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Abstract The origin of energetic charged particles in universe remains an unresolved issue. Astronomical observations combined with simulations have provided insights into particle acceleration mechanisms, including magnetic reconnection acceleration, shock acceleration, and stochastic acceleration. Recent experiments have also confirmed that electrons can be accelerated through processes such as magnetic reconnection and collisionless shock formation. However, laboratory identifying stochastic acceleration as a feasible mechanism is still a challenge, particularly in the creation of collision-free turbulent plasmas. Here, we present experimental results demonstrating kinetic turbulence with a typical spectrum k −2.9 originating from Weibel instability. Energetic electrons exhibiting a power-law distribution are clearly observed. Simulations further reveal that thermal electrons undergo stochastic acceleration through collisions with multiple magnetic islands-like structures within the turbulent region. This study sheds light on a critical transition period during supernova explosion, where kinetic turbulences originating from Weibel instability emerge prior to collisionless shock formation. Our results suggest that electrons undergo stochastic acceleration during this transition phase.

Abstract Background Prostate cancer (PCa) has a high incidence in men worldwide, and almost all PCa patients progress to the androgen-independent stage which lacks effective treatment measures. PTENP1, a long non-coding RNA, has been shown to suppress tumor growth through the rescuing of PTEN expression via a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. However, PTENP1 was limited to be applied in the treatment of PCa for the reason of rapid enzymatic degradation, poor intracellular uptake, and excessively long base sequence to be synthesized. Considering the unique advantages of artificial nanomaterials in drug loading and transport, black phosphorus (BP) nanosheet was employed as a gene-drug carrier in this study. Results The sequence of PTENP1 was adopted as a template which was randomly divided into four segments with a length of about 1000 nucleotide bases to synthesize four different RNA fragments as gene drugs, and loaded onto polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified BP nanosheets to construct BP-PEI@RNA delivery platforms. The RNAs could be effectively delivered into PC3 cells by BP-PEI nanosheets and elevating PTEN expression by competitive binding microRNAs (miRNAs) which target PTEN mRNA, ultimately exerting anti-tumor effects. Conclusions Therefore, this study demonstrated that BP-PEI@RNAs is a promising gene therapeutic platform for PCa treatment. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Purpose Establishment of sister chromatid cohesion N-acetyltransferase 2 (ESCO2) is involved in the mitotic S-phase adhesins acetylation and is responsible for bridging two sister chromatids. However, present ESCO2 cancer research is limited to a few cancers. No systematic pan-cancer analysis has been conducted to investigate its role in diagnosis, prognosis, and effector function. Methods We thoroughly examined the ESCO2 carcinogenesis in pan-cancer by combining public databases such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression Project (GTEx), UALCAN and Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH). The analysis includes differential expression analysis, survival analysis, cellular effector function, gene mutation, single cell analysis, and tumor immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, we confirmed ESCO2’s impacts on clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) cells’ proliferative and invasive capacities in vitro. Results In our study, 30 of 33 cancer types exhibited considerably greater levels of ESCO2 expression in tumor tissue using TCGA and GTEx databases, whereas acute myeloid leukemia (LAML) exhibited significantly lower levels. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), kidney chromophobe (KICH), kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP), brain lower grade glioma (LGG), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), mesothelioma (MESO), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) demonstrated that tumor patients with high ESCO2 expression have short survival periods. However, in thymoma (THYM), colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) and rectum adenocarcinoma (READ), ESCO2 was a favorable prognostic factor. Moreover, ESCO2 expression positively correlates with tumor stage and tumor size in several cancers, including LIHC, KIRC, KIRP and LUAD. Function analysis revealed that ESCO2 participates in mitosis, cell cycle, DNA damage repair, and other processes. CDK1 was identified as a downstream gene regulated by ESCO2. Furthermore, ESCO2 might also be implicated in immune cell infiltration. Finally, ESCO2’S knockdown significantly inhibited the A498 and T24 cells’ proliferation, invasion, and migration. Conclusions In conclusion, ESCO2 is a possible pan-cancer biomarker and oncogene that can reliably predict the prognosis of cancer patients. ESCO2 was also implicated in the cell cycle and proliferation regulation. In a nutshell, ESCO2 is a therapeutically viable and dependable target.

Beam shaping is of significance for applications in various fields, including laser fusion, laser processing, and optical manipulation. One conventional approach for beam shaping is using the superposition of eigenmodes, such as the Hermite-Gaussian (HG) modes. However, despite the generation of a flat-top beam by HG modes with identical coefficients, it is challenging to achieve other specific intensity distributions by this method. In this study, we validate the feasibility of the beam patterns modulation by optimizing the coefficients of the superimposed modes using an optimization algorithm. Beyond producing square flat-top spots with controllable size and intensity, this method can also achieve specialized intensity distributions including hollow square spots.

Abstract Stem cell (SC) therapy has been shown high prospects in erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment. Without ethical issues and risks of immune rejection and tumorigenesis of exogenous SC therapy, endogenous stem/progenitor cells (S/PCs) have a better potential for ED management, and their homing and redistribution are controlled by SDF1-α/CXCR4 axis. Considering black phosphorus nanosheet (BPNS) has emerged as an efficient and safe drug vehicle due to its large surface area, biodegradability, and the ability to retain and slowly release its loaded drugs, BPNS is utilized to load SDF1-α, a chemokine for S/PCs, to construct the BP@SDF1-α complex to efficiently recruit stem cells (SCs) by injury-site injection and thus ameliorate ED within the bilateral cavernous nerve injury (BCNI) rat models. We find that BP@SDF1-α can efficiently recruit exogenous SCs and endogenous S/PCs to corpus cavernosum and main pelvic ganglion (MPG) by local administration. Of note, ascribing to endogenous S/PCs recruitment, it also successfully alleviates ED in BCNI rat models by enhancing the protein expression levels of α-SMA, CD31, and nNOs, and eliciting less collagen deposition in the penis after its combined injection at corpus cavernosum and MPG. Thus, this study provides a new insight into the treatment of ED with endogenous S/PCs. Biodegradable Nano Black Phosphorus based SDF1-α delivery system ameliorates Erectile Dysfunction in a cavernous nerve Injury Rat Model by recruiting endogenous Stem/Progenitor cells

Bisphenol S (BPS), an environmental endocrine disruptor, has been identified in global environmental matrices. Nevertheless, limited studies have investigated the presence of chlorinated analogues of BPS (Clx-BPSs) with potential estrogenic activities in environmental matrices. In this study, the occurrence of BPS and five types of Clx-BPSs was characterized in indoor dust (n = 178) from Hangzhou City. BPS was measurable in 94% of indoor dust samples, with an average level of 0.63 μg/g (1-BPS (2-chloro-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonylphenol; detection frequency 70%), Cl2-BPS-2 (2-chloro-4-(3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonylphenol; 65%), and Cl2-BPS-1 (2,6-dichloro-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfonylphenol; 61%) were among the frequently detected Clx-BPSs. Cl1-BPS was the most abundant analyte, with an average of 0.048 μg/g (2-BPS-1 (0.035 μg/g, 2-BPS-2 (0.031 μg/g, 1-BPS (p < 0.01), as well as between BPS and Cl2-BPS-1 (p < 0.01). Moreover, an estimation was made for the total daily intake of Clx-BPSs via the ingestion of indoor dust by infants, children, and adults. This study presents the first evidence of the existence of Clx-BPSs in indoor dust, concurrently highlighting the necessity to address their potential human exposure risks.

Double-cone ignition [Zhang et al., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A 378, 20200015 (2020)] was proposed recently as a novel path for direct-drive inertial confinement fusion using high-power lasers. In this scheme, plasma jets with both high density and high velocity are required for collisions. Here we report preliminary experimental results obtained at the Shenguang-II upgrade laser facility, employing a CHCl shell in a gold cone irradiated with a two-ramp laser pulse. The CHCl shell was pre-compressed by the first laser ramp to a density of 3.75 g/cm3 along the isentropic path. Subsequently, the target was further compressed and accelerated by the second laser ramp in the cone. According to the simulations, the plasma jet reached a density of up to 15 g/cm3, while measurements indicated a velocity of 126.8 ± 17.1 km/s. The good agreements between experimental data and simulations are documented.

Based on the paraxial wave equation, this study extends the theory of small-scale self-focusing (SSSF) from coherent beams to spatially partially coherent beams (PCBs) and derives a general theoretical equation that reveals the underlying physics of the reduction in the B-integral of spatially PCBs. From the analysis of the simulations, the formula for the modulational instability (MI) gain coefficient of the SSSF of spatially PCBs is obtained by introducing a decrease factor into the formula of the MI gain coefficient of the SSSF of coherent beams. This decrease can be equated to a drop in the injected light intensity or an increase in the critical power. According to this formula, the reference value of the spatial coherence of spatially PCBs is given, offering guidance to overcome the output power limitation of the high-power laser driver due to SSSF.

As an omnivorous species, crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) have varying feeding habits in different environments. However, little is known about the diet of crayfish under different fertilization patterns in rice-crayfish cocultures. In this study, we investigated the effect of fertilization on the growth performance, dietary composition and isotopic niche of crayfish in a rice-crayfish coculture system. Four experimental treatments were established: no fertilizer (CK), slow-release fertilizer (HS), crayfish rice fertilizer (XD) and compound fertilizer (FH). The results showed that HS and FH could significantly promote crayfish growth, and the growth of crayfish treated with HS was the best. Fertilization patterns had significant effects on the dietary composition of crayfish. The food source of unfertilized crayfish was relatively balanced. However, in the HS, XD and FH treatments, particulate organic matter increased with contribution rates of 34.04%, 56.89% and 42.86%, respectively. In addition, the artificial feed intake of crayfish in the FH group was the lowest. The isotopic niche revealed that crayfish in the HS group significantly increased in the direction of the δ15N axis. Based on routine economic indicators, slow-release fertilizer was suitable for the rice-crayfish coculture system. These findings could provide scientific guidance for the selection of fertilization modes in rice-crayfish coculture systems and the exploration of healthy crayfish culture models.

Abstract Background The primary cilia (PC) is a microtubule-based and nonmotile organelle which protrudes from the surface of almost all mammalian cells. At present, PC has been found to be a deficiency or loss in multiple cancers. Restoring PC could be a novel targeting therapy strategy. Our research showed that PC was reduced in human bladder cancer (BLCA) cells, and PC deficiency promotes cell proliferation. However, the concrete mechanisms remain unknown. SCL/TAL1 interrupting locus (STIL), a PC-related protein, was screened in our previous study and could influence the cell cycle by regulating PC in tumor cells. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the function of STIL for PC to explore the underlying mechanism of PC in BLCA. Methods Public database analysis, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to screen genes and explore gene expression alteration. Immunofluorescence and western blot were utilized to investigate PC. Wound healing assay, clone formation assay, and CCK-8 assay were used to explore cell migration, growth, and proliferation. The co-immunoprecipitation and western blot were employed to reveal the interaction of STIL and AURKA. Results We found that high STIL expression is correlated with poor outcomes of BLCA patients. Further analysis revealed that STIL overexpression could inhibit PC formation, activate SHH signaling pathways, and promote cell proliferation. In contrast, STIL-knockdown could promote PC formation, inactivate SHH signaling, and inhibit cell proliferation. Furthermore, we found that the regulatory functions of STIL for PC depend on AURKA. STIL could influence proteasome activity and maintain AURKA stabilization. AURKA-knockdown could reverse PC deficiency caused by STIL overexpression for PC in BLCA cells. We observed that co-knockdown in STIL and AURKA significantly enhanced PC assembly. Conclusion In summary, our result provides a potential therapy target for BLCA based on the restoration of PC.

Human exposure to p-phenylenediamine derivatives (PPDs) may induce hepatotoxicity and altered glycolipid metabolism. Recent studies have demonstrated the wide presence of PPDs in environmental matrixes. However, until now, the occurrence of PPDs in tap water has not been well known. This study analyzed nine PPDs in tap water collected from Hangzhou and Taizhou, China. The results showed that seven PPDs were detected in tap water samples from Hangzhou (n = 131), with the concentration of total detected PPDs ranging from 0.29 to 7.9 ng/L (mean: 1.6 ng/L). N-(1, 3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD; mean: 0.79 ng/L, N, N′-di-2-butyl-p-phenylenediamine (44PD; 0.39 ng/L, N-isopropyl-N′-phenyl-1, 4-phenylenediamine (IPPD; 0.31 ng/L, n = 30). N-phenyl-N′-cyclohexyl-p-phenylenediamine (CPPD; mean: 1.0 ng/L,

Changhu Lake, a large, shallow, eutrophic lake in central China, experienced an extremely low water level event from November 2015 to January 2016 followed by an extremely high water level event in July 2016. In this study, we examined the effects of two extreme water levels on the nutrient dynamics of Changhu Lake over five years. The nutrient parameters in Changhu Lake showed significant interannual variations, and the nutrient concentrations at the sites in the western part of Changhu Lake were 2–41% higher than those at the outlet of the lake. In late 2015, the effects of low water levels led to a 17–74% increase in nutrient concentrations. After July 2016, however, a high water level event occurred, leading to a 34–48% decrease in nutrient concentrations. These changes in nutrient parameters were strongly related to water level fluctuations (p

Target alignment technology is one of the most critical technologies in laser fusion experiments and is an important technology related to the success of laser fusion experiments. In this study, by combining the open-loop and closed-loop errors of the target alignment, the Kalman state observer is used to estimate the position of the target, which improves the observation precision of the target alignment. Then the optimized result is used to guide the alignment of the target. This method can greatly optimize the target alignment error and reduce uncertainty. With the improvement of the target alignment precision, it will greatly improve the reliability and repeatability of the experiments’ results, thereby improving the success rate of the experiments.

The ridge-tail white prawn, Exopalaemon carinicauda, is an important economic shrimp in the mariculture of China, especially in Jiangsu Province. The “zombie disease” of ridge-tail prawn is a new epidemic that is a highly transmissible and pathogenic fungal disease caused by Metschnikowia bicuspidate infection. To understand the response mechanism of E. carinicauda after M. bicuspidate infection, the hepatopancreas of shrimp injected with M. bicuspidate MQ2101 and normal saline solution were used for proteomics analysis. A total of 5078 proteins were identified, of which 1708 proteins were identified as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs, 1311 upregulated and 397 downregulated) using a 1.2-fold change in expression as a physiologically significant benchmark. These DEPs were mainly involved in cellular processes, single-organism processes, and metabolic processes in the GO enrichment analysis and metabolism, translation, signal transduction, cell growth and death, and immune system pathways in the KEGG enrichment analysis. The DEPs related to immunity and metabolism were significantly changed, such as CTSB, CPs, DSP1, GDP, and ADH3, and these proteins might be potential determinants of E. carinicauda responses to M. bicuspidata infection. qRTPCR was used to detect changes in the expression of nine DEP-related genes at the transcriptional level to validate the proteomics analysis results, and the results of the transcription tendencies in qRTPCR were consistent with proteomics analysis. The results of this study might provide an important theoretical basis for the response mechanism of ridge-tail white prawns to M. bicuspidate infection and scientific prevention and control of this fungus in ridge-tail white prawn aquaculture. Availability of data and materials: The data that support the results of this present study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Temperature is an important factor in the physiological processes of aquatic organisms and can seriously affect several chemical and biological processes in their bodies, including respiratory metabolism, antioxidant capacity, immune capacity, and signal transduction. In this study, physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were used to investigate the response of Penaeus vannamei to cold stress. The results indicated that cold stress disrupted nucleotide metabolism and inhibited gluconeogenesis. However, shrimp exhibited response mechanisms in order to enhance cold tolerance, regulating changes in key genes and metabolites in amino acid and lipid metabolism to increase energy supply and protect cell membrane stability. In addition, the response included regulating Ca2+ pumps and ion channels to maintain intracellular ion homeostasis and osmotic balance. When the temperature dropped further, oxidative damage occurred due to overwhelming of the antioxidant defense system, and immune function was inhibited. This research provides some references regarding the molecular mechanisms involved in responding to cold stress and potential strategies to improve cold tolerance in P. vannamei; these are important references for studying the cold stress response of shrimp.

Abstract Ratoon rice is resource efficient to produce economically sound and environmentally sustainable rice production. However, there is no more information on the relative impact of soil tillage practices on soil physical and chemical properties, microbial biomass, and enzymatic activity, and grain yield in a rice–ratoon rice cropping system remains to be tested. Systematic study of soil under ratooning rice model is a problem to be solved in the development of ratooning rice model. This study primarily investigated the long‐term (from 2014 to 2020) changes in soil bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration, total nitrogen (TN) concentration, microbial biomass, β‐glucosidase activity (BG), urease activity (UR), and yield under four treatments: no‐tillage (NT), no plowing tillage + rotatory tillage (RT), plowing tillage in winter + rotatory tillage (PTW), and plowing tillage in spring + rotatory tillage (PTS). NT increased BD by 9.65%–12.97%, and RT increased the 20–40 cm soil layer BD by 8.80% in 2020, compared with the baseline initial value (in 2014). Plowing tillage (PT) time had no significant effect on BD. All tillage methods decreased the SOC concentration in the 0–20 cm soil layer, and only RT increased the TN concentration. PT was the only treatment that increased the SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–40 cm soil layer. Both the main‐season rice yield and the ratoon season rice yield ranked PTW > PTS > NT > RT, in which the main‐season rice yield increased by 28.15% and the ratoon season rice yield increased by 25.19% in PTW. Overall, the PTW treatment had the highest microbial biomass, enzyme activity, and grain yield compared with the other tillage methods. In conclusion, plowing tillage in winter + rotatory tillage is a more suitable tillage method under the mode of ratooning rice.

Laser-accelerated electrons are promising in producing gamma-photon beams of high peak flux for the study of nuclear photonics, obtaining copious positrons and exploring photon–photon interaction in vacuum. We report on the experimental generation of brilliant gamma-ray beams with not only high photon yield but also low divergence, based on picosecond laser-accelerated electrons. The 120 J 1 ps laser pulse drives self-modulated wakefield acceleration in a high-density gas jet and generates tens-of-MeV electrons with 26 nC and divergence as small as $1.51{}^{\circ}$ . These collimated electrons produce gamma-ray photons through bremsstrahlung radiation when transversing a high-Z solid target. We design a high-energy-resolution Compton-scattering spectrometer and find that a total photon number of $2.2\times {10}^9$ is captured within an acceptance angle of $1.1{}^{\circ}$ for photon energies up to $16\;\mathrm{MeV}$ . Comparison between the experimental results and Monte Carlo simulations illustrates that the photon beam inherits the small divergence from electrons, corresponding to a total photon number of $2.2\times {10}^{11}$ and a divergence of $7.73{}^{\circ}$ .

A new approach to target development for laboratory astrophysics experiments at high-power laser facilities is presented. With the dawn of high-power lasers, laboratory astrophysics has emerged as a field, bringing insight into physical processes in astrophysical objects, such as the formation of stars. An important factor for success in these experiments is targetry. To date, targets have mainly relied on expensive and challenging microfabrication methods. The design presented incorporates replaceable machined parts that assemble into a structure that defines the experimental geometry. This can make targets cheaper and faster to manufacture, while maintaining robustness and reproducibility. The platform is intended for experiments on plasma flows, but it is flexible and may be adapted to the constraints of other experimental setups. Examples of targets used in experimental campaigns are shown, including a design for insertion in a high magnetic field coil. Experimental results are included, demonstrating the performance of the targets.

Abstract The Chinese government regards ensuring food security and developing water‐saving agriculture as an important national strategy and that carrying out relevant research has important practical significance and production application value. A two‐year field experiment was conducted to explore the compensation potential in rice yield by using rice varieties with different panicle size under two water management regimes (conventional water management or CWM and alternate wetting and drying or AWD). The results showed that the large panicle rice variety resulted in greater yield, crop water productivity, spikelet density, dry matter accumulation and translocation, and photosynthesis. Compared with the CWM, the AWD had little effect on rice yield. However, with an appropriate planting density, the AWD achieved a greater grain yield compared with the CWM. Moreover, the AWD increased crop water productivity and the grain‐filling efficiency. The loss of spikelets under the AWD could be compensated by increasing the planting density. Although AWD reduced tillering number, it increased the photosynthetic rate, dry matter accumulation and its translocation to grain, and leaf area index. In addition, the adverse effects on rice growth and the yield caused by the AWD could be alleviated by increasing planting density of rice. Therefore, an appropriate planting density can be used to save water and maintain high grain yield of rice under alternate wetting and drying.

Based on the 1.1 μm laser radiation obtained by parametrically amplifying Yb:YAG laser using frequency doubling of Nd:YAG laser, a 220 nm deep-UV coherent source was systematically presented via the efficient fifth-harmonic generation (FiHG) in NH4H2PO4 (ADP) and KD2PO4 (DKDP) crystals. In ADP crystals, noncritical phase-matching (NCPM) fourth-harmonic generation (FHG) and FiHG were realized at 109.4 and 31.6 °C, respectively. For DKDP crystals, we demonstrated the critical phase-matching FHG at 57.5 °C and verified that NCPM FiHG can be achieved at 38.7 °C, which was the first demonstration of the FiHG using the DKDP crystal to our knowledge. The energy-dependent conversion efficiencies, angular acceptances, and temperature acceptances of these nonlinear processes were systematically measured. The highest total conversion efficiencies from 1.1 μm to the fifth harmonic in ADP and DKDP crystals were 17.5% and 23.6%, respectively. Owing to the large-aperture availability of KDP-family crystals, this work paves the way for the generation and application of high-energy and high-peak-power deep-UV laser radiation.

Ptychography is a lensless imaging technique that is capable of reconstructing an object and illumination simultaneously by scanning the object at several positions with respect to a localized illumination beam. It has emerged as a powerful tool with applications ranging from high resolution imaging to optical metrology. A precise image reconstruction in ptychography is of utmost importance in several applications. An error in the measurement of the object–detector distance was found to affect the reliability of the reconstructed probe and the object. Several axial distance correction algorithms have been proposed to address the issue. However, the additional axial distance correction increases the complexity of the reconstruction algorithm. In this study, a detailed theoretical analysis of the relationship between the reconstructed images and the object–detector distance error is presented. It shows that high resolution object and probe images can still be reconstructed without an axial distance correction algorithm. The theoretical analysis is quantitatively studied by numerical simulations and experimental results.

Imaging for weak-phase objects is a challenging issue in the linear imaging process. Here, we demonstrate a high-contrast phase imaging method based on a nonlinear holographic hot image model. Due to the nonlinear Kerr effect, the holographic hot image can transform a weak phase into strong amplitude as a signal amplifier. The phase information is iteratively obtained from the light field distribution of the holographic hot image. The strong signal-to-noise ratio helps improve the imaging contrast. Using a tunable photorefractive crystal, we numerically and experimentally demonstrate the advantage of this method for imaging weak-phase objects. For the determined sample, our method doubles the imaging contrast. As far as we know, this is the first report using the nonlinear holographic hot image for imaging technology. This study can provide a potential strategy to achieve high-contrast imaging for various weak-phase objects applied in biomedical imaging, semiconductor metrology, and photolithography.

A linear model for coherent diffractive imaging (CDI) is proposed herein. In this model, CDI is expressed as a system of linear equations in the frequency domain of an object and illumination. The linear system can be directly determined to provide a unique solution for complex samples. The method is analytical and straightforward and does not require any approximation. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method is valid for all CDI-related imaging methods, such as traditional CDI, ptychography, coherent modulation imaging, and multiple-plane phase retrieval. The relationship between the method and the convergence of iterative phase retrieval is discussed. This mathematical model provides a direct method for analyzing the underlying physics of CDI and can be used to predict the accuracy and error in CDI applications, such as measurement and metrology.

Optimizing the sowing date of rice can change the seasonal patterns and distributions of climate factors during the crop growing season, making it one of the most effective ways to adapt to climate change and achieve high yield. A four–year field experiment (2018–2021) was conducted at Jingzhou Agricultural Meteorological Experiment Station, central China, with four different sowing dates (SD) each year, late April (SD1), early May (SD2), mid–May (SD3) and late May (SD4). Dry matter accumulation, grain yield and climate conditions were observed across sowing dates. Our findings revealed that delaying the sowing date from early May to mid or late May could increase grain yield by 5.6% to 8.6%. However, sowing too early could increase heat stress, decrease the net effective accumulated temperature, inhibit rice growth, and reduce grain yield. On the other hand, sowing too late could increase the risk of low temperatures after flowering. From the perspective of increasing net effective accumulated temperature, reducing heat stress and low temperature after flowering, mid to late May was the most favorable sowing date to ensure high yield. It is suggested that optimizing rice sowing dates can effectively avoid the threat of heat stress and better match thermal resources, thereby increasing rice productivity.

The Zeeman splitting effect is observed in a strong magnetic field generated by a laser-driven coil. The expanding plasma from the coil wire surface is concentrated at the coil center and interacts with the simultaneously generated magnetic field. The Cu I spectral lines at wavelengths of 510.5541, 515.3235, and 521.8202 nm are detected and analyzed. The splittings of spectral lines are used to estimate the magnetic field strength at the coil center as ∼31.4 ± 15.7 T at a laser intensity of ∼5.6 × 1015 W/cm2, which agrees well with measurements using a B-dot probe. Some other plasma parameters of the central plasma disk are also studied. The temperature is evaluated from the Cu I spectral line intensity ratio, while the electron density is estimated from the Stark broadening effect.

SCL/TAL1 Interrupting locus (STIL) is a ciliary-related gene involved in regulating the cell cycle and duplication of centrioles in dividing cells. STIL has been found disordered in multiple cancers and driven carcinogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms and biological functions of STIL in cancers remain ambiguous. Here, we systematically analyzed the genetic alterations, molecular mechanisms, and clinical relevance of STIL across >10,000 samples representing 33 cancer types in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. We found that STIL expression is up-regulated in most cancer types compared with their adjacent normal tissues. The expression dysregulation of STIL was affected by copy number variation, mutation, and DNA methylation. High STIL expression was associated with worse outcomes and promoted the progression of cancers. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) further revealed that STIL is involved in cell cycle progression, Mitotic spindle, G2M checkpoint, and E2F targets pathways across cancer types. STIL expression was negatively correlated with multiple genes taking part in ciliogenesis and was positively correlated with several genes which participated with centrosomal duplication or cilia degradation. Moreover, STIL silencing could promote primary cilia formation and inhibit cell cycle protein expression in prostate and kidney cancer cell lines. The phenotype and protein expression alteration due to STIL silencing could be reversed by IFT88 silencing in cancer cells. These results revealed that STIL could regulate the cell cycle through primary cilia in tumor cells. In summary, our results revealed the importance of STIL in cancers. Targeting STIL might be a novel therapeutic approach for cancers.

A half-trace retrieval algorithm based on an extended-ptychographical iterative engine algorithm is proposed to reconstruct the temporal structure of pulse from a polluted and recorded frequency-resolved optical gating (FROG) trace that was modulated by poor spatial profile of output pulses, stray light, or misalignment of the measurement setup. In the proposed algorithm, the probe pulse and the gated pulse were retrieved simultaneously from a recorded FROG trace with a half-delay range, and the measured pulse was obtained by combining the different edges of the probe pulse and the gated pulse. Numerical simulations were carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed algorithm. A single-shot picoseconds (ps)−THG−FROG setup with a 100-μJ ps laser system and an online ps−SHG−FROG setup in PW laser system were built to test the proposed algorithm experimentally. The results show that the temporal structure of pulses retrieved by the half-trace retrieval algorithm is closer to the real temporal structure than that retrieved by the conventional ptychographical algorithm when the recorded FROG trace is badly polluted.

As a potential threat to human health, ingestion of microplastics (MPs) has become of concern. Limited studies have carefully characterized the occurrence of MPs in polypropylene-made takeout food containers (TOFCs), which have been widely used in China. In this study, TOFC samples (n = 210) were collected from seven Chinese cities (Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xining, Chengdu, Qingdao, and Dalian) and analyzed for MPs. All the TOFC samples contained MPs, with an abundance of 3–43 items/TOFC. The TOFCs from Chengdu (25 items/TOFC) contained the highest mean abundance of MPs, which is significantly (p < 0.01) higher than that from Shanghai (8.7 items/TOFC). Fiber accounted for 66–87% of the total for the shape of the MPs in the TOFCs from the different Chinese cities. Most of the MPs in the TOFCs from the different cities had a size of 201–500 μm and accounted for a mean 34–42% of the total MPs in the TOFCs. The major color type of the MPs in the TOFCs was transparent, accounting for a mean 39 (Qingdao)–73% (Hangzhou) of the total MPs. Polymer compositions of the MPs in the TOFCs were consistently dominated by polypropylene, which represented a mean 56–73% of the total MPs. The estimated daily intake of MPs for the general Chinese population through using TOFCs was in the range of 0.042–0.14 items/kg bw/day. To our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive study investigating the occurrence of MPs in TOFCs from China, which contributes to a better understanding of the sources of human oral exposure to MPs.

In wheat production, improving resource utilization and grain yield is the goal researcher have been pursuing. This study aimed to investigate if a regulated nitrogen (N) and selenium (Se) fertilizer management could increase wheat yield and N use efficiency (NUE). This study reports the effects of three N application levels (N0: 0 kg N ha−1, N1: 180 kg N ha−1, N2: 270 kg N ha−1) and a combination of three Se application levels (Se0: 0 g Se ha−1, Se1: 450 g Se ha−1, Se2: 900 g Se ha−1) on N metabolism, NUE and yield in wheat in 2020–2021. Compared with N0, wheat yield increased by 44.76% in N1 and by 54.32% in N2, and the activity of N-metabolizing enzymes increased by 25.15~35.03% in N1 and by 32.01~51.27% in N2. Compared with N1, the apparent recovery efficiency of N, the agronomic N use efficiency and the partial factor productivity of applied N decreased by 15.71%, 28.00% and 28.93% in N2, respectively. Compared with Se0, the 1000-grain weight increased by 3.93% in Se1 and by 4.87% in Se2, and the activity of nitrogen-metabolizing enzymes increased by 4.23~4.91% in Se1 and by 6.65~8.46% in Se2. We conclude that Se could improve the wheat 1000-grain weigh and N metabolism and has the potential to increase wheat yield and NUE.

An 22-week feeding trial was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) on the growth performance, tissue fatty acid, ARA metabolites, sex steroid hormones and steroidogenesis-related gene expression in F2 generation Chinese sturgeon. Four diets with different ARA levels (0.0 %, 0.5 %, 1.0 % and 2.0 % in the diets) were formulated. The results showed that dietary ARA did not affect final body weight (FBW), weight gain rate (WGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival rate (SR), hepatosomatic index (HSI), viscerosomatic index (VSI), condition factor (CF) and gonadalsomatic index (GSI) (P > 0.05), while tissue ARA deposition was significantly effected by the dietary ARA (P

We present the effect of dual-pulse temporal shaping on the ultraviolet nanosecond laser damage characteristics of a fused silica exit surface in a high fluence regime. The pre- and post-pulse have the opposite effects on the damage behavior at a pulse delay of 20 ns. The pre-pulse irradiation significantly increases the main-pulse threshold, making it much higher than that of the single-pulse threshold, while the post-pulse has little effect on the main-pulse threshold. For near-threshold damage sites, the pre-pulse reduces the average damage size and depth, making them smaller than those of the single-pulse, while the post-pulse drastically increases the average size and depth, making them much larger than those of the single-pulse. The average size of the damage site is monotonously increased from 43.6 µm to 127.9 µm with increasing post-pulse energy. For the pre-pulse with a shape factor of 0.61, the damage threshold of the main pulse increases with increasing delay and nearly stabilizes after 10 ns. The underlying mechanism of the temporal-shaping effect on laser damage is discussed based on the applied precursor modification to absorption enhancement, which could provide insights for studying ultraviolet laser damage of fused silica optics.

Liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLMs) are devices that can accurately adjust the parameters of beam amplitude, phase, wavefront and polarization. However, due to the limitation of laser damage resistance of component materials, LC-SLMs still have difficulty meeting the application and development needs of a high-average power laser system. Here, we proposed an optically addressable spatial light modulator (OASLM) based on a sapphire substrate. Due to the good thermal conductivity of sapphire, the laser damage resistance of the device was greatly improved. The thermal distribution of OASLM based on the sapphire substrate and the K9 substrate is analyzed by a laser-induced temperature rise model. The experimental results also show the excellent performance of sapphire OASLM under high-power CW laser irradiation, its laser power density is increased from 10 W/cm2 to 75 W/cm2, and the working time is more than 30 min. By bonding sapphire to the other side, the laser power density can be increased to 100 W/cm2, and these are completed without active heat dissipation. This method provides a feasible path for high-average-power SLMs.

Bisphenol analogues including bisphenol A (BPA), bisphenol AF (BPAF), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) share similar chemical structures and endocrine disrupting effects. Their effects on metabolisms, however, are so far only marginally understood. In this study, NMR-based metabonomic profiles of HepG2 cell culture media and PCR array were used to assess the metabolomics disturbances and gene expression levels of HepG2 in response to four BPs (BPA, BPAF, BPF, and BPS). The results indicated that BP analogues resulted in disturbances in 7–15 metabolites that were classified as amino acid (alanine, glutamine, glutamate), intermediates and end-products in the glycolysis (pyruvate) and the tricarboxylic acid cycle (acetate, lactate). Their rank in order according to the number of metabolites and pathways was BPF > BPA > BPAF > BPS. The common disrupted pathways (pyruvate metabolism; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism) indicated enhanced glycolysis. The following glucometabolic PCR array analysis suggested that although four BPs shared the capability of disrupting glucose metabolism, they may act through different mechanisms: BPAF has increased the pyruvate kinase (PKLR) expression level, which implied enhanced glycolysis that was agreed with NMR results. The other three BP analogues, however, decreased the expression level of glucokinase (GCK) that indicated glucose sensing impairment. Our results demonstrated the potential for using metabolomic and PCR array to understand the underlying action of mechanisms and identify the potential targets for future targeted risk assessment. Keywords: Bisphenol analogues, Metabolomic modulations, HepG2, PCR array

A new method for optical multiple-image encryption based on polarization-resolved diffraction imaging is proposed in this study. A linearly polarized beam is split into two beams of orthogonal polarization to illuminate different images to be encrypted, and these images are then encrypted into a single white-noise-like intensity image in a single shot. A multi-mode iterative phase-retrieval algorithm is used in the decryption to reconstruct the amplitudes and phases of the secret images simultaneously. Both computer simulations and optical experiments are performed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.

We report on comprehensive research regarding the potential of phase-conjugate wave (PCW) generation via backward degenerate four-wave mixing process as a pulse cleaner in femtosecond high-power laser systems. We analyzed the performance of this technique by investigating the contrast enhancement capability, gain bandwidth, and energy conversion efficiency. All of these parameters are important in pulse cleaning. The numerical calculations verified that a considerably large efficiency bandwidth product and an excellent contrast enhancement capability can be realized by finding a balance between each physical effect. The simulation results based on this study provide guidance for the application of this technique in laser systems with different bandwidths. The method, which is based on PCW generation, provides new insights for femtosecond petawatt laser systems as pulse cleaners.

Feed input leads to a large amount of nitrogen-containing sediment accumulating in the substrate in the pond culture process, threatening the safety of aquaculture production. Planting lotus roots (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) in ponds can accelerate the removal of bottom nitrogen, while the role of nitrogen cycle-related microorganisms in the removal is still unclear. In this study, eight yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) culture ponds with the same basic situation were divided into fishponds with planted lotus roots and ponds with only fish farming. Sediment samples were taken from the fishponds with planted lotus roots and the ponds with only fish farming before and after fish farming, marked as FPB, FPA, FOB, and FOA, respectively, and subjected to physicochemical and metagenomic sequencing analyses. The results show that the contents of NH4+, NO2−, TN, TP, and OM were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in FPA than in FOA. The abundance of metabolic pathways for inorganic nitrogen transformation and ammonia assimilation increased considerably after culture compared to the sediments before culture. A total of eight ammonia production pathways and two ammonia utilization pathways were annotated in the sediments of the experimental ponds, with a very high abundance of ammonia assimilation. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas (34.67%, 18.02%) were the dominant bacteria in the pond sediments before culture, which changed to Thiobacillus (12.16%) after culture. The FPA had significantly higher relative abundances of Thiobacillus denitrificans and Sulfuricella denitrificans, and the FOA had significantly a higher abundance of Microcystis aeruginosa compared to other samples. The massive growth of Microcystis aeruginosa provided two new inorganic nitrogen metabolic pathways and one organic nitrogen metabolic pathway for FOA. The relative abundances of these three microorganisms were negatively correlated with NH4+ content (p < 0.01) and significantly positively correlated with AP, OM content, and pH value. Compared with ponds with only fish farming, lotus root–fish co-culture can significantly reduce the nitrogen content in sediment, increase the abundance of denitrifying bacteria, and inhibit algae growth. Still, it has little effect on the abundance of nitrogen cycle-related enzymes and genes. In summary, it is shown that, although lotus roots promote the growth of denitrifying microorganisms in the sediment, nitrogen removal relies mainly on nutrient uptake by lotus roots.

Although tremendous achievements have been made toward inertial confinement fusion, laser plasma instabilities (LPIs) remain to be an inevitable problem for current drive schemes. To mitigate these instabilities, significant efforts have been paid to produce high-power broadband ultraviolet lasers. However, no practical scheme has been demonstrated up to now for efficient triple-frequency conversion of broadband laser. Here we propose the design of polychromatic drivers for the generation of multicolor beams mainly based upon the optical parametric amplification, which can significantly enhance the third-harmonic conversion efficiency. Each polychromatic light has four colors of monochromatic beamlets with a full spectrum width of 3%, and the beamlet colors of any two adjacent flanges are different. The suppression effects of such polychromatic lights have been investigated via large scale particle-in-cell simulations, which indicate that more than 35% of the incident energy can be saved from the LPIs compared with monochromatic lasers for the direct-drive scheme, or high-density filled target for the indirect-drive scheme. The proposed polychromatic drivers are based on the matured technologies, and thus may pave the way towards realization of robust and high-efficiency fusion ignition.

We focused on a single-shot method for directly measuring the temporal contrast enhancement of a single plasma mirror by analyzing the spectrum of a chirped pulse spatiotemporally overlapped with the igniting laser used for generating a plasma mirror. Experimentally, temporal contrast enhancement of 102 by one plasma mirror was successfully measured in a hundred picosecond timescale and was consistent with the theory. This single-shot measurement method caused no degradation on the performance of the plasma mirror, which was proved by monitoring the efficiency and far-field pattern of the igniting laser after the plasma mirror. Combined with calorimeters and CCD cameras, this method is expected to realize the single-shot online diagnosis of plasma mirrors. This method is expected to be an efficient approach for measuring the temporal contrast enhancement of the plasma mirrors.

To improve the beam pointing accuracy of PW laser facility and reduce the optical axis deviation caused by the deflection amplitude response deviation of the confocal lens of spatial filter for microvibration action, an Optomechanical coupling vibration active control theory is proposed to make the peak value of output optical angle response lower than the pointing threshold value by 0.2 μrad. To establish an Optomechanical coupling vibration active control system, the active control parameters are introduced into the beam transmission matrix of the Optomechanical coupling system. The active control parameters and the peak value of the output light angle response are linked point to point. The algorithm flow of the active control system is designed, the control rules are established, and the control effect is verified. The results show that the peak value of the output optical angle response of the spatial filter decreases by 98.13%, and the attenuation is nearly two orders of magnitude after the active control, which effectively improves the convergence accuracy of the beam pointing of the spatial filter of the PW laser facility, and realizes the beam pointing control under the broadband excitation, and the control result is consistent with the expectation.

This paper reports on a Joule-level multi-pass laser amplification device with diode end-pumped square-rod neodymium glass (Nd:glass) bonded to K9 glass. The device generated 1.17 J pulse energy at 1 Hz and 1053 nm. The optical-to-optical efficiency was 13.01%, and the effective energy extraction efficiency was 44.23%. Comparing Nd:glass of the same specification without K9 glass under the same conditions, the thermal wave aberration of the former was 85.71% of that of the latter, which is 0.78 um. The near-field modulation degree at the highest energy output was 1.42 within 90% of the spot, and the far-field energy concentration was 81.88% within the 2.5-fold diffraction limit. The Nd:glass bonding method of the square rod is relatively novel in laser amplification systems pumped by the diode end face and can be further studied in future works.

A universal phase mismatch compensation method, which can be applied to temperature-insensitive frequency conversion, is experimentally demonstrated. In this method, two nonlinear crystals and an electro-optic crystal are cascaded. The generated phase mismatch in the nonlinear crystal can be well compensated for in the electro-optic crystal, thereby improving the stability of frequency conversion. In the proof-of-principle experiment, temperature-insensitive second and third harmonic generation (SHG and THG) are investigated by cascading KH2PO4 (KDP) and KD2PO4 (DKDP) crystals. The experimental results show that the temperature acceptance bandwidths of SHG and THG are 2.1 and 2.3 times larger, respectively, than that of the traditional method employing a single crystal. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of this method is also analyzed at a high power density, and a solution for the case of a nonuniform temperature is also discussed. Furthermore, angle-insensitive SHG is demonstrated to prove that this method can significantly reduce the influence of various unfavorable factors on frequency conversion. The demonstrated method may have potentially important applications in the nonlinear optical frequency conversion system.

In this paper, a reliable automatic optimized method for a digital optical phase conjugation (DOPC) system based on a multipopulation genetic algorithm (MPGA) is proposed for improving the compensation quality of DOPC. The practical implementation and compensation quality of DOPC in focusing through scattering media are greatly limited by imperfect pixel alignment, optical aberration, and mechanical error in the DOPC system. For comprehensively solving the above problems, the concept of global optimization is introduced by Zernike polynomials (Zernike modes) to characterize overall imperfections, and MPGA is used to search for the most optimal Zernike coefficient and compensate for the overall imperfections of the DOPC system. The significant optimization ability of the proposed method is verified in DOPC-related experiments for focusing through scattering media. The peak-to-background ratio (PBR) of the OPC focus increases 174 times that of the initial OPC focus. Furthermore, we evaluated the optimization results of the proposed method with a fitness function of intensity fitness and correlation coefficient fitness in MPGA. The results show that the optimized capability is excellent and more efficiently used than the correlation coefficient fitness function in the Zernike modes.

As local defects may significantly harm beam quality and affect safe operation, a systematic analysis of the ability of a spatial filter to alleviate these adverse effects is required. Thus, the evolutional characteristics of a beam modulated by a local defect propagating through a spatial filter system at an image reply plane and a downstream plane are analyzed in detail. Modulation stripes appear at the image reply plane; these are caused by the pinhole cutoff effect. The modulation degree increases with increasing defect size. The maximum intensification factor can reach 3.2 under certain conditions. Thus, the defect size should be restricted to a reasonable size for safe operation with a specified pinhole size. Moreover, a maximal value appears at the downstream plane, and the intensity enhances with increasing defect size. To ensure beam quality, the maximum allowable defect size and angle of the spatial filter should meet special constraints. The maximum allowable defect size is calculated based on practical configuration parameters.

A wavelength scanning Ptychographic Iterative Engine (ws-PIE) is proposed to reconstruct high-quality complex images of specimens. Compared with common ptychography, which required the user to transversely scan the sample during data acquisition, the ws-PIE fundamentally reduces the data acquisition time and can avoid the heavy dependence on the accuracy of the scanning mechanism. This method can be easily implemented in the field of material and biological science as the wavelength-swept laser source is currently commercially available. The feasibility of the ws-PIE is demonstrated numerically and experimentally.

The intensity distributions of a high-power broadband laser beam passing through a nonlinear optical medium with defects and then propagating in free space are investigated based on the general nonlinear Schrödinger equation and the split-step Fourier numerical method. The influences of the bandwidth of the laser beam, the thickness of the medium, and the defects on the light intensity distribution are revealed. We find that the nonlinear optical effect can be suppressed and that the uniformity of the beam can be improved for a high-power broadband laser beam with appropriate wide bandwidth. It is also found that, under the same incident light intensity, a thicker medium will lead to a stronger self-focusing intensity, and that the influence of defects in the optical elements on the intensity is stronger for a narrowband beam than for a broadband beam.

Considering the time delay in different hohlraum wall positions caused by oblique incidence, the spatio-temporal optical field distribution characteristics of a hohlraum wall, especially during the rising edge of a flat-topped pulse, is simulated by a fast Fourier transform method together with chromatography. Results demonstrate that beam propagation along the hohlraum wall is a push-broom process with complex dynamic spatial–temporal evolution. In the first few picoseconds, the optical intensity of the front position increases rapidly, while that of the rear position is relatively weak. The ratio $R$ of the optical intensity during the rising edge is smaller than that of the steady state. $R$ gradually increases and finally tends to the value of the steady state with time. Calculation also shows that, with shorter total width of the rising edge, $R$ of the optical field decreases and the difference compared to the steady state becomes larger. The evolution is more severe with smaller angle of inclination.

The driving mechanism of solar flares and coronal mass ejections is a topic of ongoing debate, apart from the consensus that magnetic reconnection plays a key role during the impulsive process. While present solar research mostly depends on observations and theoretical models, laboratory experiments based on high-energy density facilities provide the third method for quantitatively comparing astrophysical observations and models with data achieved in experimental settings. In this article, we show laboratory modeling of solar flares and coronal mass ejections by constructing the magnetic reconnection system with two mutually approaching laser-produced plasmas circumfused of self-generated megagauss magnetic fields. Due to the Euler similarity between the laboratory and solar plasma systems, the present experiments demonstrate the morphological reproduction of flares and coronal mass ejections in solar observations in a scaled sense, and confirm the theory and model predictions about the current-sheet-born anomalous plasmoid as the initial stage of coronal mass ejections, and the behavior of moving-away plasmoid stretching the primary reconnected field lines into a secondary current sheet conjoined with two bright ridges identified as solar flares.

Beam positioning stability in a laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF) facility is a vital problem that needs to be fixed. Each laser beam in the facility is transmitted in lots of optics for hundreds of meters, and then targeted in a micro-sized pellet to realize controllable fusion. Any turbulence in the environment in such long-distance propagation would affect the displacement of optics and further result in beam focusing and positioning errors. This study concluded that the errors on each of the optics contributed to the target, and it presents an efficient method of enhancing the beam stability by eliminating errors on error-sensitive optics. Optimizations of the optical system and mechanical supporting structures are also presented.