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This study examines service investment decisions in the context of two store brand introduction modes and the mode selection of a retailer. The research focuses on a supply chain comprised of a national brand manufacturer (NBM), an external store brand supplier (SBS), and a retailer. A national brand product (NB) is distributed to the market through both direct and retail channels. The retailer consistently offers service efforts within the retail channel and has two options for launching a store brand product (SB): producing the SB or procuring it from an external source. The findings indicate that, when the retailer has a low fixed cost and a substantial market size for one-stop consumers, the retailer internally producing its own SB is more profitable. However, when the market size for one-stop consumers and the fixed cost of producing the SB are both low, or when the retailer possesses a relatively high fixed cost, it is advisable for the retailer to procure a lower-quality SB from the SBS. Alternatively, the retailer could establish its own production facilities to launch a higher-quality SB. Furthermore, it is noteworthy that the NBM consistently favors the retailer outsourcing the SB production to an external SBS. This implies that both the NBM and the retailer can achieve a “win-win” outcome when the retailer procures the SB.

Abstract Due to rapid homogenization in habitat types as a result of urbanization, some urban birds adapt their nesting strategies to changes in local habitat characteristics. Bird nesting decisions might have been mainly linked to resource constraints and ensuring reproductive success. In this study, we examined patterns of nesting behavior by spotted doves (Spilopelia chinensis) in a rapidly urbanizing area of Nanchang, China using ArcGIS 10.8, satellite tracking, camera traps, and field survey. To explore the mechanisms underlying nesting behavior in urban habitats, we assessed the correlations between nest reuse and reproductive success, and between nest reuse and nest predation. From December 2018 to December 2021, a total of 302 breeding nests were surveyed. The results revealed that the nest reuse rate was 38.08% (n = 115). Nests closer to trunk, with lower nest position and higher large‐scale urbanization score tended to have higher reuse rate. In addition, nests with the higher the nest height and percent of canopy cover, and the lower small‐scale urbanization score were more likely to reproduce successfully, and the reused nests also reproduce more successfully. The reproductive success associated with nest reuse was significantly higher than that associated with new nests (χ2 = 8.461, p = .004). High degree of urbanization promoted nest reuse of spotted doves (large‐scale urbanization score, z = 2.094, p = .036), which apparently enhanced their reproductive success (nest reuse, z = 2.737, p = .006). In conclusion, a nest structure with good permeability is the material basis for the nest reuse in spotted dove, while the relatively low risk of predation in urban habitat and the scarcity of nest site resources due to urbanization increase the tendency of birds to reuse old nests, which is associated with their reproductive success and evolutionary fitness.

Squalene is a highly sought-after triterpene compound in growing demand, and its production offers a promising avenue for circular economy practices. In this study, we applied metabolic engineering principles to enhance squalene production in the nonconventional yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, using waste cooking oil as a substrate. By overexpressing key enzymes in the mevalonate pathway — specifically ERG9 encoding squalene synthase, ERG20 encoding farnesyl diphosphate synthase, and HMGR encoding hydroxy-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase — we achieved a yield of 779.9 mg/L of squalene. Further co-overexpression of DGA1, encoding diacylglycerol acyltransferase, and CAT2, encoding carnitine acetyltransferase, in combination with prior metabolic enhancements, boosted squalene production to 1381.4 mg/L in the engineered strain Po1g17. To enhance the supply of the precursor acetyl-CoA and inhibit downstream squalene conversion, we supplemented with 6 g/L pyruvic acid and 0.7 mg/L terbinafine, resulting in an overall squalene titer of 2594.1 mg/L. These advancements underscore the potential for sustainable, large-scale squalene production using Y. lipolytica cell factories, contributing to circular economy initiatives by valorizing waste materials.

Abstract Many Chinese wrinkle studies continue to use non-Chinese scales because few Chinese-based wrinkle scales have been developed. The study aims to develop a crow’s feet grading scale for Chinese individuals. We enrolled 608 healthy Chinese subjects and measured data through the DermaTOP system. We chose exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to reduce the dimensions of the data. A three-factor structure was obtained by using EFA, and it explained a cumulative total of 89.551% of the variance. A computational formula was obtained by calculating the total factor tilt scores and taking the variance contribution rate of three factors as the weight. Based on the computational formula, a grading map was designed and tested. The model validation was conducted using both subjective assessments from the expert panel and objective results from the model calculations. The results showed that our grading scale model is stable. This study developed a Chinese crow’s feet (CCF) grading scale, which included a parameter, a grading map, and literal descriptions. The CCF grading scale is a validated tool for evaluating the effects of cosmetics or specific therapies. More importantly, the CCF scale was developed based on objective data, which may inspire new ideas for wrinkle grading scale development in the future.

In order to reduce the environmental impact of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) plastic waste, supercritical fluids were used to facilitate effective recovery via improved solvent effects. This work focuses on the mechanisms of supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) during the alcoholysis processing of PET using systematic experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The results of the alcoholysis experiment indicated that PET chips can be completely depolymerized within only an hour at 473 K assisted with ScCO2 at an optimal molar ratio of CO2/ethanol of 0.2. Random scission of PET dominates the early stage of the depolymerization reaction process, while specific scission dominates the following stage. Correspondingly, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the solubilization and self-diffusion properties of ScCO2 facilitate the transportation of alcohol molecules into the bulk phase of PET, which leads to an accelerated diffusion of both oligomers and small molecules in the system. However, the presence of excessive CO2 has a negative impact on depolymerization by weakening the hydrogen bonding between polyester chain segments and ethanol, as well as decreasing the swelling degree of PET. These data provide a deep understanding of PET degradation by alcohols and the enhancement of ScCO2. It should be expected to achieve an efficient and high-yield depolymerization process of wasted polyesters assisted with ScCO2 at a relatively low temperature.

Acellular fish swim bladders (AFSBs) are a promising biomaterial in tissue engineering, however, they may suffer from rapid degradation due to enzyme invasion. In this work, natural polyphenols, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), proanthocyanidin (PC), tannic acid (TA) and protocatechuic acid (PCA), were utilized to improve the properties of AFSBs through crosslinking modifications. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results indicate that the triple helix of the collagen in AFSBs is well preserved after crosslinking. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), water contact angle (WCA) and in vitro degradation tests indicate that the polyphenol-crosslinked AFSBs exhibit improved thermal stability, enzymatic stability, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties. Among them, EGCG with multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups and low potential resistance is more favorable for the improvement of the mechanical properties and enzymatic stability of AFSBs, as well as their biocompatibility and integrity with the collagen triple helix. Moreover, the crosslinking mechanism was demonstrated to be due to the hydrogen bonds between polyphenols and AFSBs, and was affected by the molecular size, molecular weight and the hydroxyl groups activity of polyphenol molecules, as clarified by molecular dynamic (MD) simulations. The approach presented in this work paves a path for improving the properties of collagen materials.

Abstract Fish swim bladders used to be considered as byproducts or waste in fishery; however, they are potential materials for biological medicine with abundant collagen. In this work, an efficient noncytotoxic decellularization process using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) ternary system assisted with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as the green extraction fluid and ethanol (ET) as the cosolvent has been developed to harvest acellular fish swim bladders (AFSBs). The experimental results show that the tissue treated by SDS assisted with scCO2 and ethanol at 37 °C and 25 MPa can be decellularized thoroughly and maintains intact fibers and uniform pore distribution, which resulting in a tensile strength of 5.61 MPa and satisfactory biocompatibility. Meanwhile, the residual SDS content in scCO2/SDS/ET ternary system is 0.0122% which is significantly lower than it in scCO2/SDS system due to the enhanced mass transfer rate of SDS in tissues by scCO2 with ethanol. The synergy between SDS and ethanol can enhance the diffusion coefficient and the solubility of SDS in scCO2, which reduced the contact time between SDS and tissues. Meaningfully, the results obtained in this work can not only provide a novel strategy to produce acellular matrix with superior properties, but also offer a further understanding of the decellularization through scCO2 extraction processing with the synergy of suitable detergent/cosolvent. Graphical Abstract

PURPOSEThe T2 mapping of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in endometrial cancer (EC), benign endometrial lesions (BELs), and normal endometrium (NE) has rarely been reported. This study aimed to determine the T2 values of MRI in EC, BELs, and NE to investigate whether the T2 values can differentiate them and to assess the aggressiveness of EC.METHODSIn total, 73 patients [EC, 51 (age, 57.4 ± 5.4 years); BELs, 22 (age, 57.8 ± 11.8 years)] and 23 normal volunteers (age, 56.1 ± 6.6 years) were included. The T2 values of MRI of the EC (type I and II), BEL, and NE groups were described and compared. The relationships between the T2 values of MRI in EC and the pathological characteristics [International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and grade] were analyzed.RESULTSThe median T2 values of NE, BEL, and EC were 197.5 (142.9–324.0) ms, 131.1 (103.2–247.9) ms, and 103.0 (71.6–243.5) ms (P < 0.001), respectively. The median T2 values of type I and type II EC were 100.8 (71.62–130.44) ms and 125.7 (119.7–243.5) ms, respectively. There were significant differences in the T2 values among the NE, BEL, type I EC, and type II EC groups (P < 0.001) except for between the type II EC and BEL groups (P = 0.938). The T2 value of MRI in type I EC was significantly lower than that in type II EC (P = 0.001). There were no significant differences in patients with type I EC having different FIGO stages (P = 0.273) or tumor grades (P = 0.686).CONCLUSIONT2 mapping of MRI has the potential to quantitatively differentiate between EC, BELs, and NE as well as between type I and type II EC.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common industrial organic solvent and environmental contaminant. People are exposed to TCE through occupational contact or environmental pollution, which leads to serious human health hazards. A large number of studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in the TCE-induced multi-target organ toxicity. However, the research of related signaling pathways remains to be deepened. In this review, we summarized the epidemiological, animal, and cellular studies correlated to liver toxicity, kidney toxicity, cardiac developmental toxicity, placental developmental toxicity, neurodevelopmental toxicity, and autoimmune response induced by TCE. In addition, the possible molecular mechanisms of oxidative stress in TCE-induced toxicity were concluded, including DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell apoptosis, and abnormal activation of the immune system. Through literature review, we proposed that nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 may play an important role in mediating TCE-induced target organ toxicity, providing a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of adverse health effects caused by TCE.

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the predictive values of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) myometrial thickness grading and dark intraplacental band (DIB) volumetry for blood loss in patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). Methods Images and clinical data were acquired from patients who underwent placenta MRI examinations and were diagnosed with PAS from March 2015 to January 2021. Two radiologists jointly diagnosed, processed, and analysed the MR images of each patient. The analysis included MRI-based determination of placental attachment, as well as myometrial thickness grading and DIB volumetry. The patients included in the study were divided into three groups according to the estimated blood loss volume: in the general blood loss (GBL) group, the estimated blood loss volume was

Waterlogging tolerance is important in direct seeding rice cultivation practice. Here, the authors identify a 14-3-3 protein-coding gene OsGF14h in weedy rice that confers anaerobic germination and anaerobic seedling development tolerance by balancing ABA signaling and GA biosynthesis.

Abstract Background Skeletal muscle tissue is among the largest organ systems in mammals, essential for survival and movement. Embryonic muscle development determines the quantity and quality of muscles after the birth of an individual. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a significant class of non-coding RNAs that bind to the 3’UTR region of mRNA to regulate gene function. Total RNA was extracted from the leg muscles of chicken embryos in different developmental stages of Chengkou Mountain Chicken and used to generate 171,407,341 clean small RNA reads. Target prediction, GO, and KEGG enrichment analyses determined the significantly enriched genes and pathways. Differential analysis determined the significantly different miRNAs between chicken embryo leg muscles at different developmental stages. Meanwhile, the weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) identified key modules in different developmental stages, and the hub miRNAs were screened following the KME value. Results The clean reads contained 2047 miRNAs, including 721 existing miRNAs, 1059 known miRNAs, and 267 novel miRNAs. Many genes and pathways related to muscle development were identified, including ERBB4, MEF2C, FZD4, the Wnt, Notch, and MAPK signaling pathways. The WGCNA established the greenyellow module and gga-miR-130b-5p for E12, magenta module and gga-miR-1643-5p for E16, purple module and gga-miR-12218-5p for E19, cyan module and gga-miR-132b-5p for E21. Conclusion These results lay a foundation for further research on the molecular regulatory mechanism of embryonic muscle development in Chengkou mountain chicken and provide a reference for other poultry and livestock muscle development studies.

Background: The genetic factors in assessing therapeutic efficacy and predicting antihypertensive drug response are unclear. Therefore, this study aims to identify the associations between variants and antihypertensive drug response.Methods: A longitudinal study including 1837 hypertensive patients was conducted in Northern China and followed up for a median 2.24 years. The associations of 11 candidate variants with blood pressure changes in response to antihypertensive drugs and with the risk of cardiovascular events during the follow-up were examined. The dual-luciferase assay was carried out to assess the effect of genetic variants on gene transcriptional activity.Results: The variant rs11039149A>G in the promoter of nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H member 3 (NR1H3) was associated with the change in systolic blood pressure (ΔSBP) in response to calcium channel blockers (CCBs) monotherapy. Patients carrying rs11039149AG genotype showed a significant increase of systolic blood pressure (SBP) at follow-up compared with AA carriers, and the difference of ΔSBP between AG and AA carriers was 5.94 mm Hg (95%CI: 2.09–9.78, p = 0.002). In 1,184 patients with CCBs therapy, SBP levels decreased in AA carriers, but increased in AG carriers, the difference of ΔSBP between AG and AA carriers was 8.04 mm Hg (95%CI: 3.28–12.81, p = 0.001). Further analysis in 359 patients with CCBs monotherapy, the difference of ΔSBP between AG and AA carriers was 15.25 mm Hg (95%CI: 6.48–24.02, p = 0.001). However, there was no significant difference in ΔSBP between AG and AA carriers with CCBs multitherapy. The rs11039149A>G was not associated with the cardiovascular events incidence during the follow-up. Additionally, transcriptional factor forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) bound to the NR1H3 promoter containing rs11039149A and significantly increased the transcriptional activity, while rs11039149 A to G change led to a loss-of-function and disabled FOXC1 binding. For the other 10 variants, associations with blood pressure changes or risk of cardiovascular events were not observed.Conclusion: Hypertensive patients with rs11039149AG genotype in the NR1H3 gene have a significant worse SBP control in response to CCBs monotherapy compared with AA carriers. Our findings suggest that the NR1H3 gene might act as a promising genetic factor to affect individual sensitivity to antihypertensive drugs.

Urbanization is currently considered one of the most rapid types of global environmental change. Urban habitats are biotically and abiotically different from their rural areas, i.e., the ambient temperature, predator, and food availability. These novel challenges create new selection pressures, which allow one to investigate eco-evolutionary responses to contemporary environmental change. A total of 118 breeding nests were monitored for nest predation in both urban and rural areas from 2018 to 2020. We used environmental factors from urban and rural areas and behavioral data from 439 Chinese Blackbird (Turdus mandarinus) valid incubation days to understand the impact of urbanization on the incubation behavior of blackbirds and its adaptation mechanism to the urban environment. Cities have warmer ambient temperatures and lower predation pressures than rural areas. Urban blackbirds chose the incubation strategy with shorter and more bouts, while rural blackbirds selected the incubation strategy with longer and fewer bouts. The plasticity of incubation behavior of urban blackbirds was higher than that of rural areas, and the range of egg temperature was also higher than that of rural areas. In addition, incubation temperature and the number of bouts per day were the key factors affecting the day survival rate of blackbirds, and the hatching rate of urban blackbirds was higher than that of rural blackbirds. Our results provide evidence for behavioral shifts in blackbirds during adaptation to urbanization and support the central role of behavioral adaptation in the successful colonization of new environments by wildlife. These help us understand the behavioral characteristics required for wildlife to live in cities and the urban adaptors faced environmental pressures.

This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition of Tribulus terrestris L. fruit (TT) extract named TT15 and its protective effect against ischemic stroke (IS) as well as corresponding mechanisms. The chemical composition of TT15 was analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and the compound identification was conducted via searching the in-house database. The LC-MS-based multi-omics approach was applied to search the differential metabolites and differential proteins in rat brain tissue and to explore the biomarker and molecular mechanism of TT15 against middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). A total of 20 compounds were identified from TT15, mainly including alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, quinones, and esters. These 20 compounds significantly affected the metabolism of 44 metabolites and the expression of 51 proteins. Joint pathway analysis showed that these metabolites and proteins were mainly involved in the response to elevated platelet cytosolic Ca2+ and platelet activation, which inferred that TT15 may exert a protective effect against cerebral ischemic injury via regulating platelet function. This study provides useful information for further exploration of the mechanisms of TT extract against IS.

Abstract Background Tricalcium silicate-based sealers have been usually indicated for the single-cone technique and result in more residual filling materials in root canal retreatment. Passive ultrasonic irrigation and photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming have been reported to improve the removal efficacy of root canal filling materials. However, the abilities of both techniques combined with NiTi re-instrumentation to remove residual tricalcium silicate-based sealer and gutta-percha have not been compared. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of laser-activated and ultrasonic-activated techniques in vitro for the removal of the tricalcium silicate-based sealer iRoot SP and gutta-percha after standard canal retreatment procedures with the use of nickel-titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments.

Objective. This study is aimed at using genes related to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pathway to establish a prognostic risk model in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Methods. For this study, we first found the PPAR pathway-related genes on the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) website and found the KIRC mRNA expression data and clinical data through TCGA database. Subsequently, we used R language and multiple R language expansion packages to analyze the expression, hazard ratio analysis, and coexpression analysis of PPAR pathway-related genes in KIRC. Afterward, using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) website, we established the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of genes related to the PPAR pathway. After that, we used LASSO regression curve analysis to establish a prognostic survival model in KIRC. Finally, based on the model, we conducted correlation analysis of the clinicopathological characteristics, univariate analysis, and multivariate analysis. Results. We found that most of the genes related to the PPAR pathway had different degrees of expression differences in KIRC. Among them, the high expression of 27 genes is related to low survival rate of KIRC patients, and the high expression of 13 other genes is related to their high survival rate. Most importantly, we used 13 of these genes successfully to establish a risk model that could accurately predict patients’ prognosis. There is a clear correlation between this model and metastasis, tumor, stage, grade, and fustat. Conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to analyze the entire PPAR pathway in KIRC in detail and successfully establish a risk model for patient prognosis. We believe that our research can provide valuable data for future researchers and clinicians.

This genome-wide association study on persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among Chinese confirms previously associated genetic loci while discovering a novel protective locus at 8p21.3. The study also demonstrates the nearby gene INST10 suppresses HBV replication in vitro.