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A comprehensive and intuitive evaluation system for the quality of crabapples (Malus spp.) was established. In this study, 14 varieties of crabapples were tested. The core quality indexes were selected through variability analysis, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) to establish the comprehensive quality evaluation model. The reliability of the model was verified by sensory evaluation and cluster analysis. In addition, the characteristics and utilization values of these varieties were investigated by cluster analysis. The results showed that there were significant differences in 18 quality indexes among the varieties and significant correlations among these quality indexes. PCA showed that the cumulative contribution rate of the first 5 principal components was 89.253%. Combining this result with those of correlation analysis, we found that single fruit mass, solid/acid ratio, sugar/acid ratio, and total flavanol content were the major quality indexes of crabapples. According to the comprehensive evaluation model, ‘123 Xiaopingguo’, ‘Longfeng’, ‘Cuifeng’ and ‘Huangtaiping’ had better fruit quality than the other varieties. The antioxidant activity of crabapple polyphenols showed a positive linear correlation with the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids with correlation coefficients of R2 = 0.837 and 0.728 for 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical scavenging capacity, R2 = 0.829 and 0.768 for 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity, and R2 = 0.575 and 0.969 for ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), respectively. Likewise, the sensory evaluation scores were linearly correlated with the PCA scores (R2 = 0.862), indicating the reliability of the comprehensive evaluation model. The results of cluster analysis showed that the crabapple varieties could be divided into 4 categories. Category I included M. orbusta and ‘Haihong’, which could be processed into health products with high VC content. Category II included ‘Jixinguo’, ‘Longfeng’, ‘Cuifeng’ and ‘123 Xiaopingguo’, with good taste and being suitable for fresh consumption. Category III included ‘Adam’, ‘Profusion’, M. micromalus, ‘Brandywine’, and ‘Red Splender’, which are suitable for making polyphenols-rich health foods. Category IV included ‘K9 Qingshaguo’, ‘Kelsey’ and ‘Huangtaiping’, which can be processed into preserved fruit, juice, wine and other products. The results were consistent with those of PCA, corroborating the reliability of the model. The comprehensive quality evaluation system can provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of different varieties of crabapples and also provide a good scheme for the quality evaluation of crabapples.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNA play pivotal roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, knowledge regarding the expression patterns of m6A-related lncRNAs and their corresponding m6A regulators in prostate cancer (PCa) is limited. This study aimed to delineate the landscape of m6A-related lncRNAs, develop a predictive model, and identify the critical m6A regulators of prognostic lncRNAs in PCa. Methods Clinical and transcriptome data of PCa patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Prognostic m6A-related lncRNAs were subsequently identified through Pearson correlation and univariate Cox regression analyses. The prognostic lncRNAs were clustered into two groups by consensus clustering analysis, and a risk signature model was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis of the lncRNAs. This model was evaluated using survival, clinicopathological, and immunological analyses. Furthermore, based on the constructed lncRNA-m6A regulatory network and RT-qPCR results, RBM15 was identified as a critical regulator of m6A-related lncRNAs. The biological roles of RBM15 in PCa were explored through bioinformatics analysis and biological experiments. Results Thirty-four prognostic m6A-related lncRNAs were identified and categorized into two clusters with different expression patterns and survival outcomes in PCa patients. Seven m6A lncRNAs (AC105345.1, AL354989.1, AC138028.4, AC022211.1, AC020558.2, AC004076.2, and LINC02666) were selected to construct a risk signature with robust predictive ability for overall survival and were correlated with clinicopathological characteristics and the immune microenvironment of PCa patients. Among them, LINC02666 and AC022211.1 were regulated by RBM15. In addition, RBM15 expression correlated with PCa progression, survival, and the immune response. Patients with elevated RBM15 expression were more susceptible to the drug AMG-232. Moreover, silencing RBM15 decreased the viability of PCa cells and promoted apoptosis. Conclusion RBM15 is involved in the regulation of prognostic lncRNAs in the risk signature and has a robust predictive ability for PCa, making it a promising biomarker in PCa.

Abstract This study aimed to understand the health status of low-income individuals living alone and to identify influencing factors. Using systematic random sampling methods, low-income individuals living alone were randomly selected. Via telephone interviews, we gathered information about their general health status. A logistic regression model was used to analyze relevant factors about the physical health of this population. The study included 1583 low-income individuals living alone. The prevalence rate of all kinds of diseases in low-income living alone in this survey was 88.63%. The multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors for illness in this population were age ≥ 60 (OR 1.842, 95% CI 1.135–2.926, P = 0.006), self-rated poor mental health (OR 2.538, 95% CI 1.128–3.828, P = 0.005), and self-rated poor hearing status (OR 2.781, 95% CI 1.586–3.647, P = 0.001). Being female (OR 0.469, 95% CI 0.178–0.821, P = 0.033) was identified as a protective factor. Low-income individuals living alone are a unique group who lack familial care and economic and social support, and are thus in a disadvantaged social position. Therefore, this population requires increased attention, especially regarding their physical health. Implementing targeted assistance policies to improve their health status and enhance their quality of life is essential.

Abstract Objective In order to facilitate the tracing of infectious diseases in a small area and to effectively carry out disease control and epidemiological investigations, this research proposes a novel spatiotemporal model to estimate effective reproduction number(Re)for infectious diseases, based on the fundamental concept of contact tracing. Methods This study utilizes the incidence of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) among children in Bishan District, Chongqing, China from 2015 to 2019. The study incorporates the epidemiological characteristics of HFMD and aims to construct a Spatiotemporal Correlation Discrimination of HFMD. Utilizing ARC ENGINE and C# programming for the creation of a spatio-temporal database dedicated to HFMD to facilitate data collection and analysis. The scientific validity of the proposed method was verified by comparing the effective reproduction number obtained by the traditional SEIR model. Results We have ascertained the optimal search radius for the spatiotemporal search model to be 1.5 km. Upon analyzing the resulting Re values, which range from 1.14 to 4.75, we observe a skewed distribution pattern from 2015 to 2019. The median and quartile Re value recorded is 2.42 (1.98, 2.72). Except for 2018, the similarity coefficient r of the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019 were all close to 1, and p

Abstract Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia characterized by amyloid-β (Aβ) deposition, tau hyperphosphorylation, and neuroinflammation. Naringenin (NRG), a natural flavonoid widely present in citrus fruits, has been reported can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and exert anti-inflammatory effects in the central nervous system. Here, we investigate the protective effects of long-term NRG treatment on AD. The novel object recognition test and Morris water maze test reveal that NRG treatment can improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice. Besides, we find that NRG can significantly reduce Aβ deposition, microglial and astrocytic activation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in APP/PS1 mice. Results further show that NRG effectively decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS/Aβ-stimulated BV2 cells. Lastly, the molecular mechanistic study reveals that NRG attenuates neuroinflammatory responses via inhibition of the MAPK signaling pathway in vivo and in vitro. Overall, NRG may emerge as a promising compound for the prevention and treatment of AD.

A three-year field experiment was carried out to investigate the methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and calculate the global warming potential (GWP) according to all energy input in response to the nitrogen (N) rate in the typical rice-wheat rotation system in Jiangsu, China. Four N treatments, including R220W180 (local practice), R220W140 (cutting 10% total N in wheat season), R180W180 (cutting 10% total N in rice season) and R180W140 (cutting 20% total N in rice and wheat seasons separately), were designed in the study. Results showed that annual CH4 emission was decreased by 25.7% in response to cutting 20% N, which was ascribed to the 24.6% reduction of CH4 emission in rice season (P < 0.05) compared to local practice. The mitigation of N2O emissions in R220W140 and R180R180 treatments contributed to the 8.5% and 15.7% decrease in annual N2O emission, which was the 23.5% decrease in cutting 20% N treatment compared to local practice, respectively. Specifically, under the same amount of N rate condition (10% N cutting), the transfer N from rice season (R220W140) to wheat season (R180W180) led to the 8.5% increase in N2O emission (P < 0.05). In the end, the cutting of 20% N decreased GWP and yield-scale GWP by 19% and 17%, which mainly originated from CH4 and N2O emissions. However, cutting N did not significantly decrease grain yield (P > 0.05). These results suggested that the 180 kg N/ha for rice and 140 kg N/ha for wheat in one rotation season were the beneficial N rate to achieve the co-benefit of yield and GWP in the typical rice-wheat rotation system in Jiangsu, China.

Abstract Rapid discovery and synthesis of future materials requires intelligent data acquisition strategies to navigate large design spaces. A popular strategy is Bayesian optimization, which aims to find candidates that maximize material properties; however, materials design often requires finding specific subsets of the design space which meet more complex or specialized goals. We present a framework that captures experimental goals through straightforward user-defined filtering algorithms. These algorithms are automatically translated into one of three intelligent, parameter-free, sequential data collection strategies (SwitchBAX, InfoBAX, and MeanBAX), bypassing the time-consuming and difficult process of task-specific acquisition function design. Our framework is tailored for typical discrete search spaces involving multiple measured physical properties and short time-horizon decision making. We demonstrate this approach on datasets for TiO2 nanoparticle synthesis and magnetic materials characterization, and show that our methods are significantly more efficient than state-of-the-art approaches. Overall, our framework provides a practical solution for navigating the complexities of materials design, and helps lay groundwork for the accelerated development of advanced materials.

Spectroscopic data, particularly diffraction data, are essential for materials characterization due to their comprehensive crystallographic information. The current crystallographic phase identification, however, is very time consuming. To address this challenge, we have developed a real-time crystallographic phase identifier based on a convolutional self-attention neural network (CPICANN). Trained on 692 190 simulated powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns from 23 073 distinct inorganic crystallographic information files, CPICANN demonstrates superior phase-identification power. Single-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns yields 98.5 and 87.5% accuracies with and without elemental information, respectively, outperforming JADE software (68.2 and 38.7%, respectively). Bi-phase identification on simulated XRD patterns achieves 84.2 and 51.5% accuracies, respectively. In experimental settings, CPICANN achieves an 80% identification accuracy, surpassing JADE software (61%). Integration of CPICANN into XRD refinement software will significantly advance the cutting-edge technology in XRD materials characterization.

Operating system (OS) security has been considered as a critical layer within the comprehensive security framework of computer information systems. Mandatory access control (MAC) mechanisms such as SELinux and AppArmor have been employed to strengthen OS security. However, significant challenges have been encountered in the application of MAC in practice, primarily involving the complexity of security policy configuration, which has demanded specialized expertise and often resulted in coarse-grained protection measures. Aimed at enhancing the process of generating security policies for AppArmor, an automated access control policy generation method was proposed based on large language models (LLM). The process began with a static analysis of the target application to extract preliminary security policy rules. Subsequently, the application was extensively executed to gather logs that achieved maximum code coverage. Large models, in conjunction with the gathered log information, static analysis outcomes, and few-shot learning, were utilized to autonomously generate security policies for applications. This approach significantly reduced the dependence on security experts, lowered manual labor costs, and diminished the subjectivity and complexity associated with manual security policy configurations. The efficacy of this methodology was demonstrated through a comparative analysis between the AppArmor security policies generated by this framework and the default policies, focusing on the policies’ correctness, completeness, and succinctness. The experimental findings reveal that the generated policies are not only comprehensive and succinct but also do not impede the normal operation of the application. These results underscore the effectiveness of the proposed method in streamlining the security policy generation process and enhancing the quality of the policies.

Abstract Keratoconus, a disorder characterized by corneal thinning and weakening, results in vision loss. Corneal crosslinking (CXL) can halt the progression of keratoconus. The development of accelerated corneal crosslinking (A-CXL) protocols to shorten the treatment time has been hampered by the rapid depletion of stromal oxygen when higher UVA intensities are used, resulting in a reduced cross-linking effect. It is therefore imperative to develop better methods to increase the oxygen concentration within the corneal stroma during the A-CXL process. Photocatalytic oxygen-generating nanomaterials are promising candidates to solve the hypoxia problem during A-CXL. Biocompatible graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) quantum dots (QDs)-based oxygen self-sufficient platforms including g-C3N4 QDs and riboflavin/g-C3N4 QDs composites (RF@g-C3N4 QDs) have been developed in this study. Both display excellent photocatalytic oxygen generation ability, high reactive oxygen species (ROS) yield, and excellent biosafety. More importantly, the A-CXL effect of the g-C3N4 QDs or RF@g-C3N4 QDs composite on male New Zealand white rabbits is better than that of the riboflavin 5’-phosphate sodium (RF) A-CXL protocol under the same conditions, indicating excellent strengthening of the cornea after A-CXL treatments. These lead us to suggest the potential application of g-C3N4 QDs in A-CXL for corneal ectasias and other corneal diseases.

Abstract Background To investigate the prognosis of patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) after surgery, analyze the risk factors leading to adverse postoperative outcomes, and establish a nomogram. Methods Clinical data from 154 patients with MM who underwent surgery at our institution between 2007 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Assessing and comparing patients’ pain levels, quality of life, and functional status before and after surgery (P

Radioactive Xe isotopes are located at the heavy mass peaks of the fission mass distribution curves of 235U and 239Pu, with the characteristics of high fission yields and moderate half-life times, which have important application value in environmental radiation monitoring, international nuclear arms control and other nuclear event monitoring. The accuracy and reliability of nuclear data of radioactive Xe isotopes are valuable for its application, but there is often interference of radioactive Kr isotopes when measuring radioactive Xe isotopes. At present, cryogenic distillation is the main method for separating inert gas Xe and Kr in industry; however it is expensive and requires complex engineering control, which is not suitable for the preparation of nuclear data measuring gas sources. The adsorption separation method has been widely used in the separation and purification of various gas mixtures because of its maturity and low energy consumption. In order to prepare high activity Xe source for the measurement, the separation of low concentration Xe and Kr on CF-1450 activated carbon at room temperature and atmospheric pressure was studied. The pore structure characterized by N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm at −196 ℃ shows that the BET specific surface area of CF-1450 activated carbon is 1680 m2/g and the dominant pore size distribution is smaller than 2 nm. The capacity of CF-1450 activated carbon for separating Xe and Kr was evaluated by static adsorption and dynamic adsorption-desorption methods. The Xe and Kr henry coefficients of CF-1450 activated carbon at 25 ℃ are 0.21 mmol/(g·kPa) and 0.02 mmol/(g·kPa), respectively. The henry selectivity factor of Xe/Kr on CF-1450 activated carbon is 10.5, which is in agreement with the IAST selectivity(10.6, y(Xe)∶y(Kr)=50∶50) under the same conditions. The zero-point isosteric heats of Xe and Kr on CF-1450 activated carbon are 35.7 kJ/mol and 13.9 kJ/mol, respectively. Based on the dynamic separation capacity of low concentration Xe and Kr on CF-1450 activated carbon, an attractive procedure was proposed and showed good performance for preparing high activity Xe source. The recovery of Xe is 79% and the decontamination factor of Kr is 195.

Abstract Objective To investigate the correlation between MRI findings and histological features for preoperative prediction of histological grading and Ki-67 expression level in alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 63 ASPS patients (Jan 2017–May 2023). All patients underwent 3.0-T MRI examinations, including conventional sequences, dynamic contrast-enhanced scans with time-intensity curve analysis, and diffusion-weighted imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. Patients were divided into low-grade (histological Grade I) and high-grade (histological Grade II/III) groups based on pathology. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess Ki-67 expression levels in ASPS. Statistical analysis included chi-square tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum test, binary logistic regression analysis, Spearman correlation analysis, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of various observational data. Results There were 29 low-grade and 34 high-grade patients (26 males and 37 females) and a wide age range (5–68 years). Distant metastasis, tumor enhancement characteristics, and ADC values were independent predictors of high-grade ASPS. High-grade ASPS had lower ADC values (p = 0.002), with an area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of 0.723, 79.4%, and 58.6%, respectively, for high-grade prediction. There was a negative correlation between ADC values and Ki-67 expression (r = −0.526; p

Abstract Introduction To evaluate the intraocular differences in optical coherence tomography (OCT)-based macular curvature index (MCI) among children with anisomyopia and to investigate the relationship between MCI and the macular microvasculature. Methods Fifty-two schoolchildren with anisometropia > 2.00 D were enrolled and underwent comprehensive examinations including cycloplegic refraction, axial length (AL), and swept source OCT/OCT angiography. OCT-based MCIs were determined from horizontal and vertical B-scans by a customized curve fitting model in MATLAB R2022 at 1-mm-, 3-mm-, and 6-mm-diameter circles at fovea. Characteristics and topographic variation of MCI was analyzed, and the relationships with microvascularity and its associated factors were investigated. Results MCI achieved high reliability and repeatability. There were overall larger MCIs in the more myopic eyes than the less myopic eyes in 1-mm-, 3-mm-, and 6-mm-diameter circles at fovea (all p

Abstract. Background:. With an increasing number of patients with hematological malignancies being treated with umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT), the correlation between immune reconstitution (IR) after UCBT and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) has been reported successively, but reports on double-negative T (DNT) cell reconstitution and its association with acute GVHD (aGVHD) after UCBT are lacking. Methods:. A population-based observational study was conducted among 131 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent single-unit UCBT as their first transplant at the Department of Hematology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, between August 2018 and June 2021. IR differences were compared between the patients with and without aGVHD. Results:. The absolute number of DNT cells in the healthy Chinese population was 109 (70–157)/μL, accounting for 5.82 (3.98–8.19)% of lymphocytes. DNT cells showed delayed recovery and could not reach their normal levels even one year after transplantation. Importantly, the absolute number and percentage of DNT cells were significantly higher in UCBT patients without aGVHD than in those with aGVHD within one year (F = 4.684, P = 0.039 and F = 5.583, P = 0.026, respectively). In addition, the number of DNT cells in the first month after transplantation decreased significantly with the degree of aGVHD increased, and faster DNT cell reconstitution in the first month after UCBT was an independent protective factor for aGVHD (HR = 0.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23–0.93; P = 0.031). Conclusions:. Compared to the number of DNT cells in Chinese healthy people, the reconstitution of DNT cells in adults with hematological malignancies after UCBT was slow. In addition, the faster reconstitution of DNT cells in the early stage after transplantation was associated with a lower incidence of aGVHD.

The investigation was motivated by the widespread use of ultra-high-strength steels in cable-stayed bridges and armor steel plates. These structures are exposed to elevated risks from extreme loads, including vehicle impacts and blast loadings. The study aimed to investigate the mechanical properties of 1770 steel for applications in extreme conditions. The strain rates and temperatures ranged from 0.00095 s−1 to 1303 s−1 and 20 °C–900 °C, respectively. Tensile tests were conducted at various strain rates using a Split Hopkinson Tension Bar for dynamic testing and a universal testing machine for quasi-static testing at room temperature (20 °C). Quasi-static tension at elevated temperatures was carried out using an electromechanical testing machine coupled with a heating device. A uniform temperature distribution inside the specimens was ensured by a 30-min holding time. The results of the tensile test indicate that the 1770 steel displays notable thermal softening effects and strain rate hardening that differ from mild steel. The standard Johnson-Cook (J-C) model was found to be inadequate in accurately predicting the strain rate effects of this specimen. To address this issue, the strain rate parameter C in the standard model was adjusted to create the modified J-C model, which demonstrated good agreement with the experimental results. To further demonstrate the modified model and the identified parameters, drop hammer impact tests and corresponding numerical simulations were conducted. The impact test and numerical simulation results showed good agreement in terms of deformation and contact force. The mechanical properties and the constitutive models can serve as a design reference for the ultra-high-strength 1770 steel in extreme envirnments, as well as a theoretical basis for fitting material models of similar ultra-high-strength steels.

Abstract The presence of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in vascular land plant roots is one of the most ancient of symbioses supporting nitrogen and phosphorus exchange for photosynthetically derived carbon. Here we provide a multi-scale modeling approach to predict AMF colonization of a worldwide crop from a Recombinant Inbred Line (RIL) population derived from Sorghum bicolor and S. propinquum. The high-throughput phenotyping methods of fungal structures here rely on a Mask Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Mask R-CNN) in computer vision for pixel-wise fungal structure segmentations and mixed linear models to explore the relations of AMF colonization, root niche, and fungal structure allocation. Models proposed capture over 95% of the variation in AMF colonization as a function of root niche and relative abundance of fungal structures in each plant. Arbuscule allocation is a significant predictor of AMF colonization among sibling plants. Arbuscules and extraradical hyphae implicated in nutrient exchange predict highest AMF colonization in the top root section. Our work demonstrates that deep learning can be used by the community for the high-throughput phenotyping of AMF in plant roots. Mixed linear modeling provides a framework for testing hypotheses about AMF colonization phenotypes as a function of root niche and fungal structure allocations.

Abstract Background Gastric cancer represents a highly lethal malignancy with an elevated mortality rate among cancer patients, coupled with a suboptimal postoperative survival prognosis. Nectin-4, an overexpressed oncological target for various cancers, has been exploited to create antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) to treat solid tumors. However, there is limited research on Nectin-4 ADCs specifically for gastric cancer, and conventional immunoglobulin G (IgG)-based ADCs frequently encounter binding site barriers. Based on the excellent tumor penetration capabilities inherent in nanobodies (Nbs), we developed Nectin-4-targeting Nb drug conjugates (NDCs) for the treatment of gastric cancer. Results An immunized phage display library was established and employed for the selection of Nectin-4-specific Nbs using phage display technology. Subsequently, these Nbs were engineered into homodimers to enhance Nb affinity. To prolong in vivo half-life and reduce immunogenicity, we fused an Nb targeting human serum albumin (HSA), resulting in the development of trivalent humanized Nbs. Further, we site-specifically conjugated a monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) at the C-terminus of the trivalent Nbs, creating Nectin-4 NDC (huNb26/Nb26-Nbh-MMAE) with a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 1. Nectin-4 NDC demonstrated excellent in vitro cell-binding activities and cytotoxic efficacy against cells with high Nectin-4 expression. Subsequent administration of Nectin-4 NDC to mice bearing NCI-N87 human gastric cancer xenografts demonstrated rapid tissue penetration and high tumor uptake through in vivo imaging. Moreover, Nectin-4 NDC exhibited noteworthy dose-dependent anti-tumor efficacy in in vivo studies. Conclusion We have engineered a Nectin-4 NDC with elevated affinity and effective tumor uptake, further establishing its potential as a therapeutic agent for gastric cancer. Graphical abstract

On December 18, 2023, an Ms 6.2 earthquake occurred in Jishishan, Gansu Province, China. This earthquake happened in the eastern region of the Qilian Orogenic Belt, which is situated at the forefront of the NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau (i.e., Qinghai–Tibet Plateau), encompassing a rhombic-shaped area that intersects the Qilian–Qaidam Basin, Alxa Block, Ordos Block, and South China Block. In this study, we analyzed the deep tectonic pattern of the Jishishan earthquake by incorporating data on the crustal thickness, velocity structure, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) strain field, and anisotropy. We discovered that the location of the earthquake was related to changes in the crustal structure. The results showed that the Jishishan Ms 6.2 earthquake occurred in a unique position, with rapid changes in the crustal thickness, Vp/Vs, phase velocity, and S-wave velocity. The epicenter of the earthquake was situated at the transition zone between high and low velocities and was in proximity to a low-velocity region. Additionally, the source area is flanked by two high-velocity anomalies from the east and west. The principal compressive strain orientation near the Lajishan Fault is primarily in the NNE and NE directions, which align with the principal compressive stress direction in this region. In some areas of the Lajishan Fault, the principal compressive strain orientations show the NNW direction, consistent with the direction of the upper crustal fast-wave polarization from local earthquakes and the phase velocity azimuthal anisotropy. These features underscore the relationship between the occurrence of the Jishishan Ms 6.2 earthquake and the deep inhomogeneous structure and deep tectonic characteristics. The NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau was thickened by crustal extension in the process of northeastward expansion, and the middle and lower crustal materials underwent structural deformation and may have been filled with salt-containing fluids during the extension process. The presence of this weak layer makes it easier for strong earthquakes to occur through the release of overlying rigid crustal stresses. However, it is unlikely that an earthquake of comparable or larger magnitude would occur in the short term (e.g., in one year) at the Jishishan east margin fault.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a globally important oil crop. Web blotch is one of the most important foliar diseases affecting peanut, which results in serious yield losses worldwide. Breeding web blotch-resistant peanut varieties is the most effective and economically viable method for minimizing yield losses due to web blotch. In the current study, a bulked segregant analysis with next-generation sequencing was used to analyze an F2:3 segregating population and identify candidate loci related to web blotch resistance. Based on the fine-mapping of the candidate genomic interval using kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers, we identified a novel web blotch resistance-related locus spanning approximately 169 kb on chromosome 16. This region included four annotated genes, of which only Arahy.35VVQ3 had a non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism in the coding region between the two parents. Two markers (Chr.16.12872635 and Chr.16.12966357) linked to this gene were shown to be co-segregated with the resistance of peanut web blotch by 72 randomly selected recombinant inbred lines (RIL), which could be used in marker-assisted breeding of resistant peanut varieties.

Animal proteins are mainly derived from meat, eggs and milk. They are usually rich in nutritional value, whereas their functional properties usually cannot fully meet industrial requirements. As a kind of non-thermal physical treatments, ultrasound can lead to changes in the physicochemical and structural properties of animal proteins, therefore, improving their functional properties. However, relationships between the effects of ultrasound on various animal proteins and changes in their properties are still unclear and need to be studied. In order to clarify the effects of ultrasonic treatment on the structure and properties of animal proteins, the physicochemical properties, microstructure, interfacial properties and functional properties of different kinds of animal proteins are reviewed under different ultrasonic power and ultrasonic time in this study. Relationships between their changes are also analyzed. At last, in order to provide theoretical reference for the application and promotion of ultrasonic treatment on animal proteins, their application is discussed and prospected.

Objective To detect autoantibodies and D-dimer in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) or with hepatitis B cirrhosis (cirrhosis), and explore the value of detection in evaluating disease progression and prognosis of the patients. Methods A total of 147 consecutive cases meeting the enrollment criteria were collected in out hospital during January 2020 to January 2023, including 82 cases of CHB(CHB group) and 65 cases of cirrhosis(Cirrhosis group). Sixty healthy subjects were selected as the control, and autoantibody detection and D-dimer level were analyzed. In Cirrhosis group,patients died or suffered from digestive bleeding or hepatic encephalopathy were classified into poor prognosis group, and the other into good prognosis group. The autoantibody positivity and D-dimer level were included in binary logistic regression analysis to idetntify the risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. Results The positive rate of autoantibody in CHB Group （25.61%）and Cirrhosis group （27.69%）were higher than that in control group（8.33%） (P

Abstract The rapid urbanization and population growth in major cities have given rise to enduring urban challenges, prompting local governments to assess urban development performance and customize urban planning strategies to meet these challenges. This study aims to formulate an evaluation framework for the comprehensive efficiency of major cities, centering on governance, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and sustainability as fundamental aspects. Distinct from prior research, the framework employs the network slack-based measure (SBM) to unravel efficiency, concurrently scrutinizing input/output slack and link efficiency. Utilizing the network SBM model, the study assesses the comprehensive operational efficiencies of 38 major Chinese cities spanning from 2015 to 2019. The application of the Kruskal–Wallis test discerns differences in comprehensive efficiency between coastal and inland areas. The results indicate that governance, ICT, and sustainability significantly influence the comprehensive operations of cities. In addition to general and short-term policies, the implementation of the National New-Type Urbanization Plan by the Chinese central government has led to an increase in the number of cities demonstrating sustainable efficiency. Despite fluctuations in the efficiency gap during the study period, coastal cities consistently outperform their inland counterparts in terms of efficiency. Persistent geographical disparities underscore the imperative for balanced development. While acknowledging positive strides in sustainable urbanization, the study emphasizes the ongoing necessity to address the adverse impacts of urban development, positioning governance, ICT, and sustainability as indispensable elements in confronting the multifaceted challenges inherent in urban development. The research findings contribute significantly to the field of urban efficiency evaluation, accentuating the collaborative impact of governance, ICT, and sustainability.

Abstract In vitro biotransformation (ivBT) facilitated by in vitro synthetic enzymatic biosystems (ivSEBs) has emerged as a highly promising biosynthetic platform. Several ivSEBs have been constructed to produce poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) via acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). However, some systems are hindered by their reliance on costly ATP, limiting their practicality. This study presents the design of an ATP-free ivSEB for one-pot PHB biosynthesis via acetyl-CoA utilizing starch-derived maltodextrin as the sole substrate. Stoichiometric analysis indicates this ivSEB can self-maintain NADP+/NADPH balance and achieve a theoretical molar yield of 133.3%. Leveraging simple one-pot reactions, our ivSEBs achieved a near-theoretical molar yield of 125.5%, the highest PHB titer (208.3 mM, approximately 17.9 g/L) and the fastest PHB production rate (9.4 mM/h, approximately 0.8 g/L/h) among all the reported ivSEBs to date, and demonstrated easy scalability. This study unveils the promising potential of ivBT for the industrial-scale production of PHB and other acetyl-CoA-derived chemicals from starch.

Abstract Detrital composition of sandstone is the most important data for siliciclastic studies including sandstone classification, provenance analysis, oil and gas exploration. A large amount of detrital composition data has accumulated over the past decades, however, they are scattered in publications without unified standards. Here we constructed a global dataset of detrital components of sandstones from 646 peer‐reviewed publications using Gazzi‐Dickinson method. A total of 19,861 samples from Precambrian to Quaternary are involved in this dataset. For each sample, we present details on reference information, geographic information, geological background, depositional age and the original data. It is a high‐quality dataset for the information on each sandstone sample from different studies which was standardized. The dataset can be used widely, such as for stratigraphic comparison, provenance analysis, exploring the general laws of the source‐to‐sink process and geological engineering.

Abstract Background Sensory changes due to aging or disease can impact brain tissue. This study aims to investigate the link between glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, and alterations in brain connections. Methods We analyzed diffusion MRI measurements of white matter tissue in a large group, consisting of 905 glaucoma patients (aged 49-80) and 5292 healthy individuals (aged 45-80) from the UK Biobank. Confounds due to group differences were mitigated by matching a sub-sample of controls to glaucoma subjects. We compared classification of glaucoma using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) focusing on the optic radiations, which are the primary visual connection to the cortex, against those analyzing non-visual brain connections. As a control, we evaluated the performance of regularized linear regression models. Results We showed that CNNs using information from the optic radiations exhibited higher accuracy in classifying subjects with glaucoma when contrasted with CNNs relying on information from non-visual brain connections. Regularized linear regression models were also tested, and showed significantly weaker classification performance. Additionally, the CNN was unable to generalize to the classification of age-group or of age-related macular degeneration. Conclusions Our findings indicate a distinct and potentially non-linear signature of glaucoma in the tissue properties of optic radiations. This study enhances our understanding of how glaucoma affects brain tissue and opens avenues for further research into how diseases that affect sensory input may also affect brain aging.

Abstract Nowadays, the digital development of marine ranching requires a communication system with wide coverage, high transmission rate and stable communication links. It is known that fixed‐wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have great advantages in long‐range applications. They have the potential to serve as low‐altitude communication platforms for maritime communication. In this study, with a developmental perspective, considering the intense growth of marine terminals in the future, a new clustering algorithm applied to cluster nonorthogonal multiple access (C‐NOMA) is proposed and its advantages are investigated. In addition, considering the limited energy of marine terminals, combining the wireless power communication (WPC) technology for the UAV to charge terminals, the charging and communication time are optimized with the Lagrange multiplier method and the bisection search method. After completing the above optimization content of charging and communication, combined with the optimization results, it is found the trajectory that maximizes the energy efficiency of the UAV with the convex optimization technique. Experimental results show that the proposed clustering algorithm has good throughput performance, better fairness and lower algorithm complexity, and the proposed trajectory optimization scheme has better energy efficiency.

High-performance Cu/Graphene composite wire synergistically strengthened by nano Cr 3 C 2 phase was directly synthesized via hot press sintering followed by severe cold plastic deformation, using liquid paraffin and CuCr alloy powder as the raw materials. Since graphene is in situ formed under the catalysis of copper powder during the sintering process, the problem that graphene is easy to agglomerate and difficult to disperse uniformly in the copper matrix has been solved. The nano Cr 3 C 2 -particles nailed at the interface favor to improve the interface bonding. The Cu/Graphene composite possesses high electrical conductivity, hardness, and plasticity. The composite wire exhibits high electrical conductivity of 96.93% IACS, great tensile strength of 488 MPa, and excellent resistance to softening. Even after annealing at 400°C for 1 h, the tensile strength can still reach 268 MPa with a conductivity of about 99.14% IACS. The wire's temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is largely reduced to 0.0035/°C due to the complex structure, which leads the wire to present low resistivity at higher temperatures. Such Cu/Graphene composite wire with excellent comprehensive performance has a good application prospect in high-power density motors.

Abstract Chordoma is a relatively rare and locally aggressive malignant tumor. Sirtuin (SIRT)5 plays pivotal roles in various tumors, but the role of SIRT5 in chordoma has not been found. This study was performed to investigate the regulatory effects of SIRT5 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and the underlying mechanism in chordoma. A xenograft tumor mouse model was established to assess tumor growth. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the mRNA levels of SIRT5 and c-myc. The effects of SIRT5 and c-myc on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma cells were detected by cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and Transwell assays. The interaction between SIRT5 and c-myc was evaluated by co-immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. The succinylation of c-myc was analyzed by IP and Western blot. The results showed that SIRT5 expression was upregulated in chordoma tissues and cells. SIRT5 interacted with c-myc to inhibit the succinylation of c-myc at K369 site in human embryonic kidney (HEK)-293T cells. Silencing of SIRT5 suppressed the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of chordoma cells, while the results were reversed after c-myc overexpression. Moreover, silencing SIRT5 suppressed tumor growth in mice. These findings suggested that SIRT5 promoted the malignant advancement of chordoma by regulating the desuccinylation of c-myc.

Abstract Background Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum severely affects peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) yields. The breeding of resistant cultivars is an efficient means of controlling plant diseases. Therefore, identification of resistance genes effective against bacterial wilt is a matter of urgency. The lack of a reference genome for a resistant genotype severely hinders the process of identification of resistance genes in peanut. In addition, limited information is available on disease resistance-related pathways in peanut. Results Full-length transcriptome data were used to generate wilt-resistant and -susceptible transcript pools. In total, 253,869 transcripts were retained to form a reference transcriptome for RNA-sequencing data analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes revealed the plant-pathogen interaction pathway to be the main resistance-related pathway for peanut to prevent bacterial invasion and calcium plays an important role in this pathway. Glutathione metabolism was enriched in wilt-susceptible genotypes, which would promote glutathione synthesis in the early stages of pathogen invasion. Based on our previous quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping results, the genes arahy.V6I7WA and arahy.MXY2PU, which encode nucleotide-binding site-leucine-rich repeat receptor proteins, were indicated to be associated with resistance to bacterial wilt. Conclusions This study identified several pathways associated with resistance to bacterial wilt and identified candidate genes for bacterial wilt resistance in a major QTL region. These findings lay a foundation for investigation of the mechanism of resistance to bacterial wilt in peanut.

This paper presents a stochastic vector-borne epidemic model with direct transmission and media coverage. It proves the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions through the construction of a suitable Lyapunov function. Immediately after that, we study the transmission mechanism of vector-borne diseases and give threshold conditions for disease extinction and persistence; in addition we show that the model has a stationary distribution that is determined by a threshold value, i.e., the existence of a stationary distribution is unique under specific conditions. Finally, a stochastic model that describes the dynamics of vector-borne diseases has been numerically simulated to illustrate our mathematical findings.

Abstract Background/Aim With the pharmaceutical innovation and clinical knowledge updating, the continuing education and on-the-job training are extremely important for improving community pharmacists’ professional competence. Previous training often adopted traditional lecture-based teaching, and the efficacy was limited. The aim of this study is to develop a new strategy for community pharmacist training. Methods Based on the BOPPPS (Bridge-in, Objective, Pre-assessment, Participatory Learning, Post-assessment and Summary) teaching model and workshop method, a continuing on-the-job training program was constructed. Participates were randomly and evenly divided into two groups by random number table method. Twenty-four community pharmacists in total completed all training contents and evaluation components in this study. Twelve pharmacists in experimental group were trained via this new BOPPPS-based workshop, while others still adopted traditional didactic lecture-based approaches. Results After training, quantitative examination combined with clinical pharmacy practice tests were carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of two training groups. For written exam, the total scores from the BOPPPS-based workshop group (82.67 ± 4.70) was higher than that of traditional lectured-base group (73.75 ± 6.15) (P

Abstract There is interest in developing sustainable materials displaying circularly polarized room-temperature phosphorescence, which have been scarcely reported. Here, we introduce biobased thin films exhibiting circularly polarized luminescence with simultaneous room-temperature phosphorescence. For this purpose, phosphorescence-active lignosulfonate biomolecules are co-assembled with cellulose nanocrystals in a chiral construct. The lignosulfonate is shown to capture the chirality generated by cellulose nanocrystals within the films, emitting circularly polarized phosphorescence with a 0.21 dissymmetry factor and 103 ms phosphorescence lifetime. By contrast with most organic phosphorescence materials, this chiral-phosphorescent system possesses phosphorescence stability, with no significant recession under extreme chemical environments. Meanwhile, the luminescent films resist water and humid environments but are fully biodegradable (16 days) in soil conditions. The introduced bio-based, environmentally-friendly circularly polarized phosphorescence system is expected to open many opportunities, as demonstrated here for information processing and anti-counterfeiting.

Abstract The invasion-metastasis cascade in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is predominantly caused by the interaction between tumor cells and tumor microenvironment, including hypoxia as well as stromal cells. However, the mechanism of hypoxia-activated tumor-stroma crosstalk in HNSCC metastasis remains to be deciphered. Here, we demonstrated that HIF1α was upregulated in HNSCC specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues, whose overexpression was associated with lymph node metastasis and predicted unfavorable prognosis. HIF1α expression correlated positively with the levels of miR-5100 as well as α-SMA, the marker of CAFs. Hypoxia/HIF1α regulated transcriptionally miR-5100 to promote the degradation of its target gene QKI, which acts as a tumor suppressor in HNSCC. Hypoxic HNSCC-derived exosomal miR-5100 promoted the activation of CAFs by orchestrating QKI/AKT/STAT3 axis, which further facilitated HNSCC metastasis. Additionally, miR-5100 derived from plasma exosomes indicated HNSCC malignant progression. In conclusion, our findings illuminate a novel HIF1α/miR-5100/QKI pathway in HNSCC metastasis, and suggest that miR-5100 might be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC.

Abstract As a typical sub-deep reservoir in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in the southwest region, Zhangjiayan Reservoir is also an important source of drinking water. Exploring the role of microorganisms in the material cycle of water bodies is of great significance for preventing the exacerbation of eutrophication in the reservoir. In this study, water samples from the overlying water of five points in the reservoir were collected four times in spring (April), summer (July), autumn (November), and winter (January) of 2022–2023 using a gas-tight water sampler. Physicochemical factors were measured, and the microbial community structure was analyzed by high-throughput MiSeq sequencing of the V3–V4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA gene in order to explore the relationship between physicochemical factors and microbial community structure and the dominant microbial populations that affect eutrophication of the reservoir. The following results were obtained through analysis. Among the 20 overlying water samples from Zhangjiayan Reservoir, a total of 66 phyla, 202 classes, 499 orders, 835 families, 1716 genera, and 27,904 ASVs of the bacterial domain were detected. The phyla Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria were dominant in the microbial community of the overlying water in Zhangjiayan Reservoir. At the genus level, hgcI_clade and Actinobacteria had the highest abundance and was the dominant population. The microbial community in the water of Zhangjiayan Reservoir has a high level of diversity. The diversity index ranked by numerical order was winter > autumn > summer > spring. Significant differences were found in the composition and structure of the microbial community between the spring/summer and autumn/winter seasons (p

Excessive and uncontrollable inflammatory responses in alveoli can dramatically exacerbate pulmonary disease progressions through vigorous cytokine releases, immune cell infiltration and protease-driven tissue damages. It is an urgent need to explore potential drug strategies for mitigating lung inflammation. Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) as a vital molecular target principally participates in various inflammatory diseases via intracellular signal transduction. However, it has been rarely reported about the role of PAR2 in lung inflammation. This study applied CRISPR-Cas9 system encoding Cas9 and sgRNA (pCas9-PAR2) for PAR2 knockout and fabricated an anionic human serum albumin-based nanoparticles to deliver pCas9-PAR2 with superior inflammation-targeting efficiency and stability (TAP/pCas9-PAR2). TAP/pCas9-PAR2 robustly facilitated pCas9-PAR2 to enter and transfect inflammatory cells, eliciting precise gene editing of PAR2 in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, PAR2 deficiency by TAP/pCas9-PAR2 effectively and safely promoted macrophage polarization, suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine releases and alleviated acute lung inflammation, uncovering a novel value of PAR2. It also revealed that PAR2-mediated pulmonary inflammation prevented by TAP/pCas9-PAR2 was mainly dependent on ERK-mediated NLRP3/IL-1β and NO/iNOS signalling. Therefore, this work indicated PAR2 as a novel target for lung inflammation and provided a potential nanodrug strategy for PAR2 deficiency in treating inflammatory diseases.

Abstract Halogenation of Y‐series small‐molecule acceptors (Y‐SMAs) is identified as an effective strategy to optimize photoelectric properties for achieving improved power‐conversion‐efficiencies (PCEs) in binary organic solar cells (OSCs). However, the effect of different halogenation in the 2D‐structured large π‐fused core of guest Y‐SMAs on ternary OSCs has not yet been systematically studied. Herein, four 2D‐conjugated Y‐SMAs (X‐QTP‐4F, including halogen‐free H‐QTP‐4F, chlorinated Cl‐QTP‐4F, brominated Br‐QTP‐4F, and iodinated I‐QTP‐4F) by attaching different halogens into 2D‐conjugation extended dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline core are developed. Among these X‐QTP‐4F, Cl‐QTP‐4F has a higher absorption coefficient, optimized molecular crystallinity and packing, suitable cascade energy levels, and complementary absorption with PM6:L8‐BO host. Moreover, among ternary PM6:L8‐BO:X‐QTP‐4F blends, PM6:L8‐BO:Cl‐QTP‐4F obtains a more uniform and size‐suitable fibrillary network morphology, improved molecular crystallinity and packing, as well as optimized vertical phase distribution, thus boosting charge generation, transport, extraction, and suppressing energy loss of OSCs. Consequently, the PM6:L8‐BO:Cl‐QTP‐4F‐based OSCs achieve a 19.0% efficiency, which is among the state‐of‐the‐art OSCs based on 2D‐conjugated Y‐SMAs and superior to these devices based on PM6:L8‐BO host (17.70%) and with guests of H‐QTP‐4F (18.23%), Br‐QTP‐4F (18.39%), and I‐QTP‐4F (17.62%). The work indicates that halogenation in 2D‐structured dibenzo[f,h]quinoxaline core of Y‐SMAs guests is a promising strategy to gain efficient ternary OSCs.

Immune cell infiltration and tumor-related immune molecules play key roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The influence of immune interactions on the molecular characteristics and prognosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. A machine learning algorithm was applied to the transcriptome data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database to determine the immunophenotypic and immunological characteristics of ccRCC patients. These algorithms included single-sample gene set enrichment analyses and cell type identification. Using bioinformatics techniques, we examined the prognostic potential and regulatory networks of immune-related genes (IRGs) involved in ccRCC immune interactions. Fifteen IRGs (CCL7, CHGA, CMA1, CRABP2, IFNE, ISG15, NPR3, PDIA2, PGLYRP2, PLA2G2A, SAA1, TEK, TGFA, TNFSF14, and UCN2) were identified as prognostic IRGs associated with overall survival and were used to construct a prognostic model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at 1 year was 0.927; 3 years, 0.822; and 5 years, 0.717, indicating good predictive accuracy. Molecular regulatory networks were found to govern immune interactions in ccRCC. Additionally, we developed a nomogram containing the model and clinical characteristics with high prognostic potential. By systematically examining the sophisticated regulatory mechanisms, molecular characteristics, and prognostic potential of ccRCC immune interactions, we provided an important framework for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ccRCC and identifying new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for future research.