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Abstract Emergent superconductivity at the LaAlO3/KTaO3 interfaces exhibits a mysterious dependence on the KTaO3 crystallographic orientations. Here by soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, we directly resolve the electronic structure of the LaAlO3/KTaO3 interfacial superconductors and the non-superconducting counterpart. We find that the mobile electrons that contribute to the interfacial superconductivity show strong k ⊥ dispersion. Comparing the superconducting and non-superconducting interfaces, the quasi-three-dimensional electron gas with over 5.5 nm spatial distribution ubiquitously exists and shows similar orbital occupations. The signature of electron-phonon coupling is observed and intriguingly dependent on the interfacial orientations. Remarkably, the stronger electron-phonon coupling signature correlates with the higher superconducting transition temperature. Our observations help scrutinize the theories on the orientation-dependent superconductivity and offer a plausible and straightforward explanation. The interfacial orientation effect that can modify the electron-phonon coupling strength over several nanometers sheds light on the applications of oxide interfaces in general.

Hot tensile features in a Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy with different notched types are explored. Changes of microstructure and fracture mechanisms with stress triaxiality and tensile parameters are elucidated. Results manifest that the maximum load for the Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy in hot tensile ascends with increasing stress triaxiality. The development/interaction of dislocation clusters and subgrains is sensibly boosted, while the dynamic recrystallization (DRX) formation/coarsening behaviors is suppressed with ascending stress triaxiality or strain rate. Nevertheless, the intense generation/development in substructure and DRX grains appear at higher tensile temperature. The primary fracture mode is the ductile facture closely associated with dimples formation/coalescence and the progression of serpentine gliding. The primary fracture mechanism of Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy is the shear fracture characterized by the microporous polymerization. The coalescence/growing up in dimples becomes weaken with reducing stress triaxiality. Additionally, the dominant texture components are the E, F and Copper textures for the Ni–Cr–Mo-based superalloy with notched type in high-temperature tensile. With increasing stress triaxiality, the S texture sensibly increases.

Abstract Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and mean heart rate during sleep were found to be risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and a variety of methods have been applied to predict the occurrence of OSA. This study aimed to develop and evaluate OSA prediction models using simple and accessible parameters, combined with multiple machine learning algorithms, and integrate them into a cloud-based mobile sleep medicine management platform for clinical use. The study data were obtained from the clinical records of 610 patients who underwent polysomnography (PSG) at the Sleep Medicine Center of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between January 2021 and December 2022. The participants were randomly divided into a training-test group (80%) and an independent validation group (20%). The logistic regression, artificial neural network, naïve Bayes, support vector machine, random forest, and decision tree algorithms were used with age, gender, BMI, and mean heart rate during sleep as predictors to build a risk prediction model for moderate-to-severe OSA. To evaluate the performance of the models, we calculated the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC), accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, and F1-score for the independent validation set. In addition, the calibration curve, decision curve, and clinical impact curve were generated to determine clinical usefulness. Age, gender, BMI, and mean heart rate during sleep were significantly associated with OSA. The artificial neural network model had the best efficacy compared with the other prediction algorithms. The AUROC, accuracy, recall, specificity, precision, F1-score, and Brier score were 80.4% (95% CI 76.7–84.1%), 69.9% (95% CI 69.8–69.9%), 86.5% (95% CI 81.6–91.3%), 61.5% (95% CI 56.6–66.4%), 53.2% (95% CI 47.7–58.7%), 65.9% (95% CI 60.2–71.5%), and 0.165, respectively, for the artificial neural network model. The AUROCs for the LR, NB, SVM, RF, and DT models were 80.2%, 79.7%, 79.2%, 78.4%, and 70.4%, respectively. The six models based on four simple and easily accessible parameters effectively predicted moderate-to-severe OSA in patients with PSG screening, with the artificial neural network model having the best performance. These models can provide a reliable tool for early OSA diagnosis, and their integration into a cloud-based mobile sleep medicine management platform could improve clinical decision making.

Abstract Eleocharis dulcis (Burm. f.) Trin. ex Hensch., commonly known as Chinese water chestnut, is a traditional aquatic vegetable in China, and now is widely cultivated throughout the world because of its high nutritional value and unique tastes. Here, we report the assembly of a 493.24 Mb telomere-to-telomere (T2T) genome of E. dulcis accomplished by integrating ONT ultra-long reads, PacBio long reads and Hi-C data. The reference genome was anchored onto 111 gap-free chromosomes, containing 48.31% repeat elements and 33,493 predicted protein-coding genes. Whole genome duplication (WGD) and inter-genomic synteny analyses indicated that chromosome breakage and genome duplication in E. dulcis possibly occurred multiple times during genome evolution after its divergence from a common ancestor with Rhynchospora breviuscula at ca. 35.6 Mya. A comparative time-course transcriptome analysis of corm development revealed different patterns of gene expression between cultivated and wild accessions with the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs, 15,870) at the middle swelling stage and some of the DEGs were significantly enriched for starch metabolic process.

Abstract Objectives General practitioners are trained to care for patients with a high level of responsibility and professional competency. However, there are few reports on the physical and mental health status of general practitioners (GPs) in China, particularly regarding help seeking and self-treatment. The primary aims of this study were to explore GPs’ expectations of their own family doctors and their reflection on role positioning, and to explore the objective factors that hinder the system of family doctors. Study design Cross-sectional study. Methods We conducted an online survey of Chinese GPs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings. Results More than half of the participants (57.20%) reported that their health was normal over the past year. A total of 420 participants (23.35%) reported having chronic diseases. For sleep duration, 1205 participants (66.98%) reported sleeping 6–8 h per day; 473 participants (26.29%) reported chronic insomnia. Two hundred thirty-one participants (12.84%) had possible depression. A total of 595 (33.07%) participants reported that they had contracted a fixed family doctor. In terms of preventing themselves from contracting for a family doctor, the following factors were identified: lack of sufficient time (54.81%), could solve obstacles themselves (50.97%), and embarrassment (24.24%). The proportion of the contract group (12.44%) taking personal relationship as a consideration was higher than that of the non-contract group (7.64%) (χ2 = 10.934 P = 0.01). Most participants (79.90%) in the non-signed group reported never having seen a family doctor. In terms of obstacles, more than half of the signed group thought that they could solve obstacles themselves, while the non-signed group (39.20%) was less confident in the ability of family doctors than the signed group (29.75%) (χ2 = 15.436, P

Abstract Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients exhibit significant heterogeneity in tumor burden, physical condition, and responses to initial treatment. This diversity in treatment responses can result in varying treatment outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to explore the patient demographics associated with improved survival outcomes through radiotherapy. Based on the SEER database, we identified 42,824 SCLC patients enrolled between 2004 and 2015. These patients were stratified into radiotherapy (n = 20,360) and non-radiotherapy groups (n = 22,464). We controlled for confounding factors using propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. Subsequently, Kaplan–Meier (KM) analysis was employed to evaluate the impact of radiotherapy on patients’ overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Cancer-specific mortality was further analyzed using competitive risk models. Cox analysis was also conducted to examine additional variables potentially affecting the survival of SCLC patients. We identified a total of 42,824 eligible patients, and following PSM, 13,329 patients were successfully matched in both the radiotherapy and non-radiotherapy groups. The KM analysis showed that the median OS was 9 months in the radiotherapy group and 6 months in the non-radiotherapy group. The median CSS was 10 months in the radiotherapy group and 7 months in the non-radiotherapy group. The 5-year OS and 10-year OS rates were 6.2% versus 1.6% in the radiotherapy group and 2.6% versus 0.8% in the non-radiotherapy group (P

Abstract Streptococcus gallolyticus (Sg) is a non-motile, gram-positive bacterium that causes infective endocarditis (inflammation of the heart lining). Because Sg has gained resistance to existing antibiotics and there is currently no drug available, developing effective anti-Sg drugs is critical. This study combined core proteomics with a subtractive proteomics technique to identify potential therapeutic targets for Sg. Several bioinformatics approaches were used to eliminate non-essential and human-specific homologous sequences from the bacterial proteome. Then, virulence, druggability, subcellular localization, and functional analyses were carried out to specify the participation of significant bacterial proteins in various cellular processes. The pathogen’s genome contained three druggable proteins, glucosamine-1phosphate N-acetyltransferase (GlmU), RNA polymerase sigma factor (RpoD), and pantetheine-phosphate adenylyltransferase (PPAT) which could serve as effective targets for developing novel drugs. 3D structures of target protein were modeled through Swiss Model. A natural product library containing 10,000 molecules from the LOTUS database was docked against therapeutic target proteins. Following an evaluation of the docking results using the glide gscore, the top 10 compounds docked against each protein receptor were chosen. LTS001632, LTS0243441, and LTS0236112 were the compounds that exhibited the highest binding affinities against GlmU, PPAT, and RpoD, respectively, among the compounds that were chosen. To augment the docking data, molecular dynamics simulations and MM-GBSA binding free energy were also utilized. More in-vitro research is necessary to transform these possible inhibitors into therapeutic drugs, though computer validations were employed in this study. This combination of computational techniques paves the way for targeted antibiotic development, which addresses the critical need for new therapeutic strategies against S. gallolyticus infections.

This study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing the diet of broilers with Neolamarckia cadamba leaf extract (NCLE) on meat quality by evaluating antioxidant parameters and the expression of genes in the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2/antioxidant responsive element (p38 MAPK/Nrf2/ARE) signaling pathway, coupled with LC–MS-based metabolomic analysis. A total of 480 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to four treatment groups—a control (CON) group, which was fed a basal diet, and three NCLE treatment groups, which were fed the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg NCLE (N1, N2, and N3 groups, respectively) for 42 d. Compared with the CON group, meat quality was improved in the N2 and N3 groups, as evidenced by the higher pH45min (P

IntroductionIncreasing global temperatures present a significant challenge to livestock production. The dry period is an important stage in the production cycle of cow, and environmental heat stress (HS) during this period can have adverse effects on the subsequent lactation performance. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of HS on endocrine, thermoregulatory, and lactation parameters in heat-tolerant dry cows (HTDC) and heat-sensitive dry cows (HSDC).MethodsWe measured the respiratory rate (RR), body temperature (BT), and temperature-humidity index (THI) in 66 dry cows during HS. The slopes of RR and BT to THI were determined through analysis of measurements and dry cows background information using a mixed-effects model. Subsequently, the heat tolerance or sensitivity of dry cows was assessed using clustering method (HTDC = 19 and HSDC = 47).ResultsCompared with that of HSDC, the RR of HTDC significantly increased after exposure to HS (p < 0.05). The average reduction in milk yield from new lactation to the previous lactation was significantly lower in HTDC compared to HSDC (p < 0.05). Plasma cortisol and non-esterified fatty acid levels were significantly lower in HTDC compared to HSDC (p < 0.05), while plasma triiodothyronine (p = 0.07) and growth hormone (p = 0.08) levels tended to be higher in HTDC relative to HSDC.DiscussionHTDC can more effectively alleviate the impacts of HS through their superior thermoregulation and metabolism, thereby ensuring optimal postpartum lactation performance.

Introduction Smoking prevalence is high in China, and healthcare workers are important for tobacco control. This study aimed to determine the smoking status, cognition of tobacco hazards, and smoking cessation-related knowledge among respiratory healthcare workers, and to explore their ability to provide smoking cessation assistance. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 among 1028 respiratory healthcare workers from 89 hospitals in Fujian Province, China. A self-designed electronic questionnaire was used to collect data on smoking status, knowledge of smoking hazards, and smoking cessation knowledge. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all questions. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between awareness of the tobacco control goals of Healthy China 2030 and demographic characteristics. Results Among the healthcare workers surveyed, 3.4% were smokers, all of whom were male. Most respondents (99.4%) were aware of smoking as a cause of lung cancer, but awareness of smoking as a cause of non-respiratory cancer was lower. The awareness rate of smoking cessation support was high (>90%), but only 40.0% of participants were aware of the Healthy China 2030 tobacco control targets. Male (HR=2.16; 95% CI: 1.69–2.80) and participation in the cessation clinic (HR=1.47; 95% CI: 1.10–1.96) were associated with higher awareness of the targets. Conclusions Respiratory healthcare workers in Fujian Province demonstrated a high level of awareness regarding behavioral and pharmacotherapy support for smoking cessation. In order to enable healthcare workers to play a more active role in tobacco control, there is a need to increase public awareness of smoking cessation services in Fujian Province.

Abstract Streptococcus gallolyticus is a non-motile, gram-positive bacterium that causes infective endocarditis. S. gallolyticus has developed resistance to existing antibiotics, and no vaccine is currently available. Therefore, it is essential to develop an effective S. gallolyticus vaccine. Core proteomics was used in this study together with subtractive proteomics and reverse vaccinology approach to find antigenic proteins that could be utilized for the design of the S. gallolyticus multi-epitope vaccine. The pipeline identified two antigenic proteins as potential vaccine targets: penicillin-binding protein and the ATP synthase subunit. T and B cell epitopes from the specific proteins were forecasted employing several immunoinformatics and bioinformatics resources. A vaccine (360 amino acids) was created using a combination of seven cytotoxic T cell lymphocyte (CTL), three helper T cell lymphocyte (HTL), and five linear B cell lymphocyte (LBL) epitopes. To increase immune responses, the vaccine was paired with a cholera enterotoxin subunit B (CTB) adjuvant. The developed vaccine was highly antigenic, non-allergenic, and stable for human use. The vaccine's binding affinity and molecular interactions with the human immunological receptor TLR4 were studied using molecular mechanics/generalized Born surface area (MMGBSA), molecular docking, and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation analyses. Escherichia coli (strain K12) plasmid vector pET-28a ( +) was used to examine the ability of the vaccine to be expressed. According to the outcomes of these computer experiments, the vaccine is quite promising in terms of developing a protective immunity against diseases. However, in vitro and animal research are required to validate our findings.

Abstract Prime editing allows precise installation of any single base substitution and small insertions and deletions without requiring homologous recombination or double-strand DNA breaks in eukaryotic cells. However, the applications in bacteria are hindered and the underlying mechanisms that impede efficient prime editing remain enigmatic. Here, we report the determination of vital cellular factors that affect prime editing in bacteria. Genetic screening of 129 Escherichia coli transposon mutants identified sbcB, a 3ʹ→5ʹ DNA exonuclease, as a key genetic determinant in impeding prime editing in E. coli, combinational deletions of which with two additional 3ʹ→5ʹ DNA exonucleases, xseA and exoX, drastically enhanced the prime editing efficiency by up to 100-fold. Efficient prime editing in wild-type E. coli can be achieved by simultaneously inhibiting the DNA exonucleases via CRISPRi. Our results pave the way for versatile applications of prime editing for bacterial genome engineering.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease resulting in joint deterioration. It is a whole organ disease characterized by cartilage degeneration and varying degrees of synovitis, involving pathological changes in all joint tissues, such as cartilage, subchondral bone, ligaments, meniscus, synovium, and infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP). IPFP is the largest adipose tissue structure in the knee joint and is composed of fat cells, immune cells and blood vessels. Moreover, IPFP is located close to the cartilage and bone surface so that it may reduce the impact of loading and absorb forces generated through the knee joint, and may have a protective role in joint health. IPFP has been shown to release various cytokines and adipokines that play pro-inflammatory and pro-catabolic roles in cartilage, promoting OA progression. Intra-articular injections of IPFP-derived mesenchymal stem cells and exosomes have been shown to reduce pain and prevent OA progression in patients with knee OA. Previous studies have shown that IPFP has a biphasic effect on OA progression. This article reviews the latest research progress of IPFP, discusses the role and mechanism of IPFP in OA, provide new intervention strategies for the treatment of OA. This article will also discuss the handling of IPFP during the procedure of total knee arthroplasty.

Abstract Liver fibrosis is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma origin, and its progression not only correlates with oxidative stress and inflammation, but also is encouraged by autophagy hold‐up. Therefore, new solutions to effectively attenuate oxidative stress and inflammation and coincidently favor autophagy are highly demanded to reverse liver fibrosis, and even hamper its escalation into hepatocellular carcinoma. Herein, the porous manganese‐substituted Prussian blue (PMPB) analogs are harnessed to activate autophagy, scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), and suppress inflammation for liver fibrosis therapy. PMPB can effectively inhibit macrophage activation, facilitate macrophage autophagy, eradicate ROS, and blockade cellular cross‐talk, thus impeding further inflammation progression. Moreover, the favorable spontaneous capture of PMPB by Kupffer cells allows more PMPB accumulation in liver to significantly attenuate liver injury and collagen deposition, thereby inhibiting the progression of liver fibrosis. PMPB‐based nanomedicine shows great potentials in promoting autophagy activation, eliminating ROS, inhibiting inflammation, and protecting hepatocytes from oxidative stress‐arised damages, which eventually attenuate the extent of liver fibrosis, holding great promise in clinical translation for treating liver fibrosis.

IntroductionStereotypic behaviours, especially oral stereotypic behaviours, are frequently expressed in farm animals. Tongue-rolling is the most common oral stereotypic behaviour in dairy cows (Bos taurus). If animals frequently display stereotypic behaviours, this is an indication of poor welfare. It has been suggested that animals express stereotypic behaviours as a way of coping with stress. As a result, animals with stereotypic behaviours may have lower levels of stress hormones than animals without stereotypic behaviours.MethodsIn this study, 916 Holstein cows in the first lactation were subjected to scan sampling behavioural observations 200 times for 10 days. All cows were assigned to either a stereotypic behaviours group (SB) or a control group (CON). The SB group was further subdivided into a tongue-rolling group (TR) and an other-stereotypic behaviours group (OS). The TR group was also split into an only tongue-rolling group (OTR) and a mixed tongue-rolling and other stereotypic behaviours group (TROS). Some cows in the TR group belonged to an extreme tongue-rolling group (ETR). Hair and saliva samples were collected from 601 cows to test cortisol concentrations and dairy herd improvement (DHI) data were collected from a total of 762 cows.ResultsThere were no differences in hair or saliva cortisol concentrations between the groups (p>0.05), and the frequencies of tongue-rolling were not associated with cortisol concentrations (p>0.05). For DHI in cows, the milk protein percentage (p = 0.028), milk true protein percentage (p = 0.021) and milk crude protein percentage (p = 0.023) of cows in the ETR group were significantly lower than those in the CON group. For cows in ETR group, as the frequencies of tongue-rolling increased, the milk protein percentage (p = 0.034, r = 0.365), milk true protein percentage (p = 0.022, r = 0.393) and milk crude protein percentage (p = 0.035, r = 0.363) increased.DiscussionWe investigated the relationship between stereotypic behaviours and stress by using a non-invasive sampling method to minimise harm to the cows. We suggest that tongue-rolling may not be a way for cows to cope with stress, at least in terms of cortisol concentrations.

Abstract Background Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent. has the characteristics of strong stress resistance, high crude protein content, and pruning tolerance. It is an ecological, economic, and medicinal plant. Polyploid plants usually perform better than their corresponding diploid plants in terms of nutrients, active substances, and stress resistance. Results In this study, the leaves, calli, and seeds of diploid B. papyrifera were used for tetraploid induction by colchicine. The induction effect of colchicine on B. papyrifera was summarized through the early morphology, chromosome count and flow cytometry. It was concluded that the best induction effect (18.6%) was obtained when the leaves of B. papyrifera were treated in liquid MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium containing 450 mg·L-1 colchicine for 3 d. The comparative analysis of the growth characteristics of diploid and tetraploid B. papyrifera showed that tetraploid B. papyrifera has larger ground diameter, larger stomata, thicker palisade tissue and thicker sponge tissue than diploid B. papyrifera. In addition, the measurement of photosynthetic features also showed that tetraploids had higher chlorophyll content and higher photosynthetic rates. Conclusion This study showed that tetraploid B. papyrifera could be obtained by treating leaves, callus and seeds with liquid and solid colchicine, but the induction efficiency was different. Moreover, there were differences in stomata, leaf cell structure and photosynthetic features between tetraploid B. papyrifera and its corresponding diploid. The induced tetraploid B. papyrifera can provide a technical basis and breeding material for the creation of B. papyrifera germplasm resources in the future.

Renewable hosting capacity (RHC) means the total renewable power that can be integrated into the power grid without violation of network constraints. In this paper, a cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (CMADRL) based decentralized method is proposed to assess the dynamic renewable hosting capacity (RHC) of distribution grids, aiming to duly make decisions for renewable energy interconnection requests and ensure consistent power grids reliability simultaneously. According to the time-varying load-generation operation conditions, the proposed CMADRL method can continuously derive multi-timescale operation strategies for volt-var control devices, e.g., static var compensators (SVCs) and on-load tap changer (OLTC), improving the RHC of distribution grids. With three independent agents (SVC, OLTC and renewable agents), the proposed CMADRL method follows the manner of centralized training and decentralized execution, which guarantees the algorithm convergence under time-varying load-generation uncertainties and meanwhile ensures the feasibility of online applications. The case studies are carried out on a modified IEEE 37-node distribution system to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed real-time RHC assessment method. Numerical results verify that the proposed CMADRL method has a better performance than conventional optimization methods on computation efficiency.

ObjectiveAcute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a severe cardiovascular disease that threatens human life and health globally. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) governs the fate of RNAs via m6A regulators. Nevertheless, how m6A regulators affect AMI remains to be deciphered. To solve this issue, an integrative analysis of m6A regulators in AMI was conducted.MethodsWe acquired transcriptome profiles (GSE59867, GSE48060) of peripheral blood samples from AMI patients and healthy controls. Key m6A regulators were used for LASSO, and consensus clustering was conducted. Next, the m6A score was also computed. Immune cell infiltration, ferroptosis, and oxidative stress were evaluated. In-vitro and in-vivo experiments were conducted to verify the role of the m6A regulator ALKBH5 in AMI.ResultsMost m6A regulators presented notable expression alterations in circulating cells of AMI patients versus those of controls. Based on key m6A regulators, we established a gene signature and a nomogram for AMI diagnosis and risk prediction. AMI patients were classified into three m6A clusters or gene clusters, respectively, and each cluster possessed the unique properties of m6A modification, immune cell infiltration, ferroptosis, and oxidative stress. Finally, the m6A score was utilized to quantify m6A modification patterns. Therapeutic targeting of ALKBH5 greatly alleviated apoptosis and intracellular ROS in H/R-induced H9C2 cells and NRCMs.ConclusionAltogether, our findings highlight the clinical significance of m6A regulators in the diagnosis and risk prediction of AMI and indicate the critical roles of m6A modification in the regulation of immune cell infiltration, ferroptosis, and oxidative stress.

As a biometric technology, gait recognition is usually considered a retrieval task in real life. However, because of the small scale of the existing radar gait recognition dataset, the current studies mainly focus on classification tasks and only consider the situation of a single walking view and the same wearing condition, limiting the practical application of radar-based gait recognition. This paper provides a radar gait recognition dataset under multi-view and multi-wearing conditions; the dataset uses millimeter-wave radar as a sensor to collect the time-frequency spectrogram data of 121 subjects walking along views under multiple wearing conditions. Eight views were collected for each subject, and ten sets were collected for each view. Six of the ten sets are dressed normally, two are dressed in coats, and the last two are carrying bags. Meanwhile, this paper proposes a method for radar gait recognition based on retrieval tasks. Experiments are conducted on this dataset, and the experimental results can be used as a benchmark to facilitate further research by related scholars on this dataset.

Abstract Comprehensive investigation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in cancer is crucial to explore the effective immunotherapies, but the composition of infiltrating T cells in urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) remains elusive. Here, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) were performed on total 30,905 T cells derived from peripheral blood, adjacent normal and tumor tissues from two UBC patients. We identified 18 distinct T cell subsets based on molecular profiles and functional properties. Specifically, exhausted T (TEx) cells, exhausted NKT (NKTEx) cells, Ki67+ T cells and B cell-like T (B-T) cells were exclusively enriched in UBC. Additionally, the gene signatures of TEx, NKTEx, Ki67+ T and B-T cells were significantly associated with poor survival in patients with BC and various tumor types. Finally, IKZF3 and TRGC2 are the potential biomarkers of TEx cells. Overall, our study demonstrated an exhausted context of T cells in UBC, which layed a theoretical foundation for the development of effective tumor immunotherapies.

Abstract Background The tongue-rolling behaviour of cows is regarded as an outward sign of stressed animals in a low welfare status. The primary aim of this observational study was to evaluate the association between the frequency of tongue-rolling behaviour and its physiological function. The secondary aim was to explore the relationship between general activities and the frequency of tongue-rolling behaviour of cows. A total of 126 scan sampling behavioural observations were collected over 7 d on 348 Holstein cows with the same lactation stage in the same barn. The tongue-rolling frequency was defined as the number of tongue-rolling observations as a percentage to the total observations per individual cow. According to their tongue-rolling frequency, the cows were grouped into the CON (no tongue-rolling), LT (frequency 1%), MT (frequency 5%), and HT (frequency 10%) groups. Six cows from each group were randomly selected for sampling. Serum samples, rumen fluid, milk yield, and background information were collected. The general behaviour data during 72 continuous hours of dairy cows, including eating time, rumination time, food time (eating time + rumination time), and lying time, were recorded by the collar sensor. Results Cortisol (P = 0.012), γ-hydroxybutyric acid (P = 0.008), epinephrine (P = 0.030), and dopamine (P = 0.047) levels were significantly higher in tongue-rolling groups than in the CON group. Cortisol levels and tongue-rolling frequency had a moderate positive correlation (linearly r = 0.363). With the increase in tongue-rolling frequency, the rumen pH decreased first and then increased (P = 0.013), comparing to the CON group. HT cows had significantly less food time than CON cows (P = 0.035). The frequency of tongue-rolling had a moderate negative relationship with rumination time (r = −0.384) and food time (r = −0.492). Conclusions The tongue-rolling behaviour is considered as a passive coping mechanism, as the stress response in cows with high tongue-rolling frequency increased. Food intake and rumination activities were all closely related to the occurrence of tongue-rolling behaviour.

Abstract Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides detailed soft tissue contrasts that are critical for disease diagnosis and neuroscience research. Higher MRI resolution typically comes at the cost of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and tissue contrast, particularly for more common 3 Tesla (3T) MRI scanners. At ultra-high magnetic field strength, 7 Tesla (7T) MRI allows for higher resolution with greater tissue contrast and SNR. However, the prohibitively high costs of 7T MRI scanners deter their widespread adoption in clinical and research centers. To obtain higher-quality images without 7T MRI scanners, algorithms that can synthesize 7T MR images from 3T MR images are under active development. Here, we make available a dataset of paired T1-weighted and T2-weighted MR images at 3T and 7T of 10 healthy subjects to facilitate the development and evaluation of 3T-to-7T MR image synthesis models. The quality of the dataset is assessed using image quality metrics implemented in MRIQC.

Abstract Real estate’s role in the financial crisis has forced central banks and academics to focus on the real estate risk’s spillover effects. However, findings on this matter are erratic and could differ from country to country. Prior research mostly ignored risk contagion at the level of the real industry and instead concentrated on real estate and financial institutions. Therefore, to analyze the risk spillover of China’s real estate industry from a novel perspective of the industrial chain, a mixed model (DCC-EGARCH-CoVaR model) is proposed in this work. It fixes the flaw in existing models’ inability to account for asymmetries and the weakness of traditional methods in explaining the time-varying and nonlinear risk infection process. The findings demonstrate that China’s real estate industry has a noticeable risk spillover effect on upstream and downstream industries. The downstream industry is the one most affected by risk spillover from the real estate sector, followed by the upstream industry, and the banking sector is the least affected. The risk spillover effects of macro uncertainties like the COVID-19 outbreak, the financial crisis, and the stock market fall on real estate vary significantly. These findings are helpful for regulators to prevent systematic financial risks and for institutional investors to make timely strategic asset allocations and adjustments.

Abstract Background The chlorophyll content (CC) is a key factor affecting maize photosynthetic efficiency and the final yield. However, its genetic basis remains unclear. The development of statistical methods has enabled researchers to design and apply various GWAS models, including MLM, MLMM, SUPER, FarmCPU, BLINK and 3VmrMLM. Comparative analysis of their results can lead to more effective mining of key genes. Results The heritability of CC was 0.86. Six statistical models (MLM, BLINK, MLMM, FarmCPU, SUPER, and 3VmrMLM) and 1.25 million SNPs were used for the GWAS. A total of 140 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were detected, with 3VmrMLM and MLM detecting the most (118) and fewest (3) QTNs, respectively. The QTNs were associated with 481 genes and explained 0.29-10.28% of the phenotypic variation. Additionally, 10 co-located QTNs were detected by at least two different models or methods, three co-located QTNs were identified in at least two different environments, and six co-located QTNs were detected by different models or methods in different environments. Moreover, 69 candidate genes within or near these stable QTNs were screened based on the B73 (RefGen_v2) genome. GRMZM2G110408 (ZmCCS3) was identified by multiple models and in multiple environments. The functional characterization of this gene indicated the encoded protein likely contributes to chlorophyll biosynthesis. In addition, the CC differed significantly between the haplotypes of the significant QTN in this gene, and CC was higher for haplotype 1. Conclusion This study’s results broaden our understanding of the genetic basis of CC, mining key genes related to CC and may be relevant for the ideotype-based breeding of new maize varieties with high photosynthetic efficiency.

Transparent conductive films (TCFs) are crucial components of solar cells. In this study, F, Cl, and Ga co-doped ZnO (FCGZO) TCFs were deposited onto a glass substrate using the sol-gel spin-coating method and rapid thermal annealing. The effects of F-doping content on the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of FCGZO films were examined by XRD, TEM, FE-SEM, PL spectroscopy, XPS, Hall effects testing, and UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy. All prepared ZnO films exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite structure and preferentially grew along the c axis perpendicular to the substrate. Changes in the doping concentration of F changed the interplanar crystal spacing and O vacancies in the film. At a doping ratio of 2% (in mole), the F, Cl, and Ga co-doped ZnO film exhibited the best photoelectric performance, with a carrier concentration of 2.62 × 1020 cm−3, mobility of 14.56 cm2/(V·s), and resistivity of 1.64 × 10−3 Ω·cm. The average transmittance (AT) in the 380–1 600 nm region nearly 90% with air as the reference, and the optical band gap was 3.52 eV.

The demands of low-Curie-temperature (~−10 °C) positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors are increasing in advanced precision integrated circuits and other industries. In this paper, the Nb-doped Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3(BST)-based PTC resistivity materials are reported. The effects of the sintering process, especially the cooling rate on the PTC properties of the material, are investigated. The results indicate that the Ba0.55Sr0.45Ti0.9985Nb0.0015O3 composition of the prepared PTC ceramics demonstrates promising PTC characteristics. These include a Curie temperature as low as −13 °C, a high temperature coefficient of 0.296 at −3.4 °C, a large enough resistivity change of 3.1 over a narrow phase transition temperature range of approximately 38 °C, and moderate resistivity below the Curie temperature. Such properties suggest that the Ba0.55Sr0.45Ti0.9985Nb0.0015O3 ceramics are likely suitable for use in thermal management systems designed for low-temperature control.

Atmospheric aerosols affect climate change, air quality, and human health. The aerosol optical depth (AOD) is a widely utilized parameter for estimating the concentration of atmospheric aerosols. Consequently, continuous AOD monitoring is crucial for environmental studies. However, a method to continuously monitor the AOD throughout the day or night remains a challenge. This study introduces a method for estimating the All-Day AOD using ground air quality and meteorological data. This method allows for the hourly estimation of the AOD throughout the day in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region and addresses the lack of high temporal resolution monitoring of the AOD during the nighttime. The results of the proposed All-Day AOD estimation method were validated against AOD measurements from Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). The R2 between the estimated AOD and AHI was 0.855, with a root mean square error of 0.134. Two AERONET sites in BTH were selected for analysis. The results indicated that the absolute error between the estimated AOD and AERONET was within acceptable limits. The estimated AOD showed spatial and temporal trends comparable to those of AERONET and AHI. In addition, the hourly mean AOD was analyzed for each city in BTH. The hourly mean AOD in each city exhibits a smooth change at night. In conclusion, the proposed AOD estimation method offers valuable data for investigating the impact of aerosol radiative forcing and assessing its influence on climate change.

Abstract Background Pneumoconiosis is a group of occupational lung diseases caused by the inhalation of mineral dust in the lungs, leading to lung dysfunction. Patients with pneumoconiosis are usually accompanied by weight loss, which suggests a lipid metabolism disorder. Recent progress in lipidomics uncovered detailed lipid profiles that play important roles in respiratory diseases, such as asthma, lung cancer and lung injury. The purpose of this study was to shed light on the different expression of lipidome between pneumoconiosis and healthy, hoping to bring new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of pneumoconiosis. Methodology This non-matching case–control study was performed among 96 subjects (48 outpatients with male pneumoconiosis and 48 healthy volunteers), data of clinical phenotypes were recorded, and plasma biochemistry (lipidomic profiles) was tested for both pneumoconiosis patients and healthy controls. A total of 426 species in 11 lipid classes were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QqQ-MS) for the cases and controls. We also analyzed the correlation of lipid profiles with clinical phenomes from pneumoconiosis patients by expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) model to evaluate trans-nodules between lipidomic profiles and clinical phenomes. All visually re-checked data were analyzed using appropriate statistical tools (t-test or one-way ANOVA test) on SPSS. Results Compared with healthy people, 26 significantly increased (> 1.5-fold) and 30 decreased lipid elements (

In this paper, we demonstrate a surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) biosensor based on the self-assembly of gold nanorods (AuNRs) for the specific detection of airway inflammatory factors in diluted sputum. The AuNR surface was modified with an antibody that was able to specifically recognize an airway inflammatory factor, interleukin-5 (IL-5), so that a end-to-end self-assembly system could be obtained, resulting in an order of magnitude amplification of the Raman signal and greatly improved sensitivity. Meanwhile, the outer layer of the biosensor was coated with silicon dioxide, which improved the stability of the system and facilitated its future applications. When the detected concentration was in the range of 0.1–50 pg/mL, the SERS signal generated by the sensor showed a good linear relationship with the IL-5 concentration. Moreover, it had satisfactory performance in diluted sputum and clinical subjects with asthma, which could achieve sensitive detection of the airway inflammatory factor IL-5. Overall, the developed biosensor based on the SERS effect exhibited the advantages of rapid and sensitive detecting performance, which is suitable for monitoring airway inflammatory factors in sputum.

ObjectiveCollege Students’ sleep quality and daytime dysfunction have become worse since the COVID-19 outbreak, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between sleep quality and daytime dysfunction among college students during the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) period.MethodsThis research adopts the form of cluster random sampling of online questionnaires. From April 5 to 16 in 2022, questionnaires are distributed to college students in various universities in Fujian Province, China and the general information questionnaire and PSQI scale are used for investigation. SPSS26.0 was used to conduct an independent sample t-test and variance analysis on the data, multi-factorial analysis was performed using logistic regression analysis. The main outcome variables are the score of subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction.ResultsDuring the COVID-19 period, the average PSQI score of the tested college students was 6.17 ± 3.263, and the sleep disorder rate was 29.6%, the daytime dysfunction rate was 85%. Being female, study liberal art/science/ engineering, irritable (due to limited outdoor), prolong electronic entertainment time were associated with low sleep quality (p

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the [C ii ] 158 μ m line and the underlying continuum emission of TN J0924−2201, which is one of the most distant known radio galaxies at z > 5. The [C ii ] line and 1 mm continuum emission are detected at the host galaxy. The systemic redshift derived from the [C ii ] line is z _[C _II _] = 5.1736 ± 0.0002, indicating that the Ly α line is redshifted by a velocity of 1035 ± 10 km s ^−1 , marking the largest velocity offset between the [C ii ] and Ly α lines recorded at z > 5 to date. In the central region of the host galaxy, we identify a redshifted substructure of [C ii ] with a velocity of 702 ± 17 km s ^−1 , which is close to the C iv line with a velocity of 500 ± 10 km s ^−1 . The position and the velocity offsets align with a model of an outflowing shell structure, consistent with the large velocity offset of Ly α . The nondetection of [C ii ] and dust emission from the three CO(1–0)-detected companions indicates their different nature compared to dwarf galaxies, based on the photodissociation region model. Given their large velocity of ∼1500 km s ^−1 , outflowing molecular clouds induced by the active galactic nucleus are the most plausible interpretation, and they may exceed the escape velocity of a 10 ^13 M _⊙ halo. These results suggest that TN J0924−2201, with ongoing and fossil large-scale outflows, is in a distinctive phase of removing molecular gas from a central massive galaxy in an overdense region in the early Universe. A dusty H i absorber at the host galaxy is an alternative interpretation.

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects the development of hair follicles. The present study investigated the effect of vitamin A (VA) on the development of rabbit dermal papilla cells (DPCs) under HS and the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Addition of 0.4 mg/L VA to the culture medium significantly enhanced cell proliferation (P

Abstract With the rapid development of micro‐energy harvesting technology, noise has great potential as a new type of micro‐energy source by developing a high‐performance acoustic energy harvester (AEH). Nevertheless, the challenges of harvesting energy from noise are low acoustic energy density, multi‐frequency mixed sound, and unstable sound pressure. Piezoelectric‐based AEHs are proposed as a solution, but most reported devices need to work at a certain frequency and very high sound pressure, and exhibit the disadvantages of being bulky and heavy when using an extra sound‐pressure amplifier. Here, the eardrum and cochlea bioinspired polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric generator which is lightweight, compact, has a simple structure and is low‐cost, harvests multi‐frequency sound energy. Although using the commercial pure PVDF membrane, the prepared AEH still presents a high acoustoelectric conversion performance with an output power of 8.45 µW and an acoustic sensitivity of 1 V Pa−1 at 200 Hz and 100 dB without using any sound‐pressure amplifier through optimizing the structure–vibration–frequency relationship. More importantly, the bioinspired AEHs do not only exhibit the ability of acoustic energy harvesting function but also have the abilities of frequency recognition and acoustic sensing, which show great potential in the application of self‐powered acoustic sensors.

Introduction Due to the popularity of e-cigarettes, more and more patients ask about e-cigarettes, and it is particularly important to understand doctors’ beliefs and perceptions on e-cigarettes. The aim was to evaluate the belief and perception of electronic cigarettes among medical staff in the respiratory department of medical institutions located in Fujian Province. Methods The electronic questionnaires were conveyed to the medical staff of the respiratory department in Fujian Province during March to April 2021. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all questions, and the relationship between relevant factors and the perception of e-cigarette-related statements was analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results Among 1028 medical staff in the respiratory departments of Fujian Province, 90.5% of medical staff agreed that electronic cigarettes are harmful to the human body; 61.4% of medical staff agreed that e-cigarettes cannot be regarded as a type of smoking cessation treatment; 71.7% of medical staff agreed that e-cigarettes could be a ‘gateway’ to other tobacco use; and 69.2% of medical staff agreed that electronic cigarettes are in ‘Three No’ states. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the respondents’ perception of ‘e-cigarettes cannot be regarded as a type of smoking cessation treatment’ were related to gender, professional title and whether they participated in the cessation clinic. Conclusions The medical staff of the respiratory department in Fujian Province put more emphasis on the adverse effects of e-cigarettes on health, but lack the cognition of the effect of e-cigarette smoking cessation. In order to better carry out smoking cessation work, it is necessary to strengthen the training of respiratory medical staff at all levels of medical institutions on e-cigarette knowledge.

Abstract Hard carbon has been regarded as the most promising anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) due to its low cost, high reversible capacity, and low working potential. However, the uncertain sodium storage mechanism hinders the rational design and synthesis of high‐performance hard carbon anode materials for practical SIBs. During the past decades, tremendous efforts have been put to stimulate the development of hard carbon materials. In this review, we discuss the recent progress of the study on the sodium storage mechanism of hard carbon anodes, and the effective strategies to improve their sodium storage performance have been summarized. It is anticipated that hard carbon anodes with high electrochemical properties will be inspired and fabricated for large‐scale energy storage applications.

Abstract Background There is a global increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early identification of ASD in children and intervention are key aspects in the management of ASD. However, early identification is partly dependent on knowledge on ASD among pediatricians. This study analyzed the extent of ASD knowledge and its underlying factors among pediatric residents in eastern China, to provide a reference for medical education reforms. Methods The study employed the Knowledge about Childhood Autism among Health Workers questionnaire. A total of 138 pediatric residents participated in the survey. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic characteristics and the four domains of the questionnaire. Univariate analysis was employed to assess impacts of the demographic characteristics on the questionnaire scores. On the other hand, multivariate regression analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the participants’ demographic characteristics and the questionnaire scores. Results The average ASD cognitive score of 138 respondents was 13.38 ± 4.48. The ASD cognitive scores in female pediatric residents were higher compared to that in males (p

Abstract Background Abnormal or stereotyped behaviours in dairy cows are common in large-scale indoor farms and are usually accompanied by high physiological stress levels. Feed tossing is an abnormal behaviour commonly seen in cows while being fed, making farm management difficult. However, the reasons behind this behaviour have not been sufficiently reported. The objective of this study was to explore the changes in rumen fermentation, serum indicators, inflammatory conditions and the performance of cows with feed tossing behaviour. Holstein cows with similar lactation stages in the same barn were subjected to behaviour observations two times per day for 21 consecutive days. Ten cows with feed tossing behaviour (FT) and ten cows without abnormal behaviours (CON) were selected for further sampling. Plasma samples, rumen fluid, milk yield data of cows, and an indoor environment temperature-humidity index (THI) were collected. Results There was no significant difference in average daily milk yield during the observation period between feed-tossing cows (n = 68) and the other cows (n = 112). The number of cows showing FT behaviour had a moderately strong negative linear correlation with the THI of the environment. Compared to the CON cows, the FT cows had higher cortisol, norepinephrine and urea nitrogen levels in plasma, as well as higher plasma levels of inflammatory indicators, including total protein, lactate dehydrogenase, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase levels, and the ratio of aspartate aminotransferase to alanine aminotransferase. The FT cows had no significant variations from the CON cows regarding their rumen fermentation indicators, such as pH, ammonia nitrogen, and volatile fatty acids. In addition, 16S rRNA analysis revealed that there might be no clear association between the diversity and abundance of rumen bacteria and feed tossing behaviour. Conclusions Our findings suggested that cows might have suffered from high levels of physiological stress and immune state for a long period when they exhibited FT behaviour. The environmental THI could affect the FT behaviour of cows; as the THI increases, the willingness of cows to throw decreases. This work provided the first evidence that feed tossing might be a response associated with high levels of physiological stress and immune. It also explored our insights into a commonly observed behavioural response to cow welfare traits.

Abstract This article intends to improve the recycling of waste sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) tops and the value-added utilization of pyroligneous acid. Fresh sugarcane tops can be used by ruminants, but they are prone to dehydration and mildew during storage, reducing their feeding value. Pyroligneous acid, a by-product in the process of making biochar, has good antibacterial effects. Adding pyroligneous acid to sugarcane tops for silage fermentation may be an effective way to promote the recycling of sugarcane tops. Thus, the fermentation quality and bacterial community of sugarcane tops ensiled with or without 1–2% pyroligneous acid for 5, 10, 20, or 100 days were investigated. Results showed that pyroligneous acid increased the acetic acid content and reduced ammonia-N concentration, and numbers of coliform bacteria and molds in sugarcane tops silages. On the other hand, the addition of pyroligneous acid decreased the diversity of bacteria in sugarcane-top silage. Pyroligneous acid decreased Firmicutes and Leuconostoc relative abundances while increasing Lactobacillus relative abundances. Fermentation was also limited by the addition of pyroligneous acid, which reduced metabolic activities during ensiling. Graphical abstract

Geopolymer grouting material is a new kind of grouting material. The usage of coal gangue as raw material to prepare geopolymer grouting material can effectively solve the accumulation of coal gangue. Meanwhile, it can reduce the pollution of different grouting materials in the use and production process. These all make a great significance to the environment and resources. This review summarizes the research on coal gangue-based geopolymer grouting materials in recent years, introduces the selection of raw materials, preparation conditions and performance enhancement methods of coal gangue-based geopolymer grouting materials. The current problems of grouting materials are summarized and analyzed.

In a layer house, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) concentration above the upper limit can cause the oxygen concentration to be below the lower limit suitable for poultry. This leads to chronic CO2 poisoning in layers, which manifests as listlessness, reduced appetite, weak constitution, decreased production performance, and weakened resistance to disease. Regulating ventilation may ensure a suitable CO2 concentration in layer houses. Predicting the changes in CO2 concentration and regulating the CO2 concentration in advance are key to ensuring healthy large-scale breeding of layers. In recent years, machine learning and deep learning methods have been increasingly applied to this field. A CO2 prediction model for layer house is proposed based on a GRU (gated recurrent unit) and LSTM (long short-term memory). The temperature, humidity, and CO2 were determined as inputs to the model by the correlation coefficient. The datasets of the experimental layer house were continuously measured during June–July 2023, using a self-developed environmental monitor, and the monitored data were used as samples for model inputs. There were 22,000 time series data in the datasets. In this study, multivariate time series data were standardized via data pre-processing to improve model training. GRU and LSTM models were constructed. The models were trained using a training set. Then, these trained models were used to provide predictions on a test set. The prediction errors were calculated using the true values of the test set and the predicted values provided by the models. To test the performance of the model and accuracy of the predictions, predictions were made for different numbers of datasets. The results demonstrated that the combined prediction model had good generalization, stability, and convergence with high prediction accuracy. Due to the structure of the model, the stability of the LSTM model was higher than that of the GRU model, and its prediction accuracy and speed were lower than those of the GRU model. When the datasets of the GRU model were 15,000 to 17,000, The MAE of the GRU was 70.8077 to 126.7029 ppm, and the prediction time of the GRU is 16 to 24 ms. When the LSTM model’s datasets were 15,000–20,000, the MAE of LSTM was 78.8596 to 136.0896 ppm, and the prediction time of the GRU was 17 to 26 ms.

Abstract Background Mediastinal cavernous hemangiomas are extremely rare vascular tumors. To the best of our knowledge less than 20 cases of posterior mediastinal hemangioma have been reported in literature, and this is the first case of mediastinal cavernous hemangioma presenting with massive pleural effusion. Case presentation We report a case of a 56-year-old female who presented with cough and chest tightness and was found with a massive pleural effusion in chest CT. It was mistaken for a malignant pleural effusion. A posterior mediastinal lesion was observed after thoracic drainage and misdiagnosed again as neurofibroma. The lesion was resected and post-operative histopathology suggested that it was a cavernous hemangioma. Post-operative recovery was uneventful, and a follow-up examination nearly 14 months later showed the patient had no recurrence. Conclusions Due to the lack of diagnostic specificity and variety of clinical manifestations, CHM is often misdiagnosed prior to resection. This is the first description of mediastinal hemangioma presenting with massive pleural effusion. It is very important to consider mediastinal hemangioma before operation to reduce surgical complications, and it should be in the differential diagnosis of posterior mediastinal masses.

In accordance with the principle that the cube graph can be obtained by superimposing planes, a multiple-image encryption scheme based on hyperchaotic map and 3D cube is designed in this paper. Multiple images are segmented by columns, and a regular cube is obtained by stacking multiple fixed-size planes. Each stacked plane is considered as a stacked plane of the cube along the z-axis direction. Firstly, each tangent plane is rotated by different angles in the counterclockwise direction and then DNA encoded, followed by face swap, row swap, and column swap in turn. Then, the DNA-encoded image cube is subjected to DNA addition with the chaotic cube. Finally, two DNA sequences are randomly selected for DNA mutation. The mutated cube is decoded into a digital cube by DNA and the multiple-image encryption algorithm is completed. Theoretically, the cube used in the encryption process can be infinitely large, which means that the number and the size of 2D images that can be encrypted can be unrestricted. Experimental simulations and performance tests prove that the proposed image encryption scheme is effective and secure.

BackgroundAbout a quarter of the world’s population with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) are the main source of active tuberculosis. Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) cannot effectively control LTBI individuals from developing diseases. Latency-related antigens can induce T lymphocytes of LTBI individuals to produce higher IFN-γ levels than tuberculosis patients and normal subjects. Herein, we firstly compared the effects of M. tuberculosis (MTB) ag85ab and 7 latent DNA vaccines on clearing latent MTB and preventing its activation in the mouse LTBI model.MethodsA mouse LTBI model was established, and then immunized respectively with PBS, pVAX1 vector, Vaccae vaccine, ag85ab DNA and 7 kinds of latent DNAs (including rv1733c, rv2660c, rv1813c, rv2029c, rv2628, rv2659c and rv3407) for three times. The mice with LTBI were injected with hydroprednisone to activate the latent MTB. Then, the mice were sacrificed for the bacterial count, histopathological examination, and immunological evaluation.ResultsUsing chemotherapy made the MTB latent in the infected mice, and then using hormone treatment reactivated the latent MTB, indicating that the mouse LTBI model was successfully established. After the mouse LTBI model was immunized with the vaccines, the lung colony-forming units (CFUs) and lesion degree of mice in all vaccines group were significantly decreased than those in the PBS group and vector group (P

Abstract Extra‐tropical cyclones are an important source of weather variability in the mid‐latitudes. Multiple occurrences in a short period of time at a particular location are denominated serial cyclone clustering (SCC), and potentially lead to large societal impacts. We investigate the relationship between SCC affecting Western Europe and large‐scale weather regimes (WRs) in the North Atlantic‐European region in boreal winter. We find that SCC in low latitudes (45°N) is predominantly associated with the anticyclonic Greenland Blocking WR. In contrast, SCC in mid and high latitudes (55°N, 65°N) is mostly linked to different cyclonic WRs. Thereby, SCC occurs typically within a well‐established WR that builds up prior to SCC and decays after SCC. Thus, SCC events are closely associated with recurrent, quasi‐stationary and persistent large‐scale flow patterns (WRs). This mutual relationship reveals the potential of WRs in forecasting storm series and associated impacts on sub‐seasonal to seasonal time scales.

Neolamarckia cadamba is an indigenous, timber-producing tree species in Southern China that plays an important role in the sustainable development of the local forestry industry. However, the geographic genetic variation across its natural distribution area in Southern China has yet to be characterized for best utilization. Here, we report the geographic genetic variation in growth and wood properties of N. cadamba from 10 provenances that represent the entire natural distribution of N. cadamba in Southern China. There was significant geographic variation in diameter breast height (DBH), height (H), volume (V), vessel length (VL), vessel diameter (VD), VL/VD, and wood basic density (WBD). The variation in tree volume across provenances was greater than that of other growth traits, indicating that volume has a greater potential for selection in provenance trials. The provenance heritabilities of growth traits and wood properties ranged from 0.59 to 0.67 and from 0.40 to 0.45, respectively. Trend surface analysis revealed that patterns of geographic variation associated with growth traits were weakly negatively correlated with those of wood properties. The pattern of geographic variation in growth traits showed a gradual increase from the periphery to the central region, whereas wood properties showed the opposite pattern, and latitude had the greatest effect on both. Wood property measurements suggested that the YNMS provenance produced superior timber wood, whereas the GXLZ, GXFCG, and GXNN provenances produced the best pulpwood. These provenances could potentially provide more valuable breeding materials for the genetic improvement of N. cadamba.

Abstract Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a frequently encountered disease condition in clinical practice mainly caused by cigarette smoke (CS). The aim of this study was to investigate the protective roles of human adipose-derived stem cells-derived exosomes (ADSCs-Exo) in CS-induced lung inflammation and injury and explore the underlying mechanism by discovering the effects of ADSCs-Exo on alveolar macrophages (AMs) pyroptosis. Methods ADSCs were isolated from human adipose tissues harvested from three healthy donors, and then ADSCs-Exo were isolated. In vivo, 24 age-matched male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to CS for 4 weeks, followed by intratracheal administration of ADSCs-Exo or phosphate buffered saline. In vitro, MH-S cells, derived from mouse AMs, were stimulated by 2% CS extract (CSE) for 24 h, followed by the treatment of ADSCs-Exo or phosphate buffered saline. Pulmonary inflammation was analyzed by detecting pro-inflammatory cells and mediators in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Lung histology was assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Mucus production was determined by Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff staining. The profile of AMs pyroptosis was evaluated by detecting the levels of pyroptosis-indicated proteins. The inflammatory response in AMs and the phagocytic activity of AMs were also investigated. Results In mice exposed to CS, the levels of pro-inflammatory cells and mediators were significantly increased, mucus production was markedly increased and lung architecture was obviously disrupted. AMs pyroptosis was elevated and AMs phagocytosis was inhibited. However, the administration of ADSCs-Exo greatly reversed these alterations caused by CS exposure. Consistently, in MH-S cells with CSE-induced properties modelling those found in COPD, the cellular inflammatory response was elevated, the pyroptotic activity was upregulated while the phagocytosis was decreased. Nonetheless, these abnormalities were remarkably alleviated by the treatment of ADSCs-Exo. Conclusions ADSCs-Exo effectively attenuate CS-induced airway mucus overproduction, lung inflammation and injury by inhibiting AMs pyroptosis. Therefore, hADSCs-Exo may be a promising cell-free therapeutic candidate for CS-induced lung inflammation and injury.

Magnesium oxysulfate (MOS) cement features potential advantages, including light weight, green and environmental protection, low thermal conductivity, and high frost- and fire-resistance, but its poor mechanical strength limits the extensive utilization in the architectural engineering. In this study, low-cost quartz (Q) was used as a mineral admixture to increase the mechanical strength of MOS pastes. The impact of the filler Q on the early and later mechanical strength of MOS cement was investigated, in which also had an impact on fluidity, setting times, volume stability, hydration processes, phase transformations, and microstructure. The results show that hydration of periclase to form 5Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·7H2O (phase 5-1-7) in this system was a multi-stage reaction process. 3Mg(OH)2·MgSO4·8H2O was the first sediment in this system and was converted into phase 5-1-7. The dilution and dispersion effects of the filler Q increased the early hydration rate, shortened the setting time, and increased the content and crystallite size of phase 5-1-7, increasing the early mechanical strength of MOS cement, while the volume-filling effect of the filler Q reduced the content of large pore and total pore volume, and improved the pore structure of the MOS cement, improving the later mechanical strength of MOS cement. MOS cement containing 15 wt.% of filler Q exhibited the highest early and later mechanical strength, and the lowest volume shrinkage, which is more suitable for application in architectural engineering. Based on these results, filler Q can be used as an enhancer in MOS cement, however its enhancement mechanisms are effective only when the content of filler Q is no more than 20 wt.%.

The concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) can be estimated using satellite data collected during the daytime. However, there are currently no long-term evening PM2.5 datasets, and the application of low-light satellite data to analyze nighttime PM2.5 concentrations is limited. The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day/Night Band (VIIRS/DNB), meteorology, Digital Elevation Model, moon phase angle, and Normalized Digital Vegetation Index were used in this study to develop a Deep Neural Network model (DNN) for estimating the nighttime concentrations of PM2.5 in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region from 2015 to 2021. To evaluate the model’s performance from 2015 to 2021, a ten-fold cross-validation coefficient of determination was utilized (CV − R2 = 0.51 − 0.68). Using a high spatial resolution of 500 m, we successfully generated a PM2.5 concentration map for the BTH region. This finer resolution enabled a detailed representation of the PM2.5 distribution over the area. Interannual and seasonal trends in nighttime PM2.5 concentrations were analyzed. Winter had the highest seasonal spatial PM2.5, followed by spring and autumn, whereas summer had the lowest. The annual concentration of PM2.5 at night steadily decreased. Finally, the estimation of nighttime PM2.5 was applied in scenarios such as continuous day–night changes, rapid short-term changes, and single-point monitoring. A deeper understanding of PM2.5, enabled by nightly PM2.5, will serve as an invaluable resource for future research.