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Conducting soil stability assessments around tunnels has always been a concern. However, most existing studies have regarded soil as an isotropic and homogeneous material. To overcome this limitation, within the framework of upper bound theory, this paper proposes a novel rotational–translational failure mechanism where the velocity discontinuity surfaces are derived numerically. This theoretical mechanism includes two cases according to the positions of the velocity discontinuity surfaces. An analytical solution for pore water pressure is obtained using the conformal mapping method, which involves solving the two-dimensional (2D) Laplace equation and considering the soil and shotcrete permeability. Then, upper bound expressions for the limit supporting pressure are derived by computing work equations with and without pore water pressure. Comparisons with previous work and numerical results illustrate that the presented approach offers improvements and could be applicable for stability analyses of shallow rectangular tunnels in anisotropic and nonhomogeneous soils. Finally, this paper discusses the effects of the anisotropy and nonhomogeneity of soil properties on the normalized limit supporting pressure and the collapsing domains of rectangular tunnels with different geometric shapes. In addition, the impact of pore water pressure on the changed water levels is assessed. The results demonstrate that for rectangular tunnels that are excavated in water-bearing zones, the width-to-height ratio plays a significant role in the stability of the surrounding soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For nearly a century, evidence has accumulated indicating that the lateral hypothalamus (LH) contains neurons essential to sustain wakefulness. While lesion or inactivation of LH neurons produces a profound increase in sleep, stimulation of inhibitory LH neurons promotes wakefulness. To date, the primary wake-promoting cells that have been identified in the LH are the hypocretin/orexin (Hcrt) neurons, yet these neurons have little impact on total sleep or wake duration across the 24-h period. Recently, we and others have identified other LH populations that increase wakefulness. In the present study, we conducted microendoscopic calcium imaging in the LH concomitant with EEG and locomotor activity (LMA) recordings and found that a subset of LH neurons that express Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) are preferentially active during wakefulness. Chemogenetic activation of these neurons induced sustained wakefulness and greatly increased LMA even in the absence of Hcrt signaling. Few LH CaMKIIα-expressing neurons are hypocretinergic or histaminergic while a small but significant proportion are GABAergic. Ablation of LH inhibitory neurons followed by activation of the remaining LH CaMKIIα neurons induced similar levels of wakefulness but blunted the LMA increase. Ablated animals showed no significant changes in sleep architecture but both spontaneous LMA and high theta (8 to 10 Hz) power during wakefulness were reduced. Together, these findings indicate the existence of two subpopulations of LH CaMKIIα neurons: an inhibitory population that promotes locomotion without affecting sleep architecture and an excitatory population that promotes prolonged wakefulness even in the absence of Hcrt signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The body temperature of mice is higher at night than during the day. We show here that global deletion of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) results in lower body temperature during a part of the night. ASICs are pH sensors that modulate neuronal activity. The deletion of ASIC1a decreased the voluntary activity at night of mice that had access to a running wheel but did not affect their spontaneous activity. Daily rhythms of thyrotropin-releasing hormone mRNA in the hypothalamus and of thyroid-stimulating hormone β mRNA in the pituitary, and of prolactin mRNA in the hypothalamus and pituitary were suppressed in ASIC1a−/− mice. The serum thyroid hormone levels were however not significantly changed by ASIC1a deletion. Our findings indicate that ASIC1a regulates activity and signaling in the hypothalamus and pituitary. This likely leads to the observed changes in body temperature by affecting the metabolism or energy expenditure. Global deletion of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a) in mice leads to lower body temperature during a part of the night as well as changes in the daily rhythm of hypothalamic signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Selection for fall dormancy (FD) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) can impact other traits, including dry matter yield (DMY), winter survival rate (WSR) and nutrient compositions. The current study was aimed to screen alfalfa varieties with greater yield, good quality and strong winter survival ability and thus are more suitable for planting in Heilongjiang, China and may be suitable for similar upper-latitude semiarid environments in the world. Methods: Eight alfalfa varieties (Zhaodong, Gongnong No. 2, Caribou, Gold Empress, Adrenalin, Sanditi, Sardi and WL525) were planted in regional test based on randomized block design and mowed during the early flowering stage from 2019 to 2021. The DMY, WSR and nutrient compositions were measured by weighing method, field investigation and chemical test, respectively. Result: There was a significant negative correlation (P<0.01) between the FD rating and WSR, with a correlation coefficient of 0.956. The three-year average DMY of Gongnong No. 2 was the greatest (12,745.65 kg ha-1) and there was a significant negative correlation (0.766, P<0.01) between the FD rating and DMY. The crude protein content of Gongnong No. 2 was greater (19.29%) than the other varieties. The Zhaodong had the least neutral detergent fiber (47.76%) and acid detergent fiber (30.79%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) generally infects pigs and threatens the pig industry. However, recently we have isolated a PRV strain designated hSD-1/2019 from infected humans. In this study, we compared the complete genome sequence of hSD-1/2019 with those of pig-originated PRV strains. Sequence alignments revealed that the genome sequence of hSD-1/2019 was highly homologous to those of the porcine PRV strains. Phylogenetic analyses found that hSD-1/2019 was the closest related to porcine PRV endemic strains in China, particularly the variant strains circulating recently. We also showed that the glycoproteins important for the multiplication and pathogenesis of hSD-1/2019 were highly similar to those of the pig endemic strains. Diversifying selection analyses revealed that hSD-1/2019 and pig variant strains are under diversifying selection. Recombination analysis indicated that hSD-1/2019 was a recombinant of several PRV variant strains and an earlier PRV classic strain. Finally, we found that both human and pig-originated PRV strains could induce cytopathic effects in cells from humans, pigs, and mice, but only the human PRV and pig-variant PRV formed large syncytia in human cell lines. The data presented in this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis for the pathogenesis of human PRV from a genomic aspect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quadratic assignment problem (QAP) is a well-known challenging combinational optimization problem that has received many researchers' attention with varied real-world and industrial applications areas. Using the framework of basic artificial bee colony algorithm, frequently used crossover and mutation operators, and combined with an effective local search method, this paper proposes a simple but effective discrete artificial bee colony (DABC) algorithm for solving quadratic assignment problems (QAPs). Typical QAP benchmark instances are selected from QAPLIB in order to conduct the simulation experiment where common performance metrics are used to evaluate the algorithm. The paper also investigates the influence factors of the algorithm's performance. The results show that the proposed algorithm is a quite effective and practical new approach for handling QAP problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (ETPU) foam materials with superelasticity for footwear application were developed and investigated. ETPU foams with different ratios of CO2/N2 as foaming agents and ETPU foams prepared by pure nitrogen foaming with different kinds of foaming additives were prepared by supercritical (Sc) foaming technology, which further made into sheet forms through the steam molding process. TPU foam exhibits better cell structure, crystallization performance, and mechanical strength with the increased CO2 proportion. Further, the foams using 25% CO2- 75% N2 and 50% CO2-50% N2, showed a lower density and excellent resilience and cyclic-compression performance. However, an increase of N2 ratio improves the dimensional stability and compression set of the foam. The introduction of foaming aids enhances the interaction between Sc-N2 and TPU. The ETPU foam prepared under the same conditions has a smaller density and a larger expansion ratio. Especially the ETPU foam prepared by Sc-N2 using monofluorodichloroethane as the foaming assistant as a co-blowing agent, the decrease in cell size (from 117.9 to 19.6 µm) and density (from 0.175 to 0.139 g/cm³) has observed. The study revealed the high potential of these materials in footwear applications and offered sound evidence for mass production in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of spatio-temporal patterns of global land surface evapotranspiration (ET) is essential for understanding the exchanges of energy, water and carbon between the earth surface and atmosphere and responses to human activities, climate changes, and extreme weather events. This paper comprehensively reviewed accuracies and spatio-temporal patterns of 25 state-of-the-art global datasets of land surface ET from 2001 to 2018, where the global and/or local distributions of annual mean, interannual variability, and annual trend for both ET and its components [canopy transpiration (Ec), soil evaporation (Es), and interception evaporation (Ei)] were investigated. Overall, 23 out of the 25 ET products exhibited good consistency with monthly eddy covariance observations at 83 globally distributed sites, with the root mean square error (RMSE) ranging from ∼19 mm/month to ∼29 mm/month and the coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.45 to 0.76. Comparatively, almost all ET products were in good agreement with the water balance-based observations at 137 large basins worldwide, with the R2 of >0.60 and the RMSE ranging from ∼200 mm/yr to ∼260 mm/yr. In general, remote sensing-based, machine learning-based, and hybrid-based ET products generally agreed better with site observations than reanalysis-based products. Global annual ET ranged from 530 mm/yr to 700 mm/yr with the ensemble mean of 628 ± 44 mm/yr (excluding areas of the urban, barren, wetlands, permanent snow and ice, and water bodies). Most products captured consistent global spatial distributions of annual mean, interannual variability, and annual trends of land surface ET and its components. Both mean annual ET and its components generally decreased with increasing latitudes though with an increasing trend in time. Interannual variability also decreased with increasing latitudes and with an increasing trend in time, but only in the Northern Hemisphere; these signals were not clear in the Southern Hemisphere. Most of the 25 products presented unimodal shapes of frequency curves, and displayed a sequenced multi-year mean of seasonal ET of JJA > MAM > SON > DJF. The Ec exhibited the largest mean annual value, in most areas followed successively by the Es and Ei. The ET products displayed a relatively high consistency in the spatial distribution of the Ec/ET with higher estimates of Ec/ET in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. This up-to-date review could benefit the understanding of the states and advances of global ET datasets, afford scientific instruction for the development and improvement of ET models and products, and serve as a basis for the choice of ET datasets for specific use. • Spatio-temporal patterns of 25 global datasets of land surface ET are reviewed. • The 25 global ET products are validated against EC- and WB-based observations. • Global and local patterns for both ET and its components are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerodynamic roughness length (z 0 m ) is a key parameter in the characterization of land surface turbulent heat fluxes and widely used in many surface and climate-related process models. The global products of time series of z 0 m at finer spatio-temporal resolution, however, have never been publicly available. Here we presented a practical method for global estimates of 500 m daily z 0 m with a combination of machine learning techniques, wind profile equation, observations from 273 sites and MODIS remote sensing data. Results showed that the random forest (RF) model outperformed the deep neural network (DNN) and convolutional neural network (CNN) models, and it could well reproduce the magnitude and temporal variability of daily z 0 m at almost all sites for all land cover types. In the validation of the RF-estimated daily z 0 m with the in-situ observations, the root mean square error (RMSE) varied between 0.02 m and 0.09 m, the mean absolute error (MAE) varied between 0.01 m and 0.05 m and the coefficient of determination (R 2) was 1 for medium-to-high canopy shrublands, savannas and forests; for short-canopy croplands, grasslands and wetlands, the RMSE and MAE were 0.02 m and 0.01 m, respectively, and the R 2 varied between 0.94 and 1. Compared to the Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2, 0.3°/monthly) and ECMWF Reanalysis v5 (ERA5, 0.25°/monthly) products in 2019, the RF-estimated z 0 m was found to have the similar global spatial pattern but significantly larger temporal variability, and it also showed a higher and lower global mean of z 0 m over forests and non-forests, respectively. The RF-estimated z 0 m displayed a higher temporal variability but a similar global spatial pattern of this variability compared to the CFSv2, whereas the ERA5 z 0 m product exhibited almost no temporal variability except for grasslands and croplands. This study is beneficial for improving the simulation of the momentum, water and energy transfer between land and atmosphere and helping boost the development of high-resolution land surface models and Earth system models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using 16S rRNA gene analysis and high-throughput, the diversity and community structure of actinobacteria in the sediments of Qaidam Lake and Qinghai Lake with different salinity and alkalinity in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau were studied, and the differences of actinobacteria community structure and their relationship with environmental factors were discussed. A total of 77 genera belonging to actinobacteria were found in the samples, of which 31 genera were found in the sediment samples of Qaidam Lake with 19 genera being dominant genera, such as Actinomycetes, Corynebacterium, Morella, Bifidobacterium, and 69 genera were found in the sediment samples of Qinghai Lake with 17 genera becoming dominant, such as Ilumattalaer, Actinotalea, Aquihaans and so on. The correlation analysis of environmental factors and community showed that the community structure of the two salt lakes was mainly affected by total salinity, total organic carbon) (TOC) and CO32−, among which TOC was the most influential factor. The functional differences of metabolic pathway enrichment analysis (KEGG) showed that there was a high abundance of metabolic-related functions in the two salt lakes. There were significant differences in the biosynthesis of energy metabolism and other secondary metabolites between the two salt lakes, which may be the main reason for the difference of actinomycete community. The results show that the actinobacteria diversity was rich in the plateau salt lakes, and affected by a variety of physicochemical factors. In addition, there were a large number of unculturable actinobacteria in the sediment, which provides a theoretical basis for the excavation and utilization of actinobacteria resources in salt lakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The level of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) is positively correlated with pathological complete response. Aims: To investigate the relationship between ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features and the level of CD8-positive TILs (CD8+-TILs) in patients with HER2-positive BC. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: This retrospective study included 155 consecutive women with HER2-positive BC. Patients were divided into two groups: CD8+-TILlow (< 35%) and CD8+-TILhigh (≥ 35%) groups. US and MRI features were evaluated using the BI-RADS lexicon, and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value was calculated using RadiAnt software. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed the optimal US and MRI features for predicting CD8+-TIL levels. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and the Delong test were used to compare the diagnostic performance of US and MRI features. Furthermore, implementing a nomogram will increase clinical utility. Results: Univariate analysis of US features showed significant differences in shape, orientation, and posterior echo between the two groups; however, there were no significant differences in margins, internal echo, and microcalcification. Multifactorial analysis revealed that shape, orientation, and posterior echo were independent risk factors, with odds ratios of 11.62, 2.70, and 0.16, respectively. In terms of MRI features, ADC was an independent predictor of CD8+-TIL levels. These three US features and the ADC performed well, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.802 and 0.705, respectively. The combination of US and ADC values had higher predictive efficacy (AUC = 0.888) than either US or ADC alone (p = 0.009, US&lowbar;ADC vs. US; p < 0.001, US_ADC vs. ADC). Conclusion: US features (shape, orientation, and posterior echo) and ADC value may be a valuable tool for estimating CD8+-TIL levels in HER2- positive BC. The nomogram may help clinicians in making decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A practical method is proposed for estimates of global 500 m daily z 0m , d and h. • An optimized scheme of d/h and z 0m /h is intercompared with five classical schemes. • A BRF model is constructed with observations at 271 flux-sites and by Lidar. • Model estimates are in good agreement with observations and reanalysis products. Aerodynamic roughness length (z 0m) and zero-plane displacement height (d), highly related to canopy height (h), are pivotal parameters to characterize the exchange of momentum, heat and water between the land and atmosphere and widely used in many remotely sensed evapotranspiration models, hydrological models and land surface models. In this study, we developed a practical method for coupled estimates of global 500 m daily z 0m , d and h by combining the measurements over 2000–2019 at 271 sites worldwide, collocated remote sensing and reanalysis datasets, an optimized scheme, balanced random forest (BRF) and wind profile equation. The h estimated by the optimization (Opt) scheme, in comparison to that by five classical schemes, was in the highest agreement with the dynamic observations at 109 of 271 sites, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.14 m (varying between 0.17 m and 2.58 m over different vegetated surfaces) and a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.99. Meanwhile, the validation of h estimated by the BRF model against the inferred h at 271 sites and the Lidar-based observations showed an RMSE of 0.13 m - 4.84 m and an R2 of 0.79 - 0.95 over different vegetated land cover types. The z 0m estimated by combining the BRF model and the Opt scheme presented a similar global spatial distribution compared to the CFSv2 and ERA5 products in 2019, with the estimated z 0m exhibiting the greatest temporal-spatial variability. Moreover, the estimated z 0m was more similar in magnitude to the ERA5 product but lower than the CFSv2 product. The generated d product showed similar spatial distribution and temporal-spatial variability to the z 0m estimates, but was about 4 to 15 times larger than z 0m in magnitude. This study could benefit the improvement of simulation of turbulent flux transfer between the land and atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laparoscopic lateral pelvic tumor dissection (LLPTD) for transobturator tumors may be technically challenging due to the requirement for sufficient operative space. The present study discusses a technique modification with combination of the laparoscopic approach and hand-assisted (HA) open surgery for patients with large obturator masses. LLPTD was performed using the combined approach, defined as HA-LLPTD, with one case treated. According to this technique, a combined working space is constructed based on the outreached laparoscopic space and open extraperitoneal approach, followed by HA-LLPTD. Finally, a literature review was performed to retrospectively evaluate 17 cases of obturator tumors, in terms of tumor type and operative approach. The tumor in the present case was successfully and completely resected, without any obvious intra- and post-operative complications. Based on the literature review, the majority of the cases were benign (~75%) and originated from neurological tissue (~50%). The selection of the operative approach was either open or minimally invasive (50% each). HA-LLPTD allows experienced urological laparoscopic surgeons to safely and completely perform obturator surgery without obstruction of the obturator foramen or formation of intraperitoneal adhesions and associated complications. Therefore, HA-LLPTD may be more useful for transobturator tumor resection compared with the conventional intraperitoneal approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the explosive growth of ridesourcing, or on-demand ridesharing, has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and planners. Despite its transformative impacts on mobility, limited studies have examined how built environment affects its use. In this study, we investigate the impacts of built environment on ridesourcing demand. We employ structural equation modelling to account for the complex relationships among study variables, and investigate the impacts at census block group level by using RideAustin data in Austin, Texas. Findings reveal strong impacts of built environment on ridesourcing demand and significant temporal heterogeneity. The models show that greater population/employment/service job densities, road density, pavement completeness, land use mix and job accessibility by transit produce more ridesourcing demand. Access to the commuter rail (MetroRail) also leads to greater demand. Furthermore, time-of-day (TOD) models demonstrate that these effects vary significantly according to the time of day. Our research has implications for policy making and for travel demand modelling of ridesourcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home prices and rent prices in the USA have been growing steadily over the past decade. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated entire sectors of the American economy, which makes the homebuying decision more intricate. We mapped multiple metrics to indicate the best place to buy a house amid COVID-19. For many counties in the central area of the USA, the price-to-rent ratio highly recommends people to buy a house, but the home prices have declined since the outbreak of COVID-19. The price-to-rent ratio and increasing home price suggest that people should not buy a home in big coastal cities under the current circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Enterococcus faecium (E. faecium) on the meat quality and antioxidant capacity of muscle in broilers. A total of 600 Arbor Acre broiler chickens (1‐day‐old, male) were randomly divided into five treatments with six replicates (20 chickens per replicate) for each treatment. The five treatments were the control treatment (CON, basal diet), antibiotic treatment (ANT, basal diet supplemented with 0.1% chlortetracycline) and E. faecium‐supplemented treatments (LEF, MEF and HEF, basal diet supplemented with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of E. faecium respectively). The experiment lasted 42 days in two periods of 21 days. Results showed that there were no differences in breast meat quality among different treatments (p > 0.05). Compared with the CON and ANT treatments, the yellowness of thigh meat in E. faecium‐supplemented treatments was significantly increased (p < 0.05); the shear force of thigh meat in the LEF and MEF treatments was lower than that of the CON treatment (p < 0.05). In addition, the concentration of the inosine monophosphate (IMP) in the breast and thigh meat of the MEF treatment was significantly higher than that of the other treatments (p < 0.05). At 21 days, the total antioxidant capability (T‐AOC) level and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) activity of breast meat and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the thigh meat of the MEF treatment were greatly increased (p < 0.05). At 42 days of age, the catalase (CAT), GSH‐Px and T‐AOC activities in the breast meat of the MEF treatment were increased (p < 0.05) and the CAT activity of thigh meat in the LEF and MEF treatments was increased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, E. faecium supplementation increased the meat quality of the thigh muscle, increased the IMP content and the activities of CAT, SOD, T‐AOC, and GSH‐Px of muscle in broilers. Supplementation with 100 mg/kg E. faecium had the greatest effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous evaluation of flood risk overlooks the behavior and capacity of private stakeholders, thus limiting the application of adaptation policies. This study presents an agent-based model, applied to Miami-Dade County, FL, as the case study, to explore the public and private interaction in coastal flood adaptation and mitigation. The decision making of individuals' adaptive behavior is simulated based on the prospected theory under households' risk perception, insurance policies, and the local flood mitigation. The NFIP and private insurance policy are simulated separately to reflect the flood insurance market. Our results show that households' risk mitigation behaviors are clustered in high-risk coastal areas, including Miami-Beach and the east coast of the County. The overall flood risk is still high in the southern part of the County. To better reflect the flooding risk and address the affordability issue, a voucher coupled house elevation program could improve the insurance take-up rates as well as reduce the overall flood risk in the area. Results also indicate that private insurance would slightly increase if the NFIP's insurance rates increase. Afterward, four adaptation scenarios in response to future sea level rises are examined by considering the voucher-based insurance program and the local adaptation actions. Compared with the high-risk reduction but low coverage mitigation plan, more extensive coverage of public adaptation would better improve the overall adaptation outcome of the County, which indicates the importance of public participation in local risk mitigation and urban governance. • An agent-based model is developed to study the public and private interaction in flood adaptation. • The risk mitigation behaviors of large quantities of households are explored in Miami-Dade County. • The NFIP and private insurance policy are simulated separately to reflect the flood insurance market • Households' risk mitigation behaviors are irrational and clustered in high-risk coastal areas. • Scenario analysis indicates the effective public adaptation actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Sea-level rise (SLR) has drawn unprecedented attention from coastal communities around the world. In fact, many are already being affected and, in response, SLR vulnerability assessments have increasingly emerged in the US as the local communities' first attempt on the adaptation planning agenda. However, to date, little is known about these early planning endeavors in terms of how vulnerability is conceptualized and operationalized. By reviewing the current local SLR vulnerability assessments in the US, we find that most are only focusing on their biophysical exposure to SLR overlooking other important vulnerability factors including sensitivity and adaptive capacity. The limited number of SLR scenarios and the lack of consideration for extreme events are also considered as the major deficiencies. To fill these gaps, we propose a conceptual vulnerability assessment framework to operationalize the full concept of vulnerability and test it through a case study in the Tampa Bay region, Florida. By comparing the vulnerability results of the common practice with our proposed framework, we find large variances in the resulting findings stressing the importance of selecting the proper assessment approach. This paper finally concludes with urban planning and governance implications and future research directions. Coastal planner and managers wanting to improve their understanding of the communities' vulnerability to SLR will benefit from this study. Highlights • How coastal localities conceptualize and assess vulnerability varies. • Most of the existing sea-level rise vulnerability assessments only consider exposure. • A conceptual sea-level rise vulnerability assessment framework is developed. • The assessment approach can significantly affect vulnerability findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ridesourcing, or on-demand ridesharing , is quickly changing today's travel. Recently, research has linked socio-demographics to ridesourcing use. However, little of the research has focused on the impacts of built environment, an important factor to consider in understanding travel behavior. This study applied Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression (GWPR) and examined the spatial relationships between built environment and ridesourcing demand. We used 2016–2017 ridesourcing trip data from a transportation network company (TNC), RideAustin , in Austin, Texas. By capturing the spatial heterogeneity, the GWPRs considerably improve modeling fit compared to the global models. Modeling results present strong relationships between ridesourcing demand and built environment variables (i.e., density, land use, infrastructure, and transit accessibility). More importantly, the results demonstrate significant spatial variations of the effects of both built environment and socio-economic variables and geographic trends from urban to suburban neighborhoods. Overall, these findings suggest that built environment factors have significant impacts on ridesourcing demand, and it is important to consider the spatial context. The study provides useful insights for understanding ridesourcing use as a function of built environment and have important implications for transportation planning, demand modeling, and urban governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that investigated interface microstructure and strain relaxation of atomic-layer-epitaxy-grown CdSe on ZnSe/GaAs by using transmission electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study; Conclusion.

The magnetotelluric (MT) forward modeling problem primarily relies on spatially discretization of Maxwell's equations using polynomials into an algebraic system with finite dimensions. It is computationally prohibitive to solve the algebraic system, resulting in a slow computational speed. The inversion scheme requires a significant number of forward computations, and the efficiency of the inversion is determined by the forward modeling speed. Therefore, constructing an economical surrogate model as a fast solver for the forward problem can considerably improve the efficiency of inversion. Because of their capacity to approximate, deep neural networks (DNNs) have showed significant potential for surrogating. We present a physics-driven model (PDM) to solve the MT governing equation without using any labeled data. Specifically, the product of conductivity and frequency is used as the input to the DNNs, and the loss function is given by the governing equation to "drive" the training. The trained model is capable in predicting electromagnetic fields at any frequency within the range of trained datasets, even ones that are not presented in the training. Numerical experiments are conducted on 2-D conductivity structures with uniform and non-uniform discretization. The results show excellent agreement on the MT responses between the PDM predictions and the finite-difference method (FDM). In addition, the computing speed of PDM exceeds by multiple times that of FDM. • We proposed a physics-driven deep learning algorithm for modeling magnetotelluric data. • The algorithm does not need labeled data in training of deep neural networks. • A surrogate model was constructed by the algorithm and showed dozens of times faster than traditional solvers. • The constructed surrogate model showed good performance in generalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative end-plate connection is proposed by welding an H-shaped steel corbel to the end-plate and the end-plate is connected to the special T-shape concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) column using a number of high-strength bolts. This paper presents experimental and numerical studies on the seismic performance of the new end-plate connection between T-shaped CFST columns and reinforced concrete (RC) beams with slabs. Tests of seven specimens are conducted: a specimen is tested under the monotonic loading in order to obtain the load-displacement curve and the development of strains until the failure; and six specimens are tested under cyclic loading. The seismic behaviour of the connections in terms of strength, ductility, energy dissipation, strength degradation and stiffness degradation are evaluated. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed connections exhibit good seismic performance and that the length of the H-shaped steel corbel and the diameter of the high-strength bolt played important roles in improving the seismic behaviour of the connections. A finite element (FE) model based on ABAQUS is developed and validated by the experimental results for the numerical investigation of the seismic behaviour of the proposed end-plate connections. It has been found that the reinforcement ratio of beam and the concrete strength of the beam and slab can affect the seismic performance of the specimens, but the effect of the axial compressive force ratio of the column on the seismic performance can be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo vinegar, a natural liquid manufactured from bamboo, has been regarded as a potential antibiotic substitute in animal production. In this study, we evaluated the effects and mechanism of bamboo vinegar powder (BVP) on the antioxidant ability of pigs. A total of 40 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire healthy pigs (80.88 ± 0.82 kg) were selected and randomly allocated into 5 different groups: control group (CG, fed with basal diets); antibiotic group (AG, fed with antibiotic-supplemented diets); 0.5% BVP group (0.5% BVG, fed 0.5% BVP-supplemented diets); 1.0% BVP group (1.0% BVG, fed with 1.0% BVP-supplemented diets) and 1.5% BVP group (1.5% BVG, fed with 1.5% BVP-supplemented diets). With the BVP-supplemented diets, the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood increased ( P < 0.05), the activities of GSH-Px and catalase (CAT) in the liver also increased ( P < 0.05), the activity of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) increased both in the liver and blood ( P < 0.05), but the activity of iNOS in the liver and blood decreased ( P < 0.05). Moreover, the gene expressions of Nuclear related factor 2 ( Nrf2), catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase ( GCLC), NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1( NQO1), heme oxygenase 1 (HO1), Glutathione peroxidase ( GSH-Px) and Catalase ( CAT) in the liver were also increased due to the addition of BVP ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, BVP supplementation improved the antioxidant ability of the liver in finishing pigs by increasing the activity of some antioxidant enzymes and decreasing the activity of oxidative stress enzymes. These changes may be due to the activation of the Nrf2-Are pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasteurella multocida is a leading cause of respiratory disease in pigs worldwide. In this study, we determined the genetic characteristics of 115 P. multocida isolates from the lungs of pigs with respiratory disease in China in 2015 using capsular typing, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) genotyping, and virulence genotyping based on the detection of virulence-associated genes. The results showed that the isolates belonged to three capsular types: A (49.6%), D (46.1%), and nontypable (4.3%); and two LPS genotypes: L3 (22.6%) and L6 (77.4%). When combining the capsular types with the LPS genotypes, a genotype group D: L6 (46.1%) was the most prevalent among the strains. Among the 23 virulence-associated genes detected in this study, a small number of them displayed a certain level of 'genotype-preference'. We found that pfhA, hgbA, and hgbB had a close association with P. multocida LPS genotypes, while tadD was more associated with P. multocida capsular types. In addition, multilocus sequence typing (MLST) on 40 P. multocida isolates identified four sequence types: ST3, ST10, ST11, and ST16, and the distribution of ST11 was significantly higher than the other MLST genotypes. Interestingly, all of the ST11 isolates detected in this study were genotype D: L6 strains and they were 100% positive for hgbB. Our data suggest that a capsule/LPS/MLST genotype D/L6/ST11 is likely to be strongly associated with respiratory clinical manifestation of the disease in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel partial cell technique applied on structured grids is developed to track the deformation of water-soil interface associated with beach morphological change and toe scour in front of coastal structures. It allows the use of the same orthogonal structured grids for morphological, sediment transport and hydrodynamic models therefore, has the advantage of consuming less CPU and without the need to adapt grids to the evolving beach morphology. An improved sand-slide model with better mass conservation is introduced to resolve the avalanche behaviour of the sediment motion. The RANS-VOF hydrodynamic model has been extended to cope with complex bathymetry. The newly developed numerical model suite, coupling the RANS-VOF model, a bedload sediment transport model and a morphological model using the partial cell technique, are validated against the analytical solutions and laboratory measurements for different incoming wave conditions, local water depths and bottom slopes. This study reveals the key processes that govern the behaviour of beach morphology change in front of a vertical coastal structure during storms. The model-data comparisons demonstrate the robustness of partial cell technique to capture the movement of the water-soil interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are powerful regulators of depression-related behavior. Dopamine neuron activity is altered in chronic stress-based models of depression, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that mice subject to chronic mild unpredictable stress (CMS) exhibit anxiety- and depressive-like behavior, which was associated with decreased VTA dopamine neuron firing in vivo and ex vivo. Dopamine neuron firing is governed by voltage-gated ion channels, in particular hyperpolarization- activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels. Following CMS, HCN-mediated currents were decreased in nucleus accumbens-projecting VTA dopamine neurons. Furthermore, shRNA-mediated HCN2 knockdown in the VTA was sufficient to recapitulate CMS-induced depressive- and anxiety- like behavior in stress-naıve mice, whereas VTA HCN2 overexpression largely prevented CMS- induced behavioral deficits. Together, these results reveal a critical role for HCN2 in regulating VTA dopamine neuronal activity and depressive-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Difluoroboron β-diketonate complexes (BF 2 bdks) are highly luminescent organoboron complexes with several attributes such as strong fluorescence in both solution and solid state, large extinction coefficients, tunable fluorescent emission, and two-photon excited fluorescence. Some BF 2 bdks exhibit mechanochromic properties and room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in solid state. Due to their rich photophysical properties, BF 2 bdks have shown wide applications in various areas. This review focuses on the basic chemistry and spectroscopic properties of BF 2 bdks in solution and solid state, as well as their self-assemblies and applications in biosensing, bioimaging and optoelectronic devices. A brief summary and outlook on BF 2 bdks chemistry are also included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and efficient approach to endow the controllable multi-stimuli-responsive property for the supramolecular polymer was successfully developed by rationally introducing iodine into a novel naphthalimide-functionalized pillar[5]arene-based supramolecular polymer (PNA⊃GBP). Interestingly, by introducing iodine into the supramolecular polymer PNA⊃GBP, the iodine could not only control the optical properties and self-assembly states of PNA⊃GBP via electronic donor-acceptor effect but also control the molecular recognition properties by competitive redox reaction. Benefiting from these excellent iodine controlled multiresponse properties, the PNA⊃GBP showed selective fluorescent response for cyanide, cysteine, and mercury in supramolecular polymer gels, water solutions, and living cells with high sensitivities. The supramolecular polymer PNA⊃GBP could act as a novel smart material for selective detection CN-, Hg2+, and l-Cys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence highlights the critical regulatory role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in carcinogenesis. Bladder cancer has become the most prevalent urologic malignancy, which is commonly diagnosed among adults. In this study, we showed that the lncRNA cancer susceptibility candidate 8 (CASC8) is significantly downregulated in bladder cancers and associated with the advanced stage of bladder cancer patients. Overexpression of CASC8 remarkably suppressed the bladder cancer cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we illustrated that CASC8 reduced the glycolysis of bladder cancer cells via interacting with the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). The binding of CASC8 with FGFR1 inhibits FGFR1-mediated lactate dehydrogenase A phosphorylation, which attenuates the conversion of pyruvate into lactate. Collectively, our findings uncovered the pivotal role of CASC8 in bladder tumorigenesis and suggested that CASC8 may function as a candidate biomarker for the diagnosis of bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent clinical evidences show that caspase-1 inhibitor-VX-765 attenuates atherosclerosis in ApoE deficient mice. However, there is rarely information about the effect of VX-765 on hyperphosphatemia-induced vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) calcification or vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease (CKD) rats. Here we investigate the effect of VX-765 on vascular calcification in uremia circumstances. Hyperphosphatemia-induced VSMC calcification were evaluated by Alizarin Red S. Aortas from CKD rats which were gavaged with VX-765 were examined for calcification signal using micro-CT. Levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, and GSDMD were measured by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence assay, and immunohistochemistry. We demonstrated for the first time that the levels of NLRP3, caspase-1, GSDMD, IL-1β, and IL-18 were up-regulated in hyperphosphatemia-induced calcifying VSMCs. Blockade of caspase-1 activation by VX-765 inhibited pyroptosis-related molecules and VSMC calcification in a concentration-dependent manner in vitro. Further analysis of aortas from calcified CKD rats showed an up-regulation of caspase-1 and GSDMD expression compared with those non-calcified vascular tissue from control rats or with those decreased-calcified vascular tissue from CKD rats treated with 50 mg/kg/d, which indicated that pyroptotic indicators were tightly correlated with CKD arterial calcification. In vitro studies further demonstrated that VX-765 ameliorated hyperphosphatemia-induced VSMCs calcification through inhibiting the STAT3 activation. Our findings indicated that VX-765 could inhibit hyperphosphatemia-induced calcifying VSMCs and ameliorate vascular calcification in CKD rats. VX-765 might be a potential treatment strategy for CKD vascular calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A carbazole-containing difluoroboron β-diketonate complex ( BCZ), which shows strong fluorescence in both the solid state and in organic solutions, is reported. The crystalline materials of BCZ obtained from different solvents display different emission colors. Single-crystal analysis reveals that the enhanced overlap between adjacent molecules induces increased excited-state delocalization and is responsible for the variation of the emission colors from yellow to red. The emission colors of the materials are effectively tuned by external stimuli such as grinding, heating, and solvent vapor. The powder X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and 1H NMR studies on materials of BCZ reveal that the thermochromic properties of BCZ are closely related to the removal of solvent molecules from the crystalline powders upon heating. Moreover, uniform 1D microstructures of BCZ obtained by solvent exchange in solution exhibit optical waveguide property with low optical loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered materials (MMT, LDH) were successfully modified by chain end functionalized polyethylene via an ion exchange method. The samples were characterized by using elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD results demonstrated that MMT was successfully exfoliated with the disappearance of [001] peak. For the LDH, the peak [003] moved to a low angle and greatly weakened, indicating that LDH was successfully functionalized and completely intercalated or exfoliated. HDPE/layered nanocomposites were obtained between HDPE and different content of functional layered materials. The SEM and TEM results of nanocomposites showed the layered materials were well dispersed in the HDPE matrix, with a particle size of 100−200 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasteurella multocida: subspecies multocida, gallicida, and septica are noted to have a contribution to fowl cholera, a life-threatening disease to both domestic and wild bird species. The genome sequences of avian P. multocida subspecies gallicida and multocida have been well analyzed and compared. However, the genome characterization of avian P. multocida subspecies septica is rarely discussed. In this study, we determined the draft genome sequence of a virulent P. multocida subspecies septica serogroup A strain HB02. The genome of P. multocida HB02 was composed of a single chromosome of 2,213,604 bp with a 40.27% G + C content, which showed a similar genome size and %GC content to the P. multocida subspecies multocida and gallicida genomes. The entire sequence specified 2002 putative coding DNA sequences plus 2 encoded rRNAs and 46 encoded tRNAs. In addition, the subspecies septica had a similar content of genes coding for metabolic traits that found in the subspecies gallicida and multocida. In addition, comparison of virulent versus avirulent avian P. multocida genomes identified 657 unique genes in either of the virulent strains HB02, P1059 and/or X73 compared to the avirulent strain Pm70. These genes should be the potential virulence-associated genes. Our work may add a novel genome sequence for the avian P. multocida genome database and shed a light on the pathogenesis of P. multocida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasteurella multocida serotype F isolates are predominately prevalent in avian hosts, but rarely seen in pigs. However, we isolated several strains of P. multocida serotype F from clinical samples of pigs in China. To understand the pathogenicity of these strains, one of the serotype F isolates designated HN07, was used to challenge experimental chickens, as P. multocida of this serotype is predominately prevalent in avian hosts. However, strain HN07 could not resulted in significant clinical signs in experimental chickens even at an infective dose of ∼10 9 CFU, suggesting the isolate was avirulent to chickens and therefore raising the possibility that the porcine serotype F isolate is not transmitted by chickens. We then used HN07 to challenge experimental pigs, as this strain was isolated from pigs. As expected, the strain led to the clinical signs and the pathological lesions in experimental pigs that are similar to the pasteurellosis disease. We then determined the complete genome sequence of the pig origin serogroup F isolate HN07 for the first time. Genome comparison between HN07 and the avian serotype F P. multocida Pm70 identified a novel integrative conjugative element (ICE) ICE pmcn07 which was likely to harbor a series of genes responsible for a putative type IV secretion system (T4SS) in HN07. This is the first time that we determined an ICE carrying a T4SS in P. multocida. Besides, comparative analysis also defined a number of virulence-associated genes in HN07 but absent in Pm70 which may have a contribution to the pathogenicity of the strain. This is the first report of the pathogenicity and genome characterization of a pig origin Pasteurella multocida serogroup F isolate. The pathogenic and genomic definition of the pig origin P. multocida serogroup F in our study would have significance on the pathogenesis and genetic diversity and virulence variability of P. multocida. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tidal flats often distribute different kinds of vegetation that jointly attenuate the waves. Understanding wave attenuation over combined salt marsh vegetation is crucial to the safety of coastal defences. This study conducted laboratory experiments to examine wave attenuation over vegetation combinations of Scirpus Mariqueter (SM), Spartina Alterniflora (SA) and Mudflat. Results show that the impact of vegetation combinations on wave attenuation lies between that of SM and SA, and this impact becomes limited when a wave breaks in the vegetation zone. A linear relationship exists between the wave transmission coefficient, k t , and a new parameter, ζ , containing the Iribarren number, relative water depth, relative vegetation width, relative submergence, and vegetation density. It was found that each vegetation's contribution to overall attenuation is nonlinear with its cover percentage. This study proposed an empirical formula for calculating k t over differently combined vegetation based on the individual contribution, as it was derived by considering multiple vegetation characteristics. Findings in this study will enable engineers to estimate wave transmission coefficient over differently combined vegetation on tidal flats, which will help understand wave attenuation processes and promote the development of ecosystem-based coastal engineering. • Laboratory experiment on wave dissipation by combined salt marshes and mudflat. • Parameterization of wave attenuation over combined salt marsh vegetation. • Contribution-based wave attenuation model works well for differently combined vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pasteurella multocida infects various domestic and feral animals, generally causing clinical disease. To investigate P. multocida disease in cattle, we sequenced the complete genome of P. multocida HB01 (GenBank accession CP006976 ), a serotype A organism isolated from a cow in China. The genome is composed of a single circular chromosome of 2,416,068 base pairs containing 2212 protein-coding sequences, 6 ribosomal rRNA operons, and 56 tRNA genes. The present study confirms that P. multocida HB01 possesses a more complete metabolic pathway with an intact trichloroacetic acid cycle for anabolism compared with A. pleuropneumoniae and Haemophilus parasuis. This is the first time that this metabolic mechanism of P. multocida has been described. We also identified a full spectrum of genes related to known virulence factors of P. multocida . The differences in virulence factors between strains of different serotypes and origins were also compared. This comprehensive comparative genome analysis will help in further studies of the metabolic pathways, genetic basis of serotype, and virulence of P. multocida . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peng, Z. and Bradon, J, 2016. A Comprehensive 3-D Hydrodyanmic Model in Arabian Gulf. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 547-551. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A 3-D comprehensive hydrodynamic model in the Arabian Gulf was developed by employing the latest bathymetry data, multiple vertical layers, calibrated atmospheric conditions and tidal forcing, HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model reanalysis data, as well as the spatial- and temporal- varying climatological data, including cloudiness, relative humidity, air temperature and net solar radiation. This 3-D comprehensive hydrodynamic model in the Arabian Gulf was extensively calibrated and validated across the whole Arabian Gulf for water levels, currents, salinity and temperature. Model results are in good agreement with measurements and satellite data. This newly developed model is proven to be capable of accurately simulating hydrodynamics and the climatology over the whole Arabian Gulf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first highly efficient artificial light-harvesting systems based on nanocrystals of difluoroboron chromophores to mimic the chlorosomes, one of the most efficient light-harvesting systems found in green photosynthetic bacteria. Uniform nanocrystals with controlled donor/acceptor ratios were prepared by simple coassembly of the donors and acceptors in water. The light-harvesting system funneled the excitation energy collected by a thousand donor chromophores to a single acceptor. The well-defined spatial organization of individual chromophores in the nanocrystals enabled an energy transfer efficiency of 95 %, even at a donor/acceptor ratio as high as 1000:1, and a significant fluorescence of the acceptor was observed up to donor/acceptor ratios of 200 000:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first highly efficient artificial light-harvesting systems based on nanocrystals of difluoroboron chromophores to mimic the chlorosomes, one of the most efficient light-harvesting systems found in green photosynthetic bacteria. Uniform nanocrystals with controlled donor/acceptor ratios were prepared by simple coassembly of the donors and acceptors in water. The light-harvesting system funneled the excitation energy collected by a thousand donor chromophores to a single acceptor. The well-defined spatial organization of individual chromophores in the nanocrystals enabled an energy transfer efficiency of 95 %, even at a donor/acceptor ratio as high as 1000:1, and a significant fluorescence of the acceptor was observed up to donor/acceptor ratios of 200 000:1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quantum system can behave as a wave or as a particle, depending on the experimental arrangement. When, for example, measuring a photon using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, the photon acts as a wave if the second beam splitter is inserted, but as a particle if this beam splitter is omitted. The decision of whether or not to insert this beam splitter can be made after the photon has entered the interferometer, as in Wheeler's famous delayed-choice thought experiment. In recent quantum versions of this experiment, this decision is controlled by a quantum ancilla, while the beam splitter is itself still a classical object. Here, we propose and realize a variant of the quantum delayed-choice experiment. We configure a superconducting quantum circuit as a Ramsey interferometer, where the element that acts as the first beam splitter can be put in a quantum superposition of its active and inactive states, as verified by the negative values of its Wigner function. We show that this enables the wave and particle aspects of the system to be observed with a single setup, without involving an ancilla that is not itself a part of the interferometer. We also study the transition of this quantum beam splitter from a quantum to a classical object due to decoherence, as observed by monitoring the interferometer output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurements of the vertical distribution of air pollutant concentrations can provide essential information for accurate estimates of the dispersion mechanism of local pollutants between boundary layer and troposphere. This paper reports unique measurements using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with mobile sensors to collect three-dimensional fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) mass concentration data on sixteen flights within 1000 m altitude from August, 2014 to December, 2014 in Hangzhou, China. The study demonstrates the feasibility of UAV with mobile monitoring devices as an effective and flexible means to collect three-dimensional air pollutant concentration data, particularly for monitoring the vertical profile of air pollutants. The experimental results show that in general, the PM 2.5 concentrations decrease as height increases, with an exception when the air temperature inversion layer appears, and the decrease rate of PM 2.5 concentrations is larger in the morning than in the afternoon flights. This is a result of the accumulated pollutant emission of human activities during the day and the varied meteorological conditions. At the same horizontal layer, there are fluctuations in PM 2.5 concentrations during different time periods of the day. The vertical fluctuations of PM 2.5 concentrations become nearly uniform in two afternoon flights, which is directly related with the extent of atmospheric mixture. Seen from the multiple regression models, the distribution of relative PM 2.5 concentrations between vertical and ground observations is well characterized and the regression coefficients of four measured factors (i.e., air temperature, relative humidity, air pressure and height) effectively explain their impacts on the vertical distribution patterns. Air temperature and relative humidity are the most influential factors that affect the vertical distribution of PM 2.5 concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and endocannabinoids (eCBs) have been individually implicated in behavioral effects of cocaine. The present study examined how BDNF-eCB interaction regulates cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity in the ventral tegmental area and behavioral effects. We report that BDNF and selective tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB) agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF) activated the TrkB receptor to facilitate two forms of eCB-mediated synaptic depression, depolarization-induced suppression of inhibition (DSI), and long-term depression (I-LTD) of IPSCs in ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons in mouse midbrain slices. The facilitation appears to be mediated by an increase in eCB production via phospholipase C? pathway, but not by an increase in CB1 receptor responsiveness or a decrease in eCB hydrolysis. Using Cre-loxP technology to specifically delete BDNF in dopamine neurons, we showed that eCB-mediated I-LTD, cocaine-induced reduction of GABAergic inhibition, and potentiation of glutamatergic excitation remained intact in wild-type control mice, but were impaired in BDNF conditional knock-out mice. We also showed that cocaine-induced conditioned place preference was attenuated in BDNF conditional knock-out mice, in vivo pretreatments with DHF before place conditioning restored cocaine conditioned place preference in these mice, and the behavioral effect of DHF was blocked by a CB1 receptor antagonist. Together, these results suggest that BDNF in dopamine neurons regulates eCB responses, cocaine-induced synaptic plasticity, and associative learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better inform transportation decision makers of the criticality of transportation infrastructure, this paper explores an accessibility-based criticality prioritization methodology to identify and prioritize critical transportation infrastructure. In particular, the methodology evaluates the network-wide impacts of infrastructure degradation based on the increase in travel cost taking origin importance, destination attractiveness, and traffic congestion into account. The methodology is applied to the road network of Hillsborough County, Florida, threatened by flood risk from storm surge, sea-level rise, and intense precipitation. Light detection and ranging digital elevation data, transportation infrastructure and network data, and zone-based population data of the county are processed for analysis. The approach yields results of not only the criticality of transportation infrastructure under flooding impact but also the most vulnerable zones as a result of infrastructure inundation. The results show that some infrastructure is critical to adjacent areas, while some becomes important to a much broader region. The results further demonstrate that the infrastructure is more critical if it serves more people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating genetic evidence suggests that schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with individually rare copy number variations (CNVs) of diverse genes, often specific to single cases. However, the causality of these rare mutations remains unknown. One of the rare CNVs found in SZ cohorts is the duplication of Synaptic Scaffolding Molecule (S-SCAM, also called MAGI-2), which encodes a postsynaptic scaffolding protein controlling synaptic AMPA receptor levels, and thus the strength of excitatory synaptic transmission. Here we report that, in a transgenic mouse model simulating the duplication conditions, elevation of S-SCAM levels in excitatory neurons of the forebrain was sufficient to induce multiple SZ-related endophenotypes. S-SCAM transgenic mice showed an increased number of lateral ventricles and a reduced number of parvalbumin-stained neurons. In addition, the mice exhibited SZ-like behavioral abnormalities, including hyperlocomotor activity, deficits in prepulse inhibition, increased anxiety, impaired social interaction, and working memory deficit. Notably, the S-SCAM transgenic mice showed a unique sex difference in showing these behavioral symptoms, which is reminiscent of human conditions. These behavioral abnormalities were accompanied by hyperglutamatergic function associated with increased synaptic AMPA receptor levels and impaired long-term potentiation. Importantly, reducing glutamate release by the group 2 metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist LY379268 ameliorated the working memory deficits in the transgenic mice, suggesting that hyperglutamatergic function underlies the cognitive functional deficits. Together, these results contribute to validate a causal relationship of the rare S-SCAM CNV and provide supporting evidence for the rare CNV hypothesis in SZ pathogenesis. Furthermore, the S-SCAM transgenic mice provide a valuable new animal model for studying SZ pathogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the impacts of economic analysis results on sea-level rise adaptation decision making with different economic analysis methods. The methodology was applied to Hillsborough County, Florida. A general conclusion is that partial shoreline protection should be implemented to reduce the potential impacts of sea-level rise on important land use, then transportation infrastructure is preferred to be protected or accommodated, and finally managed relocation should be adopted. More specifically, the results show that the best adaptation strategy is shoreline protection plus transportation infrastructure accommodation; the length of shoreline protection plays an important role in the economic analysis results, and shoreline protection and accommodation adaptation strategies for all areas are not recommended because of either high costs or low benefits; the value of travel time saving and spatial autocorrelation play important roles in the economic analysis results of accommodation strategy, which highlights the importance of including indirect economic factors and spatial autocorrelation impacts when making sea-level rise adaptation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advantage of the ICCG method for solving large sparse matrix is taken in the CN–FDTD equation solving. The CN–ICCG–FDTD can accelerate iteration for numerical calculation, and reduce memory overhead. Maxwell's equation of the electromagnetic wave in dispersive medium plasma is deduced from the CN format after being differentiated in the time domain, the FDTD method become unconditionally stable. In this process, a large sparse matrix is generated. As for solving such matrix, ICCG method has sufficient advantages. In ICCG method, convergence is so fast and stable that it is quite easy for computer programming. In addition, data required by ICCG method are memorized in a computer in the format of the one-dimensional compression, which helps the computer memory save a large amount of capacity, especially when the issues are rather complex to cope with, this algorithm will display such strength. With these advantages, ICCG method is able to calculate the reflection coefficient and the transmission coefficient of electromagnetic waves in plasma as well as the phase angle of them. The calculation indicates that the time step required by CN–ICCG–FDTD method has eliminated the constraints of the CFL, thus shortening the required time, making the calculated result stable and accurate, and improving the efficiency of programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) govern reward and motivation and dysregulated dopaminergic transmissionmay account for anhedonia and other symptoms of depression. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) is a proline-directed serine/threonine kinase that regulates a broad range of brain functions through phosphorylation of a myriad of substrates, including tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis. We investigated whether and how Cdk5 activity in VTA dopamine neurons regulated depression-related behaviors in mice. Using the Cre/LoxP system to selectively delete Cdk5 in theVTAor in midbrain dopamine neurons in Cdk5loxP/loxP mice, we showed that Cdk5 loss of function in the VTA induced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors that were associated with decreases in TH phosphorylation at Ser31 and Ser40 in the VTA and dopamine release in its target region, the nucleus accumbens. The decreased phosphorylation ofTHat Ser31 was a direct effect of Cdk5 deletion, whereas decreased phosphorylation ofTH at Ser40 was likely caused by impaired cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling, because Cdk5 deletion decreased cAMP and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) levels in the VTA. Using Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADD) technology, we showed that selectively increasing cAMP levels in VTA dopamine neurons increased phosphorylation of TH at Ser40 and CREB at Ser133 and reversed behavioral deficits induced by Cdk5 deletion. The results suggest that Cdk5 in the VTA regulates cAMP/PKA signaling, dopaminergic neurotransmission, and depression-related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FlgM- FliA regulatory circuit plays a central role in coordinating bacterial flagellar assembly. In this study, we identified multiple novel binding partners of FlgM using bacterial two-hybrid screening. Among these binding partners, FliS, the secretion chaperone of the filament protein FliC, was identified to compete with FliA for the binding of FlgM. We further showed that by binding to FlgM, FliS protects it from secretion and degradation, thus maintaining an intracellular pool of FlgM reserved as the FliS- FlgM complex. Consequently, we found that the flagellar late-class promoter activities are significantly increased in the fliS deletion mutant. The fliS mutant is weakly motile and shows significantly increased biofilm formation on biotic surface. Based on the results obtained, we established for the first time the regulatory role of the flagellin chaperone FliS to fine-tune late flagellar assembly by modulating FlgM activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]