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Abstract Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and has high heterogeneity and unsatisfactory outcomes. To better characterize the tumor progression trajectory, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing of normal tissue, precancerous tissue, early-stage, advanced-stage cancer tissue, lymph node, and recurrent tumors tissue samples. We identify the transcriptional development trajectory of malignant epithelial cells and a tumorigenic epithelial subcluster regulated by TFDP1. Furthermore, we find that the infiltration of POSTN + fibroblasts and SPP1 + macrophages gradually increases with tumor progression; their interaction or interaction with malignant cells also gradually increase to shape the desmoplastic microenvironment and reprogram malignant cells to promote tumor progression. Additionally, we demonstrate that during lymph node metastasis, exhausted CD8+ T cells with high CXCL13 expression strongly interact with tumor cells to acquire more aggressive phenotypes of extranodal expansion. Finally, we delineate the distinct features of malignant epithelial cells in primary and recurrent tumors, providing a theoretical foundation for the precise selection of targeted therapy for tumors at different stages. In summary, the current study offers a comprehensive landscape and deep insight into epithelial and microenvironmental reprogramming throughout initiation, progression, lymph node metastasis and recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

The potential oscillation during the iodate reduction in alkaline solution with mass transfer is studied. It is concluded that the oscillations arise due to the electrochemical reactions coupled with convection mass transfer of iodate.

The electronic properties of epitaxial graphene (EG) on SiC (0001) depend sensitively on the surface morphology of SiC substrate. Here, 2-3 layers of graphene were grown on on-axis 6H-SiC with different step densities realized through controlling growth temperature and ambient pressure. We show that epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) with low step density and straight step edge possesses fewer point defects laying mostly on step edges and higher carrier mobility. A relationship between step density and EG mobility is established. The linear scan of Raman spectra combined with the atomic force microscopy morphology images revealed that the Raman fingerprint peaks are nearly the same on terraces, but shift significantly while cross step edges, suggesting the graphene is not homogeneous in strain and carrier concentration over terraces and step edges of substrates. Thus, control morphology of epitaxial graphene on SiC (0001) is a simple and effective method to pursue optimal route for high quality graphene and will be helpful to prepare wafer sized graphene for device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outlet blade angle is a key geometrical parameter that governs how the impeller directly influences centrifugal pump performance. Therefore, a reasonable angle selection is crucial. To investigate the effects of the outlet blade angle on centrifugal pump internal flow field characteristics under cavitation conditions, this study employs a combination of a modified SST k-ω turbulent model with a Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model to perform transient flow simulations. Outlet blade angles of 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, and 35° were tested. The results indicated that as the outlet blade angle increased, the relative liquid flow angle, vapor volume, and corresponding fraction first increased, then decreased, and finally increased again. Meanwhile, the distribution scope of each stall vortex on the suction surface became smaller, then larger, and smaller again, whereas the scopes of the pressure surfaces grew constantly as the outlet blade angle increased. Pressure fluctuations at all monitored points in the volute became weaker over time, and variations in the pressure fluctuations alternated with the outlet blade angle. The main frequency amplitude increased and the frequency doubling decreased as the outlet blade angle increased. Although the energy corresponding to the main frequency was unstable, it consistently held the dominant position. The duration that cavitation compliance was less than 0 first decreased and then increased as the outlet blade angle increased. For the impeller with an outlet blade angle of 25°, stall vortices accounted for the smallest regions, and the duration of negative cavitation compliance was minimized. In this case, the overall performance of the centrifugal pump was optimal.

Accurate calculation of pressure distribution in the impeller cover side cavity is the key to predict the axial force of centrifugal pump. The existing calculation models almost does not involve the prediction of cavity pressure when the radial clearances of different sealing rings are matched with the diameter of different balance holes. On the basis of the original prediction model of pump cavity pressure, a mathematical model of pressure distribution of impeller cover side cavity with different radial clearance of sealing ring and the diameter of balance hole was established by introducing potential head correction coefficient and flow proportional coefficient. In order to improve the calculation accuracy of rotation coefficient for rear pump cavity, the balance aperture length ratio and the rotation undetermined coefficient were introduced in the calculation equation of original rotation coefficient. A test bed for pressure and leakage was designed and established, and the pressure of impeller cover side cavity and balance hole leakage was systematically tested when the radial clearance of sealing ring and the diameter of balance hole were different. Experimental results showed that the radial clearance of rear sealing ring and the diameter of balance hole had different effects on the radial pressure gradient of pump cavity. The diameter of balance hole had little effects on the pressure of the front pump cavity. When the clearance of the front and rear sealing rings were the same, the pressure of rear pump cavity was generally higher than that of the front pump cavity. For the equilibrium chamber liquid, increasing the diameter of balance hole could relieve the pressure, and increasing the radial clearance of sealing ring could increase the pressure. Combined with the test data, the potential head correction coefficient, the rotation undetermined coefficient and the flow proportional coefficient of different specific areas were calibrated, with a specific solution equation. In this study, the reliability of the proposed pressure mathematical model for impeller cover side cavity was verified by three cases. The results showed that the theoretical prediction value was more consistent with the actual measured value, proving that the proposed mathematical model had high accuracy and universality.

Habitat disturbance affects numerous ecosystem components and processes, but its effect on continuous soybean system is less available. Soybean was seeded following six preceding crops, including grain soybean (Glycine max L. Merill.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), corn (Zea mays L.) and hemp (Cannabis Satia L.), on a Mollisol farmland that had previously been cropped to continuous soybean for seven years in Northeast China. Soybean after hemp reduced the number of second-stage juveniles of soybean cyst nematode (J2) by 29.8% compared to continuous soybean, while soybean after corn had the lowest J2 number. The number of soilborne pathogens of Fusarium, Rhizoctonia and Pythium after corn and hemp and root rot disease severity index after all crop disturbance, except sugar beet, were significantly lower than continuous soybean. Soybean yield after hemp disturbance was improved by 10.8%, while sugar beet disturbance had the greatest negative impact on soybean yield. No differences were found among crop disturbance for protein and oil content in soybean seed. Crop disturbance changed the habitat already developed in the continuous soybean system. Adoption of hemp disturbance has the potential to be an alternative approach in managing continuous soybean production system in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that TP53 may mediate apoptosis triggered by anticancer drugs. However, accumulating evidence indicates that TP53 may be inactivated by mutations and/or deletions in about 50% of human cancers and, as such, may lead to pronounced resistance to therapeutic agents. Thus, the development of new approaches to improve the efficiency of therapeutic agents in cancer cells harboring mutant TP53 may have a significant impact on cancer treatment. It has been reported that knockdown by RNA interference (RNAi) of p28GANK (an alias of the gene PSMD10), a novel oncogene over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), can induce apoptosis in HepG2, a TP53-intact HCC cell line. Because of the high frequency TP53 mutations in HCC, it is relevant to know whether p28GANK knockdown-induced apoptosis is also operational in TP53-negative HCC cells. Here, we investigated Adsip28GANK-induced apoptosis in the TP53-negative HCC cell line Hep3B. Our results indicate that p28GANK-knockdown induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which in turn activates p38. Since p38 can signal to Bax, its activation may lead to mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Δψm) loss, cytochrome c release from mitochondria to cytosol, and caspase-9 activation, eventually triggering the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the shift trend and step changes for runoff time series in the Shiyang River basin in northwest China. It states that seven statistical test approaches were used to determine the shift trends and step changes in the study. It discusses that Mann-Kendall test, Spearman's Rho test, linear regression and Hurst exponent were utilized to detect past and future shift trends for runoff time series, while the distributed-free CUSUM test, cumulative deviations and the Worsley likelihood ratio test were employed to detect step changes for the same time series. Results showed that the annual runoff from Zamu, Huangyang and Gulang rivers demonstrate statistically significant decreasing trends.

Abstract A film of Ni(OH)2 deposited cathodically on a roughened nickel substrate consists of even nanoparticles, which were characterized by atomic-force microscopy (AFM). The mechanism of potential oscillations in the electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol on this film electrode in alkaline medium was studied in situ by means of Raman spectroscopy in combination with electrochemical measurements. The redox change of the nickel hydroxide film, the concentration distribution of methanol in the diffusion layer, and the oxidation products of methanol were characterized in situ by time-resolved, spatial-resolved, and potential-dependent Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Electrochemical reactions, i.e. methanol oxidation and periodic oxygen evolution, coupling with alternately predominant diffusion and convection mass transfer of methanol, account for the potential oscillations that occur during oxidation of methanol above its limiting diffusion current. This mechanism is totally different from that of methanol oxidation on platinum electrodes, for which surface steps, i.e. formation and removal of COad, are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An anisotropic double exchange interaction driven giant transport anisotropy is demonstrated in a canonic double exchange system of La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 ultrathin films epitaxially grown on NdGaO3 (110) substrates. The oxygen octahedral coupling at the La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/NdGaO3 interface induces a planar anisotropic Mn-O-Mn bond bending, which causes a significant anisotropic overlap of neighboring Mn orbitals. Due to the anisotropic double exchange interaction, it is found that the conductivity of the La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 film is enhanced when current is applied along the in-plane short crystalline axis. However, the anisotropic behavior is absent in the high temperature paramagnetic phase. Our results demonstrate anisotropic transport in the clean limit where phase separation is absent and the role of anisotropic phase percolation can be excluded.

The electronic structure of the helimagnet CrAs is unusual due to its nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry. Here, the authors observe quasilinear magnetoresistance close to a pressure-driven superconducting transition, which may arise from the interaction of the band structure and magnetic fluctuations.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is seriously impacted by global soil salinization. To determine the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to salt tolerance in rice roots, F2:3 and BC1F2:3 populations derived from a cross between the cv. Dongnong 425 of high quality and yield and the salt-tolerant cv. Changbai 10, were studied at different development stages. Two genetic linkage maps of F2:3 and BC1F2:3 populations were constructed. A 66 mM NaCl solution was used to irrigate the field and to analyze the dynamic QTL of some rice root traits. Using unconditional and conditional QTL mapping methods, 30 unconditional QTLs and 16 conditional QTLs related to the 6 root traits were detected on the 9 rice chromosomes during different developmental stages. Fourteen pairs of unconditional and conditional QTLs were detected at the identical developmental stage in the identical population. A number of QTLs were detected at different developmental stages, however, many did not appear at the last stage. Remarkably, qRKC1 appeared continuously at multiple stages in both the populations suggesting its key role in regulating the salt tolerance of rice roots.

The optical waveguide arrays can be employed to simulate the unstable quantum systems when the light propagates in them, which can present the optical Zeno and anti-Zeno effects. In this paper, we propose the scheme of periodic modulation of the coupling coefficient based on the coupling between the straight and cosine bend optical waveguides, which can realize the controllable optical Zeno and anti-Zeno effects. Based on the special decay law, the decay of light intensity in the straight waveguide can be freely controlled by selecting the appropriate observation positions.

Vortex patterns in multiphoton pair creation by two-color elliptically polarized fields are investigated using the real-time Dirac–Heisenberg–Wigner formalism. For two-color circularly polarized fields with same or opposite helicities, we uncover both the vortices constituted of an even number of spirals and the ones with an odd number of spirals. The former corresponds to multiphoton pair creation by absorbing an odd (or even) number of photons from each rotating field, while the latter corresponds to multiphoton pair creation by absorbing an odd number of photons from one field and an even number of photons from the other one. This result is in agreement with qualitative theoretical analysis. For two-color elliptically polarized fields, vortex patterns are very sensitive to the ellipticity and a large ellipticity is required to detect vortices. This study provide a theoretical reference to observe multiphoton pair creation experimentally in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial–spectral interference fringes contain information on the time delay between pulses. By extracting the slope of the equiphase line in the spatial–spectral interference fringes, a large range and high-precision detection of the time delay is realized. Theoretical analysis is given. An experiment demonstrates the fundamental process for obtaining the time delay between two femtosecond pulses. In the current experiment the measurement range is from 0.4 fs to hundreds of fs. This method was first proposed for synchronization measurement of coherent combination of ultra-short pulses in a multi-channel system. The method can be applied at large scales in an ultra-short pulse laser facility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The momentum signatures in nonperturbative multiphoton pair production for general elliptic polarization electric fields are investigated by employing the real-time Dirac-Heisenberg-Wigner formalism. For a linearly polarized electric field we find that the positions of the nodes in momentum spectra of created pairs depend only on the electric-field frequency. The polarization of external fields could not only change the node structures or even make the nodes disappear but also change the thresholds of pair production. The momentum signatures associated to the node positions in which the even-number photon pair creation process is forbidden could be used to distinguish the orbital angular momentum of created pairs on the momentum spectra. These distinguishable momentum signatures could be relevant for providing the output information of created particles and also the input information of ultrashort laser pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-pass, full-tiled grating compressor with a unique feedback control system for precise alignment was realized in an XG-III petawatt-class laser facility, based on the chirped-pulse amplification (CPA) technique. Far-field images of both 0th order and −1st order diffraction light of a tiled grating assembly (TGA) were recorded using a CCD camera, by which the tiling errors of the TGA can be identified and corrected in real-time without disturbing the main beam. A final compressed pulse of 615 fs (FWHM) with a focal spot about 1.1 times the diffraction limited (DL) size was achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land surface temperature (LST) is a key variable for monitoring and evaluating global long-term climate change. However, existing satellite-based twice-daily LST products only date back to 2000, which makes it difficult to obtain robust long-term temperature variations. In this study, we developed the first global historical twice-daily LST dataset (GT-LST), with a spatial resolution of 0.05∘, using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Level-1b Global Area Coverage (GAC) data from 1981 to 2021. The GT-LST product was generated using four main processes: (1) GAC data reading, calibration, and preprocessing using open-source Python libraries; (2) cloud detection using the AVHRR-Phase I algorithm; (3) land surface emissivity estimation using an improved method considering annual land cover changes; (4) LST retrieval based on a nonlinear generalized split-window algorithm. Validation with in situ measurements from Surface Radiation Budget (SURFRAD) sites and Baseline Surface Radiation Network sites showed that the overall root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of GT-LST varied from 1.6 to 4.0 K, and nighttime LSTs were typically better than daytime LSTs. Intercomparison with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer LST products (MYD11A1 and MYD21A1) revealed that the overall root-mean-square difference (RMSD) was approximately 3.0 K. Compared with MYD11A1 LST, GT-LST was overestimated, and relatively large RMSDs were obtained during the daytime, spring, and summer, whereas the significantly smaller positive bias was obtained between GT-LST and MYD21A1 LST. Furthermore, we compared our newly generated dataset with a global AVHRR daytime LST product at the selected measurements of SURFRAD sites (i.e., measurements of these two satellite datasets were valid), which revealed similar accuracies for the two datasets. However, GT-LST can additionally provide nighttime LST, which can be combined with daytime observations estimating relatively accurate monthly mean LST, with an RMSE of 2.7 K. Finally, we compared GT-LST with a regional twice-daily AVHRR LST product over continental Africa in different seasons, with RMSDs ranging from 2.1 to 4.3 K. Considering these advantages, the proposed dataset provides a better data source for a range of research applications. GT-LST is freely available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7113080 (1981–2000) (Li et al., 2022a), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7134158 (2001–2005) (Li et al., 2022b), and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7813607 (2006–2021) (J. H. Li et al., 2023).

The establishment of corona discharges close to a point electrode under both negative and positive high voltage in normal liquid helium (LHe) at 4.2 K is reported. The experiments were carried out at constant temperature and pressures ranging from 0.1–10 MPa. Visible luminescence emitted from the zone close to the tip revealed lines due to excited He atoms and molecules. The molecular luminescence showed hot band emissions with vibrational levels populated up to v=2. Rotational temperatures of 800 K were estimated showing that the excitations do not thermalise. With increasing pressure the lines shifted to shorter wavelengths and became broader. The magnitude of the increase in width deviated from what is expected from the gas phase and from classical line broadening theory and rather showed similarities to the behavior of bubbles in LHe. The detailed analysis of the rotational line intensity distribution revealed the presence of an additional radiator at the long wavelength side of molecular bands that we tentatively assign to “red satellite” emission. For corona discharges with positive tip polarities both atomic and molecular lines showed “red satellite" bands with much larger intensity than for negative polarity. The origin of the red satellite and the polarity dependence is unclear yet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Topological materials with exotic quantum properties are promising candidates for quantum spin electronics. Different classes of topological materials, including Weyl semimetal, topological superconductor, topological insulator and Axion insulator, etc., can be connected to each other via quantum phase transition. For example, it is believed that a trivial band insulator can be twisted into topological phase by increasing spin-orbital coupling or changing the parameters of crystal lattice. With the results of LDA calculation and measurement by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we demonstrate in this work that the electronic structure of SrSn2As2 single crystal has the texture of band inversion near the critical point. The results indicate the possibility of realizing topological quantum phase transition in SrSn2As2 single crystal and obtaining different exotic quantum states.

The application for GIS advances the ability of data analysis on remote sensing image. The classification and distill of remote sensing image is the primary information source for GIS in LUCC application. How to increase the accuracy of classification is an important content of remote sensing research. Adding features and researching new classification methods are the ways to improve accuracy of classification. Ant colony algorithm based on mode framework defined, agents of the algorithms in nature-inspired computation field can show a kind of uniform intelligent computation mode. It is applied in remote sensing image classification is a new method of preliminary swarm intelligence. Studying the applicability of ant colony algorithm based on more features and exploring the advantages and performance of ant colony algorithm are provided with very important significance. The study takes the outskirts of Fuzhou with complicated land use in Fujian Province as study area. The multi-source database which contains the integration of spectral information (TM1-5, TM7, NDVI, NDBI) and topography characters (DEM, Slope, Aspect) and textural information (Mean, Variance, Homogeneity, Contrast, Dissimilarity, Entropy, Second Moment, Correlation) were built. Classification rules based different characters are discovered from the samples through ant colony algorithm and the classification test is performed based on these rules. At the same time, we compare with traditional maximum likelihood method, C4.5 algorithm and rough sets classifications for checking over the accuracies. The study showed that the accuracy of classification based on the ant colony algorithm is higher than other methods. In addition, the land use and cover changes in Fuzhou for the near term is studied and display the figures by using remote sensing technology based on ant colony algorithm. In addition, the land use and cover changes in Fuzhou for the near term is studied and display the figures by using remote sensing technology based on ant colony algorithm. The causes of LUCC have been analysed and some suggestions to the development of this region were proposed.

ATP-dependent energy-consuming enzymatic reactions are widely used in cell-free biocatalysis. However, the direct addition of large amounts of expensive ATP can greatly increase cost, and enzymatic production is often difficult to achieve as a result. Although a polyphosphate kinase (PPK)-polyphosphate-based ATP regeneration system has the potential to solve this challenge, the generally poor thermal stability of PPKs limits the widespread use of this method. In this paper, we evaluated the thermal stability of a PPK from Sulfurovum lithotrophicum ( Sl PPK2). After directed evolution and computation-supported design, we found that Sl PPK2 is very recalcitrant and cannot acquire beneficial mutations. Inspired by the usually outstanding stability of ancestral enzymes, we reconstructed the ancestral sequence of the PPK family and used it as a guide to construct three heat-stable variants of Sl PPK2, of which the L35F/T144S variant has a half-life of more than 14 h at 60°C. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on all enzymes to analyze the reasons for the increased thermal stability. The results showed that mutations at these two positions act synergistically from the interior and surface of the protein, leading to a more compact structure. Finally, the robustness of the L35F/T144S variant was verified in the synthesis of nucleotides at high temperature. In practice, the use of this high-temperature ATP regeneration system can effectively avoid byproduct accumulation. Our work extends the temperature boundary of ATP regeneration and has great potential for industrial applications.IMPORTANCEATP regeneration is an important basic applied study in the field of cell-free biocatalysis. Polyphosphate kinase (PPK) is an enzyme tool widely used for energy regeneration during enzymatic reactions. However, the thermal stability of the PPKs reported to date that can efficiently regenerate ATP is usually poor, which greatly limits their application. In this study, the thermal stability of a difficult-to-engineer PPK from Sulfurovum lithotrophicum was improved, guided by an ancestral sequence reconstruction strategy. The optimal variant has a 4.5-fold longer half-life at 60°C than the wild-type enzyme, thus enabling the extension of the temperature boundary for ATP regeneration. The ability of this variant to regenerate ATP was well demonstrated during high-temperature enzymatic production of nucleotides., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.