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The torsional vibration of the shaft system in hybrid car engines has a significant impact on the overall performance of the vehicle, and it is more complex in hybrid cars compared to traditional cars. Traditional methods for torsional vibration analysis of shaft systems have significant limitations and cannot handle nonlinear and transient problems. To explore the torsional vibration characteristics of hybrid vehicle shaft systems, a simplified engine shaft system torsional vibration equivalent model is innovatively constructed. In addition, a method for quickly determining the confidence level of the torsional vibration equivalent model is proposed. Additionally, the transient dynamic characteristics of a multi-body dynamics model containing a dual mass flywheel are analyzed in depth using the time-domain solver of AVL-exact PU. The results demonstrated that the simulation of 4th and 6th harmonics resonated at critical speeds of 4,195 rpm and 2,771 rpm, respectively, with angular displacement amplitudes of 0.141 deg and 0.047 deg. In fact, resonance was measured at 4,250 rpm and 3,040 rpm, with amplitudes of 0.14 deg and 0.052 deg. These two were basically consistent in key parameters. When the shaft model was started under operating conditions, the amplitudes of harmonics 1, 2, and 4 were basically consistent below 750 rpm, and there were slight differences after 750 rpm. Therefore, the AVL-based engine torsional vibration simulation model constructed has high credibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms of how plant-beneficial rhizospheric fungi interact with the soil microbial community to promote plant growth by facilitating their phosphorus acquisition are poorly understood. This work supported that a Mucoromycotina fungus, Gongronella sp. w5 (w5), could promote phosphorus uptake of Medicago truncatula by increasing the available phosphorus (P) in the soil. The abundance of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and the activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in alfalfa rhizosphere soil increased after w5 inoculation. Further analysis showed that w5 donated a portion of ALP activity and also stimulated the PSB to secrete ALP during plant-w5-PSB interaction to help release more available P in the rhizosphere of M. truncatula. Unlike most plant-beneficial rhizospheric fungi that mainly acquire hexoses from plants, w5 gained sucrose directly from the host plant and then recruited PSB to aid P acquisition by hydrolyzing sucrose and releasing mainly fructose to induce PSB to secrete ALP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strong coupling between fluid and electromagnetic field in the annular linear induction pump (ALIP) can gradually amplify small disturbance in the fluid field into large-scale vortices. The appearance of the vortices seriously affects the efficiency and reliability of the pump. An active flow control method based on the modification of the driving electromagnetic field is proposed to improve the flow stability. A simplified numerical model of the ALIP is established to simulate the threedimensional flow in the annular flow channel, and the internal electromagnetic field is modified by using the modulated surface current. The influences of the active flow control method on the flow behavior, pressure pulsation, and energy conversion are, respectively, investigated based on the simulation results. The results show that the modulated surface current can accelerate the vortical evolution. The size and strength of the vortices are suppressed in the modified electromagnetic field. The pressure pulsation low frequency at the ALIP's outlet is significantly reduced when the modulated surface current density reaches a certain level. The surges in the processes of energy conversion become more gentle within the control method, and the overall energy efficiency is slightly reduced even at the highest modulated surface current density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless Powered Mobile Edge Computing (WPMEC) is an integration of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technologies, to both improve computing capabilities of mobile devices and energy compensation for their limited battery capabilities. Generally, energy transmitters, mobile devices, and edge servers form a WPMEC system that realizes a closed loop of sending and collecting energy as well as offloading and receiving task data. Due to constraints of time-varying network environments, time-coupled battery levels, and the half-duplex character of mobile devices, the joint design of computation offloading and resource allocation solutions in WPMEC systems has become extremely challenging, and a great number of studies have been devoted to it in recent years. In this article, we first introduce the basic model of the WPMEC system. Then, we present key issues and techniques related to WPMEC. In addition, we summarize solutions for computation offloading and resource allocation to solve critical issues in WPMEC networks. Finally, we discuss some research challenges and open issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inherited thrombocytopenia (IT) is a group of hereditary disorders characterized by a reduced platelet count as the main clinical manifestation, and often with abnormal platelet function, which can subsequently lead to impaired hemostasis. In the past decades, humanized mouse models (HMMs), that are mice engrafted with human cells or genes, have been widely used in different research areas including immunology, oncology, and virology. With advances of the development of immunodeficient mice, the engraftment, and reconstitution of functional human platelets in HMM permit studies of occurrence and development of platelet disorders including IT and treatment strategies. This article mainly reviews the development of humanized mice models, the construction methods, research status, and problems of using humanized mice for the in vivo study of human thrombopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural industry agglomeration is an important driving force for the green and high-quality development of agriculture. Based on the perspective of agricultural industry agglomeration, this paper discusses the impact of agricultural industry agglomeration on the level of green development of agriculture, which is of great significance for the realization of sustainable development of agriculture and the implementation of the “double carbon” goal. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces (municipalities) and autonomous regions in China from 2011 to 2020, the non-expected Super-SBM model and location entropy index method were used to measure the efficiency of agricultural green development and the level of agricultural industry agglomeration. The spatial Dubin model, tradition and spatial Markov chain were used to demonstrate the influence of agricultural industrial agglomeration on agricultural green development efficiency and its spatio-temporal dynamic evolution.The results showed that: (1) There was spatial autocorrelation in agricultural green development efficiency. Areas with higher agricultural green development efficiency will drive the improvement of agricultural green development efficiency in surrounding areas, with a positive spillover effect. (2) Industrial agglomeration can improve the efficiency of agricultural green development, and this enhancement has spatial spillover. (3) The influence of agricultural industrial agglomeration on agricultural green development efficiency and its spatial spillover have regional heterogeneity. The spillover effect of AIA to AGDE in the eastern region is greater than that in the central and western regions. Based on this, it is necessary to grasp the spatial correlation law of provincial agriculture, promote the sustainable development of regional agriculture, optimize the allocation of resources, and put forward policy implications for the improvement of agricultural green efficiency from the aspects of financial support, industrialization, human capital and urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the factors influencing the environmental behavior willingness of leisure agriculture operators is conducive to promoting the development of green transformation of agriculture and achieving the goal of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. This essay takes the integrated model of planned behavior theory (TPB) and normative activation theory (NAM) as the theoretical framework, and uses 347 survey data in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province to explore the factors affecting the environmental behavior intention of leisure agriculture operators through structural equation model (SEM). The results show that: (1) The attitude of leisure agriculture business subjects has the greatest effect on the willingness to behave environmentally, and the influence of responsibility attribution and personal norms on the willingness of leisure agriculture business subjects to behave environmentally is relatively small. (2) The behavior attitude, perceptual behavior control and personal norms of leisure agriculture business subjects are the direct factors that determine their environmental behavior willingness, and the subjective norms indirectly influence the environmental behavior willingness of leisure agriculture business subjects through individual norms and responsibility attribution. Based on the above conclusions and combined with the actual situation of the research, the following countermeasures are proposed: pay attention to publicity and education, enhance environmental awareness and cultivate positive attitudes; increase government support and promote environmental protection innovation; strengthen the awareness of results and stimulate the moral responsibility of leisure agriculture operators to protect the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to promote enterprises to participate in green innovation is the key to alleviate environmental problems. Although this question has attracted increasing attention, there is a lack of in-depth discussion on the impact of the external environment on green innovation, especially the role of the marketization process. In view of this, taking Chinese listed companies from 2007 to 2019 as samples, this paper analyzes the relationship between the marketization process and enterprise green innovation, and further explores the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty and organizational slack. The results show that the marketization process has a positive impact on green innovation. In addition, environmental uncertainty enhances the positive relationship between the marketization process and green innovation, while organizational slack plays a negative moderating role. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to further improve the degree of marketization, which could create a good business environment for the development of enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a significant policy measure to protect the environment, environmental regulation can constrain enterprises' production and operation activities in the long run. However, no clear conclusions have been made about the impact of environmental regulation intensity (ERI) on enterprises' financial risk. This study tests the empirical relationship between ERI and manufacturing enterprises' financial risk by using a bidirectional fixed effects model with listed manufacturing enterprises in China from 2012 to 2016. It is found that ERI has a significant negative effect on the financial risk of manufacturing enterprises, and this result remains significant after robustness tests. Further study finds that the effect of ERI on the financial risk of manufacturing enterprises is not significant in the sub-sample of private, low-polluting, and first-tier cities manufacturing enterprises; in the sub-sample of nonprivate, high-polluting, and non-first-tier cities manufacturing enterprises, ERI has a significant negative effect on their financial risk. Our discoveries provide empirical evidence and theoretical references for manufacturing enterprises to improve their ability to analyze the exogenous environment to avoid endogenous financial distress and provide intellectual support for the government to optimize environmental regulation policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fuzzy cognitive maps (FCMs) are a kind of cognitive model for knowledge representation and causal inference. Meanwhile, as fuzzy dynamical systems, FCMs have also been widely applied in the control-related fields, such as mobile robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and industrial controls. However, the existing works mainly focused on the practical applications but lacked the necessary theoretical discussions related to the FCM-based control mechanism. As is known, stabilization is one of the fundamental issues in the control fields. Till date, rigorous research on the stabilization of FCMs is still an issue to be studied. In this article, using state feedback control method, the global stabilizations of finite-state FCMs are investigated. First, utilizing the semi-tensor product (STP) of matrices, the algebraic expression of FCM can be derived. Some theorems ensure the sufficient condition for the existence of the state feedback controller of the global stabilization. Second, the constructive design processes of state feedback controllers are discussed in detail. Third, the global stabilization is further extended into partial stabilization, where only specific concepts of FCMs can be stabilized. The corresponding theoretical analysis is implemented. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by several examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of wound healing involves a complex and vast interplay of growth factors and cytokines that coordinate the recruitment and interaction of various cell types. A series of events involving inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling eventually leads to the restoration of the damaged tissue. Abrogation in the regulation of these events has been shown to result in excessive scarring or non-healing wounds. While the process of wound healing is not fully elucidated, it has been documented that the early events of wound healing play a key role in the outcome of the wound. Furthermore, high levels of inflammation have been shown to lead to scarring. The regulation of these events may result in scarless wound healing, especially in adults. The inhibition of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and the administration of keratinocyte growth factors (KGF), KGF-1 and KGF-2, has in recent years yielded positive results in the acceleration of wound closure and reduced scarring. Here, we encapsulate recent knowledge on the roles of TGF-β, KGF1, and KGF2 in wound healing and scar formation and highlight the areas that need further investigation. We also discuss potential future directions for the use of growth factors in wound management. [Display omitted] The nature and characteristics of the scar are determined by events at the wound site. These events are regulated and driven by effector molecules of the growth factor signaling. • Wound healing is a complex process involving multiple molecules that regulate and determine its outcome. • Growth factors can facilitate wound closure and improve dermal architecture following healing. • The JAK/STAT signaling influences scar outcome by exacerbating inflammation and upregulating collagen. • Advanced drug delivery systems are critical for effective growth factor treatment and scarless healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption of several organo-functional groups (-NH2, -CH3, -COOH, -CHO, and -OH) and alanine on Li decorated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are studied, based on the first-principle calculations. The calculated binding energies on Li-CNTs show obvious enhancement relative to the cases on pure CNTs, from about 0.3 eV to about 1.4 eV except -CH3, which is attributed to strong electrostatic dipole attraction between positive Li ion and polarized organo-functional groups by charge population analysis. It is interesting that the adsorption could be effectively adjusted under external electric field for the interaction with Li-group dipole. For the combinational contribution of charge redistribution and interaction of inherent electric dipole with external electric field, the adsorption of these organo-functional groups shows two discriminative variety trends. Finally, the adsorption of alanine including -NH2, -CH3, and -COOH groups is studied as an illustration to generalize above conclusions to organic macromolecule on Li decorated CNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In two recent publications [M. Kovács, S. Larsson, and A. Mesforush, SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 49 (2011), pp. 2407-2429] and [D. Furihata, et al., SIAM J. Numer. Anal., 56 (2018), pp. 708-731], strong convergence of the semidiscrete and fully discrete finite element methods are, respectively, proved for the Cahn-Hilliard-Cook (CHC) equation, but without convergence rates revealed. The present work aims to fill the gap by recovering strong convergence rates of (fully discrete) finite element methods for the CHC equation. More accurately, strong convergence rates of a full discretization are obtained, based on Galerkin finite element methods for the spatial discretization and the backward Euler method for the temporal discretization. It turns out that the convergence rates depend heavily on the spatial regularity of the noise process. Differently from the stochastic Allen-Cahn equation, the presence of the unbounded elliptic operator in front of the cubic nonlinearity in the underlying model makes the error analysis much more challenging and demanding. To address such difficulties, several new techniques and error estimates are developed. Numerical examples are finally provided to confirm the previous findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One factor that contributes to the high prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is binge-like consumption of alcohol before pregnancy awareness. It is known that treatments are more effective with early recognition of FASD. Recent advances in retrospective motion correction for the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) fetal brain MRI have led to significant improvements in the quality and resolution of anatomical and diffusion MRI of the fetal brain. Here, a rhesus macaque model of FASD, involving oral self-administration of 1.5 g/kg ethanol per day beginning prior to pregnancy and extending through the first 60 d of a 168-d gestational term, was utilized to determine whether fetal MRI could detect alcohol-induced abnormalities in brain development. This approach revealed differences between ethanol-exposed and control fetuses at gestation day 135 (G135), but not G110 or G85. At G135, ethanol-exposed fetuses had reduced brainstem and cerebellum volume and water diffusion anisotropy in several white matter tracts, compared to controls. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings performed on fetal brain tissue obtained immediately following MRI demonstrated that the structural abnormalities observed at G135 are of functional significance. Specifically, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes measured from individual neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex and putamen strongly correlated with diffusion anisotropy in the white matter tracts that connect these structures. These findings demonstrate that exposure to ethanol early in gestation perturbs development of brain regions associated with motor control in a manner that is detectable with fetal MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 rapidly spread across China and worldwide. Remdesivir had been proposed as a promising option for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We provided a rapid review to critically assess the potential anti-coronavirus effect of remdesivir on COVID-19 and other coronaviruses based on the most up-to-date evidence. Even though remdesivir was proposed as a promising option for treating COVID-19 based on laboratory experiments and reports from compassionate use, its safety and effect in humans requires high-quality evidence from welldesigned and adequately-powered clinical trials for further clarification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The olfactory system receives extensive serotonergic inputs from the dorsal raphe, a nucleus involved in control of behavior, regulation of mood, and modulation of sensory processing. Although many studies have investigated how serotonin modulates the olfactory bulb, few have focused on the anterior piriform cortex (aPC), a region important for olfactory learning and encoding of odor identity and intensity. Specifically, the mechanism and functional significance of serotonergic modulation of the aPC remain largely unknown. Here we used pharmacologic, optogenetic, and fiber photometry techniques to examine the serotonergic modulation of neural activity in the aPC in vitro and in vivo. We found that serotonin (5-HT) reduces the excitability of pyramidal neurons directly via 5-HT2C receptors, phospholipase C, and calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels. Furthermore, endogenous serotonin attenuates odor-evoked calcium responses in aPC pyramidal neurons. These findings identify the mechanism underlying serotonergic modulation of the aPC and shed light on its potential role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes of precipitation affect the urban rainstorm waterlogging and water resources management, which have important influences on the sustainable development of society. The primary objective of the paper is to provide theoretical basis for local water resources management and disaster prevention and reduction by analyzing the multiscale variability of precipitation and their teleconnection with large-scale climate anomalies in Xi'an city of China. The change characteristics of precipitation and extreme precipitation indices were investigated using Mann-Kendall test, Spearman's rank correlation and wavelet analysis. The cross wavelet transform and wavelet coherence were used to explore the correlations between the precipitation and large-scale teleconnection indices such as Arctic Oscillation (AO), Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), El Niño- Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and sunspot. Results indicate that: the precipitation was mainly concentrated in summer, followed by autumn. The annual, seasonal and monthly precipitation except June and August had decreasing trends, and the magnitudes of precipitation decrease were more pronounced in spring, April and November. The change patterns varied for extreme precipitation indices. The temporal variation in extreme precipitation indices indicated that the extreme precipitation events had mainly increased during 1971-1990 and 1991-2017, and decreased during 1951-1970 and 1951-2017, especially, increased more pronounced during 1991-2017 and decreased more pronounced during 1951-1970. The precipitation exhibited a fluctuant change from increase to decrease, then increase to decrease and finally increase trends, and there was an abrupt change point in 1965. The annual precipitation had statistically significant cycles of 3-5 year and 7-10 year at 5% significance level. The large-scale teleconnection indices affected the precipitation in Xi'an city. The phase differences between precipitation and teleconnection indices including AO and SOI were in-phase dominated, and anti-phase dominated between precipitation and teleconnection indices including ENSO and sunspot, indicating that the AO and SOI exerted positive climate impacts on the precipitation and vice-versa for ENSO and sunspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the integrated development of rural industry promotes the application of the agricultural green production mode, it inevitably has an impact on the green development of agriculture. Analysing the influence of rural industry integration on agricultural green development is of great significance for realizing agricultural modernization and sustainable development. Based on panel data of 30 provinces in China during 2010-2021, the entropy weight TOPSIS method was used to estimate the agricultural green development level (AGD) and the rural industrial integration level (RII). The influence of agricultural industry integration (AII) on the level of agricultural green development (AGD) and its nonlinear characteristics were analysed by constructing a fixed model, intermediary effect model and threshold effect model. The results show the following. (1) A significant positive relationship exists between the RII and the AGD; that is, the development of rural industry integration can effectively promote the green development of agriculture. Regarding the three regions in China, the integration of rural industries in eastern China plays the most prominent role in the green development of agriculture. (2) Rural industrial integration has significant scale, capital and technology effects; that is, rural industrial integration mainly promotes AGD indirectly by promoting agricultural scale management and agricultural technological progress and improving rural human capital. (3) Rural industrial integration has a significant nonlinear marginal increasing effect on AGD. In the dynamic process of AGD changing from low to high, the effect of the marginal utility of rural industrial integration on AGD is gradually enhanced. Therefore, China should strengthen the deeply integrated development of rural industries, ensure the appropriate scale operation of agriculture and adjustments to the planting structure, accelerate agricultural technology innovation and rural human capital accumulation, and realize a win--win situation for rural economic and ecological conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the Eyring-modified two-suffix-margules (MTSM) model for calculating viscosities of ionic liquid mixtures was proposed by Atashrouz et al. (Atashrouz, S.; Zarghampour, M.; Abdolrahimi, S.; Pazuki, G.; Nasernejad, B. J. Chem. Eng. Data 2014, 59, 3691-3704). In this work, a simple modification of the Eyring-MTSM model was presented and applied to the viscosity calculation of binary mixtures of organic solvents. The accuracy of the modified model was assessed by comparing experimental viscosities at atmospheric pressure for 182 binary mixtures, and the overall average relative deviation (ARD) between the calculated results and literatures is 0.61%. In addition, the relationship between the parameters in the model and the boiling point of mixtures was established. Experimental viscosities containing 478 binary mixtures were used to evaluate the reliability of the relations, and good agreement was obtained between experimental and calculated values with ARD of 1.62%. Furthermore, the modified Eyring-MTSM model was extended to the viscosities of high pressures. The ARD is 1.61% for the high-pressure viscosities of 63 binary mixtures. The predictive ability of the model was also tested, and the model is suitable for the prediction of the homologous mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel design torsional vibration isolator with negative stiffness structures. It consists of two shafts that are linked by positive springs and negative stiffness structures. The connection position of the two shafts has been designed into disc structure, which is the installation position of the positive springs and negative stiffness structures. The task of positive springs is to transmit the designed torque. In this paper, the nonlinear stiffness characteristics of the isolator are presented. The nonlinear mathematical model is presented, and its dynamic behaviors are investigated using the averaging method, and compared with that of the corresponding linear torsion isolator without negative stiffness structures. The study shows that the torsion isolator has a wider isolation region than that of the linear isolator. Furthermore, the performance of the isolator is sensitive to the damping of the system and the amplitude of vibration excitation. Choosing a suitable damping and vibration environment will be important for the stable application of this isolator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe strongly red-emitting carbon dots (CDs) which were obtained via microwave synthesis using phenylenediamine as the carbon source. The structural and optical properties of the resultant CDs are studied in some detail. The CDs possess (a) longwave emission (peaking at 620 nm under 470 nm excitation), (b) a quantum yield of ~15%, (c) a size of typically 3.8 nm; and (d) good photostability. The CDs have a pH-dependet response that covers the pH 5 to 10 range, and their fluorescence is quenched by ferric ions. The CDs can detect ferric ions in aqueous samples in the 0 to 30 µM concentration range with a lower detection limit of 15 nM. The CDs were also used to image pH values and ferric ions in E. coli bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant bone tumour. Due to the high metastasis rate and drug resistance of this disease, multi-drug regimens are necessary to control tumour cells at various stages of the cell cycle, eliminate local or distant micrometastases, and reduce the emergence of drug-resistant cells. Many adjuvant chemotherapy protocols have shown different efficacies and controversial results. Therefore, we classified the types of drugs used for adjuvant chemotherapy and evaluated the differences between single- and multi-drug chemotherapy regimens using network meta-analysis. Methods: We searched electronic databases, including PubMed (MEDLINE), EmBase, and the Cochrane Library, through November 2016 using the keywords "osteosarcoma", "osteogenic sarcoma", "chemotherapy", and "random*" without language restrictions. The major outcome in the present analysis was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary outcome was overall survival (OS). We used a random effect network meta-analysis for mixed multiple treatment comparisons. Results: We included 23 articles assessing a total of 5742 patients in the present systematic review. The analysis of PFS indicated that the T12 protocol (including adriamycin, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, dactinomycin, methotrexate, cisplatin) plays a more critical role in osteosarcoma treatment (surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probability 76. 9%), with a better effect on prolonging the PFS of patients when combined with ifosfamide (94.1%) or vincristine (81.9%). For the analysis of OS, we separated the regimens to two groups, reflecting the disconnection. The T12 protocol plus vincristine (94.7%) or the removal of cisplatinum (89.4%) is most likely the best regimen. Conclusions: We concluded that multi-drug regimens have a better effect on prolonging the PFS and OS of osteosarcoma patients, and the T12 protocol has a better effect on prolonging the PFS of osteosarcoma patients, particularly in combination with ifosfamide or vincristine. The OS analysis showed that the T12 protocol plus vincristine or the T12 protocol with the removal of cisplatinum might be a better regimen for improving the OS of patients. However, well-designed randomized controlled trials of chemotherapeutic protocols are still necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altered macroscopic anatomical characteristics of the cerebral cortex have been identified in individuals affected by various neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the cellular developmental mechanisms that give rise to these abnormalities are not understood. Previously, advances in image reconstruction of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have made possible high-resolution in utero measurements of water diffusion anisotropy in the fetal brain. Here, diffusion anisotropy within the developing fetal cerebral cortex is longitudinally characterized in the rhesus macaque, focusing on gestation day (G85) through G135 of the 165 d term. Additionally, for subsets of animals characterized at G90 and G135, immunohistochemical staining was performed, and 3D structure tensor analyses were used to identify the cellular processes that most closely parallel changes in water diffusion anisotropy with cerebral cortical maturation. Strong correlations were found between maturation of dendritic arbors on the cellular level and the loss of diffusion anisotropy with cortical development. In turn, diffusion anisotropy changes were strongly associated both regionally and temporally with cortical folding. Notably, the regional and temporal dependence of diffusion anisotropy and folding were distinct from the patterns observed for cerebral cortical surface area expansion. These findings strengthen the link proposed in previous studies between cellular-level changes in dendrite morphology and noninvasive diffusion MRI measurements of the developing cerebral cortex and support the possibility that, in gyroencephalic species, structural differentiation within the cortex is coupled to the formation of gyri and sulci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) may have effects on the MAPK/ERK/STAT3 signaling pathway, and the resulting phenotypes may influence the response to sunitinib-targeted therapy for renal cell carcinoma. In order to test this hypothesis patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma treated with sunitinib, were enrolled in our study. Peripheral blood samples were used to run a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism protocol to type candidate nucleotide polymorphism loci (VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and VEGFR3). The samples were also used in western blots to determine p-MAPK/ERK/STAT3 protein expression levels. The clinical responses to treatment were recorded and then a logistic regression method was applied to analyze the correlation between polymorphism of loci and effectiveness of sunitinib therapy. According to a follow-up visit (on average after 15 months of treatment) there were 16 complete responses (CR), 29 partial responses (PR) and 23 stable disease (SD) and progression of disease (PD) cases. Tests were carried out for 5 SNPs: VEGFR1 (rs664393), VEGFR2 (rsl870377 and rs7667298) and VEGFR3 (rs448012 and rs72816988). Mutation rates of rsl870377 and rs448012 loci in the CR+PR group were lower than those in the SD+PD group. No such differences were found for the other 3 loci. Relative expression levels of p-MAPk, p-ERK and p-STAT3 in the CR+PR group were significantly lower than those in the SD+PD group (P<0.05). The median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) in the CR+PR group were higher than those in the SD+PD group (P<0.001). The median OS of the TT rsl870377 genotype was higher than that of the AA genotype, and the median OS of the GG rs448012 genotype was higher than that of the CC genotype (P<0.001). It was concluded through a logistic regression model that rsl870377 (AA) and rs448012 (GG) are independent risk factors closely associated with the effectiveness of sunitinib-targeted therapy on renal cell carcinoma. VEGFR SNPs are able to mediate the MAPK/ERK/STAT3 signaling pathway and therefore influence the effectiveness of sunitinib-targeted therapy, which makes them possible new therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cobalt nanoparticles were loaded onto mesoporous zeolite Naâ€"Y (Naâ€"meso-Y) by melt infiltration and impregnation methods. As compared to impregnation, melt infiltration resulted in Co nanoparticles with a narrower size distribution. The Co/Naâ€"meso-Y catalyst prepared by the melt infiltration exhibited higher C10â€"C20 (diesel fuel) selectivity. The hydrogenolysis of heavier hydrocarbons was confirmed to occur under Fischerâ€"Tropsch reaction conditions. Our studies for the hydrogenolysis of n-hexadecane revealed that the catalyst by the melt infiltration was more active and selective for the formation of C10â€"C15 hydrocarbons. We propose that the narrower Co size distribution favors the selective hydrogenolysis and thus the C10â€"C20 selectivity in Fischerâ€"Tropsch synthesis. The addition of Mn with a proper content could further improve the diesel fuel selectivity to 65% by suppressing the formations of CH4 and lighter hydrocarbons. The Mn-modified Co/Naâ€"meso-Y catalyst was very stable and no deactivation was observed in 1000 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified a new monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDAR) gene from wheat, designated TaMDAR6, which is differentially affected by wheat- Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) interactions. TaMDAR6 is a negative regulator of plant cell death (PCD) triggered by the Bax gene and Pst. Transcript levels of TaMDAR6 are significantly upregulated during a compatible wheat-Pst interaction, indicating that TaMDAR6 may contribute to plant susceptibility. In addition, H2O2 production and PCD are significantly induced and initial pathogen development is significantly reduced in the TaMDAR6 knocked-down plants upon Pst infection. Thus, the suppression of TaMDAR6 enhances wheat resistance to Pst. Besides, the suppression of TaMDAR6 during an incompatible interaction induces a change in the morphology of stomata, which leads to poor stoma recognition and as a consequence to reduced infection efficiency. The percentage of infection sites that develop substomatal vesicles decreases in the TaMDAR6 knocked-down plants during the incompatible interaction presumably due to the increase in ROS accumulation, which is likely to activate other resistance mechanisms that have a negative effect on substomatal vesicle formation. TaMDAR6 can therefore be considered a negative regulator of PCD and of wheat defense to Pst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The granular medium is known as a protecting material for shock mitigation. We study the impulse absorption of an alignment of magnetic spheres placed horizontally under a non-uniform magnetic field. The phenomenon of the wave dispersion is presented. This system can absorb 85% - 95% (88% - 98%) of the incident peak force (energy) under the applied magnetic field strength in 0.1 T - 1.0 T. The shock attenuation capacities are enhanced by the increment of field strength. With an intelligent control system, it is conceivable that the magnetic granular chain may offer possibilities in developing adaptive shock protectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies contrastive divergence (CD) learning algorithm and proposes a new algorithm for training restricted Boltzmann machines (RBMs). We derive that CD is a biased estimator of the log-likelihood gradient method and make an analysis of the bias. Meanwhile, we propose a new learning algorithm called average contrastive divergence (ACD) for training RBMs. It is an improved CD algorithm, and it is different from the traditional CD algorithm. Finally, we obtain some experimental results. The results show that the new algorithm is a better approximation of the log-likelihood gradient method and outperforms the traditional CD algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized the ultraviolet-light-excited charge carriers in highly Mg-doped lithium niobate crystals using photo-Hall effect. The experimental results confirm that electrons are the dominant photo-excited charge carriers under ultraviolet light (λ = 365 nm) illumination, and they transport in an anisotropic way. The photo-Hall mobilities of photo-excited electrons in the crystalline x- and z-axes were measured to be μx=0.066 m²·V-1·s-1 and μz=0.14 m²·V-1·s-1, respectively, which are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher than that of thermalized electrons. In addition, we found that the magneto-resistance effect is taking part in the charge transport process, which results in a nonlinear dependence of the photo-Hall current on the external magnetic field in Mg-doped lithium niobate crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a multi-level hierarchical model for the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) adhesive system and analyses the digital behaviour of the G. gecko under macro/meso-level scale. The model describes the structures of G. gecko's adhesive system from the nano-level spatulae to the sub-millimetre-level lamella. The G. gecko's seta is modelled using inextensible fibril based on Euler's elastica theorem. Considering the side contact of the spatular pads of the seta on the flat and rigid substrate, the directional adhesion behaviour of the seta has been investigated. The lamella-induced attachment and detachment have been modelled to simulate the active digital hyperextension (DH) and the digital gripping (DG) phenomena. The results suggest that a tiny angular displacement within 0.25? of the lamellar proximal end is necessary in which a fast transition from attachment to detachment or vice versa is induced. The active DH helps release the torque to induce setal non-sliding detachment, while the DG helps apply torque to make the setal adhesion stable. The lamella plays a key role in saving energy during detachment to adapt to its habitat and provides another adhesive function which differs from the friction-dependent setal adhesion system controlled by the dynamic of G. gecko's body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well recognized that fetal alcohol exposure can profoundly damage the developing brain. The term fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes the range of deficits that result from prenatal alcohol exposure. Over the past two decades, researchers have used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a noninvasive technique to characterize anatomical, physiological, and metabolic changes in the human brain that are part of FASD. As using animal models can circumvent many of the complications inherent to human studies, researchers have established and explored a number of models involving a range of species. Using MRI-based modalities, the FASD animal models have demonstrated decreased brain volume and abnormal brain shape, disrupted cellular morphology differentiation, altered neurochemistry, and blood perfusion. These animal studies have facilitated characterization of the direct effects of ethanol; in many cases identifying specific sequelae related to the timing and dose of exposure. Further, as a result of the ability to perform traditional (such as histological) analyses on animal brains following neuroimaging experiments, this work leads to improvements in the accuracy of our interpretations of neuroimaging findings in human studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel fully discrete schemes are developed to numerically approximate a semilinear stochastic wave equation driven by additive space-time white noise. A spectral Galerkin method is proposed for the spatial discretization, and exponential time integrators involving linear functionals of the noise are introduced for the temporal approximation. The resulting fully discrete schemes are very easy to implement and allow for a higher strong convergence rate in time than existing time-stepping schemes such as the Crank--Nicolson--Maruyama scheme and the stochastic trigonometric method. Particularly, it is shown that the new schemes achieve in time an order of 1 - ∈ for arbitrarily small ∈ > 0, which exceeds the barrier order ½ established by Walsh [Illinois J. Math., 50 (2006), pp. 991-1018]. Numerical results confirm higher convergence rates and computational efficiency of the new schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperatures are widely used to ensure food quality and safety. However, sublethally injured Staphylococcus aureus is an important microbiological safety concern in low temperature food. The objective of this study was to develop predictive inactivation kinetic models for the inactivation and sublethal injury of S. aureus in broth at different temperatures (4 to - 18°C) and time points. S. aureus was diluted in tryptic soy broth plus 0.6% (wt/vol) yeast extract (TSBYE) to obtain approximately 108 CFU/ml and was stored separately at 4, -3, -11, and - 18°C. After specific time points within 96 days, survival of S. aureus was determined on TSBYE and TSBYE agar plus 10% NaC1 for enumeration of the total viable and noninjured cell numbers, respectively. Linear, Weibull, and modified Gompertz models were applied to determine survival curve regression. The combination of low temperature and time resulted in S. aureus inactivation, although the cells were able to survive in this sublethal state. Storage temperature was the critical parameter in survival of S. aureus. The modified Weibull model successfully described a second model of noninjured S. aureus cell survival at different low temperatures, whereas only the linear model was able to fit the total viable cells. The predictive model may be used to estimate the level of S. aureus contamination in food at low storage temperatures and times, and it provides new insight into the sublethally injured survival state of S. aureus in low temperature food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical investigation on mobilizing oil slugs trapped in an axisymmetric capillary tube saturated with water was conducted. The governing equations for the incompressible two-phase core-annular flow in a capillary model were derived. Numerical solutions for capturing the evolution of interface between oil and water were developed using a level set approach. A projection method was applied to obtain the velocity field of the twophase flow. The existence of a water film between the oil slug and solid tube wall was evident in mobilizing the oil slug, and the water film clearly reduced the external pressure required to mobilize the oil slug. This result matches with the experimental phenomena reported in the literature. New phenomena in oil slug mobilization and motion were also found in the numerical investigations. The results obtained showed the high efficiency of the presented approach and the significance of water film in improving the mobilization of oil slugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uniform and well-crystallized calcium fluorapatite [Ca5(PO4)3F, FAP] microrods have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal synthesis method using sodium citrate as the crystal modifier. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL), photoluminescent excitation spectra (PLE) and decay studies were employed to characterize the samples. The electronic structure and orbital population of FAP were also determined by means of density functional theory calculations. Under ultraviolet irradiation, the FAP:Tb3+,Eu3+ samples exhibit a blue-light emission of the host matrix, as well as the typical green emission band of the Tb3+ ions, and a red-light emission of Eu3+. The highly intense red emission bands of the Eu3+ ions were attributed to the effective energy transfer from the Tb3+ to Eu3+ ions, which has been justified through the luminescence spectra and the fluorescence decay dynamics. The luminescence colors of FAP:Tb3+, Eu3+ microrods can be easily tuned by changing the concentration of Eu3+ ions. The results reveal that the combination of the self-activated luminescence and rare earthdoping emission in FAP:Tb3+, Eu3+ microrods could result in tunable emission in a large color gamut, which can be used as a potential candidate for white-light-emitting diodes and other display devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Usine monodentate N-heterocyclic carbenes as the anacillary ligands, seven monomeric bis(anilido)iron(II) complexes [(IPr2Me2)2Fe(NHAr)2 (IPr2Me2 = 2,5-diisoprop-yl-3,4-dimethylimidazol-1-ylidene; Ar = Ph, C6H4-2-Pri, Mes, C6H3-2,6-Cl2, Dipp) and [(IPr)Fe(NHAr)2] (IPr = 2,5-di(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-1-ylidene; Ar = C6H3-2,6-Cl2, Dipp) have been prepared by the one-pot reactions of [Fe(Mes)2]2 with the corresponding N-heterocyclic carbenes, and anilines. These high-spin diamido complexes have been fully characterized by ¹H NMR, solution magnetic susceptibility, UV--vis, IR, X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, as well as elemental analysis. The strong affinity of the N-heterocyclic carbene ligands toward ferrous centers, and the steric protection exerted by the NHC ligands are the key factors to stabilize these bis(anilido)iron complexes in a monomeric manner. Reactivity studies revealed the four-coordinate complex [(IPr2Me2)2Fe(NHMes)2] can react with 1 equiv of 1-iodo-3,5-dimethylbenzene or 1-bromo-3,5-dimethyl benzene in C6D6 and THF-d8 to furnish 1-C6D5-3,5-Me2C6H3, and 5-D-1,3Me2C6H3, respectively. Under similar conditions, the three-coordinate compound [(IPr)Fe(NHDipp)2] is inert toward these halides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: The relationships between sedentary behavior patterns and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in older adults are not well investigated. METHODS: This population-based study included 1,899 rural-dwelling adults (aged 60 years or older). We assessed sedentary parameters with ActiGraph and defined NAFLD using ultrasonography. RESULTS: Long total and prolonged sedentary time were associated with increased likelihoods of NAFLD, whereas engaging more breaks per sedentary hour and reallocating sedentary time to light-intensity physical activity were associated with reduced likelihoods of NAFLD (Plinear <0.05). DISCUSSION: Shorter sedentary time, engaging more frequent breaks in sedentary behavior, and replacing sedentary time with physical activity are associated with reduced likelihoods of NAFLD in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Islet cell transplantation offers a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, but it is challenged by insufficient donor tissue and side effects of current immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, alternative sources of insulin-producing cells and isletfriendly immunosuppression are required to increase the efficiency and safety of this procedure. Beta cells can be transdifferentiated from precursors or another heterologous (non-beta-cell) source. Recent advances in beta cell regeneration from somatic cells such as fibroblasts could circumvent the usage of immunosuppressive drugs. Therefore, generation of patient-specific beta cells provides the potential of an evolutionary treatment for patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrolysis activities of three alkaline lipases, L-A1, L-A2 and L-A3 secreted by different lipase-producing microorganisms isolated from the Bay of Bohai, P. R. China were characterized with 16 kinds of esters. It was found that all the lipases have the ability to catalyze the hydrolysis of the glycerides, methyl esters, ethyl esters, especially for triglycerides, which shows that they have broad substrate spectra, and this property is very important for them to be used in detergent industry. Three QSAR models were built for L-A1, L-A2 and L-A3 respectively with GFA using Discovery studio 2.1. The models equations 1, 2 and 3 can explain 95.80%, 97.45% and 97.09% of the variances (R2 adj) respectively while they could predict 95.44%, 89.61% and 93.41% of the variances (R2 cv) respectively. With these models the hydrolysis activities of these lipases to mixed esters were predicted and the result showed that the predicted values are in good agreement with the measured values, which indicates that this method can be used as a simple tool to predict the lipase activities for single or mixed esters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B7-H4 is a newly identified B7 homolog that plays an important role in maintaining T-cell homeostasis by inhibiting T-cell proliferation and lymphokine-secretion. In this study, we investigated the signal transduction pathways inhibited by B7-H4 engagement in mouse T cells. We found that treatment of CD3+ T cells with a B7-H4.Ig fusion protein inhibits anti-CD3 elicited T-cell receptor (TCR)/CD28 signaling events, including phosphorylation of the MAP kinases, ERK, p38, and JNK. B7-H4.Ig treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT kinase and impaired its kinase activity as assessed by the phosphorylation of its endogenous substrate GSK-3. Expression of IL-2 is also reduced by B7-H4. In contrast, the phosphorylation state of the TCR proximal tyrosine kinases ZAP70 and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) are not affected by B7-H4 ligation. These results indicate that B7-H4 inhibits T-cell proliferation and IL-2 production through interfering with activation of ERK, JNK, and AKT, but not of ZAP70 or LCK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE--Autoimmune diabetes is a T cell--mediated disease in which insulin-producing β-cells are destroyed. Autoreactive T cells play a central role in mediating β-cell destruction. B7-H4 is a negative cosignaling molecule that downregulates T-cell responses. In this study, we aim to determine the role of B7-H4 on regulation of β-cell--specific autoimmune responses. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--Prediabetic (aged 3 weeks) female NOD mice (group 1, n = 21) were treated with intraperitoneal injections of B7-H4.Ig at 7.5 mg/kg, with the same amount of mouse IgG (group 2, n = 24), or with no protein injections (group 3, n = 24), every 3 days for 12 weeks. RESULTS--B7-H4.Ig reduced the incidence of autoimmune diabetes, compared with the control groups (diabetic mice 28.6% of group 1, 66.7% of group 2 [P = 0.0081], and 70.8% of group 3 [group 1 vs. 3, P = 0.0035]). Histological analysis revealed that B7-H4 treatment did not block islet infiltration but rather suppressed further infiltrates after 9 weeks of treatment (group 1 vs. 2, P = 0.0003). B7-H4 treatment also reduced T-cell proliferation in response to GAD65 stimulation ex vivo. The reduction of diabetes is not due to inhibition of activated T cells in the periphery but rather to a transient increase of Foxp3+ CD4+ T-cell population at one week posttreatment (12.88 ± 1.29 vs. 11.58 ± 1.46%; n = 8; P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS--Our data demonstrate the protective role of B7-H4 in the development of autoimmune diabetes, suggesting a potential means of preventing type 1 diabetes by targeting the B7-H4 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citric acid-induced changes in the structure of the mineral component of enamel stored in artificial saliva were studied by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy as well as complementary electron probe microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the application of artificial saliva for several hours (the minimum time period proved is 4 h) leads to slight, partial recovering of the local structure of eroded enamel apatite. However, artificial saliva surrounding cannot stop the process of loosening and breaking of P-O-Ca atomic linkages in enamel subjected to multiple citric acid treatments. Irreversible changes in the atomic bonding within 700nm thick enamel surface layer are observed after three times exposure for 1min to aqueous solution of citric acid having a pH value of 2.23, with a 24-hour interval between the individual treatments. The additional treatment with basic fluoride-containing solutions (1.0% NaF) did not demonstrate a protective effect on the enamel apatite structure per se. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogenesis-related (PR) proteins, induced in plants in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses, have been assumed to play a role in plant defense system. Proteins of the PR5 family, also named thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), have been detected in numerous plant species. In this research, a novel PR5 gene, designated as TaPR5, was isolated and characterized from wheat leaves (cv. Suwon 11) infected by the stripe rust pathotype CY23 (incompatible interaction) using the rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). TaPR5 was predicted to encode a protein of 173 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 17.6 kDa and a theoretical pI of 4.64. The deduced amino acid sequence of TaPR5 showed a significant sequence similarity with PR5 and TLPs from barley and other plants and contained a putative signal peptide at the amino terminus. Southern blot analysis indicated that TaPR5 is coded by a single-copy gene. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analyses revealed that TaPR5 transcript is significantly induced and upregulated in the incompatible interaction while in the compatible interaction a relative low level of the transcript was detected. TaPR5 was also induced by phytohormones (SA, JA and ABA) and stress stimuli (wounding, cold temperature and high salinity). Using an assay of onion epidermal cells indicated accumulation of TaPR5 protein in the apoplast. The immunocytochemical method showed that the TaPR5 protein was detected on cell walls of wheat leaves in the incompatible interaction at markedly higher labeling density compared with the compatible interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, is one of the most important diseases of wheat worldwide. To isolate defense-related genes against the pathogen, a suppression subtractive hybridization library was constructed for an incompatible interaction. From the library, 652 sequences were determined to be unigenes, of which 31 were determined as genes involved in signal transduction and 77 were predicted to encode defense-related proteins. Expression patterns of 12 selected signal transduction and defense-related genes were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Signal transduction genes started increasing their expression at 12 h post inoculation (hpi), and expressions of the most of the transport and resistance-related genes were induced at 18 hpi. The gene expression results indicate specific molecular and cellular activities during the incompatible interaction between wheat and the stripe rust pathogen. In general, the expression increase of wheat signal transduction genes soon after inoculation with the pathogen inducing various defense-related genes, including reactive oxygen species, ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, pathogenesis-related proteins, and genes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway. The activities of these defense genes work in a sequential and concerted manner to result in a hypersensitive response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]