Search

Abstract Face shape priors such as landmarks, heatmaps, and parsing maps are widely used to improve face super resolution (SR). It is observed that face priors provide locations of high‐frequency details in key facial areas such as the eyes and mouth. However, existing methods fail to effectively exploit the high‐frequency information by using the priors as either constraints or inputs. This paper proposes a novel high frequency highway (H2F) framework to better utilize prior information for face SR, which dynamically decomposes the final SR face into a coarse SR face and a high frequency (HF) face. The coarse SR face is reconstructed from a low‐resolution face via a texture branch, using only pixel‐wise reconstruction loss. Meanwhile, the HF face is directly generated from face priors via an HF branch that employs the proposed inception–hourglass model. As a result, H2F allows the face priors to have a direct impact on the SR face by adding the outputs of both branches as the final result and provides an extra face editing function. Extensive experiments show that H2F significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art face SR methods, is general for different texture branch models and face priors, and is robust to dataset mismatch and pose variations.

Utilizing α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group as Michael acceptors to react with thiols represents a successful strategy for developing KRASG12C inhibitors. Despite this, the precise reaction mechanism between KRASG12C and covalent inhibitors remains a subject of debate, primarily due to the absence of an appropriate residue capable of deprotonating the cysteine thiol as a base. To uncover this reaction mechanism, we first discussed the chemical reaction mechanism in solvent conditions via density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Based on this, we then proposed and validated the enzymatic reaction mechanism by employing quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculation. Our QM/MM analysis suggests that, in biological conditions, proton transfer and nucleophilic addition may proceed through a concerted process to form an enolate intermediate, bypassing the need for a base catalyst. This proposed mechanism differs from previous findings. Following the formation of the enolate intermediate, solvent-assisted tautomerization results in the final product. Our calculations indicate that solvent-assisted tautomerization is the rate-limiting step in the catalytic cycle under biological conditions. On the basis of this reaction mechanism, the calculated kinact/ki for two inhibitors is consistent well with the experimental results. Our findings provide new insights into the reaction mechanism between the cysteine of KRASG12C and the covalent inhibitors and may provide valuable information for designing effective covalent inhibitors targeting KRASG12C and other similar targets.

Abstract Background The incongruity between the regional supply and demand of healthcare services is a persistent challenge both globally and in China. Patient mobility plays a pivotal role in addressing this issue. This study aims to delineate the cross-provincial inpatient mobility network (CIMN) in China and identify the underlying factors influencing this CIMN. Methods We established China’s CIMN by applying a spatial transfer matrix, utilizing the flow information from 5,994,624 cross-provincial inpatients in 2019, and identified the primary demand and supply provinces for healthcare services. Subsequently, we employed GeoDetector to analyze the impact of 10 influencing factors—including medical resources, medical quality, and medical expenses—on the spatial patterns of CIMN. Findings Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu provinces are the preferred medical destinations for cross-provincial inpatients, while Anhui, Henan, Hebei, and Jiangsu provinces are the main sources for cross-provincial inpatients. Patient flow between provinces decreases with distance. The spatial distribution of medical resources, medical quality, and medical expenses account for 87%, 73%, and 56% of the formation of CIMN, respectively. Additionally, interactions between these factors enhance explanatory power, suggesting that considering their interactions can more effectively optimize medical resources and services. Conclusions The analysis of CIMN reveals the supply and demand patterns of healthcare services, providing insights into the inequality characteristics of healthcare access. Furthermore, understanding the driving factors and their interactions offers essential evidence for optimizing healthcare services.

Abstract This paper studies the finite time stabilization control (FTSC) problem of nonlinear systems with unknown functions and full‐state constraints (FSCs). A lemma dealing with unknown functions is put forward so that the assumptions and the “explosion of terms” (EOT) of backstepping are avoided. Compared with approximation algorithms, this algorithm can make the system states converge to the origin in a finite time. On the other hand, a new logarithmic constraint function is utilized to solve the drawback of barrier Lyapunov functions (BLFs). Then, combined with finite time control (FTC), an FTSC algorithm with FSCs is proposed. Finally, simulations of Chua's circuit system are given to verify the effectiveness and superiority of this algorithm. Compared with the approximation algorithm, this algorithm can theoretically make the states of Chua's circuit system to the origin in a finite time.

Abstract Background Mammalian or mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is an effective therapeutic target for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, aging, and neurodegeneration. However, an efficient tool for monitoring mTORC1 inhibition in living cells or tissues is lacking. Results We developed a genetically encoded mTORC1 sensor called TORSEL. This sensor changes its fluorescence pattern from diffuse to punctate when 4EBP1 dephosphorylation occurs and interacts with eIF4E. TORSEL can specifically sense the physiological, pharmacological, and genetic inhibition of mTORC1 signaling in living cells and tissues. Importantly, TORSEL is a valuable tool for imaging-based visual screening of mTORC1 inhibitors. Using TORSEL, we identified histone deacetylase inhibitors that selectively block nutrient-sensing signaling to inhibit mTORC1. Conclusions TORSEL is a unique living cell sensor that efficiently detects the inhibition of mTORC1 activity, and histone deacetylase inhibitors such as panobinostat target mTORC1 signaling through amino acid sensing.

Background: Young females are at a higher risk of developing unhealthy eating behaviors. This study investigated the relationship between appetitive traits and eating behaviors among female university students. Methods: The study participants were 520 female university students from a public university in Eastern China. Appetitive traits were assessed using the Chinese version of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire (C-AEBQ). Data on eating behaviors, including food intake frequency, meal regularity, and dieting behavior, were collected using self-administered questionnaires. The body mass index (BMI) was calculated using self-reported data. Pearson's and Spearman's correlations were used to correlate appetitive traits with BMI and eating behaviors. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify different appetitive patterns, and logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between different appetitive patterns and eating behaviors. Results: Two food-approach traits (food enjoyment and emotional over-eating) were positively correlated with BMI, while two food-avoidance traits (slowness in eating and satiety responsiveness) showed negative correlations. Food responsiveness was linked to a higher intake of delivered food, spicy food, and sugar-sweetened beverages, whereas satiety responsiveness was correlated with more frequent meal skipping. The LPA identified four appetitive patterns: food approachers, food approachers with emotional under-eating, food avoiders, and food avoiders with emotional over-eating. Food avoiders had significantly lower BMI than the other groups. Compared to food approachers, food avoiders skipped breakfast more frequently, and food avoiders with emotional over-eating skipped both breakfast and lunch more often. After adjusting for BMI, appetitive patterns showed no significant relationship with dieting behavior. Conclusion: Among female university students, appetitive patterns correlated with eating behaviors, and students with food-avoidance patterns had a higher risk of meal irregularity. These findings emphasize the importance of implementing trait- and pattern-specific approaches to promote healthy eating behaviors among female university students.

Abstract Background The development of neuropathic pain (NP) is one of the reasons why the pain is difficult to treat, and microglial activation plays an important role in NP. Recently, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has emerged as a novel therapeutic method for knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, it’s unclarified whether PRP has analgesic effects on NP induced by KOA and the underlying mechanisms unknown. Purpose To observe the analgesic effects of PRP on NP induced by KOA and explore the potential mechanisms of PRP in alleviating NP. Methods KOA was induced in male rats with intra-articular injections of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) on day 0. The rats received PRP or NS (normal saline) treatment at days 15, 17, and 19 after modeling. The Von Frey and Hargreaves tests were applied to assess the pain-related behaviors at different time points. After euthanizing the rats with deep anesthesia at days 28 and 42, the corresponding tissues were taken for subsequent experiments. The expression of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and ionized-calcium-binding adapter molecule-1(Iba-1) in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) was detected by immunohistochemical staining. In addition, the knee histological assessment was performed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results The results indicated that injection of MIA induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, which could be reversed by PRP treatment. PRP downregulated the expression of ATF3 within the DRG and Iba-1 within the SDH. Furthermore, an inhibitory effect on cartilage degeneration was observed in the MIA + PRP group only on day 28. Conclusion These results indicate that PRP intra-articular injection therapy may be a potential therapeutic agent for relieving NP induced by KOA. This effect could be attributed to downregulation of microglial activation and reduction in nerve injury.

In this work, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of Al/AlN interpenetrating phase composites (IPCs) has been measured based on the length change from room temperature (RT) to 200 °C. 3D representative volume elements (RVEs) are created to model the microstructures of Al/AlN IPCs and the finite element models generated from RVEs are used to study thermal expansion behavior. CTE was predicted utilizing the finite element method (FEM) and thermo-elastic models of Kerner, Turner and Schapery, after which the results were compared with the experimental values. According to experimental results, a notable reduction in the CTE of IPCs is observed as preform porosity decreases. This shows that an AlN preform can effectively enhance dimensional stability. A comparative analysis of extant literature indicates that IPCs may attain a lower CTE compared to particle-reinforced composites. Experimental data align closely with analytical models. The FE simulation results demonstrate better consistency with experimental data only under conditions of high preform porosity, since residual thermal stresses and plastic deformation were not considered.

Abstract Icing of seawater droplets is capable of causing catastrophic damage to vessels, buildings, and human life, yet it also holds great potential for enhancing applications such as droplet-based freeze desalination and anti-icing of sea sprays. While large-scale sea ice growth has been investigated for decades, the icing features of small salty droplets remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that salty droplet icing is governed by salt rejection-accompanied ice crystal growth, resulting in freezing dynamics different from pure water. Aided by the observation of brine films emerging on top of frozen salty droplets, we propose a universal definition of freezing duration to quantify the icing rate of droplets having varying salt concentrations. Furthermore, we show that the morphology of frozen salty droplets is governed by ice crystals that sprout from the bottom of the brine film. These crystals grow until they pierce the free interface, which we term ice sprouting. We reveal that ice sprouting is controlled by condensation at the brine film free interface, a mechanism validated through molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings shed light on the distinct physics that govern salty droplet icing, knowledge that is essential for the development of related technologies.

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a significant global concern, ranking as the fifth most prevalent cancer. Unfortunately, the five-year survival rate is less than 30 %. Additionally, approximately 50 % of patients experience a recurrence or metastasis. As a result, finding new drugs to prevent relapse is of utmost importance. Methods: The inhibitory effect of Dronedarone hydrochloride (DH) on gastric cancer cells was examined using proliferation assays and anchorage-dependent assays. The binding of DH with SRC was detected by molecular docking, pull-down assays, and cellular thermal shift assays (CETSA). DH's inhibition of Src kinase activity was confirmed through in vitro kinase assays. The SRC knockout cells, established using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, were used to verify Src's role in GC cell proliferation. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models were employed to elucidate that DH suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Results: Our research discovered DH inhibited GC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. DH bound to the SRC protein to inhibit the SRC/AKT1 signaling pathway in gastric cancer. Additionally, we observed a decrease in the sensitivity of gastric cancer cells to DH upon down-regulation of SRC. Notably, we demonstrated DH's anti-tumor effects were similar to those of Dasatinib, a well-known SRC inhibitor, in GC patient-derived xenograft models. Conclusion: Our research has revealed that Dronedarone hydrochloride, an FDA-approved drug, is an SRC inhibitor that can suppress the growth of GC cells by blocking the SRC/AKT1 signaling pathway. It provides a scientific basis for use in the clinical treatment of GC.

BackgroundPatients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are known to have higher incidence of atherosclerosis (AS). Mitochondrial injuries in SSc can cause endothelial dysfunction, leading to AS; thus, mitochondria appear to be hubs linking SSc to AS. This study aimed to identify the mitochondria-related biomarkers of SSc and AS.MethodsWe identified common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the SSc (GSE58095) and AS (GSE100927) datasets of the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Considering the intersection between genes with identical expression trends and mitochondrial genes, we used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) as well as random forest (RF) algorithms to identify four mitochondria-related hub genes. Diagnostic nomograms were then constructed to predict the likelihood of SSc and AS. Next, we used the CIBERSORT algorithm to evaluate immune infiltration in both disorders, predicted the transcription factors for the hub genes, and validated these genes for the two datasets.ResultsA total of 112 genes and 13 mitochondria-related genes were identified; these genes were then significantly enriched for macrophage differentiation, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, collagen binding, antigen processing and presentation, leukocyte transendothelial migration, and apoptosis. Four mitochondria-related hub DEGs (IFI6, FSCN1, GAL, and SGCA) were also identified. The nomograms showed good diagnostic values for GSE58095 (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.903) and GSE100927 (AUC = 0.904). Further, memory B cells, γδT cells, M0 macrophages, and activated mast cells were significantly higher in AS, while the resting memory CD4+ T cells were lower and M1 macrophages were higher in SSc; all of these were closely linked to multiple immune cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that IFI6 and FSCN1 were involved in immune-related pathways in both AS and SSc; GAL and SGCA are related to mitochondrial metabolism pathways in both SSc and AS. Twenty transcription factors (TFs) were predicted, where two TFs, namely BRCA1 and PPARγ, were highly expressed in both SSc and AS.ConclusionFour mitochondria-related biomarkers were identified in both SSc and AS, which have high diagnostic value and are associated with immune cell infiltration in both disorders. Hence, this study provides new insights into the pathological mechanisms underlying SSc and AS. The specific roles and action mechanisms of these genes require further clinical validation in SSc patients with AS.

Abstract Supercooling of water complicates phase change dynamics, the understanding of which remains limited yet vital to energy-related and aerospace processes. Here, we investigate the freezing and jumping dynamics of supercooled water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces, induced by a remarkable vaporization momentum, in a low-pressure environment. The vaporization momentum arises from the vaporization at droplet’s free surface, progressed and intensified by recalescence, subsequently inducing droplet compression and finally self-jumping. By incorporating liquid-gas-solid phase changes involving vaporization, freezing recalescence, and liquid-solid interactions, we resolve the vaporization momentum and droplet dynamics, revealing a size-scaled jumping velocity and a nucleation-governed jumping direction. A droplet-size-defined regime map is established, distinguishing the vaporization-momentum-dominated self-jumping from evaporative drying and overpressure-initiated levitation, all induced by depressurization and vaporization. Our findings illuminate the role of supercooling and low-pressure mediated phase change in shaping fluid transport dynamics, with implications for passive anti-icing, advanced cooling, and climate physics.

Computer technology has rapidly advanced the use of computer-assisted refereeing in sports. However, motion image segmentation presents several challenges, including image blurring due to high-speed motion and the impact of ambient light on image accuracy. These challenges can affect the referee’s judgment of the game. To address this issue, the research utilizes sinusoidal mapping and the simplex method to enhance the cuckoo algorithm. Additionally, the optimization accuracy is improved through sinusoidal adaptive discovery probability. To tackle the problem of the fuzzy clustering algorithm’s weak global search ability, the clustering center is optimized by enhancing the cuckoo algorithm. To optimize the objective function, domain space information is introduced into the fuzzy clustering algorithm to address its sensitivity to noise. As the number of iterations approached 500, the experimental findings showed that the convergence accuracy of the particle swarm algorithm, the sparrow algorithm, the modified cuckoo algorithm, and the cuckoo algorithm were, respectively, 0.99, 0.89, 0.85, and 0.73. The enhanced algorithm model, enhanced cuckoo-fuzzy C-mean algorithm model, cuckoo-fuzzy C-mean algorithm model, and fuzzy C-mean algorithm model had delineation effects of 0.80, 0.72, 0.70, and 0.61, in that order. The outcomes show that the suggested algorithm can more accurately segment images from soccer matches. This provides a valuable reference for future computer-assisted match discrimination.

The remediation and exploitation of sandy saline soils, an underutilized resource, can be enhanced by a greater comprehension of the impact of plants and microorganisms on nutrient cycling. However, there is scant research information on the capacity of different trees and shrubs to improve carbon and nitrogen cycling in saline soils at different depth layers. This study investigated the effect of the trees Zelkova serrata (ZS) and Ligustrum lucidum (LL) and shrub Hibiscus syriacus (HS) on the carbon and nitrogen fractions, soil enzyme activities and microbial communities in sandy saline soils. Planting ZS, LL or HS improved soil quality, increased soil carbon and nitrogen content, changed rhizosphere soil metabolites and enhanced soil enzyme activities and microbial abundance and diversity. Compared to values in the bare soil, the highest reduction in soil salinity was noticed under Zelkova serrata (49%) followed by Ligustrum lucidum (48%). The highest increase in total soil organic carbon (SOC) was noted under Ligustrum lucidum and Hibiscus syriacus (62% each), followed by Zelkova serrata (43%), as compared to levels in the bare soil. In the 0–10 cm soil layer, the total N in bare soil was 298 ± 1.48 mg/kg, but after planting LL, ZS or HS, the soil total N increased by 101%, 56% and 40%, respectively. Compared with that of the bare soil, cbbL sequencing showed that the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium increased and that of Bacillus decreased due to planting. Similarly, the nifH sequencing results indicated that the relative abundance of Bradyrhizobium and Motiliproteu increased and that of Desulfuromonas and Geoalkalibacter decreased. These findings suggested that soil microorganisms could play a pivotal role in the carbon and nitrogen cycle of saline soils by influencing the content of soil carbon and nitrogen.

Magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC), a clinker-free cement, was used as the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) surface strengthening material to enhance the mechanical properties and durability of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) under two surface treatment methods. The effect of strengthening slurry properties on RAC reinforcement was investigated by adding different types and amounts of mineral admixtures (MA). An interface model was prepared to detect the microscopic characteristics of interfaces. The results indicated that all MA-MKPC slurries improved the RAC macroscopic performances, attributed to the fact that MA-MKPC slurries effectively improved the RCA surface pore structure and promoted a secure connection with RCA or new mortar. MA-MKPC slurry properties significantly affected the performances of modified RAC, and the MA optimal dosage of 10 % was found. Furthermore, the pre-coating without pre-curing method outperformed the pre-coating plus pre-curing method, forming an enhanced new interfacial transition zone within the RAC.

Abstract Prostate cancer (PCa) stands as a prominent contributor to morbidity and mortality among males on a global scale. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are considered to be closely connected to tumour growth, invasion, and metastasis. We explored the role and characteristics of CAFs in PCa through bioinformatics analysis and built a CAFs-based risk model to predict prognostic treatment and treatment response in PCa patients. First, we downloaded the scRNA-seq data for PCa from the GEO. We extracted bulk RNA-seq data for PCa from the TCGA and GEO and adopted “ComBat” to remove batch effects. Then, we created a Seurat object for the scRNA-seq data using the package “Seurat” in R and identified CAF clusters based on the CAF-related genes (CAFRGs). Based on CAFRGs, a prognostic model was constructed by univariate Cox, LASSO, and multivariate Cox analyses. And the model was validated internally and externally by Kaplan–Meier analysis, respectively. We further performed GO and KEGG analyses of DEGs between risk groups. Besides, we investigated differences in somatic mutations between different risk groups. We explored differences in the immune microenvironment landscape and ICG expression levels in the different groups. Finally, we predicted the response to immunotherapy and the sensitivity of antitumour drugs between the different groups. We screened 4 CAF clusters and identified 463 CAFRGs in PCa scRNA-seq. We constructed a model containing 10 prognostic CAFRGs by univariate Cox, LASSO, and multivariate Cox analysis. Somatic mutation analysis revealed that TTN and TP53 were significantly more mutated in the high-risk group. Finally, we screened 31 chemotherapeutic drugs and targeted therapeutic drugs for PCa. In conclusion, we identified four clusters based on CAFs and constructed a new CAFs-based prognostic signature that could predict PCa patient prognosis and response to immunotherapy and might suggest meaningful clinical options for the treatment of PCa.

Abstract Despite impressive progress in face super‐resolution (SR), it is an open challenge to reconstruct a reliable SR face that preserves authentic facial characteristics. Here, the problem of super‐resolving low‐resolution (LR) faces to high‐resolution (HR) ones is addressed. To tackle the ill‐posed nature of face SR, the cascaded super‐resolution network (CSRNet) is proposed to utilize shape and identity priors jointly and progressively, the first to explore multiple priors. Specifically, CSRNet adopts a cascaded structure to transform an LR face to HR face progressively via multiple stages. At each stage, CSRNet forces its output face image to match both the shape priors and identity priors extracted from the ground‐truth HR face. The shape priors estimated in one stage are merged into the inputs of its subsequent stage to provide rich information for the face SR. To generate realistic yet discriminative faces, the cascaded super‐resolution generative adversarial network (CSRGAN) is also proposed to incorporate the adversarial loss and identification loss into CSRNet. Extensive experiments on popular benchmarks show that the CSRNet and CSRGAN outperform existing face SR state‐of‐the‐art methods, both quantitatively and qualitatively, and detailed ablation studies show the advantage of this method.

Introduction: The excessive dosage of pesticides required for agronomic reality results in growing contamination of pesticide residues in environment, thus bringing high risks to crop production and human health. Objectives: This study aims to unveil a novel mechanism for catabolism of two pesticides MTR and FSA facilitated by an uncharacterized Phase II reaction enzyme termed acetyltransferase-1 (ACE1) in rice and to make assessment of its potential for bioremediation to minimize the risks to crop production and food safety. Methods: We developed genetically improved cultivars overexpressing OsACE1 (OE) and knockout mutant lines by CRISPR-Cas9 technology to identify the MTR and FSA detoxic and metabolic functions and characterized their metabolites and conjugates by HPLC-LTQ-MS/MS. Results: OsACE1 overexpression conferred rice resistance to toxicity of MTR/FSA compared to wild-type, manifested by improved plant elongation and biomass, attenuated cellular injury, and increased chlorophyll accumulation. The OE plants accumulated significantly less parent MTR/FSA and more degradative metabolites, and removed MTR/FSA from their growth medium by 1.38 and 1.61 folds over the wild-type. In contrast, knocking out OsACE1 led to compromised growth fitness and intensified toxic symptoms under MTR/FSA stress and accumulation of more toxic MTR and FSA in rice. The reduced metabolites of MTR and FSA detected in the Cas9 plants suggest the impaired capability of OsACE1 function. Conclusions: These results signified that OsACE1 expression is required for detoxifying the two poisoning chemicals in rice and plays a critical role in accelerating breakdown of the pesticides mainly through Phase II reaction mechanism pathways.

Oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) emissions play a critical role in tropospheric ozone (O3) formation. This paper aims to establish an emission inventory and source profile database for OVOCs in Beijing, utilizing revised and reconstructed data from field measurements and existing literature. The study also assesses their potential impact on the O3 base on the ozone formation potential (OFP). Results indicate that OVOC emissions in Beijing predominantly originate from natural and residential sources, encompassing commercial solvent usage, cooking, residential combustion, construction adhesives, and construction coatings. OVOCs contributed 5.6% to OFP, which is significantly less than their emission contribution of 20.1%. Major OFP contributors include plant sources (26.2%), commercial solvent use (21.0%), cooking (20.5%), and construction adhesives (8.4%). The primary OVOC species contributing to OFP for OVOCs are acetaldehyde, methanol, hexanal, ethanol, and acetone, collectively contributing 59.0% of the total OFP. Natural sources exhibit significant seasonal variability, particularly in summer when plant emissions peak, constituting 78.9% of annual emissions and significantly impacting summer ozone pollution (OFP of 13,954 t). Conversely, emissions from other OVOC sources remain relatively stable year-round. Thus, strategies to mitigate summer ozone pollution in Beijing should prioritize plant sources while comprehensively addressing residential sources in other seasons. District-specific annual OVOC emissions are from Fangshan (3967 t), Changping (3958 t), Daxing (3853 t), and Chaoyang (3616 t), which reflect year-round forested areas in these regions and high populations.

Abstract Background Hyperhomocysteinemia is one of cardiovascular disease risk factors and fasting homocysteine levels are significantly elevated in male compared to female acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with normal renal function. However, it is not known the sex related determinants of plasma homocysteine levels in ACS subjects without renal dysfunction. Methods A total of 165 ACS participants with normal plasma creatinine who underwent coronary angiography were included in the present study. Clinical parameters, homocysteine, fasting glucose and lipid profile, hemoglobin, white blood cell, platelets, creatinine, cystatin C, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid (UA), and albumin were measured. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to recognize the predictive factors for homocysteine. Results The levels of plasma homocysteine were significantly higher in men than in women (P

Abstract Seventy percent of global electricity is generated by steam-cycle power plants. A hydrophobic condenser surface within these plants could boost overall cycle efficiency by 2%. In 2022, this enhancement equates to an additional electrical power generation of 1000 TWh annually, or 83% of the global solar electricity production. Furthermore, this efficiency increase reduces CO2 emissions by 460 million tons /year with a decreased use of 2 trillion gallons of cooling water per year. However, the main challenge with hydrophobic surfaces is their poor durability. Here, we show that solid microscale-thick fluorinated diamond-like carbon (F-DLC) possesses mechanical and thermal properties that ensure durability in moist, abrasive, and thermally harsh conditions. The F-DLC coating achieves this without relying on atmospheric interactions, infused lubricants, self-healing strategies, or sacrificial surface designs. Through tailored substrate adhesion and multilayer deposition, we develop a pinhole-free F-DLC coating with low surface energy and comparable Young’s modulus to metals. In a three-year steam condensation experiment, the F-DLC coating maintains hydrophobicity, resulting in sustained and improved dropwise condensation on multiple metallic substrates. Our findings provide a promising solution to hydrophobic material fragility and can enhance the sustainability of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

Hydrogen bonding (HB) is vital for the phase transition and physical properties of stimuli responsive copolymers. However, the governing mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the HB dynamics in a representative thermo-responsive copolymer (PNIPAM-AM) aqueous solution. Three types of HB were identified: polymer-polymer chain (CO:H–N), polymer chain-water molecule (CO:H–O) and water-water molecules (H–O:H–O) by vibrational spectroscopy. Increasing polymer concentration, the H–O:H–O softened and CO:H–O stiffened, leading to the destruction of HB network in water-water clusters. Upon increasing solution temperature, CO:H–O softened while CO:H–N stiffened, resolving the dehydration and cross-linking of polymer chains. Confinement of water molecules in the “cages” (∼ tens to hundreds of micrometers) after sol-gel phase transition was visualized, disclosing the mechanism of water holding capacity of PNIPAM-AM. The correlation of molecule vibration and copolymer microscopic structure was established, contributing to the fundamental understanding of phase behavior and physical properties regulations in stimuli responsive copolymer aqueous solution.

In the present study, we conducted a 10-week culture experiment to investigate the effects of taurine on the growth performance, antioxidant properties, and muscle quality of the common carp fed an oxidized lipid diet. There were five experimental groups with three replicates each. Based on the fresh fish oil group (FO), equal amounts of oxidized fish oil (with a thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances value of 49.57 ± 2.34 mg/kg) and 0 g/kg (OFO), 4 g/kg (OT4), 8 g/kg (OT8), and 12 g/kg (OT12) taurine were added to the diet, while the same composition ratio was maintained by changing the microcrystalline cellulose content. Compared to the FO group, the feed conversion ratio, weight gain rate, muscle crude lipid, and n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio were significantly lower in the group OFO (P

Among the polyphenolic compounds commonly found in green tea, (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is known to have various functions, including the promotion of antioxidant and myofiber growth in mammals. However, the effect of EGCG on common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) remains poorly understood. To evaluate the role of EGCG on juvenile common carp, 255 fish (initial weight 17.33 ± 0.34 g) were fed with five experimental diets containing 0, 0.05, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg EGCG. The results showed that diet supplementation with 0.05–0.5 g/kg EGCG supplementation significantly enhanced the specific growth rate (SGR) and reduced the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Weight gain rate (WGR) was significantly enhanced in the 0.25 and 0.5 g/kg EGCG groups. As for antioxidants, 0.25–1 g/kg EGCG significantly reduced protein carbonyl (PC) content and upregulated superoxide dismutase (sod) gene expression in the muscle. As for muscle nutritional composition, 0.05–0.5 g/kg EGCG increased total amino acid (TAA) and flavor amino acid (FAA) contents, likely via the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Muscle n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) content was increased with 0.5 g/kg EGCG, presumably owing to the upregulation of fatty acyl elongase 5 (elovl5), long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthetase 6 (acsl6), and peroxisome proliferator-actiated receptor α (pparα). Dietary EGCG (0.05–1 g/kg) significantly increased muscle hardness and chewiness, accompanied by an increase in myofiber density. EGCG supplementation (0.25–1 g/kg) increased the pH value and reduced lactate contents in the muscle. However, muscle crude lipid and hydroxyproline contents significantly decreased with 1 g/kg EGCG. Overall, quadratic regression analysis of WGR, SGR, TAA, and FAA showed that optimal EGCG (0.46–0.52 g/kg) dietary supplementation improved the growth and nutritional composition of juvenile common carp.

Microbubble’s mass transfer under external acoustic excitation holds immense potential across various technological fields. However, the current state of acoustic technology faces limitations due to inadequate control over bubble size in liquids under external excitation. Here, we conducted numerical investigations of the mass transfer behavior of microbubbles in liquids under multifrequency acoustic excitations with different frequencies (in the MHz range), pressure amplitudes (in the range of several atmospheric pressures), and amplitude ratios. We identified various pressure threshold regions for the growth of gas bubbles (radii range from a few microns to tens of microns) and observed common intersections between single and multifrequency excitations that enable effective control of the growth intervals and final size of bubbles by adjusting the ratio of pressure amplitude and frequency value. Allocating power to the lower frequency component of multifrequency acoustic excitation is recommended to facilitate mass transfer or diffusion, as small-frequency acoustic excitation has a more significant effect than the higher frequency in the growth region. Our study provides a better understanding of the dynamics of bubbles under complex excitations and has practical implications for developing methods to control and promote bubble-related processes.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy, often associated with a poor prognosis for patients. One of the major challenges in managing PDAC is the difficulty in early diagnosis, owing to the limited and invasive nature of current diagnostic methods. Recent studies have identified the oral microbiome as a potential source of non-invasive biomarkers for diseases, including PDAC. In this study, we focused on leveraging the differential expression of virulence factors (VFs) encoded by the oral microbiome to create a diagnostic tool for PDAC. We observed a higher alpha diversity in VF categories among PDAC patients compared to healthy controls. We then identified a panel of VF categories that were significantly upregulated in PDAC patients, these being associated with bacterial adherence, exoenzyme production, and nutritional/metabolic processes. Moreover, Streptococcus-derived VFs were notably enriched in PDAC patients. We developed a diagnostic model using random forest analysis based on the levels of these VFs. The model's diagnostic accuracy was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88, indicating high accuracy in differentiating PDAC patients from healthy controls. Our findings suggest that VFs encoded by the oral microbiome hold potential as diagnostic tools for PDAC, offering a non-invasive approach that could significantly enhance early detection and prognosis, ultimately leading to improved patient outcomes.

ABSTRACTReplicating SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to degrade HLA class I on target cells to evade the cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) response. HLA-I downregulation can be sensed by NK cells to unleash killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR)-mediated self-inhibition by the cognate HLA-I ligands. Here, we investigated the impact of HLA and KIR genotypes and HLA-KIR combinations on COVID-19 outcome. We found that the peptide affinities of HLA alleles were not correlated with COVID-19 severity. The predicted poor binders for SARS-CoV-2 peptides belong to HLA-B subtypes that encode KIR ligands, including Bw4 and C1 (introduced by B*46:01), which have a small F pocket and cannot accommodate SARS-CoV-2 CTL epitopes. However, HLA-Bw4 weak binders were beneficial for COVID-19 outcome, and individuals lacking the HLA-Bw4 motif were at higher risk for serious illness from COVID-19. The presence of the HLA-Bw4 and KIR3DL1 combination had a 58.8% lower risk of developing severe COVID-19 (OR = 0.412, 95% CI = 0.187-0.904, p = 0.02). This suggests that HLA-Bw4 alleles that impair their ability to load SARS-CoV-2 peptides will become targets for NK-mediated destruction. Thus, we proposed that the synergistic responsiveness of CTLs and NK cells can efficiently control SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, and NK-cell-mediated anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses being mostly involved in severe infection when the level of ORF8 is high enough to degrade HLA-I. The HLA-Bw4/KIR3DL1 genotype may be particularly important for East Asians undergoing COVID-19 who are enriched in HLA-Bw4-inhibitory KIR interactions and carry a high frequency of HLA-Bw4 alleles that bind poorly to coronavirus peptides.

Previously, a class of regular and asymptotically flat gravitating scalar solitons (scalarons) has been constructed in the Einstein–Klein–Gordon (EKG) theory by adopting a phantom field with Higgs-like potential where the kinetic term has the wrong sign and the scalaron possesses the negative Arnowitt–Deser–Misner (ADM) mass as a consequence. In this paper, we demonstrate that the use of the phantom field can be avoided by inverting the Higgs-like potential in the EKG system when the kinetic term has a proper sign, such that the corresponding gravitating scalaron can possess the positive ADM mass. We systematically study the basic properties of the gravitating scalaron, such as the ADM mass, the energy conditions, the geodesics of test particles, etc. Moreover, we find that it can be smoothly connected to the counterpart hairy black hole solutions from our recent work in the small horizon limit.

In ecologically fragile areas of western and northwestern China, where coal mine water is reused as domestic water or discharged into surface water systems after treatment (the discharge concentration of fluoride (F^-) is less than 1.0 mg/L). In order to solve the disadvantages of adsorption technology such as complicated process, difficult operation and management and unstable effluent quality, an experiment was carried out to remove fluoride by complexing-induction fluoride removal agent. The effects of dosage, reaction time, pH value and turbidity on fluoride removal were investigated, and the defluorination mechanism was analyzed. The results showed that the complexing-induction fluoride removal agent could capture ionic fluoride in mine water through the complex adsorption and chemical induction, and finally form blended precipitates to remove fluoride. When the dosage of the fluoride removal agent was 45 mg/L, reaction time was 12 min, pH value was 8~9 and the turbidity of raw water was less than 100 NTU, the concentration of fluoride ions in the simulateds mine water could be reduced from 5 mg/L to less than 1.0 mg/L. Carbonate ions affected fluoride removal significantly, followed by sulfate ions, while chloride ions had no obvious influence. In the continuous experiment of fluoride removal from mine water, the concentration of fluoride in the effluent was 0.75~0.90 mg/L, and the turbidity was 8.2~10.0 NTU.

Abstract An ongoing randomized, double-blind, controlled phase 2 trial was conducted to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a mosaic-type recombinant vaccine candidate, named NVSI-06-09, as a booster dose in subjects aged 18 years and older from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who had administered two or three doses of inactivated vaccine BBIBP-CorV at least 6 months prior to enrollment. The participants were randomly assigned with 1:1 to receive a booster dose of NVSI-06-09 or BBIBP-CorV. The primary outcomes were immunogenicity and safety against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant, and the exploratory outcome was cross-immunogenicity against other circulating strains. Between May 25 and 30, 2022, 516 adults received booster vaccination with 260 in NVSI-06-09 group and 256 in BBIBP-CorV group. Interim results showed a similar safety profile between two booster groups, with low incidence of adverse reactions of grade 1 or 2. For immunogenicity, by day 14 post-booster, the fold rises in neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) from baseline elicited by NVSI-06-09 were remarkably higher than those by BBIBP-CorV against the prototype strain (19.67 vs 4.47-fold), Omicron BA.1.1 (42.35 vs 3.78-fold), BA.2 (25.09 vs 2.91-fold), BA.4 (22.42 vs 2.69-fold), and BA.5 variants (27.06 vs 4.73-fold). Similarly, the neutralizing GMTs boosted by NVSI-06-09 against Beta and Delta variants were also 6.60-fold and 7.17-fold higher than those by BBIBP-CorV. Our findings indicated that a booster dose of NVSI-06-09 was well-tolerated and elicited broad-spectrum neutralizing responses against divergent SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron and its sub-lineages.

[Introduction] The foundation of a large H-class gas turbine usually has multiple disturbing forces, and the vibration displacement of the mass points is obtained by the square root of the sum of the squares (SRSS) method, but the vibration displacement obtained by the SRSS method is not the maximum possible displacement. The research aims to analyze all possible vibration displacements and study the reliability probability of the SRSS method. [Method] A three-dimensional finite element model was established for the foundation of a H-class gas turbine in high position, the unidirectional disturbing forces separately applied on mass points were analyzed, and the vibration displacement of the mass points was calculated by the SRSS method. It was proposed to apply the bidirectional disturbing forces on the mass points separately. Considering the uncertainty of angle between the disturbing forces at the mass points, the linear superposition method was used to calculate all possible vibration displacements and analyze their statistical probability distribution. [Result] The combined value of the lateral vibration displacement of mass point 10 of the H-class gas turbine at 40.75 Hz by the SRSS method is 16.40 μm, and the maximum possible lateral vibration displacement value is 24.18 μm. The reliability probability of the SRSS method is about 50%. [Conclusion] The multi-point vibration displacement value obtained based on the SRSS method is not the maximum value, and the method has a certain reliability probability. For particularly sensitive or important dynamic foundation analysis, the reliability probability of the method should be controlled, and it can be improved by increasing the margin.

Abstract Background and aim Chuanxiong Renshen decoction (CRD) is a traditional Chinese medicine compound used to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the effects and active ingredients of CRD and its mechanism have not been clarified. We aimed to determine the neuroprotective effects of CRD in a triple-transgenic mouse model of AD (3 × Tg-AD) and investigate the possible active ingredients and their mechanisms. Methods Morris water maze (MWM) tests were used to determine the protective effect of CRD on learning and memory ability. Afterward, we used brain tissue staining, immunofluorescent staining and western blotting to detect the neuroprotective effects of CRD. Ultraperformance liquid-chromatography-quadrupole–time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q–TOF–MS) was applied to determine the ingredients of CRD, and the potential AD targets were obtained from DisGeNET and the GeneCards database. The protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network was built with the additional use of STRING 11.0. Metascape was used in the pathway enrichment analysis. Discovery Studio 2016 (DS) software was used to analyze the binding ability of CRD and AD-related genes. Finally, we verified the regulatory effect of CRD on the predicted core targets EGFR and CASP3 by western blotting. Results Our study indicated that CRD can significantly improve learning and memory, reduce the expression of Aβ and protect neurons. A total of 95 ingredients were identified in the CRD. Then, 25 ingredients were identified in serum, and 5 ingredients were identified in the brain tissue homogenate. PPI network analysis identified CASP3, EGFR, APP, CNR1, HIF1A, PTGS2 and MTOR as hub targets. KEGG and GO analyses revealed that the TNF signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway were enriched in multiple targets. The results of molecular docking proved that the binding of the ingredients with potential key targets was excellent. The western blotting results showed that CRD could significantly reduce the expression of CASP3 and EGFR in the hippocampus of 3 × Tg-AD mice. Combined with literature analysis, we assumed the neuroprotective effect of CRD on AD may occur through regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion CRD significantly alleviated injury in 3 × Tg-AD mice. The possible active ingredients are ferulic acid, rutin, ginsenoside Rg1 and panaxydol. The therapeutic effect of CRD on AD is achieved through the downregulation of CASP3 and EGFR. The neuroprotective effect of CRD on AD may occur through regulation of the MAPK signaling pathway.

The friction and wear characteristics of MoS2-based solid-lubricated bearings have an important influence on the performance and wear life of bearings in vacuum atmosphere. Relying on the vacuum ball-friction and wear testing machines and based on the quasi-statics of rolling bearings and the Archard wear theory, the wear life model of solid lubricated bearings is established and verified by experiments. Numerical simulation method is used to study the influence of working condition parameters and bearing structure parameters on the friction and wear characteristics of the solid-lubricated bearings. The model can predict the wear life of the bearings well, and the error between the calculated results and the experimental results is within 11.7%. In the low speed range, the wear life of the solid-lubricated bearings under axial load has no relation with the rotation speed, but the load has a great influence on the wear life, showing a negative correlation trend. The change of radius coefficient of inner and outer ring grooves directly affects the wear life of bearings, and it increases with the increase of radius coefficient of inner ring grooves and decreases with the increase of radius coefficient of outer ring grooves. The increasing number of bearing steel balls and the enlargement of the contact angle can effectively reduce the wear rate of bearings and improve the wear life of bearings.

Chemical libraries with skeleton diversity are important for drug discovery. Here, the authors establish a synthetic methodology-based compound library (SMBL), and apply it to identify a small-molecule inhibitor to interrupt a challenging target: the protein–protein interaction (PPI) of GIT1/β-Pix.

Abstract Recently, multifold fermions characterized by band crossings with multifold degeneracy and Fermi surfaces with higher Chern numbers have been discovered experimentally in AlPt (Schroter et al. in Nat Phys 15:759–765, 2019) and XSi(X = Rh,Co) (Sanchez et al. in Nature 567:500–505, 2019; Rao et al. in Nature 567:496–499, 2019; Takane et al. in Phys Rev Lett 122:076402, 2019). In this work, we largely expand the family of multifold fermion materials by pointing out that several well-studied noncentrosymmetric superconductors are indeed multifold fermion metals. Importantly, their normal state topological properties, which have been ignored in previous studies, play an important role in the superconducting properties. Taking Li 2 Pd 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pd} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ and Li 2 Pt 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pt} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ as examples, we found a large number of unconventional degenerate points, such as double spin-1, spin-3/2, Weyl and double Weyl topological band crossing points near the Fermi energy, which result in finite Chern numbers on Fermi surfaces. Long Fermi arc states in Li 2 Pd 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pd} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ , originating from the nontrivial band topology were found. Importantly, it has been shown experimentally that Li 2 Pd 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pd} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ and Li 2 Pt 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pt} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ are fully gapped and gapless superconductors, respectively. By analyzing the possible pairing symmetries, we suggest that Li 2 Pd 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pd} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ is a conventional s-wave superconductor or DIII class topological superconductor with Majorana surface states. Li 2 Pt 3 B $\mathrm{Li} _{2}\mathrm{Pt} _{3}\mathrm{B}$ , being gapless, is likely to be a nodal topological superconductor with dispersionless surface Majorana modes. We further identified that several noncentrosymmetric superconductors, such as Mo 3 Al 2 C $\mathrm{Mo} _{3}\mathrm{Al} _{2}\mathrm{C}$ , PdBiSe, Y 2 C 3 $\mathrm{Y}_{2}\mathrm{C}_{3}$ and La 2 C 3 $\mathrm{La} _{2}\mathrm{C}_{3}$ , are multifold fermion superconductors. This work calls for a revisit for the study of noncentrosymmtric superconductors which provide platforms for investigating the interplay between superconductivity and topologically nontrivial Fermi surfaces.

Introduction Stroke is a common chronic disease with high rates of morbidity and disability and a great burden on patients. As a result, it affects daily activities of patients and causes negative emotions, which seriously affect their quality of life. As a new type of cognitive–behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) may be useful to improve the mental health of patients who had a stroke. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the intervention effect of ACT in patients who had a stroke, which may provide further clinical evidence.Methods and analysis A systematic search of databases, including CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, CBM, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and APA PsycArticles, will be conducted from their inception to 31 October 2022. All randomised controlled trials, quasi-experiments and case studies relevant to ACT will be included in English and Chinese. Two independent reviewers will conduct the review, with data extraction and quality evaluation. Review Manager V.5.4 will be used to assess the risk of bias and meta-analysis.Ethics and dissemination This systematic review does not require formal ethical approval, because all data will be analysed anonymously. The results will provide an overall review and evidence of the efficacy of ACT in patients who had a stroke. These findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.PROSPERO registration number CRD42022355629.

Introduction Incidences of stroke are on the rise and approximately 80 million stroke survivors worldwide live with disabilities. Supportive care needs of stroke survivors are not adequately defined, and the assessment tools to help care service providers identify these needs are unclear. The overall aim of this scoping review will be to map the supportive care needs of stroke survivors against the Supportive Care Needs Framework.Methods and analysis This scoping review will be conducted following Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) updated methodological guidance for scoping review. This review will mainly use Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework as the basic framework. The review will also follow JBI’s updated methodological guidance for scoping reviews to optimise the review. For the search strategy, the three-step method recommended by the JBI will be used in the study. The review will be reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews. Six English databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and PsycInfo, and four Chinese databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and China Biomedical Literature Database will be systematically searched from inception to the present. Studies published in English and Chinese will be included.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required as this scoping review does not involve human participants. The findings shall be disseminated at scientific conferences and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Summary: Power sector investment is crucial to accelerate a sustainable energy transition, but not all investments are successful. We examine 1,393 Chinese overseas electric power projects across 78 countries over the past two decades. We identify 5% that have been canceled or delayed, with coal and hydro projects having much higher suspension rates than solar and wind projects. We find electric projects with higher environmental risks are more likely to be suspended. Specifically, coal projects located in more densely populated areas where more people are exposed to air pollutants, in countries with more fatalities from extreme weather events, and in places with a record of environmental protests, are more likely to be suspended. Additionally, hydro projects closer to protected areas have a higher suspension rate. Our results suggest that refraining from investing in environmentally risky projects helps mitigate environmental damages and prevents financial losses due to cancellation and postponement.

Pomacea canaliculata is a malignant invasive aquatic snail found worldwide, and niclosamide (NS) is one of the primary agents used for its control. NS applied to water will exist in non-lethal concentrations for some time due to degradation or water exchange, thus resulting in sublethal effects on environmental organisms. To identify sublethal effects of NS on Pomacea canaliculata, we studied the aspects of histopathology, oxygen-nitrogen ratio (RO∶N), enzyme activity determination, and gene expression. After LC30 NS treatment (0.310 g/L), many muscle fibers of the feet degenerated and some acinar vesicles of the hepatopancreas collapsed and dissolved. The oxygen-nitrogen ratio (RO∶N) decreased significantly from 15.0494 to 11.5183, indicating that NS had changed the metabolic mode of Pomacea canaliculata and shifted it primarily to protein catabolism. Transcriptome analysis identified the sublethal effects of LC30 NS on the snails at the transcriptional level. 386, 322, and 583 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the hepatopancreas, gills, and feet, respectively. GO (Gene Ontology) functional analysis and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway annotations showed that DEGs in the hepatopancreas were mainly enriched for sugar metabolism, protein biosynthesis, immune response, and amino acid metabolism functional categories; DEGs in the gills were mainly enriched for ion transport and amino acid metabolism; DEGs in the feet were mainly enriched for transmembrane transport and inositol biosynthesis. In the future, we will perform functional validation of key genes to further explain the molecular mechanism of sublethal effects.

ABSTRACT: Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiome plays an important role in host aging and sexual maturity. However, the gut microbial taxa associated with sexual maturity in quails are unknown. This study used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to identify bacterial taxa associated with sexual maturity in d 20 and d 70 quails. We found that 17 bacterial species and 67 metagenome-assembled genomes (e.g., Bacteroides spp. and Enterococcus spp.) significantly differed between the d 20 and d 70 groups, including 5 bacterial species (e.g., Enterococcus faecalis) enriched in the d 20 group and 12 bacterial species (e.g., Christensenella massiliensis, Clostridium sp. CAG:217, and Bacteroides neonati) which had high abundances in the d 70 group. The bacterial species enriched in d 20 or d 70 were key biomarkers distinguishing sexual maturity and significantly correlated with the shifts in the functional capacities of the gut microbiome. Untargeted serum metabolome analysis revealed that 5 metabolites (e.g., nicotinamide riboside) were enriched in the d 20 group, and 6 metabolites (e.g., D-ribose, stevioside, and barbituric acid) were enriched in the d 70 group. Furthermore, metabolites with high abundances in the d 20 group were significantly enriched for the KEGG pathways of arginine biosynthesis, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, and lysine degradation. However, glutathione metabolism and valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis were enriched in high-abundance metabolites from the d 70 group. These results provide important insights into the effects of gut microbiome and host metabolism on quail sexual maturity.

In this paper, we study a distribution-free multi-period newsvendor problem with advance purchase discount (APD). In addition to the regular-order placed at the beginning of each period, a decision-maker (DM) can also commit to an advance-order from the upstream supplier and receive discounts. The goal of the DM is to maximize total profits, and in this problem, the DM only has access to past demand data. To solve this problem, we apply an online method based on the theory of prediction and learning with expert advice to propose an explicit online ordering solution by using the fixed-stock policy as expert advice. With the properties of the gain function, we derive a theoretical result that guarantees, for any given advance-order quantity, the newsvendor’s cumulative gains achieved by the proposed online ordering solution converge to those from the best expert advice in hindsight for a sufficient large horizon. In addition, we extend the problem to the discrete case and obtain the corresponding explicit strategy and performance guarantee. Finally, numerical studies illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution, and the newsvendor’s total profits are comparable to the best expert advice. Sensitivity analysis also shows the robustness of the proposed solution.

The garbage leachate generated by the waste transfer station has the characteristics of scattered water sources, relatively small water quantity, large fluctuations in water quality and quantity, and high concentrations of organic matter, ammonia nitrogen, suspended solids, and other pollutants. These characteristics make it prone to environmental hazards. This paper analyzes the characteristics and hazards of leachate from waste transfer stations and introduces the current research status of physico-chemical, biological, and combined treatment of leachate from waste transfer stations. Meanwhile, this paper introduces engineering practices for leachate treatment in waste transfer stations, offering a valuable reference for research and engineering practices in this field. Finally, this review discusses pretreatment, economic, low-carbon, and high-efficiency treatment methods and facilities, the recovery of valuable elements, energy recycling technologies, and the demand outlook for high-standard deep treatment processes.

Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) exhibits inferior mechanical and durability properties owing to the deterioration of the recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) surface quality. To improve the surface properties of RCA, the reinforcement efficiency of RAC, and the maneuverability of the surface treatment method, this study used magnesium phosphate cement (MPC), a clinker-free low-carbon cement with excellent bonding properties, to precoat RCA under three-day pre-conditioning. Moreover, variable amounts of fly ash (FA) or granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) were utilized to partly substitute MPC to enhance the compressive strength and chloride ion penetration resistance. Subsequently, FA–MPC and GBFS–MPC hybrid slurries with the best comprehensive performance were selected to coat the RCA for optimal reinforcement. The crushing value and water absorption of RCA, as well as the mechanical strengths and durability of RAC, were investigated, and microstructures around interfaces were studied via BSE-EDS and microhardness analysis to reveal the strengthening mechanism. The results indicated that the comprehensive property of strengthening paste was enhanced significantly through substituting MPC with 10% FA or GBFS. Surface coating resulted in a maximum reduction of 8.15% in the crushing value, while the water absorption barely changed. In addition, modified RAC outperformed untreated RAC regarding compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and chloride ion penetration resistance with maximum optimization efficiencies of 31.58%, 49.75%, and 43.11%, respectively. It was also evidenced that the improved MPC paste properties enhanced the performance of modified RAC. Microanalysis revealed that MPC pastes exhibited an excellent bond with RCA or new mortar, and the newly formed interfacial transition zone between MPC and the fresh mortar exhibited a dense microstructure and outstanding micro-mechanical properties supported with an increase in the average microhardness value of 30.2–33.4%. Therefore, MPC pastes incorporating an appropriate mineral admixture have enormous potential to be utilized as effective RCA surface treatment materials and improve the operability of RCA application in practice.

Background The use of electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints may improve the learning and memory impairment in cerebral ischemic stroke patients with cognitive impairment induced by one pathogenic factor known as abnormal free radical metabolism. Objective To explore the possible mechanism of using electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints to improve the learning and memory impairment in a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced learning and memory impairment by observing the changes of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in brain tissues of the model. Methods This experiment was conducted from August 2019 to August 2020. Eighteen SPF male SD rats were selected and equally randomized into three groups by use of random allocation using SPSS 22.0: sham operation group (receiving a neck incision for separating the neck artery, then being caught at a fixed time point), model group (receiving occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for inducing ischemia-reperfusion injury, then being assessed with a Zea-Longa score of 1-3 points in the fully awake state, and being caught at a fixed time point) and electroacupuncture group (first receiving interventions similar to those given to rats in the model group, then on the first day after being successfully modeled, receiving a 30-minute electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints with dense-sparse waves in the frequency range of 1 Hz/20 Hz, once daily, for two consecutive weeks). When the intervention ended, Morris water maze experiment was used to test the learning and memory ability of all rats. The SOD activity and MDA content in brain tissues of rats were measured by WST-1 assay, and thiobarbituric acid assay, respectively. Results The rats in both model group and electroacupuncture group were modeled successfully. On the 13th day of training trial, compared with rats in the sham operation group, those in the model group showed an increased escape latency and decreased number of crossing the platform (P

SARS-CoV-2 variants with immune escape capability highlight the need for the development of cross-neutralising vaccines and regimens. Here, the authors assess the immunogenicity and safety of NVSI-06-08, that integrates antigens from multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains into a single immunogen, as a heterologous booster in adults previously vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine.

Abstract The increased coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) breakthrough cases pose the need of booster vaccination. We conducted a randomised, double-blinded, controlled, phase 2 trial to assess the immunogenicity and safety of the heterologous prime-boost vaccination with an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine (BBIBP-CorV) followed by a recombinant protein-based vaccine (NVSI-06-07), using homologous boost with BBIBP-CorV as control. Three groups of healthy adults (600 individuals per group) who had completed two-dose BBIBP-CorV vaccinations 1–3 months, 4–6 months and ≥6 months earlier, respectively, were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either NVSI-06-07 or BBIBP-CorV boost. Immunogenicity assays showed that in NVSI-06-07 groups, neutralizing antibody geometric mean titers (GMTs) against the prototype SARS-CoV-2 increased by 21.01–63.85 folds on day 28 after vaccination, whereas only 4.20–16.78 folds of increases were observed in control groups. For Omicron variant, the neutralizing antibody GMT elicited by homologous boost was 37.91 on day 14, however, a significantly higher neutralizing GMT of 292.53 was induced by heterologous booster. Similar results were obtained for other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concerns (VOCs), including Alpha, Beta and Delta. Both heterologous and homologous boosters have a good safety profile. Local and systemic adverse reactions were absent, mild or moderate in most participants, and the overall safety was quite similar between two booster schemes. Our findings indicated that NVSI-06-07 is safe and immunogenic as a heterologous booster in BBIBP-CorV recipients and was immunogenically superior to the homologous booster against not only SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain but also VOCs, including Omicron.

The increased demand for rare earth resources has led to an increase in the development of rare earth mines (REMs). However, the production of high-concentration leaching agents (SO42−) and heavy metals as a result of rare earth mining has increased, necessitating the removal of contaminants. Here, a series of experiments with different remediation measures, including control (CK), sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) alone (M), chemicals (Ca(OH)2, 1.5 g/kg) plus SRB (CM-L), chemicals (Ca(OH)2, 3.0 g/kg) plus SRB (CM-M), and chemicals (Ca(OH)2, 4.5 g/kg) plus SRB (CM-H), were conducted to investigate the removal effect of SO42−, Pb, Zn, and Mn from the REM soil. Then, a high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to explore the response of bacterial community diversity and functions with different remediation measures. The results indicated that CM-M treatment had a more efficient removal effect for SO42−, Pb, Zn, and Mn than the others, up to 94.6, 88.3, 98.7, and 91%, respectively. Soil bacterial abundance and diversity were significantly affected by treatments with the inoculation of SRB in comparison with CK. The relative abundance of Desulfobacterota with the ability to transform SO42− into S2− increased significantly in all treatments, except for CK. There was a strong correlation between environmental factors (pH, Eh, SO42−, Pb, and Zn) and bacterial community structure. Furthermore, functional prediction analysis revealed that the SRB inoculation treatments significantly increased the abundance of sulfate respiration, sulfite respiration, and nitrogen fixation, while decreasing the abundance of manganese oxidation, dark hydrogen oxidation, and denitrification. This provides good evidence for us to understand the difference in removal efficiency, bacterial community structure, and function by different remediation measures that help select a more efficient and sustainable method to remediate contaminants in the REM soil.

BackgroundThis study aims to investigate the prognostic significance of transthyretin in newly diagnosed myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).MethodsThe clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data of 280 newly diagnosed patients with MDS were collected. The relationship between serum transthyretin levels and overall survival (OS) and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox Regression Model.ResultIn the MDS cohort, there were 121 cases in the low transthyretin group and 159 cases in the normal transthyretin group. MDS patients with decreased transthyretin had a higher risk score on the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS-R) (p = 0.004) and on the molecular IPSS (IPSS-M) (p = 0.005), a higher frequency of TP53 mutation (p

Background and aimsHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common cause of cancer-related death in humans. Increasing evidence indicates that an imbalance in N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation is linked to the occurrence and development of cancer. We then developed a prognostic model as an independent risk factor with which predict the prognosis of HCC.MethodsWe obtained the gene expression and clinical data of HCC patients from the TCGA databases. The prognostic value of m6A methylation-related genes in patients who had HCC were subjected to comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. We use RiskScore=∑i=1nCoefi×Xi to construct the risk scoring formula. We collected pathological specimens from 68 patients who had HCC, and conducted immunohistochemical staining experiments on the specimens.ResultsThere was a significant correlation between candidate m6A methylation-related genes (YTHDF2, METTL14 and ZC3H13) overall survival of HCC patients. Among the 68 HCC patient specimens that underwent immunohistochemical staining, all cancer tissues were positive for METTL14, YTHDF2, and ZC3H13 staining in contrast to the adjacent tissues. We conducted a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. The results showed that patients who had low METTL14 expression had a longer survival time than those of patients who had high METTL14 expression. Also, patients with low YTHDF2 expression had a longer survival time than patients with high YTHDF2 expression. Finally, patients with high ZC3H13 expression lived longer than those with low ZC3H13 expression. This result is consistent with the bioinformatics analysis conclusion above.ConclusionsGenerally, the prognostic model that was based on m6A methylation-related genes in this study can effectively predict the prognosis of HCC patients.