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The aim of the study is to explore interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity alterations in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with and without neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE and non-NPSLE, respectively) and their potential correlations with clinical characteristics and neuropsychological performance. Based on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data collected from SLE patients and matched healthy controls (HCs), the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) analysis was conducted to measure functional homotopy. Subsequently, correlations between altered functional homotopy and clinical/neuropsychological data were analyzed. Compared with the HC group, both NPSLE and non-NPSLE groups showed attenuated homotopic connectivity in middle temporal gyrus (MTG), cuneus (CUN), middle occipital gyrus (MOG), angular gyrus (ANG), and postcentral gyrus (PoCG). NPSLE patients also exhibited decreased homotopic connectivity in inferior parietal gyrus (IPG) and middle frontal gyrus (MFG). Compared with non-NPSLE patients, NPSLE patients showed weaker interhemispheric homotopic functional connectivity in MOG. Decreased homotopic functional connectivity in PoCG, IPG, and MOG were associated with the anxiety state of SLE patients. Our findings revealed attenuated functional homotopy in both NPSLE and non-NPSLE groups compared to the HC group, which appeared to be more severe in patients with comorbid neuropsychiatric lupus. Interhemispheric homotopy dysconnectivity may participate in the neuropathology of anxiety symptoms in SLE.

This study aimed to investigate how the functional homotopy and further functional connectivity (FC) of whole brain changed in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We also evaluated which brain regions played a decisive role in classification by using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Patients with TLE and matched healthy controls were included to collect the fMRI data and perform the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and FC analyses. The correlation between the changed functional homotopy and neuropsychology tests was examined. Based on VMHC, the weight of each region in the classification was obtained using multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA). The patients exhibited decreased functional coordination in the bilateral inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) and increased functional homotopy in the bilateral lingual gyrus compared with the control group in the VMHC analysis. Compared with healthy controls, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was lower, and the scores of Hamilton Anxiety (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Scales were higher. The score of the HAMA Scale was positively correlated with the altered bilateral ITG. The FC analysis revealed increased connections between the right lingual gyrus and the left superior temporal gyrus/left insula. The MVPA showed that the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of classification were 68.49, 66.67 and 70.27%, respectively, and it confirmed that the temporal lobe, cerebellum, and parietal lobe provided significant contributions. These findings demonstrated that the VMHC and FC changed in TLE, and the alterations were correlated with the anxiety state. The MVPA indicated that the abnormal VMHC was a crucial fMRI feature.

The receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike (S) protein plays a central role in mediating the first step of virus infection to cause disease: virus binding to angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on human host cells. Therefore, S/RBD is an ideal target for blocking and neutralization therapies to prevent and treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). Using a target‐based selection approach, we developed oligonucleotide aptamers containing a conserved sequence motif that specifically targets S/RBD. Synthetic aptamers had high binding affinity for S/RBD‐coated virus mimics (K D≈7 nM) and also blocked interaction of S/RBD with ACE2 receptors (IC50≈5 nM). Importantly, aptamers were able to neutralize S protein‐expressing viral particles and prevent host cell infection, suggesting a promising COVID‐19 therapy strategy., Synthetic ssDNA aptamers containing a conserved sequence motif that specifically targets the receptor‐binding domain (RBD) of the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike have the capacity to neutralize the virus and prevent host cell infection in vitro, suggesting a new therapeutic approach to treat COVID‐19.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is closely linked to the release of proinflammatory cytokines in brain capillary endothelial cells. We have previously reported that lychee seed polyphenols (LSP) exerted anti-neuroinflammatory effect. In this study, we aimed to explore the protective effect of LSP on BBB integrity. The monolayer permeability of bEnd.3 cells, and the mRNA level and protein expression of tight junction proteins (TJs), including Claudin 5, Occludin, and ZO-1, were examined. In addition, the inhibition of Aβ(25-35)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the autophagy induced by LSP were investigated by detecting the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, LC3, AMPK, mTOR, and ULK1. Furthermore, the cognitive function and the expression of TJs, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and p62 were determined in APP/PS1 mice. The results showed that LSP significantly decreased the monolayer permeability and inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome in Aβ(25-35)-induced bEnd3 cells. In addition, LSP induced autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway in bEnd.3 cells, and improved the spatial learning and memory function, increased the TJs expression, and inhibited the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and p62 in APP/PS1 mice. Therefore, LSP protects BBB integrity in AD through inhibiting Aβ(25-35)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1-mediated autophagy.

Opisthopappus is a major wild source of Asteraceae with good cold and drought resistance. Two species of this genus (Opisthopappus taihangensis and Opisthopappus longilobus) have been employed as model systems to address the evolutionary history of perennial herb biomes in the Taihang Mountains of China. However, further studies on the adaptive divergence processes of these two species are currently impeded by the lack of genomic resources. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved, a comparative analysis of these two species was conducted. Among the identified transcription factors, the bHLH members were most prevalent, which exhibited significantly different expression levels in the terpenoid metabolic pathway. O. longilobus revealed a higher expression than did O. taihangensis in terms of terpenes biosynthesis and metabolism, particularly regarding monoterpenoids and diterpenoids. Analyses of the positive selection genes (PSGs) identified from O. taihangensis and O. longilobus, 1203 genes were found that related to adaptative divergence, which were under rapid evolution and/or have signs of positive selection. Different PSG expressions occurred primarily in the mitochondrial electron transport, starch degradation, secondary metabolism, as well as nucleotide synthesis and S-metabolism pathway processes. Two PSGs were obviously differentially expressed in terpenes biosynthesis that might result in the fragrances divergence between O. longilobus and O. taihangensis, which would provide insights as to how the two species adapted to different environments, characterized by sub-humid warm temperate and temperate continental monsoon climates. The comparative analysis for these two species of Opisthopappus not only revealed how the divergence occurred from molecular perspective, but also provided novel insights into how differential adaptations occurred in Taihang Mountains.

Background Hysterosalpingography (HSG) is an accepted radiologic diagnostic modality for initial infertility workup, and is generally considered uncomfortable and painful. However, the management of pain related to HSG remains inefficient. As an emerging nonpharmacologic and noninvasive pain control strategy, virtual reality (VR) distraction has been successfully used in areas such as burns, blunt force trauma, hospital-based needle procedures, dental/periodontal procedures, and urological endoscopy patients. This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effect of VR during HSG. Methods/design A single-center, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial will be carried out in the Radiology Department of Yinchuan Women and Children Healthcare Hospital, Yinchuan. A total of 200 participants who are scheduled for HSG will be enrolled in this study. The participants will be randomized (1:1) into two groups: a VR group and a blank control group. The VR group will receive routine care plus immersive VR intervention and the blank control group will receive routine care. Outcomes will be monitored at baseline, immediately after HSG and 15 min after HSG for each group. The primary outcome is the worst pain score during HSG by a visual analog scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes include: affective pain, cognitive pain, and anxiety during the HSG procedure; worst pain within 15 min after HSG; patient satisfaction and acceptance with pain management; physiological parameters; adverse effects; HSG results; and immersion perception score of the VR system (for the VR condition only). Discussion This study will focus on exploring a simply operated, noninvasive and low-cost analgesia during the HSG procedure. The results of this trial will provide data on the feasibility and safety of VR distraction therapy during HSG. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Register, ChiCTR1900021342. Registered on 16 February 2019.

Acute pain is the most common complaint in Emergency Department (ED) admissions, and options for analgesia are limited. Nitrous oxide/oxygen possesses many properties showing it may be an ideal analgesic in the ED.The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and analgesic effect of the fixed nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture for trauma patients in the ED.We enrolled 60 patients in this double-blind, randomized study. The treatment group received conventional pain treatment plus a mixture of 65% nitrous oxide/oxygen. The control group received the conventional pain treatment plus oxygen. Primary outcome was the reduction in pain intensity at 5 and 15 min after the start of intervention. Secondary outcomes include adverse events, physiological parameters, and satisfaction from both patients and health care professionals.Initial pain scores for the nitrous oxide/oxygen group (6.0 [5.0-8.0]) and the oxygen group (6.75 [5.0-9.0]) were comparable (p = 0.57). The mean numerical rating scale scores at 5 min were 3.4 ± 1.8 and 7.0 ± 1.8 for nitrous oxide/oxygen and oxygen, respectively (p 0.01). The mean pain intensity at 15 min in the treatment group was 3.0 ± 1.9, compared with 6.3 ± 2.2 in the control group (p 0.01). Both patients' (8.0 [7.0-9.0] vs. 4.0 [2.0-6.0], p 0.01) and physicians' (8.5 [8.0-9.0] vs. 4.0 [3.0-6.0], p 0.01) satisfaction scores in the treatment group were significantly higher than the oxygen group. No serious adverse events were observed.This study gives supporting evidence for the safety and effectiveness of using self-administered nitrous oxide/oxygen mixture in the ED for moderate-to-severe traumatic pain.

China has abundant tight oil resources, but due to the unsolved energy supplement problems, the low production and low efficiency of multi-staged fracturing horizontal wells in tight oil reservoirs are very serious, how to solve these problems has become the key to the efficient development of tight oil resources in China. In this article a set of “energy storage tank” device was innovatively designed to simulate infinite formation and CO2 huff and puff experimental research of tight oil reservoir was carried out. An indoor experimental scheme was developed based on the field production parameters and the effects of three key factors: CO2 huff and puff cycle, injection volume, and soak time on the recovery of CO2 huff and puff were analyzed. The experimental results show: a non-uniform distribution of the remaining oil around the fractures in the core was observed after the huff and puff experiment. Remaining oil at the core end connected to the “energy storage tank” was relatively less; during the process of CO2 huff and puff, with the increase of CO2 injection, the range of interaction between CO2 and oil extends to the depth of the reservoir. The oil replacement efficiency by CO2 is lower than that without using “energy storage tank” during the process of the flowback. Huff and puff recovery is mainly concentrated in the first three cycles; under the same huff and puff conditions, the longer the soak time is, the higher the huff and puff recovery is, but with the increase of soak time, the increase of recovery decreases. The “energy storage tank” device designed in this paper can realistically simulate the actual CO2 huff and puff process in infinite formation, which overcomes the disadvantages of the existing indoor CO2 huff and puff experiments and improves the experimental accuracy.

In the paper, we provide an effective method for the Lipschitz equivalence of two-branch Cantor sets and three-branch Cantor sets by studying the irreducibility of polynomials. We also find that any two Cantor sets are Lipschitz equivalent if and only if their contraction vectors are equivalent provided one of the contraction vectors is homogeneous., Comment: 12 pages

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is associated with microcephaly in fetuses, but the pathogenesis of ZIKV-related microcephaly is not well understood. Here we show that ZIKV infects the subventricular zone in human fetal brain tissues and that the tissue tropism broadens with the progression of gestation. Our research demonstrates also that intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) are the main target cells for ZIKV. Post-mitotic committed neurons become susceptible to ZIKV infection as well at later stages of gestation. Furthermore, activation of microglial cells, DNA fragmentation, and apoptosis of infected or uninfected cells could be found in ZIKV-infected brain tissues. Our studies identify IPCs as the main target cells for ZIKV. They also suggest that immune activation after ZIKV infection may play an important role in the pathogenesis of ZIKV-related microcephaly.

Prediction of potential geographic distributions is important for species protection and habitat restoration. Ulmus lamellosa is an endangered and endemic species in China for which conservation efforts are required. The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model was used to predict the current and future geographic distribution (from 2030 to 2070) of U. lamellosa in China and discuss the reasons for changes in climatic suitability. The MaxEnt model provided a good fit to our data as confirmed by an AUC value of 0.948. The suitable areas for U. lamellosa were primarily projected in the northern part of China from 2030 to 2070, especially in Liaoning province. The variables “temperature seasonality”, “precipitation of wettest month” and “precipitation of warmest quarter” were the most influential climatic variables in limiting the distribution of U. lamellosa. Our results clearly predict the future impacts of climate change on the geographic distribution of U. lamellosa and this can help prioritize design of localized conservation strategies in China.

CCR5 (R5)-tropic, but not CXCR4 (X4)-tropic, HIV-1 is associated with primary HIV-1 infection and transmission. Recent studies have shown that IFN-induced transmembrane (IFITM) proteins, including IFITM1, IFITM2, and IFITM3, restrict a broad range of viruses. Here, we demonstrate that an IFITM2 isoform (Δ20 IFITM2) lacking 20 amino acids at the N terminus differentially restricts X4 and R5 HIV-1. Δ20 IFITM2 suppresses replication of X4 HIV-1 strains by inhibiting their entry. High levels of Δ20 IFITM2 expression could be detected in CD4+ T cells and in monocytes. Infection of X4 viruses in monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells is enhanced upon depletion of IFITM2 isoforms. Furthermore, we also show that coreceptor use is the determining factor for differential HIV-1 restriction of Δ20 IFITM2. When we replace the C terminus of CCR5 with the C terminus of CXCR4, R5 viruses become more susceptible to Δ20 IFITM2-mediated restriction. In contrast to previous studies, our research reveals that neither X4 nor R5 HIV-1 is suppressed by IFITM2 and IFITM3. The multifactor gatekeeping model has been proposed to explain restriction of X4 viruses in the early stage of HIV-1 diseases. Our findings indicate that Δ20 IFITM2 may serve as a major contributor to this gatekeeping mechanism.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is closely linked to the release of proinflammatory cytokines in brain capillary endothelial cells. We have previously reported that lychee seed polyphenols (LSP) exerted anti-neuroinflammatory effect. In this study, we aimed to explore the protective effect of LSP on BBB integrity. The monolayer permeability of bEnd.3 cells, and the mRNA level and protein expression of tight junction proteins (TJs), including Claudin 5, Occludin, and ZO-1, were examined. In addition, the inhibition of Aβ(25-35)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and the autophagy induced by LSP were investigated by detecting the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, LC3, AMPK, mTOR, and ULK1. Furthermore, the cognitive function and the expression of TJs, NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and p62 were determined in APP/PS1 mice. The results showed that LSP significantly decreased the monolayer permeability and inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome in Aβ(25-35)-induced bEnd3 cells. In addition, LSP induced autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1 pathway in bEnd.3 cells, and improved the spatial learning and memory function, increased the TJs expression, and inhibited the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and p62 in APP/PS1 mice. Therefore, LSP protects BBB integrity in AD through inhibiting Aβ(25-35)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation via the AMPK/mTOR/ULK1-mediated autophagy.

Background Preterm infants received long-term parenteral nutrition (PN) due to gastrointestinal immaturity. Mixed lipid emulsions composed of soybean oil, medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), olive oil, and fish oil, which have a relatively low ω-6: ω-3 ratio, may decrease the incidence of PN-associated cholestasis by reducing oxidative stress and providing an anti-inflammatory effect.Methods The retrospective cohort study enrolled a total 399 very low birth weight (VLBW) premature infants between January 2009 and November 2017 at a single neonatal intensive care unit. Preterm infants received total parenteral nutrition with either mixed lipid emulsion (SMOFlipid, n = 195) or soybean oil-based lipid emulsion (Lipovenoes, n = 204) for at least seven days. We compared the outcomes of PN-associated cholestasis, co-morbidities and mortality.Results The incidence of PN-associated cholestasis was significantly lower in the SMOFlipid group than the Lipovenoes group (10.3% vs 20.1%, P = 0.006). The related clinical laboratory findings, including levels of γ- GT (P = 0.019), triglyceride (P < 0.001), and cholesterol (P = 0.023), were significantly lower in the SMOFlipid group. The duration to full feeding days shortened in the SMOFlipid group compared with the Lipovenoes group (25 ± 10.33 vs 33 ± 16.22, P < 0.001). Relevant complications, such as severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP, 3.6% vs 14.3%, P < 0.001) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD, 36.9% vs 46.7%, P = 0.046) were also reduced in the SMOFlipid group versus the Lipovenoes group, but there was no significant effect on severe intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), or mortality in both groups.Conclusions In very premature infants, PN with fish oil-based lipid emulsions is associated with a lower incidence of PN-associated cholestasis compared with soybean oil-based lipid emulsions.

Aim: As many as 83% of patients with dementia living in nursing homes have complained about pain. Acute exacerbation of chronic pain in elderly patients can have a serious impact on psychology and even attempt suicide. However, the effectiveness the drugs recommended for the elderly are limited, and these older people are more prone to have drug-related side effects. The aim of this study is to identify the analgesic efficacy of auricular point acupressure (APA) for acute exacerbation of chronic pain in patients with dementia in nursing homes. Methods: The study is designed to be a randomized, sham-controlled trial and is underway in a nursing home located in northwest of China. A total of 218 dementia patients with acute exacerbation of chronic pain and a score of pain≥4 on the Changhai Pain Rating Scale is being recruited from Bangniqinchun Nursing Home in Yinchuan, China and randomly allocated to accept either an intervention or a sham-controlled group in a 1:1 ratio. While the intervention group will be given APA therapy, the other group will receive sham APP treatment. The recruiters will be assessed at baseline (T0), at 5 min (T1) during treatment, and at 5 min post intervention (T2). The primary endpoint is the Changhai Pain Rating Scale mean change for pain at T0, T1, and T2 after the initial intervention. Physiological parameters, side effects and additional use of analgesics during the intervention, satisfaction from caregivers, acceptance of patients are evaluated as the secondary outcomes. Discussions: The results of this study are expected to prove the analgesic effect of APA for acute pain in patients with dementia. If providing scientifically sound results, it will have the potential to be the basis of the evidence-based guidelines for physical therapists in clinical practice and to be implemented widely in pain patients with dementia in nursing home.

Background Emerging evidences indicate the important roles of autophagy in anti-oxidative stress, which is closely associated with cancer, aging and neurodegeneration. Objective In the current study, we aimed to identify autophagy inducers with potent anti-oxidative effect from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) in PC-12 cells and C. elegans. Methods The autophagy inducers were extensively screened in our herbal extracts library by using the stable RFP-GFP-LC3 U87 cells. The components with autophagic induction effect in Trillium tschonoskii Maxim. (TTM) was isolated and identified by using the autophagic activity-guided column chromatography and Pre-HPLC technologies, and MS and NMR spectroscopic analysis, respectively. The anti-oxidative effect of the isolated autophagy inducers was evaluated in H2O2-induced PC-12 cells and C. elegans models by measuring the viability of PC-12 cells and C. elegans, with quantitation on the ROS level in vitro and in vivo using H2DCFDA probe. Results The total ethanol extract of TTM was found to significantly increase the formation of GFP-LC3 puncta in stable RFP-GFP-LC3 U87 cells. One novel steroidal saponin 1-O-[2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-4-O-acetyl-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]-21-Deoxytrillenogenin, (Deoxytrillenoside CA, DTCA) and one known steroidal saponin 1-O-[2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-4-O-acetyl-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]-21-O-acetyl-epitrillenogenin (Epitrillenoside CA, ETCA) were isolated, identified and found to have novel autophagic effect. Both DTCA and ETCA could activate autophagy in PC-12 cells via the AMPK/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway in an Atg7-dependent. In addition, DTCA and ETCA could increase the cell viability and decrease the intracellular ROS level in H2O2-treated PC-12 cells and C. elegans, and the further study demonstrated that the induced autophagy contributes to their anti-oxidative effect. Conclusion Our current findings not only provide information on the discovery of novel autophagy activators from TTM, but also confirmed the anti-oxidative effect of the components from TTM both in vitro and in vivo.

Ulmus lamellosa is an endangered and endemic species mainly distributed in North China. Understanding the genetic diversity of this species is useful to design the suitable conservation planning. In this study, the genetic diversity of 16 natural populations of U. lamellosa was evaluated by morphological traits and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers. The morphological data showed that significant difference was found among 14 morphological traits. Coefficient of variation (CV) and phenotypic differentiation coefficient (VST) were 27.2% and 27.3% respectively. Based on SRAP markers, the percentage of polymorphic bands (PPB) of U. lamellosa populations was 82.7%. Nei's gene diversity (He) and Shannon's information index (I) were 0.22 and 0.36 respectively. High genetic differentiation was detected within populations (P

Context Leukemia is the most common cancer in the childhood population. Lumbar puncture (LP) plays central role in the diagnosis and treatment process, but options for analgesia are limited. Objectives The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a fixed N2O/O2 mixture to reduce pain in children with leukemia during LP as compared with placebo. Methods A double-blind, placebo-controlled, and randomized clinical trial involving children who needed LP for diagnosis or treatment was conducted in the pediatrics department of the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to inhale either a fixed N2O/O2 mixture or O2. The primary endpoint was the maximal pain level felt by the patient during the procedure measured using a numerical rating scale (0–10). Results One-hundred fourteen consecutive patients were enrolled in this study and randomized. Pain scores during the procedure showed a significant decrease in N2O/O2 mixture–treated patients to 1.05 ± 1.40 versus 8.00 ± 2.13 in controls (P Conclusions This study demonstrated that self-administered fixed N2O/O2 is efficient to reduce pain related to LP in children with leukemia.

This study aims to investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among women with type 2 diabetes and to identify the related clinical risk factors. A total of 353 married women with type 2 diabetes who visited the outpatient diabetes clinic of Tai’an Central Hospital completed the self-reported questionnaires, which evaluated depression and sexual dysfunction. The study was conducted from April 2011 to October 2012. Mean age of the participants was 49.19 ± 9.32 (mean ± SD) years, duration of diabetes was 3.46 ± 1.74 years, and mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level was 7.60 ± 0.74 %. The overall prevalence of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) among the diabetic women was 70.4 %. The rate was significantly higher in menopausal women (82.3 %) than in nonmenopausal women (60.3 %). No significant relationship between FSD and various factors, such as HbA1c and duration of diabetes, was found. ANOVA revealed a positive association between FSD and age (P = 0.000). In a binary logistic analysis, age (P = 0.049), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.030), and menopausal status (P = 0.027) were associated with FSD. However, only depression (P = 0.002) was found to be a significant predictor of FSD. Results showed that sexual function among diabetic female patients is mainly related to age, BMI, menopausal status, and depression. Menopausal and depressive symptoms are significant predictors of FSD.

A pulsed laser spot welding technology has been developed for joining intersection points of 0.457 mm-thick Zircaloy-4 straps. Weld beads size, mechanical properties and microstructure characterization of the weld beads were investigated. The results indicate that peak power of the pulsed laser has significant influence on the penetration depth of weld beads. Pulse width and number of shots should be taken into consideration mainly to control the weld width. The average value of ultimate tensile loads of the intersection points are continuously increasing as the penetration depth and weld width of weld beads increase. Fracture was located at the fusion line and the fracture surface could be characterized as a mixture of ductile and cleavage feature. Column grains and equiaxed grains were observed in fusion zone and heat affected zone, respectively. The fusion zone consists of a mixture of α-Zr and β-Zr phases among which lamellar Widmanstatten structure α-Zr + Zr 3 Fe was distributed. The Zr(Fe, Cr) 2 second phase particles were precipitated inter and intragranular of α-Zr grains.

Learning ability has a significant influence on the evolution of behavior traits. In this paper, we consider individual learning ability as a function of himself and his neighborhood state: majority selection leads to the normal ability, otherwise the learning motivation is reduced to μ . We find that the intermediate μ leads to an optimal cooperation level, which is universally effective on different interaction networks. Through investigate the evolution process, this promotion effect can be the fact that learning ability μ changes the evolution speed of cooperation and the expanding trend of cooperators clusters. Compared with low or large value, intermediate μ can guarantee the formation of extremely robust clusters and decreases the defectors attacks. Last, we investigate the impact of uncertainty within strategy adoption and find that the introduction of μ may change the effective interaction network. Since phenomena related to majority selection are abundant, we hope that it can provide more theoretical supports.

Evolutionary game theory has been a powerful tool to understand the ubiquity of cooperation in many real-world systems which ranges from biological to economical and social sciences. In this paper, we propose a novel game model, which considers different fitness evaluation means for focal agent and his randomly chosen neighbor, to characterize the asymmetry of information during the game playing. When playing the game, the focal agent obtains its own fitness which includes its own payoff and the average payoff of his neighbors. However, due to the limited information for the chosen neighbor, his fitness can not be evaluated as the focal agent but just the traditional way, namely his fitness equals to his payoff. Large-scale numerical simulations indicate that this kind of asymmetric fitness computation can have substantial effects on the cooperative behaviors on the regular lattice. Interestingly, the larger the asymmetric factor α , the higher the cooperation level ρ C . Meanwhile, introducing the asymmetric fitness evaluation can induce the cooperative clusters to become larger and larger as α increases. The phase space between b and α can be enlarged, and thereby the ranges for cooperators to survive in the sea of defectors can be widely extended. Our findings can greatly be conducive to interpret the emergence of cooperation within the population.

The genetic diversity and structure of four Opisthopappus longilobus and nine Opisthopappus taihangensis populations from Mts. Taihang were analyzed using SRAP markers. The results showed that O. longilobus ( PPB = 95.16%, H = 0.349, I = 0.517) and O. taihangensis populations ( PPB = 94.58%, H = 0.332, I = 0.504) had high genetic diversity. The genetic diversity within populations varied according to two species. Low genetic differentiation was detected among O. longilobus ( Φ ST = 0.105) and O. taihangensis ( Φ ST = 0.188) populations, respectively. Significantly genetic variation was found between O. longilobus and O. taihangensis ( Φ ST = 0.232). The dendrogram generated from pairwise genetic distance among all populations showed two distinct clusters, each corresponding to one species. A Mantel test revealed insignificant positive correlation between genetic distances and geographic distances ( r O . longilobus = 0.3021; r O. taihangensis = 0.3658; P > 0.05). Those results indicated that self-compatibility, effective gene flow, biological traits, and historical factors may be the main factors causing geographical differentiation in the structure of O. longilobus and O. taihangensis populations.

Underwater oil storage is a new offshore oil drilling technique developed in recent years. Because of the high pour point, crude oil condensation will affect its storage and transportation. In order to solve this problem, a set of thermal insulation control system for underwater oil storage was designed in this paper. Flexible isolation cloth with low thermal conductivity and insulation coatings on the inwall of oil tanks are applied to reduce temperature loss, while mamdani fuzzy controller was used to control the heating of hot water and to solve nonlinear and large time delay and inertia of the object so as to maintain the stable oil temperature.

The uplift of mountains and climatic oscillations are important for understanding of the demographic history and genetic structure of species. We investigated the biogeographic history of the boreal tree species Ulmus lamellosa (Ulmaceae) in China, by using a combined phylogeographic and paleodistribution modeling approach. In this study, 14 populations of endangered U. lamellosa were analyzed by using chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) sequences. A high level of genetic differentiation (Φ ST = 86.22%) among populations with a significant phylogeographic pattern (N ST > G ST, P

Many classical studies suggest that punishment is a useful way to promote cooperation in the well-mixed public goods game, whereas relative evidence in the research of spatial prisoner’s dilemma game is absent. To address this issue, we introduce a mechanism of strategy changing penalty, combining memory and penalty during the update process, into spatial prisoner’s dilemma game. We find that increasing penalty rate or memory length is able to promote the evolution of cooperation monotonously. Compared with traditional version, recorded penalty could facilitate cooperation better. Moreover, through examining the process of evolution, we provide an interpretation for this promotion phenomenon, namely, the effect of promotion can be warranted by an evolution resonance of standard deviation of fitness coefficient. Finally, we validate our results by studying the impact of uncertainty within strategy adoptions on the evolution of cooperation. We hope that our work may shed light on the understanding of the cooperative behavior in the society.

Elaeagnus mollis Diels (Elaeagnus L.) is an economically and ecologically important but endangered tree in China. Understanding its genetic diversity is essential for its conservation and sustainable utilization. Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers were used to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation in 7 wild populations of E. mollis. Ten primer pairs yielded a total of 163 alleles. Allelic richness (Ar = 12.3), Nei’s gene diversity (H = 0.69) and observed heterozygosity (HO = 0.63) indicated high species-level genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed limited genetic differentiation, with 16.8% of total genetic variability partitioned among populations. Genetic distances were not significantly associated with geographic distances (Mantel test, r = 0.3085, P = 0.1258), indicating disconformity to the isolation-by-distance model. UPGMA cluster analyses and Bayesian clustering supported the grouping of the populations into 2 groups. The present genetic structure of E. mollis may be explained by its life-history traits, breeding system, unique biological traits and anthropogenic disturbance. Considering the high intraspecific genetic diversity, the endangerment of E. mollis has more likely resulted from anthropologic effects. A proper conservation strategy is proposed for this plant.