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Abstract The response of vegetation to climate change on a large scale should be studied at the community level rather than the species level. This necessitates a focused exploration of emerging spatial patterns. Here, we surveyed 264 sites in the Inner Mongolia typical steppe, using the “needling” method to investigate 39,600 clumps formed through the coexistence relationships of dominant species. We found that the effects of slow climate change on grassland communities can be categorized into two general trends: (1) a monotone relationship, characterized by changes in the number of dominant species, compositional diversity, and optimal patch area, and (2) a unimodal relationship, reflected in variations in the number of patches and interspecific associations. The two distinct trends, connected by optimal patch area, concurrently support both the habitat amount hypothesis and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. These findings suggest that climate change indirectly influences the area and amount of vegetation patches by regulating the arrangement of clumps. Moreover, they indicate that it is the distribution, rather than the number, of species that serves as the front line for plant communities adapting to climate change.

Abstract Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) is involved in the pathogenesis of multiple cardiovascular diseases. This study elucidated the biological function of lysine acetyltransferase 5 (KAT5) in cardiomyocyte pyroptosis during MIRI. Oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation and left anterior descending coronary artery ligation were used to establish MIRI models. Here we show, KAT5 and STIP1 homology and U-box-containing protein 1 (STUB1) were downregulated, while large tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2) was upregulated in MIRI models. KAT5/STUB1 overexpression or LATS2 silencing repressed cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. Mechanistically, KAT5 promoted STUB1 transcription via acetylation modulation, and subsequently caused ubiquitination and degradation of LATS2, which activated YAP/β-catenin pathway. Notably, the inhibitory effect of STUB1 overexpression on cardiomyocyte pyroptosis was abolished by LATS2 overexpression or KAT5 depletion. Our findings suggest that KAT5 overexpression inhibits NLRP3-mediated cardiomyocyte pyroptosis to relieve MIRI through modulation of STUB1/LATS2/YAP/β-catenin axis, providing a potential therapeutic target for MIRI.

Recognizing the sensitivity of vegetation to precipitation is fundamental to monitoring and assessing ecosystem health and predicting ecosystem response to climate change. However, there is a lack of detailed, large-scale assessment of the sensitivity of temperate vegetation to climate variability. We analyzed the spatiotemporal trends of NDVI in Inner Mongolia (IM) for the period from 2000 to 2020, evaluated the sensitivity of NDVI to precipitation by constructing a linear mixed-effects model, and assessed the relative importance of an array of biotic and abiotic factors in affecting the vegetation sensitivity to precipitation using random forest models. We found that (1) the NDVI in IM had a significant or slight increase in 80.86% of the region during the studied two decades, though it showed a large inter-annual fluctuation, and the areas with stable or decreasing NDVI were mainly in the desert areas. Precipitation and wind speed were the two major drivers for the NDVI changes. (2) The typical steppes demonstrated the highest sensitivity to precipitation, followed by desert steppes and forest steppes, broad-leaved forests, and deserts and coniferous forests. (3) The major factor affecting the vegetation sensitivity to precipitation varied with vegetation types; it is temperature in the coniferous forests, forest steppes and steppe deserts, but it is the sunshine hours in the deciduous broad-leaved forests, the typical steppes, and the desert steppes. The high sensitivity of the typical steppe vegetation to precipitation is related with its location on climate gradient, it has a high production potential but limited by precipitation under a semiarid climate. Our analysis deepens the understanding of the NDVI sensitivity to precipitation and its influencing factors in different vegetation regions, and is valuable for predicting vegetation changes and developing vegetation management strategies to adapt to climate changes.

[Introduction] Lithium-ion battery has become the most widely used new energy storage technology. However, it is found that the practical service conditions have great impacts on the actual service behaviors of lithium-ion battery energy storage. This paper aims to study the influence of service conditions on the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion battery, so as to provide references for the construction of future lithium-ion battery energy storage projects. [Method] The effects of operating charge interval, discharge rate and operating temperature on the actual performance of Li-ion battery were tested and analyzed. [Result] The working SOC range, charge/discharge rage and operating temperature all have great influence on the actual performance of lithium-ion battery. On the one hand, proper adjustment of charge and discharge range can significantly improve the service life. On the other hand, the current commonly used 2 C configuration mode may significantly reduce the service life, while reducing the rete configuration to 1 C is expected to achieve lower levelized cost of energy although it will increase the initial investment. In addition, temperature control is extremely important to the usage of lithium-ion batteries, even single-digit temperature differences can cause significant battery inconformity over long cycle life. [Conclusion] Lithium-ion battery energy storage with advantages of fast response speed, high adjustment accuracy and flexible configuration will further play an important role in the work of "carbon peak and neutrality" and the gradual construction of the power market. Paying attention to the influence of practical conditions on the performance of lithium-ion battery will further improve the use efficiency of lithium-ion battery energy storage. In summary, the design of the battery working condition according to the demand of the practical application can provide lithium-ion battery energy storage system more excellent performance, and play an important role to realize the "carbon peak and neutrality" goal of our country.

IntroductionIn the realm of cross-cultural film dissemination, cultural distance emerges as a pivotal factor influencing the reception of domestic audiences to foreign cinematic productions. Despite Korea's thriving film industry and China's vast film market, the cultural distance experienced by Korean films in China remains largely unexplored. This study focuses on the Korean film Silenced, renowned as a classic that champions justice in Korea.MethodBy employing qualitative survey and thematic analysis, this study investigates the cultural distance perceived by forty-four Chinese audiences when watching Silenced.ResultsThe findings revealed that various content elements, such as the film's setting, translation of verbal expression, non-verbal expression of film characters, and visuals/non-diegetic music did not exhibit cultural distance among Chinese audiences. Nevertheless, the plots of morally compromised characters with positive identities, theme exploration of societal darkness and human darkness, and tragic ending introduced a palpable sense of cultural distance perceived by Chinese audiences.DiscussionThis study scrutinizes the outcomes through the lenses of Korean film and Chinese audiences. While certain aspects of Korean cinema and Chinese audience preferences exhibit cultural proximity, mitigating barriers to appreciation in select content domains, Silenced adeptly employs the plots, themes, and ending to delve into the darkness of human nature and societal dynamics. However, under the influence of China's official propaganda and film censorship, Chinese participants evinced a constrained appreciation for cinematic portrayals of human and societal darkness. Concurrently, Chinese participants manifested expectations for films to provide a source of relaxation, a notion incongruent with the oppressive ambiance evoked by Silenced.

[Introduction] Difficulties in storage and transportation impose restrictions on the large-scale development and utilization of hydrogen energy, so it is necessary to find a solution for large-scale hydrogen storage and long-distance transportation at a low cost. [Method] Ammonia and methanol were widely used in the industry, and both of them could be produced from hydrogen and could be decomposed into hydrogen by cracking reactions. Thus, they could be used as the storage and transportation media for hydrogen energy in the form of chemicals. [Result] The production and utilization technologies of ammonia and methanol are relatively mature, and both green ammonia and green methanol can be produced from green hydrogen. However, as there are few related engineering projects settled in China, it is necessary to promote the further development of technology and the demonstration of engineering projects. [Conclusion] With the progress of "carbon peak and neutrality" developing in depth, hydrogen, as a technology with dual properties of industrial raw material and fuel, will play an important part in promoting energy-saving and carbon reduction. Ammonia and methanol, as mature technologies with complete industry chains and clear advantages for storage and transportation, are expected to become important pathways for hydrogen storage and transportation. Therefore, the development of ammonia and methanol technologies based on green hydrogen is expected to promote the development of the hydrogen energy industry and help China achieve the "carbon peak and neutrality" goals.

[Introduction] As a zero-carbon fuel, ammonia is easy to achieve safe and low-cost transportation and thus is considered to be an ideal energy source with the same development potential as hydrogen energy. Understanding the development status of core technologies in each link of the ammonia energy industry chain will help grasp the development prospects and direction of the ammonia energy industry. [Method] By investigating the core technologies and application scenarios involved in key links (including preparation, storage, transportation, and utilization) of the ammonia energy industry chain and analyzing the problems faced by the industry development, this study put forward corresponding development suggestions. [Result] Although the traditional Haber process for ammonia synthesis is very mature, the green transition of ammonia production can be achieved via green hydrogen feedstock substitution or adoption of new ammonia synthesis technologies such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, bioenzyme catalysis, and plasma drive. The storage and transportation of green ammonia can rely on the traditional synthetic ammonia infrastructure as well as supply chain, and the construction of supporting facilities such as ammonia fuel filling stations should be also strengthened. Ammonia combustion, ammonia fuel cells, ammonia energy storage and other ammonia energy utilization technologies need to be continously researched and developed as well as explored for application demonstration. [Conclusion] The development of green ammonia energy industry is in line with the requirements of building a clean, low-carbon, safe and efficient green energy system in China, and it has a positive impact on our country's energy security. However, the industrialization promotion of ammonia energy still faces many challenges and requires reasonable planning as well as layout and support from policy, finance, innovation platforms and standard system.

The inverse texture effect of soil on vegetation has been reported in a few arid regions, but no information is available on the vast Chinese temperate grassland. In addition, no consistent criteria and approaches have been used to classify soil texture groups, determine the precipitation threshold (Pθ) below which the inverse texture effect occurs, and quantify the effect size (Z), which has limited the generalization of the rules of the soil texture effect in different ecosystems. We analyzed the soil texture effect on vegetation using the remotely sensed vegetation data (MODIS/NDVI) and the Chinese soil profile texture data at 6851 sites in temperate grasslands of China. We found, first, a strong inverse texture effect, i.e., a higher NDVI on coarse- (>50 % sand) than fine-textured soil in low precipitation areas, and Pθ was variable with annual precipitation and averaged 260 mm in the region. Second, we proposed a novel method to use the loam soil as a benchmark against which to quantify the effect of various textured soils, and determine Pθ as the point on precipitation gradient where the soil texture effect shift from positive to negative or vice versa. As such, Pθ decreased with soil coarseness, and increased with precipitation; and the texture effect decreased from positive to negative for sandy soils, whereas it increased from negative to positive for silt or clay soils, on the gradient of precipitation increase. Our results provide new insights into the relations of vegetation pattern and dynamics with precipitation and soil texture, and a method for quantifying and comparing soil texture effect across ecosystem types.

[Introduction] The persistently increasing energy consumption and the environmental protection and energy security issues brought about by the burning of fossil fuels have raised widespread concerns all over the world. Thus, the development of technology for clean-energy production has become the major research priority worldwide. Hydrogen energy with zero pollution, high specific energy density, and abundant resources is one of the most promising alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. Electrocatalytic water splitting is considered as the most promising method for hydrogen production. However, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode side has sluggish kinetics and low energy conversion efficiency, which is the major bottleneck for large-scale hydrogen production. [Method] The latest development of NiCo-based electrocatalysts for OER was summarized and discussed, especially the design and synthesis of NiCo-based electrocatalysts and the research strategies for improving their electrocatalytic performance in the OER process. [Result] In order to replace the noble-metal catalysts such as ruthenium and iridium, researchers have carried out a lot of research on NiCo-based non-noble metal catalysts. By regulating the chemical structure of a variety of NiCo-based-catalysts, including oxides, hydroxides, alloys, nitrides, sulfides, and phosphides, the activity of electrocatalytic hydrogen production is improved from the anode perspective. However, these catalysts have different defects, which need to be overcome by further research. [Conclusion] The development of non-noble metal catalysts with high OER activity is an important way to reduce the cost of hydrogen production from water electrolysis and promote the development of hydrogen energy industry. Although there are still some unsolved technical problems that limit the substitution of NiCo-based catalysts for noble metal catalysts, the research of NiCo-based catalysts, as an important substitute for noble metal catalysts, provides an important choice for the development of new catalysts.

Abstract Regular, moderate exercise modifies the gut microbiome and contributes to human metabolic and immune health. The microbiome may exert influence on host physiology through the microbial production and modification of metabolites (xenometabolites); however, this has not been extensively explored. We hypothesized that 6 weeks of supervised, aerobic exercise 3×/week (60%–75% heart rate reserve [HRR], 30–60 min) in previously sedentary, lean (n = 14) and obese (n = 10) adults would modify both the fecal and serum xenometabolome. Serum and fecal samples were collected pre‐ and post‐6 week intervention and analyzed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Linear mixed models (LMMs) identified multiple fecal and serum xenometabolites responsive to exercise training. Further cluster and pathway analysis revealed that the most prominent xenometabolic shifts occurred within aromatic amino acid (ArAA) metabolic pathways. Fecal and serum ArAA derivatives correlated with body composition (lean mass), markers of insulin sensitivity (insulin, HOMA‐IR) and cardiorespiratory fitness (V̇O2max), both at baseline and in response to exercise training. Two serum aromatic microbial‐derived amino acid metabolites that were upregulated following the exercise intervention, indole‐3‐lactic acid (ILA: fold change: 1.2, FDR p

The decoupling of microbial functional and taxonomic components refers to the phenomenon that a drastic change in microbial taxonomic composition leads to no or only a gentle change in functional composition. Although many studies have identified this phenomenon, the mechanisms underlying it are still unclear. Here we demonstrate, using metagenomics data from a steppe grassland soil under different grazing and phosphorus addition treatments, that there is no “decoupling” in the variation of taxonomic and metabolic functional composition of the microbial community within functional groups at species level. In contrast, the high consistency and complementarity between the abundance and functional gene diversity of two dominant species made metabolic functions unaffected by grazing and phosphorus addition. This complementarity between the two dominant species shapes a bistability pattern that differs from functional redundancy in that only two species cannot form observable redundancy in a large microbial community. In other words, the “monopoly” of metabolic functions by the two most abundant species leads to the disappearance of functional redundancy. Our findings imply that for soil microbial communities, the impact of species identity on metabolic functions is much greater than that of species diversity, and it is more important to monitor the dynamics of key dominant microorganisms for accurately predicting the changes in the metabolic functions of the ecosystems.

Soil hydraulic properties determine water transport, distribution and storage in soils, thus affect ecosystem functioning. Soil water retention parameters, such as saturation water content (SAT), water drained upper limit (DUL) and lower limit (DLL), characterize soil water-holding capacity, thus are important for plant growth and carbon and nutrient cycling in grassland ecosystem. However, we are still unclear to what a content these soil water retention parameters may regulate plant production and soil organic matter content in natural ecosystems in semi-arid grassland environment. We investigated plant species richness (SR) and aboveground biomass (AGB), soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (SON) contents, and soil water retention and other physical parameters in the steppe ecosystems along a climate transect, which spans the desert steppe, typical steppe and meadow steppe zones in Northern China. We analyzed the relative importance of climate factors, soil water retention parameters and other soil physical parameters in regulating plant AGB and SOC and SON contents using partial correlation analysis, and quantified the contribution of each separate and combined climate and soil physical parameters in predicting plant AGB and SOC and SON contents using geographic detectors method. We found that (i) plant SR and AGB, soil SAT and DUL, and SOC and SON are all significantly inter-correlated, and increased with the increase of climate humidity. (ii) Climate, but not soil physical parameters, was the most preponderant factor in predicting plant SR and AGB. (iii) Soil physical parameters were more important than climate parameters in regulating soil organic matter content; soil DUL was the best predictor to SOC content. Our results suggest that soil water retention parameters especially soil DUL, may play a greater role than climate factors in modulating SOC content, though climate is more predominant in regulating plant SR and production. Our results imply that we need to be cautious in estimating SOC content based on climate factors and vegetation biomass or remotely-sensed vegetation indices, and that soil physical properties need also to be incorporated along with vegetation parameters for improving SOC estimation at a regional scale.

Indoor location information is an indispensable parameter for modern intelligent warehouse management and robot navigation. Indoor wireless positioning exhibits large errors due to factors such as indoor non-line-of-sight (NLOS) obstructions. In the present study, the error value under the time of arrival (TOA) algorithm was evaluated, and the trilateral positioning method was optimized to minimize the errors. An optimization algorithm for indoor ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning was designed, which was referred as annealing evolution and clustering fusion optimization algorithm. The algorithm exploited the good local search capability of the simulated annealing algorithm and the good global search capability of the genetic algorithm to optimize cluster analysis. The optimal result from sampled data was quickly determined to achieve effective and accurate positioning. These features reduced the non-direct aiming error in the indoor UWB environment. The final experimental results showed that the optimized algorithm significantly reduced noise interference as well as improved positioning accuracy in an NLOS indoor environment with less than 10 cm positioning error.

Using the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (weighted population size = 35,460,209; 8-18 years old; 52.1% males), we compared the obesity prevalence in children and adolescents between body mass index-based (BMI-based) and total percent body fat-based (BF%-based, measured by the dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) cutoffs. The BMI-based cutoffs exhibited closer alignments (k, 0.88-0.97) in the childhood obesity prevalence, while the absolute (sex-specific) BF% cutoffs had higher prevalence rates than the relative (age- and sex-specific) BF% cutoffs (k = 0.43 [95% CI, 0.38-0.49]), overly labeling Non-Hispanic white and Other race/ethnicity females with obesity. The BF%-based cutoffs had higher prevalence rates in most sex, age, and race/ethnicity groups than the BMI-based cutoffs. Furthermore, the absolute BF% cutoffs overly labeled Hispanic and Other race/ethnicity females with obesity. In summary, childhood obesity prevalence varied by sex, age, race/ethnicity across different cutoffs, with the BMI-based cutoffs showing closer alignments than the BF%-based cutoffs.

Background. Data on dialysis and renal transplantation (RT) after intestinal transplantation (IT) are sparse. Whether changes in immunosuppression and surgical techniques have modified these outcomes is unknown. Methods. Two hundred eighty-eight adult intestinal transplants performed between 1990 and 2014 at the University of Pittsburgh were analyzed for incidence, risk factors and outcomes after dialysis and RT. Cohort was divided into 3 eras based on immunosuppression and surgical technique (1990-1994, 1995-2001, and 2001-2014). Receiving RT, or dialysis for 90 days or longer was considered as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Results. During a median follow-up of 5.7 years, 71 (24.7%) patients required dialysis, 38 (13.2%) required long-term dialysis and 17 (6%) received RT after IT. One-, 3-, and 5-year ESRD risk was 2%, 7%, and 14%, respectively. No significant era-based differences were noted. Higher baseline creatinine (hazard ratio [HR], 3.40 per unit increase, P < 0.01) and use of liver containing grafts (HR, 2.01; P = 0.04) had an increased ESRD risk. Median patient survival after dialysis initiation was 6 months, with a 3-year survival of 21%. Any dialysis (HR, 12.74; 95% CI 8.46-19.20; P < 0.01) and ESRD (HR, 9.53; 95% CI, 5.87-15.49; P < 0.01) had higher mortality after adjusting for covariates. For renal after IT, 1- and 3-year kidney and patient survivals were 70% and 49%, respectively. All graft losses were from death with a functioning graft, primarily related to infectious complications (55%). Conclusions. In intestinal transplant recipients, renal failure requiring dialysis or RT is high and is associated with increased mortality. Additionally, the outcomes for kidney after IT are suboptimal due to death with a functioning graft.

Our group previously investigated the levels of anti-Gal and anti-nonGal IgM and IgG in a cohort of 75 healthy humans of various backgrounds, and found some significant differences related to factors such as age, gender, ABO blood group, diet, vaccination history, and geographic location during childhood. We have now expanded our cohort (n = 84) to investigate the levels of anti-Neu5Gc and anti-nonGal/nonNeu5Gc antibodies in healthy humans. Anti-nonGal and anti-nonGal/nonNeu5Gc human IgM and IgG binding to pRBCs and pAECs from GTKO/CD46 and GTKO/CD46/Neu5GcKO pigs were measured by flow cytometry. Anti-Gal and anti-Neu5Gc IgM and IgG levels were measured by ELISA. In summary, (i) the great majority (almost 100%) of humans had anti-Neu5Gc IgM and IgG antibodies that bound to pAECs and approximately 50% had anti-Neu5Gc antibodies that bound to pRBCs, (ii) there was significantly less human antibody binding to pig cells that did not express either Gal or Neu5Gc compared with those that did not express Gal alone, (iii) the levels of both IgM and IgG binding to GTKO/CD46/Neu5GcKO pRBCs and pAECs were low, (iv) the level of anti-Neu5Gc IgG was higher in men than women, (v) the level did not change with age or diet, and there was some variability associated with (vi) previous vaccination history and (vii) the geographic region in which the individual spent his or her childhood. Our study confirms that human antibody binding to RBCs and AECs from GTKO/CD46/Neu5GcKO pigs is greatly reduced compared to binding to GTKO/CD46 cells. However, all humans appear to have a low level of antibody that binds to pAECs that is not directed to either Gal or Neu5Gc. Our findings require consideration in planning clinical trials of xenotransplantation.