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Abstract Background Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) has been reported as a critical predictor on the risks and clinical outcomes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and we aimed to explore the potential predictive value of cumulative AIP on major adverse cardiac events (MACE), stroke, myocardial infarction (MI) and cardiovascular mortality. Methods A large-scale community-based prospective cohort was established from December 2011 to April 2012 and followed up in May to July 2014. The endpoint outcomes were obtained before December 31, 2021. AIP was calculated as the logarithmically transformed ratio of triglyceride (TG) to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and cumulative AIP was the average value of AIP in 2012 and 2014. Results An overall of 3820 participants (36.1% male) with mean (SD) age of 59.1 (8.7) years, were enrolled. Within a median follow-up of 7.5 years, a total of 371 (9.7%) participants were documented with MACE, 293 (7.7%) participants developed stroke, 68 (1.8%) suffered from MI and 65 (1.7%) experienced cardiovascular mortality. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed significant associations between cumulative AIP and the risk of MACE, stroke and MI. Regarding MACE, individuals with one higher unit of cumulative AIP were associated with 75% increment on the incidence of going through MACE in fully adjusted model, while categorizing participants into four groups, individuals in the highest cumulative AIP quartile were significantly associated with increased incidence of MACE (HR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.27–2.44, p

Abstract Central blood pressure confers cardiovascular risk prediction ability, but whether the association between central systolic blood pressure (cSBP) and cardiovascular endpoints is independent of peripheral systolic blood pressure (pSBP) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aim to investigate the associations between cSBP and cardiovascular endpoints in models including and excluding pSBP, respectively. Observational studies assessing the risk of composite cardiovascular endpoints with baseline cSBP were searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library to May 31, 2022. Risk of bias was assessed by the Newcastle‐Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale, and random‐effects models were used to pool estimates. Finally, 48 200 participants from 19 studies with a mean age of 59.0 ± 6.9 years were included. Per 10 mmHg increase of cSBP was associated with higher risk of composite cardiovascular outcomes (risk ratio [RR]: 1.14 [95%CI 1.08–1.19]) and cardiovascular death (RR: 1.18 [95%CI 1.08–1.30]), and the associations still existed after adjusting for pSBP (RR: 1.13 [95%CI 1.05–1.21] for composite cardiovascular endpoints; RR: 1.25 [95%CI 1.09–1.43] for cardiovascular death). In pSBP‐unadjusted studies, increased cSBP was also associated with higher risk of all‐cause mortality and stroke, but not in the pSBP‐adjusted studies. Both cSBP and pSBP were similarly significantly associated with composite cardiovascular endpoints in models containing them separately and simultaneously. cSBP was significantly associated with cardiovascular events, independently of pSBP. Central or peripheral SBP could supplement cardiovascular risk assessment besides each other.

Abstract Although the association between persistent hypertension and the compromise of both micro‐ and macro‐circulatory functions is well recognized, a significant gap in quantitative investigations exploring the interplay between microvascular and macrovascular injuries still exists. In this study, the authors looked into the relationship between brachial‐ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and hypertensive retinopathy in treated hypertensive adults. The authors conducted a cross‐sectional study of treated hypertensive patients with the last follow‐up data from the China Stoke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT) in 2013. With the use of PWV/ABI instruments, baPWV was automatically measured. The Keith‐Wagener‐Barker classification was used to determine the diagnosis of hypertensive retinopathy. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the connection between baPWV and hypertensive retinopathy were determined using multivariable logistic regression models. The OR curves were created using a multivariable‐adjusted restricted cubic spline model to investigate any potential non‐linear dose‐response relationships between baPWV and hypertensive retinopathy. A total of 8514 (75.5%) of 11,279 participants were diagnosed with hypertensive retinopathy. The prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy increased from the bottom quartile of baPWV to the top quartile: quartile 1: 70.7%, quartile 2: 76.1%, quartile 3: 76.7%, quartile 4: 78.4%. After adjusting for potential confounders, baPWV was positively associated with hypertensive retinopathy (OR = 1.05, 95% CI, 1.03–1.07, p

Nitrogen pollution resulting from excessive feed consumption poses a significant challenge for modern swine production. Precision nutrition technology seems to be an effective way to solve this problem; therefore, understanding the law of pig body composition deposition is a prerequisite. This study investigated the sex effects on growth performance, body composition, nutrient deposition, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in weaned piglets. Eighty weaned pigs were randomly allocated to 2 treatments according to the sex of pigs. An individual pig was considered as a treatment replicate. Six body weights (BW 5, 7, 11, 15, 20, and 25 kg) were chosen as experimental points; for each point 10 piglets close to the average BW (5 males and 5 females) were slaughtered, and there was one growth phase between each 2 BW points. Results indicated that the males had higher average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to the females (P

Abstract Efflux pump antiporters confer drug resistance to bacteria by coupling proton import with the expulsion of antibiotics from the cytoplasm. Despite efforts there remains a lack of understanding as to how acid/base chemistry drives drug efflux. Here, we uncover the proton-coupling mechanism of the Staphylococcus aureus efflux pump NorA by elucidating structures in various protonation states of two essential acidic residues using cryo-EM. Protonation of Glu222 and Asp307 within the C-terminal domain stabilized the inward-occluded conformation by forming hydrogen bonds between the acidic residues and a single helix within the N-terminal domain responsible for occluding the substrate binding pocket. Remarkably, deprotonation of both Glu222 and Asp307 is needed to release interdomain tethering interactions, leading to opening of the pocket for antibiotic entry. Hence, the two acidic residues serve as a “belt and suspenders” protection mechanism to prevent simultaneous binding of protons and drug that enforce NorA coupling stoichiometry and confer antibiotic resistance.

Abstract The multidrug efflux transporter EmrE from Escherichia coli requires anionic residues in the substrate binding pocket for coupling drug transport with the proton motive force. Here, we show how protonation of a single membrane embedded glutamate residue (Glu14) within the homodimer of EmrE modulates the structure and dynamics in an allosteric manner using NMR spectroscopy. The structure of EmrE in the Glu14 protonated state displays a partially occluded conformation that is inaccessible for drug binding by the presence of aromatic residues in the binding pocket. Deprotonation of a single Glu14 residue in one monomer induces an equilibrium shift toward the open state by altering its side chain position and that of a nearby tryptophan residue. This structural change promotes an open conformation that facilitates drug binding through a conformational selection mechanism and increases the binding affinity by approximately 2000-fold. The prevalence of proton-coupled exchange in efflux systems suggests a mechanism that may be shared in other antiporters where acid/base chemistry modulates access of drugs to the substrate binding pocket.

Abstract Background Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a metabolite derived from the gut microbiota and has been reported to be correlated with cardiovascular diseases. Although TMAO is associated with the severity of coronary artery disease in subjects with coronary heart disease (CHD) history. However, the correlation between TMAO and the atherosclerotic burden in newly diagnosed cases of CHD is unknown. Methods In this hospital-based study, we enrolled 429 individuals newly diagnosed with CHD undergoing coronary angiography. Plasma TMAO was assessed before coronary angiography. SYNTAX score was computed during coronary angiography to estimate the coronary artery atherosclerotic burden. Both linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the correlation between plasma TMAO levels and SYNTAX score in newly diagnosed CHD population. Results The TMAO in patients with SYNTAX ≥ 33 and subjects with SYNTAX

Abstract Previous studies have shown that low platelet count combined with high plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) increased stroke risk and can be lowered by 73% with folic acid. However, the combined role of other platelet activation parameters and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genotypes on stroke risk and folic acid treatment benefit remain to be examined. This study aimed to investigate if platelet activation parameters and MTHFR genotypes jointly impact folic acid treatment efficacy in first stroke prevention. Data were derived from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial. This study includes a total of 11,185 adult hypertensive patients with relevant platelet activation parameters and MTHFR genotype data. When simultaneously considering both platelet activation parameters (plateletcrit, platelet count, mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width) and MTHFR genotypes, patients with both low plateletcrit (Q1) and the TT genotype had the highest stroke incidence rate (5.6%) in the enalapril group. This subgroup significantly benefited from folic acid treatment, with a 66% reduction in first stroke (HR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.14–0.82; p = 0.016). Consistently, the subgroup with low plateletcrit (Q1) and the CC/CT genotype also benefited from folic acid treatment (HR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.23–0.70; p = 0.001). In Chinese hypertensive adults, low plateletcrit can identify those who may greatly benefit from folic acid treatment, in particular, those with the TT genotype, a subpopulation known to have the highest stroke risk.

Abstract Background Inter-leg systolic blood pressure difference (ILSBPD) has emerged as a novel cardiovascular risk factor. This study aims to investigate the predictive value of ILSBPD on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in general population. Methods We combined three cycles (1999–2004) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Levels of ILSBPD were calculated and divided into four groups based on three cut-off values of 5, 10 and 15mmHg. Time-to-event curves were estimated with the use of the Kaplan-Meier method, and two multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality associated with ILSBPD. Results A total of 6 842 subjects were included, with the mean (SD) age of 59.5 (12.8) years. By December 31, 2019, 2 544 and 648 participants were identified all-cause and cardiovascular mortality respectively during a median follow-up of 16.6 years. Time-to-event analyses suggested that higher ILSBPD was associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (logrank, p

Abstract We find a positive phase of meridional tripole pattern of boreal autumn sea surface temperature anomalies over the tropical and South Pacific (TSPT+ ) has a synergistic effect with winter negative NAO (NAO−) on the amplitude and occurrence of winter precipitation in southern Europe (SEWP). This synergistic effect is attributed to the linear superposition and nonlinear effect of winter NAO− and preceding autumn TSPT+ . The autumn TSPT+ can persist into winter, and the winter TSPT+ with NAO− can stimulate a greater amount of Rossby wave energy propagating to the North Atlantic-Europe (NAE) region than without NAO−, and thereby synergistically regulating circulation with winter NAO−. Thus, winter NAO− and autumn TSPT+ have a synergistic effect on the northwest-southeast trending positive-negative-positive winter circulation over the NAE region. Driven by the intensified mean circulation, water vapor transports and storm activity over southern Europe are evidently strong, which is in favor of SEWP formation.

Imaging is increasingly used to capture information on the marine environment thanks to the improvements in imaging equipment, devices for carrying cameras and data storage in recent years. In that context, biologists, geologists, computer specialists and end-users must gather to discuss the methods and procedures for optimising the quality and quantity of data collected from images. The 4th Marine Imaging Workshop was organised from 3-6 October 2022 in Brest (France) in a hybrid mode. More than a hundred participants were welcomed in person and about 80 people attended the online sessions. The workshop was organised in a single plenary session of presentations followed by discussion sessions. These were based on dynamic polls and open questions that allowed recording of the imaging community’s current and future ideas. In addition, a whole day was dedicated to practical sessions on image analysis, data standardisation and communication tools. The format of this edition allowed the participation of a wider community, including lower-income countries, early career scientists, all working on laboratory, benthic and pelagic imaging.This article summarises the topics addressed during the workshop, particularly the outcomes of the discussion sessions for future reference and to make the workshop results available to the open public.

Abstract Carbon emission reduction is an important means of achieving climate policy goals. However, the literature has neglected consideration of the carbon emission reduction mechanism from the perspective of technology risk spillovers in international trade. To explore this mechanism, this paper expands the classical linear model of foreign trade technology risk spillovers into a nonlinear spatial Durbin model. We construct a novel technology risk spillover index to forecast the magnitude of carbon emissions in agricultural trade across different regions. To validate our model, we consider the dual connotation of the spatial diffusion of disembodied technology communication (DTC) to map the relationships between different geographic and economic regions that are adjacent. The results suggest that disembodied technology risk spillover could promote carbon emission reductions. Specifically, technology risk spillovers from agricultural trade reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 0.79–1.16% in the local region. Disembodied technology risk spillovers also reduce agricultural carbon emissions by 2.85–11.57% in geographically adjacent regions and 4.9% in economically adjacent regions. Based on these conclusions, this paper proposes improving the closed and backward situation of rural areas in China’s central and western regions, promoting the transition toward the high end of the global agricultural industry chain and developing productive agricultural services and the rural cultural tourism industry to expand rural employment channels and stabilize farmers’ income.

Identified as the pathogenic genes of Alzheimer's disease (AD), APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2 mainly lead to early-onset AD, whose course is more aggressive, and atypical symptoms are more common than sporadic AD. Here, a novel missense mutation, APP E674Q (also named “Shanghai APP”), was detected in a Chinese index patient with typical late-onset AD (LOAD) who developed memory decline in his mid-70s. The results from neuroimaging were consistent with AD, where widespread amyloid β deposition was demonstrated in 18F-florbetapir Positron Emission Tomography (PET). APP E674Q is close to the β-secretase cleavage site and the well-studied Swedish APP mutation (KM670/671NL), which was predicted to be pathogenic in silico. Molecular dynamics simulation indicated that the E674Q mutation resulted in a rearrangement of the interaction mode between APP and BACE1 and that the E674Q mutation was more prone to cleavage by BACE1. The in vitro results suggested that the E674Q mutation was pathogenic by facilitating the BACE1-mediated processing of APP and the production of Aβ. Furthermore, we applied an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated transfer of the human E674Q mutant APP gene to the hippocampi of two-month-old C57Bl/6 J mice. AAV-E674Q-injected mice exhibited impaired learning behavior and increased pathological burden in the brain, implying that the E674Q mutation had a pathogenicity that bore a comparison with the classical Swedish mutation. Collectively, we report a strong amyloidogenic effect of the E674Q substitution in AD. To our knowledge, E674Q is the only pathogenic mutation within the amyloid processing sequence causing LOAD.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the impact of foot orthoses on foot radiological parameters and pain in children diagnosed with flexible flatfoot.MethodsA comprehensive search was conducted across several databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and EBSCO, covering publications from the inception of each database up to 8 June 2024. The study focused on randomized controlled trials investigating the use of foot orthoses for treating flexible flat feet in children. Four researchers independently reviewed the identified literature, extracted relevant data, assessed the quality of the studies, and performed statistical analyses using RevMan 5.4 software.ResultsSix studies involving 297 participants were included. The methodological quality of the included literature ranged from moderate to high. Radiological parameters of the foot improved significantly in older children with flexible flat feet following foot orthotic intervention compared to controls, particularly in the lateral talar-first metatarsal angle [mean difference (MD) = −2.76, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) −4.30 to −1.21, p = 0.0005], lateral talo-heel angle (MD = −5.14, 95% CI −7.76 to −2.52, p = 0.0001) and calcaneal pitch angle (MD = 1.79, 95% CI 0.88–2.69, p = 0.0001). These differences were statistically significant. Additionally, foot orthoses significantly improved the ankle internal rotation angle and reduced foot pain in children with symptomatic flexible flatfoot (MD = −2.51, 95% CI −4.94 to −0.07, p = 0.04).ConclusionThe use of foot orthoses positively impacts the improvement of radiological parameters of the foot and reduces pain in older children with flexible flat feet. However, in younger children with flexible flat feet, the improvement from foot orthoses was not significant, likely due to challenges in radiological measurements caused by the underdevelopment of the ossification centers in the foot. Further studies are needed. Consequently, the results of this meta-analysis support the implementation of an early intervention strategy using foot orthoses for the management of symptomatic flat feet in older children.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/, PROSPERO [CRD42023441229].

BackgroundStatins, being the primary pharmacological intervention for hypercholesterolemia, exhibit a notable degree of interpatient variability in their effectiveness, which may be associated with gut microbiota. This study sought to identify the biomarkers for evaluating differences in statin efficacy.MethodsA quasi case-control study was conducted among participants with hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease taking rosuvastatin essential. According to the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), participants was divided into the “Up to standard” (US) group and the “Below standard” (BS) group. 16S rDNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics were applied to detected the information of gut microbiota and related metabolites.ResultsA total of 8 US and 8 BS group matched by age and sex were included in the final analysis. 16S rDNA sequencing results indicated that the characteristic strains of the US group were f-Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes and g-Papillibacter, while the characteristic flora of the BS group were o-C0119, g-Pseudolabrys, s-Dyella-Marensis and f-Xanthobacaceae. Metabolomic results suggested that the levels of chenodeoxycholic acid-3-β-D-glucuronide, 1-methylnicotinamide and acetoacetate in stool samples of the US group were significantly higher than those of the BS group. By identifying the differentially abundant bacterial taxa, the gut microbiota could modulate the efficacy of statins through producing enzymes involved in cholesterol metabolism.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the difference in statin efficacy may be related to gut microbiota strains that can produce short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids and affect the efficacy of statins by regulating the activities of cholesterol metabolite-related proteins. Metabolites related to short-chain fatty acids and secondary bile acids in the gut are expected to be biomarkers indicating the efficacy of statins.

BackgroundThe associations of neutrophil-percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR) level with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-cause mortality among patients with hypertension remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the associations of NPAR level with all-cause and CVD-cause mortality among patients with hypertension.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 8,990 patients with hypertension who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2010. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compute hazard ratios and 95% CIs for the associations of NPAR level with all-cause mortality and CVD-cause mortality. Restricted cubic spline analyses were used to examine the nonlinear association of NPAR level with all-cause mortality and CVD-cause mortality.ResultsThis cohort study included data from 8,990 participants in analysis. During 104,474 person-years of follow-up, 3,069 all-cause deaths and 1,449 CVD-cause deaths were documented. Nonlinear associations were observed for NPAR levels with risk of all-cause mortality and CVD-cause mortality among patients with hypertension. Compared with participants in T1 of NPAR, there was a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality and CVD-cause mortality for participants in both T2 and T3 in the fully adjusted model (model 3). The corresponding HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.10 (95% CI, 0.98–1.22) and 1.63 (95% CI, 1.45–1.82). The corresponding HRs for CVD-cause mortality were 1.10 (95% CI, 0.99–1.23) and 1.63 (95% CI, 1.46–1.81).ConclusionsElevated NPAR level was significantly associated with an increased risk of all-cause and CVD-cause mortality in adults with hypertension. NPAR may be clinically useful for predicting long-term health outcomes and mortality in hypertensive population.

Aiming at the dual-mode round combustor model of kerosene fuel, the combustor mode transition test under different conical strut choking ratios was carried out. The monotonicity, sensitivity and stability of the wall pressure as a controlled parameter are analyzed, and the variation law of the mode transition boundary and the choking ratio of the conical strut is studied. The research indicated that at Δx = 30 mm downstream of the kerosene injector, the wall pressure exhibited good monotonicity, high sensitivity, and relatively good stability, making it most suitable as the controlled parameter for fuel flow rate. When the choking ratio was 0.00, 0.22, and 0.26, the equivalent ratios corresponding to the mode transition boundaries were 0.667, 0.64, and 0.51, respectively. As the choking ratio of the conical strut increased, the equivalent ratio corresponding to the mode transition boundary decreased. The variation curves of the corrected wall pressure ratio and equivalent ratio at Δx = 30 mm and Δx = 60 mm downstream of the kerosene injector also exhibited an approximate parallel relationship, with the mode transition boundary corresponding to corrected wall pressure ratios of 0.0278 and 0.028, respectively.

Abstract The behavior of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has undergone significant changes since the year 2000. Meanwhile, a notable westward shift and strengthening in the atmosphere‐to‐ocean Bjerknes feedback were observed. We find that this shift can be primarily attributed to a weakened relationship between the zonal gradient of precipitation anomaly and that of sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly since 2000.This weakened relationship is a comprehensive manifestation of reduced El Niño‐related precipitation anomalies in the central‐eastern tropical Pacific and increased anomalies in the western tropical Pacific. These changes are connected to the mean state change in the tropical Pacific after 2000, where the cooler background SSTs in the central‐eastern tropical Pacific suppress upward motion, and the warmer background SSTs in the western tropical Pacific promote upward motion in the overlying atmosphere. Our findings offer a potential explanation for the westward shift and strengthening in the atmosphere‐to‐ocean Bjerknes feedback since 2000.

Precisely predicting natural gas prices (NGPs) is important because it can provide the necessary decision-making basis for energy scheduling, planning and control. However, NGPs are affected by many factors and exhibit the characteristics of nonlinearity and randomness, which makes accurate predictions challenging. Therefore, in this paper, the information gain of multisource data and the global optimization ability of the gray wolf algorithm are used to build a multifactor-driven NGP hybrid forecasting model to improve the prediction performance. First, the emotional tendency and readability of news text are extracted and calculated by using VADER and textstat tools, respectively. Then the network search index is filtered and integrated by using the correlation coefficient method and the CRITIC method to form alternative variables of multisource data (news and search index). Second, the gray wolf optimization algorithm is used to find and determine the best key parameter group in long short-term memory model. Finally, the spot price of natural gas in Henry Hub from March 1, 2012 to February 28, 2022 is selected as the prediction object, and multi-scenario numerical experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model. The ablation experiment results show that the information gain brought by multisource data can effectively improve the prediction effect of NGPs. Furthermore, the proposed model has the best prediction performance in different scenarios and can be regarded as a promising prediction tool.

Summer extreme heat events happen frequently in northern China during recent decades, which have serious impacts on the society and ecosystem. The present study reveals that there is a synergistic effect of the preceding winter positive mid-latitude North Atlantic SST anomaly (pMNA SSTA) and summer negative tropical eastern Indian Ocean SST anomaly (nTEI SSTA) on strengthening the summer extreme heat events in northern China. The extreme heat events are stronger and more frequent when the two factors cooccur, and the probability of a strengthened extreme heat events is higher, which indicates a synergistic effect of the two factors. The preceding winter pMNA SSTA and summer nTEI SSTA exert their synergistic effect through a series of coupled oceanic-land-atmospheric bridges. The preceding winter pMNA SSTA could lead to an anomalous anticyclone over central Asia via the eastward propagating Rossby wave, which decreases snowfall and the subsequent snow cover there. The negative snow cover anomaly may persist into spring and induce a local anomalous anticyclone in spring via the snow-hydrological effect, which decreases the precipitation over the southern flank of the anomalous anticyclone. The decreased soil moisture persists into summer and induces the eastward propagating Rossby wave, and favors the increase of atmosphere thickness over northern China. The summer nTEI SSTA can also induce the anomalous anticyclone over northern China via the northeastward Rossby wave propagation. Thus, the two factors exhibit evident synergistic effect on the atmospheric circulation anomaly over northern China. The anomalous anticyclone corresponds to the increased atmosphere thickness, which favors the increase of air temperature in northern China and strengthening of extreme heat events. Therefore, the preceding winter pMNA SSTA and summer nTEI SSTA have significant synergistic effect on strengthening the summer extreme heat events in northern China.

Abstract The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), renowned as the dominant sea surface temperature (SST) fluctuation in the North Pacific and extensively scrutinized for its extensive influence on global climate patterns, stands in stark contrast to the Victoria mode (VM). Traditionally, the VM, representing the second most prominent SST pattern in the North Pacific, has not garnered comparable attention. However, our investigation unveils a remarkable surge in the low-frequency VM variability, spanning periods greater than 8 years, over the course of a century. Astonishingly, this enhanced VM variability now surpasses the PDO’s variability in recent decades, signifying a notable shift. Consequently, the heightened VM variability assumes newfound significance in shaping climate systems across the entire North Pacific region and in distant locales. This intensified VM behavior could be attributed to amplified atmospheric variability in the Hawaiian region, primarily stemming from the reinforced variability in the tropical central Pacific (CP) SST in recent decades. As greenhouse warming escalates CP SST variability, the VM’s enhanced variability may further intensify, yielding broader and more profound repercussions in the future.

Abstract Making accurate predictions of chaotic dynamical systems is an essential but challenging task with many practical applications in various disciplines. However, the current dynamical methods can only provide short-term precise predictions, while prevailing deep learning techniques with better performances always suffer from model complexity and interpretability. Here, we propose a new dynamic-based deep learning method, namely the dynamical system deep learning (DSDL), to achieve interpretable long-term precise predictions by the combination of nonlinear dynamics theory and deep learning methods. As validated by four chaotic dynamical systems with different complexities, the DSDL framework significantly outperforms other dynamical and deep learning methods. Furthermore, the DSDL also reduces the model complexity and realizes the model transparency to make it more interpretable. We firmly believe that the DSDL framework is a promising and effective method for comprehending and predicting chaotic dynamical systems.

Driven by the exponential increase of network traffic, the demand for the capacity enhancement of photonic data-center interconnection (DCI) becomes more and more urgent. The utilization of high-order modulation format is ideally preferred to enhance the transmission capacity, considering the bandwidth constraint of optoelectrical devices. Whereas, using high-order modulation format also imposes stringent requirement on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). By introducing probabilistic shaping (PS) technique, we can realize a shaping gain as well as adaptive data rate for the photonic DCI. Nonetheless, when PS is employed for the intensity modulation direct detection (IMDD) system, the optimal probability shaping distribution is not compatible with the distribution of forward error correction (FEC) code. Here, we derive a new probability mass function (PMF) suitable for the IMDD system to realize the cooperation of PS and FEC, based on the establishment of Lagrange function. In comparison with the uniformly distributed eight-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM-8) signal, a certain generalized mutual information (GMI) gain can be experimentally achieved utilizing Optimized pairwise Maxwell-Boltzmann PAM-8 (Optimized PMB-PAM-8) with derived PMF under the condition of same bit-rate. After 2-km standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission, the net data rate can be increased from 197 Gbit/s of uniformly distributed PAM-8 to 212 Gbit/s by the use of Optimized PMB-PAM-8, which can satisfy the requirement of 200G per lane optical interconnections.

The study of non-axisymmetric fuel dispersal and detonation can provide reference for the prevention of industrial cloud explosion accidents and the design of fuel air explosive (FAE). The concentration and detonation fields of 85 kg cylindrical and fan-shaped fuel are investigated by experiments and numerical simulations. A dynamic model of the whole process for fuel dispersal and detonation is built. The concentration distribution of fuel is used as the initial condition to calculate the detonation stage, thus solving the initial value problem of detonation field. The phase and component changes of fuel cloud at different locations are compared. The fuel cloud is divided into directions of 0°, 90°, 135° and 180°. The results show that the maximum cloud radius is 20.94 m in 135° and the minimum is 12.04 m in 0°. The diameter of the detonation fireball is 53.6 m, and the peak temperature is 3455 K. The highest peak overpressure is 3.44 MPa in 0° and the lowest is 2.97 MPa in 135°. The proportion of liquid phase in 0° is 22.90%, and the fuel loss is 11.8% and 9% higher than that in 135° and cylindrical charge, respectively. The stable propagation distance of blast wave in 135° is 42.50% longer than 0° and 28.37% longer than cylindrical charge.

Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate the association of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, an insulin resistance surrogate biomarker, with first stroke in a hypertensive population and to explore potential influencing factors. Methods This study, a cohort study among a rural Chinese hypertensive population, utilized data from the China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT). The TyG index was calculated as ln [fasting triglyceride (mg/dL) × fasting glucose (mg/dL)/2]. Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards models was conducted. Results A total of 7569 hypertensive patients were included in this study. When TyG index was assessed as quartiles, compared with the reference group (Quartile 1), the hazard ratio of stroke was 1.04 in Quartile 2, 1.43 in Quartile 3, and 1.45 in Quartile 4, with a significant trend test (P = 0.013). When Quartiles 3 and 4 were combined (≥ 8.8), the hazard ratio was 1.41 compared with combined Quartiles 1 and 2 (

Abstract Over the satellite era, Antarctic sea ice exhibited an overall long-term increasing trend, contrary to the Arctic reduction under global warming. However, the drastic decline of Antarctic sea ice in 2014–2018 raises questions about its interannual and decadal-scale variabilities, which are poorly understood and predicted. Here, we identify an Antarctic sea ice decadal oscillation, exhibiting a quasi-period of 8–16 years, that is anticorrelated with the Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation (r = −0.90). By combining observations, Coupled Model Intercomparison Project historical simulations, and pacemaker climate model experiments, we find evidence that the synchrony between the sea ice decadal oscillation and Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation is linked to atmospheric poleward-propagating Rossby wave trains excited by heating in the central tropical Pacific. These waves weaken the Amundsen Sea Low, melting sea ice due to enhanced shortwave radiation and warm advection. A Pacific Quasi-Decadal Oscillation-based regression model shows that this tropical-polar teleconnection carries multi-year predictability.

Pipeline transportation is an important engineering component, which is widely used in transporting gas and liquid resources. The safety of the pipeline became the central point of this study. Pipeline deformation caused by liquid storage pressure is of great significance to the safety of pipeline engineering. Previous studies mainly focused on pipe deformation under ring force and less on deformation caused by internal liquid. In this paper, the theoretical results of strain distribution are derived based on elastic mechanics, and the strain distribution equation is established. The effects of the liquid storage pressure, pipe diameter, and pipe length on pipe strain are investigated experimentally. The experimental results are in agreement with the equation. It is found that the strain increases linearly with the increase in reservoir pressure. Under the same length, the larger the pipe diameter is, the larger the pipe strain is when the pipe diameter is 5–10 mm. In the range of 10–15 mm, the average strain is basically unchanged. Under the same pipe diameter, the pipe length has little effect on the average strain. The strain is greatest in the middle of the pipeline and decreases gradually to both sides. The results have important guiding significance for pipeline protection and stress corrosion prevention.

IntroductionCurrent vaccines against COVID-19 administered via parenteral route have limited ability to induce mucosal immunity. There is a need for an effective mucosal vaccine to combat SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in the respiratory mucosa. Moreover, sex differences are known to affect systemic antibody responses against vaccines. However, their role in mucosal cellular responses against a vaccine remains unclear and is underappreciated.MethodsWe evaluated the mucosal immunogenicity of a booster vaccine regimen that is recombinant protein-based and administered intranasally in mice to explore sex differences in mucosal humoral and cellular responses.ResultsOur results showed that vaccinated mice elicited strong systemic antibody (Ab), nasal, and bronchiole alveolar lavage (BAL) IgA responses, and local T cell immune responses in the lung in a sex-biased manner irrespective of mouse genetic background. Monocytes, alveolar macrophages, and CD103+ resident dendritic cells (DCs) in the lungs are correlated with robust mucosal Ab and T cell responses induced by the mucosal vaccine.DiscussionOur findings provide novel insights into optimizing next-generation booster vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 by inducing spike-specific lung T cell responses, as well as optimizing mucosal immunity for other respiratory infections, and a rationale for considering sex differences in future vaccine research and vaccination practice.

Abstract The North Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) has a profound climatic influence. The El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) significantly impacts the North Pacific SST; however, the influence of the distinct phases of ENSO on SST predictability remains unclear. To overcome the model limitations, this study assessed SST predictability under diverse ENSO phases using reanalysis. The predictability limit of the North Pacific SST under La Niña (8.4 months) is longer than that under Neutral (5.9 months) and El Niño (5.5 months) conditions, which unveils asymmetry. This asymmetry mirrors contemporary multimodal prediction skills. Error growth dynamics reveal La Niña's robust signal strength with a slow error growth rate, in contrast to El Niño's weaker signal and faster error growth. There exhibits intermediate signal strength and elevated error growth in Neutral condition. Physically, predictability signal strength aligns with SST variability, whereas the error growth rate correlates with atmospheric‐ocean heating anomalies. La Niña, which induces positive heating anomalies, minimizes the impact of atmospheric noise, resulting in lower error growth. The result is beneficial for improving North Pacific SST predictions.

Due to the importance of the nonlinear partial differential equations in applied physics and engineering, many mathematicians and physicists are interesting to the nonlinear partial differential equations. One of the main tasks of studying the nonlinear partial differential equations is to obtain the exact solutions for the nonlinear partial differential equations. In this paper, we study the exact solutions of a generalized (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equation. According to the modified hyperbolic function method and the traveling transformation method, the generalized (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear partial differential equation is changed into an ordinary differential equation. By taking the homogeneous balance between the highest order nonlinear terms and the highest order derivative terms, we change the differential equation into an algebraic system. By solving the algebraic system, we obtain the solutions for the nonlinear partial differential equation. At last, some solutions and their figures are given by specific parameters. All the solutions conclude the trigonometric function solutions, the positive hyperbolic function solutions, and the hyperbolic trigonometric function solutions. These solutions exhibit the dynamics of nonlinear waves and the solutions are useful for the study on interaction behavior of nonlinear waves in shallow water, plasma, nonlinear optics and Bose–Einstein condensates.

Abstract Background Interleg systolic blood pressure difference (ILSBPD) is associated with peripheral artery disease, but the relationship between ILSBPD and apparent peripheral neuropathy in diabetic patients remains unclear. We explored the relationship between ILSBPD and apparent peripheral neuropathy and examined the possible effect modifiers in US adults with diabetes. Methods One thousand and fifty-one diabetic participants were included in the study with complete data on systolic blood pressure of the lower extremities and Semmes–Weinstein 10-g monofilament testing from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys. Systolic blood pressure in the lower extremities was measured using an oscillometric blood pressure device with the patient in the supine position. Apparent peripheral neuropathy was defined as the presence of monofilament insensitivity. Results Every 5-mmHg increment in ILSBPD is associated with an about 14% increased risk of apparent peripheral neuropathy in crude model, but after adjustment for covariates, the correlation became nonsignificant (P = 0.160). When participants were divided into groups based on ILSBPD cutoffs of 5, 10 and 15 mmHg in different analyses, there was a significantly increased risk of apparent peripheral neuropathy in the ILSBPD ≥ 15 mmHg group (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.11–2.91, P = 0.018), even after adjusting for confounders. In subgroup analysis, no interaction effect was found (all P for interaction > 0.05). Conclusions In US adults with diabetes, an increase in the ILSBPD (≥ 15 mmHg) was associated with a higher risk of apparent peripheral neuropathy.

Cold-working combined with annealing is frequently used to enhance strength of traditional alloy materials. However, this thermal-mechanical processing is not adapted to the preparation for some near net shape parts. In this paper, a dual-phase Ni39.3Al15.7Fe45 eutectic medium entropy alloy (EMEA) was prepared by vacuum arc melting and abnormal annealing-induced strengthening is demonstrated and analyzed via XRD, SEM, EDS, TEM and room temperature tensile testing. It is found that the Ni39.3Al15.7Fe45 EMEA is composed of FCC solid solution phase and BCC phase. After annealing, ordered L12 phase precipitated from FCC solid solution, which induces a significant increment of tensile strength and a weak decrease of tensile plasticity. The tensile strength and elongation are 991 MPa and 24.1 % at as-cast state, the tensile strength and elongation are 1279 MPa and 22.4 % after annealing at 700 °C for 1 h.

The study describes large strain high-speed asynchronous rolling process to process AZ91 magnesium alloy sheets with an overall thickness reduction of 84 % via two-pass rolling at 350 °C. Rolling speed ratios of 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 were used to obtain bimodal grain structure with different organizational states. Microstructural analysis unraveled that the formation of the bimodal structure was a consequence of combined effect of precipitation-strengthening and the Zener pinning effect. The R3 exhibiting an asynchronous ratio of 1.2 exhibited an optimized bimodal grain structure characterized by smaller recrystallized grains and a more homogeneous distribution. This phenomenon underscored the beneficial impact on enhancing strength and alleviating the anisotropic behavior.

Abstract Tropical Atlantic (TA) SST variability can impact the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM). Here, we find that the interannual EASM–TA relationship exhibits an evident interdecadal variation modulated by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). The EASM–TA interannual relationship is strong during the positive phase of the IPO (pIPO) but weak during the negative phase of the IPO (nIPO). The pIPO (nIPO)-related warm (cold) SST anomalies in the central tropical Pacific (CTP) intensify (weaken) the convection over the CTP. Therefore, a Matsuno–Gill response of the TA-induced CTP SST change is strong (weak) during the pIPO (nIPO) period. The strong Matsuno–Gill response excites an anomalous anticyclone over the western North Pacific (WNPAC), leading to a significantly positive EASM–TA relationship. However, the WNPAC is absent in the nIPO periods due to the weak Mastono–Gill response, suggesting an insignificant EASM–TA relationship. Understanding the IPO-modulated EASM–TA relationship helps better forecast EASM variability.

The grain moisture content of maize inbred lines at maturity is one of the most important indicators for mechanical harvesting of kernels. In this study, 116 maize inbred lines from a wide range of sources were used as research materials and 30 traits of grain moisture content were analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that all 30 traits had some correlations. Principal component analysis downscaled the 30 traits into 10 principal component factors, reflecting 77.674% of the information in the original traits. Cluster analysis categorized the 116 inbred lines into 5 major groups containing 26, 29, 31, 16 and 14 inbred lines. Based on the D value of the overall evaluation, discriminant analysis reclassified the maize inbred lines by principal component scores and 98 maize inbred lines were correctly discriminated with a probability of 84.48%, which can be regarded as a relatively reliable clustering result. The stepwise regression method was further used to screen seven traits: GMC2, GDR1, HMC3, NH, GDR2, CD and EL and to establish a comprehensive evaluation model for the grain moisture content of maize inbred lines. Among 116 maize inbred lines, 14, represented by H21 and MS71, had the lowest grain moisture content at maturity.

Maize Ustilago maydis is a disease that severely affects maize yield and quality. In this paper, we employed transcriptome sequencing and GWAS analysis to identify candidate genes and reveal disease-resistant germplasm resources, thereby laying the foundation for further analysis of the molecular mechanism of maize Ustilago maydis resistance and genetic improvement. The results of transcriptome sequencing revealed that a considerable number of receptor kinase genes, signal-transduction-related protein genes, redox-response-related genes, WRKYs, and P450s genes were significantly upregulated. There was a wide range of mutations of Ustilago maydis in maize inbred lines. Thirty-two high-resistance maize inbred lines were selected, and 16 SNPs were significantly associated with the disease index. By integrating the results of GWAS and RNA-seq, five genes related to disease resistance were identified, encoding the chitinase 1 protein, fatty acid elongase (FAE), IAA9, GATA TF8, and EREB94, respectively. It provides a certain reference for the cloning of maize anti-tumor smut genes and the breeding of new varieties.

This study is aimed to examine the association of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations with a 10-year risk of all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and to explore the modification effect of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T genetic polymorphism. This study included 5200 participants from a community-based Chinese population. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the associations of Hcy and MTHFR C677T genotype with all-cause and CV mortality. The possible modification effect of the MTHFR C677T genotype on the Hcy–mortality relationship was assessed. The individuals with Hcy concentrations ≥ 10 μmol/L had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with Hcy < 10 μmol/L (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11–2.68, p = 0.015). The risk of CV mortality increased by 2% per 1 μmol/L Hcy increment (HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00–1.03, p = 0.036). Despite the MTHFR genotype alone not being correlated with the mortality, the relationship between Hcy and all-cause mortality was significant in the CC genotype compared with CT/TT genotype (p for interaction = 0.036). Elevated plasma Hcy concentrations were associated with an increased 10-year risk of all-cause and CV mortality among the Chinese population. MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism could modify the association between Hcy and all-cause mortality.