Qilu Normal University

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and respiratory disorders (RD) are major causes of premature death. Whether moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) causally affect these outcomes, and through which molecular pathways, remains unclear.

We employed a multi-method Mendelian randomization (MR) framework to assess the causal effects of MVPA, sedentary breaks at work (SBAW), leisure screen time (LST), and sedentary commuting (SC) on CVD and RD. Complementary transcriptomic analyses of GEO datasets identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

After Bonferroni correction, genetically predicted MVPA and SBAW were protective (OR = 0.747, 95 % CI: 0.637-0.876, p = 3 × 10⁻⁴; OR = 0.783, 95 % CI: 0.700-0.876, p = 2.03 × 10⁻⁵), and LST was harmful for CVD (OR = 1.172, 95 % CI: 1.023-1.341, p = 0.022). Parallel associations were observed for RD (MVPA: OR = 0.800, 95 % CI: 0.669-0.957, p = 0.015; SBAW: OR = 0.838, 95 % CI: 0.746-0.942, p = 0.003; LST: OR = 1.153, 95 % CI: 1.028-1.293, p = 0.015). Multivariable MR further confirmed the causal effects of physical activity on both outcomes (OR = 0.770, p = 6.14 × 10⁻⁵; OR = 0.894, p = 0.021). Bioinformatics analyses identified 713 DEGs in CVD and 602 in RD; PLA2G2A and C3 emerged as key CVD genes, and CCL5 for RD.

These findings suggest that individual differences in MVPA and SB may influence cardiopulmonary health. The identification of shared molecular signatures suggests potential mechanisms and possible biomarkers, informing precision prevention strategies that emphasize "move more, sit less."

Facial age serves as a socially salient cue that shapes impression formation and social cognition, yet its neurocognitive mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to establish a three-stage model for facial age processing: structural encoding, prototype matching, and affective evaluation. We recorded electroencephalography (EEG) during age judgments of faces from four age groups (10, 30, 50, and 70 years) and combined event-related potential (ERP) analyses (component-based and mass-univariate), time-frequency analysis, and functional connectivity. ERPs showed stage-specific age effects: older faces evoked larger N170 amplitudes, reduced P2 responses, and enhanced late positive potentials (LPP). Mass-univariate analysis (MUA) further confirmed these effects, identifying three significant time bands (70-168 ms, 228-286 ms, and 342-800 ms) over occipital and temporo-occipital sensors, with strongest differentiation for the oldest versus younger faces. Time-frequency analysis revealed increased theta (4-8 Hz) and alpha (8-13 Hz) power during early encoding (∼100-200 ms), accompanied by widespread theta/alpha phase-based connectivity, indicating global coordination for initial age encoding. During prototype matching (∼200-300 ms), only local theta activity remained, suggesting localized processing without large-scale network engagement. The late stage (>300 ms) was indexed by LPP modulations, reflecting age-related affective processing. Overall, facial age processing shows a dynamic shift from early global coordination to later localized processing, providing a mechanistic account of how the brain extracts age information from faces.

Coupling furfural electrochemical hydrogenation (FEH) with hydrazine oxidation (HzOR) in an electrochemical process offers an effective pathway to obtain high-value products, while simultaneously addressing hydrazine contamination and lowering overall energy consumption. Although Ru has been recognized as an effective bifunctional catalyst toward both FEH and HzOR, challenges remain in achieving large current densities and fully clarifying the underlying activity and mechanism. In this work, a Ru-based device was engineered by introducing Mo dopants to regulate the proportion of Ru⁰ and Ru⁴⁺ species, which enabled a remarkable current density of 500 mA cm^-2 at 0.31 V. Combined experimental and theoretical investigations demonstrate that Ru⁰ sites enhance water dissociation to generate active hydrogen for subsequent hydrogenation, while Ru⁴⁺ sites stabilize the (C₄H₃O)CH₂O* intermediate during FEH. For HzOR, Ru⁴⁺ lowers the barrier of the rate-determining step, thus accelerating the overall process, whereas Ru⁰ facilitates dehydrogenation and the release of N₂. Notably, the integrated FEH-HzOR system dramatically reduces the electricity demand for converting furfural to furfuryl alcohol, requiring only 32,711 kWh per ton of FA, which corresponds to a 69.5 % energy saving compared with conventional FEH (97,766 kWh per ton).