Sedimentary record of climate change in a high latitude fjord—Kongsfjord

The sedimentary record of climate change in the Arctic region is useful for understanding global warming.Kongsfjord is located in the subpolar region of the Arctic and is a suitable site for studying climate change.Glacier retreat is occurring in this region due to climate change,leading to an increase in meltwater outflow with a high debris content.In August 2017,we collected a sediment Core Z3 from the central fjord near the Yellow River Station.Then,we used the widely used chronology method of 210Pb,^(137)Cs,and other parameters to reflect the climate change record in the sedimentary environment of Kongsfjord.The results showed that after the mid-late 1990s,the mass accumulation rate of this core increased from 0.10 g/(cm^(2)·a)to 0.34 g/(cm^(2)·a),while the flux of^(210)Pb_(ex)increased from 125 Bq/(m^(2)·a)to 316 Bq/(m^(2)·a).The higher sedimentary inventory of^(210)Pb_(ex)in Kongsfjord compared to global fallout might have been caused by sediment focusing,boundary scavenging,and riverine input.Similarities between the inventory of^(137)Cs and global fallout indicated that terrestrial particulate matter was the main source of^(137)Cs in fjord sediments.The sedimentation rate increased after 1997,possibly due to the increased influx of glacial meltwater containing debris.In addition,the^(137)Cs activity,percentage of organic carbon(OC),and OC/total nitrogen concentration ratio showed increasing trends toward the top of the core since 1997,corresponding to a decrease in the mass balance of glaciers in the region.The results ofδ^(13)C,δ^(15)N and OC/TN concentration ratio showed both terrestrial and marine sources contributed to the organic matter in Core Z3.The relative contribution of terrestrial organic matter which was calculated by a two-endmember model showed an increased trend since mid-1990s.All these data indicate that global climate change has a significant impact on Arctic glaciers.

Major royal-jelly proteins intake modulates immune functions and gut microbiota in mice

In this study,we investigated the effects of major royal jelly proteins(MRJPs)on the estrogen,gut microbiota,and immunological responses in mice.Mice given 250 or 500 mg/kg,not 125 mg/kg of MRJPs,enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes in response to mitogens.The splenocytes and mesenteric lymphocytes activated by T-cell mitogens(Con A and anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies)released high levels of IL-2 but low levels of IFN-γand IL-17A.The release of IL-4 was unaffected by MRJPs.Additionally,splenocytes and mesenteric lymphocytes activated by LPS were prevented by MRJPs at the same dose as that required for producing IL-1βand IL-6,two pro-inflammatory cytokines.The production of IL-1β,IL-6,and IFN-γwas negatively associated with estrogen levels,which were higher in the MRJP-treated animals than in the control group.Analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that feeding mice 250 mg/kg of MRJPs maintained the stability of the natural intestinal microflora of mice.Additionally,the LEf Se analysis identified biomarkers in the MRJP-treated mice,including Prevotella,Bacillales,Enterobacteriales,Gammaproteobacteria,Candidatus_Arthromitus,and Shigella.Our results showed that MRJPs are important components of royal jelly that modulate host immunity and hormone levels and help maintain gut microbiota stability.

Thermal safety boundary of lithium-ion battery at different state of charge

Thermal runaway(TR)is a critical issue hindering the large-scale application of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Understanding the thermal safety behavior of LIBs at the cell and module level under different state of charges(SOCs)has significant implications for reinforcing the thermal safety design of the lithium-ion battery module.This study first investigates the thermal safety boundary(TSB)correspondence at the cells and modules level under the guidance of a newly proposed concept,safe electric quantity boundary(SEQB).A reasonable thermal runaway propagation(TRP)judgment indicator,peak heat transfer power(PHTP),is proposed to predict whether TRP occurs.Moreover,a validated 3D model is used to quantitatively clarify the TSB at different SOCs from the perspective of PHTP,TR trigger temperature,SOC,and the full cycle life.Besides,three different TRP transfer modes are discovered.The interconversion relationship of three different TRP modes is investigated from the perspective of PHTP.This paper explores the TSB of LIBs under different SOCs at both cell and module levels for the first time,which has great significance in guiding the thermal safety design of battery systems.

Boron nitride silicone rubber composite foam with low dielectric and high thermal conductivity

Silicone rubber(SR)is widely used in the field of electronic packaging because of its low dielectric properties.In this work,the porosity of the SR was improved,and the dielectric constant of the SR foam was reduced by adding expanded microspheres(EM).Then,the thermal conductivity of the system was improved by combining the modified boron nitride(f-BN).The results showed that after the f-BN was added,the dielectric constant and dielectric loss were much lower than those of pure SR.Micron-sized modified boron nitride(f-mBN)improved the dielectric and thermal conductivity of the SR foam better than that of nano-sized modified boron nitride(f-nBN),but f-nBN improved the volume resistivity,tensile strength,and thermal stability of the SR better than f-mBN.When the mass ratio of f-mBN and fnBN is 2:1,the thermal conductivity of the SR foam reaches the maximum value of 0.808 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1),which is 6.5 times that before the addition.The heat release rate and fire growth index are the lowest,and the improvement in flame retardancy is mainly attributed to the high thermal stability and physical barrier of f-BN.

Immunotherapeutic hydrogel for co-delivery of STAT3 siRNA liposomes and lidocaine hydrochloride for postoperative comprehensive management of NSCLC in a single application

Despite standard treatment for non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)being surgical resection,cancer recurrence and complications,such as induction of malignant pleural effusion(MPE)and significant postoperative pain,usually result in treatment failure.In this study,an alginate-based hybrid hydrogel(SOG)is developed that can be injected into the resection surface of the lungs during surgery.Briefly,endoplasmic reticulum-modified liposomes(MSLs)pre-loaded with the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)small interfering RNA and lidocaine hydrochloride are encapsulated in SOG.Once applied,MSLs strongly downregulated STAT3 expression in the tumor microenvironment,resulting in the apoptosis of lung cancer cells and polarization of tumor-associated macrophages towards the M1-like phenotype.Meanwhile,the release of lidocaine hydrochloride(LID)was beneficial for pain relief and natural killer cell activation.Our data demonstrated MSL@LID@SOG not only efficiently inhibited tumor growth but also potently improved the quality of life,including reduced MPE volume and pain relief in orthotopic NSCLC mouse models,even with a single administration.MSL@LID@SOG shows potential for comprehensive clinical management upon tumor resection in NSCLC,and may alter the treatment paradigms for other cancers.

Biomimetic biomineralization nanoplatform-mediated differentiation therapy and phototherapy for cancer stem cell inhibition and antitumor immunity activation

Growing evidence suggests that the presence of cancer stem cells(CSCs)is a major challenge in current tumor treatments,especially the transition from non-CSCs to differentiation of CSCs for evading conventional therapies and driving metastasis.Here we propose a therapeutic strategy of synergistic differentiation therapy and phototherapy to induce differentiation of CSCs into mature tumor cells by differentiation inducers and synergistic elimination of them and normal cancer cells through phototherapy.In this work,we synthesized a biomimetic nanoplatform loaded with IR-780 and all-trans retinoic acid(ATRA)via biomineralization.This method can integrate aluminum ions into small-sized protein carriers to form nanoclusters,which undergo responsive degradation under acidic conditions and facilitate deep tumor penetration.With the help of CSC differentiation induced by ATRA,IR-780 inhibited the self-renewal of CSCs and cancer progression by generating hyperthermia and reactive oxygen species in a synergistic manner.Furthermore,ATRA can boost immunogenic cell death induced by phototherapy,thereby strongly causing a systemic anti-tumor immune response and efficiently eliminating CSCs and tumor cells.Taken together,this dual strategy represents a new paradigm of targeted eradication of CSCs and tumors by inducing CSC differentiation,improving photothermal therapy/photodynamic therapy and enhancing antitumor immunity.

Manipulations of micro/nanoparticles using gigahertz acoustic streaming tweezers

Contactless acoustic manipulation of micro/nanoscale particles has attracted considerable attention owing to its near independence of the physical and chemical properties of the targets,making it universally applicable to almost all biological systems.Thin-film bulk acoustic wave(BAW)resonators operating at gigahertz(GHz)frequencies have been demonstrated to generate localized high-speed microvortices through acoustic streaming effects.Benefitting from the strong drag forces of the high-speed vortices,BAW-enabled GHz acoustic streaming tweezers(AST)have been applied to the trapping and enrichment of particles ranging in size from micrometers to less than 100 nm.However,the behavior of particles in such 3D microvortex systems is still largely unknown.In this work,the particle behavior(trapping,enrichment,and separation)in GHz AST is studied by theoretical analyses,3D simulations,and microparticle tracking experiments.It is found that the particle motion in the vortices is determined mainly by the balance between the acoustic streaming drag force and the acoustic radiation force.This work can provide basic design principles for AST-based lab-on-a-chip systems for a variety of applications.

Effect of VIATORR stent in early ultrasound evaluation after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS): A case report

Shunt dysfunction is a major complication of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt(TIPS). Ultrasonography is a preferred method of shunt follow-up after TIPS, but some misjudgments can occur in cases of shunt dysfunction due to peculiarities of the VIATORR stent. Here we report one case and suggest that the first ultrasound evaluation for patients who received TIPS procedure with VIATORR stent should be performed one month after the procedure.

Functional connectivity of the default mode network subsystems in patients with major depressive episodes with mixed features

Background The neuroimaging mechanism of major depressive episodes with mixed features(MMF)is not clear.Aims This study aimed to investigate the functional connectivity of the default mode network(DMN)subsystems among patients with MMF and patients with major depressive disorder without mixed features(MDD_(noMF)).Methods This study recruited 47 patients with MDD_(noMF)and 27 patients with MMF from Beijing Anding Hospital,Capital Medical University,between April 2021 and June 2022.Forty-five healthy controls(HCs)were recruited.All subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning and clinical assessments.Intranetwork and internetwork functional connectity were computed in the DMN core subsystem,dorsal medial prefrontal cortex(dMPFC)subsystem and medial temporal lobe(MTL)subsystem.Analysis of covariance method was performed to compare the intranetwork and internetwork functional connectivity in the DMN subsystems among the MDD_(noMP)MMF and HC groups.Results The functional connectivity within the DMN core(F=6.32,P_(FDR)=0.008)and MTL subsystems(F=4.45,P_(FDR)=0.021)showed significant differences among the MDD_(noMP) MMF and HC groups.Compared with the HC group,the patients with MDD_(noMF) and MMF had increased functional connectivity within the DMN MTL subsystem,and the patients with MMF also showed increased functional connectivity within the DMN core subsystem.Meanwhile,compared with the MDD_(noMP) the patients with MMF had increased functional connectivity within the DMN core subsystem(mean difference(MDD_(noMF)-MMF)=-0.08,SE=0.04,p=0.048).However,no significant differences were found within the DMN dMPFC subsystem and all the internetwork functional connectivity.Conclusions Our results indicated abnormal functional connectivity patterns of DMN subsystems in patients with MMF,findings potentially beneficial to deepen our understanding of MMF's neural basis.

Coupled strategy based on regulator manipulation and medium optimization empowers the biosynthetic overproduction of lincomycin

The biosynthesis of bioactive secondary metabolites,specifically antibiotics,is of great scientific and economic importance.The control of antibiotic production typically involves different processes and molecular mechanism.Despite numerous efforts to improve antibiotic yields,joint engineering strategies for combining genetic manipulation with fermentation optimization remain finite.Lincomycin A(Lin-A),a lincosamide antibiotic,is industrially fermented by Streptomyces lincolnensis.Herein,the leucine-responsive regulatory protein(Lrp)-type regulator SLCG_4846 was confirmed to directly inhibit the lincomycin biosynthesis,whereas indirectly controlled the transcription of SLCG_2919,the first reported repressor in S.lincolnensis.Inactivation of SLCG_4846 in the high-yield S.lincolnensis LA219X(LA219XΔ4846)increases the Lin-A production and deletion of SLCG_2919 in LA219XΔ4846 exhibits superimposed yield increment.Given the effect of the double deletion on cellular primary metabolism of S.lincolnensis,Plackett-Burman design,steepest ascent and response surface methodologies were utilized and employed to optimize the seed medium of this double mutant in shake flask,and Lin-A yield using optimal seed medium was significantly increased over the control.Above strategies were performed in a 15-L fermenter.The maximal yield of Lin-A in LA219XΔ4846-2919 reached 6.56 g/L at 216 h,55.1%higher than that in LA219X at the parental cultivation(4.23 g/L).This study not only showcases the potential of this strategy to boost lincomycin production,but also could empower the development of high-performance actinomycetes for other antibiotics.

Novel CoFeAlMn high-entropy alloys with excellentsoft magnetic properties and high thermal stability

High-entropy alloys(HEAs),which are composed of 3d transition metals such as Fe,Co,and Ni,exhibit an exceptional combination of magnetic and other properties;however,the addition of non-ferromagnetic elements always negatively affects the saturation magnetization strength(M s).Co_(4)Fe_(2)Al_(x)Mn_(y) alloys were designed and investigated in this study to develop a novel HEA with excellent soft magnetic properties.The Co_(4)Fe_(2)Al_(1.5)Mn_(1.5) HEA possesses the highest M s of 161.3 emu g^(-1) thus far reported for magnetic HEAs,a low coercivity of 1.9 Oe,a high electrical resistivity of 173μΩ cm,a superior thermal stability up to 600℃,which originates from the novel microstructure of B2 nanoparticles distributed in a DO_(3) matrix phase,and the crucial transition of Mn from antiferromagnetism to ferromagnetism with the assistance of Al.The Co_(4)Fe_(2_)Al_(1.5)Mn_(1.5) HEA was selected to produce micron-sized powder and soft magnetic powder cores(SMPCs)for application in the exploration field.The SMPCs exhibit a high stable effective perme-ability of 35.9 up to 1 MHz,low core loss of 38.1 mW cm^(-3)(@100 kHz,20 mT),and an excellent direct current(DC)bias performance of 87.7%at 100 Oe.This study paves the way for the development of soft magnetic HEAs with promising applications as magnetic functional materials.

γ-APS接枝环氧树脂分子对环氧涂层/金属界面化学键合的研究

利用γ-氨基丙基三甲氧基硅烷(γ-APS)对环氧树脂分子进行改性合成了具有键合特性的活性树脂(γ-APS/EP),将活性树脂作为液态添加剂加入到环氧涂层中,利用活性树脂与金属表面羟基反应生成耐水解的噁烷键的特点,实现了环氧涂层/金属界面的化学键合。研究表明,活性树脂添加量为3%(质量分数)时,环氧涂层与金属基体的界面结合力和对腐蚀介质的抗渗透性能达到最佳。根据活性树脂含量的影响,提出了活性树脂在环氧涂层/金属界面的键合机理。

TetR家族转录调控因子配体的研究进展

TetR家族转录调控因子(TetR family transcriptional regulators,TFRs)广泛分布于细菌与古菌中,最早被发现的是可控制大肠杆菌四环素外排泵的TetR。TFRs拥有DNA结合和多样的配体感知能力,其作用机制复杂。配体小分子诱导TFRs产生构象变化,抑制或促进TFRs对其靶点的控制。目前已知的TFRs配体种类繁多,包括糖类、蛋白质、脂肪酸及其衍生物、金属离子等。配体的多样性使得TFRs调节范围很广,包括从基础碳代谢、氮代谢到群体感应、抗生素生物合成等一系列生理过程。文中主要从介导调控角度介绍TFRs配体的研究进展,并结合笔者实验室的研究工作,重点阐述TFRs配体在基础碳代谢、脂肪酸生物合成与降解等初级和次级代谢产物合成过程中的作用机制,及其在基因线路开发和抗生素合成基因的激活等应用方面的研究进展。

Asynchronous Brain-Computer Interface Shared Control of Robotic Grasping

The control of a high Degree of Freedom(DoF) robot to grasp a target in three-dimensional space using Brain-Computer Interface(BCI) remains a very difficult problem to solve. Design of synchronous BCI requires the user perform the brain activity task all the time according to the predefined paradigm; such a process is boring and fatiguing. Furthermore, the strategy of switching between robotic auto-control and BCI control is not very reliable because the accuracy of Motor Imagery(MI) pattern recognition rarely reaches 100%. In this paper, an asynchronous BCI shared control method is proposed for the high DoF robotic grasping task. The proposed method combines BCI control and automatic robotic control to simultaneously consider the robotic vision feedback and revise the unreasonable control commands. The user can easily mentally control the system and is only required to intervene and send brain commands to the automatic control system at the appropriate time according to the experience of the user. Two experiments are designed to validate our method: one aims to illustrate the accuracy of MI pattern recognition of our asynchronous BCI system; the other is the online practical experiment that controls the robot to grasp a target while avoiding an obstacle using the asynchronous BCI shared control method that can improve the safety and robustness of our system.

Inactivation of SACE_3446, a TetR family transcriptional regulator, stimulates erythromycin production in Saccharopolyspora erythraea

Erythromycin A is a widely used antibiotic produced by Saccharopolyspora erythraea;however,its biosynthetic cluster lacks a regulatory gene,limiting the yield enhancement via regulation engineering of S.erythraea.Herein,six TetR family transcriptional regulators(TFRs)belonging to three genomic context types were individually inactivated in S.erythraea A226,and one of them,SACE_3446,was proved to play a negative role in regulating erythromycin biosynthesis.EMSA and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that SACE_3446 covering intact N-terminal DNA binding domain specifically bound to the promoter regions of erythromycin biosynthetic gene eryAI,the resistant gene ermE and the adjacent gene SACE_3447(encoding a longchain fatty-acid CoA ligase),and repressed their transcription.Furthermore,we explored the interaction relationships of SACE_3446 and previously identified TFRs(SACE_3986 and SACE_7301)associated with erythromycin production.Given demonstrated relatively independent regulation mode of SACE_3446 and SACE_3986 in erythromycin biosynthesis,we individually and concomitantly inactivated them in an industrial S.erythraea WB.Compared with WB,the WBΔ3446 and WBΔ3446Δ3986 mutants respectively displayed 36%and 65%yield enhancement of erythromycin A,following significantly elevated transcription of eryAI and ermE.When cultured in a 5 L fermentor,erythromycin A ofWBΔ3446 and WBΔ3446Δ3986 successively reached 4095 mg/L and 4670 mg/L with 23%and 41%production improvement relative to WB.The strategy reported here will be useful to improve antibiotics production in other industrial actinomycete.

Eye-Opening Alters the Interaction Between the Salience Network and the Default-Mode Network

Dear Editor,Brain networks consist of several long-distance regions that interact constantly with each other.Interactions between networks suggest that different brain functions are coordinated during complex cognitive tasks[1].A triple-network mechanism underlying cognitive control has been found across task paradigms and stimulus modalities[2].This triple-network mechanism includes the interactions among the salience network(SN),the default mode network(DMN),and the central executive network(CEN).

放线菌中亮氨酸应答调控蛋白的生物学功能及其调控机理

放线菌是一类革兰氏阳性细菌,可产生氨基酸等初级代谢产物和抗生素等次级代谢产物,其广泛用于食品、医药、添加剂及化妆品行业。此外,还有少数放线菌,如分枝杆菌等,是可以引起人和动植物病害的病原菌。亮氨酸应答调控蛋白(Leucine-responsive regulatory protein,Lrp)是一类在氨基酸代谢及其相关代谢过程中的重要转录调控子,能够应答各种氨基酸,参与调控微生物细胞的多个生理过程,例如氨基酸代谢和转运、中心代谢、细菌的持久性和毒力等。本文总结了放线菌Lrp的生物学功能,并综述了放线菌中不同种属Lrp以及天蓝色链霉菌和红色糖多孢菌Lrp调控机理的研究进展。

A review of EEG-based brain-computer interface systems design

A brain-computer interface(BCI) system can recognize the mental activities pattern by computer algorithms to control the external devices. Electroencephalogram(EEG) is one of the most common used approach for BCI due to the convenience and non-invasive implement. Therefore, more and more BCIs have been designed for the disabled people that suffer from stroke or spinal cord injury to help them for rehabilitation and life. We introduce the common BCI paradigms, the signal processing, and feature extraction methods. Then, we survey the different combined modes of hybrids BCIs and review the design of the synchronous/asynchronous BCIs.Finally, the shared control methods are discussed.

乙状结肠及直肠癌NOSES手术困难的影响因素分析

目的分析乙状结肠及直肠癌NOSES手术困难的影响因素。方法回顾性分析了2017年1月至2021年3月期间郑州大学第一附属医院和河南大学淮河医院结直肠外科收治的315例乙状结肠和直肠癌试行NOSES患者的临床病例资料,包括术前检查、手术过程以及手术结果。采用单因素分析和多因素Logistic回归模型分析对导致手术困难的影响因素进行分析。结果纳入的315例患者中,男性200例,女性115例。年龄(61±13)岁,肿瘤最大径中位数为3.6(P25,P75:2.8,4.8)cm。其中223例(70.8%)经直肠残端取出标本困难。单因素分析显示,BMI>25.0 kg/m2(χ2=5.987,P=0.014)、肿瘤并肠腔狭窄(χ2=9.170,P=0.002)、肿瘤距肛缘距离>5.0 cm(χ2=5.275,P=0.022)、肿瘤最大径>5.0 cm(χ2=5.735,P=0.017)、直肠系膜前后径>6.0 cm(χ2=7.708,P=0.005)以及手术医师学习曲线≤50例(χ2=5.013,P=0.025)与标本经直肠残端取出困难有关(均P<0.05)。而年龄、性别、腹部手术史等与标本经直肠残端取出困难无关(均P>0.05)。多因素分析显示,BMI>25.0 kg/m2、肿瘤并肠腔狭窄、肿瘤距肛缘距离>5.0 cm、肿瘤最大径>5.0 cm、直肠系膜前后径>6.0 cm以及手术医师学习曲线≤50例是造成NOSES手术困难的独立影响因素(均P<0.05)。结论手术前评估BMI、肿瘤距肛缘距离、是否肿瘤并肠腔狭窄、肿瘤最大径、直肠系膜前后径及手术医师的经验等临床因素,有利于筛选比较合适的乙状结肠及直肠癌患者进行经直肠残端取标本手术。