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Anthropogenic activities pose challenges on security of water quality. Identifying potential sources of pollution and quantifying their corresponding contributions are essential for water management and pollution control. In our study, 2-year (2017–2018) water quality dataset of 15 parameters from eight sampling sites in tributaries and mainstream of the Min River was analyzed with multivariate statistical analysis methods and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) receptor modeling technique to reveal potential sources of pollution and apportion their contributions. Temporal and spatial cluster analysis (CA) classified 12 months into three periods exactly consistent with dry, wet, and normal seasons, and eight monitoring sites into two regions, lightly polluted (LP) and highly polluted (HP) regions, based on different levels of pollution caused by physicochemical properties and anthropogenic activities. The principal component analysis (PCA) identified five latent factors accounting for 75.84% and 73.46% of the total variance in the LP and HP regions, respectively. The main pollution sources in the two regions included agricultural activities, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater discharge. APCS-MLR results showed that in the LP region, contribution of five potential pollution sources was ranked as agricultural non-point source pollution (22.13%) > seasonal effect and phytoplankton growth (19.86%) > leakage of septic tanks (15.73%) > physicochemical effect (12.86%) > industrial effluents and domestic sewage (11.59%), while in the HP region ranked as point source pollution from domestic and industrial discharges (20.81%) > municipal sewage (16.66%) > agricultural non-point source pollution (15.23%) > phytoplankton growth (14.82%) > natural and seasonal effects (12.67%). Based on the quantitative assessment of main pollution sources, the study can help policymakers to formulate strategies to improve water quality in different regions.

Identification of different pollution sources in groundwater is challenging, especially in areas with diverse land uses and receiving multiple inputs. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA) was combined with geographic information system (GIS) to explore the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater quality and to identify the sources of pollution and main factors governing the quality of groundwater in a multiple land-use area in southwestern China. Groundwater samples collected from 26 wells in 2012 and 38 wells in 2018 were analyzed for 13 water quality parameters. The PCA results showed that the hydro-geochemical process was the predominant factor determining groundwater quality, followed by agricultural activities, domestic sewage discharges, and industrial sewage discharges. Agriculture expansion from 2012 to 2018 resulted in increased apportionment of agricultural pollution. In contrast, economic restructure and infrastructure improvement reduced the contributions of domestic sewage and industrial pollution. Anthropogenic activities were found the major causes of elevated nitrogen concentrations (NO 3 − , NO 2 − , NH 4 + ) in groundwater, highlighting the necessity of controlling N sources through effective fertilizer managements in agricultural areas and reducing sewage discharges in urban areas. The applications of GIS and PCA successfully identified the sources of pollutants and major factors driving the variations of groundwater quality in tested years.

Port shipping collaboration is vital to greener, more resilient trade, yet decisions remain siloed and uncertain. This study develops a Bayesian network model grounded in empirical data from major Chinese ports, aiming to systematically analyze and enhance port shipping collaborative capacity. The methodology integrates expert knowledge and structural learning algorithms to construct a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG), representing complex multi-stakeholder interactions among port enterprises, shipping companies, customers, and governmental bodies. Through forward and backward probabilistic inference, the study quantifies how coordinated improvements yield substantial synergistic benefits. Five leverage points stand out: customer engagement in green supply chains, perceived service quality, port digital information integration, multilateral trading maturity, and strict policy enforcement. A newly revealed feedback loop between digital integration and enforcement extends Emerson et al.’s collaborative governance framework, highlighting “digital-era connectivity” as a critical governance dimension and offering managers a focused, evidence-based action agenda.

A 2-D CE-QUAL-W2 hydrodynamic and water quality model was established from 2008 to 2018 in Xiangxi Bay (XXB). The recently built upstream Xiluodu, Wudongde, Xiangjiaba and Beihtan dams have altered the ecohydrology of mainstream and tributaries, so nutrients regime during pre and post dam stages are comparatively investigated here. Although total phosphorus (TP) increased at the lower reach, eutrophication remained TP limited with few exceptions. Maximum supply from main stream, potential of water exchange on surface corresponding to increased overflow intrusion facilitated increased average total nitrogen (TN) at euphotic zone in XXB by 0.1, 0.3 and 0.6 mg/L respectively since 2014. Eutrophication and algal growth in XXB remained TP limited with few exceptions at the upper reach. Average TN increased by 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 mg/L at the upper, middle and lower reaches respectively in Late March since 2014 compared to those in early years. It increased by 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/L at the upper, middle and lower reaches in Early April since 2014. It increased by 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 mg/L at the upper, middle and lower reaches in mid April since 2014. It increased slightly at the upper reach, 0.6 mg/L at the middle reach and 0.9 mg/L at the lower reach during late April. It increased slightly at the upper reach and by 0.3 mg/L at the middle reach and by 0.5 mg/L at the lower reaches corresponding to either of the patterns. During mid May, it remained the same at the upper reach, decreased by 0.2 mg/L at the middle reach and 0.5 mg/L at the lower reach. During late May, it remained the same at the upper reach, decreased by 0.4 mg/L at the middle reach and 0.6 mg/L at the lower reaches. These statistics indicate average an increase in TN in spring except in late May .TN concentration was beyond danger limit sustaining and prolonging eutrophication status in spring. As overflow, interflow and upper interflow patterns are prevalent in random order so nutrients could not be predicted theoretically, however nutrients management from non-point sources and the main supplier Three Gorges Reservoir is advisable.

To address the lack of specialized seeding equipment and low manual seeding efficiency in rice plot breeding, this study developed an air suction precision seed-metering device for rice plot breeding, featuring automatic seed-switching and seed-clearing functions controlled by an STM32 microcontroller. Firstly, based on morphological analysis and MATLAB image processing, an active contour method was used to construct a suction hole model. Secondly, to meet the non-contaminated switching requirements between rice varieties, an electrically controlled seed-switching and seed-clearing mechanism was developed based on QR code-based precise recognition and positioning. Using 10 rice varieties as experimental materials, performance tests were conducted. The results showed that the seed-switching mechanism had single and cumulative errors under 0.4°, and the seed-clearing rate reached 100% with an average clearing time below 0.88 s. At a rotational speed of 20 r·min−1 and negative pressure of 3200 Pa, seed-filling performance was optimal for all rice varieties. Among them, the rice variety Nayou 6388 exhibited the best seed-filling performance, with a 0.8% missing seed rate, 97.6% single and double seed rate, and 1.6% multiple seed rate. In double-row coordinated tests, each seed-metering device independently completed seed switching and maintained synchronized operation, meeting agronomic requirements for accurate seed switching/clearing and precision seed filling in rice plot breeding.

[4] Since the majority of previous studies on monogenic diabetes have primarily focused on populations of European descent, particularly in pediatric groups, a lack of comprehensive understanding of the clinical and genetic architecture of MODY in Chinese patients constrains the development of relevant genetic services within the health care system. [...]in this multi-center study, we aimed to identify novel pathogenic variants in MODY genes in three cohorts from three centers, and thereby obtain essential information for effective implementation of risk assessment, genetic counseling, and personalized therapies for those with MODY in China. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines, 24 rare variants were categorized as pathogenic (P). According to the final variant classification, 25 P and 13 LP were identified in 56 patients, and defined as “Positive cases (N = 38)”, achieving a diagnostic rate of 18.5% (38/205) [Supplementary Figure 3A, http://links.lww.com/CM9/C343]. Additionally, 18 patients with VUS were defined as “VUS cases (N = 18)”, and the remaining 149 patients with no rare variants were defined as “Negative cases (N = 149)”. [...]seven patients had rare variants in two different MODY genes (KCNJ11 and FOXA2, HNF1A and ABCC8, GCK and INS, HNF4A and RFX6, APPL1 and RFX6, NEUROD1 and BLK, ABCC8 and ONECUT1) [Supplementary Table 4, http://links.lww.com/CM9/C343]. According to the ACMG guidelines, 10 rare variants were categorized as P, three as LP, and six as VUS [Supplementary Figure 3B and Supplementary Table 9, http://links.lww.com/CM9/C343].

Background Fruit size is a crucial economic trait that impacts the quality of jujube ( Ziziphus jujuba ), however, research in this area remains limited. This study utilized two jujube cultivars with similar genetic backgrounds but differing fruit sizes to investigate the regulatory mechanisms affecting fruit size through cytological observations, transcriptome sequencing, and heterologous overexpression. Results The findings reveal that variations in mesocarp cell numbers during early fruit development significantly influence final fruit size. Comparative transcriptome sequencing identified 16,778 differentially expressed genes across five developmental stages. Co-expression network analysis identified 16 co-expression modules. KEGG enrichment analysis of these modules indicated the significant role of plant hormone-related pathways in fruit development. A detailed analysis of the ‘sky blue’ module revealed candidate genes associated with the regulation of mesocarp cells, leading to the construction of a regulatory network. Heterologous overexpression of the candidate gene ZjZOG in tomato confirmed its positive role in fruit size enhancement. Transcriptomic analysis of these overexpression lines further validated the regulatory network and identified reliable candidate genes for fruit size control. Conclusion This study provides valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of fruit size, which may facilitate the breeding of larger jujube cultivars.

In this study, we comparatively study the microstructures and mechanical properties of prequenching—quenching and partitioning (QQ&P) and traditional Q&P samples at different annealing temperatures (intercritical annealing temperatures). When the annealing temperature is 780 °C, the ferrite and retained austenite in QQ&P samples with lath and blocky morphologies. The lath retained austenite is mainly distributed along the lath ferrite. As the annealing temperature increases, the lath ferrite recrystallizes and gradually grows into the blocky (equiaxed) shape, leading to a decrease in the lath retained austenite content. When the annealing temperature increases to 870 °C, the ferrite content decreases significantly, and the retained austenite is mainly blocky and thin film, distributed at the boundaries of prior austenite grains and between martensite laths, respectively. Different from QQ&P samples, the ferrite and retained austenite in Q&P samples are mainly blocky when the annealing temperature is 780 °C or 810 °C. When the annealing temperature is increased to 870 °C, the microstructures of the Q&P sample are basically the same as that of the QQ&P sample. The 780 °C-QQ&P sample and the 810 °C-QQ&P sample have higher total elongation and product of strength and elongations (PSEs) than their counterpart Q&P samples due to the fact that lath ferrite and retained austenite are conducive to carbon diffusion and carbon homogenization in austenite grains, thereby improving the thermal stability and volume fraction of the retained austenite. In addition, the lath structures can release local stress concentration and delay the formation of voids and microcracks. The difference of mechanical properties between QQ&P samples and Q&P samples decreases with the increase in the annealing temperature. The results show that the low annealing temperature combined with prequenching—Q&P heat treatments can significantly improve the elongation and PSE of Q&P steel.

The glucose-lowering drug metformin alters the composition of the gut microbiome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other diseases. Nevertheless, most studies on the effects of this drug have relied on fecal samples, which provide limited insights into its local effects on different regions of the gut. Using a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced mouse model of T2DM, we characterize the spatial variability of the gut microbiome and associated metabolome in response to metformin treatment. Four parts of the gut as well as the feces were analyzed using full-length sequencing of 16S rRNA genes and targeted metabolomic analyses, thus providing insights into the composition of the microbiome and associated metabolome. We found significant differences in the gut microbiome and metabolome in each gut region, with the most pronounced effects on the microbiomes of the cecum, colon, and feces, with a significant increase in a variety of species belonging to Akkermansiaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Tannerellaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae. Metabolomics analysis showed that metformin had the most pronounced effect on microbiome-derived metabolites in the cecum and colon, with several metabolites, such as carbohydrates, fatty acids, and benzenoids, having elevated levels in the colon; however, most of the metabolites were reduced in the cecum. Thus, a wide range of beneficial metabolites derived from the microbiome after metformin treatment were produced mainly in the colon. Our study highlights the importance of considering gut regions when understanding the effects of metformin on the gut microbiome and metabolome.

Myocardial injury reduction and recovery under acute cardiac stress are adversely impacted by insulin resistance (IR). We previously demonstrated that Rhodiola improved cardiac anti-stress capacity in mice. Thus, this study focuses on the preventive efficacy of Rhodiola on exhaustive exercise (EE)-induced myocardial injury of IR mice. An 8-week high-fat diet (HFD) model of IR mice was established. Rhodiola was administrated by garaging. After the 8-week intervention, half of the mice performed EE to simulate acute cardiac stress, and determine myocardial injury; The remaining mice were sacrificed following fasting to assess metabolic disorder. We found myocardial injury induced by EE in IR mice was worse and was alleviated by Rhodiola pre-conditioning. Further, the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-related antioxidant system was impaired by HFD, while mitochondrial dynamic fusion and fission were activated by HFD as a physiological protective compensation. The Rhodiola administration rescued Nrf2 impairment and further facilitated mitochondrial fusion and fission. All these results indicate that Rhodiola is a potential treatment for the prevention of cardiac events in type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome patients, and the Nrf2-related antioxidant activity and mitochondrial dynamics are the proposed mechanisms.