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Simple Summary: Blastocystis spp. and Giardia duodenalis are two prevalent intestinal parasites with a worldwide distribution that can infect humans and animals, resulting in significant public health concerns and economic losses. For goats, infection with the two parasites can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, which is not conducive to the development of stockbreeding. Shanxi Province is one of the largest goats breeding provinces in China. However, the prevalence of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis in black goats in Shanxi Province remains unknown. Thus, 1200 fecal samples of black goats were collected in five representative geographical locations in Shanxi Province to examine the presence and genotypes of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. by using a molecular approach. The results showed that the total infection rates of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. were 7.5% and 3.5%, respectively. The presence and genotypes of G. duodenalis were determined based on three established loci (tpi, bg, and gdh). Among the detected assemblages B and E of G. duodenalis, the most prevalent assemblage was E in black goats in the five study areas. One novel MLG (MLG-E12) was identified by multilocus genotypes (MLGs) analysis. Through DNA sequence analysis, four subtypes of Blastocystis spp. were found in black goats, namely ST5, ST10, ST14, and ST30, among which ST10 was the dominant subtype in this study. This is the first report of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis infection in black goats in Shanxi Province, which not only enhances our understanding of the genetic diversity of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis in black goats in China but also provides essential baseline data for the prevention and control of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis infection in black goats in the study areas. Blastocystis spp. and Giardia duodenalis are two prevalent zoonotic intestinal parasites that can cause severe diarrhea and intestinal diseases in humans and many animals. Black goat (Capra hircus) farming is increasingly important in China due to the remarkable adaptability, high reproductive performance, rapid growth rate, and significant economic value of black goats. A number of studies have indicated that black goats are the potential reservoir of multiple zoonotic protozoans in China; however, the prevalence and zoonotic status of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province is still unknown. Thus, a total of 1200 fecal samples of black goats were collected from several representative regions at different altitudes in Shanxi Province and were examined for the presence and genotypes of G. duodenallis and Blastocystis spp. by amplifying the beta-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) loci of G. duodenalis and SSU rRNA of Blastocystis spp. using PCR and sequence analysis methods, respectively. The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province were 7.5% and 3.5%, respectively. Two assemblages (B and E) of G. duodenalis and four subtypes (ST5, ST10, ST14, and ST30) of Blastocystis spp. were identified, with assemblage E and ST10 as the prevalent genotype and subtype in black goats, respectively. One novel multilocus genotype (MLG) was identified in MLG-E and was designated as MLG-E12. For both G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp., the prevalence was significantly related to the region and age groups (p < 0.05). This is the first report on the prevalence of G. duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in black goats in Shanxi Province. These results not only provide baseline data for the prevention and control of both parasites in black goats in Shanxi Province, but also enhance our understanding of the genetic composition and zoonotic potential of these two parasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Position-sensitive detectors are widely used in industry due to accurate sensing of changes in light position. The introduction of additional wavelength selectors can cause deviations in light position and affect the performance of the devices. In this work, an organic–inorganic heterojunction of polyaniline-poly (p-styrenesulfonic acid) (PANI:PSS)/p-Si is proposed to achieve selective detection at optical wavelengths using the lateral photovoltaic effect. The maximum reduction of sensitivity in the detection of 405 nm laser can reach up to 127.59 mV/mm, with a decrease in about 99%. When the device is exposed to blue-violet light, the absorption layer changes from a Si layer to a PANI:PSS layer, which weakens the photon utilization efficiency and charges carrier transport. The self-generated longitudinal voltage further enhances the absorption of the PANI:PSS layer for blue-violet light. PANI absorbs photon energy to generate electron–hole pairs and transitions from the reduced state to the oxidized state in the depletion region at the contact interface. The oxide layer hinders carrier separation and increases carrier recombination. Due to the inherent properties of the structure, the wavelength selection function is realized by the detector itself, enriching its original single function. The sensitivity in other light bands has been improved, including more than three times at 520 nm compared to p-Si. These results have provided the theoretical foundation for highly selective and tunable optoelectronic devices while helping to overcome the challenges of high manufacturing costs and customized application scenarios. They provide a viable solution for the intelligent development of optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen fixation is often cited as an important nitrogen source for termites. However, the rate of nitrogen fixation between experiments and termite species is highly variable due to termite diversity and sampling limitations. New evidence suggests that subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki) (Blattodea, Rhinotermitidae) seek alternative dietary nitrogen sources for colony growth and development. This study compares N2 fixation rates and nitrogenase gene expression rates to a diverse assemblage of feeding groups. It was observed that nitrogenase expression was much higher in one-piece nesting termites from the family Kalotermitidae which lack access to soil. On the other hand, subterranean termites from the family Rhinotermitidae fix nitrogen at much lower rates, not differing from ambient nitrogenase activity in soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the inconclusive literature on operative time, pain relief, functional outcomes, and complications, this meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy (UBE) and Micro-Endoscopic Discectomy (MED) in treating Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (DLSS). Methods: A thorough literature search was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and based on the PICO framework. The study interrogated four primary databases—PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library—on August 16, 2023, without time restrictions. The search employed a strategic selection of keywords and was devoid of language barriers. Studies were included based on strict criteria, such as the diagnosis, surgical intervention types, and specific outcome measures. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale, and statistical analysis was executed through Stata version 17. Results: The meta-analysis incorporated 9 articles out of an initial yield of 1,136 potential studies. Considerable heterogeneity was observed in surgical duration, but no statistically significant difference was identified (MD = − 2.11, P = 0.56). For VAS scores assessing lumbar and leg pain, UBE was statistically superior to MED (MD = − 0.18, P = 0.013; MD = − 0.15, P = 0.006, respectively). ODI scores demonstrated no significant difference between the two surgical methods (MD = − 0.57, P = 0.26). UBE had a lower incidence of complications compared to those receiving MED (OR = 0.54, P = 0.036). Conclusions: UBE and MED exhibited comparable surgical durations and disability outcomes as measured by ODI. However, UBE demonstrated superior efficacy in alleviating lumbar and leg pain based on VAS scores. The findings present an intricate evaluation of the two surgical interventions for DLSS, lending valuable insights for clinical decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnTe is receiving a lot of attention as a topological crystalline insulator. Herein, SnTe films are grown directly on GaAs (100) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The surface morphology and electronic properties are measured by atomic force microscopy and Hall effect measurement, respectively. Considering previous X‐ray diffraction results, the samples grown with high beam‐intensity ratios show hexagonal Te segregation in the films, which deteriorates the surface morphology and decreases the conductivity. By suppressing the supply of Te, better surface morphology and electrical properties are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The morphology of hollow nanoprisms N -Co-Cu-S-x HNs synthesized by the self-templating method can be controlled. • Cu was successfully introduced to modulate the electronic structure of the Co center to improve the electrical conductivity. • The N -containing C skeleton protects internal active sites of the catalysts to stabilize the OER activity. • N -CoCu-S-0.25 exhibits exciting catalytic activity and durability (27 h). CoS x materials with high catalytic activity are considered as promising HER electrocatalysts, but their inherent low electrical conductivity and easy loss of active sites have greatly limited their applications in OER electrocatalysis. Herein, we present a convenient method to synthesize Co-Cu hollow nanoprisms after wrapping and calcining with trithiocyanuric acid (C 3 H 3 N 3 S 3) (denoted N -Co-Cu-S-x HNs). The results showed that Cu doping modified the charge density of Co center, leading to the enhancement of the intrinsic activity of the Co 3 S 4 active center, meanwhile wrapping trithiocyanuric acid on the surfaces and calcinating to form N -containing C skeleton as a flexible substrate to encapsulate the catalysts, which effectively protected the active sites inside the catalysts. Notably, the OER catalyst that was optimized by adjusting the metal ratio and controlling the trithiocyanuric acid incorporation exhibited a low overpotential of 306 mV under a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and showed a superior durability of more than 27 h. This work may provide some insights into the preparation of oxygen evolution reaction catalysts with excellent performance through doping transition metals and protecting the internal active sites strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial charge transfer control is a key and arduous issue for propelling the migration/separation of photogenerated carriers for heterojunction photocatalysts. Here, a new 2D/2D C 3 N 4 /C 3 N 5 nonmetal van der Waals (VdW) heterojunction is fabricated by the simple self-assembly technique in acidic medium, whose charge separation efficiency is promoted dramatically, thus being endowed with the high-efficiency photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) performance. The PHE rate reaches up to 3.33 mmol h−1 g−1 under the visible light and the apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 20.6% is achieved at 420 nm on the optimal 2D/2D C 3 N 4 /C 3 N 5 -5% sample. Furthermore, the 2D/2D C 3 N 4 /C 3 N 5 nonmetal VdW heterojunction also exhibits the desired stability because there was no significant decrease after PHE reaction of 10 cycles with total 40 h. Such outstanding PHE activity and stability originate from the impelled separation of photoinduced charge carriers and the powerful interfacial interaction through forming Z-Scheme charge transfer path and π-π coupling effect between C 3 N 4 and C 3 N 5 nanosheets. This work takes a significant guiding and demonstration for designing and exploiting other novel nonmetallic polymer-based VdW heterojunctions in the photocatalytic application field. [Display omitted] • 2D/2D C 3 N 4 /C 3 N 5 nonmetal VdW heterojunction was fabricated by self-assembly technique. • AQE of 20.6% is achieved at 420 nm for the PHE reaction. • Heterojunction with superior stability can endure 10 cycle runs with total 40 h. • The superior PHE activity derives from the formed Z-Scheme mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymerizing the narrow bandgap small-molecule architecture with a conjugated linking unit (or called the polymerized small molecule acceptors (PSMAs)) is a promising strategy to design polymer acceptors for efficient all polymer solar cells (all-PSCs). Currently, the fused-ring-based small molecule acceptors (SMAs) are preferred monomers to design efficient PSMAs, leaving the challenge of reducing the materials cost. In this work, we firstly employ nonfused-core SMA with simple synthetic procedures to design PSMAs (namely PBTI-H, PBTI-F and PBTI-Cl) to address this issue. Relative to the fused-ring based counterparts, these three PSMAs exhibit much higher figure-of-merit value. Additionally, a power-conversion efficiency of 8.80% is achieved in the PBTI-Cl-based all-PSC. The results offer an attractive approach to design low-cost PSMAs for efficient all-PSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch and peanut oil (PO) were widely used to improve the gel properties of surimi, however, the impact mechanism of addition forms on the denaturation and aggregation behavior of myofibrillar protein (MP) is not clear. Therefore, the effect of starch, PO, starch/PO mixture, and starch-based emulsion on the physicochemical and gel properties of MP was investigated. The results showed that amylose could accelerate the aggregation of MP, while amylopectin was conducive to the improvement of gel properties. The addition of PO, starch/PO mixture, or starch-based emulsion increased the turbidity, solubility, sulfhydryl content of MP, and improved the gel strength, whiteness, and texture of MP gel. However, compared with starch/PO mixture group, the gel strength of MP with waxy, normal and high amylose corn starch-based emulsion increased by 22.68 %, 10.27 %, and 32.89 %, respectively. The MP containing emulsion had higher storage modulus than MP with starch/PO mixture under the same amylose content. CLSM results indicated that the oil droplets aggregated in PO or starch/PO mixture group, while emulsified oil droplets filled the protein gel network more homogeneously. Therefore, the addition of starch and PO in the form of emulsion could effectively play the filling role to improve the gel properties of MP. [Display omitted] • Gel properties of myofibrillar protein could be best improved by Amylopectin. • Emulsion was more beneficial to raise gel properties of protein than mixture. • Protein with emulsion had higher storage modulus than that with starch or mixture. • Emulsified oil droplets could fill in the protein gel network more homogeneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is associated with several brain deficits, including abnormalities in visual processes. Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) is a family of trophic factors containing an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domain. It is thought to play a role in neural development and has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Abnormal Nrg1 expression has been observed in schizophrenia in clinical studies. Moreover, in schizophrenia, there is more and more evidence found about pathological changes of the retina regarding structural, neurochemical and physiological parameters. However, mechanisms of these changes are not well known. To investigate this, we analysed the function of the visual system using electroretinography (ERG) and the measurement of visual evoked potentials (VEP) in transgenic mice overexpressing Nrg1 type III of three different ages (12 weeks, 24 weeks and 55 weeks). ERG amplitudes tended to be higher in transgenic mice than in control mice in 12-week old mice, whereas the amplitudes were almost similar in older mice. VEP amplitudes were larger in transgenic mice at all ages, with significant differences at 12 and 55 weeks (p values between 0.003 and 0.036). Latencies in ERG and VEP measurements did not differ considerably between control mice and transgenic mice at any age. Our data show for the first time that overexpression of Nrg1 type III changed visual function in transgenic mice. Overall, this investigation of visual function in transgenic mice may be helpful to understand corresponding changes that occur in schizophrenia, as they may find use as biomarkers for psychiatric disorders as well as a potential tool for diagnosis in psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management of garbage classification is a general term for a series of activities to sort, store and transport garbage into public resources according to certain regulations or standards. Current garbage classification systems have several drawbacks, such as inability to identify multiple garbage categories, and high dependence on the surrounding environment. To address these issues, this paper has proposed the Real Time Multi-Modal Garbage classification System (abbreviated as RMGCS). It consists of two sub systems: an indoor garbage classification applet (abbreviated as IGCA) and an outdoor garbage classification system (abbreviated as OGCS). IGCA provides users with three methods of garbage classification, and OGCS provides users with outdoor real-time multi-target garbage classification and can dynamically update the recognition model. RMGCS achieves real-time, accurate, and multimodal classification. Finally, the experiments with RMGCS show that our approaches are effective and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A micro‐Doppler frequency estimation and association algorithm of the space target based on the time‐varying autoregressive (TVAR) model is proposed herein. The calculation time of the existing algorithms grows significantly with the problem size, and micro‐Doppler frequencies of different scattering centres are associated incorrectly where the frequencies intersect. The echo of the space target is modelled by the TVAR model, then the TVAR coefficients and instantaneous frequencies are estimated through the fast sparse Bayes learning (SBL) algorithm, finally, the micro‐Doppler frequencies of different scattering centres are associated in the frequency–frequency change rate domain. The effectiveness and rapidity of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ring opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides is one of the most important ways to synthesize polyesters both in industrial and academic fields. Herein, the zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF‐67) was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the ROCOP of epoxides and cyclic anhydrides without co‐catalyst and initiator. Notably, the obtained polyesters with alternate structures were proved by the 1H NMR spectrum and FTIR spectrum, which indicate the ROCOP is alternatively copolymerized. Kinetic study of the ROCOP of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and phthalic anhydride (PA) shows that the polymerization reaction is first‐order kinetics. The apparent activation energy (Ea) of the ROCOP of CHO and PA catalyzed by ZIF‐67 was found to be about 104.4 KJ/mol. A possible mechanism of ROCOP of CHO and PA is that the metal Co coordinates with the oxygen atom on the monomer to weaken the C‐O bond thereby opening the ring structure and initiating the copolymerization reaction. In this study, a new system for the copolymerization of epoxide and anhydride catalyzed by heterogeneous catalysts was discovered, which has important guiding significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel Metal-free 1D/2D PCHO/PCN heterojunction is fabricated. • The PCHO/PCN heterojunction shows improved photocatalytic activity and stability. • The photogenerated carrier separation efficiency is significantly improved. • The superior PHE activity derives from the formed Z-Scheme mechanism. In order to achieve the sustainable production of hydrogen fuel, the heterogeneous photocatalysts with inimitable structure are always desired for the high-efficiency and stable H 2 production reaction from water splitting owing to the perfect structure–activity relationship. In this study, a novel metal-free one-dimensional/two-dimensional (1D/2D) heterojunction is constructed by a series of dissolution and diffusion, recrystallization and in-situ growth, and self-assembly process of 1-pyrene carboxaldehyde (PCHO) nanoribbons on the surface of polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) nanosheets. The obtained 1D/2D heterojunction can realize fast carrier transport along 1D nanoribbons to prevent the recombination of photogenerated carriers at the interface. Furthermore, the intrinsic Z-scheme reaction mechanism within the heterostructure also effectively inhibits electron-hole recombination and isolates the reduction and oxidation sites of the photocatalytic reaction. As a result, the dramatically enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) activity is achieved over the 1%-PCHO/PCN sample, the optimal PHE rate of which is approximately 5.4 times that of pure PCN. This work provides the deep insight into the design and exploitation of metal-free heterojunction with unique structure applied in the photocatalytic energy conversion field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To predict the residual stress distribution of the Ti-4Al-1.5Mn (TC2) alloy in the manufacturing process, quickly and accurately, a precise dynamic constitutive model for rheological behavior and a new simplified approach for numerical simulation were proposed. The dynamic stress-strain curves indicate that the enhancement effect and plasticizing of the TC2 alloy are sensitive to high strain rates. The dispersed β particles play an important role in the formation of the adiabatic shear band and not widened significantly. The average relative error of 1.04% and the correlation coefficient of 0.9949 indicate that the modified Johnson-Cook constitutive model well describes the rheological behavior. Then, with the help of the Almen test, an efficient but simplified approach was proposed to achieving coverage and uniform loading in simulation. At last, the residual stress contribution of the TC2 alloy in the shot peening test is in a good agreement with the simulation results by random multipellet model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous study found that Fengbaisan improved chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). To elucidate the mechanism of Fengbaisan in COPD. Rats in Model, FBS, FBS + DMSO and FBS + EX527 groups received cigarette smoke extract (CSE) inhalation and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide to establish COPD model. Normal group received room air and normal saline. The COPD rats were given Fengbaisan (1 mL/d) or combined with EX527 (5 mg/kg/2 d) by intraperitoneal injection. Human lung carcinoma (A549) cells were treated with 10% CSE, 10% serum-containing Fengbaisan or EX527. We observed lung percentage of forced expiratory volume in first 0.3 sec to forced vital capacity (FEV0.3/FVC), inspiratory resistance (RI) and lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn) of rats. The lung pathological changes, the number of inflammatory cells and neutrophils, inflammatory factor, apoptosis, gene and protein expression were examined. SIRT1 was downregulated in lung tissues of COPD rats and CSE-induced A549 cells. Fengbaisan enhanced FEV0.3/FVC (74.28%) and Cdyn (0.28 cm H2O/mL/s), and reduced RI (0.48 mL/cm H2O) of COPD rats. Moreover, Fengbaisan promoted SIRT1 expression, and repressed TIMP-1/MMP-9 expression. Fengbaisan enhanced apoptosis and the expression of GRP78, caspase-12 and caspase-3. The inflammatory factor levels, the number of inflammatory cells and neutrophils, and lung lesions were inhibited by Fengbaisan in COPD rats. The influence conferred by Fengbaisan was abolished by EX527. Fengbaisan inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation reaction by up-regulating SIRT1 expression to improve COPD. Therefore, Fengbaisan may be an effective Chinese medicine for treating COPD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-view geolocation is a valuable yet challenging task. In practical applications, the images targeted by cross-view geolocation technology encompass multi-domain remote sensing images, including those from different platforms (e.g., drone cameras and satellites), different perspectives (e.g., nadir and oblique), and different temporal conditions (e.g., various seasons and weather conditions). Based on the characteristics of these images, we have designed an effective framework, Image Reconstruction and Multi-Unit Mutual Learning Net (IML-Net), for accomplishing cross-view geolocation tasks. By incorporating a deconvolutional network into the architecture to reconstruct images, we can better bridge the differences in remote sensing image features across different domains. This enables the mapping of target images from different platforms and perspectives into a shared latent space representation, obtaining more discriminative feature descriptors. The process enhances the robustness of feature extraction for locating targets across a wide range of perspectives. To improve the network's performance, we introduce attention regions learned from different units as augmented data during the training process. For the current cross-view geolocation datasets, the use of large-scale datasets is limited due to high costs and privacy concerns, leading to the prevalent use of simulated data. However, real data allow the network to learn more generalizable features. To make the model more robust and stable, we collected two groups of multi-domain datasets from the Zurich and Harbin regions, incorporating real data into the cross-view geolocation task to construct the ZHcity750 Dataset. Our framework is evaluated on the cross-domain ZHcity750 Dataset, which shows competitive results compared to state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamic evolution in an overriding plate remains a controversial issue. Cretaceous structures in the western Liaoning (WL) region of the eastern North China Craton (NCC), an overriding plate bordering the Pacific Ocean, provide insights into the dynamic evolution related to Paleo-Pacific Plate subduction. We present structural and fault-slip data from the Jurassic–Cretaceous basins in the WL region, together with previously published isotopic ages, to constrain structural and stress field evolution during the Cretaceous. These data reveal four phases of deformation in the WL region: tectonic shortening (D1) at 137–136 Ma, extension (D2) during 136–97 Ma, another shortening (D3) at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous, and relatively weak extension (D4) during the Late Cretaceous. Inversions of the measured fault-slip data yield NW–SE compression during D1, NW–SE extension during D2, NNW–SSE compression during D3, and N–S extension during D4. Deformation phases D1 and D3 correspond to shortening events B and C of the Yanshan Movement, whereas D2 corresponds to the peak destruction of the NCC in a back-arc extensional setting. The structural evolution indicates that the back-arc extension (D2) of the Early Cretaceous started immediately after the brief shortening event D1 and ended with another shortening event D3. Subsequently, the back-arc region underwent weak extension (D4) during the Late Cretaceous. A slab-driven model could account for the tectonic evolution in the eastern NCC. Periodic changes in the kinematics of the subducting Paleo-Pacific Plate are responsible for the alternation of the back-arc extension and compression in the overriding plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subterranean termite nests are located underground and termites forage out by constructing tunnels to reach food resources, and tunneling behavior is critical in order to maximize the foraging efficiency. Excavation, transportation, and deposition behavior are involved in the tunneling, and termites have to move back and forth to do this. Although there are three sequential behaviors, excavation has been the focus of most previous studies. In this study, we investigated the deposition behavior of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, in experimental arenas having different widths (2, 3, and 4 mm), and characterized the function of deposited particles. We also simulated moving distance of the termites in different functions. Our results showed that total amounts of deposited particles were significantly higher in broad (4 mm width) than narrow (2 mm) tunnels and most deposited particles were observed near the tip of the tunnel regardless of tunnel widths. In addition, we found that deposited particles followed a quadratic decrease function, and simulation results showed that moving distance of termites in this function was the shortest. The quadratic decrease function of deposited particles in both experiment and simulation suggested that short moving distance in the decrease quadratic function is a strategy to minimize moving distance during the deposition behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, through ratio of independent random variables, new families of univariate and bivariate skew-t distributions are introduced. Probability density function for each skew-t distribution will be given. We also derive explicit forms of moments of the univariate skew-t distribution and recurrence relations for its cumulative distribution function. Finally we illustrate the flexibility of this class of distributions with applications to a simulated data and the volcanos heights data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are interested in the joint distribution of two order statistics from overlapping samples. We give an explicit formula for the distribution of such a pair of random variables under the assumption that the parent distribution is absolutely continuous. We are also interested in the question to what extent conditional expectation of one of such order statistic given another determines the parent distribution. In particular, we provide a new characterization by linearity of regression of an order statistic from the extended sample given the one from the original sample, special case of which solves a problem explicitly stated in the literature. It appears that to describe the correct parent distribution it is convenient to use quantile density functions. In several other cases of regressions of order statistics we provide new results regarding uniqueness of the distribution in the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of bait application envisioned by early researchers was to eliminate the source of infestation, the colony, but because of the lack of adequate evaluation tools, results of field trials with mirex baits in the 1960s were mostly inconclusive. On-the-ground monitoring stations and mark-recapture protocol developed in the 1970s marked the turning point in the field studies of termite baits. Results of field studies with metabolic inhibitors and chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSIs) in the 1990s indicated that a bait toxicant has to be slow-acting and nonrepellent, and its lethal time has to be dose independent. A recent discovery that termites return to the central nest to molt and CSI-poisoned termites die near the royal pair further explains the success of CSI baits in eliminating colonies. Owing to the availability of durable baits that require less-frequent site inspection, more termite control professionals have adopted baiting systems in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Influenza A(H7N9) virus is known for its high pathogenicity in human. A family cluster of influenza A(H7N9) virus infection was identified in Suzhou, China. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of human-to-human transmission of the virus and examine the virologic features of this family cluster. Methods The clinical and epidemiologic data of two patients in the family cluster of influenza A(H7N9) virus infection were collected. Viral RNA in samples derived from the two patients, their close contacts, and the environments with likely influenza A(H7N9) virus transmission were tested by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay. Hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assay was used to detect virus-specific antibodies. Genetic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were also performed. Results The index patient (Case 1), a 66-year old man, was virologically diagnosed with influenza A(H7N9) virus infection 12 days after experiencing influenza-like symptoms, then died of multi-organ failure. His 39-year old daughter (Case 2), denying any other exposure to influenza A(H7N9) virus, became infected with influenza A(H7N9) virus following taking care of her father during his illness. Sequencing viral genomes isolated from the two patients showed nearly identical nucleotide sequence, and genetically resembled the viral genome isolated from a chicken in the wet market where the index patient once visited. All three influenza A(H7N9) viruses shared S138A, G186V, Q226L mutations in HA (H3) protein and a single basic amino acid (PEIPKGR↓G) at the cleavage site. Conclusions Human-to-human transmission of influenza A(H7N9) virus most likely occurred in this household. The three-amino-acid mutations in HA protein were discovered in this study, which might have increased the binding affinity of influenza A(H7N9) virus to the receptor on trachea epithelial cells to facilitate viral transmission among humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the number of processor cores increasing in chip multiprocessors, the network on chip becomes a reliable structure with its perfect parallel communication performance. The traditional static router suffers a bad performance because of low buffer utilization for application-oriented network on chip. In this paper, a dynamic router which can take into account the unbalanced traffic for application-oriented network on chip is proposed. The router combines the inter-port and intra-port buffer allocation mechanism, which makes efficient use of buffer resources and avoids the head of line blocking. Furthermore, the proposed router can solve the problem of unbalanced load effectively between different ports on the same router. Simulation results show that the on-chip routers balance traffic between ports and increase the buffer utilization by 21.8%, thus optimizing delay and throughput performance for application-oriented network on chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the significance of combined detection of HER2 gene amplification and chemosensitivity in gastric cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and fluorescence reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze the expression of HER2 protein, HER2 gene amplification and the mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS genes in 135 cases of gastric carcinoma. RESULTS: The expression rate of HER2 protein was 39.3% (53/135). Among these positive cases, patients with HER2 protein (3+) accounted for 9.6% (13/135), patients with HER2 protein (2+) accounted for 13.3% (18/135), and patients with HER2 protein (1+) accounted for 16.3% (22/135). The amplification rate of the HER2 gene was 35.8% (19/53). In the detection of the mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, 45 patients had low and moderate single gene expression, 50 patients had low and moderate double gene expression, 22 patients had low and moderate mRNA expression for ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, and 18 patients had no low and moderate expression. Among the 53 patients with HER2 protein expression and 22 patients with low and moderate mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, 12 patients received chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Follow-up results revealed that HER2 gene status was positively correlated with the therapeutic effect of the combined treatment in patients with low mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS. Among these patients, five patients with extensive HER2 (3+), HER2 cluster-specific amplification, and low mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS had a total survival of up to 19.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of HER2 in gastric cancer is highly heterogeneity, and the combined detection of HER2 protein expression, HER2 gene amplification and chemosensitivity can provide important reference markers for the benefit of antitumor drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, we propose a novel object-oriented hierarchy radiation consistency method for dense matching of different temporal and different sensor data in the 3D reconstruction. For different temporal images, our illumination consistency method is proposed to solve both the illumination uniformity for a single image and the relative illumination normalization for image pairs. Especially in the relative illumination normalization step, singular value equalization and linear relationship of the invariant pixels is combined used for the initial global illumination normalization and the object-oriented refined illumination normalization in detail, respectively. For different sensor images, we propose the union group sparse method, which is based on improving the original group sparse model. The different sensor images are set to a similar smoothness level by the same threshold of singular value from the union group matrix. Our method comprehensively considered the influence factors on the dense matching of the different temporal and different sensor stereoscopic image pairs to simultaneously improve the illumination consistency and the smoothness consistency. The radiation consistency experimental results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method by comparing two other methods. Moreover, in the dense matching experiment of the mixed stereoscopic image pairs, our method has more advantages for objects in the urban area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the significance of combined detection of HER2 gene amplification and chemosensitivity in gastric cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and fluorescence reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used to analyze the expression of HER2 protein, HER2 gene amplification and the mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS genes in 135 cases of gastric carcinoma. RESULTS: The expression rate of HER2 protein was 39.3% (53/135). Among these positive cases, patients with HER2 protein (3+) accounted for 9.6% (13/135), patients with HER2 protein (2+) accounted for 13.3% (18/135), and patients with HER2 protein (1+) accounted for 16.3% (22/135). The amplification rate of the HER2 gene was 35.8% (19/53). In the detection of the mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, 45 patients had low and moderate single gene expression, 50 patients had low and moderate double gene expression, 22 patients had low and moderate mRNA expression for ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, and 18 patients had no low and moderate expression. Among the 53 patients with HER2 protein expression and 22 patients with low and moderate mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS, 12 patients received chemotherapy and trastuzumab. Follow-up results revealed that HER2 gene status was positively correlated with the therapeutic effect of the combined treatment in patients with low mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS. Among these patients, five patients with extensive HER2 (3+), HER2 cluster-specific amplification, and low mRNA expression of ERCC1, TUBB3 and TYMS had a total survival of up to 19.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: The detection of HER2 in gastric cancer is highly heterogeneity, and the combined detection of HER2 protein expression, HER2 gene amplification and chemosensitivity can provide important reference markers for the benefit of antitumor drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. In incipient termite colonies, biparental brood care rapidly shifts towards alloparental brood care. This transition was suggested to recapitulate the evolutionary trajectory from subsocial wood roach ancestors to eusociality in termites. 2. Incipient colonies of the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi ( Wasmann) were investigated to determine if this transition was irreversible and if the burden of brood care on the first alloparents could be measured. To do so, the initial size of the work force necessary for an incipient colony to survive once the brood care became alloparental was determined. 3. The results of the study show that within 5 months after foundation, brood care duties were fully transferred to workers and the primary reproductives became irreversibly dependent on these workers for survival, reproduction, and colony growth. 4. Once the brood care became strictly alloparental, the presence of a single worker was enough to maintain the survival of the king and queen, confirming that 'reversed parental care' was also achieved. However, major brood loss and suppressed egg-laying activity from the queen was observed, suggesting that the burden of brood care was too high for a single worker to absorb. Therefore, once brood care has shifted to alloparents, a critical number of workers is necessary to prevent brood loss and initiate colony growth. 5. As the initial cost of brood care is rapidly absorbed with colony growth in termites, the performance in brood care of the first few alloparents in a subsocial wood roach ancestor may have contributed to the emergence of eusociality in this clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Termites (Isoptera) are widely believed to be one of the most desiccation-prone insects. They must combat desiccation by locating and efficiently conserving water resources. Termites have evolved morphological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics that aid in the tolerance of desiccation. In 3 studies using 4 termite species, water loss tolerance and relative humidity (RH) preferences of termites exposed to 5 different RH, as well as the use of different water sources, were examined. Our results showed that Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Rhinotermitidae) preferred and survived better at high RH and with readily available water sources. Neotermes jouteli (Banks in Banks and Snyder) (Kalotermitidae) also preferred a high RH, but was more capable of tolerating lower RH and a lack of free water than C. formosanus. Cryptotermes brevis Walker (Kalotermitidae) and Cryptotermes cavifrons Banks (Kalotermitidae) did not exhibit greater survival in a certain RH nor when exposed to various sources of water. These two species also did not exhibit a preference for a certain RH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A metal-free 2D/1D PCN/(SCN) x VdW heterojunction is fabricated. • Coupling effect of (SCN) x nanoribbons on PCN nanosheets is induced. • 1D structure of (SCN) x can shorten one direction of charge migration distance in the plane. • Interplanar charge separation is propelled through Z-scheme charge transfer path. • Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance is boosted dramatically. Hydrogen extraction from the water splitting driven by solar energy is considered to be a sustainable technology, but it is still a challenging issue to develop high-efficient and stable photocatalysts. Herein, a new metal-free polymeric carbon nitride (PCN)-based Van der Waals (VdW) heterojunction photocatalyst is exploited by controlling the micro-morphologies of another structural unit, the unique 2D/1D microstructure of which is fabricated by decorating polythiocyanogen (SCN) x nanoribbons on PCN nanosheets. The coupling effect of (SCN) x on PCN effectively propels interplanar charge separation through Z-scheme charge transfer path formed by the compact face-to-face π-π electronic interaction between them. Moreover, the 1D nanoribbon morphology of (SCN) x also can shorten one direction of charge migration distance in the plane to inhibit the intramolecular carrier recombination compared with traditional 2D structure. The resultant photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) rate on the optimal PCN/(SCN) x -3 % sample reaches about 4 times as large as pure PCN, and a high apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 18.5 % is also achieved at 420 nm. This work develops a new design approach based on spatial dimension regulation strategy of structure unit for developing PCN-based VdW heterojunction photocatalyst applied to hydrogen production from the water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While recent advances in the field of neural rendering have shown impressive 3D reconstruction performance, it is still a challenge to accurately capture the appearance and geometry of a scene by using neural rendering, especially for remote sensing scenes. This is because both rendering methods, i.e., surface rendering and volume rendering, have their own limitations. Furthermore, when neural rendering is applied to remote sensing scenes, the view sparsity and content complexity that characterize these scenes will severely hinder its performance. In this work, we aim to address these challenges and to make neural rendering techniques available for 3D reconstruction in remote sensing environments. To achieve this, we propose a novel 3D surface reconstruction method called UniRender. UniRender offers three improvements in locating an accurate 3D surface by using neural rendering: (1) unifying surface and volume rendering by employing their strengths while discarding their weaknesses, which enables accurate 3D surface position localization in a coarse-to-fine manner; (2) incorporating photometric consistency constraints during rendering, and utilizing the points reconstructed by structure from motion (SFM) or multi-view stereo (MVS), to constrain reconstructed surfaces, which significantly improves the accuracy of 3D reconstruction; (3) improving the sampling strategy by locating sampling points in the foreground regions where the surface needs to be reconstructed, thus obtaining better detail in the reconstruction results. Extensive experiments demonstrate that UniRender can reconstruct high-quality 3D surfaces in various remote sensing scenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sichuan basin has a great potential for hydrocarbon exploration. In recent years, Permian strata have been identified as one of the main target strata for natural gas exploration in the Sichuan basin. Not only the source rocks are abundant, but also there are good reservoirs due to the wide and complex continental oceanic interaction. However, there are still many shortcomings, especially the relationship between the tectonic evolution and the hydrocarbon accumulation model. Therefore, this research aims at understanding the characteristics of paleo-highs/lows of the Permian strata and their controlling effects on hydrocarbon migration/accumulation in the Sichuan basin. Firstly, the distribution patterns of paleo-highs/lows in the Permian strata at each critical tectonic period were constructed by integrating spatial erosion calculation. Then the temporal evolution of the Permian strata at each critical tectonic period will be revealed by restoring the upper strata sequentially. The results of this research improve the precision of paleo-highs/lows reconstruction and provide useful hints for the hydrocarbon exploration of the Sichuan basin: (i) Paleo-highs/lows directly determine the development location of the Permian key reservoirs; (ii) Tectonic evolution controls many factors and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, first some distributional properties of extended two-piece skew normal distributions are presented. Next we revisit the special case, that is two-piece skew normal distributions. Then two distributions related to two-piece skew normal distributions are studied. More precisely, we give some properties about generalized half normal distributions as well as a generalized Cauchy distribution. Finally, we discuss the distributions of linear combinations of two independent skew normal random variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Pt/C/TiO 2 nanotube composite catalyst was successfully prepared for enhanced methanol electro-oxidation. Pt nanoparticles with a particle size of 2 nm were synthesized by plasma sputtering in water, and anatase TiO 2 nanotubes with an inner diameter of approximately 100 nm were prepared by a simple two-step anodization method and annealing process. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy images indicated that the different morphologies of TiO 2 synthesized on the surface of Ti foils were dependent on the different anodization parameters. The electrochemical performance of Pt/C/TiO 2 catalysts for methanol oxidation showed that TiO 2 nanotubes were more suitable for use as Pt nanoparticle support materials than irregular TiO 2 short nanorods due to their tubular morphology and better electronic conductivity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization showed that the binding energies of the Pt 4f of the Pt/C/TiO 2 nanotubes exhibited a slightly positive shift caused by the relatively strong interaction between Pt and the TiO 2 nanotubes, which could mitigate the poisoning of the Pt catalyst by CO ads , and further enhance the electrocatalytic performance. Thus, the as-obtained Pt/C/TiO 2 nanotubes composites may become a promising catalyst for methanol electro-oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 nanosheet@graphene composites were explored as cathodes for sodium ion batteries for the first time. Here, Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 nanosheet@graphene composites with special sandwich-like nanostructures were synthesized. The composites exhibit high discharge capacity (of ca. 213 mA h g −1 at 20 mA g −1 ), good cycling stability (with a capacity retention of 83.3% at 50 mA g −1 after 100 cycles) and desirable rate performance (88.2 mA h g −1 at an extremely high current density of 6000 mA g −1 ) as cathodes for sodium storage. Notably, the as-synthesized Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 nanosheet@graphene composites show much higher specific capacity and better rate capability than those reported Na 0.33 V 2 O 5 materials which were usually tested at relatively low currents (no more than 200 mA g −1 ) and showed low capacities (less than 150 mA h g −1 ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling is involved in articular cartilage homeostasis. This study was undertaken to investigate the role and mechanisms of FGF receptor 3 (FGFR-3) in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA) caused by surgery and aging in mice. Methods FGFR-3 was conditionally deleted or activated in articular chondrocytes in adult mice subjected to surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). A mouse model of human achondroplasia was also used to assess the role of FGFR-3 in age-associated spontaneous OA. Knee joint cartilage was histologically evaluated and scored using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International system. The expression of genes associated with articular cartilage maintenance was quantitatively evaluated in hip cartilage explants. The effect of inhibiting Indian hedgehog (IHH) signaling in Fgfr3-deficient explants was analyzed. Results Conditional Fgfr3 deletion in mice aggravated DMM-induced cartilage degeneration. Matrix metalloproteinase 13 and type X collagen levels were up-regulated, while type II collagen levels were down-regulated, in the articular cartilage of these mice. Conversely, FGFR-3 activation attenuated cartilage degeneration induced by DMM surgery and age. IHH signaling and runt-related transcription factor 2 levels in mouse articular chondrocytes were up-regulated in the absence of Fgfr3, while inhibition of IHH signaling suppressed the increases in the expression of Runx2, Mmp13, and other factors in Fgfr3-deficient mouse cartilage explants. Conclusion Our findings indicate that FGFR-3 delays OA progression in mouse knee joints at least in part via down-regulation of IHH signaling in articular chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The rock-salt structure SnTe thin films were grown on GaAs substrates by MBE. • SnTe (0 0 1) epilayers were confirmed from X-ray diffraction θ-2θ measurement. • Segregation of Te was also confirmed from samples grown with excess Te. • The molecular beam intensity ratio and growth temperature affected the orientation. • The substrate/epilayer interfacial region was observed by TEM. Tin–telluride (SnTe) thin films were grown on (0 0 1)-oriented GaAs substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. Samples were grown with various molecular beam intensity ratios at substrate temperatures of 225 °C and 240 °C. The crystallinity of the SnTe thin films was studied using X-ray diffraction θ –2 θ measurements. Stoichiometric SnTe layers were achieved by tuning both molecular beam intensity ratio and substrate temperature. It was also found that the excess Te remained in films when the molecular beam intensity ratio was Te rich. The (1 1 1)-oriented domain was confirmed when the substrate temperature was 240 °C. Continuous film formation was confirmed from cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation. The segregation of Te for certain samples were also confirmed from the TEM energy dispersive x-ray mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facilitating efficient resource transfer requires building an optimized transportation network which balances cost minimization with benefit maximization. For animals which forage for food located remotely, optimizing their transportation networks is critically related to survival. This process often involves finding and using the shortest route to save time and energy. Subterranean termites forage for wood resources by excavating underground foraging networks for search and transport. Because termites have no prior knowledge of food location during the food searching phase, establishment of a short tunnel between the nest and feeding site is difficult at the beginning of foraging. Thus, finding a short route should logically follow initial food discovery. However, it remains elusive as to how subterranean termites find the shortest route for food transportation. We simulated different scenarios using Coptotermes formosanus by providing different shapes and distances of pre-formed tunnels (straight, detour, and detour + twisting arenas) to food, where food items were located at a fixed distance from the arena entrance. Termites in the straight arena continuously used the pre-formed tunnel, showing negligible branching efforts. However, termites in the detour and detour + twisting arenas followed the pre-formed tunnel only for the initial few hours before excavating many branching tunnels. This branching activity ultimately resulted in termites finding shorter commuting routes than the pre-formed tunnels. In addition, the shortest established routes were widened over time. This study demonstrated that C. formosanus could actively alter tunnel networks to minimize the cost in food transportation by using short and wide tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distribution of weighted function of independent skew-normal random variables, which includes the sample mean, is useful in many applications. In this paper, we derive this distribution and study the null distribution of a linear form and a quadratic form. Finally, we discuss some of its applications in control charts, in which the skew-normal model plays a key role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LetX(1)≤X(2)≤···≤X(n)be the order statistics from independent and identically distributed random variables {Xi, 1≤i≤n} with a common absolutely continuous distribution function. In this work, first a new characterization of distributions based on order statistics is presented. Next, we review some conditional expectation properties of order statistics, which can be used to establish some equivalent forms for conditional expectations for sum of random variables based on order statistics. Using these equivalent forms, some known results can be extended immediately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Striped marlin is a highly mobile species distributed throughout the Pacific Ocean. They are less migratory than other billfish species and show considerable variation in spatial distribution as a consequence of habitat preference. The spatial patterns and habitat characteristics of striped marlin in the Pacific Ocean were examined using generalized linear and additive models fitted to fishery-dependent catch-per-unit-effort and satellite-based environmental data. Of the oceanographic variables considered in the analyses, sea surface temperature (SST) explained the largest proportion of the deviance, and is considered the best predictor of the spatial distribution of this species. Results from the models showed that preferred habitats of striped marlin were non-contiguous in the Pacific Ocean, and there was a seasonal movement of preferred habitat within each region that could be related to the changes in SST. Stock assessments and management for striped marlin should be conducted regionally as this species exhibits some level of regional site fidelity. Information from tagging experiments for each region is needed to further improve the understanding of movement patterns and thus enhance the ability to better define the habitat ranges and stock boundaries for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billfishes, excluding swordfish, are typically not the primary targets of large-scale fisheries, which has historically led to a lack of targeted monitoring efforts. The lack of data on age-composition, missing catch data and species identification problems for some species, lack of fishery-independent index data, as well as environmental influences on population dynamics is compounded by the international nature of how fisheries for billfishes are assessed and managed. This paper overviews the most recent assessments conducted for 20 stocks of billfishes in the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and how management advice is provided for these stocks. Assessments for billfishes are conducted using a wide range of techniques, ranging from catch-only methods which infer stock status based primarily on the prior distributions assumed for the parameters of a population dynamics model, to statistical catch-at-age analyses that integrate a wide range of data types. Key recommendations arising from this review include that age-structured stock assessments should be based on models that allow sex-structure to be represented, a full accounting for uncertainty requires adequately representing uncertainty regarding growth rates, natural mortality, the form and parameters of the stock–recruitment relationship, and how data are weighted, and that if biomass dynamics models are to be applied, they should be based on Bayesian state-space formulations rather than observation or process error estimators because such formulations are better able to represent uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous studies have produced controversial results regarding whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promote or inhibit tumor development. Given the dual role of MSCs in inflammation and cancer, in this study the colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) model was used to examine whether umbilical cord tissue-derived MSCs could prevent neoplasm by inhibiting chronic inflammation. Methods: MSCs were obtained and identified using flow cytometry. Colitis-associated colorectal cancer model was induced using azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) and MSCs were injected intravenously twice. Levels of immune cells in mesenteric lymph node including regulatory T (Treg) cells were detected using flow cytometry. Naïve T cells and Jurkat cells were co-cultured with MSCs and the effect of MSCs on Treg cells differentiation was evaluated. Results: After injection through tail vein, MSCs could migrate to colon and suppress colitis-related neoplasm. This tumor suppressive effect was characterized by longer colon length, decreased tumor numbers and decreased expression of Ki-67. Moreover, MSCs alleviated the pathology of inflammation in the colitis stage of CAC model and inhibited inflammation cytokines both in colon and serum. Furthermore, Treg cells were accumulated in mesenteric lymph node of MSCs-treated mice while the percentage of T helper cells 2 (Th2) and Th17 were not changed. Of note, MSCs secreted transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) enhanced the induction of Treg cells from naïve T cells. The conditioned medium of MSCs also activated Smad2 signaling, which has been reported to regulate Treg cells. Conclusions: These results proved that MSCs could migrate to colon tissues and induce the differentiation of Treg cells via Smad2 as so to inhibit the colitis and suppress the development of CAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I review recent developments in QCD thermodynamics and collective excitations from the hard-thermal-loop effective theory. I begin by motivating the discussion with open questions from heavy-ion collisions. I then discuss a finite-temperature and density calculation of QCD thermodynamics at NNLO from the hard-thermal-loop perturbation theory. Finally, I discuss a recent exploration of generalizing the hard-thermal-loop framework to the (chromo)magnetic scale g2T, from which a novel massless mode is uncovered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many asthmatic patients have coexisting allergic rhinitis (AR). This study aims to investigate the compliance of physicians with respiratory medicine specialty (PRMs) to Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) and Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines during the management of their asthma-AR patients. Methods This cross-sectional questionnaire study surveyed the diagnostic methods and treatment patterns for asthma-AR comorbidity by PRMs from 98 hospitals across China. Results PRMs reported an estimated prevalence of asthma-AR comorbidity of >30% at their clinics. PRMs with greater work experience and a higher professional title estimated treating a significantly higher proportion of patients with AR within the previous month ( p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively); they also estimated a higher incidence of patients with AR in the autumn ( p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). A higher percentage of PRMs with ≥11 years work experience prescribed nasal steroids for AR as compared to those with 1 to 10 years experience (56.9% vs 44.7%, p = 0.002). A greater proportion of chief physicians used leukotriene modifiers and a lower proportion used antihistamine H1-receptor blockers for AR as compared to residents (resident vs assistant chief: 27.5% vs 11.6%, p = 0.002; and resident vs chief PRMs: 27.5% vs 9.5%, p = 0.001). Conclusion PRMs in China demonstrated an up-to-date comprehension of asthma management (>90%); however, knowledge gaps existed in their concepts of AR and asthma-AR comorbidity. Thus, further education is warranted for PRMs regarding the importance of AR in asthma patients, definitive diagnosis (allergy tests), classifications of AR, and treatment guidelines for the asthma-AR comorbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jaridonin, a novel diterpenoid from Isodon rubescens , has been shown previously to inhibit proliferation of esophageal squamous cancer cells (ESCC) through G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. However, the involved mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, we found that the cell cycle arrest by Jaridonin was associated with the increased expression of phosphorylation of ATM at Ser1981 and Cdc2 at Tyr15. Jaridonin also resulted in enhanced phosphorylation of Cdc25C via the activation of checkpoint kinases Chk1 and Chk2, as well as in increased phospho-H2A.X (Ser139), which is known to be phosphorylated by ATM in response to DNA damage. Furthermore, Jaridonin-mediated alterations in cell cycle arrest were significantly attenuated in the presence of NAC, implicating the involvement of ROS in Jaridonin's effects. On the other hand, addition of ATM inhibitors reversed Jaridonin-related activation of ATM and Chk1/2 as well as phosphorylation of Cdc25C, Cdc2 and H2A.X and G2/M phase arrest. In conclusion, these findings identified that Jaridonin-induced cell cycle arrest in human esophageal cancer cells is associated with ROS-mediated activation of ATM–Chk1/2–Cdc25C pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shewhart-type control chart is traditionally developed under the normality assumption. In practice, however, this assumption may not hold. Because the skew normal distribution represents a broad distribution class and is more flexible than is the normal distribution, we propose two new control charts to monitor process mean and spread for skew normal distributed data. Moreover, to facilitate practical implementation, tables of charting constants are provided. We conducted simulation studies to compare the false alarm rates, and the results show that new proposed charts perform better than others as skewness increases. Finally, an illustrative example is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aiming at the problems of robust performance in the vehicle steering by wire( SBW) system, the principle and structure of SBW was researched,then the simplified SBW model was built up . The SBW control system was analyzed and designed, which is based on H∞ ,u-sing reverse method to avoid the choice of weighting function, by observing S / T singular value curve in the operation of the H∞ , in line with the use of SBW robust performance as expected requirements rod S / T curve of the reversing l∞p system, the closed l∞p transfer function was constructed, then, a SBW based on an improved Hoc algorithm was advanced. The accuracy of an improved H∞ algorithm control strategy was tested through the analysis of SBW in time and frequency domains and the the simulation result under the interference and parameter perturbation. The results indicate that the SBW based on an improved Hoc algorithm has a stable robust performance, which has a better response performance, and the improved controller has a better robust performance than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]