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Accurately estimating uncertain body disturbances is critical for the effective integration of wearable exoskeletons for active human users. In this article, considering nonlinear time-varying human disturbances, we propose a TDE-BVC feedback control method that performs biomimetic viscoelastic compliance (BVC) with transformer-based deformation estimator (TDE). The method provides human-exoskeleton with stable and dynamic walking capabilities. We developed a transformer-based end-to-end deformation estimation sequence network that simultaneously captures the mapping relationship between foot force/torque and exoskeleton deformation. Moreover, we integrated the BVC to eliminate the impact and external disturbances experienced by the human-exoskeleton, enabling it to closely follow a reference gait, and utilized Lyapunov’s theorem to prove its stability. The control strategy is independent of the parameters of the human exoskeleton. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, walking experiments were conducted on different subjects. Our results indicate that with only 6-axis force/torque sensors, the TDE-BVC controller could accurately estimate and compensate for the deformation of different human-exoskeletons in each control cycle $(p\lt 0.001)$ , with robustly stable and adaptive dynamic walking within a bounded control error.

This article describes a dual-loop control framework of self-balancing lower-limb exoskeletons (SBLLEs) to estimate deformations and to stabilize SBLLEs for assisted walking tasks conducted on wearers with diverse physical parameters. First, considering the nonlinear time-varying characteristic of deformation and the time dependency and periodic nature of walking motion, a bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) neural network is utilized to estimate multiple deformations. In particular, the force sensor and Bi-LSTM-based deformation estimator (FBDE) loop are used to estimate and compensate for the deformation based on the force and moment signals. Second, a physical parameter-independent controller (PPIC) based on centroidal dynamics is proposed to stabilize exoskeletons that can accommodate wearers with varying physical parameters. The PPIC loop is also based on force and moment signals, indicating that only 6-D force sensors are necessary to estimate deformation and stabilize SBLLEs. Finally, a series of experiments is conducted on three subjects with varying physical parameters to validate the effectiveness of the dual-loop control framework. The results of walking experiments show that the dual-loop control framework can estimate deformation and stabilize the SBLLE during walking under different loads.

Current remote-sensing interpretation models often focus on a single task, such as detection, segmentation, or caption. However, the task-specific designed models are unattainable to achieve the comprehensive multilevel interpretation of images. The field also lacks support for multitask joint interpretation datasets. In this article, we propose panoptic perception: a novel task and a new fine-grained panoptic perception (FineGrip) dataset to achieve a more thorough and universal interpretation for remote sensing images (RSIs). The new task: 1) integrates pixel-level, instance-level, and image-level information for universal image perception; 2) captures image information from coarse-to-fine granularity, achieving deeper scene understanding and description; and 3) enables various independent tasks to complement and enhance each other through multitask learning. By emphasizing multitask interactions and the consistency of perception results, this task enables the simultaneous processing of fine-grained foreground instance segmentation, background semantic segmentation, and global fine-grained image captioning. Concretely, the FineGrip dataset includes 2649 RSIs, 12054 fine-grained instance segmentation masks belonging to 20 foreground things categories, and 7599 background semantic masks for five stuff classes. Furthermore, we propose a joint optimization-based panoptic perception model. Experimental results on FineGrip demonstrate the feasibility of the panoptic perception task and the beneficial effect of multitask joint optimization on individual tasks. The project page is at: https://ybio.github.io/FineGrip.

Battery fault diagnosis has great significance for guaranteeing the safety and reliability of lithium-ion battery (LIB) systems. Out of many possible failure modes of the series–parallel connected LIB pack, cell open circuit (COC) fault is a significant part of the causes that lead to the strong inconsistency in the pack and the reduction of pack life. Therefore, it is extremely important to diagnose COC faults in real time. Motivated by this fact, we propose Kirchhoff's law based method, short-time Fourier transform based method, the Pearson correlation coefficient based method, dual extended Kalman filter (DEKF) based method, and long short-term memory recurrent neural network based method for diagnosing COC fault. These diagnostic approaches do not rely on other sensor data except pack current and terminal voltages of modules composed of cells in parallel. Furthermore, several experiments on a 4S-3P battery pack are taken under time-varying ambient temperature conditions to evaluate and compare the computation cost, diagnostic delay, and accuracy of these approaches. Test results show that only the DEKF-based approach owns the weakest robustness, and Kirchhoff's law based method with the merit of the lowest diagnostic delay and computation cost is the most appropriate approach for online COC fault diagnosis.

Since significant intraclass differences and inconspicuous interclass variations, fine-grained aircraft detection in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images is challenging. Also, the inherent lack of detailed features and severe noise interference in SAR images make it difficult to learn class-specific feature representations. Current detection approaches focus more on localization accuracy and ignore classification performance, which is more critical in fine-grained detection. To address the above challenges, we present GICNet: global instance contrast (GIC) for fine-grained SAR aircraft detection a global instance-level contrast module is proposed to improve interclass divergences and intraclass compactness. With a specially constructed global instance set, GICNet can contrast a large number of different aircraft targets while keeping a small batch size. Furthermore, we design a novel quality-aware focal loss (QAFL) to facilitate the accurate classification of well-localized aircraft targets. Meanwhile, to maintain localization performance, we develop a new edge-aware bounding-box refinement (EABR) module to refine predicted coarse bounding boxes. Experimental results show that our GICNet outperforms current advanced detectors and achieves a new state-of-the-art performance on the GaoFen-3 SAR aircraft detection dataset. In particular, GICNet also has advantages in reducing misclassification and recognizing well-located targets.

Study Design: Retrospective study.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess long-term radiographic and clinical outcomes in Lenke 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients after posterior selective fusion.Methods: Lenke 5C AIS patients who underwent posterior selective thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) fusion in our hospital from January 2007 to January 2010 were recruited. Radiographic parameters were measured preoperatively and at the 3-month, 1-year, 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year follow-ups. The SRS-22 (Scoliosis Research Society) questionnaire was used to assess the clinical outcomes.Results: We included 37 patients who underwent posterior selective TL/L fusion surgery in our study, and the mean follow-up time was 11.26 ± 0.85 years. The average preoperative Cobb angles of the thoracic and TL/L curves were 24.0 ± 9.0° and 45.4 ± 6.3°, respectively, which were corrected to 12.2° and 12.4° at the 3-month follow-up postoperatively, with correction losses of 2.2° and 1.5° at the 10-year follow-up. In the sagittal plane, the degree of thoracic kyphosis (TK) gradually increased over the follow-up period. The proximal junctional angle (PJA) also gradually increased from 6.7 ± 4.6 to 13.7 ± 5.6 during the follow-up period. For the clinical outcomes, correction surgery improved the SRS-22 scores in each domain, especially in the self-image domain.Conclusions: Posterior selective TL/L fusion can effectively correct spinal deformities, leading to stable outcomes for 10 years postoperatively. During the follow-up period, the degree of TK presented an increasing trend that remained almost constant after the 1-year follow-up. Moreover, the variation in the PJA was highly significant in the postoperative period, and it showed an increasing trend until the 2-year follow-up.

To reduce the environmental impact of cement production and carbon emissions, the use of supplementary cementitious materials to replace part of the clinker and carbonation curing are two of the most effective strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the cement and concrete industry. This study mainly explores the effects of calcined clay on cement-based materials under different curing conditions (normal curing and carbonation curing), as well as the synergistic effect of calcined clay and carbide slag under different curing conditions. The results demonstrate that: (1) Calcined clays can undergo pozzolanic reactions with hydration products such as Ca(OH)2. Additionally, the acceleration of the carbonation rate by calcined clay is comparable to that of quartz powder, yet the strength during the later stages of carbonation is slightly higher than that of the sample with added quartz, possibly due to the generation of more gel. (2) The addition of quartz helps to enhance the rate of carbonation. However, when cement is replaced by quartz and burnt clay at the same time (the dilution effect is dominant and the diffusion of CO2is fast), it will cause premature carbonation of the samples, resulting in the later carbonation strength being lower than the normal cured strength. (3) The dilution effect caused by the large dosage replacement of calcined clay and calcium carbide slag leads to a reduction in strength. However, the higher Ca(OH)2content in carbide slag and its synergistic effect with calcined clay can mitigate some of the negative effects of dilution.

The excellent properties of metallic glass (MG) films make them perfect candidates for the use in miniature systems and tools. However, their high coefficients of friction (COFs) and poor wear resistance considerably limit their long-term performance in nanoscale contact. We report the fabrication of a MG/graphene multilayer by the repeated deposition of Cu50Zr50MG with alternating layers of graphene. The microstructure of the multilayer was characterized by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Its mechanical and nanotribological properties were studied by nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests, respectively. A molecular dynamics (MD) simulation revealed that the addition of graphene endowed the MG with superelastic recovery, which reduced friction during nanoscratching. In comparison with the monolithic MG film, the multilayer exhibited improved wear resistance and a low COF in repeated nanowear tests owing to the enhanced mechanical properties and lubricating effect caused by the graphene layer. This work is expected to motivate the design of other novel MG films with excellent nanowear properties for engineering applications.

The origin of malt is a crucial factor influencing malt flavor. In this study, the volatile compounds of barley malt from four different producing areas were comprehensively characterized by gas chromatography electronic nose (GC-E-Nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). GC-E-Nose analysis revealed significant differences in volatile flavor compounds among malt samples from different origins. GC-MS identified 71 volatile compounds, with aldehydes being the most abundant in all four samples. GC-IMS identified 50 volatile compounds, and obtained the most abundant aldehydes included butyraldehyde, 3-methyl-2-butyraldehyde. etc not detected by GC-MS. The combination of GC-MS data with odor activity value (OAV) analysis identified 24 flavor compounds as key aroma compounds (OAV ≥1). Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model combined with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to screen out seven volatile markers: 1-penten-3-ol, decanal, ethyl butyrate, ethyl acetate, ethyl isovalerate, isoamyl acetate, and dimethyl sulfide. The integration of these techniques provided a better characterization of flavor compounds and their differences in malt from different origins. The results provided theoretical guidance for the factory to improve malt flavor quality.

The utilization of mixed cultures of Saccharomycesand non-Saccharomyces cerevisiaestrains to improve the quality and aroma complexity of wines has garnered considerable attention as of late. In this study, three non-S. cerevisiaestrains exhibiting a strong β-glucosidase production capacity were screened from the yeasts preserved in the laboratory. Subsequently, the physiological characteristics of the strains were evaluated through growth curve analysis as well as alcohol and osmotic pressure tolerance experiments. Finally, the non-S. cerevisiaestrain S14 (Torulaspora delbrueckii) was selected and applied to ferment Yuan'an yellow tea beer combined with S. cerevisiaeS189. The results showed that the optimal fermentation performance was achieved when S14 was inoculated first, followed by the addition of S189 after 12 h of fermentation, with an S14:S189 ratio of 10:1. Mixed fermentation resulted in a significant increase in the concentration of volatile flavor compounds in beer, particularly terpenes, alcohols, esters, and acids, which exhibited levels of 520.98 μg/L, 5534.28 μg/L, and 1631.80 μg/L, respectively; these values were 299.25%, 32.45%, and 56.57% higher compared to purebred fermentation. Furthermore, mixed fermentation demonstrated an improvement in the antioxidant activity of beer, as evidenced by the increase in the comprehensive evaluation score (CES) from 1.86 to 2.89. Overall, these findings indicated the notable advantage of non-S. cerevisiaestrain S14 in fermenting Yuan'an yellow tea beer.

ABSTRACTPapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with diverse prognoses. Ferroptosis is a new type of cell death dependent on iron. Nevertheless, the predictive ability of ferroptosis-related genes for PTC is unclear. Based on the mRNA expression information from The Cancer Genome Atlas, we compared tumor and normal tissues in terms of the gene expression, for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, the risk score of a 5-gene signature was calculated and a prognostic model was established to test the predictive value of this gene signature by virtue of the LASSO Cox regression. The 5 genes were validated in PTC tissues by RT-qPCR.At last, functional analysis was implemented to investigate the underlying mechanisms. We found a total of 45 ferroptosis-related genes expressed differentially between tumor and normal tissues. 6 DEGs exhibited a significant relevance to the overall survival (OS) (P< 0.05). We classified patients into group with high risk and group with low risk based on the median risk score of a 5-gene signature. Patients in the group with low risk presented a remarkably higher OS relative to the group with high risk (P< 0.01). The Cox regression analysis displayed the independent predictive ability of the risk score. The receiver operating characteristic analysis helped to validate the predictive power owned by the gene signature. After validation, the 5 genes were abnormally expressed between PTC and normal tissues. Functional analysis showed two groups had different immune status. A new ferroptosis-related gene signature can predict the outcomes of PTC patients.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) represents a highly aggressive and heterogeneous malignancy. Currently, effective therapies for TNBC are very limited and remain a significant unmet clinical need. Targeting the transcription-regulating cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) has emerged as a promising avenue for therapeutic treatment of TNBC. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, optimization, and evaluation of a new series of aminopyrazolotriazine compounds as orally bioavailable, potent, and CDK9/2 selectivity-improved inhibitors, enabling efficacious inhibition of TNBC cell growth, as well as notable antitumor effect in TNBC models. The compound C35demonstrated low-nanomolar potency with substantially improved CDK9/2 selectivity, downregulated the CDK9-downstream targets (e.g., MCL-1), and induced apoptosis in TNBC cell lines. Moreover, with the desired oral bioavailability, oral administration of C35could significantly suppress the tumor progression in two TNBC mouse models. This study demonstrates that target transcriptional regulation is an effective strategy and holds promising potential as a targeted therapy for the treatment of TNBC.

Background: Ectopic ossification is an important cause of disability in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Whether fibroblasts can transdifferentiate into osteoblasts and contribute to ossification remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the role of stem cell transcription factors (POU5F1, SOX2, KLF4, MYC, etc.) of fibroblasts in ectopic ossification in patients with AS. Methods: Primary fibroblasts were isolated from the ligaments of patients with AS or osteoarthritis (OA). In an in vitro study, primary fibroblasts were cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium (ODM) to induce ossification. The level of mineralization was assessed by mineralization assay. The mRNA and protein levels of stem cell transcription factors were measured by real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR) and western blotting. MYC was knocked down by infecting primary fibroblasts with lentivirus. The interactions between stem cell transcription factors and osteogenic genes were analysed by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Recombinant human cytokines were added to the osteogenic model in vitro to evaluate their role in ossification. Results: We found that MYC was elevated significantly in the process of inducing primary fibroblasts to differentiate into osteoblasts. In addition, the level of MYC was remarkably higher in AS ligaments than in OA ligaments. When MYC was knocked down, the expression of the osteogenic genes alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) was decreased, and the level of mineralization was reduced significantly. In addition, the ALP and BMP2 were confirmed to be the direct target genes of MYC. Furthermore, interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which showed high expression in AS ligaments, was found to promote the expression of MYC in fibroblasts in the process of ossification in vitro. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the role of MYC in ectopic ossification. MYC may act as the critical bridge that links inflammation with ossification in AS, thus providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of ectopic ossification in AS.

Objective: To examine and quantify liver and kidney lesions and their response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy in a TNF-Tg mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Female TNF-Tg (Tg3647) mice were used as the animal model for chronic RA. Ultrasound, immunofluorescence, histological staining, serology tests, and real-time RT-PCR were used to examine the pathological changes in the liver and kidney. Results: TNF-Tg mice showed a significant decrease in the body weight and a dramatic increase in the volumes of the gallbladder, knee cavity, and popliteal lymph nodes. The liver and kidneys of TNF-Tg mice showed increased chronic inflammation and accumulation of immune cells and fibrosis, compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Moreover, upregulation of inflammatory factors and impaired normal function were observed in the liver and kidneys of TNF-Tg mice. Inflammatory infiltration and fibrosis of the liver and kidneys of female TNF-Tg mice were improved after anti-TNF treatment, and better treatment effects were achieved at 4.5-month-old mice when they were received 8 weeks of intervention. Conclusions: We found that TNF drives the development of liver and kidney pathology in female TNF-Tg mice and that there are limitations to the loss of utility of anti-TNF for the prolonged treatment of RA-associated hepatic and renal injury. This study provides a reliable and clinically relevant animal model for further studies exploring the molecular mechanisms and drug discovery for hepatorenal pathologies in RA.

Structure characterization and comparison of the ultra-heavy oil and its four components are fundamental and crucial. In this work, nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were employed to quantitatively investigate carbon and hydrogen atom distributions. Combined with the gel permeation chromatography, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction results, average molecular structure parameters were determined for four components. Besides, an improved Brown–Ladner method was adopted to identify and adjust corresponding structural parameters, which considered influences of both heteroatoms (O, S, and N), and katacondensed and/or pericondensed system assumption on aromatic structures, compared with conventional methods. Moreover, molecular architectures of four components were, respectively, speculated and reconstructed based on this improved method, and the specific comparison reflected a higher accuracy. From this study, it could provide updated understandings of specific component structural information for the ultra-heavy oil to facilitate subsequent oil reactivity and simulation studies.

Rollers and wheels are widely used in industry and transportation, but there is seldom direct information about contact forces. A smart roller is introduced which provides real‐time pressure measurements from a soft, elastomer‐coated cylinder. The roller is designed for automated fiber placement (AFP) machines, which are widely used in the aerospace industry to manufacture complex composite parts. For optimum process performance, real‐time feedback is highly desirable for detecting flaws during manufacturing. The sensor replaces the elastomer outer layer of a standard roller with 4 by 13 tactile pixels (taxels) of soft capacitive sensors, which provide more than 1 pF of change in capacitance per taxel over a pressure range of 1 MPa. Sensors are made of silicone and mounted on a flexible printed circuit board on which a microcontroller with Bluetooth‐Low‐Energy collects and transmits capacitance data. The sensor dielectric layer is composed of pillars that increase layer compliance and sensitivity while also providing the stiffness of typical industrial rollers. The ability of the roller to measure real‐time local compaction pressure at typical manufacturing speeds enables the monitoring of spatially‐resolved pressure‐time curves, which can be used to predict and control adhesion. An autonomous pressure measurement roller consists of an elastomeric capacitive sensor array adhered to a rigid cylinder. When used to lay down carbon fiber, the adhesion is proportional to the locally applied pressure. This smart roller provides an inexpensive solution for real‐time monitoring of industrial processes.

Two-dimensional electride Ca2N has strong electron transfer ability and low work function, which is a potential candidate for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst. In this work, based on density functional theory calculations, we adopt two strategies to improve the HER catalytic activity of Ca2N monolayer: introducing Ca or N vacancy and doping transition metal atoms (TM, refers to Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Hf, Ta and W). Interestingly, the Gibbs free energy ΔGH∗of Ca2N monolayer after introducing N vacancy is reduced to -0.146 eV, showing good HER catalytic activity. It is highlighted that, the HER catalytic activity of Ca2N monolayer can be further enhanced with TM doping, the Gibbs free energy ΔGH∗of single Mo and double Mn doped Ca2N are predicted to be 0.119 and 0.139 eV, respectively. The present results will provide good theoretical guidance for the HER catalysis applications of two-dimensional electride Ca2N monolayer.

Flexible perovskite solar cells are new energy devices with a promising future due to their numerous advantages, such as high defect tolerance, strong solar absorption and low non-radiative carrier recombination rates. However, their operational stability is still an ongoing challenge during upgrading, and their inferior moisture corrosion resistance is still a major issue for better performances. Thin-film encapsulation could effectively enhance the operational stability of perovskite solar cells but obtaining encapsulation films with excellent barrier performance always come at the expense of poor flexibility. Therefore, the development of novel encapsulation materials with both barrier performance and flexibility is urgent for the compatibility of flexible applications. In this work, "Plasma-Enhanced Molecular Layer Deposition" was used for the first time to prepare a highly cross-linked, densified flexible encapsulation material AlOC at 40 ℃ to break through the traditional technology. The resulting encapsulation material can be applied to flexible perovskite solar cells as a barrier film without any damage. The as-obtained encapsulation film exhibited a water vapor transmittance rate of 1.44 × 10−5g m−2day−1and preserved 95 % of its initial barrier performance after 10,000 bends with a 3 mm bend radius. Such performance was the best among the reported thin-film encapsulation layers of flexible perovskite solar cells.

This paper proposes a method for enhancing the adhesion strength between parylene C and the substrate by depositing a layer of Al2O3film with residual tensile stress on parylene C by atomic layer deposition. Compared with pretreatment using a coupling agent, it improves the adhesion strength by 2.4 times. The parylene C/Al2O3hybrid film maintains a good barrier performance after 10 000 times of bending with a bending radius of 3 mm, with the water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) retained at 3.55 × 10−4 g·m−2·d−1. Encapsulation of flexible organic light-emitting diodes is carried out using this hybrid film without a negative effect on the performance.

The energy level alignment and conductivity of hole transport layers (HTLs) are critical to the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Additive engineering is an effective approach, and we introduced tri(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)phosphine (343FP) as an additive into poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine] (PTAA). Studies have shown that the addition of 343FP can lead to improved charge transport properties in the PTAA and can also enhance charge transport, leading to improved device efficiency of the resulting perovskite solar cell. 343FP reduces the highest occupied molecular orbital energy level of PTAA, improves the conductivity of HTLs, and passivates the interface defects, and the optimized device of 343FP shows a champion efficiency of 20.02%. In addition, due to the hydrophobicity of 343FP, compared with the traditional hygroscopic dopant lithium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl)azide (Li-TFSI)/4-tert-butylphenol (t-BP) bi-doped (Li-doped) PTAA and the undoped PTAA, the device with 343FP-doped PTAA has better environmental stability. After 1000 h of exposure to the environment, the efficiency of 78% of the original value can be maintained. This work will open up a new method for the optimization of high-efficiency and high-stability perovskite photovoltaic hole transport layers.

Multispecies microbial mixed fermentation is crucial for the formation of flavors in soy sauce. The present study applied metagenomic strategies to uncover the metabolic network for flavors formation in the non-Cantonese soy sauce in China. Twenty-nine major flavor compounds were identified by GC-MS and HPLC, representing the typical flavor compounds of the non-Cantonese soy sauce, including 3 organic acids, 8 amino acids, and 18 volatile compounds. Metagenomic sequencing and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed the specific functional microbiome, which constituted seven major flavor compounds associated genera, namely Leuconostoc, Staphylococcus, Tetragenococcus, Weissella, Aspergillus, Wickerhamycesa, and Zygosaccharomyces. Aspergilluswas primarily responsible for the degradation of raw materials in the early fermentation stage, including the degradation of cellulose and lecithin. It also played an irreplaceable role in the formation of 1-octene-3-ol. Weissella, Staphylococcus,and Leuconostocplayed essential metabolic roles in the whole fermentation process, particularly in the metabolism of amino acids and the formation of alcohols. Staphylococcusalso participated in the degradation of nitrite/nitrate. Tetragenococcusbecame the dominant bacteria with the highest relative abundance in the late fermentation stage, which was mainly responsible for the synthesis of acetic acid, lactic acid, and other acids. Additionally, Wickerhamycesaand Zygosaccharomycesalso contributed to the formation of alcohols, acids, and aldehydes during the late fermentation stage. This study provides a deeper understanding of the diverse roles in the flavor formation of microorganisms during the traditional condiment soy sauce fermentation process.

Multi-user orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) network adaptive resource allocation is proposed. Subcarriers are assigned to each user in a way that ensures better spectrum efficiency; everyone is allocated power with quality of service (QoS) guarantees, while users’ minimum rate requirements are met. Optimum transmit power of user is obtained by Lagrange method, validity of the time-share and corresponding hard mapping method are verified by simulation, the proposed algorithm can adapt allocate resource, minimising total transmit power.

The accuracy of aerosol optical depth (AOD) products from polar-orbit satellites such as FengYun-3A (FY3A) is limited, especially over land because it is hard to discriminate the contribution of the observed signal reflected by the surface from the one scattered and absorbed by the aerosols over bright surface. In this paper, an approach by exploiting the synergy of FengYun-3A (FY-3A) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were presented. The derived AOD compared to Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) observation and retrieval absolute error around 0.1 is found, with R2of 0.77. Moreover, a dust episode was presented in Mongolia on late March, 2010.; By using HYbrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) mode as well as the meteorological parameters, we analyzed the advection and dispersion of this event, its transport effect for the episode and its influence. Our data demonstrated that AOD increased up to 2.0 during the burning phase and then returned to normal values (0.2- 0.5), and the aerosol properties various, including both the AOD and aerosol type or source, which has a vertical distribution difference, fully in line with transport process. This method should be wildly used on FY series satellite.

The blocking of gastric mucosal intestinal metaplasia (IM) has been considered to be the pivotal method to control the occurrence of gastric cancer. However, there is still a lack of effective therapeutic agent. Here, we developed mucus-penetrating liposome system by covering surface with polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains (hydrophilic and electroneutral mucus-inert material) to co-delivery candidate drugs combination. Then studied the impact on the transmucus performance of different conformations, which were constructed by controlling the density of PEG chains on the surface. The results showed that the particle size of 5%PEG-Lip was less than 120 nm, the polydispersity index was less than 0.3, and the surface potential tended to be neutral. The D value (long chain spacing) of 5% PEG-Lip was 3.25 nm, which was close to the RFvalue (diameter of spherical PEG long chain group without external force interference) of 3.44 nm, and the L value (extended length) was slightly larger than 3.44 nm. In this case, PEG showed mushroom-brush transitional conformation on the surface of liposomes. This conformation was not only promoted stable delivery, but also shielded the capture of mucus more favorably, leading to a more unrestricted transportation in mucus. The further in vivoexperimental results demonstrated the rapid distribution of liposomes, which gradually appeared both in the superficial and deep glandular of mucosa and gland cells at 1 h and absorbed into the cell cytoplasm at 6 h. The 5% PEG-Lip with the mushroom-brush transitional configuration recalled abnormal organ index and improved inflammation and intestinal metaplasia. The modified PEG conformation assay presented here was more suitable for liposomes. This PEG-modified liposome system has potential of mucus-penetrating and provides a strategy for local treatment of gastric mucosal intestinal metaplasia.

Serotonin is ubiquitous across all forms of life and functions in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In rice, the conversion of tryptamine to serotonin is catalyzed by Sekiguchi lesion(SL). Previous studies have identified an slmutation (a null mutation of SL) in several rice varieties and confirmed its increase of resistance and cell death. However, a systematic understanding of the reprogrammed cellular processes causing cell death and resistance is lacking. We performed a multi-omics analysis to clarify the fundamental mechanisms at the protein, gene transcript, and metabolite levels. We found that cell death and Magnaporthe oryzae(M. oryzae) infection of the sl-MH-1mutant activated plant hormone signal transduction involving salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and abscisic acid (ABA) in multiple regulatory layers. We characterized the dynamic changes of several key hormone levels during disease progression and under the cell death conditions and showed that SA and JA positively regulated rice cell death and disease resistance. SL-overexpressing lines confirmed that the sl-MH-1mutant positively regulated rice resistance to M. oryzae. Our studies shed light on cell death and facilitate further mechanistic dissection of programmed cell death in rice.

ABSTRACTA vaccine against Moraxella catarrhaliswould reduce tremendous morbidity, mortality, and financial burden by preventing otitis media in children and exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adults. Oligopeptide permease A (OppA) is a candidate vaccine antigen that is (i) a nutritional virulence factor expressed on the bacterial cell surface during infection, (ii) widely conserved among strains, (iii) highly immunogenic, and (iv) a protective antigen based on its capacity to induce protective responses in immunized animals. In the present study, we show that the antibodies to OppA following vaccination mediate accelerated clearance in animals after pulmonary challenge. To identify regions of OppA that bind protective antibodies, truncated constructs of OppA were engineered and studied to map regions of OppA with surface-accessible epitopes that bind high-avidity antibodies following vaccination. Protective epitopes were located in the N and C termini of the protein. Immunization of mice with constructs corresponding to these regions (T5 and T8) induced protective responses. Studies of overlapping peptide libraries of constructs T5 and T8 with OppA immune serum identified two discrete regions on each construct. These potentially protective regions were mapped on a three-dimensional computational model of OppA, where regions with solvent-accessible amino acids were identified as three potentially protective epitopes. In all, these studies revealed two regions with three specific epitopes in OppA that induce potentially protective antibody responses following vaccination. Detection of antibodies to these regions could serve to guide vaccine formulation and as a diagnostic tool for monitoring development of protective responses during clinical trials.

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