Global net climate effects of anthropogenic reactive nitrogen.

Anthropogenic activities have substantially enhanced the loadings of reactive nitrogen (Nr) in the Earth system since pre-industrial times1,2, contributing to widespread eutrophication and air pollution3-6. Increased Nr can also influence global climate through a variety of effects on atmospheric and land processes but the cumulative net climate effect is yet to be unravelled. Here we show that anthropogenic Nr causes a net negative direct radiative forcing of -0.34 [-0.20, -0.50] W m-2 in the year 2019 relative to the year 1850. This net cooling effect is the result of increased aerosol loading, reduced methane lifetime and increased terrestrial carbon sequestration associated with increases in anthropogenic Nr, which are not offset by the warming effects of enhanced atmospheric nitrous oxide and ozone. Future predictions using three representative scenarios show that this cooling effect may be weakened primarily as a result of reduced aerosol loading and increased lifetime of methane, whereas in particular N2O-induced warming will probably continue to increase under all scenarios. Our results indicate that future reductions in anthropogenic Nr to achieve environmental protection goals need to be accompanied by enhanced efforts to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to achieve climate change mitigation in line with the Paris Agreement.

Visual Sensor with Host-Guest Specific Recognition and Light-Electrical Co-Controlled Switch.

Perception of UV radiation has important applications in medical health, industrial production, electronic communication, etc. In numerous application scenarios, there is an increasing demand for the intuitive and low-cost detection of UV radiation through colorimetric visual behavior, as well as the efficient and multi-functional utilization of UV radiation. However, photodetectors based on photoconductive modes or photosensitive colorimetric materials are not conducive to portable or multi-scene applications owing to their complex and expensive photosensitive components, potential photobleaching, and single-stimulus response behavior. Here, a multifunctional visual sensor based on the "host-guest photo-controlled permutation" strategy and the "lock and key" model is developed. The host-guest specific molecular recognition and electrochromic sensing platform is integrated at the micro-molecular scale, enabling multi-functional and multi-scene applications in the convenient and fast perception of UV radiation, military camouflage, and information erasure at the macro level of human-computer interaction through light-electrical co-controlled visual switching characteristics. This light-electrical co-controlled visual sensor based on an optoelectronic multi-mode sensing system is expected to provide new ideas and paradigms for healthcare, microelectronics manufacturing, and wearable electronic devices owing to its advantages of signal visualization, low energy consumption, low cost, and versatility.

A Statovirus-like virus from respiratory tracts of patients, China.

The emerging evidence of human infections with emerging viruses suggests their potential public health importance. A novel taxon of viruses named Statoviruses (for stool-associated Tombus-like viruses) was recently identified in the gastrointestinal tracts of multiple mammals. Here we report the discovery of respiratory Statovirus-like viruses (provisionally named Restviruses) from the respiratory tracts of five patients experiencing acute respiratory disease with Human coronavirus OC43 infection through the retrospective analysis of meta-transcriptomic data. Restviruses shared 53.1%-98.8% identities of genomic sequences with each other and 39.9%-44.3% identities with Statoviruses. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that Restviruses together with a Stato-like virus from nasal-throat swabs of Vietnamese patients with acute respiratory disease, formed a well-supported clade distinct from the taxon of Statoviruses. However, the consistent genome characteristics of Restviruses and Statoviruses suggested that they might share similar evolutionary trajectories. These findings warrant further studies to elucidate the etiological and epidemiological significance of the emerging Restviruses.

Super-resolution terahertz imaging based on a meta-waveguide.

A terahertz metamaterial waveguide (meta-waveguide) and a meta-waveguide-based lens-free imaging system are presented. The meta-waveguide not only inherits the low-loss transmission performance of a waveguide but also breaks through the diffraction limit under the action of the metamaterial, achieving subwavelength focusing. The focusing distance is far greater than the Rayleigh length, thus enabling far-field scanning imaging. For verification, a metal ring-based meta-waveguide was fabricated by 3D printing and metal cladding technology. Then, a transmission scanning imaging system working at 0.1 THz was built. High quality terahertz images with a resolution of 1/3 of the wavelength were obtained by placing the imaging targets at the focus and performing two-dimensional scanning. The focusing and transmission of terahertz wave in the meta-waveguide were simulated and analyzed.

A pentavalent peptide vaccine elicits Aß and tau antibodies with prophylactic activity in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

Amyloid-ß (Aß) and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are targets for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) immunotherapies, which are generally focused on single epitopes within Aß or tau. However, due to the complexity of both Aß and tau in AD pathogenesis, a multipronged approach simultaneously targeting multiple epitopes of both proteins could overcome limitations of monotherapies. Herein, we propose an active AD immunotherapy based on a nanoparticle vaccine comprising two Aß peptides (1-14 and pyroglutamate pE3-14) and three tau peptides (centered on phosphorylated pT181, pT217 and pS396/404). These correspond to both soluble and aggregated targets and are displayed on the surface of immunogenic liposomes in an orientation that maintains reactivity with epitope-specific monoclonal antibodies. Intramuscular immunization of mice with individual epitopes resulted in minimally cross-reactive antibody induction, while simultaneous co-display of 5 antigens ("5-plex") induced antibodies against all epitopes without immune interference. Post-immune sera recognized plaques and neurofibrillary tangles from human AD brain tissue. Vaccine administration to 3xTg-AD mice using a prophylactic dosing schedule inhibited tau and amyloid pathologies and resulted in improved cognitive function. Immunization was well tolerated and did not induce antigen-specific cellular responses or persistent inflammatory responses in the peripheral or central nervous system. Antibody levels could be reversed by halting monthly vaccinations. Altogether, these results indicate that active immune therapies based on nanoparticle formulations of multiple Aß and tau epitopes warrant further study for treating early-stage AD.

Bacterial and clinical metabolic signatures and their interactions in obese patients post-bariatric surgery.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing health concern in China, closely linked to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG) is effective in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic outcomes. Emerging evidence highlights the role of gut microbiota in metabolic regulation, yet the specific alterations in gut microbiota and their association with metabolic changes post-surgery in Chinese patients remain unclear. Understanding these shifts could provide key insights into optimizing treatment strategies for metabolic improvement following bariatric surgery. METHODS: Stool samples and clinical data were collected from 30 obese patients before and 6 months after surgery. The composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed through 16S rRNA sequencing, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to determine the association between gut microbiota and clinical indicators. RESULTS: The analysis of 30 patients showed a significant decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) (36.75 ± 4.09 kg/m2 vs 26.37 ± 3.47 kg/m2, p < 0.0001). Glucose metabolism, including Hemoglobin A1C levels, improved significantly (6.05 ± 0.96 vs 5.05 ± 0.25, p < 0.0001), and liver function as well as serum lipid levels were also notably improved. LSG increased the richness and composition of gut microbiota in obese patients post-surgery. These changes in gut microbiota were closely associated with improved clinical metabolic parameters. CONCLUSION: LSG not only significantly reduces body weight while also alleviating metabolic syndrome and comorbidities by altering gut microbiota.

A Visible Light Responsive Smart Covalent Organic Framework with a Bridged Azobenzene Backbone.

Condensation of 3,3'-diamino-2,2'-ethylene-bridged azobenzene with 1,2,4,5-tetrakis-(4-formylphenyl) benzene produces a visible light responsive porous 2D covalent organic framework, COF-bAzo-TFPB, with a large surface area, good crystallinity, and thermal and chemical stability. The results demonstrate that the elaborated designed linker can make azo unit on the COF-bAzo-TFPB skeleton undergo reversible photoisomerization. This work expands the application scope of covalent organic frameworks in photo-controlled release, uptake of guest molecules, dynamic photoswitching, and UV-sensitive functions.

Increase of respiratory illnesses among children in Beijing, China, during the autumn and winter of 2023.

In 2023, through an ongoing respiratory pathogen surveillance system, we observed from mid-September onwards, an increase of respiratory illness among children aged ≤ 15 years presenting at hospital outpatient clinics in Beijing, China. Data indicated that illness was caused by multiple pathogens, predominantly Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Seasonality, periodicity and high prevalence of resistance to macrolide (30 of 30 strains sequenced with the A2063G mutation) were important characteristics of the M. pneumoniae epidemic, which resulted in a rise in consultations at specialised paediatric hospitals.

The impact of large-scale ecological restoration projects on trade-offs/synergies and clusters of ecosystem services.

Understanding the relationships between ecosystem services (ES) and the factors driving their changes over long periods and multiple scales is key for landscape managers in decision-making. However, the widespread implementation of restoration programs has led to significant ES changes, with trade-offs across space and time that have been little explored empirically, making it challenging to provide effective experience for managers. We quantified changes and interactions among five ES across various stages of the Grain-to-Green Program in the eastern Loess Plateau, examining these dynamics at threefold spatial scales. We observed notable increases in soil retention and Net Ecosystem Production but declines in habitat quality and Landscape aesthetics under afforestation. Over time, and with more integrated restoration strategies, synergies between ES pairs weakened, and non-correlations (even trade-offs) increased. To avoid unnecessary trade-offs, we recommend incorporating socio-ecological factors driving ES changes and ES bundles, informed by empirical experience, into proactive spatial planning and environmental management strategies for multi-ES objectives. The temporal lags and spatial trade-offs highlighted by this study offer crucial insights for large-scale restoration programs worldwide.

Genome sequencing reveals molecular epidemiological characteristics and new recombinations of adenovirus in Beijing, China, 2014-2019.

To investigate the molecular epidemiological characteristics and genetic variations of human adenovirus (HAdV) in acute respiratory tract infections in Beijing. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were performed for 83 strains of HAdV with different types in Beijing from 2014 to 2019. The clinical characteristics of HAdV infection were analyzed statistically. HAdV-B was divided into four genotypes, including B3 (n = 11), B7 (n = 13), B14 (n = 4), and B55 (n = 2). HAdV-C was divided into three genotypes, including C1 (n = 14), C2 (n = 13), and C5 (n = 10). In HAdV-C, nine recombinant adenovirus strains were identified in type 1, and seven recombinant strains were found in type 2. In type 1, we found three newly emerged intraspecific recombinant strains (A47, A48, and A52) collected in 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. In addition, the previously reported recombinant strains of HAdV-C1 showed more severe disease than other strains of HAdV-C, causing severe community-acquired pneumonia in both the elderly and children. Continuous population-wide molecular epidemiological surveillance of HAdV is essential for the prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases.

Continuous evolution and emerging lineage of seasonal human coronaviruses: A multicenter surveillance study.

The seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoVs) have zoonotic origins, repeated infections, and global transmission. The objectives of this study are to elaborate the epidemiological and evolutionary characteristics of HCoVs from patients with acute respiratory illness. We conducted a multicenter surveillance at 36 sentinel hospitals of Beijing Metropolis, China, during 2016-2019. Patients with influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) were included, and submitted respiratory samples for screening HCoVs by multiplex real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays. All the positive samples were used for metatranscriptomic sequencing to get whole genomes of HCoVs for genetical and evolutionary analyses. Totally, 321 of 15 677 patients with ILI or SARI were found to be positive for HCoVs, with an infection rate of 2.0% (95% confidence interval, 1.8%-2.3%). HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and HCoV-HKU1 infections accounted for 18.7%, 38.3%, 40.5%, and 2.5%, respectively. In comparison to ILI cases, SARI cases were significantly older, more likely caused by HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43, and more often co-infected with other respiratory pathogens. A total of 179 full genome sequences of HCoVs were obtained from 321 positive patients. The phylogenetical analyses revealed that HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43 continuously yielded novel lineages, respectively. The nonsynonymous to synonymous ratio of all key genes in each HCoV was less than one, indicating that all four HCoVs were under negative selection pressure. Multiple substitution modes were observed in spike glycoprotein among the four HCoVs. Our findings highlight the importance of enhancing surveillance on HCoVs, and imply that more variants might occur in the future.

Terahertz super-resolution imaging based on a confocal waveguide and a slider-crank scanning mechanism.

Due to the limitation of Abbe diffraction limit, the traditional terahertz (THz) continuous wave imaging methods based on lenses or mirrors are difficult to achieve super-resolution. Here we present a confocal waveguide scanning method for THz reflective super-resolution imaging. In the method, a low loss THz hollow waveguide is used to replace the traditional terahertz lens or parabolic mirror. Through optimizing the size of the waveguide, we can achieve far field subwavelength focusing at 0.1THz and achieve super-resolution terahertz imaging. In addition, a slider-crank high-speed scanning mechanism is used in the scanning system, and the imaging speed is more than 10 times faster than the traditional step scanning system based on linear guides.

Multi-functional terahertz metamaterials based on nano-imprinting.

This paper reports a multi-functional terahertz (THz) metamaterial based on a nano-imprinting method. The metamaterial is composed of four layers: 4 L resonant layer, dielectric layer, frequency selective layer, and dielectric layer. The 4 L resonant structure can achieve broadband absorption, while the frequency selective layer can achieve transmission of specific band. The nano-imprinting method combines electroplating of nickel mold and printing of silver nano-particle ink. Using this method, the multilayer metamaterial structures can be fabricated on ultrathin flexible substrates to achieve visible light transparency. For verification, a THz metamaterial with broadband absorption in low frequency and efficient transmission in high frequency is designed and printed. The sample's thickness is about 200 µm and area is 65 × 65 mm2. Moreover, a fiber-based multi-mode terahertz time-domain spectroscopy system was built to test its transmission and reflection spectra. The results are consistent with the expectations.

Discovery of intrinsic ferromagnetism in two-dimensional van der Waals crystals.

The realization of long-range ferromagnetic order in two-dimensional van der Waals crystals, combined with their rich electronic and optical properties, could lead to new magnetic, magnetoelectric and magneto-optic applications. In two-dimensional systems, the long-range magnetic order is strongly suppressed by thermal fluctuations, according to the Mermin-Wagner theorem; however, these thermal fluctuations can be counteracted by magnetic anisotropy. Previous efforts, based on defect and composition engineering, or the proximity effect, introduced magnetic responses only locally or extrinsically. Here we report intrinsic long-range ferromagnetic order in pristine Cr2Ge2Te6 atomic layers, as revealed by scanning magneto-optic Kerr microscopy. In this magnetically soft, two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet, we achieve unprecedented control of the transition temperature (between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states) using very small fields (smaller than 0.3 tesla). This result is in contrast to the insensitivity of the transition temperature to magnetic fields in the three-dimensional regime. We found that the small applied field leads to an effective anisotropy that is much greater than the near-zero magnetocrystalline anisotropy, opening up a large spin-wave excitation gap. We explain the observed phenomenon using renormalized spin-wave theory and conclude that the unusual field dependence of the transition temperature is a hallmark of soft, two-dimensional ferromagnetic van der Waals crystals. Cr2Ge2Te6 is a nearly ideal two-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnet and so will be useful for studying fundamental spin behaviours, opening the door to exploring new applications such as ultra-compact spintronics.

The Efficacy and Safety of Telerehabilitation for Fibromyalgia: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by persistent and widespread musculoskeletal pain. Telerehabilitation is a promising treatment for patients with fibromyalgia through long-term monitoring, intervention, supervision, consultation, and education. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to perform a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of telerehabilitation in patients with fibromyalgia. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to fibromyalgia and telerehabilitation were systematically searched in the PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases from inception to November 13, 2022. Two independent researchers screened the literatures and evaluated the methodological quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The outcome measures included the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire scale, pain intensity, depression, pain catastrophizing, quality of life (QoL), and adverse events. Pooled effect sizes were calculated by Stata SE 15.1; a fixed effects model was used when I2<50%, whereas a random effects model was used when I2≥50%. RESULTS: A total of 14 RCTs with 1242 participants were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results indicated that the telerehabilitation improved the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire score (weighted mean difference -8.32, 95% CI -11.72 to -4.91; P<.001), pain intensity (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.62, 95% CI -0.76 to -0.47; P<.001), depression levels (SMD -0.42, 95% CI -0.62 to -0.22; P<.001), pain catastrophizing (weighted mean difference -5.81, 95% CI -9.40 to -2.23; P=.001), and QoL (SMD 0.32, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.47; P<.001) in patients with fibromyalgia compared to control interventions. Only 1 RCT reported a mild adverse event of telerehabilitation; the other 13 RCTs did not mention this. CONCLUSIONS: Telerehabilitation can improve the symptoms and QoL of fibromyalgia. However, the safety of telerehabilitation remains uncertain due to the lack of sufficient evidence for the management of fibromyalgia. More rigorously designed trials are needed in the future to verify the safety and efficacy of telerehabilitation in fibromyalgia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42022338200; https://tinyurl.com/322keukv.

Advances in spring leaf phenology are mainly triggered by elevated temperature along the rural-urban gradient in Beijing, China.

Urbanization-induced phenological changes have received considerable attention owing to their implications for determining urban ecosystem productivity and predicting the response of plants and ecosystem carbon cycles to future climate change. However, inconsistent rural-urban gradients in plant phenology remain, and phenological drivers other than temperature are poorly understood. In this study, we simultaneously observed the micro-climate and spring leaf phenology of seven woody plant species at 13 parks along a rural-urban gradient in Beijing, China. The minimum (Tmin) and mean (Tmean) air temperature and the minimum (VPDmin) and mean (VPDmean) vapor pressure deficit increased significantly along the rural-urban gradient, but the maximum air temperature (Tmax) and maximum vapor pressure deficit (VPDmax) did not. All observed leaf phenological phases for the seven species were significantly advanced along the rural-urban gradient by 0.20 to 1.02 days/km. Advances in the occurrence of leaf phenological events were significantly correlated with increases in Tmean (accounting for 57-59% variation), Tmin (21-26%), VPDmin (12-16%), and VPDmean (3-5%), but not with changes in Tmax or VPDmax. Advances in spring leaf phenology along the rural-urban gradient differed between non-native species and native species and between shrubs and trees. The reason may be mainly that the sensitivities of spring leaf phenology to micro-climate differ with species origin and growth form. This study highlights that urbanization-induced increases in Tmean and Tmin are the major contributors to advances in spring leaf phenology along the rural-urban gradient, exerting less influence on native species than on non-native species.

Optimization of Three Extraction Methods and Their Effect on the Structure and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides in Dendrobium huoshanense.

Dendrobium huoshanense is a famous edible and medicinal herb, and polysaccharides are the main bioactive component in it. In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) combined with a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to optimize the enzyme-assisted extraction (EAE), ultrasound-microwave-assisted extraction (UMAE), and hot water extraction (HWE) conditions and obtain the polysaccharides named DHP-E, DHP-UM, and DHP-H. The effects of different extraction methods on the physicochemical properties, structure characteristics, and bioactivity of polysaccharides were compared. The differential thermogravimetric curves indicated that DHP-E showed a broader temperature range during thermal degradation compared with DHP-UM and DHP-H. The SEM results showed that DHP-E displayed an irregular granular structure, but DHP-UM and DHP-H were sponge-like. The results of absolute molecular weight indicated that polysaccharides with higher molecular weight detected in DHP-H and DHP-UM did not appear in DHP-E due to enzymatic degradation. The monosaccharide composition showed that DHPs were all composed of Man, Glc, and Gal but with different proportions. Finally, the glycosidic bond types, which have a significant effect on bioactivity, were decoded with methylation analysis. The results showed that DHPs contained four glycosidic bond types, including Glcp-(1→, →4)-Manp-(1→, →4)-Glcp-(1→, and →4,6)-Manp-(1→ with different ratios. Furthermore, DHP-E exhibited better DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities. These findings could provide scientific foundations for selecting appropriate extraction methods to obtain desired bioactivities for applications in the pharmaceutical and functional food industries.

Targeting HNRNPU to overcome cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: The overall response of cisplatin-based chemotherapy in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC) remains unsatisfactory due to the complex pathological subtypes, genomic difference, and drug resistance. The genes that associated with cisplatin resistance remain unclear. Herein, we aimed to identify the cisplatin resistance associated genes in BUC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The cytotoxicity of cisplatin was evaluated in six bladder cancer cell lines to compare their responses to cisplatin. The T24 cancer cells exhibited the lowest sensitivity to cisplatin and was therefore selected to explore the mechanisms of drug resistance. We performed genome-wide CRISPR screening in T24 cancer cells in vitro, and identified that the gene heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein U (HNRNPU) was the top candidate gene related to cisplatin resistance. Epigenetic and transcriptional profiles of HNRNPU-depleted cells after cisplatin treatment were analyzed to investigate the relationship between HNRNPU and cisplatin resistance. In vivo experiments were also performed to demonstrate the function of HNRNPU depletion in cisplatin sensitivity. RESULTS: Significant correlation was found between HNRNPU expression level and sensitivity to cisplatin in bladder cancer cell lines. In the high HNRNPU expressing T24 cancer cells, knockout of HNRNPU inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. In addition, loss of HNRNPU promoted apoptosis and S-phase arrest in the T24 cells treated with cisplatin. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) demonstrated that HNRNPU expression was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues. High HNRNPU level was negatively correlated with patient survival. Transcriptomic profiling analysis showed that knockout of HNRNPU enhanced cisplatin sensitivity by regulating DNA damage repair genes. Furthermore, it was found that HNRNPU regulates chemosensitivity by affecting the expression of neurofibromin 1 (NF1). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that HNRNPU expression is associated with cisplatin sensitivity in bladder urothelial carcinoma cells. Inhibition of HNRNPU could be a potential therapy for cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer.

Short-wave infrared computed tomography.

We demonstrate a short-wave infrared computed tomography method. It uses a fiber-coupled 1.44µm super-luminescent diode as light source, a PbSe photodiode as infrared detector, and an electronically controlled rotation and translation stage for high-speed Radon scanning. It is a safe and low power nondestructive testing method that can be used for the detection of plastic polymers, biological tissue and other materials that visible light cannot penetrate. We analyze the theoretical resolution of the method and build a short-wave infrared computed tomography system, which realizes the tomography and 3D reconstruction of black plastic bottles and artificial blood vessels. The measured resolution reaches10µm.

Magnon-atom-optical photon entanglement via the microwave photon-mediated Raman interaction.

We show that it is possible to generate magnon-atom-optical photon tripartite entanglement via the microwave photon-mediated Raman interaction. Magnons in a macroscopic ferromagnet and optical photons in a cavity are induced into a Raman interaction with an atomic spin ensemble when a microwave field couples the magnons to one Raman wing. The controllable magnon-atom entanglement, magnon-optical photon entanglement, and even genuine magnon-atom-optical photon tripartite entanglement can be generated simultaneously. In addition, these bipartite and tripartite entanglements are robust against the environment temperature. Our scheme paves the way for exploring a quantum interface bridging the microwave and optical domains, and may provide a promising building block for hybrid quantum networks.