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This paper aims to study the measurement accuracy of Rayleigh scattering lidar (light detection and ranging) based on a ship platform and analyze the influence of the laser beam uncertainty on the temperature inversion results. Taking the ship platform roll data as a reference, the Rayleigh scattering lidar oscillating model is simplified to a sine function, and the inversion accuracy of atmospheric temperature is analyzed under different settled observation angles and different roll angles. When the settled observation angle is 0° and the roll angle amplitudes are 10°, 20°, and 30°, the maximum deviations of the temperature within the height range of 30–80 km are 3.47 K, 13.73 K, and 22.78 K, respectively, and the average deviations are 2.35 K, 9.09 K, and 12.95 K, respectively. When the observation angle is set to 30° and the roll angle amplitudes are 10°, 20°, and 30°, the maximum deviations of the temperature within the height range of 30–80 km are 11.75 K, 27.49 K, and 53.50 K, respectively, and the average deviations are 11.05 K, 13.88 K, and 16.12 K, respectively. The results of this paper show that ship platform rolling greatly influences the measurement of atmospheric temperature, which provides a certain data reference for the construction and use of Rayleigh scattering lidar in the ship platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rational and orderly passenger organization in subway station can improve travel efficiency and safety. How to improve the efficiency of security check, which has a significant impact on the passenger organization, to reduce passengers staying time in the terminal level has the potential to improve service satisfaction. The Weidong Station of Line 1 of Nanchang Metro was selected as the research object. Anylogic software was used to simulate the process of arrival, ticket purchase, security check, gate-crossing machine etc. The results indicate that the dynamic adjustment of security checkpoints and fast passage for passengers without luggage can improve the security efficiency and relieve the congestion in the station hall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive Summary We present a facile synthetic strategy to create mesoporous Cu2O nanocrystals with tunable pore structures and surface functional groups of amine derivatives for efficient and preferable electrochemical conversion of CO2 into ethylene. The structural characteristics of these Cu2O nanocrystals can be manipulated using a set of amine derivatives, such as pyridine, 4,4'‐bipyridine, and hexamethylenetetramine, during the oxidative etching process of Cu nanocrystals by bubbling gaseous oxygen in N,N‐dimethylformamide solution. These amine derivatives not only serve as surface functional groups but also significantly affect the resulting pore structures. The synergistic effect of pore structure confinement and surface amine functionalization leads to the superb Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 51.9% for C2H4, respectively, together with the C2H4 partial current density of –209.4 mA·cm−2 at –0.8 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The relatively high selectivity towards C2H4 was investigated using DFT simulations, where 4,4'‐bipyridine functionalized Cu2O seemed to favor the C2H4 formation with the low free energy of the intermediates. This study provides a feasible strategy to manipulate the pore structure and surface functionalization of mesoporous Cu2O nanocrystals by regulating the oxidative etching process, which sheds light on the rational preparation of high‐performance CO2RR electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is to investigate the role of regulatory B (Breg) cells in cervical cancer. In total, 70 cases of cervical cancer, 52 cases of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 40 normal controls were enrolled. The percentage of Breg cells was detected by flow cytometry. Serum levels of IL-10 were measured by ELISA. The correlation between Breg cells and the clinical characterizations of cervical cancer was analyzed. The inhibition effect of Breg cells on CD8+ T cells was tested by blocking IL-10 in vitro. The percentage of CD19+CD5+CD1d+ Breg cells and the level of IL-10 of patients with cervical cancer or CIN were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). And the postoperative levels of Breg cells and IL-10 were significantly lower than the preoperative levels (P<0.05). Breg cells and the IL-10 level were positively correlated in cervical cancer patients (r=0.516). In addition, the Breg cell percentage was closely related to the FIGO stages, lymph node metastasis, tumor differentiation, HPV infection, and the tumor metastasis of cervical cancer (P<0.05). The Breg cell percentage was negatively correlated with CD8+ T cells of cervical cancer patients (r=‐0.669). The level of IL-10 in the culture supernatant of Bregs treated with CpG was significantly higher than that of non-Bregs (P<0.05). After coculture with Bregs, the quantity of CD8+ T cells to secrete perforin and Granzyme B was significantly decreased, and this effect was reversed after blocking IL-10 by a specific antibody. Breg cells are elevated in cervical cancer and associated with disease progression and metastasis. Moreover, they can inhibit the cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methanol fumigation strategy in multi-cylinder diesel engine has received great attentions in recent years. Experimental work was conducted in a turbocharged inline 4-cylinder diesel engine fueled with diesel methanol dual fuel (DMDF). Three different methanol injection positions were chosen to investigate into their effect on cylinder-to-cylinder variation. The results indicate that the unevenness degree of each cylinder reduces as injection timing of diesel (ITd) retarded. The unevenness degree of engine is better when methanol injectors are fixed at intake manifold (Case 1) and at distal end of inlet duct (Case 2) than fixed at near end of inlet duct (Case 3). The cylinder-to-cylinder variation has a tendency to increase with an increase in methanol substitution percent (MSP). With the increasing engine load, the COV IMEP of 4 cylinders reduces. In addition, the COV IMEP rises with an increasing MSP under 50% and 75% engine loads, while it has no significant change under 100% engine load. The COV pmax first increases and then decreases with the increase in engine load, and it has the maximum value under 75% engine load. Although there is a linear increase in the THC and CO emissions with the increase in MSP, the difference of THC and CO emissions between the three cases is very small under various engine loads. Under 50% and 75% engine loads, the soot emission in all three cases decreases slowly with the increase in MSP, and the difference of soot emission in three cases is small. Under 100% engine load, the soot emission in three cases first increases and then decreases with the increase in MSP, and the emission gaps fall apart further with the increase in MSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite structures combine the advantages of multiple materials, which can improve the structural crashworthiness performance. This paper aims to combine the high strength of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), the excellent ductility of aluminium alloy (Al), and the good compressibility of polyurethane (PU) foam. Quasi-static compression and low-velocity impact tests were conducted on thin-walled tubes made of single materials and composite sandwich structures made of multi-materials, namely Al-PU-Al, Al-PU-CFRP, CFRP-PU-Al, and CFRP-PU-CFRP. The structural failure modes and crashworthiness indicators were analysed and compared under different loadings. The results showed that the CFRP thin-walled tube exhibited a progressive damage and failure mode, and the resultant force changed smoothly. The CFRP tube possessed a larger mean crushing force and specific energy absorption than the corresponding aluminium tube. Composite structures exhibited more stable deformation mode and higher energy absorption, compared with the sum of linear superposition (SLS) of individual components, due to the interaction effects among components. Among the designed four combinations, CFRP-PU-CFRP exhibited an ideal energy absorption under both quasi-static and dynamic impact, while CFRP-PU-Al produced the second highest specific energy absorption (SEA), with an increment of 42.0% compared with Al-PU-Al. With full consideration of crashworthiness performance and economic cost, CFRP-PU-Al can be recommended as an impact energy absorber for vehicles due to its lower economic cost than CFRP-PU-CFRP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methanol fuel used in diesel engine can reduce the emissions effectively, while the performance of engine keeps unchanged or even improved, the study of methanol used in diesel engine is paid more and more attention. Experiments were conducted in a 4-cylinder, turbocharged direct injection diesel engine fueled with diesel/methanol dual fuel (DMDF). In the experiment, methanol was injected into inlet duct by two low-pressure injectors, and directly mixed with intake air before entering the engine. The diesel fuel was directly injected in cylinder. The methanol substitution percent (MSP), intake air temperature and engine speed were changed to investigate the unevenness degree (UED) cylinder-to-cylinder. The experimental results show that the UED of engine increases with the increase of MSP under various engine loads, the COV pp increases with MSP under low engine load, and the COV pp curves vary very little under low MSP under 75% and 100% engine load, but a significantly rise appeared when MSP further increases. The UED gradually increases with the increase of intake air temperature, and it is usually less than 8% when intake air temperatures lower than 80 °C under 40% MSP. It suggests it is helpful to decrease the UED when the intake air temperature is in the range of 35–80 °C as MSP less than 40%. In addition, the difference of pressure between cylinder-to-cylinder decreases with the increase of engine speed, it can be considered raising MSP at high engine speed in order to gain better engine economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composite structures have drawn growing attention for their outstanding characteristics benefiting from the combination of multi materials. This paper aims to investigate the crushing performance of a hybrid system involving an outer thin-walled tube made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), a medial polyurethane (PU) foam and an inner thin-walled tube made of aluminium alloy (Al). The elastoplastic model of Al, the continuous damage model of CFRP and the compressible foam model of PU were established with assistance of universal material tests. The finite element model of the composite structure, namely CFRP-PU-Al, was validated by the experimental study. Based upon the reliable numerical modelling, the parametric study was carried out for exploring the effects of the wall thickness, diameter and ply orientation of the outer CFRP tube, namely CFRP-O, on the crushing behaviours of the composite structure. It was found that increasing the diameter or wall thickness of CFRP-O was helpful to increase the mean crushing force and energy absorption of CFRP-PU-Al, however, the overall specific energy absorption of the composite sandwich structure was limited by the characteristics of constitutive materials. Compared with the diameter, the wall thickness had a higher impact on the energy absorption characteristics, and increasing the diameter may decrease the specific energy absorption due to the increase of the overall structural mass. In terms of the ply orientation, the composite structure with stacking sequence of [0°/45°] 3 possessed higher mean crushing force and energy absorption than the structure with stacking sequence of [0°/90°] 3 under axial compression in this study. • Composite sandwich structures made of multi-materials were designed and fabricated. • Material constitutive models were established and the finite element model was validated by experiments. • The parametric effects of CFRP thin-walled structure on the crushing performance of the composite sandwich structure were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorous gold nanoparticle ( Fluo-NP), i.e. gold nanoparticle covered by fluorous ponytail (C8F17-) was prepared and found to self-assemble into supra-structures covered by carbohydrates (named supraF-NP), due to the strong fluorous interaction. More importantly, the re-dispersed supraF-NP (diameter around 200 nm) in water provided an alternative strategy to detect carbohydrate-protein interaction in solution by naked eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The review is to explore the connection between gestational hypertension diseases (GHD) and small for gestational age (SGA) in twin pregnancies. Methods: According to the recommendations of PRISMA, relevant studies were systematically searched through PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase from inception until January 16, 2022. Subgroup analysis was performed according to chorionicity and diagnostic criteria of SGA. Odds ratios (OR) were assessed to judge the link between GHD and SGA in twin pregnant women. A random‐effect model was used to estimate the pooled hazard ratio when there was significant heterogeneity (I2 > 50%); otherwise, a fixed‐effect model was conducted. Results: Seven articles containing 470 589 twin pregnant women were included. The increased risk of SGA was connected to the twin pregnancies complicated with GHD (OR = 1.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10–2.24, p = 0.01). After subgroup analysis, the connection between SGA and GHD had no statistical significance (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 0.95–1.44, p = 0.14) when the enrolled studies using the SGA diagnosis referred to singleton birth weight, but significant (OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.77–2.60, p<0.001) in the group using the SGA diagnosis referred to twin birth weight. Stratified by chorionicity, SGA was relevant to GHD in the dichorionic (DC) group (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.17–2.42, p = 0.005), while not in the monochorionic (MC) group (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 0.93–3.03, p = 0.09). More future articles are warranted to confirm these outcomes. Conclusions: Our review demonstrated that GHD in DC twin pregnancies was related to an enlarged risk of SGA. Two SGA diagnosis references led to different results. Twin pregnancies complicated with GHD were at significantly higher risk of SGA when twin birth weight reference was used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The in vitro models developed to investigate the growth and myelination of axons, such as dorsal root ganglion (DRG)–Schwann cell co-culture, DRG–oligodendrocyte co-culture and central nervous system (CNS) neuron–oligodendrocyte co-culture, have provided an effective way to reveal the mechanisms that underlie the interaction between neurons and myelin-forming cells. In order to better understand the complex process of myelination during CNS development and spinal cord repair, we established a rat spinal cord neuron–oligodendrocyte co-culture model. In this co-culture system, the spinal cord explants were used as the source of neurons, and the oligodendrocytes were induced from GFP-oligodendrocyte precursor cells (GFP-OPCs). The results showed that the GFP-oligodendrocytes that differentiated from GFP-OPCs in co-culture attached to the neurites growing out from the spinal cord explants and formed myelin structures. As the oligodendrocytes expressed GFP, and the neuron somas remained in the explants, the interaction between oligodendrocytes and neurites in co-culture were observed clearly and dynamically without immunostaining. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of physical activity trajectories with maternal fatigue. Pregnant women provided objectively assessed physical activity data by Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire four times. Fatigue scale-14 was used to assess fatigue during pregnancy. Growth mixture modelling characterized physical activity trajectories across pregnancy. The generalized estimating equations was used to analyze the relationship between different physical activity profiles and fatigue in pregnant women. A total of 626 pregnant women were included in analysis in a teaching hospital in Nantong city. Fatigue (total, mental and physical) was not different between two groups based on total energy expenditure of PA (constantly high vs. constantly low). The pregnant women in "constantly high household PA" group had the higher fatigue compared to "constantly low household PA" (P < 0.05) and "constantly medium household PA" (P < 0.05). The pregnant women in "constantly high sport PA" group had lower fatigue compared to "constantly low sport PA" (P < 0.05). Household PA and sport PA were still an independent influencing factor for fatigue after controlling for confounding variables. Specifically, we observed that higher household PA and lower sport PA were associated with higher fatigue during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To explore the value of umbilical artery cord blood glucose (UACBG) in predicting hypoglycemia in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and other at-risk newborns, and to provide a cut-off UACBG value for predicting hypoglycemia occurrence. Methods: In this prospective study, we enrolled at-risk infants delivered vaginally, including neonates born to mothers with GDM, premature, macrosomic, and low birth weight. We separated the infants into GDM group and other at-risk group. All subjects underwent UACBG measurement during delivery. Neonatal peripheral blood glucose measurement was performed at 0.5 and 2 h after birth. The predictive performance of UACBG for neonatal hypoglycemia was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), area under curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV). Results: 916 newborns were included, with 538 in GDM group and 378 in other at-risk group. 85 neonates were diagnosed hypoglycemia within 2 h after birth, including 36 belonging to GDM group and 49 to other at-risk group. For hypoglycemia prediction within 2 h, the best cut-off of UACBG was 4.150 mmol/L, yielding an AUC of 0.688 (95% CI 0.625–0.751) and a NPV of 0.933. In detail, the AUC was 0.680 in GDM group (95% CI 0.589–0.771), with the optimal cut-off of 4.150 mmol/L and a NPV of 0.950. In other at-risk group, the AUC was 0.678(95% CI 0.586–0.771), the best threshold was 3.950 mmol/L and the NPV was 0.908. No significant differences were observed between GDM group and other at-risk group in AUC at 0.5 h, 2 h and within 2 h. Conclusions: UACBG has a high NPV for predicting neonatal hypoglycemia within 2 h after birth. It was implied that individuals with cord blood glucose levels above the threshold were at lower risk for hypoglycemia. UACBG monitoring provides evidence for subsequent classified management of hypoglycemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable evaluation of evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for optimizing agricultural water resource management. In the study, we utilized the Data Mining Sharpener (DMS) model; the Landsat thermal infrared images were sharpened from a spatial resolution of 100 m to 30 m. We then used the Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) to estimate daily ET during the winter wheat growing season in the People's Victory Irrigation District in Henan, China. It was concluded that the spatiotemporal patterns of land surface temperature and daily evapotranspiration remained consistent before and after sharpening. Results showed that the R2 value between the ET of 30 m spatial resolution and the value by eddy covariance method reached 0.814, with an RMSE of 0.516 mm and an MAE of 0.245 mm. All of these were higher than those of 100 m spatial resolution (R2 was 0.802, the RMSE was 0.534 mm, and the MAE was 0.253 mm). Furthermore, the daily ET image with a 30 m spatial resolution exhibited clear texture and distinct boundaries, without any noticeable mosaic effects. The changes in surface temperature and ET were more consistent in complex subsurface environments. The daily evapotranspiration of winter wheat was significantly higher in areas with intricate drainage systems compared to other regions. During the early growth stage, daily evapotranspiration decreased steadily until the overwintering stage. After the greening and jointing stages, it began to increase and peaked during the sizing period. The correlation between net solar radiation and temperature with ET was significant, while relative humidity and soil moisture were negatively correlated with ET. Throughout the growth period, net solar radiation had the greatest effect on ET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duplications of Methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) -containing segments lead to the MECP2 duplication syndrome, in which severe autistic symptoms were identified. Whether adult neurogenesis may play a role in pathogenesis of autism and the role of MECP2 on state determination of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) remain largely unclear. Using a MECP2 transgenic (TG) mouse model for the MECP2 duplication syndrome, we found that adult hippocampal quiescent NSCs were significantly accumulated in TG mice comparing to wild type (WT) mice, the neural progenitor cells (NPCs) were reduced and the neuroblasts were increased in adult hippocampi of MECP2 TG mice. Interestingly, we found that parvalbumin (PV) positive interneurons were significantly decreased in MECP2 TG mice, which were critical for determining fates of adult hippocampal NSCs between the quiescence and activation. In summary, we found that MeCP2 plays a critical role in regulating fate determination of adult NSCs. These evidences further suggest that abnormal development of NSCs may play a role in the pathogenesis of the MECP2 duplication syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensor array consisting of six cationic fluorescent conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) is reported, which could readily differentiate between nine closely related hydrophilic nitroaromatics (NACs) in separate aqueous solutions by fluorescence pattern recognition and linear discrimination analysis (LDA). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD38 is a multifunctional receptor and enzyme present on the surface of B lymphocytes, which can induce B lymphocytes proliferation and apoptosis by crosslinking related cytokines to affect the function of B cells, thus affecting immune regulation in humans and promoting tumorigenesis. The level of CD38 expression in B cells has become an important factor in the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of malignant tumors and other related diseases. Therefore, studying the relationship between CD38 expression on the surface of B cells and the occurrence of the disease is of great significance for elucidating its association with disease pathogenesis and the clinical targeted therapy. In this paper, we review the effects of CD38 on B‐cell activation, proliferation, and differentiation, and elaborate the functional role and mechanism of CD38 expression on B cells. We also summarize the relationship between the level of CD38 expression on the surface of B cells and the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of various diseases, as well as the potential use of targeted CD38 treatment for related diseases. This will provide an important theoretical basis for the scientific research and clinical diagnosis and treatment of B‐cell‐related diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During a woman's reproductive period, the endometrial tissue is shed and regenerated every month to prepare for pregnancy or for the next cycle. The aim of the present study was to isolate, culture and characterize human endometrial cells (ECs) derived from menstrual blood (MB) and the endometrium (E). MB-derived ECs (MB-ECs) were isolated from women's MB. E-derived ECs (E-ECs) were isolated from women's endometrial tissues. The present study investigated the epithelial cell marker cytokeratin 18 (CK18) in MB-ECs and E-ECs. Cell proliferation analyses indicated that E-ECs (population doubling time, 20.85 h) grew faster than MB-ECs (population doubling time, 22.05 h; P<0.05). Cell migration ability was found to be significantly greater for MB-ECs than for E-ECs at 48 h (P<0.01). MB-ECs incubated with TGF-β1 (3 ng/ml) exhibited significantly decreased CK18 mRNA expression (P<0.01), and significantly increased vimentin (Vim) mRNA (P<0.05) and protein (P<0.01) expression at 6 and 12 h, respectively. E-EC incubation with TGF-β1 (3 ng/ml) significantly decreased CK18 mRNA expression (P<0.01) at 12 h and significantly increased Vim mRNA (P<0.01) and protein expression (P<0.05) at 6 h. The present results indicated that MB-ECs and E-ECs were biologically different, and that epithelial-mesenchymal transdifferentiation could be induced by TGF-β1 treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The introduction of hydrophilic functional groups at various depths in the functionalized interfacial region of poly(4-methylstyrene) (P4MS) provided a system for studying the surface reconstruction mechanism of this glassy polymer. The degree of surface reconstruction (RD) and the rate of surface reconstruction (1/t 1/2) were employed to compare the surface reconstruction behavior for various samples. The results showed that 1/t 1/2 decreased with increase of the depth in the functionalized interface region at a temperature below T g of poly(4-methylstyrene). By studying the relation of water contact angles and the surface free energy of the samples with temperature, it was found that surface reconstruction of surface-oxidized P4MS samples took place in two steps when the samples were heated in air. The first step took place below 80°C, in which polar side groups turned into the bulk, leaving a relatively nonpolar backbone projecting out of the surface to form a “hydrophobic conformation”. The second step occurred above the P4MS T g (110°C), in which P4MS molecular chains migrated to the surface in order to minimize the interfacial free energy between surface-oxidized P4MS film and air, since oxidized P4MS molecules containing carbonyl groups have higher surface free energy than the unmodified P4MS molecules. As the depth of the functionalized interfacial region increases, a longer time is needed for the polar side groups to reorient (the first step) and for unoxidized P4MS molecules to migrate to the surface (the second step), which resulted in the sample with deeper functionalized region having lower reconstruction rate and RD using the same treatment condition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To realize a soft-switching inverter with the advantages of a simple structure, high efficiency, low-voltage stress, and easy to control, a novel parallel resonant dc-link inverter with the function of pulse current regeneration is proposed in this paper. All switches in the inverter main circuit can achieve zero-voltage switching (ZVS) turn-on and ZVS turn-off. In addition, all switches in the auxiliary commutation circuit (ACC) can achieve soft switching. The power in the ACC is small. Freewheeling diodes in the inverter turn off under zero current condition, which can reduce the reverse recovery loss of freewheeling diodes. In addition, the bulk capacitors are avoided in the circuit and there is no neutral point potential variation problem. At the same time, the zero-voltage duration is independent of the load current, and the time of transition can be selected freely. According to the equivalent circuits in different operation modes under the proposed modulation strategy, the operation principle, soft-switching implementation condition, and parameter design procedure of the proposed inverter are analyzed successively in this paper. Finally, a 10 kW, 10 kHz soft-switching inverter prototype with insulated gate bipolar transistor based switches is built. Experimental results are given to demonstrate the validity and features of the soft-switching inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DSSAT model, integrated the calibrated Hargreaves ET model and dynamic crop coefficient, was run with the generated weather data by SDSM4.2 and CanESM2 to predict the potential yield and crop water requirement (ETC) of winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results showed that the spatial distribution of potential yield in the future under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were similar, characterized by an increasing trend from the northwest inland to the southeast coast. The spatial distribution of ETC decreased gradually from the Shandong Peninsula to the surrounding area, and the minimum ETC was observed in the southern part of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. The potential yield, ETC, and effective precipitation during winter wheat growing seasons might increase in the future under RCP4.5, while irrigation water requirements (IWR) would decrease. Under RCP8.5, the effective precipitation during the wheat growing seasons decreased first and then increased. However, the potential yield, ETC, and IWR of winter wheat increased first and then decreased. This study can provide some scientific evidence to mitigate the negative effects of climate change on agricultural production and water use in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately and timely diagnosis of plant nitrogen (N) status is imperative for N fertilization management and yield prediction of summer maize. This study was aimed to identify the most sensitive/appropriate spectral band combinations to estimate the N nutrition index (NNI) by comprehensive analyses on canopy spectral reflectance from visible to near-infrared light, to develop the optimum vegetation indices for NNI during V6-V12 growth period, and to validate the regression models for estimating NNI of summer maize by comparing the two methods (direct and indirect) to determine the most appropriate method for practical use. Five multi-locational and multi-N rates (0–320 kg ha −1 ) field experiments were conducted during three growing seasons (2015, 2016 and 2017) using five summer maize cultivars. The measurements regarding canopy spectral reflectance, plant biomass, and plant N concentration were taken at critical stages of summer maize under the various N treatments. Comprehensive analyses on the different regression models of NNI for normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) and ratio spectral index (RSI) composed of any two bands between 325 and 905 nm of summer maize were made by using the reduced precise sampling method. The NNI values in the present study ranged from 0.68 to 1.15 under different N treatments. The most sensitive spectral bands were located at 710 nm (red edge band) and 512 nm (visible light band) and the optimum spectral vegetation index for estimating NNI was NDSI (R 710 , R 512 ). The linear regression model between NDSI (R 710 , R 512 ) and NNI was NNI = 0.95 NDSI (R 710 , R 512 ) + 0.14. Additionally, the soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) was used to correct NDSI(R 710 , R 512 ), and the performance of the linear regression model was best when the parameter L (soil-brightness correction factor) of SAVI (R 710 , R 512 ) was 0.05. The performances of the direct and indirect NNI estimation methods were compared. The validation results showed that the performance of the newly developed vegetation indices (NDSI (R 710 , R 512 ) and SAVI (R 710 , R 512 ) (L=0.05) ) was the best with the relative root mean square error (RRMSE) values ranging from 11.4% and 13.1% in the direct method; while the performance of the existing vegetation indices (Ratio Vegetation Index II and modified SAVI) were best with RRMSE value of 16.9% in the indirect method. It was concluded that both the direct and indirect methods can be used to estimate NNI of summer maize, but the construction of the newly developed vegetation indices was easier in the direct method. The projected results will provide a technical basis for potential application of remote sensing technology for monitoring and diagnosis of plant N nutrition in summer maize production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fos-related antigen-1 (FRA-1) is a member of activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factor superfamily, and FRA-1 is highly expressed in colon cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, bladder cancer, and other tumors. The expression level of FRA-1 is closely related to the processes of tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, transformation, migration, and invasion, which is a potential therapeutic target and prognostic factor for many tumors. Clarifying the detailed mechanism of action of FRA-1 could provide the theoretical basis for tumor diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, and is of great significance for the study of tumor etiology and pathogenesis. In this paper, the expression levels and influencing factors of FRA-1 in various tumor tissues and cells are summarized, as well as the effect of FRA-1 expression level on the biological behavior of tumor cells and the signal transduction mechanism. At the same time, the signal transduction mechanism of FRA-1 in inflammation was expounded. In addition, the related metabolites, drugs and non-coding RNA that affect the expression and function of FRA-1 were summarized. Finally, it illustrates that FRA-1 may be taken as a key factor for tumor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target. This review provides a theoretical basis for the systematic understanding of the relationship between FRA-1 and tumors, its function, and possible mechanism. [Display omitted] • FRA-1 is closely related to the processes of tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, transformation, migration, and invasion. • FRA-1 plays a key role in regulating inflammatory reaction, and interleukin signal transduction related gene expression. • FRA-1 can promote the proliferation or apoptosis of cancer cells by regulating PI3K/AKT and other signaling pathways. • Some drugs, non-coding RNA and other small molecules can regulate the expression and function of FRA-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study the principal component analysis (PCA) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) are combined to estimate the spatial distribution of water requirement of the winter wheat in North China while the effect of the macro- and micro-topographic as well as the meteorological factors on the crop water requirement is taking into account. The spatial distribution characteristic of the water requirement of the winter wheat in North China and its formation are analyzed based on the spatial variation of the main affecting factors and the regression coefficients. The findings reveal that the collinearity can be effectively removed when PCA is applied to process all of the affecting factors. The regression coefficients of GWR displayed a strong variability in space, which can better explain the spatial differences of the effect of the affecting factors on the crop water requirement. The evaluation index of the proposed method in this study is more efficient than the widely used Kriging method. Besides, it could clearly show the effect of those affecting factors in different spatial locations on the crop water requirement and provide more detailed information on the region where those factors suddenly change. To sum up, it is of great reference significance for the estimation of the regional crop water requirement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and nitrogen are two main factors affecting crop yield and quality, and their optimization is crucial for sustainable agriculture production. In this study, the results of a three-year (2017–2019) experiment were presented to reveal the effects of irrigation and nitrogen rate on yield, crop water productivity (WP), nitrogen use efficiency (Partial Factor Productivity Nitrogen, PFP n) and fruit quality. Irrigation was applied based on the cumulative evaporation (E pan) measured with a standard 20-cm pan with its amounts set as 50% (I 1), 70% (I 2), 90% (I 3) of E pan , while the nitrogen rates were designed as 0 (N 0), 150 (N 1), 300 (N 2) and 450 (N 3) kg ha−1. Averaging across nitrogen rates and years, I 2 decreased tomato yield and PFP n by 4.00% and 4.07%, respectively, when compared with I 3 , while significantly increased WP, vitamin C (Vc), total soluble solid (TSS), soluble sugar content (SSC) and organic acids (OA) by 7.68%, 8.64%, 5.42%, 7.15% and 7.15%, respectively. Averaging across irrigation amounts and years, applying nitrogen rates more than 300 kg ha−1 not only failed to increase yield, but also reduced WP, Vc, SSC, sugar-acid ratio (SAR) and PFP n. Compared with N 2 , the yield, WP and fruit quality decreased slightly in N 1 , whereas the nitrogen rate decreased by 50%. Both the principal component analysis and gray relational analysis were identified as suitable models for assessing comprehensive fruit quality. The relative value of TSS had a highly positive relationship with comprehensive quality score, indicating that TSS could be used as an index representing comprehensive fruit quality. TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) revealed that N 1 I 2 was the optimal irrigation and nitrogen rate for greenhouse grown tomato. • Deficit irrigation improved fruit quality and crop water productivity, but reduced yield and nitrogen use efficiency. • Excessive nitrogen rate declined yield, some quality indices, crop water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency. • Principal component analysis and gray relational analysis were two suitable models to construct comprehensive fruit quality. • Total soluble solid could represent tomato comprehensive fruit quality. • Optimal irrigation and nitrogen management strategy was identified by technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester has been found as a promising structure for vibration energy harvesting. This paper presents a high performance and simple structure bi-stable piezoelectric energy harvester based on simply supported piezoelectric buckled beam. The potential energy function is established theoretically, and electrical properties of the device under different axial compressive displacements, excitation frequencies, and accelerations are investigated systematically. Experimental results demonstrate that the output properties and bandwidth of the bi-stable nonlinear energy harvester under harmonic mechanical excitation are improved dramatically compared with the traditional linear energy harvester. The device demonstrates the potential in energy harvesting application to low-power portable electronics and wireless sensor nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer, which mainly results from the infection of human papillomavirus (HPV) is significantly increasing in Xinjiang. According to the previous research, the incidence of HPV-68 in cervical cancer patients in Xinjiang is significantly higher than in other parts of China. HPV E6 and E7 oncoproteins play a crucial role in cervical cancer, and can be used as ideal targets for therapeutic vaccines. Therefore, we analyzed and identified the possible T-cell and B-cell dominant epitopes and various aspects of HPV-68 E6 and E7 oncoproteins, including the physicochemical properties, secondary and tertiary structures using a bioinformatic approach, which provided a basis for designing an effective HPV infection therapeutic vaccine. The results showed that E6 oncoproteins was an unstable and hydrophilic protein, while E7 oncoproteins was unstable and hydrophilic protein. The secondary structure of the E6 oncoproteins consisted of 45.57% alpha helixes, 14.56% extended strands, 4.43% beta turns and 35.44% random coils. The secondary structure of E7 oncoproteins consisted of 35.45% alpha helixes, 17.27% extended strands, 0.91% beta turns and 46.36% random coils. Moreover, our results identified 5 dominant T-cell epitopes and 6 dominant B-cell epitopes in the E6 oncoproteins structure and 5 dominant T-cell epitopes and 3 dominant B-cell epitopes in E7 oncoproteins. In conclusion, this study provides comprehensive biological information about the HPV-68 E6 and E7 oncoproteins, which will lay a theoretical foundation for multi-epitope vaccines against HPV infection. • Five dominant T cells epitopes and six dominant B cells epitopes in HPV-68 E6 oncoprotein structure were predicted. • Five dominant T cells epitopes and three dominant B cells epitopes in HPV-68 E7 oncoprotein structure were predicted. • The study would provid a basis for designing an effective HPV infection therapeutic vaccine for Uyghur women in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]