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Density is an important parameter for both geological research and geophysical exploration. However, for model-driven seismic inversion methods, high-fidelity density inversion is challenging due to seismic wave traveltime insensitivity to density and crosstalk that density has with velocity. To circumvent the challenge of density inversion, some inversion methods treat density as a constant value or derive density from velocity through empirical equation. On the other hand, deep learning approaches are completely driven by data and have strong target-oriented characteristics, offering a new way to solve multiparameter coupling problems. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the inversion results of data-driven algorithms is directly related to the amount and diversity of the training data, and thus, they lack the universality of model-driven algorithms. To achieve accurate density inversion, we propose a simultaneous inversion algorithm for velocity and density that combines the advantages of data- and model- driven approaches: A neural network model (U-T), combining the U-net and Transformer architectures, is proposed to construct non-linear mappings between seismic data as inputs and the velocity and density as predictions. Next, the model-driven inversion algorithm uses the U-T prediction as the initial model to obtain the final accurate solution. In the model-driven module, envelope-based sparse constrained deconvolution is used to obtain full-band seismic data, while a variable dominant frequency full waveform inversion algorithm is used to perform multiscale inversion, ultimately leading to accurate inversion results of velocity and density. The performance of the algorithm on the Sigsbee2A and Marmousi models demonstrates its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a potential wide band gap semiconductor, but its high photoelectron-hole pairs recombination rate and poor light absorption ability limit its application to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. To solve these problems, in this work, a reasonable band structure engineering was carried out on ZnO nanorod arrays (ZnO NRAs) with the co-decoration of nitrogen doped g-C3N4 (NCN) and carbon quantum dot (CQDs) solution. Narrow band gap NCN was loaded onto the surface of ZnO NRAs by a simple spin coating method, and then CQDs were modified on the ZnO/NCN NRAs. The composite photoanode of ZnO/NCN/CQDs NRAs was finally obtained. The PEC performance of the composite photoanode reaches 1.82 times that of the pristine ZnO photoanode, with a photocurrent density of up to 1.20 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V (vs. RHE) bias. The calculated value of ABPE for the composite photoanode was 0.258%, compared with 0.123% for the bare ZnO NRAs. The co-decoration of NCN and CQDs enhanced the charge separation efficiency and expanded the spectral response range, contributing to the improved PEC properties of the composite photoanode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main cause of failure in sealing friction pairs, friction wear, has presented analytical challenges due to rapidly changing and complex friction frequency characteristics. This has led to a focus on surface morphology treatment rather than direct measurement techniques in research. In this context, the present study adopted Acoustic Emission (AE) technology for direct monitoring of friction pairs, aiming to identify friction response signals during their transient contact and abrasion stages. Employing time–frequency analysis, the research delineated the state evolution of AE characteristics during the entire operational cycle of the friction pair, from start to stop. It has established the time–frequency information of AE signals in relation to the surface state of the sealing friction pair and deciphered the correlation between the friction AE signals and the surface state alterations of the friction pair. The study showed that the frequency of friction-induced signals in seals is 270 ± 40 kHz. The transition speeds for the friction pair's state, moving from boundary lubrication to mixed lubrication and then to fluid dynamic lubrication, were identified as 200 rpm and 1000 rpm, respectively. Additionally, an escalation in signal activity was observed in dry friction scenarios and when surface defects were present in the friction pair, markedly exceeding the activity in conditions of no wear. This relationship between the friction signals and the operational state of the seal facilitates precise assessments of wear and operational integrity, underpinning the theoretical aspects of periodic wear in seal tribology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excess inorganic nitrogen in offshore estuarine areas can adversely affect coastal water quality. To explore the bioremediation potential of Ulva lactuca in low-salinity and high-nutrient water, the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) removal under different low salinities (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0% NaCl) and high nutrients was studied. Static culture experiments exhibited a maximum DIN removal efficiency of 73.74% with U. lactuca in the 1.0% salinity system. The differences in DIN removal efficiency at 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0% NaCl salinity were not significant (p > 0.05 and could reach above 65%. High-throughput sequencing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and excitation emission matrix (EEM) analysis demonstrated that the diversity of microorganisms decreased with increasing salinity with Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota the main phyla, revealing the synergistic effect of U. lactuca and microbes. Response surface curves showed that the conditions affecting DIN removal efficiency from high to low were salinity, density, and C/N ratio. By simulating the fluctuation of salinity and water level in the offshore estuarine environment, the efficient DIN removal was more than 60% and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was about 8 mg L−1 with U. lactuca at salinity above 1.0% NaCl. In conclusion, this study explored the DIN removal pattern of U. lactuca in different low-salinity and high-nutrient water environments, which is of great importance for the ecological restoration of estuarine and coastal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Annexin (ANN) is calcium (Ca2+)-dependent and phospholipid binding protein family, which is involved in plant growth and development and response to various stresses. However, little known about ANN genes were identified from crape myrtle, an ornamental horticultural plant widely cultivated in the world. Results: Here, 9 LiANN genes were identified from Lagerstroemia indica, and their characterizations and functions were investigated in L. indica for the first time. The LiANN genes were divided into 2 subfamilies. The gene structure, chromosomal location, and collinearity relationship were also explored. In addition, the GO annotation analysis of these LiANNs indicated that they are enriched in molecular functions, cellular components, and biological processes. Moreover, transcription factors (TFs) prediction analysis revealed that bHLH, MYB, NAC, and other TFs can interact with the LiANN promoters. Interestingly, the LiANN2/4/6–9 were demonstrated to play critical roles in the branching architecture of crape myrtle. Furthermore, the LiANN2/6/8/9 were differentially expressed under salt treatment, and a series of TFs regulating LiANN2/6/8/9 expression were predicted to play essential roles in salt resistance. Conclusions: These results shed light on profile and function of the LiANN gene family, and lay a foundation for further studies of the LiANN genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel biologics in MG therapy research is on the rise. This research aimed to investigate the characteristics of registered trials on novel therapies for myasthenia gravis on ClinicalTrials.gov. This cross-sectional study used a descriptive approach to assess the features of the included trials on ClinicalTrials.gov. We found 62 registered trials from 2007 to 2023 on ClinicalTrials.gov. The results showed a yearly rise in the number of registered trials (r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Following 2017, more industry-sponsored trials were conducted (91.5% [43] vs. 60% [9], p = 0.009), fewer results were released (10.6% [5] vs. 60% [9], p = 0.001), and more trials entered phase 3 (67.4% [31] vs. 20% [2], p = 0.001). The most researched novel medications were neonatal Fc receptor inhibitors (51.2% [21]), complement inhibitors (39.0% [16]), and B cell depletors (14.6% [6]). According to the website's data, the neonatal Fc receptor inhibitors and complement inhibitors were effective in treating myasthenia gravis patients in three trials (NCT03315130, NCT03669588, and NCT00727194). This study provides valuable insights into the profile of registered trials on novel therapies for myasthenia gravis. More clinical studies are needed in the future to prove the value of its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A type of metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) structured light-emitting device (LED), where a semitransparent gold (Au) film, a polymethyl methacrylate film, and an erbium (Er)-doped ZnO (ZnO:Er) film on a silicon substrate act as the "M", "I", and "S" components, respectively, has been prepared. With increasing forward bias with the positive voltage connected to the semitransparent "M" (Au) electrode, such LED first exhibits random lasing (RL) from the ZnO host itself and is then electroluminescent with the characteristic emissions from the Er3+ ions incorporated into the ZnO host. Based on the energy band diagram and the analysis of carrier transportation for the ZnO:Er-based LED applied with different forward bias voltages, the evolution from the RL to the Er-related electroluminescence as mentioned above has been tentatively explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective separation of C2H2/CO2 is important for the purification of acetylene. However, because of their highly similar physical properties, separating them efficiently is challenging. Due to the special physical and chemical properties of fluorine, fluorine-containing frameworks have potential applications in gas separation. Here, two isoreticular two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks with kgd topology, defined as TFT-COF and TMT-COF, were designed and constructed via the [6+3] imine condensation reaction. Experimental studies show that the IAST selectivity of a fluorine-functionalized TFT-COF for C2H2/CO2 separation is 4.18, which is higher than that of the fluorine-free counterpart of 2.72, at 298 K and 1 bar. GCMC simulation indicates that the improved selectivity of the TFT-COF for C2H2/CO2 separation arises from the strong electronegativity of fluorine groups and the resulting increased polarity of the pore surface, leading to enhanced C⋯H interactions between C2H2 and the skeleton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sow farrowing is an important part of pig breeding. The accurate and effective early warning of sow behaviors in farrowing helps breeders determine whether it is necessary to intervene with the farrowing process in a timely manner and is thus essential for increasing the survival rate of piglets and the profits of pig farms. For large pig farms, human resources and costs are important considerations in farrowing supervision. The existing method, which uses cloud computing-based deep learning to supervise sow farrowing, has a high equipment cost and requires uploading all data to a cloud data center, requiring a large network bandwidth. Thus, this paper proposes an approach for the early warning and supervision of farrowing behaviors based on the embedded artificial-intelligence computing platform (NVIDIA Jetson Nano). This lightweight deep learning method allows the rapid processing of sow farrowing video data at edge nodes, reducing the bandwidth requirement and ensuring data security in the network transmission. Experiments indicated that after the model was migrated to the Jetson Nano, its precision of sow postures and newborn piglets detection was 93.5%, with a recall rate of 92.2%, and the detection speed was increased by a factor larger than 8. The early warning of 18 approaching farrowing (5 h) sows were tested. The mean error of warning was 1.02 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of cobalt imidazole complexes, e.g. cobalt 2-methylimidazole (Co-MIm) and cobalt 1-ethylimidazole (Co-EIm), are adopted as surface passivation agents to modify the Sn-doped α-Fe2O3 nanorods (Sn-Fe2O3 NRs) photoanode by a facile impregnation method. Systematic characterizations are performed and the fabricated photoanodes are applied to photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Interestingly, the cobalt imidazoles nanosheets are embedded into the Sn-Fe2O3 NRs film to form crack-like gaps and NRs bundles on the surface of the composite photoanodes, e.g. Co-MIm@Sn-Fe2O3 and Co-EIm@Sn-Fe2O3. With simulated sunlight irradiation and an applied potential of 1.23 V (vs. RHE), the photocurrent densities of the Co-EIm@Sn-Fe2O3 and Co-MIm@Sn-Fe2O3 reach 0.81 mA/cm2 and 0.61 mA/cm2 with enhanced stability, respectively, compared with 0.36 mA/cm2 of the Sn-Fe2O3. The gaps and bundles on the surface of the composite photoanodes make the surface rougher and improve their light absorption ability. Moreover, the cobalt imidazoles as passivation agents can effectively inhibit surface states from capturing charge carriers, reduce charge recombination and facilitate charge transfer, thus improving the PEC performance. Notably, it is found that the cobalt imidazole with a longer alkyl chain, e.g. Co-EIm, is more effective than the Co-MIm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of ornamental horticulture, crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) stands out for its aesthetic appeal, attributed largely to its vibrant flowers and distinctive branching architecture. This study embarked on a comprehensive exploration of the gibberellin oxidase (GAox) gene family in crape myrtle, illuminating its pivotal role in regulating GA levels, a key determinant of plant developmental processes. We identified and characterized 36 LiGAox genes, subdivided into GA2ox, GA3ox, GA20ox, and GAox-like subgroups, through genomic analyses. These genes' evolutionary trajectories were delineated, revealing significant gene expansions attributed to segmental duplication events. Functional analyses highlighted the divergent expression patterns of LiGAox genes across different crape myrtle varieties, associating them with variations in flower color and branching architecture. Enzymatic activity assays on selected LiGA2ox enzymes exhibited pronounced GA2 oxidase activity, suggesting a potential regulatory role in GA biosynthesis. Our findings offered a novel insight into the molecular underpinnings of GA-mediated growth and development in L. indica , providing a foundational framework for future genetic enhancements aimed at optimizing ornamental traits. • A total 36 LiGAox genes were identified from the Lagerstroemia indica. • The LiGAoxs participated in formation of flower colours and branching architecture. • The LiGA2ox2 displayed higher GA2 oxidase vitality, implying LiGA2ox2 participates in GA metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The endodermal cells and phloem fibers play an essential role in the horizontal branch architecture. • Large numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are identified between normal condition and Gravitropic growth. • The GA biosynthesis and signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant MAPK signaling pathway are identify to be close associations with the branching architecture in response to gravity signal. The branching architecture, as the main category of plant architecture, has a profound impact on creating natural beauty and plant production. Also, the gravitropic responses are involved in directional growth of all plants on earth. The crape myrtle as a kind of important ornamental plants is widely applied to urban landscaping. However, the regulatory mechanism controlling the branching architecture in response of gravity signal is poorly understood in crape myrtle. To identify the putative molecular mechanism, the transcriptome sequencing of crape myrtle in gravitropic growth was performed. Paraffin section analysis displayed dominant difference in the horizontal and erect branches. Also, large numbers of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between normal condition and gravitropic growth. Based on the KEGG analysis, the DEGs were mainly enriched in GA biosynthesis and signal transduction, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant MAPK signaling pathway. This research enhanced our molecular comprehension of branching architecture in response to gravity signal while also enabling the practical application of these insights to improved crape myrtle as a significant ornamental species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gibberellin oxidases (GAoxs) identified from many species play indispensable roles in GA biosynthesis and GA signal transduction. However, there has been limited research conducted on the GAox family of Salix matsudana , a tetraploid ornamental tree species. Here, 54 GAox genes were identified from S. matsudana and renamed as SmGA20ox1–22 , SmGA2ox1–24 , SmGA3ox1–6 , and SmGAox-like1/2. Gene structure and conserved motif analysis showed that SmGA3ox members possess the 1 intron and other SmGAoxs contain 2–3 introns, and motif 1/2/7 universally present in all SmGAoxs. A total of 69 gene pairs were identified from SmGAox family members, and the Ka/Ks values indicated the SmGAoxs experience the purifying selection. The intra species collinearity analysis implied S. matsudana , S. purpurea , and Populus trichocarpa have the close genetic relationship. The GO analysis suggested SmGAoxs are dominantly involved in GA metabolic process, ion binding, and oxidoreductase activity. RNA-sequencing demonstrated that some SmGAox s may play an essential role in salt and submergence stresses. In addition, the SmGA20ox13/21 displayed the dominant vitality of GA20 oxidase, but the SmGA20ox13/21 still possessed low activities of GA2 and GA3 oxidases. This study can contribute to reveal the regulatory mechanism of salt and submergence tolerance in willow. • A total of 54 SmGAoxs were identified from the Salix matsudana genome. • SmGAoxs were involved in GA metabolic process, ion binding, and oxidoreductase activity. • The SmGA20ox13/21 displayed the dominant vitality of GA20 oxidase, but they still possessed low activities of GA2 and GA3 oxidases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional ideological and political teaching is very old-fashioned, the teaching content is very fixed, and the teaching methods are very old. Based on the analysis of the problems existing in the traditional teaching mode, this study proposes a cloud service architecture plan with cloud, network, and terminal as the core design ideas., clarifies the goals and problems to be solved, and then conducts functional requirements analysis. In the system design stage, the whole system is firstly designed as a whole, and then the business process in the teaching system is analyzed, the redundant business in the business process is found, and the process is reorganized. The mobile learning system based on the Android platform meets the existing teaching needs and can be expanded to a certain extent. It can achieve good results in teaching application and make certain contributions to the construction of educational informatization, improving learning efficiency and enhancing students' autonomous learning ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the characteristics of friction vibration signals and identify the vibration excitation source at the start and stop stage of microtextured end face of dry gas seals. Design/methodology/approach: The friction pair consists of a diamond-like carbon (DLC) film microtextured seal ring and a spiral groove seal ring. Friction vibration signal feature extraction method based on harmonic wavelet packet and spectrum analysis was proposed. Signals were collected using acceleration sensor, acquisition card and LabVIEW software. Vibration acceleration signal was decomposed into 32 frequency bands using MATLAB wavelet packet transformation. The 32nd band coefficient was extracted for reconstruction, time-domain and spectral waveforms were obtained and spectra before/after denoising were compared. Findings: The end face of the DLC film microtextured seal ring generates a good dynamic pressure effect, and the friction and vibration reduction effects are obvious. The harmonic wavelet packet can decompose the vibration signal conveniently and precisely. In the case of this experiment, the frequency of vibration of the seal ring is 7500 HZ. Originality/value: The results show that the method is effective for the processing of friction vibration signal and the identification of vibration excitation source. The findings will provide ideas for the frictional vibration signal processing and basis for further research in the field of tribology of dry gas seal ring. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-03-2024-0084/ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GALNT2 is a GalNAc transferase that regulates insulin signaling, lipogenesis, and serum lipid fractions. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of GALNT2 rs2144300 and rs4846914 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and related traits. The two SNPs were genotyped in 616 PCOS patients and 482 control subjects. Genetic associations with related traits were also analyzed. The genotype distributions of the two SNPs in PCOS patients were similar to those of normal controls. However, significant differences were noted across the three groups of genotypes with respect to the examined variables. In the PCOS group, subjects with genotype AA at the rs4846914 SNP exhibited an increased fasting serum insulin and homeostasis model insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index compared with that of corresponding GG or GA genotype carriers (all P < 0.05). When PCOS patients were further separated into obese and non-obese subgroups, the genotype-related effects on insulin and HOMA-IR were more obvious, and variations in BMI and FSH levels were exclusively observed in obese PCOS subjects (all P < 0.05). In addition, fasting plasma glucose levels were affected by the genotypes of the rs2144300 SNP in normal control women (P < 0.05). rs4846914 and rs2144300 polymorphisms in the GALNT2 gene are associated with insulin and HOMA-IR, BMI, and FSH levels in obese PCOS patients and glucose levels in normal control women, respectively, but not with PCOS. GALNT2 rs4846914 AA carrier status may be associated with insulin resistance and related traits in obese patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological electric fields (EFs), as one of the environmental cues influencing both normal and tumor cells, have profound effects on tumor cell malignancy potential. The cellular responses to EFs by choriocarcinoma cells and their underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, the migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation of choriocarcinoma cells in electric field culture showed that choriocarcinoma cells migrated cathodally in an applied EF, and EF stimulation influenced cell cycle progression through G2/M arrest and therefore induced a reduction in cellular proliferation. The transcriptome of choriocarcinoma cells subjected to EF stimulation (150 mV/mm) was analyzed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and the results were verified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that ErbB and HIF-1 signaling pathways that are involved in cell migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation were significantly altered in cells treated with an EF of 150 mV/mm compared with control cells, and in addition, the downstream pathways of these signaling pathways such as AKT and P42/P44 MAPK (ERK1/2) showed primary activation by Western blotting. This study's results suggest that an applied EF is an effective cue in regulating cellular phenotypes of choriocarcinoma cells and that transcriptional analysis contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of EF-guided cell functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power quality evaluation data are heterogeneous and fluctuating, and there are large subjective factors in the evaluation process. To solve this problem, a power quality evaluation method based on incentive punishment factor and the ordered weighted aggregation (OWA) operators was proposed. The integrity and fairness of the evaluation information were guaranteed, through the homogenisation of the evaluation data. And using incentive and penalty factors to calculate the single index evaluation value without considering the time factor. By introducing the time weights and adopting the linear target programming model and ordered the weighted averaging operator to get the primary evaluation values of the indices in the inspection period. Then, the minimum variance method was used to get index weights, and the ordered weighted geometric averaging (OWGA) operator was applied to obtain the comprehensive evaluation value of the power quality. Finally, the power quality of a distribution system with photovoltaic generation under different load conditions is analysed as an example. The results showed that the method proposed in this paper distinguishes the power quality level under various load conditions significantly, which verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: With the increasing number of patients with cognitive impairment, nonpharmacological ways to delay cognitive impairment have attracted people's attention, such as lifestyle changes and nutritional supplementation. Folic acid supplementation appears to be a promising treatment option. However, it remains controversial whether folic acid supplementation is effective in delaying adult's cognitive impairment. Therefore, we conducted a meta‐analysis to analyze the effects of folic acid supplementation on different cognitive impairments. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang and VIP databases for randomized controlled trials on January 22, 2024. The included population comprised those diagnosed with cognitive impairment. We included trials that compared folic acid treatment with placebo, other dosing regimens, or other intervention controls. Conducting quality evaluation of included studies according to the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager software. Results: Twenty‐two trials, including 3604 participants, met inclusion criteria. Compared with controls, the cognitive function of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients showed improvement with folic acid supplementation: supplementation with < 3 mg (standardized mean differences (SMD) = 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) –0.10 to 0.41), and supplementing with ≥ 3 mg folic acid could improve cognitive function in AD patients (SMD = 1.03, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.88). Additionally, it reduced homocysteine (HCY) levels (mean differences (MD) = –4.74, 95% CI –8.08 to –1.39). In mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, cognitive function improved with folic acid supplementation: supplementation with > 400 μg (SMD = 0.38, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.63), and supplementation with ≤ 400 μg (SMD = 1.10, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.31). It also reduced HCY levels at intervention ≤ 6 months (MD = –3.93, 95% CI –5.05 to –2.82) and intervention > 6 months (MD = –4.38, 95% CI –5.15 to –3.61). However, supplementing with folic acid did not improve cognitive function in vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) patients, with folic acid supplements < 3 mg (SMD = –0.07, 95% CI –0.23 to –0.08), folic acid supplements ≥ 3 mg (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI –0.57 to 1.49), however, it reduced HCY levels at intervention > 6 months (MD = –5.91, 95% CI –7.13 to –4.69) and intervention ≤ 6 months (MD = –11.15, 95% CI –12.35 to –9.95). Conclusions: Supplement folic acid is beneficial to the cognitive profile of patients with MCI, supplementation with ≥ 3 mg folic acid can improve cognitive function in AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyst(e)ine is a key precursor for the synthesis of glutathione (GSH), which protects cancer cells from oxidative stress. Cyst(e)ine is stored in lysosomes, but its role in redox regulation is unclear. Here, we show that breast cancer cells upregulate major facilitator superfamily domain containing 12 (MFSD12) to increase lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage, which is released by cystinosin (CTNS) to maintain GSH levels and buffer oxidative stress. We find that mTORC1 regulates MFSD12 by directly phosphorylating residue T254, while mTORC1 inhibition enhances lysosome acidification that activates CTNS. This switch modulates lysosomal cyst(e)ine levels in response to oxidative stress, fine-tuning redox homeostasis to enhance cell fitness. MFSD12-T254A mutant inhibits MFSD12 function and suppresses tumor progression. Moreover, MFSD12 overexpression correlates with poor neoadjuvant chemotherapy response and prognosis in breast cancer patients. Our findings reveal the critical role of lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage in adaptive redox homeostasis and suggest that MFSD12 is a potential therapeutic target. [Display omitted] • Lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage and release maintains GSH levels for ROS buffering • MFSD12 is phosphorylated by mTORC1 at T254 to control lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage • MFSD12-T254A mutant acts as a dominant-negative inhibitor of MFSD12 functions • MFSD12 upregulation induces chemoresistance and poor prognosis in breast cancer He et al. report that MFSD12 upregulation in breast cancer increases the lysosomal cyst(e)ine storage, providing a ready source of cyst(e)ine for GSH synthesis, which is regulated by mTORC1 to fine-tune redox homeostasis and enhance cell fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sow body condition scoring has been confirmed as a vital procedure in sow management. A timely and accurate assessment of the body condition of a sow is conducive to determining nutritional supply, and it takes on critical significance in enhancing sow reproductive performance. Manual sow body condition scoring methods have been extensively employed in large-scale sow farms, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. To address the above-mentioned problem, a dual neural network-based automatic scoring method was developed in this study for sow body condition. The developed method aims to enhance the ability to capture local features and global information in sow images by combining CNN and transformer networks. Moreover, it introduces a CBAM module to help the network pay more attention to crucial feature channels while suppressing attention to irrelevant channels. To tackle the problem of imbalanced categories and mislabeling of body condition data, the original loss function was substituted with the optimized focal loss function. As indicated by the model test, the sow body condition classification achieved an average precision of 91.06%, the average recall rate was 91.58%, and the average F1 score reached 91.31%. The comprehensive comparative experimental results suggested that the proposed method yielded optimal performance on this dataset. The method developed in this study is capable of achieving automatic scoring of sow body condition, and it shows broad and promising applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power generation of the photovoltaic plant is related to the cleanliness of the photovoltaic modules. The accumulation of natural dust is the main source of pollution, which is affected by human activities and meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall concentration in the current region. On the basis of particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the least‐squares support vector machine (LSSVM), the density of dust on photovoltaic modules was estimated. The authors proposed that the inertia weight decreased as a concave function to improve the efficiency of optimization and let the two positive constants change dynamically to improve convergence performance. The dust accumulation prediction model was established considering natural rainfall and the authors obtained the attenuation rate of the photovoltaic power output. Finally, the experiments in Hangzhou showed that the model can predict the density of accumulated dust quickly, which provides a theory for predicting PV power generation and managing the cleaning frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WO3 is a promising photoanode material for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation. Loading co-catalysts is an effective strategy for favoring the charge transfer and light harvesting of WO3, which can in turn improve its PEC performance. Herein, the ferrihydrite (Fh), a kind of poorly crystalline iron oxide material, was loaded on the WO3 photoanode through a two-step hydrothermal synthesis. The obtained Fh/WO3 photoanode exhibited a remarkable photocurrent density of 0.6 mA/cm2 at 1.23 V (vs. RHE), which was 1.79 times higher than the bare WO3. For the Fh/WO3 photoanode, the bulk charge separation efficiency is 45.6% and the photoconversion efficiency is 0.066%, which are both higher than the bare WO3. The decorated Fh can form an additional interface between the WO3 and the electrolyte, which decreases the impedance and favors the charge transfer. Moreover, the Fh can function as a hole storage layer, which can temporarily store the photogenerated holes and induce the longer lifetime of charge carriers, thus improving the charge separation and water oxidation reaction kinetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic (PV) power plants' power generation is affected obviously by the cleanliness of the photovoltaic modules. The dust is the primary source causing the pollution. Natural dust deposition is affected by human activities and meteorological factors such as temperature, humidity, wind speed and PM10 concentration in the region where PV modules are installed. The research efforts so far have been focused on predicting PV power outputs, however, in the real operations the PV outputs can significantly deviate from the prediction due to the dust pollution which, unfortunately, has not been fully investigated. This paper, to the authors' best knowledge, is the first research to analyze the dust composition and evaluate its impacts on the PV power outputs with the real field test data in East China Collected through a series of experiments completed in the lab of the Institute of Distributed Generation and Microgrid, Zhejiang University of Technology, in East China. A PV output forecasting model was set up first based on the irradiance and the component's temperature. Then a complete meteorological and electrical data online monitoring system was developed for data acquisition. The morphology of the dust particles on the investigated photovoltaic modules was observed by a scanning electron microscope, and the composition of the dust particles was measured by X-ray fluorescence. The research found that the dust accumulated on the surface of photovoltaic modules tend to form clusters under the influence of rainfall which is one major cause on fast dropping PV outputs. The analysis shows the dust deposit mainly comprises of SiO 2 and CaCO 3. Further analysis indicates in East China, the average dust density on PV modules is 0.644 g/m2 in a week and consequently the dust reduces the PV output power by 7.4% one week. The research is of significance not only in terms of giving the real-data based analysis on dust properties deposited on PV panels, but also on revealing the relationship between power output attenuation and dust deposition, which helps improve the PV power output prediction accuracy and develop efficient cleaning strategies for photovoltaic modules. • The dust deposit mainly comprises SiO 2 and CaCO 3 in East China. • The average dust density is 0.644 g/m2 in one week. • The dust reduces the output power of photovoltaic modules by 7.4% in one week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the synthesis of Co–Ge three-dimensional nanowire arrays directly anchored on the current collector via the growth of Co nanowire arrays and subsequent RF-deposition of Ge. When used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, the Co–Ge nanowire arrays show a reversible capacity of 1535 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at a current density of 320 mA g−1 and a capacity of 1239 mAh g−1 even at 8000 mA g−1. With respect to sodium-ion batteries, cycling capacity of ∼350mAh g−1 after 100 cycles is obtained. The excellent electrochemical properties may be attributed to the unique three-dimensional array nanostructures that can provide robust mechanical support, fast electron transport, and good strain accommodation. • The Co nanowire arrays are synthesized by a facile hydrothermal and heat reduction method. • The Co nanowire arrays can provide a robust mechanical support and an efficient electron pathway for Ge. • The Co-Ge core-shell array electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimonide based III-V materials are widely used in quantum-well transistors and long wavelength optoelectronic devices benefit from their narrow bandgaps and high carrier mobilities. Interface chemistry has proven to be important in establishing reliable devices. The InSb/HfO 2 stacks have been systematically studied upon atomic layer deposition (ALD) and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 325 °C and 400 °C, utilizing X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (Al Kα 1) and synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy. No "clean up" effect was observed after the ALD process. The interface oxidization, elemental diffusion and substrate oxide desorption have been observed upon the RTA process. This work highlights the importance of substrate passivation prior to ALD process to obtain a thermally stable InSb/HfO 2 interface for InSb based devices. • The elemental diffusion and desorption are detected for InSb/HfO 2 stacks after the ALD and RTA process. • The Sb oxide is desorbed more aggressive than the In oxide. • This work highlights the importance of interface engineering in passivating the InSb/ HfO 2 stack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) has been considered as a more energy-efficient alternative to the oxygen evolution reaction in water electrolysis. To design efficient electrocatalysts for HzOR, precise engineering of materials is required to increase active sites and build electronic structures. Herein, nitrogen contained face-centered cubic rhodium (N-fcc-Rh) nanosheets are prepared by directly annealing metastable trigonal rhodium oxide precursor in the ammonia atmosphere. Benefiting from the abundant active sites and unique electronic structure, the optimal N-fcc-Rh-300 electrocatalyst achieves an ultra-low working potential of − 81 mV (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH/0.5 M N 2 H 4. Density functional theory calculations suggest the N element in the N-fcc-Rh electrocatalyst enables to the reduction of the formation energy of the potential-determining step from *NH 2 NH 2 to *NHNH 2 for the HzOR process. This work reveals a new strategy to prepare advanced metal electrocatalysts for various electrochemical applications. [Display omitted] • Nitrogen contained face-centered cubic rhodium nanosheets. • Excellent HzOR activity with working potential of − 81 mV (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2. • N elements into Rh leads to a shift of the d-band center away from the Fermi level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets as catalysts is promising due to their atomic-scale thickness and extensive surfaces. The development of a high-quality, flexible Pt-based nanosheet with an efficient synthesis method is imperative. In this study, we present a 2D Pt2Pd porous alloy nanosheet synthesized through a novel process involving molten-alkali mechanochemical and borane morpholine complex reduction methods. This nanosheet exhibits a pristine 2D active surface, serving as an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The Pt2Pd porous alloy nanosheet catalyst displays a high half-wave potential of 0.956 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), along with remarkable mass and specific activities of 1.38 A mg−1Pt and 3.70 mA cm−2 (at 0.9 V versus the RHE). When applied as the cathode in a zinc–air battery, it achieves a power density of 0.31 W cm−2 and demonstrates outstanding durability. This research introduces an innovative strategy for advancing high-quality, flexible 2D Pt-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) is an essential antioxidant enzyme participating in cellular homeostasis by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). Nevertheless, few reports were involved in the roles of poplar APX in lipid mechanism, especially in lipid peroxidation. This study identified 11 PtAPX genes from the poplar genome, and PtAPXs were clustered into five clades. The exon/intron distribution and conserved motif analysis showed that PtAPXs exhibit a comparatively well-preserved gene structure and motif composition in the same Clade. Collinearity investigation indicated segmental duplication is considered the main duplication form during the evolutionary process of PtAPX genes. Also, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDHAR), and glutathione-disulfide reductase (GSR) involved in the redox metabolism were discovered from the interaction network with PtAPXs. In addition, a series of transcription factors (TFs), such as MYB, bHLH, WRKY, and NAC, were identified from the TF network with PtAPX genes. Gene expression patterns revealed that PtAPXs have different expression levels in various tissues and organs and are significantly affected by various abiotic stresses, including ABA, NaCl, and H 2 O 2. The luciferase (LUC) complementation assay gave new visions into the PtAPX9-PtLTPG14 complex participating in lipid metabolism, especially in lipid peroxidation, thus maintaining cellular homeostasis. These discoveries provided a novel perspective for further functional study on the roles of PtAPX9 in lipid metabolism and ROS scavenging system. • PtAPXs: 11 poplar PAX genes with key roles in oxidative stress and antioxidant processes. • Evolutionary Significance: PtAPXs exhibit close evolutionary relationships with A. thaliana and T. cacao. • Potential for Poplar Breeding: PtAPX9 shows promise for overexpression and gene editing to enhance poplar breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dots modified iridium nanowires (Ir NWs/CDs) show high catalytic activity and stability for acidic hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions, which are attributed to the large compression stress generated in Ir NWs and the fast proton/electron transfer ability and good conductivity of CDs. [Display omitted] • One-dimensional Ir nanowires modified with carbon dots are employed as catalysts for HER/HOR. • The Ir nanowires show a high compressive strain intensity of −0.563%. • CDs act as a bridge connecting hydrogen proton and electron with Ir active sites. • Ir NWs/CDs-15 requires 18 mV to obtain a current density of −10 mA cm−2 for HER. • Ir NWs/CDs-15 shows anti-CO ability which is twice the level of the PtRu/C. The effective harnessing of hydrogen energy relies on the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts that facilitate hydrogen evolution/oxidation reactions (HER/HOR) with high catalytic activity. The design of such electrocatalysts requires the consideration of not only the volcano relationship with hydrogen binding energy (HBE) or hydrogen adsorption Gibbs free energy (ΔG H) but also the regulation of catalytic kinetics such as interfacial proton/electron transfer. In this work, unique one-dimensional iridium nanowires with compressive stress are successfully prepared and combined with carbon dots (Ir NWs/CDs). Acting as an electrocatalyst for HER in 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 , the optimal Ir NWs/CDs only requires an 18 mV overpotential to achieve a current density of −10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the optimal Ir NWs/CDs shows high HOR performance with a mass activity (@ 50 mV versus RHE) 1.5 times that of 20% Pt/C and excellent anti-CO toxicity ability which is twice the level of the PtRu/C catalyst. Ir NWs/CDs exhibit enhanced HER/HOR activity due to (1) the appropriate modulation of the binding energy to hydrogen intermediate facilitated by the compressive stress applied to the Ir structure and (2) the improved proton/electron transfer kinetics by optimizing the electronic properties and surface structures through tailored CDs. This study delivers a new strategy for designing and synthesizing efficient acidic HER/HOR bifunctional catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core body temperature serves as a pivotal physiological metric indicative of sow health, with rectal thermometry prevailing as a prevalent method for estimating core body temperature within sow farms. Nonetheless, employing contact thermometers for rectal temperature measurement proves to be time-intensive, labor-demanding, and hygienically suboptimal. Addressing the issues of minimal automation and temperature measurement accuracy in sow temperature monitoring, this study introduces an automatic temperature monitoring method for sows, utilizing a segmentation network amalgamating YOLOv5s and DeepLabv3+, complemented by an adaptive genetic algorithm-random forest (AGA-RF) regression algorithm. In developing the sow vulva segmenter, YOLOv5s was synergized with DeepLabv3+, and the CBAM attention mechanism and MobileNetv2 network were incorporated to ensure precise localization and expedited segmentation of the vulva region. Within the temperature prediction module, an optimized regression algorithm derived from the random forest algorithm facilitated the construction of a temperature inversion model, predicated upon environmental parameters and vulva temperature, for the rectal temperature prediction in sows. Testing revealed that vulvar segmentation IoU was 91.50%, while the predicted MSE, MAE, and R2 for rectal temperature were 0.114 °C, 0.191 °C, and 0.845, respectively. The automatic sow temperature monitoring method proposed herein demonstrates substantial reliability and practicality, facilitating an autonomous sow temperature monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In insects, an interplay between the activities of distinct hormones, such as juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E), regulates the progression through numerous life history hallmarks. As a crucial endocrine factor, JH is mainly synthesized in the corpora allata (CA) to regulate multiple physiological and developmental processes, including molting, metamorphosis, and reproduction. During the last century, significant progress has been achieved in elucidating the JH signal transduction pathway, while less progress has been made in dissecting the regulatory mechanism of JH biosynthesis. Previous work has shown that receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling regulates hormone biosynthesis in both insects and mammals. Here, we performed a systematic RNA interference (RNAi) screening to identify RTKs involved in regulating JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult Blattella germanica females. Results: We found that the epidermal growth factor receptor (Egfr) is required for promoting JH biosynthesis in the CA of adult females. The Egf ligands Vein and Spitz activate Egfr, followed by Ras/Raf/ERK signaling, and finally activation of the downstream transcription factor Pointed (Pnt). Importantly, Pnt induces the transcriptional expression of two key enzyme-encoding genes in the JH biosynthesis pathway: juvenile hormone acid methyltransferase (JHAMT) and methyl farnesoate epoxidase (CYP15A1). Dual-luciferase reporter assay shows that Pnt is able to activate a promoter region of Jhamt. In addition, electrophoretic mobility shift assay confirms that Pnt directly binds to the − 941~ − 886 nt region of the Jhamt promoter. Conclusions: This study reveals the detailed molecular mechanism of Egfr signaling in promoting JH biosynthesis in the German cockroach, shedding light on the intricate regulation of JH biosynthesis during insect development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Senescence is thought to be an imperative effect on the development of cancer. However, few studies pay an attention to the senescence-associated genes in pancreatic cancer (PC). The prognostic value of senescence-related genes (SRGs) and their involvement in tumor microenvironment (TME) in the PC remain obscure. The aim of this research was to investigate the prognostic role of senescence-associated genes and their affection in TME in PC. Methods. The transcriptome and clinical information of PC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Two SRG-mediated molecular clusters were comprehensively identified. In total, data from the 285 PC patients were randomly used to develop a senescence-associated gene signature in the training set and verified in the validation set. Immune microenvironment analysis pertained to senescence-related genes was performed. Results. A SRG_score including five senescence-associated genes was established to separate PC patients into two risk groups. High-risk patients had worse overall survival than low-risk patients. The result of the multivariate Cox regression analysis identified the risk score and stage as independent prognostic factors for PC patients. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis confirmed the credible predictive ability of the nomogram. The area under time-dependent ROC curve (AUC) reached 0.746 at 1 year, 0.781 at 3 years, and 0.868 at 5 years in the training set and 0.653 at 1 year, 0.755 at 3 years, and 0.785 at 5 years in the validation set. Moreover, the SRG_score was associated with TME, tumor mutation burden (TMB), and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity. Conclusions. This study found that the novel SRG_score could be an independent prognostic target for PC patients. Senescence-associated genes had a vital impact on the immune microenvironment and the treatment of PC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study proposes the weight loss for DCNN to achieve batch and non-destructive vigor detection of rice seeds under the sample-imbalanced condition. • The proposed DCNN with weighted loss outperforms the DCNN with balanced loss and the conventional multivariate methods. • Modern hyperspectral imaging technology was combined with traditional germination test and biochemistry analysis method. • Visualization analysis results interpret the aggregation characteristics between the feature points outputted by the proposed DCNN with weighted loss. Vigor detection of crop seeds before putting them on the market is important for ensuring the yield and quality of the crops. In the actual production, however, different levels tend to vary in the number of samples, leading to the problem of sample imbalance. This study proposed a deep convolution neural network (DCNN) with weighted loss to achieve batch and non-destructive vigor detection of rice seeds based on hyperspectral imaging (HSI) under the sample-imbalanced condition. The true vigor state of seeds with different degrees of artificial aging was labeled by traditional analysis methods. The seeds were first classified into six categories according to the aging time using a constructed DCNN, which was proved to be unreasonable. Then four categories were merged, and the seeds were reclassified into three new categories by a rebuilt DCNN. However, merging categories caused the problem of sample imbalance, leading to much confusion between two aged categories. Thus, a DCNN with weighted loss was further proposed focusing on assigning appropriate weight to each category. Obtaining the highest accuracy and Macro F1 of 97.69% and 97.42%, respectively, it outperformed the DCNN with balanced loss and conventional models. The visualization analysis was conducted using PCA and t-SNE to inspect the aggregation between feature points. The overall results indicated the effectiveness of the proposed DCNN with weighted loss in the vigor detection of rice seeds under the sample-imbalanced condition, which would be conducive to online grading according to seed vigor and other qualities in the actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clay mineral/g-C 3 N 4 composites were prepared through a simple one-pot synthesis with acid-treated clay minerals and melamine as precursors. Three typical clay minerals, e.g., kaolinite, sepiolite, and talc, were adopted as photocatalyst carriers. Notably, the acid-treated clay minerals coupled with g-C 3 N 4 in three different ways. The kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 composite, in particular, proceeded with an intercalation reaction due to the in situ growth of g-C 3 N 4 within the layers of acid-treated kaolinite, leading to the expansion of kaolinite layers and a prominently large specific surface area of 61.9 m2 g−1. The resultant composites were used in photocatalytic H 2 generation by water splitting and CO 2 reduction, exhibiting superior photocatalytic performance to the g-C 3 N 4. Among the obtained composites, the optimized kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 showed the best photocatalytic activities, e.g. 3.03 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 385 μmol g−1 h−1 of H 2 evolution, compared with merely 0.91 μmol g−1 h−1 of CO evolution and 96.4 μmol g−1 h−1 of H 2 evolution for bare g-C 3 N 4. The superior performance of kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 can be ascribed to the large specific surface area and better distribution of g-C 3 N 4 , which can enhance the light absorption, increase the number of active sites and favor the charge separation. [Display omitted] • The g-C 3 N 4 was in situ grown on three types of acid-treated clay minerals. • The clay minerals coupled with the g-C 3 N 4 in three distinctive manners. • The composites all exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than the g-C 3 N 4. • The kaolinite/g-C 3 N 4 composite showed the best photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cultivar and environmental variations of β-glucan content and β-glucanase activity in grains and malt were investigated in 8 barley cultivars grown at 7 locations. On average, for all cultivars and locations, approximately 80% of β-glucan present in grains was degraded after malting, but there was great variation among both cultivars and locations. β-glucanase activity was much lower but detectable in grains, and it dramatically increased after malting. The cultivar and environmental variations of β-glucan content were much higher in malt than in grains, and malt β-glucan content was more dependent on malt β-glucanase activity than the original level of β-glucan in grains. The correlation analysis of β-glucan content, β-glucanase activity and four malt quality parameters (Kolbach index, diastatic power, viscosity and malt extract) showed that malt-glucan content was highly significantly correlated with all quality parameters, while the association between grain β-glucan content and these quality parameters was relatively weak. Malt β-glucan content was negatively and highly significantly correlated with malt β-glucanase activity, and positively and significantly correlated with grain β-glucan content. It was also found that there was a positive and significant correlation between grain and malt β-glucanase activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: HOMER family scaffolding proteins (HOMER1-3) play critical roles in the development and progression of human disease by regulating the assembly of signal transduction complexes in response to extrinsic stimuli. However, the role of HOMER protein in breast cancer remains unclear. Methods: HOMER3 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in breast cancer patient specimens, and its significance in prognosis was assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. The effects of HOMER3 in growth factor-induced β-Catenin activation were analyzed by assays such as TOP/FOP flash reporter, tyrosine phosphorylation assay and reciprocal immunoprecipitation (IP) assay. Role of HOMER3 in breast cancer metastasis was determined by cell function assays and mice tumor models. Results: Herein, we find that, among the three HOMER proteins, HOMER3 is selectively overexpressed in the most aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype, and significantly correlates with earlier tumor metastasis and shorter patient survival. Mechanismly, HOMER3 interacts with both c-Src and β-Catenin, thus providing a scaffolding platform to facilitate c-Src-induced β-Catenin tyrosine phosphorylation under growth factor stimulation. HOMER3 promotes β-Catenin nuclear translocation and activation, and this axis is clinically relevant. HOMER3 promotes and is essential for EGF-induced aggressiveness and metastasis of TNBC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion: These findings identify a novel role of HOMER3 in the transduction of growth factor-mediated β-Catenin activation and suggest that HOMER3 might be a targetable vulnerability of TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Amylase activities of barley cultivars collected from various areas of China, and as well as from Canada and Australia, were assayed. Meanwhile a multi-location trial was conducted to determine variation of β-amylase activity in eight barley cultivars and the relationship between β-amylase activity and protein content. For 56 cultivars in study, β-amylase activity ranged from 458 to 1024 U/g, with a mean of 738 U/g. There was significant variation in both β-amylase activity and protein content for eight barley cultivars grown in four locations. No significant correlation was found betweenβ-amylase activity and protein content surveyed in 56 cultivars. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The late Tonian is a critical period of the global climate transition from greenhouse to icehouse. Systematic analysis of its sedimentary evolution is critical to properly understand the initiation of snowball Earth and the nature of Cryogenian glaciers. However, it is difficult to infer this continuous response to climate change from the perspective of studying the continuous sedimentary sequence and sedimentary evolution, because of the depositional hiatus between the Tonian and snowball Earth strata in almost all cratons. A unique and continuous Neoproterozoic clastic rock succession developed well in the northern Yangtze Craton. This study analyzes the sedimentology, paleocurrent, major and trace elements, volcanic tuff geochronology, sedimentary sequences, and depositional environment of the Tonian Liantuo Formation to the Cryogenian Gucheng Formation in the Shennongjia area of the northern Yangtze Craton with a focus on sedimentary evolution. U Pb zircon radiometric ages from interbedded tuffs obtained by LA-ICP–MS method allow constraining the age of the sedimentary evolution in the northern Yangtze Craton to the late Tonian-early Crygenian. The northern Yangtze Craton began deposition at 763.1 ± 6.2 Ma and the sedimentary environment was dominated by terrestrial fluvial action with a provenance from the continental magmatic arc on the South Qinling Belt. At 752.1 ± 6.5 Ma, a transition from the fluvial-dominated terrestrial system to the transgressive tidal-influenced marine system was coeval with the peak rifting related to the Rodinia breakup. After 722.5 ± 2.1 Ma, the northern Yangtze Craton entered the glaciomarine environment under the influence of a global cooling trend. Our analysis of the sedimentary evolution from the late Tonian to the Sturtian glaciation in the northern Yangtze Craton forced by tectonic- climate deepens our understanding of the paleoenvironment at the beginning of snowball Earth. • A nearly complete sedimentary record, from late Tonian to Sturtian glaciation in the northern Yangtze. • The transition from terrestrial to shallow marine and then to glaciomarine is driven by a tectonic-climatic duality. • 763 Ma, 752 Ma, and 723 Ma provided age control for the transgressive evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the application of renewable energy, the power quality is attracting more attention to. Unfortunately, it is difficult to analyze the transient power quality signal. Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) analysis has been proven as an effective method, while, the mode mixing cannot be avoided in the procedure, as well as it is difficult to determine the waveform boundary of sudden changes. Aimed at this problem, a novel method combined Statistical Feature Vector Symbol (SFVS) and Iterative Harmonic Compensation HHT (IHC-HHT) is proposed. Firstly, the envelope distribution of transient power quality signal is changed by harmonic compensation, and the frequency-amplitude range of the compensated harmonic signal is determined according to the characteristics of the transient signal. Secondly, the SFVS method is applied to detect the boundary of sudden changes in the waveform, and divide the power quality signal into several stationary parts on the boundary, and then IHC-HHT method is used to decompose each segment to eliminate the mode mixing. Test results show that this method can improve the performance of decomposition as well as inhibit mode mixing effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are small and have a broad biological function involved in reproductive development and abiotic stress resistance. Although a small part of plant nsLTPs have been identified, these proteins have not been characterized in poplar at the genomic level. A genome-wide characterization and expression identification of poplar nsLTP members were performed in this study. A total of 42 poplar nsLTP genes were identified from the poplar genome. A comprehensive analysis of poplar nsLTPs was conducted by a phylogenetic tree, duplication events, gene structures, and conserved motifs. The cis -elements of poplar nsLTPs were predicted to respond to light, hormone, and abiotic stress. Many transcription factors (TFs) were identified to interact with poplar nsLTP cis -elements. The tested poplar nsLTPs were expressed in leaves, stems, and roots, but their expression levels differed among tested tissues. Most poplar nsLTP expression levels were changed by abiotic stress, implying that poplar nsLTP may be involved in abiotic stress resistance. Network analysis showed that poplar nsLTPs are putative genes involved in fatty acid (FA) metabolism. This research provides sight into the further study to explain the regulatory mechanism of the poplar nsLTPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Objective: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder associated with pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic events. The growth arrest-specific 6 (GAS6) has been implicated in systemic inflammation and coagulation. Common genetic polymorphisms of GAS6 gene have previously been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of GAS6 gene polymorphisms with the risk of preeclampsia in Chinese subjects.Study Design: The case-control population consists of 551 subjects. The genotyping of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms of GAS6 gene, GAS6 834 +7G/A(rs8191974) and +1332C/T (rs1803628), was carried out on genomic DNA using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (PCR-RFLP) analysis.Results: There were significant differences in the +1332C/T genotype and allele frequencies between the patients with preeclampsia and the controls (P=0.03 and 0.02, respectively). The +1332 TT genotype was found to be protective from the development of preeclampsia (odds ratios 0.271, 95% confidence interval 0.077-0.953; P=0.03). Further analysis showed that the TT genotype of the GAS6 +1332C/T conferred a risk of severe preeclampsia (OR=0.597, 95% confidence interval 0.416-0.855; P=0.01). However, there were no differences in the 834+7G/A genotype and allele frequencies between the patients with preeclampsia and the controls.Conclusion: Our data suggest that a TT genotype at +1332C/T polymorphism might be associated with decreased risk for preeclampsia, but the 834+7G/A polymorphism is not associated with the disorder, in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel heterowheel pseudorotaxane comprised of one guest, one cucurbit[7]uril and two cucurbit[6]urils was synthesised and characterised by1H NMR, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that the heterowheel pseudorotaxane self-assembles into two-dimensional polyrotaxane network with the aid of water molecules and hydrogen bonds. Every four heterowheel pseudorotaxanes self-assemble into a parallelogram, which is the basic unit of the 2D network. A novel heterowheel pseudorotaxane consisting of one guest, one cucurbit[7]uril and two cucurbit[6]urils was synthesised. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that the heterowheel pseudorotaxane self-assembles into two-dimensional polyrotaxane network with the aid of water molecules and hydrogen bonds. Every four heterowheel pseudorotaxanes self-assemble into a parallelogram, which is the basic unit of the 2D network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Objective: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder associated with oxidative stress. The glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a group of enzymes that protect cells from oxidative stress. Functional genetic polymorphisms of GST genes (GSTT1, GSTM1) have previously been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of GST gene polymorphisms with the risk of preeclampsia in Chinese subjects.Study Design: The case-control population consists of 525 subjects. The genotyping of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 polymorphisms was carried out on genomic DNA using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We calculated odds ratios (ORs), adjusted for the confounding variables, to estimate the association between gene polymorphisms and preeclampsia.Results: The GSTT1 null genotype was found to be protective from the development of preeclampsia (odds ratios 0.645, 95% confidence interval 0.421-0.989; P=0.044). Further analysis showed that a combination of deletion genotypes of the GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes conferred an even lower risk of preeclampsia (OR=0.470, 95%CI=0.255-0.866; P=0.015). There is no relationship between the GSTT1 and GSTM1 gene polymorphisms and blood pressure levels in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia.Conclusion: Our data suggest that a GSTT1 null polymorphism might be associated with decreased risk for preeclampsia in the Chinese population, and that this risk decreases with the combination of both GSTT1 and GSTM1 null polymorphisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Electroluminescence (EL) from LEDs with Er-doped TiO 2 films is enhanced by codoping Zr. • Anatase host is critical for the aforementioned enhanced EL. • LEDs with and without codoping Zr exhibit diode-like current-voltage characteristics. In our previous report, the erbium (Er)-related visible and near-infrared (NIR, ∼1.54 μ m) electroluminescence (EL) from the light-emitting device (LED) with Er-doped TiO 2 (TiO 2 :Er) film sputtered on the heavily boron-doped p -type silicon (p +-Si) substrate thus forming the so-called TiO 2 :Er/ p +-Si heterostructure was realized. However, it is still a challenge to enhance the Er-related emissions from the above-structured LED. In this work, we have adopted the strategy of codoping zirconium (Zr) into TiO 2 host to significantly enhance the Er-related visible and NIR EL from the TiO 2 :Er/ p +-Si heterostructured LED. It is revealed that the oversize Zr4+ ions substantially substitute for Ti4+ ions in TiO 2 lattice. Such substitution results in somewhat distorted crystal field of Er3+ ions incorporated into TiO 2 host, which increases the intra- 4f transition probabilities of Er3+ ions thus enhancing the characteristic visible and NIR emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New sedimentological data of Ediacaran cap dolomites are provided in Shennongjia, South China. • The cap dolomites are very thin and featured by monotonous sedimentary structures. • The cap dolomites were formed on a ramp in the shallow-water tidal environment. Ediacaran cap dolomites are strong evidence for the glaciation during the Neoproterozoic. Stratigraphic-sedimentological studies combined with δ13C and δ18O isotope analyses are used for defining the processes of post-glacier environmental changes and sea-level rise caused by glacier melting and the reconstruction of the depositional environments for the Doushantuo cap dolomites in Shennongjia, northern Yangtze Craton (YC). Like many other cap dolomites in the YC and worldwide, those in Shennongjia exhibit strongly negative δ13C carb excursions, ranging from −7.3 to −2.5 ‰ (averagely from −5.4 to −4.1 ‰). A laminated clast-free calcareous siltstone commonly occurs between the cap dolomite and the underlying diamictites, indicating a low-energy, shallow-water depositional environment, wherein alkaline conditions developed before the deposition of the cap dolomite. The most prominent features of the cap dolomites in Shennongjia are the very thin thickness and monotonous sedimentary structures. The maximum thickness of the cap dolomites from the six sections in Shennongjia is 1.8 m, and the thinnest cap dolomite is 0.4 m with simple laminations. Sedimentary structures such as low-angle cross-bedding, giant wave ripples, sheet-crack cement, and tepee breccias are rare in Shennongjia except in the area near the Three Gorges. These evidences, therefore, point to the deposition of the Shennongjia cap dolomite in restricted shallow-water tidal environments. The space–time distribution of sedimentary facies in Shennongjia and the southeastern areas to Shennongjia indicate that the Ediacaran cap dolomite was formed on a ramp. Accordingly, we propose a sedimentary facies model for the formation of the cap dolomite, covering the inner and middle ramp facies. This model explains the thickness variations and distributions of the cap dolomites at both the local and regional scale, including their sedimentary structures, compositions, and barite occurrences. The model successfully illustrates why the cap dolomites in the Shennongjia area share a unique set of sedimentary features. Finally, the cap dolomite is interpreted as a diachronous deposit (bottom to top), tracking glacioeustatic flooding and recording ocean-wide changes over the time following deglaciation, and a correlation and cause of negative δ13C carb excursions in cap dolomites worldwide, particularly in those in the Yangtze Carton, are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydroponic experiment was carried out utilizing four barley genotypes with differing salt tolerances to investigate the influence of salinity (NaCl) and cadmium (Cd) on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, sodium (Na) and Cd concentrations, and accumulation in plants. The activities of the two antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), were significantly increased when plants were exposed to both Na and Cd stresses for all genotypes, relative to the control. The increased enzymatic activity was more predominant with a prolonged time of stress exposure. The combined stress (NaCl+Cd) led to a further increase in POD activity, but had little effect on SOD activity. Two salt-tolerant genotypes, ‘Gebeina’ and ‘Zhou 1,’ showed a more rapid increase of POD and SOD activities than the two salt-sensitive genotypes, ‘Newgoutei’ and ‘Quzhou’ in response to the combined stress treatment. Additions of NaCl to the Cd-containing medium caused a significant reduction in both Cd concentration and accumulation. The extent of the reduction in Cd concentration was also dependent on genotypes. The salt-tolerant genotypes had lower Na concentrations than sensitive genotypes, and the effect of Cd stress on Na concentration and accumulation varied with genotypes. It may be concluded that a significant interaction exists between Na and Cd in their influence on antioxidant enzyme activity and the accumulation of each element in the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four facies associations of Nantuo Formation in Shennongjia are recognized: (i) Diamictites; (ii) Heterolithics; (iii) Lonestone-bearing siltstone, and (iv) Clast-free siltstone. • Complete stratigraphic architecture of Nantuo Formation in Shennongjia is first built. • Three stages of ice sheet dynamic evolution are determined by using sequence stratigraphic method. • The Nantuo glacier displayed characteristics of the transitional type between temperate and polythermal glacier. Increasing sedimentary records and non-glacial facies reported from various regional glaciations suggest diverse interpretation against the 'hard' snowball Earth. At Shennongjia, in northern Yangtze Craton, glaciogenic strata of the Nantuo Formation (~649–635 Ma) are widely outcropped, which represents the Marinoan glacial record. In this study, sedimentary logging of eight high-quality exposed sections of the Nantuo Formation were systematically conducted. Four facies associations were recognized: (i) diamictites, (ii) heterolithics, (iii) lonestone-bearing siltstone, and (iv) clast-free siltstone. The succession reveals significant spatial and lateral facies variation, therefore, the stratigraphic framework of Nantuo Formation could be compartmentalized into western, central and eastern types. Based on the facies associations analysed, the sequence stratigraphic method was applied to determine ice advance-retreat cycles in the region. Our data suggest the ice dynamic evolution is three-fold, comprising: (i) ice sheet moved from continental environment from eastern to the subglacial grounding zone in the western Shennongjia features first ice advance-retreat cycle, which is recorded by the lower member of Nantuo Formation; (ii) the second glacial episode is illustrated by glaciolacustrine and non-glacial lacustrine deposits in periglacial environment, which is indicated by the middle member of Nantuo Formation in western Shennongjia, though situation in rest parts of Shennongjia is unclear; (iii) the appearance of ice rafted deposits (IRD) in both western and eastern Shennongjia suggests ice-distal environments, alongside the siltstone on the top Nantuo Formation, representing final deglaciation period. Altogether three glacial advance systems tracts (GAST) were identified, separated by three glacial retreat systems tracts (GRST). Meanwhile, a general east–west direction ice sheet movement could also be reconstructed. Besides, based on sedimentology, notably the stacking patterns and clast character, we tentatively interpret the Nantuo glacier as the transitional type between temperate and polythermal glacier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many ERP studies have highlighted processing difficulty for animacy violation in language, more so than non-violated sentences. However, all of these findings were for non-figurative language, and studies have rarely looked at the figurative language, such as metaphors involving animacy violation, which could be integrated to make novel and acceptable meaning. The present study aimed at assessing the role of animacy in metaphorical comprehension of Mandarin Chinese. ERPs were recorded as healthy participants read metaphor or literal sentences with animate or inanimate actors as sentence-initial noun, while the target words were measured at the verb and the second argument (object) of the sentences with subject-verb-object (SVO) structure. As expected, the animacy violations elicited a significant N400 effect by the target verb in the metaphor with inanimate initial-nouns. At the objects, the N400 amplitudes associated with metaphors were not regulated by animacy. Subsequently, the analysis revealed a signi fi cant difference in the P600 amplitudes between inanimate and animate metaphorical conditions. The metaphors with inanimate actor elicited an attenuated P600 as compared with the animate counterparts and converged to the same level as literal sentences, reflecting the less effortful metaphor-relevant mapping process. These results suggest that animacy violation may facilitate the integration of the reanalysis stage for metaphorical comprehension, and the conflict strength (animacy violation vs. no animacy violation) modulates the time course of metaphor processing in Mandarin Chinese. The present study yields new insights into the role of animacy in the online linguistic comprehension. • Linguistics material designed with SVO sentence containing the actor-undergoer relationships, innovative in metaphorical studies. • Processing metaphors with or without animacy violation show different temporal dynamics. • Animacy violations are effective in facilitating metaphors at a later reanalysis integration stage. • Conflict strength controlled by animacy modulates the time course of metaphor processing in Mandarin Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, extensive reports have been published concerning the molecular mechanism underlying the occurrence and progression of colorectal cancer. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as important modulators in the biological processes of colorectal cancer. Microarray analysis unveiled that differential circ‐0004277 expression was identified in tissue samples of colorectal cancer. High circ‐0004277 expression was then verified in tissue samples and cell lines of colorectal cancer via qRT‐PCR. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used for identifying the association between circ‐0004277 expression and the overall survival rate of colorectal cancer patients. A relationship existed between higher circ‐0004277 expression and decreased overall survival rate of colorectal cancer patients. From a functional perspective, circ‐0004277 knockdown accelerated cell apoptosis and restrained cell proliferation of colorectal cancer. From mechanistic perspective, circ‐0004277 upregulated PTMA by sponging miR‐512‐5p. Rescue assay was used for verifying the roles of the circ‐0004277‐miR‐512‐5p‐PTMA axis. Both miR‐512‐5p and PTMA participated in circ‐0004277‐mediated colorectal cancer cell proliferation based on experiments. In summary, our study showed that circ‐0004277 promoted the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells as a miR‐512‐5p sponge to upregulate the PTMA expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]