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We consider a Stackelberg control strategy applied to the Boussinesq system. More precisely, we act on this system with a hierarchy of two controls. The aim of the "leader" control is the null-controllability property whereas the objective of the "follower" control is to keep the state close to a given trajectory. By solving first the optimal control problem associated with the follower control, we are lead to show the null-controllability property of a system coupling a forward with a backward Boussinesq type systems. Our main result states that for an adequate weighted functional for the optimal control problem, this coupled system is locally null-controllable. To show this result, we first study the adjoint system of the linearized system and obtain a weighted observability estimate by combining several Carleman estimates and an adequate decomposition for the heat and the Stokes system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superconductivity in a highly correlated kagome system has been theoretically proposed for years (refs. 1–5), yet the experimental realization is hard to achieve6,7. The recently discovered vanadium-based kagome materials8, which exhibit both superconductivity9–11 and charge-density-wave orders12–14, are nonmagnetic8,9 and weakly correlated15,16. Thus these materials are unlikely to host the exotic superconductivity theoretically proposed. Here we report the discovery of a chromium-based kagome metal, CsCr3Sb5, which is contrastingly featured with strong electron correlations, frustrated magnetism and characteristic flat bands close to the Fermi level. Under ambient pressure, this kagome metal undergoes a concurrent structural and magnetic phase transition at 55 K, with a stripe-like 4a0 structural modulation. At high pressure, the phase transition evolves into two transitions, possibly associated with charge-density-wave and antiferromagnetic spin-density-wave orderings. These density-wave-like orders are gradually suppressed with pressure and, remarkably, a superconducting dome emerges at 3.65–8.0 GPa. The maximum of the superconducting transition temperature, Tcmax = 6.4 K, appears when the density-wave-like orders are completely suppressed at 4.2 GPa, and the normal state exhibits a non-Fermi-liquid behaviour, reminiscent of unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality in iron-based superconductors17,18. Our work offers an unprecedented platform for investigating superconductivity in correlated kagome systems.The emergence of superconductivity under pressure is reported in a chromium-based kagome metal, CsCr3Sb5, which has strong electron correlations, frustrated magnetism and characteristic flat bands close to the Fermi level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain-negative bacterium with a rod-to-ovoid shape, named strain M216T, was isolated from sand sediment from the coastal intertidal zone of Huludao, Liaoning Province, China. Growth was observed at 8–40 °C (optimal, 30 °C), pH 5.5–9.5 (optimal, pH 6.5) and 0.5–14.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimal, 6%). Strain M216T possessed ubiquinone-9 as its sole respiratory quinone and phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminophosphoglycolipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, two unidentified phosphoglycolipids, three unidentified phospholipids and three unidentified glycolipids as the main polar lipids. C12:0, C16:0, C12:0 3-OH, C16:1ω9c, C18:1ω9c and summed features 3 (C16:1ω7c and/or C16:1ω6c) were the major fatty acids (> 5%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain M216T exhibited high similarity to those of ‘Marinobacter arenosus’ CAU 1620T and Marinobacter adhaerens HP15T (99.3% and 98.5%, respectively) and less than 98.5% similarity to those of the other type strains. The ANI and dDDH values between the strain M216T and ‘Marinobacter arenosus’ CAU 1620T were 87.4% and 33.3%, respectively; these values were the highest among the other type strains but lower than the species threshold. The G+C content of strain M216T was 58.3%. Genomic analysis revealed that strain M216T harbors the major CAZymes of GH13, GH23, GH73, and PL5, which are responsible for polysaccharide degradation and the potential ability to reduce nitrate to ammonia. Through phenotypic, genotypic, and chemotaxonomic analyses, we proposed the name Marinobacter albus sp. nov., a novel species in the genus Marinobacter, with its type strain M216T (= MCCC 1K08600T = KCTC 82894T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The baobab trees (genus Adansonia) have attracted tremendous attention because of their striking shape and distinctive relationships with fauna1. These spectacular trees have also influenced human culture, inspiring innumerable arts, folklore and traditions. Here we sequenced genomes of all eight extant baobab species and argue that Madagascar should be considered the centre of origin for the extant lineages, a key issue in their evolutionary history2,3. Integrated genomic and ecological analyses revealed the reticulate evolution of baobabs, which eventually led to the species diversity seen today. Past population dynamics of Malagasy baobabs may have been influenced by both interspecific competition and the geological history of the island, especially changes in local sea levels. We propose that further attention should be paid to the conservation status of Malagasy baobabs, especially of Adansoniasuarezensis and Adansoniagrandidieri, and that intensive monitoring of populations of Adansoniaza is required, given its propensity for negatively impacting the critically endangered Adansoniaperrieri.We carried out genomic and ecological analyses of all eight extant baobab species, providing insights into their evolutionary history and recommendations for conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the controllability of a class of systems of n Stokes equations, coupled through terms of order zero and controlled by m distributed controls. Our main result states that such a system is null-controllable if and only if a Kalman type condition is satisfied. This generalizes the case of finite-dimensional systems and the case of systems of coupled linear heat equations. The proof of the main result relies on the use of the Kalman operator introduced in [1] and on a Carleman estimate for a cascade type system of Stokes equations. Using a fixed-point argument, we also obtain that if the Kalman condition is verified, then the corresponding system of Navier–Stokes equations is locally null-controllable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three novel filamentous halophilic archaea, strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1, were isolated from the coastal saline soil samples of the intertidal zones located in different regions of Jiangsu Province, China. The colonies of these strains were pinkish-white due to the presence of white spores. These three strains are extremely halophilic and grew optimally at 35–37 °C and pH 7.0–7.5. Based on 16S rRNA and rpoB′ gene analysis, strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 gathered together in phylogenetic trees and then clustered with the current species of the genus Halocatena showing 96.9–97.4% and 82.2–82.5% similarities, respectively. Both the 16S rRNA gene-based and rpoB' gene-based phylogenies were fully supported by the phylogenomic analysis, and the overall genome-related indexes indicated that strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 should be a novel species of the genus Halocatena. Genome mining revealed that there are considerable differences in the genes related to β-carotene synthesis among these three strains and the current species of Halocatena. The major polar lipids of strains DFN5T, RDMS1, and QDMS1 are PA, PG, PGP-Me, S-TGD-1, TGD-1, and TGD-2. The minor polar lipids, S-DGD-1, DGD-1, S2-DGD, and S-TeGD may be detected. According to the phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis, genomic and chemotaxonomic features, strains DFN5T (= CGMCC 1.19401 T = JCM 35422 T), RDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19411) and QDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19410) were classified as a novel species of the genus Halocatena with the proposed name, Halocatena marina sp. nov. This is the first report of the description of a novel filamentous haloarchaeon isolated from marine intertidal zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its high mountains, deep valleys, and complex geological formations, the Jiuzhaigou County has the typical characteristics of a disaster-prone mountainous region in southwestern China. On August 8, 2017, a strong Ms 7.0 earthquake occurred in this region, causing some of the mountains in the area to become loose and cracked. Therefore, a survey and evaluation of landslides in this area can help to reveal hazards and take effective measures for subsequent disaster management. However, different evaluation models can yield different spatial distributions of landslide susceptibility, and thus, selecting the appropriate model and performing the optimal combination of parameters is the most effective way to improve susceptibility evaluation. In order to construct an evaluation indicator system suitable for Jiuzhaigou County, we extracted 12 factors affecting the occurrence of landslides, including slope, elevation and slope surface, and made samples. At the core of the transformer model is a self-attentive mechanism that enables any two of the features to be interlinked, after which feature extraction is performed via a forward propagation network (FFN). We exploited its coding structure to transform it into a deep learning model that is more suitable for landslide susceptibility evaluation. The results show that the transformer model has the highest accuracy (86.89%), followed by the random forest and support vector machine models (84.47% and 82.52%, respectively), and the logistic regression model achieves the lowest accuracy (79.61%). Accordingly, this deep learning model provides a new tool to achieve more accurate zonation of landslide susceptibility in Jiuzhaigou County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six novel halophilic archaeal strains of XZYJT10T, XZYJ18T, XZYJT40T, XZYJT49T, YCN54T and LT46T were isolated from a solar saltern in Tibet, a salt lake in Shanxi, and a saline soil in Xinjiang, China. Sequence similarities of 16S rRNA and rpoB′ genes among strains XZYJT10T, XZYJ18T, XZYJT40T, XZYJT49T, YCN54T, LT46T and current members of Halorussus were 90.6–97.8% and 87.8–96.4%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values among these six strains and current Halorussus members were in the range of 76.5–87.5% and 21.0–33.8%, respectively. These values were all below the species boundary threshold values. The phylogenomic tree based on 122 conserved archaeal protein marker genes revealed that the six novel strains formed individual distinct branches and clustered tightly with Halorussus members. Several phenotypic characteristics distinguished the six strains from current Halorussus members. Polar lipid analysis showed that the six novel strains contained phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate and two to three glycolipids. Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties showed that the six strains represented six novel species within the genus Halorussus, for which the names Halorussusvallis sp. nov., Halorussusaquaticus sp. nov., Halorussusgelatinilyticus sp. nov., Halorussuslimi sp. nov., Halorussussalilacus sp. nov., and Halorussussalinisoli sp. nov. are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three halophilic archaeal strains, NEN8T, GDY88T and ZY14T, were isolated from a salt lake in Tibet and coarse sea salt samples from Guangdong and Hebei, China, respectively. These strains formed three separate clades (showing 94.4–95.8% and 87.1–89.4% similarities, respectively) and then clustered with the current Halorientalis members (showing 90.7–97.6% and 87.0–91.2% similarities, respectively), as revealed by phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and rpoB′ genes. The overall genome-related index, average nucleotide identity (ANI), in silico DNA–DNA hybridization (DDH), average amino acid identity (AAI) and the percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) values, among the three strains and members of the genus Halorientalis were 76.0–88.0%, 21.3–37.2%, 69.0–88.3% and 57.7–78.1%, clearly below the threshold values for species demarcation. Strains NEN8T, GDY88T and ZY14T could be distinguished from current Halorientalis species according to differential phenotypic characteristics. The major polar lipids of the three strains were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1) and disulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S2-DGD). In addition, mannosyl glucosyl diether (DGD-1) was detected in strain NEN8T and phosphatidic acid (PA), posssulfated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-TGD-1) and sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether–phosphatidic acid (S-DGD–PA) were observed in strain ZY14T. These results revealed that strains NEN8T (= CGMCC 1.17213T = JCM 34155T), GDY88T (= CGMCC 1.18548T = JCM 34481T) and ZY14T (= CGMCC 1.17178T = JCM 34154T) represent three novel species of the genus Halorientalis, for which the names Halorientalis salina sp. nov., Halorientalis marina sp. nov. and Halorientalis litorea sp. nov. are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper employs a generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity-mixed data sampling (GARCH-MIDAS) model to examine the relationship between macroeconomic conditions and US stock market volatility at the industry level, with three main findings. First, some macroeconomic factors, such as the term spread, the housing starts, the National Activity Index, the change in unemployment rate, and the default rate, have noticeable effects on industry volatility. Second, out-of-sample test results show that the GARCH-MIDAS model with macroeconomic series helps improve forecasting performance mainly in the consumer staples sector, but its performance is comparable to that of the GJR-GARCH(1,1) model in other sectors. Finally, on average, the term spread contributes the most to fluctuations during expansions, whereas the default rate assumes the most significant role during recessions. As for quantitative easing, although it seems to reduce the scale of stock volatility and to cause the volatilities across sectors associated with macroeconomic series to reach the values observed in expansions, the volatility attributed to the default rate is approaching its average level in recession periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Integral impeller is a complex part commonly used in petroleum, chemical, shipbuilding, aerospace, and other industries. The manufacturing of the integral impeller involves the multi-axis machining of free-form surface, which is a time-consuming and error-prone process. Tool path planning is regarded as a key issue in this process, but there is still short of systematic solutions. In this paper, a parametric domain template trajectory mapping algorithm is presented to calculate the tool path of impeller channel machining. Through generating the template trajectory in the parametric domain, and mapping the template trajectory to the physical domain with the aid of the mapping model, and then the actual machining tool path can be obtained. The proposed method can realize the rapid acquisition and easy modification of the impeller machining tool path. Firstly, the trajectory mapping model from the parametric domain to the physical domain is established using the morphing technique, and the template trajectory mapping method in the parametric domain is given. Secondly, the clean-up boundary of the impeller channel is determined in the parametric domain, and the quasi-triangular and streamlined template trajectory of the impeller channel is defined. Finally, the template trajectory given in the parametric domain is mapped to the physical domain through the mapping model, and the streamlined and quasi-triangular tool paths of the impeller channel are calculated. An example analysis shows that the calculation difficulty of the tool path for impeller channel machining is greatly decreased, and the calculation efficiency is also improved. The simulation and actual machining are carried out. The result shows that the tool path generation method presented in this paper is effective and feasible, and it offers a new way for tool path planning of NC machining for impeller complex parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the flexural behavior test of coral aggregate reinforced concrete beams (CARCB) and ordinary Portland reinforced concrete beams (OPRCB), and based on the parameters of concrete types, concrete strength grades and reinforcement ratios, the crack development, failure mode, midspan deflection and flexural capacity were studied, the relationships of bending moment-midspan deflection, load-longitudinal tensile reinforcement strain, load-maximum crack width were established, and a calculation model for the flexural capacity of CARCB was suggested. The results showed that with the increase in the reinforcement ratio and concrete strength grade, the crack bending moment (Mcr) and ultimate bending moment (Mu) of CARCB gradually increased. The characteristics of CARCB and OPRCB are basically the same. Furthermore, through increasing the concrete strength grade and reinforcement ratio, Mcr/Mu could be increased to delay the cracking of CARCB. As the load increased, crack width (w) would also increase. At the beginning of the loading, w increased slowly. And then it increased rapidly when the load reached to the ultimate load, which then led to beam failure. Meanwhile, with a comprehensive consideration of the effects of steel corrosion on the loss of steel section and the decrease of steel yield strength, a more reasonable calculation model for the flexural capacity of CARCB was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

JMJD3, a stress-inducible H3K27 demethylase, plays a critical regulatory role in the initiation and progression of malignant hematopoiesis. However, how this histone modifier affects in a cell type-dependent manner remains unclear. Here, we show that in contrast to its oncogenic effect in preleukemia state and lymphoid malignancies, JMJD3 relieves the differentiationarrest of certain subtypes (such as M2 and M3) of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. RNA sequencing and ChlP-PCR analyses revealed that JMJD3 exerts anti-AML effect by directly modulating H3K4 and H3K27 methylation levels to activate the expression of a number of key myelopoietic regulatory genes. Mechanistic exploration identified a physical and functional association of JMJD3 with C/EBPβ that presides the regulatory network of JMJD3. Thus, the leukemia regulatory role of JMJD3 varies in a disease phase- and lineage-dependent manner, and acts as a potential oncorepressor in certain subsets of AML largely by coupling to C/EBPβ-centered myelopoietic program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B43 rainfall products during the period of 1998~2016 are evaluated via monthly and yearly precipitation data from 56 observational stations over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). The results are as follows: (1) annual rainfall increases gradually from northwest to southwest and monthly precipitation surges sharply, owing to rainband's abrupt pushing north caused by the westward and northward extension of Western Pacific Subtropical High, to 200 mm/month in July; (2) only seized by the TRMM, the developing process of ChunAn precipitation center synchronizes with monthly precipitation series that may recycle throughout the year; (3) 3B43 data are inclined to overestimate precipitation but performs the best (relative bias ranging within -10~10%) at most parts of the YRD zone; and its correlation coefficient with observation is 0.88 in annual scale; for monthly scale, CC peaks in March (0.96) and reaches the bottom (0.79) in August; (4) no evident connection between CC and elevation is found in the 3B43 annual rainfall products which estimate precipitation better upon urban land. This paper is of importance in understanding the impacts of complex topography and landcovers on the precipitation assessment in a river delta scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally preserved fossil ferns are extremely significant for exploring the origin and evolution of this plant clade; however, they are quite scarce and limited in the Mesozoic. Here, we report some well-preserved fern rhizomes and rachides with anatomical details from the Upper Jurassic Manketouebo Formation in Inner Mongolia, NE China. Two taxa, including Ashicaulis liaoningensis (Zhang et Zheng) Tidwell referred to Osmundaceae and Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. referred to Gleicheniaceae, are recognized. Anatomically, Ashicaulis liaoningensis consists of a heterogeneous pith, an ectophloic dictyoxylic siphonostele, a twolayered cortex, C-shaped leaf traces, and a mantle of petiole bases. The petiole base is characterized by a heterogeneous sclerotic ring with an abaxial thick-walled fiber arc. Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. consists of a C-shaped vascular bundle with two incurved adaxial hooks, a distinct sclerenchyma sheath, an endodermis, and a heterogeneous cortex. In particular, the finding of Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. represents the first report of unequivocal Jurassic record of Gleicheniaceae in northern China, as well as the first record of a Jurassic permineralized gleicheniaceous fern in the Northern Hemisphere. This study provides new data and evidence for exploring the anatomical diversity and evolution of Mesozoic ferns, and contributes to further understanding the floral composition of Late Jurassic flora in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four unsymmetrical oxovanadium phenanthroimidazole complexes, [VO(hntdtsc)(NPIP)] (1), [VO(hntdtsc)(CPIP)] (2), [VO(hntdtsc)(MEPIP)] (3) and [VO(hntdtsc)(HPIP)] (4) (hntdtsc = 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, NPIP = 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f]1,10-phenanthroline, CPIP = 2-(4-chlorphenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f]1,10-phenanthroline), MEPIP = 2-(4-methylphenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f]1,10-phenanthroline), HPIP = 2-(4-hydroxylphenyl)-imidazo[4,5-f] 1,10-phenanthroline), have been synthesized and characterized. Their DNA binding and antitumor activities were determined by biochemical methods. All four oxovanadium complexes can bind with CT-DNA by an intercalation model and can also cleave supercoiled plasmid DNA in the presence of H2O2. The antitumor properties and mechanism of the complexes have been analyzed by MTT assay, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay and Western blot analysis. The results showed that the free ligands and their corresponding complexes all possess antiproliferative activities with very low IC50 values against Hela, BIU-87 and SPC-A-1 cell lines. Complex 1, which has a strongly electron-withdrawing nitro group, exhibited the best antiproliferative activities. Complex 1 caused G0/ G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle and induced apoptosis in Hela cells. Additionally, complex 1 attenuated the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2).This indicates that inhibition of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway may contribute to the antitumor effects of these complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facial nerve paralysis (FNP) is a loss of facial movement due to facial nerve damage, which will lead to significant physical pain and abnormal function in patients. Traditional FNP grading methods are solely based on clinician's judgment and are time-consuming and subjective. Hence, an accurate, quantitative and objective method of evaluating FNP is proposed for constructing a standard system, which will be an invaluable tool for clinicians who treat the patient with FNP. In this paper, we introduce a novel method for quantitative assessment of FNP which combines an effective facial landmark estimation (FLE) algorithm and facial asymmetrical feature (FAF) by processing facial movement image. The facial landmarks can be detected automatically and accurately using FLE. The FAF is based on the angle of key facial landmark connection and mirror degree of multiple regions on human face. Our method provides significant contribution as it describes the displacement of facial organ and the changes of facial organ exposure during performing facial movements. Experiments show that our method is effective, accurate and convenient in practice, which is beneficial to FNP diagnosis and personalized rehabilitation therapy for each patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1) ensures B-cell differentiation into the plasma cell stage, and its instability constitutes a crucial oncogenic element in certain aggressive cases of activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL). However, the underlying degradation mechanisms and their possible therapeutic relevance remain unexplored. Here, we show that N-terminal misfolding mutations in ABC-DLBCL render Blimp-1 protein susceptible to proteasome-mediated degradation but spare its transcriptionregulating activity. Mechanistically, whereas wild-type Blimp-1 metabolism is triggered in the nucleus through PML-mediated sumoylation, the degradation of lymphoma-associated mutants is accelerated by subversion of this pathway to Hrd1-mediated cytoplasmic sequestration and ubiquitination. Screening experiments identifies the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) that selects Blimp-1 mutants for Hrd1 association, and HSP70 inhibition restores their nuclear accumulation and oncorepressor activities without disrupting normal B-cell maturation. Therefore, HSP70-Hrd1 axis represents a potential therapeutic target for restoring the oncorepressor activity of unstable lymphoma-associated Blimp-1 mutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visible-light-driven, graphene-like boron nitride (g-BN)-mediated graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) photocatalysts were firstly synthesized via a facile and green method. The as-prepared catalyst samples were characterized by their morphology, optical and electrochemical performance. The photocatalytic activity of the g-BN/g-CN composites was evaluated by bisphenol A photodegradation and H evolution under visible-light irradiation. The results indicated that 0.9% g-BN/g-CN exhibited the best photocatalytic activity amongst the hybrid photocatalysts. The enhanced photocatalytic activity was ascribed to excellent surface properties, an enhanced visible-light harvesting capability, a stable structure and a high-efficiency separation rate of photoinduced electron-hole pairs. This work will support the rational design of g-BN-based photocatalytic materials for use in energy conversion and environmental preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A ferulic acid molecularly imprinted membrane (MIM) with blending SiO nanoparticles was constructed using photoinitiated copolymerization. The MIMs were synthesized using ferulic acid as template, 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as functional monomer, Ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as crosslinker. The synthetic conditions such as the mass content and size of the SiO nanoparticles and the UV exposure times were optimized to obtain the membrane with superior performance. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and FT-IR Spectrometer had been used to visualize the structure morphology of the molecularly imprinted membrane and to quantity pore size and the surface characteristics. The recognition properties of all prepared membranes were thoroughly investigated by using the cross flow membrane filtration equipment to calculate the selectivity factor and the water flux. Results indicated that the ferulic acid composite MIM which with 0.25 wt% SiO nanoparticles and 130-140 min exposure time were founded be optimum parameters. It showed good recognition ability to ferulic acid as well as high hydrophilicity and outstanding mechanical strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate an all-optical terahertz modulator based on single-layer graphene on germanium (GOG), which can be driven by a 1.55 μm CW laser with a low-level photodoping power. Both the static and dynamic THz transmission modulation experiments were carried out. Aspectrally wide-band modulation of the THz transmission is obtained in a frequency range from 0.25 to 1 THz, and a modulation depth of 94% can be achieved if proper pump power is applied. The modulation speed of the modulator was measured to be, ℘200 KHz using a 340 GHz carrier. A theoretical model is proposed for the modulator and the calculation results indicate that the enhanced THz modulation is mainly due to the third order nonlinear effect in the optical conductivity of the graphene monolayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online monitoring and measurements of tool wear were carried out using cutting forces for precision turning of stainless steel parts. The best combination of features was selected from 14 features extracted from force signals by using a Sequential Forward Search algorithm. Back-propagation neural networks (BPNs) used two features for online classification. When the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) was applied, seven features were needed for the classification. For online measurements, only one feature is needed for BPN. Three features are needed for ANFIS for online measurements. For online classification of turning tool conditions, a 2 × 20 × 1 BPN can achieve a success rate of higher than 86% while a 7 × 2 ANFIS can reach a success rate of higher than 96%. For online measurements of tool wear, the estimation error can be as low as 1.37% when a 1 × 20 × 1 BPN was used while the error can be as low as 0.56% using a 3 × 3 ANFIS. Therefore, the 3 × 3 ANFIS can be used first to predict the degradation of tool conditions during the turning process. It can also be used to measure the tool wear online so as to take feedback control action to enhance accuracy of the process. Once the detected tool wear is close to the worn-out threshold, the 7 × 2 ANFIS will be then applied to classify the tool conditions in order to stop the turning operation on time automatically so as to assure the quality of products and to avoid catastrophic failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tapping has been widely used throughout industry, and its proper operation is paramount in ensuring product quality. Therefore, monitoring and diagnosis are needed to detect the tapping process conditions. They are also important for automated manufacturing. In this work, a combination of ten indices of the tapping process was extracted from tapping torque, thrust force, and lateral forces. The Sequential Forward Search (SFS) algorithm has been used to select the best feature sets. Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference Systems (ANFIS) were used for the monitoring and diagnosis of tapping process. A 3 × 2 ANFIS structure can distinguish normal tapping process from abnormal tapping process with 100 % reliability. The tapping process conditions can be further classified into five categories with over 95 % success rate using a 10 × 2 ANFIS structure for diagnostic purpose. In simple words, monitoring and diagnosis of tapping process can be carried out successfully using SFS and ANFIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Repeated bending occurs toward the direction of rail head and rail base during the cooling which can lead to significant bending deformation and residual stress after cooling. The longer the rail is, the more obvious this phenomenon is. In addition to cooling function, a kind of cooling bed with a pre-bending process is used in order to solve this problem on 100m rail. The synchronous movements on this cooling bed can be realized by the automatic control system after establishing the mathematical model of bending deformation after rolling. The rail is reversely bent toward the rail base before cooling according to the pre-bending control of the pre-bending curve and is straight after cooling, which can realize the control of the residual stress after pre-bending and straightening. The straightening residual stress is significantly reduced after the pre-bending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) chart is a very effective control chart. It is much faster to detect mean shifts compared with the $$ \bar{X} $$ and CUSUM charts, even their VSSI (variable sample sizes and sampling intervals) versions. This article proposes an SPRT scheme, called the VSI SPRT chart, which uses the variable sampling intervals (VSI) scheme to further increase the effectiveness of the SPRT chart for detecting process mean shifts. This VSI SPRT chart employs a long sampling interval d when the process is likely to be in control and adopts a short sampling interval d when the process seems close to an out-of-control condition. The results of the case studies show that the adaptive feature has the potential to further increase the overall detection effectiveness of the SPRT chart compared with the fixed sampling interval SPRT chart and, therefore, to reduce the manufacturing costs. This new chart is particularly effective when mean shift is moderate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simulated genetic algorithm (GA) model of scheduling the flow shop problem with re-entrant jobs. The objective of this research is to minimize the weighted tardiness and makespan. The proposed model considers that the jobs with non-identical due dates are processed on the machines in the same order. Furthermore, the re-entrant jobs are stochastic as only some jobs are required to reenter to the flow shop. The tardiness weight is adjusted once the jobs reenter to the shop. The performance of the proposed GA model is verified by a number of numerical experiments where the data come from the case company. The results show the proposed method has a higher order satisfaction rate than the current industrial practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapies targeting estrogen receptor α (ERα, encoded by ESR1) have transformed the treatment of breast cancer. However, large numbers of women relapse, highlighting the need for the discovery of new regulatory targets modulating ERα pathways. An siRNA screen identified kinases whose silencing alters the estrogen response including those previously implicated in regulating ERα activity (such as mitogen-activated protein kinase and AKT). Among the most potent regulators was lemur tyrosine kinase-3 (LMTK3), for which a role has not previously been assigned. In contrast to other modulators of ERα activity, LMTK3 seems to have been subject to Darwinian positive selection, a noteworthy result given the unique susceptibility of humans to ERα+ breast cancer. LMTK3 acts by decreasing the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) and the phosphorylation of AKT (Ser473), thereby increasing binding of forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) to the ESR1 promoter. LMTK3 phosphorylated ERα, protecting it from proteasomal degradation in vitro. Silencing of LMTK3 reduced tumor volume in an orthotopic mouse model and abrogated proliferation of ERα+ but not ERα− cells, indicative of its role in ERα activity. In human cancers, LMTK3 abundance and intronic polymorphisms were significantly associated with disease-free and overall survival and predicted response to endocrine therapies. These findings yield insights into the natural history of breast cancer in humans and reveal LMTK3 as a new therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental and numerical investigations are carried out to explore the viscous dissipation effect during de-ionized ultra pure water flowing through smooth quartz glass microtubes with inner diameters of 25 and 50 m, and the Reynolds number varies in the range from 0 to 680. The viscous dissipation characteristic in microtubes is numerically calculated by a 2-D model and the Electrical Double Layer (EDL) effect on the flow is considered. A new criterion V demonstrating the law of the viscous dissipation effect in microtubes is summed up with the numerical simulation results. By applying the micro-area thermal-imaging technology and a series of correction tests, the viscous heating temperature increment in the microtube can be exactly measured by an IR camera with a special magnifying lens. Furthermore, the temperature increment of the working fluid due to the heat generated by the pump is also considered in the experimental investigation. The comparisons among the experimental results, the numerical predictions and the new theoretical correlations are made in the present research, which indicates the experimental data are in rough accordance with the numerical and the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of experiments (DOE) and statistical process control (SPC) have been separately used in many traditional and non-traditional machining processes, but recently these two approaches are being combined and reevaluated for more effective use and accurate conclusions. DOE and SPC are very efficient tools to maintain the process on target and within boundaries of natural variations and to achieve the maximum accuracy and effectiveness of an experimental program. This paper proposes an integrated framework of SPC and DOE to execute the experimental procedures and to investigate a reliable mathematical model for optimizing the wire electrochemical turning process (WECT). WECT is a non-traditional machining process which has tremendous applications in modern industries especially in the aerospace and military industries. Response surface methodology is used to determine the sufficient number of experiments and also the recommended values of the input parameters. Univariate and multivariate control charts are used to assess the statistical control of the output parameters. Multi-objective optimization is conducted for determining the optimum values of the input parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) the role played receptor interacting protein 1 (RIP1) in TNF-induced apoptosis.

The sequential probability ratio test (SPRT) chart is a desirable tool for monitoring manufacturing processes due to its high effectiveness. It is especially suitable for applications where testing is very expensive or destructive, such as the automobile airbags test and unaxial tensile test. This article proposes a design algorithm for the SPRT chart in which the reference value ( γ) of the SPRT chart is optimized. The design algorithm increases the overall effectiveness of the SPRT chart by more than 10% on average. Moreover, the improvement in detection effectiveness is achieved without any additional difficulty in implementation. A design table is also provided to facilitate quality engineers to design the SPRT chart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three geometries of split-ring resonators (SRRs) including circular geometry and two elliptical geometries were fabricated by modern photolithography process. The samples were measured by terahertz time-domain transmission spectroscopy. These spectra clearly revealed the lower-frequency LC resonances and the higher-frequency dipole resonances; meanwhile, the coupling effect between the LC and dipole resonance had played an important role in the overall response. Comparing the results shows that the LC resonance, dipole resonance, and the coupling effect can be designed. A simple transmission-line (TL) RLC circuit model was used to help us understand this coupling behavior and the extent of its effects. But the simple model has some disadvantage. For better matching TL-RLC model results with measured data, an improved model was introduced for the circular and y-direction stretched elliptical geometry SRRs. Other resonances and modes existing at higher frequencies except the typical LC and dipole resonances were revealed by the improved model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some nonlinear dynamic properties of axisymmetric deformation are examined for a spherical membrane composed of a transversely isotropic incompressible Rivlin-Saunders material. The membrane is subjected to periodic step loads at its inner and outer surfaces. A second-order nonlinear ordinary differential equation approximately describing radially symmetric motion of the membrane is obtained by setting the thickness of the spherical structure close to one. The qualitative properties of the solutions are discussed in detail. In particular, the conditions that control the nonlinear periodic oscillation of the spherical membrane are proposed. In certain cases, it is proved that the oscillating form of the spherical membrane would present a homoclinic orbit of type “∞”, and the amplitude growth of the periodic oscillation is discontinuous. Numerical results are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O-GlcNAcase (OGA) is a family 84 glycoside hydrolase catalyzing the hydrolytic cleavage of O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine ( O-GlcNAc) from serine and threonine residues of proteins. Thus far, three forms of OGA have been identified in humans. Here we optimized the expression of these isoforms in E. coli and characterized their kinetic properties. Using Geno 3D, we predicted that N-terminal amino acids 63–342 form the catalytic site for O-GlcNAc removal and characterized it. Large differences are observed in the Km value and catalytic efficiency ( kcat/ Km) for the three OGA variants, though all of them displayed O-GlcNAc hydrolase activity. The full-length OGA had the lowest Km value of 0.26 mM and the highest catalytic efficiency of 3.51·103. These results reveal that the N-terminal region (a.a. 1–350) of OGA contains the catalytic site for glycoside hydrolase and the C-terminal region of the coding sequence has the ability to stabilize the native three-dimensional structure and further affect substrate affinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Folate deficiency and elevated plasma homocysteine play important roles in pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The aim of this study was to test the association of folate metabolism-related genes, cystathionine beta-synthase gene ( CβS) and 5, 10-methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase gene ( MTHFD1), with sporadic AD. The CβS 844ins68 polymorphism was determined by PCR and the MTHFD1 G1958A single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2236225) by PCR-RFLP. No significant difference of allele and genotype contributions of the CβS polymorphism between AD cases and controls was detected, before and after stratification by APOE ε4-carrying status, age/age at onset and genders. No significant difference of allele and genotype contributions of the MTHFD1 polymorphism between AD cases and controls was detected in total samples. When stratified by age/at onset age, we found that A allele and AA genotype frequencies in cases were higher than in controls and the differences were close to significant [A vs. G, P = 0.032, Odds ratio (OR) 1.642, 95% CI 1.040–2.591; AA + GA vs. GG, P = 0.068, OR 1.665, 95% CI 0.961–2.885; AA vs. GG, P = 0.059, OR 3.458, 95% CI 0.894–13.369] in <65 years groups, which suggested that the MTHFD1 G1958A A allele might be a weak risk factor for early onset AD although it needs further confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of microarray technology has resulted in an exponential rise in gene expression data. Linear computational methods are of great assistance in identifying molecular interactions, and elucidating the functional properties of gene networks. It overcomes the weaknesses of in vivo experiments including high cost, large noise, and unrepeatable process. In this paper, we propose an easily applied system, Stepwise Network Inference (SWNI), which integrates deterministic linear model with statistical analysis, and has been tested effectively on both simulated experiments and real gene expression data sets. The study illustrates that connections of gene networks can be significantly detected via SWNI with high confidence, when single gene perturbation experiments are performed complying with the algorithm requirements. In particular, our algorithm shows efficiency and outperforms the existing ones presented in this paper when dealing with large-scale sparse networks without any prior knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve taxa belonging to two subsections of section Idaeobatus in Rubus L. from southwestern China were characterized by karyotypic, palynological, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data as follows: (1) The 12 taxa were all diploid species (2 n = 2 x = 14), among which the chromosome counts for R. mesogaeus var. oxycomus, R. subtibetanus, R. ellipticus var. obcordatus, R. inopertus var. echinocalyx, and R. stans were reported for the first time; (2) All taxa except for R. ellipticus and R. pinfaensis could be distinguished from each other by karyotype, pollen morphology, and RAPD markers. Karyotypes were mainly characterized by the difference in numbers and positions of submetacentric chromosomes and chromosomes with satellited pair, the index of the karyotypic asymmetry, and the ratio of the longest to the shortest chromosome. Pollen morphology were mainly characterized by the discrepancy in specific pollen size, P/ E ratio, colpi width, distance between the apices of two ectocolpi, and exine ornamentation characters. The cluster results based on RAPD markers were consistent with morphology classification except for R. pinfaensis; (3) Based on the general data of karyotypic, palynological, and RAPD, R. ellipticus var. obcordatus should be treated as a species R. obcordatus, R. ellipticus and R. pinfaensis should be combined as R. ellipticus, and it was more reasonable to place the combinants and R. obcordatus into subsection Stimulantes rather than into subsection Pungentes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper described the main four basic models of ideal landscape in the Mount Lushan National Park as Kunlunshan model, Xumishan model, Peach flower land model, Christian model. Five typical places in Mount Lushan with the ideal landscape characteristics like the East Grove Temple, White Deer Cave Academy, Simplicity and Tranquility Monastery, Lushan Valley, and Villa-cluster of the East Valley were analyzed, and the integration of the basic models for each place was discussed to make the realistic landscape conform to the ideal needs. Moreover, the discussions also involved the characteristics of ideal landscape that are featured in resource, culture, structure, function, process, scale and region. In conclusion, ideal landscape in the Mount Lushan National Park was the product of the interaction between human and nature. Mount Lushan inherits the essence of Chinese traditional culture with a history of more than 1000 years; and it also absorbs the manna of the Western culture as well as the exchanges between nature and humanities together with the conflict and adaptation among different cultures. The natural landscape could be satisfied with the survival demand and cultural taste of mankind by the way of ecological planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes an adaptive loss function (AL) control chart for statistical process control (SPC). This chart is able to monitor process shifts in the mean and variance simultaneously. It is appealing for its effectiveness in detecting process shifts and simplicity in operation under a computerized SPC environment. By using a fixed sample size and a fixed sampling interval, the AL chart can be operated as easily as the conventional $${\bar X}$$ and S charts from the stand of the operators. Nevertheless, via the computer-aided adaption of some charting parameters, the AL chart is not only significantly more effective than the $${\bar X}$$ and S charts, but it also outperforms the cumulative sum (CUSUM) charts for most of the combinations of mean and increasing variance shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]