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pH plays a pivotal role in influencing various aspects of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions in electrochemical systems. These reactions are affected by pH in terms of mass transport, electrochemical double layer (EDL) structure, and surface adsorption energy, all of which impact the overall electrochemical processes. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the research progress made in elucidating the effects of pH on different electrochemical reactions, the hydrogen evolution reaction/hydrogen oxidation reaction (HER/HOR), oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction (ORR/OER), and carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR). To embark on this endeavor, we have conducted a bibliometric analysis to clearly outline of the research trends and advancements in the field concerning the pH effects. Subsequently, we present a systematic overview of the mechanisms governing these reactions, with a special focus on pH’s influence on both the proton and electron aspects. We conclude by discussing the current challenges in this area and suggesting future research avenues that could further our understanding of pH's role in electrochemical reactions. Graphical abstract

Aiming at the problems of low accuracy rate of transaction information mining, high error rate of identification of infringement risk of financial technology data transaction and long identification time in current data transaction infringement risk identification methods, a new rapid identification method of infringement risk in financial technology data transactions is proposed. The entropy of clustering is determined by using coverage density and weighted coverage density to mine the transaction information of financial technology data. The BP algorithm is used to train the T-S fuzzy neural network, and the financial technology data transaction information is input into the trained T-S fuzzy neural network to obtain the quick identification result of the infringement risk of financial technology data transaction. The experimental results show that this method has a high accuracy rate of fintech data transaction information mining, a low error rate of fintech data transaction infringement risk identification, and a short recognition time.

The subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) plays a crucial role in early embryonic development. Malfunction of SCMC leads to reproductive diseases in women. However, the molecular function and assembly basis for SCMC remain elusive. Here we reconstituted mouse SCMC and solved the structure at atomic resolution using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy. The core complex of SCMC was formed by MATER, TLE6 and FLOPED, and MATER embraced TLE6 and FLOPED via its NACHT and LRR domains. Two core complexes further dimerize through interactions between two LRR domains of MATERs in vitro. FILIA integrates into SCMC by interacting with the carboxyl-terminal region of FLOPED. Zygotes from mice with Floped C-terminus truncation showed delayed development and resembled the phenotype of zygotes from Filia knockout mice. More importantly, the assembly of mouse SCMC was affected by corresponding clinical variants associated with female reproductive diseases and corresponded with a prediction based on the mouse SCMC structure. Our study paves the way for further investigations on SCMC functions during mammalian preimplantation embryonic development and reveals underlying causes of female reproductive diseases related to SCMC mutations, providing a new strategy for the diagnosis of female reproductive disorders. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy and functional assays in mouse oocytes and embryos, the authors delineate the composition of the subcortical maternal complex, showing that clinical variants associated with female reproductive diseases disrupt complex formation.

NLRP14 is an essential maternal factor for mammalian embryonic development. Maternal ablation of NLRP14 in mice impairs DNA demethylation and calcium homeostasis in zygotes, causing early embryonic arrest. However, the underlying biochemical events remain largely unknown. Here, we identified two binding partners (KDM2A and UHRF1) of NLRP14 and further solved structures of NLRP14-KDM2A-SKP1 and NLRP14-UHRF1. Structural analysis revealed that NLRP14 modulates the SKP1-CUL1-F-box (SCF) E3 ubiquitin ligase and the RING-type E3 ubiquitin ligase UHRF1 through two distinct mechanisms. Mechanistically, NLRP14 competitively inhibits KDM2A-mediated SCF assembly or allosterically inhibits the activity of UHRF1 by occupying the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBE2D) binding site of the ubiquitin-like (UBL) domain. Deletion of NLRP14 in mice increases ubiquitination levels in oocytes during maturation and after fertilization. Collectively, our findings identify NLRP14 as a dual regulator that restrains E3 ubiquitin ligase-driven ubiquitination by limiting SCF complex assembly and attenuating UHRF1 activity. This regulatory role is required to prevent excessive protein ubiquitination and maintain proteostasis during the oocyte-to-embryo transition, thereby supporting early embryonic development. Our study uncovers maternal regulation of proteostasis in oocytes and suggests that dysregulating proteostasis is an important factor in the pathogenesis of reproductive disorders. The maternal effector NLRP14 regulates two E3 ubiquitin ligases via distinct mechanisms to prevent excessive ubiquitination and maintain protein homeostasis during the oocyte-to-embryo transition, thereby supporting successful early embryonic development.

Saline-alkali stress seriously affects the growth and development of crops. Sorghum bicolor (L.), a C4 plant, is an important cereal crop in the world, and its growth and geographical distribution are limited by alkali conditions. In this study, sorghum genotypes with different alkaline resistance (alkaline-sensitive Z1 and alkaline-tolerant Z14) were used as experimental materials to explore the effects of alkali on sorghum seedlings. RNA-seq technology was used to examine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in alkali-tolerant Z14 to reveal the molecular mechanism of sorghum response to alkali stress. The results showed that plant height, root length, and biomass of both cultivars decreased with time under 80 mM NaHCO3 treatment, but Z14 showed better water retention abilities. The photosynthetic fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll content also decreased, but the Fv/Fm, ETH, ΦPSII, and chlorophyll content of Z14 were significantly higher than those of Z1. The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased in both sorghum varieties under alkali stress, while the enzyme activities of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX were also significantly increased, especially in Z14, resulting in lower ROS compared with Z1. Transcriptome analysis revealed around 6000 DEGs in Z14 sorghum seedlings under alkali stress, among which 267 DEGs were expressed in all comparison groups. KEGG pathways were enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway, plant hormone signal transduction, and RNA transport. bHLHs, ERFs, NACs, MYBs, and other transcription factor families are actively involved in the response to alkali stress. A large number of genes involved in photosynthesis and the antioxidant system were found to be significantly activated under alkali stress. In the stress signal transduction cascades, Ca2+ signal transduction pathway-related genes were activated, about 23 PP2Cs in ABA signaling were upregulated, and multiple MAPK and other kinase-related genes were triggered by alkali stress. These findings will help decipher the response mechanism of sorghum to alkali stress and improve its alkali tolerance.

Background: Neurological disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a promising therapeutic tool for neurological disorders. However, a consensus on clinical recommendations for using tDCS in patients with neurological disorders is lacking. In this umbrella review, we aimed to establish evidence-based guidance for using tDCS to treat neurological disorders. Methods: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines 2020. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) were systematically searched to identify and evaluate existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the use of tDCS for neurological disorders. Quality was assessed using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR 2) and the Grades of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. The Hartung-Knapp-Sidik-Jonkman random effects model was employed for reanalysis. Results: A total of 17 systematic reviews and meta-analyses encompassing 358 randomized controlled trials and 7160 participants were analyzed. tDCS demonstrated efficacy across seven distinct health conditions, including stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebellar ataxia, fibromyalgia, disorders of consciousness, and migraine. Adverse effects were rarely reported, with the exception of mood changes associated with fibromyalgia. Our results indicated that tDCS significantly improved 34 distinct health outcomes related to these conditions. Conclusions: We found that tDCS may be a promising treatment for neurological disorders, with mild and infrequent adverse effects. Further studies are warranted to validate the therapeutic potential of tDCS in the reported neurological conditions, investigate additional neurological health outcomes, and explore the underlying mechanisms of tDCS effects. The PROSPERO Registration: CRD42024589432, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024589432.

The high-rise and high-density housing development in nearby industry relocations is a general urban sprawl phenomenon in fast-growing cities in Southern China. Aside from the low price, the improved air quality in the suburban area is always a reason for home buyers, but the consistent monitoring of air quality and knowledge about how to plan housing estates are lacking. This paper investigates the relationship between the housing morphology and the air quality in three housing estates in Shenzhen. This research utilizes on-site monitoring equipment to examine negative air ions (NAIs) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation to examine the air flow. This study reveals the effect of the urban form on the concentration of NAIs and PM2.5 in spatial variation. A correlation study between the configuration variables of the urban form and the CFD air flow pattern helps to identify the key variables influencing the air quality. This study concludes that in housing estates with good air quality of surroundings, the building density has no remarkable effect. However, the footprint of buildings, the layout of podiums, the roughness length of the building, the distance between buildings, the open space aspect ratio and the mean building height may have a remarkable impact on the air flow and quality. These findings may encourage high-density housing development and provide planning guidance for the configuration of housing forms in Southern China and subtropical climate regions around the world.

The functionally conserved subcortical maternal complex (SCMC) is essential for early embryonic development in mammals. Reproductive disorders caused by pathogenic variants in NLRP5, TLE6 and OOEP, three core components of the SCMC, have attracted much attention over the past several years. Evaluating the pathogenicity of a missense variant in the SCMC is limited by the lack of information on its structure, although we recently solved the structure of the mouse SCMC and proposed that reproductive disorders caused by pathogenic variants are related to the destabilization of the SCMC core complex. Here we report the cryogenic electron microscopy structure of the human SCMC and uncover that the pyrin domain of NLRP5 is essential for the stability of SCMC. By combining prediction of SCMC stability and in vitro reconstitution, we provide a method for identifying deleterious variants, and we successfully identify a new pathogenic variant of TLE6 (p.A396T). Thus, on the basis of the structure of the human SCMC, we offer a strategy for the diagnosis of reproductive disorders and the discovery of new infertility-associated variants. On the basis of the assembly mechanism and structures of the human subcortical maternal complex, the authors provide a strategy for the diagnosis of reproductive disorders and the discovery of new infertility-associated SCMC variants.

Pulsed electrolysis endowed merits of high current density, low energy consumption, and simple operation; thus, a booming in their publication numbers has been witnessed in recent years. In this review, we aim to summarize the state-of-the-art pulsed current/potential strategy to enhance electrochemical reactions, such as oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), CO2 reduction (CO2RR), CO reduction (COR), etc. It begins with historic analysis of pulsed electrolysis via a bibliometric method, aiming at providing a progress over the course of around 40 years in a quantitative way. Then, the definition along with its influence of electronic effect, double layer effect and mass transport have been reviewed based on a mechanism point of view for the first time. To sum up the review, several current challenges and future prospects of pulsed electrolysis have provided for the future smart design of electrochemical process.

Learning rate (LR) schedules in large language model (LLM) training often follow empirical templates: warm-up, constant plateau/stable phase, and decay (WSD). However, the mechanistic explanation for this strategy remains underexplored, and the choice of plateau height and decay schedule is largely heuristic. In this paper, we connect training dynamics to a thermodynamic analogy via the Mpemba effect - a phenomenon in which a hotter system cools faster than a colder one when quenched into the same bath. We analyze a class of \"valley-river\" loss landscapes, where sharp (valley) directions equilibrate quickly, while flatter (river) directions govern global descent. The Mpemba effect provides an explanation for the necessity of the warm-up phase and motivates a high plateau - rather than a low one - for accelerating loss decrease during decay. We show that for certain loss landscapes, there exists an optimal plateau learning rate - the \"strong Mpemba point\" - at which the slowest mode vanishes, resulting in faster convergence during the decay phase. We derive analytical conditions for its existence and estimate decay dynamics required to preserve the Mpemba advantage. Our minimal model and analysis offer a principled justification for plateau-based schedulers and provide guidance for tuning LR in LLMs with minimal hyperparameter sweep.