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Summary: The fraudulent practice of beef adulteration is a growing concern, as it violates consumer rights. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) combined with machine learning has emerged as a widely used approach to identify low‐quality meat. Unlike traditional biochemical methods that require expensive instruments, complex sample preparation, and chemical reagents, EIS is a cost‐effective alternative. However, EIS data are susceptible to temperature fluctuations, requiring a waiting period under consistent temperature conditions for data stabilisation before measurements. This process becomes impractical when dealing with a large number of samples. To overcome this limitation, standardisation, normalisation, and smoothing methods were introduced in the meat quality detection based on EIS data. A recognition model for detecting carrageenan adulteration in beef was established. Under an inconsistent temperature condition, by applying the spectra pre‐processing methods to the prediction dataset, the model accuracy reached 84%, whereas the accuracy of the unprocessed prediction dataset dropped to 54%. This study demonstrates that acquiring EIS data under consistent temperature conditions is unnecessary if proper spectra pre‐processing methods are applied. By eliminating the waiting time for data stabilisation, this practical approach enhances the efficiency and accuracy of meat quality detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amid the global emphasis on efficient power conversion systems under the "dual carbon" policy framework, the supercritical CO2 (SCO2) Brayton cycle is a noteworthy subject, owing to its pronounced efficiency, compact design, economic viability, and remarkable potential to increase the thermal cycle efficiency of nuclear reactors. However, its application across various nuclear reactor loops presents divergent challenges, complicating system design and analytical processes. This paper offers a thorough insight into the latest research on the SCO2 Brayton cycle, particularly emphasising its integration within directly and indirectly cooled nuclear reactors. The evolution of the Brayton cycle in nuclear reactor systems has been meticulously explored, focusing on its structural dynamics, key components, and inherent pros and cons associated with distinct reactor loops. Based on the theoretical frameworks and empirical findings related to turbomachinery and heat exchangers within the cycle, we chart a course for future enquiries into its critical components, underscoring the indispensable role of experimental investigations. This paper conclusively assesses the feasibility of deploying the SCO2 Brayton cycle in direct and indirect cooling contexts, offering a forward-looking perspective on its developmental trajectory. The SCO2 Brayton cycle may become a focal point for research, potentially creating avenues for nuclear energy endeavours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Divergent selection of populations in contrasting environments leads to functional genomic divergence. However, the genomic architecture underlying heterogeneous genomic differentiation remains poorly understood. Here, we de novo assembled two high‐quality wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum K. Koch) genomes and examined genomic differentiation and gene expression patterns under abiotic stress in two populations. These two populations had a shared ancestry and originated in close geographic proximity but experienced different selective pressures due to their contrasting micro‐environments. We identified structural variants that may have played significant roles in affecting genes potentially associated with well‐differentiated phenotypes such as flowering time and drought response between two wild barley genomes. Among them, a 29‐bp insertion into the promoter region formed a cis‐regulatory element in the HvWRKY45 gene, which may contribute to enhanced tolerance to drought. A single SNP mutation in the promoter region may influence HvCO5 expression and be putatively linked to local flowering time adaptation. We also revealed significant genomic differentiation between the two populations with ongoing gene flow. Our results indicate that SNPs and small SVs link to genetic differentiation at the gene level through local adaptation and are maintained through divergent selection. In contrast, large chromosome inversions may have shaped the heterogeneous pattern of genomic differentiation along the chromosomes by suppressing chromosome recombination and gene flow. Our research offers novel insights into the genomic basis underlying local adaptation and provides valuable resources for the genetic improvement of cultivated barley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hypoxia during pregnancy is one of the most common insults to fetal development. We tested the hypothesis that maternal hypoxia induced apoptosis in the hearts of near-term fetal rats. Pregnant rats were divided into two groups, normoxic control and continuous hypoxic exposure (10.5% [O.sub.2]) from day 15 to 21 of gestation. Hearts were isolated from fetal rats of 21-day gestational age. Maternal hypoxia increased hypoxia-inducible factor-l[alpha] protein in fetal hearts. Chronic hypoxia significantly increased the percentage and size of binucleated myocytes and increased apoptotic cells from 1.4 [+ or -] 0.14% to 2.7 [+ or -] 0.3% in the fetal heart. In addition, the active cleaved form of caspase 3 was significantly increased in the hypoxic heart, which was associated with an increase in caspase 3 activity. There was a significant increase in Fas protein levels in the hypoxic heart. Chronic hypoxia did not change Bax protein levels but significantly decreased Bcl-2 proteins. In addition, chronic hypoxia significantly suppressed expression of heat shock protein 70. However, chronic hypoxia significantly increased expression of the anti-apoptotic protein 14-3-3 [theta], among other 14--3-3 isoforms. Chronic hypoxia differentially regulated [beta]-adrenoreceptor ([beta]-AR) subtypes with an increase in [[beta].sub.1]-AR levels but no changes in [[beta].sub.2]-AR. The results demonstrate that maternal hypoxia increases apoptosis in fetal rat heart, which may be mediated by an increase in Fas and a decrease in Bcl-2 proteins. Chronic hypoxia-mediated increase in [[beta].sub.1]-AR and decrease in heat shock proteins may also play an important role in apoptosis in the fetal heart. fetus

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been widely used for identifying potential risk variants in various diseases. A statistically meaningful GWAS typically requires a large sample size to detect disease-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, a single institution usually only possesses a limited number of samples. Therefore, cross-institutional partnerships are required to increase sample size and statistical power. However, cross-institutional partnerships offer significant challenges, a major one being data privacy. For example, the privacy awareness of people, the impact of data privacy leakages and the privacy-related risks are becoming increasingly important, while there is no de-identification standard available to safeguard genomic data sharing. In this paper, we introduce a novel privacy-preserving federated GWAS framework (iPRIVATES). Equipped with privacy-preserving federated analysis, iPRIVATES enables multiple institutions to jointly perform GWAS analysis without leaking patient-level genotyping data. Only aggregated local statistics are exchanged within the study network. In addition, we evaluate the performance of iPRIVATES through both simulated data and a real-world application for identifying potential risk variants in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The experimental results showed that the strongest signal of AS-associated SNPs reside mostly around the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) regions. The proposed iPRIVATES framework achieved equivalent results as traditional centralized implementation, demonstrating its great potential in driving collaborative genomic research for different diseases while preserving data privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the seriously-polluted water and broken eco-waterscapes in the Qiusuo Brook on campus of China Three Gorges University, this paper proposed the ecological restoration concept and mode of campus river according to field investigation and monitoring results, i.e. "reduce exogenous pollution--restore sediment microorganism--build intensified plant filter strip--build river water ecosystem and optimize landscapes--maintain ecological river course". In addition to introducing the design concept and principle of this mode, this paper specified the concrete projects such as sewage interception and water supplement, restoration of sediment microoiganism, restoration of water plants, ecological restoration of embankment etc., and also gave planar layouts and sketches of some projects, in order to provide references for the researches and practices of campus river ecological restoration in China Three Goiges University and other similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with concussion often present with temporary disturbance of consciousness. The microstructural and functional changes in the brain associated with concussion, as well as the relationship with transient cognitive disorders, are currently unclear. In the present study, a rabbit model of simple concussion was established. Magnetic resonance-diffusion tensor imaging results revealed that the corona radiata and midbrain exhibited significantly decreased fractional anisotropy values in the neural pathways associated with memory and the reticular formation. In addition, the apparent diffusion coefficient values were significantly increased following injury compared with those before injury. Following a 1-hour period of quiet rest, the fractional anisotropy values significantly increased, and apparent diffusion coefficient values significantly decreased, returning to normal pre-injury levels. In contrast, the fractional anisotropy values and apparent diffusion coefficient values in the corpus callosum, thalamus and hippocampus showed no statistical significant alterations following injury. These findings indicate that the neural pathways associated with memory and the reticular formation pathway exhibit reversible microstructural white matter changes when concussion occurs, and these changes are exhibited to a different extent in different regions.

Cocaine induces apoptosis in fetal rat myocardial cells (FRMCs). However, the mechanisms are not clear. The present study examined the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and cytochrome c release in the cocaine-induced apoptosis in primary culture of FRMCs prepared from the fetal heart of gestational age of 21 days. Cocaine induced time-dependent, concurrent increases in cytochrome c release and activities of caspase-9 and caspase-3, which preceded apoptosis. Caspase-8 was not activated. In accordance, cyclosporin A and the inhibitors of caspase-9 and caspase-3 inhibited cocaine-induced caspase activation and apoptosis. Cocaine stimulated a transient increase in the p38 MAPK activity at a time point of 15 min but reduced the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity at 5 and 15 min in FRMCs. The p38alpha MAPK inhibitor SB203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)1H-imidazole] inhibited cocaine-induced activation of caspases and apoptosis. In contrast, the p38beta MAPK and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/ERK inhibitors SB 202190 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole] and PD98059 (2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone), respectively, increased apoptosis in the absence of cocaine and potentiated cocaine-induced apoptosis. Consistent with its inhibition of apoptosis, SB203580 inhibited cocaine-induced cytochrome c release and activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. In addition, cocaine induced a decrease in Bcl-2 protein levels, with no effect on Bax levels. The cocaine-mediated reduction of Bcl-2 levels was not affected with SB203580 and the caspase inhibitors. The results suggest that in FRMCs, p38alpha MAPK plays an important role in the cocaine-induced apoptosis by promoting cytochrome c release, downstream or independent of Bcl-2 protein-mediated regulation. In contrast, p38beta MAPK and ERK protect fetal myocardial cells against apoptosis.