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Plants and their interaction partners offer unparalleled views of evolutionary ecology. Nectar larceny, entailing nectar extraction without pollinating, is thought to be an example of a harmful, antagonistic behavior, but the precise consequences of floral larceny on plant reproductive success remain contentious. We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 153 studies across 120 plant species, using 14 moderators to assess the effects of floral larceny on plant reproductive success and examine the key moderators. We found that floral larceny negatively impacts flower traits, pollinator visitation, pollen deposition, and fruit set, while having a neutral effect on critical female fitness indicators, such as seed set and seed quality, as well as on male fitness. By altering pollinator behavior, floral larceny may reduce geitonogamy, potentially enhancing genetic diversity. Additionally, factors such as pollinator type, plant mating system, and pollen limitation were identified as key moderators of these effects. Our analysis reveals an ultimately neutral effect of floral larceny on plant reproductive success, with potential benefits in certain contexts. These findings suggest that floral larceny plays a complex and multifaceted role within plant-pollinator interactions, facilitating the evolutionary stability and coexistence of floral larcenists and host plants.

Abstract Neuroinflammation is a key factor in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Activated microglia in the central nervous system (CNS) and infiltration of peripheral immune cells contribute to dopaminergic neuron loss. However, the role of peripheral immune responses, particularly triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1), in PD remains unclear. Using a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model, we examined TREM-1 expression and monocyte infiltration in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). We found that MPTP increased peripheral monocytes, and deletion of peripheral monocytes protected against MPTP neurotoxicity in the SNpc. TREM-1 inhibition, both genetically and pharmacologically, reduced monocyte infiltration, alleviated neuroinflammation, and preserved dopaminergic neurons, resulting in improved motor function. Furthermore, adoptive transfer of TREM-1-expressing monocytes from PD model mice to naive mice induced neuronal damage and motor deficits. These results underscore the critical role of peripheral monocytes and TREM-1 in PD progression, suggesting that targeting TREM-1 could be a promising therapeutic approach to prevent dopaminergic neurodegeneration and motor dysfunction in PD. Schematic diagram of monocyte TREM-1-mediated dopaminergic neuron damage. The figure illustrates that in experimental MPTP-induced PD model mice, the number of inflammatory monocytes in the peripheral blood increases, after which the monocytes infiltrate the CNS through the Blood-Brain Barrier(BBB). These infiltrating monocytes increase the release of inflammatory cytokines and eventually cause neuronal injury. TREM-1 gene deletion and pharmacological blockade limit inflammatory monocyte recruitment into the SNpc and ameliorate neuroinflammatory events and the loss of dopaminergic neurons.

CuCr contact material has become the preferred contact material for vacuum interrupters, and its composition design is an effective way to improve the microstructure and properties of the alloy. Based on the process of preparing CuCr alloy by self-propagating metallurgy, in-situ microalloying of Mo in CuCr alloy by aluminothermic self-propagating reduction is proposed in this paper. It is found that the addition of Mo can effectively reduce the Gibbs mixing free energy Gm of CuCr melt and the Gibbs mixing free energy change ΔGm of melt before and after liquid phase decomposition. The decrease of Gm can reduce the temperature of liquid phase decomposition, and the decrease of ΔGm can reduce the driving force of liquid phase decomposition and inhibit the liquid phase decomposition. On this basis, homogeneous CuCr48.5Mo0.6 alloy is successfully synthesized. whose microstructure exists in the form of two phases. Mo is mainly combined with Cr in CuCr alloy, and the addition of Mo promotes the irregular development of Cr-rich alloy. Solution + aging treatment can promote the refinement of CrMo phase, and at the Cu-rich matrix is dispersed with nano-scale fine Cr precipitates, which plays a role in strengthening the second phase. Therefore, the conductivity of CuCrMo alloy is increased from 12.63 MS m−1 to 17.41 MS m−1. Based on the performance of 12 kV vacuum interrupter assembled with self-propagating CuCr contacts, it is found that compared with CuCr alloy, the insulation, chopping current and breaking performance of the interrupter are obviously improved by adding Mo.

C13H14N2O7U, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 8.6855(14) Å, b = 11.982(2) Å, c = 14.953(2) Å, β = 94.557(5)°, V = 1,551.3(4) Å3, Z = 4, R gt(F) = 0.0559, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1081, T = 150(2) K

Background and purposeThe incidence of autonomic dysfunction is frequently underestimated and often overlooked in patients with autoimmune glial fibrillary acidic protein astrocytopathy (GFAP-A). This study comprehensively analyzes the clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging findings, and treatment modalities for patients demonstrating GFAP-A involvement in the autonomic nervous system. The present article primarily elucidates the prevalence and prognosis of diverse autonomic system symptoms while examining the associated laboratory and imaging indicators. These findings aim to establish a foundation for personalized diagnosis and treatment strategies in such patients.MethodWe performed a retrospective data analysis from three cases of GFAP-A involvement in autonomic nerves from the Ninth People’s Hospital of Suzhou and the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from 2020 to 2023. After an extensive literature review, we identified 39 cases involving GFAP-A and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. We also comprehensively analyzed the patient’s clinical manifestations, laboratory biomarkers, and imaging findings.ResultThe study included a total of 42 patients, consisting of 15 females and 27 males. The primary manifestations of autonomic dysfunction included bladder dysfunction (41/42 cases), gastrointestinal dysfunction (18 /42 cases), heart rate variability (4/42 cases), unusual sweating (2/42 cases), and blood pressure fluctuations (1/42 cases). Other neurological symptoms comprised headache (12 /42 cases), limb weakness presentation (30/42 cases). Blood pressure variability is related to cerebrospinal fluid pressure and convulsive seizures. Heart rate variability is related to disorders of consciousness. unusual sweating was associated to age, gender, cerebrospinal fluid protein content and convulsive seizures. Gastrointestinal disorders have associations with gender, sleep disturbances, protein content in the cerebrospinal fluid, and brain MRI lesions. The prognosis of autonomic nerve dysfunction is associated to sleep disorder and cerebrospinal fluid protein content. The higher the cerebrospinal fluid protein level, the worse the prognosis of autonomic nervous system.ConclusionBladder dysfunction and gastrointestinal dysfunction are the primary manifestations of autonomic dysfunction in GFAP-A patients, with a subset also experiencing abnormalities in heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating. These additional symptoms have implications for prognosis, necessitating heightened attention from clinicians toward GFAP-A patients.

Reservoir computing (RC) possesses a simple architecture and high energy efficiency for time‐series data analysis through machine learning algorithms. To date, RC has evolved into several innovative variants. The next generation reservoir computing (NGRC) variant, founded on nonlinear vector autoregression (NVAR) distinguishes itself due to its fewer hyperparameters and independence from physical random connection matrices, while yielding comparable results. However, NGRC networks struggle with massive Kronecker product calculations and matrix‐vector multiplications within the read out layer, leading to substantial efficiency challenges for traditional von Neumann architectures. In this work, a hybrid digital‐analog hardware system tailored for NGRC is developed. The digital part is a Kronecker product calculation unit with data filtering, which realizes transformation of nonlinear vector of the input linear vector. For matrix‐vector multiplication, a computing‐in‐memory architecture based on resistive random access memory array offers an energy‐efficient hardware solution, which markedly reduces data transfer and greatly improve computational parallelism and energy efficiency. The predictive capabilities of this hybrid NGRC system are validated through the Lorenz63 model, achieving a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of 0.00098 and an energy efficiency of 19.42TOPS W−1.

Hot air drying (HD), vacuum freeze drying (FD), and pilot-scale freeze drying (PSFD) are extensively used to prepare peach slices. However, the aroma of hot air drying and vacuum freeze-drying is yet to be addressed. In this study, HS-SPME-GC–MS was used to characterize and quantify the volatile compounds in peach slices. First, 33, 36, and 46 volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the HD, FD, and PSFD groups, respectively. PSFD is preferable to HD and FD in terms of the volatile compound types, content, and aroma profiles. PSFD was selected for subsequent permeation and dehydration experiments. The key aroma compounds with an OAV ≥ 1 were found in the PSFD30 group. GC-O analysis was conducted on the PSFD30 group, leading to the preliminary identification of 2-methylbutanal, pentanal, hexanal, 2-hexenal, phenylacetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, 2-methylbutyl acetate, ethyl lactate, linalool, methyl heptenone, and γ-octalactone as distinctive aromas in dried peach slices.

AbstractContext Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists are potential therapeutic agents for ulcerative colitis (UC). Indirubin (IDR), which is a natural AhR ligand approved for leukemia treatment, ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. However, the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR are unknown, limiting its application.Objective This study explores the therapeutic mechanisms of IDR in DSS-induced colitis using transcriptomic analysis.Materials and methods Male BALB/c mice were categorized to six groups: normal, DSS model (2% DSS), IDR treatment (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg), and sulfasalazine (520 mg/kg) groups. The drugs were intragastrically administered for 7 consecutive days. The disease activity index (DAI) was recorded. After euthanasia, the colon length was measured, and histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry staining using F4/80, and colonic transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were conducted to verify our findings.Results Compared with DSS, IDR treatment decreased the DAI score by 64.9% and increased colon length by 26.2%. Moreover, it alleviated mucosal injury and reduced macrophage infiltration. Transcriptomic analysis identified several downregulated genes (Igkvs and Nlrp3), as well as Nlrp3/Il1β and hemoglobin gene networks, after IDR treatment. The abundances of NF-κB p65, NLRP3, IL-1β, and HBA decreased by 69.1, 59.4, 81.1, and 83.0% respectively, after IDR treatment.Discussion and conclusion Apart from the well-documented NF-κB signalling pathway, IL-17A, and NLRP3-IL-1β, the suppression of haemoglobin-induced lipid peroxidation could be a previously unknown mechanism of IDR. Our study can help improve its application for UC treatment.

Tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA) is a mechanism for the protection of tumor cells in the bloodstream and the promotion of tumor progression and metastases. The platelet C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) can bind podoplanin (PDPN) on a cancer cell surface to facilitate TCIPA. Selective blockage of PDPN-mediated platelet–tumor cell interaction is a plausible strategy for inhibiting metastases. In this study, we aimed to screen for aptamers, which are the single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides that form a specific three-dimensional structure, bind to specific molecular targets with high affinity and specificity, bind to PDPN, and interfere with PDPN/CLEC-2 interactions. The systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) was employed to enrich aptamers that recognize PDPN. The initial characterization of ssDNA pools enriched by SELEX revealed a PDPN aptamer designated as A1 displaying parallel-type G-quadruplexes and long stem-and-loop structures and binding PDPN with a material with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.3 ± 1.2 nM. The A1 aptamer recognized both the native and denatured form of PDPN. Notably, the A1 aptamer was able to quantitatively detect PDPN proteins in Western blot analysis. The A1 aptamer could interfere with the interaction between PDPN and CLEC-2 and inhibit PDPN-induced platelet aggregation in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings indicated that the A1 aptamer is a candidate for the development of biosensors in detecting the levels of PDPN expression. The action by A1 aptamer could result in the prevention of tumor cell metastases, and if so, could become an effective pharmacological agent in treating cancer patients.

ObjectiveCurrently, there are no studies showing which neoadjuvant therapy modality can provide better prognosis for patients after pancreatic cancer surgery. This study explores the optimal neoadjuvant therapy model by comparing the survival differences between patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer (cT1-4N0-1M0) who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NARCT).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 723 patients with cT1-4N0-1M0 pancreatic cancer who received neoadjuvant therapy before surgery from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. After propensity score matching (PSM), we compared the effects of NACT and NARCT on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer, and then performed subgroup analyze. Finally, we used univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis to explore potential risk factors for OS and CSS in patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with preoperative neoadjuvant therapy.ResultBefore PSM, mOS (30.0 months VS 26.0 months, P=0.122) and mCSS (30.0 months VS 26.0 months, P=0.117) were better in patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with NACT compared with NARCT, but this was not statistically significant (P>0.05). After PSM, mOS (30.0 months VS 25.0 months, P=0.032) and mCSS (33.0 months VS 26.0 months, P=0.028) were better in patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with NACT compared with NARCT, and this difference was statistically significant (P

Microalloying is an effective approach to improve the performance of CuCr alloys. This paper presents a new idea for the preparation of CuCrFe alloys by self-propagation reduction in-situ microalloying. It is found that the addition of Fe alloying components reduces the Gm and ΔGm of the CuCr melt, which inhibits the occurrence of the liquid phase decomposition process. When the Fe content of CuCrFe alloy is 1.5%, compared with the Cr-rich phase of CuCr alloy, the second phase undergoes significant refinement, the average particle size refined from 21.7 μm to 19.3 μm and the standard deviation reduced from 10.59 to 8.73, and the addition of Fe is beneficial to the spheroidization and refinement of the Cr-rich phase. Fe is mainly combined with Cr, and CuCrFe alloy still exists in the form of two phases. After solution + aging treatment, the average particle size of the second phase in CuCr alloy decreases from 21.8 μm to 17.9 μm, and that in CuCrFe alloy decreases from 19.6 μm to 18.6 μm. The conductivity of CuCrFe alloy increases from 10.5 MS m−1 to 15.9 MS m−1, and the hardness increases from 95.0 HB to 117.0 HB. After heat treatment, the nano-spherical are present in the Cr-rich phase of the CuCrFe alloy, while Fe is completely solid-soluble in the Cr-rich phase; the Cu-rich matrix shows a diffuse distribution of fine second phases, which play a role in strengthening the second phase in the matrix.

Vacuum interrupters are important components to ensure the safety of medium and high-voltage power transmission, and contact material is an important factor affecting the performance of vacuum interrupters. CuCr contact materials have been used in most commercial vacuum interrupters. This paper summarizes the research status of the electrical properties of CuCr contacts used in vacuum interrupters, analyses the factors influencing the electrical properties of CuCr contacts, and summarizes the relevant mechanisms, which point out the direction for improving the properties of CuCr alloys and promotes the development of subsequent research on the electrical properties of CuCr contacts. Finally, the electrical properties of CuCr contacts prepared by self-propagating metallurgy based on the Al–CuO–Cr2O3 reaction system are summarized.

A homogeneous CuCr50 alloy ingot prepared in situ by thermite reduction-electromagnetic casting is a type of nonequilibrium solidification structure with a Cu matrix supersaturated with Cr. In this study, the effects of heat treatment on the microstructure of the CuCr50 alloy were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), metallography microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the conductivity, macrohardness and tensile strength of the CuCr50 alloy were measured. The obtained results show that the optimal heat treatment conditions are solution treatment (975 °C for 1 h) and aging treatment (500 °C for 2 h), for which the hardness, conductivity, and tensile strength of the CuCr50 alloy are the best; the macrohardness is 103.33 HB, the conductivity is 18.60 MS/m, and the tensile strength is 199.72 MPa. TEM characterization showed that nanosized Cr particles were precipitated and dispersed in the Cu matrix after the aging treatment; the relationship between the precipitates and the Cu matrix was incoherent, and Cu dissolved into the Cr phase in the form of a solid solution to strengthen the second Cr phase.

Abstract Epoxy-based nanocomposites can be ideal electromagnetic interference (EMI)-shielding materials owing to their lightness, chemical inertness, and mechanical durability. However, poor conductivity and brittleness of the epoxy resin are challenges for fast-growing portable and flexible EMI-shielding applications, such as smart wristband, medical cloth, aerospace, and military equipment. In this study, we explored hybrid nanofillers of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as conductive inks and polyester fabrics (PFs) as a substrate for flexible EMI-shielding composites. The highest electrical conductivity and fracture toughness of the SWCNT/rGO/PF/epoxy composites were 30.2 S m−1 and 38.5 MPa m1/2, which are ~ 270 and 65% enhancement over those of the composites without SWCNTs, respectively. Excellent mechanical durability was demonstrated by stable electrical conductivity retention during 1000 cycles of bending test. An EMI-shielding effectiveness of ~ 41 dB in the X-band frequency of 8.2–12.4 GHz with a thickness of 0.6 mm was obtained with an EM absorption-dominant behavior over a 0.7 absorption coefficient. These results are attributed to the hierarchical architecture of the macroscale PF skeleton and nanoscale SWCNT/rGO networks, leading to superior EMI-shielding performance. We believe that this approach provides highly flexible and robust EMI-shielding composites for next-generation wearable electronic devices.

Virtual Reality(VR) technology builds a simulation environment through a computer,provides users with a three-dimensional dynamic view,and enhances the user's sensory experience,so that the user will get an immersive sense of immersion.With the rise and continuous development of virtual reality technology,people's visual and auditory experience has made great progress.With the development of multimedia technology,panoramic video emerges gradually.Compared with ordinary video,panoramic video has a wider viewing angle and richer visual information.The wide application of virtual reality technology and the development of panoramic video technology make virtual reality panoramic video(VR Video) become one of the most popular and concerned VR services.The information perception and acceptance behavior of users in the virtual reality environment have also been affected.Based on SMOTE algorithm,Bayesian network,logistic regression,and other statistical analysis methods and Few-shot Learning algorithm,this paper compares the differences in users' information memory degree,sense of reality,sense of participation,and other aspects when using VR head-mounted display and ordinary display iPad to watch panoramic video respectively.To explore the difference between the user's information acceptance effect and the sense of presence in the virtual reality environment and the traditional media environment.Experiments show that users with virtual reality headsets score an average of about 0.786 for message acceptance,compared with 0.634 for iPad users with regular displays.Among them,the score of positive information and non-positive information receiving effect in the virtual reality environment is 1.626 times and 1.245 times that of in the traditional environment respectively.However,it is noteworthy that in video A,which has the longest average scene duration,there is no significant difference in the information acceptance effect.In addition,the length of the user's visual residence time has a positive impact on the acceptance effect of information.After verifying that the sense of presence can be subdivided into the sense of reality and sense of participation,this paper shows that the score of users for the sense of presence in the iPad environment is always lower than that of in a VR environment through feature engineering and classification decision tree.After that,the correlation coefficient of the least square method is used to prove that presence has a positive effect on user information acceptance.Meanwhile,with the help of the Few-shot Learning algorithm,the average information memory number of video A－D is 9.20,9.13,8.83,and 10.57 when the sense of presence is strong,while the average information memory number of video A－D is 8.53,6.80,7.14 and 7.66 when the sense of presence is weak.It is proved that the user's sense of presence during information perception is beneficial to the user to obtain a better information acceptance effect.