectivity of the effective seepage channel and optimized the coal’s porosity network and seepage conditions. With the increase in the number of cycles, the coal’s maximum stress value (\begin{document}${\sigma _{\mathrm{c}}} $\end{document}) decayed exponentially to 4.93 MPa and the strain value (\begin{document}${\varepsilon _{\mathrm{c}}} $\end{document}) increased linearly to 2.29%, the compressive strength of the coal weakened, the deformation capacity increased, the cyclic action changed the state of the coal matrix interconnection, and the resulting freezing and expansion forces exerted extrusion on the coal exacerbated the expansion of the fissures, and the brittleness index B5 decreased by the maximum amount of 34.71%, which significantly weakened the brittleness of coal, and had a better resistance to dynamic load or impact. The weakening of the storage capacity of the coal body for the applied energy changed the form of coal destruction in the cutting process, and the whole dust production rate of the coal body cutting under the test conditions of this paper was reduced by 74%. The percentage of respiratory dust was reduced to 2%, drastically weakening the dust’s hazardousness.

Abstract A novel modified phosphorus β-hemihydrate gypsum (MPG) cementing material was developed to solidify lead-contaminated soil. The solidification effects of lead in the contaminated soil with MPG and Portland cement (PC) as curing agent were contrasted by the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), pH and leaching toxicity of solidified soil. The solidification mechanism of lead contaminated soil was analyzed by XRD, BET, SEM and EDS. The results demonstrated that when the addition of binder increased from 24 to 30%, the UCS of MPG solidified body became higher than that of PC solidified body by 14.7–18.8%. The pH of MPG solidified body was 9.81–10.69, which was 15.17–22.08% lower than that of PC solidified body. The lead leaching concentration of MPG solidified body decreased continuously with the curing time and became lower than the limit of hazardous waste content (5 mg L−1) stipulated in Chinese standards after 7-day curing. The results of microscopic analysis revealed that the main components of MPG solidified body were ettringite (AFt), reticulated gel of calcium silicate hydrated (C–S–H), lead phosphate ([Pb10(PO4)6(OH)2]) and lead sulfate (PbSO4) precipitation. The covering of C–S–H on soil particles and the ion exchange between lead and AFt contributed jointly to the stabilization of lead in the solidified soil. This is a valuable application exploitation study for the treatment of Pb contaminated soil and reutilization of waste phosphorus gypsum.

The role of the intratumoral microbiome in gastric cancer (GC) has not been comprehensively assessed. Here, we explored the relationship between the microbial community and GC prognosis and therapy efficacy. Several cancer-associated microbial characteristics were identified, including increased α-diversity, differential β-diversity, and decreased Helicobacter pylori abundance. After adjusting for clinical features, prognostic analysis revealed 2 phyla, 14 genera, and 5 species associated with the overall survival of patients with GC. Additionally, 2 phyla, 14 genera, and 6 species were associated with adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) efficacy in patients with stage II – III GC. Furthermore, we classified GC microbiome structures into three microbial subtypes (MS1, MS2 and MS3) with distinguishing features. The MS1 subtype exhibited high immune activity and enrichment of microbiota related to immunotherapy and butyric acid-producing, as well as potential benefits in immunotherapy. MS2 featured the highest α-diversity and activation of the TFF pathway, MS3 was characterized by epithelial-mesenchymal transition and was associated with poor prognosis and reduced ACT efficacy. Collectively, the results of this study provide valuable insights into the microbial characteristics associated with GC prognosis and therapy efficacy.

In order to solve the problem of poor accuracy of blasting vibration prediction by the traditional Sadowski empirical formula and BP neural network, a model based on the mind evolutionary algorithm (MEA) is proposed for the first time to optimize the BP neural network. The blasting demolition of a raft slab foundation of an underground garage in Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China, is taken as a research object, and the effects of the horizontal distance between different monitoring points, demolition area, elevation difference, the maximum amount of a single section of the charge, and the horizontal angle between the measurement point and the minimum resistance line on the peak velocity of vibration are taken into account. The empirical Sadowski formula, the MEA-BP algorithm, and the GA-BP algorithm were introduced to randomly train the 40 sets of data monitored at the site and to predict the eight sets of data outside the training, respectively. The results showed that the maximum relative errors of the results predicted by the MEA-BP model, the GA-BP model, and the empirical Sadowski formula were 14.94%, 19.36%, and 22.81%, respectively, and the average relative errors were 8.88%, 10.79%, and 16.84%, respectively. The prediction results corroborate that the MEA-BP algorithm has high adaptability in blasting vibration prediction for raft foundation demolition and provides reference for the prediction of vibration peak velocity in similar blasting projects.

IntroductionMuscovy duck parvovirus (MDPV), Goose parvovirus (GPV), Duck circovirus, (DuCV) and Duck adenovirus 3 (DAdV-3) are important pathogens that cause high morbidity and mortality in ducks, causing huge economic loss for the duck industry.MethodsThe present study, a quadruplex one-step real time quantitative PCR method for the detection of MDPV, GPV, DuCV, and DAdV-3 was developed. ResultsThe results showed that assay had no cross-reactivity with other poultry pathogens [Duck plague virus (DPV), Duck tembusu virus (DTMUV), H6 avian influenza virus (H6 AIV), New duck reovirus (NDRV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV), H4 avian influenza virus (H4 AIV), Escherichia coli (E. coli), Muscovy duck reovirus (MDRV), Egg drop syndrome virus (EDSV), Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida)]. The sensitivity result showed that the limits of detection for MDPV, GPV, DuCV, and DAdV-3 were 10, 10, 1 and 10 copies/µl, respectively; The coefficients of variation intra- and inter-method was 1-2%; The range of linear (109 to 103 copies/µL) demonstrated the R2 values for MDPV, GPV, DuCV, and DAdV-3 as 0.9975, 0.998, 0.9964, and 0.996, respectively. The quadruplex real time quantitative PCR method efficiency was 90.30%, 101.10%, 90.72%, and 90.57% for MDPV, GPV, DuCV, and DAdV-3, respectively. 396 clinical specimens collected in some duck sausages from June 2022 to July 2023 were simultaneously detected using the established quadruplex real time quantitative PCR method and the reported assays. The detection rates for MDPV, GPV, DuCV, and DAdV-3 were 8.33% (33/396), 17.93% (71/396), 33.58% (133/396), and 29.04% (115/396), respectively. The agreement between these assays was greater than 99.56%.DiscussionThe developed quadruplex real-time quantitative PCR assay can accurately detect these four viruses infecting ducks, providing a rapid, sensitive, specific and accurate technique for clinical testing.

Atrazine, a commonly employed herbicide for corn production, can leave residues in soil, resulting in photosynthetic toxicity and impeding growth in subsequent alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crops within alfalfa-corn rotation systems. The molecular regulatory mechanisms by which atrazine affects alfalfa growth and development, particularly its impact on the microbial communities of the alfalfa rhizosphere, are not well understood. This study carried out field experiments to explore the influence of atrazine stress on the biomass, chlorophyll content, antioxidant system, and rhizosphere microbial communities of the atrazine-sensitive alfalfa variety WL-363 and the atrazine-resistant variety JN5010. The results revealed that atrazine significantly reduced WL-363 growth, decreasing plant height by 8.58 cm and root length by 5.42 cm (p

Disulfidptosis, a newly discovered mode of cell death caused by excessive accumulation of intracellular disulfide compounds, is closely associated with tumor development. This study focused on the relationship between disulfidptosis and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Firstly, the characterizations of disulfidptosis-related genes (DRGs) in ccRCC were showed, which included number variation (CNV), single nucleotide variation (SNV), DNA methylation, mRNA expression and gene mutation. Then, the ccRCC samples were classified into three clusters through unsupervised clustering based on DRGs. Survival and pathway enrichment differences were evaluated among the three clusters. Subsequently, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the three clusters were screened by univariate Cox, LASSO, and multivariate Cox analysis, and five key DEGs were obtained. Based on the five key DEGs, the ccRCC samples were reclassified into two geneclusters and the survival differences and immune cell infiltration between two geneclusters was investigated. In next step, ccRCC samples were divided into two groups according to PCA scores of five key DEGs, namely high PCA score group (HPSG) and low PCA score group (LPSG). On this basis, differences in survival prognosis, immune cell infiltration and correlation with immune checkpoint, as well as differences in sensitivity to targeted drugs were compared between HPSG and LPSG. The expression levels of four immune checkpoints were higher in HPSG than in LPSG, whereas the LPSG was more sensitive to targeted drug therapy than the HPSG. Finally, validation experiments on HDAC4 indicated that HDAC4 could increase the proliferation and colony formation ability of ccRCC cells.

When shield TBM tunnelling in abrasive sandy ground, the rational design of cutter parameters is critical to reduce tool wear and improve tunnelling efficiency. However, the influence mechanism of cutter parameters on scraper wear remains unclear due to the lack of a reliable test method. Geometry and material optimisation are often based on subjective experience, which is unfavourable for improving scraper geological adaptability. In the present study, the newly developed WHU-SAT soil abrasion test was used to evaluate the variation in scraper wear with cutter geometry, material and hardness. The influence mechanism of cutter parameters on scraper wear has been revealed according to the scratch characteristics of the scraper surface. Cutter geometry and material parameters have been optimised to reduce scraper wear. The results indicate that the variation in scraper wear with cutter geometry is related to the cutting resistance, frictional resistance and stress distribution. An appropriate increase in the front angle (or back angle) reduces the cutting resistance (or frictional resistance), while an excessive increase in the front angle (or back angle) reduces the edge angle and causes stress concentration. The optimal front angle, back angle and edge angle for quartz sand samples are α = 25°, β = 10° and γ = 55°, respectively. The wear resistance of the modelled scrapers made of different metal materials is related to the chemical elements and microstructure. The wear resistances of the modelled scrapers made of 45#, 06Cr19Ni10, 42CrMo4 and 40CrNiMoA are 0.569, 0.661, 0.691 and 0.728 times those made of WC-Co, respectively. When the alloy hardness is less than 47 HRC (or greater than 58 HRC), scraper wear decreases slowly with increasing alloy hardness as the scratch depth of the particle asperity on the metal surface stabilizes at a high (or low) level. However, when the alloy hardness is between 47 HRC and 58 HRC, scraper wear decreases rapidly with increasing alloy hardness as the scratch depth transitions from high to low levels. The sensitive hardness interval and recommended hardness interval for quartz sand are [47, 58] and [58, 62], respectively. The present study provides a reference for optimising scraper parameters and improving cutterhead adaptability in abrasive sandy ground tunnelling.

Abstract To explore the microstructure formation mechanism of 42CrMo steel under the strengthening of ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP), the combination of theoretical analysis and experiment was used to conduct in-depth research on USRP. Firstly, according to contact mechanics and Hertz contact theory, the calculation model of contact stress distribution and elastoplastic strain between the rolling ball and the part during USRP is obtained. Secondly, the USRP processing test was carried out by single-factor experimental design method, and the microstructure of 42CrMo steel after USRP was analyzed by LEXT OLS5100 3D laser surface topography instrument and VEGA3 tungsten filament scanning electron microscopy, which found that with an increase in static pressure, residual stress and plastic strain gradually increase, the hardness firstly increases and then decreases, while surface roughness exhibits an initial decrease followed by an increase. The results show that USRP produces violent plastic deformation inside the material under the superposition of high-frequency impact and static pressure, at the same time, it refines the grains, so as to improve the surface performance of the part and improve its fatigue resistance.

Introduction: To investigate the diagnostic value of serum MMP-7 and SOX9 levels in patients with biliary atresia (BA) and to further analyze their relationship with the liver fibrosis and prognosis. Methods: Sixty-eight patients hospitalized for jaundice and underwent surgical treatment from March 2019 to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, including 44 patients with BA and 24 patients with other cholestatic liver diseases as disease controls (DC). Serum levels of MMP-7 and SOX9 were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic value of MMP-7 and SOX9 for BA was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Serum levels of MMP-7 and SOX9 were higher in the BA group compared to the DC group (P = 0.0002, P = 0.0006). The AUC for the combined diagnosis of serum MMP-7, SOX9 and GGT was 0.888 (95 % CI:0.788–0.952, P < 0.0001), which was significantly different from the diagnosis of MMP-7 or SOX9 alone (P = 0.034, P = 0.030). Serum levels of MMP-7 and SOX9 were significantly positively correlated with the liver fibrosis score (rs = 0.41, P = 0.006; rs = 0.58, P < 0.0001). BA patients who maintained native liver survival had lower preoperative serum levels of MMP-7 and SOX9 (P = 0.008, P = 0.0008). Conclusions: The combined diagnosis of BA by MMP-7, SOX9 and GGT has better accuracy than MMP-7 or SOX9 alone. Serum SOX9 levels can assess the severity of BA liver fibrosis and correlate with BA native liver survival, but more sample data are needed to further investigate its predictive value.

AbstractIn this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Chlorogomphus shanicus Wilson, 2002 was reported, and the maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree was constructed using 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs). The total length of the mitogenome of C. shanicus was 15,497 bp. Twelve PCGs started with ATN codons, except cox1 began with TTG codon. Most transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) were predicted to fold in a typical cloverleaf structure, except the trnS1 (gct), which lacked a dihydrouridine arm that had been simplified to a loop. The phylogenetic tree showed that Anisoptera was split into two clades, and revealed that C. shanicus was closely related to Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) which is endemic to Europe.

Abstract Bidirectional signal transduction between tumor epithelial cells and tumor microenvironment (TME) is important for tumor development. Here we show that Lin28b/let-7 pathway is indispensable for modulating the expression of Wnt5a in tumor epithelium, which could be secreted and then up-regulates Lin28b in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Moreover, we demonstrate that Lin28b in CAFs promoted growth of PDAC by inducing cytokine PCSK9’s production. Using an orthotopic mouse model of PDAC, we find that depletion of Lin28b in CAFs reduced tumor weight, highlighting the importance of Lin28b in PDAC stroma. Thus, our study shows that the Lin28b-Wnt5a axis plays a critical role in bidirectional crosstalk between pancreatic tumor epithelium and TME and results in a pro-‍tumorigenic contexture.

Abstract Background Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is closely associated with steroid hormones and their receptors affected by lipid metabolism. Recently, there has been growing interest in the carcinogenic role of NR3C1, the sole gene responsible for encoding glucocorticoid receptor. However, the specific role of NR3C1 in ccRCC remains unclear. The present study was thus developed to explore the underlying mechanism of NR3C1’s carcinogenic effects in ccRCC. Methods Expression of NR3C1 was verified by various tumor databases and assessed using RT-qPCR and western blot. Stable transfected cell lines of ccRCC with NR3C1 knockdown were constructed, and a range of in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to examine the effects of NR3C1 on ccRCC proliferation and migration. Transcriptomics and lipidomics sequencing were then conducted on ACHN cells, which were divided into control and sh-NR3C1 group. Finally, the sequencing results were validated using transmission electron microscopy, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, immunofluorescence co-localization, cell immunofluorescent staining, and Western blot. The rescue experiments were designed to investigate the relationship between endoplasmic reticulum stress (ER stress) and mitophagy in ccRCC cells after NR3C1 knockdown, as well as the regulation of their intrinsic signaling pathways. Results The expression of NR3C1 in ccRCC cells and tissues was significantly elevated. The sh-NR3C1 group, which had lower levels of NR3C1, exhibited a lower proliferation and migration capacity of ccRCC than that of the control group (P

When the mining of the underlying working face of shallow and close seam passes under the overlying remnant coal pillar, it is easy to have an intensive mine pressure-induced dynamic disaster, resulting in personnel and equipment damage, which seriously threatens the safety of mine production. The characteristics induction, numerical simulation calculation, mechanical model analysis and other research methods are used to clarify the occurrence of the hazards of the overlying remnant coal pillars in the shallow and close seams, and reveal the disaster mechanism caused by intensive mining pressure. The research shows that the disaster mechanism of the intensive ground pressure caused by the overlying remnant coal pillar is that when the working face passes under the coal pillar, the coal pillar and the overlying bearing body are disturbed and suddenly lose stability, and the energy is transferred to the stope instantly, which is released in the form of kinetic energy, resulting in the intensive ground pressure-induced dynamic disaster. Based on the prevention and control idea of “collapsed rock support+weakening of key rock stratum+transfer of stress transmission path”, the prevention and control technology of weakening for front area using subsectional-hydraulic fracturing was proposed by modifying the coal pillar and bearing body migration space, weakening key rock stratum, uniformly distributing concentrated stress and transferring stress transmission path, and engineering tests are carried out at typical working faces. The engineering test results show that during the implementation of hydraulic fracturing, the peak value of pumping pressure reaches 23.4 MPa, the pressure changes generally in a “zigzag” shape, accompanied by a sudden drop of pressure for more than 60 times, and the artificial main fractures and micro fractures in the rock mass continue to develop alternately, effectively destroying the integrity of the rock mass; After treatment, the peak value and average value of periodic pressure decreased by 15.41% and 8.29% respectively, and the peak value and average dynamic load coefficient decreased by 17.39% and 11.88%, respectively. The maximum contraction of the shield cylinder was 50.00% and less than 0.4 m, and the maximum contraction of the gate road roof was 33.33%. The working face safely passed through the affected area of the overlying remnant coal pillar, and the advanced area weakening technology of subsectional- hydraulic fracturing can effectively prevent and control the intensive ground pressure disaster of the overlying remnant coal pillar in shallow and close seams.

Abstract Single-fluid nozzles and dual-fluid nozzles are the two typical jet crushing methods used in spray dust reduction. To distinguish the atomization mechanism of single-fluid and dual-fluid nozzles and improve dust control efficiency at the coal mining faces, the atomization characteristics and dust reduction performance of the two nozzles were quantitatively compared. Results of experiments show that, as water supply pressure increased, the atomization angle of the swirl pressure nozzle reaches a maximum of 62° at 6 MPa and then decreases, but its droplet size shows an opposite trend with a minimum of 41.7 μm. The water supply pressure helps to improve the droplet size and the atomization angle of the internal mixing air–liquid nozzle, while the air supply pressure has a suppressive effect for them. When the water supply pressure is 0.2 MPa and the air supply pressure reaches 0.4 MPa, the nozzle obtains the smallest droplet size which is 10% smaller than the swirl pressure nozzle. Combined with the dust reduction experimental results, when the water consumption at the working surface is not limited, using the swirl pressure nozzle will achieve a better dust reduction effect. However, the internal mixing air–liquid nozzle can achieve better and more economical dust reduction performance in working environments where water consumption is limited.

Multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly prevalent due to technological advancements. During rapeseed’s seedling stage, UAV-generated airflow, known as wind-induced response, affects leaf movement, tied to airflow speed and distribution. Understanding wind-induced response aids early rapeseed lodging prediction. Determining airflow distribution at various UAV heights is crucial for wind-induced response study, yet lacks theoretical guidance. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed to analyze airflow distribution at different UAV heights. Fluid–solid coupling simulation assessed 3D rapeseed model motion and surface pressure distribution in UAV downwash airflow. Validation occurred via wind speed experiments. Optimal uniform airflow distribution was observed at 2 m UAV height, with a wind speed variation coefficient of 0.258. The simulation showed greater vertical than horizontal leaf displacement, with elastic modulus inversely affecting displacement and leaf area directly. Discrepancies within 10.5% in the 0.5–0.8 m height range above the rapeseed canopy validated simulation accuracy. This study guides UAV height selection, leaf point determination, and wind-induced response parameter identification for rapeseed seedling stage wind-induced response research.

ABSTRACTMarburg virus disease (MVD) is a lethal viral haemorrhagic fever caused by Marburg virus (MARV) with a case fatality rate as high as 88%. There is currently no vaccine or antiviral therapy approved for MVD. Due to high variation among MARV isolates, vaccines developed against one strain fail to protect against other strains. Here we report that three recombinant rabies virus (RABV) vector vaccines encoding two copies of GPs covering both MARV lineages induced pseudovirus neutralizing antibodies in BALB/c mice. Furthermore, high-affinity human neutralizing antibodies were isolated from a humanized mouse model. The three vaccines produced a Th1-biased serological response similar to that of human patients. Adequate sequential immunization enhanced the production of neutralizing antibodies. Virtual docking suggested that neutralizing antibodies induced by the Angola strain seemed to be able to hydrogen bond to the receptor-binding site (RBS) in the GP of the Ravn strain through hypervariable regions 2 (CDR2) and CDR3 of the VH region. These findings demonstrate that three inactivated vaccines are promising candidates against different strains of MARV, and a novel fully humanized neutralizing antibody against MARV was isolated.

Abstract Background Metastasis is a crucial aspect of disease progression leading to death in patients with prostate cancer (PCa). However, its mechanism remains unclear. We aimed to explore the mechanism of lymph node metastasis (LNM) by analyzing the heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment (TME) in PCa using scRNA-seq. Methods A total of 32,766 cells were obtained from four PCa tissue samples for scRNA-seq, annotated, and grouped. InferCNV, GSVA, DEG functional enrichment analysis, trajectory analysis, intercellular network evaluation, and transcription factor analysis were carried out for each cell subgroup. Furthermore, validation experiments targeting luminal cell subgroups and CXCR4 + fibroblast subgroup were performed. Results The results showed that only EEF2 + and FOLH1 + luminal subgroups were present in LNM, and they appeared at the initial stage of luminal cell differentiation, which were comfirmed by verification experiments. The MYC pathway was enriched in the EEF2 + and FOLH1 + luminal subgroups, and MYC was associated with PCa LNM. Moreover, MYC did not only promote the progression of PCa, but also led to immunosuppression in TME by regulating PDL1 and CD47. The proportion of CD8 + T cells in TME and among NK cells and monocytes was lower in LNM than in the primary lesion, while the opposite was true for Th and Treg cells. Furthermore, these immune cells in TME underwent transcriptional reprogramming, including CD8 + T subgroups of CCR7 + and IL7R+, as well as M2-like monocyte subgroups expressing tumor-associated signature genes, like CCR7, SGKI, and RPL31. Furthermore, STEAP4+, ADGRF5 + and CXCR4+, and SRGNC + fibroblast subgroups were closely related to tumor progression, tumor metabolism, and immunosuppression, indicating their contributions in PCa metastasis. Meanwhile, The presence of CXCR4 + Fibroblasts in PCa was confirmed by polychromatic immunofluorescence. Conclusions The significant heterogeneity of luminal, immune, and interstitial cells in PCa LNM may not only directly contribute to tumor progression, but also indirectly result in TME immunosuppression, which may be the cause of metastasis in PCa and in which MYC played an role.

Abstract To obtain the distribution law of residual stress of 42CrMo steel processed by ultrasonic rolling extrusion process (UREP), according to the characteristics of the material treated by ultrasonic rolling extrusion process, 42CrMo steel quasi-static experiment and dynamic experiment are carried out, the improved Johnson–Cook model was proposed. Based on the 42CrMo constitutive equation, the ultrasonic rolling extrusion process finite element method and experiment of 42CrMo steel were carried out. The results show that the simulation value and experimental value of the residual stress distribution after ultrasonic rolling extrusion process of 42CrMo steel have good consistency, with the increase of static pressure and amplitude, the residual stress increases, and with the increase of rotational speed and feed speed, the residual stress decreases, a more accurate residual stress distribution law of ultrasonic rolling extrusion of 42CrMo steel is obtained.

Seismic landslides can seriously aggravate the losses of earthquake disasters. Therefore, it is of great significance to assessment the distribution of earthquake induced landslides for emergency relief. In this paper, based on the 30 m resolution DEM and regional geologic data with a scale of 1∶500 000, emergency rapid assessment of earthquake induced landslides is carried out using the Newmark cumulative displacement model for the 5 September 2022 Luding MS6.8 earthquake, China. The results show that the earthquake induced landslides are relatively serious in this earthquake. The high hazard zones of the coseismic landslides are about 45 km2, which is mainly distributed on the two banks of the nearly east-west tributaries on the west bank of the Dadu River and the west of the Xianshuihe fault, especially along the Yanzigou, Mozigou, Hailuogou, Feishuigou gullies and the Wandong, Shiyue, Tianwan rivers, posing a great threat to the lives of residents and tourists. The rivers and roads in these tributaries are at high risk of being blocked by landslides. The Lengqi, Xinglong, Moxi and Detuo towns in Luding County and Tianwan, Caoke, Xinmin, Xianfeng, Xieluo and Wajiao towns in Shimian County are at high risk of landslides. The S434 Provincial Road and S211 Provincial Road along the Dadu River near the epicenter are more likely to be blocked by landslides. The predicted earthquake landslide hazard in the Gongga Snow Mountain area is medium, but it is necessary to pay attention to the risks of long range and high position landslide disaster (chain), such as ice avalanche and rock avalanche. Comparison between the distribution of induced landslides in zones with intensity VIII and IX obtained from post-earthquake emergency investigation and remote sensing interpretation shows that the obtained displacements can well reflect the macro distribution of coseismic landslides along the tributaries on the west bank of the Dadu River, but cannot be exerted effectively around the edge of the Moxi platform and the banks of the main stream of Dadu River, which can be enhanced through the improvement of large scale of geologic maps and high quality topography data. The results can provide reference for valuable timely reference information on post-earthquake reconstruction planning and long-time activity of post-earthquake geohazard and risk recognition of landslide disaster chains.

As one of the main external factors affecting the fire extinguishing accuracy of sprinkler systems, it is necessary to analyze and study random wind. However, in practical applications, there is little research on the impact of random wind on sprinkler fire extinguishing points. To address this issue, a new random wind acquisition system was constructed in this paper, and a method for predicting jet trajectory falling points in Random Forest (RF) under the influence of random wind was proposed, and compared with the commonly used prediction model Support Vector Machine (SVM). The method in this article reduces the error in the x direction of the 50 m prediction result from 2.11 m to 1.53 m, the error in the y direction from 0.64 m to 0.6 m, and the total mean absolute error (MAE) from 31.3 to 23.5. Simultaneously, predict the falling points of jet trajectory at different distances under the influence of random wind, to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method in practical applications. The experimental results show that the system and method proposed in this article can effectively improve the influence of random wind on the falling points of a jet trajectory. In summary, the image acquisition system and error prediction method proposed in this article have many potential applications in fire extinguishing.

This research presents an innovative methodology aimed at monitoring jet trajectory during the jetting process using imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This approach seamlessly integrates UAV imagery with an offline learnable prompt vector module (OPVM) to enhance trajectory monitoring accuracy and stability. By leveraging a high-resolution camera mounted on a UAV, image enhancement is proposed to solve the problem of geometric and photometric distortion in jet trajectory images, and the Faster R-CNN network is deployed to detect objects within the images and precisely identify the jet trajectory within the video stream. Subsequently, the offline learnable prompt vector module is incorporated to further refine trajectory predictions, thereby improving monitoring accuracy and stability. In particular, the offline learnable prompt vector module not only learns the visual characteristics of jet trajectory but also incorporates their textual features, thus adopting a bimodal approach to trajectory analysis. Additionally, OPVM is trained offline, thereby minimizing additional memory and computational resource requirements. Experimental findings underscore the method’s remarkable precision of 95.4% and efficiency in monitoring jet trajectory, thereby laying a solid foundation for advancements in trajectory detection and tracking. This methodology holds significant potential for application in firefighting systems and industrial processes, offering a robust framework to address dynamic trajectory monitoring challenges and augment computer vision capabilities in practical scenarios.

Currently, intelligent robotics is supplanting traditional industrial applications. It extends to business, service and care industries, and other fields. Stable robot grasping is a necessary prerequisite for all kinds of complex application scenarios. Herein, we propose a method for preparing an elastic porous material with adjustable conductivity, hardness, and elastic modulus. Based on this, we design a soft robot tactile fingertip that is gentle, highly sensitive, and has an adjustable range. It has excellent sensitivity (~1.089 kpa−1), fast response time (~35 ms), and measures minimum pressures up to 0.02 N and stability over 500 cycles. The baseline capacitance of a sensor of the same size can be increased by a factor of 5–6, and graphene adheres better to polyurethane sponge and has good shock absorption. In addition, we demonstrated the application of the tactile fingertip to a two-finger manipulator to achieve stable grasping. In this paper, we demonstrate the great potential of the soft robot tactile finger in the field of adaptive grasping for intelligent robots.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy of targeted nanopore sequencing technology for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(M.tb.) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) specimens.MethodsA prospective study was used to select 58 patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis(PTB) at Henan Chest Hospital from January to October 2022 for bronchoscopy, and BALF specimens were subjected to acid-fast bacilli(AFB) smear, Mycobacterium tuberculosis MGIT960 liquid culture, Gene Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert MTB/RIF) and targeted nanopore sequencing (TNS) for the detection of M.tb., comparing the differences in the positive rates of the four methods for the detection of patients with different classifications.ResultsAmong 58 patients with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis, there were 48 patients with a final diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Using the clinical composite diagnosis as the reference gold standard, the sensitivity of AFB smear were 27.1% (95% CI: 15.3-41.8); for M.tb culture were 39.6% (95% CI: 25.8-54.7); for Xpert MTB/RIF were 56.2% (95% CI: 41.2-70.5); for TNS were 89.6% (95% CI: 77.3-96.5). Using BALF specimens Xpert MTB/RIF and/or M.tb. culture as the reference standard, TNS showed 100% (30/30) sensitivity. The sensitivity of NGS for pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis was significantly higher than Xpert MTB/RIF, M.tb. culture, and AFB smear. Besides, P values of