Explore the vast range of titles available.

Previous studies on the Nanhaishen Temple 南海神廟 (Temple of the South Sea God) in Guangzhou in the Tang dynasty focus mainly on the South Sea God as the patron of the Maritime Silk Road, without thoroughly discussing the state ritual and the sacrificial right of the Tang government. This paper illuminates five new points concerning the ritual. First, the sacrificial ritual to the South Sea God developed from the suburban rituals in previous dynasties into both forms of suburban and local rituals, which was also categorized as the medium sacrifice among the three major sacrifices in the state ritual system of the Tang dynasty. Second, the first commissioner who was sent by the central government to perform the sacrificial ritual to the South Sea God was Zhang Jiuling, and henceforth the temporary assignment of court officials to the ceremonies became institutionalized. In the tenth year of Tianbao (751), the South Sea God was entitled Guangliwang 廣利王 (King Guangli), and the commissioner sent on this mission was Zhang Jiuzhang, Zhang Jiuling’s third younger brother, rather than his second younger brother Zhang Jiugao as seen in some records. Third, most of the commissioners were dispatched by the central government in the early Tang, and therefore the sacrifice to the South Sea God was related to the state ritual system; but in the late Tang local officials became dominant in the ritual ceremonies, and thus good harvests and social stability in the Lingnan region became the major concern of the sacrifice. Fourth, the legend that the Buddhist Master Xiujiu 休咎禪師 took over the temple and accepted the South Sea God as his disciple reflected the reciprocity between Buddhism and the South Sea God belief. Last but not the least, the sacrificial ceremonies to the South Sea God established in the Tang dynasty and performed by the officials of both the central and local governments had a significant influence on the ritual in the following dynasties.

Bioelectricity generation, by Shewanella oneidensis ( S. oneidensis ) MR-1, has become particularly alluring, thanks to its extraordinary prospects for energy production, pollution treatment, and biosynthesis. Attempts to improve its technological output by modification of S. oneidensis MR-1 remains complicated, expensive and inefficient. Herein, we report on the augmentation of S. oneidensis MR-1 with carbon dots (CDs). The CDs-fed cells show accelerated extracellular electron transfer and metabolic rate, with increased intracellular charge, higher adenosine triphosphate level, quicker substrate consumption and more abundant extracellular secretion. Meanwhile, the CDs promote cellular adhesion, electronegativity, and biofilm formation. In bioelectrical systems the CDs-fed cells increase the maximum current value, 7.34 fold, and power output, 6.46 fold. The enhancement efficacy is found to be strongly dependent on the surface charge of the CDs. This work demonstrates a simple, cost-effective and efficient route to improve bioelectricity generation of S. oneidensis MR-1, holding promise in all relevant technologies. Bacterial fuel cells have generated attention with the prospect of green energy production; current research is focused on optimising the system to improve efficiency. Here, the authors report on the feeding of carbon dots to S. oneidensis MR-1 to enhance metabolic activity and bioelectric generation.

In the context of industrial hot-rolled strip steel surface defect detection, where the demands for real-time performance and classification accuracy are paramount, we present EAF-DenseNet121–a lightweight, enhanced model that incorporates edge-entropy attention mechanisms. At the inception of the DenseNet121 architecture, we incorporate a learnable Sobel-based edge extraction branch, which is designed to adaptively delineate defect contours with precision. We have designed an Entropy-Attention Fusion (EAF) module to further refine the model’s performance. This module constructs a four-dimensional tensor, integrating the primary feature map, edge map, and their corresponding local entropy maps. By applying dual-path channel-wise and spatial attention, we achieve a weighted fusion of information, thereby enriching the feature representation. The EAF module replaces three pivotal convolutional layers within the DenseNet framework–immediately following the initial convolution and subsequent to the first and second Transition layers. This replacement enhances feature representation with a negligible increase in additional parameters, leading to a substantial improvement in defect recognition and classification accuracy. Our experimental results, obtained on the NEU-DET dataset, reveal that the enhanced model achieves a classification accuracy of 99.17%, representing an improvement of 2.78% over the baseline. Furthermore, on the GC10-DET dataset, the model achieves a classification accuracy of 82.89%, further validating its strong generalization capabilities.

The role of tumor-resident intracellular microbiota (TRIM) in carcinogenesis has sparked enormous interest. Nevertheless, the impact of TRIM-targeted antibacteria on tumor inhibition and immune regulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains unexplored. Herein, we report long-term relapse-free survival by coordinating antibacteria with antitumor treatment, addressing the aggravated immunosuppression and tumor overgrowth induced by TRIM using breast and prostate cancer models. Combining Ag + release with a Fenton-like reaction and photothermal conversion, simultaneous bacteria killing and multimodal antitumor therapy are enabled by a single agent. Free of immune-stimulating drugs, the agent restores antitumor immune surveillance and activates immunological responses. Secondary inoculation and distal tumor analysis confirm lasting immunological memory and systemic immune responses. A relapse-free survival of >700 days is achieved. This work unravels the crucial role of TRIM-targeted antibacteria in tumor inhibition and unlocks an unconventional route for immune regulation in TME and a complete cure for cancer. Tumor-resident intracellular microbiota (TRIM) could be a potential target for anticancer treatment. Here the authors report Au@Ag2Se nano-assemblies enabling bacterial killing, tumor inhibition and immune regulation in tumor microenvironment.

This paper examines the separation of church and state in the Philippines during the early American colonial period, contextualizing it within the process of American overseas expansion and considering it as one of the projects of imperial hegemony construction. After the Spanish–American War, the United States substituted Spain as the new colonial ruler of the Philippines, legitimizing its regime as the spread of ‘civilization’ to the Filipinos. On this basis, the Americans enacted laws guaranteeing religious freedom and introduced an American-style institution dealing with church–state relations. Beyond the legal and administrative initiatives, the new regime also constructed an official narrative of the transformation of political–religious relations in the Philippine that emphasized the absolute ‘difference’ between the American human rights principle, which guaranteed freedom of worship, and the Spanish theocracy, which was dedicated to the consolidation of privileges. By legislating the separation of church and state, buying up church properties, recognizing the equality of denominations, and constructing the official imperial narrative of church–state relations, the Americans hoped to ‘teach’ Filipinos that the ‘true’ belief was rooted in the inner convictions of individual Christians, not in the authority and coercion of the hierarchical church. By disciplining the construction of ‘difference’ under tutelary colonialism, the separation of church and state movement initiated by the American colonial government in the Philippines became an important source of imperial self-endowed legitimacy.

Numerical wave models have been developed for the wave forecast in last two decades; however, it faces challenges in terms of the requirement of large computing resources and improvement of accuracy. Based on a convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) algorithm, this paper establishes a two-dimensional (2D) significant wave height (SWH) prediction model for the South and East China Seas trained by WaveWatch III (WW3) reanalysis data. We conduct 24-h predictions under normal and extreme conditions, respectively. Under the normal wave condition, for 6-, 12-, and 24-h forecasting, their correlation coefficients are 0.98, 0.93, and 0.83, and the mean absolute percentage errors are 15, 29, and 61%. Under the extreme condition (typhoon), for 6 and 12 h, their correlation coefficients are 0.98 and 0.94, and the mean absolute percentage errors are 19 and 40%, which is better than the model trained by all the data. It is concluded that the ConvLSTM can be applied to the 2D wave forecast with high accuracy and efficiency.

The Chinese Christian community occupies an essential position in the pluralistic religious landscape of modern Singapore, which is known as a multicultural and multiracial immigrant society. Despite being a minority compared with Buddhists and Taoists in Singapore, the historical formation and contemporary existence of the Chinese Christian community in Singapore not only embodies religious diversity, but also contributes significantly to Singapore’s social development. This paper zooms into the founding and evolution of the Jubilee Church to see how Chinese Christians contributed to the revolutionary cause, took part in the anti-opium movement, and advanced educational activities in Singapore. Particularly, by establishing the Singapore Reading Room, participating in the founding of the Anti-Opium Society and the Chinese Kindergarten, the Jubilee Church played an important role in Singapore’s history, contributing to the modernization of Singapore in terms of advancing ideas, improving social order, and promoting education. We aim to shed light on how Chinese Christians were engaged in social activities, taking up significant roles in the transformation of the Chinese diaspora in Singapore. More importantly, we argue that these varied social engagements significantly impacted the development of Christianity. Through a detailed historical case study on the Jubilee Church, this paper proposes that social functions and religious evangelization are mutually constitutive, thus complicating our understanding of the entangled relationship among Chinese diaspora, Christianity, and motherland China.

Luo Shen 洛神 (The Goddess of the Luo River), also known as Fu Fei 宓妃 (Consort Fu), governed the Luo River and was a deity with distinctive representativeness and influence in the Luoyang area of China. To date, research has been centered around literary works and paintings, particularly Luoshen Fu 洛神賦, with little exploration into the belief of the Goddess of the Luo River. In this paper, specific and detailed textual research is made on the origins and historical transformations, as well as functional shifts, of the Goddess of the Luo River from the perspective of belief in the deity. Based on extant ancient documents and stele inscriptions and combined with anthropological field research, five new ideas are described. First, rituals honoring the Luo River were present in ancient times, yet the deity of the Luo River was initially a male entity called Luo Bo 洛伯, not the goddess Consort Fu. Second, Consort Fu first appears in Li Sao 離騷 as a goddess from the Kunlun Mountains. Third, during the Eastern Han dynasty (25–220), driven by the political and cultural needs of rulers to maintain regime stability, the Goddess of Kunlun, Consort Fu, became the Goddess of the Luo River. Fourth, in the medieval period, the image of the Goddess of the Luo River underwent a historic transformation, evolving from a deity governing the Luo River to a beauty yearning for secular love, merging with the historical figure of Zhen Fei 甄妃 (Consort Zhen) from the Cao Wei dynasty (220–266), forming a unified literary and artistic figure that significantly broadened the social influence of the Goddess of the Luo River. Fifth, the state-sponsored worship of the Goddess of the Luo River reached its peak during the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties, and afterward, it gradually declined to a local folk belief due to a shift in the political center. The transition of the belief in the Goddess of the Luo River from official to folk realms, deeply intertwining with people’s lives, is a historical reflection of the eastward shift in the imperial center after the Tang dynasty. It also signifies a transformation of the function of the belief in the Goddess of the Luo River, from a political guardian deity ensuring the nation’s peace and the government’s stability to a protective deity for ordinary people’s family stability and prosperity of descendants.

For a long time, scholarly research on Buddhism in Luoyang during the Tang Dynasty has mainly focused on eminent monks and Buddhist temples. This focus is evident in the recorded literature of ancient times, such as The Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks and The Biographies of Eminent Monks. Based on stone inscriptions, this paper examines the dissemination and development of Buddhism in the Eastern Capital of Luoyang during the Tang Dynasty. This article presents the following viewpoints and findings: Firstly, the epitaphs and pagoda inscriptions provide historical details that are not widely known, such as the names of temples in the suburb, the identities of prominent monks who propagated Dharma in Luoyang, the Buddhist scriptures chanted and learned by the Luoyang people, and the people’s motivation to adopt Buddhism. Secondly, the epitaphs and pagoda inscriptions supplement important historical materials on Chan Buddhism, confirming the widespread popularity of the Northern Sect of Chan Buddhism in the Luoyang region. Thirdly, the epitaphs and pagoda inscriptions reveal that Luoyang Buddhist practice was popular, characterized by the succession of blood-related monastic companions; that is, many families had two or more relatives who became monks or nuns simultaneously or successively, a phenomenon that has not attracted attention from academic circles. Fourthly, the blood-related monastic companions of Buddhist practice affected the mentoring relationships and organizational management of temples and monasteries, promoting communication and interaction between Buddhism and traditional Chinese culture.

Metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC) is the primary driver of its high mortality rate, with dysregulation of apoptosis and remodeling of the tumor microenvironment (TME) serving as key biological events driving disease progression. However, the intrinsic molecular connections between these processes—particularly the dynamic changes during the progression from primary tumors to liver metastases—remain to be systematically elucidated. This study aims to identify core genes regulating the crosstalk between apoptosis and immunity in CRC using multidimensional computational biology approaches and to explore their clinical value as prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. This study integrated single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data with bulk transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We first utilized scRNA-seq to dissect cellular heterogeneity and communication networks in CRC primary tumors and liver metastases. Subsequently, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis were employed, combined with machine learning algorithms (LASSO, Random Forest, XGBoost), to screen features from apoptosis- and immunity-related gene sets and pinpoint key candidate genes. Finally, the biological functions and clinical significance of the core gene were systematically validated through pan-cancer analysis, immune infiltration analysis, mutation profile analysis, prognostic model construction, and validation via real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in clinical samples. Single-cell profiling revealed that colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastases exhibit a distinct pro-inflammatory immune microenvironment characterized by the enrichment of CD8⁺ effector memory T cells and inflammatory monocytes, along with extensive remodeling of cell-cell communication networks centered on the MIF and CD99 signaling pathways. Through multi-level bioinformatics analysis, we identified the apoptosis-related gene PMAIP1 as a central regulatory hub mediating these processes. Clinical cohort and pan-cancer analyses demonstrated that PMAIP1 is significantly overexpressed across multiple tumor types, particularly in CRC, where its elevated expression serves as an independent predictor of poor prognosis (HR = 0.39, p  = 0.028). Further investigation uncovered a critical biological paradox: On the one hand, the high expression of PMAIP1 was positively correlated with the infiltration of core effector immune cells, such as CD8⁺T cells. CD8⁺T cells are the key immune cells mediating tumor cell killing, and their enrichment is expected to form an effective anti-tumor immune barrier, which is consistent with the characteristics of the “pro-inflammatory” immune microenvironment. On the other hand, the high expression of PMAIP1 is also significantly associated with the up-regulation of multiple immune checkpoint molecules, such as PD-1 and PD-L1. The activation of immune checkpoint molecules directly induces the functional exhaustion of infiltrating CD8⁺T cells, which is manifested as decreased proliferation ability, decreased secretion of killer cytokines, and loss of anti-tumor activity. In short, PMAIP1 both “recruits” effector immune cells with antitumor potential and “weakens” these cells by upregulating immune checkpoint molecules, resulting in the coexistence of two contradictory phenotypes of “increased immune cell infiltration” and “decreased immune response efficiency”. Finally, it still promotes the progress of colorectal cancer and is related to the poor prognosis of patients. A nomogram model incorporating PMAIP1 demonstrated strong performance in predicting patient survival, and its overexpression in clinical CRC samples was validated by RT-qPCR. This study systematically delineates the immune landscape of CRC primary tumors and liver metastases, and for the first time reveals the apoptosis gene PMAIP1 as a critical regulatory node linking cellular apoptosis to immune microenvironment remodeling. PMAIP1 not only emerges as a potent, novel biomarker for poor prognosis in CRC but also, through its dual functions in regulating immune infiltration and checkpoints, represents a highly promising target for guiding combined immunotherapy strategies.