Studies were carried out on several aspects of rare earth elements （REEs）, such as the theory and practice of their applications in agriculture, their geochemical behaviors in natural and agricultural ecosystems, th...Studies were carried out on several aspects of rare earth elements （REEs）, such as the theory and practice of their applications in agriculture, their geochemical behaviors in natural and agricultural ecosystems, the mechanisms for the increase of crop yield using REE fertilizer, and their toxicology. However, limited knowledge was available for the transfer processes and the features and mechanisms of distribution and fractionations of REEs inside plants. The characteristics of REE fractionations in plants can be used to ＂trace＂ the pathway of REE transportation from soils （solution） to plants. A better understanding of the mechanisms of REE fractionations was helpful to investigate the controlling factors, including both the internal and the external ones. The characteristics and mechanisms of REE fractionations in plants and their significance were reviewed. Furthermore, the prospect for these fields was discussed, in hope of providing a new way in studying the bioavailability of REEs and heavy metals.展开更多
Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help...Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help better predict the trend of changes in SOC dynamics under climate change. Information on how physical fractions and chemical structures of SOC are related to climate and vegetation types is essential for spatial model ing of SOC processes and responses to global change factors.Method: Soil samples were col ected from multiple representative forest sites of three contrasting climatic zones(i.e. cool temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) in eastern China. Measurements were made on SOC contents and physical fractions of the 0–20 cm soil layer, and the chemical composition of SOC of the 0–5 cm soil layer, along with measurements and compilation of the basic site and forest stand variables. The long-term effects of temperature, litter inputs, soil characteristics and vegetation type on the SOC contents and factions were examined by means of "space for time substitution" approach and statistical analysis.Result: Mean annual temperature(MAT) varied from 2.1 °C at the cool temperate sites to 20.8 °C at the subtropical sites. Total SOC of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased with increasing MAT, ranging from 89.2 g·kg^(-1) in cool temperate forests to 57.7 g·kg^(-1) in subtropical forests, at an average rate of 1.87% reduction in SOC with a 1 °C increase in MAT.With increasing MAT, the proportions of aromatic C and phenolic C displayed a tendency of decreases, whereas the proportion of alkyl C and A/O-A value(the ratio of alkyl C to the sum of O-alkyl C and acetal C) displayed a tendency of increases. Overall, there were no significant changes with MAT and forest type in either the physical fractions or the chemical composition. Based on the relationship between the SOC content and MAT, we estimate that SOC in the top 20 soil layer of forests potentially contribute 6.58–26.3 Pg C globally to the atmosphere if global MAT increases by 1 °C–4 °C by the end of the twenty-first century, with nearly half of which(cf. 2.87–11.5 Pg C) occurring in the 0–5 cm mineral soils.Conclusion: Forest topsoil SOC content decreased and became chemical y more recalcitrant with increasing MAT,without apparent changes in the physical fractions of SOC.展开更多
An extensive soil investigation was conducted in different domains of Changchun to disclose the fractionations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni in urban soils. Meanwhile correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regressions ...An extensive soil investigation was conducted in different domains of Changchun to disclose the fractionations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni in urban soils. Meanwhile correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regressions were used to define relationships between soil properties and metal fractions and the chief factors influencing the fractionation of heavy metals in the soils. The results showed that Pb, Ni and Cu were mainly associated with the residual and organic forms; most of Cd was concentrated in the residual and exchangeable fractions. Zn in residual and carbonate fraction was the highest. The activities of the heavy metals probably declined in the following order: Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni. The chemical fractions of heavy metals in different domains in Changchun City were of significantly spatial heterogeneity. Soil properties had different influences on the chemical fractions of heavy metals to some extent and the main factors influencing Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni fractionation and transformation were apparently different.展开更多
A pot experiment was conducted to study the relationship between distribution of cadmium （Cd） and zinc （Zn） and their availability. to cole （Brassica campestris L.） grown in the multi-metal contaminated oasis so...A pot experiment was conducted to study the relationship between distribution of cadmium （Cd） and zinc （Zn） and their availability. to cole （Brassica campestris L.） grown in the multi-metal contaminated oasis soil in northwest of China. The results showed that Cd and Zn in the unpolluted oasis soil was mainly found in the residual fractionation, however, with increasing contents of Cd and Zn in the oasis soil, the distribution of Cd and Zn changed significantly. The growth of cole could be promoted by low Cd and Zn concentration, but significantly restrained by high concentrations. There was antagonistic effect among Cd and Zn in the multi-metals contaminated oasis soil. Stepwise regression analysis between fractionations distribution coefficients of the two meals in the soil and their contents in cole showed that both Cd and Zn in the exchangeable fractionation in the oasis soil made the most contribution on the uptake of Cd and Zn in cole. The bio-concentration factor （BCF） of Cd was greater than Zn in cole, and BCFs of the two metals in leaves were greater than those in roots. The translocation factors of the two metals in cole were greater than 1, and the two metals mainly accumulated in the edible parts in cole. Therefore, cole is not a suitable vegetable for the oasis soil because of the plants notable contamination by heavy metals.展开更多
Tin(Sn)isotope geochemistry has great potential in tracing geological processes.However,lack of equilibrium Sn isotope fractionation factors of various Sn species limits the development of Sn isotope geochemistry.Equi...Tin(Sn)isotope geochemistry has great potential in tracing geological processes.However,lack of equilibrium Sn isotope fractionation factors of various Sn species limits the development of Sn isotope geochemistry.Equilibrium Sn isotope fractionation factors(124Sn/116Sn and 122Sn/116Sn)among various Sn(II,IV)complexes in aqueous solution were calculated using first-principles calculations.The results show that the oxidation states and the change of Sn(II,IV)species in hydrothermal fluids are the main factors leading to tin isotope fractionation in hydrothermal systems.For the Sn(IV)complexes,Sn isotope fractionation factors depend on the number of H2O molecules.For the Sn(II)complexes,the Sn isotope fractionation between Sn(II)−F,Sn(II)−Cl and Sn(II)−OH complexes is mainly affected by the bond length and the coordination number of anion,whereas the difference in 1000lnβvalues of Sn(II)−SO4 and Sn(II)−CO_(3) complexes is insignificant with the change of anion coordination number.By comparing the 1000lnβvalues of all Sn(II,IV)complexes,the enrichment trend in heavy Sn isotopes is Sn(IV)complexes>Sn(II)complexes.The equilibrium Sn isotopic fractionation factors enhance our understanding of the tin transportation and enrichment processes in hydrothermal systems.展开更多
The time-dependent quantum wave packet method is used to study the dynamics of the pho- todissociation processes for the isotopomers 14N14N16O, 14N15N16O, 15N14N16O, 15N15N16O, 14N14N17O, and 14N14N18O. In general, th...The time-dependent quantum wave packet method is used to study the dynamics of the pho- todissociation processes for the isotopomers 14N14N16O, 14N15N16O, 15N14N16O, 15N15N16O, 14N14N17O, and 14N14N18O. In general, the computed isotopic fractionation factors derived from the absorption cross sections of five heavy isotopomers are in good agreement with the experimental results. Relative to the 14NI4N16O isotopomer, the N2 rotational state distributions for the isotopically nitrogen substituted N2O are found to be entirely shifted to higher rotational states. Similar to its isotopic fractionation factors, the N2 rotational state distributions for the asymmetric isotopomers 14N15N16O and 15N14N16O are found to be observably different.展开更多
The Rayleigh distillation isotope fractionation(RDIF) model is one of the most popular methods used in isotope geochemistry. Numerous isotope signals observed in geologic processes have been interpreted with this mode...The Rayleigh distillation isotope fractionation(RDIF) model is one of the most popular methods used in isotope geochemistry. Numerous isotope signals observed in geologic processes have been interpreted with this model. The RDIF model provides a simple mathematic solution for the reservoir-limited equilibrium isotope fractionation effect. Due to the reservoir effect, tremendously large isotope fractionations will always be produced if the reservoir is close to being depleted. However, in real situations, many prerequisites assumed in the RDIF model are often difficult to meet. For instance, it requires the relocated materials, which are removed step by step from one reservoir to another with different isotope compositions(i.e., with isotope fractionation), to be isotopically equilibrated with materials in the first reservoir simultaneously. This ‘‘quick equilibrium requirement’’ is indeed hard to meet if the first reservoir is sufficiently large or the removal step is fast. The whole first reservoir will often fail to re-attain equilibrium in time before the next removal starts.This problem led the RDIF model to fail to interpret isotope signals of many real situations. Here a diffusion-coupled and Rayleigh-like(i.e., reservoir-effect included) separation process is chosen to investigate this problem. We find that the final isotope fractionations are controlled by both the diffusion process and the reservoir effects via the disequilibrium separation process. Due to its complexity, we choose to use a numerical simulation method to solve this problem by developing specific computing codes for the working model.According to our simulation results, the classical RDIF model only governs isotope fractionations correctly at the final stages of separation when the reservoir scale(or thickness of the system) is reduced to the order of magnitude of the quotient of the diffusivity and the separation rate. The RDIF model fails in other situations and the isotope fractionations will be diffusion-limited when the reservoir is relatively large, or the separation rate is fast. We find that the effect of internal isotope distribution inhomogeneity caused by diffusion on the Rayleigh-like separation process is significant and cannot be ignored. This method can be applied to study numerous geologic and planetary processes involving diffusion-limited disequilibrium separation processes including partial melting,evaporation, mineral precipitation, core segregation, etc.Importantly, we find that far more information can be extracted through analyzing isotopic signals of such ‘‘disequilibrium’’processes than those of fully equilibrated ones, e.g., reservoir size and the separation rate. Such information may provide a key to correctly interpreting many isotope signals observed from geochemical and cosmochemical processes.展开更多
The distribution and fractionation of persistent organic pollutants(POPs)in different matrices refer to how these pollutants are dispersed and separated within various environmental compartments.This is a significant ...The distribution and fractionation of persistent organic pollutants(POPs)in different matrices refer to how these pollutants are dispersed and separated within various environmental compartments.This is a significant study area as it helps us understand the transport efficiencies and long-range transport potentials of POPs to enter remote areas,particularly polar regions.This study provides a comprehensive review of the progress in understanding the distribution and fractionation of POPs.We focus on the contributions of four intermedia processes(dry and wet depositions for gaseous and particulate POPs)and determine their transfer between air and soil.These processes are controlled by their partitioning between gaseous and particulate phases in the atmosphere.The distribution patterns and fractionations can be categorized into primary and secondary types.Equations are developed to quantificationally study the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations of POPs.The analysis results suggest that the transfer of low molecular weight(LMW)POPs from air to soil is mainly through gas diffusion and particle deposition,whereas high molecular weight(HMW)POPs are mainly via particle deposition.HMW-POPs tend to be trapped near the source,whereas LMW-POPs are more prone to undergo long-range atmospheric transport.This crucial distinction elucidates the primary reason behind their temperatureindependent primary fractionation.However,the secondary distribution and fractionation can only be observed along a temperature gradient,such as latitudinal or altitudinal transects.An animation is produced by a one-dimensional transport model to simulate conceptively the transport of CB-28 and CB-180,revealing the similarities and differences between the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations.We suggest that the decreasing temperature trend along latitudes is not the major reason for POPs to be fractionated into the polar ecosystems,but drives the longer-term accumulation of POPs in cold climates or polar cold trapping.展开更多
Background There is still limited data on predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)–derived fractional flow reserve(CT-FFR) for long term outcomes. We examined the long-term prognostic value ...Background There is still limited data on predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)–derived fractional flow reserve(CT-FFR) for long term outcomes. We examined the long-term prognostic value of CT-FFR combined with CCTA–defined atherosclerotic extent in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods A retrospective pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed. Deep-learning-based vessel-specific CTFFR was calculated. All patients enrolled were followed-up for at least 5 years. Predictive abilities for major adverse cardiac events(MACE) were compared among three models(model 1), constructed using clinical variables;model 2, model 1+CCTA–derived atherosclerotic extent(Leiden risk score);and model 3, model 2+CT-FFR.Results A total of 480 diabetic patients [median age, 61(55–66) years;52.9% men] were included. During a median follow-up time of 2197(2126–2355) days, 55 patients(11.5%) experienced MACE. In multivariate-adjusted Cox models, Leiden risk score(HR: 1.06;95% CI: 1.01–1.11;P = 0.013) and CT-FFR ≤ 0.80(HR: 6.54;95% CI: 3.18–13.45;P < 0.001) were the independent predictors. The discriminant ability was higher in model 2 than in model 1(C-index, 0.75 vs. 0.63;P < 0.001) and was further promoted by adding CT-FFR to model 3(C-index, 0.81 vs. 0.75;P = 0.002). Net reclassification improvement(NRI) was 0.19(P = 0.009) for model 2 beyond model 1. Of note, adding CT-FFR to model 3 also exhibited significantly improved reclassification compared with model 2(NRI = 0.14;P = 0.011).Conclusion In diabetic patients with CAD, CT-FFR provides robust and incremental prognostic information for predicting longterm outcomes. The combined model exhibits improved prediction abilities, which is beneficial for risk stratification.展开更多
Green manuring is essential for improving soil quality and nutrient uptake.With the gradual depletion of phosphorus(P)resources,more attention is being paid to the role of green manures in cultivation systems,such as ...Green manuring is essential for improving soil quality and nutrient uptake.With the gradual depletion of phosphorus(P)resources,more attention is being paid to the role of green manures in cultivation systems,such as maize-green manure intercropping,to find possible pathways for enhancing soil P utilization.A maize-green manure intercropping experiment was started in 2009 to investigate the effects and mechanisms for enhancing P uptake and yield in maize.Three species of green manures(hairy vetch(HV),needle leaf pea(NP),sweet pea(SP))and a sole maize treatment(CK)were used,resulting in four treatments(CK,HVT,NPT,and SPT)in the experiment.During 2020-2023,the intercropping treatments enhanced maize yields in 2020 and 2021,particularly in HVT with increases of 13.7%(1.96 t ha^(-1))and 13.0%(2.13 t ha^(-1))compared with CK,respectively.Grain P accumulation of maize was significantly higher in the intercropping treatments than CK in 2020,2021,and 2023,and with an average increase of 10.6%over the four years(5.2% for NPT,10.8% for SPT and 15.9% for HVT)compared with CK.Intercropping promoted maize growth with a greater root length density and a higher organic acid release rate.HVT changed the soil properties more dramatically than the other treatments,with increases in the acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities of 29.8 and 38.5%,respectively,in the topsoil(0-15 cm),while the soil p H was reduced by 0.37 units compared to CK(p H=8.44).Intercropping treatments facilitated the conversion of non-labile P to mod-labile P and stimulated the growth of soil bacteria in the topsoil.Compared with CK,the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadota,known for accumulating polyphosphate,and Actinobacteriota,a prominent source of bioactive compounds,increased significantly in the intercropping treatments,especially in HVT and SPT.A PLS-PM analysis showed that intercropping promoted soil P mobilization and the enrichment of beneficial bacteria by regulating maize root morphology and physiology.Our results highlight that maize-green manure intercropping optimizes root traits,soil properties and bacterial composition,which contribute to greater maize P uptake and yield,providing an effective strategy for sustainable crop production.展开更多
Petroleum leakage is a major groundwater contamination source,with chemical composition of water soluble fractions(WSFs)from diverse oil sources significantly impacting groundwater quality and source identification.Th...Petroleum leakage is a major groundwater contamination source,with chemical composition of water soluble fractions(WSFs)from diverse oil sources significantly impacting groundwater quality and source identification.The aim of this study was to assess impact of 15 diverse oils on groundwater quality and environmental forensics based on oil-water equilibrium experiments.Our results indicate that contamination of groundwater by gasoline and naphtha is primarily attributed to volatile hydrocarbons,while pollution from diesel,kerosene,and crude oil is predominantly from non-hydrocarbons.Rapid determination of the extent of non-hydrocarbon pollution in WSFs was achieved through a new quantitative index.Gasoline and naphtha exhibited the highest groundwater contamination potential while kerosene and light crude oils were also likely to cause groundwater contamina-tion.Although volatile hydrocarbons in the WSFs of diesel and jet fuel do not easily exceed current regulatory standards,unregulated non-hydrocarbons may pose a more severe contamination risk to groundwater.Notably,the presence of significant benzene and toluene,hydrogenation and alkylation products(e.g.,C4-C5 alkylben-zenes,alkylindenes,alkyltetralins,and dihydro-indenes),cycloalkanes in WSFs can effectively be utilized for preliminary source identification of light distillates,middle distillates,and crude oils,respectively.展开更多
Recently,with the efforts of food specialists,protein sources in the diet is rapidly changing.Consequently,novel products based on plant proteins or lab-grown proteins are increasingly being introduced to consumers.Ho...Recently,with the efforts of food specialists,protein sources in the diet is rapidly changing.Consequently,novel products based on plant proteins or lab-grown proteins are increasingly being introduced to consumers.However,the food industry is facing new challenges in creating natural,innovative,accessible,and nutritious dairy-free alternatives.Designing dairy-free cheese alternatives with beneficial nutritional profiles,bioavailability,and digestibility requires a thorough understanding of the molecular characteristics of plant-derived ingredients,their structural assembly,and their role in physicochemical and sensory properties of the final product.In other words,with a deep knowledge of the nature of plant-based ingredients and the intelligent control of intermolecular interactions,these ingredients can be used to produce dairy-free cheese alternatives with the same characteristics as dairy products.Therefore,this review aims to synthesize current knowledge on production techniques and key factors influencing the design of dairy-free cheese alternatives.By examining the interactions between carbohydrates,proteins,and other ingredients,as well as their ability to replicate the functional and textural properties of traditional dairy cheeses,this review provides valuable insights for the development of high-quality dairy-free cheese alternatives.In the design of these alternatives,fractionation and tissue disruption routes are employed.The difference in the number and distribution of their surface groups has a significant effect on ability of plant polysaccharides and proteins to interact with other molecules.Gel strength decreases with decreasing plant biopolymer concentration,bond strength,and crosslinking density.While heat treatment can unfold proteins and minimize their net charge,the hydrophobic attraction becomes the primary driver of protein-protein interactions in plant-based cheeses.In contrast,the 3D-structure of dairy cheeses is stabilized through a combination of hydrophobic interactions,hydrogen bonds,and calcium bridges.展开更多
Insight into the carbon turnover in soil aggregates and density fractions is essential for reducing the uncertainty in estimating carbon pools on the Tibetan Plateau,and how they vary with land use type is unclear.In ...Insight into the carbon turnover in soil aggregates and density fractions is essential for reducing the uncertainty in estimating carbon pools on the Tibetan Plateau,and how they vary with land use type is unclear.In this study,the effect of land use type on carbon storage and fractionation was quantified based on organic carbon and its ^(13)C abundance at the microscale of soil aggregates and density fractions in Tibetan alpine ecosystems.The sequence of soil aggregate destruction in the land use types of plantation(13.1%)<shrubland(32.7%)<grassland(47.9%)<farmland(61.8%)shows that plantations strengthen the soil structure.Plantation land had a greater contribution of light fraction organic carbon(28.3%)but a lower contribution of mineral-associated organic carbon(40.6%)to the carbon stock compared to farmland(13.5 and 70.3%).Interestingly,plantation land enhanced the aggregational differentiation of organic carbon and ^(13)C in each density fraction,whereas no such phenomenon existed in the soil organic carbon.Carbon isotope analyses revealed that carbon transfer in the plantation land occurred from the light fraction in macroaggregates(–24.9‰)to the mineral-associated fraction in microaggregates(–19.9‰).When compared to the other three land use types,the low transferability of carbon in aggregates and density fractions in plantation land provides a stable carbon pool for the Tibetan Plateau.This study shows that plantations can mitigate global climate change by slowing carbon transfer and increasing carbon storage at the microscale of aggregates and density fractions in alpine regions.展开更多
Lassa Fever(LF)is a viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted via rodents and is endemic in West Africa,causing thousands of deaths annually.This study develops a dynamic model of Lassa virus transmission,capturing the pr...Lassa Fever(LF)is a viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted via rodents and is endemic in West Africa,causing thousands of deaths annually.This study develops a dynamic model of Lassa virus transmission,capturing the progression of the disease through susceptible,exposed,infected,and recovered populations.The focus is on simulating this model using the fractional Caputo derivative,allowing both qualitative and quantitative analyses of boundedness,positivity,and solution uniqueness.Fixed-point theory and Lipschitz conditions are employed to confirm the existence and uniqueness of solutions,while Lyapunov functions establish the global stability of both disease-free and endemic equilibria.The study further examines the role of the Caputo operator by solving the generalized power-law kernel via a two-step Lagrange polynomial method.This approach offers practical advantages in handling additional data points in integral forms,though Newton polynomial-based schemes are generally more accurate and can outperform Lagrange-based Adams-Bashforth methods.Graphical simulations validate the proposed numerical approach for different fractional orders(ν)and illustrate the influence of model parameters on disease dynamics.Results indicate that increasing the fractional order accelerates the decline of Lassa fever in both human and rodent populations.Moreover,fractional-order modeling provides more nuanced insights than traditional integer-order models,suggesting potential improvements for medical intervention strategies.The study demonstrates that carefully chosen fractional orders can optimize convergence and enhance the predictive capacity of Lassa fever models,offering a promising direction for future research in epidemiological modeling.展开更多
As the prevalence of obesity increases dramatically,obesity-associated cardiac dysfunction constitutes a considerable challenge to human health.This study aimed to identify more useful lipid/inflammatory markers to pr...As the prevalence of obesity increases dramatically,obesity-associated cardiac dysfunction constitutes a considerable challenge to human health.This study aimed to identify more useful lipid/inflammatory markers to predict the risk of obesity-associated cardiac dysfunction.By retrospectively analyzing the clinical characteristics of 5648 cardiac disease patients,we found that both the plasma level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDLC)and the blood monocyte count were significantly associated with impairment of the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF).Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that the monocyte to HDL-C ratio(MHR)was a more powerful predictor of the risk of LVEF decline than either HDL-C or monocyte alone.Mediation analysis further revealed a mediating effect of a high MHR on the decline in obesity-associated cardiac systolic function.Collectively,our results demonstrate a superior role of MHR in predicting the risk of an obesityassociated decline in cardiac systolic function among routine metabolic/inflammatory markers.展开更多
Tajikistan,a mountainous country and a vital water tower for Central Asia,is becoming increasingly vulnerable to snow drought under climate change,threatening its snow-and glacier-fed streamflow.Yet,the impacts of sno...Tajikistan,a mountainous country and a vital water tower for Central Asia,is becoming increasingly vulnerable to snow drought under climate change,threatening its snow-and glacier-fed streamflow.Yet,the impacts of snow drought on the regional hydrology remain insufficiently understood.In this study,we integrated multisource data,including the Fifth Generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis for Land Applications(ERA5-Land)data and hydrological station data,to systematically assess the snow drought patterns and their impacts on streamflow during 1950–2023.We identified snow drought events based on precipitation and snow fraction anomalies relative to climatological means and classified them into warm snow drought,dry snow drought,and warm&dry snow drought.The results revealed that snow drought was a recurrent phenomenon,occurring in 51.70%of the years during the study period,with warm&dry snow drought accounting for 21.90%of the total events.Both the frequency and severity exhibited pronounced spatial variability,largely governed by the elevation and snowfall fraction.Specifically,the frequency of warm snow drought was negatively correlated with the snowfall fraction,decreasing on average by 0.20 per unit increase in snowfall fraction,whereas the frequency of dry snow drought was positively correlated,increasing by 0.07 per unit increase.The streamflow analysis results demonstrated that snow drought typically reduced the warm-season discharge by 5.00%–18.00%in certain rivers,thereby exacerbating the water stress during the dry season.The results of this study advance our understanding by explicitly linking the types of snow drought to hydrological responses in Central Asia’s high mountains,providing a scientific basis for climate adaptation and sustainable water resource management in Tajikistan.展开更多
Grifola frondosa(Maitake)is traditionally valued for its health benefits,with polysaccharides being key bioactive components.This paper investigates a specific subfraction,Fraction D(GFP-D),evaluating its clinical eff...Grifola frondosa(Maitake)is traditionally valued for its health benefits,with polysaccharides being key bioactive components.This paper investigates a specific subfraction,Fraction D(GFP-D),evaluating its clinical effects and mechanisms in immune enhancement,adjunctive anti-tumor activity,and regulation of glucose/lipid metabolism.Three clinical trials were conducted.In an immune study,120 healthy volunteers(CD4+T cell count 500–1000 cells/μL)received 150 mg/day GFP-D for 8 weeks,resulting in significant increases in CD4+T cells(from 632±95 to 812±108 cells/μL,28.5%increase,within the physiological activation range),CD4+/CD8+ratio,NK cell activity,IL-2,and IFN-γ(all P<0.001 vs.placebo).An anti-tumor study with 80 advanced cancer patients(stratified by age,tumor stage,and histotype)showed that adding 1000 mg/day GFP-D to chemotherapy improved objective response rate(52.5%vs.30.0%,P=0.036,95%CI:1.02–3.87),one-year progression-free survival(55.8%vs.33.3%,P=0.022),and preserved immune parameters versus chemotherapy alone.A metabolic study in 90 type 2 diabetes patients found that 400 mg/day GFP-D for 12 weeks significantly lowered fasting glucose,HbA1c,total cholesterol,triglycerides,and LDL-C,while raising HDL-C(from 1.0±0.2 to 1.2±0.2 mmol/L,20%increase,supported by increased AMPK phosphorylation).Mechanistically,immune enhancement involves macrophage/dendritic cell activation via Dectin-1/TLR4 receptors(confirmed by increased receptor expression and downstream signaling molecules),promoting cytokine-driven T/NK cell responses.Anti-tumor effects stem from immunomodulation,direct induction of cancer cell apoptosis(via mitochondrial/caspase pathways,verified by increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activation),and angiogenesis inhibition by downregulating VEGF.Metabolic benefits are linked to AMPK pathway activation in liver/muscle(confirmed by increased p-AMPK/AMPK ratio),enhancing glucose uptake and inhibiting gluconeogenesis/lipogenesis,alongside modulation of gut microbiota(increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus abundance).All trials reported no severe adverse events related to GFP-D;liver/kidney function parameters(ALT,AST,creatinine,urea nitrogen)remained within normal ranges throughout the intervention.Collectively,GFP-D emerges as a multi-functional bioactive agent with substantial therapeutic potential.展开更多
Accurate time delay estimation of target echo signals is a critical component of underwater target localization.In active sonar systems,echo signal processing is vulnerable to the effects of reverberation and noise in...Accurate time delay estimation of target echo signals is a critical component of underwater target localization.In active sonar systems,echo signal processing is vulnerable to the effects of reverberation and noise in the maritime environment.This paper proposes a novel method for estimating target time delay using multi-bright spot echoes,assuming the target’s size and depth are known.Aiming to effectively enhance the extraction of geometric features from the target echoes and mitigate the impact of reverberation and noise,the proposed approach employs the fractional order Fourier transform-frequency sliced wavelet transform to extract multi-bright spot echoes.Using the highlighting model theory and the target size information,an observation matrix is constructed to represent multi-angle incident signals and obtain the theoretical scattered echo signals from different angles.Aiming to accurately estimate the target’s time delay,waveform similarity coefficients and mean square error values between the theoretical return signals and received signals are computed across various incident angles and time delays.Simulation results show that,compared to the conventional matched filter,the proposed algorithm reduces the relative error by 65.9%-91.5%at a signal-to noise ratio of-25 dB,and by 66.7%-88.9%at a signal-to-reverberation ratio of−10 dB.This algorithm provides a new approach for the precise localization of submerged targets in shallow water environments.展开更多
In conventional higher-order topological insulators(HOTIs),the emergence of topological states can be explained by using the nonzero bulk polarization index.However,corner states emerge in HOTIs with incomplete bounda...In conventional higher-order topological insulators(HOTIs),the emergence of topological states can be explained by using the nonzero bulk polarization index.However,corner states emerge in HOTIs with incomplete boundary unit cells(i.e.,boundary defects)even though the bulk polarization is zero,which challenges the conventional understanding of HOTIs.Here,based on a Kekul´e-distorted honeycomb lattice with incomplete unit cells,we reveal that incomplete unit cells exhibit fractional charges through the analysis of Wannier centers by developing a compensation method and creating the concept of Wannier center domain(WCD)which is the smallest region that one Wannier center occupies.This method compensates for the missing parts of these boundary incomplete unit cells with additional WCDs to make them complete.The compensated WCDs automatically carry the corresponding charge,and this charge together with that of the incomplete unit cell constitutes the total charge of the complete unit cell after compensation.We conclude that the emergence of corner states is attributed to the filling anomaly,which is a fundamental mechanism.Our results refresh the understanding of HOTIs,especially those with structural discontinuities,and provide a novel design for topological states which have application value in producing optical functional devices.展开更多
AIM:To compare spontaneous brain regional activities between diabetic vitreous hemorrhage patients(DVHs)and healthy controls(HCs).METHODS:Thirty-two DVHs and 32 HCs were enrolled in this study.Baseline demographic and...AIM:To compare spontaneous brain regional activities between diabetic vitreous hemorrhage patients(DVHs)and healthy controls(HCs).METHODS:Thirty-two DVHs and 32 HCs were enrolled in this study.Baseline demographic and vision data were compared between groups using an independent sample t-test.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)was used in all participants.fMRI data was obtained and analyzed using MRIcro and SPM8 software.Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF)technology was used to measure regional spontaneous brain activity,and sensitivity was tested using receiver operating characteristic curves(ROCs).The fALFF values were analyzed using REST software and two-sample t-tests were used to compare values between groups.Hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)score was assessed in DVHs and Pearson’s correlation was used to test relationships between mean fALFF value and both HADS score and duration of DVH.RESULTS:Except for the best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)in both eyes,which showed a statistically significant difference(P<0.05),there were no statistically significant differences in the other indicators(P>0.05)between the HCs and DVHs group.Compared with controls,fALFF value was higher in DVH in cerebellum posterior lobe(CPL)and lower in right anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)and right medial orbitofrontal cortex(OFC).In DVH patients,mean fALFF value of CPL was positively correlated with HADS score and duration of diabetes.However,no such correlation was found,for right ACC or right medial OFC.DVH may lead to abnormal activities in certain brain regions related to visual control and mood.CONCLUSION:Visual impairment caused by DVH may lead to adjustment in regional visual brain activities and may be related to depression or reward system processing in some brain regions.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40571146)
文摘Studies were carried out on several aspects of rare earth elements （REEs）, such as the theory and practice of their applications in agriculture, their geochemical behaviors in natural and agricultural ecosystems, the mechanisms for the increase of crop yield using REE fertilizer, and their toxicology. However, limited knowledge was available for the transfer processes and the features and mechanisms of distribution and fractionations of REEs inside plants. The characteristics of REE fractionations in plants can be used to ＂trace＂ the pathway of REE transportation from soils （solution） to plants. A better understanding of the mechanisms of REE fractionations was helpful to investigate the controlling factors, including both the internal and the external ones. The characteristics and mechanisms of REE fractionations in plants and their significance were reviewed. Furthermore, the prospect for these fields was discussed, in hope of providing a new way in studying the bioavailability of REEs and heavy metals.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31470623)the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant No.2011CB403205)
文摘Background: Soil organic carbon(SOC) is a large reservoir of terrestrial carbon(C); it consists of different fractions of varying complexity and stability. Partitioning SOC into different pools of decomposability help better predict the trend of changes in SOC dynamics under climate change. Information on how physical fractions and chemical structures of SOC are related to climate and vegetation types is essential for spatial model ing of SOC processes and responses to global change factors.Method: Soil samples were col ected from multiple representative forest sites of three contrasting climatic zones(i.e. cool temperate, warm temperate, and subtropical) in eastern China. Measurements were made on SOC contents and physical fractions of the 0–20 cm soil layer, and the chemical composition of SOC of the 0–5 cm soil layer, along with measurements and compilation of the basic site and forest stand variables. The long-term effects of temperature, litter inputs, soil characteristics and vegetation type on the SOC contents and factions were examined by means of "space for time substitution" approach and statistical analysis.Result: Mean annual temperature(MAT) varied from 2.1 °C at the cool temperate sites to 20.8 °C at the subtropical sites. Total SOC of the 0–20 cm soil layer decreased with increasing MAT, ranging from 89.2 g·kg^(-1) in cool temperate forests to 57.7 g·kg^(-1) in subtropical forests, at an average rate of 1.87% reduction in SOC with a 1 °C increase in MAT.With increasing MAT, the proportions of aromatic C and phenolic C displayed a tendency of decreases, whereas the proportion of alkyl C and A/O-A value(the ratio of alkyl C to the sum of O-alkyl C and acetal C) displayed a tendency of increases. Overall, there were no significant changes with MAT and forest type in either the physical fractions or the chemical composition. Based on the relationship between the SOC content and MAT, we estimate that SOC in the top 20 soil layer of forests potentially contribute 6.58–26.3 Pg C globally to the atmosphere if global MAT increases by 1 °C–4 °C by the end of the twenty-first century, with nearly half of which(cf. 2.87–11.5 Pg C) occurring in the 0–5 cm mineral soils.Conclusion: Forest topsoil SOC content decreased and became chemical y more recalcitrant with increasing MAT,without apparent changes in the physical fractions of SOC.
文摘An extensive soil investigation was conducted in different domains of Changchun to disclose the fractionations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni in urban soils. Meanwhile correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regressions were used to define relationships between soil properties and metal fractions and the chief factors influencing the fractionation of heavy metals in the soils. The results showed that Pb, Ni and Cu were mainly associated with the residual and organic forms; most of Cd was concentrated in the residual and exchangeable fractions. Zn in residual and carbonate fraction was the highest. The activities of the heavy metals probably declined in the following order: Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni. The chemical fractions of heavy metals in different domains in Changchun City were of significantly spatial heterogeneity. Soil properties had different influences on the chemical fractions of heavy metals to some extent and the main factors influencing Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni fractionation and transformation were apparently different.
基金supported by the National Environmental Protection Commonweal Project of China(No. NEPCP200809098)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in Lanzhou University(No. lzujbky-2009-65)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No. 91025015)
文摘A pot experiment was conducted to study the relationship between distribution of cadmium （Cd） and zinc （Zn） and their availability. to cole （Brassica campestris L.） grown in the multi-metal contaminated oasis soil in northwest of China. The results showed that Cd and Zn in the unpolluted oasis soil was mainly found in the residual fractionation, however, with increasing contents of Cd and Zn in the oasis soil, the distribution of Cd and Zn changed significantly. The growth of cole could be promoted by low Cd and Zn concentration, but significantly restrained by high concentrations. There was antagonistic effect among Cd and Zn in the multi-metals contaminated oasis soil. Stepwise regression analysis between fractionations distribution coefficients of the two meals in the soil and their contents in cole showed that both Cd and Zn in the exchangeable fractionation in the oasis soil made the most contribution on the uptake of Cd and Zn in cole. The bio-concentration factor （BCF） of Cd was greater than Zn in cole, and BCFs of the two metals in leaves were greater than those in roots. The translocation factors of the two metals in cole were greater than 1, and the two metals mainly accumulated in the edible parts in cole. Therefore, cole is not a suitable vegetable for the oasis soil because of the plants notable contamination by heavy metals.
基金supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(92062218,41822304).
文摘Tin(Sn)isotope geochemistry has great potential in tracing geological processes.However,lack of equilibrium Sn isotope fractionation factors of various Sn species limits the development of Sn isotope geochemistry.Equilibrium Sn isotope fractionation factors(124Sn/116Sn and 122Sn/116Sn)among various Sn(II,IV)complexes in aqueous solution were calculated using first-principles calculations.The results show that the oxidation states and the change of Sn(II,IV)species in hydrothermal fluids are the main factors leading to tin isotope fractionation in hydrothermal systems.For the Sn(IV)complexes,Sn isotope fractionation factors depend on the number of H2O molecules.For the Sn(II)complexes,the Sn isotope fractionation between Sn(II)−F,Sn(II)−Cl and Sn(II)−OH complexes is mainly affected by the bond length and the coordination number of anion,whereas the difference in 1000lnβvalues of Sn(II)−SO4 and Sn(II)−CO_(3) complexes is insignificant with the change of anion coordination number.By comparing the 1000lnβvalues of all Sn(II,IV)complexes,the enrichment trend in heavy Sn isotopes is Sn(IV)complexes>Sn(II)complexes.The equilibrium Sn isotopic fractionation factors enhance our understanding of the tin transportation and enrichment processes in hydrothermal systems.
文摘The time-dependent quantum wave packet method is used to study the dynamics of the pho- todissociation processes for the isotopomers 14N14N16O, 14N15N16O, 15N14N16O, 15N15N16O, 14N14N17O, and 14N14N18O. In general, the computed isotopic fractionation factors derived from the absorption cross sections of five heavy isotopomers are in good agreement with the experimental results. Relative to the 14NI4N16O isotopomer, the N2 rotational state distributions for the isotopically nitrogen substituted N2O are found to be entirely shifted to higher rotational states. Similar to its isotopic fractionation factors, the N2 rotational state distributions for the asymmetric isotopomers 14N15N16O and 15N14N16O are found to be observably different.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of CAS (No. XDB41000000)Pre-research Project on Civil Aerospace Technologies No. D020202 funded by the Chinese National Space Administration (CNSA) and Chinese NSF projects (No. 42130114)。
文摘The Rayleigh distillation isotope fractionation(RDIF) model is one of the most popular methods used in isotope geochemistry. Numerous isotope signals observed in geologic processes have been interpreted with this model. The RDIF model provides a simple mathematic solution for the reservoir-limited equilibrium isotope fractionation effect. Due to the reservoir effect, tremendously large isotope fractionations will always be produced if the reservoir is close to being depleted. However, in real situations, many prerequisites assumed in the RDIF model are often difficult to meet. For instance, it requires the relocated materials, which are removed step by step from one reservoir to another with different isotope compositions(i.e., with isotope fractionation), to be isotopically equilibrated with materials in the first reservoir simultaneously. This ‘‘quick equilibrium requirement’’ is indeed hard to meet if the first reservoir is sufficiently large or the removal step is fast. The whole first reservoir will often fail to re-attain equilibrium in time before the next removal starts.This problem led the RDIF model to fail to interpret isotope signals of many real situations. Here a diffusion-coupled and Rayleigh-like(i.e., reservoir-effect included) separation process is chosen to investigate this problem. We find that the final isotope fractionations are controlled by both the diffusion process and the reservoir effects via the disequilibrium separation process. Due to its complexity, we choose to use a numerical simulation method to solve this problem by developing specific computing codes for the working model.According to our simulation results, the classical RDIF model only governs isotope fractionations correctly at the final stages of separation when the reservoir scale(or thickness of the system) is reduced to the order of magnitude of the quotient of the diffusivity and the separation rate. The RDIF model fails in other situations and the isotope fractionations will be diffusion-limited when the reservoir is relatively large, or the separation rate is fast. We find that the effect of internal isotope distribution inhomogeneity caused by diffusion on the Rayleigh-like separation process is significant and cannot be ignored. This method can be applied to study numerous geologic and planetary processes involving diffusion-limited disequilibrium separation processes including partial melting,evaporation, mineral precipitation, core segregation, etc.Importantly, we find that far more information can be extracted through analyzing isotopic signals of such ‘‘disequilibrium’’processes than those of fully equilibrated ones, e.g., reservoir size and the separation rate. Such information may provide a key to correctly interpreting many isotope signals observed from geochemical and cosmochemical processes.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42077341),the State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment,Harbin Institute of Technology(No.2022TS05)the Special Project for Sustainable Development Science Technology in Shenzhen(No.KCXFZ20201221173000001)supported by the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program and the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China(Grant No.LH2021E096),China.
文摘The distribution and fractionation of persistent organic pollutants(POPs)in different matrices refer to how these pollutants are dispersed and separated within various environmental compartments.This is a significant study area as it helps us understand the transport efficiencies and long-range transport potentials of POPs to enter remote areas,particularly polar regions.This study provides a comprehensive review of the progress in understanding the distribution and fractionation of POPs.We focus on the contributions of four intermedia processes(dry and wet depositions for gaseous and particulate POPs)and determine their transfer between air and soil.These processes are controlled by their partitioning between gaseous and particulate phases in the atmosphere.The distribution patterns and fractionations can be categorized into primary and secondary types.Equations are developed to quantificationally study the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations of POPs.The analysis results suggest that the transfer of low molecular weight(LMW)POPs from air to soil is mainly through gas diffusion and particle deposition,whereas high molecular weight(HMW)POPs are mainly via particle deposition.HMW-POPs tend to be trapped near the source,whereas LMW-POPs are more prone to undergo long-range atmospheric transport.This crucial distinction elucidates the primary reason behind their temperatureindependent primary fractionation.However,the secondary distribution and fractionation can only be observed along a temperature gradient,such as latitudinal or altitudinal transects.An animation is produced by a one-dimensional transport model to simulate conceptively the transport of CB-28 and CB-180,revealing the similarities and differences between the primary and secondary distributions and fractionations.We suggest that the decreasing temperature trend along latitudes is not the major reason for POPs to be fractionated into the polar ecosystems,but drives the longer-term accumulation of POPs in cold climates or polar cold trapping.
文摘Background There is still limited data on predictive value of coronary computed tomography angiography(CCTA)–derived fractional flow reserve(CT-FFR) for long term outcomes. We examined the long-term prognostic value of CT-FFR combined with CCTA–defined atherosclerotic extent in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods A retrospective pooled analysis of individual patient data was performed. Deep-learning-based vessel-specific CTFFR was calculated. All patients enrolled were followed-up for at least 5 years. Predictive abilities for major adverse cardiac events(MACE) were compared among three models(model 1), constructed using clinical variables;model 2, model 1+CCTA–derived atherosclerotic extent(Leiden risk score);and model 3, model 2+CT-FFR.Results A total of 480 diabetic patients [median age, 61(55–66) years;52.9% men] were included. During a median follow-up time of 2197(2126–2355) days, 55 patients(11.5%) experienced MACE. In multivariate-adjusted Cox models, Leiden risk score(HR: 1.06;95% CI: 1.01–1.11;P = 0.013) and CT-FFR ≤ 0.80(HR: 6.54;95% CI: 3.18–13.45;P < 0.001) were the independent predictors. The discriminant ability was higher in model 2 than in model 1(C-index, 0.75 vs. 0.63;P < 0.001) and was further promoted by adding CT-FFR to model 3(C-index, 0.81 vs. 0.75;P = 0.002). Net reclassification improvement(NRI) was 0.19(P = 0.009) for model 2 beyond model 1. Of note, adding CT-FFR to model 3 also exhibited significantly improved reclassification compared with model 2(NRI = 0.14;P = 0.011).Conclusion In diabetic patients with CAD, CT-FFR provides robust and incremental prognostic information for predicting longterm outcomes. The combined model exhibits improved prediction abilities, which is beneficial for risk stratification.
基金supported financially by the National Key Research&Development Program of China(2021YFD1700200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32402686)+3 种基金the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-22)the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution,China(1610132022013)the Science and Technology Innovation Project of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciencesthe China National Crop Germplasm Resources Platform for Green Manure(NICGR-2024-19)。
文摘Green manuring is essential for improving soil quality and nutrient uptake.With the gradual depletion of phosphorus(P)resources,more attention is being paid to the role of green manures in cultivation systems,such as maize-green manure intercropping,to find possible pathways for enhancing soil P utilization.A maize-green manure intercropping experiment was started in 2009 to investigate the effects and mechanisms for enhancing P uptake and yield in maize.Three species of green manures(hairy vetch(HV),needle leaf pea(NP),sweet pea(SP))and a sole maize treatment(CK)were used,resulting in four treatments(CK,HVT,NPT,and SPT)in the experiment.During 2020-2023,the intercropping treatments enhanced maize yields in 2020 and 2021,particularly in HVT with increases of 13.7%(1.96 t ha^(-1))and 13.0%(2.13 t ha^(-1))compared with CK,respectively.Grain P accumulation of maize was significantly higher in the intercropping treatments than CK in 2020,2021,and 2023,and with an average increase of 10.6%over the four years(5.2% for NPT,10.8% for SPT and 15.9% for HVT)compared with CK.Intercropping promoted maize growth with a greater root length density and a higher organic acid release rate.HVT changed the soil properties more dramatically than the other treatments,with increases in the acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase activities of 29.8 and 38.5%,respectively,in the topsoil(0-15 cm),while the soil p H was reduced by 0.37 units compared to CK(p H=8.44).Intercropping treatments facilitated the conversion of non-labile P to mod-labile P and stimulated the growth of soil bacteria in the topsoil.Compared with CK,the relative abundance of Gemmatimonadota,known for accumulating polyphosphate,and Actinobacteriota,a prominent source of bioactive compounds,increased significantly in the intercropping treatments,especially in HVT and SPT.A PLS-PM analysis showed that intercropping promoted soil P mobilization and the enrichment of beneficial bacteria by regulating maize root morphology and physiology.Our results highlight that maize-green manure intercropping optimizes root traits,soil properties and bacterial composition,which contribute to greater maize P uptake and yield,providing an effective strategy for sustainable crop production.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China(Nos.42177042,and 42477051)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2023YFC3708700)the Science Foundation of China University of Petroleum-Beijing(No.2462022QNXZ006).
文摘Petroleum leakage is a major groundwater contamination source,with chemical composition of water soluble fractions(WSFs)from diverse oil sources significantly impacting groundwater quality and source identification.The aim of this study was to assess impact of 15 diverse oils on groundwater quality and environmental forensics based on oil-water equilibrium experiments.Our results indicate that contamination of groundwater by gasoline and naphtha is primarily attributed to volatile hydrocarbons,while pollution from diesel,kerosene,and crude oil is predominantly from non-hydrocarbons.Rapid determination of the extent of non-hydrocarbon pollution in WSFs was achieved through a new quantitative index.Gasoline and naphtha exhibited the highest groundwater contamination potential while kerosene and light crude oils were also likely to cause groundwater contamina-tion.Although volatile hydrocarbons in the WSFs of diesel and jet fuel do not easily exceed current regulatory standards,unregulated non-hydrocarbons may pose a more severe contamination risk to groundwater.Notably,the presence of significant benzene and toluene,hydrogenation and alkylation products(e.g.,C4-C5 alkylben-zenes,alkylindenes,alkyltetralins,and dihydro-indenes),cycloalkanes in WSFs can effectively be utilized for preliminary source identification of light distillates,middle distillates,and crude oils,respectively.
基金funding from the European Union's Horizon 2022 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie(MSCA-Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022),grant agreement No.101105558-NovelPBC-HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01。
文摘Recently,with the efforts of food specialists,protein sources in the diet is rapidly changing.Consequently,novel products based on plant proteins or lab-grown proteins are increasingly being introduced to consumers.However,the food industry is facing new challenges in creating natural,innovative,accessible,and nutritious dairy-free alternatives.Designing dairy-free cheese alternatives with beneficial nutritional profiles,bioavailability,and digestibility requires a thorough understanding of the molecular characteristics of plant-derived ingredients,their structural assembly,and their role in physicochemical and sensory properties of the final product.In other words,with a deep knowledge of the nature of plant-based ingredients and the intelligent control of intermolecular interactions,these ingredients can be used to produce dairy-free cheese alternatives with the same characteristics as dairy products.Therefore,this review aims to synthesize current knowledge on production techniques and key factors influencing the design of dairy-free cheese alternatives.By examining the interactions between carbohydrates,proteins,and other ingredients,as well as their ability to replicate the functional and textural properties of traditional dairy cheeses,this review provides valuable insights for the development of high-quality dairy-free cheese alternatives.In the design of these alternatives,fractionation and tissue disruption routes are employed.The difference in the number and distribution of their surface groups has a significant effect on ability of plant polysaccharides and proteins to interact with other molecules.Gel strength decreases with decreasing plant biopolymer concentration,bond strength,and crosslinking density.While heat treatment can unfold proteins and minimize their net charge,the hydrophobic attraction becomes the primary driver of protein-protein interactions in plant-based cheeses.In contrast,the 3D-structure of dairy cheeses is stabilized through a combination of hydrophobic interactions,hydrogen bonds,and calcium bridges.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42477044,32171648 and U23A2017)the Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Program,China (2025AFD451 and 2022CFB030)。
文摘Insight into the carbon turnover in soil aggregates and density fractions is essential for reducing the uncertainty in estimating carbon pools on the Tibetan Plateau,and how they vary with land use type is unclear.In this study,the effect of land use type on carbon storage and fractionation was quantified based on organic carbon and its ^(13)C abundance at the microscale of soil aggregates and density fractions in Tibetan alpine ecosystems.The sequence of soil aggregate destruction in the land use types of plantation(13.1%)<shrubland(32.7%)<grassland(47.9%)<farmland(61.8%)shows that plantations strengthen the soil structure.Plantation land had a greater contribution of light fraction organic carbon(28.3%)but a lower contribution of mineral-associated organic carbon(40.6%)to the carbon stock compared to farmland(13.5 and 70.3%).Interestingly,plantation land enhanced the aggregational differentiation of organic carbon and ^(13)C in each density fraction,whereas no such phenomenon existed in the soil organic carbon.Carbon isotope analyses revealed that carbon transfer in the plantation land occurred from the light fraction in macroaggregates(–24.9‰)to the mineral-associated fraction in microaggregates(–19.9‰).When compared to the other three land use types,the low transferability of carbon in aggregates and density fractions in plantation land provides a stable carbon pool for the Tibetan Plateau.This study shows that plantations can mitigate global climate change by slowing carbon transfer and increasing carbon storage at the microscale of aggregates and density fractions in alpine regions.
文摘Lassa Fever(LF)is a viral hemorrhagic illness transmitted via rodents and is endemic in West Africa,causing thousands of deaths annually.This study develops a dynamic model of Lassa virus transmission,capturing the progression of the disease through susceptible,exposed,infected,and recovered populations.The focus is on simulating this model using the fractional Caputo derivative,allowing both qualitative and quantitative analyses of boundedness,positivity,and solution uniqueness.Fixed-point theory and Lipschitz conditions are employed to confirm the existence and uniqueness of solutions,while Lyapunov functions establish the global stability of both disease-free and endemic equilibria.The study further examines the role of the Caputo operator by solving the generalized power-law kernel via a two-step Lagrange polynomial method.This approach offers practical advantages in handling additional data points in integral forms,though Newton polynomial-based schemes are generally more accurate and can outperform Lagrange-based Adams-Bashforth methods.Graphical simulations validate the proposed numerical approach for different fractional orders(ν)and illustrate the influence of model parameters on disease dynamics.Results indicate that increasing the fractional order accelerates the decline of Lassa fever in both human and rodent populations.Moreover,fractional-order modeling provides more nuanced insights than traditional integer-order models,suggesting potential improvements for medical intervention strategies.The study demonstrates that carefully chosen fractional orders can optimize convergence and enhance the predictive capacity of Lassa fever models,offering a promising direction for future research in epidemiological modeling.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.82430018 to Q.C.,82270361 and 82570402 to H.Z.)the Nanjing Medical University Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Fund(Grant No.202410312138Y to C.Z.)the Basic Sciences of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(Grant No.22KJA310002 to H.Z.)。
文摘As the prevalence of obesity increases dramatically,obesity-associated cardiac dysfunction constitutes a considerable challenge to human health.This study aimed to identify more useful lipid/inflammatory markers to predict the risk of obesity-associated cardiac dysfunction.By retrospectively analyzing the clinical characteristics of 5648 cardiac disease patients,we found that both the plasma level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDLC)and the blood monocyte count were significantly associated with impairment of the left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF).Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that the monocyte to HDL-C ratio(MHR)was a more powerful predictor of the risk of LVEF decline than either HDL-C or monocyte alone.Mediation analysis further revealed a mediating effect of a high MHR on the decline in obesity-associated cardiac systolic function.Collectively,our results demonstrate a superior role of MHR in predicting the risk of an obesityassociated decline in cardiac systolic function among routine metabolic/inflammatory markers.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China(2025YFE0103300)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(W2412135)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2024D01A143,2025D01B165)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(GZC20250226)the S&T Innovation and Development Project of Information Institution of Ministry of Emergency Management,China(2024506).
文摘Tajikistan,a mountainous country and a vital water tower for Central Asia,is becoming increasingly vulnerable to snow drought under climate change,threatening its snow-and glacier-fed streamflow.Yet,the impacts of snow drought on the regional hydrology remain insufficiently understood.In this study,we integrated multisource data,including the Fifth Generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Atmospheric Reanalysis for Land Applications(ERA5-Land)data and hydrological station data,to systematically assess the snow drought patterns and their impacts on streamflow during 1950–2023.We identified snow drought events based on precipitation and snow fraction anomalies relative to climatological means and classified them into warm snow drought,dry snow drought,and warm&dry snow drought.The results revealed that snow drought was a recurrent phenomenon,occurring in 51.70%of the years during the study period,with warm&dry snow drought accounting for 21.90%of the total events.Both the frequency and severity exhibited pronounced spatial variability,largely governed by the elevation and snowfall fraction.Specifically,the frequency of warm snow drought was negatively correlated with the snowfall fraction,decreasing on average by 0.20 per unit increase in snowfall fraction,whereas the frequency of dry snow drought was positively correlated,increasing by 0.07 per unit increase.The streamflow analysis results demonstrated that snow drought typically reduced the warm-season discharge by 5.00%–18.00%in certain rivers,thereby exacerbating the water stress during the dry season.The results of this study advance our understanding by explicitly linking the types of snow drought to hydrological responses in Central Asia’s high mountains,providing a scientific basis for climate adaptation and sustainable water resource management in Tajikistan.
文摘Grifola frondosa(Maitake)is traditionally valued for its health benefits,with polysaccharides being key bioactive components.This paper investigates a specific subfraction,Fraction D(GFP-D),evaluating its clinical effects and mechanisms in immune enhancement,adjunctive anti-tumor activity,and regulation of glucose/lipid metabolism.Three clinical trials were conducted.In an immune study,120 healthy volunteers(CD4+T cell count 500–1000 cells/μL)received 150 mg/day GFP-D for 8 weeks,resulting in significant increases in CD4+T cells(from 632±95 to 812±108 cells/μL,28.5%increase,within the physiological activation range),CD4+/CD8+ratio,NK cell activity,IL-2,and IFN-γ(all P<0.001 vs.placebo).An anti-tumor study with 80 advanced cancer patients(stratified by age,tumor stage,and histotype)showed that adding 1000 mg/day GFP-D to chemotherapy improved objective response rate(52.5%vs.30.0%,P=0.036,95%CI:1.02–3.87),one-year progression-free survival(55.8%vs.33.3%,P=0.022),and preserved immune parameters versus chemotherapy alone.A metabolic study in 90 type 2 diabetes patients found that 400 mg/day GFP-D for 12 weeks significantly lowered fasting glucose,HbA1c,total cholesterol,triglycerides,and LDL-C,while raising HDL-C(from 1.0±0.2 to 1.2±0.2 mmol/L,20%increase,supported by increased AMPK phosphorylation).Mechanistically,immune enhancement involves macrophage/dendritic cell activation via Dectin-1/TLR4 receptors(confirmed by increased receptor expression and downstream signaling molecules),promoting cytokine-driven T/NK cell responses.Anti-tumor effects stem from immunomodulation,direct induction of cancer cell apoptosis(via mitochondrial/caspase pathways,verified by increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and caspase-3 activation),and angiogenesis inhibition by downregulating VEGF.Metabolic benefits are linked to AMPK pathway activation in liver/muscle(confirmed by increased p-AMPK/AMPK ratio),enhancing glucose uptake and inhibiting gluconeogenesis/lipogenesis,alongside modulation of gut microbiota(increased Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus abundance).All trials reported no severe adverse events related to GFP-D;liver/kidney function parameters(ALT,AST,creatinine,urea nitrogen)remained within normal ranges throughout the intervention.Collectively,GFP-D emerges as a multi-functional bioactive agent with substantial therapeutic potential.
基金Supported by the State Key Laboratory of Acoustics and Marine Information Chinese Academy of Sciences(SKL A202507).
文摘Accurate time delay estimation of target echo signals is a critical component of underwater target localization.In active sonar systems,echo signal processing is vulnerable to the effects of reverberation and noise in the maritime environment.This paper proposes a novel method for estimating target time delay using multi-bright spot echoes,assuming the target’s size and depth are known.Aiming to effectively enhance the extraction of geometric features from the target echoes and mitigate the impact of reverberation and noise,the proposed approach employs the fractional order Fourier transform-frequency sliced wavelet transform to extract multi-bright spot echoes.Using the highlighting model theory and the target size information,an observation matrix is constructed to represent multi-angle incident signals and obtain the theoretical scattered echo signals from different angles.Aiming to accurately estimate the target’s time delay,waveform similarity coefficients and mean square error values between the theoretical return signals and received signals are computed across various incident angles and time delays.Simulation results show that,compared to the conventional matched filter,the proposed algorithm reduces the relative error by 65.9%-91.5%at a signal-to noise ratio of-25 dB,and by 66.7%-88.9%at a signal-to-reverberation ratio of−10 dB.This algorithm provides a new approach for the precise localization of submerged targets in shallow water environments.
基金supported by the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province (Grant Nos.2024JC-JCQN-06 and2025JC-QYCX-006)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.12474337)Chinese Academy of Sciences Project (Grant Nos.E4BA270100,E4Z127010F,E4Z6270100,and E53327020D)。
文摘In conventional higher-order topological insulators(HOTIs),the emergence of topological states can be explained by using the nonzero bulk polarization index.However,corner states emerge in HOTIs with incomplete boundary unit cells(i.e.,boundary defects)even though the bulk polarization is zero,which challenges the conventional understanding of HOTIs.Here,based on a Kekul´e-distorted honeycomb lattice with incomplete unit cells,we reveal that incomplete unit cells exhibit fractional charges through the analysis of Wannier centers by developing a compensation method and creating the concept of Wannier center domain(WCD)which is the smallest region that one Wannier center occupies.This method compensates for the missing parts of these boundary incomplete unit cells with additional WCDs to make them complete.The compensated WCDs automatically carry the corresponding charge,and this charge together with that of the incomplete unit cell constitutes the total charge of the complete unit cell after compensation.We conclude that the emergence of corner states is attributed to the filling anomaly,which is a fundamental mechanism.Our results refresh the understanding of HOTIs,especially those with structural discontinuities,and provide a novel design for topological states which have application value in producing optical functional devices.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82160195,No.82460203)Zhejiang Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Plan Project(No.2025ZR172).
文摘AIM:To compare spontaneous brain regional activities between diabetic vitreous hemorrhage patients(DVHs)and healthy controls(HCs).METHODS:Thirty-two DVHs and 32 HCs were enrolled in this study.Baseline demographic and vision data were compared between groups using an independent sample t-test.Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)was used in all participants.fMRI data was obtained and analyzed using MRIcro and SPM8 software.Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation(fALFF)technology was used to measure regional spontaneous brain activity,and sensitivity was tested using receiver operating characteristic curves(ROCs).The fALFF values were analyzed using REST software and two-sample t-tests were used to compare values between groups.Hospital anxiety and depression scale(HADS)score was assessed in DVHs and Pearson’s correlation was used to test relationships between mean fALFF value and both HADS score and duration of DVH.RESULTS:Except for the best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA)in both eyes,which showed a statistically significant difference(P<0.05),there were no statistically significant differences in the other indicators(P>0.05)between the HCs and DVHs group.Compared with controls,fALFF value was higher in DVH in cerebellum posterior lobe(CPL)and lower in right anterior cingulate cortex(ACC)and right medial orbitofrontal cortex(OFC).In DVH patients,mean fALFF value of CPL was positively correlated with HADS score and duration of diabetes.However,no such correlation was found,for right ACC or right medial OFC.DVH may lead to abnormal activities in certain brain regions related to visual control and mood.CONCLUSION:Visual impairment caused by DVH may lead to adjustment in regional visual brain activities and may be related to depression or reward system processing in some brain regions.
