Search

We present the phylogeny, receptor binding property, growth in mammal cells and pathogenicity in mammal model of H3N8 viruses, which were isolated from wild birds in China. The human receptor preference and efficient replication in mice without prior adaption highlight that the H3N8 virus possesses the public threat potential.

To explore the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) in serum exosomes between gastric cancer (GC) patients and healthy people to provide new targets for GC diagnosis and treatment.DEMs in serum exosomes were screened by microarray analysis and verified by RT-qPCR. The target genes of DEMs were predicted using Targetscan and miRTarBase databases and then overlapped with the DEGs of STAD in TCGA database to obtain the common target genes. Biological function and pathway enrichment were analyzed using enrichr database, and a PPI network was constructed using STRING database. The potential target genes of DEMs were identified using the MCODE and cytoHubba plug-ins of Cytoscape software. Survival analysis were conducted using KMP and TCGA databases. The DEMs -target genes-pathways network was established using Cytoscape software. A Cox proportional hazards regression model formed by optimal target genes was used to access the reliability of this prediction process.Three serum exosomal microRNAs (exo-miRNAs, has-miR-1273 g-3p, has-miR-4793-3p, has-miR-619-5p) were identified to be highly expressed in GC patients and performed excellent diagnostic ability. A total of 179 common target genes related to GC were predicted. They were mainly involved in 79 GO functional annotations and 6 KEGG pathways. The prognostic model formed by eight optimal target genes (TIMELESS, DNA2, MELK, CHAF1B, DBF4, PAICS, CHEK1 and NCAPG2), which were low-risk genes of GC, also performed perfect prognostic ability.Serum exosomal has-miR-1273 g-3p, has-miR-4793-3p and has-miR-619-5p can be used as new diagnostic biomarkers for GC. Among them, serum exosomal hsa-miR-1273 g-3p / hsa-miR-4793-3p targets MELK and hsa-miR-619-5p targets NCAPG2 were identified as novel mechanisms involved in the development of GC. It provides new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of GC by exo-miRNAs.

Genotype imputation has become an indispensable part of genomic data analysis. In recent years, imputation based on a multi-breed reference population has received more attention, but the relevant studies are scarce in pigs. In this study, we used the Illumina PorcineSNP50 Bead Chip to investigate the variations of imputation accuracy with various influencing factors and compared the imputation performance of four commonly used imputation software programs. The results indicated that imputation accuracy increased as either the validation population marker density, reference population sample size, or minor allele frequency (MAF) increased. However, the imputation accuracy would have a certain extent of decrease when the pig reference population was a mixed group of multiple breeds or lines. Considering both imputation accuracy and running time, Beagle 4.1 and FImpute are excellent choices among the four software packages tested. This work visually presents the impacts of these influencing factors on imputation and provides a reference for formulating reasonable imputation strategies in actual pig breeding.

The inhomogeneous magneto-electro-elastic (MEE) coupling element-free Galerkin method (IMC-EFGM) is proposed for solving static behaviors of MEE structures. Plates made of homogeneous or inhomogeneous MEE materials are analyzed by IMC-EFGM, and the mechanical behaviors in different temperature fields are simulated. Displacement, magnetic potential and electric potential are studied using moving least squares (MLS) approximation. For inhomogeneous MEE materials, the constitutive equation in the MEE-thermal environment is first obtained by using Gibbs energy, and then used together with the Hamiltonian principle to determine the system governing equation. Since the MLS approximation does not satisfy the principle of Kronecker delta, the penalty function method is used to impose the natural boundary. The value of material properties at the point of integration is taken into account when calculating inhomogeneous materials. Compared with the analytical solution and finite element method (FEM), IMC-EFGM is straightforward and has greater precision than FEM. Some numerical examples are shown for the static FG-MEE plate with different hole shapes. Homogeneous MEE materials and inhomogeneous MEE materials are mainly used in intelligent structures and have good application perspectives. This research will promote the future use of inhomogeneous MEE materials.

A 3D finite element model was established to investigate the temperature and stress fields during the selective laser melting process of Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy. By considering the powder–solid transformation, temperature- dependent thermal properties, latent heat of phase transformations and molten pool convection, the effects of laser power, point distance and hatch spacing on the temperature distribution, molten pool dimensions and residual stress distribution were investigated. Then, the effects of laser power, point distance and hatch spacing on the microstructure, density and hardness of the alloy were studied by the experimental method. The results show that the molten pool size gradually increases as the laser power increases and the point distance and hatch spacing decrease. The residual stress mainly concentrates in the middle of the first scanning track and the beginning and end of each scanning track. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the model. The density of the samples tends to increase and then decrease with increasing laser power and decreasing point distance and hatch spacing. The optimum process parameters are laser power of 325–375 W, point distance of 80–100 μm and hatch spacing of 80 μm.

Bosonic modes have wide applications in various quantum technologies, such as optical photons for quantum communication, magnons in spin ensembles for quantum information storage and mechanical modes for reversible microwave-to-optical quantum transduction. There is emerging interest in utilizing bosonic modes for quantum information processing, with circuit quantum electrodynamics (circuit QED) as one of the leading architectures. Quantum information can be encoded into subspaces of a bosonic superconducting cavity mode with long coherence time. However, standard Gaussian operations (e.g., beam splitting and two-mode squeezing) are insufficient for universal quantum computing. The major challenge is to introduce additional nonlinear control beyond Gaussian operations without adding significant bosonic loss or decoherence. Here we review recent advances in universal control of a single bosonic code with superconducting circuits, including unitary control, quantum feedback control, driven-dissipative control and holonomic dissipative control. Various approaches to entangling different bosonic modes are also discussed., 23 pages, 9 figures, 1 table (+2 pages supplement with 1 figure)

Glucocorticoids are known to induce skeletal muscle atrophy by suppressing protein synthesis and promoting protein degradation. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) has beneficial effects in several diseases, such as hepatobiliary disorders, hindlimb ischemia and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis. However, the effects of TUDCA on glucocorticoid -induced skeletal muscle atrophy remains unknown. Therefore, in the present research, we explored the effects of TUDCA on dexamethasone (DEX)-induced loss and the potential mechanisms involved. We found TUDCA alleviated DEX-induced muscle wasting in C2C12 myotubes, identified by improved myotube differentiation index and expression of myogenin and MHC. And it showed that TUDCA activated the Akt/mTOR/S6K signaling pathway and inhibited FoxO3a transcriptional activity to decreased expression of MuRF1 and Atrogin-1, while blocking Akt by MK2206 blocked these effects of TUDCA on myotubes. Besides, TUDCA also attenuated DEX-induced apoptosis of myotubes. Furthermore, TUDCA was administrated to the mouse model of DEX-induced skeletal muscle atrophy. The results showed that TUDCA improved DEX-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness (identified by increased grip strength and prolonged running exhaustive time) in mice by suppression of apoptosis, reduction of protein degradation and promotion of protein synthesis. Taken together, our research proved for the first time that TUDCA protected against DEX-induced skeletal muscle atrophy not only by improving myogenic differentiation and protein synthesis, but also through decreasing protein degradation and apoptosis of skeletal muscle.

Mg−Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs), produced on cast Mg−xCa (x=0.5, 0.8, 2.0, wt.%) alloys by an in-situ growth method, showed good corrosion resistance compared to the bare magnesium substrate. The influence mechanism of the second phase (Mg2Ca) on LDHs production was investigated. Increasing Ca content increased the amount of Mg2Ca, decreasing the grain size and the corrosion rate of the alloys. The increased amount of the second phase particles and the grain refinement promoted the growth of LDHs, and thus led to the decreasing of corrosion rate of the Mg−xCa alloys with LDHs. A higher Mg2Ca amount resulted in forming fluffy LDHs. Due to the dual effects of the second phase (Mg2Ca) for LDHs growth and microgalvanic corrosion, LDHs/Mg−0.8Ca showed the lowest corrosion rate.

Background To determine treatment effects on the incidence of post-stroke epilepsy (PSE) using different doses of statin, a prospective hospital-based cohort study was designed to explore whether a double-dose statin treatment can better prevent the occurrence of PSE. Methods A total of 1152 patients with newly diagnosed ischemic stroke admitted to our hospital from March to August 2017 were selected, 1033 of whom were followed-up. Patients were divided into two treatment groups:(1) standard-dose (20 mg atorvastatin or 10 mg rosuvastatin,daily oral; 788 patients); and (2) double-dose (40 mg atorvastatin or 20 mg rosuvastatin, daily oral; 245 patients).At 18 months follow-up was conducted to compare the incidence of PSE between groups. Results In general, in the standard-dose group we observed two cases of early seizure (ES) (0.25%), 22 cases oflate seizure (LS) (2.79%) and 20 cases of PSE (2.54%). In the double-dose group, onepatient had ES (0.41%), two patients had LS (0.82%), and onepatient had PSE (0.41%). The incidence of PSE was significantly lower in the double-dose group as compared to the standard-dose group. There was a higher proportion of PSE in patients younger than 65 years and in males. Three patients had ES; one presented with focal aware seizure (FAS), and two had focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (FBTCS). Among the 21 patients with PSE, there were two cases of FAS, five cases of focal impaired awareness seizure (FIAS), five cases of FBTCS, and nine cases of GTCS, suggesting that partial seizure is the most common type of PSE. Cerebral cortex was involved in 85.75% of cases with PSE, and multiple lobes were involved in 61.9% of cases with PSE. Conclusion Increasing the dose of statin treatment during the acute phase of ischemic stroke reduces the incidence of PSE. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the potential preventative effects of statins against PSE.

The northern edge of the East Asian monsoon region is also a transition zone of temperate continental and monsoon climate, which is a sensitive zone of global climate and ecological environment change. It is an urgent problem to find out the long-term climate change rules of this region. Using 101 tree core samples obtained from 54 trees, a 343-year tree-ring width chronology of the Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco (1673–2016) in the Wula Mountains, Inner Mongolia, China was established. The analysis shows that the radial growth of P. orientalis is closely related to hydrothermal conditions, the average minimum temperature and relative humidity are the main factors that determine the growth of P. orientalis. Based on the strong correlation between the tree-ring indices and the annual average minimum temperature (r = −0.870, p

Tracing pedogenic processes is fundamental for reconstructing climatic and environmental changes using loess deposits. Lithium isotopes can serve as a sensitive tracer to unravel these processes, owing to its active behaviors without effect by redox and biological reactions. This study investigated the Li contents and δ7Li values of leachate and residue ([Li]leachate, [Li]residue, δ7Lileachate and δ7Liresidue) of the upper 12.5 m Luochuan loess-paleosol sediment (since the last interglacial) on the Chinese Loess Plateau, in order to better understand pedogenic processes in loess. The [Li]leachate, varying from 0.39 to 1.97 μg/g, is mainly derived from the adsorption phase, with a significant variation in δ7Lileachate, from −6.55‰ to +12.88‰. Both [Li]leachate and δ7Lileachate variations reflect weathering and adsorption processes during different periods. The [Li]residue vary from 34.4 to 46.3 μg/g (averaging 38.4 μg/g) and their δ7Liresidue vary from −3.66‰ to +2.44‰ (averaging −0.22 ± 1.68‰), both in agreement with the upper continental crust values. At initial stage after loess deposited (stage I), high [Li]leachate but low δ7Lileachate are results of preferential adsorption of 6Li by clays and migration of 7Li with soil solution during weathering and eluviation processes. When overlying loess was deposited and experienced pedogenesis as the stage I, 7Li migrated downward and was adsorbed by clays (stage II), resulting in high [Li]leachate and δ7Lileachate in underlying loess. When loess has superimposed pedogenic and adsorption processes as the stages I and II, loess became as paleosol with highest δ7Lileachate in underlying carbonate accumulation layer. A persistent increase in δ7Lileachate indicates dominant control of post-depositional adsorptions on Li fractionation along solution migrations during weathering and eluviation of overlying deposits, and vice versa. These results highlight that variations in [Li]leachate and δ7Lileachate can be used to trace soil water migration processes and the magnitude of pedogenic processes in loess-paleosol sediment at different periods.

Modern hydrometallurgy has been developing for more than 100 years and the related articles keep piling up. Based on a bibliometric analysis of the articles in Hydrometallurgy, the most authoritative journal in the field of hydrometallurgy, we try to catch the research and development trends from a global perspective. Firstly, keywords burstness shows that rare earth, recycling, lithium, ionic liquid, and thorium are the hotspots in recent years, and the economic and technological reasons behind them were discussed in depth. Secondly, the proportion of biohydrometallurgy grows fast from 5% to 13% and the related articles are almost all about bioleaching. There are some new directions such as direct preparation of materials in hydrometallurgical processes and ion-imprinted techniques. Thirdly, the advanced instrument analysis methods such as XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structure), gene sequencing, and micro-CT promote the deep understanding of hydrometallurgy mechanism. Finally, the cooperation network and contribution of the main institutes were mapped.

The influence of Ag on the microstructure evolution of an aged Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloy was studied. The coarse Cu-rich precipitates containing Ag and Mg were found during the whole ageing process of Al–Cu–Li–Mg–Ag alloy. Besides, Ag addition in the Al–Cu–Li–Mg alloy accelerates the hardness value reduction of the overaged alloy. When the alloy was over heat-treated, more coarse Cu-rich phases containing Ag and Mg are presented at the grain boundaries. These discrete coarse precipitates accelerate the hardness reduction of the overaged alloy.

Polyimide (PI) modified Fe3O4@PI and Fe3O4-PI catalyst samples were prepared by hydrothermal-coating and ball milling methods, respectively. The effect of PI modification on the product distribution of the Fe-based catalysts for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was investigated. The catalysts were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, H2-TPR, CO-TPD, FT-IR, XPS, TG and contact angle measurements. The results showed that Fe3O4, Fe3O4@PI and Fe3O4-PI were spherical with uniform particle size, and the Fe3O4@PI particle size was smaller. PI modification promoted the reduction and the hydrophilicity of Fe3O4. For Fe3O4@PI sample, PI was uniformly coated on Fe3O4 surface, which led to good thermal stability. Compared with Fe3O4 and Fe3O4-PI samples, CO adsorption was promoted on Fe3O4@PI. Compared with Fe3O4, the catalytic activity of Fe3O4@PI and Fe3O4-PI decreased, and the secondary hydrogenation ability was inhibited, resulting in increase of olefin selectivity. For Fe3O4@PI, the olefin selectivity was enhanced significantly with olefin to alkane ratio in C2–4 fraction increased from 0.50 to 2.15. PI modification with suitable content favored the formation of C5+ hydrocarbons.

The microstructure and thermophysical properties of Mg−2Zn−xCu alloys (x=0.5, 1.0 and 1.5, at.%) were investigated through microstructural and thermophysical characterization, heat treatment, and first-principles calculations. It was found that the addition of Cu had influence on the microstructure and thermophysical properties of the alloy. As the Cu content increased, the content of the MgCuZn phase increased in the as-cast alloys along with the electrical and thermal conductivities. After solution treatment, the eutectic structure partially decomposed and Zn atoms dissolved into the matrix, leading to the decrease in both the electrical and thermal conductivities of the alloy. During the early stages of the aging treatment, solute atoms precipitated from the matrix, thus increasing the electrical conductivity of the alloy. After aging for 24 h, the thermal conductivity of Mg−2Zn−1.5Cu alloy reached the maximum of 147.1 W/(m·K). The thermostable MgCuZn phases were responsible for increasing the electrical and thermal conductivities. Smaller amounts of Zn atoms dissolved in the matrix resulted in smaller lattice distortion and higher conductivities. The first-principles calculations findings also proved that the MgCuZn phases had very high conductance.

Loess-based proxies have been widely used to infer glacial-interglacial to millennial-scale changes of the East Asian monsoon. However, the characteristic of millennial-scale variability is still unclear during glacial-interglacial cycles in loess-palaeosol sequence. Here, we present high-resolution (5-cm) elemental results of a 96.7-m thick Mangshan loess-palaeosol sequence on the southeastern Chinese Loess Plateau to emphasize millennial monsoon changes. We explore time series of loess proxies (magnetic susceptibility, CaCO3 content, Ca/K, Fe/K, and Rb/Sr ratios) and speleothem δ18O records and decompose these proxies into intrinsic components using the ensemble empirical mode decomposition method. Synthesized signals of low- and high-frequency components can track the monsoon variability at glacial-interglcial and millennial timescales, respectively. The proportions of millennial components of the loess proxies vary from 9.4%~13.4%, less than that in Chinese speleothem δ18O record (~24.4%). Among five loess proxies, Fe/K ratio is the most sensitive indicator of millennial-scale summer monsoon oscillations, exhibiting abrupt changes similar to that of the Chinese speleothem δ18O record. The amplitude of abrupt monsoon changes recorded in Mangshan is larger during interglacials than glacials, which is in line with Gulang records, implying the lower sensitivity of loess proxies to weak weathering during glacilals and an interglacial amplification of abrupt summer monsoon changes.

The morphology and crystal structure of the precipitates in Mg−7Gd−3Y−1Nd−1Zn−0.5Zr (wt.%) alloy with fine plate-like 14H-LPSO structures aged at 240 °C were investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM). Fine plate-like 14H-LPSO structures precipitate after heat treatment at 500 °C for 2 h, and β-type phases precipitate after the alloy is aged at 240 °C. The long-period atomic stacking sequence of 14H-LPSO structures along the [0001]α direction is ABABCACACACBABA. After being aged at 240 °C for 2 h, the β-type phases are the ordered solution clusters, zig-zag GP zones, and a small number of β′ phases. The peak hardness is obtained at 240 °C for 18 h with a Brinell hardness of 112, the β-type phases are β’ phases and local RE-rich structures. After being aged at 240 °C for 100 h, the β-type phases are β’, β1 and β’F phases. β′ phases nucleate from the zig-zag GP zones directly without β″ phases, and then transform into β1 phase by β’→β’F→β1 transformations. The Zn not only can form LPSO structure, but also is the constituent element of β1 phases. LPSO structures have a certain hindrance to the coarsening of β’ and β1 along 〈0001〉α.

A supramolecular dimer of doxorubicin (DOX) was constructed via ternary host-guest interactions between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and tryptophan modified DOX (DOX-Trp, connected with an acid-labile bond) and we demonstrate for the first time that a supramolecular dimer of DOX can be formed upon homo-dimerization by CB[8], which may act as a stimuli pH-responsive, supramolecular DOX dimer prodrug system. This supramolecular DOX dimer transported DOX efficiently and selectively to cancer cells, thereby exhibiting significantly minimized cytotoxicity against noncancerous cells while maintaining effective cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Under this strategy, many other anticancer drugs could be chemically modified and loaded as a dimeric “ammunition” into CB[8] as supramolecular dimer prodrug systems (or a “jet fighter”) for improved cancer therapy.

2195 Al-Li alloy was deformed through extrusion followed by cold-rolling. The textures of the extruded plate and cold-rolled sheet after solutionization were investigated. The longitudinal strength and precipitates after T8 aging were measured and observed, respectively. Compared to those in the sheet, T1(Al2CuLi) precipitates in the extruded plate after T8 aging are non-uniform, and their incubation time is shorter. The extruded plate after solutionization is not recrystallized and contains 55.28% deformation textures of Brass and S. In the cold-rolled sheet after solutionization, massive recrystallization occurs and S component disappears. Due to the higher fraction of Brass and S textures with higher Schmid factor and lower equivalent sliding system number, the extruded plate possesses an yield strength not higher or even lower, but a tensile strength higher, than the cold-rolled sheet after solutionization. In addition, during the aging after pre-stretch, these textures promote T1 precipitation on preferred sliding planes of cold-rolled sheet and cause its higher yield strength and tensile strength after T8 aging.

The tensile properties and corrosion behaviours of an ageing Al-1.7 Cu-4.0 Li- 0.4 Mg alloys (in at. %) with or without 0.3 Zn addition were investigated by detailed microstructure evolution using TEM and STEM. Herein, the Zn addition to the Al-1.7 Cu-4.0 Li- 0.4 Mg ageing alloy is determined as a convincing approach to optimising the strength-corrosion resistance balance. With Zn addition, the increasing quantity of T1 phase in grain led to the increase of the tensile property of the Al-1.7 Cu-4.0 Li- 0.4 Mg alloy. While the studied alloy with Zn addition possessed preferable corrosion resistance in respect of intergranular corrosion (IGC) depth reducing. Moreover, the emergence of Zn elements in the coarse phases at grain boundary (GB) may decrease the potential differences between the precipitates at GB and free precipitation zone (PFZ), which could increase corrosion resistance. Keywords: Al-1.7 Cu-4.0 Li- 0.4 Mg alloy, Zn addition, Tensile properties, Corrosion behaviours, Microstructure characteristics, Electrochemical features