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This work aims to explore the application of artistic creativity using deep learning (DL) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the evaluation system of innovation and entrepreneurship. Moreover, this work intends to propose a new perspective for talent cultivation in animation majors in higher education institutions. Addressing the strong subjectivity and lack of quantitative indicators in traditional artistic creativity evaluation methods, this work constructs an artistic creativity innovation evaluation model based on the Backpropagation Neural Network (BPNN) integrated with the Style-Based Generative Adversarial Network (StyleGAN) algorithm. After preprocessing the artistic creativity image data, the data are input into the BPNN and StyleGAN fusion model. The model training uses the Adam optimizer, with 120 iterations set, and incorporates Dropout layers during training to enhance the model’s generalization ability. The performance of the model is evaluated, revealing that it outperforms existing technologies in indicators such as loss function value, fitting effect, accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score, with an accuracy of up to 96.30%. Additionally, this work explores the potential application of this model in talent cultivation in animation majors in higher education institutions, providing new teaching tools and methods to enhance students’ innovation ability and practical skills. Therefore, this work offers a new technical means for artistic creativity evaluation and provides important references and guidance for innovation in higher education art education models and talent cultivation in the animation industry.

The catalytic performance, depending on the surface nature, is ubiquitous in photocatalysis. However, surface engineering for organic photocatalysts through structural modulation has long been neglected. Here, we propose a zone crystallization strategy for covalent organic frameworks (COFs) that enhances surface ordering through regulator-induced amorphous-to-crystalline transformation. Dynamic simulations show that attaching monofunctional regulators to the surface of spherical amorphous precursor improves surface dynamic reversibility, increasing crystallinity from the inside out. The resulting COF microspheres display surface-enhanced crystallinity and uniform spherical morphology. The visible photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate reaches 126 mmol g –1 h –1 for the simplest β-ketoenamine-linked COF and 350 mmol g COF –1 h –1 for SiO 2 @COF with minimal Pt cocatalysts. Mechanism studies indicate that surface crystalline domains build the surface electrical fields to accumulate photogenerated electrons and diminish electron transfer barriers between the COF and Pt interface. This work bridges the gap between microscopic molecules and macroscopic properties, allowing tailored design of crystalline organic photocatalysts. The authors report the transformation of an amorphous covalent organic framework to a crystalline state. This results in achieving optimum surface properties and enhances the photocatalytic production of hydrogen gas.

Adiponectin is an adipocytokine with anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. Our previous study has shown that blood adiponectin levels were inversely correlated to the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and that adiponectin could directly suppress the proliferation of NPC cells. However, the effect of adiponectin on NPC metastasis remains unknown. Here, we revealed in clinical studies that serum adiponectin level was inversely correlated with tumor stage, recurrence, and metastasis in NPC patients, and that low serum adiponectin level also correlates with poor metastasis-free survival. Coculture with recombinant adiponectin suppressed the migration and invasion of NPC cells as well as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). In addition, recombinant adiponectin dampened the activation of NF-κB and STAT3 signaling pathways induced by adipocyte-derived proinflammatory factors such as leptin, IL-6, and TNF-α. Pharmacological activation of adiponectin receptor through its specific agonist, AdipoRon, largely stalled the metastasis of NPC cells. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that adiponectin could not only regulate metabolism and inhibit cancer growth, but also suppress the metastasis of NPC. Pharmacological activation of adiponectin receptor may be a promising therapeutic strategy to stall NPC metastasis and extend patients’ survival.

This study aimed to reveal urban-rural disparities in successful aging among Chinese older adults and the impact of gender and age on aging outcomes. We utilized the Successful Aging Index (SAI), a multidimensional measure encompassing social, economic, bio-clinical, psychological, and lifestyle factors. Scores on the SAI range from 0 to 10, with higher scores signifying better aging. Data was sourced from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, comprising 7,315 participants. Urban older adults (OU) had significantly higher SAI scores than rural older adults (OR), with averages of 4.32 ±  1.44 and 3.85 ±  1.24, respectively (p < 0.001). Men showed more successful aging than women, regardless of their residence (p < 0.001). OU had better financial and educational status and higher social activity scores, except for friend interaction (p < 0.001). They were more physically active (p < 0.001), more adherent to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.001), and less likely to smoke (p = 0.018). However, OU had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors compared to OR (p < 0.001). Notably, depression scores were similar between OU and OR (p = 0.129). In summary, significant urban-rural differences in successful aging are evident among Chinese older adults, with urban-dwelling older adults aging more successfully than their rural peers. Men, irrespective of their place of residence, experience more successful aging outcomes than women.

Physical activity (PA) is a significant predictor of physical and mental health, particularly among older adults. In India and China, gendered social norms shape physical patterns, and the intensity of androcentric settings is different. As a result, the gendered perspective of physical activity and its association with health outcomes could be different in China and India. Therefore, the study examines gender differences in physical activity and their impact on health outcomes. This study utilizes nationally representative data from older adults aged 60 and above in India and China. Gender disaggregated physical activity is considered a key explanatory variable, and functional limitations (IADL/ADL), multimorbidity, and self-rated health are selected as outcome variables. Separate logistic regression analyses were conducted for males and females to examine the gender-specific associations between PA and health. Indian women show lower moderate PA (54.58%) than Chinese women (49.99%), with markedly fewer engaging in intense PA (12.35% vs. 24.01%). Health disparities are more severe in India: 56.15% report IADL limitations (China: 42.86%) and 25.2% ADL problems (China: 29.09%). While moderate PA strongly protects against poor SRH/ADL in both countries, Indian women face higher multimorbidity risks (aOR: 1.38 vs. China's Non-Significant) when inactive. This comparative study reveals that Indian women face greater physical activity disparities and worse functional health outcomes than Chinese women, highlighting the urgent need for gender-sensitive health interventions to address these inequities.

Probiotics are considered to play an crucial role in the treatment of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced lipid metabolic diseases, including metabolic syndrome (MS). This study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum S9 on MS in HFD-fed rats, and to explore the underlying role of probiotics in the treatment of MS. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with HFD for 8 weeks, followed by the treatment of L. plantarum S9 for 6 weeks, and The body weight and blood glucose level of rats were detected on time. The results showed that L. plantarum S9 significantly decreased the body weight gain, Lee’s index, and liver index. Additionally, L. plantarum S9 reduced the levels of serum lipids and insulin resistance. L. plantarum S9 also decreased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) in liver. Moreover, the serum levels of MS-related inflammatory signaling molecules, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were significantly elevated. Western blot analysis showed that L. plantarum S9 inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, decreased the expression level of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), suppressed the activation of inflammatory signaling pathways, and reduced the expression levels of inflammatory factors in HFD-fed rats. Moreover, it further decreased the ratios of p-IκBα/IκBα, p-p65/NF-κB p65, and p-p38/p38. In summary, L. plantarum S9, as a potential functional strain, prevents or can prevent onset of MS.

Gut microbiota dysbiosis, associated with insulin resistance, weak intestinal barrier integrity, and inflammation, may also play a role in the development of dietary-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study investigates the effects of dietary Lactobacillus plantarum NA136 administration on gut microbiota composition in an insulin-resistant C57BL/6J mouse NAFLD model. Comparison of mice with and without L. plantarum NA136 treatment revealed that L. plantarum NA136 treatment not only relieved insulin resistance but also significantly increased relative proportions of Desulfovibrio, Alistipes, Prevotella, and Enterorhabdus in gut microbiota of NAFLD mice. Meanwhile, L. plantarum NA136 administration also inhibited pathogenic bacterial growth, while promoting growth of probiotics such as Allobaculum, Lactobacillus, and, most markedly, Bifidobacterium. Moreover, L. plantarum NA136 treatment of NAFLD mice improved intestinal barrier integrity and attenuated high-fat and fructose diet (HFD/F)-induced inflammation. These results implicate gut-liver-axis-dependent microbiota modulation as the underlying mechanism for L. plantarum NA136-induced amelioration of NAFLD.Key points• L. plantarum NA136 corrects gut microbiota disorders caused by a high-fat and fructose diet.• L. plantarum NA136 strengthens the intestinal barrier and reduces inflammation in the liver.• L. plantarum NA136 relieves NAFLD by improving the gut-liver axis.

Hepatic lipid metabolic disorders and oxidative stress are involved in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study is to determine the protective effects of Lactobacillus plantarum NA136 on high-fat diet and fructose (HFD/F)-induced NAFLD and to elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. Male C57BL/6J mice had been fed with normal diet (ND), HFD/F, or HFD/F supplemented with L. plantarum NA136 for 16 weeks. Treatment with L. plantarum NA136 significantly lowered the body weight gain and decreased the mass of fat tissues, lipids, AST, and ALT levels of HFD/F-treated mice. Our results showed that L. plantarum NA136 activated AMPK pathway to phosphorylate ACC and to suppress the SREBP-1/FAS signaling to inhibit the de novo lipogenesis and increase the fatty acid oxidation. Furthermore, with treatment of L. plantarum NA136, the nuclear translocation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) was also increased which could activate antioxidant pathway. These findings suggested that L. plantarum NA136 improved NAFLD by regulating the fatty acid metabolism and defending against oxidative stress through AMPK and Nrf2 pathways, respectively.

Computationally hard combinatorial optimization problems (COPs) are ubiquitous in many applications. Various digital annealers, dynamical Ising machines, and quantum/photonic systems have been developed for solving COPs, but they still suffer from the memory access issue, scalability, restricted applicability to certain types of COPs, and VLSI-incompatibility, respectively. Here we report a ferroelectric field effect transistor (FeFET) based compute-in-memory (CiM) annealer for solving larger-scale COPs efficiently. Our CiM annealer converts COPs into quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formulations, and uniquely accelerates in-situ the core vector-matrix-vector (VMV) multiplication operations of QUBO formulations in a single step. Specifically, the three-terminal FeFET structure allows for lossless compression of the stored QUBO matrix, achieving a remarkably 75% chip size saving when solving Max-Cut problems. A multi-epoch simulated annealing (MESA) algorithm is proposed for efficient annealing, achieving up to 27% better solution and ~ 2X speedup than conventional simulated annealing. Experimental validation is performed using the first integrated FeFET chip on 28nm HKMG CMOS technology, indicating great promise of FeFET CiM array in solving general COPs. Yin et al. realize a FeFET based compute-in-memory annealer as an efficient combinatorial optimization solver through algorithm-hardware co-design with a FeFET chip, matrix lossless compression, and a multi-epoch simulated annealing algorithm.

Sinomenine has long been known as an anti-inflammatory drug, while poor efficiency and large-dose treatment had limited its further application. Five novel sinomenine 1-Br-4-cinnamic acid esters derivatives 2a–2e were designed and synthesized to improve its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. All synthesized sinomenine derivatives were structurally confirmed by NMR and ESI-MS. Molecular docking results showed that compounds 2a–2e had stable binding to the GBP5 protein. The compounds 2a–2e showed stable binding to the GBP5 protein by molecular docking Pre-preparing the druggability of compounds 2a–2e by ADEMT 3.0 showed that each derivative had similar druggability to sinomenine. The analgesic activity of compounds 2a–2e was preliminarily determined by hot plate and acetic acid writhing experiments, while anti-neuroinflammatory effects were evaluated by a xylene-induced mouse ear edema model. The results of the hot plate method showed that the synthesized sinomenine derivatives 2a–2e had some analgesic effects. The results of the acetic acid writhing test showed that the analgesic effects of 2a, 2c, 2e were better than that of sinomenine, and the other derivatives were equivalent to sinomenine. Compound 2b showed excellent anti-inflammatory properties in mouse ear edema.