Search

Let $f$ be a normalized primitive holomorphic cusp form of even integral weight $k$ for the full modular group $\Gamma=SL(2,\mathbb{Z})$. Denote by $\lambda_{f}(n)$ the $n$th normalized Fourier coefficient of $f$. In this paper, we are interested in an asymptotic formula for the sum \begin{eqnarray} \nonumber \sum_{\substack{n\leq x \\ n\equiv l (\textrm{mod}\ q)}}\lambda_{f}^{2j}(n), \end{eqnarray} where $j\geq 5$ is any positive integer, and $q$ is a prime with $(l,q)=1$.

Let $\lambda_{f}(n),$ $\sigma(n)$ and $\varphi(n)$ be the $n$th Hecke eigenvalue of normalized cuspidal Hecke eigenform, the sum-of-divisors function and the Euler totient function, respectively. In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the summatory function \begin{eqnarray} \nonumber \sum_{n\leq x}\lambda_{f}^{j}(n)\sigma^{b}(n)\varphi^{c}(n) \end{eqnarray} as $x\to\infty$, where $j\geq 9$ is any fixed integer. This generalizes the previous work in this direction.

We propose a quantum mechanical model of the interior region of a Schwarzschild black hole as a system of Fermi gas. The Fermi gas is equipped with a constant density of states and a Fermi energy that is inversely proportional to the size of the horizon size. Assuming equivalence principle and Pauli exclusion principle, we show that the degeneracy pressure of the Fermi gas is able to withstand the gravitational collapse if the radius of the system is given precisely by the horizon radius of the Schwarzschild black hole. In our model, the fermionic degrees of freedom at each energy level can be entangled in certain different ways, giving rise to a multitude of degenerate ground states of the system. The counting of these microstates reproduces precisely the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. This simple Fermi gas model is universal and works also for the Reissner-Nordstr\"om charged black hole as well as black hole with a cosmological constant. A natural interpretation of these fermionic degrees of freedom is to consider them as the fundamental quanta of quantum gravity over the quantum black hole spacetime. Our model suggests that holography is a consequence of the fermionic nature of quantum spacetime. These fermionic quanta observes a constant density of states, from which we argue and propose that quantum gravity is characterized by a principle of {\it maximal capacity of states} where there can be no more than $V/l_p^3$ quantum states in any volume $V$. This implies a loss of spatial locality below the Planck length and suggests that any singularity that is predicted by general relativity must be resolved and replaced by a quantum space in quantum gravity., Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure

A 20-year-old female resident of Beijing intended to consume the eggs of the parasitic worm, Taenia saginata, for weight loss; however, she apparently inadvertently ingested Taenia solium (pork tapeworm) eggs, which resulted in disseminated cysticercosis. Cysticerci developed in the brain, tongue, muscles, liver, peritoneum, and subcutaneous tissues. She was administered oral albendazole and praziquantel. After four 10-day courses of treatment, most of the cysts disappeared and she recovered. After 3 years, the patient remains in good health.

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensor that functions in the innate immune system. Upon binding dsDNA, cGAS and dsDNA form phase-separated condensates in which cGAS catalyzes the synthesis of 2'3'-cyclic GMP-AMP that subsequently triggers a STING-dependent, type I interferon (IFN-I) response. Here, we show that cytoplasmic RNAs regulate cGAS activity. We discover that RNAs do not activate cGAS but rather promote phase separation of cGAS in vitro. In cells, cGAS colocalizes with RNA and forms complexes with RNA. In the presence of cytoplasmic dsDNA, RNAs colocalize with phase-separated condensates of cGAS and dsDNA. Further in vitro assays showed that RNAs promote the formation of cGAS-containing phase separations and enhance cGAS activity when the dsDNA concentration is low. Cotransfection of RNA with a small amount of dsDNA into THP1 cells significantly enhances the production of the downstream signaling molecule interferon beta (IFNB). This enhancement can be blocked by a cGAS-specific inhibitor. Thus, cytoplasmic RNAs could regulate cGAS activity by modulating the formation of cGAS-containing condensates.

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disorder of the pancreas with an unpredictable course of illness. A major challenge of AP is the early identification of patients at high-risk for organ failure and death. However, scoring systems are complicated and time consuming, and the predictive values for the clinical course are vague.To determine whether the dynamic changes in presepsin levels can be used to evaluate the severity of disease and outcome of AP.In this multicentric cohort study, 133 patients with AP were included. Clinical severity was dynamically evaluated using the 2012 revised Atlanta Classification. Blood presepsin levels were measured at days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after admission by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay.The median concentration of presepsin increased and the clearance rate of presepsin decreased with disease severity and organ failure in AP patients. The presepsin levels on days 3, 5 and 7 were independent predictors of moderately severe and severe AP with time-specific area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.827, 0.848 and 0.867, respectively. The presepsin levels positively correlated with bedside index of severity in AP, Ranson, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, computed tomography severity index and Marshall scores. Presepsin levels on days 3, 5 and 7 were independent predictors of 28-d mortality of AP patients with AUC values of 0.781, 0.846 and 0.843, respectively.Blood presepsin levels within 7 d of admission were associated with and may be useful to dynamically predict the severity of disease course and 28-d mortality in AP patients.

Vegetable soybean, popularly known as edamame in Japan and mao dou in China is a specialty soybean. Green pods with physiologically mature beans are harvested, and whole pods or shelled beans are used as a fresh or frozen vegetable. Vegetable soybeans are prepared in diverse ways, and they are highly nutritious, with excellent taste properties. Unlike grain soybeans, it is perishable. In this review, the chronological progression of area, production, export, import, and expansion of vegetable soybeans and potential for further expansion is discussed. Available information on current ongoing research and development activities in various countries around the world are presented, and their relevance is discussed. At present, the production and consumption of vegetable soybeans are mainly in East and Southeast Asia, with Japan as the largest importing country that dictates the global market. However, interest and trend in cultivation of this crop in other regions has increased significantly. Lack of germplasm or suitable varieties is a major constraint in vegetable soybean production and expansion in countries outside East and Southeast Asia. Most of the vegetable soybean varieties are genetically related and are susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Extensive research and breeding of vegetable soybeans are still restricted in a few countries such as China, Japan, Taiwan and the USA. The need for focused research and development activities with concern for the environment, farmers’ and processors’ profit, consumers’ preference, quality, and nutrition are emphasized.

We propose that the quantum states of black hole responsible for the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy are given by a thin shell of Bell particles located at the region just underneath the horizon. We argue that the configuration can be stabilized by a new kind of degeneracy pressure which is suggested by noncommutative geometry. We utilize the work of Parikh and Wilczek to include the effect of tunneling on the Bell particles. We show that partially tunneled Bell particles give the Page curve for the Hawking radiation, and the entirety of information initially stored in the black hole is returned to the outside via the Hawking radiation. In view of entropic force, the location of these Bell states is naturally related to the island and the quantum extremal surface. Also, the thin shell of Bell particles may be interpreted as a firewall., Comment: 5+1 pages, 5 figures, comments welcome

Entanglement islands play an essential role in the recent breakthrough in addressing the black hole information paradox. Inspired by double holography, it is conjectured that the entanglement islands can exist only in massive gravity. There are many pieces of evidence but also debates for this conjecture. This letter shows that the island rule works well for massless gravity in wedge holography with DGP terms on the brane. It helps to clarify the theoretical controversy and strongly indicates the universality of entanglement islands in gravity theories., Comment: 4+2 pages, 6 figures, typos and figures corrected, more details and references can be found in the corresponding long paper, comments welcome

A large number of prediction strategies are specific to a dynamic multiobjective optimization problem (DMOP) with only one type of the Pareto set (PS) change. However, a continuous DMOP with more than one type of the unknown PS change has been seldom investigated. We present a multimodel prediction approach (MMP) realized in the framework of evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to tackle the problem. In this paper, we first detect the type of the PS change, followed by the selection of an appropriate prediction model to provide an initial population for the subsequent evolution. To observe the influence of MMP on EAs, optimal solutions obtained by three classical dynamic multiobjective EAs with and without MMP are investigated. Furthermore, to investigate the performance of MMP, three state-of-the-art prediction strategies are compared on a large number of dynamic test instances under the same particle swarm optimizer. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms its counterparts under comparison on most optimization problems.

BACKGROUND Acute cholangitis is caused by bacterial infection and has high morbidity and mortality risk. The grade of cholangitis can guide clinical treatment from single antibiotic treatment to biliary drainage. With the introduction of white blood cell (WBC) count, C-reactive protein (CRP), and total bilirubin (T-Bil) into the diagnostic criteria and severity grading for acute cholangitis, the diagnosis rate and grading have significantly improved. However, early risk stratification assessments are challenging in the emergency department. Therefore, we hope to find an ideal predictive biomarker for cholangitis grade. Presepsin is a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis, severity, and prognosis of acute bacterial infections. AIM To assess the grading value of presepsin in patients with acute cholangitis. METHODS This clinical study was conducted at the Beijing Friendship Hospital, a 2000-bed teaching hospital with approximately 200000 emergency admissions per year. In this prospective observational study, 336 patients with acute cholangitis meeting the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 diagnostic criteria in the emergency department from May 2019 to December 2020 were analyzed. WBC count, CRP, procalcitonin (PCT), presepsin, T-Bil, and blood culture results were collected. The values were compared using the Pearson χ2 test, Fisher’s exact test, or Mann-Whitney U test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the value was examined using the Delong test. The correlations among the key research indicators were determined using Pearson correlation. RESULTS In total, 336 patients were examined, which included 107, 106, and 123 patients classified as having mild, moderate, and severe cholangitis, respectively. WBC count, CRP, PCT, presepsin, T-Bil, direct bilirubin, and sequential organ failure assessment scores of moderate and severe cholangitis patients were higher than those of mild cholangitis patients (P = 0.000). The AUC of presepsin in predicting moderate acute cholangitis was 0.728, which was higher than that of CRP (0.631, P = 0.043) and PCT (0.585, P = 0.002), and same as that of WBC count (0.746, P = 0.713) and T-Bil (0.686, P = 0.361). The AUC of presepsin in predicting severe acute cholangitis was 0.715, which was higher than that of WBC count (0.571, P = 0.008), CRP (0.590, P = 0.009), PCT (0.618, P = 0.024), and T-Bil (0.559, P = 0.006). The presepsin levels in the positive blood culture group were higher (2830.8pg/mLvs1987.8pg/mL, P = 0.000), and the AUC of presepsin (0.688) proved that it was a good biomarker for predicting positive bacterial culture. CONCLUSION Presepsin can predict positive blood culture in patients with acute cholangitis. It is superior to WBC count, CRP, PCT, and T-Bil for the risk stratification of acute cholangitis.

Background: Presepsin is currently a promising biomarker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of acute bacterial infection. Acute cholangitis is caused by bacterial infection and has high morbidity and mortality. The study engaged to assess the grading and prognostic value of presepsin in patients with acute cholangitis. Methods: This study enrolled patients with acute cholangitis in the emergency department from May 1, 2019 to December 20, 2020. The patients were evaluated for severity by the 2018 Tokyo Guidelines for Acute Cholangitis. Patients’ baseline features and routine clinical data were collected. On admission, presepsin, procalcitonin (PCT) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores were determined; and blood cultures were performed. IBM SPSS software (version 22.0) was used. The comparation of values was performed by Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact test or Mann-Whitney U test. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), multivariate logistic regression, and correlation analysis were used to analyze this importance of determining the presepsin levels on admission for acute cholangitis. Results: In total, 330 patients, including 109, 101, and 120 patients classified as having mild, moderate, and severe cholangitis, respectively, were examined. The AUCs of presepsin were 0.713 in predicting severe acute cholangitis, better than those of white blood cell (WBC 0.411), C-reactive protein (CRP 0.615), PCT 0.608, and total bilirubin (T-Bil 0.441) (PP=0.000). The P values for correlations of presepsin with SIRS and SOFA scores were 0.002 and 0.000, respectively. Conclusions: Presepsin levels on admission were correlated with SIRS and SOFA scores. Presepsin may predict positive blood culture and 28-day mortality in patients with acute cholangitis, and it is superior to WBC, CRP, PCT, and T-Bil in the risk stratification and prognostic assessment of severe cholangitis. Trial registration: Ethical code of this study is 2018-P2-063-01 and acquired on May, 22, 2018.

Dynamic multi-objective optimization problems (DMOPs) not only involve multiple conflicting objectives, but these objectives may also vary with time, raising a challenge for researchers to solve them. This paper presents a cooperative co-evolutionary strategy based on environment sensitivities for solving DMOPs. In this strategy, a new method that groups decision variables is first proposed, in which all the decision variables are partitioned into two subcomponents according to their interrelation with environment. Adopting two populations to cooperatively optimize the two subcomponents, two prediction methods, i.e., differential prediction and Cauchy mutation, are then employed respectively to speed up their responses on the change of the environment. Furthermore, two improved dynamic multi-objective optimization algorithms, i.e., DNSGAII-CO and DMOPSO-CO, are proposed by incorporating the above strategy into NSGA-II and multi-objective particle swarm optimization, respectively. The proposed algorithms are compared with three state-of-the-art algorithms by applying to seven benchmark DMOPs. Experimental results reveal that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform the compared algorithms in terms of convergence and distribution on most DMOPs.

Nonaqueous organic electrolyte was utilized to etch GaN via photo-electrochemical etching technique. From the point of electrochemical window, the organic electrolyte has wider electrochemical window than conventional aqueous etchants. SEM images show that the pore density is up to 1.2 × 107 per square centimeter. The difference of XPS spectra about survey, Ga 3d and N 1s between the non-etched and freshly etched GaN surface can be explained the formation of Ga(BF4)3. The proposed dissolution mechanism can be broadly applied for explaining the etching process of nonaqueous etchants under the assist of electric field and strong light.

Parallel worlds are imaginative ideas in quantum mechanics and cosmology. The superpositions of parallel worlds are novel states of quantum gravity and have no classical correspondences generally. In this letter, we investigate the superposition or the Schr��dinger's cat state of optical parallel worlds, which could be realized in laboratory and may shed some light on the detection of parallel universes in a real world. We propose two realizable experimental schemes, which enable to explore the mysterious `parallel universes' by a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The first one is based on an atomic ensemble in a superposition state, which is a fat Schr��dinger's cat state. The second one is to prepare a photon in a superposition of different paths, where each path lies in an optical parallel universe., 5 gages, 5 figure, typos corrected, references added, comments welcome!

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) is a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensor that functions in the innate immune system. Upon binding dsDNA in the cytoplasm, cGAS and dsDNA form phase-separated aggregates in which cGAS catalyzes synthesis of 2’3’-cyclic GMP-AMP that subsequently triggers a STING-dependent, type I IFN response. Here, we showed that cytoplasmic RNAs, especially tRNAs, regulate cGAS activity. We discovered that RNAs did not activate cGAS but rather promoted phase separation in vitro. In cells, cGAS colocalized with RNAs and formed phase-separated granules even in the absence of cytoplasmic dsDNA. An Opti-prep gradient analysis of cell lysates showed that the endogenous cGAS was associated with cytoplasmic RNAs in an aggregative form. Further in vitro assays showed that RNAs compete for binding of cGAS with dsDNA and inhibit cGAS activity when the dsDNA concentration is high and promote the formation of phase separations and enhance cGAS activity when the dsDNA concentration is low. Thus, cytoplasmic RNAs regulate cGAS activity by interfering with formation of cGAS-containing aggregates.

The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan and other cities of China is a growing global concern. Delay in diagnosis and limited hospital resources lead to a rapid spread of COVID-19. In this study, we investigate the effect of delay in diagnosis on the disease transmission with a new formulated dynamic model. Sensitivity analyses and numerical simulations reveal that, improving the proportion of timely diagnosis and shortening the waiting time for diagnosis can not eliminate COVID-19 but can effectively decrease the basic reproduction number, significantly reduce the transmission risk, and effectively prevent the endemic of COVID-19, e.g., shorten the peak time and reduce the peak value of new confirmed cases and new infection, decrease the cumulative number of confirmed cases and total infection. More rigorous prevention measures and better treatment of patients are needed to control its further spread, e.g., increasing available hospital beds, shortening the period from symptom onset to isolation of patients, quarantining and isolating the suspected cases as well as all confirmed patients.

The theory-guided neural network (TgNN) is a kind of method which improves the effectiveness and efficiency of neural network architectures by incorporating scientific knowledge or physical information. Despite its great success, the theory-guided (deep) neural network possesses certain limits when maintaining a tradeoff between training data and domain knowledge during the training process. In this paper, the Lagrangian dual-based TgNN (TgNN-LD) is proposed to improve the effectiveness of TgNN. We convert the original loss function into a constrained form with fewer items, in which partial differential equations (PDEs), engineering controls (ECs), and expert knowledge (EK) are regarded as constraints, with one Lagrangian variable per constraint. These Lagrangian variables are incorporated to achieve an equitable tradeoff between observation data and corresponding constraints, in order to improve prediction accuracy, and conserve time and computational resources adjusted by an ad-hoc procedure. To investigate the performance of the proposed method, the original TgNN model with a set of optimized weight values adjusted by ad-hoc procedures is compared on a subsurface flow problem, with their L2 error, R square (R2), and computational time being analyzed. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the Lagrangian dual-based TgNN., Comment: 12 pages, 10 figures

Porous gallium nitride (GaN) luminescent materials were fabricated by photoelectrochemical etching using three different 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium ([EMIM])-based ionic liquids as the etchants. The as-etched porous GaN presents honeycomb shape, deep gully with some holes in the surroundings, and overlapping hole structure, which are significantly different from the planar GaN. Moreover, photoluminescence (PL) spectra indicates that the porous GaN has more excellent PL performance than the planar GaN. In general, reducing the etching time to 1 min, the PL intensity of porous GaN etched by [EMIM][OTF] is 9.27 times than that of the planar one. These results suggest that porous GaN etched by ionic liquid can be an outstanding substrate in the field of the luminescent material.

Bismuth-modified gallium nitride (Bi/GaN) electrode was fabricated using an in situ plating technique and simultaneously investigated for the detection of Cd2 + by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). Under the optimized conditions, the Bi/GaN electrode showed good linear amperometric responses for Cd2 + in the concentration range from 1 to 150 μg/L. The sensitivity was 0.54418 μA L μg− 1 (i.e., 59.8598 A M− 1) and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.3 μg/L (i.e., 2.72 nM). Furthermore, the as-prepared Bi/GaN sensor has high repeatability, and retains 95% of its initial stripping peak current after 50 cycles. More importantly, the applicability of the sensor in real samples such as tap water, milk, and fetal bovine serum was researched. The recovery ranges from 92.3 to 106.7%, indicating that the as-fabricated Bi/GaN sensor has potential to monitor Cd2 + in practical environments.

Three-dimensional (3D) metal-semiconductor nanostructures as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates were designed by in situ electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) or in situ photodeposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on gallium nitride (GaN) nanoflowers (NFs) supports fabricated by metal-assisted photochemical etching of single crystalline GaN. 3D AuNPs/GaN NFs and AgNPs/GaN NFs substrates exhibit excellent enhancement effect for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) due to more “hot spots” in the same probing volume compared to 2D GaN based substrates. The enhancement factors of the AuNPs/GaN NFs and AgNPs/GaN NFs substrates are up to 2.1 × 10 7 and 5.9 × 10 7 , respectively, and the corresponding detection limits of R6G are 10 −8 and 10 −10 M, respectively. Moreover, further study reveals both substrates have good reproducibility and long-term stability. The performance of the prepared substrates for biological application was demonstrated by the detection of bovine serum albumin (BSA). A series of characteristic bands of amides suggest BSA can be well adsorbed on the surface of the AuNPs/GaN NFs and AgNPs/GaN NFs substrates, which demonstrates our substrates have good biocompatibility and are promising candidates for SERS biosensors.

In this study, we report for the preparation of nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) free-standing films on ionic liquid (IL) surface by a physical vapor deposition method. Different from on the solid substrate, the as-obtained film is α phase and with a 2D network structure. In addition, the good transferability of the film make it can be easily transferred onto any substrate for further device applications. The device based on these films shows good photoelectrical property, high stability and high photosensitivity.

Gallium nitride (GaN) nanowires (NWs) were fabricated by metal-assisted photochemical etching (MaPEtch). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as metal catalyst were electrodeposited on the GaN substrate. SEM and HRTEM images show the surface of GaN NWs is smooth and clean without any impurity. SAED and FFT patterns demonstrate GaN NWs have single crystal structure, and the crystallographic orientation of GaN NWs is (0002) face. On the basis of the assumption of localized galvanic cells, combined with the energy levels and electrochemical potentials of reactants in this etching system, the generation, transfer and consumption of electron-hole pairs reveal the whole MaPEtch reaction process. Such easily fabricated GaN NWs have great potential for the assembly of GaN-based single-nanowire nanodevices.

The structural relaxation times of metallic glasses (MGs) are generally believed to decrease with increasing flow rate, also known as shear thinning. In this work, an extraordinary loading rate-independent creep relaxation time, in contrast to the decreasing Maxwell relaxation time with increasing loading rate, is observed for a La-based MG with pronounced Johari–Goldstein relaxation under nanoindentation. The Johari–Goldstein relaxation in the flow of MGs is suggested to be a form of local Newtonian flow and may be not crucial in shear thinning, whereas the main α relaxation is proposed to predominate in the shear thinning of MGs, based on the disparity between the creep relaxation time and the Maxwell relaxation time. These results improve the current understandings on the structural relaxation and its role in the shear thinning and plastic deformation of MGs.

Bismuth nanodendrites (BiNDs) were electrodeposited on planar gallium nitride (GaN) electrode via a differential pulse voltammetric technique to fabricate the non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor. SEM images revealed that the as-obtained BiNDs had numerous dendrite sub-branches, whose diameters ranged from 136 to 152 nm. The BiNDs/GaN electrode showed linear amperometric responses for H2O2 in the concentration range from 10 µM to 1 mM with the sensitivity of 60.0 μA mM−1 cm−2. Another linear range was from 1 to 10 mM with the sensitivity of 23.3 μA mM−1 cm−2. The limit of detection (LOD) was 5 µM with the signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The applicability of the sensor was investigated to the H2O2 detection in real samples such as fetal bovine serum and milk, and the sensor exhibited excellent anti-interference capacity. The achieved results indicate that the as-prepared BiNDs/GaN sensor with good reproducibility and long-term stability was promising for detecting H2O2 in practical environments.

Gallium nitride (GaN) surface was etched by 0.3 M ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid disodium (EDTA-2Na) via photoelectrochemical etching technique. SEM images reveal the etched GaN surface becomes rough and irregular. The pore density is up to 1.9 × 10 9 per square centimeter after simple acid post-treatment. The difference of XPS spectra of Ga 3d, N 1s and O 1s between the non-etched and freshly etched GaN surfaces can be attributed to the formation of Ga–EDTA complex at the etching interface between GaN and EDTA-2Na. The proposed complexation dissolution mechanism can be broadly applicable to almost all neutral etchants under the prerequisite of strong light and electric field. From the point of view of environment, safety and energy, EDTA-2Na has obvious advantages over conventionally corrosive etchants. Moreover, as the further and deeper study of such nearly neutral etchants, GaN etching technology has better application prospect in photoelectric micro-device fabrication.

Here we report the electrodeposition of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) onto porous GaN electrode obtained by photoelectrochemical etching planar GaN to fabricate a non-enzymatic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) sensor. SEM images revealed porous GaN has uniformly high-porosity structure and the diameter of AuNPs is 5–16 nm. The AuNPs/porous GaN electrode exhibited good electrocatalytic activity toward the reduction of H2O2 and performed as amperometric sensor for the detection of H2O2. The AuNPs/porous GaN electrode showed linear amperometric responses for H2O2 in the concentration range from 10 to 100 μM with the sensitivity of 281.5 μA mM−1. The limit of detection (LOD) is 2 μM with a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. In addition, the AuNPs/porous GaN electrode exhibited good repeatability, reproducibility, selectivity and long-term stability for H2O2 detection, in the meanwhile, AuNPs showed excellent adhesive capacity to the porous GaN electrode, which was tested by continually sonicating the AuNPs/porous GaN electrode for 3 h. Above results demonstrated this simply prepared H2O2 sensor has good practicability and is promising to measure the analyte in practical applications.

Here we report an environment-friendly approach to fabricate porous GaN photoelectrode using ionic liquid as the etchant. SEM images revealed photo-assisted electrochemical etching (PECE) has better etching effect than electrochemical etching (ECE). Furthermore, Raman spectra demonstrated porous GaN obtained by PECE has better lattice integrity than that obtained by ECE. The photocurrent of porous GaN prepared by PECE is six times and two times of planar and porous GaN fabricated by ECE, respectively. Above results indicated porous GaN obtained by PECE can be a promising photoelectrode for optoelectronic applications.

This paper is devoted to exploring a diffusive predator-prey system with prey refuge and predator cannibalism. We investigate dynamics of this system, including dissipation and persistence, local and global stability of constant steady states, Turing instability, and nonexistence and existence of nonconstant steady state solutions. The influence of prey refuge and predator cannibalism on predator and prey biomass density is also considered by using a systematic sensitivity analysis. Our studies suggest that appropriate predator cannibalism has a positive effect on predator biomass density, and then high predator cannibalism may stabilize the predator-prey ecosystem and prevent the paradox of enrichment.

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) with cardiac arrest (CA) is associated with a high mortality rate. Even upon return of the spontaneous circulation (ROSC), APE-CA survivors are prone to myocardial cell apoptosis, a key cellular mechanism that induces heart failure. A recent study by our group discovered a post-resuscitation imbalance in the serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2/ACE axis of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), as well as regressive cardiac function in a porcine model of APE-CA. However, it has remained elusive how this imbalance in the ACE2/ACE axis affects myocardial cell apoptosis. In the present study, western blot and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that the RAS was only activated in the left myocardium, as evidenced by a decreased ACE2/ACE ratio following APE-CA and ROSC, but not the right myocardium. Ultrastructural analysis confirmed myocardial apoptosis in the left and right myocardium. Furthermore, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein (Bax) and caspase-3 levels were elevated and Bcl-2 levels were decreased in the left myocardium following APE-CA and ROSC. Treatment with the ACE inhibitor captopril for 30 min after initiation of ROSC prevented the increase in Bax and the decrease in Bcl-2 in the left myocardium compared with that in saline-treated pigs. Captopril also inhibited the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2 in the left myocardium. The results of the present study suggest that an imbalance in the ACE2/ACE axis has an important role in myocardial apoptosis following APE-CA, which may be attributed to decreased ERK1/2 activation. In addition, it was indicated that captopril prevents apoptosis in the left myocardium after ROSC.

We demonstrated a simple method for the fabrication of gold nanoparticles/porous GaN composite by using photo-assisted electrochemical etching and electrochemical deposition methods based on planar GaN film for photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed porous GaN has uniformly high-porosity structure and the diameter of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) is 4–20 nm. Moreover, the pore diameter of porous GaN can be easily adjusted by changing etching time. Uniformly small AuNPs can be obtained by optimized deposition cycles of cyclic voltammetry (CV). The photocatalysis activity under simulated sunlight irradiation was enhanced via electrodepositing AuNPs onto porous GaN substrate. Above results indicated such porous GaN could be an excellent candidate to study the photocatalytic performance of porous wide band-gap semiconductor-based composite materials.

By virtue of instability analysis, an index of shear banding susceptibility of metallic glasses (MGs): the critical strain localization factor to initiate an embryonic shear band: χ = γ b / γ m ( γ b shear strain in the embryonic shear band and γ m in the matrix) is derived in analogue to the emergence of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) in crystals. Physical properties, like Poisson ratio υ , Young's modulus E and the surface energy density ζ , are explicitly incorporated into the formulae of χ with which the origin of the plasticity of MGs are unraveled.

Heterogeneous dynamics in the flow of supercooled metallic liquids are revealed as the oscillated mechanical response in compression and evidenced to be consistent with the range of medium length scales over which structural rearrangements occur detected by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in heating from room temperature to the supercooled liquid region. This range of medium length scales is suggested to be the structural origin of the heterogeneous dynamics of metallic glasses. (C) 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A heterojunction of ZnO/porous GaN (ZnO/PGAN) was fabricated and directly applied to a diode-type humidity sensor. ZnO disks were loaded onto PGAN using a spraying process. The structure and surface morphology of the ZnO/PGAN were characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The heterojunction displayed an excellent diode nature, which was investigated using photoluminescence spectra and I–V characteristics. The excellent transport capability of ZnO/PGAN contributes to enhanced electron transfer, and hence results in high sensitivity and quick response/recovery properties under different relative humidity (RH) levels. In the range of 12–96% RH, a fast sensing response time as low as 7 s and a recovery time of 13 s can be achieved. The simple design of a ZnO/PGAN based humidity sensor highlights its potential in various applications.

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is frequently reported in patients with cardiac arrest (CA) in emergency care. Pneumocyte apoptosis is commonly observed in the lungs following an APE. An important pathological mechanism evoking apoptosis during a lipopolysaccharide‑induced acute lung injury is the angiotensin‑converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/ACE imbalance. The present study uses a porcine model to examine the anti‑apoptotic effects of captopril on APE‑CA and the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Pigs were randomly assigned into four groups: Control, APE‑CA, ROSC‑saline, and ROSC‑captopril. Surviving pigs were euthanized at 6 h and lungs were isolated for analysis using several biochemical assays. Compared with the control group, the ACE2/ACE ratio was lower in the APE‑CA and ROSC pigs. In addition, APE‑CA pigs had higher Bcl‑2‑associated X protein (Bax) and cleaved caspase‑3 levels, and lower B‑cell lymphoma‑2 (Bcl‑2) level compared to control pigs. Captopril treatment reduced lung apoptosis, as demonstrated by lower TUNEL‑positive cells, higher Bcl‑2, and lower cleaved caspase‑3 protein levels in the lung. Notably, the ACE2/ACE ratio was positively correlated with Bcl‑2 protein levels and Bcl‑2/Bax ratio. In conclusion, captopril has a protective effect against lung apoptosis following ROSC and that maintaining the balance of the ACE2/ACE axis is important for inhibiting pulmonary apoptosis during APE.

This study aims to discuss and analyze Finnish and Chinese primary school teachers’ practices when digital storytelling is the teaching method, aiming for student-generated stories in video format. To meet this end, teachers introduce digital storytelling in their practices and guide and support students into building and sharing digital stories in video format with peers in the classroom and online. In addition, they introduce the use of web-based environments and digital technologies, adapt their teaching plan accordingly, and enrich existing instructional material. As a result, teacher’s practices of organizing and facilitating student work and development change.In order to investigate how teaching practices change, this study draws from Chinese and Finnish teachers’ interviews and observation data and uses inductive analysis and constant comparison for more abstract themes and categories. The findings show that the teachers use formal and informal, natural and technological environments to organize student work and aim for freer learning in digital storytelling activities. Also, different aspects of collaborative work are used to facilitate and, mainly, structure student work and development.

To investigate the allo-NK cell-mediated killing effect enhanced by decitabine on leukemia stem cells(LSC) and the underlying mechanisms.LSC were separated from KG1a cells by using immunomagnetic beads. Allo-NK cells were isolated and purified from PBMC of healthy donors. Cytotoxicity of allo-NK cells against LSC were measured by LDH releasing assay. The apoptosis induced by allo-NK cells in LSC and the expressions of NKG2D ligands including MICA/B and ULBP1-3 on LSC were detected by flow cytometry.The killing rate of allo-NK cells to LSC treated with 10 µmol/L decitabine for 24 hours was significant higher than that to LSC without treatment(60.52%±3.52% vs 22.08%±2.07%, 73.93%±2.33% vs 28. 99%±3.13%, 83.08%±1.32% vs 36.44%±2.40%, respectively)at the effector-target ratios of 5:1, 10:1, 20:1 (P0.05). At the effector-target ratio of 10:1, decitabine significantly enhanced the apoptosis of LSC induced by allo-NK cells (7.84%±0.34% vs 3.33%±0.64%)(P0.05). The expressions of NKG2D ligands(MICA/B,ULBP1,ULBP2,ULBP3) on LSC treated with decitabine 10 µmol/L for 24 hours were significantly increased (P0.05).Decitabine may enhance the allo-NK cell-mediated killing effects on LSC by up-regulation of the expressions of NKG2D ligands on LSC.

This study determined the level of phytonutrients in mungbean and soybean sprouts compared to mature mungbean grain and vegetable soybean. The comparison included landraces and improved mungbean and soybean varieties to assess the effect of breeding on the phytonutrient content of both crops. Sprouting mungbean enhanced vitamin C content 2.7-fold compared to mature mungbean grain. Relatively old mungbean accessions were superior in protein, calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), carotenoid and vitamin C content compared to improved mungbean lines at the fully mature stage. With regard to nutritional value, the vegetable soybean stage was superior to soybean sprouts in terms of content of protein (14% increase), Zn (45%), Ca (72%), and Fe (151%). Isoflavones, reported to have beneficial effects on human health, are found at high concentrations in soybean sprouts and could easily provide the recommended anticarcinogenic dose range from 1.5 to 2.0mg/kg of body weight per day.

We propose a new holographic dual of conformal field theory defined on a manifold with boundaries, i.e. BCFT. Our proposal can apply to general boundaries and agrees with arXiv:1105.5165 for the special case of a disk and half plane. Using the new proposal of AdS/BCFT, we successfully obtain the expected boundary Weyl anomaly and the obtained boundary central charges satisfy naturally a c-like theorem holographically. We also investigate the holographic entanglement entropy of BCFT and find that the minimal surface must be normal to the bulk spacetime boundaries when they intersect. Interestingly,the entanglement entropy depends on the boundary conditions of BCFT and the distance to the boundary. The entanglement wedge has an interesting phase transition which is important for the self-consistency of AdS/BCFT., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, improve Introduction slightly, references added

Tungsten oxide thin films were electrochemically deposited onto gallium nitride for the first time and directly used for the fabrication of acetone sensor. This sensor could operate at room temperature and had high sensitivity, fast response, and long-term stability. Moreover, the detection limit of the sensor could reach 0.1 ppm, implying its potential application in non-invasive detection of diabetes.

The difficulty of the signal processing is not the acquisition of the signals, but how to get the reasonble interpretations from the signals. Since the 1960s, Wavelet Transform, Fast Fourier method and other theoryies have done some works by some innovative processing methods to achieve a breakthrough. But for their limitions, these methods can not achieve a complete separation if the there are two or more signals in one time domain or frequency domain. In this article, a new engineering signal processing method-pattern filter method has is introduced, by which the signal extraction, sepration and noise reduction can be achieved successfully. Experiments show that this method can not only make a reasonable separation of the various vibration signals, but also give the typical signal extractions and model building ways.

The cycle of each vibration component of a mixed signal is a very important parameter for reciprocating mechanical vibration signal processing. The cycle determination also has an important influence to obtain the typical characteristics of every sub-signal, to achieve the fault detection and diagnosis of the equipment. But signals acquired at the scene tend to a mixture of a variety of vibration components that have their own periodic characteristics. This paper mainly proposes a method based on the conception of the basic operation unit(BOU) for mechanical vibration signal processing, and the principles and processes of this method are described in detail. Simulation method is introduced in order to explain this principles. Furthermore, A Delphi programming is developed to realize this simulation implementation, and simulation results are demonstrated to fully verify its correctness. Finally, a method to quickly determine the various vibration component cycles is put forward.

Here we demonstrate porous GaN electrode can be applied for trace Ag(I) detection. Compared to traditional planar electrodes, porous GaN electrode can detect lower concentration of Ag(I) as it possesses more deposition sites (crystal defects) and larger surface area. Under the optimum conditions, porous GaN electrode shows a linear voltammetric response in the Ag(I) concentration range from 1 to 100 ppb with the detection limit of 0.5 ppb. Such an unmodified, high-porosity and chemically stable electrode is promising to operate in real samples.

Background Bruchid beetles are an important storage pest of grain legumes. Callosobruchus sp. infect mungbean (Vigna radiata) at low levels in the field, multiply during grain storage and can destroy seed stocks in a few months. Resistance against bruchid beetles has been found in wild mungbean V. radiata var. sublobata TC1966 and in cultivated mungbean line V2802. Results Bruchid resistance data were obtained from recombinant inbred line populations TC1966 (V. radiata var. sublobata) × NM92 (F12) and V2802 (V. radiata) × NM94 (F7). More than 6,000 single nucleotide polymorphic markers were generated through genotyping by sequencing (GBS) for each of these populations and were used to map bruchid resistance genes. One highly significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) associated with bruchid resistance was mapped to chromosome 5 on genetic maps of both populations, suggesting that TC1966 and V2802 contain the same resistance locus. Co-segregation of all markers associated with resistance indicated the presence of only one major resistance QTL on chromosome 5, while QTL analysis based on physical map positions of the markers suggested the presence of multiple QTLs on different chromosomes. The diagnostic capacity of the identified molecular markers located in the QTL to correctly predict resistance was up to 100 %. Conclusions Molecular markers tightly linked to bruchid resistance loci of two different mungbean resistance sources were developed and validated. These markers are highly useful for developing resistant lines. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12870-016-0847-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.