Search Results (628)

Seed dormancy is an important adaptive mechanism in plants. However, some seeds, such as those of Xanthoceras sorbifolium (a valuable economic and medicinal species), exhibit strong dormancy, resulting in a very low natural germination rate. This work investigated the mechanism by which low temperatures (LT: −20 °C storage for 60 days) release seed dormancy and promote germination. This was achieved by examining seed germination conditions, applying scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and measuring physiological indicators of seeds and the hormone levels. Targeted metabolomic analysis of sugar and fatty acid metabolism was also performed. The results were as follows: (1) A high germination rate of 47.3% was observed under LT condition, compared to 32.7% at room temperature (RT: 25 °C). Of four germination methods, direct GMS (germination in moist sand) was the most effective. (2) The two stages of VI (after storage) and VII (on the 7th day of germination) were key stages to breaking the seed dormancy and triggering germination. At both stages, the high integrity of the seed shells and kernels—particularly, the kernels—was observed using SEM. The activities of SOD, CAT, and POD, as well as the levels of IAA and IPA, and the ratios of IAA/ABA and (IAA + GA3 + ZR + IPA)/ABA (tHor/ABA) were found to be higher, especially in stage VII, where tHor/ABA increased by 62.7%, while ABA decreased by 23.2% in the LT treatment compared to the RT treatment. An optimal germination condition (GMS) created a suitable microenvironment, and this could have maintained highly active antioxidant enzymes and kept H₂O₂ (one of reactive oxygen species, or ROS) within signal transduction levels, and cross-talk to hormones. These changes (enzymes, hormones, ROS, and microenvironment) ensured the seeds reaching an optimal state for dormancy release in the VI stage, and facilitated the seed germination in the VII stage. (3) LT treatment promoted the degradation of starch and fats in the seeds. Significant accumulations of eight soluble sugars, such as glucose, D-fructose, and trehalose, as well as three fatty acids, such as Cis-11,14,17-eicosatrienoic acid (C20-3n3) and γ-linolenic acid (C18-3n6), were observed, while two soluble sugars and one fatty acid decreased under LT conditions. In conclusion, low temperature, as an external signal, together with ROS and GA-ABA-IAA co-regulated the seed dormancy release and germination. The moist-sand microenvironment was also a key factor in awakening the embryos of X. sorbifolium seeds. Full article

The Water-Sediment Regulation Scheme (WSRS) of the Yellow River is a large-scale anthropogenic intervention designed to alleviate downstream channel siltation, yet its long-term ecological effects on estuarine phytoplankton communities remain contentious. Based on a 12-year (2011–2022) continuous monitoring dataset from the Yellow River Estuary (YRE), including two consecutive non-WSRS years (2016–2017) as a baseline, this study systematically analyzed the impacts of the WSRS on phytoplankton abundance, community structure, and dominant species succession, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Our results demonstrate that the WSRS significantly reduced salinity (p < 0.001) and delivered pulsed loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and silicate (DSi), accounting for 11.64–40.63% of annual fluxes, while intensifying phosphorus-limited stoichiometric imbalance (DIN/DIP mean: 361.67 ± 124.57). Phytoplankton abundance exhibited extreme interannual fluctuations during WSRS years, with an annual mean abundance (957.08 × 10⁴ cells/m³) nearly six times higher than that of non-WSRS years (165.88 × 10⁴ cells/m³), and displayed a distinct nearshore inhibition and offshore stimulation spatial pattern, with the transition zone corresponding to the salinity front zone. At the community level, the WSRS did not alter the absolute dominance of diatoms but drove a directional succession from larger centric diatoms toward small, needle-shaped, low-salinity-tolerant species (Synedra sp., Nitzschia delicatissima); this shift is co-regulated by bottom-up environmental filtering (low salinity and high nutrients) and top-down size-selective grazing. This study reveals the net enhancing effect of the WSRS as a pulsed anthropogenic disturbance on estuarine phytoplankton communities and its dual regulatory mechanisms, providing long-term empirical evidence and a theoretical basis for ecological impact assessment and the adaptive management of large-scale river regulation projects. Full article

Background: Myocardin-related transcription factor B (MRTFB) acts as a transcriptional coactivator for serum response factor (SRF) and regulates actin cytoskeletal dynamics. Despite its biological significance, the phosphoregulatory network, upstream kinases, and interactors remain poorly understood. Methods: To explore this, we analyzed global phosphoproteomic datasets to identify predominant phosphosites. We categorized phosphosites in other proteins as positively or negatively co-regulated with the predominant phosphosites of MRTFB and also integrated predicted upstream kinases and interactors of MRTFB. Further, phosphosite conservation, co-occurrence patterns, and functional and pathway enrichment analyses of co-regulated proteins were also performed. Results: We identified S66 and S921 as predominant phosphosites in MRTFB, with the highest detection frequency across multiple experimental conditions. These phosphosites were found to be conserved within the MRTF family and across multiple species. From the predicted upstream kinases, MAPK1, MAPK3, MAST3, and CSNK1A1 were identified as predicted upstream kinases. Co-occurrence analysis revealed high positive co-occurrence between the predominant phosphosites, S66 and S921, suggesting similar functional roles. Functional enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement of co-regulated proteins in the actin cytoskeleton pathway. Conclusions: This study provides the detailed phosphoproteomic landscape of MRTFB, mapping its upstream kinases and co-regulated proteins involved in actin cytoskeleton regulation. Full article

Moon and Mars mission architectures are shifting from short stays to longer surface stays in isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) conditions, where small crews live almost entirely inside pressurized habitats. As transit durations increase and lunar outposts evolve into more permanent bases, crews are exposed for longer periods to environmental hazards and non-terrestrial gravity that disrupt usual sensorimotor patterns. In this context, the habitat becomes the primary interface between human bodies and extreme environments, shaping how inhabitants perceive, move, orient themselves and sustain everyday routines away from Earth. This article develops a neuroarchitecture integrative model for indoor living in lunar and Martian habitats, treating space habitat resilience as a cognitive and experiential property of the human–habitat system. The model connects advances in space architecture and planetary science research with person–environment theories to show how interior form and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) influence attention, emotional regulation and social functioning under confinement. It distinguishes a macro scale, where planetary constraints compress human experience into Built Environments in Extreme Environments (BEXEs), from a micro scale, where habitability is organized into four functional clusters (somatic, operational, psychosocial and ludic-recreational). Conventional IEQ assessment addresses a small set of generic dimensions applicable to any building; here, these are reorganized into twelve cluster-specific dimensions, three per cluster, calibrated for confinement and for the absence of an accessible exterior. Focusing on room shape and proportions, degrees of enclosure and visual order as key interior variables, the model positions the habitat as an active co-regulator of cognition and argues for design agendas that move beyond minimum safety and volume standards toward evidence-informed cognitive habitability in emerging off-Earth settlements. Full article

Mineral elements affect tea nutritional and flavor quality, but systematic research on their dissolution behavior and links to volatile and taste profiles in Dahongpao tea is lacking, as is evidence regarding contribution to mineral intake for different populations. In this study, nine Dahongpao teas were brewed five times. Eleven elements were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with first-order kinetic fitting; volatile profiles were analyzed by electronic nose and taste attributes by electronic tongue; the contribution of tea infusions to dietary reference intakes was estimated from Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (2023). The results showed that electronic nose analysis revealed distinct variation in volatile compound classes among the nine samples, with broad range and sulfur–organic compounds showing the highest response intensities. Electronic tongue analysis showed clear differences in taste profiles, particularly in astringency, umami, and sweetness, across the nine samples. Regarding dissolution behavior, Mg had the highest dissolution rate (67.24–70.94%), while Fe, Ca, K, and Zn were below 10%; dissolution followed first-order kinetics and total dissolved amounts correlated with total contents except for Fe. Network analysis integrating element data with volatile and taste profiles demonstrated that Mg and Mo contents were positively correlated with multiple volatile classes (e.g., sulfur–organic, broad range), while Ca, Mg, and Fe dissolution rates significantly correlated with richness and aftertaste-A, and Mo inversely correlated with sourness and saltiness. Contribution assessment showed that only Ca, K, Mg, and Se could be marginally supplemented, but the tea amounts needed far exceeded typical intake. In summary, element dissolution in Dahongpao tea is co-regulated by brew count and total content, with complex element–flavor interactions. Tea is not a primary mineral source; consumption should be individualized by age and physiological status. Full article

Maternal technoference has increasingly been recognized as a factor that may compromise mothers’ emotional availability and the quality of mother–child interactions, particularly during early childhood, when responsive caregiving and co-regulation play a pivotal role in children’s development. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Maternal loneliness may represent an important vulnerability factor, although the processes linking loneliness to technoference have yet to be clarified. This study examined whether nomophobia and social media addiction mediate the association between maternal loneliness and technoference. This cross-sectional study included 355 Italian mothers of children aged 0–6 years, who completed measures of loneliness (UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale), nomophobia (NMP-Q), social media addiction (BSMAS), and technoference (DISRUPT). A parallel mediation model was tested while controlling for maternal age. Loneliness was positively associated with both nomophobia and social media addiction, which were, in turn, positively associated with technoference. Both indirect effects were significant, whereas the direct association between loneliness and technoference was no longer significant. These findings suggest that maternal loneliness may be associated with technoference through its link with nomophobia and social media addiction, highlighting the importance of understanding technoference as a relational phenomenon rather than merely a consequence of technology use. Full article

Complex hollow metallic microstructures are essential for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), lab-on-a-chip microfluidics, and bio-integrated devices, yet their fabrication remains challenging because geometric complexity, microscale precision, and high aspect ratios must be satisfied simultaneously. This study proposes filament-guided electrolyte–column electrodeposition (FG-ECD), which couples a removable filament template with a nozzle-confined electrolyte column to define internal channels in situ during localized metal growth, thereby avoiding the collapse risks associated with conventional template removal routes. A two-dimensional axisymmetric multiphysics model reveals that the embedded filament reorganizes the electrolyte into a stable annular flow and shifts the cathodic current density maximum from the substrate toward the advancing dome front, establishing a self-consistent, quasi-stable localized reaction zone, while a parametric sweep shows that the total current scales the current density magnitude without altering its spatial profile. Experiments demonstrate that a current of 3.6 mA produces smooth dome front growth at approximately 20 μm/min, whereas 5.5 mA triggers sustained hydrogen evolution and a transition to cellular deposition. Under optimized conditions, straight, 540° spiral, and R-shaped dual-channel hollow nickel microstructures were fabricated with continuous, collapse-free internal channels of 50 ± 5 μm, aspect ratios exceeding 10:1, and dimensional accuracy within ±35 μm. FG-ECD provides a low-temperature processing route for complex hollow metallic architectures and offers process regulation principles based on co-regulation of the flow field and current density for electrochemical microfabrication. Full article

Objective: Despite most often used in research and medicine, it is unclear how well blood metabolite levels can reflect metabolic changes in tissues. Methods: We used untargeted metabolomic data from plasma, liver, gastrocnemius muscle, kidney, inguinal fat, and gonadal fat tissues from mice treated with lifespan-extending interventions: caloric restriction, rapamycin, canagliflozin, 17-α estradiol, and acarbose. Results: For each tissue, about 37% of the identified metabolites were also found in plasma and used for comparative analyses. We found that plasma metabolites do not primarily reflect the metabolome of a single tissue type. Caloric restriction caused the highest proportion of significantly altered metabolites detected in both organs and blood. Unsaturated triacylglycerols, diacylglycerols, amino acid-derivatives, and sphingomyelins had the most concordant overlaps between four tissues and plasma, followed by carbohydrates with three tissue/plasma intersections. Concordant plasma/tissue changes were found more pronounced in male mice than in female mice. Surprisingly, many compounds that responded similarly to lifespan-extending treatments in tissues and in plasma originated from dietary compounds, specifically, ergothioneine, DHA-containing fats, and diacylglycerides. Ergothioneine, previously associated with healthy aging in humans, showed concordant treatment responses in blood and all tissues except gonadal fat. DHA-containing fats showed consistent regulation between blood and inguinal and gonadal adipose tissue. The kidneys showed coherent trends with blood metabolite levels for LPC 15:0, LPC 17:0, and pinitol. Under treatments with strong life-extending effects, 1,5-anhydro-glucitol blood levels were co-regulated with both liver and kidney levels. Conclusions: Overall, plasma can only serve as limited proxy for tissue metabolism. Yet, several potential blood biomarkers were discovered as concordant in plasma and tissues in lifespan-extending interventions. Full article

Reactive Oxygen Species Modulator 1 (ROMO1) and CD47 have both been implicated in cervical carcinogenesis, but their relationship within the same tumor has not been investigated. We retrospectively analyzed immunohistochemical H-scores for ROMO1 and CD47 in 221 invasive cervical carcinomas, including 205 tumors with evaluable expression of both markers, and examined their associations with clinicopathological characteristics. ROMO1 and CD47 expression did not correlate at the individual-tumor level (Spearman ρ = −0.08, p = 0.25; κ = −0.10). CD47 expression decreased significantly with increasing local tumor extent (ρ = −0.21, p = 0.002) and FIGO stage (p = 0.006), while ROMO1 showed a weaker, non-significant trend in the same direction. The ROMO1-high/CD47-high phenotype was observed in 15.7% of early-stage tumors but was absent in locally advanced (pT2–pT4) tumors (χ² p = 0.001). These findings suggest that ROMO1 and CD47 are not directly co-regulated in cervical cancer, despite showing similar changes with local tumor progression. Their parallel expression patterns may therefore reflect separate responses to common factors involved in cervical carcinogenesis rather than a direct relationship between the two proteins. Further functional studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying these findings. Full article

Assessing the soil quality of coastal reclamation areas is fundamental to alleviating land resource scarcity in coastal cities and ensuring food security. However, it remains unclear how to evaluate soil quality in reclaimed areas and identify factors driving its variation. In this study, paddy soils from four typical reclaimed coastal areas in China (Yueqing, YQ; Longgang, LG; Rui’an, RA; Longwan, LW) were investigated to construct a minimum data set via principal component analysis and to calculate soil quality indices (SQIs). YQ had higher contents of soil organic carbon (SOC: 22.82 g kg⁻¹), total nitrogen (TN: 0.14 g kg⁻¹), total water-soluble salts (TWS: 3.09 g kg⁻¹), cation exchange capacity (CEC: 21.77 cmol(+) kg⁻¹), and available Fe (44.23 mg kg⁻¹), Mn (36.63 mg kg⁻¹), Cu (30.31 mg kg⁻¹), and Zn (8.79 mg kg⁻¹) than the other sites. RA exhibited significantly higher activities of β-glucosidase (BG: 32.79 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), xylanase (XYL: 5.88 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG: 18.00 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP: 27.01 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹), and acid phosphatase (PHOS: 54.50 nmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹) than the other sites (p < 0.05). LW had the greatest bacterial and fungal abundances, whereas LW displayed the highest fungal diversity. RA showed the highest SQI (SQIw: 0.49; SQIa: 0.48), followed by LW (SQIw: 0.47; SQIa: 0.47), LG (SQIw: 0.43; SQIa: 0.41), and YQ (SQIw: 0.38; SQIa: 0.41). Random forest analysis indicated that soil enzyme activities (XYL, NAG, BG, CB, PHOS), nutrients (TN, SOC, AN), fungal abundance and diversity, and TWS were key SQI predictors (Welch ANOVA p = 0.016), with XYL being the strongest predictor (p < 0.05). Collectively, soil quality in coastal reclamation areas is co-regulated by microbial metabolic activity, nutrients, and salinity, with soil enzyme activity serving as an important indicator for its assessment, thereby deepening the understanding of soil quality dynamics within these areas and enabling their sustainable management. However, the microbial mechanisms underlying these patterns across broader environmental gradients remain to be explored. Full article

Background: Wampee (Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels) is an understudied Rutaceae crop native to southern China, whose fruit features a complex aroma profile with simultaneous sour, sweet, bitter and astringent notes. Although bioactive compounds including flavonoids, alkaloids and volatile oils in wampee fruit have been partially characterized, the tissue-specific metabolic and transcriptional basis underlying its distinctive aroma formation remains largely unclear. Methods: We performed an integrated volatile metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis on the pericarp (peel) and flesh of wampee fruit across three cultivars (Shanyellowpi, Heijingang, Bingtangxin). Volatile metabolites were profiled via headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and transcriptome profiles were generated by RNA-Seq. Multi-omics integration was conducted using Procrustes analysis, gene–metabolite correlation network construction and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Results: A total of 288 volatile metabolites were identified, representing the most comprehensive volatile inventory for C. lansium reported to date. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis revealed distinct volatile profiles between pericarp and flesh; terpenoids were the dominant chemical class, accounting for 71.56–91.48% of total volatiles in pericarp and 61.88–67.22% in flesh. Notably, organoheterocyclic compounds were significantly enriched in Shanyellowpi flesh (40.45%), forming a cultivar-specific metabolic signature absent in the other two cultivars. Transcriptomic analysis showed that phenylpropanoid biosynthesis was the most significantly enriched pathway among differentially expressed genes, followed by monoterpene biosynthesis and sesquiterpenoid biosynthesis. Procrustes analysis demonstrated a strong global concordance between the two omics layers (M² = 0.535, p < 0.001). Gene–metabolite correlation networks identified terpene synthase (TPS) genes (HP075360, HP217350) and oxidoreductase genes (SOD1, GST, 10HGO) as candidate co-regulators of terpenoid biosynthesis. WGCNA further prioritized TPS genes, cytochrome P450 genes and MYB transcription factor genes as key regulators driving volatile metabolic divergence between tissues. Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive volatile and transcriptomic atlas of wampee fruit, and identifies tissue-specific and cultivar-specific metabolic signatures as well as their candidate regulatory genes. These findings advance our understanding of quality differentiation in Rutaceae fruits and lay a foundation for molecular breeding and flavor improvement of wampee. Full article

The epidermis is far more than a mechanical shield; it is a dynamic immunological interface whose structural integrity and immune homeostasis are co-regulated by interconnected transcriptional networks. This review examines how epidermal differentiation promoting transcription factors coordinate terminal keratinocyte maturation, skin barrier formation, immune suppression, lipid metabolism, and tissue repair. In particular, Zinc finger protein 750 (ZNF750), grainyhead-like transcription factor 3 (GRHL3), and ovo-like transcriptional repressor 1 (OVOL1) integrate epidermal differentiation with the suppression of inflammatory signaling by regulating lipid metabolism, innate immune sensors, stress-response pathways, and environmentally responsive transcriptional programs. Disruption of these regulatory nodes impairs barrier integrity, amplifies inflammatory signaling, and predisposes to chronic skin diseases, including psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. Full article

Insect protein farming offers sustainable advantages in land efficiency, emission reductions, and bioconversion, yet optimizing the nutrient composition remains a major challenge for cost-effective production. This study investigates the co-regulatory mechanism between alkali-soluble protein (SpA) and the gut microbiota in black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) and their effect on protein conversion efficiency. Feeding trials with varying alfalfa/SpA ratios identified a wheat middlings/alfalfa meal blend at a (5:0 ratio) as optimal for promoting larval protein accumulation. SDS-PAGE and 16S rRNA analyses revealed a strong positive correlation between SpA and larval crude protein (R² = 0.82). The network analysis and Pearson correlation heatmap further confirmed positive correlations among SpA, larval protein, Enterococcus, and Ignatzschineria (p < 0.05), suggesting that high SpA in the substrate was associated with the enrichment of these taxa, which synergistically enhanced proteolysis through alkaline protease secretion (R² = 0.85) and chitinase-mediated gut remodeling. Multi-linear regression modeling verified SpA as a superior predictor of the crude protein content compared with total nitrogen (TN), improving the model’s coefficient of determination (R²) from 0.40 to 0.82. These findings highlight SpA’s higher bioavailability and its direct role in metabolic utilization. By integrating the feed composition, microbiome function, and host metabolism, this study established a regulatory network driving larval protein biosynthesis. The targeted modulation of dietary SpA content may offer a promising approach to enhance beneficial microbial communities and improve protein conversion efficiency in BSFL-rearing systems. These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing feed formulations to support sustainable insect protein production from organic waste. Full article

In light of the advancement of vehicle electrification and intelligence, four-wheel independent drive (4WID) electric vehicles (EVs) have garnered significant attention as a promising platform. Integrating advanced torque-vectoring (TV) strategies into 4WID EVs can effectively optimize the synergistic performance between handling stability and energy efficiency of the over-actuated system across various driving conditions. In this paper, a hierarchical Combined Sliding Mode Control–Adaptive Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (cSMC-ANMPC) TV strategy is proposed to enhance the comprehensive performance of 4WID EVs and ensure adaptive control across diverse driving conditions. Firstly, a hierarchical control architecture is developed to decouple the complex multi-objective problem. The upper layer performs robust stability decision-making by observing the vehicle’s state errors. The lower layer determines the optimal torque distribution throughout the powertrain. Secondly, a Combined Sliding Mode Controller (cSMC) is developed for the upper layer to promptly generate a robust stability command. By co-regulating both yaw rate and sideslip angle into a single command, it simplifies the lower layer’s task and enhances overall stability. Thirdly, a Soft Actor-Critic (SAC) intelligent tuner is integrated into the lower-layer NMPC to mitigate the effects of varying conditions on the stability–economy trade-off and strengthen the adaptability of the controller. Finally, co-simulation evaluations on the MATLAB R2023b/CarSim 2020.0platform demonstrate that the proposed cSMC-ANMPC strategy can improve comprehensive performance for the studied 4WID EV. Compared with other baselines, the stability enhancement in extreme maneuvers and the long-term energy-saving capability are remarkable, showcasing its promising performance. Full article

Nitrous oxide (N₂O), commonly known as laughing gas, is widely used for its anesthetic and analgesic properties in medical settings. However, its recreational abuse has escalated, leading to severe neurological complications including cognitive impairment, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, male C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to either normal air inhalation or nitrous oxide inhalation for 28 days to evaluate the effects of repeated nitrous oxide exposure on cognitive function. We employed hippocampal transcriptome sequencing, real-time PCR, Western blotting, and non-targeted plasma metabolomics to explore potential regulatory mechanisms. Repeated nitrous oxide exposure impaired motor skills, learning, and cognitive abilities in mice. Integrative multi-omics analysis revealed that differentially expressed metabolites and genes synergistically disrupted energy metabolism through co-regulation of the TCA cycle, MAPK signaling pathway, and pyrimidine metabolism, ultimately leading to impaired cellular signaling, nucleic acid synthesis, and cognitive dysfunction. Our study provides novel multi-omics insights into the MAPK/ERK/CREB-mediated neurotoxicity and energy metabolism collapse induced by nitrous oxide as a recreational drug of abuse, offering new directions for clinical intervention. Full article