Search Results (10,491)

Glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) β-glucosidases (BGLUs) play diverse roles in plant development and stress responses. However, a comprehensive pan-genomic characterization of this gene family across diverse Brassica rapa accessions is still lacking. Here, we conducted a pan-genome-wide analysis of BGLU genes across 21 B. rapa accessions. A total of 1840 BGLU genes were identified and clustered into 57 orthologous gene groups (OGGs), comprising 22 core, 19 dispensable, and 16 private groups. Phylogenetic reconstruction assigned these OGGs to five subgroups, and duplication analysis revealed whole-genome duplication as the predominant driver of family expansion, accounting for 47.51% of duplicated genes. Expression profiling identified two core genes, BrBGLU10 and BrBGLU56, as specifically expressed in fertile floral buds and differentially regulated between fertile and sterile lines. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of BrBGLU10 resulted in approximately 36% pollen abortion and drastically reduced seed set upon self-pollination, supporting its important role in pollen development. Collectively, these findings establish BrBGLU10 as an important regulator of pollen development and a potential target for fertility-related applications via gene editing in B. rapa and related Brassica crops. Full article

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as promising recognition materials for antibiotic sensing owing to their high stability, low cost, and tunable selectivity. However, enhanced recognition capability does not necessarily translate into high-performance sensing. A critical yet often overlooked bottleneck lies in the inherently indirect nature of this conversion: molecular binding occurs within an insulating polymer matrix that is spatially and functionally decoupled from the underlying signal transducer, particularly in complex environmental matrices. To address this limitation, this review proposes a unified framework centered on recognition–structure–signal interplay. Within this framework, sensing performance depends not on the simple addition of independently optimized components, but on the synergistic integration of recognition fidelity, structural accessibility, and signal transduction efficiency. Recent advances in electrochemical, optical, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemiluminescent MIP sensors are critically examined through this lens, with emphasis on platform-specific failure modes-including inaccessible recognition sites, insufficient site-transducer integration, weak binding-induced signal modulation, signal amplification-dominated responses, and matrix-induced decoupling. Machine learning is further critically assessed as an emerging data-driven tool for MIP design, signal decoding, experimental optimization, and sensor-level performance prediction, while its broader applicability remains constrained by limited datasets, insufficient external validation, and poor cross-platform transferability. Despite major progress in sensitivity, unresolved challenges persist, including weak intrinsic conversion efficiency, structural trade-offs, limited reliability in real-world samples, a lack of standardized validation protocols, and poor scalability of laboratory fabrication. This review concludes that next-generation MIP-based antibiotic sensors require a paradigm shift from affinity-oriented imprinting and signal amplification toward co-localized recognition-transduction interfaces, matrix-tolerant architectures, interpretable data-driven design, and manufacturable field-deployable systems. Full article

Coupling-coordination degree (CCD) indices are often interpreted as evidence that urban systems are developing in a mutually supportive manner. The standard formula, however, combines similarity between subsystem scores with their average level. This article evaluates those two components against the following external outcome: municipal environmental services. A city panel for China in 2002–2024 combines broadband and mobile adoption, urban road provision, licensed internet data-center records, and seven indicators of water, gas, drainage, sewage, waste, and urban greening. The preferred sample contains 6094 observations for 275 cities in 28 provinces. We estimate city fixed-effect models with province-by-year fixed effects and report province-clustered, two-way-clustered, and 9999-repetition wild-cluster-bootstrap inference. In the baseline rank-based construction, a one-standard-deviation increase in relative digital-transport alignment is associated with a 0.046-standard-deviation increase in the environmental-service index (wild-bootstrap p = 0.042), whereas the portfolio-level coefficient is 0.191 (p < 0.001). The alignment estimate is concentrated in water and gas access and is not robust to complete-component outcomes, PCA or entropy weighting, logarithmic standardization, road density, or lags beyond one year. Portfolio level remains positive across these tests, although lead and reverse-direction estimates preclude causal interpretation. The findings show why infrastructure scale, relative configuration, and realized service outcomes should be monitored separately. For SDGs 9 and 11, city governments should target documented service bottlenecks and operating capacity rather than maximize a composite coordination score. Full article

The transfer of heavy metals (HMs) from industrial park soils to edible crops is strongly crop-specific; however, these differences have not been considered in probabilistic dietary health risk assessments. This study examined agricultural fields surrounding a high-altitude industrial park in southwestern China, where paired samples of surface soil, Chinese cabbage, and maize were collected and analyzed for Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Hg, and As. Spearman rank correlation and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to identify elemental associations and probable sources; bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were calculated to compare HM transfer and accumulation across the two crops; and Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate probabilistic dietary health risks across age groups. The results showed that soil HMs in the study area displayed mixed-source characteristics, with marked enrichment of Pb, Cd, and Hg. After multiple comparison correction, only soil Ni showed a significant positive correlation with Ni in maize. Chinese cabbage had a relatively high accumulation capacity for Cd, whereas maize grains showed relatively limited transfer of most HMs, indicating pronounced crop-specific differences. Cd, Pb, Cr, Hg, and As concentrations in Chinese cabbage remained within permissible limits. For health risk, P95 hazard index (HI) values stayed below 1 across all age groups, indicating that non-carcinogenic risk was generally acceptable under the exposure scenarios evaluated; adults, however, carried higher estimated lifetime carcinogenic risk than other age groups. Sensitivity analysis revealed that As and Cd in Chinese cabbage were the dominant contributors to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, respectively, while the contribution of Cr to risk estimates was highly dependent on its speciation and toxicological parameter assumptions. By combining soil–crop monitoring, bioaccumulation analysis, and probabilistic risk assessment, this study characterizes crop-specific HM transfer patterns and identifies the principal drivers of health risk in industrially influenced agricultural systems, providing a scientific basis for risk-oriented monitoring, food safety management, and the long-term sustainable use of agricultural land in industrial–agricultural interface regions. Full article

Background: Cerebrovascular diseases have complex pathogenesis and pose a serious threat to human health; thus, novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are needed. Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs), commonly referred to as exosomes, are 30–150 nm lipid-bilayer vesicles that shield long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) from degradation. Because exosomal lncRNAs are more stable than free lncRNAs in blood and cerebrospinal fluid and can cross the blood–brain barrier, they are promising as biomarkers and therapeutic vectors. This review summarizes the roles and mechanisms of exosomal lncRNAs in cerebrovascular diseases. Methods: This narrative review is based on the experimental literature and focuses on the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of exosomal lncRNAs in cerebrovascular disorders. Results: As competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), they sequester microRNAs (miRNAs), thereby derepressing downstream target-gene expression and modulating neuronal injury (oxidative stress, apoptosis, neuroinflammation) through the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) pathways. They show altered profiles in acute stroke (ischemic/hemorrhagic) correlated with neurological deficits, and are relevant to the early diagnosis of chronic diseases (atherosclerosis, aneurysm) and vascular dementia. Conclusions: Exosomal lncRNAs demonstrate promising translational potential in preclinical studies because they combine exosome delivery capabilities with lncRNA regulatory functions, although clinical validation remains limited. Full article

With the high-proportion integration of renewable energy, integrated energy systems face greater demands regarding renewable energy utilisation, power balancing, and operational efficiency. By aggregating distributed generation, energy storage and load resources, integrated energy systems can provide effective support for multi-energy coordinated scheduling. This paper proposes a 24 h day-ahead multi-objective optimal scheduling framework for an integrated hydro–wind–photovoltaic–storage energy system based on multi-objective particle swarm optimisation (MOPSO). Firstly, this paper establishes mathematical models for wind power, photovoltaic (PV), hydropower, and energy storage units. Subsequently, it incorporates the outputs of hydropower, wind power, PV, and storage, along with the charging and discharging of energy storage and the process of purchasing electricity from and selling electricity to the main grid, into a unified optimisation model. The objectives are to maximise economic benefit and variable renewable energy utilisation while minimising the peak-to-valley difference in residual load. To address the conflicts between these multiple objectives, a MOPSO algorithm combined with a normalised weighted scoring method is employed to select a compromise optimal solution. Results from case studies based on typical days of the four seasons and various operational strategies demonstrate that the proposed method can rationally allocate the outputs of different energy sources, reduce the system’s dependence on the main grid, and improve variable renewable energy utilisation, thereby providing a reference for the optimal scheduling of integrated energy systems. Full article

Excessive short-term ethanol intake often causes acute intoxication and multi-organ damage, especially to the liver and brain. Thus, developing safe and effective preparations for hangover relief, liver protection, and brain function regulation is of great practical significance. In this study, we fabricated a thermosensitive chitosan (CS)–sea cucumber peptide (SCP) hydrogel (CS–SCP gel) loaded with SCP using NaHCO₃ as a crosslinker and characterized its properties. Kunming mouse models of anti-intoxication and acute alcohol-induced liver and brain injuries were established. The anti-intoxication and organ-protective effects of the CS–SCP gel were comprehensively evaluated through behavioral observation, liver histopathology, and biochemical assays of serum and liver, kidney, and brain tissues. The CS–SCP gel exhibited a phase transition temperature of 35.7 °C, a water absorption rate of 1015.47%, and a cumulative peptide release of 74.83% within 330 min. In mice, it prolonged the latency to drunkenness; shortened alcohol-induced sleep and sobering time; reduced blood ethanol, transaminase, and lipid levels; upregulated hepatic antioxidant enzymes; downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, and alleviated lipid peroxidation. It also enhanced brain antioxidant capacity, suppressed cerebral inflammatory cytokines, and maintained cholinergic neurotransmitter homeostasis. Collectively, with sustained release, CS–SCP gel is expected to prolong the pharmacological action of SCP, enhance therapeutic efficacy, and protect against alcohol-induced liver and brain injury through the regulation of oxidative stress and attenuation of inflammation. Full article

To address the core industrial bottlenecks of conventional batch tannic acid-based germanium precipitation processes—high reagent consumption, long reaction cycles of several hours, severe impurity co-precipitation as well as the common mismatch between single-channel microreactor throughput and industrial production demands. This work combines numerical simulation with experimental validation to investigate microscale two-phase flow regulation, high-throughput microreactor optimization, and tannic acid precipitation intensification. Two-dimensional two-phase flow models are established for straight and zigzag microchannels, with the level set method applied to track interfacial evolution. The regulatory effects of inlet velocity and channel geometry on flow patterns, droplet behavior and mixing performance are clarified. Zigzag channels induce chaotic convection via periodic corners, achieving an order-of-magnitude improvement in mixing efficiency at low Reynolds numbers (Re < 400), which lays a fundamental basis for reaction intensification. Taking zigzag channels as core units, a bidirectional symmetric superposition scale-up strategy is proposed to break the throughput limitation of single-channel systems, and a 3D-printed high-throughput microreactor integrating 78 parallel zigzag channels is designed. 3D simulations reveal a three-stage mixing mechanism and uniform flow distribution among parallel channels, with total throughput two orders of magnitude higher than a single channel. Single-channel experiments with industrial germanium-bearing raffinate yield 91.81% precipitation efficiency under optimal conditions, reducing the reaction residence time from hours in conventional batch processes to the second scale. Staged reagent addition and two-stage serial configuration further raise the efficiency to ~98%, realizing deep germanium recovery with significantly improved reagent utilization and reduced impurity co-precipitation. This process achieves efficient intensification of the chelation precipitation process while balancing throughput and mixing performance, providing a novel and technically feasible approach for efficient low-consumption germanium recovery, and offering solid technical support for the industrial application of microreactors in the hydrometallurgy field. Full article

To address the limited cooling range of ventilation in deep, high-temperature development headings and the lack of coordinated design between coil-based cooling and the ventilation system, this study proposes a coupled “twin-forcing–coil” cooling scheme. Building on conventional overlap (forcing–exhausting) ventilation, a rear-mounted second forcing duct is added to the conventional overlap (force–exhaust combined) auxiliary ventilation system, forming a dual-duct forcing, single-exhausting configuration—hereafter termed the “twin-forcing–single-exhausting” (TFSE) system—that provides a booster (relay) air supply to mitigate the along-path attenuation of cooling capacity and the short-circuiting of cold air; an in situ heat-exchange coil wall further provides supplementary cooling where ventilation-based temperature control weakens. Using a development heading at the 790 m level of a metal mine in Yunnan as the engineering background, a three-dimensional numerical model coupling the roadway, ventilation system, and coil wall was established and validated against nine field monitoring points, showing average relative errors of approximately 1% for temperature and 2–3% for humidity, comparable to the measurement uncertainty of the field instrumentation. Because the numerical model does not account for evaporative and condensation phase-change processes, two supplementary development headings with standing water at the face were used for validation; results showed that model error increases with water accumulation and heading length, indicating the model’s applicability is limited to conditions with intact surrounding rock and minimal seepage. Six operating cases were designed with duct placement and coil spacing as variables. Results show that single-duct ventilation cooling decays markedly beyond 30 m from the face, whereas twin-forcing booster (relay) air supply effectively extends the cooling range, reducing the 30–70 m section temperature by 2.7–2.9 K; the second duct should be positioned where the first duct’s cooling capacity begins to attenuate but is not yet depleted. Based on only two spacing configurations tested (10 m and 15 m), coil-staggered spacing showed limited effect on cooling performance under the field conditions examined; this preliminary finding requires validation across a broader range of spacings. Among the chilled-water conditions tested, an inlet temperature of 280.65 K and a flow velocity of 0.5 m/s offered a reasonable trade-off between cooling uniformity and economic efficiency. Under the boundary conditions and equipment parameters of this case, energy consumption estimates further indicate that the cooling effect per unit electricity consumption of twin-forcing ventilation is roughly 6–8 times that of coil-based cooling, primarily due to pumping losses over the ~240 m chilled-water delivery distance. This energy penalty indicates that coil-based cooling is better suited as a localized, short-distance supplementary measure rather than as a means of extending the cooling range over long distances. Full article

Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze, a critically endangered tree species, plays an irreplaceable ecological role in its native habitats. Under global climate change, identifying the drivers governing its geographic distribution and assessing climate-related threats can provide scientific guidance for the long-term conservation and habitat restoration of this species. In this study, a total of 287 valid occurrence records from 27 countries were compiled. Combined with 14 screened environmental variables, an optimized Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to predict the potential suitable habitats of A. angustifolia under historical climate conditions (1970–2000), as well as under low-emission (SSP126) and high-emission (SSP585) scenarios for the future periods of 2050, 2070, and 2090. Under historical climatic conditions, the average training AUC value from 10 replicate model runs was 0.979, indicating excellent and reliable model performance. Globally, the species has 1.91 × 10⁶ km² of moderately suitable habitat and 0.95 × 10⁶ km² of highly suitable habitat, with a total suitable habitat area of 2.86 × 10⁶ km², accounting for only 1.92% of the global terrestrial area. Mean annual temperature (bio1), mean temperature of the coldest quarter (bio11), and annual temperature range (bio7) are the dominant environmental variables shaping the distribution of A. angustifolia, followed by annual precipitation (bio12). Under future climate scenarios, the overall suitable habitats of A. angustifolia exhibit a slight contracting trend, whereas their spatial distribution patterns remain relatively stable. Full article

Marine fungi associated with sponges and brown algae are promising sources of pharmacologically active compounds. This study investigated the cytotoxic potential and metabolomic profiles of fungal strains isolated from the marine environment of Mauritius. Among the twenty extracts screened, the mycelium extracts were more cytotoxic than the broth extracts. Four extracts demonstrated the most potent activity: Aspergillus chevalieri (F2M), Aspergillus ochraceus (F25M) and Biatriospora sp. (F34M, F34B). The algal endophyte Aspergillus chevalieri (F2M) mycelium extract displayed an IC₅₀ of 14.27 ± 1.22 µg/mL after 24 h against HepG2 cells. The sponge-associated fungi Aspergillus ochraceus (F25M) showed promising cytotoxic activities against HepG2 cells (IC₅₀ of 8.775 ± 0.78 µg/mL) after 24 h of treatment, with a selectivity index of 2.27, and had the lowest IC₅₀ (2.49 ± 0.60 µg/mL after 24 h; 7.14 ± 3.14 µg/mL after 48 h) against FLO-1 cells, also reducing tumor spheroid growth and integrity during the first four hours. All four extracts increased the intracellular ROS production, but only the mycelium extract of A. chevalieri (F2M) significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. Metabolomic profiling identified diverse compound classes, including alkaloids, terpenoids, amino acids, anthraquinones and coumarins. The findings revealed that the marine fungi from Mauritius are promising sources of cytotoxic metabolites that require purification and subsequent confirmation and mechanistic studies. Full article

This study investigated the pathological processes by which two Salmonella strains induce orchitis and impair spermatogenesis in mice, with emphasis on inflammation and blood–testis barrier (BTB) integrity. Thirty male Kunming mice were randomly assigned to the human-derived Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis H71 group, the sheep-derived Salmonella enterica serovar Agona W42 group, or the phosphate-buffered saline control group (n = 10 per group). An acute orchitis model was established by intrascrotal injection. Histopathological examination revealed marked testicular and epididymal lesions, disruption of the spermatogenic epithelium, and reduced sperm abundance in infected mice. Transcriptomic analysis identified 4546 differentially expressed genes shared by the two infected groups and showed enrichment of the Toll-like receptor (TLR), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. Real-time quantitative PCR further showed increased expression of interleukin 6 (Il6), interleukin 1 beta (Il1b), and tumor necrosis factor (Tnf), accompanied by reduced expression of tight junction protein 1 (Tjp1), occludin (Ocln), and synaptonemal complex protein 3 (Sycp3) in infected mice (p < 0.05), except for Tjp1 in the W42 group. These findings indicate that Salmonella-induced inflammatory activation is associated with BTB disruption and impaired spermatogenesis, providing a basis for further investigation of bacterial orchitis and zoonotic reproductive risks. Full article

Accurately identifying influential nodes is essential for analyzing network structures and optimizing information propagation. Existing methods predominantly rely on single indicators such as degree, H-index, or k-shell, inherently limiting their ability to capture a node’s true influence. Recent hybrid centrality approaches attempt to address this by combining multiple local and global attributes; however, they typically integrate features through simple weighting or superposition, failing to characterize the intrinsic synergy among structural properties. Furthermore, they often quantify neighbor contributions too coarsely, overlook the regulatory role of edge strength, and some suffer from high computational complexity, limiting scalability. To overcome these deficiencies, we propose WKDH, a novel influential node identification method based on multi-attribute neighbor contributions. WKDH fuses local structural attributes (degree and H-index) with global structural attributes (k-shell) via a multiplicative weighted synergy model, simultaneously capturing local connection “quantity,” local connection “quality,” and global core-layer position. By transforming neighbors’ comprehensive characteristics into regulated contribution degrees, WKDH mitigates excessive self-attribute interference and accurately reflects the actual propagation potential of edges. Notably, the method achieves linear computational complexity of $O\left(m\right)$. Experimental results on nine real-world and six artificial networks demonstrate that WKDH outperforms nine established indicators in terms of node influence ranking, identification of high-influence nodes, and measuring propagation capability. Moreover, WKDH exhibits strong universality across diverse network structures, as it operates without parameter tuning. Full article

Miniaturized spatial electric field sensors often exhibit insufficient front-end charge coupling because of their limited sensing area. To address this material-level bottleneck, KH550-functionalized graphene composite films were developed as candidate electrode materials for spatial electric-field sensing. Single-layer and multilayer graphene powders were modified with the silane coupling agent KH550 and dispersed in a waterborne polyurethane/PVP matrix to fabricate composite films. The sensing mechanism was analyzed from the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars interfacial polarization and electrode-equivalent capacitance perspectives. The modified materials were characterized by SEM, EDS, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, low-frequency dielectric measurements, and broadband high-frequency impedance measurements. KH550 functionalization introduced Si- and N-containing surface species and increased disorder or sp³-related structural features while retaining the layered graphene structure. The film formulation selected through qualitative visual screening contained 0.16 g of graphene, 10 mL of waterborne polyurethane, and 0.05 g of PVP. Under AC excitation, the relative permittivity of the composite film containing KH550-functionalized multilayer graphene was approximately 18% higher than that of its unmodified counterpart. Broadband measurements showed material-dependent changes in the reflection and impedance responses of the electrode–fixture configurations. The modified multilayer-graphene electrode exhibited a different distribution of reflection minima, resistance maxima, and capacitive–inductive transitions from the unmodified and copper electrodes. Because the measured response includes contributions from the coating, substrate, fixture, and parasitic elements, these results are interpreted as comparative system-level responses. These results indicate that interfacial engineering of graphene composite films can enhance electrode-level dielectric response and charge-coupling capability, providing a material basis for non-contact electric field sensing electrodes. Full article

Existing studies on cultural landscape genes in traditional villages have largely focused on the identification of objective elements, while paying insufficient attention to the associations between tourists’ subjective perceptions, Place identity, and Satisfaction. Taking the five nationally recognized traditional villages in Wuxi, China, as case studies, this study constructs an association model linking cultural landscape gene perception, Place identity, and Satisfaction. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling based on 392 tourist questionnaires. The results indicate that Perceived Environmental Character, Perceived Settlement Morphology, Perceived Architectural Characteristics, and Perceived Cultural Attributes are all significantly and positively associated with both Place identity and Satisfaction. Place identity is also significantly and positively associated with Satisfaction. In terms of the standardized path coefficients, Perceived Settlement Morphology shows a relatively strong association with Place identity (β = 0.285), while Perceived Architectural Characteristics shows a relatively strong association with Satisfaction (β = 0.257). The model explains 41.2% of the variance in Place identity and 54.1% of the variance in Satisfaction. Both the direct paths between the four dimensions of cultural landscape gene perception and Satisfaction and the indirect paths through Place identity are statistically significant, indicating that Place identity plays a partial mediating role. This study extends Cultural Landscape Gene Theory from the identification of objective landscape elements to the levels of tourist perception and tourism evaluation, and reveals that Place identity may constitute a psychological pathway linking cultural landscape perception with Satisfaction. In practice, the perceptibility of village spatial patterns, architectural appearance, environmental characteristics, and cultural content should be comprehensively maintained to enhance tourists’ Place identity and overall experience evaluations. Full article