mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Egg recognition and nestling discrimination in the Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus): Size matters

Most studies exploring abilities of hosts to detect brood parasitism are based on detecting colour and/or pattern differences among parasitic and host eggs or nestlings, while only few were focused on size differences. True recognition and recognition by discordancy are used to explain cognitive mechanisms of host egg recognition; however, only a few studies have found that hosts use recognition by discordancy. This study investigated: 1) whether egg and nestling recognitions in the Crested Myna (Acridotheres cristatellus) are based on size cues; 2) whether the egg cognitive mechanism is recognition by discordancy based on size cues; and 3) whether the longer the experiment time, the higher the egg recognition rate. Our results showed that the Crested Myna uses egg or nestling size as a recognition cue while the egg and nestling colour and patterning are not associated with egg or nestling rejection, thus the cognitive mechanism of egg recognition in the Crested Myna is recognition by discordancy based on egg size cues. Furthermore, there is a rejection delay in time of egg rejection behaviour of the Crested Myna. Therefore, we suggest that the periodicity of egg rejection experiments could be appropriately extended, especially for species with relatively low egg recognition ability.
Application of pressure-state-response approach for developing criteria and indicators of ecological health assessment of wetlands: a multi-temporal study in Ichhamati floodplains, India

Background Tropical floodplain wetlands are among the most disturbed and intensively harvested ecosystems. Their sustainable management is often hindered due to the lack of comprehensive, coherent, and standardized assessment frameworks of wetland ecological health (WEH). In this study, a set of appropriate criteria and indicators (C&I) of WEH assessment was developed and tested on seven wetlands of River Ichhamati, eastern India. Methods Based on the pressure-state-response (PSR) approach, evaluation indicators representing ecological, socio-economic, and institutional sustainability issues of floodplain wetland systems were either selected or formulated through literature survey and stakeholder consensus. Weights of indicators were assigned by the entropy weighting method and then used in the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution model to determine the Euclidean distances of each wetland from the positive ideal solution and negative ideal solution. Subsequently, a comprehensive wetland ecological health index (CWEHI) was constructed from these distances to portray the condition of any PSR system component in a wetland under a fivefold classification scheme, namely ‘excellent health’ (CWEHI ≥ 0.81), ‘good health’ (0.61-0.80), ‘moderate health’ (0.41-0.60), ‘weak health’ (0.21-0.40), and ‘morbid’ (≤ 0.20). Results The developed C&I set contains 8 criteria and 38 indicators under pressure component, 7 criteria and 49 indicators under state component, as well as 4 criteria and 18 indicators under response component. When applied in 2016 and 2022, it was found that the Panchita and Aromdanga wetlands were continuously in weak and morbid health status, while the Madhabpur wetland always showed an excellent or good status for all components. Health of other wetlands oscillated between moderate and morbid health across assessment years and system components. Conclusions The developed C&I set was found to be a flexible, holistic, and refined framework that could be applied elsewhere in similar assessments with minor indicator-level adjustments. The present assessment inferred that agriculture- dominated wetlands were more affected by amplified environmental pressure than fishing-dominated wetlands. Absence of persistent water flow from main river channel, wide-spread jute-retting, agriculture-induced eutrophication, proliferation of aquatic weeds were identified as the major causes of rapid ecological deterioration.
Changes in fish resources 5 years after implementation of the 10-year fishing ban in the Chishui River,the first river with a complete fishing ban in the Yangtze River Basin

Background To rehabilitate the depleted fish resources of the Yangtze River Basin,China,a 10-year fishing ban has been implemented.This national initiative has attracted worldwide attention.The present study aimed to explore the ecological process and recovery effectiveness of this complete fishing ban in the Chishui River,the first river where the fishing ban was enacted in the Yangtze River Basin.Changes in fish resources were analyzed based on investigations conducted 5 years before (2012-2016) and 5 years after (2017-2021) the implementation of the fishing ban in four reaches along the longitudinal gradient.Results A total of 140 fish species,including 127 native and 13 exotic species,were collected during the study period.The number of fish species as well as the diversity indices showed no significant temporal changes.However,11 native species that had disappeared for many years appeared again after the fishing ban.The occurrence rates of some key protected species,Procypris rabaudi,Acipenser dabryanus,Euchiloglanis davidi and Myxocyprinus asiaticus,increased after the fishing ban,while Coreius guichenoti,Percocypris pingi,Onychostoma angustistomata and Leptobotia rubrilabris showed no obvious recovery.The fish assemblage structure in nearly all reaches (except the headwater) showed significant temporal changes with an increase in the relative abundance of larger body-sized species.The population structure of most dominant species improved greatly with the mean standard length and the mean body weight as well as the proportion of larger-sized individuals clearly increasing.In addition,the density of fishes changed dramatically with the catch per unit effort (CPUE) increasing by 140-210% for different study reaches.Conclusions The present study confirmed that the complete fishing closure is an effective measure to facilitate fish resources recovery.These results provide valuable references for evaluating the effectiveness of the 10-year fishing ban policy in the entire Yangtze River.
Endophytic bacteria in the periglacial plant Potentilla fruticosa var.albicans are influenced by habitat type

Background Microbial communities in different plant compartments are relatively independent entities.However,the influence of environmental factors on the microbial community in different compartments of periglacial plants remains unclear.In this study,we quantified the bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soil,as well as root and leaf endosphere compartments of a periglacial plant,Potentilla fruticosa var.albicans,using high-throughput DNA sequencing.Moreover,we evaluated the impacts of habitat types (glacier terminus zone,moraine ridge,and alpine meadow) on the bacterial community in different plant compartments of Potentilla fruticosa var.albicans.Results Our results showed that habitat type had a significant effect on the alpha diversity (Chao1 richness) of endophytic bacteria,but not on the rhizospheric bacteria.The community composition of rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria was significantly different across the three habitats,and habitat type had a greater effect on the endophytic bacteria than on rhizospheric bacteria.The contribution of rhizosphere soil to the root and leaf endophytes decreased with the transformation of habitats from glacier terminus zone to alpine meadow.In contrast,host selection pressure sequentially increased from the glacier terminus zone to the moraine ridge to the alpine meadow.Furthermore,we found that the bacterial co-occurrence network in the alpine meadow was more modular but had lower complexity and connectedness than that in the glacier terminus zone.The bacterial community was governed primarily by stochastic processes regardless of habitat type.Conclusion This study reveals that the diversity and composition of endophytic bacteria associated with Potentilla fruticosa var.albicans are more affected by habitat types than that of rhizospheric bacteria.Our study also demonstrates that the assembly patterns and co-occurrence patterns of bacterial communities associated with Potentilla fruticosa var.albicans vary by habitat type.These results advance the current understanding of community assembly and ecological interactions of microbial communities associated with periglacial plants.
Comparative study of energetic potential from anaerobic digestion and direct combustion of date palm wastes

This work aims to evaluate the technical and environmental feasibility of converting date palm waste from a Moroccan oasis into energy. In this study, two different scenarios were analysed. The first proposed scenario is the valorization of the date palm substrates using direct combustion (thermochemical conversion) to produce energy. The second proposed scenario is the valorization of the substrates using combined anaerobic digestion of the substrate and direct combustion of the digestate. In this study, two different date palm wastes are: empty fruit bunch (EFB) and palm leaflet (PL). The experimental lower heating values of the digestates studied are 12.93 and 12.71 MJ/kg, respectively. The results show that using Scenario 1, the estimated output energies for the EFB and PL waste were 1.13 and 1.17 MWh, respectively. Using Scenario 2, the EFB and PL output energies were 1.27 and 1.39 MWh, respectively. The study revealed that the combined process is possible as an alternative way to produce energy. Furthermore, combining anaerobic digestion and direct combustion of lignocellulosic waste can contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A novel monocrystalline PV array configuration for enhancing the maximum power under partial shading conditions

Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have gained importance as a promising renewable energy source in recent years. PV arrays are prone to variable irradiance levels under partial shading conditions due to non-uniform shading. As a result, there will be a decrease in the amount of power produced and hotspots will occur. To overcome these issues, it is essential to select an appropriate PV material and a suitable array configuration. To obtain the maximum output power from a PV array under partial shading conditions, this paper suggests a novel triple-series-parallel ladder topology with monocrystalline PV material. Considering short and wide, long and wide, short and narrow, long and narrow, middle and diagonal shading situations, a 6×6-sized array has been considered and compared with other existing configurations such as total cross-tied, bridge-link, honeycomb, series-parallel and series-parallel cross-tied. The proposed configuration has an optimal number of cross ties to produce maximum power. It has 4 cross ties fewer than a honeycomb, 3 cross ties fewer than a bridge link, 16 cross ties fewer than a total cross-tied and 7 cross ties fewer than series-parallel cross-tied configurations. The proposed configuration has an improvement in power of 0.1% to 20% compared with other configurations under the considered shading scenarios.
Adapting the endoplasmic reticulum proteostasis rescues epilepsy-associated NMDA receptor variants

The GRIN genes encoding N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunits are remarkably intolerant to variation. Many pathogenic NMDAR variants result in their protein misfolding, inefficient assembly, reduced surface expression, and impaired function on neuronal membrane, causing neurological disorders including epilepsy and intellectual disability. Here, we investigated the proteostasis maintenance of NMDARs containing epilepsy-associated variations in the GluN2A subunit, including M705V and A727T. In the transfected HEK293T cells, we showed that the two variants were targeted to the proteasome for degradation and had reduced functional surface expression. We demonstrated that the application of BIX, a known small molecule activator of an HSP70 family chaperone BiP (binding immunoglobulin protein) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), dose-dependently enhanced the functional surface expression of the M705V and A727T variants in HEK293T cells. Moreover, BIX (10 μM) increased the surface protein levels of the M705V variant in human iPSC-derived neurons. We revealed that BIX promoted folding, inhibited degradation, and enhanced anterograde trafficking of the M705V variant by modest activation of the IRE1 pathway of the unfolded protein response. Our results suggest that adapting the ER proteostasis network restores the folding, trafficking, and function of pathogenic NMDAR variants, representing a potential treatment for neurological disorders resulting from NMDAR dysfunction.
Bacterial Cellulose-Based Janus Films with Radiative Cooling and Solar Heating Properties for All-Season Thermal Management

Advanced radiative cooling materials with both heating and cooling mode is of pivotal importance for all-season energy-saving in buildings. In this work, we report the design and fabrication of bacterial cellulose-based Janus films (J-BC) with radiative cooling and solar heating properties, which were developed by two-step vacuum-assisted filtration of modified MXene-doped bacterial cellulose and modified silicon nitride (Si_3 N_4)-doped bacterial cellulose, followed by hot-pressing and drying treatments. The as-prepared J-BC films show a unique Janus structure where modified MXene nanosheets and cellulose nanofibers are on the bottom surface, and modified silicon nitride (Si_3 N_4) nanoparticles and cellulose nanofibers are on the top surface. The radiative cooling effect of J-BC films is enabled by the Si_3 N_4 -doped bacterial cellulose due to the high mid-infrared emissivity of Si_3 N_4 nanoparticles, which shows a high solar reflection of ~98.1% and high emissivity of ~93.6% in the atmospheric transparency window (8—13 μm). Thanks to the enhanced photothermal conversion of the modified MXene nanosheets, a reduced solar reflection (6.6%) and relatively low thermal emissivity in the atmospheric window (71.4%) are achieved, making sure the solar heating effect of J-BC films. In the outdoor tests, J-BC films achieve a sub-ambient temperature drop of ~3.8 °C and an above-ambient temperature rise of ~14.2 °C. Numerical prediction demonstrated that the J-BC films with dual modes have great potential of all-season energy saving for buildings and a corresponding energy-saving map in China is also created. The work disclosed herein can provide an avenue for the shaping of advanced radiative cooling materials for emerging applications of personal thermal management, sustainable energy-efficient buildings, and beyond.
Chloride-Bridged Dimeric SalphenZr(IV) Cobaltate Catalyst Unleashes the Potential of Base-Free Carbonylative Polymerization for Biodegradable PHAs

Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) are a promising class of biodegradable polymers, exhibiting properties comparable to traditional petroleum-based counterparts. Nonetheless, the widespread commercialization of PHAs is hindered by the absence of an efficient and economically viable catalytic system, impeding their competitiveness against non-biodegradable polymers. In an effort to address this challenge, we present a study on a newly developed chloro-bridged dimeric salphen zirconium cobaltate complex for the direct synthesis of PHAs via carbonylative polymerization of epoxides. The catalytic system demonstrates favorable activity under mild reaction conditions, enabling complete monomer conversion and an impressive 92% selectivity towards PHA formation. Through meticulous control experiments and mechanistic studies, we have gained crucial insights into the polymerization process. Remarkably, our findings challenge the prevailing notion of sequential ring-opening polymerization of in-situ generated β-lactones as the primary pathway. Instead, we demonstrate that the polymerization predominantly proceeds through direct co-polymerization of epoxide and carbon monoxide, unveiling a unique and efficient mechanism for PHA synthesis.
Hybrid coating SnO_2 for enhanced Li ions storage

Anode SnO_2 in lithium-ion batteries suffers from volume expansion and agglomeration. Here, the SnO_2 nanoparticles are hybrided with ZrO_2 particles by the support of carbon nanotube networks. The obtained SnO_2/C/ZrO_2 composite shows improved electrochemical performances. Investigations reveal that the carbon nanotubes shorten the transmission path of electrons and Li~+ ions. Ball milling with ZrO_2 promotes the formation of nanosized SnO_2 to weaken the internal strain change, being beneficial to buffering volume change during electrochemical cycling afterwards. High-resolution 6,7Li NMR investigations indicate that conversion and alloying reactions are stepwise involved for SnO_2/C/ZrO_2 anode. The strategy of designing SnO_2/C/ZrO_2 composite from the morphology-controlled metal-organic frameworks for energy storage widens the possibility to fabricate promising materials with enhanced performances.
ROCK inhibitor: Focus on recent updates

Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase (ROCK) belongs to the serine-threonine family, and ROCK is involved in a variety of biological processes including cell migration, adhesion, proliferation and differentiation through phosphorylation of different downstream substrates. The aberrant activation of ROCK is associated with the pathological conditions in different systems including various diseases, including cancer, neurological diseases, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and glaucoma. Therefore, the ROCK inhibitors have potential applicability for treating the aforementioned diseases. Four small molecule ROCK inhibitors have been approved for clinical use: fasudil, ripasudil, netarsudil and belumosudil. In recent years, more small molecule ROCK inhibitors have been identified. This paper reviews the ROCK inhibitors reported in past seven years. We mainly focused on the summarization of the structure-activity relationships, inhibitory efficacy, pharmacological mechanisms and the relevant clinical studies of the reported ROCK inhibitors. Besides the small molecular inhibitors, the peptides and biological extracts which exhibit ROCK inhibitory effects are also included. We also provide suggestions for the future development of the potent ROCK inhibitors.
Molecular engineering of carbon nitrides for overall photosynthesis of H_2O_2

Artificial photocatalysis offers a promising strategy to sustainably produce hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) that is one of the most valuable multifunctional chemicals. Among various photocatalysts, polymeric carbon nitride (pCN) has drawn continuous attention in non-sacrificial H_2O_2 production. However, the poor activity of half reactions, i.e., the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and water oxidation reaction (WOR), greatly restricts the efficiency of photocatalytic H_2O_2 production. In this highlight, we discuss the significant advances in molecular engineering of carbon nitrides for H_2O_2 photosynthesis and the importance of the deep understanding of the photocatalysis process for rational design and reaction pathways of organic conjugated polymers to address the growing H_2O_2 demand. Furthermore, we summarize the emerging applications of photocatalytic H_2O_2 productions beyond energy and environment.
The 2023 Earthquake in Turkiye and Implications for China's Response to Catastrophe

On 6 February 2023, two 7.8 magnitude earthquakes consecutively hit south-central Turkiye, causing great concern from all governments, the United Nations, academia, and all sectors of society. Analyses indicate that there is also a high possibility of strong earthquakes with a magnitude of 7.8 or above occurring in the western region of China in the coming years. China is a country that is highly susceptible to catastrophic disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and other natural calamities, which can cause significant damages to both human life and property, as well as widespread impacts on the society. Currently, China's capacity for disaster prevention and control is still limited. In order to effectively reduce the impact of catastrophic disasters, ensure the safety of people's lives and property to the greatest extent possible, maintain social stability in high-risk areas, and ensure high-quality and sustainable regional development, it is urgent to improve the seismic resistance level of houses and critical infrastructure in high earthquake risk zones and increase the earthquake-resistant design level of houses in high-risk fault areas with frequent seismic activities; significantly enhance the ability to defend against extreme weather and ocean disasters in economically developed areas along the southeastern coast, as well as the level of fortification in response to extreme meteorological and hydrological disasters of coastal towns/cities and key infrastructure; vigorously enhance the emergency response capacity and disaster risk prevention level in western and ethnic minority regions; comprehensively improve the defense level of residential areas and major infrastructure in high geological hazard risk zones with flash floods, landslides, and mudslides; systematically promote national disaster prevention and mitigation education; and greatly enhance the societal disaster risk reduction ability, including catastrophic insurance.
A Review of Isolated Bidirectional DC-DC Converters for Data Centers

In today's fast-paced,information-driven world,data centers can offer high-speed,intricate capabilities on a larger scale owing to the ever-growing demand for networks and information systems.Because data centers process and transmit information,stability and reliability are important.Data center power supply architectures rely heavily on isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters to ensure safety and stability.For the smooth operation of a data center,the power supply must be reliable and uninterrupted.In this study,we summarize the basic principle,topology,switch conversion strategy,and control technology of the existing isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters.Subsequently,existing research results and problems with isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters are reviewed.Finally,future trends in the development of isolated bidirectional DC-DC converters for data centers are presented,which offer valuable insights for solving engineering obstacles and future research directions in the field.
Beneficial effects of fermented jujube pulp in relieving loperamide hydrochloride-induced constipation in male ICR mice

Unfermented jujube pulp (UFJP), fermented jujube pulp (FJP) in high and low doses were fed to constipated ICR mice. Defecation function, serum gastrointestinal regulatory peptide, fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and gut microbial composition were assessed. Results showed that high-dose FJP could protect intestinal mucosa tissue, shorten the first black feces defecating time by 17% and increase the number and wet weights of black feces by 72% and 71%, respectively, within 6 h. High-dose FJP significantly down-regulated the somatostatin level and up-regulated gastrin level in constipated mice, compared with low-dose FJP and UFJP. The high-dose FJP intervention regulated the microbiota profile, which afterwards restored microbiota, like Bacteroidetes, Bifi dobacterium and Lactobacillus, to a less unhealthy state. This study provides convincing in vivo evidence that high-dose FJP supplementation through daily diet could be a promising approach to effectively alleviate constipation and modulate gut health.