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Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common malignancy whose prognosis and treatment outcome are influenced by many factors. Some studies have found that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in cancer may contribute to prognosis and the prediction of immunotherapy efficacy However, the combined role of TLSs in NSCLC remains unclear. We accessed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to obtain mRNA sequencing data and clinical information as the TCGA cohort, and used our own sample of 53 advanced NSCLC as a study cohort. The samples were divided into TLS+ and TLS- groups by pathological tissue sections. Patients of the TLS+ group had a better OS (p = 0.022), PFS (p = 0.042), and DSS (p = 0.004) in the TCGA cohort, and the results were confirmed by the study cohort (PFS, p = 0.012). Furthermore, our result showed that the count and size of TLSs are closely associated with the efficacy of immunotherapy. In addition, the TLS+ group was associated with better immune status and lower tumor mutation load. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), the expression levels of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells of different phenotypes were associated with TLSs. Overall, TLSs are a strong predictor of survival and immunotherapeutic efficacy in advanced NSCLC, and T cell-rich TLSs suggest a more ordered and active immune response site, which aids in the decision-making and application of immunotherapy in the clinic.

Abstract The grounding circulation current of the sheath and armour of single‐core AC submarine cables is high during operation, which can easily cause insulation damage and faults. Traditional methods that only monitor the amplitude of grounding circulation current make it difficult to detect defects in the cables, so further research is needed on the mathematical mechanism and detection methods of grounding circulation current. A mathematical model for the capacitance and impedance coupling of a single‐core submarine cable was established, and the influence of factors such as active power, length of armour stripping section, armour resistivity, armour magnetic permeability and grounding resistance on the grounding circulation current was analysed. A method for identifying abnormal grounding circulation current of submarine cables based on the combination of amplitude and phase was proposed.

Abstract Introduction Exercise enhances one's health and competitiveness. A strong physical fitness status can pave the way for a promising future. This study presents the time-based trends in physical fitness indicators—including height, weight, BMI, lung capacity, dash, long-distance running, and standing long jump—among medical undergraduates during their university years. Additionally, we analyzed the impact of students' physical fitness on their career paths. Method We conducted a retrospective database study by collecting physical fitness test data and career paths information for 634 medical students from a university in southwestern China. These students graduated in 2022. The career paths included pursuits in further studies, employment, and unemployment. To detect differences in these aspects, we used the t-test and Chi-square test. Results Our study indicates a significant declining trend in the physical fitness of medical students during their university years. The changes observed between the first and fourth tests are as follows: Weight (kg): 58.52 ± 10.48 to 60.73 ± 12.07, P

IntroductionPhysical and mental health problems of college students are becoming more prominent, and contact with nature has a positive effect on physical and mental health. This paper investigates the psychological recovery effect of different types of campus green space landscape on college students. From the perspective of college students’ perception of campus landscape types, the green space, blue space, gray space and movement space of three universities in Anhui Province are investigated.MethodsThrough choose campus landscape types and questionnaires, structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation modeling were constructed on the role of college students’ perception of campus landscape types on psychological recovery.ResultsIt was found that the level of landscape type perception had a significant effect on the effect of psychological recovery and the generation of pro-social behavior, with no significant gender difference, while psychological recovery also had a positive effect on the generation of pro-social behavior. The study also found that campus landscape type not only directly affect students psychological recovery, but also promote psychological recovery through the mediating role of pro-social behavior.DiscussionThe study reveals the effects of campus landscape type on college students’ psychological recovery, and pro vides a basis for planning campus of different types.

In cities, green infrastructure (GI) is a vital natural life support system that is intimately linked to the daily lives of citizens. High levels of Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) can help mitigate a series of ecological problems faced by cities, which is extremely important for preserving the stability of urban ecosystems and promoting sustainable urban development. However, current research has not fully explored the influencing factors of UGI and the interaction effect between them. Therefore, in order to better explore the results of China’s proposed policy to promote GI development, data from 110 cities in China’s Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) region during the 12th Five-Year Plan and 13th Five-Year Plan periods were measured separately, and natural and geographic environmental conditions, quality of urban construction, level of economic development, socio-cultural development, and eco-environmental quality were selected as the influencing factors. The entropy TOPSIS was used to evaluate the development trend of UGI in the two periods of the region, and the relationship between influencing factors and UGI development was investigated through the use of fs/QCA, and the high-level development path of each city to achieve GI was explained. The results show that (1) Cities with high UGI development are mostly concentrated in economically developed areas, while cities in the YREB’s central and western regions have relatively low levels of UGI development. (2) According to the spatial and temporal differences, the factors driving the high level and non-high level of UGI development in prefecture-level cities in the YREB showed several different configurations, confirming that the development level of UGI was affected by a variety of conditions. (3) During the 12th Five-Year Plan to 13th Five-Year Plan periods, the configuration of urban high-level UGI was found to be more consistent, while the development path of non-high-level UGI is more diversified. The study explores the overall development level and trend of green infrastructure in different cities, and the citation of fs/QCA provides a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of the interactions between these variables, with a view to providing some guidance and enlightenment for enhancing the future urban UGI development and urban high-quality development in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

Thawing is the primary step in handling frozen aquatic products, which directly determines their end-product quality. This study firstly constructed a novel thawing method of ultrasound-assisted slightly basic electrolyzed water (UST), and its influences on the physicochemical and histological properties of shrimp, as well as the structural of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) in shrimp were evaluated. Results indicated that the UST treatment greatly reduced 48.9 % thawing time of frozen shrimp compared to traditional thawing approaches. Meanwhile, the UST effectively decreased the generation of malondialdehyde (MDA), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and carbonyl compounds in the thawed shrimps. In addition, it significantly preserved the elasticity and integrity of muscle fiber. Notably, the UST reduced the damage of thawing to the spatial structures of MPs, thereby greatly keeping the stability of protein. All these favorable changes maintained the water holding capacity (WHC) and quality of shrimp. Therefore, the UST is a promising non-thermal thawing technology for aquatic products.

Background: Nitrate, a key component of saliva, has been shown widely physiological functions in the human body. But its function on bone metabolism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the function and mechanism of saliva nitrate on osteoporosis and the function of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Methods: Saliva nitrate removal or supplemental interventions were performed for 1 month in ovariectomized (OVX) osteopenia mice. The nitrate levels in saliva and serum were detected. The bone formation and bone microarchitecture in the OVX mouse model were investigated by quantitative Micro--computed tomography imaging, histological staining and serum bone biomarker analysis. The effects of nitrate on the functional homeostasis of BMSCs in OVX mice were explored by Ki67 immunofluorescence staining, Ki67 flow staining, alizarin red staining, qPCR and western blotting. Finally, downstream signaling pathways were screened by proteomics and verified by western blotting. Results: The results showed that nitrate deficiency exacerbated osteoporosis, while nitrate administration prevent osteoporosis in OVX mice. Nitrate increased the expression of PINP, a biomarker of bone formation, in OVX mice. Besides, nitrate enhanced the proliferative capacity and osteogenic function of BMSCs in OVX mice in vitro and in vivo. In addition, nitrate upregulated the expression levels of osteogenesis-related genes ALP, Run2 and OPN of BMSCs. EGFR and mTOR signaling were screened as the key downstream of nitrate, and phosphorylated protein levels of its subfamily members AKT, ERK and S6K were significantly upregulated by nitrate. Conclusion: The present results showed saliva nitrate preventively protects against osteoporosis through enhances the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation potential of BMSCs. The effects of nitrate on bone homeostasis are closely related to the EGFR/AKT/ERK and mTOR/S6K signaling axes. The translational potential of this article: Our study provides experimental evidence for the use of saliva nitrate as an effective candidate for the prevention of osteoporosis and maintenance of bone homeostasis.

Addressing the devastating and often irreversible effects of stroke necessitates innovative therapeutic strategies that go beyond the limitations of current treatments. This study heralds a promising interdisciplinary approach by employing LAP/PDA composite nanomaterials integrated into silk fibroin-based hydrogels. These engineered materials not only demonstrated significantly enhanced mechanical properties, but also showed excellent biocompatibility when co-cultured with human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Importantly, the application of these composite hydrogels in stroke models yielded remarkable therapeutic outcomes. The results indicated a substantial reduction in cerebral infarction volumes, improved survival rates of transplanted hMSCs, and increased neurogenesis, underlining their transformative potential in stroke management. Molecular markers such as AQP4, α-DG, and β-DG were also explored, revealing modulated astrocyte activation and cellular signaling pathways. In summary, the composite LAP/PDA nanomaterials, in conjunction with hMSCs and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), unveil a compelling and multifaceted approach for addressing the unmet needs in stroke treatment, thereby opening new avenues in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

Abstract Background To investigate the incidence of depression in middle-aged and elderly patients with diabetes in China and the influencing factors to provide a theoretical basis to improve the mental health of middle-aged and elderly patients with diabetes and formulate prevention, control, and intervention strategies. Methods The sample of this study was obtained from the China Health and Aging Tracking Survey (CHARLS) 2018 survey data, and middle-aged and older patients with diabetes(responding “Yes” to the questionnaire: “Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes or elevated blood glucose [including abnormal glucose tolerance and elevated fasting glucose]?”) aged ≥ 45 years were selected as study subjects (n = 2,613 ). Depressive symptoms of the study subjects were determined using the simplified version of the Depression Scale for Epidemiological Surveys scores(a score ≥ 10 was defined as depression), influence factors were analyzed using binary logistic regression, and proportion of depressive symptoms was standardized using the sex ratio of the seventh census. Results Among the 2,613 middle-aged and elderly patients with diabetes, 1782 (68.2%) had depressive symptoms and 831 (31.8%) had no depressive symptoms. There were 481 (27.0%) patients aged 45−59 years, 978 (54.9%) aged 60−74 years, and 323 (18.1%) aged ≥ 75 years. The depression rate among middle-aged and elderly Chinese patients with diabetes after standardization correction was 67.5%. Binary logistic regression results showed that age, education level, life satisfaction, marital satisfaction, self-rated health grade, somatic pain, visual impairment, physical disability, and the presence of comorbid chronic diseases were factors that influenced the onset of depression in middle-aged and elderly Chinese patients with diabetes (P

In this article, the dynamics of a seven degrees of freedom robot with a telescopic forearm for the spray-painting of large workpiece is investigated. A novel two-step inverse kinematic solving method that combines numerical and analytical approaches is proposed to solve the inverse kinematics of the seven degrees of freedom robot with two redundant degrees of freedom for spray-painting applications. Based on the kinematic model, the dynamic model is derived using the Newton–Euler method. For the dynamic parameter identification, the dynamic model is written in a linear form with respect to dynamic parameters. Considering the effect of the telescopic forearm on the dynamics of the robot, two novel performance indices concerning the inertial load and gravitational load in the joint space are proposed to evaluate the effect of the telescopic forearm on the dynamic load of the robot. Monte Carlo method is used to solve these two indices. This work is essential for the motion planning and control of the seven degrees of freedom spray-painting robot with a telescopic forearm.

Paeonol, as one of the most abundant plant-derived polyphenols, has multiple bioactivities including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-cardiovascular diseases. Nevertheless, the anti-aging effects and related mechanisms of paeonol are rarely reported. In this study, we found that paeonol significantly prolonged the mean lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) by 28.49% at a dose of 200 μM. Moreover, paeonol promoted the health of C. elegans by increasing the body bending and pharyngeal pumping rates and reducing the lipofuscin accumulation level. Meanwhile, paeonol induced the expression of stress-related genes or proteins by activating the transcription factors DAF-16/FOXO, SKN-1/Nrf2, and HSF-1, which in turn enhanced oxidative and thermal stress tolerance. The mechanism behind the anti-aging effect of paeonol occurred by down-regulating the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS) pathway. Our findings shed new light on the application of paeonol for longevity promotion and human health.

Addressing issues such as low localization accuracy, poor robustness, and long average localization time in pupil center localization algorithms, an improved YOLOv8 network-based pupil center localization algorithm is proposed. This algorithm incorporates a dual attention mechanism into the YOLOv8n backbone network, which simultaneously attends to global contextual information of input data while reducing dependence on specific regions. This improves the problem of difficult pupil localization detection due to occlusions such as eyelashes and eyelids, enhancing the model’s robustness. Additionally, atrous convolutions are introduced in the encoding section, which reduce the network model while improving the model’s detection speed. The use of the Focaler-IoU loss function, by focusing on different regression samples, can improve the performance of detectors in various detection tasks. The performance of the improved Yolov8n algorithm was 0.99971, 1, 0.99611, and 0.96495 in precision, recall, MAP50, and mAP50-95, respectively. Moreover, the improved YOLOv8n algorithm reduced the model parameters by 7.18% and the computational complexity by 10.06%, while enhancing the environmental anti-interference ability and robustness, and shortening the localization time, improving real-time detection.

Soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions play an important role in regional climate feedback on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Previous studies have focused on soil GHGs based on observations within a limited space on the QTP, however, the regional GHG emissions remain unclear. Analyzing soil samples from 25 sites along a 2,700 km transect across QTP, we showed significantly higher soil CO2 and N2O emission rates in alpine meadows than other upland grassland types, but similar soil CH4 uptake rates across all grassland types. The spatial variations of total soil GHG balance were dominated by CO2 emission. We found that CO2 emission was primarily constrained by high soil pH, low soil moisture and nutrient availability, and fungal abundance, N2O emission was inhibited by high soil pH, while CH4 uptake was dominated by methanotrophic abundance. Furthermore, we estimated a current regional total soil GHG balance of 144.4 Tg CO2-eq yr−1 for surface soil across Tibetan alpine grasslands, which increased by 17.6%, 24.8%, and 38.9% under warming scenarios of 1.5℃, 2℃ and 3℃, respectively. Our results provide a baseline for regional soil GHG emissions responding to climate warming on the QTP.

Organic fertilization and deep ploughing are expected to contribute to carbon (C) sequestration in arable soils. This hypothesis was evaluated over 11 years of chemical and organic fertilization under conventional tillage (20 cm) and deep ploughing (40 cm) in a rainfed sorghum-maize rotation system on the Loess Plateau. Soil was collected and analysed to determine the soil organic C (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in the soil profiles (0–60 cm) or in the macroaggregates, microaggregates and silt and clay fractions (0–20 cm only). The SOC and TN stocks at the 0–60 cm depth displayed a net decrease in the unfertilized control, a marginal increase with chemical fertilizer, a significant increase of 23–45 % and 19–42 %, respectively, with organic amendments and a significant increase of 54 % and 48 %, respectively, when combined with deep ploughing. A critical input amount of 2064 kg C ha−1 yr−1 or 162 kg N ha−1 yr−1 was found to be required to maintain the initial SOC or TN stock. The annual N input was positively correlated with the C sequestration efficiency (P

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stands as the prevailing manifestation of primary liver cancer and continues to pose a formidable challenge to human well-being and longevity, owing to its elevated incidence and mortality rates. Nevertheless, the quest for reliable predictive biomarkers for HCC remains ongoing. Recent research has demonstrated a close correlation between ferroptosis and disulfidptosis, two cellular processes, and cancer prognosis, suggesting their potential as predictive factors for HCC. In this study, we employed a combination of bioinformatics algorithms and machine learning techniques, leveraging RNA sequencing data, mutation profiles, and clinical data from HCC samples in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases, to develop a risk prognosis model based on genes associated with ferroptosis and disulfidptosis. We conducted an unsupervised clustering analysis, calculating a risk score (RS) to predict the prognosis of HCC using these genes. Clustering analysis revealed two distinct HCC clusters, each characterized by significantly different prognostic and immune features. The median RS stratified HCC samples in the TCGA, GEO, and ICGC cohorts into high-and low-risk groups. Importantly, RS emerged as an independent prognostic factor in all three cohorts, with the high-risk group demonstrating poorer prognosis and a more active immunosuppressive microenvironment. Additionally, the high-risk group exhibited higher expression levels of tumor mutation burden (TMB), immune checkpoints (ICs), and human leukocyte antigen (HLA), suggesting a heightened responsiveness to immunotherapy. A cancer stem cell infiltration analysis revealed a higher similarity between tumor cells and stem cells in the high-risk group. Furthermore, drug sensitivity analysis highlighted significant differences in response to antitumor drugs between the two risk groups. In summary, our risk prognostic model, constructed based on ferroptosis-related genes associated with disulfidptosis, effectively predicts HCC prognosis. These findings hold potential implications for patient stratification and clinical decision-making, offering valuable theoretical insights in this field.

Understanding the drivers of variations in fine root lifespan is key to informing nutrient cycling and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the general patterns and determinants of forest fine root lifespan at the global scale are still limited. We compiled a dataset of 421 fine root lifespan observations from 76 tree species globally to assess phylogenetic signals among species, explored relationships between fine root lifespan and biotic and abiotic factors, and quantified the relative importance of phylogeny, root system structure and functions, climatic and edaphic factors in driving global fine root lifespan variations. Overall, fine root lifespan showed a clear phylogenetic signal, with gymnosperms having a longer fine root lifespan than angiosperms. Fine root lifespan was longer for evergreens than deciduous trees. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) plants had an extended fine root lifespan than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) plants. Among different climatic zones, fine root lifespan was the longest in the boreal zone, while it did not vary between the temperate and tropical zone. Fine root lifespan increased with soil depth and root order. Furthermore, the analysis of relative importance indicated that phylogeny was the strongest driver influencing the variation in forest fine root lifespan, followed by soil clay content, root order, mean annual temperature, and soil depth, while other environmental factors and root traits exerted weaker effects. Our results suggest that the global pattern of fine root lifespan in forests is shaped by the interplay of phylogeny, root traits and environmental factors. These findings necessitate accurate representations of tree evolutionary history in earth system models to predict fine root longevity and its responses to global changes.

Abstract Tumor-associated high endothelial venules (TA-HEVs) mediate lymphocyte entry into tumors. Therefore, combined anti-angiogenesis therapy and programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitors might stimulate tumor immunity. This study will explore the TA-HEVs and real-world data of the combination therapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Firstly, we found a certain relationship between HEVs and immune effector cells by multiple immunofluorescence staining. We then analyzed the efficacy of immunotherapy combined with anti-angiogenesis therapy in advanced NSCLC patients by collecting real-world clinical data. Finally, we explored the predictive value of HEVs in combination therapy by analyzing pre-treatment pathological slides of patients with multiple immunofluorescence and RNA sequencing. Immunofluorescence staining of high endothelial venules (PNAd+) reveals that the frequency of HEVs is positively correlated with tumor-infiltrating stem-like CD8+ T cells (TCF-1+PD-1+) in the TME of advanced NSCLC patients (P = 0.0221). We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy of 96 patients with advanced NSCLC who received PD-1 inhibitors combined with anti-angiogenesis therapy in the real-world. The median PFS of patients combined with anti-angiogenesis therapy was longer than that of patients without anti-angiogenesis therapy (9.7 vs 8.6 months, P = 0.041). Multiple immunofluorescence staining of tumor biopsies before treatment from 14 patients with advanced NSCLC reveals that PNAd+ is predictive of better response and survival upon PD-1 inhibitors combined with anti-angiogenesis therapy (P = 0.0274). In addition, we collected peripheral blood from an effective group of patients for RNA sequencing and found that immune cells activation-related gene expression scores were higher. Combined anti-angiogenic and anti-PD-1 therapy stimulates tumor immunity through TA-HEVs formation. TA-HEVs not only mediate immune cell entry into tumors, but also are associated with the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis therapy in NSCLC.

Abstract Background It has been long thought that nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) concentrations and their ratios (N:P) in metabolically active or functional organs (i.e., leaves) are less responsive to environmental changes. Little attention, however, has been paid to the reproductive organs—seeds, while seeds may maintain their nutrients more stable for the evolutionary fitness of next generation. Methods Here, we conducted a field experiment of N, P addition and drought in an alpine meadow, aiming to compare the difference of leaf and seed nutrients and stoichiometric ratios in response to these resource treatments and their interactions. Four dominant species were selected among grass and forb functional groups, including Elymus nutans, Deschampsia caespitosa, Artemisia roxburghiana and Polygonum viviparum. Results Under natural conditions, leaf N and P concentrations were consistently lower than seed among species. However, leaf nutrients were much more sensitive than seed nutrients to N and P addition. Specifically, N or P addition accordingly increased leaf N or P concentration by 22.20–44.24% and 85.54–93.61%, while only enhanced seed N or P concentration by 5.15–17.20% and 15.17–32.72%, respectively. Leaf N or P concentration was significantly reduced by P or N addition, but seed nutrients remained unchanged. In contrast, drought did not change both organ nutrients. Similarly, nutrient addition and drought had synergistic interactions on leaf nutrients, but not on seed nutrients. Conclusions This study highlights that seed nutrient concentrations could be more stable than metabolically active leaf organ when facing multidimensional resource changes. This complements the traditional view on the ‘Stable Leaf Nutrient Hypothesis’ with the involvement of reproductive organs. The less responsiveness of seed nutrients suggests the adaptive strategy to ensure the success of next generations and long-term plant demographic stability.

The 21st century has seen an acceleration of global change, including climate change, elevated carbon dioxide, nitrogen deposition, and land-use intensification, which poses a significant threat to ecosystem functioning. Nevertheless, studies on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) have consistently demonstrated that biodiversity enhances ecosystem functioning and its stability, even in variable environmental conditions. These findings potentially indicate the critical role of biodiversity in promoting sustainable provisioning of ecosystem functioning under global change. Our paper provides a comprehensive review of current BEF research and the response of BEF to multiple global change factors. We demonstrate that (1) assessing the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning requires consideration of multiple dimensions of diversity, such as diversity across multiple trophic levels (plants, animals, and microbes), multiple facets (taxonomy, functional traits, and phylogeny), and multiple spatial scales (local, regional, and landscape scales). (2) The interaction of multiple global change factors may lead to a greater reduction in biodiversity and ecosystem functioning than a single global change factor. (3) Multidimensional biodiversity regulates the response of ecosystem functioning to global change factors, indicating that high levels of multidimensional biodiversity can mitigate the negative impacts of global change on ecosystem functioning. Overall, we emphasize that recognizing the importance of multidimensional biodiversity is critical for sustaining ecosystem functioning. Therefore, prioritizing conservation efforts to maintain and enhance all dimensions of biodiversity is essential to address the challenges of future global change.

Abstract Background Drug resistance limits the treatment effect of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to explore the cause of cisplatin resistance in HNSCC. Methods We performed survival and gene set variation analyses based on HNSCC cohorts and identified the critical role of tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 2 (TNFAIP2) in cisplatin-based chemotherapy resistance. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) examination, colony formation assays and flow cytometry assays were conducted to examine the role of TNFAIP2 in vitro, while xenograft models in nude mice and 4-nitroquinoline N-oxide (4NQO)-induced HNSCC models in C57BL/6 mice were adopted to verify the effect of TNFAIP2 in vivo. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and coimmunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry (Co-IP/MS) were performed to determine the mechanism by which TNFAIP2 promotes cisplatin resistance. Results High expression of TNFAIP2 is associated with a poor prognosis, cisplatin resistance, and low reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in HNSCC. Specifically, it protects cancer cells from cisplatin-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ROS-mediated c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation. Mechanistically, the DLG motif contained in TNFAIP2 competes with nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) by directly binding to the Kelch domain of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), which prevents NRF2 from undergoing ubiquitin proteasome-mediated degradation. This results in the accumulation of NRF2 and confers cisplatin resistance. Positive correlations between TNFAIP2 protein levels and NRF2 as well as its downstream target genes were validated in HNSCC specimens. Moreover, the small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting TNFAIP2 significantly enhanced the cisplatin treatment effect in a 4NQO-induced HNSCC mouse model. Conclusions Our results reveal the antioxidant and cisplatin resistance-regulating roles of the TNFAIP2/KEAP1/NRF2/JNK axis in HNSCC, suggesting that TNFAIP2 might be a potential target in improving the cisplatin treatment effect, particularly for patients with cisplatin resistance.

Magnetic field, as a ubiquitous environmental factor, affects the growth and metabolism of microorganisms. Filamentous fungi are important heterotrophic eukaryotes, which are widely used in food industry and biomedical field. At present, magnetic field treatment of filamentous fungi has become an important research target in industry, and Monascus, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus are typical strains commonly used by filamentous fungi. This paper introduces the research progress of magnetic field regulating the growth and metabolism of Monascus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and other filamentous fungi, analyzes the magnetic field effect of three kinds of filamentous fungi through different magnetic field types, action time, magnetic field intensity and other magnetic field parameters, and expounds the rule of influence of magnetic field on the growth and development of three typical filamentous fungi and their metabolites and metabolic relationship. The research idea of magnetic field regulating filamentous fungi metabolites in many aspects and at multiple levels is discussed. The next step will be to explain the mechanism of magnetic field on filamentous fungi mycelia morphology, enzyme structure changes and transcriptomics, which will provide a reference for exploring the mechanism of magnetic field regulating filamentous fungi metabolites synthesis, and provide a theoretical basis for the comprehensive utilization and development of filamentous fungi.

Abstract Anti-PD-1 therapy has shown promising outcomes in the treatment of different types of cancer. It is of fundamental interest to analyze the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in cancer patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) since the comorbidity of HBV and cancer is widely documented. We designed a multicenter retrospective study to evaluate the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy on non-liver cancer patients infected with HBV. We found anti-PD-1 therapy achieved much better outcomes in HBV+ non-liver cancer patients than their HBV– counterparts. We performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. We found both cytotoxicity score of T cells and MHC score of B cells significantly increased after anti-PD-1 therapy in HBV+ ESCC patients. We also identified CX3CR1high TEFF, a subset of CD8+ TEFF, associated with better clinical outcome in HBV+ ESCC patients. Lastly, we found CD8+ TEFF from HBV+ ESCC patients showing higher fraction of Exhaustionhi T than their HBV– counterpart. In summary, anti-PD-1 therapy on HBV+ non-liver cancer patients is safe and achieves better outcomes than that on HBV– non-liver cancer patients, potentially because HBV+ patients had higher fraction of Exhaustionhi T, which made them more efficiently respond to anti-PD-1 therapy.

Abstract Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast neoplasms with a higher risk of recurrence and metastasis than non-TNBC. Nevertheless, the factors responsible for the differences in the malignant behavior between TNBC and non-TNBC are not fully explored. Proline rich 15 (PRR15) is a protein involved in the progression of several tumor types, but its mechanisms are still controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the biological role and clinical applications of PRR15 on TNBC. PRR15 gene was differentially expressed between TNBC and non-TNBC patients, previously described as an oncogenic factor in breast cancer. However, our results showed a decreased expression of PRR15 that portended a favorable prognosis in TNBC rather than non-TNBC. PRR15 knockdown facilitated the proliferation, migration, and invasive ability of TNBC cells in vitro and in vivo, which was abolished by PRR15 restoration, without remarkable effects on non-TNBC. High-throughput drug sensitivity revealed that PI3K/Akt signaling was involved in the aggressive properties of PRR15 silencing, which was confirmed by the PI3K/Akt signaling activation in the tumors of PRR15Low patients, and PI3K inhibitor reversed the metastatic capacity of TNBC in mice. The reduced PRR15 expression in TNBC patients was positively correlated with more aggressive clinicopathological characteristics, enhanced metastasis, and poor disease-free survival. Collectively, PRR15 down-regulation promotes malignant progression through the PI3K/Akt signaling in TNBC rather than in non-TNBC, affects the response of TNBC cells to antitumor agents, and is a promising indicator of disease outcomes in TNBC.

IntroductionExposure to green space can bring many benefits to physical and mental health, but in China, the attractiveness of green space to youth groups seems to be not significant. The question of how to encourage young people to go out of the house to better perceive green space, enjoy nature, and promote physical and mental health is on our minds.MethodsThis study combines young people’s green space perception, green space use, and purpose of visit to explore its impact on the emotional health of youth groups, combined with the PANAS psychological data scale, an online questionnaire survey of 426 residents (18–35 years old) in three Chinese cities, and was used to construct a multiple regression model and AMOS structural equations.Results and discussionThe results of the study showed that, firstly, environmental attractiveness, environmental odor, and number of facilities were the key factors influencing adolescents’ landscape perception evaluation, while activity space, environmental odor, and environmental attractiveness had a greater impact on adolescents’ emotional well-being. Second, among adolescents’ visit purposes, socializing and fitness were more likely to help them generate positive emotions while resting and viewing activities were effective in helping them alleviate negative emotions. In addition, in terms of usage, residents who took public transportation as well as those who arrived on foot were the most emotionally healthy. The findings of this paper provide insights for public policymakers, urban planners, and landscape architects to better encourage youth participation in green spaces when they are installed.

Objective: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is one of the most common and poor prognosis head and neck tumors. The purpose of this study is to establish a model for predicting TSCC prognosis based on clinical and MR radiomics data and to develop a nomogram. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and imaging data of 211 patients with pathologically confirmed TSCC who underwent radical surgery at xx hospital from February 2011 to January 2020. Patients were divided into a study group (recurrence, metastasis, and death, n = 76) and a control group (normal survival, n = 135) according to 1 to 6 years of follow-up. A training set and a test set were established based on a ratio of 7:3 and a time point. In the training set, 3 prediction models (clinical data model, imaging model, and combined model) were established based on the MR radiomics score (Radscore) combined with clinical features. The predictive performance of these models was compared using the Delong curve, and the clinical net benefit of the model was tested using the decision curve. Then, the external validation of the model was performed in the test set, and a nomogram for predicting TSCC prognosis was developed. Results: Univariate analysis confirmed that betel nut consumption, spicy hot pot or pickled food, unclean oral sex, drug use, platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), depth of invasion (DOI), low differentiation, clinical stage, and Radscore were factors that affected TSCC prognosis ( P

Abstract Introduction Dysregulated ARID1A expression is frequently detected in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and mediates significant changes in cancer behaviors and a poor prognosis. ARID1A deficiency in LUAD enhances proliferation and metastasis, which could be induced by activation of the Akt signaling pathway. However, no further exploration of the mechanisms has been performed. Methods Lentivirus was used for the establishment of the ARID1A knockdown (ARID1A-KD) cell line. MTS and migration/invasion assays were used to examine changes in cell behaviors. RNA-seq and proteomics methods were applied. ARID1A expression in tissue samples was determined by IHC. R software was used to construct a nomogram. Results ARID1A KD significantly promoted the cell cycle and accelerated cell division. In addition, ARID1A KD increased the phosphorylation level of a series of oncogenic proteins, such as EGFR, ErbB2 and RAF1, activated the corresponding pathways and resulted in disease progression. In addition, the bypass activation of the ErbB pathway, the activation of the VEGF pathway and the expression level changes in epithelial–mesenchymal transformation biomarkers induced by ARID1A KD contributed to the insensitivity to EGFR-TKIs. The relationship between ARID1A and the sensitivity to EGFR-TKIs was also determined using tissue samples from LUAD patients. Conclusion Loss of ARID1A expression influences the cell cycle, accelerates cell division, and promotes metastasis. EGFR-mutant LUAD patients with low ARID1A expression had poor overall survival. In addition, low ARID1A expression was associated with a poor prognosis in EGFR-mutant LUAD patients who received first-generation EGFR-TKI treatment. Video abstract

Active restoration of croplands more strongly enhances soil carbon relative to natural regeneration in carbon-poor soils and topsoil layers, while natural regeneration performs better in carbon-rich soils and subsoil layers, suggests a large-scale paired comparison of two restoration strategies.

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) metastasis is the leading cause of poor prognosis and therapeutic failure. However, the mechanisms underlying cancer metastasis are far from clear. Methods We screened candidate genes related to metastasis through genome-wide CRISPR screening and high-throughput sequencing of patients with metastatic BC, followed by a panel of metastatic model assays. The effects of tetratricopeptide repeat domain 17 (TTC17) on migration, invasion, and colony formation ability together with the responses to anticancer drugs were investigated in vitro and in vivo. The mechanism mediated by TTC17 was determined by RNA sequencing, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. The clinical significance of TTC17 was evaluated using BC tissue samples combined with clinicopathological data. Results We identified the loss of TTC17 as a metastasis driver in BC, and its expression was negatively correlated with malignancy and positively correlated with patient prognosis. TTC17 loss in BC cells promoted their migration, invasion, and colony formation capacity in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Conversely, overexpressing TTC17 suppressed these aggressive phenotypes. Mechanistically, TTC17 knockdown in BC cells resulted in the activation of the RAP1/CDC42 pathway along with a disordered cytoskeleton in BC cells, and pharmacological blockade of CDC42 abolished the potentiation of motility and invasiveness caused by TTC17 silencing. Research on BC specimens demonstrated reduced TTC17 and increased CDC42 in metastatic tumors and lymph nodes, and low TTC17 expression was linked to more aggressive clinicopathologic characteristics. Through screening the anticancer drug library, the CDC42 inhibitor rapamycin and the microtubule-stabilizing drug paclitaxel showed stronger inhibition of TTC17-silenced BC cells, which was confirmed by more favorable efficacy in BC patients and tumor-bearing mice receiving rapamycin or paclitaxel in the TTC17Low arm. Conclusions TTC17 loss is a novel factor promoting BC metastasis, that enhances migration and invasion by activating RAP1/CDC42 signaling and sensitizes BC to rapamycin and paclitaxel, which may improve stratified treatment strategies under the concept of molecular phenotyping-based precision therapy of BC.

Objective: To predict COVID-19 severity by building a prediction model based on the clinical manifestations and radiomic features of the thymus in COVID-19 patients. Method: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical and radiological data from 217 confirmed cases of COVID-19 admitted to Xiangyang NO.1 People's Hospital and Jiangsu Hospital of Chinese Medicine from December 2019 to April 2022 (including 118 mild cases and 99 severe cases). The data were split into the training and test sets at a 7:3 ratio. The cases in the training set were compared in terms of clinical data and radiomic parameters of the lasso regression model. Several models for severity prediction were established based on the clinical and radiomic features of the COVID-19 patients. The DeLong test and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to compare the performances of several models. Finally, the prediction results were verified on the test set. Result: For the training set, the univariate analysis showed that BMI, diarrhea, thymic steatosis, anorexia, headache, findings on the chest CT scan, platelets, LDH, AST and radiomic features of the thymus were significantly different between the two groups of patients (P < 0.05). The combination model based on the clinical and radiomic features of COVID-19 patients had the highest predictive value for COVID-19 severity [AUC: 0.967 (OR 0.0115, 95%CI: 0.925-0.989)] vs. the clinical feature-based model [AUC: 0.772 (OR 0.0387, 95%CI: 0.697-0.836), P < 0.05], laboratory-based model [AUC: 0.687 (OR 0.0423, 95%CI: 0.608-0.760), P < 0.05] and model based on CT radiomics [AUC: 0.895 (OR 0.0261, 95%CI: 0.835-0.938), P < 0.05]. DCA also confirmed the high clinical net benefits of the combination model. The nomogram drawn based on the combination model could help differentiate between the mild and severe cases of COVID-19 at an early stage. The predictions from different models were verified on the test set. Conclusion: Severe cases of COVID-19 had a higher level of thymic involution. The thymic differentiation in radiomic features was related to disease progression. The combination model based on the radiomic features of the thymus could better promote early clinical intervention of COVID-19 and increase the cure rate.

To ensure reliable and accurate operation in a complex field environment for Low-Slow-Small unmanned aerial vehicle (LSS-UAV) tracking systems, a dynamic seal shafting structure consisting of a labyrinthine structure and a magnetic fluid seal ring is designed to protect important equipment, such as the infrared sensor, visible CCD and the laser rangefinder from erosion and oxidation by the external environment. A friction torque model is established for the system’s dynamic seal structure to ensure tracking accuracy of the system. The simulation results show that the closed-loop speed accuracy of the system is improved by nearly 10 fold after adding friction torque compensation. The actual test results show that including friction torque compensation can effectively reduce the start-up delay and speed fluctuation error, and the speed fluctuation error is reduced by more than 80% compared to that without friction torque compensation. The tracking accuracy of the dynamic LSS-UAV is reduced from $56.44 \mu $ rad to $14.86 \mu $ rad after adding friction torque compensation, which meets the requirement of smooth and accurate tracking for LSS-UAV tracking systems, and verifies the effectiveness and accuracy of compensation for the dynamic seal friction torque.

Recent studies on watermarking techniques based on image carriers have demonstrated new approaches that combine adversarial perturbations against steganalysis with embedding distortions. However, while these methods successfully counter convolutional neural network-based steganalysis, they do not adequately protect the data of the carrier itself. Recognizing the high sensitivity of Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) to small perturbations, we propose HAG-NET, a method based on image carriers, which is jointly trained by the encoder, decoder, and attacker. In this paper, the encoder generates Adversarial Steganographic Examples (ASEs) that are adversarial to the target classification network, thereby providing protection for the carrier data. Additionally, the decoder can recover secret data from ASEs. The experimental results demonstrate that ASEs produced by HAG-NET achieve an average success rate of over 99% on both the MNIST and CIFAR-10 datasets. ASEs generated with the attacker exhibit greater robustness in terms of attack ability, with an average increase of about 3.32%. Furthermore, our method, when compared with other generative stego examples under similar perturbation strength, contains significantly more information according to image information entropy measurements.

The voltage difference of battery pack is a very important index for the state evaluation of energy storage battery. When the voltage difference is too large inside the battery pack, it may cause a series of safety problems. By predicting the voltage difference of battery pack, potential dangerous situations can be detected as early as possible, and necessary measures can be taken to ensure the safety of the energy storage battery, so as to realize the reliability improvement, efficiency improvement, and safety guarantee of the energy storage system. Through the multi-step prediction for the voltage difference of the energy storage battery pack, the variation trend of the voltage difference can be predicted in advance, so as to warn the possible voltage difference over-limit fault. At present, there are many methods for multi-step prediction of time series data, but which one is most suitable for predicting the voltage difference of the energy storage battery pack is still lack of research. In this paper, the stationarity and correlation of energy storage battery pack’s voltage difference data are analyzed and processed, and different multi-step prediction algorithms are used to predict the voltage difference of energy storage battery pack. The prediction results generated by different models are compared and analyzed, and the most suitable model selection for predicting the voltage difference of energy storage battery pack is discussed.

Abstract Background The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has posed a great threat to human health. Some severe COVID‐19 patients still carried detectable levels of SARS‐CoV‐2 even after prolonged intensive care unit treatment. However, the immunological features of these COVID‐19 patients with delayed virus clearance (CDVC) are still unclear. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and immunological data of 13 CDVC cases, who were admitted into one hospital in Wuhan from February to April 2020. These data were also compared to those of perished (n = 9) and recovered (n = 52) cases. The expression of the exhaustion marker PD‐1 on circulating T cells of these patients was measured by flow cytometry. Results High levels of serum interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐1β, IL‐8, as well as other inflammatory mediators, were seen in CDVC cases. Severe lymphopenia was observed in CDVC patients with the counts of total lymphocytes (0.9 × 109/L), CD4+ T cells (0.35 × 109/L), and CD8+ T cells (0.28 × 109/L) below their corresponding lower limits of normal range. Similar to the perished group, CDVC cases have higher percentages of CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) in circulation. Moreover, enhanced expression of the exhaustion marker PD‐1 on CCR7−CD45RA+ effector, CCR7+CD45RA− central memory, and CCR7−CD45RA− effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were also observed in CDVC cases. Conclusion CDVC patients still have SARS‐CoV‐2 and these cases manifest with severe clinical symptoms due to persistent inflammation. Augmentation of the frequency of circulating Treg, severe lymphopenia, and functional exhaustion of T cells might lead to inefficient clearance of SARS‐CoV‐2. Therefore, enhancing lymphocyte counts and reversing T‐cell exhaustion might be key methods to boost immune responses and eliminate SARS‐CoV‐2 in CDVC patients.

Abstract Liver metastasis is the most fatal event of colon cancer patients. Warburg effect has been long challenged by the fact of upregulated oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), while its mechanism remains unclear. Here, metastasis‐associated antigen 1 (MTA1) is identified as a newly identified adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase modulator by interacting with ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha (ATP5A), facilitates colon cancer liver metastasis by driving mitochondrial bioenergetic metabolism reprogramming, enhancing OXPHOS; therefore, modulating ATP synthase activity and downstream mTOR pathways. High‐throughput screening of an anticancer drug shows MTA1 knockout increases the sensitivity of colon cancer to mitochondrial bioenergetic metabolism‐targeted drugs and mTOR inhibitors. Inhibiting ATP5A enhances the sensitivity of liver‐metastasized colon cancer to sirolimus in an MTA1‐dependent manner. The therapeutic effects are verified in xenograft models and clinical cases. This research identifies a new modulator of mitochondrial bioenergetic reprogramming in cancer metastasis and reveals a new mechanism on upregulating mitochondrial OXPHOS as the reversal of Warburg effect in cancer metastasis is orchestrated.

Objective: To collect the clinical, pathological, and computed tomography (CT) data of 143 accepted surgical cases of pancreatic body tail cancer (PBTC) and to model and predict its prognosis. Methods: The clinical, pathological, and CT data of 143 PBTC patients who underwent surgical resection or endoscopic ultrasound biopsy and were pathologically diagnosed in Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital Hospital from December 2012 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier method was adopted to make survival curves based on the 1 to 5 years’ follow-up data, and then the log-rank was employed to analyze the survival. According to the median survival of 6 months, the PBTC patients were divided into a group with a good prognosis (survival time ≥ 6 months) and a group with a poor prognosis (survival time

Abstract Introduction EGFR mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are associated with a poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and only 20% of NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations benefit from immunotherapy. Novel biomarkers or therapeutics are needed to predict NSCLC prognosis and enhance the efficacy of ICIs in NSCLC patients harboring EGFR mutations, especially lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, who account for approximately 40–50% of all NSCLC cases. Methods An ARID1A-knockdown (ARID1A-KD) EGFR-mutant LUAD cell line was constructed using lentivirus. RNA-seq and mass spectrometry were performed. Western blotting and IHC were used for protein expression evaluation. Effects of 3-MA and rapamycin on cells were explored. Immunofluorescence assays were used for immune cell infiltration examination. Results ARID1A expression was negatively associated with immune cell infiltration and immune scores for ICIs in LUAD with EGFR mutations. In vitro experiments suggested that ARID1A-KD activates the EGFR/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and inhibits autophagy, which attenuates the inhibition of Rig-I-like receptor pathway activity and type I interferon production in EGFR-mutant LUAD cells. In addition, 3-MA upregulated production of type I interferon in EGFR-mutant LUAD cells, with an similar effect to ARID1A-KD. On the other hand, rapamycin attenuated the enhanced production of type I interferon in ARID1A-KD EGFR-mutant LUAD cells. ARID1A function appears to influence the tumor immune microenvironment and response to ICIs. Conclusion ARID1A deficiency reverses response to ICIs in EGFR-mutant LUAD by enhancing autophagy-inhibited type I interferon production. Video Abstract

Heterotrophic soil respiration and subsidence are enhanced by water table decline, with a meta-analysis estimating that soil respiration in drained peatlands across the globe release 645 Mt carbon per year.

This study aimed to research the effectiveness and mode of the disease resistance induced by melatonin (MT) treatment in postharvest plum fruit. Plum fruit Cv ‘Fenghuang’ were treated with 10 mmol/L MT and/or inoculated with R. stolonifer, then stored for 5 days (20 ℃). Disease development, the contents of H2O2, total phenol and lignin and the activities of resistance-related enzyme were determined during the storage. The results showed that 10 mmol/L treatment effectively lowered the disease incidence and delayed the increase of lesion diameter of Rhizopus rot caused by R. stolonifer in plums. Single MT treatment could induce the activities of phenylpropanoid metabolic enzymes and the contents of total phenol and lignin in plums. MT treatment combined with R. tolonifer inoculation showed most significantly effects on the induction of H2O2 burst, and the activities of disease-resistance related enzymes such as chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumaric acid coenzyme A ligase (4-CL), peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) as well as contents of total phenol and lignin in the samples during the storage. These results suggested that the MT treatment could activate the strong and rapid disease resistance upon the pathogenic infection by an induction of priming defence, by which the treatment resultantly maintained the overall quality in plums during the postharvest storage.

Objective: To establish a predictive model distinguishing focal mass-forming pancreatitis (FMFP) from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) based on computed tomography (CT) radiomics and clinical data. Methods: A total of 78 FMFP patients (FMFP group) and 120 PDAC patients (PDAC group) who were admitted to Xiangyang No.1 People's Hospital and Xiangyang Central Hospital from February 2012 to May 2021 and were pathologically diagnosed were included in this study, and were input to set up the training set and test set at a ratio of 7:3. The 3Dslicer software was used to extract the radiomic features and radiomic scores (Radscores) of the 2 groups, and the clinical data (age, gender, etc), CT imaging features (lesion location, size, enhancement degree, vascular wrapping, etc) and CT radiomic features of the 2 groups were compared. Logistic regression was used to screen the independent risk factors of the 2 groups, and multiple prediction models (clinical imaging model, radiomics model, and combined model) were established. Then the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and decision curve analysis (DCA) were conducted to compare the prediction performance and net benefit of the models. Results: The multivariate logistic regression results indicated that dilation of the main pancreatic duct, vascular wrapping, Radscore1 and Radscore2 were independent influencing factors for distinguishing FMFP from PDAC. In the training set, the combined model showed the best predictive performance (area under the ROC curve [AUC] 0.857, 95% CI [0.787-0.910]), significantly higher than the clinical imaging model (AUC 0.650, 95% CI [0.565–0.729]) and the radiomics model (AUC 0.812, 95% CI [0.759–0.890]). DCA confirmed that the combined model had the highest net benefit. These results were further validated by the test set. Conclusion: The combined model based on clinical–CT radiomics data can effectively identify FMFP and PDAC, providing a reference for clinical decision-making.

In order to uniformly disperse the ceramic reinforcements synthesized in-situ in the copper matrix composites, this study used Carbon Polymer Dot (CPD) as the carbon source and Cu–1.0%Ti alloy powder as the matrix for supplying Ti source to prepare in-situ synthesized TiC/Cu composites. The results show that TiC nano-precipitates, having the similar particle sizes with the CPD, form at the grains interior and grain boundaries, and maintain a uniform distribution state. Compared with the matrix, 0.3 ​wt% CPD/Cu composite displays the best strength-plastic compatibility, the ultimate tensile strength achieves 385 ​MPa accompanied with a corresponding elongation of 21%, owing to the dislocation hindrance caused by nano-carbide and excellent interface bonding between nano TiC and the Cu matrix. The density function theory calculation supports our experimental results by showing a tighter and stronger interface contact. This work presents a new approach for studying in-situ carbide precipitates.

The FY-4B satellite is one of the second generation of China’s geosynchronous meteorological satellites aiming at numerical weather forecasts. The space environment monitoring package (SEMP) onboard the FY-4B is a comprehensive instrument package for plasma, high-energy particle, and energetic neutral particle measurements. The low-energy particle analyzer (LEPA) is one of the instruments of the SEMP and consists of two top hat electrostatic analyzers designed for plasma detection. The electron and ion sensors are back-to-back assembled and are integrated to a shared electronic box. It measures the three-dimensional velocity distribution of low-energy electrons and ions on the geosynchronous orbit. In this paper, we present the ground calibration and in-flight performance of the instrument. With the electrostatic deflectors and the cylindrically symmetric structure, the instrument provides high-cadence measurements of electron and ion velocity distributions with a wide field of view (FOV) of 180° by 100°, an angular resolution of 16.7° × 20°, and a broad energy range for both the electrons and ions from tens of eV to above 30 keV, with a 1 s time resolution. The geometric factors of the electron and ion analyzers are 1.1 × 10−3 cm2·sr·eV/eV and 1.4 × 10−3 cm2·sr·eV/eV, respectively, which fulfills the requirements of the low-energy plasma measurement. The LEPA monitored typical space environment disturbance such as geomagnetic storms and successfully recorded the responses of plasma energy fluxes. Satellite surface charging events were measured, with the highest potentials of −2000 V in the shadow period and −500 V in the nonshadow period.

The FengYun-3E Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occultation sounder II (FY-3E GNOS II) was launched on 5 July 2021. For the first time, based on the new GNOS II sensor, this mission realizes radio occultation (RO) and reflectometry observations using the navigation signals from the third-generation BeiDou System (BDS-3), and it is hence important to assess and analyze the BDS-3 remote sensing performances relative to other systems. Here, we assessed FY-3E GNOS II RO atmospheric retrievals by inter-comparing with corresponding data from the NCEP FNL global atmospheric analysis and FY-3D GNOS mission. The GNOS RO data quality and consistency of the different FY-3 meteorological satellites, i.e., FY-3D and FY-3E, as well as different GNSS systems (GPS, BDS-2, BDS-3) were analyzed. We find that the FY-3E GNOS II RO data exhibit better quality than FY-3D GNOS, particularly in the number, penetration height toward surface, and global coverage by BDS RO profiles, due to the integration of BDS-2 and BDS-3. Additionally, comparing with co-located NCEP FNL analysis profiles, the mean difference (and standard deviation) of the FY-3E GNOS II RO atmospheric refractivity profile retrievals is found to be smaller than 0.2% (and 1%), in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, from 5 to 30 km, and remains consistent at this accuracy and precision level with the FY-3D GNOS RO data. These features provide clear evidence for a high utility of the new GNOS II RO data for weather and climate research and applications.

Impact of supplement ofLactobacillus casei K17 on fillet tastes of largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides were researched for improving its fillet tastes. The M. salmoides was given commercial feed supplemented with live L. casei K17 (1×108 CFU/g), live L. casei K17 protected by skim milk powder (10%), heat-killed dead L. casei K17, its fermentation supernatant, skim milk powder (10%), and saline (0.85% NaCl), designated as LB, MB, DB, FS, MG, and SG, respectively. At the end of the trial, the outline of the whole taste difference of each group was determined by using the electronic tongue. The contents of free amino acids and flavor nucleotides were analyzed. The results showed that the electronic tongue adopted discriminant factor analysis based on principal component analysis, the difference of six groups could be effectively distinguished, and the umami, bitter and sweet taste of each group could be effectively distinguished by using radar map. Sixteen free amino acids were detected from the fillet of six groups. Total umami amino acids and aspartic acid (Asp) in the MB group, the valine (Val), isoleucine (Ile), leucine (Leu), phenylalanine (Phe) and total bitter amino acids in the FS group, and the total essential amino acids in the MG group were significantly higher than those in the control SG group (PFS>DB>LB>MG>SG. Consistent with the predicted results of the electronic tongue, EUC was recommended to quantify the umami of fish fillet. These results showed the fillet taste compositions and contents of M. salmoides fed with different L. casei K17 diets were improved obviously compared with the control group, especially LB and MB, which could provide a useful theoretical reference for further development and utilization of M. salmoides.

Abstract Background Tea is one of the most popular non-alcoholic beverages in the world for its flavors and numerous health benefits. The tea tree (Camellia sinensis L.) is a well-known aluminum (Al) hyperaccumulator. However, it is not fully understood how tea plants have adapted to tolerate high concentrations of Al, which causes an imbalance of mineral nutrition in the roots. Results Here, we combined ionomic and transcriptomic profiling alongside biochemical characterization, to probe the changes of metal nutrients and Al responsive genes in tea roots grown under increasing concentrations of Al. It was found that a low level of Al (~ 0.4 mM) maintains proper nutrient balance, whereas a higher Al concentration (2.5 mM) compromised tea plants by altering micro- and macro-nutrient accumulation into roots, including a decrease in calcium (Ca), manganese (Mn), and magnesium (Mg) and an increase in iron (Fe), which corresponded with oxidative stress, cellular damage, and retarded root growth. Transcriptome analysis revealed more than 1000 transporter genes that were significantly changed in expression upon Al exposure compared to control (no Al) treatments. These included transporters related to Ca and Fe uptake and translocation, while genes required for N, P, and S nutrition in roots did not significantly alter. Transporters related to organic acid secretion, together with other putative Al-tolerance genes also significantly changed in response to Al. Two of these transporters, CsALMT1 and CsALS8, were functionally tested by yeast heterologous expression and confirmed to provide Al tolerance. Conclusion This study shows that tea plant roots respond to high Al-induced mineral nutrient imbalances by transcriptional regulation of both cation and anion transporters, and therefore provides new insights into Al tolerance mechanism of tea plants. The altered transporter gene expression profiles partly explain the imbalanced metal ion accumulation that occurred in the Al-stressed roots, while increases to organic acid and Al tolerance gene expression partly explains the ability of tea plants to be able to grow in high Al containing soils. The improved transcriptomic understanding of Al exposure gained here has highlighted potential gene targets for breeding or genetic engineering approaches to develop safer tea products.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease. To better describe the clinical value of the main driver gene mutations of HCC, we analyzed the whole exome sequencing data of 125 patients, and combined with the mutation data in the public database, 14 main mutant genes were identified. And we explored the correlation between the main mutation genes and clinical features. Consistent with the results of previous data, we found that TP53 and LRP1B mutations were related to the prognosis of our patients by WES data analysis. And we further explored the associated characteristics of TP53 and LRP1B mutations. However, it is of great clinical significance to tailor a unique prediction method and treatment plan for HCC patients according to the mutation of TP53. For TP53 wild-type HCC patients, we proposed a prognostic risk model based on 11 genes for better predictive value. According to the median risk score of the model, HCC patients with wild-type TP53 were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. We found significant transcriptome changes in the enrichment of metabolic-related pathways and immunological characteristics between the two groups, suggesting the predictability of HCC immunotherapy by using this model. Through the CMap database, we found that AM580 had potential therapeutic significance for high-risk TP53 wild-type HCC patients.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is an essential pathological subtype of non-small cell lung cancer and offers a severe problem for worldwide public health. There is mounting proof that angiogenesis is a crucial player in LUAD progression. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to construct a novel LUAD risk assessment model based on genetic markers related to angiogenesis. We accessed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases for LUAD mRNA sequencing data and clinical information. Based on machine algorithms and bioinformatics, angiogenic gene-related risk scores (RS) were calculated. Patients in the high-risk category had a worse prognosis (p < 0.001) in the discovery TCGA cohort, and the results were confirmed by these three cohorts (validation TCGA cohort, total TCGA cohort, and GSE68465 cohort). Moreover, risk scores for genes involved in angiogenesis were independent risk factors for lung cancer in all four cohorts. The low-risk group was associated with better immune status and lower tumor mutational load. In addition, the somatic mutation study revealed that the low-risk group had a lower mutation frequency than the high-risk group. According to an analysis of tumor stem cell infiltration, HLA expression, and TIDE scores, the low-risk group had higher TIDE scores and HLA expression levels than the high-risk group, and the amount of tumor stem cell infiltration correlated with the risk score. In addition, high-risk groups may benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies. In conclusion, we developed an angiogenesis-related gene risk model to predict the prognosis of LUAD patients, which may aid in the classification of patients with LUAD and select medications for LUAD patients.

Abstract Metal sulfides have shown great potential as the anodes of the asymmetric supercapacitors ascribed to their superior theoretical specific capacitance. However, their specific capacitance and rate performances are still far from the expectation due to the intrinsic poor electronic conductivity and sluggish kinetics. Herein, we employ the anion and cation double‐substitution strategy to prepare iron sulfide nanoparticles on graphene composite (denoted as NiFeSP/G) to improve the electronic conductivity of FeS2. The NiFeSP/G composite exhibits greatly improved electrochemical performances with a high specific capacity of 765 C g−1 (765 F g−1) at 5 A g−1 and a remarkable rate capability of 65% at 100 A g−1. Moreover, an aqueous asymmetric supercapacitor is fabricated with the NiFeSP/G as anode and NiCo‐LDH/graphene as cathode presents an impressively high energy density up to 109 Wh kg−1 at 1591 W kg−1 and cycling performance (89% of the initial capacity retained after 8000 cycles).

Self-serving leaders satisfy their self-interests at the cost of both employees and organizations, leading to declining organizational competitive advantage and performance. Drawing upon the affective events theory (AET), we constructed and examined a theoretical model of self-serving leadership influencing counterproductive work behavior (CWB), where traditionality plays a significant moderating role through the lens of anger as a mediator. Data were collected in three waves using a survey questionnaire distributed in three industries located in the Southwest district of China. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on a sample of 316 employees to test the hypothesized research model. The results showed that self-serving leadership triggers employee anger, which in turn causes CWB. Furthermore, traditionality plays a significant moderating role, in which employees with higher levels of traditionality feel less anger and show less CWB. Overall, research findings have clarified how and why self-serving leadership affects employees’ emotions (such as anger) and behavior (such as CWB), bringing new insights into the self-serving leadership and employee behavior literature. Research implications on the management of self-serving leadership, limitations, and future recommendations of research are also discussed.

To simplify the system structure of permanent magnet synchronous linear motor (PMSLM), optimize the kinematic performance of the control system, and further improve the speed tracking accuracy of PMSLM, a model-free speed regulation system design of PMSLM based on the adaptive observer is proposed. Aiming at the control instability problem caused by the parameter uncertainty of PI control in PMSLM, a model-free speed controller (MFC) based on the ultra-local model is proposed, which has strong robustness to the uncertainty of motor parameters. Meanwhile, the actual model of PMSLM is used to build the reference model of the adaptive observer, and the adjustable model is designed with the current equation of PMSLM, to identify the speed of PMSLM. The design not only reduces the dependence of the speed controller on the motor parameters, but also simplifies the complexity and cost of the control system, and improves the control performance and anti-interference ability of the control system. The MFC and the observer based on the model reference adaptive system (MRAS) are built by simulation software and applied to the PMSLM system to verify the superiority of the designed control system. Compared with PI controller, sliding mode controller (SMC), and sliding mode observer (SMO), this control method not only simplifies the control system in structure, but also improves the accuracy of PMSLM tracking speed, improves the dynamic response performance of PMSM control system, and optimizes the control ability of the control system.

Drought is the main meteorological disaster that affects the yield and quality of spring maize on the Loess Plateau. This study used data of the spring maize growth period, relative soil humidity, and yield at 18 agricultural meteorological observation stations on the Loess Plateau from 1997 to 2013 to determine the drought category based on the yield reduction rate. Through the drought index according to the conformity rate of category standard and individual case verification, a refined suitability drought index of spring maize on the Loess Plateau was constructed, and the spatial distribution characteristics of drought in different growth stages of spring maize were analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) The number of days in the whole growth period of spring maize in all regions of the Loess Plateau has been extended. The average sowing date of spring maize in the northwest region of the Loess Plateau was 9 April, and that in the east and central regions was 26 April. In terms of spatial distribution, each growth period was gradually delayed from west to east. (2) The correlation between relative soil humidity and yield of spring maize at the jointing stage and heading stage was the best, followed by the milky stage and mature stage, and the relative soil humidity at the sowing stage and emergence stage had little effect on the yield. (3) According to the national drought category standard “Drought Category of Spring Maize in the North”, based on the data of yield reduction rate, the drought index of spring maize on the Loess Plateau was refined by region and growth stage. The drought category index values of spring maize in different growth stages and regions changed according to the revised drought category standard, with 71.4% of the sites in the sowing seedling stage and 85.7% of the sites in the seedling jointing stage, and the revised drought category was more severe than the national drought category standard, while at 57.1% of the sites in the jointing and tasseling stages and 71.4% in the tasseling and milking stages, the revised drought category was less severe than the national drought category standard. (4) Based on the revised refined drought index for spring maize on the Loess Plateau, the spatial distribution of drought occurrence frequency across different growth stages of spring maize on the Loess Plateau was analyzed. The frequency of drought occurrence during the seeding and emergence stages was 25–75%. With the change in growth stages, the high-value area of drought occurrence frequency gradually moved northward, and the overall frequency of drought occurrence decreased. For the milky mature stage, the frequency of drought occurrence in a few regions was around 42%, and the drought frequency in most regions was between 8% and 33%.