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In this paper, we investigate the relationship between the indicators for COVID-19 monitoring and the dynamic of jumps across six major financial markets including China, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, and the US. First, this paper finds that jumps occurred more frequently in the index returns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Second, the empirical findings suggest that the anxiety stemming from potential future control measures, which were prompted by updates in COVID-19 briefings, plays a significant role in explaining the jumps in index returns within financial markets. The strategies of 'zero tolerance for COVID-19', 'maximum healthcare capacity', and 'less tolerance for restriction' were carried out by China, European countries, and the US respectively. These diverse approaches to managing COVID-19 have a significant and varied impact on the market's sudden price movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a pioneering investigation into the complex Holocene paleo-morphologies of the Yilan Plain, located at the southwestern edge of the Okinawa Trough. We employed a novel approach that synergized resistivity measurements with machine learning techniques to unlock valuable insights into the geological history, sedimentary patterns, and seismic activity of this dynamic region. Our methodology involved the creation of an Apparent Geological Model (AGM) through the interpolation of inverted resistivity data and the application of supervised machine learning algorithms. Classification criteria, derived from the relationship between resistivity values and sediment types found in nearby boreholes, were developed using the random forest machine-learning method. The resultant 3D resistivity model was transformed into a clay-sand-gravel model, offering a comprehensive depiction of sediment distribution within the Yilan Plain. Notably, our findings revealed distinct sedimentary patterns. Gravel-dominated regions, characterized by resistivity values above 140 Ohm-m, were identified alongside areas dominated by sand and clay sediments. The Carbon-14 dating ages in the sand sediments exhibited remarkable consistency, shedding light on the depositional history of the region. Furthermore, our research unveiled a previously unknown phenomenon of rapid subsidence in the Yilan Plain. Through meticulous analysis and correction for sea-level changes, we estimated an average subsidence rate of approximately 8.5 mm/year. This subsidence was punctuated by abrupt events around 6000–7000 years BP and 2000–3000 years BP, associated with a sudden increase. These events suggested a potential link to prehistoric seismic activity, with variable subsidence rates between episodes hinting at recurrent active seismic periods every 4000–5000 years. In conclusion, our multidisciplinary approach has provided unprecedented insights into the Holocene paleo-morphologies of the Yilan Plain. By combining resistivity measurements, machine learning, and geological analysis, we have enriched our understanding of the region's geological history, sedimentary dynamics, and seismic behavior. These findings not only contribute to the knowledge of Yilan's past but also offer vital data for future environmental and geological studies in similarly dynamic regions. Key Points: The study investigates Holocene paleo-morphologies in Taiwan's Yilan Plain, providing insights into its geological history. By combining resistivity measurements with machine learning, the research unveils valuable data on sedimentary patterns and seismic activity in the region. The methodology includes creating an Apparent Geological Model (AGM) using machine learning algorithms and resistivity data interpolation. The study establishes classification criteria and models sediment distribution, identifying distinct patterns in clay, sand, and gravel. The research reveals rapid subsidence and suggests links to prehistoric seismic events with a 4000-5000 recurrence period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To distinguish the Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability between a dusty plasma fluid and a general fluid, the present study focuses on the RT instability in interfaces where there is a discontinuity in the mass density of the dust particle fluid, by considering two cases. One is neglecting the impact of the electric field, and the other is considering the effects of the electric field. It is found that neglecting the impact of the electric field may lead to RT instability. In this case, the growth rate increases as the perturbed wavelength decreases and as the ratio of number density in the upper region to that in the lower region increases. It also depends on the width of both regions. However, when accounting for the effect of the electric field, RT instability is restrained at the interface. To sum up, the electric field has the obvious effect to suppress the Rayleigh-Taylor instability in dusty plasma, which could have practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seahorse is one of the most unique teleost fishes in its morphology. The body is surrounded by bony plates and spines, and the male fish possess a brooding organ, called the brood pouch, on their tail. The surfaces of the brood pouch and the spines are surrounded by characteristic so-called flame cone cells. Based on our histological observations, flame cone cells are present in the seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis, but not in the barbed pipefish Urocampus nanus or the seaweed pipefish Syngnathus schlegeli, both of which belong to the same family as the seahorse. In the flame cone cells, we observed expression of an "orphan gene" lacking homologs in other lineages. This gene, which we named the proline-glycine rich (pgrich) gene, codes for an amino acid sequence composed of repetitive units. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses detected pgrich-positive signals from the flame cone cells. Based on a survey of the genome sequences of 15 teleost species, the pgrich gene is only found from some species of Syngnathiformes (namely, the genera Syngnathus and Hippocampus). The amino acid sequence of the seahorse PGrich is somewhat similar to the sequence deduced from the antisense strand of elastin. Furthermore, there are many transposable elements around the pgrich gene. These results suggest that the pgrich gene may have originated from the elastin gene with the involvement of transposable elements and obtained its novel function in the flame cone cells during the evolution of the seahorse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing integration between biological and digital interfaces has led to heightened interest in utilizing biological materials to store digital data, with the most promising one involving the storage of data within defined sequences of DNA that are created by de novo DNA synthesis. However, there is a lack of methods that can obviate the need for de novo DNA synthesis, which tends to be costly and inefficient. Here, in this work, we detail a method of capturing 2-dimensional light patterns into DNA, by utilizing optogenetic circuits to record light exposure into DNA, encoding spatial locations with barcoding, and retrieving stored images via high-throughput next-generation sequencing. We demonstrate the encoding of multiple images into DNA, totaling 1152 bits, selective image retrieval, as well as robustness to drying, heat and UV. We also demonstrate successful multiplexing using multiple wavelengths of light, capturing 2 different images simultaneously using red and blue light. This work thus establishes a 'living digital camera', paving the way towards integrating biological systems with digital devices. DNA data storage has gained recent interest due to the high information density of DNA. Here, the authors have developed a method to directly capture information in the form of light and encode it into DNA via bacteria, analogous to a digital camera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the interplay of two ion-acoustic solitary waves (IASWs) with in a 2D hot ion plasma by using the method of the extended Poincaré-Lighthill-Kuo (PLK) perturbation, and obtain two Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equations describing two solitary waves travling with the different directions. We demonstrate that the phase shifts and trajectories in the head-on collision of two solitary waves with different impingement angles. The results suggest that the plasma parameters can affect deeply the phase shifts in the collision of the solitary waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) waves have been frequently observed during the northward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) but have been much less frequently observed during the southward IMF. Here, we performed a 3D MHD simulation of a KH wave to investigate the evolution of KH instability under the pure southward IMF condition. In the linear phase of KH instability, there are almost no jet flows along northward and southward. In the nonlinear growth phase, the width of the KH vortex is about ∼ 12 λ , and the duration time of the KH vortex is about ∼ 20 t A . Moreover, the obvious jet flows whose peak V z value is about ∼ 0.5 V A are distributed in both the spine region and the edge of the KH vortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a general scheme for hierarchical controlled remote preparation of an arbitrary m-qudit state by using m four-qudit cluster states as the quantum channel. The sender first performs m-qudit positive operator-valued measurement in accordance with her knowledge of prepared state and then performs generalized X-basis measurements on her entangled particles. The upper-grade agent only needs perform unitary operation in accordance with one of the lower-grade agents’ measurement results for controlled remote preparation of an arbitrary m-qudit state. The lower-grade agent needs perform corresponding unitary operations in accordance with all the other agents’ measurement results. The protocol has the advantage of transmitting less entangled particles for hierarchical controlled remote preparation of an arbitrary m-qudit state via four-qudit cluster states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation method, the evolution of electromagnetic wave (EMW) through an unmagnetized collisionless cold plasma is presented. The effect of plasma sizes on the attenuation rate of electromagnetic wave is investigated. It is found that the larger the plasma size is, the more electromagnetic energy is lost. The attenuation rate of electromagnetic wave with different wavelengths in plasma is also shown, it is obvious that the attenuation rate increases as the wavelength of electromagnetic wave increases, and when wavelength λ > 0.07 m, the attenuation rate increases slowly and at the end, there is almost no increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The loss rate of ion beams and the non-neutral plasma in an axisymmetric magnetic mirror is investigated in the present paper. It is found that the loss rate increases as the mass of the ions increases for a ion beam confined in a magnetic mirror. Moreover, both the electron loss rate and the ion loss rate are obtained when a non-neutral plasma is confined in a magnetic mirror. It seems that both loss rate remain unchanged in the regime when the electron number density is less than that of the ions. In the other regime that the electron number density is much larger than that of the ion number, the ion loss rate increases with the increase of electron number density, while the electron loss rate decreases as the electron number density increases. This result may help us to devise a mirror to separate the different charged particles by confining these different particles in a magnetic mirror. The electron loss rate and the ion loss rate are obtained when a non-neutral plasma is confined in a magnetic mirror. It seems that both loss rate remain unchanged in the regime when the electron number density is less than that of the ions. In the other regime that the electron number density is much larger than that of the ion number, the ion loss rate increases with the increase of electron number density, while the electron loss rate decreases as the electron number density increases.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersion relation and the speed of linear magnetosonic wave are given in the present paper. Furthermore, an arbitrary amplitude nonlinear magnetosonic solitary wave is studied. It is found that the amplitude of the magnetosonic solitary wave cannot be larger than a critical value. It is found that the maximum speed of the magnetosonic solitary wave is about 1.24 times that of the Alfvén wave speed when the magnetic field is sufficiently strong so that the magnetic pressure is much larger than the fluid pressure. On the other hand, the maximum perturbed magnetic field is just equal to the external magnetic field if the magnetic pressure is much larger than the fluid pressure. It suggest that the variation regime of the perturbed magnetic field is (0 , B 0) , while the variation regime of the speed of magnetosonic solitary wave is (v A , 1.24 v A) in the upstream and downstream regions of the Venusian bow shock. Here B 0 and v A represent the background magnetic field and the Alfvén wave speed, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant fossil specimens of Scaphechinus mirabilis, now occurring mostly in temperate waters, have been found in the Toukoshan Formation (Pleistocene) in Miaoli County, Taiwan. Environmental changes leading to its extirpation (local extinction) have thus far been elusive. Here, we reconstruct past environmental and oceanic conditions off northwest Taiwan by analyzing clumped isotopes, as well as stable oxygen isotopes, of well-preserved fossil echinoid tests collected from the Toukoshan Formation. Radiocarbon dates suggest that these samples are from Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3). Paleotemperature estimates based on clumped isotopes indicate that fossil echinoids were living in oceanic conditions that range from 9 to 14 °C on average, comparable with the estimate derived for a modern sample from Mutsu Bay, Japan. Notably, this temperature range is ~ 10 °C colder than today's conditions off northwest Taiwan. The substantially lower temperatures during ~ 30 ka (MIS 3) compared to the modern conditions might be due to the rerouting of surface currents off northwest Taiwan when the sea level was ~ 60 m lower than today, in addition to the cooling caused by a lower atmospheric CO2 level during the Last Glacial Period. Colder waters brought here by the China Coastal Current (CCC) and the existence of shallow subtidal zones termed "Miaoli Bay" (mainly located in the present-day Miaoli county) during MIS 3 plausibly sustained generations of S. mirabilis, yielding tens of thousands of fossil specimens in the well-preserved fossil beds. The likely extirpation driver is the drastic change from a temperate climate to much warmer conditions in the shallow sea during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use ultrafast optical spectroscopy to study the nonequilibrium quasiparticle relaxation dynamics of the iron-based superconductor KCa2Fe4As4F2 with Tc = 33.5 K. Our results reveal a possible pseudogap (ΔPG = (2.4 ± 0.1) meV) below T* ≈ 50 K but prior to the opening of a superconducting gap (ΔSC(0) ≈ (4.3 ± 0.1) meV). Measurements under high pump fluence reveal two distinct, coherent phonon oscillations with 1.95 and 5.51 THz frequencies, respectively. The high-frequency A1g(2) mode corresponds to the c-axis polarized vibrations of FeAs planes with a nominal electron-phonon coupling constant λ A 1 g (2) = 0.194 ± 0.02 . Our findings suggest that the pseudogap is likely a precursor of superconductivity, and the electron-phonon coupling may play an essential role in the superconducting pairing in KCa2Fe4As4F2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ergot alkaloids are a class of natural products known for their pharmacologically privileged molecular structure that are used in the treatment of neurological ailments, such as Parkinsonism and dementia. Their synthesis via chemical and biological routes are therefore of industrial relevance, but suffer from several challenges. Current chemical synthesis methods involve long, multi-step reactions with harsh conditions and are not enantioselective; biological methods utilizing ergot fungi, produce an assortment of products that complicate product recovery, and are susceptible to strain degradation. Reconstituting the ergot alkaloid pathway in a strain strongly amenable for liquid fermentation, could potentially resolve these issues. In this work, we report the production of the main ergoline therapeutic precursor, D-lysergic acid, to a titre of 1.7 mg L−1 in a 1 L bioreactor. Our work demonstrates the proof-of-concept for the biological production of ergoline-derived compounds from sugar in an engineered yeast chassis. The ergot alkaloids are a class of natural products known for their pharmacologically privileged molecular structure that are used in the treatment of neurological ailments. Here the authors report on the production of the ergot (fungus)-derived therapeutic precursor, D-lysergic acid (DLA), in baker's yeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The propagation of dust-acoustic waves in a dusty plasma bounded in finite symmetrical cylindrical geometry has been theoretically investigated. By using the reductive perturbation method, we obtain a quasi-nonlinear Schrödinger equation. It is shown that there is a dark envelope soliton under certain conditions, while its amplitude will decrease with the time. The dependence of both the dispersion relation and group velocity of envelope solitary waves on the radius of cylinder has been given. Moreover, we define the duration time of dark envelope solitons and give the theoretical ones. It is found that the duration time increases as the radius of cylinder increases, while it decreases as the viscosity coefficient of dusty plasmas increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overreliance on commercial, kit-based RNA extraction in the molecular diagnoses of infectious disease presents a challenge in the event of supply chain disruptions and can potentially hinder testing capacity in times of need. In this study, we adapted a well-established, robust TRIzol-based RNA extraction protocol into a high-throughput format through miniaturization and automation. The workflow was validated by RT-qPCR assay for SARS-CoV-2 detection to illustrate its scalability without interference to downstream diagnostic sensitivity and accuracy. This semi-automated, kit-free approach offers a versatile alternative to prevailing integrated solid-phase RNA extraction proprietary systems, with the added advantage of improved cost-effectiveness for high volume acquisition of quality RNA whether for use in clinical diagnoses or for diverse molecular applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal cord injury is a serious disease of the central nervous system, but there is no effective treatment. And zinc is an essential nutrient for human body and participates in many physiological processes, such as immune response, homeostasis, oxidative stress, cell cycle progression, DNA replication, DNA damage repair, apoptosis, and aging. This article mainly summarizes that zinc could predict the prognosis and treat the spinal cord injury. Especially, zinc could help to inhibit inflammation, regulate autophagy, and reduce oxidative stress. However, excessive zinc will damage neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: NB-LRR genes in the three Solanum species showed specific constitution characteristics and evolved multiple clusters and duplicates. Some genes could respond to biotic stresses such as tomato bacterial wilt. Nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR, NLR) is a largest resistance gene family in plants, which plays a key role in response to biotic stresses. In this study, NB-LRR genes in cultivated tomato Solanum lycopersicum (Sl) and its wild relatives S. pennellii (Spe) and S. pimpinellifolium (Spi) were analyzed using bioinformatics approaches. In total, 238, 202 and 217 NB-LRR genes of 8 different types were found in Sl, Spe and Spi, respectively. The three species showed similar genomic characteristics. The NB-LRR genes were mainly distributed on chromosomes 4, 5 and 11 and located at the distal zones, forming multiple clusters and tandem duplicates. A large number of homologs appeared through gene expansion, with most Ka/Ks values being less than 1, indicating that purifying selection had occurred in evolution. These genes were mainly expressed in root and could respond to different biotic stresses. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that SlNLR genes could respond to tomato bacterial wilt, with SlNLR1 probably involved in the resistance response, whereas others being the opposite. The transcription factors (TFs) and interaction proteins that regulate target genes were mainly Dof, NAC and MYB families and kinases. The results provide a basis for the isolation and application of related genes in plant disease resistance breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using the reductive perturbation method, the existence of dust acoustic shock waves is given for a dusty plasma considering the dust size distribution. The effects of both the dust size distribution and the dust charge variation on the characteristics of the shock wave are discussed. It is shown that the amplitude of a shock wave in plasmas considering a dust size distribution is larger than that in the case of a mono-sized dusty plasma, while its width considering the dust size distribution is smaller than that of the mono-sized dusty plasma. The speed of the shock waves also depends on different dust size distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present paper studies the contribution of both the quantum effect and the dust size distribution effect on the shock wave characters. It is concluded that the quantum effect of dust particles is negligible, while the quantum effects of both electrons and ions on the shock wave of a quantum dusty plasma cannot be neglected in certain cases. It is found that the speed and the amplitude of the shock wave, considering the dust size distribution, are larger than that of the quantum dusty plasma with the average dust size of a monosized dust plasma. Furthermore, the speed and the amplitude of the shock wave increase, while the width of the shock wave decreases as the ratios of the maximum dust size to the minimum one increases. The quantum effects may affect both the amplitude and width of the shock wave, while it has no effect on the shock wave speed. The width of the shock wave increases, while its amplitude decreases as H e and H i increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kelvin–Helmholtz instability on the ionopause of Venus with different density ratios and magnetic Reynolds numbers has been simulated numerically by using the magnetohydrodynamics equations. For the special case of a Venus-like planet, the plasma density increases from the magnetosheath to the ionosphere. The numerical simulation shows that the density increasing toward the planet has more important effects than the magnetic Reynolds number on the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. And during the evolution of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, there are three different phases, the linear growth phase, followed by a nonlinear phase with vortex-like structure, and finally, the turbulent phase. During the nonlinear evolution of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, the spatial scale of the vortex has a width of about ∼ 12 a , where a is the half width of the shear layer located at the Venusian ionopause. For each phase, the vorticity of the system also has different characteristics. Supersonic flow could appear at the position where the vorticity is stronger in both nonlinear and turbulent phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sorafenib is the standard treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. This study aims to determine whether combining radiotherapy with sorafenib administration increases its efficacy. The study cohort included 4763 patients with diagnosed advanced HCC who received sorafenib between January 2012 and December 2015, as reported in medical records in the Taiwan Cancer Registry database. The effect of sorafenib with or without radiotherapy on survival was calculated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariate analysis. Patients receiving sorafenib plus radiotherapy had greater 1-year survival than did those receiving sorafenib alone (P < 0.001). Uni- and multivariate analyses also showed that radiotherapy increased survival after adjusting for confounders (adjusted HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.51–0.63). Further stratified analysis according to the timing of radiotherapy relative to sorafenib treatment revealed that patients who underwent radiotherapy after sorafenib had greater 1-year survival than did those undergoing radiotherapy within sorafenib use or sorafenib alone (adjusted HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.27–0.54). Combined treatment with sorafenib and radiotherapy results in greater HCC patient survival and should be considered an option for treating this challenging disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate response to low warming scenarios that meet 2015 Paris Agreement is distinct from that to the medium/high-emissions scenarios analyzed in previous studies. The present study investigates changes in the North Pacific subtropical gyre and the underlying mechanisms under 1.5 °C low warming scenario by 11-member ensemble simulations from the Community Earth System Model. Specifically, atmospheric CO2 concentration peaks in 2036 and then decreases, with global mean surface temperature (GMST) first increasing and then stabilizing after 2045. The changes of the lower thermocline depth are consistently weaker in the subtropics than in the tropics or high latitudes through 2100. During GMST increasing stage, the subtropical circulation strengthens in the upper 1000 m north of 30° N as a result of the enhanced wind stress. When GMST stabilizes, the subtropical circulation strengthens in the surface layer (0–150 m) and the main thermocline (150–600 m) but displays insignificant change in the intermediate layer (600–1000 m). Wind and stratification changes are both important in driving the North Pacific subtropical gyre changes, because sea surface warming is much weaker in the low warming scenario than that in the medium/high-emissions scenarios. In addition, as the surface wind change displays substantial natural variability and is strongly model-dependent, it dominates the differences in projected subtropical circulation changes across models. This study highlights the importance of wind changes in projections of the subtropical circulation changes under low warming scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis of unknown etiology that affects infants and young children. Considerable evidence supports the hypothesis that there is a genetic basis for KD susceptibility. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with KD. This study aims to replicate three novel KD-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), identified by GWAS in Japanese, in a Taiwanese population. Associations between these SNPs and development of coronary artery lesions (CALs) were also investigated. The rs2254546 A/G, rs2857151 A/G, and rs4813003 C/T SNPs were genotyped in 681 children with KD and 563 ethnically-matched healthy controls using TaqMan Assay or DNA sequencing. We found rs2254546 and rs4813003 SNPs were significantly associated with KD (G allele, odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, P = 1.0 × 10–5; C allele, OR = 1.32, P = 8.1 × 10–4). However, no evidence for associations with CAL development was observed. Our study successfully validates associations of the rs2254546 and rs4813003 SNPs with KD in a Taiwanese population. Further functional studies of the SNPs are important in understanding the pathogenesis of KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper studies the magnetic filaments produced by the interaction between the high-frequency magnetosonic wave and low-frequency magnetosonic wave. These phenomena can be explained by using an envelope solitary wave solution of the nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE). The analytical results from NLSE are in agreement with the numerical result from Ref. Modi et al. (Phys. Plasmas 21: 102305, 2014). Both the linear and the nonlinear modulational instability are studied for the system. Two critical points are obtained. The first critical point gives the regions of both the instability and the stability, while the second one shows that if the perturbed wave number is close to the second critical point, the perturbed wave may be the most stable one. It is also found that all the higher order perturbed waves can be neglected in the stability region when the perturbed wave number is larger than that of the first critical point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a two-dimensional Frenkel–Kontorova model, the interacting atoms arranged on a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice are studied. It is made to slide by the application of an external driving force in the presence of dissipation over a two-dimensional periodic substrate potential with the hexagonal symmetry. A critical depinning force is defined. It depends on the direction and the magnitude of external driving force, the adhesive force from the substrate, the interaction strength between atoms in the upper layer and especially the misfit angle θ between two layers. The dependence of the state transition from the lock to sliding on the driving force is studied. For the special case of zero misfit angle, the analytical expressions for the critical depinning force are obtained which are in a good agreement with numerical ones. It seems that the superlubricity can appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing has been used as an important means of estimating crop production, especially for the estimation of crop yield in the middle and late growth period. In order to further improve the accuracy of estimating winter wheat yield through remote sensing, this study analyzed the quantitative relationship between satellite remote sensing variables obtained from HJ-CCD images and the winter wheat yield, and used the partial least square (PLS) algorithm to construct and validate the multivariate remote sensing models of estimating the yield. The research showed a close relationship between yield and most remote sensing variables. Significant multiple correlations were also recorded between most remote sensing variables. The optimal principal components numbers of PLS models used to estimate yield were 4. Green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and plant senescence reflectance index (PSRI) were sensitive variables for yield remote sensing estimation. Through model development and model validation evaluation, the yield estimation model's coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.81 and 0.74 respectively. The root mean square error (RMSE) were 693.9 kg ha−1 and 786.5 kg ha−1. It showed that the PLS algorithm model estimates the yield better than the linear regression (LR) and principal components analysis (PCA) algorithms. The estimation accuracy was improved by more than 20% than the LR algorithm, and was 13% higher than the PCA algorithm. The results could provide an effective way to improve the estimation accuracy of winter wheat yield by remote sensing, and was conducive to large-area application and promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transmission and the reflection of a shock wave by one or several impurities in viscoelastic bead chains is studied in the present paper. There is only one reflected wave for a single impurity. The amplitude of the beads oscillation increases as the initial velocity of the boundaries beads increases, while it decreases as the viscosity coefficient increases. Two reflected waves will be produced if the impurity number is larger than a critical value. This critical value depends on both the initial velocity and the viscosity coefficient. In addition, the maximum amplitude of reflected wave is a constant, when the viscosity coefficient is large enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influence of interactions between Laccase and carbon nano-tubes modified by perylene derivative on structural parameters and electrochemical behaviors of immobilized redox protein, was investigated systematically by the means of spectrometry, photography and electro-chemistry. Sophisticated interactions including abutting coordination could result in anomalistic agglomeration of nano-composite with Lac incorporation which displayed better hydrophobicity than free Laccase and high resistance of charge shuttle. It would retard the progress of thermal decomposition of nano-composite and would lead to the formation of composite without emission of fluorescence. Strong binding of Laccase with perylenyl derivative (binding constant: 7.5×104 L/mol) would alter the mechanism of electron transferring. T1 Cu2+ of Laccase in the status of complexation played the intra-molecular electron relay with mid-wave potential at −135.6 mV and demonstrated undesirable dynamics in electron transferring (7.7×10−2 s−1). The catalytic function in oxygen reduction was prohibited for the abutting coordination and only weak catalytic effect could be achieved in the presence of electron relay. The whole catalytic cycle was limited by the mass transferring of electron mediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigations are carried out for the cylindrical and spherical dust-ion acoustic solitary waves with the kinematic viscosity. By the reductive perturbation technique the damped KdV-Burgers equation is obtained, and an approximate analytical solution is given. Using this solution, the effects of different physical parameters on dust-ion acoustic solitary wave are discussed. The results may have applications in laboratory and space plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SHP2 phosphatase, encoded by the PTPN11 gene, is a non-receptor PTP, which plays an important role in growth factor, cytokine, integrin, hormone signaling pathways, and regulates cellular responses, such as proliferation, differentiation, adhesion migration and apoptosis. Many studies have reported that upregulation of SHP2 expression is closely related to human cancer, such as breast cancer, liver cancer and gastric cancer. Hence, SHP2 has become a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. In this paper, we reported the identification of compound 1 as SHP2 inhibitor. Fragment-based ligand design, De novo design, ADMET and Molecular docking were performed to explore potential selective SHP2 allosteric inhibitors based on SHP836. The results of docking studies indicated that the selected compounds had higher selective SHP2 inhibition than existing inhibitors. Compound 1 was found to have a novel selectivity against SHP2 with an in vitro enzyme activity IC50 value of 9.97 μM. Fluorescence titration experiment confirmed that compound 1 directly bound to SHP2. Furthermore, the results of binding free energies demonstrated that electrostatic energy was the primary factor in elucidating the mechanism of SHP2 inhibition. Dynamic cross correlation studies also supported the results of docking and molecular dynamics simulation. This series of analyses provided important structural features for designing new selective SHP2 inhibitors as potential drugs and promising candidates for pre-clinical pharmacological investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-complex as enzyme carrier was prepared via hybridization of nano-scale cobaltous oxalate with conductive polymer: polyaniline. Spectrometric means and electrochemical technique were proposed to explore the influence of interaction between nano-composite and redox protein on structural features, dynamics of electron shuttle and catalysis of immobilized enzyme. Results indicated that collaboration of π-π stacking effect as well as the complexation of metal ions in nano-composite with cofactors in enzyme molecule could lead to the firm linkage of glucose oxidase to the matrix of nano-composite. The ligation would cause orientated attachment of enzyme molecules onto the surface of nano-complex. Synergistic effect would not only enhance the enzyme loading capacity of carrier but also facilitate the direct electrochemistry of tethered enzyme molecules with intact structure and configuration of cofactor. However the complexation would cripple the enzymatic catalysis in electro-oxidation of glucose in spite of high affinity to glucose for glucose oxidase integration into nano-composite.Graphical Abstract: Coordination of metal ions within nano-composite with cofactor of glucose oxidase (GOx) would lead to formation of composite with crippled emission fluorescence and hinder the electro-oxidation of glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical investigations are carried out for the properties of small amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves in plasmas consisting of extremely massive, high negatively charged inertial dust grains, Boltzmann distributed electrons and trapped ions, for one-dimensional case and three-dimensional case. An energy integral equation involving the Sagdeev potential is derived. The dependence of the critical Mach number corresponding to maximum amplitude on other parameters is obtained. It is observed that the magnitude of the external magnetic field has no effect on the amplitude of the solitary waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As-prepared magnetic nano-composite with Fe3O4 as core and carboxymethylated Chitosan as shell was proposed to act as matrix to co-immobilize electron relay and myoglobin by the means of chemical coupling. Subsequently Mb based bio-cathode was fabricated through the procedure of drop-casting in the presence of external magnet and was examined its performance in direct electron transferring and catalysis in electro-reduction of H2O2 with spectrometric and electro-chemical methods. Analysis in results indicated adjacent complexations between hetero-atoms in polymer and cofactors in enzyme/redox site of electron mediator would pose great impact on spectroscopic and electrochemical features of immobilized protein. These interactions would alter the path of electron shuttle and mechanism of catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is a major issue in the management of cancer patients. Overexpression of the ribonucleotide reductase regulatory subunit M2 (RRM2) has been associated with aggressive cancer behavior and chemoresistance. Nano-diamino-tetrac (NDAT) is a nanoparticulate derivative of tetraiodothyroacetic acid (tetrac), which exerts anticancer properties via several mechanisms and downregulates RRM2 gene expression in cancer cells. Resveratrol is a stilbenoid phytoalexin which binds to a specific site on the cell surface integrin αvβ3 to trigger cancer cell death via nuclear translocation of COX-2. Here we report that resveratrol paradoxically activates RRM2 gene expression and protein translation in colon cancer cells. This unanticipated effect inhibits resveratrol-induced COX-2 nuclear accumulation. RRM2 downregulation, whether achieved by RNA interference or treatment with NDAT, enhanced resveratrol-induced COX-2 gene expression and nuclear uptake which is essential to integrin αvβ3-mediated-resveratrol-induced antiproliferation in cancer cells. Elsewhere, NDAT downregulated resveratrol-induced RRM2 expression in vivo but potentiated the anticancer effect of the stilbene. These findings suggest that RRM2 appears as a cancer cell defense mechanism which can hinder the anticancer effect of the stilbene via the integrin αvβ3 axis. Furthermore, the antagonistic effect of RRM2 against resveratrol is counteracted by the administration of NDAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether the use of levothyroxine was associated with breast cancer risk.Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study in Taiwan. Cases consisted of all patients who were aged 20 years and older, and had a first-time diagnosis of breast cancer for the period between 2001 and 2011. The controls were matched to the cases by age, sex, year, and month of diagnosis. Adjusted odd ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by a conditional logistic regression.Results: We examined 65,491 breast cancer cases and 261,964 controls. We found that use of levothyroxine was associated with a significant increase in breast cancer risk (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.15-1.33; P < 0.001). Compared with no use levothyroxine, the adjusted odd ratio was 1.22 (95% CI 1.11-1.35; P = 0.01) for the group having been prescribed levothyroxine 2 months to 1 year, and 1.26 (95% CI 1.12-1.41; P < 0.01) for the group with more than 1 year. When stratified by age, the adjusted odd ratio was 1.45 (95% CI 1.23-1.71; P < 0.01) for the patients aged 65 years or more and 1.19 (95% CI 1.09-1.29, P < 0.01) for the patients aged less than 65 years.Conclusion: The results of the present study are the first to suggest that levothyroxine use increased the risk of breast cancer. However, a larger long-term prospective randomized-controlled trial specifically designed to assess the effect of levothyroxine use on the risk of developing breast cancer is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine ultramafic and olivine-rich troctolite blocks of the East Taiwan Ophiolite (ETO) in the Lichi Mélange. Although ultramafic rocks are extensively serpentinized, the primary minerals, such as olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, spinel and plagioclase can be identified. The ultramafic rocks are classified into harzburgite (± clinopyroxene), dunite, and olivine websterite. Major and trace element compositions of the primary minerals in harzburgites, such as the Cr# [= Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio] of chromian spinel (0.3-0.58) and incompatible elements-depleted trace element patterns of clinopyroxenes, indicate their residue origin after partial melting with less flux components. These compositions are similar to those from mid-ocean ridge peridotites as well as back-arc peridotites from the Philippine Sea Plate. The olivine websterite contains discrete as well as occasional locally concentrated plagioclase grains. Petrological characteristics coupled with similarity in trace element patterns of clinopyroxenes in the harzburgite and olivine websterite samples indicate that the olivine websterite is likely formed by clinopyroxene addition to a lherzolitic/harzburgitic peridotite from a pyroxene-saturated mafic melt. Dunite with medium Cr# spinels indicates cumulus or replacement by melt-peridotite reaction origins. Mineral composition of olivine-rich troctolite cannot be explained by simple crystallization from basaltic magmas, but shows a chemical trend expected for products after melt-peridotite interactions. Mineral compositions of the dunite and olivine-rich troctolite are also within chemical ranges of mid-ocean ridge samples, and are slightly different from back-arc samples from the Philippine Sea Plate. We conclude that peridotites in the ETO are not derived from the northern extension of the Luzon volcanic arc mantle. Further geochronological study is, however, required to constrain the origin of the ETO ophiolite, because peridotites are probably indistinguishable in petrology and mineralogy between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea/Eurasian Plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of pathogen specificity in antimicrobial therapy causes non-discriminant microbial cell killing that disrupts the microflora present. As a result, potentially helpful microbial cells are killed along with the pathogen, altering the biodiversity and dynamic interactions within the population. Moreover, the unwarranted exposure of antibiotics to microbes increases the likelihood of developing resistance and perpetuates the emergence of multidrug resistance. Synthetic biology offers an alternative solution where specificity can be conferred to reduce the non-specific, non-targeted activity of currently available antibiotics, and instead provides targeted therapy against specific pathogens and minimising collateral damage to the host’s inherent microbiota. With a greater understanding of the microbiome and the available genetic engineering tools for microbial cells, it is possible to devise antimicrobial strategies for novel antimicrobial therapy that are able to precisely and selectively remove infectious pathogens. Herein, we review the strategies developed by unlocking some of the natural mechanisms used by the microbes and how these may be utilised in targeted antimicrobial therapy, with the promise of reducing the current global bane of multidrug antimicrobial resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new coupled KdV equation proposed by Ohta and Hirota, in which the phase shift depends on the mutual positions of solitons at the initial time, is investigated in the framework of prolongation structure theory. Its Lax representation is constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion: Tobacco EXPA4 plays a role in Nicotiana benthamiana defence against virus attack and affects antioxidative metabolism and phytohormone-mediated immunity responses in tobacco. Expansins are cell wall-loosening proteins known for their endogenous functions in cell wall extensibility during plant growth. The effects of expansins on plant growth, developmental processes and environment stress responses have been well studied. However, the exploration of expansins in plant virus resistance is rarely reported. In the present study, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and Agrobacterium-mediated transient overexpression were conducted to investigate the role of Nicotiana tabacum alpha-expansin 4 ( EXPA4) in modulating Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV-GFP) resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana. The results indicated that silencing of EXPA4 reduced the sensitivity of N. benthamiana to TMV-GFP, and EXPA4 overexpression accelerated virus reproduction on tobacco. In addition, our data suggested that the changes of virus accumulation in response to EXPA4 expression levels could further affect the antioxidative metabolism and phytohormone-related pathways in tobacco induced by virus inoculation. EXPA4-silenced plants with TMV-GFP have enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities, which were down-regulated in virus-inoculated 35S: EXPA4 plants. Salicylic acid accumulation and SA-mediated defence genes induced by TMV-GFP were up-regulated in EXPA4-silenced plants, but depressed in 35S: EXPA4 plants. Furthermore, a VIGS approach was used in combination with exogenous phytohormone treatments, suggesting that EXPA4 has different responses to different phytohormones. Taken together, these results suggested that EXPA4 plays a role in tobacco defence against viral pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the envelope solitary wave (ESW) in magnetized power law distribution dusty plasma consisting of free electrons and nonthermal ions. A (3+1)-dimensional nonlinear Schr $$\ddot{o}$$ dinger equation (NLSE) through the reductive perturbation technique is derived. The nonlinear dispersion relation $$\omega =\omega (k )$$ and coefficients of NLSE are analyzed in detail by the numerical simulation method under the effect of nonthermal ions. It is indicated that the frequency increases as the number density of nonthermal ions increase. It can be seen that the frequency with higher unperturbed ion number density is larger than that with lower case. Moreover, the effects of amplitude and width on ESW are discussed with different plasma parameters. The present results can be important in understanding the characteristics of ESW for a magnetized three component plasma system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study coherent control of a spin-orbit-coupled single atom in a double-well potential. The manipulation is achieved by applying an additional periodic driven magnetic field gradient to generate the spin-dependent force. Therefore, the strength of the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) can be continuously tuned by adjusting the driving amplitude. The atom may occupy two possible spin states which are coupled by varying fields. We show that the SOC allows controlling the interwell tunneling of the atom with or without spin-flipping and may lead to complete suppression of the tunneling at specific values of the coupling strength. By selecting the driving parameters, we propose a switchlike scheme for controlling the interwell tunneling and spin-flipping of the atom in a double-well potential. Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of both the ac and the dc external driving forces on the production of screw dislocations are studied by employing the two-dimensional Frenkel-Kontorova model. The ac force is introduced in the model as a way to describe external periodic disturbances or artificial periodic forces. We find that the appearance of the screw dislocation is influenced by the frequency and amplitude of the ac force. It is shown that the screw dislocation can be easily produced by either the lower frequency or the larger amplitude of the ac force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the protein expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and lymph node metastasis (LNM) in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). VEGF-related articles that had been published until August 2016 were searched from the PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE to identify the risk factors of LNM in PTC. RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis. Finally, 9 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in our meta-analysis. LNM was found to be present in 176 of 318 patients (57.8%) with high VEGF expression and in 71 of 159 patients (47.0%) with low VEGF expression. The overall OR was 2.81 (95% confidence interval, 1.49-5.29). LNM occurred more frequently in patients with high VEGF expression than in those with low VEGF expression (P=0.001). Heterogeneity was markedly decreased in the subgroup analyses of LNM in terms of the patients' country of origin and the detection methods. Our meta- analysis concluded that the VEGF protein expression is associated with LNM in PTC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique differentiation of IgE cells suggests unconventional mechanisms of IgE memory. IgE germinal centre cells are transient, most IgE cells are plasma cells, and high affinity IgE is produced by the switching of IgG1 cells to IgE. Here we investigate the function of subsets of IgG1 memory B cells in IgE production and find that two subsets of IgG1 memory B cells, CD80+CD73+ and CD80-CD73-, contribute distinctively to the repertoires of high affinity pathogenic IgE and low affinity non-pathogenic IgE. Furthermore, repertoire analysis indicates that high affinity IgE and IgG1 plasma cells differentiate from rare CD80+CD73+ high affinity memory clones without undergoing further mutagenesis. By identifying the cellular origin of high affinity IgE and the clonal selection of high affinity memory B cells into the plasma cell fate, our findings provide fundamental insights into the pathogenesis of allergies, and on the mechanisms of antibody production in memory B cell responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental pH is a fundamental signal continuously directing the metabolism and behavior of living cells. Programming the precise cellular response toward environmental pH is, therefore, crucial for engineering cells for increasingly sophisticated functions. Herein, we engineer a set of riboswitch-based pH-sensing genetic devices to enable the control of gene expression according to differential environmental pH. We next develop a digital pH-sensing system to utilize the analogue-sensing behavior of these devices for high-resolution recording of host cell exposure to discrete external pH levels. The application of this digital pH-sensing system is demonstrated in a genetic program that autonomously regulated the evolutionary engineering of host cells for improved tolerance to a broad spectrum of organic acids, a valuable phenotype for metabolic engineering and bioremediation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]