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Background Field studies from 2011 onwards have demonstrated the presence of a breeding population of Yellow Wagtails (Motacilla flava) in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China that is phenotypically distinct from known subspecies occurring in Asia. Here we describe the plumages and vocalisations of this population and discuss its taxonomic status. Methods The analysis of plumage is based on field studies and photos available online. Recordings of vocalisations are compared with recordings from other Yellow Wagtail populations, and differences are analysed based on sonograms. Mitochondrial DNA from one individual is compared to other Yellow Wagtail taxa. Results Unlike M. flava subspecies breeding in or near Xinjiang, males in the studied population show a blue-grey head without prominent white supercilium, being most similar to the widely disjunct M. f. cinereocapilla. They differ from the similarly widely allopatric M. f. thunbergi, which might occur as a migrant or vagrant in Xinjiang, by on average cleaner yellow breast and more extensive white on the throat, and from the widely disjunct M. f. plexa and M. f. macronyx, which might also occur on migration in that area, by softer contact calls and slower pace of song. Females are similar to female M. f. feldegg in plumage. The mitochondrial ND2 tree shows the single sample from Xinjiang to be nested in the clade of western Yellow Wagtail taxa. Conclusion We discuss whether the Xinjiang breeding population could represent an intergrade between subspecies breeding nearby, or whether it is better regarded as a separate as yet unrecognized subspecies. We argue that the localization of its apparent range in relation to other subspecies along with fairly consistent male and female plumages suggest that it is more likely to represent an undescribed taxon, but conclude that more research is needed to firmly establish its status.

RORγ is a dual-functional drug target, which involves not only induction of inflammation but also promotion of cancer immunity. The development of agonists of RORγ promoting Th17 cell differentiation could provide a novel mechanism of action (MOA) as an immune-activating anticancer agent. Herein, we describe new 2-(ortho-substituted benzyl)-indole derivatives as RORγ agonists by scaffold hopping based on clinical RORγ antagonist VTP-43742. Interestingly, subtle structural differences of the compounds led to the opposite biological MOA. After rational optimization for structure-activity relationship and pharmacokinetic profile, we identified a potent RORγ agonist compound 17 that was able to induce the production of IL-17 and IFNγ in tumor tissues and elicit antitumor efficacy in MC38 syngeneic mouse colorectal tumor model. This is the first comprehensive work to demonstrate the in vivo antitumor efficacy of an RORγ agonist.

With the development of device condition monitoring and evaluating, fault diagnosis and forecast, the condition based maintenance (CBM) has been gradually popularized and applied in power electric system. As a kind of new method of CBM, health index based maintenance decision can flexibly arrange time to repair the distribution device so that it could effectively improve the maintenance efficiency and cost effectiveness. Considering those factors such as the level of load, maintenance category and live working , an optimal maintenance time scheduling model for 10kV distribution network based on health index was put forward in the paper. Modified genetic algorithm was used to find the solution of model. At last, the method was applied to a test system. The result showed that device health index based distribution network maintenance decision can not only enhance the operation reliability of the power grid, but also reduce the grid operational expenses, showing remarkable social and economic benefits.

This paper introduced the structure and special property with type device, analyzed how to realized programmable analogue function module with digital potentiometer. This paper gave a design example of programmable second-order active low pass filter by using digital potentiometer. The programmable filter can be application to the signal filter processing of data acquisition systems. This paper has reference value of theory and practice on the application of digital potentiometer

In order to achieve the intelligent dissemination of remote sensing image, the primary task is to establish a suitable user profile. In this paper, we proposed a novel approach of modeling user demand preferences, and took into account the multiple interests and the time factors. And we presented some computing methods of feature preference including time, space, image parameters, etc. At last, the simulation example shows the feasibility and effectiveness of the designed user demand preference model.

Objective: To screen novel genes related to adriamycin (Adr) resistance from human ovarian cancer resistance cell line OC3/Adr. Methods: Multidrug resistant ovarian cancer cell line OC3/Adr was induced by intermittent treatment of the human parent cell line OC3 with high concentration Adr. The difference of gene expression was screened by using different display analysis to the acquired Adr-resistance subline OC3/Adr and its parent cell line OC3. Results: OC3/Adr cell line was obtained which was more resistance to Adr than the parent cell line OC3 with the resistance index (RI) of 15.4. The OC3/Adr cell line also showed cross-resistance to other anti-cancer drugs (VP16, CDDP,5FU). It grew slowly and exhibited changes of cell cycle. A number of differentially expressed ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tags, ESTs) were identified at mRNA level between the OC3/Adr and OC3. Four of 18 different ESTs were sequenced. The 431/432 base pair S1 was homologous to human sperm zona pellucida binding protein, while the other two ESTs, S3 and S4, were new gene segments, which were registered to GenBank with the number of AF 117656 and AF 126507 respectively. Particularly, the expression of S2 sequence increased in all the drug-resistance cell lines and S3 sequence overexpressed in human ovarian cancer tissues as compared with benign ovarian tumors. Conclusion: Drug resistance induced by Adr in ovarian cancer OC3/Adr is involved with changes of multiple gene expressions.

Lithium tantalate (LiTaO3) thin films were deposited by high power (250 W) RF magnetron sputtering on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates and were annealed from 600 °C–700 °C in an O2 or N2 environment. The crystallinity of those films were examined by x-ray diffraction and Raman spectra to study the effects of annealing temperature and annealing gas on the crystal properties of LiTaO3 thin films. LiTaO3 thin films annealing at 650 °C in O2 have a better crystalline quality in a (012) preferential orientation. However, LiTaO3 thin films annealed at 700 °C in O2 contain impurities with titanium oxide (Ta2O5). This is attributable to the fact that the crystal structure is unstable above the Curie temperature and the tantalum reacts with oxygen in the annealing process. At the same time, the result of the Raman spectra suggests that LiTaO3 thin films annealed at 600 °C and 650 °C are closer to near-stoichiometric LiTaO3 and have less Li diffusivity and Li-deficient phases. Finally, optical constants of LiTaO3 films are also primarily probed by spectroscopic ellipsometry. For LiTaO3 thin films annealed at 650 °C in O2, the refractive index is 2.33, the extinction coefficient is 0.002 34 and the direct optical band gap energy is estimated to be minimal at 3.66 eV.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides an objective method of evaluating multiple sclerosis clinical trials and is at least five times more sensitive to disease activity. In a recent clinical trial, MRI was also approximately twice as sensitive as clinical measurements to the treatment effect of a drug.