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Aim Location Taxon Methods Results Main Conclusions Beta‐diversity quantifies the change in taxonomic and phylogenetic composition between areas, and is a scalar between local (α) and regional (γ) diversity. Geographic distance, which reflects dispersal limitation, and climatic distance, which reflects environmental filtering, are major drivers of β‐diversity. Here, we analyse a comprehensive data set of angiosperms in regional floras across Africa to assess the relationships of β‐diversity, and its components, to three major types of environmental variables (current climate, Quaternary climate change and topographic heterogeneity) thought to drive β‐diversity.Africa.Angiosperms.Africa was divided into 27 regions. Species lists of angiosperms for each region were collated. The relationships of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity, and their respective turnover and nestedness components, with geographic and environmental distances were assessed.This study showed that (1) regions of the lowest β‐diversity are located in moist tropical climates, (2) the turnover and nestedness components of β‐diversity are negatively correlated with each other, (3) taxonomic β‐diversity is higher than phylogenetic β‐diversity across Africa, (4) variation in β‐diversity of angiosperms is more strongly associated with current climate than with Quaternary climate change and topographic heterogeneity and (5) the variation in taxonomic β‐diversity and its turnover component that is independently explained by geographic distance is much larger than that is independently explained by climatic distance for angiosperms in Africa.The finding that geographic distance explained more variation than climatic distance suggests that dispersal limitation plays a greater role than environmental filtering in shaping angiosperm β‐diversity in Africa. Of climatic factors, current climate plays a more important role than Quaternary climate change in shaping angiosperm β‐diversity in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species range size is a central topic in macroecology, biogeography and conservation biology. Species age has been frequently regarded as a contributor to range size in previous studies on range size, but this has rarely been specifically examined. Using global data from four living terrestrial vertebrate classes (birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians) as a case study, we examine how species range size might be related to species age at a global scale. We found statistically significant positive, albeit weak, species age–range size relationships for all four species groups. However, although the age–range relationships were positive, species with young ages had very different range sizes (both large and small), and those with very old ages always had small ranges. The observed age–range relationships were more complex than expected. The weak, rather than strong, species age–range relationships could be because our data set included all living species with different stages of their life spans (durations) that are either expanding or fluctuating or contracting, which would necessarily have minimized or cancelled species age–range relationship when all species in a group are considered collectively. Our findings shed new light on temporal dimension and macroecological correlates of species ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Location Time Period Taxon Results Main Conclusions Globally, biodiversity is unevenly distributed, as a result of varying environmental conditions and regionally different historical processes. The influence of the latter on current diversity patterns is poorly understood. We explore geographic patterns of matches and mismatches between phylogenetic relatedness metrics measuring different depths of evolutionary history and investigate the effects of evolutionary legacy at different evolutionary depths on species density of ferns.We divided the globe into 392 geographic regions on land, and collated species lists of ferns for each geographic region. We related species richness to phylogenetic metrics reflecting different depths of evolutionary history (standardized effect sizes of mean nearest taxon distance and mean pairwise distance, MNTDses and MPDses, respectively) for ferns in regional floras across the world.Global.Current.Ferns.We show that different centers of fern diversity have strikingly different phylogenetic composition. We find that overall fern species diversity is negatively correlated with both MNTDses and MPDses, so that regions with high species diversity tend to have clustered species assemblages, whereas species‐poor regions tend to have overdispersed species assemblages. At the global extent, MNTDses and MPDses together explained 62.2%, 19.3%, and 65.7% of the variation in species diversity for all ferns as a whole, non‐polypod ferns, and polypods, respectively.Our study suggests that current geographic patterns of fern species richness are driven, at least in part, by evolutionary history of ferns, which varies among biogeographic regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rotator cuff tear (RCT) is a common shoulder disorder related to pain and dysfunction. However, the pathological mechanism of RCT remains unclear. Thus, this study aims to investigate the molecular events in RCT synovium and identify possible target genes and pathways as determined by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). The synovial tissue was biopsied from 3 patients with RCT (RCT group) and 3 patients with shoulder instability (Control group) during arthroscopic surgery. Then, differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and micro RNAs (miRNAs) were comprehensively profiled by RNA-Seq. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis were performed to identify the potential functions of these DE genes. 447 mRNAs, 103 lncRNAs and 15 miRNAs were identified differentially expressed. The DE mRNAs were highlighted in inflammatory pathway including up-regulated T cell costimulation, positive regulation of T cell activation, and T cell receptor signaling. Down-regulated fatty acid degradation pathway and 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in RCT group are also enriched. Validation assay showed that the expression of pro-inflammatory molecules including IL21R, CCR5, TNFSF11, and MMP11 was significantly increased in RCT group compared with Control group. CeRNA analysis further revealed lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks involving IL21R and TNFSF11 in RCT. Activated synovial inflammation is the remarkable event of RCT. Importantly, increased T cell activation and disordered fatty acid metabolism signaling might play a significant role. ceRNA networks involving IL21R and TNFSF11 identified could potentially control the progression of RCT. In conclusion, our findings could provide new evidence for the molecular mechanisms of RCT and might identify new therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on large‐scale geographic patterns of aquatic plant diversity can promote research on the generality of macroecological patterns in different ecosystems. Here, we compiled a checklist of 889 aquatic angiosperms in China, including 738 helophytes (emergent and marshy plants) and 151 hydrophytes (submerged, free‐floating, and floating‐leaved plants). We explore the geographic patterns and environmental correlates of aquatic plant diversity based on six metrics including species richness (SR), weighted endemism (WE), phylogenetic diversity (PD), phylogenetic endemism (PE), the standardized effect size of phylogenetic diversity (PDses), and the standardized effect size of mean phylogenetic distance (MPDses). Our results show that the diversity of aquatic plants in China is extremely uneven, with high diversity in southeastern China and low diversity in northwestern China, and the geographic patterns of taxonomic and PD are generally consistent. The pattern of helophytes differs from that of hydrophytes. Notably, the wavy‐shaped pattern of aquatic plant diversity (especially SR and PD for hydrophytes) across the latitude observed in this study is not consistent with those previously observed for aquatic plants in other continents. Climatic variables and water environmental variables are the main drivers of aquatic plant diversity in China; however, the effects of individual variables differ between helophytes and hydrophytes. Water environmental variables have a greater impact on PDses and MPDses of hydrophytes than those of helophytes. Overall, our work provides insight into understanding the large‐scale patterns of aquatic plant diversity and is a critical addition to previous studies on the macroecological pattern of terrestrial organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The class imbalance of samples of network traffic will cause the poor classification performance of intrusion detection models based on machine learning. To solve this problem, this paper researches sampling algorithm and deep learning for intrusion detection in imbalanced network traffic. This paper proposes a deep recurrent neural network (delayed long short-term memory (DLSTM)) intrusion detection model based on the balanced samples. First, an improved hybrid sampling (IHS) method based on chaotic particle swarm optimization (CPSO) algorithm is proposed as the sampling algorithm to balance the imbalanced samples. Next, a DLSTM with long short-term memory (LSTM) function is proposed to realize high-precision classification of intrusion behaviours. Finally, the method is validated on the standard network traffic dataset. The experimental results show that the DLSTM intrusion detection model based on the IHS method outperforms other comparative models at accuracy. The model is available to the computer network information security defence system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Mean lineage age is an important metric of evolutionary history and community structure of biological assemblages. Many studies have investigated geographic patterns and ecological drivers of mean lineage age in plant assemblages but all previous studies focused on vascular plants. Similar studies for bryophytes, a lineage of the oldest land plants, are lacking. Here, we fill this critical knowledge gap by investigating geographic patterns and ecological correlates of the mean genus age (MGA) of liverworts, a major lineage of bryophytes, in regional floras across China. Location: China. Taxon: Liverworts (hepatics, Division Marchantiophyta of bryophytes). Methods: MGA and its standardized effect size (MGAses) of liverworts in each of the 28 province‐level regions across China were related to 12 explanatory variables representing geography, contemporary climate and historical climate change, using correlation and regression analyses, and a variation partitioning approach. Results: We found that (1) MGA and MGAses of liverworts were correlated negatively with latitude and elevational range, and positively with mean annual temperature, and annual precipitation in the regions across China, (2) MGA and MGAses of liverworts were more strongly affected by temperature‐related variables than by precipitation‐related variables, and (3) MGA and MGAses of liverworts were more strongly affected by climate extremes than by climate seasonality. Main Conclusions: The relationships of mean lineage age with climatic condition in one of the oldest lineages of land plants (i.e. liverworts) are consistent with those in angiosperms, a relatively young lineage of land plants. Our study is the first to show that geographic and ecological distributions of the oldest land plants are generally consistent with the pattern frequently observed in angiosperms that biological assemblages in colder and drier climates have, on average, younger lineage ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global cooling beginning in the Eocene has caused the coverage of tropical forests to contract from covering nearly all of Africa during the early Tertiary to about one tenth of Africa at the present time. Accompanying the climate cooling and drying was the evolution of traits tolerating cold and drought, particularly extreme drought in the Sahara. Here, we analyze a comprehensive data set of angiosperms to determine the effects of evolutionary history on assembly of angiosperms in regional floras in Africa. In particular, using phylogenetic metrics accounting for different depths of evolutionary history, we assess whether drought has caused stronger phylogenetic clustering relative to cold. We divided Africa into 27 regions, and collated species lists of angiosperms for each region. We used different phylogenetic metrics (tip‐ vs basal‐weighted) reflecting different evolutionary depths to quantify phylogenetic structure, and related phylogenetic structure metrics to climatic variables representing average, extreme and seasonality conditions of climate. Variations of phylogenetic structure across Africa were well explained by climate, with R2 values being ~ 0.84 for each phylogenetic metric when all climatic variables used in this study were considered. Angiosperm assemblages with the strongest phylogenetic clustering are located in temperate regions, rather than in tropical desert regions of Africa. Minimum temperature explained much more variation in phylogenetic metrics than did minimum precipitation, suggesting that evolution of traits conferring cold tolerance is more phylogenetically constrained compared to those conferring drought tolerance. Temperature seasonality also explained much more variation in phylogenetic metrics than did precipitation seasonality. When mean annual temperature and precipitation are considered or when all temperature‐related variables and all precipitation‐related variables are considered, temperature variables are more important than precipitation variables in driving tip‐weighted phylogenetic structure of angiosperms in Africa but the pattern is reversed when basal‐weighted phylogenetic structure is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The ability of predicting which naturalized non‐native species are likely to become invasive can help manage and prevent species invasions. The goal of this study is to test whether invasive angiosperm (flowering plant) species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of naturalized species at global, continental and regional scales, and to assess the relationships of phylogenetic relatedness of invasive species with climate condition (temperature and precipitation). Location: Global. Time period: Current. Taxon: Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods: The globe is divided into 290 regions, which are grouped into seven biogeographic (continental) regions. Two phylogenetic metrics (net relatedness index and nearest taxon index), which represent different evolutionary depths, are used to quantify phylogenetic relatedness of invasive angiosperms, with respect to different tailor‐made species pools. Phylogenetic relatedness of invasive angiosperms is related to climatic variables. Results: The global assemblage of invasive angiosperm species is a strongly phylogenetically clustered subset of the species of the entire global angiosperm flora. Most invasive angiosperm assemblages are a phylogenetically clustered subset of their respective naturalized species pools, and phylogenetic clustering reflecting shallow evolutionary history is greater than that reflecting deep evolutionary history. In general, the phylogenetic relatedness of invasive species is greater in regions with lower temperature and precipitation across the world. Main conclusions: The finding that invasive angiosperm assemblages across the globe are, in general, phylogenetically clustered subsets of their respective naturalized species pools has significant implications in biological conservation, particularly in predicting and controlling invasive species based on phylogenetic relatedness among naturalized species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Knowledge of relationships between phylogenetic structure of a biological assemblage and ecological factors that drive the variation of phylogenetic structure among regions is crucial for understanding the causes of variation in taxonomic composition and richness among regions, but this knowledge is lacking for the global flora of ferns. Here, we fill this critical knowledge gap.We divided the globe into 392 geographic units on land, collated species lists of ferns for each geographic unit, and used different phylogenetic metrics (tip‐ vs basal‐weighted) reflecting different evolutionary depths to quantify phylogenetic structure. We then related taxonomic and phylogenetic structure metrics to six climatic variables for ferns as a whole and for two groups of ferns (old clades vs polypods) reflecting different evolutionary histories across the globe and within each continental region.We found that when old clades and polypods were considered separately, temperature‐related variables explained more variation in these metrics than did precipitation‐related variables in both groups. When analyses were conducted for continental regions separately, this pattern holds in most cases.Climate extremes have a stronger relationship with phylogenetic structure of ferns than does climate seasonality. Climatic variables explained more variation in phylogenetic structure at deeper evolutionary depths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep evolutionary histories can play an important role in assembling species into communities, but few studies have explored the effects of deep evolutionary histories on species assembly of angiosperms (flowering plants). Here we explore patterns of family divergence and diversification times (stem and crown ages, respectively) and phylogenetic fuses for angiosperm assemblages in 100 × 100 km grid cells across geographic and ecological gradients in China. We found that both family stem and crown ages of angiosperm assemblages are older in southeastern China with warm and humid climates than in northwestern China with cold and dry climates; these patterns are stronger for family stem ages than for family crown ages; families in colder and drier climates are more closely related across the family‐level angiosperm phylogeny; and family phylogenetic fuses are, on average, longer for angiosperm assemblages in warm and humid climates than in cold and dry climate. We conclude that the fact that deep evolutionary histories, which were measured as family stem and crown ages and family phylogenetic fuses in this study, have shown strong geographic and ecological patterns suggests that deep evolutionary histories of angiosperms have profound effects on assembling angiosperm species into ecological communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many biodiversity hotspots are located in montane regions, thus, understanding the underlying mechanisms driving species assembly along elevational gradients is of major interest in ecology and biogeography. Here, we assess spatial patterns and climatic drivers, and the effects of clade age, on patterns of phylogenetic structure of ferns along the world's longest elevational gradient in the central Himalaya. We used correlation and regression analyses to relate metrics of phylogenetic structure reflecting both shallow (tip‐weighted) and deep (basal‐weighted) evolutionary histories of ferns, and their two major groups reflecting different ages (polypods representing a young clade, all other ferns representing old clades), in fifty 100‐m vertical bands to climatic factors representing different aspects of climatic conditions (mean climate, stressful climate and climate seasonality). Variation partitioning analysis was used to determine the relative importance of each group of climatic factors on phylogenetic structure. We find that the composition of fern assemblages along the Himalayan elevational gradient in Nepal shows strong signatures of evolutionary processes. In a simplified way, species‐rich assemblages at mid‐elevations are likely the result of recent radiations in combination with low extinction rates, whereas species‐poor assemblages at low elevations are composed of numerous lineages with limited radiations, and those at high elevations of few lineages, also with limited signature of recent radiations. Variables related to temperature and climatic extremes tended to play a more important role than precipitation‐ and seasonality‐related variables, respectively, in driving fern phylogenetic structure. Combining the results of ferns and angiosperms suggests that there are a few generally consistent evolutionary processes that apply to all plant groups (e.g. niche conservatism and environmental filtering), but that the specific outcomes of these processes vary with elevation, clade age and taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Most studies focusing on terrestrial ecosystems have shown that non‐native species are more likely to invade phylogenetically clustered communities, that the introduction of non‐native species increases phylogenetic clustering in the recipient communities, and that the latter is more conspicuous for recipient communities at a larger spatial scale. However, whether these patterns hold for aquatic ecosystems is rarely tested. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic structure of native and non‐native freshwater fish assemblages at a continental spatial extent. Location: The continental United States and Canada. Time period: Current. Methods: We collated native and naturalized non‐native species lists of freshwater fishes for each watershed at local and regional spatial scales. Two phylogenetic metrics (MPDses and MNNDses) representing different evolutionary depths were used to quantify the phylogenetic dispersion of each watershed fish assemblage and were related to temperature and precipitation using correlation and regression analyses. Values of the metrics were compared between the two spatial scales. Results: Our study found that (1) phylogenetically more diverse fish communities tended to be invaded by fewer non‐native fish species, and that non‐native species more frequently invaded communities with lower phylogenetic dispersion (i.e. higher phylogenetic clustering), (2) introduction of non‐native fishes reduced phylogenetic clustering in some watershed but increased clustering in others, (3) introduction of non‐native species caused phylogenetic dispersion to increase in watersheds with low phylogenetic diversity and to decrease in watersheds with high phylogenetic diversity and (4) phylogenetic clustering for fish assemblages at the larger spatial scale was smaller than that at the smaller spatial scale. Main conclusions: Support for Darwin's naturalization and preadaptation hypotheses in freshwater fish assemblages depends on the phylogenetic diversity of assemblages within the invaded watersheds. Our results are contrary to previous studies that found that the introduction of non‐native species increases phylogenetic clustering in the recipient communities more strongly at a larger spatial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine mainly produced by monocytes and macrophages with a wide range of biological effects. Evidence has shown that IL‐1β plays a vital role in the process of apoptosis; however, the specific mechanisms, by which IL‐1β induces apoptosis, vary due to different cellular and experimental conditions. Therefore, this present reviewstudy aimed to systematically review the association between the molecular mechanisms of IL‐1β‐induced apoptosis in pathological processes and the role of signaling pathways. This article also sought to briefly investigate the potential of signaling pathway‐targeted therapy in the prevention and treatment of disease. Methods: This is a literature review article. The present discourse aim is first to scrutinize and assess the available literature on IL‐1β and apoptosis. The relevant studies using the keywords of “IL‐1β‐induced apoptosis” and “signaling pathways” were searched in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Gathered relevant material, and extracted information was then assessed. Results: IL‐1β can induce apoptosis in various types of cells under different external stimuli via the mitochondrial pathway, death receptor pathway and endoplasmic reticulum pathway, and that the different pathways are often interconnected. The NF‐kB signaling pathway, p38MAPK, and JNK signaling pathways mainly play a proapoptotic part, and the ERK1/2 pathway has a bidirectional role in regulating apoptosis, while activation of the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway can inhibit apoptosis. Conclusion: This review indicates that IL‐1β‐induced apoptosis plays an important role in pathogenesis and development of pathology of many inflammatory diseases. Elucidating the role of the signaling pathways will aid the development of targeted therapeutic treatments.Evidence has shown that interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) plays a vital role in the process of apoptosis. This paper reviews the molecular mechanisms of IL‐1β‐induced apoptosis in pathological processes, focusing on the role of signaling pathways. This article also briefly describes the potential of signal pathway‐targeted therapy in the prevention and treatment of disease, using the application of signal pathways in the treatment of disc degeneration and osteoarthritis as examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharide-based aerogels show great potential in heat absorption, but it lacks comprehensive evaluation system for their endothermic properties. To fully assess their endothermic properties, konjac glucomannan (KGM)/starch aerogel was used and its heat absorption performance (HAP) was investigated. It was found that the heat absorption ability of the samples was attributed to thermal collapse of the samples at high temperature. The composition, structure, size and mass of aerogels would have effect on their HAP. The cellulose acetate (CA) aerogel showed better HAP than KGM/starch aerogel with the same volume. However, the performance of KGM/starch aerogel excelled CA under the same mass. These results were in accordance with the results obtained by thermal conductivity analyzer, which indicated the potential of the system to evaluate the HAP of the aerogels comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A good aromatherapy experience of an incense stick with filter material depended heavily on the barrier effect of the filter material particles and the comfort temperature of the aroma. The lack of accurate methods to determine the aroma temperature greatly hindered the quality control and product development of aromatherapy. In this study, a novel method was proposed to measure the temperature of the filter material and aroma with an negative temperature coefficient thermistor and a needle thermocouple. The experimental results showed that the measurement accuracy of this method was up to ±0.01°C, and the surface temperature distribution of the filter media and the extracted aroma temperature can be obtained quickly and accurately. It was found that under the two different heating methods, the aroma temperature produced by heating non-combustion was significantly higher than that produced by the non-flaming combustion. Different aroma delivery intervals also had significant effects on the aroma. This paper showed that this novel method could contribute to quality evaluation of filter sticks for aromatherapy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: What factors may affect species range sizes remains a central question in ecology and biogeography. Particularly, whether and how species richness may regulate average species range size remains largely elusive. Here, we explore the relationship between species diversity and species range size at a global extent and discuss its implications and significance for ecology and management. Location: Worldwide. Taxon: Plants and various groups of animals. Methods: We used published data on plant richness and range size from around the world and synthesized related literature to assess the richness–range size relationships. We used paired t‐tests and spatial autoregressive models in data analyses. We conducted a series of partial regressions to partition the variation in species ranges explained by paired independent variables (i.e. species richness versus latitude, species richness versus temperature or species richness versus temperature variability). Results: A negative relationship between species diversity (richness) and species range size is nearly ubiquitous. In most cases, species diversity was a better predictor for species range size than latitude, temperature or temperature variability. Main conclusions The diversity predictor works well for different taxonomic groups, regions, continents, and for both terrestrial and marine biomes. High species diversity could imply stronger species interactions such as competition which limit the range sizes of constituent species. A nearly universal negative richness–range size relationship thus has significant implications for species invasion biology and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The introduction of exotic plants can both increase (homogenize) and decrease (differentiate) floristic similarity between areas. We have a poor understanding of the degree to which plant species introductions tend to homogenize or differentiate floras, and relevant studies covering large spatial extent are scarce. China has been heavily invaded by exotic plants. Here, we analyse a comprehensive dataset of vascular plants to determine whether the introduction of exotic plant species has homogenized or differentiated species composition in regions across China. Location: China. Methods: We calculated the Jaccard index and Simpson index of similarity for each pair of province‐level regions for native and exotic species separately and jointly, and calculated a homogenization index for each pair of regional floras. We correlated species richness of native and exotic plants to climatic factors, and correlated the Jaccard index and Simpson index to geographic and climatic distances. We used variation partitioning analysis to determine the relative importance of geographic and climatic distances on species turnover. We also examined the effect of human population density on florisitic similarity of exotic species. Results: We found that the geographic range of each species was, on average, larger for exotics than for natives; floristic similarity between regions was greater for exotics than for natives; the vast majority of pairwise regional floras have been homogenized; the introduction of exotic species has caused stronger biotic homogenization for pairwise floras with greater dissimilarity in their species composition; geographic distributions of exotic and native species were determined by different sets of climatic factors; and distributions of exotic species were determined by climatic factors more strongly, compared to those of native species. Human population density had a moderate effect on florisitic similarity of exotic species. Main conclusions: The introduction of exotic plant species has homogenized regional floras across China. Because strong international trades between China and other countries and dramatic development of transportation systems are continuing in China, which help spread of exotic species, we predict that exotic species will continue to spread and will strengthen biotic homogenization in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We test (1) whether invasive angiosperm (flowering plant) species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of all naturalized angiosperm species within an angiosperm assemblage, (2) whether more harmful invasive species are more strongly, or less strongly, related to each other, (3) whether the result of the first test is consistent with those for geographic regions distributed in substantially different climatic conditions, and (4) whether patterns of phylogenetic relatedness for invasive species in regions across climatic gradients are consistent with those for overall naturalized species. Location: China. Time period: Current. Taxon: Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods: We recognized 28 province‐level regions in China and collated naturalized and invasive species lists of angiosperms for each region. Two phylogenetic metrics (i.e., net relatedness index and nearest taxon index), which represent different depths of evolutionary history, were used to quantify phylogenetic relatedness of angiosperms in China and in each region. Values of the metrics of phylogenetic relatedness were related to temperature and precipitation. Results: At the national scale, invasive assemblage is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the naturalized species pool. More harmful invasive species are more strongly clustered. At the regional scale, both naturalized and invasive species are phylogenetically clustered subsets of the national naturalized species pool. Furthermore, invasive species in regional floras are also phylogenetically clustered subsets of their respective regional naturalized species pools. Main conclusions Invasive angiosperm species are a phylogenetically clustered subset of naturalized angiosperm species. More harmful invasive species are more strongly clustered with respect to their naturalized species pools, compared to less harmful invasive species. Our findings have significant implications to predicting and controlling invasive species based on phylogenetic relatedness among naturalized species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The introduction of alien species may be influenced by the phylogenetic structure of the native assemblage, while at the same time altering that structure. Understanding these effects sheds light on both the factors influencing naturalization of introduced species and their impacts. Considering regional angiosperm assemblages across China, we ask the following questions: (a) Do geographic patterns and climate relationships of alien species richness and phylogenetic structure mirror those of natives? (b) Has the addition of alien species resulted in stronger phylogenetic clustering as predicted by Darwin's preadaptation hypothesis? (c) To what degree does the answer to these questions depend on phylogenetic scale? Location: China. Time period: Current. Taxon: Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods: We divided China into 28 province‐level regions and collated native and naturalized alien species lists of angiosperms for each region. For each region, we computed two types of phylogenetic structure metrics [mean phylogenetic distance (MPD) and mean nearest neighbour distance (MNND), and their standardized effect sizes] for the native, alien and combined assemblages, and for angiosperms as a whole, 5 major clades and 10 well‐represented families. We then related these to climatic factors using correlation analyses. Results: Richness of alien angiosperms is highest in regions with species rich and phylogenetically dispersed native assemblages. The standardized effect size of mean phylogenetic distance (MPDses) for aliens was positively correlated with that for natives. The introduction of alien species generally increased phylogenetic clustering of the combined assemblage compared to the natives for large phylogenetic extents, but effects within plant families were mixed. The MPDses was positively correlated with temperature and precipitation for both natives and aliens. Main conclusions The phylogenetic relationships at a lower level of phylogenetic scale may differ substantially from those at a higher level of phylogenetic scale. At the broadest phylogenetic extents, alien species tend to recapitulate the biogeographic patterns of natives, showing similar spatial patterns of species richness and phylogenetic structure, and tending to represent the same major angiosperm clades. This is highly consistent with Darwin's preadaptation hypothesis. Across narrower swaths of the phylogeny, these patterns are less clear, with a substantial number of plant families showing support for the biogeographic barrier hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using classical test theory and item response theory, this study applied sequential procedures to a real operational item pool in a variable-length computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to detect items whose security may be compromised. Moreover, this study proposed a hybrid threshold approach to improve the detection power of the sequential procedure while controlling the Type I error rate. The hybrid threshold approach uses a local threshold for each item in an early stage of the CAT administration, and then it uses the global threshold in the decision-making stage. Applying various simulation factors, a series of simulation studies examined which factors contribute significantly to the power rate and lag time of the procedure. In addition to the simulation study, a case study investigated whether the procedures are applicable to the real item pool administered in CAT and can identify potentially compromised items in the pool. This research found that the increment of probability of a correct answer (p -increment) was the simulation factor most important to the sequential procedures' ability to detect compromised items. This study also found that the local threshold approach improved power rates and shortened lag times when the p -increment was small. The findings of this study could help practitioners implement the sequential procedures using the hybrid threshold approach in real-time CAT administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was designed to explore the effects of mechanical force on the proliferation, apoptosis, and morphology of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous tooth pulp (SHEDs). Materials and methods: Caries-free stranded deciduous teeth were extracted, and SHEDs were isolated through enzymatic digestion. The cultured SHEDs were subjected to different levels of mechanical stimuli (0, 100, 200, and 300 g) for 7 days (30 min/day) using external centrifugal force. Cell proliferation was evaluated with the CCK-8 assay, and the cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. The cell morphology was examined using transmission electron microscopy. Results: Cell proliferation assay showed no differences between the three stimulation groups and the control group in day 1 to day 3. From the 4th day, cell proliferation was significantly lower in the mechanical force groups than in the control group, but no significant difference was observed among the three mechanical force groups. Besides, there was no significant difference in cell apoptosis among the four groups for 7 days. On day 7 after stimulation, the SHEDs were shrunken, with significantly increased isochromosome in the nucleus and an increase in lysosomes. Conclusions: Mechanical force can inhibit the proliferation and affect morphology of SHEDs, but it has no effect on cell apoptosis. Clinical relevance: Mechanical force stimulation significantly inhibited cell proliferation of SHEDs. Mechanical force stimulation had no significant effect on cell apoptosis of SHEDs. The morphology and ultrastructure of SHEDs changed after mechanical force stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smoluchowski-type models for diffusion-influenced reactions (A + B → C) can be formulated within two frameworks: the probabilistic-based approach for a pair A, B of reacting particles and the concentration-based approach for systems in contact with a bath that generates a concentration gradient of B particles that interact with A. Although these two approaches are mathematically similar, it is not straightforward to establish a precise mathematical relationship between them. Determining this relationship is essential to derive particle-based numerical methods that are quantitatively consistent with bulk concentration dynamics. In this work, we determine the relationship between the two approaches by introducing the grand canonical Smoluchowski master equation (GC-SME), which consists of a continuous-time Markov chain that models an arbitrary number of B particles, each one of them following Smoluchowski's probabilistic dynamics. We show that the GC-SME recovers the concentration-based approach by taking either the hydrodynamic or the large copy number limit. In addition, we show that the GC-SME provides a clear statistical mechanical interpretation of the concentration-based approach and yields an emergent chemical potential for nonequilibrium spatially inhomogeneous reaction processes. We further exploit the GC-SME robust framework to accurately derive multiscale/hybrid numerical methods that couple particle-based reaction-diffusion simulations with bulk concentration descriptions, as described in detail through two computational implementations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a consensus that climate factors strongly influence species richness along elevation gradients, but which factors are crucial and how they operate are still elusive. Here, we assess the relative importance of temperature‐related versus precipitation‐related variables and the relative importance of extreme climate versus climate seasonality in driving pteridophyte species richness. We used correlation and regression analyses to relate species richness of pteridophytes, and their two major groups (lycophytes, ferns), in fifty 100‐m vertical bands to climatic factors representing different aspects of climatic conditions (general climate, stressful climate, and climate seasonality). Variation partitioning analysis was used to determine the relative importance of each group of climatic factors on species richness. Across the entire elevational gradient, species richness had a parabolic response to mean annual temperature (adjusted R2 =.87−.91), and a linear response to annual precipitation (adjusted R2 =.82). Mean annual temperature and annual precipitation in the second‐order polynomial model together explained 96.3%−98.7% of the variation in species richness. The variation in species richness uniquely explained by minimum temperature of the coldest month was much greater than that uniquely explained by temperature seasonality, but the variation in species richness uniquely explained by precipitation during the driest month was much smaller than that uniquely explained by precipitation seasonality. Overall, extreme climate variables explained slightly more variation than did climate seasonality. Our study suggests that pteridophyte richness along the elevational gradient is largely driven by a combination of both temperature‐ and precipitation‐related parameters, although precipitation‐related variables play a slightly stronger role, and that extreme low temperature events (at high elevations) and seasonal precipitation variability (at low elevations) are the strongest determinants of pteridophyte species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Studies focusing on relatively small spatial scales have shown that alien plants are more likely to invade phylogenetically clustered communities, and that the introduction of alien plants further increases phylogenetic clustering in the recipient communities. However, whether these patterns hold at a continental scale remains untested. Here, we investigate the phylogenetic structure of native and alien regional assemblages of angiosperms across North America. Location: North America north of Mexico. Time period: Current. Major taxon studied: Angiosperms (flowering plants). Methods: We divided North America into 65 regions across two longitudinal zones, and collated native and naturalized alien species lists of angiosperms for each region. Two phylogenetic metrics, which represent different evolutionary depths, were used to quantify phylogenetic structure of angiosperms as a whole and each major clade in each region, and were related to temperature and precipitation using correlation analyses. Results: We found that alien angiosperm richness is highest in regions with diverse and phylogenetically dispersed native floras. The introduction of alien species nearly uniformly increases phylogenetic clustering. Main conclusions: Alien species are generally from the same major clades as native species, consistent with Darwin's preadaptation hypothesis. The results of this study are consistent across a wide range of phylogenetic extents, but not always with analyses conducted at smaller spatial extents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Arctic is the coldest inhabited region on Earth, and it supports few terrestrial species. The tropical‐climate origin of many angiosperm clades, along with strong phylogenetic niche conservatism, likely constrained colonization of cold environments for many plants. However, invasion of the Arctic by many lineages might also have opened up a new adaptive landscape that facilitated subsequent diversification. We might, therefore, expect species in this biome to be descendants of a few cold‐tolerant lineages. Here, we explore the assembly of the Arctic flora using data on the relationships and distributions of > 80,000 species. Location: The Northern Hemisphere. Time period: Current. Taxon: Flowering plants. Methods: The Arctic was divided into five bioclimate subzones. We assembled a species pool for flowering plants in the Northern Hemisphere, and determined which species of the species pool are distributed in the Arctic and each of its subzones. We used two metrics (the standardized effect sizes of mean pairwise distance and Faith's phylogenetic diversity; MPDses and PDses, respectively) to quantify phylogenetic dispersion of flowering plant assemblages. Results: When the Arctic species were compared to all the species in the Northern Hemisphere, MPDses and PDses were −12.85 and −27.17, respectively, indicating that the Arctic flora is a phylogenetically clustered subset of the Northern Hemisphere species pool. In general, MPDses and PDses decreased from the south to the north within the Arctic, indicating that some lineages are further filtered stepwise into more northerly Arctic subzones. Main conclusions: The species of the Arctic flora comprise a phylogenetically clustered subset of the broader Northern Hemisphere flora. The more negative value for PDses compared to MPDses indicates that clustering is stronger towards the tips of the phylogenetic tree. We suggest that the majority of Arctic species are nested within clades having attributes that enabled adaptation to cold climates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To investigate the antipyretic effect and action mechanism of Jinzhen Oral Liquid. " Methods] The yeast-induced fever model was used to determine the rectal temperature of rats at 6, 8, and 10 h after yeast injection. The contents of IL-6 and TNF-cc in the rat serum and the contents of 5-HT and NE in the hypothalamus were detected by radioimmunoassay; the model of yeast-induced fever in rat was established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide $ LPS), rectal temperature of the rats was determined, the contents of TNF-cc and IL-1" in serum, cyclic adenosine monophosphate $cAMP) and prostagandin E2$PGE2) in hypothalamus were detected by radioimmuno-asay. " Results] After the intervention of Jinzhen Oral Liquid, the body temperature of rats in the yeast-induced fever model was significantly reduced, the IL-6 and TNF-cc contents in serum were significantly reduced, the 5-HT content in the hypothalamus was significantly reduced, while the NE content was significantly increased; after 2 h of intraperitoneal injection of LPS, the body temperature of the model rats increased significantly; after the intervention of Jinzhen Oral Liquid, the increase in rectal temperature of LPS-induced fever model rats decreased, and the TNF-cc and IL-1" contents in serum and cAMP and PGE2 contents in hypothalamus of model rats were significantly decreased. " Conclusions] Jinzhen Oral Liquid has a significant antipyretic eefect, and its action mechanism may be related to reducing the inflammatory factors in the serum, thereby inhibiting the generation of pyrogenic media in the hypothalamus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim to assess the influence of phylogenetic scale on the relationships of taxonomic and phylogenetic turnovers with environment for angiosperms in China. Specifically, we quantify the effects of contemporary climate on β‐diversity at different phylogenetic scales representing different evolutionary depths of angiosperms. We sampled a latitudinal gradient and a longitudinal gradient of angiosperm assemblages across China (each ≥3400 km). Species composition in each assemblage was documented. Three metrics of β‐diversity (βsim.tax measuring taxonomic β‐diversity; βsim.phy and Dpw measuring tip‐ and basal‐weighted phylogenetic β‐diversity, respectively) were quantified among assemblages at sequential depths in the evolutionary history of angiosperms from the tips to deeper branches. This was done by slicing the angiosperm phylogenetic tree at six evolutionary depths (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 million years ago). β‐diversity at each evolutionary depth was related to geographic and climatic distances between assemblages. In general, the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreased from shallow to deep evolutionary time slice for all the three metrics. The slopes of the decreasing trends for βsim.tax and βsim.phy were much steeper for the latitudinal gradient than for the longitudinal gradient. The decreasing trend of the strength of the relationship was monotonic in all cases except for Dpw across the longitudinal gradient. Geographic distance between assemblages explained little variation in β‐diversity that was not explained by climatic distance. Our study shows that the strength of the relationship between β‐diversity and climatic distance decreases conspicuously from shallow to deep evolutionary depth for the latitudinal gradient, but this decreasing trend is less steep for the longitudinal gradient than for the latitudinal gradient, which likely reflects the influence of historical processes (e.g., the collision of the Indian plate with the Eurasian plate) on β‐diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a corrigendum for an article titled "Long non-coding RNA LINC00238 suppresses the malignant phenotype of liver cancer by sponging miR-522" published in Molecular Medicine Reports. The corrigendum addresses errors in the compilation of Figure 2, specifically in the data panels for cell invasion and migration assay experiments. The authors re-examined their original data and proposed a revised version of Figure 2. The errors did not significantly impact the results or conclusions of the paper. The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused. [Extracted from the article]

Endemism of lineages reflects how speciation, extinction, and dispersal have influenced current distributions of species and higher lineages. Understanding patterns of endemism of lineages provides important insights into variation in geographic community composition. The distribution patterns of endemism are considered fundamental data used for biological conservation plans. Here, we investigate geographic patterns and ecological drivers of taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism of regional fern floras across the world. The world was divided into 392 geographic units. We measured taxonomic endemism (TE) as range size rarity, and phylogenetic endemism (PE) of a geographic region as the total phylogenetic branch length encompassed by taxa in the geographic region, where the phylogeny was modified such that each branch length was divided by the global range size of its descendent clade. We determined relative phylogenetic endemism (RPE) for each of the 392 regions and identify neo- and paleo-endemism centers of ferns in the world. Variables representing current climate, historical climate change, and environmental variability together explained 68 % and 64 % of global variation in taxonomic and phylogenetic endemism, respectively; 30 % and 27 % was independently explained by current climate, respectively, and <7 % was independently explained by either of the other two groups of variables. We identified 49 regions as significant centers of fern endemism, of which 22, 6, and 21 regions were determined as centers of paleo-endemism, neo-endemism, and mixed endemism, respectively. We found that the identified centers of paleo-endemism and neo-endemism of ferns are mostly located in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few located in temperate regions. Our findings show that current climate is the major driver of fern endemism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The molecular complexity of neural retina development remains poorly studied. Knowledge of retinal neurogenesis regulation sheds light on retinal degeneration therapy exploration. Therefore, we integrated the time-series circRNA, lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA expression profiles of the developing retina through whole-transcriptome sequencing. The key functional ncRNAs and the ceRNA network regulating retinal neurogenesis were identified. Results: Transcriptomic analysis identified circRNA as the most variable ncRNA subtype. We screened a series of neurogenesis-related circRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs using different strategies based on their diversified molecular functions. The expression of circCDYL, circATXN1, circDYM, circPRGRIP, lncRNA Meg3, and lncRNA Vax2os was validated by quantitative real-time PCR. These circRNAs and lncRNAs participate in neurotransmitter transport and multicellular organism growth through the intricate circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. Conclusion: Whole-transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis systematically screened key ncRNAs in retinal neurogenesis. The validated ncRNAs and their circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network involve neurotransmitter transport and multicellular organism growth during retinal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Differences in physiography have been proposed to explain the diversity anomaly for vascular plants between environmentally similar regions of eastern Asia (EAS) and eastern North America (ENA). Here, we use plant species within disjunct genera to examine whether differences in topography contribute to the diversity anomaly and whether the richness–environment relationships differ between regions. Disjunct plants are used to ensure that the diversity anomaly relates to post‐disjunction evolution and diversification rather than regional differences in clade ages or immigration. Location: EAS and ENA. Time period: Current. Major taxa studied: Plant taxa disjunctly distributed in EAS and ENA. Methods: We compiled county‐level plant distribution data, and calculated species richness and variables of topography and climate within unit grid cells. We compared estimated coefficients of region effects among models, where richness was fitted with or without topography and climate. Topography and climate were also used to separately model within‐region spatial diversity patterns using spatial simultaneous autoregressive error models. Results: The coefficients of region effects varied from −.776 for the model only including region to −.309 when topography was controlled for, but remained significant. Climate dominated the spatial diversity patterns in ENA. In contrast, the influence of climate (14.2%) on species richness was weaker than that of topography (18.3%) in the warm area of EAS. Relations to elevation and temperature varied between regions, shifting between positive and negative relationships in several cases. Main conclusions: Our results demonstrate that variability in local topography contributes to the strong regional anomaly in plant species richness between EAS and ENA. Nevertheless, the diversity anomaly persists after controlling for local topography and climate. EAS and ENA also exhibit contrasting richness–environment relationships, providing another divergent aspect between the EAS–ENA disjunct floras. Our findings highlight that regional differences in topography or other environmental factors may underlie the diversity anomaly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: A full understanding of the origin and maintenance of β‐diversity patterns in a region requires understanding of: (1) the relationships of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity (TBD and PBD, respectively) and their respective turnover and nestedness components with geographical and environmental distances; (2) the relative importance of the turnover and nestedness components of β‐diversity; and (3) the relationships between PBD measures representing different evolutionary depths. Here, we investigate all these aspects of β‐diversity simultaneously for freshwater fishes in North America. Location: North America north of Mexico (hereafter, North America). Taxon: Freshwater fishes. Methods: North America was divided into 360 watersheds. Using two sampling approaches (neighbourhood vs. pairwise), we quantified β‐diversity between fish assemblages using various metrics (representing total, turnover and nestedness components of TBD and PBD, and tip‐ vs. basal‐weighted PBD) and related them to geographical and climatic factors using correlation and regression analyses. Results: Geographical patterns of total TBD and PBD and their components of turnover and nestedness for freshwater fish assemblages among neighbouring watersheds were highly congruent across North America. Geographical patterns of basal‐weighted PBD were generally opposite to those of tip‐weighted PBD. Metrics of β‐diversity were weakly associated with contemporary climatic variables. TBD and PBD were associated strongly to moderately with geographical distances and moderately with climatic distances. The relationships of metrics of β‐diversity to geographical distances were stronger than those to climatic distances in all cases. Main conclusions: Geographical and ecological patterns are highly congruent between taxonomic and tip‐weighted PBD, but those between tip‐ and basal‐weighted PBD are greatly different, suggesting that evolutionary histories have played an important role in shaping β‐diversity. Our study suggests that geographical distance between watersheds is more important than climate similarity in determining β‐diversity between freshwater fish assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous studies have found strikingly different geographical patterns of phylogenetic diversity of gymnosperms and angiosperms, which have been suggested to result, in part, from the greater age of the former. To assess the effects of clade age on phylogenetic structure, we assessed phylodiversity patterns of pteridophytes (lycophytes and ferns), which combine ancient and modern lineages, across China. Location: China. Time period: Present day. Taxon: Pteridophytes. Methods: We divided China into 66 regions and collated species lists of pteridophytes for each region. We then related taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, and their related metrics, to six climatic variables for pteridophytes as a whole and for different evolutionary clades. We examined the effect of spatial autocorrelation among regional floras on the results. Results: We found that when all pteridophytes or ferns were considered, the patterns resembled those of gymnosperms, presumably reflecting the effects of several ancient global mass extinctions and the relict distribution of old families. In contrast, when we considered only the modern Polypodiales radiation, which accounts for three‐quarters of current fern diversity and is about as old as the angiosperm radiation, we found a pattern similar to that of angiosperms. This pattern is consistent with the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis and suggests that both major groups of land plants have a broadly similar evolutionary trajectory, with most families originating in tropical conditions and few families adapting to cold and arid conditions. Main conclusions: Our study shows that the phylogenetic structures of more recently evolved and diversified clades of pteridophytes are fairly consistent with the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis, suggesting that the age of the taxon, its physiological adaptations and the global climatic changes that it experienced during its evolutionary history are reflected in the composition of current plant assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents two methods to improve the air filtration performance of konjac glucomannan (KGM)-based aerogel air filters through physical structure design by changing the pore-size distribution and the surface area, using an air purifier. Results indicated that KGM-based aerogels had a comparable filtration effect with the commercial air filter with a longer purification time. This purification time could be shortened by over 50%, by changing the pore-size distribution from large size to small size or increase the surface area with the fold structure. This should boost the development of polysaccharide-based aerogel used as the air filter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic porous structures have been introduced into functional films to meet the requirements of various applications. Though many approaches have been developed to generate desired structures in polymeric films, few of them can effectively and dynamically achieve periodic porous structures. Here, a facile way is proposed to introduce periodic stratified porous structures into polyelectrolyte films. A photo‐crosslinkable polyelectrolyte film of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and photoreactive poly(acrylic acid) derivative (PAA‐N3) is prepared by layer‐by‐layer (LbL) self‐assembly. Stratified crosslinking of the PEI/PAA‐N3 film is generated basing on standing‐wave optics. The periodic stratified porous structure is constructed by forming pores in noncrosslinked regions in the film. Thanks to the dynamic mobility of polyelectrolytes, this structural controlment can be repeated several times. The size of pores corresponding to the layer spacing of the film contributes to the structural colors. Furthermore, structural color patterns are fabricated in the film by selective photo‐crosslinking using photomasks. Although the large‐scale structural controlment in thick (micron‐scale and above) films needs to be explored further, this work highlights the periodic structural controlment in polymeric films and thus presents an approach for application potentials in sensor, detection, and ink‐free printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The probability distribution of a function of a subsystem conditioned on the value of the function of the whole, in the limit when the ratio of their values goes to zero, has a limit law: It equals the unconditioned marginal probability distribution weighted by an exponential factor whose exponent is uniquely determined by the condition. We apply this theorem to explain the canonical equilibrium ensemble of a system in contact with a heat reservoir. Since the theorem only requires analysis at the level of the function of the subsystem and reservoir, it is applicable even without the knowledge of the composition of the reservoir itself, which extends the applicability of the canonical ensemble. Furthermore, we generalize our theorem to a model with strong interaction that contributes an additional term to the exponent, which is beyond the typical case of approximately additive functions. This result is new in both physics and mathematics, as a theory for the Gibbs conditioning principle for strongly correlated systems. A corollary provides a precise formulation of what a temperature bath is in probabilistic terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding patterns and drivers of phylogenetic beta diversity in a region is important to understanding the origin and maintenance of the regional species diversity and variation in species diversity between local sites. Here we used a phylogenetic beta diversity metric quantifying deep evolutionary histories to explore geographical and ecological patterns of phylogenetic beta diversity in angiosperm assemblages across China. Location: China. Taxon: Flowering plants (angiosperms). Methods: China was divided into 100 × 100 km grid cells. Species composition in each grid cell was documented. We used a basal‐weighted metric (Dpw) to quantify phylogenetic beta diversity among angiosperm assemblages with two sampling approaches (neighbourhood approach and pairwise approach). Dpw was related to latitude and climatic conditions of angiosperm assemblages and to geographical and climatic distances between angiosperm assemblages across China. Results: We found that the southeastern portion of China has much higher Dpw than the northwestern portion of China. The line of high versus low values of Dpw across China is generally consistent with the line of 500‐mm precipitation per year. Our study shows that precipitation is associated with Dpw more strongly than temperature, and Dpw decreases with latitude, particularly in the eastern part of China. Main conclusions: The emergence of the observed pattern of basal‐weighted phylogenetic beta diversity is at least partly because the southeastern portion of China retains a large number of Tertiary relicts, making it a biogeographical museum, whereas many Tertiary relicts went extinct from the northwestern portion of China, particularly the Tibetan Plateau, due to the uplift of the plateau and the Himalayas, which makes the region a biogeographical grave for Tertiary relicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies microparticle-triggered breakdown phenomena in mm-scale nitrogen gaps based on theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. Secondary electron and field emission contributions are both considered when predicting the microparticle-initiated breakdown voltage. In the present model, the ionization coefficient of the microscale discharge is modified to recognize the significant reduction in the number of collisions that occurs when a microparticle is present. The theoretical analysis indicates that small particles have little influence on the gas-gap breakdown voltage unless field-emission effects are dominant. However, when large microparticles (radius 50 μm) are present, a significant decrease (more than 20%) in the minimum breakdown voltage can be observed regardless of the particle position in the gas gap. Therefore, one should endeavor to exclude large microparticles from the discharge process. A fluid model is then used to simulate the microparticle-initiated breakdown process in a gas switch. The microparticle radius is 10 μm and the distance between the microparticle and cathode is 1 μm. It can be found that the electrode–particle microdischarge generates regions of high-density plasma that finally trigger main-gap breakdown when a voltage of 2.5 kV–3.5 kV is applied. The calculated results are consistent with our theoretical analysis. This paper provides a quantitative research method to evaluate the influence of microparticles on gas breakdown and contributes to improving gas-switch insulation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We generalize an idea in the works of Landauer and Bennett on computations, and Hill’s in chemical kinetics, to emphasize the importance of kinetic cycles in mesoscopic nonequilibrium thermodynamics (NET). For continuous stochastic systems, a NET in phase space is formulated in terms of cycle affinity ∇ ∧ ( D - 1 b) and vorticity potential A (x) of the stationary flux J ∗ = ∇ × A . Each bivectorial cycle couples two transport processes represented by vectors and gives rise to Onsager’s notion of reciprocality; the scalar product of the two bivectors A · ∇ ∧ ( D - 1 b) is the rate of local entropy production in the nonequilibrium steady state. An Onsager operator that relates vorticity to cycle affinity is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamical systems with ε small random perturbations appear in both continuous mechanical motions and discrete stochastic chemical kinetics. The present work provides a detailed analysis of the central limit theorem (CLT), with a time-inhomogeneous Gaussian process, near a deterministic limit cycle in R n . Based on respectively the theory of random perturbations of dynamical systems and the WKB approximation that codes the large deviations principle (LDP), results are developed in parallel from both standpoints of stochastic trajectories and transition probability density and their relations are elucidated. We show rigorously the correspondence between the local Gaussian fluctuations and the curvature of the large deviation rate function near its infimum, connecting the CLT and the LDP of diffusion processes. We study uniform asymptotic behavior of stochastic limit cycles through the interchange of limits of time t → ∞ and ε → 0 . Three further characterizations of stochastic limit cycle oscillators are obtained: (i) An approximation of the probability flux near the cycle; (ii) Two special features of the vector field for the cyclic motion; (iii) A local entropy balance equation along the cycle with clear physical meanings. Lastly and different from the standard treatment, the origin of the ε in the theory is justified by a novel scaling hypothesis via constructing a sequence of stochastic differential equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine lead–bismuth-cooled nuclear reactors are sensitive to the marine environment, facing motion-induced changes like heeling and rolling. These changes induce heavy oscillatory processes, and general controllers cannot totally meet the power output requirements from reactors. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a model-free adaptive control (MFAC) method. Initially, an initial model is established based on mechanism analysis, incorporating neutron kinetics, fuel thermal dynamics, and core thermal dynamics of the reactor while considering a dynamic marine environment. Subsequently, a model-free adaptive controller with online identification and adaptive capability is designed, employing a projection algorithm to continuously identify initial model parameters to match the harsh marine condition and correct the control law based on the input and output data. Finally, through simulation experiments, the effectiveness of the MFAC controller is demonstrated, showcasing superior adaptive capabilities and robustness, enabling rapid and precise tracking of the desired setpoint for average coolant temperature, even under fluctuating marine conditions. • A core model for a LBE reactor under marine fluctuating conditions is established. • A MFAC method uses adaptive control with online identification is proposed. • The feasibility of MFAC for the LBE reactor under marine conditions was verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a practical adaptive detection method of series DC arc that could be more adaptable to PV systems' intricate and complex environment than conventional detecting methods. Firstly, The discharge in a short air gap with unsymmetrical dielectric-covered electrodes will bring additional noise interferences to the current of the circuit where the arc is located and give rise to the alternation of the spectrum of the noise current. By analyzing the current noise spectrum before and after the occurrence of a DC arc fault, it was found that the adjacent multi-segment spectral similarity (AMSSS) characteristic could identify the event of the mark. Secondly, an algorithm architecture using principal component analysis(PCA) of AMSSS and integrated φ -statistic was used to determine an adaptive threshold model. Finally, to validate the fidelity and resilience of the pattern, a photovoltaic plant platform containing 20 PV modules and one three-phase inverter was constructed to acquire relevant data. Then, validation of the adaptive thresholding model was implemented by including several sets of tests generated under different conditions, such as normal, shading, inverter start-up, crosstalk, and arcing conditions. According to the comparative tests, We tentatively conclude that the adaptive model has a relatively strong arc detection capability and high environmental adaptability and could be applied to natural PV systems. • Characteristic of adjacent multi-segment spectral similarity. • Adaptive threshold model for diverse environments. • Relatively robust arc detection capability. • Applied to natural PV systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a hydrothermal carbonization coating/SiO 2 (HTCC/SiO 2) composite coating on 3D needled carbon fibers (Cf/HTCC-SiO 2) was successfully designed and constructed through a combined hydrothermal carbonization and sol-gel process for the first time. The results revealed that the microstructure and morphology of HTCC and SiO 2 coatings strongly depended on the key process parameters in the synthetic process. The optimal conditions for fabrication of Cf/HTCC-SiO 2 were achieved as following: the hydrothermal temperature was 180 °C and holding time was 2 h; the TEOS mass fraction was 30 wt%, the distilled water/ethanol molar ratio was 6:1 and sol-gel time was 2 h, respectively. The relatively continuous and uniform HTCC/SiO 2 composite coating with a single thickness about 350 and 300 nm effectively improved the mechanical and anti-oxidation of 3D needled Cf. Compared with the uncoated 3D needled Cf, the compressive strength was increased about 336% and the rapid oxidation temperature was improved about 100 °C after the incorporation of HTCC/SiO 2 composite coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tropical niche conservatism hypothesis suggests that most groups should be most phylogenetically clustered in cold, dry environments. This idea has been well‐tested in plants and some animal groups, but not for fishes. We assess the geographic patterns of freshwater fish phylogenetic structure and investigate the relationships between these patterns and environmental variables across North America and within two biogeographic realms. Phylogenetic relatedness and diversity of 360 freshwater fish assemblages across North America were quantified with three metrics based on a well‐dated phylogeny, and were related to 15 environmental variables using correlation and regression analyses. Geographically, the data were analyzed for North America as well as for separate biogeographic realms. We found that cold temperatures are the strongest determinant of phylogenetic clustering overall. However, in the arid west, clustering is most pronounced in the driest regions. In eastern North America, phylogenetic clustering increases at higher latitudes, while the reverse is true in western North America. The strongest phylogenetic clustering for freshwater fish assemblages on the continent is found in the most arid, rather than the coldest, climate in North America. Our results highlight that patterns of phylogenetic structure of freshwater fishes in North America are driven by both ecological and evolutionary processes that differ regionally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full understanding of the origin and maintenance of β‐diversity patterns in a region requires exploring the relationships of both taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity (TBD and PBD, respectively), and their respective turnover and nestedness components, with geographic and environmental distances. Here, we simultaneously investigated all these aspects of β‐diversity for angiosperms in China. Specifically, we evaluated the relative importance of environmental filtering vs dispersal limitation processes in shaping β‐diversity patterns. We found that TBD and PBD as quantified using a moving window approach decreased towards higher latitudes across the whole of China, and their turnover components were correlated with latitude more strongly than their nestedness components. When quantifying β‐diversity as pairwise distances, geographic and climatic distances across China together explained 60 and 53% of the variation in TBD and PBD, respectively. After the variation in β‐diversity explained by climatic distance was accounted for, geographic distance independently explained about 23 and 12% of the variation in TBD and PBD, respectively, across China. Overall, our results suggest that environmental filtering based on climatic tolerance conserved across lineages is the main force shaping β‐diversity patterns for angiosperms in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-cell studies often show significant phenotypic variability due to the stochastic nature of intra-cellular biochemical reactions. When the numbers of molecules, e.g., transcription factors and regulatory enzymes, are in low abundance, fluctuations in biochemical activities become significant and such 'noise' can propagate through regulatory cascades in terms of biochemical reaction networks. Here we develop an intuitive, yet fully quantitative method for analyzing how noise affects cellular phenotypes based on identifying a system's nonlinearities and noise propagations. We observe that such noise can simultaneously enhance sensitivities in one behavioral region while reducing sensitivities in another. Employing this novel phenomenon we designed three biochemical signal processing modules: (a) A gene regulatory network that acts as a concentration detector with both enhanced amplitude and sensitivity. (b) A non-cooperative positive feedback system, with a graded dose-response in the deterministic case, that serves as a bistable switch due to noise-induced ultra-sensitivity. (c) A noise-induced linear amplifier for gene regulation that requires no feedback. The methods developed in the present work allow one to understand and engineer nonlinear biochemical signal processors based on fluctuation-induced phenotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of extended irreversible thermodynamics (EIT), the flux-dependent entropy function plays a key role; it is a fundamental distinction between EIT and the usual flux-independent entropy function adopted by classical irreversible thermodynamics (CIT). However, its existence, as a prerequisite for EIT, and its statistical origin have never been justified. In this work, by studying the macroscopic limit of an ϵ-dependent Langevin dynamics, which admits a large deviations (LD) principle, we show that the stationary LD rate functions of probability density pϵ(x, t) and joint probability density actually turn out to be the desired flux-independent entropy function in CIT and flux-dependent entropy function in EIT respectively. The difference of the two entropy functions is determined by the time resolution for Brownian motions times a Lagrangian, the latter arises from the LD Hamilton–Jacobi equation and can be used for constructing conserved Lagrangian/Hamiltonian dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have employed the highly accurate multistate complete active space second‐order perturbation theory (MS‐CASPT2) method to investigate the photoinduced excited state relaxation properties of one unnatural base, namely Z. Upon excitation to the S2 state of Z, the internal conversion to the S1 state would be dominant. From the S1 state, two intersystem crossing paths leading to the T2 and T1 states and one internal conversion path to the S0 state are possible. However, considering the large barrier to access the S1/S0 conical intersection and the strong spin‐orbit coupling between S1 and T2 states (>40 cm−1), the intersystem crossing to the triplet manifolds is predicted to be more preferred. Arriving at the T2 state, the internal conversion to the T1 state and the intersystem crossing back to the S1 state are both possible considering the S1/T2/T1 three‐state intersection near the T2 minimum. Upon arrival at the T1 state, the deactivation to S0 can be efficient after overcoming a small barrier to access T1/S0 crossing point, where the spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) is as large as 39.7 cm−1. Our present work not only provides in‐depth insights into the photoinduced process of unnatural base Z, but can also help the future design of novel unnatural bases with better photostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diterpene ginkgolides meglumine injection (DGMI), a kind of Ginkgo biloba special extract injection, is now used for the treatment of ischemic stroke in convalescence. In the present study, we aimed to confirm whether DGMI could suppress inflammatory responses and apoptosis and explore the potential mechanisms underlying these effects. Cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were measured by MTS and LDH assays after the cells were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). The extent of anti-apoptotic effect of DGMI was detected by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining assay kit. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10, were quantified by a specific Bio-Plex ProTM Reagent Kit. Additionally, activities of TLR2/4, NF-κB p65, MAPK pathway and apoptosis-related proteins as well as cellular localization of NF-κB p65 were determined by Western blotting analysis and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. DGMI at 50 μg/mL significantly increased the cell viability and decreased the secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α in OGD/R-induced BV2 microglia cells. These effects were also confirmed by LDH assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Meanwhile, DGMI not only inhibited the protein expressions of TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, p-TAK1, p-IkBα, p-IKKβ and Bak, but also decreased the cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3, Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved PARP-1/PARP-1 ratio in OGD/R-induced BV2 microglia cells. Furthermore, OGD/R-enhanced p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 MAPK expressions and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 were also partially inhibited by DGMI. The present study showed that inflammatory responses were triggered in BV2 microglia cells activated by OGD/R, leading to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis. DGMI suppressed the inflammatory response and apoptosis by regulating the TLR/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathways and down-regulation of p-JNK1/2 and p-p38 MAPK activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]