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This paper addresses the synchronization control problem of uncertain single‐master multislave (SMMS) teleoperation system in which every subsystem is connected with each other via a directed constrained communication network. The data exchanges in the channel are discrete in time, intermittent in presence of irregular delays and packet loss, which make the synchronization problem more challenging and still not be well explored. We propose a new adaptive control scheme based on the virtual model and the original dynamic compensator entailing synchronization of all the subsystems under the limited communication. The most recently transmitted information is used to construct the control signal during sampling interval or the period of data loss. The validity of the control approach designed is verified by some simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we establish a mathematical rule for accelerating the prediction of low-cost Co-free AlCraFebNic FCC/B2-structured eutectic medium entropy alloys (EMEAs). The mathematical formulas are c ≥ 1.0, 4.38a + 4.28b + 3.97c ≈ 20.55, and c − a ˃ 1.0. With this rule, we successfully predict the AlCr1.18FeNi2.8 and AlCrFe1.46Ni2.5 eutectic alloys and verify their eutectic morphology by experiments. Both the AlCr1.18FeNi2.8 and AlCrFe1.46Ni2.5 EHEAs exhibit excellent compressive mechanical properties, with yield stress higher than 500 MPa, compressive fracture strength higher than 2450 MPa, and fracture strain > 40%, which can be attributed to their unique lamellar microstructure. Moreover, both alloys exhibit good corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. Among them, the AlCr1.18FeNi2.8 EHEA exhibits better corrosion resistance due to the higher content of the FCC phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of heat treatment on the anisotropic mechanical properties of metastable β titanium alloy is investigated in this work. The anisotropic deformation behaviour is mainly due to the formation of band-like macrozone and texture during forging, which can be effectively weakened by solution + aging treatment. Both the microstructure and texture of the heat treated samples are favourable for the lower strength, higher ductility and impact toughness of axis direction (AD) samples than circumferential direction (CD) ones. Besides, the CD impact samples have stronger anisotropy than AD samples. The delamination along different directions happens in the impact fracture surface of CD samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel AlCo 1.2 Cr 0.8 FeNi 2.1 eutectic high entropy alloy (EHEA) was designed and prepared. The microstructure of the as-cast alloy was characterized that a fine lamellar structure composed of FCC (L1 2) phase and B2 phase. The mechanical of the EHEA was studies by the tensile tests, and the corrosion properties of the EHEA in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution at room temperature was investigated. The results shown that the alloy exhibits synergistic effect of strength- plasticity with a high tensile strength of 1048.42 MPa and an excellent elongation of 18.92%. Potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) indicated that the EHEA exhibits spontaneous passivation in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, forming a protective passive film that exhibits p-type and n-type semiconductor properties, with the main components of Al 2 O 3 , CoO, Cr 2 O 3 , Fe(OH) 3 , and NiO. Furthermore, the corrosion mechanism of EHEA was discussed. • Prepare a novel AlCo 1.2 Cr 0.8 FeNi 2.1 EHEA without Cr-rich precipitates. • Exhibit synergistic effect of strength- plasticity and excellent corrosion resistance. • Study the passive film and corrosion mechanism systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emitted by plants serve crucial biological functions and potentially impact atmospheric environment and global carbon cycling. Despite their significance, BVOC emissions from aquatic macrophytes have been relatively understudied. In this study, for the first time we identified there were 68 major BVOCs released from 34 common aquatic macrophytes, and these compounds referred to alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, alkenes, arenes, ethers, furans, ketones, phenol. For type of BVOC emissions from different life form and phylogenetic group of aquatic macrophytes, 34 of the 68 BVOCs from emergent and submerged macrophytes are classified into alkene and alcohol compounds, over 50% BVOCs from dicotyledon and monocotyledon belong to alcohol and arene compounds. Charophyte and pteridophyte emitted significantly fewer BVOCs than dicotyledon and monocotyledon, and each of them only released 12 BVOCs. These BVOCs may be of great importance for the growth and development of macrophytes, because many BVOCs, such as azulene, (E)-β-farnesene, and dimethyl sulfide are proved to play vital roles in plant growth, defense, and information transmission. Our results confirmed that both life form and phylogenetic group of aquatic macrophytes had significantly affected the BVOC emissions form macrophytes, and suggested that the intricate interplay of internal and external factors that shape BVOC emissions from aquatic macrophytes. Thus, further studies are urgently needed to investigate the influence factors and ecological function of BVOCs released by macrophytes within aquatic ecosystem. [Display omitted] • Aquatic macrophytes release a diverse array of odorous BVOCs in significant quantities. • The primary BVOCs released from aquatic plants include alcohols, alkenes, and other compounds. • Submerged and emergent macrophytes emit a greater variety of BVOCs compared to other life forms. • The higher the phylogenetic level of aquatic plants, the greater the variety of BVOCs released. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of 0.01% atropine eye drops on the ocular surface in children for the control of myopia.Methods: A total of 72 participants were recruited for this prospective study. Prior to and after 1, 3, and 6 months of 0.01% atropine administration, an ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire was obtained, Keratograph 5M was used for the measurement of the tear meniscus height (TMH), noninvasive keratographic tear film break-up time (NK-BUT, the first keratographic break-up time, [NK-BUTfirst] and the average keratographic break-up time, [NK-BUTave]), bulbar redness (BR), meiboscore (MS), and anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) was used to calculate the inferior tear meniscus area (TMA).Results: After using the 0.01% atropine eye drops for 1 month, 9 subjects complained of discomfort immediately after administration, but this quickly subsided, and 1 subject was temporarily dazzled. All the ocular surface symptoms were mild and occurred rarely. After 3 months, these complaints no longer occurred. Compared with the baseline values, the OSDI scores (0.08 ± 0.28), values of TMH (0.23 ± 0.04 mm), TMA (0.0420 ± 0.0444 mm2), NK-BUTfirst (9.39 ± 5.25 s), NK-BUTave (10.49 ± 4.94 s), BR (0.63 ± 0.37), and MS (0.89 ± 0.70) did not change significantly after 6 months of 0.01% atropine eye drop administration (P > 0.05).Conclusion: In this 6-month prospective study, no side effects were observed on the ocular surface after using 0.01% atropine in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bifacial solar cells based on organic-inorganic perovskite are fabricated with a laminating process. The structure of the devices is ITO/SnO2/CH3NH3PbI3/NiO x /ITO, in which both electrodes are the transparent ITO layer. Therefore, the device can receive light from both sides. By laminating the two half-devices, ITO/SnO2/CH3NH3PbI3 and CH3NH3PbI3/NiO x /ITO, at high temperature with pressure, the merging of the middle perovskite layers is enhanced. The optimized bifacial PSCs show a Voc of 0.85 V, FF of 0.58, Jsc of 17.53 mA/cm2, and PCE of 8.47%. The photovoltaic performance varies when the light is illuminated from different sides of the bifacial PSCs. With illumination from the SnO2 side, the Voc and Jsc of the PSCs are apparently higher than those from the NiO x side, suggesting more severe electron-hole recombination at the NiO x /perovskite interface than at the SnO2/perovskite interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rational design of heterostructures for electrode materials is highly desired for boosting the electrochemical performance, but it is still challenging, especially through a cost-effective method. Herein, novel NiCo2O4 nanosheet-decorated leaf-like Co3O4 nanoarrays have been constructed on a Ni foam using a leaf-like Co-based metal–organic framework (Co-MOF-L) template, which can be simply prepared in an aqueous solution at room temperature. Combining the merits of MOF derivatives and the free-standing core–shell heterostructure, the leaf-like Co3O4@NiCo2O4 nanoarray electrode displayed a high specific capacity of 544.2 C g−1 at 1 A g−1, which is almost 9.3 times that of Co3O4 (58.3 C g−1) and 6 times that of NiCo2O4 (92.1 C g−1). It also displayed a good rate capacity (65.5% at 10 A g−1) and superior long-term stability (93.0% capacity retention over 5000 cycles at 10 A g−1). Moreover, a hybrid supercapacitor (HSC) assembled from the battery-type Co3O4@NiCo2O4 electrode and a capacitive activated carbon (AC) electrode delivered a high energy density of 36 W h kg−1 at a high power density of 852 W kg−1 with good cycling stability, demonstrating a capacity retention of 89.5% after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g−1. Furthermore, two connected HSCs could light up a red light-emitting diode (LED). Therefore, the as-fabricated leaf-like Co3O4@NiCo2O4 nanoarrays hold great promise as binder-free electrodes in electrochemical energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have seen the rapid development of China’s economy and urban construction. In this context, in order to meet the needs of people’s daily production and life for water resources, river channel improvement has become an important task. However, according to the analysis of objective factors, the way of human governance, which is contrary to the laws of nature, can lead to the destruction of river ecosystems. Based on this, this paper mainly discusses river ecological restoration around river channel improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the effects of processing methods on oil yield, chemical composition, physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity and volatile compounds of Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO). The processing methods used were hot pressing (HP), cold pressing (CP), solvent extraction (SE), aqueous extraction (AE), sub-critical fluid extraction (SCFE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). The results showed that the extraction efficiencies from different processing methods ranged from 44.48% to 97.93%, with the highest efficiency from SCFE. All CCSKO samples were found to be rich in medium-chain saturated fatty acids (> 96%), and capric acid-capric acid-lauric acid accounting for the largest proportion of triacylglycerols (77.54%−78.74%). However, the total polyphenol content, δ-tocopherol content and antioxidant activity of AE, α-tocopherol and γ-tocopherol content of CP, and squalene content of SCFE were all significantly higher than those of the other samples. Additionally, the thermal behaviors and spectral profiles of all samples were similar. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the volatile compounds of CCSKO with different processing methods (p < 0.05). Linalool, 2-nonanol, and ethyl caprate were determined to be the key aroma compounds of CCSKO. Overall, the results provide a theoretical reference for further processing of CCSKO. • Six processing methods for Cinnamomum camphora seed kernel oil (CCSKO) were explored. • CCSKO obtained by aqueous extraction showed the highest antioxidant activity. • Processing methods had a significant effect on the volatile compounds of CCSKO. • Linalool, 2-nonanol and ethyl caprate were the key odor contributors of CCSKO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) technique exploits the NMR phenomenon to quantitatively determine the subsurface distribution of water. In the SNMR sounding system, deeper regions are probed by increasing the pulse moment (the product of the current amplitude and pulse duration). However, the amplitude of the current in the transmitter coil inevitably decays due to the energy loss in the storage capacitor. In practical application, the maximum amplitude of the current in one transmission process is recorded and used as the current amplitude. However, this approach results in errors in calculating the pulse moment and the sensitivity kernel function. In this paper, we build a simulation of the transmission process and the current decay phenomenon appears. From the simulation results, the current amplitude at the end of the pulse is 83% of the maximum. We present a dynamic duty cycle control strategy for a constant excitation current. We calculate the 1D sensitivity kernel function based on the two cases of constant and decaying excitation current, respectively. We observe that the maximum difference between them is greater than 200 nV/m. The inversion results based on a 1D aquifer model containing two aquifers show that the decaying excitation current results in aquifers deeper than the model and the water content of the second aquifer is 50% of the model. A comparative experiment between the decaying excitation current system and the constant excitation current system was conducted in a field experiment. Compared with traditional SNMR instruments, our new system can effectively avoid the phenomenon of excitation current decay in field experiments, and the new SNMR sounding system enables accurate inversion of aquifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing core–shell electrode materials with desired components and architectures is a promising strategy for boosting electrochemical performance. Here, three‐dimensional hierarchical ZnCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 core–shell nanosheet arrays have been successfully fabricated on a Ni foam substrate, in which the porous ZnCo2O4 nanosheet "core" as the conductive scaffold was synthesized by a metal–organic framework (MOF)‐templated method, and the ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanoflakes "shell" with rich active sites were grafted on the ZnCo2O4 nanosheet through a hydrothermal treatment. When directly used as a free‐standing electrode for supercapacitor, these hierarchical ZnCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 core–shell nanosheet arrays exhibited a high capacitance of 3063.2 mF cm−2 (1021.1 F g−1) at the current density of 1 mA cm−2. This electrode significantly outperformed individual Ni(OH)2 or ZnCo2O4 nanosheet arrays, benefiting from the robust core–shell arrays on Ni foam with good electrical conductivity and abundant active sites, as well as the synergetic effect between MOF‐derived porous ZnCo2O4 "core" and the ultrathin Ni(OH)2 "shell". Moreover, the assembled ZnCo2O4@Ni(OH)2//activated‐carbon asymmetric supercapacitor displayed excellent energy and power densities (maximum of 40.0 Wh kg−1 and 8.02 kW kg−1) and superior cycling stability of 98.4 % retention with 91.2 % coulombic efficiency over 5 000 cycles at 10 A g−1. Improving supercapacitors: The preparation of a structured electrode based on 3D hierarchical ZnCo2O4@Ni(OH)2 core–shell nanosheet arrays templated by metal–organic frameworks and its use in preparing high‐performance supercapacitors are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the impact of human activities on river ecosystems from two aspects of agricultural production and watershed water conservancy project construction. Among them, dambased water conservancy projects have caused runoff patterns and artificial segmentation of rivers, which has seriously damaged the energy and material of river corridors as well as the capacity of species to transport the passage. Modern agricultural production not only uses a lot of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, but also occupies a large number of terraces and floodplains, directly leading to the emergence of non-point source pollution. Sometimes the runoff characteristics of the city will also be changed, so the ecological value of the rivers in the city is seriously damaged under such circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of agicultural moderate scale management is always a hot spot. In 2016, the No. 1 document of the central government once again set forth the requirement of bringing into play leading role of moderate scale management in various forms of agiculture. In the economic new normal, the solution to this issue is of geat significance to promoting agricultural modernization. However, there are stiil problems such as unsmooth transfer of rural labor force, fragmentation of rural land management and low benefit of land scale management. Taking Wugang City in Henan Province a an example, this paper attempts to find out the optima land management scale in accordance with the actual situation in Henan Province. It is concluded that small family farm is the optimal mode for agri'cultural moderate scale management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The superior corrosion resistance is observed for the BMGs. • All the values of I corr are in the range of ∼10-8 – 10-9 A/cm2. • A Small amount of Ag substitution Ti can further improve the corrosion resistance. • Different corrosion morphologies are observed for BMGs in different solutions. In this article, the corrosion behavior of Zr 56 Cu 24 Al 9 Ni 7 Ti 4- x Ag x (x = 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4) bulk metallic glasses in acid-base-salt solutions is systematically studied using electrochemical methods. The results exhibited the superior corrosion resistance of the alloys. Meanwhile, it is further confirmed that a small amount of Ag replacing Ti has effectively improved the corrosion behavior of alloys. The best corrosion resistance is obtained for x = 1. Different morphologies, including honeycomb-like corrosion pits, dark spots and dents, are observed on the surface after polarization in different solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet visible spectroscopy can realize the detection of chemical oxygen demand (COD), especially for low concentration levels due to its high sensitivity, but the issue of insufficient real water sample data has always been a challenge owing to the low probability of occurrence of actual water pollution events. However, in existing methods, generated absorption spectra do not conform to actual situations as the former neglect the actual spectral characteristics. On the other hand, the diversity and complexity are restricted because the information in one-dimensional data is not enough for direct spectral generation. This study proposed a spectral sample generation method based on the variational modal decomposition and generative adversarial network (VMD–GAN). First, the VMD algorithm was utilized to separate principal components and residuals of absorption spectra. Among them, the GAN was used to generate new principal components to ensure that the major spectral characteristics of actual water samples are not lost. The corresponding residuals were then obtained by adjusting the parameters of a three-order Gaussian fitting function, which is more beneficial than the direct use of GAN in the aspect of diversity and complexity. Based on the spectral reconstruction with new principal components and residuals, various absorption spectra were generated more coincident with actual situations. Finally, the effectiveness of this method was evaluated by establishing regression models and predicting COD for actual water samples. In all, the insufficient water sample data can be expanded for a better performance in modeling and analysis of water pollution using the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aims of the study were to investigate limbal epithelial thickness in subjects with limbal stem cell deficiency and to evaluate the correlation between the palisades of Vogt and limbal epithelial thickness. Design Cross-sectional observational study. Participants Twenty-four subjects (39 eyes) with limbal stem cell deficiency and 20 normal controls (20 eyes). Methods Anterior segment optical coherence tomography and laser scanning confocal microscopy were performed to assess each quadrant of the limbus. Main Outcome Measures Limbal epithelial thickness and palisades of Vogt morphology in each quadrant were characterized. The correlation between limbal epithelial thickness and palisades of Vogt was analysed. Results The average limbal epithelial thicknesses in eyes with limbal stem cell deficiency were 19.9%, 23.4%, 13.8% and 13.5% less than normal controls at superior, inferior, nasal and temporal limbus ( P = 0.008, 0.006, 0.014 and 0.011, respectively). Limbal epithelial thicknesses within limbal quadrants with palisades of Vogt were similar to those measured in the same quadrants in normal controls, whereas limbal epithelial thicknesses in the superior, inferior, nasal and temporal quadrants without palisades of Vogt were 27.8%, 29.8%, 14.7% and 15.6% less than the limbal epithelial thickness in corresponding regions of normal eyes (superior and inferior: P < 0.001; nasal and temporal: P = 0.005). Limbal epithelial thickness in the nasal and temporal quadrants was significantly less than that in the superior and inferior quadrants, both in normal controls and in limbal stem cell deficiency subjects( P < 0.001 and P = 0.019). Regression analysis showed that limbal epithelial thickness had a significant correlation with the presence of palisades of Vogt in each quadrant (superior, P = 0.002; inferior, P = 0.001; nasal, P = 0.047; temporal, P = 0.030). Conclusions A significant correlation was found between limbal epithelial thickness and the presence of palisades of Vogt. Limbal epithelial thinning as observed with anterior segment optical coherence tomography is a sign of limbal stem cell deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An equivalent condition is given for fault sequence to be detectable. • An algorithm is presented to determine whether it occurs a fault and identify the specific location of the fault. • The global stabilization of BNs is investigated through partial pinning control. This paper addresses the fault detection of Boolean networks (BNs) using semi-tensor product (STP) of matrices. We first introduce the concept of meaningful faults, and give an equivalent condition for fault sequence to be detectable. Next, an algorithm is presented to determine whether it occurs a fault and identify the specific location of the fault. Further, structure matrix of the faulty BNs can be derived. In order to estimate or reduce the impact of the fault on the BN, the global stabilization of BNs is investigated through partial pinning control. Finally, examples are given to illustrate the validity of the given results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractIn order to study the mechanism of protein adhesion on the Fresenius F6 polysulfone membrane dialyzer, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, LC-ESI-MS/MS and bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the protein which adhered to the dialyzer membrane. Six of the adhered proteins account for more than 50 of the total 179 proteins, i.e. ficolin precursor, complement C3 precursor, 3 variants of MASP1 and albumin. The results also showed that easily adhered proteins have a greater percentage of acidic amino acids (p < 0.01). The isoelectric point of the 20 proteins with the most deposits is 6.2 ± 1.08, which is obviously lower than of those with the least deposits (7.56 ± 1.36, p < 0.01). The dipole moment of a polysulfone membrane molecule has a tendency to absorb molecules with a negative charge. These results are of significance in understanding and improving membrane protein interactions.Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change alters the regional precipitation pattern and causes seasonal droughts that affect forest growth and belowground carbon cycling. This is expected to create greater oscillations in soil moisture that affect the stability of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. This study examined the effects of the precipitation decline on the SOC dynamics by experimentally controlling the throughfall in a Pinus massoniana plantation in subtropical region of China. Soil physicochemical properties were analyzed in topsoil (0–5cm depth) during the dry-cool and the wet-warm season after five consecutive years of ~30% throughfall reduction. We also assessed the SOC stock and its stability, as indicated by the easily oxidizable carbon (EOC) pool, SOC mineralization rates, soil aggregate size distributions and fine root biomass in relation to soil microbial community structure. The throughfall reduction reduced the soil moisture by 15–20% between sampling dates, with an average 18% during the five-year experiment. With throughfall reduction, topsoil SOC stocks significantly increased by 0.18 kg C m-2 or 10%, but fine root biomass, EOC content, and the micro-aggregate fraction were significantly higher, suggesting less stable SOC. The abundance of bacterial r-strategists (e.g. Bacteroidetes, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria) increased significantly while K-strategists (e.g. Planctomycetes) decreased. Both SOC and EOC mineralization were positively correlated with the abundance of r-strategists, but negatively correlated with the K-strategists abundance. We posit that micro-aggregates, fine root biomass, and altered microbial strategist ratios are associated with the decline in SOC stability in forests with less throughfall. • Five-year ~30% throughfall reduction increased topsoil SOC stock by 10%. • Throughfall reduction reduced SOC biostability by increasing easily oxidizable C. • Fine root biomass and abundance of soil bacterial r-strategists were increased. • Soil microbial community shifted to optimize use of the accumulated SOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a simple and reliable marker of insulin resistance and is closely associated with various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, the relationships between AIP and left ventricular (LV) geometric indicators have not been adequately assessed. This study was carried out to investigate the association between AIP and LV geometric abnormalities in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included a total of 618 OSA patients (57.3 ± 12.4 years, 73.1% males, BMI 28.1 ± 4.2 kg/m2) who underwent echocardiography. Patients with OSA were diagnosed with clinical symptoms and an apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 5.0. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as left ventricular mass index (LVMIh2.7) ≥ 50.0 g/m2.7 for men and 47.0 g/m2.7 for women. AIP was calculated as log10 (TG/HDL-C). Results: Compared with the non-LVH group, AIP was significantly higher in the LVH group (0.19 ± 0.29 vs 0.24 ± 0.28, P = 0.024) and the concentric LVH group (0.18 ± 0.29, 0.19 ± 0.30, 0.20 ± 0.26 and 0.29 ± 0.29 in the control, concentric remodeling, eccentric hypertrophy and concentric hypertrophy groups, respectively, P = 0.021). Meanwhile, in the group of patients with the highest AIP tertile, the levels of LVMIh2.7 (42.8 ± 10.5, 43.2 ± 9.3 and 46.1 ± 12.1 in the T1, T2 and T3 groups, respectively, P = 0.003), and the prevalence of LVH (25.2%, 24.0% and 34.6% in the T1, T2 and T3 groups, respectively, P = 0.032) and concentric LVH (10.7%, 9.8% and 20.2% in the T1, T2 and T3 groups, respectively, P = 0.053) were higher compared with those in the other groups. Positive correlations between AIP and LV geometric indicators including the LVMIh2.7, LVMIBSA, LV mass (LVM), diastolic left ventricular inner diameter (LVIDd), diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thickness (PWTd) and diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSTd), were revealed according to correlation analysis (P < 0.05). Furthermore, AIP was independently associated with LVMIh2.7 according to multivariate linear regression model (β = 0.125, P = 0.001). Notably, AIP remained independently associated with an elevated risk of LVH [odds ratio (OR) = 1.317 per 1 standard deviation (SD) increment, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.058 - 1.639, P = 0.014) and concentric LVH (OR = 1.545 per 1 SD increment, 95% CI: 1.173 - 2.035, P = 0.002) after fully adjusting for all confounding risk factors by multivariate logistic regression analyses. Conclusions: AIP was independently associated with an increased risk of LVH and concentric LVH in OSA patients. Therefore, AIP, as a practical and cost-effective test, might be useful in monitoring hypertrophic remodeling of the heart and improving CVDs risk stratification in clinical management of OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) is a common congenital deformity of the skeletal system in children. To investigate the efficacy of post-surgery cluster nursing in children with DDH. A total of 60 children with DDH who underwent hip joint orthopedic surgery in our hospital from September 2021 to September 2022 were enrolled as the research participants in this prospective study, and divided into the control group and the observation group according to the numerical table method, with 30 patients in each group. The control group was given routine pain care, and the observation group was given cluster pain care. The hip joint function scores, pain scores, self-rating anxiety score (SAS) were compared between the two groups and between before intervention and after intervention in the two groups. The pain score of the children and the SAS of the primary caregivers after the intervention in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P< 0.05), and the hip joint function score and family satisfaction degree were higher than those in the control group (P< 0.05). Family-based cluster pain care can reduce pain in children with DDH after surgery, promote hip joint functional recovery, reduce the negative emotions of caregivers, and improve family satisfaction, and has clinical popularization value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the metabolism of naphthalene, fluorene and phenanthrene in Pseudomonas putida clones. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) transformation activity; Genetic similarities; Identification of potential PAH metabolites.

• Soil bacterial but not fungal diversity changed across the vertical climate zones. • The greatest bacterial diversity occurred in subtropical and cold temperate zones. • Bacterial community was more vulnerable to environmental change than fungi. Studying the variations in soil microbial community diversity and structure along a climate gradient can help to understand the impact of climate change on ecosystem functions regulated by soil microbes. Herein we aimed to reveal and compare the distribution patterns of soil bacterial and fungal communities along different vertical climate zones. Five climate zones from subtropical to cold temperate, with altitudes ranging from 1600 m to 3200 m corresponding to different forest types, were selected across the eastern slope of Mount Gongga. The structure and diversity patterns, co-occurrence network of soil microbial communities along the climate gradient and influential factors were studied. The bacterial Shannon and Simpson indices were higher in subtropical and cold temperate zones than in warm and mid-temperate zones, whereas fungal community diversity changed only slightly. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) indicated apparent differences in both bacterial and fungal community composition across the climate zones. The microbial co-occurrence network was more closely connected for fungal than for bacterial communities. Variation partition analysis (VPA) demonstrated that climate, vegetation and soil properties caused variations in bacterial community diversity, while spatial factors were the main factors affecting fungal diversity. These results indicate that climate zonation is more apparent for bacterial than fungal communities, and bacterial communities are more vulnerable to environmental change than fungal communities. The results also indicate that future climate change may affect ecosystem functions by altering microbial community composition structure and diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ternary metal oxide, such as ZnCo 2 O 4 has attracted widespread attention as electrode material for supercapacitors owing to its high theoretical activity and rich redox reactions arising from the synergistic effects between two different metal species. However, the compromised electrochemical performance due to low electronic conductivity and deficient active sites of ZnCo 2 O 4 impedes its practical applications. Herein, S-doped ZnCo 2 O 4 microspindles (denoted as S-ZnCo 2 O 4) have been obtained by simple hydrothermal synthesis followed by calcining and sulfurization treatments. It is indicated that the doping of S results in the formation of defects and disorders without altering the crystalline structure of ZnCo 2 O 4 , which is beneficial for charge transfer, and exposing more active sites. Taking advantage of the desired structure and composition, the S-ZnCo 2 O 4 displays superior electrochemical properties when acting as an electrode material for supercapacitors. It delivers a high specific capacity of 214.1C g−1 (522 F/g) at the current density of 0.5 A g−1, which is almost 8.5 times that of the ZnCo 2 O 4 (25 C g−1, 61 F/g). Moreover, the S-ZnCo 2 O 4 also shows good rate capability (82% at 10 A g−1) and excellent electrochemical stability (78% retention after 5000 cycles). This work demonstrates that anion doping can be an efficacious strategy of boosting electrochemical performance. • S-doped ZnCo 2 O 4 microspindles are synthesized by a facile method. • S results in the formation of defects and disorders. • S-ZnCo 2 O 4 exhibits greatly improved electrochemical performance compared with ZnCo 2 O 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Increasing frequency and intensity of drought has been causing increasing vulnerability for many ecosystems around the globe; thus, it is critical to understand how insects evolve in changing environments. We collected and genotyped samples of the wheat aphid Sitobion avenae from arid areas of northwestern China, and then examined their desiccation-related traits. We found both desiccation-resistant and -nonresistant genotypes, providing clear evidence of genetic divergence in desiccation resistance of this aphid. Wingless individuals tended to have higher desiccation resistance than winged ones. Extensive analyses of desiccation-related traits showed that modulation of water loss rates could be the primary mechanism underlying aphids' resistance against desiccation stress. The content of cuticular hydrocarbons (especially methyl-branched alkanes) and their high plasticity could be closely linked to water loss rates in aphids, thereby modulating their desiccation resistance. This study can provide insights into how insects adapt to desiccating environments, and has particular relevance to the prediction of insect pest outbreaks under future warming scenarios. The impact of drought on insects has become increasingly evident in the context of global climate change, but the physiological mechanisms of aphids' responses to desiccating environments are still not well understood. We sampled the wheat aphid Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from arid areas of northwestern China. Both desiccation-resistant and -nonresistant genotypes were identified, providing direct evidence of genetic divergence in desiccation resistance of S. avenae. Resistant genotypes of wingless S. avenae showed longer survival time and LT50 under the desiccation stress (i.e., 10% relative humidity) than nonresistant genotypes, and wingless individuals tended to have higher desiccation resistance than winged ones. Both absolute and relative water contents did not differ between the two kinds of genotypes. Resistant genotypes had lower water loss rates than nonresistant genotypes for both winged and wingless individuals, suggesting that modulation of water loss rates could be the primary strategy in resistance of this aphid against desiccation stress. Contents of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) (especially methyl-branched alkanes) showed significant increase for both resistant and nonresistant genotypes after exposure to the desiccation stress for 24 h. Under desiccation stress, survival time was positively correlated with contents of methyl-branched alkanes for resistant genotypes. Thus, the content of methyl-branched alkanes and their high plasticity could be closely linked to water loss rate and desiccation resistance in S. avenae. Our results provide insights into fundamental aspects and underlying mechanisms of desiccation resistance in aphids, and have significant implications for the evolution of aphid populations in the context of global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe affective disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of depression or mania/hypomania, which significantly impair cognitive function, life skills, and social abilities of patients. There is little understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of BD. The diagnosis of BD is primarily based on clinical assessment and psychiatric examination, highlighting the urgent need for objective markers to facilitate the diagnosis of BD. Metabolomics can be used as a diagnostic tool for disease identification and evaluation. This study summarized the altered metabolites in BD and analyzed aberrant metabolic pathways, which might contribute to the diagnosis of BD. Search of PubMed and Web of science for human BD studies related to metabolism to identify articles published up to November 19, 2022 yielded 987 articles. After screening and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 untargeted and 11 targeted metabolomics studies were included. Pathway analysis of the potential differential biometabolic markers was performed using the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). There were 72 upregulated and 134 downregulated biomarkers in the untargeted metabolomics studies using blood samples. Untargeted metabolomics studies utilizing urine specimens revealed the presence of 78 upregulated and 54 downregulated metabolites. The targeted metabolomics studies revealed abnormalities in the metabolism of glutamate and tryptophan. Enrichment analysis revealed that the differential metabolic pathways were mainly involved in the metabolism of glucose, amino acid and fatty acid. These findings suggested that certain metabolic biomarkers or metabolic biomarker panels might serve as a reference for the diagnosis of BD. • Comprehensive review of metabolomics studies conducted on bipolar disorder. • Significant metabolic changes occur in blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with bipolar disorder. • Metabolomic studies can help to further understand the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder. • Diagnostic modeling of bipolar disorder by urine/blood metabolomics studies has excellent predictive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune inflammation has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Despite as a rapid and effective physical therapy, the role of immune inflammation in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for schizophrenia remains elusive. The neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR), platelets to monocytes (PLR) and monocytes to lymphocytes (MLR) are inexpensive and accessible biomarkers of systemic inflammation. In this study, 70 schizophrenia patients and 70 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were recruited. The systemic inflammatory biomarkers were measured before and after ECT. Our results indicated schizophrenia had significantly higher peripheral NLR, PLR and MLR compared to health controls at baseline, while lymphocytes did not differ. After 6 ECT, the psychiatric symptoms were significantly improved, as demonstrated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). However, there was a decline in cognitive function scores, as indicated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Notably, the neutrophils and NLR were significantly reduced following ECT. Although lymphocytes remained unchanged following ECT, responders had significantly higher lymphocytes compared to non-responders. Moreover, the linear regression analyses revealed that higher lymphocytes served as a predictor of larger improvement in positive symptom following ECT. Overall, our findings further highlighted the presence of systemic inflammation in schizophrenia patients, and that ECT may exert a therapeutic effect in part by attenuating systemic inflammation. Further research may therefore lead to new treatment strategies for schizophrenia targeting the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Cytokine gene expression and its interaction with kynurenine pathway play important roles in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia. • Schizophrenia with high inflammation showed higher cytokine gene expression and KYN/TRP compared to those with low inflammation. • Abnormal cytokine gene expression and plasma KP metabolites were partially normalized after repeated ECT. • Cytokine gene expression significantly correlated with KP during ECT, and was related to clinical efficacy. The kynurenine pathway (KP) of tryptophan has been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its interaction with the immune system has been suggested to play a role. In this study, 28 schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy controls were recruited and divided into different inflammatory subgroups using a two-step recursive clustering analysis. Cytokine gene expression and plasma KP metabolites were measured before, during and after treatment. Our findings indicated that schizophrenia patients had lower levels of Tryptophan (TRP), N-formylkynurenine (NFK), xanthinic acid (XA), quinolinic acid (QA), kynurenic acid (KYNA), KYNA/KYN and QA/KYNA, but higher levels of IL-18 mRNA, KYN/TRP compared to healthy controls (all p < 0.05). After electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), patients with low inflammation achieved better clinical improvement (PANSS scores) compared to those with high inflammation (F = 5.672, P = 0.025), especially in negative symptoms (F = 6.382, P = 0.018, η2 = 0.197). While IL-18 mRNA (F = 32.910, P < 0.0001) was significantly decreased following ECT, the KYN/TRP (F = 3.455, p = 0.047) and KYNA/TRP (F = 4.264, P = 0.026) only significantly decreased in patients with low inflammation. Correlation analyses revealed that baseline IL-18 gene expression significantly correlated with pre- (r = 0.537, p = 0.008) and post-KYNA/TRP (r = 0.443, p = 0.034), post-KYN/TRP (r = 0.510, p = 0.013), and post-negative symptoms (r = 0.525, p = 0.010). Moreover, baseline TRP (r = -0.438, p = 0.037) and XA (r = -0.516, p = 0.012) were negatively correlated with baseline PANSS, while post-KYN (r = -0.475, p = 0.022), 2-AA (r = -0.447, p = 0.032) and KYN/TRP (r = -0.566, p = 0.005) were negatively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) following ECT. Overall, these findings suggested that the association between inflammation and kynurenine pathway plays an essential role in mechanism of ECT for schizophrenia and that the regulation of ECT on KP is influenced by inflammatory characteristics, which may relate to clinical efficacy in schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glucoamylase is an important enzyme for starch saccharification in the food and biofuel industries and mainly produced from mesophilic fungi such as Aspergillus and Rhizopus species. Enzymes produced from thermophilic fungi can save the fermentation energy and reduce costs as compared to the fermentation system using mesophiles. Thermophilic fungus Myceliophthora thermophila is industrially deployed fungus to produce enzymes and biobased chemicals from biomass during optimal growth at 45 °C. This study aimed to construct the M. thermophila platform for glucoamylase hyper-production by broadening genomic targeting range of the AsCas12a variants, identifying key candidate genes and strain engineering. Results: In this study, to increase the genome targeting range, we upgraded the CRISPR-Cas12a-mediated technique by engineering two AsCas12a variants carrying the mutations S542R/K607R and S542R/K548V/N552R. Using the engineered AsCas12a variants, we deleted identified key factors involved in the glucoamylase expression and secretion in M. thermophila, including Mtstk-12, Mtap3m, Mtdsc-1 and Mtsah-2. Deletion of four targets led to more than 1.87- and 1.85-fold higher levels of secretion and glucoamylases activity compared to wild-type strain MtWT. Transcript level of the major amylolytic genes showed significantly increased in deletion mutants. The glucoamylase hyper-production strain MtGM12 was generated from our previously strain MtYM6 via genetically engineering these targets Mtstk-12, Mtap3m, Mtdsc-1 and Mtsah-2 and overexpressing Mtamy1 and Mtpga3. Total secreted protein and activities of amylolytic enzymes in the MtGM12 were about 35.6-fold and 51.9‒55.5-fold higher than in MtWT. Transcriptional profiling analyses revealed that the amylolytic gene expression levels were significantly up-regulated in the MtGM12 than in MtWT. More interestingly, the MtGM12 showed predominantly short and highly bulging hyphae with proliferation of rough ER and abundant mitochondria, secretion vesicles and vacuoles when culturing on starch. Conclusions: Our results showed that these AsCas12a variants worked well for gene deletions in M. thermophila. We successfully constructed the glucoamylase hyper-production strain of M. thermophila by the rational redesigning and engineering the transcriptional regulatory and secretion pathway. This targeted engineering strategy will be very helpful to improve industrial fungal strains and promote the morphology engineering for enhanced enzyme production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Removal of nitric oxides (NOx) from stationary and transportation sources has been desired for environmental benefits. Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx by NH3 is attractive for its cost effectiveness and high efficiency but still technically challenging in consideration of operable temperatures. In this research, MnOx-CeOx hybrid nanoparticles supported on graphene aerogel (MnOx-CeOx/GA) are fabricated as the monolithic catalysts for potential applications to low-temperature SCR. The impacts of the particle size along with the amount and valency of catalytic elements in the nanocomposite on the catalytic activities are studied with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalyst crystallites are a few tens of nanometers and uniformly disperse on the surface of three-dimensional (3D) directionally aligned hierarchical porous graphene aerogel (GA) networks. The novel nanocomposite catalysts exhibit over 90% NOx conversion rate in a broad temperature range (200–300°C). Addition of CeOx into the MnOx-GA catalysts significantly reduces the operational temperature at the same conversion rate. In addition to Mn4+ ions in the catalysts, the adsorbed oxygen species which can be increased by the presence of low-valence cerium contribute to high catalytic activities in the MnOx-CeOx/GA catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change will cause drastic fluctuations in agricultural ecosystems, which in turn may affect global food security. We used ecological niche modeling to predict the potential distribution for four cereal aphids (i.e., Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, Schizaphis graminum, and Diurphis noxia) and their three natural enemy insects (i.e., Harmonia axyridis, Episyrphus balteatus, and Aphidius gifuensis) in China's farmland under current and projected climate scenarios. Due to climate change, the suitable areas of D. noxia, E. balteatus, and A. gifuensis will shrink, while those of other target insects will expand. Focusing on the scenario of high greenhouse gas emissions for the period of 2081–2100, all our target insects will move toward higher latitudes, and all of them will move toward higher altitudes except D. noxia. The niche overlap between three aphids (i.e., S. avenae, R. padi, and S. graminum) tends to increase with climate change in most regions. The aphid suppression capacity of ladybug H. axyridis will increase with climate change, while it will weaken for hoverfly E. balteatus and parasitoid A. gifuensis, showing that climate change can favor generalist over specialist enemies. We developed a new mathematical model for projecting wheat yield shifts due to climate change, and found a projected increase in net yield loss by aphids by the end of the century. Our results illustrate the food security imperative of clarifying the impact of climate change on cereal-producing systems, and provide insightful information for design of pest management strategies in the context of global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent evidence from inventories and experimental forests indicating that high species richness among trees increases productivity and further improves soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, the mechanisms controlling the richness–SOC relationship are inconsistent. Hence, the optimal tree species richness required to increase SOC stocks needs to be further explored. Based on field observations from a subtropical mixed-species planted forest, which was established 40 years ago through a mosaic pattern of afforestation and natural regeneration, we examined the effects of tree species richness on the SOC stock and the chemical composition of SOC in the topsoil (top 10 cm layer). We found a quadratic relationship between tree species richness and SOC stocks. The threshold of tree species richness appeared between four and five. Tree species richness affected the SOC stocks primarily by increasing the quantity of leaf litter, and while decreasing the quality of leaf litter and fine root. In addition, tree species richness changed the chemical composition of SOC by affecting the chemical composition of the plant carbon, and soil bacterial α-diversity, thereby affecting the SOC stock. The trade-off between leaf litter and fine root C sources contributed to the quadratic relationship between tree species richness and SOC stocks. These results show that the mixing of 4–5 tree species can achieve a higher SOC level than having fewer or more tree species in a planted subtropical forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A facile method for the preparation of a novel heterojunction of PTCDI and Sb 2 S 3. • A novel chemical sensor used for quantitative detection of hydrazine. • Low detection limit (13.95 nM) and a wide linear range (1 μM–1000 μM). A novel heterojunctions of 3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) nanosheets coupled with antimony sulfide (Sb 2 S 3) nanorods were synthesized by two-step electrodeposition. The addition of the inorganic nanomaterial Sb 2 S 3 significantly improved the stability of the PTCDI organic nanomaterial, which already had excellent sensing properties for hydrazine. At the same time, the two materials formed a heterojunction to improve the efficiency of electron transfer when the composite electrode was used to detect hydrazine. The sensor's response current generated by the electrochemical reaction displayed that the PTCDI/Sb 2 S 3 composite nanomaterials hold high electrocatalytic performance. The results exhibited that the obtained sensor had outstanding analytical performance according to the detection limit (13.95 ± 0.16 nmol·L−1), sensitivity (0.1678 μA·μmol−1·L·cm−2, 0.1103 μA·μmol−1·L·cm−2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the minimum observability of Boolean control networks (BCNs) is investigated. An augmented system is proposed to analyze the dynamical trajectories of state pairs, followed by an effective criterion for observability of BCNs utilizing graphic tools. A minimal observability problem is formulated based on the fact that observability of the underlying network is facilitated by injecting new measurements. By introducing an indicator matrix, the solution of added measurements in vector form can be converted into dealing with the equations, by which, all the feasible measurements can be derived. Furthermore, the solution of the least added measurements can be solved by a minimum set covering problem. Meanwhile, two examples are given to illustrate the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromagnetic geophysical methods are widely applied in urban shallow exploration, considering their convenience and noninvasiveness. As one of the emerging techniques, polarizing surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) shows significant potential for water-based target detections. However, problems involving weak signal response and strong noise interference are challenging to avoid. Therefore, numerous studies focused on suppressing the electromagnetic interference and improving the effective electromagnetic control accuracy to achieve high-precision shallow imaging. On this basis, we proposed a new magnetic-field enhancement technology that explored double-polarization coils, instead of the single loop, to improve the applications of polarizing SNMR. By controlling the current for double-polarization coils, the magnetic field, which is twice as strong as the single coil, could be provided. As a result, the sensitivities and signal responses for subsurface detection sensitive areas with the same power consumption were further enhanced. Considering the SNMR research, we also identified that this new configuration with double-polarization coil can effectively improve the resolution of the shallow depth because it compensates for the magnitude of the static magnetic field in the center. Based on the theoretical analysis, we developed the instrument and, for the first time, realized the accurate interpretation of the real ground soil in an urban environment, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed configuration and the reliability of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As lignocellulose recalcitrance principally restricts for a cost-effective conversion into biofuels and bioproducts, this study re-selected the brittle stalk of corn mutant by MuDR -transposon insertion, and detected much reduced cellulose polymerization and crystallinity. Using recyclable CaO chemical for biomass pretreatment, we determined a consistently enhanced enzymatic saccharification of pretreated corn brittle stalk for higher-yield bioethanol conversion. Furthermore, the enzyme-undigestible lignocellulose was treated with two-step thermal-chemical processes via FeCl 2 catalysis and KOH activation to generate the biochar with significantly raised adsorption capacities with two industry dyes (methylene blue and Congo red). However, the desirable biochar was attained from one-step KOH treatment with the entire brittle stalk, which was characterized as the highly-porous nanocarbon that is of the largest specific surface area at 1697.34 m2/g and 2-fold higher dyes adsorption. Notably, this nanocarbon enabled to eliminate the most toxic compounds released from CaO pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis, and also showed much improved electrochemical performance with specific capacitance at 205 F/g. Hence, this work has raised a mechanism model to interpret how the recalcitrance-reduced lignocellulose is convertible for high-yield bioethanol and multiple-function biochar with high performance. • Cellulose recalcitrant factors are much improved in brittle stalk of corn mutant. • CaO pretreatment is sufficient for cellulose enzymatic hydrolysis in mutant. • Biochar was generated for efficient removal of dyes from biomass residue. • Desirable nanocarbon is tested with largest surface for dye and chemical removals. • A mechanism is raised for high-yield ethanol and high-performance nanocarbon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the leading cause of endothelial keratoplasty without efficacious drug treatment. Recent studies have emphasized the involvement of epigenetic regulation in FECD development. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recognized as crucial epigenetic regulators in diverse cellular processes and ocular diseases. In this study, we revealed the expression patterns of lncRNAs using high-throughput sequencing technology in FECD mouse model, and identified 979 significantly dysregulated lncRNAs. By comparing the data from FECD human cell model, we obtained a series of homologous lncRNAs with similar expression patterns, and revealed that these homologous lncRNAs were enriched in FECD related biological functions, with apoptosis (mmu04210) showing the highest enrichment score. In addition, we investigated the role of lncRNA zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1) in apoptotic process. This study would broaden our understanding of epigenetic regulation in FECD development, and provide potential anti-apoptotic targets for FECD therapy. • LncRNAs are dramatically dysregulated in FECD. • Dysregulated lncRNAs are enriched in FECD-related biological functions. • Targeting LncRNA ZFAS1 might serve as a novel anti-apoptotic strategy for FECD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stress-induced α″ martensite transformation always sacrifices the yield strength in titanium alloys with specific β stability. Here, a detailed analysis for the microstructure transformation of the stress-induced α″ martensite during isothermal aging is carried out using the traditional experimental characterizations based on the transmission electron microscope (TEM) in an α + β Ti-alloy, namely Ti-3Al-5Mo-4.5 V (wt%) alloy. The results show that the stress-induced α″ plates transform to the isothermal-α″ due to the local solute redistribution (Al, Mo, V) during the one-step isothermal aging at 400 °C. Subsequently, the ladder-like α s precipitates due to the decomposition of stress-induced α″ or isothermal-α″ after aging at 550 °C, eliminating the influence of stress-induced α″ martensite on the yield strength. Besides, the ultrafine α s is obtained by the refinement of isothermal ω during two-step aging at 550 °C. And the ultimate tensile strength increases slightly due to the precipitate of ladder-like and ultrafine α s after two-step aging at 550 °C. The present study provides a novel way to obtain the α lamellae and improve the mechanical properties of titanium alloys. • The stress-induced α″ precipitates during deformation and transforms to isothermal-α″ during one-step aging at 400 °C. • The isothermal-α″ exhibits the concentration fluctuation (Al, Mo, V) with the surrounded β matrix. • The decomposition of isothermal-α″/stress-induced α″ results in the ladder-like α s precipitate during aging at 550 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics are ubiquitous in aquatic ecosystems, and their accumulation and combined effects are considered emerging threats that may affect biodiversity and ecosystem function. The particle size of microplastics plays an important role in their combined effects with antibiotics. Submerged macrophytes are crucial in maintaining the health and stability of freshwater ecosystems. However, little is known about the combined effects of different particle size of MPs and antibiotics on freshwater plants, particularly their effects on submerged macrophyte communities. Thus, there is an urgent need to study their effects on the macrophyte communities to provide essential information for freshwater ecosystem management. In the present study, a mesocosm experiment was conducted to explore the effects of three particle sizes (5 µm, 50 µm, and 500 µm) of polystyrene-microplastics (PSMPs) (75 mg/L), tetracycline (TC) (50 mg/L), and their co-pollutants on interactions between Hydrilla verticillata and Elodea nuttallii. Our results showed that the effects of MPs are size-dependent on macrophytes at the community level rather than at the population level, and that small and medium sized MPs can promote the growth of the two test macrophytes at the community level. In addition, macrophytes at the community level have a stronger resistance to pollutant stress than those at the population level. Combined exposure to MPs and TC co-pollutants induces species-specific responses and antagonistic toxic effects on the physio-biochemical traits of submerged macrophytes. Our study provides evidence that MPs and co-pollutants not only affect the morphology and physiology at the population level but also the interactions between macrophytes. Thus, there are promising indications on the potential consequences of MPs and co-pollutants on macrophyte community structure, which suggests that future studies should focus on the effects of microplastics and their co-pollutants on aquatic macrophytes at the community level rather than only at the population level. This will improve our understanding of the profound effects of co-pollutants in aquatic environments on the structure and behavior of aquatic communities and ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Small- and medium-sized microplastics can promote macrophyte growth at community level. • Macrophytes showed stronger resistance at community level than at population level. • The combined toxic effects between MPs and TC exhibited antagonistic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), defined by self-reported memory complaints but normal performance in objective neuropsychological tests, may be at higher risk of worsening or more frequent memory loss until conversion to Alzheimer's disease (AD) or related dementia. Asymmetry in two hemispheres is a cardinal character of human brain's structure and function, and altered brain asymmetry has also been connected with AD.Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the asymmetry of subcortical structures in individuals with SCD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and AD patients are altered compared with normal controls (NC).Methods: We investigated neuroanatomical alterations in 35 SCD, 43 aMCI, and 41 AD subjects compared with 42 NC, focusing on asymmetrical changes in subcortical structures based on structural magnetic resonance images (sMRI). General linear model was conducted to test group differences, and partial correlation was used to model the interaction between asymmetry measurements and cognitive tests.Results: Individuals with SCD (lateral ventricle and cerebellum-WM), aMCI patients (lateral ventricle, pallidum, hippocampus, amygdala, accumbens, and ventral DC), and AD patients (lateral-ventricle, cerebellum-cortical pallidum, thalamus, hippocampus, amygdala, accumbens, and ventral DC) exhibited significant altered neuroanatomical asymmetries of volume, surface area, and shape compared with NC. Significant associations between shape asymmetry and neuropsychological examinations were found in the hippocampus and accumbens.Conclusion: Altered neuroanatomical asymmetries of subcortical structures were significantly detected in SCD individuals and aMCI patients as well AD patients, and these specific asymmetry alterations are potential to be used as neuroimaging markers and for monitoring disease progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dual discriminator and difficulty-aware attention mechanism are used to improve MRI synthesis in hippocampus regions. • Two hippocampal subfields segmentation models are applied. One is Semidensenet with 3D Dense CRF processing and another is Unet. • The generated images by the da-GAN improve hippocampal subfields segmentation accuracy. Hippocampal subfields (HS) segmentation accuracy on high resolution (HR) MRI images is higher than that on low resolution (LR) MRI images. However, HR MRI data collection is more expensive and time-consuming. Thus, we intend to generate HR MRI images from the corresponding LR MRI images for HS segmentation. To generate high-quality HR MRI hippocampus region images, we use a dual discriminator adversarial learning model with difficulty-aware attention mechanism in hippocampus regions (da-GAN). A local discriminator is applied in da-GAN to evaluate the visual quality of hippocampus region voxels of the synthetic images. And the difficulty-aware attention mechanism based on the local discriminator can better model the generation of hard-to-synthesis voxels in hippocampus regions. Additionally, we design a SemiDenseNet model with 3D Dense CRF postprocessing and an Unet-based model to perform HS segmentation. The experiments are implemented on Kulaga-Yoskovitz dataset. Compared with conditional generative adversarial network (c-GAN), the PSNR of generated HR T2w images acquired by our da-GAN achieves 0.406 and 0.347 improvement in left and right hippocampus regions. When using two segmentation models to segment HS, the DSC values achieved on the generated HR T1w and T2w images are both improved than that on LR T1w images. Experimental results show that da-GAN model can generate higher-quality MRI images, especially in hippocampus regions, and the generated MRI images can improve HS segmentation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many insects can develop differential biotypes on variable host plants, but the underlying molecular factors and mechanisms are not well understood. To address this issue, transcriptome profiling analyses were conducted for two biotypes of the cereal aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), on both original and alternative plants. Results: Comparisons between both biotypes generated 4174 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs). In their response to host plant shift, 39 DEGs were shared by both biotypes, whereas 126 and 861 DEGs occurred only in biotypes 1 and 3, respectively. MMC (modulated modularity clustering) analyses showed that specific DEGs of biotypes 1 and 3 clustered into five and nine transcriptional modules, respectively. Among these DEGs, defense-related genes underwent intensive expression restructuring in both biotypes. However, biotype 3 was found to have relatively lower gene transcriptional plasticity than biotype 1. Gene enrichment analyses of the abovementioned modules showed functional divergence in defensive DEGs for the two biotypes in response to host transfer. The expression plasticity for some defense related genes was showed to be directly related to fecundity of S. avenae biotypes on both original and alternative plants, suggesting that expression plasticity of key defensive genes could have significant impacts on the adaptive potential and differentiation of S. avenae biotypes on different plants. Conclusions: The divergence patterns of transcriptional plasticity in defense related genes may play important roles in the phenotypic evolution and differentiation of S. avenae biotypes. Our results can provide insights into the role of gene expression plasticity in the divergence of insect biotypes and adaptive evolution of insect populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Previous studies have indicated the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in Hcy-induced endothelial injury. However, the mechanism of action remains unclear. In the current study, the role of human folate receptor α (hFRα) in Hcy-induced ER stress was investigated, along with endothelial injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The results showed that a moderate dose of Hcy induced morphological injury and reduced viability of HUVECs. Furthermore, moderate-dose Hcy reduced hFRα expression in HUVECs. Notably, hFRα inhibition by RNA interference resulted in activation of the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase pathway and increased apoptosis of HUVECs. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the presence of hFRα in HUVECs, and indicated its role in the regulation of ER stress and cell injury by Hcy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel catalysts with high activity for the selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3-SCR) at low temperatures are highly demanded. In this study, mixed-node metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), e.g. Mn@CuBTC with controlled Mn composition in Cu3(BTC)2, were fabricated using postsynthetic exchange method and their structural characteristics and catalytic performances for NH3-SCR reaction were assessed. A series of analyses in terms of structure, surface morphology, texture, and chemical state determined that Mn ions were successfully incorporated into the Cu3(BTC)2 crystal lattice as well as adsorbed on the walls of nanopores in the framework. The pore sizes can be finely tuned in the presence of Mn ions in the cages, which significantly suppressed water adsorption. The NH3-SCR activity of Mn@CuBTC exhibited nearly 100% NOx conversion rate in the temperature range (230–260°C). The superior NH3-SCR performance is attributed to the proper pore sizes, reduced water content, and the synergistic effect between manganese and copper ions in the MOF structure, which enhanced NH3 bound to the active Lewis sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The potential effects of global warming on the soil carbon (C) dynamics of subtropical forests are uncertain. To assess the effects of warming on soil C and tree roots, combined soil warming (infrared heaters, +1.5 °C soil temperature) and trenching experiments were conducted in a subtropical Castanopsis hystrix plantation. Topsoil C content was reassessed after five years of warming, and the effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) quality and microbial diversity were analyzed. Compared with corresponding controls, the topsoil (0–10 cm) SOC content was significantly lower in un-trenched warmed soil (−13.6%) as well as in trenched warmed soil (−15.4%). However, the range of SOC content after five years of warming was similar to that observed after two years of warming (−14.6%, −19.2%), indicating that the warming effect on SOC content had leveled off during the latter three years of the study. In trenched plots, warming significantly decreased the carbohydrate C as well as the ratio of carbohydrate C to N-alkyl/methoxyl C (CC/MC), suggesting that labile C was preferentially decomposed. In un-trenched plots, SOC quality was unaffected, indicating a compensatory input of labile root C. Bacterial α-diversity increased under warming, whereas no significant warming effects on fungal community diversity were observed. Both the SOC content and the proportion of soil carbohydrate C were negatively correlated with soil bacterial α-diversity, suggesting that the abundance of more recalcitrant SOC increased soil microbial diversity. Overall, our study indicates that soil warming leads to moderate initial reductions in topsoil SOC in the studied forest ecosystem. This is consistent with recent evidence that low SOC-containing soils (e.g., subtropical forest soils) exhibit a weaker response to soil warming than high SOC-containing soils. Highlights • After five years of warming, SOC content was significantly lower in warmed soils. • Reduction in SOC content was in a range similar to that after two years of warming. • Warming decreased carbohydrate C, and carbohydrate C to N-alkyl/methoxyl C ratio. • SOC content and quality were negatively correlated with soil bacterial α-diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors (SCs), due to their diverse functionalities and high porosity. However, the applications of MOFs in practical SC devices are restricted by their intrinsic low conductivity and poor stability. Herein, a thin layer of conductive polyaniline (PANI) was decorated on Ni foam (NF) before the growth of Ni-MOF to tackle these issues. PANI not only improves the conductivity but also promotes the formation of Ni-MOF nanosheet arrays and ensures good mechanical adhesion. The as-prepared Ni-MOF/PANI/NF exhibits a high areal capacitance (3626.4 mF cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2) and good rate capacity (71.3% at 50 mA cm−2). Moreover, an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) device using Ni-MOF/PANI/NF and activated carbon (AC) can deliver a maximum energy density of 45.6 W h kg−1 (850.0 W kg−1) with excellent cycling stability (capacitance retention of 81.6% after 10 000 cycles), outperforming most of the reported pristine MOF-based ASC devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]