Nerolidol attenuates airway inflammation and airway remodeling and alters gut microbes in ovalbumin-induced asthmatic mice.

Asthma is a common respiratory disease associated with airway inflammation. Nerolidol is an acyclic sesquiterpenoid with anti-inflammatory properties. BALB/C mice were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) to induce asthma symptoms and given different doses of Nerolidol. We found that Nerolidol reduced OVA-induced inflammatory cell infiltration, the number of goblet cells and collagen deposition in lung tissue. Nerolidol reduced the OVA-specific IgE levels in serum and alveolar lavage fluid in an asthma model. Immunohistochemical staining of α-SMA (the marker of airway smooth muscle) showed that Nerolidol caused bronchial basement membrane thinning in asthmatic mice. The hyperplasia of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) is an important feature of airway remodeling in asthma. ASMCs were treated with 10 ng/mL TGF-ß to simulate the pathological environment of asthma in vitro and then treated with different doses of Nerolidol. Nerolidol inhibited the activity of TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway both in the lung tissue of OVA-induced mouse and TGF-ß-stimulated ASMCs. 16s rRNA sequencing was performed on feces of normal mice, the changes of intestinal flora in OVA-induced asthmatic mice and Nerolidol-treated asthmatic mice were studied. The results showed that Nerolidol reversed the reduced gut microbial alpha diversity in asthmatic mice. Nerolidol changed the relative abundance of gut bacteria at different taxonomic levels. At the phylum level, the dominant bacteria were Bacteroidota, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria were Lactobacillus, Muribaculaceae, Bacteroides, and Lachnospiraceae. We conclude that Nerolidol attenuates OVA-induced airway inflammation and alters gut microbes in mice with asthma via TGF-ß/Smad signaling.

2-Undecanone alleviates asthma by inhibiting NF-κB pathway.

Asthma is characterized by airway inflammation and remodeling. 2-Undecanone (methyl nonyl ketone), a volatile organic compound originating from Houttuynia cordata, has the potential to ameliorate inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to explore potential benefits of 2-undecanone in asthma. 2-Undecanone (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) was administered intragastrically to ovalbumin (OVA)-challenged BALB/c mice. Lung tissues were collected to observe histopathological changes, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected for the detection of inflammatory cells and cytokine production. The results showed that 2-undecanone ameliorated OVA-induced pathologic changes of lungs, including reducing inflammatory cell infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and airway smooth muscle thickness. The number of inflammatory cells and the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgE in BALF were decreased by 2-undecanone in asthmatic mice. Furthermore, abnormal activation of NF-κB pathway in lung tissues of asthmatic mice was impeded by 2-undecanone. In vitro, 2-undecanone (12.5, 25, or 50 µM) suppressed platelet-derived growth factor-BB-induced proliferation and migration of primary airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), and inhibited the switching of ASMCs from contractile phenotype to synthetic phenotype. Consistently, 2-undecanone blocked NF-κB activation in ASMCs. Collectively, 2-undecanone relieves asthma through alleviating airway inflammation and remodeling, and this beneficial effect is achieved by inhibiting NF-κB pathway.

Efficacy and safety of macrolides in the treatment of children with bronchiectasis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study summarized the available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to assess the efficacy and safety of macrolides on pathogens, lung function, laboratory parameters, and safety in children with bronchiectasis. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were searched for available papers published up to June 2021. The outcomes were the pathogens, adverse events (AEs), and the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) predicted. RESULTS: Seven RCTs (633 participants) were included. The long-term use of macrolides reduced the risk of the presence of Moraxella catarrhalis (RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.30-1.50, P = 0.001; I2 = 0.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.433), but not Haemophilus influenza (RR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.08-0.49, P = 0.333; I2 = 57.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.040), Streptococcus pneumonia (RR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.61-1.35, P = 0.635; I2 = 0.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.515), Staphylococcus aureus (RR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.36-2.84, P = 0.986; I2 = 61.9%, Pheterogeneity = 0.033), and any pathogens present (RR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.29-1.29, P = 0.195; I2 = 80.3%, Pheterogeneity = 0.006). Long-term macrolides had no effect on FEV1% predicted (WMD = 2.61, 95% CI: -1.31, 6.53, P = 0.192; I2 = 0.0%, Pheterogeneity = 0.896). Long-term macrolides did not increase the risk of AEs or serious AEs. CONCLUSION: Macrolides do not significantly reduce the risk of pathogens present (except for Moraxella catarrhalis) or increase FEV1% predicted among children with bronchiectasis. Moreover, macrolides were not associated with AEs. Considering the limitations of the meta-analysis, further larger-scale RCTs are needed to confirm the findings. IMPACT: Macrolides do not significantly reduce the risk of pathogens present (except for Moraxella catarrhalis) among children with bronchiectasis. Macrolides do not significantly increase FEV1% predicted among children with bronchiectasis. This meta-analysis reports on the efficacy and safety of macrolides in the treatment of children with bronchiectasis, providing evidence for the management of children with bronchiectasis. This meta-analysis does not support the use of macrolides in the management of children with bronchiectasis unless the presence of Moraxella catarrhalis is provenor suspected.

Advancing Federated Learning through Verifiable Computations and Homomorphic Encryption.

Federated learning, as one of the three main technical routes for privacy computing, has been widely studied and applied in both academia and industry. However, malicious nodes may tamper with the algorithm execution process or submit false learning results, which directly affects the performance of federated learning. In addition, learning nodes can easily obtain the global model. In practical applications, we would like to obtain the federated learning results only by the demand side. Unfortunately, no discussion on protecting the privacy of the global model is found in the existing research. As emerging cryptographic tools, the zero-knowledge virtual machine (ZKVM) and homomorphic encryption provide new ideas for the design of federated learning frameworks. We have introduced ZKVM for the first time, creating learning nodes as local computing provers. This provides execution integrity proofs for multi-class machine learning algorithms. Meanwhile, we discuss how to generate verifiable proofs for large-scale machine learning tasks under resource constraints. In addition, we implement the fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) scheme in ZKVM. We encrypt the model weights so that the federated learning nodes always collaborate in the ciphertext space. The real results can be obtained only after the demand side decrypts them using the private key. The innovativeness of this paper is demonstrated in the following aspects: 1. We introduce the ZKVM for the first time, which achieves zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP) for machine learning tasks with multiple classes and arbitrary scales. 2. We encrypt the global model, which protects the model privacy during local computation and transmission. 3. We propose and implement a new federated learning framework. We measure the verification costs under different federated learning rounds on the IRIS dataset. Despite the impact of homomorphic encryption on computational accuracy, the framework proposed in this paper achieves a satisfactory 90% model accuracy. Our framework is highly secure and is expected to further improve the overall efficiency as cryptographic tools continue to evolve.

Novel Bradykinin Receptor Inhibitors Inhibit Proliferation and Promote the Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Inhibiting the ERK Pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Studies have shown that bradykinin (BK) is highly expressed in liver cancer. We designed the novel BK receptor inhibitors J051-71 and J051-105, which reduced the viability of liver cancer cells and inhibited the formation of cancer cell colonies. J051-71 and J051-105 reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in HepG2 and BEL-7402 cells, which may be due to the inhibition of the extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. In addition, these BK receptor inhibitors reversed the cell proliferation induced by BK in HepG2 and BEL-7402 cells by downregulating B1 receptor expression. Inhibiting B1 receptor expression decreased the protein levels of p-ERK and reduced the malignant progression of HCC, providing a potential target for HCC therapy.

Au-Co nanoparticles-embedded N-doped carbon nanotube hollow polyhedron modified electrode for electrochemical determination of quercetin.

A core-shell ZIF-8@ZIF-67 was synthesized and pyrolyzed to get a Co nanoparticles-embedded N-doped carbon nanotube hollow polyhedron (Co@NCNHP). Then Au nanoparticles were formed on the surface and core of Co@NCNHP to obtain an Au-Co bimetal decorated NCNHP (Au-Co@NCNHP). The resultant nanocomposite was characterized by various methods including transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Au-Co@NCNHP-based electrochemical sensor displayed an obviously high electrocatalytic response to the oxidation of quercetin, which was attributed to the synergistic effects of Au-Co bimetal nanoparticles and N-doped carbon nanotube with hollow polyhedron. Under the optimal conditions, the oxidation peak currents exhibited a wide linear dynamic range for quercetin concentration from 0.050 to 35.00 µmol/L, and the detection limit was 0.023 ± 0.002 µmol/L (S/N = 3). The analytical applications of the proposed electrochemical sensor were checked by determining the content of quercetin in medical and onion samples with satisfactory results. Grapical abstract.

Manganese-doped zinc oxide hollow balls for chemiresistive sensing of acetone vapors.

Both pure and Mn(II)-doped ZnO hollow structures were synthesized by a solvothermal reaction, and their phase structures, morphologies and elemental composition were characterized. SEM and TEM observations show the pure ZnO and the Mn(II)-doped ZnO balls to possess similar hollow structure with a particle size of about 1.5 µm. Their sensing properties were investigated, and the composite containing 1 atom% of Mn(II) (1% Mn-ZnO) is found be display the highest selectivity for acetone. The detection limit is 100 ppm acetone at 234 °C which is 4.6 times lower than that of the pure ZnO. In addition, the response time is shorter. Graphical abstract ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO hollow balls were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and their gas-sensing properties were investigated. Zinc(II) oxide doped with 1 atom% Mn(II) demonstrated an outstanding sensing behavior towards acetone vapors.

Hierarchical Co3O4@NiMoO4 core-shell nanowires for chemiresistive sensing of xylene vapor.

Hierarchical Co3O4@NiMoO4 core-shell nanowires (NWs) were synthesized utilizing a two-step hydrothermal method. The NWs show a high chemiresistive response (at a temperature of 255 °C) to xylene, with an Rgas/Rair ratio of 24.6 at 100 ppm xylene, while the response towards toluene, benzene, ethanol, and acetone, CO, H2S and NO2 is much weaker. In contrast, pure Co3O4 nanowires exhibit weak responses to all the vapors/gases and poor selectivity. The new NW sensor displays an almost linear response (1-100 ppm) to xylene and a lower detection limit of 424 ppb. The remarkable gas sensing characteristics are attributed to the synergistic catalytic effect and the formation of a heterostructure between Co3O4 and NiMoO4. Graphical abstract Schematic presentation of a xylene vapor chemiresistive sensor based on Co3O4@NiMoO4 core-shell nanowires. The Co3O4@NiMoO4 core-shell nanowires-based sensor exhibits a high response (24.6) to 100 ppm xylene at 255 °C and high response/recovery speed (13-15 and 25-29 s).

Magnetic micro scavengers: highly porous Ni1-x Co x Fe2O4 microcubes for efficient disintegration of nitrophenol.

The fabrication of functional materials in patterned morphology is focused to obtain remarkable physiognomies of the materials for certain applications. Instead of randomly distributed agglomerated nanoparticles, it is highly desirable to arrange them in a motif, as this directed formation of nanomaterials can have a substantial influence on their performance and activity in various applications. With this perspective, MOF derived hollow cubes of nickel cobalt ferrites have been synthesized via a facile process using sacrificial templates at 600 °C. Microcubes, composed of tiny grains in a size range from 10 nm ± 2 nm were obtained in pure form as a polycrystalline material. The high specific surface area (1185 m2 g-1) and mesoporous nature of hollow cubic ferrites were found to be excellent adsorbents for nitrophenol at room temperature. The equilibrium quantity of adsorbed nitrophenol was calculated as 47 mg g-1 ferrite, accomplished in 7 min. Their large surface area, mesopores and hollow nature, in combination with controlled size distribution of grains, have enabled this remarkable utilization of nanoferrites for removal of nitrophenol from water.

W-N-TiO2 with positive enough level of valence band maximum and narrowing bandgap for selective aerobic oxidation in visible-light irradiation.

A kind of surface complex (triethylamine and mesoporous W-N-TiO2 microspheres with large surface area: 117.5 m2g-1) catalysis was achieved via visible-light photoredox catalysis. Triethylamine behaves as a true redox mediator due to its highly favorable donating ability. With a lower bandgap (2.43 eV) and higher valence band maximum (2.905 V), W-N-TiO2 has the ability to play an active catalytic role yielding excellent conversion and selective oxidation of thioanisole (75.16%) within 12 h under visible-light irradiation. In addition, the reaction and the photocatalyst are applicable to other kinds of thioethers, generally producing high conversion rates and selectivities for the product sulfoxides. The reaction paths were elucidated to reveal that these kinds of surface complexes show characteristics that are likely to be applicable to many aerobic oxidation reactions in future.

Anti-inflammation of LZTFL1 knockdown in OVA-induced asthmatic mice: Through ERK/GATA3 signaling pathway.

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease characterized by Th2-type inflammation in the airways. Leucine zip transcription factor-like 1 (LZTFL1) has been implicated in the regulation of Th2-related factors. The knockdown of LZTFL1 resulted in decreased levels of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. We hypothesize that LZTFL1 may have an effect on asthma. We established an acute asthmatic mouse model using the Ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization, and we found that LZTFL1 expression was upregulated in OVA-induced CD4 + T cells. Mice challenged with OVA were administered 5 × 107 TU of lentivirus via tail vein injection. LZTFL1 knockdown reversed the frequency of sneezing and nose rubbing in OVA mice. LZTFL1 knockdown reduced inflammatory cell infiltration, reduced goblet cell numbers, and mitigated collagen deposition in lung tissue. LZTFL1 knockdown decreased the levels of OVA-specific IgE, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in alveolar lavage fluid of asthmatic mice. Furthermore, LZTFL1 knockdown inhibited the aberrant activation of MEK/ERK signaling pathway in asthmatic mice. GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) is an essential transcription factor in Th2 differentiation. Flow cytometry results revealed that LZTFL1 knockdown reduced the number of GATA3 + CD4 + Th2 cells, while it did not affect the stability of GATA3 mRNA. This may be attributed to ERK signaling which stabilized GATA3 by preventing its ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. In conclusion, LZTFL1 knockdown attenuates inflammation and pathological changes in OVA-induced asthmatic mice through ERK/GATA3 signaling pathway.

Artificial Tactile Receptor System for Sensitive Pressure-Neural Spike Conversion.

An artificial tactile receptor is crucial for e-skin in next-generation robots, mimicking the mechanical sensing, signal encoding, and preprocessing functionalities of human skin. In the neural network, pressure signals are encoded in spike patterns and efficiently transmitted, exhibiting low power consumption and robust tolerance for bit error rates. Here, we introduce a highly sensitive artificial tactile receptor system integrating a pressure sensor, axon-hillock circuit, and neurotransmitter release device to achieve pressure signal coding with patterned spikes and controlled neurotransmitter release. Owing to the heightened sensitivity of the axon-hillock circuit to pressure-mediated current signals, the artificial tactile receptor achieves a detection limit of 10 Pa that surpasses the human tactile receptors, with a wide response range from 10 to 5 × 105 Pa. Benefiting from the appreciable pressure-responsive performance, the potential application of an artificial tactile receptor in robotic tactile perception has been demonstrated, encompassing tasks such as finger touch and human pulse detection.

Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with swimming exercise improves the learning and memory abilities of vascular dementia rats by regulating microglia through miR-223-3p/PRMT8.

BACKGROUND: Vascular dementia (VD) is the second most common type of dementia worldwide. Previous studies have proven that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has potential applications in relieving cognitive impairment in VD animal models. The purpose of this study was to probe the mechanism by which tDCS combined with swimming exercise improves the learning and memory abilities of VD model rats. METHOD: The VD rat model was induced using the permanent bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (2-VO) method; tDCS was applied to the rats and then they took part in swimming exercises. Rat memory, platform crossing time, and platform crossing frequency were analyzed via a water maze experiment. Nerve damage in the cortex and hippocampal CA1 area of the rats was observed using Nissl staining. Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence staining and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT - qPCR) were used to determine the expression of related proteins and genes. The levels of oxidative stress were detected by kits. RESULTS: We demonstrated that VD model rats treated with tDCS combined with swimming exercise exhibited significant improvement in memory, and VD model rats exhibited significantly reduced neuronal loss in the hippocampus, and reduced microglial activation and M1 polarization. tDCS combined with swimming exercise protects VD model rats from oxidative stress through the miR-223-3p/protein arginine methyltransferase 8 (PRMT8) axis and inhibits the activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that tDCS combined with swimming exercise improved the learning and memory ability of VD model rats by regulating the expression of PRMT8 through miR-223-3p to affect microglial activation and M1 polarization.

Development and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against p37 protein of African swine fever virus.

African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is a highly contagious pathogen posing a serious threat to the global swine industry. Despite this, there is currently no effective vaccine against this virus. Within ASFV's core shell structure, p37, a product of polyprotein pp220, shares sequence similarity with SUMO-1 proteases. Localization studies show p37 in various nuclear regions during early infection, shifting to the cytoplasm later on. Research indicates active export of p37 from the nucleus, mediated by CRM1-dependent and -independent pathways. Hydrophobic amino acids in p37 are crucial for these pathways, highlighting their importance throughout the ASFV replication cycle. Additionally, p37 serves as the first nucleocytoplasmic shuttle protein encoded by ASFV, participating in the intranuclear material transport process during ASFV infection of host cells. In this study, we successfully screened five murine monoclonal antibodies targeting p37. Through the truncated expression method, we identified four dominant antigenic epitopes of p37 for the first time. Furthermore, utilizing alanine scanning technology, we determined the key amino acid residues for each epitope. This research not only provides essential information for a deeper understanding of the protein's function but also establishes a significant theoretical foundation for the design and development of ASFV vaccines.

A novel fluorescence immunoassay for the quantitative detection of florfenicol in animal-derived foods based on ZnCdSe/ZnS quantum dot labelled antibody.

Florfenicol (F), an antimicrobial agent exclusive to veterinary use within the chloramphenicol class, is extensively applied as a broad-spectrum remedy for animal diseases. Despite its efficacy, concerns arise over potential deleterious residues in animal-derived edibles, posing threats to human health. This study pioneers an innovative approach, introducing a quantum dot fluorescence-based immunoassay (FLISA) for the meticulous detection of F residues in animal-derived foods and feeds. This method demonstrates heightened sensitivity, with a detection limit of 0.3 ng/mL and a quantitative detection range of 0.6-30.4 ng/mL. Method validation, applied to diverse food sources, yields recoveries from 90.4 % to 109.7 %, featuring RSDs within 1.3 % to 8.7 %, the results showed high consistency with the national standard HPLC-MS/MS detection method. These findings underscore the method's accuracy and precision, positioning it as a promising tool for swift and reliable F residue detection, with substantial implications for fortifying food safety monitoring.

Gnawing pressure led to the expansion of JAZ genes in angiosperms.

A long-standing problem in evolutionary biology is why some populations differentiate into many species while the majority do not. Angiosperms is an excellent group for investigating this problem because their diversity is unevenly distributed in space and phylogeny. Plant hormone participates in growth, development and defense. However, jasmonic acid (JA) was the only hormone response to bites. We first searched jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ), AUXIN/INDOLE ACETIC ACID (IAA / aux), PYR/PYL/RCAR (PYL), DELLA, and SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2 1-like (SMAX) in 272 plant species. We found the gene number change trends were consistent with origination rates and species numbers of angiosperms. So, 26 representative species were selected as an example for further analysis. The results showed JAZ had experienced two lineage-specific gene expansion events in angiosperms, which coincided with increases in mammalian body size and dental diversity. The proliferation of large herbivores as a results of mammalian prosperity after dinosaur extinction may be related to angiosperm evolution and bursting. The proliferation of large herbivores as the result of mammalian prosperity after the extinction of the dinosaurs was related to angiosperm evolution and bursting. Overall, our study uncovered a previously unknown co-evolution mechanism in terrestrial plants exposed to extreme environmental conditions.

Recent genome-wide replication promoted expansion and functional differentiation of the JAZs in soybeans.

Jasmonate Zim-domain (JAZ) protein is an inhibitor of the jasmonate (JA) signal transduction pathway, and plays an important role in regulating plant growth, development, and defense. However, there have been few studies on its function under environmental stress in soybeans. In this study, a total of 275 JAZs protein-coding genes were identified in 29 soybean genomes. SoyC13 contained the least JAZ family members (26 JAZs), which was twice as high as AtJAZs. The genes are mainly generated by recent genome-wide replication (WGD), which replicated during the Late Cenozoic Ice Age. In addition, transcriptome analysis showed that the differences in gene expression patterns in the roots, stems, and leaves of the 29 cultivars at the V1 stage were not significant, but there was a significant difference among the three seed development stages. Finally, qRT-PCR results showed that GmJAZs responded the most strongly to heat stress, followed by drought and cold stress. This is consistent with the reason for their expansion and promoter analysis results. Therefore, we explored the significant role of conserved, duplicated, and neofunctionalized JAZs in the evolution of soybeans, which will contribute to the functional characterization of GmJAZ and the improvement of crops.

Design and implementation of an EEG-based recognition mechanism for the openness trait of the Big Five.

The differentiation between the openness and other dimensions of the Big Five personality model indicates that it is necessary to design a specific paradigm as a supplement to the Big Five recognition. The present study examined the relationship between one's openness trait of the Big Five model and the task-related power change of upper alpha band (10-12 Hz). We found that individuals from the high openness group displayed a stronger alpha synchronization over a frontal area in symbolic reasoning task, while the reverse applied in the deductive reasoning task. The results indicated that these two kinds of reasoning tasks could be used as supplement of the Big Five recognition. Besides, we divided one's openness score into three levels and proposed a hybrid-SNN (Spiking Neural Networks)-ANN (Analog Neural Networks) architecture based on EEGNet to recognize one's openness level, named Spike-EEGNet. The recognition accuracy of the two tasks was 90.6 and 92.2%. This result was highly significant for the validation of using a model with hybrid-SNN-ANN architecture for EEG-based openness trait recognition.

[Mineral nitrogen accumulation and its spatial distribution in soils in dense planting dwarf rootstock apple orchard on the Weibei dry plateau, Northwest China]. / æ¸­åŒ—æ—±å¡¬çŸ®ç §å¯†æ¤è‹¹æžœå›­åœŸå£¤çŸ¿è´¨æ°®ç§¯ç´¯ä¸Žç©ºé—´åˆ†å¸ƒç‰¹å¾.

With the rapid development of dense apple tree plantings with the dwarf rootstock cultivation method, determining accumulation and distribution characteristics of soil mineral nitrogen in densely planted orchards with dwarf rootstock is important to enable scientific fertilization of apple orchards. We investigated densely planted apple orchards with dwarf rootstocks and different plant ages (6 a, 9 a, and 12 a). We collected soil samples under trees, between trees, between rows, and at the midpoints between the trees and rows, and examined the accumulation and distribution characteristics of nitrate, ammonium, and mineral nitrogen. The cumulative amount of nitrate in the 0-300 cm soil layer increased with plant age. The difference between orchards with different plant ages was significant and showed the trend 6 a<9 a<12 a. The cumulative amount of nitrate increased from 1729 kg·hm-2 to 3771 kg·hm-2 with increasing plant age. The ammonium content was low for orchards of all plant ages and had little effect on the accumulation and spatial distribution of mineral nitrogen. There were two accumulation peaks of nitrate nitrogen in the vertical direction. The depth of soil layer where the second accumulation peak was located decreased from 180 cm to 220 cm with increasing plant age. In the horizontal direction, soil nitrate nitrogen content between rows increased from 27 mg·kg-1 to 138 mg·kg-1 with increasing plant age, representing a more than 400% increase. The difference between orchards with different plant ages was significant. In summary, excessive usage of nitrogen fertilizer and serious leaching of nitrate were problematic in all orchards with different ages. Less nitrogen fertilizer should be applied, and anti-seepage measures should be used at the fertilization location to prevent the leaching of nitrate to deep layers.

Design and Implementation of an EEG-Based Learning-Style Recognition Mechanism.

Existing methods for learning-style recognition are highly subjective and difficult to implement. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a learning-style recognition mechanism based on EEG features. The process for the mechanism included labeling learners' actual learning styles, designing a method to effectively stimulate different learners' internal state differences regarding learning styles, designing the data-collection method, designing the preprocessing procedure, and constructing the recognition model. In this way, we designed and verified an experimental method that can effectively stimulate learning-style differences in the information-processing dimension. In addition, we verified the effectiveness of using EEG signals to recognize learning style. The recognition accuracy of the learning-style processing dimension was 71.2%. This result is highly significant for the further exploration of using EEG signals for effective learning-style recognition.