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Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an enteric coronavirus that causes acute diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration, and a high mortality rate in neonatal piglets. In recent years, PEDV has been associated with co-infections with other swine enteric viruses, including porcine rotavirus (PoRV), resulting in increased mortality among newborn piglets. In this paper, we developed a bivalent vaccine against PEDV and PoRV by constructing a recombinant PEDV encoding PoRV VP7 (rPEDV-PoRV-VP7). The recombinant virus was constructed by replacing the entire open reading frame 3 (ORF3) in the genome of an attenuated PEDV strain YN150 with the PoRV VP7 gene using reverse genetic systems. Similar plaque morphology and replication kinetics were observed in Vero cells with the recombinant PEDV compared to the wild-type PEDV. It is noteworthy that the VP7 protein could be expressed stably in rPEDV-PoRV-VP7-infected cells. To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of rPEDV-PoRV-VP7, 10-day-old piglets were vaccinated with the recombinant virus. After inoculation, no piglet displayed clinical symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, or anorexia. The PoRV VP7- and PEDV spike-specific IgG in serum and IgA in saliva were detected in piglets after rPEDV-PoRV-VP7 vaccination. Moreover, both PoRV and PEDV neutralizing antibodies were produced simultaneously in the inoculated piglets. Collectively, we engineered a recombinant PEDV expressing PoRV VP7 that could be used as an effective bivalent vaccine against PEDV and PoRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• How does driver behavior expressed through head pose dynamics relate to involvement in safety critical events. • Computer vision and mixed logit techniques used to identify patterns and relationships between drivers' head pose dynamics and crash involvement. • Angular deviation for head pose dynamics indicated by yaw, pitch and roll increase the likelihood of crash intensity by 4.56%, 4.92% and 8.26% respectively. This paper investigates the role of driver behavior especially head pose dynamics in safety–critical events (SCEs). Using a large dataset collected in a naturalistic driving study, this paper analyzes the head pose dynamics and driving behavior in moments leading up to crashes or near-crashes. The study uses advanced computer vision and mixed logit modeling techniques to identify patterns and relationships between drivers' head pose dynamics and crash involvement. The results suggest that driver-head pose dynamics, especially poses that indicate distraction and movement volatility, are important factors that can contribute to undesirable safety outcomes. Marginal effects show that angular deviation for head pose dynamics indicated by yaw, pitch and roll increase the likelihood of crash intensity by 4.56%, 4.92% and 8.26% respectively. Furthermore, traffic flow and lane changing also contribute to increase in likelihood of crash intensity. These findings provide new insights into pre-crash factors, especially human factors and safety–critical events. The study highlights the importance of considering human factors in designing driver assistance systems and developing safer vehicles. This research contributes by examining naturalistic driving data at the microscopic level with early detection of behaviors that lead to SCEs and provides a basis for future research on automation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed optimization, combining cooperative control and optimization objectives, is vital for practical applications. While current research predominantly focuses on linear multi-agent systems, the real-world demands often involve nonlinear systems with finite or fixed time constraints. This paper addresses the finite-time/fixed-time distributed optimization for nonlinear multi-agent systems with time-varying cost function. Under appropriate assumptions, we propose a finite-time distributed protocol and a fixed-time distributed protocol for the nonlinear multi-agent systems to ensure all agents achieve consensus and minimize the time-varying cost function, relaxing the conditions for strong convexity and bounded gradient difference of the cost function. Simulation experiments validate the effectiveness of these distributed protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the spreading properties of a nonlocal dispersal reducible cooperation model under a shifting habitat. By considering the corresponding upper and lower control systems, we find that the left and right expansion fronts of the solutions with exponentially unbounded kernels propagate with finite speed and infinite speed, respectively. This is quite different from the case of exponentially bounded kernels (Wang and Li, 2020), in which the expansion fronts of the solutions always spread to the left and right with finite speeds. That is to say, we have found a new phenomenon that linear extension and accelerating propagation appear at the same time for such a system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, three hydroxy‐tetraphenylimidazole (HPI)‐based fluorophores (HPI‐TPA, HPI‐PCz, and HPI‐CzP) are designed and synthesized by disubstituted HPI core with arylamine units of triphenylamine (TPA), phenyl carbazole (PCz), and carbazole phenyl (CzP) at 3,5‐positions of the N‐phenyl ring of HPI, respectively. Their photophysical properties are theoretically and experimentally examined. HPI‐TPA shows a hybridized local and charge transfer (HLCT) excited state characteristic and emits deep blue color via an HLCT mechanism, while both HPI‐PCz and HPI‐CzP exhibit excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) property and display pure keto form emissions. They possess high thermal stability and are successfully fabricated as emitters in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). All devices exhibit intense blue color emissions with low turn‐on voltages (3.5–3.7 V). Particularly, HPI‐TPA‐based OLED emits light in the deep‐blue region with a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 3.77% and a decent efficiency roll‐off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibrovascular polyps (FVPs) with hypopharyngeal pedicles (hFVPs) are the rare intraluminal benign tumours of the upper aerodigestive tract, and their accurate diagnosis and optimal management are challenging. Purpose: The present retrospective study attempted to explore the optimal diagnosis and treatment of hFVPs. Research Design: The clinical records of 2 patients with giant, irregularly shaped hFVPs, who underwent several failed surgical procedures after inaccurate diagnosis, were reviewed. Finally, the patients were correctly diagnosed and successfully treated at Capital Medical University Beijing Friendship Hospital in different years, 2018 and 2020. Results: Case 1 was of a 43-year-old woman with 2 months of progressive dysphagia. Gastroenterologists overlooked the origin of her FVP, and decided to sever its narrowest point in the oesophagus through endoscopy. However, upon unsuccessful removal of the mass, a gastrotomy procedure was performed to extract the mass 7 days later. Symptoms recurred 3 months after the treatment, and a fibreoptic laryngoscopy confirmed hFVP in the patient at our department. A transcervical approach was used to sever the hypopharyngeal pedicle, achieve haemostasis and remove the oesophageal tumour. No recurrence was detected during the 2-year follow-up period after the treatment. Case 2 was of a 32-year-old man with dysphagia who had previously undergone transthoracic and transcervical oesophagotomy procedures within a gap of 3 months for the removal of FVP causing dysphagia. The hypopharyngeal pedicle was not diagnosed in the patient. The symptoms of dysphagia recurred 4 years after the treatment, and a fibreoptic laryngoscope confirmed hFVP at our department. The tumour was removed successfully through the transcervical approach. No recurrence was detected during the 6-months follow-up after surgery. Conclusion: In conclusion, the transcervical approach is suitable for achieving haemostasis and removing giant, irregularly shaped hFVPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : Some cervical tuberculous lymphadenopathy (CTL) presents no evidence of tuberculosis (TB), even after thorough examination of a fine-needle aspiration (FNA) specimen. After the examination of excisional specimens, when the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis identifies the nucleic acid of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) or the culture results are positive, then the diagnosis of CTL is established. We refer to this condition as occult CTL (OCTL). Patient and Methods : The present work is a retrospective review of a consecutive series of OCTL cases that were treated at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, between June 2015 and September 2020. When the diagnosis of OCTL was established, the patients received the standard anti-TB chemotherapy. Results : Fourteen cases of OCTL, including 9 female and 5 male patients, aged 24 to 71 years (median age 42 years), were included in the present study. The most commonly observed levels of lymph node involvement were level V and level II. Each level of the involved lymph nodes was removed entirely through en bloc surgical resection. An evaluation of the excisional specimens led to positive PCR results in all 14 cases, with 2 cases presenting positive culture and 3 cases exhibiting positive acid-fast bacilli (AFB) staining. Recovery was uneventful, and the anti-TB chemotherapy was completed in all cases. The median duration of follow-up was 29 months, during which no case of TB relapse was observed. Conclusions : Wide surgical excision is crucial for the diagnosis and management of OCTL, and when used in combination with anti-TB chemotherapy, it results in satisfactory patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three isopimarane diterpenes [fladins B (1), C (2), and D (3)] were isolated from the twigs and leaves of Chinese folk medicine, Isodon flavidus. The chemical structures were determined by the analysis of the comprehensive spectroscopic data, and the absolute configuration was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The structures of 1–3 were formed from isopimaranes through the rearrangement of ring A by the bond break at C-3 and C-4 to form a new δ-lactone ring system between C-3 and C-9. This structure type represents the first discovery of a natural isopimarane diterpene with an unusual lactone moiety at C-9 and C-10. In the crystal of 1, molecules are linked to each other by intermolecular O-H···O bonds, forming chains along the b axis. Compounds 1–3 were evaluated for their bioactivities against different diseases. None of these compounds displayed cytotoxic activities against HCT116 and A549 cancer cell lines, antifungal activities against Trichophyton rubrum and T. mentagrophytes, or antiviral activities against HIV entry at 20 µg/mL (62.9–66.7) µM. Compounds 1 and 3 did not show antiviral activities against Ebola entry at 20 µg/mL either; only 2 was found to show an 81% inhibitory effect against Ebola entry activity at 20 µg/mL (66.7 µM). The bioactivity evidence suggested that this type of compound could be a valuable antiviral lead for further structure modification to improve the antiviral potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the study of subduction zone processes, there has been much debate on slab dehydration against slab melting, as well as on flux melting of the mantle wedge against metasomatism and a prolonged period of storage and heating before mantle melting. H2O‐saturated solidus of rock is critical to the debate. Unfortunately, there is a significant discrepancy in H2O‐saturated solidus between different experimental studies, mainly due to the difficulty in distinguishing hydrous melt from aqueous fluid in quenched experimental products. In this study, we developed a new approach to locating H2O‐saturated solidus of rock systems by monitoring the electrical conductivity of the system in situ. A mixture of albite and >10 wt% H2O was heated stepwise in the range of 0.35–1.7 GPa in a piston cylinder apparatus. A jump in electrical conductivity (up to 1.8 log units) was observed over a small temperature interval (10–20°C). The temperature corresponding to the electrical jump decreased from 790 ± 10°C at 0.35 GPa to 640 ± 10°C at 1.7 GPa, in good agreement with previously reported H2O‐saturated solidus of albite. Examination of the experimental products quenched immediately after observation of the electrical conductivity jump confirmed the occurrence of albite melting. Our experimental results suggest that the electrical conductivity jump serves as a good indicator for rock melting under H2O‐saturated conditions, and this in situ approach can overcome the ambiguity in phase identification in quench experiments. This new approach has the potential to solve the discrepancy over H2O‐saturated solidus of a variety of rock systems and shed light on subduction zone processes. Plain Language Summary: To understand petrological processes at subduction zones, it is important to know at what temperature a rock starts to melt with plenty of water available (i.e., the H2O‐saturated solidus). However, in the products from high‐pressure quench experiments, it is often difficult to tell whether the rock system has melted or not. Not surprisingly, there are significant discrepancies between previous studies on the location of H2O‐saturated solidus, especially for peridotite. By using the albite‐H2O system as a test system, we show that melting can be recognized in situ by an electrical conductivity jump, although the jump becomes smaller toward high pressure. The solidus temperatures determined by our approach are in good agreement with widely accepted values in literature. With further improvement, this new approach can be used to solve the discrepancy over H2O‐saturated solidus of different rock systems and shed light on subduction zone processes. Key Points: A new in situ method of measuring H2O‐saturated solidus is developedMelting of albite corresponds to a jump of electrical conductivityThe amplitude of electrical conductivity jump reduces with pressure [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inherent weak mechanical strength of chitosan physical cross-linking hydrogels (CS hydrogels) limits their applications in biomaterials. Hence, puerarin (PUE) as a self-assembly active small molecule in herbal was introduced in CS hydrogels to fabricate CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels with interpenetrating network structure. The result of rheological measurement showed that storage modulus and loss modulus of CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels were improved by three orders of magnitude, indicating that the introduction of PUE significantly reinforced CS hydrogels. The results of SEM and BET measurement demonstrated that macromolecular chains of CS intertwined with nanofibers of PUE, which caused the network structure of CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels to become denser. XRD patterns and FT-IR spectra verified that the amino groups in CS formed hydrogen bonding with the hydroxyl groups in PUE. Degradation and swelling experiments showed that CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels have pH sensitivity. Moreover, CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels exhibited multi-functionality including injectability, thixotropy, cytocompatibility, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The release behavior of berberine chloride hydrate (BCH) and PUE from the resultant CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels have pH dependence. These results revealed that injectable CS/PUE 18 composite hydrogels with dual antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties could be potential delivery vehicles for sustained and controlled release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ChCl-MA has high pretreatment efficiency with low sugar loss. • Temperature has the most significant effect on ChCl-MA pretreatment. • No significant difference in glucose yield from washed and unwashed substrate. • Unwashed DES-pretreated bagasse has higher ethanol yield. • Feasible to eliminate washing step in bioethanol production scheme. The current scheme of bioethanol production generally involves pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. After pretreatment, extensive washing is usually applied prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. This study investigates the potential of eliminating washing step in glucose recovery and ethanol production scheme when DES pretreatment is applied. The feasibility of DES synthesized using choline-chloride with citric acid (ChCl-CA), glycerol (ChCl-Gly), urea (ChCl-Urea) and malonic acid (ChCl-MA) were investigated in pretreating sugarcane bagasse. The pretreatment condition of the best performed DES was then optimized. Subsequently, glucose recovery and bioethanol production using washed and unwashed DES-pretreated bagasse were compared. Results show that ChCl-MA is the most suitable DES to pretreat sugarcane bagasse due to high sugar recovery while having low sugar loss during the process. The pretreatment was best conducted at 130 °C, 3.2 h with 4% solid loading. The maximum amount of glucose recovered after 48 h of enzymatic hydrolysis from both washed and unwashed pretreated substrate was insignificantly different. Bioethanol obtained from unwashed pretreated substrate was slightly higher (5.2 g/L) compared to washed substrate (4.9 g/L). This study suggests that the application of recyclable DES in pretreatment, alongside with the potential elimination of washing could improve the current bioethanol production scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although explosive cyclones (ECs) have long been a focus of research, there remains a lack of knowledge of the statistical characteristics of their associated maximum surface winds and vertical extents. This study fills this gap by conducting a targeted statistical analysis of ECs in the Northern Hemisphere using the ERA-I reanalysis data during a 40-year period. Some new findings are obtained: (a) The average location of formation of ECs undergoes a notable westward and equatorward shift from September to April in the next year which is consistent with the location variations of sea surface temperature's strong gradients in subtropical regions. (b) Extreme ECs with a deepening rate more than 2.0 Bergeron or with a longer lifespan more than 10 days tend to have a larger occurrence number over the Northern Atlantic Ocean than over the Northern Pacific. (c) The maximum surface wind associated with an EC tends to appear between the EC reaching its maximum deepening rate and reaching its minimum central pressure. (d) The northeastern quadrant of ECs accounts for the highest proportion of maximum surface wind and strongest wind speed, as the baroclinic energy conversion is generally strongest in this quadrant. (e) Over 60% of ECs belong to a type of vertically deep cyclone (ECs' top levels show close relationship to ascending motions within their central regions), and they tend to reach their maximum vertical extent around the time when they reach their minimum central pressures. (f) The highest top levels of ECs exhibit an overall upward extending trend as their minimum central pressure decreases or their maximum deepening rate increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • We conducted the analysis of the microbial community structure in bee bread across different seasons. • We explored the correlation between the microbial community and nutrient composition in bee bread through the integration of multiple omics data. • By analysing 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA high-throughput sequencing data, we found that the microbial diversity of Apis mellifera bee bread was higher than that of Apis cerana bee bread at both the phylum and genus levels. • Glycerophospholipid metabolism was active during both spring and winter in both types of bee bread. Bee bread is a product of honeybees, which collect and ferment pollen, that contains highly nutritious and easily digestible active substances. However, its nutritional composition varies significantly with fermentation strains and seasonal changes. To unveil the patterns of microbial community and nutritional component changes in bee bread across seasons, we employed high-throughput techniques to assess the diversity of bacteria and fungi in bee bread. The results indicated that the compositions of bacteria and fungi in bee bread undergo significant seasonal variation, with noticeable changes in the microbial diversity of bee bread from different bee species. Subsequently, metabolomic analysis revealed high activity of glycerophospholipid metabolism in bee bread. Furthermore, our analysis identifaied noteworthy differences in nutritional components, including pH values, sugar content, and free amino acid levels, in bee bread across different seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) with polydopamine (PDA) modified thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) porous membranes as the matrix skeleton and N-methyl-N-methoxyethyl pyrrolidine bis (fluorosulfonyl) imine (Pyr 12O1 FSI) ionic liquid (IL) as the plasticizer is successfully demonstrated to be suitable for sodium ion batteries (SIBs). The GPE exhibits excellent heat resistance due to the non-flammability of Pyr 12O1 FSI. Moreover, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results indicate that there is a strong intermolecular interaction between PDA, TPU and IL, thus greatly improving the structural stability and mechanical properties of this GPE. In addition, the functional groups (-OH and –NH–) in PDA have strong hydrogen bonds with TFSI− in sodium bis (trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (NaTFSI), which can immobilize TFSI− anions and promote Na+ selective transport. Therefore, the ionic conductivity and Na+ transference number of the GPE-based SIBs are significantly increased to 3.57 × 10−4 S cm−1 and 0.34 at 30 °C. As a consequence, Na|TPU@PDA-IL GPE|Na symmetric cells exhibit an ultra-long cycle life for 1200 h at 0.1 mA cm−2. This work provides an approach to develop GPE for high safety and excellent electrochemical performance SIBs. • A polyurethane-pyr 12O1 FSI gel polymer electrolyte is modified by polydopamine. • Polydopamine facilitates to fix TFSI-of sodium salt, thereby promoting t Na+. • Pyr 12O1 FSI improves the security and reliability of the gel polymer electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • γ-Tocopherol suppresses oxidation of Trp-containing LO in Met form. • γ-Tocopherol facilitate oxidation and decomposition of Trp-containing LO in MetO form. • Ring structure of Trp-containing LOs rupture as they were further oxidized. Linusorbs (LOs), significantly influence oil quality and sensory properties of flaxseed oil. Trp-containing LOs exhibit distinct oxidative behavior when γ-tocopherol (γ-T) is present. Polar fractions of crude flaxseed oil were stripped via silica absorption, and reintroduced (LO and γ-T) separately into the oil matrix to investigate their interaction during storage. Compared with crude oil, LOs account for 18.49% reduction of p -anisidine value, while LOs with γ-T contributed to most of the endogenous antioxidant effect in crude oil. γ-T was found to suppress oxidation of Trp-containing LO at early stage (Met form), while facilitate oxidation while at their mid-stage (MetO form, Methionine sulfoxide). In vitro oxidation shows that CLD more likely cleaved into peptide fragments, while few products retain intact ring structures. LC-MS/MS analysis and silicon simulation revealed proximity between MetO and Trp residues, facilitating inter- or intra-molecular reactions and ring structure rupture. Remarkably, the presence of γ-T facilitate these phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new state of charge (SoC) estimation method for lithium-ion battery that uses a Switching Gain Adaptive Sliding Mode Observer (SGASMO) is proposed. The purpose of SGASMO is to reduce the chattering of estimated results from the sliding mode observers (SMOs) and improve the estimation accuracy. First, the Dual Polarization (DP) equivalent circuit model is selected and its parameters are identified to provide a basis for the design of the new SMO. Second, based on the DP model, the nonlinear terminal sliding surface and continuous control law were introduced. And an improved switching gain equation was designed, which is adaptively adjusted according to the sliding mode surface equation. Thus, the SGASMO was realized, and the convergence of the proposed observer was proved by the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, based on the test data of the self-built experimental platform, it is verified that the proposed SGASMO has less jitter in the estimated results and better estimation accuracy and robustness compared with the conventional SMOs and other types of mainstream improved SMOs. • A switching gain adaptive sliding mode observer (SGASMO) is proposed for SoC estimation. • The nonlinear terminal sliding mode surface is introduced to enable the tracking error to converge to the equilibrium point in finite time after the system reaches the sliding mode. • A continuous control law for SMO is designed to increase estimation accuracy and to reduce the chattering. • Adaptive adjustment of switching gain mitigates the impact of model errors on estimation accuracy and strengthens the robustness of the observer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linking the urban spatial structure with residential mobility is a vital yet challenging mission. With a unique dataset tracking changes in individual residential locations in Shanghai from 2014 to 2015, this paper portrays the directional trajectories of Shanghai's spatial structure and rigorously examines the motivations of residents for different spatial preferences with the approach of propensity score matching. By classifying the spatial structure into four typologies, polycentricity, sprawl, dispersed-monocentricity and compact-monocentricity, we find that relocated residents push Shanghai's spatial structure in greater favor of sprawl or compact-monocentricity. Furthermore, the movers towards sprawl, decentralized-monocentricity and compact-monocentricity mainly benefit from housing, jobs, and neighborhood amenities, respectively; and the movers towards the polycentric spatial structure can take the advantage of favorable house prices. These results shed light on the process of shaping the urban spatial structure and offer valuable insights into residents' spatial preferences. • It contributes by linking the urban spatial structure with residential mobility. • Relocated residents push Shanghai's spatial structure in greater favor of sprawl or compact-monocentricity. • The movers that contribute to the shaping of different urban spatial structures can take advantage of various advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor is an important member of the FOX family and is involved in the development of more than 16 types of cancers. • The expression of FOXC1 expression in cancer is regulated at multiple levels including transcriptional regulation, post-transcriptional regulation and post-translational modification. • Dysregulation of FOXC1 is implicated in drug resistance in various types of cancer, especially in breast cancer. The Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor is an important member of the FOX family. After initially being identified in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with significant oncogenic function, FOXC1 was subsequently demonstrated to be involved in the development of more than 16 types of cancers. In recent years, increasing studies have focused on the deregulatory mechanisms of FOXC1 expression and revealed that FOXC1 expression was regulated at multiple levels including transcriptional regulation, post-transcription regulation and post-translational modification. Moreover, dysregulation of FOXC1 is also implicated in drug resistance in various types of cancer, especially in breast cancer, which further emphasizes the translational and clinical significance of FOXC1 as a therapeutic target in cancer treatment. This review summarizes recent findings on mechanisms of FOXC1 dysregulation in cancers and its role in chemoresistance, which will help to better understand the oncogenic role of FOXC1, overcome FOXC1-mediated drug resistance and develop targeted therapy for FOXC1 in cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, curved fronts are constructed for spatially periodic bistable reaction-diffusion equations under the a priori assumption that there exist pulsating fronts in every direction. Some sufficient and some necessary conditions of the existence of curved fronts are given. Furthermore, the curved front is proved to be unique and stable. Finally, a curved front with varying interfaces is also constructed. Despite the effect of the spatial heterogeneity, the result shows the existence of curved fronts for spatially periodic bistable reaction-diffusion equations which is known for the homogeneous case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at extending the classical strong mathematical morphology operations to quantum image processing field, in this paper, an quantum image edge detection method is designed based on the novel enhanced quantum representation of digital images (NEQR) and multi-directions Gray-scale morphology. Because NEQR is more convenient for gray operation of quantum image. In addition, based on multi-directional feature of image edges, the multi-directional structures are constructed by combining the mathematical morphology. Compared with the existing quantum image edge detection methods, this method can reach a better effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent work has revealed that spontaneous release plays critical roles in the central nervous system, but how it is regulated remains elusive. Here, we report that synaptotagmin‐11 (Syt11), a Ca2+‐independent Syt isoform associated with schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, suppressed spontaneous release. Syt11‐knockout hippocampal neurons showed an increased frequency of miniature excitatory post‐synaptic currents while over‐expression of Syt11 inversely decreased the frequency. Neither knockout nor over‐expression of Syt11 affected the average amplitude, suggesting the pre‐synaptic regulation of spontaneous neurotransmission by Syt11. Glutathione S‐transferase pull‐down, co‐immunoprecipitation, and affinity‐purification experiments demonstrated a direct interaction of Syt11 with vps10p‐tail‐interactor‐1a (vti1a), a non‐canonical SNARE protein that maintains spontaneous release. Importantly, knockdown of vti1a reversed the phenotype of Syt11 knockout, identifying vti1a as the main target of Syt11 inhibition. Domain analysis revealed that the C2A domain of Syt11 bound vti1a with high affinity. Consistently, expression of the C2A domain alone rescued the phenotype of elevated spontaneous release in Syt11‐knockout neurons similar to the full‐length protein. Altogether, our results suggest that Syt11 inhibits vti1a‐containing vesicles during spontaneous release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is mainly concerned with the new types of entire solutions which are different from pulsating fronts of Lotka-Volterra competition systems with asymmetric dispersal in spatially periodic habitats. The asymmetry of kernel function leads to a great influence on the profile of pulsating fronts and the sign of wave speeds, which gives rise to the properties of the entire solution more complex and diverse. We first give a relationship between the critical speeds c ⁎ (ξ) and c ⁎ (− ξ) , corresponding to the minimal speeds of two pulsating fronts propagating in the direction of ξ and − ξ , respectively. Then, the exponential behavior of pulsating fronts as they approach their limiting states is obtained. Finally, by considering the interactions of two different pulsating fronts coming from two opposite/same directions and applying the super-/subsolutions techniques as well as the comparison principle, we establish the existence and various qualitative properties of some different types of entire solutions defined for all time and whole space. Moreover, we give some numerical simulations to describe intuitively these obtained entire solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron configurations of Ca, Zn and the nine transition elements M in between (and their heavier homologs) are reviewed on the basis of density functional theory and experimental facts. The d-s orbital energy and population patterns are systematically diverse. (i) The dominant valence electron configuration of most free neutral atoms M0 of groups g = 2–12 is 3dg−24s2 (textbook rule), or 3dg−14s1. (ii) Formal Mq+ cations in chemical compounds have the dominant configuration 3dg−q4s0 (basic concept of transition metal chemistry). (iii) M0 atoms in metallic phases [M∞] of hcp, ccp(fcc) and bcc structures have intermediate populations near 3dg−14s1 (lower d populations for Ca (ca. ½) and Zn (ca. 10)). Including the 4p valence orbitals, the dominant metallic configuration is 3dg−δ4(sp)δ with δ ≈ 1.4 (±0.2) throughout (except for Zn). (iv) The 3d,4s population of atomic clusters Mm varies for increasing m smoothly from single-atomic 3dg−24s2 toward metallic 3dg−14s1. – The textbook rule for the one-electron energies, i.e., ns < (n−1)d, holds 'in a broader sense' for the s block, but in general not for the d block, and never for the p block. It is more important to teach realistic atomic orbital (AO) populations such as the ones given above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at two different classification tasks in the field of quality evaluation of valuable Chinese herbal medicine, the applicability of data fusion strategy based on different complementary analysis techniques was studied. In this study, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR) and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐QTOF/MS) were used to analyze the different parts (including roots, stems, leaves, and fibrils) of 2‐to 5‐year‐old Vietnamese ginseng. The multivariate classification models (orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis, OPLS‐DA; support vector machine, SVM) were established using low‐level and mid‐level data fusion methods to identify different parts and age of Vietnamese ginseng. The OPLS‐DA model have shown that the fusion data matrix with low‐level fusion processing could separate Vietnamese ginseng samples with different growth years to the greatest extent, whereas the single data matrix had partial overlap. But 100% of prediction set classification accuracy could be achieved. The SVM model combined with two parameter optimization algorithms (grid search, GS; genetic algorithm, GA) was used to identify Vietnamese ginseng samples with different ages. The mid‐level fusion strategy based on the recursive feature elimination (RFE) features variable extraction method was more suitable for SVM model. In the model established by combining the two parameter optimization methods, the identification effect can reach 83.33%. The results showed that data fusion, as an effective strategy, could distinguish different ages and parts of Vietnamese ginseng. Multisource information fusion is used for parts and age authentication of VG.CARS feature extraction method has improved the classification performance of SVM.Midlevel data fusion was confirmed to be more efficient on the age authentication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To detect content of Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, 2n, and Cr in Lysimachia christinae, and to analyze the pollution level. [Methods] Seven kinds of elements in L. christinae were determined by Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and analyzed by single index and comprehensive index. [Results] The seven heavy metal elements showed good linearity in their respective concentration ranges. The recoveries of the samples were 84.5% -109.5%,and the RSD values were 2.30% - 5.10%. Comparing the measured results of heavy metal elements with the limit values stipulated in the 2020 edition of the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and other standards, the Cr element in 19 batches of samples exceeded the standard, and the Zn element in 7 batches of samples exceeded the standard. The exceeding rates were 100.0% and 36.8%, respectively; the content of other heavy metal elements did not exceed the standard. The order of individual index from large to small was Cr, Zn, Cd, Hg, Cu, As, and Pb, and the average comprehensive pollution level was mild pollution and above. [Conclusions] L. christinae was mainly polluted by Cr, followed by Zn; this study can provide basic data for drafting of the limit standard for heavy metal elements in L. christinae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dormancy release and reactivation of temperate-zone trees involve the temperature-modulated expression of cell-cycle genes. However, information on the detailed regulatory mechanism is limited. Here, we compared the transcriptomes of the stems of active and dormant larch trees, emphasizing the expression patterns of cell-cycle genes and transcription factors and assessed their relationships and responses to temperatures. Twelve cell-cycle genes and 31 transcription factors were strongly expressed in the active stage. Promoter analysis suggested that these 12 genes might be regulated by transcription factors from 10 families. Altogether, 73 cases of regulation between 16 transcription factors and 12 cell-cycle genes were predicted, while the regulatory interactions between LaMYB20 and LaCYCB1;1 , and LaRAV1 and LaCDKB1;3 were confirmed by yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays. Last, we found that LaRAV1 and LaCDKB1;3 had almost the same expression patterns during dormancy release and reactivation induced naturally or artificially by temperature, indicating that the LaRAV1 - LaCDKB1;3 module functions in the temperature-modulated dormancy release and reactivation of larch trees. These results provide new insights into the link between temperature and cell-cycle gene expression, helping to understand the temperature control of tree growth and development in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most seriously arid areas in China, the Qaidam Basin (QB) features a notable growing probability of intense rainfall under global warming. Compared to a normal/humid region, intense rainfall usually results in more severe disasters in an arid area. Considering that few studies focused on intense rainfall within the QB, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms governing intense rainfall in this region. A type of Tibetan Plateau vortex (TPV) associated intense rainfall within the QB was investigated in this study, which partly fills the existing research gaps in the field. The main findings are as follows: (a) the intense‐rainfall‐producing TPV formed and maintained in a favorable background environment which was characterized by a notable upper‐level divergence north of a strong upper‐level jet and a strong middle‐level warm advection ahead of a shortwave trough over the Tibetan Plateau. (b) Vorticity budget indicates that two factors affected the vortex's formation notably, one was the convergence‐related vertical stretching, which dominated the vortex's formation and the other was the import of the horizontal transport of anticyclonic vorticity which was the most detrimental factor for the formation of the TPV. Tilting and vertical transport only exerted weak effects on the TPV's formation, since convective activities were relatively weak in this event. (c) Moisture budget shows that the southwestern and southern moisture transport channels, which were mainly driven by the wind field associated with the shortwave trough over the Tibetan Plateau, contributed ~70% to the total moisture income of the intense rainfall within the QB. The transport was accomplished primarily through the southern boundary of the QB, with the moisture mainly coming from the Indian Peninsula and Indochina Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we lock the focus in effect of P T -symmetric operation on the dynamics of concurrence and the first-order coherence for Heisenberg XY model. We discover the complementarity between concurrence and the first-order coherence. And the complementarity indicates that P T -symmetric operation induces enhancement of coherence at the expense of concurrence loss in Heisenberg XY model. Meanwhile, we find that coherence under P T -symmetric operation can be recovred in a certain range of time dependent parameter, thus we can choose some special P T -symmetric operation to make the coherence maximum. Our analysis yields the result that the quadratic sum of these two resources can be improved via P T -symmetric operation. Both temperature and parameter of P T -symmetric operation will change the magnitude of the increment in the quadratic sum of concurrence and the first-order coherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the in situ growth stress evolution and phase transformation of bcc to hcp Ti in Ti/W multilayered thin films. A series of equal layer thicknesses from 20 nm to 1 nm were deposited. As the bilayer thickness reduced, the overall film stress became less compressive until the Ti transformed from hcp (at the larger layer thicknesses) to bcc in the 1 nm/1 nm multilayer. The pseudomorphic bcc stabilization resulted in a recovery of the compressive stress to values near that for the bulk phase stabilized for the 5 nm/5 nm multilayer. A discernable change in stress slope was noted for the bcc to hcp Ti transition as a function of Ti layer thickness. The stress states for each film, during film growth, are rationalized by the lattice matching of the phase with the growth surface. These results are coupled to a molecular dynamics deposition simulation which revealed good agreement with the experimentally observed transformation thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely accepted that the complexation of Sn with Cl in magmatic-hydrothermal fluids is critical for the formation of endogenic Sn deposits. However, Sn abundance as high as 0.4 wt% has been found in some chlorine-poor but silicate-rich fluid inclusions associated with a Sn-mineralized pegmatite. To examine the role of silicate solutes in Sn mineralization, we measured the solubility of cassiterite in alkaline silicate-rich fluids by direct observation of single crystal cassiterite dissolution in a hydrothermal diamond anvil cell at 540–900 °C and 5.5–13.6 kbar. Experimental results indicated that a significant amount of cassiterite could be dissolved in both Na 2 Si 3 O 7 –H 2 O and Na 3 AlSi 5 O 13 –H 2 O fluids, and SnO 2 solubility was positively correlated with the concentration of silicate solutes, the Na/(Si + Al) ratio of the fluid and temperature. In Na 2 Si 3 O 7 –H 2 O fluids at ∼680 °C with 24 to 45 wt% silicate solute, SnO 2 solubility increased from 0.65 to1.67 wt%. In Na 3 AlSi 5 O 13 –H 2 O fluids at ∼715 °C with 21 to 52 wt% silicate solute, the solubility increased from 0.49 to 1.19 wt%. These values are comparable to cassiterite solubilities in HCl solutions and Li 2 CO 3 solutions, and are much higher than those in NaCl solutions, 0.1 mol/kg NaOH solution, and 14 wt% SiO 2 solution. In situ Raman spectra collected on fluids demonstrated the presence of silicate monomers and oligomers, and the complexation of Sn with these Si-(Al)-Na clusters or with (OH)− could explain the observed high SnO 2 solubility. Comparison with SnO 2 solubility in peraluminous melt suggests that Sn can be significantly enriched in alkaline silicate-rich fluids. Modeling of progressive fluid-melt unmixing successfully reproduces the observed high Sn abundance in silicate-rich fluid inclusions. Alkaline silicate-rich fluids can therefore serve as an effective agent, alternative to chlorine-rich fluids, for Sn mobilization and mineralization, especially in pegmatite systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNMT3B promoted migration, invasion, colony formation and growth in 3D Matrigel of MDA-MB-231 miR-29c cells. Figure S6. miR-29c reduced luciferase activity of wild type 3'UTR of DNMT3B-luciferase reporter, and not the mutant type 3'UTR of DNMT3B reporter in MCF-7 cells. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a severe dermatological disease that significantly reduces life quality. However, the etiology of this disease remains largely unknown. Objectives: We sought to identify the factors associated with clinical presentation and the severity of HS. The features of HS between genders and smokers/nonsmokers were compared. Methods: A single-center retrospective study of 161 patients with HS was conducted and analyzed. Results: The male-to-female ratio in HS was approximately 2:1 in Taiwan. The severity of HS was significantly associated with smoking (odds ratio 2.20, P = 0.018). HS in men more frequently occurred in the gluteal region. Nonsmokers in HS tended to have earlier onset age and axillary lesions. Smokers were prone to have exclusive gluteal involvement and negative family history of HS. Conclusion: Our data revealed smoking correlated with the severity of HS. Smoking status and gender influence the clinical characteristics in HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the semilinear elliptic problem - Δ u = λ m (x) u - [ a (x) + ε b (x) ] u p in Ω , B u = 0 on ∂ Ω , where p > 1 , λ > 0 , m , a , b ∈ C (Ω ¯) , with a ⪈ 0 , b ⪈ 0 , Ω is a bounded C 2 domain of R N ( N ≥ 1 ), B is a general classical mixed boundary operator, and ε ≥ 0 . Thus, a(x) and b(x) can vanish on some subdomain of Ω and the weight function m(x) can change sign in Ω . Through this paper we are always considering classical solutions. First, we characterize the existence of positive solutions of this problem in the special case when ε = 0 . Then, we investigate the sharp patterns of the positive solutions when ε ↓ 0 and ε ↑ ∞ . Our study reveals how the existence of sharp profiles is determined by the behavior of b(x). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: USP6 rearrangement underpins self‐limiting fibroblastic/myofibroblastic neoplasms, including nodular fasciitis (NF), myositis ossificans (MO), aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC), and related variants. The aim of this study was to characterise UPS6 and fusion partners in order to delineate the clinicopathological, genetic and bone‐forming features in such lesions of soft tissue (ST). Methods and results: Break‐apart fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation (FISH) validated USP6 rearrangement in 31 of 35 NF [comprising three of three fasciitis ossificans (FO) cases, seven of eight cellular variant of fibroma of tendon sheath (C‐FTS), four of six MO, three of three ST‐ABC, and two of two fibro‐osseous pseudotumours of digits (FOPD)]. As determined with FISH and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, MYH9–USP6 was the commonest fusion in four C‐FTS and 20 NF, including one intravascular case and two infantile (one retroperitoneal) cases. The presence of MYH9–USP6 confirmed the diagnosis of two NFs> 50 mm with prominent ischaemic necrosis. COL1A1–USP6 was predominant in ossifying lesions, including all FO, MO, ST‐ABC and FOPD with identified partner genes, and was also present in non‐ossifying head and neck NF (HN‐NF) and C‐FTS in two cases each. A cervical NF of a 14‐month‐old girl harboured the novel COL1A2–USP6. Ossifying lesions showed considerable genetic and morphological overlaps. Sharing COL1A1–USP6, FO and FOPD showed similar central or haphazard bone matrix deposition. Besides zonation of outward bone maturation, four COL1A1–USP6‐positive MO had incipient to sieve‐like pseudocysts reminiscent of ST‐ABC. Conclusion: MYH9–USP6 is present in some C‐FTS and most NF, including rare variants, but is unrelated to bone formation. All bone‐forming USP6‐rearranged lesions adopt COL1A1 as the 5′ partner, indicating close genetic kinships. However, COL1A1/COL1A2 also contributes to the pathogenesis of minor subsets of non‐ossifying USP6‐rearranged HN‐NF and C‐FTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the processes K K ¯ → ϕ , π D → D ∗ , π D ¯ → D ¯ ∗ , and the production of ψ (3770) , ψ (4040) , ψ (4160) , and ψ (4415) mesons in collisions of charmed mesons or charmed strange mesons. The process of 2-to-1 meson–meson scattering involves a quark and an antiquark from the two initial mesons annihilating into a gluon and subsequently the gluon being absorbed by the spectator quark or antiquark. Transition amplitudes for the scattering process derive from the transition potential in conjunction with mesonic quark–antiquark wave functions and the relative-motion wave function of the two initial mesons. We derive these transition amplitudes in the partial wave expansion of the relative-motion wave function of the two initial mesons so that parity and total-angular-momentum conservation are maintained. We calculate flavor and spin matrix elements in accordance with the transition potential and unpolarized cross sections for the reactions using the transition amplitudes. Cross sections for the production of ψ (4040) , ψ (4160) , and ψ (4415) relate to nodes in their radial wave functions. We suggest the production of ψ (4040) , ψ (4160) , and ψ (4415) as probes of hadronic matter that results from the quark–gluon plasma created in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sandy soil leaks water and fertilizer, and the ecological degradation is serious. The structural characteristics of soft rock and sandy soil are complementary, and the improvement of sandy soil by adding soft rock is of great significance to improve soil fertility, restore biodiversity, and maintain sustainable development of the Mu Us sandy land region. In this study, total organic carbon (TOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidized organic carbon (ROC), microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), bacterial community structure and crop yield were examined using soft rock:sand volume ratios of 0:1 (CK), 1:5 (C1), 1:2 (C2) and 1:1 (C3). Our results indicated that, compared with the CK treatment, TOC (9.66–22.34%), POC (85.65–120.41%) and ROC (114.12–192.31%) noticeably increased in C1, C2 and C3 treatments; SMBC in treatment C3 increased by 42.77%. The three dominant bacteria in the soil (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Chloroflexi), as well as Proteobacteria abundance, greatly declined in the treatments with the addition of soft rock. Pseudarthrobacter was the dominant Genus in all treatments, having an abundance between 11.83 and 19.33%. Bacterial diversity, richness and evenness indices all recorded an increase under the treatments. POC, TOC and SMBC recorded the most significant effects on the bacterial community structure. The largest increases in wheat and corn yields were recorded in the C2 treatment (16.05% and 16.30%), followed by the C1 treatment (8.28% and 8.20%, respectively). Our findings indicate that a soft rock:sand ratio between 1:5 and 1:2 recorded the most improvement in the sandy soil environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scatophagus argus is an important marine culture fish in South and South-East Asia, including Southeast coastal areas of China. Artificial propagation technology for S. argus is not optimum; thus further studies on its reproduction biology are required. Although previous studies have shown that leptin (Lep) can regulate fish reproduction, the role of lep genes in S. argus is unknown. Herein, in silico analysis showed that S. argus has two lep genes (lepa and lepb). Protein 3D-structure prediction showed that Lepa has four α-helices (similar to mammals), while Lepb only has three. Tissue distribution analysis showed that lepa is highly expressed in the liver, whereas lepb was not detected in any tissue. Notably, lepr was expressed in all tissues. Lepa mRNA expression levels in the liver and serum Lep, estradiol (E 2) and vitellogenin (Vtg) levels of female fish were significantly higher in ovaries at stage IV than in ovaries at stage II. Serum E 2 levels were significantly positively correlated with Vtg levels in female fish at different development stages, while serum E 2 was not correlated with Lep levels. Consistently, in vitro incubation of the liver with E 2 significantly up-regulated vtga , while it did not affect lepa expression. Recombinant Lep (10 nM) significantly up-regulated chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone (cGnRH/GnRH-II) in the hypothalamus and GnRH receptor (GnRHR) and luteinizing hormone beta (Lhb) in the pituitary. These results suggest that lepa regulates female reproduction in S. argus. [Display omitted] • Lepa expression in Scatophagus argus increases during ovary maturation. • Serum leptin level is not correlated with serum estrogen level. • Estrogen in vitro incubation cannot up-regulate liver lepa. • Recombinant leptin up-regulates cGnRH and Lhb in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NlODC and its regulated polyamines were involved in the wing differentiation of BPH. • NlODC may act through the juvenile hormone (JH) pathway to regulate wing differentiation in BPH. • This finding contributes to the study of mechanisms regulating phenotypic plasticity in insects. The brown planthopper (BPH, Nilaparvata lugens), a major insect pest of rice, can make a shift in wing dimorphism to adapt to complex external environments. Our previous study showed that NlODC (Ornithine decarboxylase in N. lugens) was involved in wing dimorphism of the brown planthopper. Here, further experiments were conducted to reveal possible molecular mechanism of NlODC in manipulating the wing dimorphism. We found that the long-winged rate (LWR) of BPH was significantly reduced after RNAi of NlODC or injection of DFMO (D, L-α-Difluoromethylornithine), and LWR of males and females significantly decreased by 21.7% and 34.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, we also examined the contents of three polyamines under DFMO treatment and found that the contents of putrescine and spermidine were significantly lower compared to the control. After 3rd instar nymphs were injected with putrescine and spermidine, LWR was increased significantly in both cases, and putrescine was a little bit more effective, with 5.6% increase in males and 11.4% in females. Three days after injection of ds NlODC , injection of putrescine and spermidine rescued LWR to the normal levels. In the regulation of wing differentiation in BPH, NlODC mutually antagonistic to NlAkt may act through other signaling pathways rather than the classical insulin signaling pathway. This study illuminated a physiological function of an ODC gene involved in wing differentiation in insects, which could be a potential target for pest control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance polyamide thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration membranes have received great attention in recent years. Herein, we report the preparation of TFC nanofiltration membranes by interfacial polymerization using MoS 2 nanosheets as the nanomaterial interlayer. The aqueous monomer and MoS 2 nanosheets are distributed on the surface of microporous membrane substrates by a one-step method. The MoS 2 interlayer improves the uniformity and smoothness of the microporous substrates, helping to form polyamide nanofilms at ultralow monomer concentration. Moreover, the hydrophilic and negatively-charged MoS 2 nanosheets enhance the water permeability and negative charges of the nanofiltration membranes. The composite membranes show both high water permeance of 33.5 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and Na 2 SO 4 rejection of 97.5%, as well as significantly improved mono-/divalent anions selectivity and antifouling property. It is proved that the interfacial polymerization strategy assisted by the MoS 2 interlayer is effective for preparing high-performance nanofiltration membranes. [Display omitted] • Nanofiltration membranes with MoS 2 nanosheet interlayer are fabricated. • MoS 2 interlayer provides an even platform for interfacial polymerization. • The nanofiltration membrane shows a water permeance of 33.5 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 and a rejection of 97.5% for Na 2 SO 4. • The nanofiltration membrane exhibits excellent long-term stability and antifouling ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and lead (Pb) are widely used in industrial field, which poses a serious threat to human and animal health. In particular, a large volume of wastewater containing TBBPA and Pb was discharged into the aquatic environment, causing a seriously negative impact on fish. Currently, whether TBBPA and Pb have a synergistic toxicity on fish remains unclear. In this study, we used the grass carp hepatocytes (L8824 cell line) exposed to either TBBPA or Pb, or both to determine their potential impacts on fish. The results showed that Pb or TBBPA induced oxidative stress and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in grass carp hepatocytes. In contrast to the control cells, the levels of JAK2, p -JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 were significantly upregulated after exposure to TBBPA and Pb. Furthermore, the levels of Caspase3, Caspase9 and Bax were all increased while the level of Bcl2 was decreased in hepatocytes exposed to TBBPA or Pb. Results of flow cytometry and AO/EB staining reveled significant increases in the number of apoptotic cells in the TBBPA and Pb group compared to the controls. Notably, cells exposed to both TBBPA and Pb exhibited more severe damage than the single exposure, manifested by a higher number of apoptotic cells in the co-exposure group than the single exposure groups. Nevertheless, N-acetyl- l -cysteine (NAC) treatment could remarkably alleviate oxidative damage and loss of membrane potential in grass carp hepatocytes induced by TBBPA and Pb. Altogether, our study showed that combined exposure of TBBPA and Pb has a synergistic toxicity due to, inducing oxidative stress to activate JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, resulting in apoptosis of carp hepatocytes. This study shed a new light on the toxicological mechanism of exposure of TBBPA and Pb and provided a potential treatment of toxicity induced by TBBPA and Pb. [Display omitted] • TBBPA and Pb had synergistic effects. • TBBPA and Pb exposure induced oxidative stress. • TBBPA and Pb exposure activated JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. • TBBPA and Pb exposure caused apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To inform charger deployment decisions, this paper aims to understand the potential utilization and deployment priority for public charging infrastructure. A data-driven Cumulative Public Recharging (CPR) model is developed to explore the travel patterns by using 2017 National Household Travel Survey data. Given the daily trip sequence, trip distance, and dwell times, the study examines the daily expected driving range and BEV feasibility under different charging speeds, battery capacity, and charging behaviors. The results suggest that more advanced public chargers increase the daily expected driving range. Home charging is sufficient for most daily short-distance trips while public chargers are still needed for medium- and long-distance trips. Extreme fast charging (xFC) may not be necessary for people with home charging but could be more useful for people without home charging and for urgent charging. xFC becomes even less important to drivers with longer BEV ranges, a finding that contradicts conventional thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents research report on N6-methyldeoxyadenine and histone methylation mediate transgenerational survival advantages induced by hormetic heat stress. Topics include mechanisms responsible for implementing and transmitting environmental memories in descendants from heat-shocked parents and demonstrated that hormetic stress; and heat shock experienced in either parent could increase the longevity of themselves and up to the fifth generation of descendants.

We mainly consider the stability and reconstruction of convolution random sampling in multiply generated shift-invariant subspaces V p (Φ) = ∑ k ∈ Z d c (k) T Φ (· - k) : (c (k)) k ∈ Z d ∈ (ℓ p (Z d)) r of L p (R d) , 1 < p < ∞ , where Φ = (ϕ 1 , ϕ 2 , … , ϕ r) T with ϕ i ∈ L p (R d) and c = (c 1 , c 2 , … , c r) T with c i ∈ ℓ p (Z d) , i = 1 , 2 , … , r . The sampling set { x j } j ∈ N is randomly chosen with a general probability distribution over a bounded cube C K and the samples are the form of convolution { f ∗ ψ (x j) } j ∈ N of the signal f. Under some proper conditions for the generator Φ , convolution function ψ and probability density function ρ , we first approximate V p (Φ) by a finite dimensional subspace V N p (Φ) = ∑ i = 1 r ∑ | k | ≤ N c i (k) ϕ i (· - k) : c i ∈ ℓ p ([ - N , N ] d). Then we show that the sampling stability holds with high probability for all functions in certain compact subsets V K p (Φ) = f ∈ V p (Φ) : ∫ C K | f ∗ ψ (x) | p d x ≥ (1 - δ) ∫ R d | f ∗ ψ (x) | p d x of V p (Φ) when the sampling size is large enough. Finally, we prove that the stability is related to the properties of the random matrix generated by { ϕ i ∗ ψ } 1 ≤ i ≤ r and give a reconstruction algorithm for the convolution random sampling of functions in V N p (Φ) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) exhibit high similarity, they are characterized by differences with respect to virulence, immune response, and transmissibility. To understand the virulence of these bacteria and identify potential novel therapeutic targets, we systemically investigated the total cell protein contents of virulent H37Rv, attenuated H37Ra, and avirulent M. bovis BCG vaccine strains at the log and stationary phases, based on tandem mass tag (TMT) quantitative proteomics. Data analysis revealed that we obtained deep-coverage protein identification and high quantification. Although 272 genetic variations were reported in H37Ra and H37Rv, they showed very little expression difference in log and stationary phase. Quantitative comparison revealed H37Ra and H37Rv had significantly dysregulation in log phase (227) compared with stationary phase (61). While BCG and H37Rv, and BCG and H37Ra showed notable differences in stationary phase (1171 and 1124) with respect to log phase (381 and 414). In the log phase, similar patterns of protein abundance were observed between H37Ra and BCG, whereas a more similar expression pattern was observed between H37Rv and H37Ra in the stationary phase. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the upregulated proteins detected for H37Rv and H37Ra in log phase were virulence-related factors. In both log and stationary phases, the dysregulated proteins detected for BCG, which have also been identified as M. tuberculosis response proteins under dormancy conditions. We accordingly describe the proteomic profiles of H37Rv, H37Ra, and BCG, which we believe will potentially provide a better understanding of H37Rv pathogenesis, H37Ra attenuation, and BCG immuno protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To unravel pairing mechanism of a superconductor from limited, indirect experimental data is always a difficult task. It is common but sometimes dubious to explain by a theoretical model with some tuning parameters. In this work, we propose that the machine learning might infer pairing mechanism from observables like superconducting gap functions. For superconductivity within the Migdal–Eliashberg theory, we perform supervised learning between superconducting gap functions and electron–boson spectral functions. For simple spectral functions, the neural network can easily capture the correspondence and predict perfectly. For complex spectral functions, an autoencoder is utilized to reduce the complexity of the spectral functions to be compatible to that of the gap functions. After this complexity-reduction process, relevant information of the spectral function is extracted and good performance restores. Our proposed method can extract relevant information from data and can be applied to general function-to-function mappings with asymmetric complexities either in physics or other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were prepared by pyrolysis of cheap natural gas over Ni/La2O3-MgO catalyst at 740 °C. The purified MWNTs were easily dispersed by ball milling method and aqueous dispersion with 10 wt% MWNT concentration was obtained. MWNT aqueous dispersion was mixed with waterborne polyurethane to prepare MWNT-polyurethane composite films containing 20–60 wt% MWNTs on PET substrate by a rod-coating method. The electrical resistivity of composite films decreased from 0.38 Ω·cm of the film with 20 wt% MWNTs to 0.032 Ω·cm of the film with 60 wt% MWNTs owing to gradual formation of a more efficient MWNT conductive network. The time-dependent temperature curves indicated that the steady-state temperature of MWNT-polyurethane composite films as electric heating elements was positively correlated with MWNT content and applied voltage. For the composite film (4 cm × 4 cm heating area) with 40 wt% MWNTs, the steady-state temperature was 41.4 °C, 54.5 °C and 70.2 °C, respectively, at 5 V, 7.5 V and 10 V, while that of the composite film with 50 wt% MWNTs can reach 48.6 °C, 69.7 °C and 95.5 °C, respectively, under 5 V, 7.5 V and 10 V. Furthermore, aqueous dispersion with 14 wt% MWNTs could also be easily and well dispersed. The composite film with 50 wt% MWNTs prepared by 14 wt% of MWNT dispersion showed higher steady-state temperature of 53.6 °C, 82.5 °C and 120.2 °C, respectively, at 5 V, 7.5 V and 10 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most common female death‐causing cancer worldwide. A network‐based integration method was proposed to identify potential breast cancer genes. First, genes were prioritized using a gene prioritization algorithm by the strategy of disease risks transferred between genes in a network with weighted vertexes and edges. Our prioritization algorithm was effectives and robust for top‐ranked seed gene number and higher area under the curve values compared to ToppGene and ToppNet. Then, 20 potential breast cancer genes were identified as common genes of the top 50 candidate genes for their robustness in multiple prioritizations. These genes could accurately classify tumor and normal samples of all and paired sample sets and three independent datasets. Of potential breast cancer genes, 18 were verified by literature and 2 were novel genes that need further study. This study would contribute to the understanding of the genetic architecture for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is mainly concerned with the generalised principal eigenvalue for time-periodic nonlocal dispersal operators. We first establish the equivalence between two different characterisations of the generalised principal eigenvalue. We further investigate the dependence of the generalised principal eigenvalue on the frequency of the periodic oscillation, the dispersal rate and the dispersal spread. Finally, these qualitative results for time-periodic linear operators are applied to time-periodic nonlinear KPP equations with nonlocal dispersal, focusing on the effects of the frequency of the periodic oscillation, the dispersal rate and the dispersal spread on the existence and stability of positive time-periodic solutions to nonlinear equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]