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In this study, an ultra-high strength Mg-13Gd-4Y–0Zn-0.5Zr (wt.%) alloy with tensile yield strength (TYS) of 456 MPa and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 486 MPa was prepared by using different pre-heat parameters and subsequent final-heat treatment combined with backward extrusion (BE) deformation process. It was shown that the pre-heat teratment could significantly enhance the UTS and TYS of the secondary backward extruded (BEed) alloy compared with none treatment. The reason was that the pre-heat treatment promoted the particle stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism and continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), significantly increasing the fraction of dynamic recrystallization (DRX). The strengthening of the secondary BEed alloy was attributed to the unique microstructure characteristics: (I) the fine DRXed grains pinned by dynamic precipitates, (II) the dense dynamic precipitation phases, (III) the effect of the fine-grain strengthening. However, the overly densely distributed second phase, which increased the local dislocation density due to the narrower spacing, made it difficult to prevent crack propagation and caused premature fracture of the alloy. In addition, the subsequent final-heat treatment also facilitated the precipitation of the second phases of the secondary BEed alloys and brought in the ultra-high mechanical properties.

Highlights Fe single-atom catalysts (h3-FNCs) with high loading, high catalytic activity and high stability were synthesized via a method capable of increasing both the metal loading and mass-specific activity by exchanging zinc with iron. The “density effect,” derived from the sufficiently high density of active sites, has been discovered for the first time, leading to a significant alteration in the intrinsic activity of single-atom metal sites. The superior oxidase-like catalytic performance of h3-FNCs ensures highly effective bacterial eradication.

Abstract Background Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious disease caused by Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), resulting in a mortality rate of suckling piglets as high as 100%. Vaccination is the primary strategy for controlling PEDV infection, however, there is currently a lack of reliable methods for assessing the efficacy of vaccination. This study aimed to analyze serum and colostrum samples from 75 parturient sows with a specific vaccination strategy to measure levels of IgG, IgA, and neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against PEDV, and to investigate the correlation between serum and colostrum antibody levels, as well as to identify potential biomarkers that can be used to evaluate immunization effects under field conditions. Results The findings of correlation analysis between antibody levels of IgA, IgG, and nAbs in serum or colostrum samples revealed that IgG demonstrated the most robust correlation with nAbs exhibiting a correlation coefficient of 0.64 in serum samples. Conversely, IgA exhibited the highest correlation with nAbs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.47 in colostrum samples. Additionally, the correlation analysis of antibody levels between serum and colostrum samples indicated that serum IgA displayed the strongest correlation with colostrum IgA, with a coefficient of 0.63, indicating that serum IgA may serve as a viable alternative indicator for evaluating IgA levels in colostrum samples. To further evaluate the suitability of serum IgA as a substitute marker for colostrum IgA, levels of IgA antibodies in serum samples from sows were examined both pre- and post-parturition. The findings indicated that serum IgA levels were initially low prior to the initial immunization, experienced a notable rise 21 days after immunization, and maintained a significant elevation compared to pre-immunization levels from 21 days pre-parturition to 14 days postpartum, spanning a total of 35 days. Conclusions Serum anti-PEDV IgA antibody levels may serve as a valuable predictor for immunization effects, allowing for the assessment of colostrum IgA antibody levels up to 21 days in advance. This insight could enable veterinarians to timely adjust or optimize immunization strategies prior to parturition, thereby ensuring adequate passive immunity is conferred to piglets through colostral transfer postpartum.

Abstract It is a time-consuming and costly process to develop affordable and high-performance organic photovoltaic materials. Computational methods are essential for accelerating the material discovery process by predicting power conversion efficiencies (PCE). In this study, we propose a deep learning-based framework (DeepAcceptor) to design and discover highly efficient small molecule acceptor materials. Specifically, an experimental dataset is constructed by collecting acceptor data from publications. Then, a deep learning-based model is customized to predict PCEs by applying graph representation learning to Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT), with the atom, bond, and connection information in acceptor molecular structures as the input (abcBERT). The computational dataset derived from density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the experimental dataset from literature are used to pre-train and fine-tune the model, respectively. The abcBERT model outperforms other state-of-the-art models for the PCE prediction with MAE = 1.78 and R 2 = 0.67 on the test set. A molecular generation and screening process is built to find new high-performance acceptors for PM6. Three discovered candidates are further validated by experiment, and the best PCE reaches 14.61%. The released user-friendly interface of DeepAcceptor greatly boosts the accessibility and efficiency of designing and discovering high-performance acceptors. Altogether, the DeepAcceptor framework with abcBERT is promising to predict the PCE and accelerate the discovery of high-performance acceptor materials.

Stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED) holds great potential in biological science applications, especially in studying nanoscale subcellular structures. However, multi-color STED imaging in live-cell remains challenging due to the limited excitation wavelengths and large amount of laser radiation. Here, we develop a multiplexed live-cell STED method to observe more structures simultaneously with limited photo-bleaching and photo-cytotoxicity. By separating live-cell fluorescent probes with similar spectral properties using phasor analysis, our method enables five-color live-cell STED imaging and reveals long-term interactions between different subcellular structures. The results here provide an avenue for understanding the complex and delicate interactome of subcellular structures in live-cell.

Effective user authentication is key to ensuring equipment security, data privacy, and personalized services in Internet of Things (IoT) systems. However, conventional mode-based authentication methods (e.g., passwords and smart cards) may be vulnerable to a broad range of attacks (e.g., eavesdropping and side-channel attacks). Hence, there have been attempts to design biometric-based authentication solutions, which rely on physiological and behavioral characteristics. Behavioral characteristics need continuous monitoring and specific environmental settings, which can be challenging to implement in practice. However, we can also leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the extraction and classification of physiological characteristics from IoT devices processing to facilitate authentication. Thus, we review the literature on the use of AI in physiological characteristics recognition published after 2015. We use the three-layer architecture of the IoT (i.e., sensing layer, feature layer, and algorithm layer) to guide the discussion of existing approaches and their limitations. We also identify a number of future research opportunities, which will hopefully guide the design of next generation solutions.

Ceresium sinicum ornaticolle Pic, 1907 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is one of the main pests of pomegranate and citrus trees. In this study, we described the complete mitochondrial genome of C. sinicum ornaticolle. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 15,817 bp, and the entire content of GC was 27.8%. The genome encoded 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs). The phylogenetic tree showed that C. sinicum ornaticolle was clustered with Allotraeus orientalis and Zoodes fulguratus. These results will provide the genetic information for understanding the genetic evolution of C. sinicum ornaticolle and the insights to control cerambycid pests.

To prepare bioactive peptides from rapeseed cake directly, the superfine grinding technology was used，and the resulting rapeseed cake superfine powder was used as the material. Single-factor experiments and response surface analysis were used to optimize the preparation extraction. The active peptides were purified by membrane separation and Sephadex G-15 membrane separation, and their antioxidant activity and structure were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal preparation conditions were as follows: grinding time 30 min, solid-to-liquid ratio 1:20(g/mL), pH2.94, enzyme dosage 6300 U/g, temperature 55 ℃, and enzymatic hydrolysis time 2.25 h. Under these conditions, the yield of peptides could reach 83.28%. The F-2 fraction from hydrolysates with molecular mass less than 1000 Da showed good antioxidant activity, with an ABTS+ free radical eliminating rate of 71.62% at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. Furthermore, five peptides were identified, namely PF, SF, TF, IAIPF, and PLDLL which were predicted to have much higher activity. Overall, the results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for the exploration of bioactive peptides directly from rapeseed cakes.

In order to explore the effects of grinding strength on the physicochemical properties and protein extraction of rapeseed meal powder, cryogenic superfine milling was used to prepare six kinds of rapeseed meal powders according to the grinding time (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 60 min), namely SGR-5, SGR-10, SGR-15, SGR-20, SGR-30, SGR-40, SGR-60, and conventional crushing one was used as a control, named GR. The results showed that the structure of the rapeseed meal powder was easily destroyed by a moderate superfine grinding compared with the conventional crushing, which was followed by a reduction in their particle size distribution, insoluble dietary fiber content, and water/oil holding capacity, thereby increasing the protein extraction rate. While the grinding process had almost no effect on their total dietary fiber content. Specially, a minimum particle size of the powder would be gotten when grinding for 40 min, about 16 μm (D50), and further grinding would cause the aggregation of powder particles. Moreover, 30 min of superfine grinding was the optimal condition for the extraction of rapeseed meal protein by alkali-extraction. In addition, the alkali pH was another important parameter for the extraction of rapeseed meal protein.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing agricultural sectors globally and is becoming increasingly important for producing sustainable and healthy diets with relatively low climate impacts. In comparison to livestock production, especially beef, seafood production has lower carbon emissions. Additionally, some species can extract carbon from aquatic environments, contributing to an extended carbon cycle. However, the potential for negative environmental consequences in aquaculture production might increase with the growing global population and demand for aquatic food. Herein, we review the environmental consequences of aquaculture production and the potential effects of different aquatic products on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We also summarize approaches to improving environmental footprints for mitigating global climate change. Key elements, including improving feed efficiency, selecting suitable farmed species, and implementing sustainable farming practices and management in aquaculture, are discussed, as well as the trade-offs between aquaculture and capture fisheries. Crucially, performance gaps among farmed species underscore the potential for consumer-oriented advice to significantly reduce the effects of aquaculture on climate change. However, uncertainties and knowledge gaps related to carbon sequestration and GHG emissions in aquaculture ponds necessitate further research. Overall, holistic evaluation and strategic intervention regarding GHG emissions are fundamental and essential for achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future for aquaculture.

This study investigated the responses of glucolipid metabolism in gibel carp, the CAS III strain (A strain, 7.14 ± 0.23 g) and the Dongting strain (DT strain, 7.72 ± 0.54 g), following acute hypoxia/reoxygenation. The effects of hypoxia (0.39 ± 0.02 mg/L) and reoxygenation (8.30 ± 0.30 mg/L) were examined in both strains after exposure for 2 h. The results revealed significantly enhanced PI3K/AKT pathway and AMPK/HIF-1α pathways, along with upregulated expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (g6pase) and lipid synthesis-related genes (acc and fas) in both gibel carp strains following acute hypoxia (P < 0.05). The observed increase in plasma glucose levels during acute hypoxia may be related to elevated expression of g6pase (P < 0.05). Regarding the genotype, the A strain exhibited significantly higher expression of glucose metabolism-related genes (pk and pepck) in the liver compared to the DT strain (P < 0.05). Conversely, the expression of lipid metabolism-related genes (hsl, lpl, pparα, cpt1a, and aco3) were significantly lower in the A strain compared to the DT strain (P < 0.05). In both strains of gibel carp, reoxygenation resulted in significant activation of the PI3K/AKT and AMPK/mTOR pathways, accompanied by upregulated expression of glucose metabolism-related genes (gk, 6pfk, foxo1a, fbpase, and pepck) and lipid synthesis-related genes (srebp-1, acly, and acc) (P < 0.05). Notably, the A strain exhibited increased transcripts of glucose metabolism-related genes (gk, pk, foxo1a, g6pase, and pepck) and lipid metabolism-related genes (acly, fas, and cpt1a) compared to the DT strain (P < 0.05). Overall, this study revealed distinct regulation patterns of glucolipid metabolism in the gibel carp with different genotype under acute hypoxia/reoxygenation.

This paper provided an effective method to further improve the mechanical properties of the AZ80+0.4%Ce magnesium alloy wheel spoke. The effect of high strength and ductility was obtained with a yield strength of 295.36 MPa, an elongation of 10%, by the combination of pre-deformation (7% deformation) and two-stage aging treatment (120 °C/9 h + 175 °C/24 h). The evolution of the microstructure and properties of the alloy was explored under the coupling conditions of different pre-deformation degrees and multi-stage aging. The results show that, pre-deformation introduced a large number of (101¯2) tensile twinning and dislocations, which greatly promoted the probability of continuous precipitates (CPs) appearing. On the contrary, the discontinuous precipitates (DPs) were limited by the vertical and horizontal twin structure. As a result, the pre-nucleation method of two-stage aging increased the proportion of CPs by 34%-38%. Owing to the DPs was effectively suppressed, the alloy's yield strength has been greatly improved. Besides, under multi-stage aging, the twin boundaries induce protruding nucleation to form static recrystallization by hindering the migration of dislocations, and the matrix swallows the twins, then the texture gradually tilts from the two poles to the basal plane. As an important supplement, the grain refinement and oblique texture promoted the improvement of the yield strength of the component.

Abstract Blood exchange therapy, specifically Whole blood exchange (WBE), is increasingly being utilized in clinical settings to effectively treat a range of diseases. Consequently, there is an urgent requirement to establish convenient and clinically applicable animal models that can facilitate the exploration of blood exchange therapy mechanisms. Our study conducted continuous WBE in rats through femoral and tail vein catheterization using dual-directional syringe pumps. To demonstrate the applicability of continuous WBE, drug-induced hemolytic anemia (DIHA) was induced through phenylhydrazine hydrochloride (PHZ) injection. Notability, the rats of DIHA + WBE group all survived and recovered within the subsequent period. After the implementation of continuous WBE therapy day (Day 1), the DIHA + WBE group exhibited a statistically significant increase in red blood cells (RBC) (P = 0.0343) and hemoglobin (HGB) levels (P = 0.0090) compared to DIHA group. The rats in the DIHA + WBE group exhibited a faster recovery rate compared to the DIHA group, indicating the successful establishment of a continuous blood exchange protocol. This experimental approach demonstrates not just promising efficacy in the treatment of DIHA and offers a valuable tool for investigating the underlying mechanisms of blood exchange. Furthermore, it has a great potential to the advancement of biomedical research such as drug delivery exploration.

In this article, industrial-specification Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy cylinder parts were successfully prepared by rotary backward extrusion process. The microstructure distribution and mechanical properties evolution of the whole wall of different cylinder parts were investigated, and the effects of different rotation speeds on the microstructure and properties were also revealed. The results showed that the strain of the cylinder wall increased significantly with rotation speed increased, thereby generating a higher driving force for the microstructure refinement. The transformation of the inner wall progressed from the deformed zone (bulk-shaped long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases, coarse deformed grains, and fine recrystallized grains) to the strongly affected zone (particle-shaped LPSO phases and fine recrystallized grains), with the latter expanding as rotation speed increased. Furthermore, there was a gradient distribution of strain in the cylinder walls, with the strain gradient intensifying alongside rotation speed. The transformation of the strongly affected zone into the deformed region from the inner to the outer wall suggested a diminishing effect of rotation speed on LPSO phases fragmentation and grain refinement. Notably, increasing rotation speed rendered improvements in the strength and ductility of the cylinder wall. And mechanical properties also displayed a gradient decrease from the inner wall to the outer wall. This variation in mechanical properties of different regions was closely associated with the contributions of grain boundary strengthening, texture strengthening and second phase strengthening.

In this paper, Mg-9.5Gd-4Y–2Zn-0.5Zr cylindrical parts were prepared by the conventional backward extrusion (CBE) process and rotating backward extrusion (RBE) process. The effects of the two processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of different orientation regions of rare earth magnesium alloy were analyzed and compared. The RBE process introduces a torsional shear quantity based on the CBE process. By changing the direction of plastic flow, has a positive effect on the elongation (EL) of the alloy. It was found that dynamic recrystallization (DRX) occurred in both CBE and RBE processes. With the transition of deformation, the strain continues to accumulate, and the DRX mechanism changes from discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) to continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX). Compared with the CBE process, the grain refinement of the RBE process is more significant. After deformation, a more significant heterostructure is obtained in the RBE-45° region, and the average grain size reaches 24.7 μm. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and EL of the alloy in this region are 292.5 ± 7.7 MPa, 226.6 ± 7.4 MPa, and 21.5 ± 1.3 %, respectively. Although the strength is slightly lower than that of CBE alloy, better plasticity is obtained. The excellent strength-toughness synergy is attributed to the synergistic effect between heterogeneous regions of non-uniform microstructure. This study provides some theoretical guidance for the industrial production of large-size magnesium alloy cylindrical parts and subsequent applications.

Biochar has demonstrated potential for stabilising high yields and sequestering carbon in dryland farmland, but it is unclear whether biochar affects the carbon sequestration capacity and carbon balance of annual farmland ecosystems. For this purpose, we conducted a plot control trial in salinised farmland in 2019-2021, where we set three treatments, control, and two biochar rates, 0 (CK), 15 (B15), and 30 t/ha (B30). The results showed that biochar application decreased soil organic carbon stocks in the early part of the experiment (first freeze and freeze period); these increased in the later part, and overall, the biochar treatments increased soil organic carbon storage by 3-6% compared with the control. Compared with the control (CK), biochar inhibited the total soil respiration rate and microbial respiration rate significantly (P < 0.05) during the crop growing period compared with the freeze-thaw period. After two years of freeze-thaw cycling, biochar application increased sunflower plant carbon sequestration and net primary productivity and suppressed total soil microbial respiration, thereby increasing net ecosystem productivity. Therefore, the application of biochar is conducive to carbon sequestration in farmland ecosystems and presents a carbon sink effect, thus being a good choice for improving the soil carbon pool and reducing emissions in the northern dry zone.

Hot torsion tests for AZ80 magnesium alloy were carried out in the temperature range of 380 °C-260 °C, with a constant decreasing temperature rate of 10 °C/s in order to weaken the basal texture and refine the grains. The results indicated that the average grain sizes were refined forming gradient structure with increasing specimen radial position from center (12.2–5.4 μm), and that the initial basal texture intensity of the extruded magnesium alloy was weakened from 46.2 to 8.3. Furthermore, the extension twins (ETs) could be disintegrated from the twins forming separated twins with smaller sizes. Interestingly, ETs with the same twin variant intersecting with each other could be coalesced forming grains with similar orientation, while ETs with different twin variants were separated by twins boundaries contributing to grain refinement. Moreover, in addition to the conventional continuous dynamic recrystallized (CDRX) grains with 30˚ orientation rotated around C-axis of the parent grains, CDRXed grains with 30˚ rotation around a-axis and random rotation axis were also discerned. Besides, the CDRX evolution induced twins were also elaborated, exhibiting the complex competition between CDRX and twining. Hot torsion deformation with constant decreasing temperatures rate is an effective way of grain refinement and texture modification.

In order to investigate the functional effects of superfine grinding technology on Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed, in this study, superfine grinding technology was used to prepare Zanthoxylum bungeanum superfine powder. The basic components, particle size, color, surface morphology, and the water/oil holding capacity, expansion force, compaction density were investigated and recorded using particle size analyzer, spectrophotometer, and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the soluble dietary fiber content of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed powder gradually increased with the decrease of particle size. In comparison with the conventionally produced powder, the size of superfine powder could decrease to 7.69 μm, along with a larger specific surface area and stronger powder uniformity. As the particle size decreased, the color of the superfine powder gradually increased in L*, a*, and b* values. After superfine grinding, the water-holing capacity, oil-holding capacity, and swelling capacity would increase to 1.65 g/g, 1.16 g/g, and 2.35 mL/g, respectively. In addition, angles of repose and slide increased butthe tap density exhibited the opposite tendency. SEM images revealed that fiber bundle could be more thoroughly crushed with grinding time. In summary, the uniform Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed powder with a smaller particle size, higher powder uniformity, more soluble dietary fiber and better hydration capacity can be prepared through superfine grinding. However, to some extent, superfine grinding will also decrease the density and fluidity of Zanthoxylum bungeanum seed powder.

An 8-weeks growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary protein levels mainly based on cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC) meal on growth performance, protein metabolism, liver health and intestinal microbiota of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) juveniles. Five isolipidic (100 g/kg) diets were prepared with protein levels ranging from 400 to 560 g/kg, with CPC of 155 g/kg, 214 g/kg, 272 g/kg, 330 g/kg, 390 g/kg to obtain five experimental diets with gradient protein levels (399.9 g/kg, 428.0 g/kg, 462.8 g/kg, 503.5 g/kg and 541.5 g/kg, respectively (CPC1, CPC2, CPC3, CPC4 and CPC5)). 300 fish (initial body weight: 14.71 ± 0.50 g) were randomly assigned into 15 tanks (3 tanks per diet). The results showed that, the fish of CPC5 group had the highest specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG) and feed efficiency (FE) (P < 0.05). Increased dietary protein up-regulated most liver key genes of mTOR pathway (akt, tor, s6k, 4ebp1, s6) while down-regulated atf4 at medium dietary protein (P < 0.05). The expression of fas was down-regulated with increased dietary protein, while dgat1 was higher at CPC5 group (P < 0.05). The genes related to lipolysis were up-regulated with increased dietary protein (P < 0.05). The key genes of apoptosis including bcl2, casp9, casp3 (apoptosis) oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress were significantly up-regulated at high dietary protein (P < 0.05), which reduced the antioxidant and anti-stress capacity of the liver. Dietary 462.8 g/kg protein could maintain the normal composition and metabolic function of intestinal microbiota. In summary, dietary protein requirement using CPC as main protein source was estimated to be 463 g/kg to 510 g/kg for liver health or best growth of largemouth bass juveniles.

High-starch diets may lead to growth retardation, liver damage and lipid accumulation in fish. Although mangiferin (MGF) can regulate triglyceride metabolism and protect liver health in mammals, studies on its role in fish are limited. The largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) were fed four different groups of diets, including a control diet (NCD), a high-starch diet (HSD), a high-starch diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg MGF (100 MGF) and a high-starch diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg MGF (500 MGF). After 8 weeks of feeding, weight gain and specific growth rate were significantly higher in the 500 MGF group than in the HSD group. Feeding rate was significantly higher in the 100 MGF group than in the HSD group. Feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in the 100 MGF group than in the HSD group. MGF reduced HSI, ALT, AST and liver vacuolization, compared with HSD group. In addition, MGF significantly reduced plasma GLU and TG levels and increased plasma HDL levels in largemouth bass. Compared to the HSD group, MGF significantly reduced TG levels in the liver, as well as reduced hepatic lipid droplet area. MGF significantly increased the relative expressions of glycolysis-related gene (pfk1), pentose phosphate pathway-related genes (g6pd, pgd and tktb) and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation-related gene (ndufa2, sdhb, sdhaf3, sdhaf4 and cox4). MGF significantly decreased the relative expressions of gluconeogenesis-related gene (pepck and g6pc). MGF significantly decreased the transcriptional levels of key relative expressions of triglyceride metabolism (srebf1), fatty acid synthesis-related genes (acc1, fasn and scd1) and triglyceride synthesis-related genes (gpat2, agpat2, agpat3, agpat5, dgat1a and dgat2). MGF significantly increased the relative expressions of triglyceride catabolism-related genes (pnpla2 and lipeb). The results indicated that MGF reduced lipid accumulation and alleviated high starch diet-induced liver damage by regulating triglyceride metabolism in largemouth bass.

A high carbohydrate diet (HCD) induced excessive hepatic de novo lipogenesis, which caused metabolic disorder and impaired the health of fish species. Betulinic acid (BA) has been applied to ameliorate fatty liver and anti-inflammatory in mammals. Here, we investigated the effects of dietary BA supplementation on HCD-induced hepatic de novo lipogenesis and liver health in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus). The catfish were fed with three diets: NCD (18 % carbohydrate), HCD (36 % carbohydrate), HCD+BA (36 % carbohydrate with 150 mg/kg BA). After an 8-week feeding trial, we found that dietary BA decreased hepatosomatic index (HSI) and condition factor (CF) without affecting the growth of channel catfish fed HCD. Dietary BA significantly reduced the HCD-induced excessive lipid accumulation (oil red O area, TG content, and de novo lipogenesis gene expression, P < 0.05). Moreover, we found that dietary BA prevented hepatic lipid accumulation via activating phosphorylation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibiting sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) (P < 0.05) in liver of channel catfish fed HCD. Besides, we also found that dietary BA significantly prevented HCD-induced liver damage, as confirmed by liver H&E staining, reduced inflammation biomarkers (ALT, AST, hydroxyproline, α-sma and tgf-1β), downregulated expression of ER stress-related genes (eif2a, bip, atf4, xbp1) (P < 0.05). Overall, the present study indicated that dietary BA inclusion attenuated hepatic de novo lipogenesis, improved liver inflammation and reduced ER stress in channel catfish fed HCD.

Inflammation has been shown to trigger a wide range of chronic diseases, particularly inflammatory diseases. As a result, the focus of research has been on anti-inflammatory drugs and foods. In recent years, the field of medicinal and edible homology (MEH) has developed rapidly in both medical and food sciences, with 95% of MEH being associated with plants. Phenolic acids are a crucial group of natural bioactive substances found in medicinal and edible homologous plants (MEHPs). Their anti-inflammatory activity is significant as they play a vital role in treating several inflammatory diseases. These compounds possess enormous potential for developing anti-inflammatory drugs and functional foods. However, their development is far from satisfactory due to their diverse structure and intricate anti-inflammatory mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the various types, structures, and distribution of MEHP phenolic acids that have been identified as of 2023. We also analyze their anti-inflammatory activity and molecular mechanisms in inflammatory diseases through NF-κB, MAPK, NLRP3, Nrf2, TLRs, and IL-17 pathways. Additionally, we investigate their impact on regulating the composition of the gut microbiota and immune responses. This analysis lays the groundwork for further exploration of the anti-inflammatory structure-activity relationship of MEHP phenolic acids, aiming to inspire structural optimization and deepen our understanding of their mechanism, and provides valuable insights for future research and development in this field.

Neurotoxicity can cause a range of symptoms and disorders in humans, including neurodegenerative diseases, neurodevelopmental disorders, nerve conduction abnormalities, neuroinflammation, autoimmune disorders, and cognitive deficits. The cyclic guanosine-adenosine synthase (cGAS)−stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and NF-κB pathway are two important signaling pathways involved in the innate immune response. The cGAS−STING pathway is activated by the recognition of intracellular DNA, which triggers the production of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, IL-1β, and IL-6. These cytokines play a role in oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in neurons. The NF-κB pathway is activated by various stimuli, such as bacterial lipopolysaccharide, viral particle components, and neurotoxins. NF-κB activation may lead to the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which promote neuroinflammation and cause neuronal damage. A potential interaction exists between the cGAS−STING and NF-κB pathways, and NF-κB activation blocks STING degradation by inhibiting microtubule-mediated STING transport. This review examines the progress of research on the roles of these pathways in neurotoxicity and their interrelationships. Understanding the mechanisms of these pathways will provide valuable therapeutic insights for preventing and controlling neurotoxicity.

To identify the key odorants in Amomum tsaoko (AT), volatiles in fresh AT (FAT) and dried AT (DAT) were investigated using molecular sensory science. In addition to this, the sensomics approach was used to confirm the presence of the compound in FAT that contributed the most to its aroma profile. A total of 49 odor-active compounds (43 in FAT and 42 in DAT) with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 1 to 6561 were identified, with eucalyptol exhibiting the highest FD factor of 6561. Odorants with FD factors ≥ 27 were quantitated, and 23 and 20 compounds in FAT and DAT, respectively, with odor activity value ≥ 1 were determined as key odorants. Recombination and omission experiment further indicated that (E)-2-dodecenal, geranial, octanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-decenal, and eucalyptol contributed significantly to the overall aroma profile of FAT. After drying of FAT, the concentrations of aldehydes decreased significantly, whereas those of terpene hydrocarbons increased. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that 26 FAT and 23 DAT odorants were biomarker compounds.

The extruded AZ80+0.4% Ce magnesium alloy was twisted in the temperature range of 300 - 380 °C by using a Gleeble 3500 thermal simulation test machine with a torsion unit. The deformed cylindrical specimens were cooled at a cooling rate of 10 °C/s or 0.1 °C/s, respectively, and aged at 170 °C. The microstructure analysis results showed that the grain size decreased with increasing specimen radial position from center (SRPC), and that the strong initial basal texture of the extruded magnesium alloy was weakened. Both continuous and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization mechanisms were involved in contributing to the grain refinement for all specimens investigated. And a novel extension twinning induced dynamic recrystallization mechanism was proposed for specimen deformed at 300 °C. For the specimens deformed at 300 °C and 340 °C followed by a slow cooling rate (0.1 °C/s), precipitates of various shapes (β-Mg17Al12), with the dominant precipitates being on the grains boundaries, appeared on the surface section. For specimen deformed at 380 °C, lamellar precipitates (LPS) in the interiors of the grains were predominant. After aging, the LPS still dominated for specimens twisted at 380 °C; however, the LPS gradually decreased with decreasing deformation temperatures from 380 °C to 300 °C. Dynamically precipitated β, especially those decorating the grain boundaries, changed the competition pictures for the LPS and precipitates of other shapes after aging. Interestingly, LPS dominated the areas for the center section of the specimens after aging regardless of deformation temperatures. Low temperature deformation with high SRPC followed by rapid cooling rate increased the micro hardness of the alloy after aging due to refined grain, reduced precipitates size, decreased lamellar spacing as well as strain hardening.

Abstract Civic scientific literacy (CSL) is a fundamental indicator of social development and national literacy and is very important for personal well-being and national competitiveness. To be in line with the technological advancements and demands of the current era, we focused on “science engagement”, which is now considered an important approach to enhance the CSL of the general public, and developed a 4-dimensional CSL assessment framework based on the crucial elements for citizens to engage in science. The 4 dimensions are scientific knowledge (SK), scientific method (SM), problem-solving (PS), and scientific thought and spirit of science (STSS). With this framework, a CSL measurement instrument including 50 items was developed. Various validity evidence, including evidence with reliability close to or exceeding 0.8 for all four dimensions, supports the use of the instrument to provide a valuation of CSL. Age, location type (urban or rural), educational background, and occupation are all significant factors associated with CSL.

With a spurt of progress in deep learning techniques, convolutional neural network-based and transformer-based methods have yielded impressive performance on the hyperspectral image (HSI) classification tasks. However, pixel-level manual annotation is time-consuming and laborious, and the small amount of labeled HSI data brings challenges to deep learning methods. Existing methods use carefully designed network architectures combined with self-supervised or semi-supervised learning to deal with the lack of training samples. Those methods were designed for specific datasets and often needed to tune hyperparameters on new datasets carefully. To tackle this problem, a unified HSI masked autoencoder framework was proposed for HSI classification. Different from existing works, the hyperspectral image masked autoencoder (HSIMAE) framework was pretrained on a large-scale unlabeled HSI dataset, named HSIHybrid, which contained a large amount of HSI data acquired by different sensors. First, to handle the different spectral ranges of HSIs, a group-wise PCA was applied to extract features of HSI spectra and transform them into fixed-length vectors. Then, a modified masked autoencoder was proposed for large-scale pretraining. It utilized separate spatial–spectral encoders followed by fusion blocks to learn spatial correlation and spectral correlation of HSI data. Finally, to leverage the unlabeled data of the target dataset, a dual-branch finetuning framework that used an extra unlabeled branch for mask modeling learning was introduced. Extensive experiments were conducted on four HSI datasets from different hyperspectral sensors. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed HSIMAE framework over the state-of-the-art methods, even with very few training samples.

High-resolution, wide-range imaging is crucial for contemporary and future remote sensing surveys. Multichannel synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is an effective tool to fulfill this requirement. Among various multichannel technologies, null steering digital beamforming is commonly used for ambiguity suppression, SAR echo separation, and interference and clutter suppression. However, existing null steering beamforming algorithms lack robustness and are sensitive to channel errors. This article proposes an improved SAR echo separation scheme based on complex independent component analysis (ICA) to address the channel error issue. Initially, the problem caused by channel error leading to the failure of the linear constraint minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer is analyzed. Then, non-Gaussian and noncircular measurements of SAR echoes from different scatterers are conducted, concluding that multichannel SAR echoes satisfy the conditions for ICA application. For an elevated multichannel wide-swath SAR, an ambiguity signal separation scheme based on ICA is proposed. Block processing or pure-decimal-constraint LCMV (PDC-LCMV) beamforming is first employed to compensate for the spatial dependence of the mixing matrix. A complex entropy-bound maximum algorithm, based on source signal independence, is then used for further signal separation. Our proposed scheme effectively addresses the channel error issue in traditional null steering beamforming schemes and efficiently separates ambiguity echoes. It leverages the statistical characteristics of the signal itself and expands the processing dimension. Capable of handling multiple errors, it is suitable for systems with limited degrees of freedom and does not require additional hardware resources. Simulation experiments verify the effectiveness of this scheme.

Abstract Palm leaf manuscripts (PLMs) are of great importance in recording Buddhist Scriptures, medicine, history, philosophy, etc. Some damages occur during the use, spread, and preservation procedure. The comprehensive investigation of Sanskrit PLMs is a prerequisite for further conservation and restoration. However, current damage identification and investigation are carried out manually. They require strong professional skills and are extraordinarily time-consuming. In this study, PLM-SegFormer is developed to provide an automated damage segmentation for Sanskrit PLMs based on the SegFormer architecture. Firstly, a digital image dataset of Sanskrit PLMs (the PLM dataset) was obtained from the Potala Palace in Tibet. Then, the hyperparameters for pre-processing, model training, prediction, and post-processing phases were fully optimized to make the SegFormer model more suitable for the PLM damage segmentation task. The optimized segmentation model reaches 70.1% mHit and 51.2% mIoU. The proposed framework automates the damage segmentation of 10,064 folios of PLMs within 12 h. The PLM-SegFormer framework will facilitate the preservation state survey and record of the Palm-leaf manuscript and be of great value to the subsequent preservation and restoration. The source code is available at https://github.com/Ryan21wy/PLM_SegFormer .

Demand uncertainty and variations in user rental-return behavior can lead to an uneven spatial distribution of bicycles, which forces bike-sharing operators to rebalance the bike-sharing system by relocating bicycles from overstocked to understocked stations. In addition, this may lead to increased costs for bike-sharing operators. This paper proposed a two-stage robust model based on spatio-temporal networks to solve the static rebalancing problem in a bike-sharing system affected by demand uncertainty. The model designed a static rebalancing scheme for bike-sharing at a strategic level. To solve the problem, the paper used a customized column-and-constraint generation algorithm. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm was confirmed using real data from Shanghai, China, providing strategic decision support for the static rebalancing problem in actual bike-sharing systems.

In this study, a Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy was processed by forward extrusion combined with dual-directional angular extrusion (FE-DDAE), and the corresponding microstructure evolution, grain refinement mechanism, and texture were investigated systematically. The deformed materials were subjected to a combination of three-way compressive stress and shear stress, and five different areas were selected to study the typical deformation behaviors. The results show that microstructures are heterogeneous in different areas, and the grain size is refined from 138.70 μm to 37.18 μm through continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX). The block-shaped and lamellar long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases can coordinate severe deformation through dissolution, tearing, breaking for the former, and bending, severe kinking, refining into small pieces for the latter. Moreover, the broken block-shaped LPSO can promote DRX process through particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism, and the lamellar LPSO phases can hinder the dislocation motion to restrict DRX. A strong basal texture is observed during the initial stage of FE-DDAE process, and the basal texture intensity gradually weakens to 4.9 MRD due to the random orientations of high volume fraction of DRX grains. A mixed texture component is formed with basal planes inclined 50° from ED to TD, showing a trend of spreading.

Rare-earth magnesium alloys exhibit higher comprehensive mechanical properties compared to other series of magnesium alloys, effectively expanding their applications in aerospace, weapons, and other fields. In this work, the tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation of a Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr rare-earth magnesium alloy under different process conditions were determined, and a large number of microstructure observations and analyses were carried out for the tensile specimens; a prediction model of the corresponding mechanical properties was established by using a convolutional neural network (CNN), in which the metallographic diagram of the rare-earth magnesium alloy was taken as the input, and the corresponding tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, and three mechanical properties were taken as the output. The stochastic gradient descent (SGD) algorithm was used for parameter optimization and experimental validation, and the results showed that the average relative errors of the tensile strength and yield strength prediction results were 1.90% and 3.14%, respectively, which were smaller than the expected error of 5%.

Glucose and lipid metabolism disorders are the core pathological mechanism of a variety of metabolic diseases, and the incidence of related diseases is increasing year by year, which seriously threatens human life and health. Traditional Chinese medicine with medicinal and edible properties refers to Chinese medicinal resources that have both medicinal and edible characteristics. Due to its safety and its health-promoting and medicinal functions, traditional Chinese medicine has received increasing attention in the development of functional health foods. Phenolic acids are important secondary metabolites that are ubiquitous in medicinal and edible homologous plants, and the regulation of glycolipid metabolism is an important activity and plays a key role in many diseases. In this paper, we focus on the alleviation of glycolipid disorders using MEHH phenolic acids, which regulate glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism, improve insulin resistance, inhibit inflammatory responses, alleviate oxidative stress, and regulate intestinal flora; additionally, we summarize the mechanism in order to provide a reference for MEHH phenolic acids in the treatment of glycolipid metabolism diseases.

Glacier meltwater is an indispensable water supply for billions of people living in the catchments of major Asian rivers. However, the role of glaciers on river runoff regulation is seldom investigated due to the lack of annual glacier mass balance observation. In this study, we employed an albedo-based model with a daily land surface albedo dataset to derive the annual glacier mass balance over the Tuotuo River Basin (TRB). During 2000–2022, an annual glacier mass balance range of −0.89 ± 0.08 to 0.11 ± 0.11 m w.e. was estimated. By comparing with river runoff records from the hydrometric station, the contribution of glacier mass change to river runoff was calculated to be 0.00–31.14% for the studied period, with a mean value of 9.97%. Moreover, we found that the mean contribution in drought years is 20.07%, which is approximately five times that in wet years (4.30%) and twice that in average years (9.49%). Therefore, our results verify that mountain glaciers act as a significant buffer against drought in the TRB, at least during the 2000–2022 period.

Based on the Xiaolangdi North Bank Irrigation Area Project, this study combines numerical simulation and BP neural network methods to investigate the sensitivity of tunnel soil and its parameter inversion under continuous heavy rainfall. The research results indicate that changes in water-level and soil strength parameters have a significant impact on the deformation of tunnel surrounding rock. By comparing the sensitivity factors of different parameters, the main parameter sensitivities affecting the displacement of tunnel surrounding rock were determined to be water level, internal friction angle, and cohesion. The mechanical characteristics of the tunnel construction process were analyzed using finite difference method numerical analysis software FLAC3D, and the results were used as a sample dataset for inversion analysis. Through neural network inverse analysis based on orthogonal design method, the cohesion and internal friction angle of loess layer ④, loess layer ④-1, and loess layer ⑤ were determined, and the data of groundwater level elevation were obtained. Field applications proved the effectiveness and rationality of this method.

BackgroundDigital radiography (DR) is a common and widely available examination. However, spinal DR cannot detect bone marrow edema, therefore, determining vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), especially fresh VCFs, remains challenging for clinicians.MethodsWe trained, validated, and externally tested the deep residual network (DRN) model that automated the detection and identification of fresh VCFs from spinal DR images. A total of 1,747 participants from five institutions were enrolled in this study and divided into the training cohort, validation cohort and external test cohorts (YHDH and BMUH cohorts). We evaluated the performance of DRN model based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), feature attention maps, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. We compared it with five other deep learning models and validated and tested the model internally and externally and explored whether it remains highly accurate for an external test cohort. In addition, the influence of old VCFs on the performance of the DRN model was assessed.ResultsThe AUC was 0.99, 0.89, and 0.88 in the validation, YHDH, and BMUH cohorts, respectively, for the DRN model for detecting and discriminating fresh VCFs. The accuracies were 81.45% and 72.90%, sensitivities were 84.75% and 91.43%, and specificities were 80.25% and 63.89% in the YHDH and BMUH cohorts, respectively. The DRN model generated correct activation on the fresh VCFs and accurate peak responses on the area of the target vertebral body parts and demonstrated better feature representation learning and classification performance. The AUC was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84–0.95) and 0.84 (95% CI 0.72–0.93) in the non-old VCFs and old VCFs groups, respectively, in the YHDH cohort (p = 0.067). The AUC was 0.89 (95% CI 0.84–0.94) and 0.85 (95% CI 0.72–0.95) in the non-old VCFs and old VCFs groups, respectively, in the BMUH cohort (p = 0.051).ConclusionIn present study, we developed the DRN model for automated diagnosis and identification of fresh VCFs from spinal DR images. The DRN model can provide interpretable attention maps to support the excellent prediction results, which is the key that most clinicians care about when using the model to assist decision-making.

Although preclinical and clinical studies have shown that exercise can inhibit bone metastasis progression, the mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we found that non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells adjacent to bone tissue had a much lower proliferative capacity than the surrounding tumor cells in patients and mice. Subsequently, it was demonstrated that osteocytes, sensing mechanical stimulation generated by exercise, inhibit NSCLC cell proliferation and sustain the dormancy thereof by releasing small extracellular vesicles with tumor suppressor micro-RNAs, such as miR-99b-3p. Furthermore, we evaluated the effects of mechanical loading and treadmill exercise on the bone metastasis progression of NSCLC in mice. As expected, mechanical loading of the tibia inhibited the bone metastasis progression of NSCLC. Notably, bone metastasis progression of NSCLC was inhibited by moderate exercise, and combinations with zoledronic acid had additive effects. Moreover, exercise preconditioning effectively suppressed bone metastasis progression. This study significantly advances the understanding of the mechanism underlying exercise-afforded protection against bone metastasis progression.

The lightweight of high-end equipment relies on high mechanical properties magnesium (Mg) alloy structural components, because it is the best way to improve equipment service performance and reduce energy consumption. This article summarizes the current progress and characteristics of large-scale high-performance Mg alloy components by analyzing the strengthening-toughening mechanisms, characteristics of plastic forming, and the preparation of large high mechanical properties forging blanks. Due to the lack of breakthroughs in the key technologies for forming large-scale Mg alloy components, their uniformity of mechanical properties and consistency are poor, the forming accuracy of components is low, and the production cost is high, which limit their engineering application and restrict the lightweight level of high-end equipment. In view of the above problems, the forming trends and research directions of large-scale and high mechanical properties Mg alloy components are proposed in this paper. It can provide help for the breakthrough of the key technology of large-scale Mg alloy components with high mechanical properties and expand the application of Mg alloy in high-end products.

In this study, the isothermal compression experiments of Mg-Gd-Y-Zn-Zr alloy at 450 °C and 0.01 s−1 under different strains were carried out to investigate the microstructure evolution and the formation mechanism of the heterogeneous microstructure. The microstructure of the sample with a strain of 1.4 exhibited significant heterogeneous microstructure characteristics with bimodal grain and bimodal texture distribution. The particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism activated by intergranular block-shaped LPSO phases and the continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) mechanism developed layer by layer towards grain interior promoted grain refinement and the formation of the bimodal grain distribution characteristics. Moreover, the stress-induced dynamic precipitation of Mg5RE particles became more significant with increasing strain, and the interaction of Mg5RE particles with dynamic recrystallization (DRX) grains further refined the DRX grains and exacerbated the degree of bimodal grain distribution. The grains with the axis between CD and TD and grains with the axis perpendicular to CD slipped along basal and prismatic planes, respectively, leading to the gradual deflection of the axis toward CD and the formation of a strong basal texture with axis parallel to CD during thermal compression. At the same time, the coarse deformed grains with strong basal texture were preserved during compression deformation due to small strain energy storage. Inhomogeneous plastic deformation, randomly oriented refined DRX-ed grains and dynamically precipitated Mg5RE particles together lead to the formation of the heterogeneous microstructure. This study provides theoretical guidance for preparing of high-performance Mg-RE alloys with heterogeneous microstructure.

Abstract Background Cisplatin (CDDP) is a common anticancer drug whose side effects limit its clinical applications. Tannins (TA) are plant-derived polyphenols that inhibit tumor growth in different types of cancer. Here, we evaluated the anticancer effect of TA combined with CDDP on lung cancer cell lines (GLC-82 and H1299) and investigated the underlying molecular mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis. Methods Cell lines were treated with CDDP, TA, and CDDP + TA, and the effect of the combination was assessed using MTT assay and observed under light and fluorescence microscopes. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, and the levels of ERS apoptosis pathway related genes were valuated by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The effects of the drug combination on the tumors of nude mice injected with H1299 cells were investigated, and the expression of key factors in the ER stress apoptotic pathway was investigated. Results The combination of CDDP and TA significantly inhibited lung cancer cell viability indicating a synergistic antitumoral effect. The mRNA and protein expression levels of key ER stress factors in the CDDP + TA group were considerably higher than those in the CDDP and TA groups, the tumor volume in tumor-bearing mice was the smallest, and the number of apoptotic cells and the protein expression levels of the key ER stress in the combination group were considerably higher. Conclusions The combination of TA and CDDP may produce synergistic antitumoral effects mediated by the PERK-ATF4-CHOP apoptotic axis, suggesting a novel adjuvant treatment for lung cancer.

Abstract To satisfy the requirements for the precise formation of large-scale high-performance lightweight components with inner ring reinforcement, a new multidirectional loading rotary extrusion forming technology is developed to match the linear motion with the rotary motion and actively increases the strong shear force. Its principle is that the radial force and rotating torque increase when the blank is axially extruded and loaded. Through the synergistic action of axial, radial, and rotating motions, the orderly flow of metal is controlled, and the cumulative severe plastic deformation (SPD) of an “uplift-trowel” micro-area is generated. Consequently, materials are uniformly strengthened and toughened. Simultaneously, through the continuous deformation of a punch “ellipse-circle,” a high reinforcement component is grown on the cylinder wall to achieve the high-quality formation of cylindrical parts or the inner-ring-reinforcement components. Additionally, the effective strain increases with rotation speed, and the maximum intensity on the basal plane decreases as the number of revolutions increase. The punch structure also affects the axial extrusion loading and equivalent plastic strain. Thus, the proposed technology enriches the plastic forming theory and widens the application field of plastic forming. Furthermore, the formed large-scale high-performance inner-ring-stiffened magnesium components have been successfully verified in aerospace equipment, thereby solving the problems of integral forming and severe deformation strengthening and toughening. The developed technology has good prospects for mass production and application.

In this paper, the Mg-9Gd-4Y-2Zn-Zr (wt. %) alloy was used as the research object. The effect of deformation temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy after one pass of large height-to-diameter ratio (5.5) upsetting and extrusion was studied. The microstructure evolution of one pass large height-to-diameter ratio upsetting and extrusion process was studied, which provided a theoretical basis for further study of large height-to-diameter ratio reciprocating upsetting and extrusion. The results show that with the increase of deformation temperature, the grain size decreases, the dynamic recrystallization rate increases, the granular β phase increases, the texture of the alloy tends to the typical extrusion texture, and the texture intensity increases gradually. With the increase in temperature, the mechanical properties of the alloy after upsetting and extrusion with a large height-to-diameter ratio increase. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the alloy deformed at 460 °C increased to 355 ± 6.7 MPa, the yield strength (YS) increased to 139 ± 3.1 MPa, and the elongation (EL) was 17 ± 0.7%. In the process of upsetting extrusion with the large height-to-diameter ratio, the initial discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX) changes to continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX).

In this work, the effects of intermediate annealing and intermediate annealing subsequent aging treatment on the second phase precipitation, dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior, and mechanical properties of Mg-9Gd-4Y–2Zn-0.5Zr (wt.%) alloy were comparatively studied. The results showed that the one-pass upsetting-extrusion (UE) deformation intermediate annealing treatment sample (UAE) exhibited the highest dynamic recrystallized (DRXed) grains number fraction and the largest average DRXed grain size, which was mainly attributed to the precipitation of a large number of β-Mg5RE phases (>1 μm) at the grain boundaries (GBs) and within unDRXed grains after annealing treatment. These β-Mg5RE phases promoted DRX through particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN) mechanism during subsequent extrusion process. However, the lack of the pinning effect of the fine second phase precipitations led to the growth of DRXed grains. The DRXed grains of the deformation intermediate annealing subsequent peak-aging treatment sample (UAAE) were significantly smaller than the UAE sample. This is mainly due to the fact that the densely distributed prismatic β′ phases precipitated by the peak-aging treatment were rapidly transformed into nano-scale β-Mg5RE phases and pinned at the DRXed grain boundaries to inhibit the growth of the DRXed grains during the subsequent extrusion process. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and failure elongation (EL) of the UAAE sample were 274 MPa and 14.3%, respectively, 4.2% and 85.7% higher than those of the UE sample, showing excellent strength-ductility synergy. The randomly oriented fine DRXed grains, coarse unDRXed grains with high-density dislocations and substructures, and nano-scale β-Mg5RE particles were co-contribute to the strength-ductility synergy.

Abstract Stimulating ion channels targeting in neuromodulation by external signals with the help of functionalized nanoparticles, which integrates the pioneering achievements in the fields of neurosciences and nanomaterials, has involved into a novel interdisciplinary field. The emerging technique developed in this field enable simple, remote, non-invasive, and spatiotemporally precise nerve regulations and disease therapeutics, beyond traditional treatment methods. In this paper, we define this emerging field as nano-neuromodulation and summarize the most recent developments of non-genetic nano-neuromodulation (non-genetic NNM) over the past decade based on the innovative design concepts of neuromodulation nanoparticle systems. These nanosystems, which feature diverse compositions, structures and synthesis approaches, could absorb certain exogenous stimuli like light, sound, electric or magnetic signals, and subsequently mediate mutual transformations between above signals, or chemical reactions, to regulate stimuli-sensitive ion channels and ion migrations which play vital roles in the nervous system. We will also discuss the obstacles and challenges in the future development of non-genetic NNM, and propose its future developments, to add the further progress of this promising field. Graphical Abstract

This paper illustrated the effects of pre-aging on the microstructure, texture evolution, and deformation behavior of Mg–9Gd–4Y–2Zn–0.5Zr alloy during hot compression. Dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior, texture evolution, stress-strain curve, and activation energy of the solid solution and pre-aged alloy were evaluated. The results showed that the second-phase particles of the pre-aged samples exhibit combination of two types particles structure, which is composed of coarse dynamic precipitation particles and fine nanoparticles. The combination of these two types particles showed the best grain refinement effect by accelerating the DRX process, as the coarse dynamic precipitation particles promoted DRX through the PSN mechanism and the fine granular phase pinned dislocations and inhibited grain growth. As a result, the pre-aged samples had a higher DRX grain volume fractions and smaller average grain sizes than the solid solution alloys. In addition, the pre-aged sample had higher deformation activation energy (Q = 294.8 kJ/mol) than solid solution sample (Q = 223 kJ/mol) because β-phase pin dislocations formed during deformation restrained the movement of grain boundaries. The pre-aged alloys also showed a more concentrated texture than the solid solution alloys, with the c-axis of the coarse grains distributed from the compression direction (CD) at 30° inclination to the normal direction (ND). The c-axis distribution of the coarse grains was more scattered in the solid solution alloys. A hot processing map was constructed for the pre-aged alloy and used for evaluation. The optimal deformation parameters for the pre-aged Mg–9Gd–4Y–2Zn–0.5Zr alloy were between 0.001 and 0.1 s−1 at 400 °C–480 °C. These significant observations not only provide theoretical guidance but also practical application for setting plastic forming deformation parameters in industrial production.

The effects of hydrostatic pressure on grain refinement and deformation behaviors of Mg–13Gd–4Y–2Zn–0.5Zr alloy were investigated. With the increase of hydrostatic pressure, the equivalent stress and forming load increase, and stress triaxiality also increases. The hydrostatic pressure has little effect on dynamic recrystallization (DRX) fraction and grain size, and the DRX fraction difference is not greater than 10%. This is because DRX critical strain and grain nucleation are almost unaffected by hydrostatic pressure. The slight increase in DRX fraction under higher hydrostatic pressure is attributed to the enhanced dislocation activity near the lamellar long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase and significant local temperature elevation in the deformation zone. The high hydrostatic pressure is mainly borne by the LPSO phase. The bending deformation energy of the lamellar LPSO phase increases with the increase of hydrostatic pressure. The area fraction of samples is decreased from 18.5% of one direction compression & simple shear (1-CS) sample to 13.6% of three directions compression & simple shear (3-CS) sample. The solute diffusion and deconstruction of the bulk LPSO phase occur at higher hydrostatic pressure. The hydrostatic pressure has little effect on the basal texture strength of α-Mg phase under strong shear stress. The activation of dislocation, as the primary source of non-basal slip, shows the same distribution characteristics.

Starch is a common source of carbohydrates in aqua feed. High-starch diet can cause hepatic injury and lipid accumulation in fish. Mangiferin (MGF) can regulate lipid metabolism and protect the liver, but there is limited research on its effects in fish. In the present study, we investigated whether MGF could ameliorate high-starch-induced hepatic damage and lipid accumulation in channel catfish. The channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) were fed one of four experimental diets for eight weeks: a control diet (NCD), a high-starch diet (HCD), an HCD supplemented with 100 mg/kg MGF (100 MGF), and an HCD supplemented with 500 mg/kg MGF (500 MGF). The results demonstrated that the weight gain rate (WGR) (p = 0.031), specific growth rate (SGR) (p = 0.039), and feed conversion efficiency (FCE) (p = 0.040) of the 500 MGF group were significantly higher than those of the NCD group. MGF supplementation alleviated liver damage and improved antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) compared to those of the HCD group (p = 0.000). In addition, dietary MGF significantly reduced plasma glucose (GLU) (p = 0.000), triglyceride (TG) (p= 0.001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) (p = 0.000) levels. It is noteworthy that MGF significantly reduced the plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels (p = 0.000) and liver TC levels (p = 0.005) of channel catfish. Dietary MGF improves cholesterol homeostasis by decreasing the expression of genes that are involved in cholesterol synthesis and transport (hmgcr, sqle, srebf2, sp1, and ldlr) and increasing the expression of genes that are involved in cholesterol catabolism (cyp7a1). Among them, the largest fold decrease in squalene epoxidase (sqle) expression levels was observed in the 100 MGF or 500 MGF groups compared with the HCD group, with a significant decrease of 3.64-fold or 2.20-fold (p = 0.008). And the 100 MGF or 500 MGF group had significantly decreased (by 1.67-fold or 1.94-fold) Sqle protein levels compared to those of the HCD group (p = 0.000). In primary channel catfish hepatocytes, MGF significantly down-regulated the expression of sqle (p = 0.030) and reduced cholesterol levels (p = 0.000). In NCTC 1469 cells, MGF significantly down-regulated the expression of sqle (p = 0.000) and reduced cholesterol levels (p = 0.024). In conclusion, MGF effectively inhibits sqle expression and reduces cholesterol accumulation. The current study shows how MGF supplementation regulates the metabolism and accumulation of cholesterol in channel catfish, providing a theoretical basis for the use of MGF as a dietary supplement in aquaculture.

Abstract Background Previous studies have identified that chromosome structure plays a very important role in gene control. The transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1), a multifunctional DNA binding protein, could form a dimer to mediate chromatin loops and active enhancer-promoter interactions. The deletion of YY1 or point mutations at the YY1 binding sites significantly inhibit the enhancer-promoter interactions and affect gene expression. To date, only a few computational methods are available for identifying YY1-mediated chromatin loops. Results We proposed a novel model named CapsNetYY1, which was based on capsule network architecture to identify whether a pair of YY1 motifs can form a chromatin loop. Firstly, we encode the DNA sequence using one-hot encoding method. Secondly, multi-scale convolution layer is used to extract local features of the sequence, and bidirectional gated recurrent unit is used to learn the features across time steps. Finally, capsule networks (convolution capsule layer and digital capsule layer) used to extract higher level features and recognize YY1-mediated chromatin loops. Compared with DeepYY1, the only prediction for YY1-mediated chromatin loops, our model CapsNetYY1 achieved the better performance on the independent datasets (AUC $$> 0.99$$ > 0.99 ). Conclusion The results indicate that CapsNetYY1 is an excellent method for identifying YY1-mediated chromatin loops. We believe that the CapsNetYY1 method will be used for predictive classification of other DNA sequences.