Search

Abstract G protein subunit Gamma 5 (GNG5) has been found to be involved in regulating glioma progression. However, its function and mechanism in glioblastoma (GBM) progression need to be further elucidated. GBM cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and stemness were assessed by cell counting kit 8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay and sphere formation assay. The mRNA and protein levels of GNG5 and Yin Yang 1 (YY1) were determined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot (WB). Detection of the glucose consumption, lactate production and ATP/ADP ratios were used to assess cell glycolysis. Besides, Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related protein levels were examined by WB. Mice xenograft model was also constructed to explore GNG5 roles in vivo. GNG5 was highly expressed in GBM, and its silencing inhibited GBM cell proliferation, invasion, stemness and glycolysis, while promoted apoptosis. Transcription factor YY1 could bind to the GNG5 promoter region and induce its expression. GNG5 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effects of YY1 silencing on GBM cell growth, invasion, stemness and glycolysis. YY1/GNG5 axis could activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway agonists SKL2001 could revert the effects of GNG5 silencing on GBM cell progression. Furthermore, GNG5 facilitated GBM tumor growth by mediating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. YY1-mediated GNG5 promoted GBM progression through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Camellia luteoflora is a rare and endangered plant endemic to China. It has high ornamental and potential economic and medicinal value, and is an important germplasm resource of Camellia. To understand the distributions and differences in metabolites from different parts of C. luteoflora, in this study, we used liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to examine the types and contents of chemical constituents in five organs of C. luteoflora: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The results showed that a total of 815 metabolites were identified in the five organs and were classified into 18 main categories, including terpenoids (17.1%), amino acids (10.4%), flavonoids (10.3%), sugars and alcohols (9.8%), organic acids (9.0%), lipids (7.1%), polyphenols (4.8%), alkaloids (4.8%), etc. A total of 684 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in five organs were obtained and annotated into 217 KEGG metabolic pathways, among which metabolic pathways, ABC transporters, the biosynthesis of cofactors, and the biosynthesis of amino acids were significantly enriched. In DEMs, flowers are rich in flavonoids, polyphenols, organic acids, and steroids; fruits are rich in amino acids, alkaloids, vitamins, and xanthones; stems are rich in lignans; and leaves have the highest relative content of phenylpropanoids, ketoaldehydic acids, quinones, sugars and alcohols, terpenoids, coumarins, lipids, and others; meanwhile, the metabolite content is lower in roots. Among the dominant DEMs, 58 were in roots, including arachidonic acid, lucidone, isoliquiritigenin, etc.; 75 were in flowers, including mannose, shikimic acid, d-gluconic acid, kaempferol, etc.; 45 were in the fruit, including pterostilbene, l-ascorbic acid, riboflavin, etc.; 27 were in the stems, including salicylic acid, d-(-)-quinic acid, mannitol, (-)-catechin gallate, etc.; there was a maximum number of 119 dominant metabolites in the leaves, including oleanolic acid, l-glucose, d-arabitol, eugenol, etc. In sum, the rich chemical composition of C. luteoflora and the significant differences in the relative contents of metabolites in different organs will provide theoretical references for the study of tea, flower tea, edible oil, nutraceuticals, and the medicinal components of C. luteoflora.

This paper proposes a broadband mode converter utilizing a dual-hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (DHC-ARF) for the first time, in which the mode index matching between LP01 and LP11 modes is achieved by adjusting the core diameter size of the hollow-core anti-resonant fiber (HC-ARF). Notably, the air gap can become the main channel for the energy exchange between the two cores by adjusting the air gap size between the two cores of the DHC-ARF. The coupling length of the mode converter is greatly reduced, and a compact and broadband mode converter is realized. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed mode converter achieves a coupling efficiency (CE) of 92.79 % at a wavelength of 1.55 μm at a length of 10.7 mm. The bandwidth of 330 nm at a CE greater than 90 % covers the E + S + C + L + U bands. The proposed mode converter exhibits a large core diameter compatible with hollow-core fiber communication and is expected to be applied for high-speed and high-capacity hollow-core mode-division-multiplexing fiber-optic communication. The device design methodology presented in this paper can also provide technical references for developing higher-order mode converters, such as LP01 mode to LP02 mode and LP01 mode to LP21 mode, based on DHC-ARF.

The atrium, as the core space of modern university libraries, is crucial for providing ample natural lighting and creating a comfortable spatial experience. It is also key to achieving the building’s green and low-carbon goals. However, designing the atrium of a university library faces a significant challenge: finding the right balance between ensuring good natural lighting and effectively reducing the energy consumption of the air conditioning system. This study aims to explore this balance and provide architects with various feasible design schemes. Firstly, a parametric typical model of the atrium space was established by researching 36 university libraries. Based on the Grasshopper platform in Rhino, the typical model was simulated for natural lighting and energy consumption, and the Wallacei plugin was used to couple the optimization parameters of the typical model with the optimization target parameters. The multi-objective optimization experiment of the typical model was carried out with the objectives of maximizing spatial daylight autonomy and the percentage of useful daylight illuminance, as well as minimizing air conditioning energy consumption. The experiment generated 2000 optimization solutions, and the analysis of the historical solution set revealed the complex non-linear relationship between optimization parameters and performance indicators. Moreover, three Pareto optimal solutions were selected as representative design schemes, providing valuable references for architects when designing the spatial form of the atrium.

The size of the representative volume element (RVE) for the two-dimensional (2D) random aggregate numerical model of asphalt mortar in a non-destructive state, which directly affects the time required to simulate the linear viscoelastic behavior from asphalt mastic to asphalt mortar. However, in the existing literature, limited research has been conducted on the size determination of the numerical model RVE for asphalt mortar. To provide a recommended size for the typical 2D random aggregate numerical model RVE of asphalt mortar in a nondestructive state, this paper first applies the virtual specimen manufacturing method of asphalt concrete 2D random aggregate to asphalt mortar. Then, it generates numerical model RVEs of asphalt mortar with different maximum particle sizes, after which geometric and numerical analyses are conducted on these models. Finally, based on the geometric and numerical analysis results, the recommended minimum sizes of RVE for the 2D asphalt mortar numerical model are provided.

Phosphogypsum-based materials have gained much attention in the field of road infrastructure from the economic and sustainable perspectives. The Three-point bending test, the Four-point bending test and the Semi-circular bending test are three typical test methods applied for fracture energy measurement. However, the optimal test method for fracture energy evaluation has not been determined for phosphogypsum-based materials. To contribute to the gap, this study aims to analyze and compare the three test methods for fracture energy evaluation of phosphogypsum materials based on the peridynamic theory. For this purpose, the load–displacement, vertical displacement–Crack Mouth Opening Displacement (CMOD) and fracture energy of the phosphogypsum-based materials were measured and calculated from the three test methods. The simulated load–displacement and vertical displacement–CMOD by PD numerical models, with different fracture energy as inputs, were compared to the corresponding tested values according to simulation error results. The results showed that the Four-point bending test led to minimized errors lower than 0.189 and indicators lower than 0.124, demonstrating the most optimal test method for the fracture energy measurement of phosphogypsum-based material. The results of this study can provide new methodological references for the selection of material fracture energy measurement tests.

The genus Uraecha Thomson, 1864 is an Asiatic genus. In China, Uraecha angusta (Pascoe, 1856) is the most common species and it is widely distributed in the southern part of the country. Two species, U. angusta and Uraecha obliquefasciata Chiang, 1951, are distributed in Guizhou Province of China. The type locality of the latter is Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou Province.Uraecha nigromaculata sp. n. is described and illustrated. A diagnosis is presented to distinguish this species from its close relatives. It is the third species of the genus Uraecha reported from Guizhou Province.

The Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is a national initiative aimed at building a world-class city cluster in China and whose trends, socioeconomic drivers of CO2 emissions, and mitigation pathways are of great significance to the high-quality regional economic development. This study compiled the CO2 emission inventories of the GBA from 2000 to 2019 and explored the key drivers of CO2 emissions using the logarithmic mean Divisia index method. The results showed that CO2 emissions in GBA slowed significantly after 2017 and have already been decoupled from gross domestic product (GDP) growth. Economic growth and energy intensity are the major factors driving and inhibiting the increase in GBA’s CO2 emissions, respectively. The energy production and heavy manufacturing sectors have reduced their roles in driving the growth of GBA’s CO2 emissions. GBA achieved remarkable results in low-carbon development through industrial restructuring and upgrading. Industrial upgrades in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and technological advances in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Foshan have significantly curbed the growth in the GBA’s CO2 emissions. The heterogeneity of cities in the GBA greatly increases the complexity of formalizing the allocation of emission reduction tasks and developing a roadmap for regional carbon neutrality. Graded emission reduction strategies and carbon peaking and neutrality policy recommendations for GBA cities are proposed. This study provides a scientific basis for the development of an action program for carbon peaking and neutrality in GBA cities and low-carbon development plans for other cities and regions.

Based on the strict requirements of industrial applications for network real-time and reliability, this paper considers path performance correlation analysis using network delay parameters and evaluates the performance reliability of distributed network control systems (NCSs). The cumulative distribution function of the delay of each information transmission path in the system is constructed, and the reliability of the cluster path is analyzed utilizing multivariate Archimedean Copula functions (ACFs), which describes the path performance correlation, then the fitting effect of Copula function is evaluated by using the squared Euclidean distance method. Finally then the reliabilities of each subsystem and the whole system are calculated full probability formula. To simulate the time delay data of each path in the system, an OPNET-based distributed NCSs simulation platform is established. The reliability of distributed NCSs with 3 sub-systems is evaluated, and the effectiveness of the time delay-based performance reliability evaluation of the distributed NCSs is verified. The results is useful of network parameters optimization and improve the performance reliability of distributed NCS.

Abstract Background Spatial chromatin structure is intricately linked with somatic aberrations, and somatic mutations of various cancer-related genes, termed co-mutations (CoMuts), occur in certain patterns during cancer initiation and progression. The functional mechanisms underlying these genetic events remain largely unclear in thyroid cancer (TC). With discrepant differentiation, papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) differ greatly in characteristics and prognosis. We aimed to reveal the spatial gene alterations and regulations between the two TC subtypes. Methods We systematically investigated and compared the spatial co-mutations between ATC (8305C), PTC (BCPAP and TPC-1), and normal thyroid cells (Nthy-ori-3–1). We constructed a framework integrating whole-genome sequencing (WGS), high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), and transcriptome sequencing, to systematically detect the associations between the somatic co-mutations of cancer-related genes, structural variations (SVs), copy number variations (CNVs), and high-order chromatin conformation. Results Spatial co-mutation hotspots were enriched around topologically associating domains (TADs) in TC. A common set of 227 boundaries were identified in both ATC and PTC, with significant overlaps between them. The spatial proximities of the co-mutated gene pairs in the two TC types were significantly greater than in the gene-level and overall backgrounds, and ATC cells had higher TAD contact frequency with CoMuts > 10 compared with PTC cells. Compared with normal thyroid cells, in ATC the number of the created novel three-dimensional chromatin structural domains increased by 10%, and the number of shifted TADs decreased by 7%. We found five TAD blocks with CoMut genes/events specific to ATC with certain mutations in genes including MAST-NSUN4, AM129B/TRUB2, COL5A1/PPP1R26, PPP1R26/GPSM1/CCDC183, and PRAC2/DLX4. For the majority of ATC and PTC cells, the HOXA10 and HIF2α signals close to the transcription start sites of CoMut genes within TADs were significantly stronger than those at the background. CNV breakpoints significantly overlapped with TAD boundaries in both TC subtypes. ATCs had more CNV losses overlapping with TAD boundaries, and noncoding SVs involved in intrachromosomal SVs, amplified inversions, and tandem duplication differed between ATC and PTC. TADs with short range were more abundant in ATC than PTC. More switches of A/B compartment types existed in ATC cells compared with PTC. Gene expression was significantly synchronized, and orchestrated by complex epigenetics and regulatory elements. Conclusion Chromatin interactions and gene alterations and regulations are largely heterogeneous in TC. CNVs and complex SVs may function in the TC genome by interplaying with TADs, and are largely different between ATC and PTC. Complexity of TC genomes, which are highly organized by 3D genome-wide interactions mediating mutational and structural variations and gene activation, may have been largely underappreciated. Our comprehensive analysis may provide key evidence and targets for more customized diagnosis and treatment of TC.

In this work, artificial intelligence (AI) is trained to “study” optical fibers as an AI optical fiber scientist. The dataset is constructed on the structural parameters and confinement loss of hollow-core anti-resonant fibers and is divided into different datasets. An effective approach to overcome the non-uniqueness challenge of inverse designs is the tandem neural network (T-NN), which consists of a forward prediction model and an inverse design model, which are trained by different datasets. The impact of the hyperparameter on the performance of the proposed model is also studied. For the forward prediction model, the mean square error reaches the lowest value of 0.0007 with 6 hidden layers; the nodes of each hidden layer are 800, and the corresponding coefficient of determination R2 is 0.9154. Moreover, the R2CL of the T-NN can reach the maximum value of 0.9881 for the dataset-1-0. The comparison between the target, prediction result, and calculation result proves that the proposed approach is an effective way to design hollow-core anti-resonant fibers intelligently. Compared with current numerical simulation methods, the presented AI model based on the T-NN is more “intelligent”. This study can both accelerate the design of hollow-core anti-resonant fibers and provide guidance on the development of AI scientists in optics.

Termites are eusocial insects. Chemical signals between colony members are crucial to the smooth running of colony operations, but little is known about their olfactory system and the roles played by various chemosensory genes in this process. Chemosensory genes are involved in basic olfactory perception in insects. Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) is one of the most damaging pests to agricultural crops, forests, and human-made structures. To better understand the olfactory system and the genes involved in olfactory processing in O. formosanus, we produced a transcriptome of worker termites. In this study, we identified 13 OforOBPs, 1 OforCSP, 15 OforORs, 9 OforGRs, and 4 OforSNMPs. Multiple sequence alignments were used in the phylogenetic study, which included data from other termite species and a wide variety of insect species. Moreover, we also investigated the mRNA expression levels using qRT-PCR. The significantly high expression levels of OforCSP1, OforOBP2, OforOR1, and OforSNMP1 suggest that these genes may play important roles in olfactory processing in termite social behavior, including caste differentiation, nestmate and non-nestmate discrimination, and the performance of colony operations among members. Our research establishes a foundation for future molecular-level functional studies of chemosensory genes in O. formosanus, which might lead to the identification of novel targets for termite integrated pest management.

A parotid neoplasm is an uncommon condition that only accounts for less than 3% of all head and neck cancers, and they make up less than 0.3% of all new cancers diagnosed annually. Due to their nonspecific imaging features and heterogeneous nature, accurate preoperative diagnosis remains a challenge. Automatic parotid tumor segmentation may help physicians evaluate these tumors. Two hundred eighty-five patients diagnosed with benign or malignant parotid tumors were enrolled in this study. Parotid and tumor tissues were segmented by 3 radiologists on T1-weighted (T1w), T2-weighted (T2w) and T1-weighted contrast-enhanced (T1wC) MR images. These images were randomly divided into two datasets, including a training dataset (90%) and an validation dataset (10%). A 10-fold cross-validation was performed to assess the performance. An attention base U-net for parotid tumor autosegmentation was created on the MRI T1w, T2 and T1wC images. The results were evaluated in a separate dataset, and the mean Dice similarity coefficient (DICE) for both parotids was 0.88. The mean DICE for left and right tumors was 0.85 and 0.86, respectively. These results indicate that the performance of this model corresponds with the radiologist’s manual segmentation. In conclusion, an attention base U-net for parotid tumor autosegmentation may assist physicians to evaluate parotid gland tumors.

Summary: A small-scale delivery medium for CO2 laser energy with stable performance, flexibility, and high-strength is crucial in extreme laser processing environments, especially for minimally invasive surgery in high-humidity, twisty and narrow channels. Here, flexible and robust multimaterial infrared fibers made of selenium-based chalcogenide glasses and thermoplastic polymer were developed with a low loss of 7.18 dB/m at 10.6 μm. The resulting fibers were capable of stably delivering single-mode CO2 laser with 0.42 W average power. Moreover, to achieve precise control over the fibers in the practical clinical environment, customized co-polymers of polyphenylene sulfone resin and polyvinylidene fluoride were used as the fiber built-in jackets. Consequently, the fibers exhibited hydrophobicity, thermostability, high tensile strength, and low bending stiffness. The results demonstrated that the fibers can be used to deliver CO2 laser energy for fabric cutting and bio-tissues ablation, making them attractive for CO2 laser material processing and minimally invasive laser surgery.

Abstract Fowl cholera caused by Pasteurella multocida exerts a massive economic burden on the poultry industry. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is essential for the growth of P. multocida genotype L1 strains in chickens and specific truncations to the full length LPS structure can attenuate bacterial virulence. Here we further dissected the roles of the outer core transferase genes pcgD and hptE in bacterial resistance to duck serum, outer membrane permeability and virulence in ducks. Two P. multocida mutants, ΔpcgD and ΔhptE, were constructed, and silver staining confirmed that they all produced truncated LPS profiles. Inactivation of pcgD or hptE did not affect bacterial susceptibility to duck serum and outer membrane permeability but resulted in attenuated virulence in ducks to some extent. After high-dose inoculation, ΔpcgD showed remarkably reduced colonization levels in the blood and spleen but not in the lung and liver and caused decreased injuries in the spleen and liver compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast, the ΔhptE loads declined only in the blood, and ΔhptE infection caused decreased splenic lesions but also induced severe hepatic lesions. Furthermore, compared with the wild-type strain, ΔpcgD was significantly attenuated upon oral or intramuscular challenge, whereas ΔhptE exhibited reduced virulence only upon oral infection. Therefore, the pcgD deletion caused greater virulence attenuation in ducks, indicating the critical role of pcgD in P. multocida infection establishment and survival.

Complete mitochondrial genome (GenBank accession number MN073499) for Pachytriton granulosus (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) was obtained with Sanger sequencing and assembled manually. The mitogenome consists of a circular DNA molecule of 16,288 bp, with 68.51% AT content. It comprises 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and 2 rRNA genes. The protein-coding genes have typical ATN (Met) start codons, except cox1 (GTG as start codon), and are terminated by typical TAN stop codons, except nad6 (AGA as start codon).

E‐waste is currently identified as the world's fastest‐growing waste stream. The key driver behind this trend is the rapid technological advancement and socio‐economic development. When hazardous chemicals are not properly handled, e‐waste may harm ecosystems and human well‐being. Direct effects include releases of acids, heavy metal toxicity, carcinogens and indirect effects such as heavy metal bio‐enlargement, acids enlargement and toxicity problems. In this study, a specific type of system is utilised to collect and transport the different types of hazardous e‐waste using sustainable transportation with the decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). The proposed method of DEMATEL is utilised to identify the relationship and the degree of impact among determined e‐waste recycling barriers. The experimental results suggest input material, lack of funds and most affecting factors that are required to be addressed for the improvement of e‐waste recycling infrastructure.

A novel pattern recognition method based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) is proposed to recognize the disturbance events in phase sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (φ-OTDR) to reduce nuisance alarm rate (NAR) and improve real-time performance in this paper. Eleven typical eigenvectors are extracted from components obtained by EMD of the disturbance signals and XGBoost is selected as a classifier to identify different type of disturbance signals. Five kinds of disturbance events, including watering, knocking, climbing, pressing and false disturbance event, can be identified, effectively. Experimental results show that NAR is 4.10% and identification time is 0.093 s. The recognition accuracy for the five patterns is 97.96%, 95.90%, 91.10%, 94.84% and 99.69%, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated by using confusion matrix and decision boundary visualization. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed pattern recognition method based on XGBoost has better performance in recognition rate and recognition time than other commonly used methods, such as support vector machine (SVM), Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT), Random Forest (RF) and Adaptive Boosting (Adaboost).

BackgroundIn recent years, lead halide perovskite scintillators have received extensive attention in the field of X-ray imaging. Hard X-ray medical imaging in energy range of 20~120 keV using scintillator detectors, sensitivity and imaging spatial resolution are important performance indicators.PurposeThis study aims to explore X-ray imaging property of halide lead perovskite scintillators by simulation.MethodsFirst of all, 3D MAPbBr3 quantum dots/polystyrene and 2D PEA2PbBr4 quantum dots/polystyrene scintillators were taken as research objects. Then, simulation code Geant4 was employed to establish detector model and simulate the X-ray relative detection efficiency and imaging spatial resolution of lead halide perovskite quantum dots/polymer composite scintillators. Finally, the effect of energy and the ratio of perovskite quantum dot occupation on the resolution were explained by secondary electron motion.ResultsThe results show that increasing the thickness of the composite scintillator and the proportion of perovskite quantum dots can improve the relative detection efficiency whilst reducing the thickness and increasing the proportion of perovskite quantum dots can improve the spatial resolution. When the absorption efficiency reaches 99.5%, 80% of 3D MAPbBr3 quantum dots/polystyrene excited by 20 keV X ray obtain the same spatial resolution of 10 lp·mm-1 as CsI. When the incident energy increases to 50 keV, the spatial resolution of CsI is 8 lp·mm-1, while that of lead halide perovskite scintillators is less than 4 lp·mm-1.ConclusionsIt is shown by this study that lead halide perovskites have certain application potential in 20 keV low-energy X-ray medical imaging.

Since four in-wheel-motor drive electric vehicles (4IDEVs) are overactuated systems, the torque distribution strategy is crucial for improving the system efficiency, lateral stability, and safety. Hence, this paper proposes a multiobjective optimal torque distribution strategy for 4IDEVs to improve the vehicle yaw stability performance and energy efficiency. First, a motor energy loss model is built to describe the motor power loss characteristics, and an energy efficiency control allocation (EECA) method over the NEDC is proposed to analyze the model accuracy. Then, a hybrid model predictive control (hMPC)-based nonlinear yaw stability controller is employed to calculate the reference yaw moment and the active steering angle. Finally, a multiobjective controller is designed to minimize the drivetrain power loss while ensuring the vehicle stability, in which the four wheels torques are allocated to track the reference yaw moment. The proposed strategy is evaluated on the dSPACE-based platform over the single lane change test and fishhook steering test. The results indicate that the suggested torque distribution strategy can improve the vehicle stability on different conditions and the energy consumption is significantly reduced compared to an electric stability control (ESC) method.

We propose a novel fiber-optic auditory nerve of ground (FANG) in the suburb based on the fiber-optic distributed vibration sensor (DVS). The feasibility and effectiveness of the principle prototype FANG for traffic flow monitoring are proved and investigated by the field experiment. One of the 31.8 km-long redundant optical fiber of the buried optical-fiber cable for data transmission is utilized as the sensing fiber. Then, the phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (φ-OTDR) based DVS is realized and regarded as the FANG. The vibration events at 9 observation points with different ground conditions along the sensing fiber are detected by a threshold algorithm during 6.5 hours from 8:00 am. Then, the vibration events are analyzed in combination with the ground conditions to recognize the machine working in the factory, rammer working and the vehicles passed through near different areas and roads. The traffic flow is estimated by the vibration-counting with a counting error that is believed to be in an acceptable range. The distribution and the fluctuation trends of the estimated traffic flow are useful and enlightening for the traffic monitoring and pre-warning of special events, such as an accident. The accuracy can be improved by artificial intelligence methods in the future. It seems that our proposed FANG can be a potential and effective tool for the internet of things, smart ground and smart traffic in the suburb where the video and other information collection methods are not available.

Due to the ever-growing demand for high-density energy storage devices, lithium-ion batteries with a high-capacity cathode and anode are thought to be the next-generation batteries for their high energy density. Lithium sulfide (Li2S) is considered the promising cathode material for its high theoretical capacity, high melting point, affordable volume expansion, and lithium composition. This review summarizes the activation and lithium storage mechanism of Li2S cathodes. The design strategies in improving the electrochemical performance are highlighted. The application of the Li2S cathode in full cells of lithium-ion batteries is discussed. The challenges and new directions in commercial applications of Li2S cathodes are also pointed out.

We numerically investigate the surface Brillouin scattering (surface-BS) in a transverse Anderson localization (TAL) guiding silica glass-air disordered optical fiber (DOF) with random air-holes. The normalized light intensity profiles of light beams propagating along DOF at different launch positions are obtained, which confirms the TAL mechanism. Then, the surface-BS in DOF is numerically investigated by the equation of elastodynamics with the electrostriction. It is found that there are two main peaks in the surface-BS spectrum and the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) is sensitive to the air-fill fraction of DOF. Furthermore, the feasibility of longitudinal structural fluctuations evaluating of DOF by the Brillouin optical time-domain analysis technique is analyzed and discussed. The average sensitivity of BFS to the air-fill fraction is simulated to obtain an optimal performance in practical application. This paper is an interesting theoretical enlightenment for combining the novel concepts of surface-BS and DOF, also a useful exploration of longitudinal structural evaluating method for special optical fibers with microstructures.

This paper proposes an active collision avoidance controller based on a hierarchical model predictive control framework for distributed electric drive vehicles (4IDEV) considering extreme conditions. In this framework, a two-layer strategy is developed. The upper layer is the path replanning controller based on nonlinear MPC (nMPC), from which a collision-free path including the optimal lateral displacement and yaw angle can be obtained in real-time while encountering the obstacles. The lower layer is the path tracking controller based on hybrid MPC (hMPC), and the coordinated control inputs (yaw moment and the front wheel steering angle) are solved by a Mixed-Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP) with the piecewise affine (PWA) tire model considering tire saturation region. Moreover, to improve the lateral stability when tracking, the stable zone of lateral stability in the high-risk condition is analyzed based on the phase portrait method, by which the constraints of vehicle states and inputs are derived. The verification is carried out on the MATLAB and CarSim co-simulation platform, and the simulation results show that the proposed active collision avoidance controller can track the reference path accurately and prevent vehicle instability in extreme scenarios.

Promethis valgipes valgipes (Marseul) is one of the important fungus-eating beetle distributed in central China, Korea, and Japan. Beetles were obtained from Pizhou City and the species’ mitochondrial genome was characterized (GenBank accession number MW201671). The mitogenome consists of a circular DNA molecule of 15,801 bp, with 68.51% AT content. It comprises 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, and two rRNA genes. The PCGs have typical ATN (Met) start codons, except nad1 (TTG as start codon), and are terminated by typical TAN stop codons.

Based on dimensional analysis and finite element analysis (FEA), a test method was developed to determine the layer thickness of the surface residual stress using instrumented indentation testing. The relative loading curvatures of the stressed and stress-free P-h curves were obtained from the FEA results. The platform region of the curve of the relative loading curvature versus the indentation depth was used to estimate the residual stress, and the residual stress layer thickness was obtained by considering the turning point of the curve. According to the error analysis results, the proposed method is valid for estimating the residual stress layer thickness by carefully considering the material properties. The proposed method was reduced to the instrumented indentation testing method to determine the uniform residual stress when the indentation depth was far smaller than the layer thickness.

The characteristics of low-level wind shear (LLWS) over the Chinese mainland were investigated using reports from pilots, air traffic controllers and the number of arriving/departing flights from 2016 to 2020. A preliminary analysis of the impact of the flights on the LLWS reports was carried out, and the cause of LLWS was also investigated. LLWS reports from most airports indicate that LLWS is most likely to occur within 600 m AGL with a higher density below 300 m, but with some exceptions, as wind shear is reported at higher altitudes at some airports. Airports with a high frequency of LLWS reports are almost all located in or around regions with complex topography and in regions with prevailing weather conditions favorable to LLWS. The variation in overall LLWS reports displays a steady increase from 2016 to 2019 and a decrease from 2019 to 2020, consistent with the trend in the number of flights, but with no evidently similar trends for individual airports. Seasonal variations in LLWS reports are observed and demonstrate no notable impact caused by the number of flights, implying that the main cause is the monthly variation of weather conditions. Diurnal variation is also evident and largely associated with the variation in number of flights during the busy period in addition to weather conditions, such as common strong winds, in the afternoon.

In order to obtain low nuisance alarm rate (NAR) and achieve the disturbance event identification, the wavelength-division multiplexing combination of a phasesensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (φ-OTDR) and a Michelson interferometer (MI) is proposed and demonstrated. The disturbance is synchronously detected by a φOTDR and an MI. A true alarm is presented only when a real disturbance is detected by both φ-OTDR and MI. Furthermore, the event identification of the confirmed real disturbance is recognized by an equivalent frequency distribution analysis on the MI signal. It is found that, by the experiment, NAR can be reduced to 1.2% from 13.5% via a single φ-OTDR, with a high detection probability of 92%. Furthermore, four disturbance events can be distinguished with a 90% identification rate. Our proposed wavelength-division multiplexing of a φ-OTDR and an MI is simple and low cost, no complicated algorithm is required, and only one sensing fiber is needed; therefore, it is an interesting exploration of multiplexing of φ-OTDR and interferometers.

C6H25Br3N2O3P2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 8.9705(10) Å, b = 25.494(3) Å, c = 10.2372(12) Å, β = 112.888(2)°, V = 2156.8(49) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0467, wRref(F2) = 0.1296, T = 296(2) K.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Blaps rynchopetera Fairmaire (GenBank accession number MN267802) from Dali city consists of a circular DNA molecule of 16,766 bp (with 72.01% A + T content), which is longer than that of the mitogenome of B. rynchopetera from Kunming. The mitogenome comprises 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rDNA genes. The protein-coding genes have typical ATN (Met) initiation codons, and are terminated by typical TAN stop codons. A phylogenetic tree generated by the neighbour-joining method showed that B. rynchopetera is closely related to Platydema sp. PLA01, which has the potential for medicinal development.

The lesser grain borer, Rhyzopertha dominica (Fabricius) is a primary pest of starch-containing stored products worldwide. Here, we report characterization of mitogenome of R. dominica and its phylogenetic position. Rhyzopertha dominica complete mitochondrial genome (GenBank accession number MN527959) from Jingziguan town consisted of a circular DNA molecule of 15,862 bp (with 74.36% A + T content). The mitogenome comprised of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and 22 tRNA and two rRNA genes. PCGs had typical ATN (Met) initiation codons and were terminated by typical TAN stop codons.

The saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus surinamensis Linné, is a well-known stored-product insect. Beetles were obtained from Xichuan County and the mitochondrial genome was characterized (GenBank accession number MN535903). The mitogenome consists of a circular DNA molecule of 15,941 bp, with only 27.36% GC content. It comprises 13 protein-coding, 22 tRNA, and 2 rDNA genes. The protein-coding genes have typical ATN (Met) initiation codons and are terminated by typical TAN stop codons.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Zophobas atratus (Fab.) (= Z. morio (Fab.), Z. rugipes Kirsch) is a circular molecule of 15,494 bp (GenBank accession MK140669), with 72.01% A + T content, which comprises 13 protein-coding-, 22 tRNA-, and 2 rDNA-genes. The protein-coding genes have the traditional ATN (Met) initiation codon and are terminated by the traditional stop codon, TAA, except for the nad1 and nad4 genes. A phylogenetic tree based on maximum-likelihood analysis showed that Z. atratus is closely related to Ulomoides dermestoides, an important component of traditional Chinese medicine.

C20H15N4O4Ag, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 12.6344(8) Å, b = 9.7274(6) Å, c = 15.7567(10) Å, β = 109.06(1)°, V = 1830.3(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0244, wRref(F2) = 0.0674, T = 296(2) K.

C30H26N4O8, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 6.6363(7) Å, b = 9.0231(9) Å, c = 22.082(2) Å, β = 92.765(2)°, V =1320.7(2) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0455, wRref(F2) = 0.1234, T = 296(2) K.

C10H9N3O4, orthorhombic, P212121 (no. 19), a = 4.3976(6) Å, b = 10.8753(14) Å, c = 19.678(3) Å, V = 941.1(2) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0415, wRref(F2) = 0.1075, T = 296(2) K.

Heteroatom doping is considered to be an efficient strategy to improve the electrochemical performance of carbon-based anode materials for Na-ion batteries (SIBs), due to the introduction of an unbalanced electron atmosphere and increased electrochemical reactive sites of carbon. However, developing green and low-cost approaches to synthesize heteroatom dual-doped carbon with an appropriate porous structure, is still challenging. Here, N/S-co-doped porous carbon sheets, with a main pore size, in the range 1.8−10 nm, has been fabricated through a simple thermal treatment method, using KOH-treated waste bagasse, as a carbon source, and thiourea, as the N and S precursor. The N/S-co-doped carbon sheet electrodes possess significant defects, high specific surface area, enhanced electronic conductivity, improved sodium storage capacity, and long-term cyclability, thereby delivering a high capacity of 223 mA h g−1 at 0.2 A g−1 after 500 cycles and retaining 155 mA h g−1 at 1 A g−1 for 2000 cycles. This work provides a low-cost route to fabricate high-performance dual-doped porous carbonaceous anode materials for SIBs.

Background and objective Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in men and women. It is also the most common cause of brain metastases. A brain metastasis model is difficult to be established because of the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the lack of optimal methods for detecting brain metastasis in nude mice. Thus, the establishment of a Chinese lung adenocarcinoma cell line and its animal model with brain metastasis potency and in vivo research is of great significance. Methods CPA-Yang1 cells were obtained from a patient with human lung adenocarcinoma by lentiviral vector-mediated transfection of green fluorescence protein. Intracardiac inoculation of the cells was performed in nude mice, and brain metastatic lesions were detected using micro 18F FDG-PET/CT scanners, small animal in vivo imaging system for fluorescence, radionuclide and X ray fused imaging, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with sense body detection, and resection. The samples were divided into two parts for cell culture and histological diagnosis. The process was repeated in vivo and in vitro for four cycles to obtain a novel cell clone, CPA-Yang1-BR. Results A novel cell clone, CPA-Yang1-BR, was obtained with a brain metastatic rate of 50%. The use of MRI for the detection of brain metastases has obvious advantages. Conclusion An experimental Chinese lung adenocarcinoma cell clone (CPA-Yang1-BR) and its animal model with brain metastasis potency in nude mice were established. MRI with sense body or micro MRI may be used as a sensitive, accurate, and noninvasive method to detect experimental brain metastases in intact live immunodeficient mice. The results of this study may serve as a technical platform for brain metastases from lung adenocarcinoma.

Increased glucose utilization is a hallmark of cancer, and tumor metabolism is emerging as anticancer target for therapeutic intervention. Triple-negative breast cancers TNBC are highly glycolytic and show poor clinical outcomes. We previously identified hexokinase 2, the major glycolytic enzyme, as a target gene of miR-143 in TNBC. Here, we developed a therapeutic formulation using cholesterol-modified miR-143 agomir encapsulated in a neutral lipid-based delivery agent that blocked tumor growth and glucose metabolism in TNBC tumor-bearing mice when administered systemically. The antioncogenic effects were accompanied by a reduction in the direct target hexokinase 2 and [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) uptake based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Treatment with miR-143 formulation has minimal toxic effects and mice tolerated it well. Thus, we demonstrated that miR-143 is a robust inhibitor of the Warburg effect and an effective therapeutic target for TNBC. In addition, 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography can be used to specifically monitor the response of TNBC to miR-143-based therapeutics by targeting tumor glycolysis.

C24H24N2O2, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 11.7857(4) Å, b = 10.6233(4) Å, c = 8.0268(3) Å, β = 102.104(2)°, V = 982.64(6) Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0320, wRref(F2) = 0.0827, T = 293(2) K.

Our study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) to monitor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) expression in vivo.We constructed a recombinant lentivirus plasmid with the MLC-2v promoter driving the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS) reporter gene linked to the VEGF165 gene. Expression of NIS and VEGF gene were identified by Western blot. On days 2 and 54, 99mTc-MIBI imaging was used to evaluate changes in myocardial ischemia. Noninvasive 125I micro-SPECT/CT imaging was used to assess the expression of NIS reporter gene dynamically over the next 2 months.Western blot analysis showed that both NIS and VEGF165 were highly expressed in rat cardiomyoblast H9C2 cells transduced with Lenti-MLC-2v-NIS--VEGF165. 125I micro-SPECT/CT reporter imaging showed higher uptake in mouse myocardium transduced with Lenti-MLC-2v-VEGF165-IRES-NIS. NIS expression peaked on day 1 after transduction followed by a progressive decline to negligible levels by day 21. On day 1, mean 125I activity value in group 1 was higher than that in group 2 (P 0.05). In group 1 (test group), 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT revealed improvements in perfusion and wall thickening in the apical anterior wall. Mean IOD values of NIS and CD34 were significantly higher in group 1 than group 3 (P

To investigate the role of 188Re in human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) theranostic gene-mediated human glioma imaging and therapy in model mice.The human glioma cell line U87 was transfected with recombinant lentivirus encoding the hNIS gene under the control of cytomegalovirus promoter (U87-hNIS). The uptake and efflux of 188Re were determined after incubating the cells with 188Re. 188Re uptake experiments in the presence of various concentrations of sodium perchlorate were carried out. In vitro cell killing tests with 188Re were performed. U87-hNIS mediated 188Re distribution, imaging and therapy in nude mice were also tested.U87-hNIS cell line was successfully established. The uptake of 188Re in U87-hNIS cells increased up to 26-fold compared to control cells, but was released rapidly with a half-life of approximately 4 minutes. Sodium perchlorate reduced hNIS-mediated 188Re uptake to levels of control cell lines. U87-hNIS cells were selectively killed following exposure to 188Re, with a survival of 21.4%, while control cells had a survival of 92.1%. Unlike in vitro studies, U87-hNIS tumor showed a markedly increased 188Re retention even 48 hours after 188Re injection. In the therapy study, there was a significant difference in tumor size between U87-hNIS mice (317±67 mm3) and control mice (861±153 mm3) treated with 188Re for 4 weeks (P