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Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of LAMA5 on palatal development in mice. Methods: The palatine process of C57BL/6 J fetal mice on the embryonic day 13.5 (E13.5) was cultured in vitro via the rotating culture method. The LAMA5-shRNA adenovirus vector was constructed, then transfected into the palatal process of E13.5 for 48 h in vitro. A fluorescence microscope was used to visualize the fusion of palates. The expression of LAMA5 was also detected. The expression of ki67, cyclin D1, caspase 3, E-cadherin, vimentin and SHH signaling pathway-related signaling factors in the blank control group, the negative control group, and the LAMA5 interference group were detected after virus transfection. Results: The bilateral palates in the LAMA5 interference group were not fused after virus transfection. PCR and WB showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of LAMA5 were decreased in the LAMA5 interference group. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expressions of ki67, cyclin D1 and gli1 were decreased in the LAMA5 interference group, while the mRNA and protein expressions of caspase 3 were increased. However, the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin, vimentin, Shh and ptch1 did not significantly change in the LAMA5 interference group. Conclusions: LAMA5 silencing causes cleft palate by inhibiting the proliferation of mouse palatal cells and promoting apoptosis, which may not be involved in EMT. LAMA5 silencing can also cause cleft palate by interfering with the SHH signaling pathway.

This study utilizes Mentha piperita (MI) for the first time to investigate the uptake and translocation of chlorpyrifos (CPF; 10 µg g−1) from soil, introducing a new approach to improve the efficacy of this technique, which includes using biosurfactants (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) at 107 CFU/mL to degrade CPF under greenhouse conditions. Moreover, antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (Prx), and oxidative stress due to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in MI roots and leaves were evaluated under CPF stress. Our results demonstrated that amending soil with MI and B. subtilis followed by P. aeruginosa significantly reduced CPF levels in the soil (p > 0.05) and enhanced CPF concentrations in MI roots and leaves after 1, 3, 7, 10, and 14 days of the experiment. Furthermore, CPF showed its longest half-life (t1/2) in soil contaminated solely with CPF, lasting 15.36 days. Conversely, its shortest half-life occurred in soil contaminated with CPF and treated with MI along with B. subtilis, lasting 4.65 days. Soil contaminated with CPF and treated with MI and P. aeruginosa showed a half-life of 7.98 days. The half-life (t1/2) of CPF-contaminated soil with MI alone was 11.41 days. A batch equilibrium technique showed that B. subtilis is better than P. aeruginosa for eliminating CPF from soil in In vitro experiments. Notably, CPF-polluted soil treated with coadministration of MI and the tested bacteria improved the activities of SOD and Prx and reduced H2O2 and MDA compared with CPF-polluted soil treated with MI alone. Our findings demonstrated that using B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa as biosurfactants to augment phytoremediation represents a commendable strategy for enhancing the remediation of CPF contamination in affected sites while reducing the existence of harmful pesticide remnants in crop plants.

Increasing the yield of maize F1 hybrid is one of the most important target for breeders. However, as a result of the genetic complexity and extremely low heritability, it is very difficult to directly dissect the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms of yield, and reports on genetic analysis of F1 hybrid yield are rare. Taking F1 hybrid as the research object and dividing the yield into different affect factors, this approach may be the best strategy for clarifying the genetic mechanism of yield. Therefore, in this study, a maize F1 population consisting of 300 hybrids with 17,652 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers was used for genome-wide association study (GWAS) to filtrate candidate genes associated with the four yield-related traits, i.e., kernel row number (KRN), kernel number per row (KNPR), ear tip-barrenness (ETB), and hundred kernel weight (HKW). Combined with the results of previous studies and functional annotation information of candidate genes, a total of six candidate genes were identified as being associated with the four traits, which were involved in plant growth and development, protein synthesis response, phytohormone biosynthesis and signal transduction. Our results improve the understanding of the genetic basis of the four yield-related traits and may be provide a new strategy for the genetic basis of maize yield.

Because the growth behaviors of fatigue cracks are crucial for the safe assessment of structural components, the crack propagation behaviors of coarse-grained copper (CG Cu) subjected to cyclic torsion combined with different axial static stresses were studied. The crack bifurcation behavior is related to the strain amplitude applied. When the strain amplitude is lower, both the type and the magnitude of axial stress have no significant effect on the direction in which the primary crack branches, which is mainly determined by the position of the maximum normal plane. However, when the strain amplitude is higher, the bifurcated crack deviates visibly from the maximum normal plane, which can be attributed to the high degree of plastic deformation and microcracks caused by slip bands along longitudinal direction.

Myocardial infarction–associated transcript (MIAT) is a long noncoding RNA that plays a critical role in a variety of diseases. Accordingly, this study probed into the possible interaction mechanism between MIAT and miR-378a-5p in breast cancer. Concretely, MIAT and miR-378a-5p expressions in breast cancer tissues and cells were measured. After transfection with siMIAT and miR-378a-5p inhibitor, the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells were examined by cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins were detected. According to the results, MIAT was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues and cells. MIAT silencing could decrease Bcl-2 expression, viability, and proliferation of breast cancer cells and increase the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax. MIAT and miR-378a-5p could directly bind to each other, and MIAT silencing promoted the expression of miR-378a-5p. miR-378a-5p expression was low in breast cancer tissues. The miR-378a-5p inhibitor enhanced the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells and partially reversed the effects of MIAT silencing on the breast cancer cells. In conclusion, MIAT silencing inhibits the viability and proliferation of breast cancer cells by promoting miR-378a-5p, indicating the potential of MIAT as a new target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Oromandibular tumors or osteoradionecrosis often lead to extensive composite defects encompassing intraoral, bone and extraoral tissues. A single flap cannot simultaneously offer sufficient bone and soft tissue. The combination of free flaps could be a prospective approach to overcome the challenge. The study aims to assess the efficacy of virtual surgical planning (VSP) and 3D printing assisted fibula osteoseptocutaneous flap (FOSCF) combined with anterolateral thigh flaps (ALT) in reconstructing extensive composite defects in the oromandibular region. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 8 patients who underwent reconstruction using FOSCFs combined with ALTs. Post-surgical excision of the lesions, we obtained mean values for the defects of intraoral soft tissue, bone, extraoral soft tissue, namely, being 42.7 cm2, 96 mm, and 68.9 cm2. The mean surgical procedures took 712.5 min. A total of 16 flaps were harvested and transplanted for the 8 patients, with all successfully surviving. Postoperatively, complications manifested as localized intraoral infections in 2 cases, intermuscular vein thrombosis in another 2 cases, and pulmonary infections in 2 patients. Two patients unfortunately experienced tumor recurrence, at 12 and 3 months post-operation respectively. For the surviving 6 patients, the average follow-up period was 12.2 months. Regarding patient satisfaction, one expressed dissatisfaction with the contour of the mandible, and two exhibited moderate trismus. Objective assessments identified 1 case of oral incontinence and 2 cases where external flap contractures were observed. All 8 patients experienced restoration of masticatory function and were able to consume a soft diet within a month post-surgery. VSP/3D printing assisted FOSCFs combined with ALTs can be performed safely to reconstruct the extensive composite tissue defects in our study, with desirable esthetic and functional results, and it is a reliable option in selecting patients with defects involving multiple tissue types. However, the benefits of this method needed more cases to validate.

Abstract Aroma compounds play important roles in juice flavor, and how some typical aroma compounds are affected by the processing techniques, in general, has not been unified. Thus, in this study meta‐analysis was used to evaluate the effects of the most widely used thermal (thermal pasteurization and high‐temperature short‐time) and nonthermal processing techniques (high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric field, and cold plasma) on four key aroma compounds in fruit juices: d‐limonene, (E)‐2‐hexenal, 1‐hexanol, and 1‐nonanol. Twelve studies were selected according to the set inclusion criteria, and the weighted response ratios (R*) calculated by a random effect model. The study demonstrated that cold plasma (R* = 1.08) and pulsed electric field (R* = 1.17) technique resulted in an increase of d‐limonene levels, and high hydrostatic pressure (R* = 0.95), thermal pasteurization (R* = 0.74), ultrasound (R* = 0.80), and high‐temperature short‐time (R* = 0.77) technique caused a reduction of d‐limonene. The nonthermal techniques can reduce the degradation of the aroma compounds and may induce some chemical reactions to produce more aroma compounds, so that the overall flavor is better maintained than that processed after thermal techniques. This study can help the juice industry to seek processing techniques that can optimize flavor quality.

Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenée) are the most devastating insect pests at the ear stage of maize, causing significant losses to the sweet corn industry. Pesticide control primarily relies on spraying during the flowering stage, but the effectiveness is inconsistent since larvae are beneath husks within hours to a day, making pesticide treatments simpler to avoid. Insufficient understanding of pest activity patterns impedes precise and efficient pesticide control. H. armigera and O. furnacalis in corn fields were monitored in the last few years in Beijing China, and we observed a higher occurrence of both moths during the R1 stage of sweet corn. Moth captures reached the maximum during this stage, with 555–765 moths per hectare corn field daily. The control efficiency of nine synthetic insecticides and five biopesticides was assessed in the field during this period. Virtako, with mineral oil as the adjuvant, appeared to be the most effective synthetic insecticide, with the efficiencies reaching 88% and 87% on sweet and waxy corn, respectively. Pesticide residue data indicated that the corn is safe after 17 days of its use. The most effective bioinsecticide was Beauveria bassiana combined with mineral oil, with 88% and 80% control efficiency in sweet and waxy corn, respectively. These results suggested that spraying effective insecticides 5 days after corn silking could effectively control corn ear pests H. armigera and O. furnacalis. Our findings provide valuable insights for the development of ear pest management strategies in sweet corn.

Abstract Background Cleft lip repair surgery always results in visible scarring. It has been proved that scar formation can be reduced by inhibiting the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38MAPKs) signaling pathway. However, the interaction between p38MAPK and Smads in scar formation is still controversial. Methods This study was designed to investigate whether inhibition of p38MAPK reduces postoperative scar formation of cleft lips on rabbits via the Smads signaling pathway. Scar models in rabbits after cleft lip surgery were created and their fibroblasts were extracted. Then the expression of p38MAPK was disturbed by adenovirus in vitro and Vivo. The scar thickness was measured and scar tissues were excised for Sirius red staining and immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of type I collagen (col I), type III collagen (col III), and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). The underlying mechanisms of p38MAPK knockdown on the extracellular matrix and Smad signaling pathway were invested in vitro using the EdU assay, Western blot, RT PCR, and immunofluorescence. Results p38MAPK knockdown suppresses the expression of p-smad3 and p-smad2 in fibroblasts, modulating the expression of its target genes, such as α-SMA, col I, and col III. When Ad-P38MAPK-1 was injected into lip scar, it reduced the expression of scar-related genes and scar thickness when compared to the negative control groups. Conclusions In rabbits, inhibiting p38MAPK expression prevents scar proliferation through inhibiting the Smad signaling pathway after cleft lip surgery.

Objective To observe the effect of PDCA cycle in improving the awareness rate of health education among elderly interventional patients. Methods From January to April of 2021, 70 elderly patients undergoing interventional therapy were recruited as the research objects (post-activity group). The PDCA cycle method was adopted in the postoperative health education for elderly patients with interventional therapy. Another 70 patient receiving routine health education after interventional therapy were included as the pre-activity group. The patient awareness of health education, treatment compliance, mental status, sleep quality and quality of life were measure and compared between Pre-activity group and Post-activity group. Results The awareness rate of patient health knowledge in the post-activity group was significantly higher than that in the pre-activity group (97. 14% vs. 64. 29%, P

Global warming has a significant impact on soil carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes in temperate forests. However, due to a lack of field observations, limited information is available about the responses of soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes to changes in temperature during the non-growing season and throughout the year in temperate forests. The broadleaf and Korean pine mixed mature forest (MF) and adjacent secondary white birch forest (BF) at different succession stages in the Changbai mountain region in northeastern China were selected, to study the effect of in situ soil column translocation on CO2 and CH4 fluxes in temperate forests. On average, the air temperature and soil temperature at 5 cm depth under BF stands from October 2018 to October 2022 increased by 0.64 and 0.42 °C during the non-growing season and by 0.49 and 0.43 °C throughout the year, respectively, compared with those under MF stands. Based on multi-year measurements in field experiments, it was shown that during the non-growing season, fluxes of CO2 and CH4 from soil columns under MF and BF stands ranged from 0.004 to 1.175 and from 0.015 to 1.401 (averages of 0.321 and 0.387) μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, and from −1.003 to 0.048 and from −1.037 to −0.013 (averages of −0.179 and −0.250) nmol CH4 m−2 s−1, respectively, accounting for approximately 20.8% and 25.3%, and 48.8% and 69.1% of the corresponding average fluxes during the growing season. When undisturbed soil columns of MF were transferred to a BF stand, to simulate warming, the cumulative soil CO2 emissions and CH4 uptake increased by 23.5% and 15.3% during the non-growing season, and by 9.5% and 16.3% across the year, respectively. However, when soil columns of BF were transferred to a MF stand, to simulate cooling, the cumulative soil CO2 emissions decreased by 16.9% and 0.1% during the non-growing season and across the year, respectively. Upon cooling, the cumulative soil CH4 uptake decreased by 21.8% during the non-growing season but increased by 15.4% across the year. The soil temperature and moisture at 5 cm depth in soil columns could explain 84–86% of the variability in CO2 fluxes and 16–51% of the variability in CH4 fluxes under the two forest stands throughout the field measurement period. The results of the in situ soil column translocation experiments highlight that a small climate warming in nature can increase soil CO2 emissions and CH4 uptake in the temperate forests of northeastern China, particularly during the non-growing season, which should be considered when predicting soil C fluxes in the temperate forests of northeastern China under global warming scenarios.

The presence of litter and winter snow cover can affect the decomposition of organic matter in forest soils and changes in δ13C values of soil-respired carbon dioxide (CO2). However, limited information is available on the responses of CO2 emissions from forest soils and their δ13C values to snow cover and litter addition over the year. We experimentally manipulated snow cover to study the impacts of light and heavy artificial snow cover on soil heterotrophic respiration and its δ13C values, using undisturbed large soil columns collected from two typical temperate forests in Northeastern China. Based on the average temperatures of surface forest soils in four seasons of the year in this study region, the simulations of autumn freeze–thaw, winter freeze, spring freeze–thaw, and the growing season were sequentially carried out under laboratory conditions. A set of novel analysis systems, including automated chamber equipment and laser spectroscopy analysis with high-frequency measurements for CO2 concentrations and the 13C/12C isotopic ratios in CO2, was used to study the effects of artificial snow cover and the presence of litter on soil heterotrophic respiration and its δ13C values. During the autumn freeze–thaw simulation, there were larger CO2 emissions and less negative δ13C values of soil-respired CO2 upon heavy snow cover than upon light snow cover, indicating that the presence of increased snow cover prior to winter freeze can increase the decomposition of organic C in subsurface soils under temperate forests. The δ13C values of soil-respired CO2 in all treatments were, on average, less negative as the simulated spring freeze–thaw proceeded, which was contrary to the variations of the δ13C during the autumn freeze–thaw simulation. Soil heterotrophic respiration and its δ13C values during the spring freeze–thaw simulation were, on average smaller upon heavy snow cover than upon light snow cover, which differed from those during the autumn freeze–thaw and growing season simulations, respectively. Taken together, the results highlight that the effects of snow cover on soil heterotrophic respiration and its δ13C values under temperate forests may vary with different seasons of the year and the presence of litter.

ObjectiveTo investigate the prevalence and drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus in pig slaughterhouse in He'nan Province.MethodsSamples of nasal swabs and body surface swabs under different conditions, along with scalding water and air samples were collected, and were then cultured and inspected for Staphylococcus aureus isolation, through a procedure based on the national standard GB 4789.10-2016. Drug resistance of the staphylococcal isolates were tested by means of microbroth dilution method, following the antimicrobial susceptibility test standard of the American Institute of Clinical and Laboratory (CLSI) standards.ResultsThe result showed that 96 strains of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 625 samples, accounting for 15.36%, among which the most positive ones were from samples of pigs to be slaughtered(33.00%, 33/100), electronarcosis(25.83%, 31/120) and decapitation(22.00%, 22/100), while isolation rates were fairly low or even null in samples from depilation body surface, chilling body surface, split half body surface, air and water processes. The drug resistance result indicated that all the 96 Staphylococcal aureus strains presented resistance to the 8 kinds of test antimicrobials, especially florfenicol(98.96%, 95/96). Almost all the strains (96.88%, 93/96) showed multiple resistance to chloramphenicol, macrolides, lactams, lincoamines and other antimicrobials, and isolates resistant to all 7 kinds of tested drugs as accounted for 34.38% (33/96), and those resistant to 5 or plus drugs 76.04%(73/96).ConclusionThere are different degrees of Staphylococcus aureus contamination in some slaughterhouses in He'nan Province, in which the pollution in waiting for slaughtering, hemp electricity and decapitation is more serious, which should be paid more attention. The overall drug resistance of Staphylococcus aureus isolates is serious, and there is a common phenomenon of multiple drug resistance, so the relevant departments need to strengthen the supervision of the use of antibiotics.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate on-chip energy-efficient Gray code generation based on a scalable and compact optical encoder. The operation principle of the integrated encoder is based on the nonlinear effects in silicon opto-mechanical microring resonators (MRRs), which could be excited by ultra-low input powers. By adjusting the input powers with hierarchical power levels, the red-shifts of the MRR transmission spectrum could be flexibly manipulated. In this case, the output powers of the MRR drop-port and through-port could be controllable and switchable to generate different codes. Through tuning the optical encoding powers in a specific rule, 4-bit and 2-bit Gray codes have been successfully demonstrated. The required power of the proposed 4-bit encoder is as low as -6 dBm, which is favorable to build energy-efficient optical encoding systems. To the best of our knowledge, we have realized a nano-mechanical optical encoder with the lowest required power. Moreover, the encoder structure has great scalability, thus 2N-bit Gray code could be generated by utilizing 2N-1 add-drop MRRs. With the dominant advantages of ultra-low power consumption (-6 dBm), compact size (0.08 mm2) and great scalability, the proposed optical encoder has many significant applications in optical encoding and communication chips.

Hydrological processes are known as major driving forces in structuring wetland plant communities, but the specific relationships are not always well understood. The recent dry conditions of Poyang Lake (i.e., the largest freshwater lake in China) are having a profound impact on its wetland vegetation, leading to the degradation of the entire wetland ecosystem. We developed an integrated framework to quantitatively investigate the relationship between the spatial distribution of major wetland herbaceous communities and the hydrological regimes of Poyang Lake. First, the wetland herbaceous community classification was built using a support-vector machine and simultaneous parameter optimization, achieving an overall accuracy of over 98%. Secondly, based on the inundation conditions since 2000, four hydrological drivers of the spatial distribution of these communities were evaluated by canonical correspondence analysis. Finally, the hydrological niches of the communities were quantified by Gaussian regression and quantile methods. The results show that there were significant interspecific differences in terms of the hydrological niche. For example, Carex cinerascens Ass was the most adaptable to inundation, while Triarrhena lutarioriparia + Phragmites australis Ass was the least. Our integrated analytical framework can contribute to hydrological management to better maintain the wetland plant community structure in the Poyang Lake area.

Abstract Background A stroke caused by angiostenosis always has a poor prognosis. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) are widely applied in vascular regeneration. Recently, thrombospondin-4 (TSP4) was reported to promote the regeneration of blood vessels and enhance the function of endothelial cells in angiogenesis. In this work, we observed the therapeutic effect of TSP4-overexpressing BMSCs on angiogenesis post-stroke. Methods We subcloned the tsp4 gene into a lentivirus expression vector system and harvested the tsp4 lentivirus using 293FT cells. Primary BMSCs were then successfully infected by the tsp4 virus, and overexpression of GFP-fused TSP4 was confirmed by both western blot and immunofluorescence. In vitro, TSP4-overexpressing BMSCs and wild-type BMSCs were co-cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The expression level of TSP4, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in the supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Wound healing, tube formation and an arterial ring test were performed to estimate the ability of TSP4-overexpressing BMSCs to promote the angiogenesis of endothelial cells. Using a rat permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model, the effect of TSP4-overexpressing BMSCs on the regeneration of blood vessels was systematically tested by the neurological function score, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining assays. Results Our results demonstrated that TSP4-overexpressing BMSCs largely increased the expression of VEGF, angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), matrix metalloprotein 9 (MMP9), matrix metalloprotein 2 (MMP2) and p-Cdc42/Rac1 in endothelial cells. TSP4-BMSC treatment notably up-regulated the TGF-β/Smad2/3 signalling pathway in HUVECs. In vivo, the TSP4-BMSC infusion improved the neurological function score of MCAO rats and expanded the expression of the von Willebrand factor (vWF), Ang-1, MMP2 and MMP9 proteins in cerebral ischemic penumbra. Conclusions Our data illustrate that TSP4-BMSCs can promote the proliferation and migration of endothelial cells and tube formation. We found that TSP4-BMSC infusion can promote the recovery of neural function post-stroke. The tsp4 gene-modified BMSCs provides a better therapeutic effect than that of wild-type BMSCs.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an all-optical filter with tunable bandwidth and wavelength based on cascaded opto-mechanical microring resonators (MRRs). As the transmission of each MRR could be tuned by injecting resonance powers, the total transmission of the three cascaded MRRs could be manipulated to realize tunable all-optical filters. Due to the free-hanging waveguides of the opto-mechanical MRRs, the nonlinear effects in the device are efficiently enhanced, which contribute to reduce the resonance powers. In the experiment, the bandwidth and wavelength tunability of the optical filter have been demonstrated by injecting three resonance powers. The tuning efficiencies of the filter's 3 dB bandwidth and wavelength could reach 0.233 nm/mW and 0.043 nm/mW respectively, which benefit the construction of all-optical systems with low-power consumptions. The footprint of the compact device is 0.02 mm2. The proposed tunable optical filter is competent to process optical signals with dominant advantages of high tuning efficiencies, all-optical control, compact footprint, and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor-compatibility, which has significant applications for on-chip all-optical systems.

ECC is a common clinical manifestation of the oral cavity in childhood and Iron deficiency-anemia (IDA) is a high-risk factor but extrinsic black stain on the tooth surface is a protective factor for caries. There is limited information about oral microecological change in early children who suffer from ECC with IDA and extrinsic black stain (BS). This study enrolled 136 children aged 3-6 years. Dental caries and teeth BS were examined. Saliva was collected for 16S rRNA gene and fingertip blood were for Hemoglobin test. There are 93 ECC including 13 with IDA (IDA ECC) and 80 without IDA (NIDA ECC) and 43 caries free (CF) including 17 with BS (BSCF) and 26 without BS (NBS CF). Statistical analysis of microbiota data showed differences of the oral flora in different groups. The oral flora of the IDA ECC group had a high diversity, while the BSCF group had a low diversity. The bacterial genera Bacillus, Moraxella, and Rhodococcus were enriched in the IDA ECC while Neisseria was enriched in the NIDA ECC. Neisseria only exhibited high abundance in the BSCF, and the remaining genera exhibited high abundance in the NBSCF. Interestingly, the BSCF had the same trend as the NIDA ECC, and the opposite trend was observed with IDA ECC. We established random forest classifier using these biomarkers to predict disease outcomes. The random forest classifier achieved the best accuracy in predicting the outcome of caries, anemia and black stain using seven, one and eight biomarkers, respectively; and the accuracies of the classifiers were 93.35%, 94.62% and 95.23%, respectively. Our selected biomarkers can achieve good prediction, suggesting their potential clinical implications.

Abstract We report on terahertz characterization of La-doped BaSnO3 (BSO) thin-films. BSO is a transparent complex oxide material, which has attracted substantial interest due to its large electrical conductivity and wide bandgap. The complex refractive index of these films is extracted in the 0.3 to 1.5 THz frequency range, which shows a metal-like response across this broad frequency window. The large optical conductivity found in these films at terahertz wavelengths makes this material an interesting platform for developing electromagnetic structures having a strong response at terahertz wavelengths, i.e. terahertz-functional, while being transparent at visible and near-IR wavelengths. As an example of such application, we demonstrate a visible-transparent terahertz polarizer.

View of the shortcomings of the traditional lubrication system design,a design method based on Flowmaster software is put forward. Taking a certain type of wind turbine gearbox as an example,the power loss and the amount of oil supply are calculated,the lubrication system is simulated and the design is optimized.The experimental test of the lubrication system is carried out,which proved the validity of the lubrication system. The results show that,by using the Flowmaster software to design the wind turbine gearbox,the accurate control of flow and pressure can be achieved. When design the system,it must be noted that the temperature variety has a big effect to the gearbox oil pressure.

Supplementation of polysaccharides is a promising gut microbiota-targeted therapeutic method for obesity and metabolic diseases. Biological activities of Cordyceps militaris polysaccharides have been well reported, but the effect of selenium (Se)-rich C. militaris polysaccharides (SeCMP) on obesity and associated metabolic disorder and gut microbiota composition has been rarely studied. This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity and gut microbiota modulatory effect of crude polysaccharides separated from Se-rich C. militaris on a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed C57BL/6J mice model. Mice were treated with a normal diet (CHOW), HFD alone, HFD plus C. militaris polysaccharides (CMP), or low/medium/high dosage of SeCMP for 8 weeks. Body weight, fat content, serum lipid, appetite hormone, lipid gene expression, inflammation cytokines, thermogenic protein, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and gut microbiota structure of the mice were determined. Compared with HFD-fed mice, the serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the SeCMP-200 group were decreased by 51.5% and 44.1%, respectively. Furthermore, serum lipopolysaccharide-binding proteins (LBP), adiponectin level, and pro-inflammation gene expression in the colon and subcutaneous fat were inhibited, whereas anti-inflammation gene expression was improved, reflecting SeCMP-200 might mitigate obese-induced inflammation. Meanwhile, SeCMP-200 promoted satiety and thermogenesis of obese mice. It also significantly decreased gut bacteria, such as Dorea, Lactobacillus, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, that negatively correlated with obesity traits and increased mucosal beneficial bacteria Akkermansia. There was no significant difference between CMP and SeCMP-100 groups. Our results revealed a high dose of SeCMP could prevent HFD-induced dyslipidemia and gut microbiota dysbiosis and was potential to be used as functional foods.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an all-optical switch based on a fiber-chip-fiber opto-mechanical system driven by thermal radiation. The two optical fibers are both designed as movable cantilever structures with a free-hanging length. With injecting pump lights into the opto-mechanical system, the generated thermal radiation between the grating couplers and the optical fibers could effectively move the fibers with displacements up to tens of micrometers. Thus, the optical fibers would completely deviate from the corresponding grating coupler to cut off the optical signal transmission. In the experiment, using light to control light, both ultrahigh switching extinction ratios beyond 60 dB and an operation bandwidth of at least 45 nm have been achieved by taking advantage of the powerful thermal radiation. To the best of our knowledge, this is a record extinction ratio for fiber-based all-optical switch. The significant thermal radiation opens up a new opportunity and solution for all-optical switch. In the future, the significant effect is promising to be used in fully integrated chips to greatly reduce the required pump power. Moreover, the proposed device has many other applications in all-optical systems, such as reconfigurable logic gates.

Aiming at the problem in which a vessel's dynamic positioning system can control it at an expected position,a novel linear active disturbance rejection controller is designed to solve the problem of poor dynamic performance due to the omission of a tracking differentiator. Based on the advantages of linear and nonlinear tracking differentiators,an improved tracking differentiator is designed which can track the differential signal and degrade the effects of noise; it constitutes a novel Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Controller(LADRC). The simulation results show that the novel LADRC based on the improved tracking differentiator has strong robustness,high control accuracy and good dynamic performance compared with the traditional LADRC.

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual dysfunction that can have significant effects on a couple’s relationship. Behavioral therapy and psychotherapy are both safe and effective methods of treating PE. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu (sexual skills and methods), which reflects a summary of expert experiences in sexology, contains many therapies for sexual dysfunction that are similar to those used in behavioral therapy or psychotherapy. A brief introduction dealing with the latest definitions of PE and treatment strategies drawn from behavioral therapy and psychotherapy is provided. Typical therapies for PE from ancient Chinese fangzhongshu are listed and briefly analyzed in order to define their domain of applicability and instructions for use. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu contains many effective and safe therapies for PE. It should be incorporated into modern medical practice after critical analysis, and its scientific aspects should be promoted as a way of improving reproductive health, both to benefit individuals affected by PE and to promote traditional Chinese culture. Based on an analysis of the condition of the individual patient, one or multiple therapies guided by fangzhongshu can be expected to have an effect on the patient. Ancient Chinese fangzhongshu is of great value and should to be popularized and applied as a remedy for PE.

This work aimed to improve the functional properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) by high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) and develop SPI incorporated yogurt. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the HHP treatment parameters, including pressure, holding time, and the ratio of SPI/water. Water holding capacity, emulsifying activity index, solubility, and hardness of SPI gels were evaluated as response variables. The optimized HPP treatment conditions were 281 MPa of pressure, 18.92 min of holding time, and 1:8.33 of SPI/water ratio. Water and oil holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and stability of SPI at different pH were improved. Additionally, relative lipoxygenase (LOX) activity of HHP treated SPI (HHP-SPI) was decreased 67.55 ± 5.73%, but sulphydryl group content of HHP-SPI was increased 12.77%, respectively. When incorporating 8% of SPI and HHP-SPI into yogurt, the water holding capacity and rheological properties of yogurt were improved in comparison with yogurt made of milk powders. Moreover, HHP-SPI incorporated yogurt appeared better color and flavor.

A broadband absorber, which is composed of graphene analog of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and a metal ground plane spaced by a thin SiO 2 dielectric layer, is proposed and investigated. Numerical results reveal that the working bandwidth can be dynamically tuned between broadband absorption and narrowband absorption by varying the Fermi level of graphene through controlling of the electrostatic gating. Furthermore, absorption behaviors can be tuned to the state of off when the electric polarized is rotated to another axis. It is also found that the coupling strength between the radiative element and dark element is tuned by the distance between the disconnected vertical graphene strip and horizontal graphene strip. In addition, this type of graphene-based absorber is very sensitive to the incident angles.

We report on the dielectric response of epitaxial BaSnO3 films grown on Nb-doped SrTiO3 (001) substrates using a hybrid molecular beam epitaxy approach. Metal-insulator-metal capacitors were fabricated to obtain frequency- and temperature-dependent dielectric constant and loss. Irrespective of film thickness and cation stoichiometry, the dielectric constant obtained from Ba1−xSn1−yO3 films remained largely unchanged at 15-17 and was independent of frequency and temperature. A loss tangent of ∼1 × 10−3 at 1 kHz < f < 100 kHz was obtained for stoichiometric films, which increased significantly with non-stoichiometry. Using density functional theory calculations, these results are discussed in the context of point defect complexes that can form during film synthesis.