Chiggers are the exclusive vector of scrub typhus. Jinping County, located along the China-Vietnam border in southwest China, is a focus of scrub typhus. It is of medical and veterinary importance to study chiggers in this area. The present study made a retrospective analysis aiming to report chiggers on small mammals (hosts) in Jinping County on the China-Vietnam border, Yunnan of southwest China. The indexes of chigger infestation and chigger community were routinely calculated. The niche width and overlap were calculated for analyzing chiggers' host selection. The sample completeness was determined through coverage index (CI). A total of 7,718 chiggers from 274 small mammal hosts were identified as 52 species, 10 genera, three subfamilies and two families, including nine vector species. The CI of chigger species reached 99.84%. The genus Leptotrombidium accounted for 94.86% of 10 chigger genera. The majority of chiggers (constituent ratio [Cr] = 95.35%) came from rodents (Rodentia). The four dominant chigger species (Cr = 89.88%, 6,937/7,718) included Leptotrombidium deliense, the most important vector of scrub typhus in China. The abundant L. deliense in Jinping, together with other vector chigger species and their low host specificity, increases the potential transmission risk of scrub typhus in China-Vietnam border areas.
The flavor quality of traditional fermented fish in Guizhou exhibits significant regional variations, yet its microbial and metabolic mechanisms remain unclear. This study integrated sensory evaluation, high-throughput sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics to compare the quality, microbial communities, and metabolite profiles of fermented fish from Jinping, Liping, and Tianzhu. Results showed that Liping samples demonstrated optimal performance in flavor harmony, acidity perception, and texture. Tianzhu samples exhibited the lowest microbial α-diversity, with Staphylococcus accounting for over 99% of bacterial communities, whereas Jinping and Liping samples were enriched with Weissella, Saccharomyces, and Debaryomyces. Metabolomic analysis identified a total of 1,372 metabolites. PLS-DA revealed significant separation of metabolic profiles among the three groups, with differential metabolites primarily enriched in amino acid metabolism and the citric acid cycle. Liping samples exhibited significant upregulation of L-glutamine, citric acid, and L-glutamate. Spearman correlation analysis indicated that Weissella and Saccharomyces were positively correlated with the aforementioned flavor metabolites. This multi-omics study demonstrates that specific microbial community structures and their metabolic activities are core factors driving regional flavor differences in Guizhou traditional fermented fish, providing a theoretical basis for improving product quality through targeted microbial community regulation.
China has emerged as a global force in the digital economy, its rapid technological advancement challenging the technological leadership of the West and generating geopolitical-economic tensions. Positioned at the cutting edge of innovation, financial technology - commonly referred to as FinTech - has emerged as a key terrain in this battle for financial and technological dominance. China's rapid ascendance in this sphere raises questions about the political-economic drivers and conditions of existence of such transformations. While the literature on FinTech examines market-driven, industry- and firm-specific processes transforming global financial networks, less is known about the roles of the state in steering the integration of technological and financial systems as a national development strategy. This paper analyzes how the Chinese party-state under Xi Jinping is implementing a techno-industrial policy centered around data as a new factor of production, seeking to ascend the industrial value chain and compete at the technological frontier. Focusing on the Greater Bay Area region - a preeminent innovation economy and financial hub - the paper examines the policy mechanisms, local economic spaces and practices grounding this digital economy, shaped by the interplay between state interventionism and the market-driven allocation of resources.
In this study, the authors describe the evolution of the People's Republic of China's global health activities and related policies in Africa from the 1960s through the present and provide field case studies of two African nations-Sierra Leone and Kenya-that have received health aid from China. They then analyze China's use of global health support in Africa as a tool of soft power. The need to understand China's global health activities has intensified, given that Western, particularly U.S., foreign health aid policies are changing, prompting questions about whether China will shift its policies to strengthen its soft power in Africa and away from the decade-old Belt and Road Initiative's overarching Sino-centric trade focus. This analysis of China's health aid history, its current role in African health aid, and its recent reform called for by President Xi Jinping's Global Development Initiative is intended to help U.S. policymakers understand China's decisionmaking and implementation strategy for foreign aid. The analysis of the advantages and weaknesses of China's approaches can offer lessons to both donor countries and African countries that receive global health aid from China. The authors offer policy recommendations for the United States and for African countries.
A comprehensive review， synthesis， and systematic summary of research on the coordinated promotion of reducing carbon emissions and pollution， expanding green development， and pursuing economic growth are essential for ensuring sustainable economic development while achieving long-term reductions in pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions， as well as the continuous restoration of natural ecosystems. However， existing review studies exhibit certain limitations， particularly in terms of conceptual frameworks， coordination mechanisms， quantitative analysis， evaluation methodologies， and pathway planning. These studies have yet to fully integrate diverse perspectives and systematically consolidate key research findings. To address this gap， this study employs Citespace bibliometric analysis software to systematically examine relevant literature from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI） and Web of Science databases from 2000 to 2024. Through this analysis， we identify the fundamental knowledge base， thematic evolution patterns， and research hotspots related to multi-factor coordination in carbon reduction， pollution mitigation， ecological restoration， and economic growth. Furthermore， we provide a systematic review of cutting-edge applications in this field， exploring the integration of different research paradigms and methodologies. The results indicate that： ① Against the backdrop of rapid industrialization and urbanization， which have exacerbated climate warming and ecological degradation， research on the coordinated promotion of reducing carbon emissions and pollution， expanding green development， and pursuing economic growth has experienced a significant upward trend in the 21st century， with a particularly rapid surge in recent years. The majority of publications originate from East Asia， North America， and Europe. At the institutional level， the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University rank as the top two contributors， while the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China， along with its affiliated research institutions， also plays a leading role in advancing research in this field. This highlights the crucial influence of both policy and scientific institutions in driving the discourse on coordinated environmental and economic development. ② Hot research areas mainly focus on the coordination mechanism of multiple factors， comprehensive evaluation， and coordinated development path. The research framework can be divided into comprehensive evaluation based on multi-dimensional indicator system， multi-factor coordination research under the framework of ecosystem service value realization， and simulation optimization of a complex multi-factor giant system. ③ Future research on the coordinated promotion of reducing carbon emissions and pollution， expanding green development， and pursuing economic growth is likely to focus on three key areas： further refinement of conceptual definitions， along with the establishment of a theoretical and methodological foundation based on Xi Jinping's Ecological Civilization Thought and interdisciplinary theories； multi-scale and regional policy evaluations to examine the synergistic effects of policy implementation across different spatial scales； and in-depth studies on legal mechanisms， policy frameworks， and development pathways to clarify how multi-factor coordination can effectively support China's "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality" strategy and the "Beautiful China" initiative. Additionally， cross-sectoral research integrating industry， regional， and policy synergy is expected to become more specialized and refined， further advancing the transition towards green， low-carbon， and high-quality development.
The endangered fish Percocypris pingi is a national second-class protected animal in China. Comprehensive evaluation of the genetic structure according to more reliable data and exploration of effective conservation measures are urgently needed for P. pingi. In this study, the genetic diversity, population structure, and adaptive evolutionary mechanism of circadian entrainment for P. pingi were performed. Our results revealed that eight wild populations (69 samples) and nine hatchery populations (90 samples) presented relatively low genetic diversity and simple population structure on the basis of whole-genome resequencing data. Compared to other 13 populations, the Datuo (DT) and Woluo (WL) wild populations and the Jinping (JP) and Yaan (YA) hatchery populations presented relatively high genetic diversity. The Fst‒Pi and XP‒EHH sites from the population group differentiation from DT, WL, JP, and YA were screened. Several GO terms (e.g. MAP kinase activity and monoatomic ion channel activity] and KEGG pathways (e.g. aldosterone synthesis and secretion and MAPK signaling) were enriched in circadian entrainment-related signaling. Then, the multiple candidate genes, such as pkc, pkd, Ac, mapk6, ampar, rorcb, rorab1, rorab2, lamb4, and ck1[Formula: see text]/∂ were shown to be enriched in the circadian entrainment pathway. Furthermore, the expression patterns of cry1a, cry2, per2a, per1b, clock1a, clock1b, baml2a, lamb4, and rorab1 and the melatonin levels in the livers demonstrated circadian oscillation within 24 h. Low genetic diversity and a simple population structure of P. pingi were determined. The Wuoluo River and Litang River can be recognized as new refuges for wild P. pingi and that the JP and YA hatchery populations are needed for the sustainable conservation and utilization of resources in the Yalong River and Jinsha River. The circadian entrainment may be an important adaptive evolutionary mechanism of P. pingi. The above results can help formulate science-based breeding protocols and provide necessary genetic data for managing both captive propagation and wild population reinforcement.
The quantitative analysis of key factors influencing the erosion resistance characteristics of colluvial zone soil is a prerequisite for accurately assessing the erosion resistance ability of the soil. Therefore, this study focuses on the reservoir erosion zone of the Guanyinyan Reservoir area in the Jinsha River Basin, which is a large hydropower station. The physicochemical characteristics of the colluvial zone soil (bulk density, moisture content, total porosity, soil texture, pH, organic matter content, and aggregate stability) as well as erosion resistance capabilities (soil erodibility factor K and shear strength) with variations in water level elevation (low, middle, and high elevations) were analyzed. This study quantitatively evaluated the relative importance of soil physicochemical characteristics to soil erosion resistance, identified key influencing factors, and subsequently constructed a comprehensive evaluation model for soil erosion resistance. The research results indicate that: 1) Redundancy analysis (RDA) and correlation analysis reveal that the soil erodibility factor K is significantly negatively correlated (P < 0.01) with total porosity, sand content, organic matter, mean weight diameter (MWD), geometric mean diameter (GMD), water-stable aggregates larger than 0.25 mm (WSA0.25), and dry-sieved aggregates larger than 0.25 mm (DSA0.25). It is also significantly positively correlated (P < 0.01) with percentage of aggregate destruction for aggregates larger than 0.25 mm (PAD), the silt content, and the clay content. However, it was not significantly correlated with the bulk density, moisture content, or pH. The soil shear strength is significantly negatively correlated (P < 0.05) with the moisture content, clay content, and soil erodibility factor K. The shear soil strength is significantly positively correlated (P < 0.05) with the MWD and DSA0.25. 2) Fourteen erosion resistance indicators of the colluvial zone soil in the Guanyinyan Reservoir area were selected, and a comprehensive evaluation model for soil erosion resistance was established on the basis of Principal Component Analysis (PCA). 3) The Comprehensive Soil Erosion Index (CSEI) in the Jinping Gaunyinyan Reservoir erosion zone varies between 0.082 and 0.942 with changes in water level elevation. For different elevations, the comprehensive soil erosion indices are as follows: high (root zone soil) <middle (root zone soil) <high (un-rooted zone soil) <middle (un-rooted zone soil) <low (root zone soil) <low (un-rooted zone soil). At the same water level elevation, with decreasing flooding time, the CSEI of the un-rooted zone soil in the erosion zone increased by 41.03%, 96.91%, and 353.13% compared with that of the root zone soil. In the reservoir erosion zone of the Guanyinyan Reservoir area, the overall Comprehensive Soil Erosion Index (CSEI) decreases with increasing water level elevation. At the same elevation, the CSEI of the un-rooted zone soil is significantly greater than that of the root zone soil, and this difference further increases with decreasing flooding time.
We study a generalized Ehrenfest urn model that interpolates between the Ehrenfest and voter dynamics through a mixing parameter α. This model can be interpreted in two different ways: adding noise to the voter model, where α represents the intensity of the noise; or adding interaction to the Ehrenfest model, where (1-α) represents the level of the interaction. We focus on a thermodynamic limit where the system size N→∞ and α→0 with Nα held constant, and show that the stationary distribution converges to a q-Gaussian law. In this regime, the entropic index q is determined explicitly by the constant Nα. The definition of q-Gaussians with compact support is extended to include boundary-singular but integrable densities, thereby allowing two equivalent representations: a compact-support and a real-line q-Gaussian, establishing a duality between them. Moreover, after a suitable change of variable, we prove that the extended version of the q-Gaussian is the symmetric beta distribution. The analysis also reveals an order-disorder phase transition structure, being the Cauchy's distribution, (supported on the entire real line); and the arcsine distribution, (their equivalent with compact support), the limit distributions when the susceptibility becomes maximal. These results provide a direct microscopic link between interacting urn models and generalized entropies.
Effective cell representation learning is crucial for accurate cell annotation and the deciphering of cellular heterogeneity in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Current foundation models have achieved superior performance compared with traditional methods. However, due to data sparsity and the complexity of model, existing methods often compromise by selecting highly variable genes or filtering for nonzero expressions, which discard potentially significant genes. Thus, modeling the complete transcriptome for cell representation remains computationally challenging; we present scGenoByte, a unified framework designed to enhance cell representation learning through biologically informed full-gene modeling. To enable efficient modeling of the full transcriptome, we design GenoBytes, biologically coherent units that are constructed by leveraging biological priors in terms of protein-protein interaction network and gene paralogy network. Furthermore, considering that the information of protein and pathway is critical for analyzing cell functions and representation, scGenoByte encapsulates biological priors by harmonizing GenoByte embeddings with protein representations and leveraging an auxiliary task of pathway activity prediction to impose pathway-guided regularization. Extensive results on eight datasets have shown that scGenoByte achieves better performance than competing methods, which confirms the efficacy of combining full-gene context with biological priors.
Spatial transcriptomics (ST) technologies have significantly advanced our ability to discern gene expression patterns within intact tissue structures, enabling unprecedented insights into cellular heterogeneity and tissue architecture. However, accurately determining cell-type proportions within spatially aggregated transcriptomic spots remains challenging due to inherent granularity discrepancies, batch effects, and spatial heterogeneity. To address these challenges, we introduce S$^{2}$potAE, a novel spatial spot autoencoder framework that integrates gene expression data, spatial coordinates, and morphological features from histology images for precise spot-level deconvolution. S$^{2}$potAE employs a multilevel feature aggregation strategy, systematically extracting and fusing spatially-aware features through a graph-based spatial encoder and perceptual image embeddings from histological patches. Furthermore, an auxiliary pathological classification task enhances biological relevance and model interpretability. Comprehensive benchmarking across multiple simulated and real datasets-including human breast cancer, mouse brain anterior, and human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-demonstrates that S$^{2}$potAE consistently surpasses state-of-the-art methods in accuracy, robustness, and biological interpretability. Our approach effectively resolves complex cellular compositions, accurately identifies tumor boundaries, and captures nuanced cell-type distributions, significantly enhancing the utility of ST in biological research and clinical applications.
In order to verify the feasibility of in situ repair of underwater local dry laser welding (ULDLW) on nuclear power reactor components, this work investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of 304L austenitic stainless steel repaired by ULDLW using ER308L filler metal. Comprehensive comparison would be made between the ULDLW and conventional in-air laser welding to evaluate their applicability. The results demonstrate that the rapid cooling rate inherent to the underwater environment significantly influences solidification behavior and microstructural evolution. The weld metal (WM) solidifies in the ferritic-austenitic (FA) mode, with an increased proportion of lathy δ-ferrite at the expense of skeletal morphology compared to the in-air welds. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis reveals the substantial grain refinement in underwater welds, with average grain sizes of 39.4 μm versus 47.3 μm for in-air weld bead, accompanied by a higher fraction of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). These microstructural modifications yield superior mechanical properties: underwater weld bead exhibits ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 685.6 MPa, elongation of 57.5%, and impact toughness of 22.6 J, significantly exceeding the corresponding values for in-air welds (663.9 MPa, 51.8%, and 18.6 J, respectively). Fractographic analysis confirms ductile fracture mechanisms in both conditions. The enhanced performance is attributed to grain refinement strengthening via the Hall-Petch relationship and the increased LAGBs fraction, which impedes dislocation motion and crack propagation.
Microbial mercury (Hg) methylation drives the formation of methylmercury (MeHg) hotspots in natural environments, but the cellular pathways that determine MeHg fate and isotopic signatures remain largely unresolved. In this study, we cultured the model sulfate-reducing bacterium Pseudodesulfovibrio hydrargyri BerOc1 anaerobically under fumarate respiration for 30 h and quantified Hg speciation and fraction- and species-specific Hg isotopic compositions. The results showed that intracellular MeHg was rapidly exported and dominated the extracellular pool by 30 h (> 80%). Exported MeHg bound to specific bioligands across size fractions, likely associated with its export mechanisms. Mass-dependent Hg isotope fractionation revealed temporal shifts in extracellular MeHg isotopic signatures (δ202HgMeHg= -1.10‰ to -0.82‰, 4-30 h), suggesting demethylation of bioligand-bound MeHg upon export. This isotopic observation refines previously reported suppressed mass-dependent fractionation signatures of MeHg in bulk bacterial cultures. Our results demonstrate that bacterially produced MeHg is rapidly exported from cells, potentially bound to specific biomolecules, and subsequently undergoes extracellular demethylation, thereby shaping aqueous MeHg isotopic signatures. These findings provide insight into the key factors that govern MeHg fate and accumulation during bacterial Hg methylation in aquatic ecosystems.
Natural background radiation is a pervasive element affecting biological organisms. However, the consequences of its absence are not well comprehended. This study investigates the effects of ultra-low background radiation on head and neck tumor cells using the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL), which effectively shields cosmic rays. Our results demonstrate that ultra-low background radiation significantly suppresses tumor cell proliferation and migration. Moreover, mitochondrial dysfunction is characterized by reduced membrane potential, impaired oxidative phosphorylation, and increased oxidative stress. Through RNA sequencing, the ATM gene is identified as a pivotal regulator in this process. Furthermore, the downregulation of ATM under ultra-low background radiation results in decreased expression of PGC-1α, NRF-1, and TFAM, all of which are associated with mitochondrial function. In contrast, the overexpression of ATM or TFAM partially ameliorates the inhibition of tumor cell behavior and mitochondrial function induced by ultra-low background radiation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ultra-low background radiation inhibits tumor cell behavior through mitochondrial dysfunction mediated by ATM downregulation, providing valuable insights into the potential therapeutic applications and molecular targets of ultra-low background radiation.
Suichang County, Zhejiang Province, China, boasts a complex geographical setting and a long history, housing 25 national-level traditional villages with distinct spatial morphologies. However, previous studies have primarily focused on the impact of single factors (e.g., terrain) on village spatial morphology. Drawing on cultural ecology, this study selected 25 national traditional villages in the county as subjects and developed an indicator system encompassing 11 environmental, 4 cultural, and 10 spatial morphology indicators. Using methods including spatial design network analysis and Spearman correlation analysis, this study uncovered the mechanisms through which environmental and cultural factors influence the spatial morphology of traditional villages. The results indicate that environmental and cultural elements jointly shape traditional villages' spatial morphology through distinct pathways. Terrain geomorphology constrains the regularity of architectural clusters and the complexity of alley networks. Climatic characteristics and hydrological conditions drive alley network connectivity and affect the coefficient of variation of direction. Population and transportation elements promote the expansion of traditional villages. The proximity of ancient roads is related to alley network connectivity and betweenness, while the ancestral hall centroid deviation affects the village's morphological base. These findings provide technical support and planning guidance for the improved protection and utilization of similar traditional village heritage in southwestern Zhejiang.
Intermolecular energy transfer plays an important role in organic-doped room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP). However, it is difficult to precisely design high-performance RTP by organic-doped systems unless the insight into luminescence is clear. Here, the luminescent mechanism using benzophenone (BP) as host and BP's homologues as guests is investigated by steady-state and delayed photoluminescence, time-resolved transient absorption, and theoretical calculations. A Dexter-type triplet-triplet energy transfer between the host and guest is confirmed. The triplet energy gap (ΔET) between host and guest, with values around 0.35 eV, is significant for RTP with high phosphorescence quantum yields and long lifetime. These results pave the way for precise control strategies for luminescent color, lifetime, and quantum yield in homologue-doped RTP.
The continuous spectrum of double beta decay (ββ) provides a sensitive probe to test the predictions of the standard model and to search for signatures of new physics beyond it. We present a comprehensive analysis of the ^{136}Xe ββ spectrum utilizing 39.1±0.7  kg·yr of ^{136}Xe exposure from the PandaX-4T experiment. The analysis yields the most precise measurement to date of the ^{136}Xe two-neutrino double beta decay (2νββ) half-life, (2.14±0.05)×10^{21}  years, the uncertainty of which is reduced by a factor of 2 compared to our previous result. We measure the parameter ξ_{31}^{2ν}, defined as the ratio between the subleading and leading components of the ^{136}Xe 2νββ nuclear matrix element, to be 0.59_{-0.38}^{+0.41}, which is consistent with theoretical predictions. We also search for Majoron-emitting modes of ^{136}Xe ββ, establishing the most stringent limit for the spectral index n=7.
We aimed to explore the potential incremental cost-effectiveness of the PRODEMOS coach-supported mobile health intervention for primary prevention of dementia versus standard of care provided to people aged 55-75 years with low socio-economic status (SES) in the United Kingdom (UK), and any SES in China. 12-18-month PRODEMOS trial (ISRCTN15986016) efficacy outcomes on hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, physical inactivity and smoking were extrapolated to lifetime impact on dementia onset, myocardial infarction, stroke and death using a health-economic open-source simulation model. Simulated outcomes showed dementia cases were avoided (UK = -206 (-658 to 281), China = -140 (-456 to 205) per 100,000 persons) and disease-free time was gained for dementia, myocardial infarction and stroke (mean months per person UK = 0.4, 0.0 and 0.0; China = 0.2, 0.0 and 0.0 respectively). Assuming a maximum intervention duration of 10 years with a 10 % annual non-adherence rate, the incremental net health benefit in the UK (-0.190) and China (-0.009) indicated a potential lack cost-effectiveness. Our method was limited by strong assumptions regarding causality and sustained effectiveness, lack of some country-specific input estimates, and the lack of probabilistic analysis. The PRODEMOS coach-supported mobile health intervention for the primary prevention of dementia, aimed at people aged 55 to 75 years with low SES in the UK and those of any SES in China, may potentially lack cost-effectiveness in both countries. However, lack of data required strong assumptions regarding causality and sustained effectiveness, which limited policy recommendations.
Myocardial reactive interstitial fibrosis (RIF) is a common feature in heart failure (HF) and is associated with changes in the structure and function of the heart. The impact of interstitial space enlargement and accumulation of interstitial collagen on oxygen transport from capillaries to cardiomyocytes during RIF is not fully understood. To address this issue, we developed a histology-image-based computer modeling approach to estimate the spatial profile of pO2 in tissue samples from the myocardium of healthy dogs and dogs with HF. The analysis shows that both interstitial space enlargement and RIF significantly limit tissue oxygenation, as evidenced by a ~ 47% lower pO2 in cardiomyocytes from HF dogs compared to normal dogs. Tissue hypoxia is primarily driven by the enlargement of interstitial space for severe RIF. The reduction in tissue pO2 for mild and moderate RIF, however, is primarily driven by the fibrosis-related functional changes in the oxygen diffusivity and maximum oxygen consumption rates. Multivariate linear regression shows cardiomyocyte pO2 significantly drops with interstitial area fraction (IAF) and rises with capillary area fraction (CAF) (R2 = 0.761, p = 0.003). Our analysis suggests the strong performance of the CAF/IAF ratio in predicting tissue oxygenation (r = 0.91, R2 = 0.824, p = 0.0001) through the coupling of interstitial expansion-impaired diffusion with reduced microvascular oxygen supply per tissue volume. These findings provide quantitative evidence that interstitial space enlargement and RIF substantially affect O2 transport from capillaries to cardiomyocytes in HF that could lead to significant regional tissue hypoxia.
Aging increases susceptibility to various diseases, including cardiac injury. Which leads to cardiac dysfunction by increasing myocardial fibrosis and mitochondrial dynamics disorder. However, the molecular mechanisms in the aging heart have not been elucidated. The E3 ligase TRIM16 (tripartite motif-containing protein 16) functions as a regulator to alleviate cardiac injury. Sirt6 has been shown to play a cardioprotective role by maintaining mitochondrial dynamics. Our study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the TRIM16-Sirt6-Mfn2 signaling pathway in the aging heart. We used aged mice and performed intracardiac injections of AAV-TRIM16/Sirt6. The results demonstrated that TRIM16 improved cardiac function by increasing Sirt6 expression in the aging heart. Further in vitro studies were conducted using D-galactose-cultured h9c2 cells to explore the relationship between TRIM16/Sirt6 and mitochondrial dynamics. The findings showed that TRIM16/Sirt6 protected D-galactose-cultured h9c2 cells by promoting Mfn2-dependent mitochondrial fusion and enhancing mitochondrial respiratory capacity. In conclusion, our results confirm that TRIM16 activation improves cardiac function via the Sirt6/Mfn2 signaling pathway in the aging heart. This study provides evidence that TRIM16/Sirt6/Mfn2 signaling plays a novel protective role in the aging heart and offers a promising therapeutic strategy for age-related heart failure.
To investigate how insect hair morphology influences pollination effectiveness, this study examined four common wild pollinators in Camellia oleifera plantations: two bee species (Colletes gigas and Apis cerana) and two hornet species (Vespa velutina and Vespa soror). We systematically measured hair length, hair density, and pollen loads on four body regions (head, thorax, abdomen, and legs). The results indicated that the following: (1) C. gigas possessed significantly longer and denser hairs across all body parts, especially on the legs, compared to the other three species. (2) Both the pollen load per body part and the total pollen load were markedly higher in C. gigas than in the other pollinators. The two hornet species did not differ significantly from A. cerana in pollen load, and even exceeded it in certain traits such as head hair length. (3) Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between total pollen load and both hair length (ρ = 0.545, p < 0.01) and hair density (ρ = 0.391, p < 0.01). Pollen loads on different body regions were also strongly positively correlated, suggesting functional synergy across the insect's surface. Leg pollen load correlated positively with head and leg hair length, but negatively with head hair density. Notably, leg hair length and density showed a unique positive correlation, highlighting region-specific morphological adaptation. (4) Cluster analysis separated C. gigas from the other three species, which grouped together. In conclusion, hair length and density-particularly on the legs-are key morphological traits underpinning pollen-carrying efficiency in these pollinators. C. gigas demonstrates superior hair morphology and pollen-carrying performance, supporting its role as an effective pollinator of C. oleifera. This study provides a trait-based framework for identifying dominant pollinators and underscores that evaluating species with complex ecological roles, such as hornets, requires integrating morphological traits with broader behavioral and community contexts.