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Animal intestines is considered as a source of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that have potential to decrease the nitrite level during fermentation of food such as pickles. It was hypothesized that optimized level of LAB has a high capacity to degrade nitrite during Chinese pickle fermentation and benefit a higher acceptability of the Chinese pickle product. This study aims to investigate the performance of a goose intestine-isolated LAB strain G6 under the species Lactiplantibacillus plantarum as a starter culture of Chinese pickles. The results showed that Lactiplantibacillus sp. G6 had a nitrite degradation rate close to 100% under the MRS broth condition of 25 °C, 2% inoculum volume and pH at 5. As a starter culture for Chinese pickle, this strain was able to achieve a higher LABs amount, lower nitrite residue after fermentation, compared with the group without the starter, which implicates its feasibility of applying on fermented food for reducing nitrite level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to global warming, late-spring coldness affecting wheat (LSCW) is one of the major abiotic adversities affecting wheat production. A combination of field and pot trials were conducted in this study. In the field experiment, 20 wheat varieties from the main wheat-producing areas in China were selected as experimental materials. By exploring the effects of LSCW on the spikelet characteristics and yields of different varieties, the evaluation methods and indexes of wheat varieties' resistance to LSCW were established. Three varieties with strong resistance to LSCW (Yannong19, Guomai9, and Shannong17) and five varieties sensitive to LSCW (Zhengmai895, Xinmai26, Zhengmai366, Zhengmai8329, and Fanmai5) were screened out. The wheat varieties Yannong19 (YN19), with a strong resistance to LSCW, and Xinmai26 (XM26), with LSCW sensitivity, were selected as the test materials for the pot experiment. The ultrastructure changes in the wheat in different low-temperature treatments during the anther differentiation period were observed using an ultra-low-temperature artificial climate incubator set to 4 °C and −4 °C for 4 h (1:00–5:00 a.m.). The average temperature of the field during the low-temperature treatment was 10 °C, which was the control temperature (CK). The results showed that the cell morphology and chloroplast and mitochondrial structures of the functional leaves, young ears, and internodes below the ears were damaged, and the degree of damage was related to the cell location, the extent of low-temperature stress, and the resistance of the varieties. The degree of damage to the wheat cells was found to occur in the following order: young ears > internode belove young ears > functional leaves. The degrees of damage to the wheat cell, chloroplast, and mitochondrial structures increased with the intensification of the low-temperature stress. The damage to the XM26 variety was obviously greater than that inflicted on the YN19 variety. The anatomical mechanism of YN19 cells makes the cell structure more stable during late-spring coldness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global warming, low temperature (LT) disasters in major crops are also becoming more common. LT stress in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, the central wheat region in China, caused a massive reduction in wheat yields. A step towards ensuring wheat yield stability and food security, this study investigated the effects of optimizing phosphorus application on the root physiology, dry matter phosphorus accumulation, translocation, and partitioning of wheat under LT stress, using the representative cultivar Yannong 19 as the test material. The treatments included conventional phosphorus application (R1) and twice-split phosphorus application (R2), followed by −4 °C LT treatment and normal temperature (NT) treatment during the anther interval stage. Analysis of the root physiology (enzymatic activities and acid phosphatase, contents of malondialdehyde, soluble sugar, and soluble protein), phosphorus and dry matter accumulation, translocation, partitioning, and agronomic and yield-related components was carried during this research study. The results showed that the wheat root activity was significantly reduced and the antioxidant enzyme activities were increased to mitigate the damage of LT stress. Moreover, LT treatments damaged root function. The root activity and antioxidant properties were significantly lower than those of the NT treatment at the flowering stage. The dry matter and phosphorus accumulations were reduced by 30.6~33.6% and 15.1~21.3% at the flowering and maturity stages, resulting in final yield losses of 10.3~13.0%. In contrast, root activity increased by 16.1~27.2% in the twice-split phosphorus application treatments, and the root antioxidant characteristics were higher. As a result, dry matter and phosphorus accumulation increased after twice-split phosphorus application and their translocation to the grains was more; the final yield increased by 5.5~7.3%. Overall, the twice-split phosphorus application enhanced the physiological function of the root system and promoted the accumulation of nutrients and their transport to the grain, and alleviated the yield loss of wheat caused by LT stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this brief reply I respond to criticisms of my book, The referential mechanism of proper names, from Michael Devitt and Nicolo D'Agruma. I focus on the question of whether the perspectivism advocated in the book explains the empirical results there detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress during the grain filling is one of most critical factors impacting grain yield in winter wheat. In a two-year field experiment, we studied the effects of 24-Epicastasterone and KH2PO4 on heat-stressed wheat applied during different times. A completely randomized block design was used with three reagents, that is, 24-Epicastasterone, KH2PO4 and H2O and three spraying times, that is, pre-heat, under-heat and post-heat. Two cultivars, that is, Huaimai 33 and Annong 0711 were subjected to a 7 d post-flowering heat stress using plastic tents. Our study suggests that greater grain weight in heat-stressed plants was achieved through sustaining leaf greenness and higher assimilates supplies to grains. When heat-stressed plants sprayed either with 24-Epicastasterone or KH2PO4 could sustain a relatively higher leaf photosynthetic capacity by up-regulating antioxidant enzymes with reduced damage on lipid membranes and leaf chlorophyll. We also found that KH2PO4 was relatively more effective in improving leaf physiology and grain yield of heat-stressed plants than 24-Epicastasterone. Further analysis showed that pre-heat or post-heat was more pronounced in protecting plants from heat injury than spraying the plants under heat stress. Thus, spraying KH2PO4 either prior to or post stress incidence is recommended to protect wheat crops from terminal heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most important wheat-producing areas in China, wheat is prone to heat stress during the grain filling period in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (3HP), which lowers yields and degrades the grain quality of wheat. To assess the effects of spraying potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KH2PO4) on the physiological traits in flag leaves and grain yield (GY) and quality under heat stress during the filling period, we conducted a two-year field experiment in the winter wheat growing seasons of 2020–2022. In this study, spraying water combined with heat stress (HT), 0.3% KH2PO4 (KDP), and 0.3% KH2PO4 combined with heat stress (PHT) were designed, and spraying water alone was used as a control (CK). The dates for the spraying were the third and eleventh day after anthesis, and a plastic film shed was used to impose heat stress on the wheat plants during the grain filling period. The results showed that spraying KH2PO4 significantly improved the chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis rate (Pn) in flag leaves compared with the non-sprayed treatments. Compared with CK, the Pn in HT decreased by 8.97% after heat stress, while Pn in PHT decreased by 7.44% compared to that of KDP. The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase in flag leaves were significantly reduced when the wheat was subjected to heat stress, while malonaldehyde content increased, and the enzyme activities were significantly enhanced when KH2PO4 was sprayed. Heat stress significantly decreased the contribution rate of dry matter accumulation (DM) after anthesis of wheat to grain (CRAA), whereas spraying KH2PO4 significantly increased the CRAA and harvest index. At maturity, the DM in CK was significantly higher than that in HT, KDP was significantly higher than PHT, and KDP had the highest DM. Compared with CK, the GY in KDP significantly increased by 9.85% over the two years, while the GY in HT decreased by 11.44% compared with that of CK, and the GY in PHT decreased by 6.31% compared to that of KDP. Spraying KH2PO4 after anthesis primarily helped GY by maintaining a high thousand grain weight to lessen the negative effects of heat stress on wheat. Moreover, heat stress significantly reduced protein concentration, wet gluten content, dough development time, and hardness index in grains of mature, while spraying KH2PO4 maintained a sufficient grain quality under the conditions of achieving higher yields. Overall, spraying KH2PO4 after anthesis could enhance the heat stress resistance of wheat and maintain the photosynthetic capacity of flag leaves, ensuring the dry matter production and reducing the negative effects on grain yield and quality in the 3HP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problems of soaring costs and supply fluctuation in permanent magnet materials, this paper investigates and develops a magnetless wound field synchronous motor (WFSM) drive system for electric vehicle (EV) application. As the crucial drive component for EVs, the proposed WFSM in this paper has a two-stage structure which is described as the exciter and the main motor. The excitation characteristics of the exciter that provide power to the rotor field winding are emphatically analyzed. In addition, the discrete time domain armature current regulator and excitation current regulator are designed and analyzed for the high-performance WFSM drive system. A current coordinated control strategy for the full speed range is proposed to expand the constant power region. The experiment shows that the excitation characteristics and torque capability of the WFSM are consistent with the analysis, and proves that the WFSM is a potential solution for the magnetless motor for EV application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the first study in the literature that adopts a bibliometric approach to systematically explore the scholarship in the young and fast‐growing research field of experimental philosophy. Based on a corpus of 1,248 publications in experimental philosophy from the past two decades retrieved from the PhilPapers website, the study examined the publication trend, the influential experimental philosophers, the impactful works, the popular publication venues, and the major research themes in this subarea of philosophy. It found, first, an overall growing trend in publications in experimental philosophy, encompassing four developmental stages. Second, it found that significant changes in topics of interest have taken place, with some gaining increasing attention, others seemingly going out of fashion, and still others remaining popular constantly. Third, the study identified lists of leading philosophers, frequently cited publications, and popular journals helpful for researchers and newcomers to get a quick start in learning about the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is defined by atherosclerosis, which may result in stenosis or blockage of the arterial cavity, leading to ischemic cardiac diseases such as angina and myocardial infarction (MI). Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota play a critical role in the initiation and progression of CHD. The gut microbial metabolite trimethylamine N‐oxide (TMAO) is intimately linked to the pathophysiology of CHD. The hepatic flavin‐containing monooxygenases (FMOs) convert trimethylamine (TMA) to TMAO. As a result, it is critical to prevent TMA generation. Stilbenes could reduce cardiovascular disease mortality. Twelve stilbenes with inhibitory activity against TMA‐lyase were compiled and evaluated in this study. Docking results showed Resveratroloside had the highest Vina score, indicating that it was the most active and might be employed as a lead molecule for further structural modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality friendships are important sources of social support for adolescents. However, friendships characterized by negative features such as frequent conflicts with friends can be significant interpersonal stressors and are detrimental to adolescents' mental health and well-being. The present study aimed to examine the associations between friendship conflict and three negative emotional states commonly experienced during adolescence (i.e., depression, anxiety, and stress), test the moderating effect of self-compassion on these associations, and investigate whether the moderating effect differed by gender. A total of 861 Chinese adolescents (45.76% girls; Mage = 15.21, SD = 0.73) completed a suite of questionnaires measuring friendship conflict, self-compassion, depression, anxiety, and stress. Utilizing latent interaction models, we found that friendship conflict was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively, while self-compassion was negatively associated with these negative emotions. More importantly, self-compassion moderated the associations between friendship conflict and the three negative emotions, such that the positive associations between friendship conflict and depression, anxiety, and stress were weaker among adolescents with higher levels of self-compassion. We further conducted multiple group analyses and found that the moderating role of self-compassion was only found for boys, but not for girls. These findings highlighted the protective role of self-compassion in helping adolescents, especially boys, cope with friendship conflict. Highlights: Friendship conflict could trigger depression, anxiety, and stress in Chinese adolescents. Self-compassion served as a moderator between friendship conflict and negative emotional states. However, the moderating effect of self-compassion was only supported among boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(4‐thiostyrene), a historically challenging to synthesize polymer, is synthesized herein via a feasible three‐step protocol. Based on the newly developed protection–deprotection strategy, the precursor polymer containing thiomethyl groups is deprotected using Li/naphthalene to yield poly(4‐thiostyrene) after acidification. This newly developed procedure is crucial for preventing crosslinking of the thiol groups and therefore the resulting polymer is soluble in common organic solvents (e.g., chloroform, tetrahydrofuran) and can be stored long‐term, which has been challenging to accomplish over the past 60 years. The successful synthesis is confirmed by various characterization techniques including NMR, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman analysis, which collectively are new and useful data that have generally been unavailable in previous reports. This work provides a robust approach for synthesizing this promising polymer and offers a new route to investigate thiol‐containing polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a two-year field experiment on winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from 2016–2018 to compare the effects of reducing nitrogen application rate in spring under three irrigation methods on grain yield (GY), water and nitrogen use efficiency in the North China Plain (NCP). Across the two years, GY of conventional irrigation (CI), micro-sprinkling irrigation (SI) and drip irrigation (DI) decreased by 6.35%, 9.84% and 6.83%, respectively, in the reduced nitrogen application rate (N45) than the recommended nitrogen application rate (N90). However, micro-irrigation (SI and DI) significantly increased GY relative to CI under the same nitrogen application rate, and no significant difference was observed in GY between SI and DI under N45, while SI obtained the highest GY under N90. The difference among different treatments in GY was mainly due to the variation in grain weight. The seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) in N45 was decreased more significantly than N90, and there was no significantly difference in ET among different irrigation methods under N45, but micro-irrigation significantly decreased the ET relative to CI under N90. Micro-irrigation significantly improved water use efficiency (WUE) compared to CI at the same nitrogen application rate. Under N45, compared with CI, WUE in SI and DI increased by 9.09% and 4.70%, respectively; however, the WUE increased by 15.9% and 7.23%, respectively, under N90. Reducing nitrogen application rate did not have a significant impact on WUE under CI, but it did have a substantial negative impact on SI and DI. Nitrogen accumulation in wheat plants at maturity (NAM) in N45 deceased significantly compared with N90 under the same irrigation method. Compared with CI under the same nitrogen application rate, micro-irrigation treatments significantly increased NAM, while SI was the largest. In comparison to N90, under three irrigation methods, N45 significantly increased nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency (NfUE). The highest NfUE was attained in SI, followed by DI, while CI was the lowest. Moreover, N45 significantly decreased soil NO3−-N accumulation (SNC) in three irrigation methods, and micro-irrigation significantly decreased the SNC in deep soil layers compared with CI when nitrogen is applied at the same level. Overall, micro-irrigation with a reduced nitrogen application rate in spring can achieve a relatively higher production of winter wheat while increasing the use efficiency of water and nitrogen and reducing soil NO3−-N leaching into deep soil layers in the NCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaporation duct is a special atmospheric stratification that significantly influences the propagation path of electromagnetic waves at sea, and hence, it is crucial for the stability of the radio communication systems. Affected by physical parameters that are not universal, traditional evaporation duct theoretical models often have limited accuracy and poor generalization ability, e.g., the remote sensing method is limited by the inversion algorithm. The accuracy, generalization ability and scientific interpretability of the existing pure data-driven evaporation duct height prediction models still need to be improved. To address these issues, in this paper, we use the voyage observation data and propose the physically constrained LightGBM evaporation duct height prediction model (LGB-PHY). The proposed model integrates the Babin–Young–Carton (BYC) physical model into a custom loss function. Compared with the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model, the LGB-PHY based on a 5-day voyage data set of the South China Sea provides significant improvement where the RMSE index is reduced by 68%, while the SCC index is improved by 6.5%. We further carried out a cross-comparison experiment of regional generalization and show that in the sea area with high latitude and strong adaptability of the BYC model, the LGB-PHY model has a stronger regional generalization performance than that of the XGB model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature stress has become an important abiotic factor affecting high and stable wheat production. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures to enhance low-temperature tolerance in wheat. A pot experiment was carried out using Yannong19 (YN19, a cold-tolerant cultivar) and Xinmai26 (XM26, a cold-sensitive cultivar). We employed traditional phosphorus application (TPA, i.e., R1) and optimized phosphorus application (OPA, i.e., R2) methods. Plants undertook chilling (T1 at 4 °C) and freezing treatment (T2 at −4 °C) as well as ambient temperature (CK at 11 °C) during the anther differentiation period to investigate the effects of OPA and TPA on photosynthetic parameters and the accumulation and distribution of dry matter. The net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of flag leaves decreased in low-temperature treatments, whereas intercellular carbon dioxide concentration (Ci) increased. Compared with R1CK, Pn in R1T1 and R1T2 treatments was reduced by 26.8% and 42.2% in YN19 and 34.2% and 54.7% in XM26, respectively. In contrast, it increased by 6.5%, 8.9% and 12.7% in YN19 and 7.7%, 15.6% and 22.6% in XM26 for R2CK, R2T1 and R2T2 treatments, respectively, under OPA compared with TPA at the same temperature treatments. Moreover, low-temperature stress reduced dry matter accumulation at the reproductive growth stage. OPA increased dry matter accumulation of vegetative organs after the flowering stage and promoted the transportation of assimilates to grains. Hence, the grain number per spike (GNPS), 1000-grain weight (TGW) and yield per plant (YPP) increased. The low-temperature treatments of T1 and T2 caused yield losses of 24.1~64.1%, and the yield increased by 8.6~20.5% under OPA treatments among the two wheat cultivars. In brief, OPA enhances low-temperature tolerance in wheat, effectively improves wheat architecture and photosynthesis, increases GNPS and TGW and ultimately lessens yield losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a dry pick-and-flip assembly technique for angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) of van der Waals heterostructures. By combining Elvacite2552C acrylic resin and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquid, we prepared polymers with glass transition temperatures (Tg) ranging from 37 to 100 ℃. The adhesion of the polymer to the 2D crystals was enhanced at T g . By utilizing the difference in T g , a 2D heterostructure can be transferred from a high- T g polymer to a lower- T g polymer, which enables flipping its surface upside down. This process is suitable for assembling heterostructures for ARPES, where the top capping layer should be monolayer graphene. The laser-based micro-focused ARPES measurements of 5-layer WTe2, 3-layer MoTe2, 2-layer WTe2/few-layer Cr2Ge2Te6, and twisted double bilayer WTe2 demonstrate that this process can be utilized as a versatile sample fabrication method for investigating the energy spectra of 2D heterostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproductive compromise under heat stress is a major obstacle to achieve high grain yield and quality in wheat worldwide. Securing reproductive success is the key solution to sustain wheat productivity by understanding the physiological mechanism and molecular basis in conferring heat tolerance and utilizing the candidate gene resources for breeding. In this study, we examined the performance on both carbon supply source (as leaf photosynthetic rate) and carbon sink intake (as grain yields and quality) in wheat under heat stress varying with timing, duration, and intensity, and we further surveyed physiological processes from source to sink and the associated genetic basis in regulating reproductive thermotolerance; in addition, we summarized the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and genes identified for heat stress tolerance associated with reproductive stages. Discovery of novel genes for thermotolerance is made more efficient via the combination of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and phenomics. Gene editing of specific genes for novel varieties governing heat tolerance is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21st century presents many challenges to mankind, including climate change, fast growing human population, and serious concerns over food security. Wheat is a leading cereal crop that largely fulfills the global food needs. Low temperature stress accompanied by nutrient-starved soils is badly disrupting the source–sink relationship of wheat, thus causing an acute decline in final yield and deteriorating the grain quality. This review paper aimed to understand how low temperature stress affects wheat source–sink organs (i.e., leaves, roots, and spikes) and how phosphorus application reliefs in alleviating its harmful consequences. Also, we discussed mitigation strategies to enhance wheat capacity to adapt to varying temperature extremes and made rational recommendations based on modern agronomic and breeding approaches. Therefore, this study is likely to establish a solid foundation for improving the tolerance to low temperature stress and to improve its phosphorus utilization efficiency in wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of antimicrobial fabrics and textiles that can sustainably inhibit a broad spectrum of microbes is crucial for protecting against pathogens in various environments. However, engineering antimicrobial textiles is challenging due to issues with discoloration and inhibited breathability, the use of harmful or harsh reagents and synthesis conditions, and complex and/or time-consuming processing. Herein, we develop a facile and rapid approach to deposit antimicrobial coatings using universally adherent plant polyphenols and antimicrobial silver ions. Importantly, the coatings are colorless, thin (< 10 nm), rapidly assembled (< 20 min), and can be deposited via immersion or spraying. We demonstrate that these metal-phenolic coatings on textiles can inhibit lipid-enveloped viruses over one thousand times more efficiently than coatings composed of other metal ions, while maintaining their efficacy even after 5 washes. Moreover, the coatings also inhibit Gram positive and negative bacteria, and fungi, and can prevent odors on clothes for at least 10 washes. Collectively, the ease of synthesis, use of simple and safe precursors, and amenability to at-home and industrial application suggests that the coatings will find practical application in various settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late spring coldness (LSC) is critical for wheat growth and development in the Huang-Huai valleys of China. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms for young spikes responding to low temperature (LT) stress during anther connective tissue formation phase (ACFP). To elucidate the molecular mechanisms associated with low temperature, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis of wheat cultivars Xinmai26 (XM26: cold-sensitive) and Yannong19 (YN19: cold-tolerant) using RNA-seq data. Over 4000 differently expressed genes (DEGs) were identified under low temperature conditions (T1: 4°C) and freezing conditions (T2: −4°C) compared with control (CK: 16°C). The number of DEGs associated with two cultivars at two low temperature treatments (T1: 4°C and T2: −4°C) were 834, 1,353, 231, and 1,882 in four comparison groups (Xinmai26-CK vs. Xinmai26-T1, Xinmai26-CK vs. Xinmai26-T2, Yannong19-CK vs. Yannong19-T1, and Yannong19-CK vs. Yannong19-T2), respectively. Furthermore, to validate the accuracy of RNA-seq, 16 DEGs were analyzed using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Several transcriptome changes were observed through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway functional enrichment analysis in plant hormone signal transduction, circadian rhythm-plant, and starch and sucrose metabolism under low temperature. In addition, 126 transcription factors (TFs), including AP2-ERF, bHLH, WRKY, MYB, HSF , and members of the bZIP family, were considered as cold-responsive. It is the first study to investigate DEGs associated with low temperature stress at the transcriptome level in two wheat cultivars with different cold resistance capacities. Most likely, the variations in transcription factors (TFs) regulation, and starch and sucrose metabolism contribute to different cold resistance capacities in the two cultivars. Further, physiological activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) enzymes, malondialdehyde (MDA), soluble sugar (SS), and sucrose contents were evaluated to investigate the negative impacts of low temperature in both cultivars. These findings provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to low temperature and potential candidate genes that required for improving wheat's capacity to withstand low temperature stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Many cyber‐attach schemes and coding models established by algebra tools are build to address the problem of security of cyber‐pysical systems (CPS). As an important field of algebra computing, Boolean Polynomial System Solving (PoSSo) problem plays a very important role in many algebra applications. In this article, we propose an efficient Parallel Boolean Characteristic Set method (PBCS) under the high‐performance computing environment to improve the efficiency of solving Boolean polynomial systems. The PBCS is implemented based on the state‐of‐the‐art Boolean Characteristic Set method (BCS). It adopts a master‐slave parallel pattern, and distributes tasks based on the polynomial sets after initial zero decomposition. We design a strategy of dynamically reallocating tasks to ameliorate load imbalance, which is caused by dynamical zero decomposition of polynomials. Furthermore, we improve its performance by optimizing the parameter settings of PBCS, including the maximum number of polynomial branches that trigger the dynamic allocation policy and the scheduling time. Experimental results with solving several Boolean polynomial systems confirm that PBCS is efficient and scalable, especially for the equations generating from stream ciphers that have block triangular structure. Moreover, the method also has good scalability. It shows a stable speedup as well even extending to the size of thousands of CPU cores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation ducts are a particular type of atmospheric stratification that frequently appears on the sea surface. The accurate and timely prediction of the evaporation duct height (EDH) is significant for the practical application of electromagnetic communication equipment. Due to the typical time-series (TS) characteristics of the measured evaporation duct data, we construct an EDH prediction model based on a long short-term memory network (LSTM-EDH model) for the first time. The experimental results show that the LSTM-EDH model’s root-mean-square error (RMSE) is dramatically reduced and can achieve a better fit of the measured EDH compared with the Babin–Young–Carton (BYC), Naval-Postgraduate-School (NPS), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) EDH models. Compared with the XGB model, the generalization ability is also greatly improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the role of initial public offering (IPO) overfunding in the reallocation of resources from the view of trade credit. The results show that, in general, the degree of liquidity supplement from IPO overfunding is positively correlated with the trade credit provision. Trade credit acts as Robin Hood to help the reallocation of direct financing resources. In addition, this effect is more pronounced for companies with strong product-market power, or when economic uncertainty policy is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exosomes are cell‐derived extracellular vesicles that hold promise for diagnosis and therapy. The surface characteristics of exosomes dictate their biological fate and are therefore important for various applications, however surface modification strategies are generally either limited in scope or require complex equipment or experimental procedures. Herein, we employ a simple and fast method to control the surface properties of exosomes via polydopamine coating. Specifically, the polydopamine coating allowed for tailorable functionalization via secondary reactions, which opens exciting avenues for the application of exosomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased plant density markedly affects canopy morphophysiological activities and crop productivity. This study aims to model maize canopy final morphology under increased interplant competition by revising a functional–structural plant model, i.e., ADEL-Maize. A 2-year field experiment was conducted at Mengcheng, Anhui Province, China, in 2016 and 2018. A randomized complete block design of five plant densities (PDs), i.e., 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, and 15 plants m–2, with three replications was applied using a hybrid, i.e., Zhengdan 958. Canopy morphology at different PDs was measured with destructive samplings when maize canopy was fully expanded. The relationship of changes of organ morphology in relation to increased plant density was analyzed based on 2016 data. The ADEL-Maize was first calibrated for the hybrid at 4.5 plants m–2 and then revised by introducing relationships identified from 2016 data, followed by independent validation with 2018 field data. A heatmap visualization was shown to clearly illustrate the effects of increased plant density on final morphology of laminae, sheaths, and internodes. The logarithmic + linear equations were found to fit changes for the organ size versus increased plant density for phytomers excluding ear position or linear equations for the phytomer at ear position based on 2016 field data. The revision was then further tested independently by having achieved satisfactory agreements between the simulations and observations in canopy size under different PDs with 2018 field data. In conclusion, this study has characterized the relationship between canopy morphology and increased interplant competition for use in the ADEL-Maize and realized the simulations of final size of laminae, sheaths, and internodes, as affected by increased plant density, laying a foundation to test an ideotype for maize withstanding high interplant competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation duct is an abnormal refraction atmospheric stratification frequently appearing at sea. Accurately obtaining evaporation duct height (EDH) is significant for the effective application of electromagnetic system equipment. To overcome the limitations of theoretical prediction models, this study proposes a pure data-driven back propagation neural network (BPNN) EDH prediction model (referred to as BPNN model) for the first time, which uses BPNN suitable for the data characteristics of evaporation duct and then conducts two groups of experiments to fully test the proposed BPNN model. The Paulus–Jeske (PJ) model and support vector regression (SVR) model are introduced as the baseline methods in these experiments. The results of the first group of experiments prove that on the EDH prediction in all the experimental areas, the BPNN model has significantly better comprehensive performances than the PJ model and the SVR model. Also, the second group of experiments' results reflects the BPNN model has great generalisation capacity, which makes it suitable for predicting the EDH, and the distributions of EDH have a strong spatial correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation duct is an abnormal refraction atmospheric stratification frequently appearing at sea. Accurately obtaining evaporation duct height (EDH) is significant for the effective application of electromagnetic system equipment. To overcome the limitations of theoretical prediction models, this study proposes a pure data‐driven back propagation neural network (BPNN) EDH prediction model (referred to as BPNN model) for the first time, which uses BPNN suitable for the data characteristics of evaporation duct and then conducts two groups of experiments to fully test the proposed BPNN model. The Paulus–Jeske (PJ) model and support vector regression (SVR) model are introduced as the baseline methods in these experiments. The results of the first group of experiments prove that on the EDH prediction in all the experimental areas, the BPNN model has significantly better comprehensive performances than the PJ model and the SVR model. Also, the second group of experiments' results reflects the BPNN model has great generalisation capacity, which makes it suitable for predicting the EDH, and the distributions of EDH have a strong spatial correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid, convenient, and nondestructive method was developed to determine the geographical origin of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae samples using Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy. The chemical image of samples may vary depending on the geographical source. The results showed that the chemical image of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae obtained from different regions showed significantly different characteristics and may be used to identify the origin of Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hybrid excitation brushless dc generator (HEBLdcG) is comprised of the structure-paralleled permanent magnet machine part and flux modulation machine part (FMMP). The reactive power compensation effect of the HEBLdcG is illustrated and investigated in this paper. It is shown that the operation modes of the FMMP are influenced by both, the field current and armature current. Based on this, the three ranges in terms of the field current are divided. Three typical operation states representatively selected in the three ranges are defined as the power-balance state, compensator state, and short-circuit state, respectively. The short-circuit current can be diminished on account of the reactive power compensation effect. Furthermore, the analysis of the short-circuit characteristics shows that the short-circuit characteristic curve—short-circuit output current versus field current—is not a straight line, due to the saturation of the d-axis flux path of the FMMP. And the HEBLdcG at −8-A field current features the lowest total loss at the short-circuit state. At last, a prototype HEBLdcG is manufactured and the experiments validate the simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaporation duct is a special atmospheric stratification that always exists at sea, which has an important influence on electromagnetic wave propagation. Accurate prediction of evaporation duct height is of great significance for radio information system. In the era of big data, machine learning has been widely used in various research work and achieved a series of excellent results. Based on the observation data method, this paper studies the prediction model using Gradient Boosting Regression algorithm (GBR) and proposes the pure data‐driven GBR (PDD_GBR), GBR_Paulus‐Jeske (GBR_PJ), and GBR_Babin‐Young‐Carton (GBR_BYC) evaporation duct prediction models. Simultaneously, traditional Paulus‐Jeske (PJ) model, Babin‐Young‐Carton (BYC) model, and existing SVR_PJ model are introduced into the experiment to make a comparison. The comprehensive performance of PDD_GBR model is optimal among these models with high stability and strong generalization ability, whose prediction accuracy has a great promotion compared with other models. Key Points: We propose the pure data‐driven GBR (PDD_GBR) model of new evaporation duct prediction modelPDD_GBR model is optimal among these models in experimental area, whose prediction accuracy has a greater promotion than other modelsCompared with PJ and SVR_PJ model, RMSE is reduced by 84.6% and 54.1%, respectively, and SCC is increased by 102.3% and 40.3%, respectively [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the commercial and nutritional quality of Chinese steamed bread (CSB), effect of extruded adzuki bean flour (EABF) substitution (10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) for wheat flour on the quality properties of blended flour and CSB was studied. Results showed that the development time, stability time, and farinograph quality number of blended flours were decreased with EABF addition, although water absorption and softening degree were increased. Pasting properties of them were also degraded with the addition. EABF substitution lowered the lightness and strengthened the hardness of CSB. The sensory evaluation total scores of CSB were both improved with 10% and 20% EABF addition, because slight red color of them was favored by the panelist. Nutritional analysis showed that CSB with 10% and 20% EABF ranked higher protein and essential amino acids content than that of WF‐CSB, especially lysine and threonine. Addition of EABF contributed to the superior α‐glucosidase inhibitory activity of protein isolated from CSBs. α‐Glucosidase inhibition rate of CSB made from EABF (39.88%) was improved nearly five times compared with that of WF. It might be concluded that CSB with addition of 10% and 20% EABF could be used as a nutritional and healthy staple food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of more electric aircraft, higher demand for electrical energy is put forward in generation systems. The constant speed drive is eliminated in variable frequency ac (VFAC) generation systems, which makes integrated starter-generator (SG) can be realized. Considering the inherent defects of wound rotor synchronous SG systems, such as the complex starting excitation methods and rotating rectifiers, this paper proposes a VFAC SG system based on hybrid excitation synchronous machines (HESMs) for aircraft applications. The key technology of HESM-based VFAC SG system is to regulate the field current in such a way that three major modes of VFAC SG system operation for aircraft applications, namely, engine starting operation, transition mode, and generating operation, can be realized effectively. The simulation model of HESM-based VFAC SG system is built and analyzed. A prototype HESM-based VFAC SG system has been designed and developed for experimental verification. The starting operation, transition mode, and generating operation of the prototype HESM-based VFAC SG system are implemented. The feasibility of HESMs to VFAC SG system for safety-critical aircraft applications has been validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes and analyzes the design philosophies of the single-phase main exciter (ME) for an aircraft wound-rotor synchronous machine and investigates its operating characteristics in both generating and starting modes. The fundamental structure and starting–generating system are discussed. The load features of single-phase ME are summarized. The ME has the characteristics of linear current amplifier and approximately constant current source the generating mode, which can be used in the wide range of working temperature. Detailed waveforms and finite-element analysis verify that excitation current $I_{\mathrm {ef}}$ is almost irrelevant to speed but in direct proportion to frequency in the starting mode. Besides, simulated data indicate that the energy transferring efficiency between ME stator and rotor can reach about 55% by the single-phase ac excitation method. Finally, the experimental verification is carried out, and the simulated and experimental data and waveforms of single-phase ME agree well with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was performed to explore the compensation effects of different nitrogen (N) regimes on the growth and photosynthetic capacity in different leaf layers of the summer maize hybrid of LuYu9105 under waterlogging at the seedling stage. The results showed that waterlogging significantly decreased the maximum green leaf area (gLA) by 10.0~15.3% and 9.3~22.5%, mainly due to the reduction in the below-ear layer leaves at the silking stage in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Waterlogging also significantly decreased the ear leaf photosynthetic rate (PN), and Fv/Fm, Fv/Fo, ΦPSII and qP at the below-ear layer leaves at the mid- and late-filling stages, which was accompanied by a reduction in the duration of grain-filling (T) by 2.6~5.9%, thus resulting in a loss of grain yield by 7.0~18.5%. Interestingly, a shift in N from basal application to topdressing at the big flare stage was shown to compensate the adverse effects of waterlogging by through increased gLA and leaf photosynthetic capacity at the ear layer and the above-ear layer, as well as a greater grain-filling rate, resulting in an increase in grain yield by 9.9~27.0% and 17.8~25.8% compared to other N treatments. Therefore, this study showed that optimal nitrogen regimes during maize growth are capable of compensating for the impacts caused by waterlogging at the seedling stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evaporation duct is a particular atmospheric duct that is crucial for marine vessel communication, and one of the most significant indexes to assess it is evaporation duct height (EDH). In this letter, we propose a new method based on a multilayer perceptron (MLP), a classic network in deep learning, to predict the EDH. After so many experiments, the structure of MLP for EDH estimation is chosen as five hidden layer with rectified liner unit activation function. Since this method is essentially some kind of regression, the mean-squared error is chosen as the loss function. To accelerate the training convergence, we choose a self-adaptive optimization scheme called adaptive moment estimation. There are some field observation data sets obtained from some sea areas in northern hemisphere, by which the MLP is trained, to predict the EDH. For single-regional prediction, we use the same input data sets with the Paulus–Jeske (P-J) model, one of the ideal operational models, to predict the EDH. In comparison with the P-J model, the prediction accuracy using our method is significantly escalated in all experimental sea areas, which reveals the efficiency of our method. By cross prediction in distinct sea areas, the consistency between the method and the theory is verified, and this letter yields a new approach of evaporation duct prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effects of 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA)-calcium chloride (CaCl2)-salicylic acid (SA) treatment on the yellowing and reactive oxygen metabolism of harvested broccoli heads. We dipped fresh broccoli heads in a compound solution (0.6 mmol/L 6-BA + 40 mmol/L CaCl2 + 3 mmol/L SA) for 5 min and then stored them at 23 °C for 4 days. The results showed that the 6-BA-CaCl2-SA postharvest treatment effectively retarded the increase in color values (e.g., variations from black to white, from green to red, and from blue to yellow) and the decline in chlorophyll content of the broccoli heads. Compared with the control broccoli, the rate of superoxide anion radical (O2·−) production and the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content were lowered by the treatment. We also found significant differences in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) in the treated broccoli. Based on these results, we consider 6-BA-CaCl2-SA to inhibit the accumulation of reactive oxygen, delay the degradation of chlorophyll, and prolong the shelf life of broccoli heads at 23 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new shaded-pole main exciter (ME) with additional short-circuited coils for aircraft three-stage starter–generator (SG) is proposed and investigated. The basic structure, winding configurations, operating principle, and start system structure of the presented shaded-pole ME are illustrated in detail. The comparative study between the original ME and the shaded-pole ME with respect to the starting mode performances is conducted by 2-D finite-element method (FEM). A prototype SG with original ME has been developed, and the experimental results are essentially consistent with the simulation results by the FEM utilized in the predictions in this paper. Simulation data and waveforms verify that the proposed shaded-pole ME is a good candidate for aircraft machines to satisfy the dual function of starter and generator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel modeling method for hybrid excitation synchronous machines (HESMs) with radial/axial flux paths via magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) is proposed. 3-D finite-element analysis (FEA) is essential when analyzing a machine with radial/axial flux paths due to the asymmetry in the axial direction. However, 3-D FEA is computationally expensive and time-consuming, especially during the preliminary design stage. The proposed modeling method is analyzed and validated based on an HESM with magnetic shunting rotor. The fundamental structure and working principle of the HESM with magnetic shunting rotor are introduced. On the basis of 3-D structure, an MEC considering saturation and leakage flux distribution is built and illustrated, as well as field analysis is performed. A 2-D equivalent finite-element model via MEC is built and illustrated. A prototype HESM with magnetic shunting rotor has been designed by the proposed modeling method and developed for experimental verification. With the proposed modeling method, the computational efficiency is significantly improved in the design stage. The proposed modeling method is verified by the good agreement between the predicted and measured results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Improving crop productivity through higher plant density requires a detailed understanding of organ development in response to increased interplant competition. The objective of this paper is thus to investigate the characteristics of organ development under increased interplant competition. A field experiment was conducted to investigate organ development across 4 maize plant densities i.e. 2, 6, 12 and 20 plants m–2 (referred to PD2, PD6, PD12 and PD20 respectively). In response to increased interplant competition, lengths of both laminae and sheaths increased in lower phytomers, but decreased in upper phytomers. Sheath extension appeared to be less sensitive to increased interplant competition than lamina extension. Extension of laminae and internodes responded to increased plant density as soon as onset of mild interplant competition, but did not respond any further to severe competition. Both lamina width and internode diameter were reduced due to a smaller growth rate in response to increased plant density. Overall, this study identified that organ expansion rate can be taken as the key morphological factor to determine the degree of interplant competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the available thermodynamic parameters and experimental diffusivities in the literature as well as measured in the present work, the diffusion mobilities of Ni, Cr, and Mo for fcc Ni-Cr-Mo alloys have been assessed by means of the CALPHAD method. Comprehensive comparisons between the calculated and experimental data show that an excellent agreement is obtained for the diffusion data of ternary diffusion couples, such as the interdiffusion coefficients, concentration profiles, and the diffusion path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has caused frequent extreme low-temperature events to threaten global food security. Spring low-temperature stress is one of the major limiting factors for high and stable yields of wheat. We used two wheat varieties differing in spring cold-sensitivity (cold-tolerant variety Yannong 19 and cold-sensitive variety Xinmai 26) to examine the effects of low-temperature stress during the anther differentiation period on wheat photosynthetic performance and spike-setting characteristics. Low-temperature stress was simulated in a climate box at −2 °C, 0 °C or 2 °C (night) and 15 °C (day) for 24 h, 48 h or 72 h. With the extension of the treatment time and the decrease of temperature, the photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate of wheat leaves gradually decreased. All treatments except −2 °C for 72 h recovered slowly within 7–15 days after treatment. Low-temperature stress greatly reduced grains per spikelet, 1000-grain weight and yield per plant. By analyzing the spikelets in different stalk locations (upper, middle and lower), we found that the number of upper spikelets was significantly less than lower and middle spikelets after low-temperature stress. The sterile grain of upper spikelets (Xinmai 26, for example) can reach 100% at −2 °C for 48 h and 72 h, and the yield loss rate was 90.52% at 2 °C for 24 h, which was much higher than for the lower spikelets (60.73%) and middle spikelets (50.94%). Overall, these findings suggest that low-temperature stress during the anther differentiation period alters the photosynthetic activity involved in the accumulation of dry matter in wheat, which leads to delaying young spike growth, especially for upper spikelets, and ultimately in a decrease in yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current industry practices for large-scale mammalian cell cultures typically employ a standard platform fed-batch process with fixed volume bolus feeding. Although widely used, these processes are unable to respond to actual nutrient consumption demands from the culture, which can result in accumulation of by-products and depletion of certain nutrients. This work demonstrates the application of a fully automated cell culture control, monitoring, and data processing system to achieve significant productivity improvement via dynamic feeding and media optimization. Two distinct feeding algorithms were used to dynamically alter feed rates. The first method is based upon on-line capacitance measurements where cultures were fed based on growth and nutrient consumption rates estimated from integrated capacitance. The second method is based upon automated glucose measurements obtained from the Nova Bioprofile FLEX® autosampler where cultures were fed to maintain a target glucose level which in turn maintained other nutrients based on a stoichiometric ratio. All of the calculations were done automatically through in-house integration with a Delta V process control system. Through both media and feed strategy optimization, a titer increase from the original platform titer of 5 to 6.3 g/L was achieved for cell line A, and a substantial titer increase of 4 to over 9 g/L was achieved for cell line B with comparable product quality. Glucose was found to be the best feed indicator, but not all cell lines benefited from dynamic feeding and optimized feed media was critical to process improvement. Our work demonstrated that dynamic feeding has the ability to automatically adjust feed rates according to culture behavior, and that the advantage can be best realized during early and rapid process development stages where different cell lines or large changes in culture conditions might lead to dramatically different nutrient demands. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 191-205. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NS0 cells require exogenous cholesterol for growth. The non-glutamine synthetase (GS) cholesterol-dependent NS0 host was treated with 5-azacytidine (5azaC), a demethylation drug, and adapted to grow in cholesterol-free, chemically defined medium. Within 7 weeks, a stable, cholesterol-independent NS0 host (NS0.CF) was obtained. The new NS0.CF host, as well as the original cholesterol auxotroph host, was transfected with the same mAb expression plasmid, and the top producing clone from both hosts were compared side-by-side in the enhanced platform fed-batch cultures using chemically defined media. The NS0.CF derived clone significantly out-performed the cholesterol-dependent clone, with titer reaching 4.5 g/L versus 3.0 g/L, respectively, mainly due to higher specific productivity, while key product quality attributes remained comparable. This work demonstrated an effective and rapid approach to generate a cholesterol-independent NS0 host, and its application in recombinant protein production. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1685-1692. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactate has long been regarded as one of the key metabolites of mammalian cell cultures. High levels of lactate have clear negative impacts on cell culture processes, and therefore, a great amount of efforts have been made to reduce lactate accumulation and/or to induce lactate consumption in the later stage of cultures. However, there is virtually no report on the impact of lactate depletion after initial accumulation. In this work, we observed that glucose uptake rate dropped over 50% at the onset of lactate consumption, and that catabolism of alanine due to lactate depletion led to ammonium accumulation. We explored the impact of feeding lactate as well as pyruvate to the cultures. In particular, a strategy was employed where CO2 was replaced by lactic acid for culture pH control, which enabled automatic lactate feeding. The results demonstrated that lactate or pyruvate can serve as an alternative or even preferred carbon source during certain stage of the culture in the presence of glucose, and that by feeding lactate or pyruvate, very low levels of ammonia can be achieved throughout the culture. In addition, low levels of pCO2 were also maintained in these cultures. This was in strong contrast to the control cultures where lactate was depleted during the culture, and ammonia and pCO2 build-up were significant. Culture growth and productivity were similar between the control and lactate-fed cultures, as well as various product quality attributes. To our knowledge, this work represents the first comprehensive study on lactate depletion and offers a simple yet effective strategy to overcome ammonia and pCO2 accumulation that could arise in certain cultures due to early depletion of lactate. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109:1173-1186. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]