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The human has a very complex perception system, including vision, auditory, olfactory, touch, and gustation. This paper will introduce the recent studies about providing a technical solution for image recognition, by applying a algorithm called Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) which is inspired by animal visual system. Convolution serves as a perfect realization of an optic nerve cell which merely responds to its receptive field and it performs well in image feature extraction. Being highly-hierarchical networks, CNN is structured with a series of different functional layers. The function blocks are separated and described clearly by each layer in this paper. Additionally, the recognition process and result of a pioneering CNN on MNIST database are presented.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging type of crystalline and porous photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution, however, the overall water splitting activity of COFs is rarely known. In this work, we firstly realized overall water splitting activity of β -ketoamine COFs by systematically engineering N-sites, architecture, and morphology. By in situ incorporating sub-nanometer platinum (Pt) nanoparticles co-catalyst into the pores of COFs nanosheets, both Pt@TpBpy-NS and Pt@TpBpy-2-NS show visible-light-driven overall water splitting activity, with the optimal H 2 and O 2 evolution activities of 9.9 and 4.8 μmol in 5 h for Pt@TpBpy-NS, respectively, and a maximum solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of 0.23%. The crucial factors affecting the activity including N-sites position, nano morphology, and co-catalyst distribution were systematically explored. Further mechanism investigation reveals the tiny diversity of N sites in COFs that induces great differences in electron transfer as well as reaction potential barriers. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging type of crystalline and porous photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. Here, the authors report a β-ketoamine COF by systematically engineering N-sites, architecture, and morphology for improved water splitting activity.

Cell membranes are an intricate yet fragile interface that requires substrate support for stabilization. Upon cell death, disassembly of the cytoskeletal network deprives plasma membranes of mechanical support and leads to membrane rupture and disintegration. By assembling a network of synthetic hydrogel polymers inside the intracellular compartment using photo-activated crosslinking chemistry, we show that the fluid cell membrane can be preserved, resulting in intracellularly gelated cells with robust stability. Upon assessing several types of adherent and suspension cells over a range of hydrogel crosslinking densities, we validate retention of surface properties, membrane lipid fluidity, lipid order, and protein mobility on the gelated cells. Preservation of cell surface functions is further demonstrated with gelated antigen presenting cells, which engage with antigen-specific T lymphocytes and effectively promote cell expansion ex vivo and in vivo. The intracellular hydrogelation technique presents a versatile cell fixation approach adaptable for biomembrane studies and biomedical device construction. Cell membrane interface is mostly studied using synthetic bilayers and reconstituted cell membranes. Here the authors present a new cell fixation method in which the cytoskeleton is replaced by a synthetic hydrogel polymer network assembled inside the cell, thereby preserving the fluid membrane properties after cell death.

Natural and artificial cells are two common chassis in synthetic biology. Natural cells can perform complex tasks through synthetic genetic constructs, but their autonomous replication often causes safety concerns for biomedical applications. In contrast, artificial cells based on nonreplicating materials, albeit possessing reduced biochemical complexity, provide more defined and controllable functions. Here, for the first time, the authors create hybrid material‐cell entities termed Cyborg Cells. To create Cyborg Cells, a synthetic polymer network is assembled inside each bacterium, rendering them incapable of dividing. Cyborg Cells preserve essential functions, including cellular metabolism, motility, protein synthesis, and compatibility with genetic circuits. Cyborg Cells also acquire new abilities to resist stressors that otherwise kill natural cells. Finally, the authors demonstrate the therapeutic potential by showing invasion into cancer cells. This work establishes a new paradigm in cellular bioengineering by exploiting a combination of intracellular man‐made polymers and their interaction with the protein networks of living cells. Synthetic biology has made major strides toward creating programmable bio‐micromachines. Despite these efforts, current living synthetic cells are created primarily using genetic approaches, and they autonomously divide. Here, the authors show how assembling a man‐made polymer matrix inside bacteria creates semi‐living entities termed Cyborg Cells. The Cyborg Cells are programmable, do not divide, preserve essential cellular activities, and gain nonnative abilities.

As the petrochemical industry continues to advance, the exacerbation of ecological imbalance and environmental degradation due to petroleum pollution is increasingly pronounced. The synergistic interaction between plants and microorganisms are pivotal in the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons; however, the underlying degradation mechanisms are not yet fully understood. This study aims to contribute to understanding these mechanisms by employing a multi-omics approach, integrating transcriptomics, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and metabolomics, to analyze key differential genes, dominant microbial strains, and root-secreted metabolites involved in petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in alfalfa. Our findings revealed that several stress-related genes are upregulated in alfalfa contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbon. Moreover, Pseudomonas , Rhodococcus , and Brevundimonas were identified as dominant species in the rhizosphere microbiome. Metabolomics analysis identified pantothenic acid, malic acid, and ascorbic acid as critical metabolites that enhance hydrocarbon degradation. Application of pantothenic acid in oil-contaminated soil increased the degradation rate by approximately 10% compared to other treatments. These results highlight the potential of alfalfa-based phytoremediation strategies and offer a novel perspective for improving the efficiency of soil decontamination. Further research is needed to validate the scalability of these strategies for practical applications.

The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) plays a crucial role in cognitive-motor integration through its top-down regulation of the primary motor cortex (M1). However, the functional lateralization of the left and right DLPFC and the differences between intra-hemispheric and inter-hemispheric regulation of M1, particularly in populations with brain injury, remain controversial and insufficiently studied. This study aimed to systematically achieve the following four objectives using a dual-site paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) technique: (1) to evaluate the integrated regulatory effects of bilateral DLPFC on M1; (2) to compare the differences in regulatory effects between ipsilateral and contralateral DLPFC; (3) to analyze the impact of functional lateralization of the left and right DLPFC on their regulation of M1; (4) to investigate the effects of brain injury on the DLPFC-M1 regulatory pathway by comparing healthy participants and stroke patients. A total of 30 right-handed participants were enrolled, including 20 stroke patients in the recovery phase (divided into left and right lesion groups) and 10 healthy volunteers. These three participant groups were tested under conditions that varied the targeted motor cortex (M1) side, yielding four key experimental conditions for analysis. Accordingly, a paired-pulse TMS paradigm was employed. Following a conditioning stimulus (CS) applied to the left or right DLPFC, a test stimulus (TS) was delivered to the ipsilateral or contralateral M1 after an inter-stimulus interval of 20 ms. The amplitude of the motor evoked potential (MEP) was recorded. In experiments targeting the left M1, both the healthy group (Experiment 1) and the patient group (Experiment 3) exhibited significant regulatory effects (  = 12.2,  = 0.002;  = 9.6,  = 0.008). Post-hoc analysis revealed that, compared to baseline, both ipsilateral DLPFC (  = 0.011;  = 0.022) and contralateral DLPFC (  = 0.005;  = 0.022) significantly enhanced M1 excitability, with no significant difference between the two (  = 1.000). However, in experiments targeting the right M1 across all groups (Experiments 2 and 4), no significant regulatory effect of DLPFC was observed (  = 0.2,  = 0.905). This study confirms that, at rest, the bilateral DLPFC exerts a stable and non-specific facilitatory regulation on the left M1. This effect persists in the affected M1 of stroke patients, suggesting plasticity in the relevant pathways after injury. The negative findings for the right M1 reveal a lateralization characteristic in DLPFC-M1 regulation. These results provide an important basis for elucidating the physiological mechanisms of cognitive-motor circuits and for developing targeted neurorehabilitation strategies.

Objective The intermediolateral column (IML) serves as a crucial hub for sympathetic information processing between the brain and peripheral organs, with its defining hallmark being the presence of cholinergic neurons expressing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Specifically, the IML of the lower thoracic cord plays a pivotal role in regulating abdominal metabolic and digestive viscera. However, little is known about the whole‐brain neural connectivity targeting these lower thoracic IML cholinergic neurons, necessitating further investigation. Methods Specific retrograde tracing virus was injected into the lower thoracic IML of ChAT‐Cre transgenic mice expressing Cre in the cholinergic neurons. After the virus has fully expressed, brain and spinal cord sections were prepared for whole‐brain fluorescence imaging and quantitative analysis. Results We found that virally labeled neurons were detected in 40 brain regions of ChAT‐Cre mice, encompassing the telencephalon, diencephalon, and brainstem. Afferents were predominantly concentrated in 25 brainstem regions, with the pons providing the highest total number of afferents and the medulla offering the highest afferent density across both hemispheres. Although a small subset of regions exhibited strictly unilateral inputs or hemispheric preference, the overall projection pattern remained bilateral. Furthermore, our results revealed extensive projections to the IML from regions classically implicated in sympathetic outflow regulation and homeostatic control, including the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), lateral hypothalamic area (LH), and rostroventrolateral reticular nucleus (RVLM). In addition, inputs were also observed from motor‐related regions, such as primary and secondary motor cortices (M1, M2), red nucleus (RN), and gigantocellular reticular nucleus (Gi), suggesting a potential anatomical basis for the central coupling of somatic motor and sympathetic functions. Conclusion Our study provides a comprehensive whole‐brain anatomical map of inputs to lower thoracic IML cholinergic neurons. This extensive supraspinal network, integrating classical sympathetic and homeostatic centers with motor‐related regions, suggests a potential anatomical basis for the central coordination of somatic motor and autonomic functions. This study establishes a whole‐brain monosynaptic input map to cholinergic neurons in the lower thoracic intermediolateral column (IML) using a cell‐type‐specific retrograde rabies tracing system in ChAT‐Cre mice. Our results reveal a widespread supraspinal network originating from five major brain divisions, including the telencephalon, diencephalon, midbrain, pons, and medulla.

Soil erosion poses a significant threat to slope stability and ecological functionality. The litter layer, with its complex physical structure, enhances surface roughness, mitigates direct rainfall impact, and improves rainwater interception and soil retention. A litter of three typical slope-protection plant species from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China (Cynodon dactylon, Indigofera amblyantha, and Cinnamomum camphora) was selected for this experiment. This study quantified the effects of litter mulch at four coverage levels (0, 500, 800, and 1000 g/m2 based on dry mass) on slope runoff and sediment yield under simulated rainfall conditions at an intensity of 60 mm/h for a duration of one hour. The results indicated that (1) all litter types and coverage amounts effectively delayed the initiation of slope runoff, though their efficiencies in runoff and sediment reduction varied significantly. (2) Compared with the bare slope, the sediment yield in the plots covered with litter from Cynodon dactylon, Cinnamomum camphora, and Indigofera amblyantha decreased by 96.5%, 67.5%, and 9.4%, respectively, at a coverage of 800 g/m2. Runoff yield decreased by 56.9% and 29.7% in the plots covered with Cynodon dactylon and Cinnamomum camphora litter, whereas Indigofera amblyantha litter cover instead increased runoff yield by 31.6%. (3) Furthermore, increasing litter coverage from 500 to 1000 g/m2 progressively reduced runoff by 29% to 84% and sediment yield by 27.3% to 93.6% compared to the bare slope. These findings demonstrate the importance of litter cover in reducing runoff and soil erosion, offering quantitative support for optimizing vegetation-based slope management.

Coffea arabica extract (CAE) containing 48.3 ± 0.4 mg/g of chlorogenic acid and a trace amount of caffeic acid was found to alleviate photoaging activity in human skin fibroblasts. In this study, polyphenol-rich CAE was investigated for its antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, as well as for its capability to alleviate ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photodamage in BALB/c hairless mice. The results indicated that 500 μg/mL of CAE exhibited a reducing power of 94.7%, ferrous ion chelating activity of 46.4%, and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of 20.3%. The CAE dose dependently reduced UVB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in fibroblasts. Furthermore, CAE inhibited the UVB-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and p-inhibitor κB, and the translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) to the nucleus of fibroblasts. In addition, CAE alleviated UVB-induced photoaging and photodamage in BALB/c hairless mice by restoring the collagen content and reduced UVB-induced epidermal hyperplasia. CAE also inhibited UVB-induced NF-κB, interleukin-6, and matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression in the hairless mouse skin. The results indicated that CAE exhibits antiphotodamage activity by inhibiting UV-induced oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, CAE is a candidate for use in antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiphotodamage products.

Externalizing problems are influenced by family dynamics, yet the specific mechanisms linking parental control to distinct externalizing problem behaviors remain unclear. This study examined the effects of parental behavioral control on proactive aggression, reactive aggression, and delinquent behavior, focusing on the mediating role of child disclosure. Data were collected from 3818 adolescents (aged 10–18) and their parents in Hong Kong. Results revealed that child disclosure served as a robust mediator. For mothers, full mediation was observed across all three outcomes. For fathers, full mediation was found for both subtypes of aggression, whereas partial mediation was observed for delinquent behavior. The indirect pathways were invariant across gender, suggesting the mechanism is universal. Notably, the model significantly predicted reactive aggression through a full mediation model from both mother and father. The study highlights the unique dual-pathway role of fathers—combining structural deterrence for delinquent behavior with relational communication for aggression and supports the efficacy of trust-based interventions for diverse externalizing problems. These findings suggest that effective parenting operates primarily by fostering a disclosure-promoting context rather than mere surveillance.