Advances in research and utilization of botanical pesticides for agricultural pest management in Inner Mongolia, China.

Traditional Chinese herbal medicines not only cure human diseases, but also play an important role as insecticides. Compared with conventional chemical agents, traditional Chinese herbal medicines are characterized by low toxicity, low residues, and being eco-friendly, and they have become a research hotspot. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have tremendous flexibility and indefinite potential. Therefore, this paper reviewed the types of insecticides belonging to traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China, including their traditional uses, secondary metabolites, biological activities, action mechanisms, application methods, and development status. In addition, the most relevant issues involved in the development of traditional Chinese herbal medicines was discussed. We believe that traditional Chinese herbal medicines can be better implemented and developed; such that its other advantages, such as an insect repellent, can be promoted. Moreover, this study lays a solid foundation for further research on traditional Chinese herbal medicines in Inner Mongolia, China.

Graded nutritional interventions in patients with dysphagia after stroke: an assessment of the effectiveness of therapeutic strategies for different swallowing functions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of graded nutrition intervention strategy in improving patients with different degrees of impaired swallowing function after stroke. METHODS: According to the way of nursing, the patients were divided into two group. The main outcome measure was Kota swallowing index (WSI) score, and the secondary outcome was complications during the intervention. SF-36 scale was used to evaluate the improvement of quality of life before and intervention. RESULTS: The WSI score in the control group was 62.34 ± 10.23 at 1 week after treatment, 70.52 ± 13.45 at 6 weeks after treatment, and 80.48 ± 9.87 at 12 weeks after treatment, while that in the intervention group was 71.45 ± 9.68 at 1 week after treatment, 75.81 ± 11.78 at 6 weeks after treatment, and 84.12 ± 14.32 at 12 weeks after treatment. The WSI scores of the intervention group were significantly higher than those of the control group (t = 5.634, p < 0.001), suggesting better swallowing function of the patients The incidence of pulmonary infection, malnutrition and gastroesophageal reflux in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in throat inflammation and dehydration between the two groups (p > 0.05). In addition, graded nutrition interventions significantly improved patients' quality of life, including dimensions of physical functioning, role physics, physical pain, and social functioning. CONCLUSION: Compared with conventional treatment, personalized graded nutrition intervention can significantly improve the swallowing function and reduce the pulmonary infection rate in patients with swallowing disorders after stroke.

The Effect of Ciprofol on Postoperative Delirium in Elderly Patients Undergoing Thoracoscopic Surgery for Lung Cancer: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Trial.

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess whether ciprofol vs propofol could affect the incidence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients with lung cancer after thoracoscopic surgery. Patients and Methods: In this study, a total of 84 elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic surgery for lung cancer were recruited and randomized into two groups to receive anesthesia with either ciprofol or propofol. The primary outcome was the incidence of POD within three days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) score, intraoperative indicators related to mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2). Moreover, MAP- and SctO2-related indicators associated with POD were analyzed. Results: The incidence of POD was 7.1% and 16.7%, respectively, in the ciprofol group and the propofol group (risk ratio [RR], 0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07 to 2.03; risk difference [RD], -9.6%; 95% CI, -23.3% to 4.1%; p = 0.178). Compared with those in the propofol group, patients in the ciprofol group had lower CAM scores three days after surgery (13 (12, 15) vs 15 (14, 17); 12 (11, 13) vs 14 (13, 16); 12 (11, 12) vs 13 (12, 14), p<0.05). Besides, patients in the ciprofol group exhibited higher mean and minimum MAP (88.63 ± 6.7 vs 85 ± 8.3; 69.81 ± 9.59 vs 64.9 ± 9.43, p<0.05) and SctO2 (77.26 ± 3.96 vs 75.3 ± 4.49, 71.69 ± 4.51 vs 68.77 ± 6.46, p<0.05) and percentage of time for blood pressure stabilization (0.6 ± 0.14 vs 0.45 ± 0.14, p<0.05) than those in the propofol group. Furthermore, MAP and SctO2-related indicators were validated to correlate with POD. Conclusion: Anesthesia with ciprofol did not increase the incidence of POD compared with propofol. The results demonstrated that ciprofol could improve intraoperative MAP and SctO2 levels and diminish postoperative CAM scores.

The coevolution of bullying and friendship networks.

The coevolution of bullying and friendship networks and the moderating effects of classroom bullying popularity norms were examined in a sample of 965 students (52.1% boys) in 22 fourth- and fifth-grade classes. Longitudinal social network analysis showed that children were more likely to bully their friends' victims (bully influence effect) and to be bullied by their friends' bullies (victim influence effect); two children bullying the same child were likely to be friends (bully selection effect), and two victims bullied by the same child were likely to be friends (victim selection effect). Bullying popularity norms served as moderators, and the bully selection effect was significant weaker in the context of low bullying popularity norms. This study adds understanding of bullying as a group process and provides implications for preventing school bullying.

Super-tetragonal Sr4Al2O7 as a sacrificial layer for high-integrity freestanding oxide membranes.

Identifying a suitable water-soluble sacrificial layer is crucial to fabricating large-scale freestanding oxide membranes, which offer attractive functionalities and integrations with advanced semiconductor technologies. Here, we introduce a water-soluble sacrificial layer, "super-tetragonal" Sr4Al2O7 (SAOT). The low-symmetric crystal structure enables a superior capability to sustain epitaxial strain, allowing for broad tunability in lattice constants. The resultant structural coherency and defect-free interface in perovskite ABO3/SAOT heterostructures effectively restrain crack formation during the water release of freestanding oxide membranes. For a variety of nonferroelectric oxide membranes, the crack-free areas can span up to a millimeter in scale. This compelling feature, combined with the inherent high water solubility, makes SAOT a versatile and feasible sacrificial layer for producing high-quality freestanding oxide membranes, thereby boosting their potential for innovative device applications.

Hundred-Fold Enhancement in the Anomalous Hall Effect Induced by Hydrogenation.

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is one of the most fascinating transport properties in condensed matter physics. However, the AHE magnitude, which mainly depends on net spin polarization and band topology, is generally small in oxides and thus limits potential applications. Here, we demonstrate a giant enhancement of AHE in a LaCoO3-induced 5d itinerant ferromagnet SrIrO3 by hydrogenation. The anomalous Hall resistivity and anomalous Hall angle, which are two of the most critical parameters in AHE-based devices, are found to increase to 62.2 µΩ·cm and 3%, respectively, showing an unprecedentedly large enhancement ratio of ∼10000%. Theoretical analysis suggests the key roles of Berry curvature in enhancing AHE. Furthermore, the hydrogenation concomitantly induces the significant elevation of Curie temperature from 75 to 160 K and 40-fold reinforcement of coercivity. Such giant regulation and very large AHE magnitude observed in SrIrO3 could pave the path for 5d oxide devices.

A broad-spectrum gas sensor based on correlated two-dimensional electron gas.

Designing a broad-spectrum gas sensor capable of identifying gas components in complex environments, such as mixed atmospheres or extreme temperatures, is a significant concern for various technologies, including energy, geological science, and planetary exploration. The main challenge lies in finding materials that exhibit high chemical stability and wide working temperature range. Materials that amplify signals through non-chemical methods could open up new sensing avenues. Here, we present the discovery of a broad-spectrum gas sensor utilizing correlated two-dimensional electron gas at a delta-doped LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface with LaFeO3. Our study reveals that a back-gating on this two-dimensional electron gas can induce a non-volatile metal to insulator transition, which consequently can activate the two-dimensional electron gas to sensitively and quantitatively probe very broad gas species, no matter whether they are polar, non-polar, or inert gases. Different gas species cause resistance change at their sublimation or boiling temperature and a well-defined phase transition angle can quantitatively determine their partial pressures. Such unique correlated two-dimensional electron gas sensor is not affected by gas mixtures and maintains a wide operating temperature range. Furthermore, its readout is a simple measurement of electric resistance change, thus providing a very low-cost and high-efficient broad-spectrum sensing technique.

Quantifying leadership in climate negotiations: A social power game.

We consider complex multistage multiagent negotiation processes such as those occurring at climate conferences and ask ourselves how can an agent maximize its social power, intended as influence over the outcome of the negotiation. This question can be framed as a strategic game played over an opinion dynamics model, in which the action of an agent consists in stubbornly defending its own opinion. We show that for consensus-seeking opinion dynamics models in which the interaction weights are uniform, the optimal action obeys to an early mover advantage principle, i.e. the agents behaving stubbornly in the early phases of the negotiations achieve the highest social power. When looking at data collected from the climate change negotiations going on at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, we find evidence of the use of the early mover strategy. Furthermore, we show that the social powers computed through our model correlate very well with the perceived leadership roles assessed through independent survey data, especially when non-uniform weights incorporating economical and demographic factors are considered.

Plasma cortisol-linked gene networks in hepatic and adipose tissues implicate corticosteroid-binding globulin in modulating tissue glucocorticoid action and cardiovascular risk.

Genome-wide association meta-analysis (GWAMA) by the Cortisol Network (CORNET) consortium identified genetic variants spanning the SERPINA6/SERPINA1 locus on chromosome 14 associated with morning plasma cortisol, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and SERPINA6 mRNA expression encoding corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) in the liver. These and other findings indicate that higher plasma cortisol levels are causally associated with CVD; however, the mechanisms by which variations in CBG lead to CVD are undetermined. Using genomic and transcriptomic data from The Stockholm Tartu Atherosclerosis Reverse Networks Engineering Task (STARNET) study, we identified plasma cortisol-linked single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are trans-associated with genes from seven different vascular and metabolic tissues, finding the highest representation of trans-genes in the liver, subcutaneous fat, and visceral abdominal fat, [false discovery rate (FDR) = 15%]. We identified a subset of cortisol-associated trans-genes that are putatively regulated by the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), the primary transcription factor activated by cortisol. Using causal inference, we identified GR-regulated trans-genes that are responsible for the regulation of tissue-specific gene networks. Cis-expression Quantitative Trait Loci (eQTLs) were used as genetic instruments for identification of pairwise causal relationships from which gene networks could be reconstructed. Gene networks were identified in the liver, subcutaneous fat, and visceral abdominal fat, including a high confidence gene network specific to subcutaneous adipose (FDR = 10%) under the regulation of the interferon regulatory transcription factor, IRF2. These data identify a plausible pathway through which variation in the liver CBG production perturbs cortisol-regulated gene networks in peripheral tissues and thereby promote CVD.

Dictys: dynamic gene regulatory network dissects developmental continuum with single-cell multiomics.

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are key determinants of cell function and identity and are dynamically rewired during development and disease. Despite decades of advancement, challenges remain in GRN inference, including dynamic rewiring, causal inference, feedback loop modeling and context specificity. To address these challenges, we develop Dictys, a dynamic GRN inference and analysis method that leverages multiomic single-cell assays of chromatin accessibility and gene expression, context-specific transcription factor footprinting, stochastic process network and efficient probabilistic modeling of single-cell RNA-sequencing read counts. Dictys improves GRN reconstruction accuracy and reproducibility and enables the inference and comparative analysis of context-specific and dynamic GRNs across developmental contexts. Dictys' network analyses recover unique insights in human blood and mouse skin development with cell-type-specific and dynamic GRNs. Its dynamic network visualizations enable time-resolved discovery and investigation of developmental driver transcription factors and their regulated targets. Dictys is available as a free, open-source and user-friendly Python package.

Charge Trapping and Emission Properties in CAAC-IGZO Transistor: A First-Principles Calculations.

The c-axis aligned crystalline indium-gallium-zinc-oxide field-effect transistor (CAAC-IGZO FET), exhibiting an extremely low off-state leakage current (~10-22 A/µm), has promised to be an ideal candidate for Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) applications. However, the instabilities leaded by the drift of the threshold voltage in various stress seriously affect the device application. To better develop high performance CAAC-IGZO FET for DRAM applications, it's essential to uncover the deep physical process of charge transport mechanism in CAAC-IGZO FET. In this work, by combining the first-principles calculations and nonradiative multiphonon theory, the charge trapping and emission properties in CAAC-IGZO FET have been systematically investigated. It is found that under positive bias stress, hydrogen interstitial in Al2O3 gate dielectric is probable effective electron trap center, which has the transition level (ε (+1/-1) = 0.52 eV) above Fermi level. But it has a high capture barrier about 1.4 eV and low capture rate. Under negative bias stress, oxygen vacancy in Al2O3 gate dielectric and CAAC-IGZO active layer are probable effective electron emission centers whose transition level ε (+2/0) distributed at -0.73~-0.98 eV and 0.69 eV below Fermi level. They have a relatively low emission barrier of about 0.5 eV and 0.25 eV and high emission rate. To overcome the instability in CAAC-IGZO FET, some approaches can be taken to control the hydrogen concentration in Al2O3 dielectric layer and the concentration of the oxygen vacancy. This work can help to understand the mechanisms of instability of CAAC-IGZO transistor caused by the charge capture/emission process.

Scoliosis due to scar contracture caused by infection after cyst-peritoneal shunt: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cyst-peritoneal (CP) shunt is one of the most common methods for the treatment of intracranial arachnoid cysts (ACs). Infection is a common postoperative complication. We report a patient with scoliosis due to scar contracture caused by infection after CP shunt. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 12-year-old boy underwent CP shunt surgery for the left frontoparietotemporal AC when he was 2 years old. At the age of 7 years, he underwent a shunt catheter removal procedure because of the infection caused by the fistula leading from the subcutaneous tunnel to the body surface. However, contracture of the subcutaneous scar from fistula infection caused scoliosis and limited range of motion of the right arm. At the age of 12, the patient received scar lysis and his symptoms improved. CONCLUSION: We presented the first case of scoliosis due to scar contracture caused by infection after CP shunt. In this case, timely release of scar tissue can effectively correct scoliosis and limb movement limitation.

The protective roles of allicin on type 1 diabetes mellitus through AMPK/mTOR mediated autophagy pathway.

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic diseases in children. Pancreatic ß cells are thought to be critical cells involved in the progression of T1DM, and their injury would directly lead to impaired insulin secretion. Purpose: To investigate the protective effects of allicin on pancreatic ß cell injury and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: The streptozotocin (STZ)-induced mouse T1DM model in vivo and STZ-induced pancreatic ß cell Min6 model in vitro were used to explore the effects of allicin on T1DM. The experiments include fasting blood glucose test, oral glucose tolerance detection, HE staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, TUNEL staining, western blot, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), and flow cytometry. Results: Allicin could significantly decrease blood glucose level, improve islet structure and insulin expression, and inhibit apoptosis to reduce STZ-induced pancreatic ß cell injury and loss through activating AMPK/mTOR mediated autophagy pathway. Conclusion: Allicin treatment significantly reduced STZ-induced T1DM progression, suggesting that allicin may be a potential therapy option for T1DM patients.

MOSFET Physics-Based Compact Model Mass-Produced: An Artificial Neural Network Approach.

The continued scaling-down of nanoscale semiconductor devices has made it very challenging to obtain analytic surface potential solutions from complex equations in physics, which is the fundamental purpose of the MOSFET compact model. In this work, we proposed a general framework to automatically derive analytical solutions for surface potential in MOSFET, by leveraging the universal approximation power of deep neural networks. Our framework incorporated a physical-relation-neural-network (PRNN) to learn side-by-side from a general-purpose numerical simulator in handling complex equations of mathematical physics, and then instilled the "knowledge'' from the simulation data into the neural network, so as to generate an accurate closed-form mapping between device parameters and surface potential. Inherently, the surface potential was able to reflect the numerical solution of a two-dimensional (2D) Poisson equation, surpassing the limits of traditional 1D Poisson equation solutions, thus better illustrating the physical characteristics of scaling devices. We obtained promising results in inferring the analytic surface potential of MOSFET, and in applying the derived potential function to the building of 130 nm MOSFET compact models and circuit simulation. Such an efficient framework with accurate prediction of device performances demonstrates its potential in device optimization and circuit design.

Nodeless Superconductivity in Kagome Metal CsV3Sb5 with and without Time Reversal Symmetry Breaking.

The kagome metal CsV3Sb5 features an unusual competition between the charge-density-wave (CDW) order and superconductivity. Evidence for time reversal symmetry breaking (TRSB) inside the CDW phase has been accumulating. Hence, the superconductivity in CsV3Sb5 emerges from a TRSB normal state, potentially resulting in an exotic superconducting state. To reveal the pairing symmetry, we first investigate the effect of nonmagnetic impurity. Our results show that the superconducting critical temperature is insensitive to disorder, pointing to conventional s-wave superconductivity. Moreover, our measurements of the self-field critical current (Ic,sf), which is related to the London penetration depth, also confirm conventional s-wave superconductivity with strong coupling. Finally, we measure Ic,sf where the CDW order is removed by pressure and superconductivity emerges from the pristine normal state. Our results show that s-wave gap symmetry is retained, providing strong evidence for the presence of conventional s-wave superconductivity in CsV3Sb5 irrespective of the presence of the TRSB.

Braiding Lateral Morphotropic Grain Boundaries in Homogenetic Oxides.

Interfaces formed by correlated oxides offer a critical avenue for discovering emergent phenomena and quantum states. However, the fabrication of oxide interfaces with variable crystallographic orientations and strain states integrated along a film plane is extremely challenging by conventional layer-by-layer stacking or self-assembling. Here, the creation of morphotropic grain boundaries (GBs) in laterally interconnected cobaltite homostructures is reported. Single-crystalline substrates and suspended ultrathin freestanding membranes provide independent templates for coherent epitaxy and constraint on the growth orientation, resulting in seamless and atomically sharp GBs. Electronic states and magnetic behavior in hybrid structures are laterally modulated and isolated by GBs, enabling artificially engineered functionalities in the planar matrix. This work offers a simple and scalable method for fabricating unprecedented innovative interfaces through controlled synthesis routes as well as providing a platform for exploring potential applications in neuromorphics, solid-state batteries, and catalysis.

Controllable Itinerant Ferromagnetism in Weakly Correlated 5d SrIrO3.

The weakly correlated nature of 5d oxide SrIrO3 determines its rare ferromagnetism, and the control of its magnetic order is even less studied. Tailoring structure distortion is currently a main route to tune the magnetic order of 5d iridates, but only for the spatially confined insulating counterparts. Here, we have realized ferromagnetic order in metallic SrIrO3 by construction of SrIrO3/ferromagnetic-insulator (LaCoO3) superlattices, which reveal a giant coercivity of ∼10 T and saturation field of ∼25 T with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The Curie temperature of SrIrO3 can be controlled by engineering interface charge transfer, which is confirmed by Hall effect measurements collaborating with EELS and XAS. Besides, the noncoplanar spin texture is captured, which is caused by interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions as well. These results indicate controllable itinerant ferromagnetism and an emergent topological magnetic state in strong spin-orbit coupled semimetal SrIrO3, showing great potential to develop efficient spintronic devices.

Effects of metformin on Sonic hedgehog subgroup medulloblastoma progression: In vitro and in vivo studies.

Metformin is a first-line drug for type 2 diabetes, and its anticancer effects have also been widely studied in recent years. The Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling pathway is involved in the initiation and progression of medulloblastoma. In order to develop a new treatment strategy for medulloblastoma (MB), this study investigated the inhibitory effect of metformin on MB and the underlying mechanism of metformin on the Shh signaling pathway. The effect of metformin on proliferation was evaluated by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) test and colony formation experiment. The effect of metformin on metastasis was assessed by the scratch-wound assay and transwell invasion assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry, and the associated proteins were examined by western blotting. The mRNA and protein expression levels related to the Shh pathway were measured by quantitative PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining. The xenograft murine model was carried out to evaluate the anticancer effect of metformin on medulloblastoma in vivo. Metformin inhibited proliferation and metastasis of the Shh subgroup MB cell line, and the inhibitory effect on proliferation was related to apoptosis and the block of the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Animal experiments showed that metformin inhibits medulloblastoma growth in vivo. Moreover, metformin decreased mRNA and protein expression levels of the Shh pathway, and this effect was reversed by the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) siRNA. Furthermore, the pro-apoptotic and cell cycle arrest effects of metformin on Daoy cells could be reversed by the Shh pathway activators. Our findings demonstrated that metformin could inhibit medulloblastoma progression in vitro and in vivo, and this effect was associated with AMPK-mediated inhibition of the Shh signaling pathway in vitro studies.

Uniaxial Strain and Hydrostatic Pressure Engineering of the Hidden Magnetism in La1-xCaxMnO3 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1/2) Thin Films.

Here, using various substrates, we demonstrate that the in-plane uniaxial strain engineering can enhance the Jahn-Teller distortions and promote selective orbital occupancy to induce an emergent antiferromagnetic insulating (AFI) phase at x = 1/3 of La1-xCaxMnO3. Such an AFI phase depends not only on the magnitude of epitaxial strain but also on the symmetry of the substrates. Using the large uniaxial strain imparted by DyScO3(001) substrate, the AFI ground state is achieved in a wide range of doping levels (0 ≤ x ≤ 1/2), leaving an extended AFI phase diagram. Moreover, it is found that hydrostatic pressure can tune the AFI phase back to a hidden ferromagnetic metallic phase, accompanied by the formation of accommodation strain. The coaction of the accommodation strain, uniaxial strain, and hydrostatic pressure produces complex phase competition and evolution, and the result may shed light on phase space control of other functional perovskites with the competing magnetic interactions.

Ru-Doping-Induced Spin Frustration and Enhancement of the Room-Temperature Anomalous Hall Effect in La2/3 Sr1/3 MnO3 Films.

In transition-metal-oxide heterostructures, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) is a powerful tool for detecting the magnetic state and revealing intriguing interfacial magnetic orderings. However, achieving a larger AHE at room temperature in oxide heterostructures is still challenging due to the dilemma of mutually strong spin-orbit coupling and magnetic exchange interactions. Here, Ru-doping-enhanced AHE in La2/3 Sr1/3 Mn1-x Rux O3 epitaxial films is exploited. As the B-site Ru doping level increases up to 20%, the anomalous Hall resistivity at room temperature can be enhanced from nΩ cm to µΩ cm scale. Ru doping leads to strong competition between the ferromagnetic double-exchange interaction and the antiferromagnetic superexchange interaction. The resultant spin frustration and spin-glass state facilitate a strong skew-scattering process, thus significantly enhancing the extrinsic AHE. The findings can pave a feasible approach for boosting the controllability and reliability of oxide-based spintronic devices.