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The phase transition critical behavior and magnetocaloric effects of La0.75Sr0.25Mn0.9Co0.1O3 compounds synthesized under ambient pressure and a high pressure of 6 GPa were investigated by experiments combined with first-principle calculations. Lattice distortion was enhanced by high-pressure heat treatment. The samples exhibited maximum magnetic entropy changes of 4.96 and 3.95 J·kg−1·K−1, along with relative cooling powers of 365.50 and 403.92 J·kg−1 (at a magnetic field of 7 T). Furthermore, the application of pressure adjusted the Curie temperature near to room temperature. Both samples demonstrated second-order phase transitions, as evidenced by the Arrott curve, and their critical behaviors conformed well to the 3D-Heisenberg model. The density of states and spin density indicate that the magnetization of the compounds mainly originated from the Mn and Co moments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polycrystalline samples of Pr2Mn2O6 (parent phase) and Pr1.5A0.5Mn2O6 (A = Mg, Ba) were prepared using the high-temperature solid-phase reaction method. The effects of Mg and Ba doping on magnetocaloric properties and critical behavior of the parent phase were systematically investigated. Under a magnetic field of 7 T, the relative cooling power (RCP) values of Pr2Mn2O6, Pr1.5Mg0.5Mn2O6, and Pr1.5Ba0.5Mn2O6 were approximately 483.46 J·kg−1, 428.22 J·kg−1, and 479.88 J·kg−1, respectively. The critical behavior analysis revealed that the parent phase showed short-range exchange interactions, while Pr1.5A0.5Mn2O6 (A = Mg, Ba) exhibited long-range exchange interactions. The temperature dependence of the order parameter n was studied under different magnetic fields, confirming the phase transition types and validating the accuracy of the critical exponents obtained. The research findings suggest that both the parent phase and Ba-doped ceramics at the A-site hold promise as magnetic refrigeration materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum computing has emerged as a promising field with the potential to revolutionize various domains by harnessing the principles of quantum mechanics. As quantum hardware and algorithms continue to advance, developing high-quality quantum software has become crucial. However, testing quantum programs poses unique challenges due to the distinctive characteristics of quantum systems and the complexity of multi-subroutine programs. This article addresses the specific testing requirements of multi-subroutine quantum programs. We begin by investigating critical properties by surveying existing quantum libraries and providing insights into the challenges of testing these programs. Building upon this understanding, we focus on testing criteria and techniques based on the whole testing process perspective, spanning from unit testing to integration testing. We delve into various aspects, including IO analysis, quantum relation checking, structural testing, behavior testing, integration of subroutine pairs, and test case generation. We also introduce novel testing principles and criteria to guide the testing process. We conduct comprehensive testing on typical quantum subroutines, including diverse mutants and randomized inputs, to evaluate our proposed approach. The analysis of failures provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of our testing methodology. Additionally, we present case studies on representative multi-subroutine quantum programs, demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of our proposed testing principles and criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell‐specific transcriptional regulatory networks (TRNs) play vital roles in plant development and response to environmental stresses. However, traditional single‐cell mono‐omics techniques are unable to directly capture the relationships and dynamics between different layers of molecular information within the same cells. While advanced algorithm facilitates merging scRNA‐seq and scATAC‐seq datasets, accurate data integration remains a challenge, particularly when investigating cell‐type‐specific TRNs. By examining gene expression and chromatin accessibility simultaneously in 16,670 Arabidopsis root tip nuclei, the TRNs are reconstructed that govern root tip development under osmotic stress. In contrast to commonly used computational integration at cell‐type level, 12,968 peak‐to‐gene linkage is captured at the bona fide single‐cell level and construct TRNs at an unprecedented resolution. Furthermore, the unprecedented datasets allow to more accurately reconstruct the coordinated changes of gene expression and chromatin states during cellular state transition. During root tip development, chromatin accessibility of initial cells precedes gene expression, suggesting that changes in chromatin accessibility may prime cells for subsequent differentiation steps. Pseudo‐time trajectory analysis reveal that osmotic stress can shift the functional differentiation of trichoblast. Candidate stress‐related gene‐linked cis‐regulatory elements (gl‐cCREs) as well as potential target genes are also identified, and uncovered large cellular heterogeneity under osmotic stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many existing static analysis algorithms suffer from cubic bottlenecks because of the need to compute a dynamic transitive closure (DTC). For the first time, this article studies the quantum speedups on searching subtasks in DTC-based static analysis algorithms using quantum search (e.g., Grover's algorithm). We first introduce our oracle implementation in Grover's algorithm for DTC-based static analysis and illustrate our quantum search subroutine. Then, we take two typical DTC-based analysis algorithms: context-free-language reachability and set constraint-based analysis, and show that our quantum approach can reduce the time complexity of these two algorithms to truly subcubic (\(O(N^2\sqrt {N}{\it polylog}(N))\)), yielding better results than the upper bound (O(N3/log N)) of existing classical algorithms. Finally, we conducted a classical simulation of Grover's search to validate our theoretical approach, due to the current quantum hardware limitation of lacking a practical, large-scale, noise-free quantum machine. We evaluated the correctness and efficiency of our approach using IBM Qiskit on nine open-source projects and randomly generated edge-labeled graphs/constraints. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach and shed light on the promising direction of applying quantum algorithms to address the general challenges in static analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most hot dry rock geothermal wells are small angle directional wells, and rock cuttings easily accumulate at the bottom of the borehole to form a cuttings bed, causing accidents such as drill sticking, reducing the rate of penetration, and drilling tool breakage. Accurately calculating the resistance coefficient and settling velocity of hot dry rock cuttings can improve cuttings transportation efficiency, design and optimize drilling hydraulic parameters, and is crucial to solving borehole cleaning problems. Through visual experiments, this paper obtained experimental data on the settlement of 167 groups of spherical pellets, 153 groups of granite cuttings, and 174 groups of carbonate cuttings in the Herschel-Bulkley fluid. First, a prediction model for the resistance coefficient of spherical pellets consistent with Herschel-Bulkley fluid was established. Based on this, form factor-Roundness is introduced as the starting point, and two prediction models for the resistance coefficients of granite cuttings and carbonate cuttings in the Herschel-Bulkley fluid were established. The average relative errors between the resistance coefficient model predictions and experimental measurements are 9.61% for granite cuttings and 6.59% for carbonate cuttings. The average relative errors between the predicted and measured values of settlement velocity are 7.27% for granite cuttings and 6.21% for carbonate cuttings, respectively, which verifies the accuracy and reliability of the prediction model. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and engineering application guidance for optimizing drilling fluid rheology and circulation displacement in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repetitive mining beneath bedding slopes is identified as a critical factor in geomorphic disturbances, especially landslides and surface subsidence. Prior research has largely concentrated on surface deformation in plains due to multi-seam coal mining and the instability of natural bedding slopes, yet the cumulative impact of different mining sequences on bedding slopes has been less explored. This study combines drone surveys and geological data to construct a comprehensive three-dimensional model of bedding slopes. Utilizing FLAC3D and PFC2D models, derived from laboratory experiments, it simulates stress, deformation, and failure dynamics of slopes under various mining sequences. Incorporating fractal dimension analysis, the research evaluates the stability of slopes in relation to different mining sequences. The findings reveal that mining in an upslope direction minimizes disruption to overlying strata. Initiating extraction from lower segments increases tensile-shear stress in coal pillar overburdens, resulting in greater creep deformation towards the downslope than when starting from upper segments, potentially leading to localized landslides and widespread creep deformation in mined-out areas. The downslope upward mining sequence exhibits the least fractal dimensions, indicating minimal disturbance to both strata and surface. While all five mining scenarios maintain good slope stability under normal conditions, recalibrated stability assessments based on fractal dimensions suggest that downslope upward mining offers the highest stability under rainfall, contrasting with the lower stability and potential instability risks of upslope downward mining. These insights are pivotal for mining operations and geological hazard mitigation in multi-seam coal exploitation on bedding slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On February 22, 2023, a devastating landslide occurred on the mining slope of an open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia, China, leading to the mining area being buried and 53 fatalities. The source area of the landslide measured approximately 500 m in both length and width, with an estimated volume of the deposited material reaching approximately 5 million cubic metres. Based on the severe impact of this incident, our study conducted preliminary research using a combination of methodologies, including particle image analysis, synthetic aperture radar interferometry, interpretation of optical remote sensing data, and post-event news reports analysis. The results indicated that the landslide lasted 23 s from initiation to cessation of movement. The historical deformation indicated that prior to the resumption of the mining activities, only localized deformation was observed at the rear edge of the landslide. However, when mining activities resumed in April 2021 and extended to the vicinity of the north slope, the deformation range and rate in the source area of the landslide rapidly increased. The investigation deduced that the soft foundation at the slope bottom and mining activities are the primary causative factors of this event. Mining activities, which stripped coal seams within the slope and surface rock masses, led to the expansion of tension cracks within the landslide body, weakening resisting forces at the leading edge and thus playing a significant role in destabilizing the landslide body. The evolution of the landslide from incubation to instability could be divided into four stages: early microcrack development, slow creep, accelerated deformation after resumption of mining, and ultimate instability. Therefore, it is of great significance to advance real-time deformation monitoring and early warning systems specifically those designed for mining slope areas by comprehensive measures. Furthermore, enhancing the high-frequency monitoring capabilities of synthetic aperture radar satellites is crucial to reducing the occurrence of these catastrophic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hexokinase (HK) is the first rate‐limiting enzyme of glycolysis, which can convert glucose to glucose‐6‐phosphate. There are several subtypes of HK, including HK2, which is highly expressed in a variety of different tumors and is closely associated with survival. Methods: Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells with stable overexpression and knockdown of HK2 were obtained by lentivirus transfection. The effects of overexpression and knockdown of HK2 on proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolytic activity of A549 cells were investigated. The effects on apoptosis were also analyzed using western blot and flow cytometry. In addition, the mitochondria and cytoplasm were separated and the expression of apoptotic proteins was detected by western blot respectively. Results: Upregulation of HK2 could promote glycolysis, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which would be inhibited through the knockdown of HK2. HK2 overexpression contributed to cisplatin resistance, whereas HK2 knockdown enhanced cisplatin‐induced apoptosis in A549 cells. Conclusions: Overexpression of HK2 can promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistance of A549 cells by enhancing aerobic glycolysis and inhibiting apoptosis. Reducing HK2 expression or inhibiting HK2 activity can inhibit glycolysis and induce apoptosis in A549 cells, which is expected to be a potential treatment method for NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the magnetocaloric properties and magnetic phase transition of the (La–Ca) MnO3 system after secondary doping with the large magnetic moment rare earth element Gd are investigated. Analysis reveals that the polycrystalline material La0.65Ca0.3Gd0.05MnO3 exhibits a magnetocaloric effect superior to both the un-secondary doped and similar types of materials at the critical point of the ferromagnetic–paramagnetic phase transition (TC = 173 K). Under 7 T magnetic field, the maximum magnetic entropy change |∆SMmax|, refrigerant capacity RC, and relative cooling capacity RCP are 8.10 J kg−1 K−1, 350.54 J kg−1, and 422.17 J kg−1, respectively. The high overlap between TEC (4 K) and |∆SMmax| at the same magnetic field indicates its good utility. Landau theory yields a negative slope of the Arrott plot at TC, and the fit of Landau coefficients b (TC) obtains negative values verifying the ferromagnetic–paramagnetic first-order phase transition. Further calculation of the n value and the universal curve plot using the magnetocaloric effect confirmed this type of magnetic phase transition and revealed the origin of the large magnetocaloric effect. The material provides new ideas for applications in cryogenic magnetic refrigeration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning has been widely used in various research fields. However, researchers have discovered that deep learning models are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Existing word-level attacks can be seen as a combinatorial optimization problem to effectively conduct textual adversarial attacks, but inappropriate search spaces and search methods may affect attack effectiveness. Sentence-level attacks are successfully used in the field of reading comprehension, but the generated examples sometimes lead to semantic deviation. To address these issues, we propose a hybrid textual adversarial attack method that effectively enhances the performance of textual adversarial attacks. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to conduct textual adversarial attacks by hybridizing Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) with style transfer from multiple sentence and word levels. The WOA is improved by incorporating data characteristics and the Metropolis criterion to escape from local optima and by leveraging the mutation operator to increase population diversity. The improved WOA and style transfer algorithm are fused in a parallel and vertical way. Style transfer can increase population diversity and expand the search space, usually without destroying the semantics and syntax of sentences. The parallel combination improves attack performance by attacking from both word-level and sentence-level perspectives. As a black-box attack model, our method can attack without knowing the internal structure of the model. Compared with the state-of-the-art method, our framework can improve the attack success rate by 6.8%. Additionally, further experiments on grammatical error increase rates, semantic consistency, and transferability demonstrate that our model has excellent performance in many respects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the high polarization caused by the hysteresis effect of O2 diffusion and boost the power density of oxygen cathodes under a transient heavy load, an Al-MOF-derived porous carbon-modified Pt/C catalyst is proposed as a new capacitive ORR catalyst to construct super fuel cells (SFCs) via an ORR + EDLC dual-discharge parallel process. Herein, a capacitive porous carbon material (BTCC-2) with a large specific surface area (SSA) and high graphitization was synthesized via one-step carbonization of Al-MOFs (Al-BTC). After compounding BTCC-2 with commercial Pt/C catalysts, electrochemical tests were performed and revealed that the composite with 40% BTCC-2 provided the highest transient discharge performance. Moreover, the composite had a higher onset potential and limiting current density (5.236 mA cm−2) than Pt/C and a half-wave potential (0.833 V) comparable to that of Pt/C. The abundant pore structure and large surface of BTCC-2 greatly increased the interaction between oxygen and the catalyst surface. Besides, the contained BTCC-2 serve as a significant power bank to remarkably buffer and relieve the rapidly decreasing output voltage under an instant heavy load owing to the oxygen deficiencies in a Zn–air battery through the ORR + EDLC dual-parallel-discharge process. The proposed SFC design has potential as a universal method to solve the sluggish ORR process and provide high transient power density for fuel cell-driven vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic site effects (topography, geology, internal fracture, et al.) and direction amplification are an important component in inducing a landslide during an earthquake. The evaluation of the dynamic response characteristics of a slope is the first and important step in earthquake engineering design and regional hazard assessment. To document the seismic response of an irregular slope, broadband seismic field monitoring seismometers were deployed along an earthquake-induced landslide Mogangling slope, on the one of important water systems in Sichuan, Dadu River. Field monitoring data reveal that ground motion is directionally amplified near 80° clockwise from North parallel to slope inclination when the frequency is between 3 and 4 Hz, at the crest of the Mogangling slope. During an earthquake, the peak ground acceleration of the M1 station (slope crest) is 5.3 times greater than the M3 station (near slope toe). The standard spectral ratio (SSR) of the slope crest/slope toe (M1/M3) reaches a value of 11.5 at 1.4 Hz, during the earthquake. A series of discrete element numerical models indicate that SSR of the field monitoring data can be reproduced considering the irregular geometry, surficial weak layer, and internal fractures. The recent Luding earthquake on 5 September 2022 with a magnitude of Ms 6.8 induced slope failure in the Mogangling slope reveals the seismic amplification effect again. Our findings can offer some important insights into the mechanism of earthquake-induced landslide and regional-scale landslide distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polycrystalline samples of La0.7Ca0.3−xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.00, 0.10, and 0.25) were prepared using the conventional solid-phase reaction method. The magnetocaloric effects and critical behavior of this series of polycrystalline materials were investigated. The research results indicate that all the samples are single-phase with an orthorhombic structure, belonging to the space group Pbnm. Under a magnetic field of 7 T, the maximum magnetic entropy changes of the samples were 9.74, 7.37, and 6.11 J·kg−1·K−1, respectively, and the relative cooling power are 360.53, 361.04, and 366.50 J·kg−1, respectively. The doped samples demonstrate superior magnetic refrigeration ability compared to the parent phase. It is noteworthy that the Curie temperature increases from 243 K (x = 0.00) to 295 K (x = 0.10) and 350 K (x = 0.25). In addition, there is a transition from a first-order to a second-order phase transition in the sample with x = 0.25. The critical behavior of the compounds with x = 0.25 was analyzed using various methods, including modified Arrott plots, the Kouvel-Fisher method, and critical isotherm, to determine critical exponents (β, γ, and δ). The results obtained from both methods are close and indicate that the critical behavior of the sample crosses between mean field model and 3D-Heisenberg model. The temperature dependence of the order parameter n for different magnetic fields is studied using the relation |∆SM|∝ Hn. The values of n not only reveal the type of phase transition of the system but also validate the critical exponents. The results indicate that La0.7Ca0.3−xSrxMnO3 (x = 0.10, and 0.25) ceramics have the potential to be used as room-temperature magnetic refrigeration materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liposome vesicle is an ideal carrier for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) serving as the water channel that allows for the fast transport of water molecules, thus enhancing membrane permeability. However, a low quantity of CNTs inserted into the liposome vesicle is an important factor that limits the further improvement of the membrane flux. In the present study, a positively charged lipid, (2,3-dioleoyloxy-propyl)-trimethylammonium-chloride (DOTAP), was introduced to 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamineon (DOPE) liposome vesicles to tailor the vesicle charge so as to evaluate the effect of positively charged DOTAP on the insertion of CNTs into liposomes and the separation performance of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes. The results show that the addition of DOTAP increased the quantity of CNTs inserted into the liposome vesicles, as the shrinkage rate (k) and permeability (Pf) of the liposome vesicles presented an obvious increase with the increased content of DOTAP in the liposome vesicles. Moreover, it contributed to a 252.3% higher water flux for TFN membranes containing DOPE/DOTAP2:1-CNT liposomes (the mass ratio between DOPE and DOTAP was 2:1) than thin-film composite (TFC) membranes. More importantly, it presented a 106.7% higher water flux for TFN membranes containing DOPE/DOTAP4:1-CNT liposomes (the mass ratio between DOPE and DOTAP was 4:1), which originated from the greater number of water channels that the CNTs provided in the liposome vesicles. Overall, positively charged DOTAP effectively tailored the vesicle charge, which provided a better carrier for the insertion of a greater quantity of CNTs and contributed to the higher permeability of the TFN membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western China is a typical high-intensity seismic zone, where seismic and geological disasters are frequent. The tunnel portal slope is prone to earthquake damage, which has become the key and difficult point in engineering construction. To deeply explore the dynamic response characteristics and instability mechanism of high-steep slopes at tunnel portal under frequent earthquakes, a large-scale shaking table test was designed. This experiment mainly simulates the geological environment of a high-intensity earthquake area by applying microseismic waves several times. The test results show that the amplification coefficient of peak ground acceleration (PGA) at different stages decreases with increasing earthquake intensity and finally presents a 50% attenuation. The vertical wave has a greater effect on the dynamic response of the slope, mainly affecting the magnifying effect during the relative elevation of 0.3–0.7. The horizontal wave has a stronger amplification effect on the slope crest region. The nonconsistency of the acceleration amplification factor (MPGA) and the dynamic change characteristics of the ∆MPGA can well identify the three stages of slope failure: the elastic stage (0–2 m/s2), elastoplastic stage (2–5 m/s2), and plastic failure stage (≥ 5 m/s2). The seismic failure modes of the slope can be summarized as follows: tensile fracture is formed first at the crest and waist of the slope, shear failure occurs between the slope waist and tunnel, forming a sliding body gradually, and the slope toe uplifts and finally forms collapse failure. This work can provide a reference for the design of seismic technology for tunnel portal slopes in high-intensity areas. Highlights: To deeply explore the dynamic response characteristics and instability mechanism of the high steep slope at the tunnel portal under frequent earthquakes, a large scale shaking table test was designed, focusing on modelling the geological environment of high intensity seismic region. The roc k mass degradation effect of complex geological slopes in high seismic regions is simulated by applying microseismic wave forms near the study area for many times. By analyzing the peak ground acceleration and its amplification coefficient, the dynamic response characteristics and instability characteristics of the slope are systematically studied. Waves in different directions have different control effects on slope failure, and complex wave field superposition exists between the slope and tunnel syste m. Meanwhile, the acceleration amplification effect at different locations can assist in identifying slope damage areas. The dynamic failure modes of steep bedding slope with tunnel structures are as follows: tensile fracture shear failure sliding failure of upper slope, collapse failure of slope toe area. The formation and penetration of fissure mainly focus on the weak interlayers of slope surface. In addition, the interlayers are prone to shear failure area, which leads to shear slip of the slope under the seismic force, while the slope toe is prone to collapse failure due to the extrusion action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feline panleukopenia (FPL) is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by infection with feline parvovirus (FPV) and canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2). In recent years, the number of cats with FPL has increased with the expansion of pet cat population in China. The feces of 51 cats with diarrhea symptoms collected from 2021 to 2022 in Eastern Shandong, China, were detected by polymerase chain reaction for parvovirus and other viruses related to feline diarrhea to investigate the prevalence and gene variation of parvovirus in cats. In all the 51 samples, 45.1% (23/51) were positive for at least one viral pathogen, and the positivity of parvovirus was 41.2% (21/51), showing a high prevalence. Multiple-pathogen testing indicated high-coinfection rates of 42.9% (9/21) with other common viruses in parvovirus-positive cats. Most of the coinfections are feline coronavirus (FCoV), followed by feline astrovirus (FAstV) and feline bocavirus (FBoV). The complete VP2 sequences of 21 parvoviruses were obtained. Among them, 20 sequences were identified as FPV, and only one was CPV-2c of Asian origin, which was first detected from cats in Eastern Shandong, China. A phylogenetic tree of the 20 FPVs was constructed together with 698 FPVs (cat/dog host) worldwide on the basis of complete VP2. The 18 FPVs displayed high-sequence identity to one another (99.8%–100%), and they were clustered into FPV-G1 group, whereas the other two were clustered into FPV-G3 group. The FPV-G1 group increased dramatically to become predominant after 2019 in China, contributing to the prevalence of A91S mutation due to 96.07% FPV-G1 with A91S mutation as well as 100% of FPV-G2 and 99.12% of FPV-G3 with 91A in the statistical analysis. This study enriched the understanding of the prevalence, molecular evolution, and cross-species transmission of parvovirus in cats and provided a basis for responding to challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of FPL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seasonal changes in environmental conditions can alter the growth states of host plants, thereby affecting the living environment of endophytes and forming different endophytic communities. This study employs Illumina MiSeq next-generation sequencing to analyze the 16SrRNA and ITS rDNA of endophytes in 24 samples of Actinidia arguta stem tissues across different seasons. The results revealed a high richness and diversity of endophytes in Actinidia arguta, with significant seasonal variations in microbial community richness. This study identified 897 genera across 36 phyla for bacteria and 251 genera across 8 phyla for fungi. Notably, 69 bacterial genera and 19 fungal genera significantly contributed to the differences in community structure across seasons. A distinctive feature of coexistence in the endophytic community, both specific and conservative across different seasons, was observed. The bacterial community in winter demonstrated significantly higher richness and diversity compared to the other seasons. Environmental factors likely influence the optimal timing for endophyte colonization. Solar radiation, temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity significantly impact the diversity of endophytic bacteria and fungi. In addition, seasonal variations show significant differences in the nutritional modes of fungal endophytes and the degradation, ligninolysis, and ureolysis functions of bacterial endophytes. This study elucidates the potential role of endophytes in assisting Actinidia arguta in adapting to seasonal changes and provides a theoretical basis for further exploration of functional microbial strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drying process of lithium-ion battery electrodes is one of the key processes for manufacturing electrodes with high surface homogeneity and is one of the most energy-consuming stages. The choice of the drying parameters has a significant impact on the electrode properties and the production efficiency. In response to these issues, this study establishes the non-steady-state drying kinetic equation for the electrodes, revealing the comprehensive effects of various dominant factors on the drying process. The drying rate is closely related to the electrode surface temperature, thickness, and other factors. Furthermore, this study proposes a coupled model of hot air drying field and capillary porous electrode solvent evaporation. The results showed that approximately 90% of the solvent was removed in less than half of the drying time. Then, the mechanism and control factors of electrode solvent evaporation are analyzed. During the preheating phase, the drying rate is controlled by electrode heating and temperature rise. In the constant velocity phase, it is regulated by the heat transfer from the surface airflow, while in the deceleration phase, it is affected by the mass transfer from the electrodes. Additionally, the effects of different thicknesses, temperatures, and airflow speeds on the drying process were investigated. Finally, experimental verification demonstrated the optimal parameters within the scope of the study: a temperature of 363.15 K and airflow speeds of 2.3 m/s result in a higher drying rate, as well as favorable mechanical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal use of compromised email accounts by adversaries can have severe consequences for enterprises and society. Detecting compromised email accounts is more challenging than in the social network field, where email accounts have only a few interaction events (sending and receiving). To address the issue of insufficient features, we propose a novel approach to detecting compromised accounts by combining time zone differences and alternate logins to identify abnormal behavior. Based on this approach, we propose a compromised email account detection framework that relies on widely available and less sensitive login logs and does not require labels. Our framework characterizes login behaviors to identify logins that do not belong to the account owner and outputs a list of account-subnet pairs ranked by their likelihood of having abnormal login relationships. This approach reduces the number of account-subnet pairs that need to be investigated and provides a reference for investigation priority. Our evaluation demonstrates that our method can detect most email accounts that have been accessed by disclosed malicious IP addresses and outperforms similar research. Additionally, our framework has the capability to uncover undisclosed malicious IP addresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper (CD), caused by canine distemper virus (CDV), is a highly contagious and lethal disease in domestic and wild carnivores. Although CDV live-attenuated vaccines have reduced the incidence of CD worldwide, low levels of protection are achieved in the presence of maternal antibodies in juvenile animals. Moreover, live-attenuated CDV vaccines may retain residual virulence in highly susceptible species and cause disease. Here, we generated several CDV DNA vaccine candidates based on the biscistronic vector (pIRES) co-expressing virus wild-type or codon-optimized hemagglutinin (H) and nucleocapsid (N) or ferret interferon (IFN)-γ, as a molecular adjuvant, respectively. Apparently, ferret (Mustela putorius furo)-specific codon optimization increased the expression of CDV H and N proteins. A ferret model of CDV was used to evaluate the protective immune response of the DNA vaccines. The results of the vaccinated ferrets showed that the DNA vaccine co-expressing the genes of codon-optimized H and ferret IFN-γ (poptiH-IRES-IFN) elicited the highest anti-CDV serum-neutralizing antibodies titer (1:14) and cytokine responses (upregulated TNF-α, IL-4, IL-2, and IFN-γ expression) after the third immunization. Following vaccination, the animals were challenged with a lethal CDV 5804Pe/H strain with a dose of 105.0 TCID50. Protective immune responses induced by the DNA vaccine alleviated clinical symptoms and pathological changes in CDV-infected ferrets. However, it cannot completely prevent virus replication and viremia in vivo as well as virus shedding due to the limited neutralizing antibody level, which eventually contributed to a survival rate of 75% (3/4) against CDV infection. Therefore, the improved strategies for the present DNA vaccines should be taken into consideration to develop more protective immunity, which includes increasing antigen expression or alternative delivery routes, such as gene gun injection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The winding process is one of the essential processes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Current collector failure frequently occurs in the winding process, which severely increases the production cost and reduces production efficiency. In order to solve this problem, we first analyze the relationship between different process parameters and the failure of the current collector, and put forward the standard to determine the failure of the current collector. Moreover, we conducted tensile experiments to validate the differences in the mechanical performance of the current collector under different thicknesses. Finally, the circumferential stress and strain of the current collector winding were calculated using finite element analysis. The accuracy of the proposed criterion for determining current collector failure was verified through experimental measurements of stress and strain. The results demonstrate that the criterion proposed in this study can accurately calculate the maximum stress during the current collector winding process, providing a powerful tool for addressing the issue of current collector failure in the winding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, landslides induced by underground mining have attracted much attention as they cause great harm and early warning signals are difficult to detect. The key work of the early warning of a mining landslide is to clarify its initiation mechanism and evolution process. Due to the complexity of the deformation and failure of the goaf overburden and the lack of monitoring of the slope evolution process, the deformation and failure law and evolution characteristics of mining landslides have always been difficult to analyze. In this paper, a typical mining landslide, the Madaling landslide, was selected as the study object. The soft-hard interlayer structure of the slope was generalized and explored by centrifuge model tests and a 3D discrete element model. The results showed that the evolution of the Madaling landslide are divided into four stages: (I) the bending and collapse of the goaf overburden, the slope settlement and the formation of tensile cracks at the trailing edge; (II) the upwards extension of the subsidence cracks of the rock mass; (III) the occurrence of shear cracks in the rock mass, with gradual slope deformation as a whole; and (IV) the connection of shear cracks, with the initiation of landslides. The long-term gravity creep of soft rock and the extension of trailing edge tensile cracks cause the internal rock mass of the slope to become the key block controlling slope stability. The slope surface displacement (S)-time (t) curve of mining landslides is divided into the settlement stage, rock mass crack development stage and landslide evolution stage. The formation time of shear cracks in the rock mass crack development stage is a sign of the transformation of subsidence into a landslide. The relationship between the horizontal displacement and the depth of the rock mass effectively reflects the development stage of shear cracks. The horizontal and vertical displacement of the deep rock mass can serve as the early warning criterion for mining landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. Pekinensis) in the genus Brassica of the family Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) originates from China and is one of the most consumed leafy vegetables in East Asian countries. The leaf color is tightly linked with its growth, development, and yield. By screening an EMS mutagenized population of Chinese cabbage inbred line A03, we identified a yellowgreen leaf mutant ygl. This mutant developed abnormal ultrastructure in chloroplasts. Transcriptome and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses unveiled that abiotic stress response and glucan metabolism pathways were enriched in ygl compared to A03. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis reveals that differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism. In ygl, the expression of some photosynthetic pathway genes was significantly up-regulated, while the transcription of key genes related to carbon fixation, starch syntheses, and sugar metabolism pathways, such as RBCS1A, APS1, APL3, and SUS1, was markedly down-regulated. We also found a similar reduction trend in mRNA levels of IAA19, IAA29, and ARR4 associated with auxin and cytokinin pathways. Taken together, we uncovered transcriptional profiles for some important genes that may be responsible for leaf color development, and such gene expression repertoire may be useful for further investigation into the phenotype-to-genotype link in the ygl mutant Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyber attackers have constantly updated their attack techniques to evade antivirus software detection in recent years. One popular evasion method is to execute malicious code and perform malicious actions only in memory. Malicious programs that use this attack method are called memory-resident malware, with excellent evasion capability, and have posed huge threats to cyber security. Traditional static and dynamic methods are not effective in detecting memory-resident malware. In addition, existing memory forensics detection solutions perform unsatisfactorily in detection rate and depend on massive expert knowledge in memory analysis. This paper proposes MRm-DLDet, a state-of-the-art memory-resident malware detection framework, to overcome these drawbacks. MRm-DLDet first builds a virtual machine environment and captures memory dumps, then creatively processes the memory dumps into RGB images using a pre-processing technique that combines deduplication and ultra-high resolution image cropping, followed by our neural network MRmNet in MRm-DLDet to fully extract high-dimensional features from memory dump files and detect them. MRmNet receives the labeled sub-images of the cropped high-resolution RGB images as input of ResNet-18, which extracts the features of the sub-images. Then trains a network of gated recurrent units with an attention mechanism. Finally, it determines whether a program is memory-resident malware based on the detection results of each sub-image through a specially designed voting layer. We created a high-quality dataset consisting of 2,060 benign and memory-resident programs. In other words, the dataset contains 1,287,500 labeled sub-images cut from the MRm-DLDet transformed ultra-high resolution RGB images. We implement MRm-DLDet for Windows 10, and it performs better than the latest methods, with a detection accuracy of up to 98.34 % . Moreover, we measured the effects of mimicry and adversarial attacks on MRm-DLDet, and the experimental results demonstrated the robustness of MRm-DLDet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impurity minerals, as one of the main occurrence states of impurity elements in high-purity quartz, are strictly limited components in high-purity quartz sand products, and are also the key factors affecting the purification plan of high-purity quartz. Therefore, accurate analysis and determination of the composition, content and occurrence characteristics of impurity minerals in high-purity quartz are important references for the quality evaluation, raw material selection and purification scheme formulation of high-purity quartz sand products. In this study, a method was developed to determine impurity minerals in high-purity quartz sand products with SiO2 contents greater than 99. 998% (4N8) by the Automated Process Mineralogy Analyzing System (BPMA) with version 2.0 BPMA software, which was based on scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The results showed that the content of quartz was 99. 9988%, the data were well agreed with the quality indicators by chemical analysis of high-purity quartz products. The impurity minerals were mainly augite {Ca(Mg, Fe, Al)[(Si, Al)2O6]} and zircon [Zr(SiO4)], and an extremely small amount of calcite [(Ca(CO3)], xenotime-(Y) [ Y (PO4)], monazite-(Ce) [(Ce, La, Nd) (PO4)] and galena (PbS) was detected. The particle size of quartz in the high-purity quartz sand products was relatively uniform, major among 0. 020--0. 208 mm. The size of impurity minerals was very fine, and the grain size of impurities was less than 43 µM, mainly embedded in quartz in the form of fine-grained mineral inclusions. In conclusion, the method is accurate, reliable, simple and efficient, which is suitable for the analysis and determination of the composition, content and occurrence characteristics of impurity minerals in high-purity quartz. It can also provide technical reference for the determination of trace impurities in other high-purity materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer seriously threatens human health. To explore the molecular mechanism of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol (PPD) on human non-small cell lung cancer cells, we investigated the transcriptional profile of PPD-treated NCI-H1299 cells. Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PPD-treated and untreated cells were determined using RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analysis. Protein phosphorylation was detected using Western blotting. Data of mRNA expression profiles of lung cancer were from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and analyzed using R software version 4.3.1. PPD showed an inhibitory effect on the proliferation of NCI-H1299 cells and induced apoptosis. There were 938 upregulated genes and 466 downregulated genes in PPD-treated cells, and DEGs were primarily enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. The detection of phosphorylation revealed that the phosphorylation of ERK and p38 MAPK was significantly reduced in PPD-treated cells. Further comparison of PPD-regulated DEGs with clinical data of lung adenocarcinoma demonstrated that most downregulated genes in tumor tissues were upregulated in PPD-treated cells or vice versa. Two PPD-downregulated genes HSPA2 and EFNA2 were associated with patients' overall survival. Therefore, PPD could inhibit NCI-H1299 cells by affecting gene expression and regulating ERK and p38 MAPK pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of object detection, due to the complexity of realistic scenarios, the objects are mostly obscured and semantic-confusable. The existing CNNs-based object detectors focus only on the information within the region proposal and ignore the auxiliary role of objects-objects relationships, leading to difficulties distinguishing difficult samples in complex spaces. Accordingly, in this paper, we propose a novel relation-aware graph reasoning network (RGRN) to adaptively discover and integrate key semantic and spatial relationships in images. Specifically, in order to realize information interaction and relational reasoning between nodes, we design two parallel modules: the semantic relational reasoning module (SRRM) and the spatial relational reasoning module (SPRM). SRRM mines the semantic relationships between objects by discriminating the semantic similarity between graph nodes, and SPRM finds the spatial relationships between objects by the relative positions between nodes. Our method considers the relative spatial location and semantic correlation between objects, which can easily embed in existing networks in real-time to improve performance. Solid experiments verify the effectiveness of our method, which achieves around 16 % improvement on MS COCO and 10 % on PASCAL VOC in terms of mAP and outperforms the state-of-the-art relation-based methods, which indicates the superiority and effectiveness of RGRN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in global average surface temperature has promoted the advancement of spring vegetation phenology. However, the response of spring vegetation phenology to different temperature parameters varies. The Mongolian Plateau, one of the largest grasslands in the world, has green-up dates (GUDs) with unclear sensitivity to different temperature parameters. To address this issue, we investigated the responses of GUDs to different temperature parameters in the Mongolian Plateau grasslands. The results show that GUDs responded significantly differently to changes in near-surface temperature (TMP), near-surface temperature maximum (TMX), near-surface temperature minimum (TMN), and diurnal temperature range (DTR). GUDs advanced as TMP, TMX, and TMN increased, with TMN having a more significant effect, whereas increases in DTR inhibited the advancement of GUDs. GUDs were more sensitive to TMX and TMN than to TMP. The sensitivity of GUDs to DTR showed an increasing trend from 1982 to 2015 and showed this parameter's great importance to GUDs. Our results also show that the spatial and temporal distributions of temperature sensitivity are only related to temperature conditions in climatic zones instead of whether they are arid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The leaves of the Chinese cabbage which is most widely consumed come in a wide variety of colors. Leaves that are dark green can promote photosynthesis, effectively improving crop yield, and therefore hold important application and cultivation value. In this study, we selected nine inbred lines of Chinese cabbage displaying slight differences in leaf color, and graded the leaf color using the reflectance spectra. We clarified the differences in gene sequences and the protein structure of ferrochelatase 2 (BrFC2) among the nine inbred lines, and used qRT-PCR to analyze the expression differences of photosynthesis-related genes in inbred lines with minor variations in dark-green leaves. We found expression differences among the inbred lines of Chinese cabbage in photosynthesis-related genes involved in the porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, as well as in photosynthesis and photosynthesis-antenna protein pathway. Chlorophyll b content was significantly positively correlated with the expression of PsbQ, LHCA1_1 and LHCB6_1, while chlorophyll a content was significantly negatively correlated with the expression PsbQ, LHCA1_1 and LHCA1_2. Our results provide an empirical basis for the precise identification of candidate genes and a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the production of dark-green leaves in Chinese cabbage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the clinical prognostic utility of the preoperative cholesterol-to-lymphocyte ratio (CLR) in outcomes for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) patients receiving simultaneous resection of the primary lesion and liver metastases. Methods: A total of 444 CRLM patients receiving simultaneous resections were enrolled. The optimal cut-off value for CLR was determined using the highest Youden's index. Patients were divided into the CLR < 3.06 group and the CLR≥3.06 group. Propensity score matching analysis (PSM) and the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method were conducted to eliminate bias between the two groups. The outcomes included short-term outcomes and long-term outcomes. Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to analyse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: In the short-term outcome analysis, after 1:1 PSM, 137 patients were distributed to the CLR < 3.06 group and CLR≥3.06 group. No significant difference was noted between the two groups (P > 0.1). Compared with patients with CLR < 3.06, patients with CLR≥3.06 had comparable operation times (320.0 [272.5–421.0] vs. 360.0 [292.5-434.5], P = 0.088), blood loss (200.0 [100.0-400.0] vs. 200.0 [150.0-450.0], P = 0.831), postoperative complication rates (50.4% vs. 46.7%, P = 0.546) and postoperative ICU rates (5.8% vs. 11.7%, P = 0.087). In the long-term outcome analysis, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that compared with patients with CLR < 3.06, patients with CLR≥3.06 had worse PFS (P = 0.005, median: 10.2 months vs. 13.0 months) and OS (P = 0.002, median: 41.0 months vs. 70.9 months). IPTW-adjusted Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the CLR≥3.06 group had worse PFS (P = 0.027) and OS (P = 0.010) than the CLR < 3.06 group. In the IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, CLR≥3.06 was an independent factor for PFS (HR = 1.376, 95% CI 1.097–1.726, P = 0.006) and OS (HR = 1.723, 95% CI 1.218–2.439, P = 0.002). IPTW-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis including postoperative complications, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative blood transfusion and postoperative chemotherapy revealed that CLR≥3.06 was an independent factor for PFS (HR = 1.617, 95% CI 1.252–2.090, P < 0.001) and OS (HR = 1.823, 95% CI 1.258–2.643, P = 0.002). Conclusions: The preoperative CLR level predicts unfavourable outcomes in CRLM patients receiving simultaneous resection of the primary lesion and liver metastases and should be taken into consideration when developing treatment and monitoring strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wnt pathway is frequently dysregulated in many cancers, underscoring it as a therapeutic target. Wnt inhibitors have uniformly failed in clinical trials. Here, we report a mechanism of WNT pathway activation through the Semaphorin 3 C neurodevelopmental program in glioma stem-like cells. Sema3C directs β-catenin nuclear accumulation in a Rac1-dependent process, leading to transactivation of Wnt target genes. Sema3C-driven Wnt signaling occurred despite suppression of Wnt ligand secretion, suggesting that Sema3C drives canonical Wnt signaling independent of Wnt ligand binding. In a mouse model of glioblastoma, combined depletion of Sema3C and β-catenin partner TCF1 extended animal survival more than single target inhibition alone. In human glioblastoma, Sema3C expression and Wnt pathway activation were highly concordant. Since Sema3C is frequently overexpressed in glioblastoma, Sema3C signaling may be a significant mechanism of resistance to upstream Wnt pathway inhibitors. Dual targeting of Sema3C and Wnt pathways may achieve clinically significant Wnt pathway inhibition. Wnt signaling is dysregulated in glioblastoma (GBM). Here the authors show that Semaphorin 3C drives Wnt signaling through Rac1-dependent β-catenin nuclear accumulation and that dual blockade of Semaphorin 3C and Wnt pathway reduces the growth of GBM in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylonitrile carbon nano-fibers is prepared by electrospinning and high temperature carbonization technology. The obtained ES-PAN nano-fibers shows a disordered and porous nanoscale-morphology with larger specific surface area and more exposed active sites. Meanwhile, the porous microstructure provides a fast channel for lithium ion transport. As a result, the ES-PAN electrode shows superior performance as anode materials for lithium ion batteries such as higher capacity, superior rate capability and cycle life. The initial charging capacities of ES-PAN electrode are 404.7, 266.5, 182.9 and 113.8 mAh/g at the rate of 0.2 C, 1C, 3C and 5 C respectively, which are significantly higher than the electrodes of PAN hard carbon (PAN-1000) calcined at 1000 °C (359.8, 197.3, 149.3 and 39.5 mAh/g, respectively) and graphite (329.5, 222.9, 55.5 and 17.7 mAh/g, respectively). After 100 cycles, the charging capacities of ES-PAN electrode can still remain at 375.5, 268.6, 167.3 and 105.0 mAh/g with the capacity retention of 92.8%, 100.7%, 91.5% and 92.3% at the rate of 0.2 C, 1 C, 3 C and 5 C, respectively, which are also much higher than those of PAN-1000 and graphite electrodes. The ES-PAN nanofiber electrodes prepared by electrospinning technology show higher capacity, better rate capability and cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used the traditional solid-phase reaction method to prepare polycrystalline samples: La0.65Ca0.35Mn1-xNixO3 (x = 0, x = 0.2). The effects of Ni doping on the preformed cluster phases, magnetocaloric effects, and critical behavior were systematically investigated. The results showed that the prepared polycrystalline samples all had cubic chalcogenide structures. The substitution of Ni2+ ions for a certain number of Mn3+ ions reduced the changes in the lattice parameters, unit cell volume, Curie temperature (TC), magnetic entropy, and magnetic entropy change. The changes in these properties originated from the partial substitution of Ni2+ for Mn3+ ions, which changed the Mn3+/Mn4+ ratio and decreased the Mn-O-Mn bond angle, thus weakening the double exchange interaction. Both samples had a preformed cluster phase above the low-temperature magnetic transition temperature. The critical behaviors of both samples fit the tricritical model well. A transition from first- to second-order phase transition existed for both the parent and doped samples, and the maximum magnetic entropy changes of the samples at an applied magnetic field of 7 T were 7.70 and 2.08 J·kg−1·K−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) (GABPB1‑IT1) has been reported to be downregulated in lung cancer, while its expression and function in other cancers are unknown. In this study, the expression levels of GABPB1‑IT1 in tissue samples from 62 ccRCC patients were measured by performing RT‐qPCR. Potential base pairing formed between GABPB1‑IT1 and miR‐21 was explored using the online program IntaRNA 2.0 and further confirmed by Dual‐luciferase activity assay and RNA pulldown assay. The role of GABPB1‑IT1 and miR‐21 in regulating the expression of PTEN was evaluated by RT‐qPCR and Western blot. The role of GABPB1‑IT1, miR‐21, and PTEN in regulating the proliferation of Caki‐2 cells was explored by CCK‐8 assay. It was observed that GABPB1‑IT1 was downregulated in ccRCC and predicted poor survival. GABPB1‑IT1 directly interacted with miR‐21, while it did not regulate the expression of each other. Moreover, upregulation of PTEN, which is a target of miR‐21, was observed in ccRCC cells with overexpression of GABPB1‑IT1. Overexpression of GABPB1‑IT1 and PTEN decreased the proliferation rates of ccRCC cells. In addition, overexpression of GABPB1‑IT1 reduced the enhancing effects of miR‐21 on cell proliferation. Therefore, GABPB1‑IT1 may upregulate PTEN by sponging miR‐21 in ccRCC to inhibit cancer cell proliferation. Our study characterized a novel GABPB1‑IT1/miR‐21/PTEN axis in ccRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, phenediamine bridging phthalocyanine-based covalent organic framework materials (CoTAPc-PDA, CoTAPc-BDA and CoTAPc-TDA) with increasingly-widening pore sizes are prepared by reacting cobalt octacarboxylate phthalocyanine with p-phenylenediamine (PDA), benzidine (BDA) and 4,4′′-diamino-p-terphenyl (TDA), respectively. The effects of frame size on the morphology structure and its electrochemical properties were explored. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the pore sizes of the CoTAPc-PDA, CoTAPc-BDA and CoTAPc-TDA are about 1.7 nm, 2.0 nm and 2.3 nm, respectively, which are close to the simulated results after geometric conformation optimization using Material Studio software. In addition, the specific surface areas of CoTAPc-PDA, CoTAPc-BDA and CoTAPc-TDA are 62, 81 and 137 m2 g−1, respectively. With increase in the frame size, the specific surface area of the corresponding material increases, which is bound to produce different electrochemical behaviors. Consequently, the initial capacities of the CoTAPc-PDA, CoTAPc-BDA and CoTAPc-TDA electrodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are 204, 251 and 382 mA h g−1, respectively. As the charge and discharge processes continue, the active points in the electrode material are continuously activated, leading to a continuous increase in charge and discharge capacities. After 300 cycles, the CoTAPc-PDA, CoTAPc-BDA and CoTAPc-TDA electrodes exhibit capacities of 519, 680 and 826 mA h g−1, respectively, and after 600 cycles, the capacities are maintained at 602, 701 and 865 mA h g−1, respectively, with a stable capacity retention rate at a current density of 100 mA g−1. The results show that the large-size frame structure materials have a larger specific surface area and more favorable lithium ion transmission channels, which produce greater active point utilization and smaller charge transmission impedance, thus showing larger charge and discharge capacity and superior rate capability. This study fully confirms that frame size is a key factor affecting the properties of organic frame electrodes, providing design ideas for the development of high-performance organic frame electrode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an RNA-mediated reverse genetics technology that has evolved into an indispensable approach for analyzing the function of genes. It downregulates endogenous genes by utilizing the posttranscriptional gene silencing (PTGS) machinery of plants to prevent systemic viral infections. Based on recent advances, VIGS can now be used as a high-throughput tool that induces heritable epigenetic modifications in plants through the viral genome by transiently knocking down targeted gene expression. As a result of the progression of DNA methylation induced by VIGS, new stable genotypes with desired traits are being developed in plants. In plants, RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) is a mechanism where epigenetic modifiers are guided to target loci by small RNAs, which play a major role in the silencing of the target gene. In this review, we described the molecular mechanisms of DNA and RNA-based viral vectors and the knowledge obtained through altering the genes in the studied plants that are not usually accessible to transgenic techniques. We showed how VIGS-induced gene silencing can be used to characterize transgenerational gene function(s) and altered epigenetic marks, which can improve future plant breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The slope reinforcement scheme has an important influence on the prevention and control of landslides. A reasonable reinforcement scheme can improve the reliability, economy and efficiency of landslide resistance. It is urgent to establish a local precise reinforcement method for landslides on the basis of clear process and the instability modes of landslides. Taking a high-steep anti-dip rock slope as an example, six numerical models are established by using the continuum–discontinuum element method (CDEM) to carry out seismic damage and dynamic analysis of slopes. By comparing the seismic response and damage characteristics of being unstrengthened, local precise reinforcement and overall reinforcement models, the applicability of the proposed local precise reinforcement method for the slopes is discussed. The results show that the determination of the dynamic amplifying effect and seismic damage characteristics of slopes is the primary prerequisite of the local precise reinforcement method. The dynamic amplification effect of the slope toe, crest and shallow slope surface are much larger, that is, they are the potential reinforcement areas. The local precision reinforcement times should be controlled within a certain number of times, and the slope after the first three times of the local reinforcement effect is the best. However, more than three times after the reinforcement effect it becomes worse. Moreover, the dynamic amplification effect, the equivalent crack ratio and the mechanical energy of the slope after three times of local precision reinforcement are similar to the overall reinforcement effect, which indicates that local precision reinforcement has good feasibility. This work can provide references for landslide disasters prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermophilic proteins have important value in the fields of biopharmaceuticals and enzyme engineering. Most existing thermophilic protein prediction models are based on traditional machine learning algorithms and do not fully utilize protein sequence information. To solve this problem, a deep learning model based on self-attention and multiple-channel feature fusion was proposed to predict thermophilic proteins, called DeepTP. First, a large new dataset consisting of 20,842 proteins was constructed. Second, a convolutional neural network and bidirectional long short-term memory network were used to extract the hidden features in protein sequences. Different weights were then assigned to features through self-attention, and finally, biological features were integrated to build a prediction model. In a performance comparison with existing methods, DeepTP had better performance and scalability in an independent balanced test set and validation set, with AUC values of 0.944 and 0.801, respectively. In the unbalanced test set, DeepTP had an average precision (AP) of 0.536. The tool is freely available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have revealed that the influence of diurnal temperature on spring phenology is asymmetric, and the faster night‐time warming in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) has a complex impact on spring phenology. Our understanding from the sensitivity of the start of the growing season (SOS) to daytime (ST_daytime) and night‐time temperatures (ST_night‐time) has urgently needs to be improved. In this study, the SOS sensitivity to diurnal temperature in the middle and high latitudes of the NH (>30°N) from 1982 to 2015 is estimated. The results indicate that although SOS showed stronger sensitivity to daytime than night‐time temperature in most parts of the study areas, the influence of daytime temperature on SOS is decreasing, while the influence of night‐time temperature on SOS is increasing. The variations in ST_daytime and ST_night‐time along the latitude gradient were significantly correlated with the warming rate of the preseason diurnal temperature (p <.01). The SOS between 40°N and 70°N was more sensitive to daytime temperature, while ST_night‐time was higher than ST_daytime at other latitudes due to topography and rapid night‐time warming. On the altitude gradient, the SOS was more sensitive to daytime temperature in areas below 800 and 2,000–4,000 m. ST_night‐time exceeded ST_daytime at other altitudes owing to night‐time warming relief of the severe restrictions on phenological processes and the reduction in frost risk. To reach a comprehensive characterization of the interaction between vegetation and climate systems, the current study suggests more investigation on the response of SOS to diurnal temperature on large scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are continuously expanding their application to various domains due to their high performance. Nevertheless, a well-trained DNN after deployment could oftentimes raise errors during practical use in the operational environment due to the mismatching between distributions of the training dataset and the potential unknown noise factors in the operational environment, e.g., weather, blur, noise, etc. Hence, it poses a rather important problem for the DNNs’ real-world applications: how to repair the deployed DNNs for correcting the failure samples under the deployed operational environment while not harming their capability of handling normal or clean data with limited failure samples we can collect. In this article, we propose a style-guided data augmentation for repairing DNN in the operational environment, which learns and introduces the unknown failure patterns within the failure samples into the training data via the style transfer. Moreover, we further propose the clustering-based failure data generation for much more effective style-guided data augmentation. We conduct a large-scale evaluation with 15 degradation factors that may happen in the real world and compare with four state-of-the-art data augmentation methods and two DNN repairing methods. Our technique successfully repairs three convolutional neural networks and two recurrent neural networks with averaging 62.88% and 39.02% accuracy enhancements on the 15 failure patterns, respectively, achieving higher repairing performance than state-of-the-art repairing methods on the most failure patterns with even better accuracy on clean datasets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Western flower thrips are considered the major insect pest of horticultural crops worldwide, causing economic and yield loss to Solanaceae crops. The eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) resistance against thrips remains largely unexplored. This work aims to identify thrips‐resistant eggplants and dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying this resistance using the integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible cultivars. RESULTS: We developed a micro‐cage thrips bioassay to identify thrips‐resistant eggplant cultivars, and highly resistant cultivars were identified from wild eggplant relatives. Metabolomic profiles of thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible eggplant were compared using the gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS)‐based approach, resulting in the identification of a higher amount of quinic acid in thrips‐resistant eggplant compared to the thrips‐susceptible plant. RNA‐sequencing analysis identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by comparing genome‐wide gene expression changes between thrips‐resistant and ‐susceptible eggplants. Consistent with metabolomic analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs revealed that the starch and sucrose metabolic pathway in which quinic acid is a metabolic by‐product was highly enriched. External application of quinic acid enhances the resistance of susceptible eggplant to thrips. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that quinic acid plays a key role in the resistance to thrips. These findings highlight a potential application of quinic acid as a biocontrol agent to manage thrips and expand our knowledge to breed thrips‐resistant eggplant. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is an important study direction in the field of seismic engineering to accurately evaluate the damage degree of RC pier columns under seismic action in saline soil environment. Based on this, eight RC pier columns were designed and manufactured. Based on the residual drift of the specimen, a seismic damage assessment method suitable for saline soil environment was propsed. The corrosion rate, axial compression ratio and residual drift were considered in this model. The results showed that the model is simple and accurate. It can provide reference for post-earthquake damage assessment of RC columns in saline soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]