Gut microbiota affects the estrus return of sows by regulating the metabolism of sex steroid hormones

Background Sex hormones play important roles in the estrus return of post-weaning sows.Previous studies have demonstrated a complex and bi-directional regulation between sex hormones and gut microbiota.However,the extent to which the gut microbiota affects estrus return of post-weaning sows is largely unknown.Results In this study,we first screened 207 fecal samples from well-phenotyped sows by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and identified significant associations between microbes and estrus return of post-weaning sows.Using metagenomic sequencing data from 85 fecal samples,we identified 37 bacterial species that were significantly associated with estrus return.Normally returning sows were characterized by increased abundances of L.reuteri and P.copri and decreased abundances of B.fragilis,S.suis,and B.pseudolongum.The changes in gut microbial composition significantly altered the functional capacity of steroid hormone biosynthesis in the gut microbiome.The results were confirmed in a validation cohort.Significant changes in sex steroid hormones and related compounds were found between normal and non-return sows via metabolome analysis.An integrated analysis of differential bacterial species,metagenome,and fecal metabolome provided evidence that normal return-associated bacterial species L.reuteri and Prevotella spp.participated in the degradation of pregnenolone,progesterone,and testosterone,thereby promoting estrogen biosynthesis.Furthermore,the microbial metabolites related to sow energy and nutrient supply or metabolic disorders also showed relationships with sow estrus return.Conclusions An integrated analysis of differentially abundant bacterial species,metagenome,and fecal metabolome revealed the involvement of L.reuteri and Prevotella spp.in sow estrus return.These findings provide deep insight into the role of gut microbiota in the estrus return of post-weaning sows and the complex cross-talk between gut microbiota and sex hormones,suggesting that the manipulation of the gut microbiota could be an effective strategy to improve sow estrus return after weaning.

Improved length of calcium sulfate crystal seeds and whiskers via ball milling and hydration treatment

Elucidating the effect of growth periods on the quality of calcium sulfate whiskers(CSWs)prepared from calcium sulfate dihydrate(DH)is imperative.Herein,crystal seeds and whiskers were prepared from DH in a water–glycerol system.Longer whiskers were obtained from crystal seeds prepared via hydration of DH for 30 s than via ball milling for 5 min followed by hydration for 20 s.The attachment of cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and glycerol additives to the whisker tops promoted whisker growth.The whisker sponges exhibited good thermal barrier properties and compression cycle stability.

On the micromechanism of superior strength and ductility synergy in a heterostructured Mg-2.77Y alloy

Heterostructured metals and alloys are a new class of materials in which mechanical behaviors between the heterogeneous regions are significantly different,and the mechanical properties of bulk materials are superior to the superposition of individual regions.In this paper,three distinct types of heterostructures were constructed in Mg-2.77Y(wt.%)alloy by applying simple thermomechanical processing.Namely,Type I:the non-recrystallized grains of several tens of microns were embedded in the micron-scaled recrystallized grains that were distributed along shear bands and dispersed near grain boundaries;Type II:the aggregations of micron-scaled recrystallized grains were surrounded by the non-recrystallized grains;Type II:the micron-scaled recrystallized grains dominated the microstructure,and the non-recrystallized regions with diameters of tens of micrometers were surrounded by those fine recrystallized grains.Mechanical tests showed that the material with type III heterostructure had the optimal combination of yield strength and uniform elongation.This is attributed to its remarkable hetero-deformation induced(HDI)strengthening and dislocation strengthening.At the initial stage of plastic deformation(engineering strain below 4%),the rapid accumulation of geometrically necessary dislocations(GNDs)at the interfaces between recrystallized and non-recrystallized regions and between neighboring recrystallized grains lead to the significant HDI strengthening.As deformation proceeded,the HDI strengthening effect gradually decreased,and the traditional dislocation strengthening that was caused by GNDs accumulation at grain boundaries became significant.In-situ electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD)testing revealed that the non-basal slip in the non-recrystallized regions became more remarkable in the late stage of deformation,which improved ductility and strain hardening of the alloy.These findings provide new insight into the design of high-performance hexagonal close-packed structural materials by using the concept of HDI strengthening.

Parameters Calibration of the GISSMO Failure Model for SUS301L-MT

With the development of the rail transit industry,more attention has been paid to the passive safety of rail vehicles.Structural damage is one of the main failure behaviors in a rail vehicle collision,but it has been paid little attention to in past research.In this paper,the quasi-static fracture experiments of SUS301L-MT under different stress states were carried out.The mechanical fracture properties of this material were studied,and the corresponding finite element simulation accuracy was improved to guide the design of vehicle crashworthiness.Through the tests,the fracture behavior of materials with wide stress triaxiality was obtained,and each specimen’s fracture locations and fracture strains were determined.Parameters of a generalized incremental stress state dependent damage model(GISSMO)of the material were calibrated,and the model’s accuracy was verified with test results from a 45°shear specimen.The GISSMO failure model accurately reflected the fracture characteristics of the material.The mesh dependency of this model was modified and discussed.The results show that the simulation agrees well with experimental data for the force-displacement curve after correction,but the strain distribution needs to be further studied and improved.

Application of rational emotive behavior therapy in patients with colorectal cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy

Objective:This study aimed to explore the effects of our rational emotive behavior therapy(REBT)program on symptoms,anxiety,depression,and sleep state in patients with colorectal cancer(CRC)undergoing chemotherapy.Methods:From October 2020 to May 2021,fifty-six patients with CRC in a hospital in the Hunan Province were randomly divided into an intervention group(n=28)and a control group(n=28).The patients in the intervention group completed a 6-week REBT program based on routine nursing care,including four courses:1)establish a relationship and formulate health files;2)group communications and study symptom management;3)continuously provide health knowledge and strengthen healthy behavior;and 4)review the treatment and summary.The control group maintained routine nursing care.The simplified Chinese version of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale Short Form(MSASeSFeSC),the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale(HADS),and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI)scale were used to investigate and compare the intervention effects of the two groups at baseline(T1,before the intervention),four weeks(T2),and six weeks(T3)after the intervention.Results:The intervention group was significantly improved in symptoms,anxiety,depression,and sleep state,compared with the control group.At T2,MSASeSFeSC(24.43±4.26 vs.28.07±3.91),symptom distress(17.29±4.04 vs.19.39±3.59),symptom frequency(7.14±1.51 vs.8.68±1.42),HADS(13.68±3.38 vs.15.86±3.79),anxiety(3.89±1.85 vs.5.18±2.18),and depression(9.79±2.06 vs.10.68±2.23),showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).At T3,MSASeSFeSC(23.89±3.54 vs.30.14±3.94),symptom distress(17.61±3.52 vs.21.32±3.57),symptom frequency(6.29±1.49 vs.8.82±1.47),HADS(11.82±2.57 vs.16.29±3.13),anxiety(3.21±1.64 vs.5.61±1.77),and depression(8.61±1.52 vs.10.68±1.81),showed that the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).The sleep state of the intervention group was better than the control group at T3,with decreased score of PSQI[4.00(3.00,8.00)vs.9.00(7.00,12.50),Z=-3.706,P<0.001].Conclusion:The 6-week REBT program can effectively improve the symptom,anxiety,depression,and sleep state of patients with CRC undergoing chemotherapy,which could as a care plan for patients with CRC who are repeatedly admitted to the hospital for chemotherapy.

A comparison of multiplatform wind products in the South China Sea during summer and autumn in 2019

Sea surface wind(SSW)observations from a newly developed“Black Pearl”wave glider,the Chinese-French Oceanography Satellite(CFOSAT),the HY-2A microwave scatterometer,and a recently released high-resolution atmospheric reanalysis(ERA5)are evaluated with respect to in-situ buoy observations(115.46°E,19.85°N)from the South China Sea.Buoy observations from June to November 2019 are used to evaluate the wind estimates from the different platforms.The comparisons show that the HY-2A and CFOSAT scatterometer wind speeds have mean root mean square errors(RMSEs)of approximately 1.6 and 1.6 m/s,respectively,and the corresponding mean wind direction RMSEs are approximately 19°and 17°,which indicates that these satellite retrievals meet the requirements of design engineering missions.The wind speed and wind direction RMSEs of ERA5 are approximately 1.9 m/s and 33°,respectively.The correlation coefficients between the HY-2A,CFOSAT,and ERA5 wind speeds and the buoy observations are 0.86,0.85,and 0.84,respectively,and the corresponding coefficients of the wind direction are 0.98,0.98,and 0.93,respectively,at a 95%confidence level.However,the wind sensor in the wave glider provides relatively poor-quality observations compared with the buoy measurements and has higher wind speed and wind direction RMSEs of 2.9 m/s and 50.1°,respectively.Taylor diagrams are utilized to illustrate comprehensive wind comparisons between the multiplatform observations and buoy observations.The results help identify the basic biases in SSWs among different products and enhance confidence in the future use of SSW data for studies of upper ocean dynamics and climate analysis.Suggestions are also off ered to help improve the design of next-generation wave gliders.

Erratum:Magnetic Proximity Effect in an Antiferromagnetic Insulator/Topological Insulator Heterostructure with Sharp Interface[Chin.Phys.Lett.38(2021)057303]

We should add the following acknowledge:Jing Teng thanks the support from the Youth Innovation Promotion Association Project,Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Magnetic Proximity Effect in an Antiferromagnetic Insulator/Topological Insulator Heterostructure with Sharp Interface

We report an experimental study of electron transport properties of MnSe/(Bi,Sb)_2Te_3 heterostructures,in which MnSe is an antiferromagnetic insulator,and(Bi,Sb)_2Te_3 is a three-dimensional topological insulator(TI).Strong magnetic proximity effect is manifested in the measurements of the Hall effect and longitudinal resistances.Our analysis shows that the gate voltage can substantially modify the anomalous Hall conductance,which exceeds 0.1 e^(2)/h at temperature T=1.6 K and magnetic field μ_0H=5 T,even though only the top TI surface is in proximity to MnSe.This work suggests that heterostructures based on antiferromagnetic insulators provide a promising platform for investigating a wide range of topological spintronic phenomena.

An Overview of Techniques for Measuring Residual Stress in Metal Matrix Composites

Measurement of residual stress is signi&#64257;cant to ensure safety, reliability and the life of composites, and currently has been a hot issue in scienti&#64257;c research. The fabrication processes such as machining, and heat treatment inherit either kind of residual stress which had either positive consequences or negative ones, for example, the fatigue limit of a component enhances by compressive stress, whereas corrosion resistance gets reduced by tensile stress. This study is aimed at a brief overview of the recent advancement in this field to help researchers in the in-depth study of measuring residual stress. It helps them in selecting the most appropriate techniques among destructive methods i.e., mainly Contour, ring core, deep hole-drilling method, and non-destructive techniques i.e., diffraction, ultrasonic method, depending on their requirements and applications. For each available technique, working methodology, physical limitations, and applications are discussed. At the end of this paper, future trends regarding an assessment of residual stress have been forecasted.

Research on Early Warning of Customer Churn Based on Random Forest

With the rapid development of interest rate market and big data,the banking industry has shown the obvious phenomenon of“two or eight law”,20%of the high quality customers occupy most of the bank’s assets,how to prevent the loss of bank credit card customers has become a growing concern for banks.Therefore,it is particularly important to establish a customer churn early warning model.In this paper,we will use the random forest method to establish a customer churn early warning model,focusing on the churn of bank credit card customers and predicting the possibility of future churn of customers.Due to the large data size of banks,the complexity of their customer base,and the diversity of user characteristics,it is not easy for banks to accurately predict churned customers,and there are few customer churn early warning studies suitable for banks.Compared with the traditional bank credit risk prediction algorithm,this method is proved to be useful in the early stage of churn warning,and has the advantages of high prediction accuracy,large amount of processed data,and good model interpretability,which can help to retain valuable customers in advance and thus achieve the purpose of reducing cost and increasing efficiency.

Computing Method of Multivariate Process Capability Index Based on Normalized Pretreatment

For the traditional multi-process capability construction method based on principal component analysis,the process variables are mainly considered,but not the process capability,which leads to the deviation of the contribution rate of principal component.In response to the question,this paper first clarifies the problem from two aspects:theoretical analysis and example proof.Secondly,aiming at the rationality of principal components degree,an evaluation method for pre-processing data before constructing MPCI using PCA is proposed.The pre-processing of data is mainly to standardize the specification interval of quality characteristics making the principal components degree more reasonable and optimizes the process capability evaluation method.Finally,the effectiveness and feasibility of the method are proved by an application example.

碳量子点键合磷化钴酸镍的全解水反应及其机理

在“碳中和”愿景下发展清洁低碳、高效全解水制氢技术日益成为全球共识.磷化钴酸镍(NiCoP)因具有类金属特性有望替代贵金属作为全解水催化剂,但是其表面质子吸附作用较强,与氢氧根离子结合作用较弱,由此降低了其催化活性,延缓了催化反应动力学.本文通过碳量子点(carbon quantum dots,CQDs)键合NiCoP的方式既能平衡析氢反应(hydrogen evolution reaction,HER)中的质子吸脱附作用,又能调控析氧反应(oxygen evolution reaction,OER)中的含氧中间态吸脱附过程.当NiCoP表面键合CQDs后,NiCoP的电子向P原子周围富集,并且电子可以通过键合作用转移至CQDs表面,由此引起NiCoP表面电荷重分布,从而增强了反应活性,加快了析氢反应动力学过程.由于量子点键合作用,Co位点的d带中心(d-band center,ε_(d))从−1.18移至−1.04 eV,平衡了催化剂对含氧中间态的吸脱附作用,提高了析氧反应速率.P-Ni和P-Co的键长收缩抑制了催化剂自身的原子浸出和表面氧化,增强了催化剂稳定性.在10 mA cm^(−2)电流密度下,析氧反应过电位为250 mV,析氢反应过电位为101 mV,组装成的对称型全解水器件的电解电位为1.56 V,比贵金属电解槽Pt||RuO_(2)低80 mV.在14 h的持续电解后,电解槽的电流密度保持率为92.18%.因此,当CQDs键合NiCoP后能够在电催化全解水反应中同时保持高催化活性和长期稳定性.

Nest complexity correlates with larger brain size but smaller body mass across bird species

Amniotes differ substantially in absolute and relative brain size after controlling for allometry,and numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain brain size evolution.Brain size is thought to correlate with processing capacity and the brain’s ability to support complex manipulation such as nest-building skills.The increased complexity of nest structure is supposed to be a measure of an ability to manipulate nesting material into the required shape.The degree of nest-structure complexity is also supposed to be associated with body mass,partly because small species lose heat faster and delicate and insulated nests are more crucial for temperature control of eggs during incubation by small birds.Here,we conducted comparative analyses to test these hypotheses by investigating whether the complexity of species-typical nest structure can be explained by brain size and body mass(a covariate also to control for allometric effects on brain size)across 1353 bird species from 147 families.Consistent with these hypotheses,our results revealed that avian brain size increases as the complexity of the nest structure increases after controlling for a significant effect of body size,and also that a negative relationship exists between nest complexity and body mass.

Dawn of CAR-T cell therapy in autoimmune diseases

Chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy has achieved remarkable success in the treatment of hematological malignancies.Based on the immunomodulatory capability of CAR-T cells,efforts have turned toward exploring their potential in treating autoimmune diseases.Bibliometric analysis of 210 records from 128 academic journals published by 372 institutions in 40 countries/regions indicates a growing number of publications on CAR-T therapy for autoimmune diseases,covering a range of subtypes such as systemic lupus erythematosus,multiple sclerosis,among others.CAR-T therapy holds promise in mitigating several shortcomings,including the indiscriminate suppression of the immune system by traditional immunosuppressants,and non-sustaining therapeutic levels of monoclonal antibodies due to inherent pharmacokinetic constraints.By persisting and proliferating in vivo,CAR-T cells can offer a tailored and precise therapeutics.This paper reviewed preclinical experiments and clinical trials involving CAR-T and CAR-related therapies in various autoimmune diseases,incorporating innovations well-studied in the field of hematological tumors,aiming to explore a safe and effective therapeutic option for relapsed/refractory autoimmune diseases.

Quantitative understanding of phase segregation behaviors by precisely building discrete oligo-ester-b-oligo-olefin block copolymers

Block copolymers(BCPs) with high Flory-Huggins parameter(χ) and balanced surface energy have aroused tremendous interest for ultra-small nanopatterns processing.However,high χ and balanced surface energy are generally contradicted.The fine tune of chain structure might be a useful way to achieve high χ and balanced surface energy.To realize this,the block copolymer with exactly uniform chain structure,i.e.,defined molecular structure,is highly desirable for accurately evaluating the phase behavior.Herein,two kinds of discrete oligo ester-b-oligo olefin block copolymers with different chemical structures(oligo lactic acid-boligo olefin BCP,oLA_(n)-b-C_(m);oligo phenyl lactic acid-b-oligo olefin BCP,oPL_(n)-b-C_(m)) were modularly synthesized through iterative growth methods.The effect of chain structure on segregation strength and surface properties was quantitatively investigated using the discrete BCPs as precise models.On the one hand,introducing rigid and nonpolar phenyl groups into oligo ester block has a negligible effect on the chemical incompatibility,as confirmed by the identical high χ values of oLA_(n)-b-C_(m) and oPL_(n)-b-C_(m)(χ_(oLA/C)=0.21 and χ_(oPL/C)=0.19).On the other hand,the incorporation of nonpolar phenyl groups creates balanced surface energy,that is,the high χ and balanced surface energy were simultaneously achieved by oPL_(n)-b-C_(m).Therefore,sub-10 nm perpendicular nanopatterns can be easily produced upon brief thermal treatment,demonstrating its potential application in semiconductor manufacturing with ultra-small feature size.The discrete BCP can serve as a quantitative and exquisite model to study the critical contribution of chain structures on phase separation behavior,providing insightful understanding to facilitate the potential application in the chip process.

Rare earth fluorescent nanoprobes with minimal side effects enable tumor microenvironment activation for chemotherapy

Chemotherapy,the use of antitumor drugs to kill cancer cells,is currently one of the most effective treatments for cancer.However,serious toxic side effects caused by long-term drug accumulation can cause significant damage to the body,which limits the clinical application of antitumor drugs.In this study,a novel RENPs@DOX-Fe nanoprobe(NP) was constructed by coating the surface of rare earth nanomaterials(NaLuF_(4):Yb,Er) with a complex formed by doxorubicin(DOX) and iron ion(Ⅲ).Due to the low toxicity of anthracycline-metal complexes,the damage to normal cells is reduced.The unique acidic microenvironment in tumor cells facilitates the decomposition and gradual release of DOX from the DOX-Fe complex.In addition,the DOX-Fe complex can convert near-infrared(NIR) light into heat energy,which promotes the decomposition of the complex,further enhancing the release of DOX in the tumor environment.The change of ratio fluorescence of rare earth nanomaterials at 660 and 1550 nm after DOX release enables visual monitoring of drug release,which can potentially improve the chemotherapeutic effect.In vitro experiments established that RENPs@DOX-Fe NPs with NIR illumination had good therapeutic efficacy in tumors.This work provides new insights into designing tumor microenvironment-responsive nanoprobes for chemotherapy with minimal side effects.

Ice-covered Environmental Adaptability Assessment for Overhead Contact System in High-speed Railways

High-speed trains rely on pantograph-catenary systems(PCSs)to collect electrical energy from power systems.However,the dynamic interaction between the pantograph and the catenary system may become mismatched once ice accumulates on the overhead conductors.More frequent arcing may occur within the PCS during train operation,posing an unpredictable threat to operational safety.Therefore,it is crucial to evaluate the ability of overhead contact system(OCS)to withstand ice-covered variability during line desgin.A new strategy is proposed to evaluate the adaptive performance of an OCS under various icing conditions.First,a dynamic model considering icing conditions is constructed to simulate the interaction within the PCS.Five different OCS structures with various icing thicknesses are studied.The parameters of the contact force within the PCS and proportion of high-possibility arcing moments are obtained.The dependence of the contact force on the icing thickness and pantograph displacement has been illustrated in the form of cloud maps.Finally,the OCS sensitivity coefficient is calculated,and ice-covered environmental adaptability assessments for the five different OCS structures are compared.

氨氢融合新能源交叉科学前沿战略研究

2022年3月23日,国家发展和改革委员会、国家能源局联合印发《氢能产业发展中长期规划(2021~2035年)》,明确了氢能是国家能源体系的重要组成部分.最近20多年来,氢能基础设施建设、氢能关键材料与核心部件、氢能汽车产业发展、氢能储运技术等方面国内外取得了长足的进展.但目前在世界范围内,氢能产业发展仍然面临着氢跨区域、高安全、低成本、大规模储运难的重大瓶颈^([1~4]).

Compound Danshen Dripping Pill inhibits hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure in ApoE and LDLR dual deficient mice via multiple mechanisms

Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide.Compound Danshen Dripping Pill(CDDP)or CDDP combined with simvastatin has been widely used to treat patients with myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases in China.However,the effect of CDDP on hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure is unknown.We constructed a new model of heart failure induced by hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E(ApoE)and LDL receptor(LDLR)dual deficient(ApoE^(–/–)LDLR^(–/–))mice and investigated the effect of CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin on the heart failure.CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited heart injury by multiple actions including anti-myocardial dysfunction and anti-fibrosis.Mechanistically,both Wnt and lysine-specific demethylase 4A(KDM4A)pathways were significantly activated in mice with heart injury.Conversely,CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin inhibited Wnt pathway by markedly up-regulating expression of Wnt inhibitors.While the anti-inflammation and anti-oxidative stress by CDDP were achieved by inhibiting KDM4A expression and activity.In addition,CDDP attenuated simvastatin-induced myolysis in skeletal muscle.Taken together,our study suggests that CDDP or CDDP plus a low dose of simvastatin can be an effective therapy to reduce hypercholesterolemia/atherosclerosis-induced heart failure.

Controlled Growth Interface of Charge Transfer Salts of Nickel- 7,7,8,8-Tetracyanoquinodimethane on Surface of Graphdiyne

Here we report an in situ assembly growth method that controls the growth of NiTCNQ on the surface of graphdiyne(GDY).The catalytic system of donor–acceptor–donor(GDY/TCNQ/Ni)structure with multiple charge transfer(CT)was achieved by controlling the growth of NiTCNQ on the surface of GDY.Significantly,a controlled double layer interface of GDY/TCNQ/Ni was formed.This system implemented simultaneously the two elements we expected(1)an incomplete CT,and(2)the infinite distribution of active sites originating from highly asymmetric surface charge distribution.The high conductivity and typical semiconductor characteristics of the catalyst endows it with high catalytic activity.We found that an electrolytic cell consisting of the CT salt as a catalyst provided a 1.40 V ultra-small cell voltage up to 10 mA cm−2 and the outer GDY film effectively prevented the corrosion of the catalyst.Our study is the first to introduce CT complexes to a novel catalytic material platform for high selectivity of catalysts,and undoubtedly demonstrates the high selectivity,stability,and activity of such catalytic systems,which provides a new space for the development of novel conceptual catalysts.