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Abstract End-to-end speech to text translation aims to directly translate speech from one language into text in another, posing a challenging cross-modal task particularly in scenarios of limited data. Multi-task learning serves as an effective strategy for knowledge sharing between speech translation and machine translation, which allows models to leverage extensive machine translation data to learn the mapping between source and target languages, thereby improving the performance of speech translation. However, in multi-task learning, finding a set of weights that balances various tasks is challenging and computationally expensive. We proposed an adaptive multi-task learning method to dynamically adjust multi-task weights based on the proportional losses incurred during training, enabling adaptive balance in multi-task learning for speech to text translation. Moreover, inherent representation disparities across different modalities impede speech translation models from harnessing textual data effectively. To bridge the gap across different modalities, we proposed to apply optimal transport in the input of end-to-end model to find the alignment between speech and text sequences and learn the shared representations between them. Experimental results show that our method effectively improved the performance on the Tibetan-Chinese, English-German, and English-French speech translation datasets.

Abstract Among middle‐aged and older people, balanced and nutritious diets are the foundation for maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis. This study is aimed at investigating the link between dietary folic acid intake and the risk of osteoporosis among middle‐aged and older people. A total of 20,686 people from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007–2010 are screened and included, and 5312 people aged ≥45 years with integral data are ultimately enrolled in evaluation. Demographics and dietary intake‐related data are gathered and analyzed, and the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of each tertile category of dietary folic acid intake and each unit increase in folic acid are assessed via multivariate logistic regression models. On this basis, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is used to identify the optimal cutoff value of dietary folic acid intake for indicating the risk of osteoporosis. Of 5312 people with a mean age of 62.4 ± 11.0 years old, a total of 513 people with osteoporosis are screened, and the dietary folic acid intake amount of the osteoporosis group is significantly lower than that of the non‐osteoporosis group (p

Lithium metal anodes (LMAs) have been considered the ultimate anode materials for next-generation batteries. However, the uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth and huge volume expansion that can occur during charge and discharge seriously hinder the practical application of LMAs. Metal–organic framework (MOF) materials, which possess the merits of huge specific surface area, excellent porosity, and flexible composition/structure tunability, have demonstrated great potential for resolving both of these issues. This article first explores the mechanism of lithium dendrite formation as described by four influential models. Subsequently, based on an in-depth understanding of these models, we propose potential strategies for utilizing MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrite growth. We then provide a comprehensive review of research progress with respect to various applications of MOFs and their derivatives to suppress lithium dendrites and inhibit volume expansion. The paper closes with a discussion of perspectives on future modifications of MOFs and their derivatives to achieve stable and dendrite-free lithium metal batteries.

ObjectiveThe co-occurrence of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major public health challenge. Although early detection and intervention can prevent or slow down the progression, the commonly used estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on serum creatinine may be influenced by factors unrelated to kidney function. Therefore, there is a need to identify novel biomarkers that can more accurately assess renal function in T2D patients. In this study, we employed an interpretable machine-learning framework to identify plasma metabolomic features associated with GFR in T2D patients.MethodsWe retrieved 1626 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Liaoning Medical University First Affiliated Hospital (LMUFAH) as a development cohort and 716 T2D patients in Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (SAHDMU) as an external validation cohort. The metabolite features were screened by the orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). We compared machine learning prediction methods, including logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). The Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were used to explain the optimal model.ResultsFor T2D patients, compared with the normal or elevated eGFR group, glutarylcarnitine (C5DC) and decanoylcarnitine (C10) were significantly elevated in GFR mild reduction group, and citrulline and 9 acylcarnitines were also elevated significantly (FDR 1.2 and VIP > 1) in moderate or severe reduction group. The XGBoost model with metabolites had the best performance: in the internal validate dataset (AUROC=0.90, AUPRC=0.65, BS=0.064) and external validate cohort (AUROC=0.970, AUPRC=0.857, BS=0.046). Through the SHAP method, we found that C5DC higher than 0.1μmol/L, Cit higher than 26 μmol/L, triglyceride higher than 2 mmol/L, age greater than 65 years old, and duration of T2D more than 10 years were associated with reduced GFR.ConclusionElevated plasma levels of citrulline and a panel of acylcarnitines were associated with reduced GFR in T2D patients, independent of other conventional risk factors.

Abstract This study assesses the midsummer precipitation prediction over eastern China by the dynamic downscaling method. Based on the Climate Forecast System version 2 of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model, the prediction performance of global and regional models on the July precipitation over eastern China is further analyzed by hindcast experiments from 1982 to 2010 and prediction experiments from 2011 to 2021. The results suggest that the regional model forced by the global model can noticeably improve the prediction skill for precipitation in eastern China, especially in the region from the South of North China to the Yangtze River Basin, referred as the northern China in this paper. In addition, we perform a diagnostic analysis of the reason for the improvement of the model prediction skill. The results indicate that the high resolution of the regional model and the refinement of physical process parameterizations contribute to improving the simulation ability for the East Asian atmospheric circulation pattern, heat flux, especially for the meridional teleconnection pattern in East Asia and the sensible heat flux in the northern China, thus further improving precipitation prediction.

Transshipment is an effective method for reducing mismatches between supply and demand among retailers. Consumers attempting to purchase out-of-stock items may wait for transshipment, purchase at another store, or choose not to buy. In this paper, the consumer behavioral heterogeneity is characterized using the transshipment request rate and consumer switching rate. It affects the replenishment and transshipment decisions, as well as the system profits. The inventory replenishment and transshipment decisions are studied in both centralized and decentralized two-location inventory systems with consumer behavioral heterogeneity. We characterize optimal replenishment decisions in a centralized system, prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in a decentralized system with a specific demand distribution, and determine the coordinating transshipment price for some decentralized systems. In numerical studies, the performance of various systems is analyzed for consumers with identical (symmetric) or differing (asymmetric) behavior between retailers. For scenarios with symmetric consumers, a higher transshipment request rate and consumer switching rate resulted in increased total profit in all systems. For scenarios with asymmetric consumers, the retailer with the higher consumer switching rate should reduce ordering in a centralized system but increase ordering in a decentralized system. Moreover, the retailer with the higher transshipment request rate reduces ordering to increase profit, whereas the other retailer increases order quantity yet earns less profit.

An innovative iron supplement crucial for treating iron-deficiency anemia was developed in this study. Polysaccharide was extracted from Eucommia ulmoides leaves using a microwave-assisted hot water method, and subsequently, the polysaccharide–iron complex was synthesized through co-thermal synthesis with FeCl3. The physicochemical properties, structure, and thermal stability of the complex were analyzed using FE-SEM, SEC-MALLS, FT-IR, XRD, and DSC techniques. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the polysaccharide–iron complex was evaluated through an experiment in vitro. The results revealed that the polysaccharide–iron complex had an iron content of 6.1% and an average particle size of 860.4 nm. The microstructure analysis indicated that the polysaccharide–iron complex possessed a flaky morphology with smooth and compact surfaces. Moreover, the formation of the Fe3+ complex did not alter the structural framework of the polysaccharide; instead, it enhanced the polysaccharide’s thermal stability. Compared to traditional iron supplements, the E. ulmoides-derived polysaccharide–iron complex demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. Therefore, this novel compound exhibits significant potential as a viable iron supplement.

This study aims to investigate the role of corporate social responsibility as a mediator between social factors and sustainable socially responsible purchases in the food industry of Sindh, Pakistan. To determine the findings of this study, a sample size of 250 is drawn from the study’s primary data. The department of purchasing is requested to voluntarily complete the questionnaire utilized in previous studies. The convenience sampling strategy and the snowball sampling strategy are considered for data collection. For data analysis, SmartPLS version 3 is utilized. This study revealed that corporate social responsibility partially mediates the connection between human rights, social welfare, and sustainable socially responsible purchasing. Nevertheless, the full mediation effect between safety and health for socially responsible purchasing has been uncovered. The novel finding of this study is that the mediation effect was not previously conducted a. However, the mediating role of corporate social responsibility and the food industry has been evaluated in the context of Sindh, Pakistan.

The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of serum metabolites on diabetic nephropathy (DN) and predict the prevalence of DN through a machine learning approach. The dataset consists of 548 patients from April 2018 to April 2019 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (SAHDMU). We select the optimal 38 features through a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model and a 10-fold cross-validation. We compare four machine learning algorithms, including extreme gradient boosting (XGB), random forest, decision tree, and logistic regression, by AUC-ROC curves, decision curves, and calibration curves. We quantify feature importance and interaction effects in the optimal predictive model by Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) method. The XGB model has the best performance to screen for DN with the highest AUC value of 0.966. The XGB model also gains more clinical net benefits than others, and the fitting degree is better. In addition, there are significant interactions between serum metabolites and duration of diabetes. We develop a predictive model by XGB algorithm to screen for DN. C2, C5DC, Tyr, Ser, Met, C24, C4DC, and Cys have great contribution in the model and can possibly be biomarkers for DN.

Macrophages induce a number of inflammatory response genes in response to stimulation with microbial ligands. In response to endotoxin Lipid A, a gene-activation cascade of primary followed by secondary-response genes is induced. Epigenetic state is an important regulator of the kinetics, specificity, and mechanism of gene activation of these two classes. In particular, SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complexes are required for the induction of secondary-response genes, but not primary-response genes, which generally exhibit open chromatin. Here, we show that a recently discovered variant of the SWI/SNF complex, the noncanonical BAF complex (ncBAF), regulates secondary-response genes in the interferon (IFN) response pathway. Inhibition of bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9), a subunit of the ncBAF complex, with BRD9 bromodomain inhibitors (BRD9i) or a degrader (dBRD9) led to reduction in a number of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) following stimulation with endotoxin lipid A. BRD9-dependent genes overlapped highly with a subset of genes differentially regulated by BET protein inhibition with JQ1 following endotoxin stimulation. We find that the BET protein BRD4 is cobound with BRD9 in unstimulated macrophages and corecruited upon stimulation to ISG promoters along with STAT1, STAT2, and IRF9, components of the ISGF3 complex activated downstream of IFN-alpha receptor stimulation. In the presence of BRD9i or dBRD9, STAT1-, STAT2-, and IRF9-binding is reduced, in some cases with reduced binding of BRD4. These results demonstrate a specific role for BRD9 and the ncBAF complex in ISG activation and identify an activity for BRD9 inhibitors and degraders in dampening endotoxin- and IFN-dependent gene expression.

In macrophages, homeostatic and immune signals induce distinct sets of transcriptional responses, defining cellular identity and functional states. The activity of lineage-specific and signal-induced transcription factors are regulated by chromatin accessibility and other epigenetic modulators. Glucocorticoids are potent antiinflammatory drugs; however, the mechanisms by which they selectively attenuate inflammatory genes are not yet understood. Acting through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), glucocorticoids directly repress inflammatory responses at transcriptional and epigenetic levels in macrophages. A major unanswered question relates to the sequence of events that result in the formation of repressive regions. In this study, we identify bromodomain containing 9 (BRD9), a component of SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, as a modulator of glucocorticoid responses in macrophages. Inhibition, degradation, or genetic depletion of BRD9 in bone marrow-derived macrophages significantly attenuated their responses to both liposaccharides and interferon inflammatory stimuli. Notably, BRD9-regulated genes extensively overlap with those regulated by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Pharmacologic inhibition of BRD9 potentiated the antiinflammatory responses of dexamethasone, while the genetic deletion of BRD9 in macrophages reduced high-fat diet-induced adipose inflammation. Mechanistically, BRD9 colocalized at a subset of GR genomic binding sites, and depletion of BRD9 enhanced GR occupancy primarily at inflammatory-related genes to potentiate GR-induced repression. Collectively, these findings establish BRD9 as a genomic antagonist of GR at inflammatory-related genes in macrophages, and reveal a potential for BRD9 inhibitors to increase the therapeutic efficacies of glucocorticoids.

Highlights A triple functional additive with a trace amount (1 mM) was proposed to protect Zn anodes. The additive lowers the hydrogen evolution reaction potential, encourages the formation of an in situ solid electrolyte interphase and shields the “tip effect” Dendrite free Zn deposition and highly reversible Zn plating/stripping behaviors were realized by the triple protections

Due to their potential for high energy density, low cost, and environmental sustainability, zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have emerged as a promising energy storage technology. The performance, safety, and overall efficiency of ZIBs are significantly impacted by the properties of the electrolyte, such as ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability window, viscosity, and compatibility with other battery components. The use of ionic liquids (ILs) in ZIBs has gained extensive attention in recent years due to their desirable properties, such as high thermal stability, low volatility, wide electrochemical window, and tunable physicochemical properties. Therefore, this paper provides a bibliometric analysis of recent advances in the use of ILs as electrolytes in ZIBs. Current research trends, authorship patterns, and publications of ILs in ZIBs are analyzed. Our review reveals a growing interest in the use of ILs as electrolytes in ZIBs, and the development of novel ILs with tailored properties to meet the specific requirements of ZIBs is of a specific focus. This paper provides insights into the recent advancements and future research directions in the field of ILs as electrolytes for ZIBs.

Abstract Background The particular occupational stress of psychiatric nurses has a negative impact on their mental health. There is evidence that psychological resilience can promote mental health; however, the relationship between resilience in occupational stress and mental health of psychiatric nurses is unclear, and mental health was assessed from a psychopathological perspective, neglecting the role of positive psychology. Therefore, this study was based on a dual-factor model of mental health, describing mental health in terms of both positive well-being and psychiatric symptoms. We aimed to investigate the level of psychiatric nurses' mental health and whether resilience plays a mediating or moderating role between occupational stress and mental health in psychiatry nurses. Methods A cross sectional survey of 450 psychiatric nurses in five hospitals in Jiangsu Province was conducted using a convenience sampling method, of which 413 were valid questionnaires with an effective rate of 91.8%. The evaluation included the Chinese Nurses’ Stress Scale, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and Spearman correlation analyses were performed using SPSS25.0 while mediating and moderating effects were performed using SmartPLS3.0. Results Based on a dual-factor model of mental health, this study found that psychiatric nurses had a low general state of mental health, with 54.5% positive mental health, 7% vulnerable, 21.8% symptomatic but content, and 16.7% completely troubled. In addition, we found that resilience plays a mediating role in stress and mental health [β = -0.230, 95% CI of (-0.310, -0.150)] and does not play a moderating role [β = -0.018, 95%CI (-0.091, 0.055)]. Conclusions Psychiatric nurses are in a poor state of mental health, and psychological resilience partly mediates occupational stress and mental health. This study suggests that attention should be paid to both positive and negative aspects of psychiatric nurses' mental health, and strategies should be developed to reduce occupational stress and develop psychological resilience.

Eucommia ulmoides seed meal protein prepared by alkali extraction and acid precipitation was utilized as raw material. On the basis of single factor experiment, the total evaluation value of the hydrolysis degree and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) as response value was used to optimize the addition of enzyme, hydrolysis time and substrate concentration. And the Box-Behnken method was used for three factors and three levels response surface test design to determine the best enzymatic preparation process of hydrolyzed peptides from Eucommia ulmoides seed meal. The antioxidant activity of the obtained hydrolyzed peptides was determined in vitro. The results showed that neutral protease was the best protease, and the best enzymatic hydrolysis condition were enzyme was 10000 U/g, hydrolysis time 1.50 h and substrate concentration 20 g/L. Under these conditions, the degree of hydrolysis and T-AOC of hydrolyzed peptides were 47.45%±1.50% and 30.62±0.59 μmol/g, separately; the IC50 for DPPH free radical, superoxide anion radical and ABTS free radical scavenging rates were 0.731, 4.258 and 0.407 mg/mL, respectively. The Eucommia ulmoides seed meal peptides prepared under these conditions had great antioxidant capacity and provided a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of Eucommia ulmoides seed meal and the development of antioxidant peptide functional products.

Zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs), which are inexpensive and environmentally friendly, have a lot of potential for use in grid‐scale energy storage systems, but their use is constrained by the availability of suitable cathode materials. MnO2‐based cathodes are emerging as a promising contenders, due to the great availability and safety, as well as the device's stable output voltage platform (1.5 V). Improving the slow kinetics of MnO2‐based cathodes caused by low electrical conductivity and mass diffusion rate is a challenge for their future use in next‐generation rapid charging devices. Herein, the aforementioned challenges are overcome by proposing a sodium‐intercalated manganese oxide (NMO) with 3D varying thinness carbon nanotubes (VTCNTs) networks as appropriate free‐standing, binder‐free cathodes (NMO/VTCNTs) without any heat treatment. A network construction strategy based on CNTs of different diameters is proposed for the first time to provide high specific capacity while achieving high mass loading. The specific capacity of as‐prepared cathodes is significantly increased. The resulting free‐standing binder‐free cathodes achieve excellent capacity (329 mAh g−1 after 120 cycles at 0.2 A g−1 and 225 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 1 A g−1) and long‐term cycling stability (158 mAh g−1 at 2 A g−1 after 1000 cycles).

Recent studies suggest that the interaction between presbycusis and cognitive impairment may be partially explained by the cognitive-ear link. However, the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we combined magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate auditory gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) levels, intra- and inter-network functional connectivity, and their relationships with auditory and cognitive function in 51 presbycusis patients and 51 well-matched healthy controls. Our results confirmed reorganization of the cognitive-ear link in presbycusis, including decreased auditory GABA and Glu levels and aberrant functional connectivity involving auditory networks (AN) and cognitive-related networks, which were associated with reduced speech perception or cognitive impairment. Moreover, mediation analyses revealed that decreased auditory GABA levels and dysconnectivity between the AN and default mode network (DMN) mediated the association between hearing loss and impaired information processing speed in presbycusis. These findings highlight the importance of AN-DMN dysconnectivity in cognitive-ear link reorganization leading to cognitive impairment, and hearing loss may drive reorganization via decreased auditory GABA levels. Modulation of GABA neurotransmission may lead to new treatment strategies for cognitive impairment in presbycusis patients.

Abstract Background Patients undergoing endocrine therapy for breast cancer often suffer from poor psychosocial adaptation, low compliance with endocrine therapy and poor quality of life. However, the relationship among the three is not completely clear. The aims of this study were to investigate the status of psychosocial adaptation (PSA), medication adherence and quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer women with adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET), and to analyze the influencing factors of QOL and explore the relationship among them. Methods 346 breast cancer women were selected who underwent endocrine therapy after surgery, and data collected by the general information questionnaire, the PSA questionnaire among breast cancer women with AET, Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). The relationship among the variables was investigated by univariate analysis, multiple stepwise regression analysis and mediating effect analysis. Results The scores of PSA, medication adherence and QOL were slightly above the medium level. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in QOL among breast cancer women of AET with different types of exercise, medical payment methods, discomfort symptoms (headache, hypomnesis, arthralgia, perturbation), type of discomfort symptoms, medication adherence and PSA; Multi-factor analysis showed that PSA and medication adherence were the influential factors of QOL; mediating effect showed that medication adherence played a partial mediating role in PSA and QOL. Conclusion The QOL of breast cancer women with AET will be directly affected by PSA. Medication compliance has a weak mediating effect in the indirect impact of PSA on the QOL. In the future, clinical nursing work should take targeted measures to improve the PSA level of patients, and effectively improve the compliance of patients with medication, so as to better improve the QOL of breast cancer women.

To investigate the influence of S. cerevisiae and L. plantarum co-fermentation on the storage characteristics of noodles. Texture analyzer (TA), low field pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the quality changes of noodles during storage at 4 ℃. The main research results were as follows: The breakage rate and pH of fermented noodles were lower than these of blank group, there was no significant difference in water absorption rate among different samples(P>0.05), titratable acid (TTA) value increased with fermentation time prolonging. At the same storage time, the hardness and chewiness of the fermented noodles was lower than that of blank group. The cohesiveness decreased with time and was lower than that of blank group after 10~15 days storage. The elasticity first increased and then decreased during the storage duration. Compared with the blank group, the relaxation time of strongly bound water showed a descending trend. After stored at low temperature, the proportion of strongly bound water decreased. The X-ray diffraction pattern illustrated that the relative crystallinity (RC) of the blank group noodles was 16.77% after low temperature storage for 15 days, and the RC value of noodles fermented for 60 min was 12.10%, which was significantly lower than the blank group (P

Abstract Severe and persistent disruptions to sleep and circadian rhythms are common in people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Preclinical evidence suggests altered molecular rhythms in the brain modulate opioid reward and relapse. However, whether molecular rhythms are disrupted in the brains of people with OUD remained an open question, critical to understanding the role of circadian rhythms in opioid addiction. Using subjects’ times of death as a marker of time of day, we investigated transcriptional rhythms in the brains of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected comparison subjects. We discovered rhythmic transcripts in both the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), key brain areas involved in OUD, that were largely distinct between OUD and unaffected subjects. Fewer rhythmic transcripts were identified in DLPFC of subjects with OUD compared to unaffected subjects, whereas in the NAc, nearly double the number of rhythmic transcripts was identified in subjects with OUD. In NAc of subjects with OUD, rhythmic transcripts peaked either in the evening or near sunrise, and were associated with an opioid, dopamine, and GABAergic neurotransmission. Associations with altered neurotransmission in NAc were further supported by co-expression network analysis which identified OUD-specific modules enriched for transcripts involved in dopamine, GABA, and glutamatergic synaptic functions. Additionally, rhythmic transcripts in DLPFC and NAc of subjects with OUD were enriched for genomic loci associated with sleep-related GWAS traits, including sleep duration and insomnia. Collectively, our findings connect transcriptional rhythm changes in opioidergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic signaling in the human brain to sleep-related traits in opioid addiction.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, especially nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer worldwide; nevertheless, there are no Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs for treating NASH until now. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) is an interesting therapeutic target for treating metabolic disorders in the clinic, including NASH. Herpetrione, a natural lignan compound isolated from Tibetan medicine Herpetospermum caudigerum, exerts various hepatoprotective effects, but its efficacy and molecular mechanism in treating NASH have not yet been elucidated. Here, we discovered that herpetrione lessened lipid accumulation and inflammation in hepatocytes stimulated with oleic acid and lipopolysaccharide, and effectively alleviated NASH caused by a high-fat diet or methionine-choline-deficient diet by regulating glucolipid metabolism, insulin resistance, and inflammation. Mechanistically, RNA-sequencing analyses further showed that herpetrione activated PPAR signaling, which was validated by protein expression. Furthermore, the analysis of molecular interactions illustrated that herpetrione bound directly to the PPARα protein, with binding sites extending to the Arm III domain. PPARα deficiency also abrogated the protective effects of herpetrione against NASH, suggesting that herpetrione protects against hepatic steatosis and inflammation by activation of PPARα signaling, thereby alleviating NASH. Our findings shed light on the efficacy of a natural product for treating NASH, as well as the broader prospects for NASH treatment by targeting PPARα.

The burden of diabetic retinopathy (DR) is increasing, and the sensitive biomarkers of the disease were not enough. Studies have found that the metabolic profile, such as amino acid (AA) and acylcarnitine (AcylCN), in the early stages of DR patients might have changed, indicating the potential of metabolites to become new biomarkers. We are amid to construct a metabolite-based prediction model for DR risk. This study was conducted on type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with or without DR. Logistic regression and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) prediction models were constructed using the traditional clinical features and the screening features, respectively. Assessing the predictive power of the models in terms of both discrimination and calibration, the optimal model was interpreted using the Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to quantify the effect of features on prediction. Finally, the XGBoost model incorporating AA and AcylCN variables had the best comprehensive evaluation (ROCAUC=0.82, PRAUC=0.44, Brier score=0.09). C18 : 1OH lower than 0.04 μmol/L, C18 : 1 lower than 0.70 μmol/L, threonine higher than 27.0 μmol/L, and tyrosine lower than 36.0 μmol/L were associated with an increased risk of developing DR. Phenylalanine higher than 52.0 μmol/L was associated with a decreased risk of developing DR. In conclusion, our study mainly used AAs and AcylCNs to construct an interpretable XGBoost model to predict the risk of developing DR in T2D patients which is beneficial in identifying high-risk groups and preventing or delaying the onset of DR. In addition, our study proposed possible risk cut-off values for DR of C18 : 1OH, C18 : 1, threonine, tyrosine, and phenylalanine.

Twelve-hour (12 h) ultradian rhythms are a well-known phenomenon in coastal marine organisms. While 12 h cycles are observed in human behavior and physiology, no study has measured 12 h rhythms in the human brain. Here, we identify 12 h rhythms in transcripts that either peak at sleep/wake transitions (approximately 9 AM/PM) or static times (approximately 3 PM/AM) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region involved in cognition. Subjects with schizophrenia (SZ) lose 12 h rhythms in genes associated with the unfolded protein response and neuronal structural maintenance. Moreover, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein translation, which normally peak at sleep/wake transitions, peak instead at static times in SZ, suggesting suboptimal timing of these essential processes.

Environmental devaluation is a major concern for European countries as they seek to scrutinize strategies for development anthropology. Germany holds diversified ties with the socioeconomic and environmental development of the region. In accordance with global obligations, Germany's research on environmental issues, protection laws and actions, and universities and scientific research institutions in the field of environmental protection are progressing toward the development of a sustainable future securing the development anthropology. However, Germany's research on environmental issues is unclear to the rest of the world. Chinese scholars also lack effective countermeasures and suggestions for implementing environmental protection cooperation between China and Germany under the Belt and Road Initiative to draw a sustainable global drain. Understanding the current situation and frontier trend of environmental research in German academic circles is essential and irreplaceable for relying on research results data and quantitative analysis theory to carry out the research process. The methodology of this paper established a quantitative analysis based on “institutions,” “scholars,” “research objects,” and “frequency of keywords” among the research results on environmental issues in Germany. It constructs a digital portrait of the field of environmental research in Germany. Knowledge mapping is extensively used in this study as the primary research tool to show the development of environmental research in Germany. The standard deviation of social science research has roughly doubled in that time. CiteSpace, a visual tool for document statistical analysis, is used to analyze the research results on environmental protection published by German scholars from 2008 to 2018. The study results include Web of Science Network, and finally, a visual map is drawn. This study analyzes the status quo, research institutions, keywords, research hotspots, and research trends of international cooperation in environmental research in Germany. The findings are in supportive position of environment study that is the key to human existence and societal development. Leading to this Germans are in concern of human anthropology being reflected in scholarly published work. In response to practical challenges, “global warming” and “sustainable development” became the most frequently used keywords. It provides sustainable thoughts and countermeasures to strengthen Sino-German environmental protection exchange and cooperation further.

The widely-used pyrethroid pesticides have attracted public attention because of their potentials to cause environmental pollution and toxic effects on non-target organisms. Esterase is a kind of hydrolytic enzyme that can catalyze the cleavage or formation of ester bonds. it plays a pivotal role in the decomposition of pyrethroids and esters containing industrial pollutants through the hydrolysis of ester bonds. Here, a new esterase gene est882 was successfully screened, which encodes Est882, a SGNH family esterase composed of 294 amino acids. It was heterogeneously expressed, identified and immobilized. Multiple sequence alignment showed that Est882 had a typical GDS(X) conserved motif and a catalytic triad composed of Ser79, Asp269 and His275. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Est882 shall belong to a new esterase family. Biochemical characterization demonstrated that the optimum condition was 40°C and pH 9.0. Est882 immobilization was studied with mesoporous silica SBA-15 as the carrier and found to significantly improve the tolerance and stability of Est882. Its optimum pH increased to 10.0 and stabilized within pH 8.0–11.0. Free Est882 can effectively degrade various pyrethroids within 30 min, with a degradation rate above 80%. The immobilized Est882 yet degraded more than 70% of pyrethroids within 30 min. The present study indicated that Est882 has outstanding potential in bioremediation of a pyrethroid-polluted environment. These characteristics endow Est882 with potential values in various industrial applications and hydrolysis of pyrethroid residues.

This paper aimed to explore the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules fermentation on the quality of carrot chips, and the change of viable cell count under freeze-drying and simulated gastric juice conditions. In this study, Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules were prepared by extrusion method using sodium alginate and isolated whey protein as wall materials. The carrot chips fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum microcapsules were used as experimental group and the carrot chips fermented without microcapsules were used as control group. The results showed that there were no significant differences in texture, color, total sugar content, carotene content and ascorbic acid content between test group and control group (P>0.05). In freeze-drying and simulated gastric juice environment, the number of viable bacteria in the test group was significantly higher than that in the control group, which remained (8.47±0.02) and (8.31±0.01) lg(CFU/g), respectively. Microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation had no prominent effect on the quality of carrot chips and could improve the resistance of Lactobacillus plantarum to adverse environments (such as freeze-drying and gastric juice).