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Purpose: To compare the outcomes of type II pediatric phalangeal neck fractures (PPNFs) treated with closed reduction and cast immobilization (CRCI) versus closed reduction percutaneous pinning (CRPP), and evaluated the clinical efficacy of conservative versus surgical treatment of type II PPNFs via meta-analysis. Methods: Patients aged ≤ 14 years with type II PPNFs were divided into conservative (CRCI) and operative (CRPP) groups. Radiographs measured angulation and translation; hand function was assessed with total active range of motion (TAM) and Quick-DASH. Complication rates were also compared between the groups. A meta-analysis of conservative versus operative treatment confirmed the clinical results. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and R studio 3.0 with two-tailed, chi-squared, and Mann–Whitney U or t-tests, P < 0.05. Meta-analysis used fixed or random effects models, calculating mean differences and odds ratios for outcomes, and assessing heterogeneity with I2 and Q tests. Results: Final angulation (3.4° ± 3.7° and 4.9° ± 5.4° vs. 3.6° ± 3.7° and 4.2° ± 4.3°) and displacement (6.3% ± 5.8% and 5.7% ± 4.7% vs. 5.8% ± 5.5% and 3.2% ± 4.2%) in the coronal and sagittal planes were not different statistically between the conservative and surgical groups (P > 0.05), but improved significantly compared to preoperative values (P < 0.05). Although Quick-DASH scores were comparable in both groups (P = 0.105), conservatively treated patients had a significantly better TAM at the last follow-up visit (P = 0.005). The complication rates were 24.2% and 41.7% in the surgical and conservatively treated groups respectively (P = 0.162). However, the latter primarily experienced imaging-related complications, whereas the former experienced functional complications (P = 0.046). Our meta-analysis (n = 181 patients) also showed comparable functional (P = 0.49) and radiographic (P = 0.59) outcomes and complication rates (P = 0.21) between the surgical (94 patients) and conservative (87 patients) groups. Conclusions: Conservative and surgical treatments are both reliable and safe approaches for managing type II PPNF in children. However, conservatively treated patients generally experience similar radiographic outcomes, lower complication rates, and better functional outcomes than surgically treated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors determine the quality of the growth and development of cotton. To compare their influences on the quality of the growth and development of cotton, nine different irrigation modes, including flood irrigation, drip irrigation under a film, and subsurface irrigation under a film, are considered at other lower limits as the influential factors and are regarded as the optimal indices in this paper. A synthetic assessment model is established according to relevant experimental results based on the AHP-TOPSIS theory, and the accelerated genetic projection pursuit algorithm to analyze and compare the different schemes, and the experimental results are compared with the theoretical results. The results show that subsurface irrigation under a film with a lower irrigation index limit of 70-75% of the field water capacity is the best scheme for the growth and development of cotton; with this scheme, the cotton production can be increased. The conclusions provide a specific theoretical basis for selecting future irrigation modes in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stainless steels are used in a wide range of complex environments due to their excellent corrosion resistance. Multiphase stainless steels can offer an excellent combination of strength, toughness and corrosion resistance due to the coexistence of different microstructures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of a novel cast multiphase stainless steel, composed of martensite, ferrite, and austenite, were investigated following appropriate heat treatment processes: solution treatment at 1,050 °C for 0.5 h followed by water quenching to room temperature, and aging treatment at 500 °C for 4 h followed by water quenching to room temperature. Results show reversed austenite is formed by diffusion of Ni element during aging process, and the enrichment of Ni atoms directly determines the mechanical stability of austenite. The austenite with a lower Ni content undergoes a martensitic transformation during plastic deformation. The tensile strength of the specimen exceeds 1,100 MPa and the elongation exceeds 24% after solid solution, and further increases to 1,247 MPa and 25% after aging treatment. This enhancement is due to the TRIP effect of austenite and the precipitation of the nanoscale G-phase pinning dislocations in ferrite and martensite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new direct calculation method of frost ice shape on the blade surface of horizontal axis wind turbine is proposed. Using linear interpolation algorithm, the airfoil ice shape obtained by LEWICE 2D software or ice wind tunnel experiment was fitted with equidistant step length in the first and fourth quadrants and equidistant step length in the second and third quadrants. The key point coordinates of ice shapes on cross-sections along the span-wise were mapped into lagging and flapping surfaces through the mathematical dimension reduction, respectively. The polynomial fitting was used to deal with ice projection points of multiple sections in lagging and flapping surfaces, and then the blade's frost ice shape was obtained. By calculating the sum of squared residuals of the polar diameter at the same polar angle, the errors between experimental and airfoil frost shape fitting methods, experimental and FENSAP, and blade frost shape formation methods and FENSAP were analyzed. The results show that the new method is in good agreement with the ice shape of FENSAP simulation results and experimental results. The residual sum of squares is small. This method makes the analysis of frost ice morphology of wind turbine blades do not need to consider interdisciplinary. The calculation process is simple and reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersive interaction between a qubit and a cavity is ubiquitous in circuit and cavity quantum electrodynamics. It describes the frequency shift of one quantum mode in response to excitations in the other and, in closed systems, is necessarily bidirectional, i.e., reciprocal. Here, we present an experimental study of a nonreciprocal dispersive-type interaction between a transmon qubit and a superconducting cavity, arising from a common coupling to dissipative intermediary modes with broken time reversal symmetry. We characterize the qubit-cavity dynamics, including asymmetric frequency pulls and photon shot noise dephasing, under varying degrees of nonreciprocity by tuning the magnetic field bias of a ferrite component in situ. We introduce a general master equation model for nonreciprocal interactions in the dispersive regime, providing a compact description of the observed qubit-cavity dynamics agnostic to the intermediary system. Our result provides an example of quantum nonreciprocal phenomena beyond the typical paradigms of non-Hermitian Hamiltonians and cascaded systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA modifications add another layer of complexity to the eukaryotic genome to regulate gene expression, playing critical roles as epigenetic marks. In eukaryotes, the study of DNA epigenetic modifications has been confined to 5mC and its derivatives for decades. However, rapid developing approaches have witnessed the expansion of DNA modification reservoirs during the past several years, including the identification of 6mA, 5gmC, 4mC, and 4acC in diverse organisms. However, whether these DNA modifications function as epigenetic marks requires careful consideration. In this review, we try to present a panorama of all the DNA epigenetic modifications in eukaryotes, emphasizing recent breakthroughs in the identification of novel DNA modifications. The characterization of their roles in transcriptional regulation as potential epigenetic marks is summarized. More importantly, the pathways for generating or eliminating these DNA modifications, as well as the proteins involved are comprehensively dissected. Furthermore, we briefly discuss the potential challenges and perspectives, which should be taken into account while investigating novel DNA modifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of FeCoNiCrMo high-entropy alloy (HEA) coating with different porosity prepared by plasma spray was investigated in this study. The feedstock powder is prepared by atomization method and mechanically mixed with an additional content of Al powder. The plasma spray prepares the mixture coatings on the Cu substrate. The porous electrocatalytic electrodes are obtained by the dealloying method. The porous HEA electrodes present the major FCC phase, the phase FeCrNiMo, and the phase Al2O3, wherein the Al2O3 formed due to the residual of the Al element. The oxides on the surface composed of Fe2O3, FeO, Co2O3, CoO, NiO, Ni2O3, Cr2O3, MoO2, and MoO3. Adding Al content increases the porosity, approaching 13.19%, 29.68%, and 47.34%. The pores are fine and dispersed in the 30 vol.% Al HEA coating, expected to present high performance. The electrochemical tests revealed that the 30 vol.% Al HEA coating presents the lowest overpotential, − 0.174 V, and the lowest charge transfer resistance, 61.91Ω, corresponding to the highest HER electrocatalytic activity. In addition, after 1000 and 2000 cycles of the CV test, the overpotential is still − 0.181 and − 0.19 V, respectively, which indicates the porous HEA coating exhibits outstanding stability. To sum up, the FeCoNiCrMo HEA system shows a potential for electrocatalyzing HER. Meanwhile, the plasma spray followed by dealloying is a feasible method to prepare the porous catalytic electrode with a high performance. This study will provide a new idea for organizing and designing catalytic electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectroscopic characteristics of Er-doped lead silicate glasses were investigated with respect to the effects of glass modifiers (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+)with various optical basicities. Using the absorption spectra of the glasses, the Judd--Ofelt parameters of the glasses were calculated and examined, with an emphasis on the glass emission intensity ratio at 1572 nm. The spectra of the samples at low temperatures were examined, and the Stark splitting of Er3+ was investigated. The McCumber method was used to determine the emission cross sections of glasses. The SPM glass exhibited high values of full width at half maximum (51.24 nm) and the emission cross section at 1572 nm (1.908 x 10-21 cm²), with potential applications for guiding component design of 1.5-μm fiber lasers and amplifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal heating and photocatalytic treatment are two solar-driven water processing approaches by harnessing NIR and UV-vis light, respectively, which can fully utilize solar energy if integrated. However, it remains a challenge to achieve high performance in both approaches when integrated in a material due to uncontrollable heat diffusion. Here, we report a demonstration of heat confinement on photothermal sites and fluid cooling on photocatalysis sites at the nanoscale, within a well-designed heat and fluid confinement nanofiber reactor. Photothermal and photocatalytic nanostructures were alternatively aligned in electrospun nanofibers for on-demand nanofluidic thermal management as well as easy folding into 3D structures with enhanced light utilization and mass transfer. Such a design showed simultaneously high photothermal evaporation rate (2.59 kg m-2 h-1, exceeding the limit rate) and efficient photocatalytic upcycling of microplastics pollutant into valued products. Enabled by controlled photothermal heating, the valued main product (i.e., methyl acetate) can be evaporated out with 100% selectivity by in situ separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic studies have shown that Robinow syndrome (RS), a rare skeletal dysplasia, is caused by ROR2 mutation. However, the cell origin and molecular mechanisms underlying this disease remain elusive. We established a conditional knockout system by crossing Prx1cre and Osxcre with Ror2 flox/flox mice. and conducted histological and immunofluorescence analyses to investigate the phenotypes during skeletal development. In the Prx1cre line, we observed RS-like skeletal abnormities, including short stature and an arched skull. Additionally, we found inhibition of chondrocyte differentiation and proliferation. In the Osxcre line, loss of ROR2 in osteoblast lineage cells led to reduced osteoblast differentiation during both embryonic and postnatal stages. Furthermore, ROR2 mutant mice exhibited increased adipogenesis in the bone marrow compared to their littermate controls. To further explore the underlying mechanisms, bulk RNA-seq analysis of Prx1cre; Ror2 flox/flox embryos was performed, results revealed decreased BMP/TGF-β signaling. Immunofluorescence analysis further confirmed the decreased expression of p-smad1/5/8, accompanied by disrupted cell polarity in the developing growth plate. Pharmacological treatment using FK506 partially rescued the skeletal dysplasia and resulted in increased mineralization and osteoblast differentiation. By modeling the phenotype of RS in mice, our findings provide evidence for the involvement of mesenchymal progenitors as the cell origin and highlight the molecular mechanism of BMP/TGF-β signaling in skeletal dysplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assesses the impact of social media posts by different categories of opinion leaders on the stock market during the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infodemic. After aggregating tweets (n = 302,806) into diverse agendas based on posters' professional attributes, time-series analyses reveal that increased COVID-19 attention from media and public health agendas is linked to reduced stock prices. By contrast, emphasis on COVID-19 by political agendas tends to increase stock prices, contingent on public agenda sentiment levels due to negative bias. Additionally, the sentiment of the public agenda boosts stock prices through a chain mediating process. This study indicates that posts by politicians are more effective in preventing market crashes compared to those from media or public health experts. This research contributes to agenda-setting theory by introducing the agenda-diffusion approach, highlighting the distinct roles of opinion leaders, their dynamic effects, and the diffusion process. The findings provide insights for crisis management in future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the effects of different protein and energy levels on growth performance and serum biochemical indices of ewes during early and mid-pregnancy. A total of 132 ewes were assigned to 5 groups (P1, P2 = E2, P3, E1, E3) to dietary protein levels (P1: 9.22%, P2: 10.04%, P3: 10.86%) and dietary energy levels (E1: 9.04 MJ/kg, E2: 9.53 MJ/kg, E3: 10.02 MJ/kg). Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increased with an increase in protein levels in early pregnancy (P = .008). In the P2 group, creatinine, triglyceride, and lactate levels were lowest and total protein levels were highest in mid-pregnancy (P < .05). Final weight, total weight gain, and average daily weight gain increased with an increase in energy levels of ewes (P < .05). BUN, aspartate transaminase, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein decreased with an increase in energy levels in mid-pregnancy (P < .05). Alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and glucose increased initially and then decreased with an increase in energy levels (P < .05). To sum up, we suggest that Hu sheep be fed diets with energy and protein levels of 10.02 MJ/kg and 10.04% in early and mid-pregnancy, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing demand on structural toughness and energy absorption capacity, the addition of fiber to concrete has become an issue of significance. This paper studies the bond behavior of Basalt FRP (BFRP) minibar with straight, twisted and crimped geometric characteristics. The failure modes, pullout curves and bond strength were compared, and their interface degradation, damage evolution and failure mechanism between single fiber and concrete matrix were analyzed. Additionally, commercial steel fibers and polypropylene fibers were compared with the BFRP minibars to clarify the effect of fiber type on failure morphology, bond strength and interface properties. The results showed that the pulling out process for straight BFRP minibars, twisted BFRP minibars and crimped BFRP minibars was constituted by the elastic bonding stage, the partial de‐bonding stage, the complete de‐bonding stage and the pullout of fiber. The bond strength was composed of chemical adhesion and mechanical bond, where the mechanical bond play important role after the initial failure of chemical adhesion. The bond strength of crimped BFRP minibar, the hooked steel fiber, the indented polypropylene fibers and the twisted BFRP minibar were enhanced by 358%, 324%, 115%, and 54.5% compared to straight BFRP minibars. The interface bonding strengths improve with the increase of matrix strength. Dense microstructures of matrix improve the bond strength. The bond‐slip constitutive model was proposed for crimped, twisted and straight BFRP minibars with regression coefficient of 0.978, 0.891, and 0.992, respectively. Highlights: Influence of fiber geometry and concrete strength on the pullout behaviorInterface degradation, damage evolution and failure mechanism between minibar and concreteBond‐slip constitutive model of straight, twisted and crimped BFRP minibars [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AAV-PHP.eB depends on endothelial cells to highly transduce the central nervous system (CNS) and is widely used for intravenous gene therapy. However, the transduction profile and therapeutic efficiency after endothelial cell injury such as ischemic stroke is largely unknown. In this study, we tested the transduction profiles of AAV-PHP.eB and developed intravenous NeuroD1 gene therapy to treat ischemic stroke in mice. We found that AAV-PHP.eB-GFP control virus crossed the BBB and infected brain cells efficiently in normal brain. However, after stroke, AAV-PHP.eB-GFP control virus was highly restricted in the blood vessels. Surprisingly, after switching to therapeutic vector AAV-PHP.eB-NeuroD1-GFP, the viral vector successfully crossed blood vessels and infected brain cells. Using Tie2-cre transgenic mice, we demonstrated that NeuroD1 regulated endothelial gene expression to modulate AAV-PHP.eB transduction. Following the changes of signaling pathways in endothelial cells, NeuroD1 effectively protected BBB integrity, attenuated neuroinflammation, inhibited neuron apoptosis and rescued motor deficits after ischemic stroke. Moreover, NeuroD1 overexpression in brain cells further promoted neural regeneration. These results indicate that intravenous gene therapy using AAV-PHP.eB for ischemic stroke differs from intracranial gene therapy and NeuroD1 intravenous delivery using AAV-PHP.eB efficiently rescue both vascular damage and neuronal loss, providing an advancing therapeutic treatment for stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are instrumental in maintaining immune tolerance and preventing destructive autoimmunity, but how heterogeneous Treg populations are established remains largely unknown. Here, we show that Zfp335 deletion in Tregs failed to differentiate into effector Tregs (eTregs) and lose Treg-suppressive function and that KO mice exhibited early-onset lethal autoimmune inflammation with unrestricted activation of conventional T cells. Single-cell RNA-Seq analyses revealed that Zfp335-deficient Tregs lacked a eTreg population and showed dramatic accumulation of a dysfunctional Treg subset. Mechanistically, Zfp335-deficient Tregs displayed reduced oxidative phosphorylation and dysfunctional mitochondrial activity. Further studies revealed that Zfp335 controlled eTreg differentiation by regulating fatty acid oxidation (FAO) through direct targeting of the FAO enzyme Hadha. Importantly, we demonstrate a positive correlation between ZNF335 and HADHA expression in human eTregs. Our findings reveal that Zfp335 controls FAO-driven eTreg differentiation to establish immune tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To discuss the effects of acupuncture therapy on cerebral small vessel disease with mild cognitive impairment (SV-MCI) and the influence to cognitive function of patient. Methods: A total of 60 outpatient and inpatient patients of cerebral small vessel disease with cognitive impairment from Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Capital Medical University were selected from April 2021 to December 2021. The selected patients were randomly divided into the acupuncture treatment group and the non-acupoint sham acupuncture group, with 30 cases in each group. The treatment in the two groups was performed twice a week for 12 weeks. Neuropsychological scores of patients in the two groups were compared after treatment, including the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT), the Trail Making Test A and B (TMT-A/B) and the Boston naming test (BNT). Results: Compared with the non-acupoint sham acupuncture group, the scores of MoCA, AVLT-recognition and BNT in the acupuncture treatment group were obviously increased after 12 weeks of treatment, and the differences were statistically significantly (P < 0.05). The scores of TMT-A/B were obviously decreased, and the differences were statistically significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The acupuncture treatment group can significantly improve the overall cognitive function of SV-MCI patients. It is mainly manifested in the aspects of executive function, recognition function and naming function, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the potential alleviation effect of Cang'erzi powder on inflammation in a mice model of allergic rhinitis through modulation of toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. The allergic rhinitis mouse model was established via ovalbumin induction. The mice were divided into groups; phosphate buffer saline group, ovalbumin group, ovalbumin+low-dose Cang'erzi powder group, ovalbumin+high-dose Cang'erzi powder group, and ovalbumin+dexamethasone group. The number of sneezing and nasal scratching episodes was recorded. Histopathological examination of the nasal mucosa was performed using hematoxylin-eosin staining. Levels of inflammatory cytokines in the serum were assessed via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Oxidative stressrelated markers were quantified using specific assay kits. Protein levels of toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-kappa B in the nasal mucosa were determined using Western blot analysis. In the allergic rhinitis mouse model, Cang'erzi powder administration significantly reduced the number of ovalbumin induced sneezing and nasal scratching episodes. Furthermore, Cang'erzi powder treatment effectively attenuated the ovalbumin induced secretion of pro-inflammatory factors, including toll-like receptor 4 and interleukin-5. Notably, Cang'erzi powder also demonstrated antioxidant effects by reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and myeloperoxidase, while enhancing the activity of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Additionally, Cang'erzi powder treatment led to a reduction in the protein levels of tolllike receptor 4 and nuclear factor-kappa B in the nasal mucosa. These findings indicate that Cang'erzi powder possesses anti-inflammatory properties and can alleviate inflammation in allergic rhinitis mice by modulating the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. Thus, Cang'erzi powder may hold promise as a potential therapeutic agent for the management of allergic rhinitis and warrants further investigation for its clinical application in inflammatory disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exocytosis releases vesicular contents to mediate physiological functions. In this issue, Biton et al. (https://doi.org/10.1083/ jcb.202302112) found four modes of releasing micron-sized exocrine vesicles and the underlying mechanisms involving actomyosin and BAR domain proteins. We highlight their discovery, compare it with much smaller/faster neuroendocrine vesicle fusion, and draw distinct and conserved principles regarding their membrane transformations, pore dynamics, and underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many chemical compounds that repel biting insects such as mosquitoes have been tested to assess their potential contribution to public health and determine their suitability as effective alternatives to insecticides in managing insect pests. Based on our previous research findings of several terpenoid compounds, including a-terpinene and citronellal, that elicited inhibitory neuronal responses in the olfactory sensilla of Aedes aegypti, we proposed that chemical repellents exhibiting inhibitory effects (inhibitory chemical repellents) may interact with human odorants in the peripheral olfactory system of mosquitoes, resulting in the interruption of the mosquitoes' olfactory recognition of human hosts. In the current study, we examined three potential human-odor-sensitive odorant receptors, AaOR13, AaOR15, and AaOR55 in female Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti), functionally characterized their responses to certain human odorants from the categories of aldehydes, aromatics, and alcohols that may act as cues indicating the presence of human hosts, investigated the interference of inhibitory terpenoids identified in our previous study against AaORs' response to human odorants, and determined the effect of these inhibitory terpenoids on the detection of human odorants in the olfactory sensory neurons (OSN) of Ae. aegypti antennae. The results of these investigations demonstrate the potency of two inhibitory terpenoids, a-terpinene and citronellal, in disrupting the human-odor recognition at the cellular and molecular level, which may ultimately impair mosquito host-seeking capacity and thus prove useful for efforts to protect humans from mosquito-biting behavior and, hence, mosquito-borne disease infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Rapid on-site triage is critical after mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) and other mass injury events. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been used in MCIs to search and rescue wounded individuals, but they mainly depend on the UAV operator's experience. We used UAVs and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a new technique for the triage of MCIs and more efficient solutions for emergency rescue. METHODS: This was a preliminary experimental study. We developed an intelligent triage system based on two AI algorithms, namely OpenPose and YOLO. Volunteers were recruited to simulate the MCI scene and triage, combined with UAV and Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Communication Technology real-time transmission technique, to achieve triage in the simulated MCI scene. RESULTS: Seven postures were designed and recognized to achieve brief but meaningful triage in MCIs. Eight volunteers participated in the MCI simulation scenario. The results of simulation scenarios showed that the proposed method was feasible in tasks of triage for MCIs. CONCLUSION: The proposed technique may provide an alternative technique for the triage of MCIs and is an innovative method in emergency rescue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algorithm awareness, which is defined as the degree to which the user is aware of the presence of algorithms and the way in which they function, could influence how users behave online and interact. The main focus of this study is to understand how algorithm awareness moderates the association between usage motivations and addiction to TikTok videoclips among young people. An online questionnaire was designed and responses attained from 473 young people in China to explore the motivations for consuming video clips, their algorithm awareness levels, and the degree of addiction when using TikTok. The survey results confirm that there are six main factors that motivate young people to consume video clips on TikTok, of which the relaxing entertainment motivation and the information-seeking motivation receive higher scores. They also reveal that the level of addiction to TikTok is relatively high, whereas the level of algorithm awareness among young people remains at a relatively moderate level. Second, when investigating the motivations for use that lead to addiction, the motivations of information seeking, relaxing entertainment, and social interaction are found to be predictors of TikTok video clip addiction. Third, the moderating role of algorithm awareness, whose effects on interactions with information seeking and relaxing entertainment are significant, is studied, and it is found that increasing the level of algorithm awareness among young people could help reduce the addictive use of TikTok. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sprayers have been widely used in agriculture. With the goals of using pesticides efficiently and reducing their dosage, we evaluated the effects of adding and not adding special adjuvants to UAV sprayers on droplet deposition and the control effect of leaf folder insects. The deposition quantity and coverage area of UAV sprayers with the Kao Adjuvant A-200® on rice leaves were better than those without the Kao Adjuvant A-200®. Regarding the control effect on rice leaf rollers, UAV sprayers with the Kao Adjuvant A-200® were also better, and they also met the pesticide residue limit for brown rice. Kao Adjuvant A-200® can improve the UAV sprayer's droplet deposition and pest control effect. When the pesticide dosage was reduced by 30%, UAV sprayers with Kao Adjuvant A-200® can achieve a good control effect, which is very helpful in reducing the pesticide dosage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a thermophilic crop, and low temperature leads to a significant reduction in annual yields. Despite a few cold tolerant germplasms or cultivars have been discovered and developed, molecular mechanisms governing peanut cold tolerance is poorly understood. Identification of keys genes involved in cold tolerance is the first step to address the underlying mechanism. In this study, we isolated and characterized 157 genes with potentials to confer cold tolerance in peanut by using a yeast functional screening system. GO (Gene ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) enrichment analysis of these genes revealed that ribosome and photosynthesis proteins might play essential roles in peanut cold response. Transcriptome results indicated that 60 cold tolerance candidate genes were significantly induced or depressed by low temperature. qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that several candidate genes could be also regulated by salt or drought stress. Individual overexpression of two UDP-glycosyltransferases (AhUGT2 and AhUGT268) in transgenic yeast cells could enhance their tolerance to multiple abiotic stress. In conclusion, this study advances our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the cold stress responses in peanut, and offers valuable gene resources for genetic improvement of abiotic stress tolerance in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease that involves exocrine glands. Shikonin is extracted from comfrey, which is conventionally used as an anti-tumor, antibacterial, and antiviral drug in China. However, the application of Shikonin in SS remains unreported. This study aimed to verify the potential functions of Shikonin in SS progression. Firstly, non-obese diabetic mice were used as the SS mouse model, with C57BL/6 mice serving as the healthy control. It was demonstrated that the salivary gland damage and inflammation were aggravated in the SS mouse model. Shikonin improved salivary gland function decline and injury in the SS mouse model. Moreover, Shikonin reduced inflammatory cytokines and immune infiltration in the SS mouse model. Further experiments discovered that Shikonin attenuated the MAPK signaling pathway in the SS mouse model. Lastly, inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway combined with Shikonin treatment further alleviated the symptoms of SS. In conclusion, Shikonin ameliorated salivary gland damage and inflammation in a mouse model of SS by modulating the MAPK signaling pathway. Our findings indicate that Shikonin may be a useful drug for SS treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified semi-analytical model of vertical double U-pipe ground heat exchanger was established. The validity of the established model is examined by contrasting the figured outcomes with experiment data, emulation results of 3-D numerical model and calculation results of infinite line-source model for different inlet boundary conditions and configurations. After one hour, the semi-analytical model's relative error is less than 0.32% under the boundary condition of given inlet fluid temperature. Under the boundary condition of given total heat input rate, the semi-analytical model's relative error after ten hours is less than 0.11%, while the infinite line-source model's relative error is less than 0.60%. The semi-analytical model is in good agreement with experiment and numerical model, and has higher calculation accuracy than infinite line-source model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), induced by a chronic rejection, remains a significant obstacle for end-stage lung diseases after lung transplantation. We have previously determined that the small non-coding mRNA (miRNA) miR-27a-3p maintained the immature state of dendritic cells (DCs) via the interleukin 10 (IL-lO)-dependent regulatory pathway. Such status helped in preventing rejection and alleviating BOS. The present study explored mechanisms how miR-27a-3p may suppress the fibrosis as well as the maturation of DCs, ultimately attenuating BOS in vitro and in vivo. Methods/Results: In our tracheal transplantation mouse model, the expression of Smad2, Smad4, and aSMA were significantly decreased in the miR-27a-3p-transfected DCs (p < 0.0001, p 0.0006, and p = 0.0002 respectively). Moreover, the expression of fibrosis markers («-SMA, collagen I, and Fn) were potently inhibited in the miR-27a-3p-transfected NIH-3T3 cells (p < 0.0001, p = 0.00148, andp < 0.0001 respectively). At the same time, reversed results were observed in the inhibitor group (p = 0.0002, p < 0.0001, and p < 0.0001 respectively), indicating that miR-27a-3p could directly inhibit myofibroblast differentiation. Furthermore, in the tracheal transplanted mice, the population of Treg cells was significantly decreased (p < 0.0001). In contrast, Thl7 cells were downregulated in the miR-27a-3p-transfected DCs group (p < 0.0001), accompanied by the decreased IL-17 levels (p = 0.0007) and the induction of TGF-ßl and IL-10 (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0016 respectively). Further mechanistic studies indicated that miR-27a-3p altered the maturation of DCs by targeting TLR4 and IRAK (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0002 respectively). Conclusions: Our study suggests that miR-27a-3p selectively blocked the TGF-ßl/Smad pathways to suppress the myofibroblast differentiation and targeted the TRL4/IRAK4 pathway to restrain DCs maturation, thus attenuating BOS. Our findings suggest that miR-27a-3p is a potential active molecule on BOS management after lung transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deserts soils acted as important soil carbon pools in arid and semiarid regions. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents and its driven factors remained unclear in alpine deserts on the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we sampled 223 soil profiles, and analyzed SOC values under 0-30 cm. It was indicated that average and median of SOC were approximately 4.86 and 3.80 g/kg. SOC contents were divided into four groups. The largest group was approximately 3.32 g/kg (145 profiles, P<0.05) when air temperature and altitude were higher than 1.49°C and 2793 m with lower precipitation of 173.4 mm encircling with Qaidam basin. Future increasing precipitation scenario would be an effective countermeasure to increase SOC in this region. Furthermore, SOC of the smallest group was 13.7 g/kg when precipitation was over 371.5 mm in the south of Qinghai Lake. Alpine desert SOC were mainly controlled by total nitrogen and pH and precipitation with R2 of 0.87 (P<0.001). In addition, increasing nitrogen deposition and mineral decomposition significantly increased desert soils organic carbon storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The corn grain harvester serves as an example of complex farming machinery with a condition monitoring system that collects a lot of working condition data, making it challenging to identify the true change pattern due to the data coming from the equipment in various states. Firstly, the overall structure of the corn grain harvester is analysed, and the common causes and mechanisms of corn grain harvester failures are analysed, leading to the cutting table as the main research object; Secondly, the data is organized and pre-processed by collecting historical fault data as well as real-time fault information from corn grain harvesters. The processed data is trained using a self-coding network to extract internal features related to fault causes, based on feature fusion and prediction networks to construct a mapping between fault causes and fault phenomena; Finally, the future failure phenomena of the corn grain harvester are predicted according to different failure causes. The simulation analysis results show that the self-coding neural network fault prediction model can better predict the occurrence probability and types of faults, and provide data support for fault maintenance and decision making of agricultural machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Soybeans are the main sources of oil and protein for most of the global population. As the population grows, so does the demand for soybeans. However, drought is a major factor that limits soybean growth. Methods: The nitrogen content in different parts of the soybean under drought stress and rehydration was investigated using the soybean cultivars, HN44 and HN65, at different growth stages (vegetative growth, parallel period of vegetative growth and reproductive growth and reproductive growth). Result: During the vegetative growth stage, drought decreased the plant's nitrogen content. After rehydration, all the organs showed different degrees of compensatory effects. During the parallel period of vegetative and reproductive growth, drought decreased the nitrogen content of the leaves. After rehydration, the nitrogen content was partially restored. During the reproductive growth period, drought affected the translocation of nitrogen to the sink. After rehydration, the nitrogen content increased in the pods and decreased in other parts. In summary, rehydration after drought during the vegetative growth period of soybean can lead to nitrogen accumulation, but the reproductive growth phase differs from earlier; therefore, this period should avoid drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D supplementation can improve metabolic syndrome (MetS)-related indicators. In the present study, we aimed to explore whether this improvement was dose-dependent in patients with low 25(OH)D levels. A retrospective study that recruited MetS patients from January 2017 to June 2019 was undertaken. They were divided into three groups according to the basic level of 25(OH)D. Chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and T-test were used to examine the differences. A total of 111 patients were included in this study. The average age of them was 62.21 ± 13.35 years (21–89 years), and the mean serum 25(OH)D was 14.67 ± 5.75 nmol/L (4.6–27.5 nmol/L). After 29.92 ± 2.72 d, the serum 25(OH)D of each group was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The SBP, TG, and LDL-C were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while TC and FBG were unaffected. There was no difference between the three groups (P > 0.05). Increasing the level of 25(OH)D could alleviate the pain caused by statins, even though the results of the statin gene suggested that the risk of myalgia was high. Taken together, vitamin D supplementation was beneficial for patients with MetS, and the benefit was not dose-related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A differentially fed dual-polarization slotted antenna with an ultra-wide bandwidth and low cross polarization is presented in this paper. The antenna is composed of a radiation patch and a ground plane, both of which are printed on the top of the dielectric substrate. The ground is extended toward the radiation patch to form a slotted coplanar structure. In order to expand the bandwidth, a cross-shape symmetrical slotted structure is loaded into the radiation patch. Differential feed is adopted to realize 0°C/90°C linear polarizations and suppress the cross polarization. Simulation and measurement results show that the proposed antenna with dimensions of 0.53λC0 × 0.53λ0 × 0.0135λ0 (λ0 is the wavelength at 4 GHz) has a differential mode impedance bandwidth of 82.25% (2.27-5.56 GHz), a differential feed port isolation of higher than 28 dB, and a cross polarization level of less than -30 dB, which achieves the characteristics of ultra-wideband, high isolation, and low cross polarization level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop coverage (CC) is an important parameter to represent crop growth characteristics, and the ahead forecasting of CC is helpful to track crop growth trends and guide agricultural management decisions. In this study, a novel CNN-LSTM model that combined the advantages of convolutional neural network (CNN) in feature extraction and long short-term memory (LSTM) in time series processing was proposed for multi-day ahead forecasting of maize CC. Considering the influence of climate change on maize growth, five microclimatic factors were combined with historical maize CC estimated from field images as the input variables of the forecasting model. The field experimental data of four observation points for more than three years were used to evaluate the performance of CNN-LSTM at the forecasting horizon of three to seven days ahead and compared the forecasting results to CNN and LSTM. The results demonstrated that CNN-LSTM obtained the lowest RMSE and the highest R² at all forecasting horizons. Subsequently, the performance of CNN-LSTM under univariate (historical maize CC) and multivariate (historical maize CC+microclimatic factors) input was compared, and the results indicated that additional microclimatic factors were effective in improving the forecasting performance. Furthermore, the 3-day ahead forecasting results of CNN-LSTM in different growth stages of maize were also analyzed, and the results showed that the highest forecasting accuracy was obtained in the seven leaves stage. Therefore, CNN-LSTM can be considered a useful tool to forecast maize CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, a total of six 5 year old healthy bulls reared in heat stress zone were used and semen from these bulls was collected by artificial vagina and undergoes for semen quality analysis. Results of semen quality parameters showed that the average semen volume and sperm density of Simmental bulls were 9.3mL and 1.23 × 109mL, and sperm acrosome integrity rate were lower as compared to Xiangxi cattle bulls. The transcriptome analysis revealed a 36.8Gb clean data and the obtained clean data of each sample was reached 5.84Gb. The transcriptome analysis further revealed that the percentage of q30 base was 91.19% or above. Based on the comparison results, 4,890 new genes were found, including 2,451 functional annotations. Go analysis explored that GO annotation system included 3 main sections that were biological processes, molecular functions and cellular components, respectively. In conclusion, results showed that the average semen volume and sperm density of Simmental bulls was higher and sperm motility and sperm acrosome integrity rate was lower as compared to Xiangxi cattle bulls. This study has developed a transcriptomic profile of spermatozoa of Xiangxi cattle and Simmental cattle bulls and reported Xiangxi cattle and Simmental cattle bull’s spermatozoa change the gene expression involved in various biological process. This study could provide the experimental basis of poor fertility in Xiangxi cattle bulls and provide possible fertility biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is one of the most common knee injuries. Due to the limited self-healing capacity, complex structure, and mechanical environment, the regeneration of ACL remains a challenge. To achieve fast recovery and long-term ACL regeneration, biodegradable scaffolds with excellent initial mechanical support and cell recruitment ability have gained increasing research interest. The aptamer-functionalized silk fiber was fabricated by embedding silk fiber into morpholinoethanesulfonic/1-ethyl-3-[3-dimethylaminopropyl] carbodiimide hydrochloride, N-hydroxysuccinimide buffer with aptamer 19s (Apt19s) and characterized in vitro. The clinically size-matched silk ligament was braided utilizing commercial methodology (polyethylene terephthalate ligament), and the tensile strength was analyzed. A total of 18 rabbits were used to test the early mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) recruitment of Apt19sfunctionalized silk ligaments. Macroscopic analysis and hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry stainings were applied at 3, 5, and 7 days post-implantation. The ultimate strength of silk fiber was lower than that of PET fibers. However, the prepared silk ligament had comparable mechanical strength to the native ACL. In vitro, the Apt19s-functionalized fiber recruited bone marrow-derived MSCs. In vivo, Apt19s-functionalized silk ligament enhanced early MSCs recruitment after implantation in comparison with the aptamer-free ligament. The Apt19s-functionalized scaffold silk ligament exhibited comparable mechanical strength with native ACL and enhanced endogenous MSC homing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C114H90N12Cl18Nd, triclinic, P 1 ‾ (no. 2), a = 17.3389(7) Å, b = 18.7671(5) Å, c = 19.1454(8) Å, α = 79.600(3)°, β = 68.752(4)°, γ = 68.572(3)°, V = 5396.7(4) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0722, wRref(F2) = 0.1979, T = 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become worldwide, posing particularly severe challenges. Pregnancy brings changes that might make individuals more vulnerable to this viral infection. To date, the impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy outcomes remains controversial. Method: We performed a meta-analysis to address the impact of COVID-19 infection on pregnancy outcomes. We searched the PubMed and China National Knowledge infrastructure (CNKI) databases for related articles. The odds ratio (OR) corresponding to the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to define the impact of INFECTION and severity of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes. The statistical heterogeneity among studies was batched with the Q-test and I² statistics. Results: We collected 38 studies including 127,805 pregnancy women. Our meta-analysis revealed that pregnant women with COVID-19 have been linked to an increased risk of premature birth (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.41–1.96), stillbirth (OR = 1.98, 95% CI = 1.22–3.21), preeclampsia (OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.18–1.80), and PROM (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.07–1.81). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis showed that infection with COVID-19 increases the risk of preterm birth, stillbirth, pre-eclampsia, and PROM. Screening and early care for pregnant women to intervene with COVID-19 is important, given the increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, airports have a profound impact on people's lives, and understanding their dimensions has great significance for research and development. However, few existing airport databases contain such details, which can be reflected indirectly by the built-up land in the airport. In this study, a deep learning-based method was used for extraction of built-up land of airports in China using Sentinel-2 imagery and for further estimating their area. Here, a benchmark generation method is introduced by fusing two reference maps and cropping images into patches. Following this, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the network architectures and select the positive impact bands in Sentinel-2 imagery. A well-trained model was used to extract the built-up land for China airports, and the relationship between China airports' built-up land and the carrying capacity of air transportation was further analysed. Results show that ResUNet-a outperformed U-Net, ResUNet, and SegNet, and the B2, B4, B6, B11, and B12 bands of Sentinel-2 had a positive impact on built-up land extraction. A well-trained model with an overall accuracy of 0.9423 and an F1 score of 0.9041 and 434 China airports' built-up land was extracted. The four most developed airports are located in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, which matches China's political and economic development. The area of built-up land influenced the passenger throughput and aircraft movements. The total area influenced the cargo throughput, and we found a certain correlation among the built-up land, carrying capacity, and nighttime light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mating of budding yeast depends on chemotropism, a fundamental cellular process. Haploid yeast cells of opposite mating type signal their positions to one another through mating pheromones. We have proposed a deterministic gradient sensing model that explains how these cells orient toward their mating partners. Using the cell-cycle determined default polarity site (DS), cells assemble a gradient tracking machine (GTM) composed of signaling, polarity, and trafficking proteins. After assembly, the GTM redistributes up the gradient, aligns with the pheromone source, and triggers polarized growth toward the partner. Since positive feedback mechanisms drive polarized growth at the DS, it is unclear how the GTM is released for tracking. What prevents the GTM from triggering polarized growth at the DS? Here, we describe two mechanisms that are essential for tracking: inactivation of the Ras GTPase Bud1 and positioning of actin-independent vesicle delivery upgradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Qushi Huayu decoction (QHD) has been clinically used for treating non-alcoholic steatohepatits (NASH). However, little is known about the effect of QHD on fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO)-dependent lipid consumption. Objective: To investigate the mechanism of QHD on FAO-related hepatic lipid accumulation. Materials and methods: Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 8): normal diet and drinking water (CON), high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet (HFHC), QHD-L (2.875 g/kg), QHD-H (11.5 g/kg) and obeticholic acid (OCA) (10 mg/kg/day) groups. All mice freely consumed an appropriate diet for 18 weeks, and QHD was orally administered in the last 6 weeks. Measurements of general condition, hepatic histopathology, and JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway were taken. Results: QHD significantly improved NASH in mice, as reflected by improving serum glucolipid metabolism, decreasing enzymes activities, reducing hepatic triglyceride (HFHC: 70.07 ± 2.81 mg/g; QHD-H: 34.06 ± 5.74 mg/g) and ameliorating hepatic steatosis, inflammation in pathology. Further, both the mRNA and protein level of hepatic CPT-1A (p < 0.05), a rate-limiting enzyme of FAO, increased drastically following QHD treatment. Meanwhile, the content of hepatic ATP (p < 0.05) increased significantly after treatment with QHD. Further mechanistic results revealed that both the total protein and nuclear p-STAT3 in the liver were significantly down-regulated after QHD treatment. The protein level of hepatic p-JAK2 was significantly inhibited by QHD (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Conclusions: QHD could attenuate lipid accumulation by increasing JAK2/STAT3/CPT-1A-related FAO, which provides a scientific basis for the clinical application of QHD in treating NASH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Paeoniflorin (PF) and calycosin-7-glucoside (CG, Paeonia lactiflora Pall. extract) have demonstrated protective effects in ischaemic stroke. Objective: To investigate the synergistic effects of PFþCG on ischaemia/reperfusion injury in vivo and in vitro. Materials and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to the middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). After MCAO/R for 24 h, rats were randomly subdivided into 5 groups: sham, model (MCAO/R), study treatment (PFþCG, 40þ20 mg/kg), LY294002 (20mg/kg), and study treatmentþLY294002. Males were given via intragastric administration; the duration of the in vivo experiment was 8 days. Neurologic deficits, cerebral infarction, brain edoema, and protein levels were assessed in vivo. Hippocampal neurons (HT22) were refreshed with glucose-free DMEM and placed in an anaerobic chamber for 8 h. Subsequently, HT22 cells were reoxygenated in a 37 °C incubator with 5% CO2 for 6 h. SOD, MDA, ROS, LDH and protein levels were measured in vitro. Results: PFþCG significantly reduced neurobehavioral outcomes (21%), cerebral infarct volume (44%), brain edoema (1.6%) compared with the MCAO/R group. Moreover, PFþCG increased p-PI3K/PI3K (4.69%, 7.4%), p-AKT/AKT (6.25%, 60.6%) and Bcl-2/BAX (33%, 49%) expression in vivo and in vitro, and reduced GSK-3b (10.5%, 9.6%) expression. In vitro, PFþCG suppressed apoptosis in HT22 cells and decreased ROS and MDA levels (20%, 50%, respectively). Conclusions: PFþCG showed a synergistic protective effect against ischaemic brain injury, potentially being a future treatment for ischaemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine disruptors have biological toxicity and can interfere with the endocrine system of organisms. They widely exist in natural water bodies. Here, the granular biochar was prepared from fermented sludge for the first time by using cationic polyacrylamide as template agent via a template-like method. The as prepared biochar was investigated for the removal of BPA in aqueous media by batch experiment and continuous flow experiment. The pyrolysis temperature and template concentration had a great influence on the properties of residual biochar and BPA capture. The static adsorption results show that when the template concentration was 1% with the pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C, the optimal biochar P-1%− 800 achieved the BPA adsorption value up to 84.78 mg/g. Its adsorption behavior, influencing factors, and recycling capability on BPA reduction were evaluated. Kinetics, isotherms and characterization analysis suggested that the adsorption mechanism involved pore filling, electrostatic attraction, π-π interactions and hydrogen bonding. Good regeneration performance, low concentration heavy metal leaching and lasting continuous flow stability in fixed-bed device under different water quality background demonstrated that fermented sludge-derived granular biochar P-1%− 800 is a desirable adsorbent for reducing BPA in complex water environment. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil and gas migration and accumulation are different manifestations of driving force and resistance during the evolution process of oil-gas pool formation; thus, determining the relationship between the driving force and resistance during oil-gas pool formation is of great significance in exploring for oil and gas in subsags. Taking the Maxi subsag in the Raoyang sag as the study object and simulating surplus paleopressure evolution and quantitatively characterizing the lower limits of displacement pressure of the effective reservoirs, the evolution process of driving force and resistance of hydrocarbon charging during various stages was reproduced, and the relationship between the driving force and resistance of hydrocarbon charging in the subsag was determined. The paleopressure evolution of the subsag underwent three stages: initial accumulation--release--reaccumulation. The lower limit of the effective reservoir displacement pressure gradually increased as the physical properties of reservoirs worsened. The hydrocarbon driving in the subsag can be divided into three types: overpressure driving, buoyancy driving and hybrid driving. The subsag region had two periods of oil-gas pool formation with the different overpressure driving range and hybrid driving range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading source of foodborne poisoning in the human population also critically severe mastitis in livestock. A total of 671 serum samples were collected and tested through ELISA assays. The results revealed that the total prevalence of S. aureus infection in dairy cattle was 29.1% (95% CI: 25.6-32.7). In different farms, the prevalence ranged from 13.9% (95% CI: 8.8-20.5) to 36.6% (30.4-43.2). Similarly, the mean sero-prevalence was 17.0% (13.1-21.4) and 41.6% (36.3-47.2) in male and female animals, respectively. However, at different ages, the mean prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus was found to be 14.3% (7.4-24.1) to 38.5% (30.8-46.6). Although in different years, the sero-prevalence was 27.5% (22.2-33.4) in 2019, 19.6% (13.7-26.7) in 2020 and 36.5% (30.6-42.7) in 2021. According to conditional stepwise logistic regression analysis, different farms, gender, age and year were observed as the critical risk factors affecting the prevalence. Our results may contribute to development of prevention and control strategies against this zoonotic pathogen in farm animals in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As humanity is faced with various changes in social-environmental systems, adaptation efforts have become increasingly important. Significant effort and resources have been spent on devising overarching, large-scale strategies in response to climate change and associated socioeconomic challenges. However, the mechanisms of adaptation employed by individuals and households in ordinary, daily life have received insufficient scholarly examination. This research aims to demonstrate the significance of everyday adaptation strategies of smallholder pastoralists who are on the front lines of changing socioeconomic regimes in East African drylands. We analyzed the daily spatiotemporal patterns of livestock behavior to understand everyday adaptation practices. Two different pastoralist communities in the Borana Zone in southern Ethiopia were compared, one of which keeps the traditional mobile pastoralism livelihood, while the other has sedentarized because of socio-environmental changes and policy incentives. The mobile pastoralists have larger grazing areas, and their cattle spend more time on foraging and resting. In contrast, the sedentarized pastoralists utilize the land near their settlements intensively and the cattle travel longer distances on average. Our findings suggest that sedentarization is a constrained adaptation strategy at best because it increases the recursive use of rangeland and its fragmentation and forces livestock to move more intensively on a daily and seasonal basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C60H56Cl2N12Ni3O6, triclinic, P 1 ‾ (no. 2), a = 12.684(5) Å, b = 12.827(5) Å, c = 19.100(7) Å, α = 84.641(4)°, β = 81.178(4)°, γ = 85.471(4)°, V = 3050.7(19) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0267, wRref(F2) = 0.0735, T = 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIL (Hardware-in-the-Loop) simulation is widely used in the development of automotive functional software because of its high efficiency and low cost. As one of the most widely used automotive active safety systems, the development and testing of ABS (Antilock braking system) are also more convenient due to the emergence of HIL. Firstly, this paper summarizes the research status of ABS HIL simulation in recent years from the following two aspects. Control strategies that include logic threshold control, fuzzy PID algorithm, selfoptimization control, and sliding-mode control will be introduced, and some researchers have also conducted HIL research on the coordination control strategy of ABS with other control institutions, such as EPS (Electric power steering) and DYC (Direct yaw-moment control). The other one is that new type test benches were designed for developing and improving ABS. Secondly, a wheel speed signal simulation mechanism was designed. When the dynamic electrical performance of the ABS is tested in the laboratory, the tested vehicle is stationary and its driven wheels do not rotate. At this moment this device can be used to simulate the driven wheel speed so as to provide basic data for future research on the dynamic electrical performance of the ABS. Finally, this paper points out the development trend of ABS HIL simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an adsorbent of metal ions, activated carbon is often used to purify sewage. However, activated carbon fibres typically show similar adsorption capacity for different metal ions. Salix psammophila fibre (Spsf) was used as raw material to prepare activated carbon fibres (SP-FAC). This was modified with nitric acid (HNO3) to obtain HNO3-SP-FAC (FACHNO3). At 65 wt% concentration of HNO3, the impregnation ratio was 1:35 during 12 h, at 100 °C drying temperature, and the adsorption effect of FACHNO3 on Pb(II) was the best. At CHNO3 = 75 wt%, the impregnation ratio was 1:25. After an impregnation time of 36 h at the same drying temperature, the effect of FACHNO3 on Mn(II) was the best. At CHNO3 = 55 wt%, the impregnation ratio was 1:35, impregnation time was 36 h at 120 °C drying temperature, and the adsorption effect of FACHNO3 on Zn(II) was the best. These results indicate the existence of a close relationship between the pore structure of activated carbon fibres and the adsorption capacity of metal ions, and that the control variables changed the pore structure of activated carbon fibres so that it can achieve a competitive adsorption effect for different ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]