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The ground vibration caused by the operation of high-speed trains has become a key challenge in the development of high-speed railways. In order to study the train-induced ground vibration affected by geotechnical heterogeneity, an efficient frequency–wave-number method coupled with the random variable theory model is proposed to quickly obtain the numerical results without losing accuracy. The track is regarded as a composite Euler–Bernoulli beam resting on the layered ground, and the spatial heterogeneity of the ground soil is considered. The ground dynamic characteristics of an elastic, layered, non-uniform foundation are investigated, and numerical results at three typical train speeds are reported based on the developed Fortran computer programs. The results show that as the soil homogeneity coefficient increases, the peak acceleration continuously decreases in the transonic case, while it gradually increases in the supersonic case, and the ground acceleration spectrum at a far distance obviously decreases; the maximum acceleration occurs at the track edge, and a local rebound in vibration attenuation occurs in the supersonic case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third generation of the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS-3) can transmit five-frequency signals. The real-time satellite clock offset of BDS-3 is typically generated utilizing the B1I/B3I combination with the ambiguity-float solutions. By conducting the ambiguity resolution (AR), the reliability of the satellite clock offset can be improved. However, the performance of BDS-3 ambiguity-fixed real-time satellite clock offset with B1C/B2a signals remains unknown and unrevealed. In this contribution, the performance of the BDS-3 ambiguity-fixed satellite clock offset with the new B1C/B2a signals is investigated. One week of observation data from 85 stations was used to perform ambiguity-fixed satellite clock offset estimation. For B1I/B3I and B1C/B2a signals, the wide-lane (WL) uncalibrated phase delay (UPD) on the satellite end is fairly stable for one day, while the narrow-lane (NL) UPD standard deviation (STD) amounts to 0.122 and 0.081 cycles, respectively. The mean ambiguity fixing rate is 80.7% and 78.0% for these two signal combinations, and the time to first fix (TTFF) for the B1C/B2a signals is remarkably shorter than that of the B1I/B3I signals. The STDs of the ambiguity-float and -fixed satellite clock offsets are 0.033 and 0.026 ns, respectively, for the B1I/B3I combination, and it is reduced to 0.024 and 0.023 ns for B1C/B2a signals, respectively. Using the estimated UPD and clock offset products, the positioning performance of the kinematic Precise Point Positioning (PPP)-AR results amounts to 1.56, 1.23, and 4.46 cm in the east, north, and up directions for B1I/B3I signals, respectively. It is improved to 1.36, 1.16, and 4.25 cm using the products estimated with the B1C/B2a signals, with improvements of 12.8%, 5.7%, and 4.7% in three directions, respectively. The experiments showed that the performances of the ambiguity-fixed satellite clock offsets and the PPP-AR results using B1C/B2a signals are better than those of B1I/B3I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANPS) can cause systemic pollution of the ecological environment, directly threatening sustainable agricultural development and human health and safety. Accurate estimation of ANPS loads, clarification of the sources and spatial distribution patterns of ANPS, and effective control and management of ANPS in the watershed require identifying critical source areas. This case study focuses on the Danjiang River basin, a critical water source for China's South-to-North Water Division and demonstrates the efficiency of ArcGIS's spatial statistical analysis methods in discovering the hidden spatial pattern of ANPS and extracting the causes associated with the spatial pattern, as well as the accuracy of identifying critical source areas of ANPS. In this study, two spatial statistical analysis methods, Anselin local Moran's I and hot-spot analysis (Getis–Ord Gi*), are applied to propose a method for accurately identifying critical source areas of ANPS based on the spatial distribution of ANPS loads. The results of the study are as follows: (1) based on the MIKE LOAD model, the annual ANPS loads of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH4), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the Danhan River basin are calculated as 182,530.15, 16,137.39, 58,285.92, and 2,962.84 t/yr , respectively. (2) Clusters are mainly distributed in the southwestern part of the watershed, and the spatial pattern is directly related to land use and rural population; the spatial pattern of outliers is related to agricultural modes and geographical characteristics. (3) Hot spot clusters are concentrated in the hinterland of Hanzhong Plain; the regional specialty of agriculture is the dominant factor in determining the spatial pattern of cold-spot and hot-spot clusters. (4) Based on these findings, seven critical subbasins and one critical source area of ANPS that need to be prioritized for control in the study area are identified. Agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANPS) is a significant cause of ecosystem pollution, which directly threatens the sustainable development of agriculture, human health, and safety. The Dan–Han River Basin is a crucial water source in China for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and provides water to 140 million people. It is essential to ensure that the water quality of the Dan-Han River remains unpolluted. The ANPS as a major source of water pollution in the watershed is difficult to identify and control. Accurately identifying the sources and spatial distribution patterns of ANPS pollutants is a prerequisite for maintaining water quality and controlling ANPS. Our study offers a new perspective on methods to reveal the hidden spatial pattern and identify critical source areas of ANPS in watersheds. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of ArcGIS's spatial statistical analysis methods in discovering the hidden spatial pattern of ANPS, extracting the causes associated with the spatial pattern, and accurately identifying critical source areas of ANPS. These methods can also be applied to study nonpoint source pollution in other watersheds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to screen novel gene signatures for ovarian cancer (OC) and explore the role of biomarkers in OC via regulating pyroptosis using bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of OC were screened from GSE12470 and GSE16709 datasets. Hub genes were determined from protein–protein interaction networks after bioinformatics analysis. The role of Centromeric protein M (CENPM) in OC was assessed by subcutaneous tumor experiment using hematoxylin–eosin and immunohistochemical staining. Tumor metastasis was evaluated by detecting epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins. The proliferation, migration, and invasion were determined using cell counting kit and transwell assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to measure inflammatory factors. The mRNA and protein expression were detected using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot. Results: We determined 9 hub genes (KIFC1, PCLAF, CDCA5, KNTC1, MCM3, OIP5, CENPM, KIF15, and ASF1B) with high prediction value for OC. In SKOV3 and A2780 cells, the expression levels of hub genes were significantly up-regulated, compared with normal ovarian cells. CENPM was selected as a key gene. Knockdown of CENPM suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of OC cells. Subcutaneous tumor experiment revealed that CENPM knockdown significantly suppressed tumor growth and metastasis. Additionally, pyroptosis was promoted in OC cells and xenograft tumors after CENPM knockdown. Furthermore, CENPM knockdown activated cGAS-STING pathway and the pathway inhibitor reversed the inhibitory effect of CENPM knockdown on viability, migration, and invasion of OC cells. Conclusion: CENPM was a novel biomarker of OC, and knockdown of CENPM inhibited OC progression by promoting pyroptosis and activating cGAS-STING pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeze–thaw-cycle damage is one of the main aging problems of concrete engineering in cold regions, and the analysis of its damage mechanism has become a focus in the field of concrete aging. In this paper, on the basis of the rapid indoor freeze–thaw tests designed and carried out on concrete, computed tomography (CT) tests were carried out on concrete samples with different numbers of freeze–thaw cycles. Using CT image recognition and three-dimensional reconstruction technology, the pores, aggregates, cement matrix, and other components within the material were extracted during the freeze–thaw process. A detailed analysis for the size distribution of pores on a microscopic scale was conducted. The damage evolution law of the interfacial transition zone under the freeze–thaw action was analyzed, providing strong support for checking the validity of rapid freeze–thaw test results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As digital communication and storage continue to expand, the protection of image privacy information becomes increasingly critical. To safeguard sensitive visual information from unauthorized access, this paper proposes a novel image encryption scheme that integrates multiobjective Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) optimization algorithm and DNA coding. Multiple evaluation metrics including correlation relationship, Number of Pixel Change Rate (NPCR), Unified Average Changing Intensity (UACI), and information entropy are collaboratively optimized by the ABC algorithm. The proposed method begins with the application of the SHA-256 algorithm to generate keys and random sequences using chaotic systems. These sequences are then employed for shuffling, DNA coding, decoding, and diffusion, generating initial encrypted images. Subsequently, the encrypted images serve as individuals within the ABC algorithm to determine optimal parameters of the chaotic systems and the best ciphertext image. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the ciphertext images achieved excellent results in information entropy, pixel correlation coefficient, NPCR, and UACI. The integration of the multiobjective ABC optimization algorithm with DNA coding in our proposed image encryption scheme results in heightened security, as evidenced by superior performance in various metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the flexural bearing behavior of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams reinforced with U-type Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) was investigated using a four-point bending loading method. Nine test beams were produced: one original beam, three RC beams with corrosion alone, and five corroded beams strengthened with U-type TRC. The analysis focuses on assessing the impacts of the steel corrosion degree and the number of textile layers on various aspects of the bending behavior, such as failure modes, bearing capacity, and load displacement curves, in U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams. The experimental results revealed three distinct failure modes in the U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams. TRC effectively enhanced the bearing capacity. With sufficient textile layers, it can be restored to the level of the original RC beams. Moreover, in the cases of severe corrosion in RC beams, the bearing capacity increased more significantly. The TRC also enhanced the ductility. Finally, a calculation equation for the ultimate bearing capacity of U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams was presented and validated, demonstrating consistent alignment with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fitted 75 pulses from 44 gamma‐ray burst (GRB) prompt emission lightcurves, including four short ones and 40 long ones. Each pulse is fitted by a fast‐rising exponential‐decay (FRED) model. The statistical properties of these pulses are analyzed and compared with previous works. We found that the FRED model is almost suitable to describe all the pulses. We reconfirmed that there is a linear correlation between the full width at half maximum FWHM$$ \mathrm{FWHM} $$ and the pulse rising time Trise$$ {T}_{\mathrm{rise}} $$, which supports the idea that the individual pulse is emitted at once within one explosion. Moreover, we found that several pulses do not obey the FWHM−Trise$$ \mathrm{FWHM}-{T}_{\mathrm{rise}} $$ correlation, this implies that the radiation process of the prompt emission especially in the multi‐pulse GRBs might involve more than one type and even possibly change with time. The innovation of this work lies in examining the statistical characteristics of lightcurves of both long and short‐duration GRBs and re‐evaluating the applicability of empirical relationships discovered by predecessors to both types of GRBs while paying special attention to the existence of outlier pulses. This work has positive implications for further exploring the diversity of GRB prompt radiation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heihe River is the second largest inland river in China, but groundwater is the main source of water in the middle reaches of the Heihe River Basin (HRB). The middle reaches of HRB consists of Zhangye and Jiuquan basins. In view of deficiencies in the groundwater exploration techniques, methods, and accuracy associated with previous studies in the HRB, this study used stratified groundwater exploration (monitoring and sampling) techniques to identify the groundwater flow systems. Three fields were considered—groundwater flow dynamics, temperature, and chemical. The results show that stratified groundwater-level monitoring technology can be used to quickly identify groundwater recharge and discharge areas. The main groundwater recharge area in the HRB's middle reaches is in the piedmont plain, and most of the rest of this middle basin comprises groundwater runoff areas and discharge areas. Shallow groundwater temperatures (average and variation) reflect the characteristics of groundwater recharge, runoff, and discharge. The shallow groundwater temperature gradually increased from the recharge area to the discharge area, and the temperature annual variation tended to be greatest in the central area. Along the direction of groundwater flow, the δD content of shallow groundwater in the HRB's middle reaches initially increased and then decreased, and the δD content of groundwater in the vertical direction decreased gradually from shallow to deep. The surface-water/groundwater exchange in the central Zhangye Basin mainly occurred in the shallow areas, within 200 m depth. Thus, stratified groundwater exploration technology is helpful for identifying groundwater flow systems in inland arid basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Coastal forests, such as mangroves, protect much of the tropical and subtropical coasts. Long‐distance dispersal via sea‐surfing propagules is essential for coastal plants, but the genomic and molecular basis of sea‐surfing plant propagule evolution remains unclear. Heritiera fomes and Heritiera littoralis are two coastal plants with typical buoyant fruits. We de novo sequenced and assembled their high‐quality genomes. Our phylogenomic analysis indicates H. littoralis and H. fomes originated (at ~6.08 Mya) just before the start of Quaternary sea‐level fluctuations. Whole‐genome duplication occurred earlier, permitting gene copy gains in the two species. Many of the expanded gene families are involved in lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis, likely contributing to buoyant fruit emergence. It is repeatedly revealed that one duplicated copy to be under positive selection while the other is not. By examining H. littoralis fruits at three different developmental stages, we found that gene expression levels remain stable from young to intermediate. However, ~1000 genes are up‐regulated and ~ 3000 genes are down‐regulated as moving to mature. Particularly in fruit epicarps, the upregulation of WRKY12 and E2Fc likely constrains the production of p‐Coumaroyl‐CoA, the key internal substrate for lignin biosynthesis. Hence, to increase fruit impermeability, methylated lignin biosynthesis is shut down by down‐regulating the genes CCoAOMT, F5H, COMT, and CSE, while unmethylated lignins are preferentially produced by upregulating CAD and CCR. Similarly, cutin polymers and cuticular waxes accumulate with high levels before maturation in epicarps. Overall, our genome assemblies and analyses uncovered the genomic evolution and temporal transcriptional regulation of sea‐surfing propagule. Significance Statement: Our de novo sequenced and assembled high‐quality H. fomes and H. littoralis genomes recovered that WGD has contributed to sea‐surfing propagule origin and evolution by facilitating gene copy expansion and producing duplicated paralogs under differential natural selection. We found the temporal transcriptional regulation of genes involved in unmethylated lignins, cutin polymers, and cuticular waxes biosynthesis is essential for sea‐surfing fruit formation, providing insights for coastal forest conservation and molecular breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The band structure, density of states, and optical properties of a novel material, Cs3CeI6 are calculated for the first time using the density functional theory method in first-principles calculations. It is found that Cs3CeI6 possesses a direct bandgap with an energy value of 3.05 eV. Examination of the density of states indicates that the conduction band minimum is primarily composed of Ce-5d and Ce-4f orbitals, while the valence band maximum is mainly contributed by Ce-4f orbitals. Photoluminescence (P.L.) spectroscopy reveals distinctive bimodal emission peaks at 432 and 468 nm, which serve as characteristic signatures of Ce3+ ions. This bimodal emission arises from spontaneous radiative transitions between excited 5d orbitals and the 2F7/2 and 2F5/2 states within the 4f orbital, as confirmed by crystal field calculations. The difference between these two emission peaks corresponds to variations in energy levels associated with Ce3+ ions due to crystal field disturbances. Moreover, Cs3CeI6 exhibits an exciton binding energy of 225 meV due to strong localization effects in Ce-4f orbitals and binding properties inherent in its zero-dimensional structure, promoting exciton formation. Such a substantial exciton binding energy offers significant advantages for potential electroluminescence applications. Based on these findings, we anticipate promising prospects for the use of Cs3CeI6 in electroluminescent devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAimMethodsResultsConclusions\nSTRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYLambl’s excrescences are mobile, thin, fibrinous connective tissue strands typically found on left-sided cardiac values. Migraine is positively associated with structural cardiac anomalies. However, it remains unclear whether Lambl’s excrescences are associated with migraine.Retrospective review of 182 inpatients with Lambl’s excrescences confirmed by transesophageal echocardiogram in Chinese PLA General Hospital since January 2010. Among them, those with isolated Lambl’s excrescences presented with migraine-like headache were included. We collected information on the demographics and clinical profiles of all participants, and performed follow-up visits.A total of 8 patients presented with migraine-like headache among 15 patients with isolated Lambl’s excrescences. They included 2 men and 6 women, with an average age of 44.63 ± 12.24 years. Among these patients, 3 had visual aura, and 6 manifested infarct-like lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, of which 2 developed lesions after first visit. During follow-up, 4 patients suffering from intervention for Lambl’s excrescences dramatically reduced headache recurrence compared to the other 4 patients only receiving migraine preventive medications.This study supports the hypothesis that microemboli from isolated Lambl’s excrescences could cause migraine-like headache. And intervention for Lambl’s excrescences may be crucial for preventing headache recurrence.This study supports the hypothesis that microemboli from isolated Lambl’s excrescences could cause migraine-like headache.The small sample size study fails to make management recommendations.This study supports the hypothesis that microemboli from isolated Lambl’s excrescences could cause migraine-like headache.The small sample size study fails to make management recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new synergistic approach was proposed to reuse waste poplar sawdust. Novel high S-doped amorphous carbon/carbon quantum dots coupled micro-frame (SCMF) were prepared by chemical exfoliation and S/Se-assisted carbonization. Amorphous carbon and carbon quantum dots coexisted at the nanoscale. The CQDs acted as fast electron channels, while amorphous carbon can accommodate more large-size K-ions and mitigate volume expansion, resulting in high-speed and long-lasting potassium storage. Theoretical calculations further demonstrated the important role of S-doped carbon quantum dots for K-ions storage. [Display omitted] Anode materials with excellent rate capability, capacity, and cycle life have been a challenge in obtaining cost-effective K-ion batteries (KIBs). Based on the concept of waste recycling, we prepared the S-doped (21.5%) amorphous carbon/carbon quantum dots coupled micro-frame (SCMF) by combining chemical exfoliation and S/Se-assisted carbonization. SCMF exhibited the advantages of integrating amorphous carbon and carbon quantum dots (CQDs). The CQDs serve as fast electron channels, while amorphous carbon can accommodate more large-size K-ions and mitigate volume expansion. In KIBs, SCMF maintained a high reversible capacity (414.0 mAh g−1, after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1), a good rate capability (224.0 mAh g−1, 2000 mA g−1), and excellent capacity retention (208.9 mAh g−1, after 2000 cycles at 1000 mA g−1). The molecular dynamic simulation revealed that CQDs provided fast electron transport channels and that C, O and S atoms had suitable interactions with K, facilitating potassium storage. Moreover, the potassium-ion capacitor (PIC) assembled from SCMF and activated carbon exhibited stable electrochemical performance, proving its potential for application. The research provided valuable insights into the reuse of biomass waste in new secondary batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li (礼) in Chinese culture is an integrated concept of mind and body. Based on C. G. Jung's idea of mind-body unity, post-Jungians' archetypal image schema and Chinese self-cultivation view, the study attempts to construct an archetypal mind-body mutual shaping development model in the hope of providing wisdom and theoretical support for the dynamic mind-body cultivation process through Li and its significance for psychological healing, so as to make Li more contemporary and inherited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct numerical simulations of Mach 6 hypersonic flow over a 34° compression corner subject to steady jet are conducted. Distributions of skin friction coefficient, wall pressure, mean velocity and temperature, boundary layer thickness and Stanton number demonstrate that the flow changes dramatically in the shock wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction area. It is found that the steady jet has no effect on suppressing flow separation unexpectedly, but increases its spatial scale instead. Instantaneous flow structures show that the turbulence amplification can be observed after the application of flow control, and abundant Gortler-like vorticities appear, but the strength of the main shock decreases. Analyzing the wall fluctuating pressure signals using weighted power spectral density, we found an interesting thing. That is, although the low-frequency oscillation phenomenon induced by separation shock is suppressed by the steady jet, wall fluctuating pressure beneath the jet shock is oscillating at a frequency lower than 0.1u∞/δref. Results of coherent and intermittency factor reveal that it is related to the backand- forth movement of the jet shock itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The outcome of patients with colon cancer is still unsatisfied nowadays. Simvastatin is a type of statins with anti-cancer activity, but its effect on colon cancer cells remains unclear. The present study is intended to determine the underlying mechanism of simvastatin in treatment of colon cancer. Methods: The viability and pyroptosis rate of cells treated and untreated with simvastatin were analysed by CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. We used DCFH-DA and flow cytometry to detect reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Levels of pyroptosis markers were detected by western blotting analysis or immunofluorescence staining. Besides, the anticancer properties of simvastatin on colon cancer were further demonstrated using a cell line based xenograft tumor model. Results: Simvastatin treatment in HCT116 and SW620 induced pyroptosis and suppressed cell proliferation, with changes in the expression level of NLPR3, ASC, cleaved-caspase-1, mature IL-1β, IL-18 and GSDMD-N. Moreover, inhibition of caspase-1 and ROS attenuated the effects of simvastatin on cancer cell viability. In addition, it was identified that simvastatin has an anti-tumor effect by down-regulating ROS production and inducing downstream caspase-1 dependent pyroptosis in the subcutaneous transplantation tumors of HCT116 cells in BALB/c nude mice. Conclusions: Our in vitro and in vivo results indicated that simvastatin induced pyroptosis through ROS/caspase-1/GSDMD pathway, thereby serving as a potential agent for colon cancer treatment. 7bxpkuYS9tFbFRGefzbb2g Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photonic structures designed at sub‐wavelength scales have emerged as a promising avenue for various energy applications, including cooling devices, water harvesting, photovoltaics, and personal thermal management, which have significantly transformed the global energy landscape. Particularly, flexible photonic radiative cooling films, which facilitate heat dissipation from surfaces by emitting it into outer space via infrared radiation, have achieved great progress in recent years. In this review, the different approaches used to design photonic structures for manipulating solar reflectance and optimizing thermal emittance are summarized. On this basis, this review discusses advancements in flexible radiative cooling films that have been meticulously adhere to these design principles, alongside their cooling effects over recent years. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of the progress is presented in the photonic integration with new functionality and the fabrication techniques of photonic structures. Lastly, this review highlights the remarkable potential of radiative coolers in various fields. In prospect, the widespread adoption of flexible photonic radiative cooling films holds immense promise for diverse applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a new cobalt-based metal–organic framework (JLNU-500), [Co2(OH)(PBA)(AIP)]·3DMA·0.75H2O (4-(pyridin-4-yl) benzoic acid (HPBA), 5-aminoisophthalic acid (H2AIP) and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA)), was fabricated using a solvothermal method. JLNU-500 has 3D network architecture with 1D nanopore channels. The prepared JLNU-500 can activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for Rhodamine B (RhB) dye decolorization. Interestingly, catalyst JLNU-500 exhibited high efficiency for PMS activation, and nearly 100% (above 99.8%) removal of RhB with a high concentration (50.0 mg L−1, 100 mL) was achieved within 6 min. The reaction rate constant of the JLNU-500/PMS system was 1.02 min−1 calculated based on the pseudo-first-order kinetics, which is higher than that of the other reported catalysts. Furthermore, the factors, which could influence PMS activation were also investigated, such as PMS dosage, catalyst dosage, pollutant RhB concentration, reaction temperature and solution pH. More importantly, the radical trapping experiments ferreted out that sulfate (SO4˙−) and hydroxyl (˙OH) radicals were the dominating oxidants in the removal of RhB. Moreover, the possible degradation mechanism was elucidated. This study provides new prospects for fabricating new MOFs that can potentially be employed for high-efficiency catalytic oxidation as heterogeneous catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus (P) has been proposed as an important factor determining photosynthesis through improvements in leaf anatomical traits and carboxylation efficiency. However, little is known about the combined effects of straw mulch and P fertilizer on the relationship between flag leaf P content and photosynthesis. This study was conducted to determine the combined effects of straw mulch combined with P fertilizer on wheat flag leaf photosynthetic capacity and grain yield. We performed field experiments during 2020–2022 to investigate the combined effects of straw mulch (0 and 8000 kg ha−1) with P fertilizer (0, 75, and 120 kg P2O5 ha−1) in Southwest China. Straw mulch with 75 kg P2O5 ha−1 gave an 18.3% yield advantage over no mulch with 120 kg P2O5 ha−1. Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased flag leaf P content and increased stomatal density. These changes increased stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance, and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) by 17.4%, 16.3%, and 20.8%, respectively, compared with no‐mulch plots. The increased Pn was found associated with decreased stomatal and mesophyll limitation. Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased the activities of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase‐oxygenase and sucrose synthesis enzymes, thus promoting sucrose synthesis in flag leaves, which is beneficial for increasing grain number per meter square and grain yield. Straw mulching combined with 75 kg P2O5 ha−1 increased flag leaves P content and stomatal density, and increased stomatal and mesophyll conductance, resulting in improved leaf photosynthesis and grain yield. Core Ideas: Straw mulching with phosphorus (P) fertilizer leads to thicker leaves and increased P accumulation, increasing stomatal and mesophyll conductance for high net photosynthetic rate (Pn).Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased carboxylation capacity and ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase‐oxygenase enzyme activity in leaves, but biochemical limitation is the main limiting factor for Pn enhancement.Straw mulching with P fertilizer increased sucrose export and grain yield by improving photosynthetic capacity and sucrose synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate, rapid, and sensitive identification of cancer cells in complex physiological environments is significant in biological studies, personalized medicine, and biomedical engineering. Inspired by the naturally confined enzymes on fluid cell membranes, a fluidly confined CRISPR‐based DNA reporter (FINDER) was developed on living cell membranes, which was successfully applied for rapid and sensitive cancer cell identification in clinical blood samples. Benefiting from the spatial confinement effect for improved local concentration, and membrane fluidity for higher collision efficiency, the activity of CRISPR‐Cas12a was, for the first time, found to be significantly enhanced on living cell membranes. This new phenomenon was then combined with multiple aptamer‐based DNA logic gate for cell recognition, thus a FINDER system capable of accurate, rapid and sensitive cancer cell identification was constructed. The FINDER rapidly identified target cells in only 20 min, and achieved over 80 % recognition efficiency with only 0.1 % of target cells presented in clinical blood samples, indicating its potential application in biological studies, personalized medicine, and biomedical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate, rapid, and sensitive identification of cancer cells in complex physiological environments is significant in biological studies, personalized medicine, and biomedical engineering. Inspired by the naturally confined enzymes on fluid cell membranes, a fluidly confined CRISPR‐based DNA reporter (FINDER) was developed on living cell membranes, which was successfully applied for rapid and sensitive cancer cell identification in clinical blood samples. Benefiting from the spatial confinement effect for improved local concentration, and membrane fluidity for higher collision efficiency, the activity of CRISPR‐Cas12a was, for the first time, found to be significantly enhanced on living cell membranes. This new phenomenon was then combined with multiple aptamer‐based DNA logic gate for cell recognition, thus a FINDER system capable of accurate, rapid and sensitive cancer cell identification was constructed. The FINDER rapidly identified target cells in only 20 min, and achieved over 80 % recognition efficiency with only 0.1 % of target cells presented in clinical blood samples, indicating its potential application in biological studies, personalized medicine, and biomedical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, graph convolutional networks (GCNs) play a critical role in skeleton-based human action recognition. However, most GCN-based methods still have two main limitations: (1) The semantic-level adjacency matrix of the skeleton graph is difficult to be manually defined, which restricts the perception field of GCN and limits its ability to extract the spatial–temporal features. (2) The velocity information of human body joints cannot be efficiently used and fully exploited by GCN, because GCN does not represent the correlation between the velocity vectors explicitly. To address these issues, we propose a graph-aware transformer (GAT), which can make full use of the velocity information and learn discriminative spatial–temporal motion features from the sequence of the skeleton graphs in a data-driven way. Besides, similar to the GCN-based model, our GAT also considers the prior structures of the human body including the link-aware structure and the part-aware structure. Extensive experiments on three large-scale datasets, i.e., NTU-RGB+D 60, NTU-RGB+D 120, and Kinetics-Skeleton, demonstrated that the proposed GAT obtains significant improvement compared to the GCN-based baseline for skeleton action recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a reduced-order interval observer (R-IO) design technique is developed for continuous-time descriptor linear-parameter-varying systems with unknown-but-bounded uncertainties. First, by introducing an intermediate variable, the R-IO design amounts to estimating the linear functional of the system states. Then, with a parameter-dependent Luenberger-like structure, the R-IO existence condition is eventually formulated into a set of differential-algebraic equations, not involving any linear transformation process. Further, a parametric solution to such an R-IO is derived through solving the equation set, which clearly shows the design degrees of freedom. Finally, the correctness of the proposed results is verified by a numerical system and an electrical circuit system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under investigation in this paper is the integrable Lakshmanan–Porsezian–Daniel (LPD) equation, which was proposed as a model for the nonlinear spin excitations in the one-dimensional isotropic biquadratic Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin. Our main purpose was to construct soliton and breather solutions on the nonconstant background for the integrable local and nonlocal LPD equations. Firstly, the Bäcklund transformations are constructed based on the pseudopotential of equations. Secondly, starting from the nonconstant initial solution sech and applying the obtained transformation, various nonlinear wave solutions of the local LPD equation are provided, including the time-periodic breather, W-shaped soliton, M-type soliton and two-soliton solutions, the elastic interactions between the two-soliton solutions are shown and the relationship between parameters and wave structures is discussed. Thirdly, beginning with the nonconstant initial solutions sech and tanh , the time-periodic breather, bell-shaped one-soliton and anti-bell-shaped one-soliton solutions of the nonlocal LPD equation are generated and these solutions possess no singularity. What is more, the time-periodic breather solutions exhibit the x-periodic background and double-periodic background, which is different from the previous results. The corresponding dynamics of these solutions related to the integrable local and nonlocal LPD equations are illustrated graphically. The results in this paper might be helpful for us to understand the nonlinear characteristics of magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In defense of the internal and external environment of the lung airway, airway epithelial cells play important roles in resisting external microorganisms, toxic gases, sensitizing substances, and maintaining the stability of the internal environment of the airway. C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to ozone for 4 days (30 min/day) to induce lung injury. Airway responsiveness was measured using barometric whole-body plethysmography. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to detect pathological changes of the lung. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed to count the number of macrophages and neutrophils. 16HBE14o- cells were exposed to ozone for 30 min. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide was used to detect cell proliferation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and catalase (CAT) in lung tissues and cells were also measured. The mRNA and protein expressions were detected by qPCR and western blot. We found that emodin attenuated ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in vivo. Emodin reduced the production of ROS, increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes, and attenuated the oxidative damage in vivo. In vitro studies showed that emodin also decreased ROS generation and LDH release and enhanced CAT activity. Emodin attenuates ozone-induced TLR4, MyD88, and NF-êB expression. Emodin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties through the modulation of the TLR4-MyD88-NF-êB pathway in ozone-induced lung injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most frequently diagnosed form of liver cancer, is observed in Africa and Asia. SYVN1 is upregulated in HCC; however, the biological roles of SYVN1 in immune evasion remain unclear. Methods: RT-qPCR and western blot were employed to detect the expression levels of SYVN1 and the key molecules in HCC cells and tissues. Flow cytometry was used to determine the proportion of T cells, and an ELISA assay was used to determine the amount of IFN-γ secreted. Cell viability was monitored by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. The metastatic properties of HCC cells were detected by Transwell assays. Bioinformatics analysis, ChIP, and luciferase assays were used to study the transcriptional regulation of PD-L1. Co-IP was used to detect direct interaction between SYVN1 and FoxO1, as well as the ubiquitination of FoxO1. The in vitro findings were validated in xenograft and lung metastasis models. Results: In HCC cells and tissues, SYVN1 was upregulated while FoxO1 was downregulated. SYVN1 knockdown or FoxO1 overexpression reduced PD-L1 expression, and inhibited immune evasion, cell growth, and metastasis in HCC cells. Mechanistically, FoxO1 regulated PD-L1 transcription in a β-catenin-independent or -dependent manner. Functional studies further showed that SYVN1 promoted immune evasion, cell proliferation, migration and invasion via facilitating ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation of FoxO1. In vivo investigations showed that silencing of SYVN1 inhibited immune evasion and metastasis of HCC cells, possible via the FoxO1/PD-L1 axis. Conclusion: SYVN1 regulates FoxO1 ubiquitination to stimulate β-catenin nuclear translocation and promotes PD-L1-mediated metastasis and immune evasion in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migraine, a complex brain disorder, is regarded as a possible clinical manifestation of brain energy dysfunction. The trigeminovascular system is considered the basis for the pathogenesis of migraine, hence we depicted the proteomics profiling of key regions in this system, then focusing on protein alterations related to mitochondrial function. The aim of this study is to illustrate the role of mitochondria in migraine. Methods: A mouse model of chronic migraine (CM) was established by repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) stimulation and evaluated by von-Frey filaments, a hot plate and a light-dark box. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in some subcortical brain regions of the trigeminovascular system were screened through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) to analyse the specificity of key signaling pathways in different brain regions. And then mitochondrial function, structure and dynamics were determined by qPCR, ELISA, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Finally, the effect of mitochondrial intervention-Urolithin A (UA) on CM was investigated. Results: Repeated NTG injection triggered photophobia, periorbital and hind paw allodynia in mice. The proteomics profiling of CM model showed that 529, 109, 163, 152 and 419 DEPs were identified in the thalamus, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey (PAG), trigeminal ganglion (TG) and trigeminocervical complex (TCC), respectively. The most significant changes in the brain region-specific pathways pointed to thalamic mitochondrial impairment. NTG induced mitochondrial structural disruption, dysfunction and homeostatic dysregulation, which could be partially attenuated by UA intervention. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the involvement of mitochondrial damage in the thalamus in central sensitization of CM, which provides evidence of possible metabolic mechanisms in migraine pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium metal as anode is an ideal material for the assembly of high specific energy batteries. However, safety issues caused by unrestricted dendrite growth and "dead K" generation severely limit their application. Here, based on the concept of waste recycling, a structural engineering strategy (chemical exfoliation and enzyme‐assisted synergistic method) is proposed to prepare oxygen‐containing functionalized porous carbon microbelts (OPCMs) as freestanding K metal hosts. The porous structure, uniformly distribution of carbon nanospheres, and the presence of oxygen‐containing functional groups reduce the energy barrier of K nucleation and promote the deposition kinetics. Benefitting from these advantages of OPCMs, the OPCMs‐based K composite anodes (K‐OPCMs) are free of obvious dendrite growth during the plating process. Symmetric cells assembled with K‐OPCMs maintain a stable overpotential of 40 mV after cycling for more than 800 h at 1 mA cm−2. In addition, the K‐OPCMs//organic cathode (PTCDA) full cell exhibits excellent rate capability (96% capacity retention, 100–2000 mA g−1, which is superior to most reported potassium metal batteries) and ultralong lifespan (97.8 mA h g−1, after 1500 cycles at 2000 mA g−1). This study illustrates the effectiveness of structure‐engineered and provides a guiding insight for achieving high‐performance rechargeable batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migraine, a complex brain disorder, is regarded as a possible clinical manifestation of brain energy dysfunction. The trigeminovascular system is considered the basis for the pathogenesis of migraine, hence we depicted the proteomics profiling of key regions in this system, then focusing on protein alterations related to mitochondrial function. The aim of this study is to illustrate the role of mitochondria in migraine. Methods: A mouse model of chronic migraine (CM) was established by repeated nitroglycerin (NTG) stimulation and evaluated by von-Frey filaments, a hot plate and a light-dark box. Differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in some subcortical brain regions of the trigeminovascular system were screened through liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC‒MS/MS) to analyse the specificity of key signaling pathways in different brain regions. And then mitochondrial function, structure and dynamics were determined by qPCR, ELISA, and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Finally, the effect of mitochondrial intervention-Urolithin A (UA) on CM was investigated. Results: Repeated NTG injection triggered photophobia, periorbital and hind paw allodynia in mice. The proteomics profiling of CM model showed that 529, 109, 163, 152 and 419 DEPs were identified in the thalamus, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey (PAG), trigeminal ganglion (TG) and trigeminocervical complex (TCC), respectively. The most significant changes in the brain region-specific pathways pointed to thalamic mitochondrial impairment. NTG induced mitochondrial structural disruption, dysfunction and homeostatic dysregulation, which could be partially attenuated by UA intervention. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the involvement of mitochondrial damage in the thalamus in central sensitization of CM, which provides evidence of possible metabolic mechanisms in migraine pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress induced by factors such as ammonia nitrogen has become a major issue in shrimp farming. The effects of carotenoids on the growth and antioxidant capability of Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles were investigated in this study using dietary archaeal carotenoids supplementation. For four weeks, shrimp were given diets containing 0 mg/kg (Ctrl) and 55.98 mg/kg (Car) archaeal carotenoids. Dietary archaeal carotenoids significantly enhanced the astaxanthin content in shrimp muscles and carapaces, as well as the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (P<0.05). The malonaldehyde (MDA) content in Car group significantly decreased (P<0.05). The transcriptome analysis was conducted to determine the molecular processes in response to archaeal carotenoids supplementation. A total of 1 536 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected, including 538 upregulated DEGs and 998 downregulated DEGs. GO functional enrichment analysis between Ctrl and Car indicated that 26 GO terms including extracellular region, metabolic process, and proteolysis were enriched. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, glycine serine and threonine metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis were enriched. Archaeal carotenoids influenced the expression of several important genes involved in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, Nrf2 signaling, and antioxidant enzymes. Seven DEGs were chosen to confirm the RNA-Seq data using qRT-PCR. The genes and pathways discovered in this work assist to elucidate the molecular processes through which archaeal carotenoid enhances L. vannamei antioxidative system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of soil moisture and phosphorus deficiency limits wheat grain yield in dryland areas. However, the moisture-conserving effect of straw mulching combined with phosphor fertilization on fertile florets per spike (FFS) and grain yield remains unclear. During the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 growing seasons, we investigated the combined effects of straw mulching (0 and 8000 kg ha−1) and phosphorus fertilization (0, 75, and 120 kg P2O5 ha−1) on spike development, assimilates' availability, and the photosynthetic properties of flag leaves by conducting a field experiment. Compared with no straw mulch control, straw mulching increased fertile spike, grain number per spike (15.6%), and grain yield (22.6%), and grain number per spike was the most important contribution to increasing wheat grain yield (46%). An increase in grain number per spike is associated with FFS. Compared with no straw mulch control, straw mulching increased FFS by 19.5%, and it increased with increasing phosphorus fertilization levels. Moreover, straw mulching combined with phosphorus fertilization promoted the light compensation point (LCP), light saturation point (LSP), net photosynthetic rate (Pn), Chl b, and the maximal photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) of flag leaves to produce carbohydrates. Our study has shown that the primary factor for the divergence in FFS under straw mulching and phosphorus application was the efficiency of assimilate utilization in the spike, which ultimately led to increased grain number per spike and grain yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Urgen molybdenum deposit (44,856 t Mo @ 0.141%), situated in the northern Great Xing'an Range, is a newly discovered porphyry molybdenum deposit. Mineralization is characterized by veinlet-disseminated- and vein-type quartz–sulfide orebodies primarily occurring in the cupola of the Early Cretaceous granite porphyry stock. In this study, we present a detailed description of the ore geology, molybdenite Re-Os dating, H-O-S-Pb isotopic compositions, and fluid inclusion (FI) analyses including petrography, laser Raman, and microthermometry to precisely constrain the timing of ore formation, the origin of ore-forming fluids and materials, as well as the metal precipitation mechanism. Molybdenite Re-Os dating yielded two model ages of 141.2 ± 1.5 and 147.7 ± 1.7 Ma, coeval with the regional Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous molybdenum metallogenesis. The hydrothermal process can be divided into three stages: the quartz–molybdenite(–pyrite) stage, quartz–polymetallic sulfide stage, and quartz–carbonate stage. Four types of FIs were distinguished for quartz, including two-phase liquid-rich (L-type), saline (S-type), CO2-rich (C1-type), and CO2-bearing (C2-type) FIs. Microthermometric data showed that the homogenization temperatures and salinities from the early to late stages were 240–430 °C, 5.0–11.9, and 30.1–50.8 wt% NaCl equiv.; 180–280 °C and 3.0–9.1 wt% NaCl equiv.; and 120–220 °C and 0.2–7.9 wt% NaCl equiv., respectively, suggesting a decreasing trend. H-O isotopic compositions indicate that the ore-forming fluids were initially of magmatic origin with the increasing incorporation of meteoric water. S-Pb isotopic compositions indicate that the ore-forming materials originated from granitic magmas, and the mineralization is genetically related to the ore-bearing granite porphyry stock in the deposit. Fluid immiscibility and fluid–rock interaction are collectively responsible for the massive deposition of molybdenite in stage 1, whereas fluid mixing and immiscibility played a critical role in the deposition of polymetallic sulfide in stage 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a miniaturized C-band triplexer fabricated with high-temperature superconducting (HTS) microstrip lines and to be applied to quantum computers. The triplexer consists of three bandpass filters and branch lines. In the design of the bandpass filters, folded step impedance resonators (SIRs) are firstly used to achieve good stopband performances by harmonic suppression. Secondly, cross-coupling structures are also utilized to further improve the passband edge steepness of the bandpass filters. Finally, the parasitic transmission zeros originating from the assembling box sizes are employed to achieve a deeper out-of-band rejection. Three bandpass filters are designed and connected to the common input port of the triplexer. After that, the triplexer is coarsely optimized by advanced design system (ADS) for time-saving and is finely optimized by Sonnet for better accuracy. The optimized layout of the triplexer is fabricated on a 2-inch diameter and 0.5 mm thickness MgO wafer; here, the MgO wafer is double-sided coated with HTS YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films. The measured passband bandwidths (return loss greater than 12 dB) of the triplexer are 6.420-6.680 GHz, 6.780-7.030 GHz, and 7.110-7.380 GHz, respectively, which satisfy the required design specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anal fistulas are mainly treated via surgery. They can be difficult to treat without surgical intervention. Numerous procedures, such as fistulectomy and fistulotomy, are performed to treat anal fistulas and achieve good effects. However, the wounds created through fistulectomy and fistulotomy take a long time to heal. Therefore, a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) is proposed to study the efficacy of one-stage shaped skin grafting at the surgical wound to heal low simple intersphincter anal fistulas. Methods: This study is a multicentre, hospital-based RCT. It will be performed at three hospitals. A total of 104 patients with low simple intersphincter anal fistulas who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in this trial and will be allocated randomly to two groups (test and control groups). The patients in the test group will receive one-stage anal fistulotomy surgery combined with shaped skin grafting, and those in the control group will undergo anal fistulotomy only. All the operations will be performed by attending colorectal surgeons or surgeons of a higher level. Effectiveness and safety indicators will be observed, recorded and analysed. Discussion: Anal fistulotomy can heal low simple intersphincter anal fistulas effectively and safely with a low recurrence rate. Skin grafts promote wound epithelisation significantly. We believe that skin grafting can treat low simple intersphincter fistulas with a short healing time. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR2000039174. Registered on 28 October 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the optimal design of the sustainable supply chain network, considering the comprehensiveness of the problem factors, considering the three aspects of economy, environment and society, the goal is to minimize the establishment cost, minimize the emission of environ-mental pollution and maximize the number of labor. A mixed integer programming model is established to maximize the efficiency of the supply chain network. The innovation of this paper, first, is to consider the impact of economic, environmental and social benefits in a continuous supply chain, where the environmental benefits not only consider carbon emissions but also include the emissions of plant wastewater, waste and solid waste as influencing factors. Second, a multi-objective fuzzy affiliation function is constructed to measure the quality of the model solution in terms of the overall satisfaction value. Finally, the chaotic particle ant colony algorithm is proposed, and the problem of premature convergence in the operation of the particle swarm algorithm is solved. Experimental results show that the PSCACO algorithm proposed in this paper is compared with MOPSO, CACO and NSGA-II algorithms, and the convergence effect of the algorithm is concluded to be more effective to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of chaotic particle ant colony algorithm for solving multi-objective functions, which proposes a new feasible solution for the supply chain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two series of phosphors of LaSr 1-x GaO 4 :xCr3+ and La 1-x SrGaO 4 :xCr3+were synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state method under the same experimental conditions. The phase structure, surface topography, luminescence properties and luminescence mechanism of phosphors were investigated. LaSrGaO 4 host exhibits a narrow emission band peaks at 716 nm which comes from the intrinsic defects. LaSr 1-x GaO 4 :xCr3+ and La 1-x SrGaO 4 :xCr3+ phosphors show emission spectra with the same shape to the host, while the luminous intensity improved greatly. From the analysis of low temperature spectra and decay lifetimes of the samples, it can be concluded that Cr3+ show no intrinsic luminescence in the LaSrGaO 4 host. The analysis of TL spectra proved that the defect concentration was increased by Cr3+ doping, and enhanced the intrinsic luminescence. The emission spectrum of the LED device based on the LaSr 0.999 GaO 4 :0.001Cr3+ phosphor almost coincides with the absorption spectrum of the P FR phytochrome, which indicated the pc-LED have potential application in the field of plant lighting, especially for the study of the independent regulatory mechanism of P FR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systematic structural studies of gap junctions, host defense peptides, importers, and exporters have provided insights into channel stoichiometries and topologies, pore diameters, and functional states that mediate second messenger 2′3′-cGAMP and cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) transport. Comprehensive structural investigation of a range of 2′3′-cGAMP transporters has outlined the diversity of intracellular, membrane, and extracellular components that constitute channel architecture, thereby defining channels with distinct functional capabilities. The structures of CDNs including 2′3′-cGAMP bound to the SLC19A1 channel have highlighted the intertwined compact dimeric second messenger fold and its positioning in an inward-open channel, thereby opening opportunities for investigation of the corresponding outward-open and occluded states towards a molecular understanding of the transport cycle. The positioning of monomeric folates and antifolates in the interior of the SLC19A1 channel has provided a foundation for future design and optimization of agonists and antagonists impacting on 2′3′-cGAMP transport, with therapeutic implications for inflammatory and immune-associated pathologies. Recent studies have provided insights into the regulated channel-mediated transport of 2′3′-cGAMP associated with the cGAS–STING signaling pathway in inflammation from a structural and functional perspective. This has defined an underlying mechanism for 2′3′-cGAMP as an 'immunotransmitter' that mediates intercellular communication. Structures are available for apo-, 2′3′-cGAMP-, folate-, and antifolate-bound states of the SLC19A1 channel, and these provide insights into both the transport cycle and approaches for generating and testing small-molecule agonists and antagonists that impact on second messenger transport. Upon activation by double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), the cytosolic dsDNA sensor cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) synthesizes the diffusible cyclic dinucleotide 2′3′-cGAMP (cyclic GMP-AMP), which subsequently binds to the adaptor STING, triggering a cascade of events leading to an inflammatory response. Recent studies have highlighted the role of 2′3′-cGAMP as an 'immunotransmitter' between cells, a process facilitated by gap junctions as well as by specialized membrane-spanning importer and exporter channels. This review highlights recent advances from a structural perspective of intercellular trafficking of 2′3′-cGAMP, with particular emphasis on the binding of importer SLC19A1 to 2′3′-cGAMP, as well as the significance of associated folate nutrients and antifolate therapeutics. This provides a path forward for structure-guided understanding of the transport cycle in immunology, as well as for candidate targeting approaches towards therapeutic intervention in inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses a fuzzy set scheme to present an adaptive fractional differential algorithm for image edge enhancement and texture preservation. In the proposed algorithm, an image's membership function and area feature are used to calculate the fuzzy set of images. The function of adaptive fractional differential order (FAFDO) can be constructed by making the linear transformation of the fuzzy set. Then, the fuzzy adaptive fractional differential mask (FAFDM) is obtained by substituting the FAFDO into the fractional differential mask. Finally, the image edge and texture are enhanced and preserved by applying airspace filtering of the FAFDM convolution. The experimental results show that, compared to fractional differential or fuzzy set‐based image enhancement algorithms, the proposed algorithm can adaptively enhance the image edge and preserve the image texture by analysing the fuzziness of the image itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) volcanic tuffs are widely distributed in the East Palaeo‐Tethys region, but their age and origin have been controversial. The Permian–Triassic deep‐water sediments in the northeastern margin of South China are favourable research objects, and we report new results from the PTB deep basin sediments in the Susong area, Anhui Province, in this paper. Two volcanic tuffs are found in the Zuoshan PTB in the Zuoshan section, and Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) U–Pb zircon dating indicates that the upper and lower tuffs are 251.3 ± 1.7 Ma and 252.3 ± 2.1 Ma, respectively. The PTB age is 251.6 Ma according to a numerical interpolation method of the average deposition rate of the PTB. Fusulinids and non‐fusulinid foraminifers in the limestone overlying the lower tuff define the rock as end‐Permian. Zircon trace elements show that both tuffs are sourced from felsic volcanism in continental arc background, and their source magmas were derived from the continental crust. Zircons of PTB age from the upper tuff on the bottom of the Triassic have negative εHf(t) value from −8.02 to −3.75, and the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1502–1780 Ma, showing that their source rocks were only derived from the remelting of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust. The zircons from the lower tuff on the top of the Permian show two types, including negative εHf(t) values from −6.48 to −1.25 and Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 1350–1679 Ma, and positive εHf(t) values from +3.98 to +10.15, and Neoproterozoic two‐stage model ages of 629–1023 Ma, indicating that their sources were derived from the reworking of the Palaeo‐Mesoproterozoic continental crust and early Neoproterozoic depleted mantle joined in juvenile crust growth in the northern margin of the South China Block at the beginning of the collision between the South China and North China blocks. The initial collision started no later than 252.3 Ma and developed significantly from east to west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variational method, using a lateral force as a functional and incorporating equilibrium in-the-small, is proposed for limit equilibrium analysis, in which a conventional safety functional in the form of a quotient and the need to use the method of slices or Lagrange multipliers can be avoided. The lateral force is a real force acting on a retaining wall, but is a fictitious force in slope stability analysis. Furthermore, the fictitious force is related to the factor of safety. The force is a push, pull, or null when the slope is unstable, stable, or critical. By setting this lateral force to zero, a critical stability state can be obtained. The proposed variational method is capable of reproducing the classical solutions and yielding new useful analytical results. The proposed method can be a viable alternative technique, because of its effectiveness and ease of use is comparable to the conventional variational approaches. The limit-equilibrium analysis technique is widely adopted in the practice of slope stability and earth pressure on retaining walls. Among the existing techniques in limit-equilibrium analysis, the variational calculus method from a mathematical perspective is more accurate than traditional techniques. However, this method was greatly limited due to the cumbrous solution on the quotient form functional. The proposed method uses a lateral force as functional, incorporating equilibrium in-the-small. It can simplify the solution significantly and the assumption of slip surface or relation of forces can be avoided. Results obtained from the proposed method can be used in the design of clay slopes, seismic stability of cohesionless slopes, lateral earth pressure on retaining walls under seismic conditions, and lateral earth pressure on rough retaining walls. The charts can be used to conveniently assess the stability of slopes or earth pressure on retaining walls under certain conditions in the preliminary design. The suggested method can also be further developed into a broader range of practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Revealing hydrothermal evolution from the early oxide to late carbonate stages for quartz–wolframite vein‐type deposits is essential for understanding the ore‐forming process. In this study, we choose the Baishitouwa tungsten polymetallic deposit located in the southern Great Xing'an Range tungsten belt as a case study, and present detailed deposit geology and in situ fluid inclusion (FI) analyses including microthermometry, laser Raman spectra, and LA‐ICP‐MS microanalysis to address this issue. Four stages of hydrothermal activity were identified: (1) quartz–wolframite (I), (2) quartz–wolframite (II)–pyrite–chalcopyrite, (3) quartz–polymetallic sulphides, and (4) quartz–carbonate. Four types of FIs were recognized: CO2‐rich, CO2‐bearing, liquid‐rich, and brine inclusions. Microthermometric data showed that the homogenization temperatures and salinities from the early to late stages are 380–460°C, 7.4–17.3, and 29.3–43.2 wt% NaCl equiv., 300–390°C and 7.1–17.0 wt% NaCl equiv., 220–320°C and 2.7–8.1 wt% NaCl equiv., and 150–250°C and 0.5–4.8 wt% NaCl equiv., respectively, suggesting a decreasing trend. Geochemically, all stage fluids contained high Rb and Mn concentrations, high Rb/Na, Cs/Na, Li/Na, K/Na, Rb/Sr, low K/Rb, and consistent Cs/Rb and Cs/(Na + K) ratios, indicating that the mineralizing fluids originated from a common source—an underlying, geochemically uniform, and highly fractionated granitic magma. Fluid immiscibility and cooling are the main mechanisms for wolframite precipitation, whereas greisenization is subordinate; the incursion of meteoric water into the hydrothermal system initiated at the sulphide stage, and fluid mixing is the dominant mechanism for sulphide precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time satellite clock offset is a crucial element for real-time precise point positioning (RT-PPP). However, the elapsed time for undifferenced (UD) multi-global navigation satellite system (GNSS) real-time satellite clock offset estimation at each epoch is increased with the growth of stations, which may fall short of real-time application requirements. Therefore, a rapid estimation method for UD multi-GNSS real-time satellite clock offset is proposed to improve the computation efficiency, in which both the dimension of the normal equation (NEQ) and the number of redundant observations are calculated before adjustment; if these two values are larger than the predefined thresholds, the elevation mask is gradually increased until they are less than the predefined thresholds. Then, the clock offset estimation is conducted; this method is called clock offset estimation using partial observations. Totals of 50, 60, 70 and 80 stations are applied to perform experiments. Compared to clock offset estimation using all observations, the elapsed times of clock offset estimation using partial observations can be reduced from 6.80 to 3.10 s, 7.93 to 2.97 s, 12.04 to 3.14 s for 60, 70 and 80 stations, respectively. By using the proposed method, the elapsed time of the clock offset estimation at each epoch is less than 5 s. The estimated clock offset accuracy for GPS, BDS-3, Galileo and GLONASS satellites are better than 0.04, 0.05, 0.03 and 0.16 ns when using the partial observations to estimate clock offset with 50, 60, 70 and 80 stations, respectively. For the multi-GNSS kinematic PPP using the estimated clock offset from 50, 60, 70 and 80 stations with partial observations, the positioning accuracy at 95% confidence level in the east, north and up direction are better than 2.70, 2.20 and 5.60 cm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interactions among spin, orbital, and lattice are essential to reveal the complicated phase transitions in FeV2O4, a spinel with spin and orbital degrees of freedom both at Fe and V sites. By employing first-principle calculations, we investigate these interactions to propose the orbital ordering of Fe2+ and V3+ ions. At the Fe sites, orbital states transform from d z 2 to d x 2 − z 2 , to d x 2 − y 2 , and to d y 2 − z 2 accompanying structural phase transitions. At the V sites, one electron occupies the dxy, dxz, dxy, and dyz orbitals. The second electron occupies the d x z ± d y z , d x y ± d y z , d x z ± d y z , and d x y ± d x z orbitals, which alternate in the corresponding ab, ac, ab, and bc planes along the c, b, c, and a axes, respectively. The effect of spin-orbital coupling on the orbital ordering of Fe2+ and V3+ ions is not significant. The orbital orderings are driven by the combination of the Jahn-Teller distortions and the electron correlation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How plants adapt and diverge in extreme environments is a key question of plant evolution and ecology. Mangrove invasion of intertidal environments is facilitated by adaptive phenotypes such as aerial roots, salt‐secreting leaf, and viviparity, and genomic mechanisms including whole genome duplication and transposable element number reduction. However, a number of mangroves lack these typical phenotypes. The question we ask is whether these phenotypically atypical mangroves also have distinct genomic features? The sibling mangrove species Lumnitzera littorea and Lumnitzera racemosa provide a model to study this question. We sequenced and assembled their genomes to chromosome level, together with a closely related species Combretum micranthum. While most mangroves have small genomes, the genomes of both Lumnitzera species are large (1443 and 1317 Mb) and carry a high proportion of repeat sequences (~75%). Moreover, Lumnitzera species have not undergone post‐gamma whole‐genome duplications. Their genome size increased mainly due to the expansion of repeat sequences in their ancestors. However, Lumnitzera genomes have reduced transposable elements by constraining the proliferation of new LTR‐RTs. Meanwhile, the two species have more gene families contracted than expanded, and some gene families with reversed size change may underlie their differentiation in root morphology and local distribution. We identified 86 chromosomal inversions, five of which are measured between 6.5 and 12.8 megabases. A number of genes located in these inversions function in pigment biosynthesis, a process likely involved in flower colour differentiation between the Lumnitzera species. We conclude that the mangroves with atypical phenotypes also have atypical genomic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the reduced‐order interval observer (R‐IO) design technique for continuous‐time linear systems with unknown external disturbances and measurement noises. First, we propose a coupled R‐IO structure with more design degrees of freedom, and it can be directly applied not only to solve the difficulty of the error system cooperativity construction but to relax the constraint on the sensor measurement noises. Second, the R‐IO existence condition is derived as a set of matrix equations (MEs), and a complete solution, explicitly showing the available design parameters, to such an R‐IO is further obtained by solving the MEs. Third, using the solution, an integrated optimization indicator of the R‐IO performance is built as the valid selection mechanism of these parameters. Finally, the efficiency of the obtained results is illustrated through a numerical example and a practical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopharmaceutical manufacturing is a rapidly growing industry with impact in virtually all branches of medicine. Biomanufacturing processes require close monitoring and control, in the presence of complex bioprocess dynamics with many interdependent factors, as well as extremely limited data due to the high cost of experiments and the novelty of personalized bio-drugs. We develop a new model-based reinforcement learning framework that can achieve human-level control in low-data environments. A dynamic Bayesian network is used to capture causal interdependencies between factors and predict how the effects of different inputs propagate through the pathways of the bioprocess mechanisms. This model is interpretable and enables the design of process control policies that are robust against model risk. We present a computationally efficient, provably convergent stochastic gradient method for optimizing such policies. Validation is conducted on a realistic application with a multidimensional, continuous state variable. History: Accepted by Bruno Tuffin, Area Editor for Simulation. Funding: This work was partially supported by National Institute of Standards and Technology [Grant 70NANB17H002]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2022.1232. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorinated polyimide materials were selected for their exceptional flexibility, high thermal stability, and minimal absorption loss. These materials were subsequently employed in the production of single-mode polymer optical waveguide devices using photolithography. In this study, a fluorinated polyimide material doped with NaYF4 nanocrystals was prepared and confirmed to exhibit low absorption loss near 1550 nm, which is within the common communication window. The refractive index of the fluorinated polyimide films was precisely adjusted by the NaYF4 doping, the adjustable ranges for the refractive index were 1.95% and 1.72% for doped and undoped, respectively. Secondly, utilizing the NaYF4 nanocrystals doped-fluorinated polyimide materials, a three-layer single-mode polymer optical waveguide device for C-band (near 1550 nm) optical interconnection was fabricated by etching the underlying cladding and employing silicon nitride as a mask. The transmission performance of the device was excellent, with a total waveguide coupling and transmission loss of 1.502 dBm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The individual coupling processes of two-phase materials are controlled to some extent by damage theory. However, the existing theory is not sufficient to explain the effect of pore pressure on mortar materials under freeze-thaw action. In order to predict the resistance of saturated mortars during rapid cooling and to describe the physical behavior of the pore structure, the authors derived in detail the governing equations of saturated mortars during freezing in the framework of the pore elasticity theory and analyzed the sensitivity of physical parameters to the influence of temperature stresses by means of stress-strain calculations. In addition, the effects of phase change and latent heat of freezing on the local thermodynamic equilibrium are considered, and a mathematical model is established for quantitatively simulating the temperature distribution of the specimen. This model is reformulated and extended in the current work to intuitively reveal the effect of concrete dimensions on the temperature hysteresis effect. The results of the numerical model calculations show that during the freezing process, for the specimen with dimensions of 50 mm × 50 mm × 50 mm and a water-cement ratio of 0.6, the maximum temperature difference from center to surface is 10 °C, the maximum vertical strain on the surface is 4.27 × 10−4, and the maximum pore water pressure at the center of the specimen is 76 MPa. The model calculation results present a similar pattern to the physical interpretation and reference results, thus effectively evaluating the freezing damage process of saturated mortar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(S)-2-chlorophenylglycine ((S)-CPG) is a key chiral intermediate for the synthesis of clopidogrel. Herein, a novel, efficient and environmentally friendly chemo-enzymatic route for the preparation of optically pure (S)-CPG was developed. A straightforward chemical synthesis of the corresponding prochiral keto acid substrate (2-chlorophenyl)glyoxylic acid (CPGA) was developed with 91.7% yield, which was enantioselectively aminated by leucine dehydrogenase (LeuDH) to (S)-CPG. Moreover, protein engineering of LeuDH was performed via directed evolution and semi-rational design. A beneficial variant Es LeuDH-F362L with enlarged substrate-binding pocket and increased hydrogen bond between K77 and substrate CPGA was constructed, which exhibited 2.1-fold enhanced specific activity but decreased thermal stability. Coupled with a glucose dehydrogenase from Bacillus megaterium (Bm GDH) for NADH regeneration, Es LeuDH-F362L completely converted up to 0.5 M CPGA to (S)-CPG in 8 h at 40 °C. • A new chemo-enzymatic catalytic route for (S)− 2-chlorophenylglycine was developed. • Es LeuDH-F362L exhibited enhanced catalytic activity but decreased thermal stability. • Es LeuDH-F362L completely converted up to 0.5 M (2-chlorophenyl)glyoxylic acid in 8 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the diagnostic value of Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasound (SEUS) in determining the macroscopic classification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because of its strong relevance to the poor prognosis of the non-simple nodular (non-SN) type. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies investigating patients who underwent surgery for HCC after undergoing SEUS pre-operatively. Five studies involving a total of 334 patients met the inclusion criteria. The summary sensitivity and specificity were 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.63-0.83) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios of SEUS for determining the macroscopic classification of HCC in Kupffer phase were 9.21 (95% CI: 4.02-21.13) and 0.28 (95% CI: 0.19-0.41), respectively. The diagnostic odds ratio of SEUS for determining the macroscopic classification of HCC was 34.2 (95% CI: 11.64-100.51), and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.84-0.90). Subgroup analysis suggested that small HCCs (≤30 mm) and studies including fewer than 70 patients may be associated with a higher diagnostic odds ratio than the corresponding subsets. SEUS had moderate diagnostic value for determining the macroscopic classification of HCC in the Kupffer phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]