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The aim of the study was to identify gut microbiota (GM) with genetic causal effects on insomnia using Mendelian randomization (MR) and predict potential traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for GM-targeted intervention in insomnia. Summary data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on GM and insomnia were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS database. The R 4.4.1 software, particularly the TwoSampleMR package, was utilized to assess the genetic correlation between GM and insomnia, primarily using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Functional enrichment analysis was conducted on the genes adjacent to the instrumental variables to explore the signaling pathways through which related GM may mediate insomnia. The CTD and Coremine databases were combined to predict TCM with potential regulatory effects on the genes adjacent to the instrumental variables, and their properties, meridian tropism, and efficacy information were compiled. The MR analysis revealed that Ruminococcaceae and Marvinbryantia were associated with an increased risk of insomnia, while Pasteurellaceae, Olsenella, the Ruminococcus gnavus group, Mollicutes RF9, and Pasteurellales were associated with a decreased risk. The genes adjacent to the instrumental variables were mainly enriched in signaling pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Representative TCM with high mapping frequencies included Panax ginseng, Curcuma aromatica, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix, Zingiber officinale, Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Aucklandiae Radix, Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, Ganoderma lucidum, and Poria cocos. The MR analysis identified seven GM, represented by Ruminococcaceae and Marvinbryantia, that may mediate the occurrence and development of insomnia through signaling pathways such as mTOR and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. It predicted potential traditional Chinese medicines that act on GM to intervene in insomnia. This study provided a reference for exploring TCM prevention and treatment strategies for insomnia from the perspective of GM.

Objective In this study, we investigated the changes in peripheral blood inflammatory factors and intestinal flora in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals (AIDS/HIV patients), and explored the relationships among intestinal flora, peripheral blood inflammatory factors, and CD4 + T lymphocytes. Methods Thirty blood and stool samples from an AIDS group and a control group were collected. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the number of CD4 + T lymphocytes by a FACSCount automated instrument. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to determine the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of Bifidobacterium , Lactobacillus , Escherichia coli , Enterococcus faecalis , and Enterococcus faecium . Correlations among intestinal flora, inflammatory factor levels, and CD4 + T lymphocyte values were evaluated using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results The levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the AIDS group were higher than those in the control group, while the number of CD4 + T lymphocytes was lower. The amounts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the AIDS group were significantly lower than those in control group, while the amounts of E. coli , E. faecalis , and E. faecium were much higher. The amounts of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus were negatively correlated with the content of TNF-α and IL-6 and the CD4 + T lymphocyte count, while those correlations were reversed for E. coli , E. faecalis , and E. faecium . Conclusions The intestinal microbiota of AIDS/HIV patients were disordered, and there was a correlation between the amount of intestinal flora and the number of CD4 + T lymphocytes and the levels of TNF-α and IL-6.

The intensification of extreme heat events is a potent thermal disturbance that can trigger abrupt permafrost degradation. However, a systematic understanding of their spatiotemporal variation across the permafrost region of the Northern Hemisphere (PRONH) is lacking, hindering predictions of regional-scale responses and climate feedback tipping points. In this study, six indices are systematically employed to analyse the historical spatiotemporal variations (1991–2020) of extreme heat events in the PRONH and to project their future changes (2021–2100) under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5), particularly across four permafrost types. The results indicate that the increasing trends of warm day (TA95p; 2.95 ± 0.56 d per decade), warmer day (TX95p; 3.20 ± 0.59 d per decade), warmest day (TXx; 0.35 ± 0.12 °C per decade), heatwave intensity (2.67 ± 0.96 °C per decade), heatwave frequency (0.23 ± 0.05 events per decade) and heatwave duration (0.54 ± 0.44 d per decade) were significant (p < 0.05) during 1991–2020. Under SSP5-8.5, the Arctic and Tibetan Plateau are projected to experience 150–200 d TX95p annually, making such events routine by the late 21st century (2076–2100). Under the same scenario, continuous permafrost regions are projected to face the most severe exposure, with TX95p reaching 148 ± 24 d annually, whereas the discontinuous (134 ± 23 d), sporadic (130 ± 22 d) and isolated (109 ± 19 d) permafrost regions are expected to experience fewer extreme heat events. However, their fragmented distributions render them particularly vulnerable and heighten the risk of degradation. This study underscores the urgent need to integrate these extreme heat events into permafrost vulnerability assessments and climate adaptation strategies.

A thermodynamic model for calculating the phosphorus distribution ratio between top–bottom combined blown converter steelmaking slags and molten steel has been developed by coupling with a developed thermodynamic model for calculating mass action concentrations of structural units in the slags, i.e. , CaO-SiO 2 -MgO-FeO-Fe 2 O 3 -MnO-Al 2 O 3 -P 2 O 5 slags, based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). Not only the total phosphorus distribution ratio but also the respective phosphorus distribution ratio among four basic oxides as components, i.e. , CaO, MgO, FeO, and MnO, in the slags and molten steel can be predicted theoretically by the developed IMCT phosphorus distribution ratio prediction model after knowing the oxygen activity of molten steel at the slag–metal interface or the Fe t O activity in the slags and the related mass action concentrations of structural units or ion couples in the slags. The calculated mass action concentrations of structural units or ion couples in the slags equilibrated or reacted with molten steel show that the calculated equilibrium mole numbers or mass action concentrations of structural units or ion couples, rather than the mass percentage of components, can present the reaction ability of the components in the slags. The predicted total phosphorus distribution ratio by the developed IMCT model shows a reliable agreement with the measured phosphorus distribution ratio by using the calculated mass action concentrations of iron oxides as presentation of slag oxidation ability. Meanwhile, the developed thermodynamic model for calculating the phosphorus distribution ratio can determine quantitatively the respective dephosphorization contribution ratio of Fe t O, CaO + Fe t O, MgO + Fe t O, and MnO + Fe t O in the slags. A significant difference of dephosphorization ability among Fe t O, CaO + Fe t O, MgO + Fe t O, and MnO + Fe t O has been found as approximately 0.0 pct, 99.996 pct, 0.0 pct, and 0.0 pct during a combined blown converter steelmaking process, respectively. There is a great gradient of oxygen activity of molten steel at the slag–metal interface and in a metal bath when carbon content in a metal bath is larger than 0.036 pct. The phosphorus in molten steel beneath the slag–metal interface can be extracted effectively by the comprehensive effect of CaO and Fe t O in slags to form 3CaO·P 2 O 5 and 4CaO·P 2 O 5 until the carbon content is less than 0.036 pct during a top–bottom combined blown steelmaking process.

It was found that melatonin and its derivatives, such as N-acetyl- 5-methoxytryptamine (MT), N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine (NAS), 5-Methoxytrypt- amine (5-MT), 5-Methoxyindolyl acetic acid (5-MIAA) and N-acetyl-5-methoxy- 6-hydroxytryptamine (6-HMT) would give chemiluminescence in the acidic potassium permanganate solution, and formaldehyde would enhance this chemiluminescent reaction greatly. The optimum conditions for this chemiluminescent reaction were studied in detail by a flow injection system. A new simple rapid method has been developed under the optimum conditions for determination of melatonin. This method has the advantages of high sensitivity, wide range of linear response and low detection limit. On the basis of investigation of chemiluminescent, fluorescent and UV spectra of melatonin in acidic solution containing potassium permanganate and formaldehyde, a possible mechanism of this reaction was proposed.

A new method for sloshing simulation in a sway tank is present, in which the two phase interface is treated as a physical discontinuity, which can be captured by a well-designed high order scheme. Based on Normalized Variable Diagram (NVD), a high order discretization scheme with unstructured grids is realized, together with a numerical method for free surface flow with a fixed grid. This method is implemented in an in-house code General Transport Equation Analyzer (GTEA) which is an unstructured grids finite volume solver. The present method is first validated by available analytical solutions. A simulation for a 2-D rectangular tank at different excitation frequencies of the sway is carried out. A comparison with experimental data in literature and results obtained by commercial software CFX shows that the sloshing load on the monitor points agrees well with the experimental data, with the same grids, and the present method gives better results on the secondary peak. It is shown that the present method can simulate the free surface overturning and breakup phenomena.

A thermodynamic model for predicting the phosphate capacity of CaO-SiO 2 -MgO-FeO-Fe 2 O 3 -MnO-Al 2 O 3 -P 2 O 5 slags at the steelmaking endpoint during an 80-ton top–bottom combined blown converter steelmaking process has been developed based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). The phosphate capacity has a close relationship with the phosphate capacity index, whereas the logarithm of phosphate capacity is 12.724 greater than that of phosphate capacity index at 1873 K (1600 °C). The developed phosphate capacity prediction model can be also used to predict the phosphate capacity index with reliable accuracy compared with the measured and the predicted phosphate capacity index of the slags by other models in literatures. The results from the IMCT phosphate capacity prediction model show that the comprehensive effects of iron oxides and basic components control the dephosphorization reaction with an optimal ratio of (pct FeO)/(pct Fe 2 O 3 ) as 0.62. The determined contribution ratio of Fe t O, CaO + Fe t O, MgO + Fe t O, and MnO + Fe t O to the phosphate capacity or phosphate capacity index of the slags is approximately 0.0 pct, 99.996 pct, 0.0 pct, and 0.0 pct, respectively. The generated 2CaO·P 2 O 5 , 3CaO·P 2 O 5 , and 4CaO·P 2 O 5 as products of dephosphorization reactions accounts for 0.016 pct, 96.01 pct, and 3.97 pct of the phosphate capacity or phosphate capacity index of the slags, respectively.

As one of the earliest species used in dendrochronological studies, Larix responds sensitively to climate change. In this study, nine larch species and one variety from eleven sites were collected to study the growth characteristics of tree-ring width using dendrochronological methods. Ten residual tree-ring chronologies were developed to analyze their relationships with regional standardized anomaly series by Pearson’s correlation analysis. The results suggest that most of the chronologies had significantly positive correlations with the mean temperature and mean maximum temperature in May. The spring temperature evidently limited the radial growth of the larch species without precipitation control. The largest mean tree-ring width was found in Himalayan Larch in Jilong, whereas Master Larch in Si’er reflected the smallest mean value. Both species presented little climate information in this study. Chinese, Potanin, and Tibetan larches are significantly correlated with climate change, implying a huge potential for climate history reconstruction. The elevation of the sampling sites appears to be an important condition for tree-ring growth of larches responding to climate factors.

A thermodynamic model for predicting the phosphate capacity of CaO-SiO^sub 2^-MgO-FeO-Fe^sub 2^O^sub 3^-MnO-Al^sup 2^O^sub 3^-P^sub 2^O^sub 5^ slags at the steelmaking endpoint during an 80-ton top-bottom combined blown converter steelmaking process has been developed based on the ion and molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). The phosphate capacity has a close relationship with the phosphate capacity index, whereas the logarithm of phosphate capacity is 12.724 greater than that of phosphate capacity index at 1873 K (1600 °C). The developed phosphate capacity prediction model can be also used to predict the phosphate capacity index with rehable accuracy compared with the measured and the predicted phosphate capacity index of the slags by other models in literatures. The results from the IMCT phosphate capacity prediction model show that the comprehensive effects of iron oxides and basic components control the dephosphorization reaction with an optimal ratio of (pct FeO)/(pct Fe^sub 2^O^sub 3^) as 0.62. The determined contribution ratio of Fe^sub t^O, CaO + Fe^sub t^O, MgO + Fe^sub t^O, and MnO + Fe^sub t^O to the phosphate capacity or phosphate capacity index of the slags is approximately 0.0 pct, 99.996 pct, 0.0 pct, and 0.0 pct, respectively. The generated 2CaO*P^sub 2^O^sub 5^, 3CaO*P^sub 2^O^sub 5^, and 4CaO*P^sub 2^O^sub 5^ as products of dephosphorization reactions accounts for 0.016 pct, 96.01 pct, and 3.97 pct of the phosphate capacity or phosphate capacity index of the slags, respectively.

Superplasticizers with various of length of side chains, density of the carboxylic (-COO-) and sulfonic groups (-SO3-) have been synthesized based on different monomers and ratios. The effects of these structural factors on the properties of cement pastes were investigated though measurements of paste fluidity, adsorption amount and Zeta potential (ζ-potential). The results indicated that the higher density of -COO- and -SO3- and the longer of polyoxyethylene (PEO) side chains contributed to the dispersion and adsorption amount of cement pastes in the presence of the same dosage of polycarbosylate superplasticizer. The results indicate that -COO- and -SO3- mainly provide electrostatic repulsion effects and PEO side chains contribute to the steric hindrance repulsion during the process of hydration of cement.