The effects of cadmium stress on the growth and physiological characteristics of Sassafras tzumu Hemsl. were studied in pot experiments. Five Cd levels were tested CT(Control Treatment) : 0 mg/kg, ...Cd5: 5 mg/kg, Cd20: 20 mg/kg, Cd50: 50 mg/kg, and Cd100: 100 mg/kg. The growth and physiological characteristics of the sassafras seedlings in each level were measured. The results showed that soil Cd had negative influences on sassafras growth and reduced the net growth of plant height and the biomass of leaf, branch and root. Significant reductions were recorded in root biomass by 18.18%(Cd5), 27.35%(Cd20), 27.57%(Cd50) and 28.95%(Cd100). The contents of hydrogen peroxide decreased first then increased while malondialdehyde showed the opposite trend with increasing cadmium concentration. Decreases were found in hydrogen peroxide contents by 10.96%(Cd5), 11.82%(Cd20) and 7.02%(Cd50); increases were found in malondialdehyde contents by 15.47%(Cd5), 16.07%(Cd20) and 7.85%(Cd50), indicating that cadmium stress had a certain effect on the peroxidation of the inner cell membranes in the seedlings that resulted in damage to the cell membrane structure. Superoxide dismutase activity decreased among treatments by 17.05%(Cd5), 10,68%(Cd20), 20.85%(Cd50) and 8.91%(Cd100), while peroxidase activity increased steadily with increasing cadmium concentration; these results suggest that peroxidase is likely the main protective enzyme involved in the reactive oxygen removal system in sassafras seedlings. Upward trends were observed in proline content by 90.76%(Cd5), 74.36%(Cd20), 99.73%(Cd50) and 126.01%(Cd100). The increase in proline content with increasing cadmium concentration indicated that cadmium stress induced proline synthesis to resist osmotic stress in the seedlings. Compared to that in CT, the soluble sugar content declined under the different treatments by 32.84%(Cd5), 5.85%(Cd20), 25.55%(Cd50) and 38.69%(Cd100). Increases were observed in the soluble protein content by 2.34%(Cd5), 21.36%(Cd20), 53.15%(Cd50) and 24.22%(Cd100). At different levels of cadmium stress, the chlorophyll content in the seedlings first increased and then decreased, and it was higher in the Cd5 and Cd20 treatments than that in the CT treatment. These results reflected that cadmium had photosynthesis-promoting effects at low concentrations and photosynthesis-suppressing effects at high concentrations. The photosynthetic gas exchange parameters and photosynthetic light-response parameters showed downward trends with increasing cadmium concentration compared with those in CT; these results reflected the negative effects of cadmium stress on photosynthesis in sassafras seedlings.
Although much effort has been devoted to improving photoelectrochemical water splitting of hematite (α-Fe
O
) due to its high theoretical solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 15.5%, the low ...applied bias photon-to-current efficiency remains a huge challenge for practical applications. Herein, we introduce single platinum atom sites coordination with oxygen atom (Pt-O/Pt-O-Fe) sites into single crystalline α-Fe
O
nanoflakes photoanodes (SAs Pt:Fe
O
-Ov). The single-atom Pt doping of α-Fe
O
can induce few electron trapping sites, enhance carrier separation capability, and boost charge transfer lifetime in the bulk structure as well as improve charge carrier injection efficiency at the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. Further introduction of surface oxygen vacancies can suppress charge carrier recombination and promote surface reaction kinetics, especially at low potential. Accordingly, the optimum SAs Pt:Fe
O
-Ov photoanode exhibits the photoelectrochemical performance of 3.65 and 5.30 mA cm
at 1.23 and 1.5 V
, respectively, with an applied bias photon-to-current efficiency of 0.68% for the hematite-based photoanodes. This study opens an avenue for designing highly efficient atomic-level engineering on single crystalline semiconductors for feasible photoelectrochemical applications.
•A LEN CO2 emission estimation model was constructed based on land use data, enhanced vegetation index and night light data.•The distributions of urban, industrial and rural CO2 emissions in China ...were estimated respectively.•The spatial and temporal variations were analyzed.•The CO2 emissions estimated by using three different models were compared.
It is difficult to accurately estimate the spatial distribution of carbon dioxide (CO2) at the grid scale because of the lack of city-level statistical data. In this paper, CO2 emission regions were devided into urban area, industrial area and rural area in order to accurately calculate CO2 emissions. In addition, a more accurate calculation model for energy-related CO2 emissions was proposed through integrating nighttime light datasets and land use data. The maps of estimated CO2 emissions in different regions were compared and examined through using spatial dependence and grid overlay methods to understand the spatial distribution characteristics and spatiotemporal dynamics of CO2 emissions in China. The results showed that the model proposed in this study was appropriate and reliable for CO2 emissions not only in urban and rural areas but also in industrial areas. CO2 emissions in China were mainly concentrated in the coastal areas and the northern area, and the amount of carbon emissions increased rapidly from 2000 to 2018 in the Middle Yellow River. These results could improve the understanding of regional discrepancies of spatiotemporal CO2 emission dynamics at gride scale, and provide a scientific reference for the formulation of energy conservation and emission reduction policies by the local government.
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•Optimal preparation parameters of nano-SiO2 modified microcapsules are recommended.•The core content in nano-SiO2 modified microcapsules is up to 85.39 %.•Nano-SiO2 modified ...microcapsules improve strength at least 1.4 times and thermal stability 2.9 times.
This paper presents nano-SiO2 modified microcapsules prepared by in-situ polymerization to improve their performance. Low-quality vegetable oil was selected as the main material and Melamine Urea Formaldehyde (MUF) modified by nano-SiO2 was selected as the shell material. Firstly, the optimal preparation parameters of the nano-SiO2 modified microcapsules were determined, including the emulsifier type, emulsifier concentration, emulsifier shearing speed, the core-shell ratio, reaction pH, reaction temperature, and nano-SiO2 content, respectively, by using the Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermo-Gravimetric analysis (TGA) and nanoindentation test, etc. Secondly, the properties of the prepared microcapsules were evaluated. The particle size of the prepared nano-SiO2 modified microcapsules was ∼ 78–96 μm, and the average size was 88.16 μm. The average core content was 85.39 %, which exceeds the upper limit of 80 % of existing microcapsules. The nano-hardness and Young’s modulus were 0.33 and 2.63 GPa, respectively, improved by at least 1.4 times compared to existing microcapsules. The mass loss of microcapsules was 0.95 % at 182.73 °C, which is at least 2.9 times higher than the thermal stability of existing microcapsules. The results showed that the addition of nano-SiO2 can obviously improve the performance of microcapsules.
Loneliness is a growing public health problem that has been exacerbated in vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social support interventions have been shown to reduce loneliness, including ...when delivered through technology. Digital humans are a new type of computer agent that show promise as supportive peers in health care. For digital humans to be effective and engaging support persons, it is important that they develop closeness with people. Closeness can be increased by emotional expressiveness, particularly in female relationships. However, it is unknown whether emotional expressiveness improves relationships with digital humans and affects physiological responses.
The aim of this study is to investigate whether emotional expression by a digital human can affect psychological and physiological outcomes and whether the effects are moderated by the user's gender.
A community sample of 198 adults (101 women, 95 men, and 2 gender-diverse individuals) was block-randomized by gender to complete a 15-minute self-disclosure conversation with a female digital human in 1 of 6 conditions. In these conditions, the digital human varied in modality richness and emotional expression on the face and in the voice (emotional, neutral, or no face; emotional or neutral voice). Perceived loneliness, closeness, social support, caring perceptions, and stress were measured after each interaction. Heart rate, skin temperature, and electrodermal activity were assessed during each interaction. 3-way factorial analyses of variance with post hoc tests were conducted.
Emotional expression in the voice was associated with greater perceptions of caring and physiological arousal during the interaction, and unexpectedly, with lower feelings of support. User gender moderated the effect of emotional expressiveness on several outcomes. For women, an emotional voice was associated with increased closeness, social support, and caring perceptions, whereas for men, a neutral voice increased these outcomes. For women, interacting with a neutral face was associated with lower loneliness and subjective stress compared with no face. Interacting with no face (ie, a voice-only black screen) resulted in lower loneliness and subjective stress for men, compared with a neutral or emotional face. No significant results were found for heart rate or skin temperature. However, average electrodermal activity was significantly higher for men while interacting with an emotional voice.
Emotional expressiveness in a female digital human has different effects on loneliness, social, and physiological outcomes for men and women. The results inform the design of digital human support persons and have theoretical implications. Further research is needed to evaluate how more pronounced emotional facial expressions in a digital human might affect the results.
Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12621000865819; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=381816&isReview.
Intake of
-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (
-3 PUFAs) may protect against mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, there is still a lack of the
-3 PUFAs intervention in the elderly with MCI in China. ...The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of
-3 PUFA supplementation on cognitive function in the Chinese elderly with MCI.
Eighty six MCI individuals aged 60 years or older were randomly assigned to receive either
-3 PUFAs (480 mg DHA and 720 mg EPA per day,
= 44) or placebo (olive oil,
= 42) capsules. The changes of cognitive functions were assessed using Basic Cognitive Aptitude Tests (BCAT).
The mean age of participants was 71 years old, and 59% of the participants were men.
-3 PUFA supplementation was associated with improved total BCAT scores, perceptual speed, space imagery efficiency, and working memory (
< 0.01), but not with mental arithmetic efficiency or recognition memory (
> 0.05). Subgroup analysis by sex showed that
-3 PUFAs significantly improved perceptual speed (
= 0.001), space imagery efficiency (
= 0.013), working memory (
= 0.018), and total BCAT scores (
= 0.000) in males. However, in females, the significant beneficial effects can only be observed in perceptual speed (
= 0.027), space imagery efficiency (
= 0.006), and total BCAT scores (
= 0.015)-not working memory (
= 0.113).
-3 PUFAs can improve cognitive function in people with MCI. Further studies with different fish oil dosages, longer intervention periods, and larger sample sizes should be investigated before definite recommendations can be made.
Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is highly contagious and the leading cause of severe respiratory tract illness in infants, elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Toll-like receptor 7 ...(TLR7), a pattern recognition receptor recognising the ssRNA of RSV, activates proinflammatory pathways and triggers secretion of interferons (IFNs). On the one hand, the inflammatory responses help clear out virus. On the other hand, they lead to severe lung damage. Banlangen is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly prescribed for respiratory virus infection treatment, but the mechanisms of action and active components remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the main active components of total alkaloids from banlangen (epigoitrin, indole-3-carboxaldehyde, indole-3-acetonitrile and 4-methoxyindole-3-acetonitrile) on the RSV-induced inflammatory responses in mouse macrophage cells (RAW264.7). Our results demonstrated that RSV-induced IFN-α excessive secretion was moderately inhibited by indole-3-carboxaldehyde through downregulation of mRNA expression in a dose-dependent manner, in comparison, the inhibitory effects of ribavirin were too strong. Furthermore, we revealed that indole-3-carboxaldehyde suppressed transcription of IFN-α by inhibiting RSV-induced TLR7 expression in RAW264.7 cells. Additionally, indole-3-carboxaldehyde inhibited RSV-induced NF-κB signalling activation in a TLR7-MyD88-dependent manner. Together, our findings suggest that indole-3-carboxaldehyde inhibited RSV-induced inflammatory injury by moderate regulation of TLR7 signaling pathway and did not significantly affect the viral clearance competence of the innate immune system.
Graphic abstract
The combination of federated learning and recommender system aims to solve the privacy problems of recommendation through keeping user data locally at the client device during the model training ...session. However, most existing approaches rely on user devices to fully compute the deep model designed for the large-scale item recommendation; therefore, imposing high calculation and communication overheads on resource-constrained user devices. Consequently, achieving efficient federated recommendations across ubiquitous mobile devices remains an open research problem. To this end, in this paper we propose an efficient and privacy-preserving federated learning framework which is based on the cloud-edge collaboration for large-scale item recommendation called SpFedRec. In our method, to reduce the computation and communication cost of the federated two-tower model, a split learning approach is applied to migrate the item model from participants’ edge devices to the computationally powerful cloud side and compress item data while transmitting. Meanwhile, to enhance the feature representation, the Squeeze-and-Excitation network mechanism is used on the backbone model to optimize the perception of dominant features. Moreover, because the gradients transmitted contain private information about the user; therefore, we propose a multi-party circular secret-sharing chain based on secret sharing for better privacy protection. Extensive experiments using plausible assumptions on two real-world datasets demonstrate that our proposed method improves the average computation time and communication cost by 23% and 49%, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed model accomplishes comparable performance with other state-of-art federated recommendation models.
For locally advanced, inoperable esophageal cancer, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) becomes the norm. Combining immunotherapy with radiotherapy has been shown to improve efficacy. Circulating ...tumor DNA (ctDNA) is a strong predictor of effectiveness and tumor recurrence and is indicative of minimal residual disease (MRD). Patients with inoperable stage II-III esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) are enrolled in the ECMRD-001 trial to evaluate changes in MRD status before and after CCRT combined with immunotherapy and adjuvant immunotherapy following neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy.
The ECMRD-001 trial is a prospective cohort study. Eligible patients will receive radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy after neoadjuvant immunochemotherapy, followed by adjuvant immunotherapy for at least one year. Follow-up will be up to three years. MRD-related blood and tissue samples and T-cell immunohistobank related blood and tissue samples collected before, during and after treatment and follow-up will be grouped into sample collection time points. The relationship between MRD status at different time points and treatment efficacy is the primary outcome. Correlation between MRD status and immune microenvironment, radiotherapy dose, and tumor recurrence are the secondary outcomes. Examination of ctDNA mutations is the exploratory outcome.
ctDNA-based MRD may be a potential predictive marker for the efficacy and tumor recurrence of inoperable ESCC patients. Elevated ctDNA-MRD may predict tumor recurrence earlier than imaging. ctDNA-based MRD analysis and ctDNA-based MRD guided diagnosis and treatment should be implemented into clinical practice to improve efficacy and reduce tumor recurrence of inoperable stage II-III ESCC.
The ECMRD-001 study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT05952661 (July 19, 2023), https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05952661.
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