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The northeastern periphery of the Qaidam Basin is a crucial region for comprehending the northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau, as it documents Late Cenozoic crustal deformation that elucidates the plateau's growth process. In this study, we reconstruct three stages of crustal deformation in the northeastern periphery of the Qaidam Basin during the Late Cenozoic based on interpretation of growth strata from five seismic profiles, structural mapping of the typical superimposed folds and detailed detrital zircon analysis within the study area. (1) During the Early Miocene to Late Miocene period (23–8.6 Ma), there was NW–SE extensional deformation in the northeast margin of the Qaidam Basin, which exerted control over the deposition of the Youshashan Formation. (2) The NW–SE shortening occurred during the Late Miocene period (8.6–8.1 Ma), subsequent to the deposition of the Youshashan Formation and preceding the deposition of the Shizigou Formation, resulting in a parallel unconformity between these two geological units. (3) The intense shortening of the NE–SW direction occurred during the Late Miocene and Pliocene epochs (8.1–2.5 Ma). The timing of this deformation aligns with the sedimentary age of the Shizigou Formation, suggesting that the initial deformation age may represent the onset of NE extrusion from the Tibetan Plateau towards the northeast margin of the Qaidam Basin. The present study not only delineates a Late Cenozoic structural dome resulting from two‐stage crustal shortening in the northeastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau, but also provides a crucial evidence for reconstructing the Late Cenozoic intracontinental deformation process in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Frequency and Polarisation Selective Surface (FPSS) is proposed, which separates two adjacent bands with a narrow transition zone by the staggered separation scheme and is suitable for atmospheric remote sensing. The traditional FSS is transparent in a particular frequency band for both the TE and TM polarisations, while it is opaque in another band for both orthogonal polarisations. The FPSS is introduced in a new splitting scheme that operates above 300 GHz. The channel 420–430 GHz of the TE polarisation and the channel 360–400 GHz of the TM polarisation transmit in the FPSS. In contrast, the band 360–400 GHz of the TE polarisation and the channel 420–430 GHz of the TM polarisation are reflected. The water vapour and the oxygen profiles are detected by the 380 GHz band and the 425 GHz band, respectively. The insertion loss is lower than 1 dB, and the reflection band rejection is superior to 10 dB in the experiment, which determine the sensitivities of the bright temperature by 1.5 (RMS K). The scattered wave of the FPSS is calculated through the far field pattern, the maximum of which is about 5%. The side effect of the scattered wave is able to be ignored in the optical path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Current evidence for the efficacy of pharmacological treatment in improving cognitive function is absent. Recent studies have reported that 3‐n‐butylphthalide (NBP) has a positive effect on improving cognitive impairment; however, its clinical efficacy and safety is unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta‐analysis to assess its efficacy and safety for cognitive impairment. Methods: We systematically searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, and two reviewers independently screened and extracted the data from included studies. We synthesized the data using the Review Manager Software version 5.3. Results: We included six randomized clinical trials (RCTs), encompassing 851 patients with cognitive impairment. The results showed that NBP improved cognitive impairment. Specifically, the clinical efficacy was better than that in the control group, with better performance in improving the Mini‐Mental State Examination and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores, while decreasing the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale‐Cognitive subscale and the Clinician's Interview‐Based Impression of Change plus caregiver input scores. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between both groups. Conclusion: The NBP is effective and safe in improving cognitive impairment; however, more high‐quality RCTs are needed to confirm these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting evidence indicates that hepatic de novo lipogenesis is a common abnormality in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. We investigated whether a selective COX‐2 inhibitor, celecoxib, alleviates hepatic steatosis by targeting an Akt‐driven lipogenic pathway. We estimated the efficacy of celecoxib in a novel Akt‐driven NAFLD mouse model established via hydrodynamic transfection of activated forms of AKT and in fructose‐fed NAFLD mice that exhibited increased insulin‐independent hepatic lipogenesis. AKT‐transfected and insulin‐stimulated human hepatoma cells were used for the in vitro experiments. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were performed for mechanistic studies. The results revealed that celecoxib ameliorated hepatic steatosis in the AKT‐triggered NAFLD mice. Mechanistically, celecoxib effectively suppressed AKT/mTORC1 signalling and its downstream lipogenic cascade in the Akt‐driven NAFLD mice and in vitro. Furthermore, celecoxib had limited efficacy in alleviating hepatic lipid accumulation and showed no influence on lipogenic proteins associated with hepatic lipogenesis in fructose‐administered mice. This study suggests that celecoxib may be favourable for the treatment of NAFLD, especially in the subset with Akt‐triggered hepatic lipogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Type I collagen α1 chain (COL1A1), and caveolin 1 (CAV1) during follicular development and examined the regulatory role of melatonin (MLT) on EGFR, COL1A1, and CAV1 in sheep antral ovaries. The expression was detected in granulosa and theca cells by immunohistochemistry. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to examine the expression levels of EGFR, COL1A1, and CAV1 in small (≤2 mm), medium (2–5 mm), and large (≥5 mm) follicles. The mRNA and protein levels of EGFR, COL1A1, and CAV1 were found to be the highest in large follicles. Furthermore, cultured granulosa cells were treated with MLT (10−7–10−11 M), luzindole (nonselective MT1 and MT2 receptor antagonist, 10−7 M), and 4‐phenyl‐2‐propanamide tetraldehyde (4P‐PDOT, MT2 selective antagonist, 10−7 M) to detect the regulatory role of MLT on EGFR, COL1A1, and CAV1. Results indicated COL1A1 and CAV1 were at least partially regulated by MLT through MT1 and MT2 pathways, whereas EGFR was not. This study provided a reference for further studies on MLT regulatory role on EGFR, COL1A1, and CAV1 during sheep follicular development and elucidated the physiological mechanism of MLT regulator production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a type of congenital malformation of the anterior pituitary, which leads to isolated growth hormone deficiency or multiple hypothalamic‐pituitary deficiencies. Many genetic factors have been explored, but they only account for a minority of the genetic aetiology. To identify novel PSIS pathogenic genes, we conducted whole‐exome sequencing with 59 sporadic PSIS patients, followed by filtering gene panels involved in pituitary development, holoprosencephaly and midline abnormality. A total of 81 heterozygous variants, distributed among 59 genes, were identified in 50 patients, with 31 patients carrying polygenic variants. Fourteen of the 59 pathogenic genes clustered to the Hedgehog pathway. Of them, PTCH1 and PTCH2, inhibitors of Hedgehog signalling, showed the most frequent heterozygous mutations (22%, seven missense and one frameshift mutations were identified in 13 patients). Moreover, five novel heterozygous null variants in genes including PTCH2 (p.S391fs, combined with p.L104P), Hedgehog acyltransferase (p.R280X, de novo), MAPK3 (p.H50fs), EGR4 (p.G22fs, combined with LHX4 p.S263N) and SPG11 (p.Q1624X), which lead to truncated proteins, were identified. In conclusion, genetic mutations in the Hedgehog signalling pathway might underlie the complex polygenic background of PSIS, and the findings of our study could extend the understanding of PSIS pathogenic genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reticulon and REEP family of proteins stabilize the high curvature of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) tubules. Plasmodium berghei Yop1 (PbYop1) is a REEP5 homolog in Plasmodium. Here, we characterize its function using a gene‐knockout (Pbyop1∆). Pbyop1∆ asexual stage parasites display abnormal ER architecture and an enlarged digestive vacuole. The erythrocytic cycle of Pbyop1∆ parasites is severely attenuated and the incidence of experimental cerebral malaria is significantly decreased in Pbyop1∆‐infected mice. Pbyop1∆ sporozoites have reduced speed, are slower to invade host cells but give rise to equal numbers of infected HepG2 cells, as WT sporozoites. We propose that PbYOP1's disruption may lead to defects in trafficking and secretion of a subset of proteins required for parasite development and invasion of erythrocytes. Furthermore, the maintenance of ER morphology in different parasite stages is likely to depend on different proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A distributed congestion management scheme based on iterative distribution locational marginal price (iDLMP) to integrate distributed energy resources into the distribution network has been studied recently. However, this scheme has a requirement on the optimisation formulation for prosumers, i.e. the suboptimisation problem should be a convex one, which in certain cases might face challenges. A typical example is the non‐linear constraints of the energy storage system (ESS), which ensures that charging and discharging of ESS are mutually exclusive. In this study, the authors consider the prosumer as a self‐organising unit to integrate diverse resource flexibilities. Two roles exist in prosumer's energy operation: as a producer and as a consumer, which are also mutually exclusive for one prosumer at one time. When applying the iDLMP method to integrate prosumers energy operation, one meets a similar challenge as before. Thus, they make some reasonable assumptions about the transformer capacity, line capacity, and the price sensitivity parameters to convexify the optimisation problem. With these assumptions, a distributed convex optimisation framework is developed for the prosumers that can handle the non‐convexity issue in the optimisation problem. The numerical results indicate that the proposed method can achieve local energy sharing in the distribution network, respecting the line congestion alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Jurassic sequence in the northern Qaidam Basin can be represented by the lower coal‐bearing swamp‐lacustrine sediments unit and the upper reddish clastic deposits suite, which recorded dramatic transition of deposit environment changes. Whole‐rock geochemical data of this succession in Dameigou profile were used to reconstruct the provenance and chemical weathering history. Based on the major element discrimination diagrams, trace element ratios and chondritenormalized REE patterns, most sediments were derived from a similar source area with felsic‐intermediate rocks as dominant contributors. Multiple geochemical parameters and index displayed good correlation, via vertical variations sequence, Jurassic chemical weathering history of northern Qaidam Basin was established, and four stages were recognized from the profile. Phases I and III experienced intense chemical weathering, while Phases II and IV are characterized by mild to moderate chemical weathering. Based on this, long‐term Jurassic climatic evolution of the Qaidam Basin was reconstructed. Early‐middle period of Early Jurassic and middle period of Middle Jurassic developed warm and humid climate. On the contrary, late Early Jurassic‐early Middle Jurassic and late Middle Jurassic‐Late Jurassic was deposited under relatively semiarid to arid climatic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a high‐accuracy method of localising partial discharge (PD) for transformer fault diagnosis. This study aims to solve the problem of high‐accuracy estimation of PD in transformers by detecting the acoustic signals. First, by combining the advantages of the differential evolution (DE) algorithm and the particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm, the authors describe a hybrid DE‐PSO algorithm that can maintain great diversity even at the later stage of calculation. For further accuracy, a cooperative localisation differential evolution‐particle swarm optimization‐correction‐Newton's method (DPCN) algorithm based on the DE‐PSO algorithm and Newton's method with consideration of corrected time difference of arrival values is proposed. The results of simulations and experiments show that the proposed algorithm has excellent performance with high accuracy and strong robustness, and it can meet the needs of field applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the increasing penetration of single‐phase small generation units and electric vehicles connected to distribution grids, system operators are facing challenges related to local unbalanced voltage rise or drop issues, which may lead to a violation of the allowed voltage band. To address this problem, distribution transformers with on‐load tapping capability are under development. This study presents model and experimental validation of a 35 kVA three‐phase power distribution transformer with independent on‐load tap‐changer control capability on each phase. With the purpose of investigating and evaluating its effectiveness under different operative conditions, appropriate scenarios are defined and tested considering both balanced and unbalanced situations, also in case of reverse power flow. The experimental setup is built starting from an analysis of a Danish distribution network, in order to reproduce the main feature of an unbalanced grid. The experimental activities are recreated in by carrying out dynamics simulation studies, aiming at validating the implemented models of both the transformer as well as the other grid components. Phase–neutral voltages' deviations are limited, proving the effectiveness of the phase‐independent tap operations. Furthermore, minor deviations of the results from simulations and experiments confirm that all the system components have been properly modelled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical characteristics of the Middle Permian mudstones from the Longge Formation in the Jiaomuri area, central uplift zone of Qiangtang Basin have been analysed to constrain their provenance, tectonic setting, depositional redox condition and palaeoclimate. Based on the geochemical parameters like CIA, PIA, ICV values and Th/U, K/Rb ratios indicate that the source rocks were affected by low degree weathering conditions. The U/Th, V/Cr, Ni/Co, V/Sc ratios and Uau, C-values of samples suggest that the mudstones were formed in an oxic environment, with arid palaeoclimate. Bulk-rock geochemistry analysis indicates that they are mainly arkose and subarkose, derived from dominantly andesitic rocks, probably a mixing of felsic and mafic provenance. The CIA, PIA and ICV values of these samples suggest that the Longge mudstones are compositionally immature and related to moderate weathering. The tectonic discrimination diagrams, as well as critical trace and REE characteristic parameters imply an oceanic arc or continental arc setting for the depositional basin of mudstones from the Longge Formation, probably back-arc basin. This study supports an occurrence of archipelagic oceanic basins in the Jiaomuri area in the Middle Permian, which provides evidence for the research of the Longmu Co-Shuanghu-Lancangjiang Suture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]