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Metagentiana jiangyouensis, a new species of Gentianaceae from Sichuan, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to Metagentiana villifera, but differs by the fact that the plant is glabrous and has 1–4 flowering stems, well-developed basal vegetative rosettes, a pale purple corolla with dark purple spots on the tube and erose or denticulate, non-fringed plicae margins. It also somewhat resembles M. rhodantha, but can be easily distinguished by having shorter stems, entire leaf margins, smooth, shorter sepal lobes, spotted corolla tubes, non-fringed plicae and narrowly winged seeds.

Leading national space exploration agencies and private enterprises are actively engaged in lunar exploration initiatives to accomplish manned lunar landings and establish permanent lunar bases in the forthcoming years. With limited access to lunar surface materials on Earth, lunar regolith simulants are crucial for lunar exploration research. The Chang’e-5 (CE-5) samples have been characterized by state-of-the-art laboratory equipment, providing a unique opportunity to develop a high-quality lunar regolith simulant. We have prepared a high-fidelity PolyU-1 simulant by pulverizing, desiccating, sieving, and blending natural mineral materials on Earth based on key physical, mineral, and chemical characteristics of CE-5 samples. The results showed that the simulant has a high degree of consistency with the CE-5 samples in terms of the particle morphology, mineral and chemical composition. Direct shear tests were conducted on the simulant, and the measured internal friction angle and cohesion values can serve as references for determining the mechanical properties of CE-5 lunar regolith. The PolyU-1 simulant can contribute to experimental studies involving lunar regolith, including the assessment of interaction between rovers and lunar regolith, as well as the development of in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies.

Fire has become a major disturbing factor in boreal forests, and giant forest disturbances play a vital role in regulating the climate under global warming. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the spatiotemporal patterns and main drivers of post-fire vegetation recovery for forest ecological research and post-fire recovery management. However, previous studies have focused on the post-fire forest change within the entire fire perimeter, lacking separate analysis and comparison of the burned zone (BZ) and unburned zone (UNBZ). Here, we propose the utilization of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer land cover type and vegetation index data to monitor vegetation dynamics and explore its drivers after the most serious forest fire in the history of P.R. China in the Greater Hinggan Mountains (GHM). The temporal and spatial patterns of vegetation recovery in the BZ/UNBZ in the GHM were analyzed using the Sen & Mann-Kendall method, Hurst index and coefficient of variation, and their driving mechanisms were explored using GeoDetector and geographically weighted regression. The results showed that there were significant differences in the spatial distribution and fluctuation of vegetation between the BZ and UNBZ, and that the BZ exhibited higher productivity and vigor. Vegetation recovery was influenced by different dominant factors and changed over time, in which land surface temperature and precipitation dominated all the time, whereas topographic relief and elevation had a more significant contribution to vegetation recovery in the BZ and UNBZ, respectively. This study provides a scientific basis for the protection and management of vegetation in disturbed forested areas, particularly after fires.

Abstract To evaluate the protective effect of gallic acid on the optic nerve by studying the inhibitory effect of gallic acid on oxidative stress in retinal ganglion cells. 100 male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control group, simple high IOP group, 0.5% gallic acid experimental group, and 1% gallic acid experimental group. HE staining, immunofluorescence, DHE staining, Western blot, and q-PCR were used to observe the antioxidant effect of gallic acid on the retina of acute ocular hypertension rats. HE staining of the retina of SD rats confirmed that the nucleus of RGCs was clear, the thickness of the RNFL was regular in the normal control group, and the nucleus of RGCs was ruptured and lysed in the simple high intraocular pressure (IOP) group and the gallic acid group, and the thickness of the RNFL was significantly thickened, but the thickness of the RNFL in the gallic acid group was significantly reduced compared with that in the simple high IOP group (p

The development of ultrafine particles provided a new way to solve problems in the fields of energy, environment, and medicine, and had become one of the most promising technologies. Therefore, the application of ultrafine particles required the development of cleaner, greener, and more efficient preparation methods. The new freeze-dissolving technology has been applied in manufacturing of KHCO3 ultrafine particles, with an aqueous solution of 0.02–0.1 g KHCO3/g water. Frozen ice particles were formed after dripping the solution into liquid nitrogen. The antisolvent ethanol was used to dissolve the ice spherical template at a temperature below 273.15 K, and the pre-formed KHCO3 ultrafine particles inside the ice template remained in the ethanol aqueous solution. The ice particles were put into the freeze dryer to isolate the ultrafine KHCO3 particles. Compared with the particles produced with traditional freeze-drying technology, the ultrafine powder/particles produced by the freeze-dissolving technology were smaller with narrower size distribution. The freeze-dissolving technology has demonstrated a much more sustainable and efficient manufacturing process than the traditional freeze-drying process. In addition, the influence of the concentrations of KHCO3 and the sizes of ice particles were investigated with the discussions of mechanisms.

Abstract Background To evaluate the hemodynamic characteristics of normal upper extremity arteries from the brachial artery to the fingertip arterioles. Methods We analyzed the characteristics and changes in the regularities of ultrasonic parameters in the upper extremity arteries of 104 healthy volunteers using color Doppler flow imaging and Angio Planewave UltraSensitive™ imaging. The measured ultrasonic parameters included the vessel diameter, blood-flow spectrum waveform, peak systolic velocity, end-diastolic velocity, resistance index, pulsatility index, ratio of PSV to EDV, blood-flow volume, along with systolic acceleration of each BA, radial artery, superficial palmar arch artery, palmar proper digital artery, and third-grade artery arch of the fingernail bed. Results From BA to FN3AA, the diameter, PSV, RI, S/D, VFlow, and slope of the artery significantly decreased (P

Abstract Background Fluvoxamine is one of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that are regarded as the first-line drugs to manage mental disorders. It has been also recognized with the potential to treat inflammatory diseases and viral infection. However, the effect of fluvoxamine on autoimmune diseases, particularly type 1 diabetes (T1D) and the related cellular and molecular mechanisms, are yet to be addressed. Method Herein in this report, we treated NOD mice with fluvoxamine for 2 weeks starting from 10-week of age to dissect the impact of fluvoxamine on the prevention of type 1 diabetes. We compared the differences of immune cells between 12-week-old control and fluvoxamine-treated mice by flow cytometry analysis. To study the mechanism involved, we extensively examined the characteristics of CD4+ T cells with fluvoxamine stimulation using RNA-seq analysis, real-time PCR, Western blot, and seahorse assay. Furthermore, we investigated the relevance of our data to human autoimmune diabetes. Result Fluvoxamine not only delayed T1D onset, but also decreased T1D incidence. Moreover, fluvoxamine-treated NOD mice showed significantly attenuated insulitis coupled with well-preserved β cell function, and decreased Th1 and Th17 cells in the peripheral blood, pancreatic lymph nodes (PLNs), and spleen. Mechanistic studies revealed that fluvoxamine downregulated glycolytic process by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling, by which it restrained effector T (Teff) cell differentiation and production of proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion Collectively, our study supports that fluvoxamine could be a viable therapeutic drug against autoimmunity in T1D setting.

The advancement of autonomous driving technology presents significant challenges to automotive cyber-physical systems (ACPS) due to the dynamic and random nature of task releases. These systems classify tasks into different priority levels based on real-time and security requirements, necessitating heterogeneous computing platforms to meet diverse computational needs. Static scheduling methods often fall short in addressing these complexities effectively. A dynamic scheduling approach is provided for multi-priority ACPS, abstracting different tasks as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs). The proposed method establishes a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to handle tasks with multi-priority levels, providing optimal scheduling solutions for dynamically released tasks. The MILP optimization results are then analyzed to identify near-optimal scheduling rules, which are used to design an adaptive dynamic scheduling approach suitable for dynamically and randomly released tasks. Simulation experiments with randomly generated task sets validate the effectiveness of the proposed task-degradation aware adaptive dynamic scheduling (TD_ADS) algorithm, which significantly reduces the Deadline Miss Rate (DMR) for multi-priority tasks. The TD_ADS algorithm demonstrates superior performance in minimizing DMR for high-priority tasks, while maintaining a lower overall DMR and achieving greater time efficiency across varying workloads and dynamic task releases.

Technologies based on digital microfluidics (DMF) have made significant advancements in the automated manipulation of microscale liquids and complex multistep processes. Due to their numerous benefits, such as automation, speed, cost-effectiveness, and minimal sample volume requirements, these systems are particularly well suited for immunoassays. In this review, an overview is provided of diverse DMF manipulation platforms and their applications in immunological analysis. Initially, droplet-driven DMF platforms based on electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD), magnetic manipulation, surface acoustic wave (SAW), and other related technologies are briefly introduced. The preparation of DMF is then described, including material selection, fabrication techniques and droplet generation. Subsequently, a comprehensive account of advancements in the integration of DMF with various immunoassay techniques is offered, encompassing colorimetric, direct chemiluminescence, enzymatic chemiluminescence, electrosensory, and other immunoassays. Ultimately, the potential challenges and future perspectives in this burgeoning field are delved into.

Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a destructive disease that causes significant loss in ginger productivity. This disease is notoriously difficult to control by chemical measures, prompting the exploration of biological control as a more sustainable and effective alternative strategy. In our research, we aimed to develop effective microbial agents to combat R. solanacearum-induced bacterial wilt in ginger. Initially, 307 Bacillus-like strains were isolated from ginger rhizosphere soil. Among these, ten strains exhibited significant antibacterial activity after extensive in vitro screening, with Bacillus-like isolate F18 being the most effective. Further tests in a co-culture assay revealed six isolates, notably L70, that significantly reduced the pathogen's fitness. To further assess their effectiveness, six isolates of L3, L72, L73, F18, HC-5, and L70 were then subjected to a hydroponics assay, where they substantially lowered disease incidence in ginger seedlings, especially strains F18, HC-5, and L73. These three strains were identified as Bacillus velezensis, exhibiting beneficial traits such as IAA production, siderophore secretion, and phosphate and potassium solubilization. Additionally, they also harbored genes related to the production of the dipeptide bacilysin and the polyketides macrolactin, bacillaene and difficidin. In greenhouse experiments, these three B. velezensis strains, particularly F18 and HC-5, demonstrated remarkable efficacy in controlling bacterial wilt. Tubers soaked in these biocontrol agents showed reduced disease severity and pathogen population. Moreover, the treatments promoted ginger growth, notably in tuber fresh weight, with HC-5 showing the greatest improvement. Conclusively, this study suggests a highly efficient strategy for biologically controlling ginger bacterial wilt, with B. velezensis strains HC-5, L73, and F18 emerging as promising biocontrol agents.

Globally, alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) has become an increased burden for society. Disulfirams, Benzodiazepines (BZDs), and corticosteroids are commonly used to treat ALD. However, the occurrence of side effects such as hepatotoxicity and dependence, impedes the achievement of desirable and optimal therapeutic efficacy. Therefore, there is an urgent need for more effective and safer treatments. Hovenia dulcis is an herbal medicine promoting alcohol removal clearance, lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and hepatoprotective properties. Hovenia dulcis has a variety of chemical components such as dihydromyricetin, quercetin and beta-sitosterol, which can affect ALD through multiple pathways, including ethanol metabolism, immune response, hepatic fibrosis, oxidative stress, autophagy, lipid metabolism, and intestinal barrier, suggesting its promising role in the treatment of ALD. Thus, this work aims to comprehensively review the chemical composition of Hovenia dulcis and the molecular mechanisms involved in the process of ALD treatment.

Abstract SUMOylation is an evolutionary conserved regulatory mechanism, in which Ubc9 is the only E2 conjugating enzyme. Previous studies demonstrated that SUMOylation is involved in multiple biological processes, but its role in dendritic cells (DCs) remains to be fully addressed. Herein in this report, we found that DCs deficient in Ubc9 protected mice from dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, as evidenced by the ameliorated weight loss, colon length, and disrupted colon structure. Mechanistically, Ubc9 mediated SUMOylation of RBPJ, by which it stabilized RBPJ from ubiquitin-mediated degradation to enhance its transcriptional activity, while Ciita, a critical transcription factor, is a direct target downstream of RBPJ, which forms an enhanceosome complex to transcribe the expression of MHC II genes. Therefore, loss of Ubc9 abolished RBPJ SUMOylation, which was coupled with reduced Ciita transcription, thereby attenuating the expression of MHC class II genes. As a consequence of defective MHC II expression, Ubc9 -/- DCs were featured by the impaired capability to process antigen and to prime effector CD4+ T cells, thereby protecting mice from DSS-induced colitis. Together, our results shed novel insight into the understanding of SUMOylation in the regulation of DC functions in pathological conditions.

Abstract The regulation of autoimmunity against pancreatic islet β cells for type 1 diabetes (T1D) onset is still unclear. NOD/ShiLtJ (NOD) mice are prone to the onset of autoimmune diabetes, but its congenic strain, ALR/Lt (ALR), is not. Here we show that dendritic cells (DC) in ALR mice have impaired migratory and T-cell priming capability. Genomic comparative analysis maps a 33-bp deletion in the ALR Myosin IXb (Myo9b) gene when compared with NOD genome; meanwhile, data from knock-in models show that this ALR Myo9b allele impairs phenotypic and functional maturation of DCs, and prevents the development and progression of spontaneous autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice. In parallel, while the ALR 33-bp deletion of Myo9b is not conserved in human, we find a MYO9B R133Q polymorphism associating with increased risk of T1D and enhanced DC function in patients with T1D. Our results thus hint that alterations in Myo9b may contribute to altered DC function and autoimmune diabetes onset.

IntroductionThis paper examines the association between the dietary inflammatory index (DII) and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components among Uygur adults in Kashi, Xinjiang.MethodsThe study used the multi-stage random cluster sampling method to investigate the adult residents of Uighu aged over 18 years old in one county and one township/street of three cities in Kashi between May and June 2021. All dietary data collected were analyzed for energy and nutrient intake with a nutritional analysis software, followed by a calculation of DII. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between DII and the risks of MS and its components.ResultsThe maximum DII value across our 1,193 respondents was 4.570 to 4.058, with an average value of 0.256. When we analyzed the DII as a continuous variable, we determined the anti-inflammatory diet has been identified as a mitigating factor for metabolic syndrome (OR = 0.586, 95% CI = 0.395–0.870), obesity (OR = 0.594, 95% CI = 0.395–0.870), elevated fasting glucose levels (OR = 0.422, 95% CI = 0.267–0.668), and hypertension (OR = 0.698, 95% CI = 0.488–0.996). When the model was adjusted by sex, age, and occupation, we found a significant correlation between high- and low-density lipoproteinemia and DII (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.040–2.323). The present study identified four distinct dietary patterns among the population under investigation. There was a linear trend in the incidence of MS and hypertension across low, middle, and high levels of fruits and milk dietary pattern model (p = 0.027; p = 0.033), within this dietary pattern may serve as protective factors against MS and hypertension, suggesting that fruits and milk within this dietary pattern may serve as protective factors against MS and hypertension. And the linear trend in the incidence of elevated fasting glucose and obesity across the low, medium, and high scores of meet and eggs dietary pattern (p = 0.006; p

IntroductionZhilong Huoxue Tongyu Capsule (ZL) is a Chinese medicine used for the treatment of cardio-cerebral diseases. However, the pharmacological mechanisms underlying its regulation of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI) remain unclear.PurposeThis study aims to investigate the effects and mechanisms of ZL on MI/RI in mice.Materials and methodsC57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to four groups: Sham group, I/R group, ZL group, and ZLY group. The MI/RI mouse model was established by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 minutes, followed by reperfusion for 120 minutes to restore blood perfusion. Cardiac function was evaluated using cardiac ultrasound. Histopathological changes and myocardial infarction area were assessed using Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The changes in oxidative stress- and ferroptosis-related markers were detected. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and ELISA were conducted to further explore the mechanism of ZL in improving MI/RI.ResultsOur findings demonstrated that ZL exerted a protective effect against MI/RI by inhibiting ferroptosis, evidenced by the upregulation of antioxidant enzymes such as GSH and GPX4, coupled with the downregulation of ACSL4, a pro-ferroptosis factor. Furthermore, ZL positively impacted the PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 pathway by promoting ATPase activities and enhancing the relative protein expression of its components. Notably, the administration of a PI3K/AKT inhibitor reversed the antioxidant and anti-ferroptosis effects of ZL to some extent, suggesting a potential role for this pathway in mediating ZL's protective effects.ConclusionsZL protects against MI/RI-induced ferroptosis by modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, leading to increased Nrf2 expression and activation of the HO-1/GPX4 pathway. These findings shed light on the potential therapeutic mechanisms of ZL in the context of cardiovascular diseases.

Context: Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy due to hemodynamic overload eventually leads to heart failure. Hirudin has been widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and NLRP3 inflammasome was proven to induce cardiomyocyte pyroptosis. However, the mechanism by which it inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy remains unclear. Objective: To explore the mechanism of hirudin inhibiting cardiomyocyte hypertrophy based on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and mitophagy. Materials & methods: 1 μM AngII was used for cardiac hypertrophy modeling in H9C2 cells, and cell viability was quantified by CCK-8 assay to screen the appropriate action concentrations of hirudin. After that, we cultured AngII induced-H9C2 cells for 24 h with 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 mM hirudin, respectively. Next, we marked H9C2 cells with phalloidine and observed them using fluorescence microscope. IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, TNF-α, ANP, BNP, β-MHC, and mtDNA were analyzed by qRT-PCR; ROS were quantified by Flow cytometry; SOD, MDA, and GSH-Px were detected by ELISA; and proteins including NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, PINK-1, Parkin, beclin-1, LC3-Ⅰ, LC3-Ⅱ, p62, were quantified by western blotting. Results: It was discovered that hirudin reduced the superficial area of AngII-induced H9C2 cells and inhibited the AngII-induced up-regulation of ANP, BNP, and β-MHC. Besides, hirudin down-regulated the expressions of NLRP3 inflammasome-related cytokines, containing IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, TNF-α. It also down-regulated the expression of mtDNA and ROS, decreased the expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome activation related proteins, including NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, pro-caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18; and increased the expressions of PINK-1, Parkin, beclin-1, LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ, p62 in AngII-induced H9C2 cells. Discussion: Hirudin promoted the process of mitophagy, inhibited the development of inflammation and oxidative stress, and inhibited the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the PINK-1/Parkin pathway. Conclusion: Hirudin has the activity to suppress cardiac hypertrophy may benefit from the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and activating of PINK-1/Parkin related-mitophagy.

The manipulation of droplets plays a vital role in biomedicine, chemistry, and hydromechanics, especially in microfluidics. Magnetic droplet manipulation has emerged as a prominent and advanced technique in comparison to other modes such as dielectric infiltration, optical radiation, and surface acoustic waves. Its notable progress is attributed to several advantages, including excellent biocompatibility, remote and non-contact control, and instantaneous response. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent developments in magnetic droplet manipulation and its applications within the biomedical field. Firstly, the discussion involves an examination of the distinctive features associated with droplet manipulation based on both permanent magnet and electromagnet principles, along with a thorough exploration of the influencing factors impacting magnetic droplet manipulation. Additionally, an in-depth review of magnetic actuation mechanisms and various droplet manipulation methods is presented. Furthermore, the article elucidates the biomedical applications of magnetic droplet manipulation, particularly its role in diagnostic assays, drug discovery, and cell culture. Finally, the highlights and challenges of magnetic droplet manipulation in biomedical applications are described in detail.

Objective: Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu capsule (ZL) is a Chinese patent medicine for treating cardio-cerebral diseases. However, the pharmacological mechanism by which it regulates blood lipids and treats atherosclerosis (AS) is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of ZL inhibiting hyperlipidemia and treating AS through NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Methods: Fifty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into control, model, model + ZL (3.12 g/kg/d, i.g.), model + atorvastatin (0.51 mg/kg/d, i.g.), and model + ZL + atorvastatin groups. Except for the control group, all other groups underwent carotid intima air drying and received a high-fat diet for 28 days to establish hyperlipidemia AS model, and drug treatment was given for the same period of time after modeling. Pathological changes and blood lipids were detected, NF-κB/NLRP3-related protein or gene expression levels were analyzed in carotid tissue. Results: ZL significantly reduced blood lipids and delayed the progression of AS. TC, TG, and LDL-C were decreased while HDL-C was increased in blood, IMT thickening and plaque formation of carotid arteries were inhibited, VRI was alleviated, and pathological features were improved. NF-κB, NLRP3 and IL-1β in the carotid artery were significantly down-regulated after intervention with ZL. RT-PCR and western blot analysis showed that NF-κB (p-NF-κB), NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly downregulated by ZL. Conclusions: ZL can be used effectively as adjuvant therapy for hyperlipidemia and AS, combining it with atorvastatin yielded more optimized efficacy, but its anti-inflammatory and pharmacological mechanisms of inhibiting pyroptosis should be studied further.

The study aimed to explore the mechanism of Cistanches Herba in treatment of Parkinson’s disease based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The active components in Cistanches Herba were selected as candidate compounds by the TCMSP. And the target information of Cistanches Herba was obtained by PubChem and sea database. The target information of Parkinson’s disease was obtained by GeneCard database and the common target gene information was obtained by comparing traditional Chinese medicine and disease targets. PPI network was constructed by means of STRING. The key target genes were enriched by GO and KEGG pathway in DAVID 6.8 database. The Cytoscape software was applied to construct the network diagram of traditional Chinese medicine-chemical compound-target. The gene targets in the network were sorted according to the degree value, the first five key targets were selected. Finally, the five key targets were in connection with the effective active components of Cistanches Herba by using AutoDock Vina tool. In the end, the results showed that 6 active components were screened from Cistanches Herba beta-sitosterol, arachidonate, suchilactone, Yangambin, quercetin, Marckine. 308 prediction targets were obtained by intersection, which were analyzed by PPI. 38 key target genes were filtered out, and the key target genes were enriched by GO and KEGG pathway. Finally, it was found that GO rich BP includes intracellular signal transduction; CC analysis mainly included protein complex, mitochondrion; MF results mainly included ATP binding, protein complex binding. KEGG pathway enrichment mainly included PI3K/Akt, miRNAs, HIF-1, TNF, FOXO signal pathways, etc. The first five key targets were MAPK8, ESR1, SRC, JAK2 and AKT1. The results of molecular docking showed that the six active components of Cistanches Herba had good binding activity with five key targets. This study found that Cistanches Herba could play a multi-component, multi-channel and multi-target synergistic role in the treatment of Parkinson's disease by protecting mitochondrial function, regulating protein activity, regulating autophagy and inhibiting neuroinflammatory response.

Abstract. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease that resulted from the severe destruction of the insulin-producing β cells in the pancreases of individuals with a genetic predisposition. Genome-wide studies have identified HLA and other risk genes associated with T1D susceptibility in humans. However, evidence obtained from the incomplete concordance of diabetes incidence among monozygotic twins suggests that environmental factors also play critical roles in T1D pathogenesis. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field that serves as a bridge to link T1D risk genes and environmental exposures, thereby modulating the expression of critical genes relevant to T1D development beyond the changes of DNA sequences. Indeed, there is compelling evidence that epigenetic changes induced by environmental insults are implicated in T1D pathogenesis. Herein, we sought to summarize the recent progress in terms of epigenetic mechanisms in T1D initiation and progression, and discuss their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the T1D setting.

Asthma is a multifactorial disorder characterized by the airway chronic inflammation, hyper-responsiveness (AHR), remodeling, and reversible obstruction. Although asthma is known as a heterogeneous group of diseases with various clinical manifestations, recent studies suggest that more than half of the clinical cases are ‘‘T helper type 2 (Th2)-high’’ type, whose pathogenesis is driven by Th2 responses to an inhaled allergen from the environmental exposures. The intensity and duration of inflammatory responses to inhaled allergens largely depend on the balance between effector and regulatory cells, but many questions regarding the mechanisms by which the relative magnitudes of these opposing forces are remained unanswered. Regulatory T cells (Tregs), which comprise diverse subtypes with suppressive function, have long been attracted extensive attention owing to their capability to limit the development and progression of allergic diseases. In this review we seek to update the recent advances that support an essential role for Tregs in the induction of allergen tolerance and attenuation of asthma progression once allergic airway inflammation established. We also discuss the current concepts about Treg induction and Treg-expressed mediators relevant to controlling asthma, and the therapies designed based on these novel insights against asthma in clinical settings.

Abstract Objectives Kelch repeat and BTB domain-containing protein 8, KBTBD8, has been identified as a female fertility factor. However, there have been no reports on the role of KBTBD8 in the progression of epithelial ovarian cancer, EOC. Our study aimed to address this issue. Methods We first examine KBTBD8 expression in EOC tissues and cells. Next, we performed RNA sequencing to reveal the overall mechanism. Then we investigated the roles of KBTBD8 in the proliferation, migration, and health status of cultured EOC cells. Finally, we employed tumor xenograft models to evaluate the role of KBTBD8 in vivo. Results First, KBTBD8 level was significantly higher in EOC tissues and cells. Next, comparative RNA sequencing identified more tumorigenesis-related genes that KBTBD8 might regulate. Then we found that KBTBD8 knockdown significantly decreased EOC cell proliferation, migration, and the activities of multiple tumorigenesis-related kinases. Finally, KBTBD8 knockdown significantly diminished ovarian tumor formation in vivo. Conclusion Proper KBTBD8 level is essential for the healthy growth of ovarian somatic cells, such as ovarian epithelial cells. Excessive KBTBD8 might be a significant impetus for EOC progression. KBTBD8 reduction greatly inhibits EOC proliferation and migration.

Single-cell RNA-seq can reveal accurate and precise cell types and states. Here the authors present an scRNA-seq platform, Paired-seq, which uses differential flow resistance to achieve 95% cell utilisation efficiency for improved cell-free RNA removal and gene detection.

Eco-approach and departure (EAD) systems in connected vehicles are capable of providing the speed recommendations to drivers so that vehicles can pass through successive intersections at the appropriate instants to save time and energy. However, most of existing control strategies and global optimization algorithms for EAD systems have extremely high requirements for computational resources, which make EAD systems not easy to popularize and apply to real vehicles. To overcome this problem, this paper designs a traffic flow prediction model based on deep learning regression machine, and establishes a dynamic effective red-light duration model based on traffic flow queuing effect. To facilitate real-time update of the optimal speed, a constrained optimization model is proposed as an approximation approach, which can obtain similar optimal results to that of the pseudo-spectral method while greatly reducing calculating time. The effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm for EAD system on passing intersections and energy saving has been validated on the real vehicle under real-world traffic environment. Compared with the uninformed driver, the proposed EAD system saves 2% time and 4.6% energy on average in case that driver is informed and 8% time and 12.1% energy in case of autonomous driving.

The GLOSA (Green Light Optimal Speed Advisory) system provides speed advice to drivers so that drivers can pass through congested intersections at right instant with shorter time and lower energy consumption. Traditional GLOSA system only considers the SPaT (Signal Phase and Timing) of traffic light. However, two another important factors, namely queuing effect and actual tracking error of drivers, are seldomly considered, which degrades the actual performance of the GLOSA system. Intelligent connected vehicles based on V2I (Vehicle to Infrastructure) have great application potential in solving this problem. In this study, firstly, a vehicle queue length estimation method based on V2I technology is proposed to predict the effective green light time. Secondly, a hierarchical GLOSA system is developed, where the upper layer provides the global recommended optimal speed aiming at minimizing energy consumption, while the bottom layer provides the modified recommended speed considering the driver's tracking error. Finally, the tracking error of the driver when executing the recommended speed is derived based on the real-world experiment. Corresponding simulation and field test platforms are also established. Results show that compared with the traditional GLOSA system, the improved GLOSA system considering the vehicle queuing effect and driving error can effectively improve the energy-saving performance of the vehicle.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by impaired mitochondrial function and decreased ATP levels. Aerobic glycolysis and lactate production have been shown to be upregulated in dopaminergic neurons to sustain ATP levels, but the effect of upregulated glycolysis on dopaminergic neurons remains unknown. Since lactate promotes apoptosis and α-synuclein accumulation in neurons, we hypothesized that the lactate produced upon upregulated glycolysis is involved in the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in PD. In this study, we examined the expression of hexokinase 2 (HK2) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the key enzymes in glycolysis, and lactate levels in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) of a MPTP-induced mouse model of PD and in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. We found that the expression of HK2 and LDHA and the lactate levels were markedly increased in the SNpc of MPTP-treated mice and in MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Exogenous lactate treatment led to the apoptosis of SH-SY5Y cells. Intriguingly, lactate production and the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons were suppressed by the application of 3-bromopyruvic acid (3-Brpa), a HK2 inhibitor, or siRNA both in vivo and in vitro. 3-Brpa treatment markedly improved the motor behaviour of MPTP-treated mice in pole test and rotarod test. Mechanistically, lactate increases the activity of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and suppresses the phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Together, our data suggest that upregulated HK2 and LDHA and increased lactate levels prompt the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons in PD. Inhibition of HK2 expression attenuated the apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons by downregulating lactate production and AMPK/Akt/mTOR pathway in PD.

This paper presents the design and modeling procedure of a wireless power transfer (WPT) system applied to In-wheel-motor (IWM). The system is designed to transmit over 10 kW of power following the physical constraints faced by the IWM applications. The issues of coil misalignment and load change are discussed as particular scenarios in IWM. The finite element model is built for circular, rectangular, and double-D coils, finding that the rectangular coil has the best performance considering the transmission interval and misalignment resistance. The circuit design procedure is presented, and the analysis of the influence of load and mutual inductance change on the WPT system is addressed. Finally, the performance of the design is verified with experiments on a full-scale prototype. It is proved that the WPT system successfully transmits 10 kW of power with a DC–DC efficiency of over 90% under a transmission interval of 140 mm. The output voltage is stable under 40 mm coil misalignment scenarios and over 50% load change.

This study aimed to investigate the gap between adaptive functioning and cognitive functioning, especially verbal and nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) in Chinese children with ASD. We systematically explored cognitive functioning, ASD severity, early signs of developmental abnormalities, and socioeconomic factors as mediating factors of adaptive functioning. We enrolled 151 children (age: 2.5?6 years) with ASD and categorized them into one group with IQ [greater than or equal to] 70 and another with IQ < 70. The two groups were calibrated for age, age at diagnosis, and IQ, and the relationship of adaptive skills with vocabulary acquisition index (VAI) and nonverbal index (NVI) were separately analyzed. Results show that the gap between IQ and adaptive functioning was significant in children with ASD having IQ [greater than or equal to] 70, with both VAI and NVI showing statistically significant differences (all P < 0.001). VAI correlated positively with scores for overall adaptive skills and specific domains, whereas NVI had no significant correlations with adaptive skill scores. Age of first walking unaided had an independent positive correlation (all P < 0.05) with scores of adaptive skills and specific domains. IQ-adaptive functioning gap is significant in children with ASD having IQ [greater than or equal to] 70, suggesting that defining "high-functioning autism" merely on the basis of IQ is not appropriate. Verbal IQ and early signs of motor development are specific and possible predictors of adaptive functioning in children with ASD, respectively.

On the basis of wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communication, this paper proposes a superior control strategy for the merging behavior of connected cruise control (CCC) considering the effect of time delays. A novel range policy that integrates the consideration of side-vehicle merging scene is established, based on which a general strategy is proposed focusing on the acceleration control and incorporating various information delays. In this portion, the time-delay effect for the plant stability and head-to-tail string stability of CCC is explored and analyzed in detail. The results demonstrate that the traffic efficiency, the driving safety, and the ride comfort of CCC vehicles can be improved by the proposed method. In addition, the sensitivity study regarding the controller gain and the platoon’s connectivity structure is exploited, which is proved to be of importance for system stability.

The nervous system contains a neural network that regulates and coordinates all physiological processes in our body, and as we all know, the damages within the system would lead to many neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease or schizophrenia. The bifurcation phenomenon in the neuronal system is believed to be the cause, and thus, it is important to understand the mechanism and find effective methods to resist. Several control methods have been proved useful in the integer-order neuronal model. In this paper, we presented a novel control method based on a fractional-order washout filter with time delay for Hopf bifurcation control in a fractional-order neuron model, demonstrating and testing by a fractional-order Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model. The computer simulation shows the effectiveness of the proposed method. Furthermore, we presented the bifurcation phenomenon of fractional-order Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model with the decrease of the order and analyzed the influence of the fractional-order washout filter gain on the Hopf bifurcation of the different order Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model.

Energy management strategy is critical in the development of hybrid electric vehicles. It is used to improve fuel economy and sustain battery state of charge by splitting the power demand to different power sources while satisfying various physical constraints and vehicle performance simultaneously. However, it is challenging to achieve an optimal control performance due to the complexity of the hybrid powertrain, the time-varying constraints, and stochastic of the load power. Focusing on these problems, this paper presents an online correction predictive energy management (OCPEM) strategy for a hybrid electric tracked vehicle based on dynamic programming (DP) and reinforcement learning (RL). First, a multi-time-scale prediction method is proposed to realize the short-period future driving cycle prediction. Then, the DP algorithm is applied to obtain the local control policy based on the short-period future driving cycle. The RL algorithm is combined with the fuzzy logic controller to optimize the control policy by eliminating the influence of imprecise prediction. Finally, the simulations are conducted in Matlab/Simulink to evaluate the control effectiveness and adaptability of the proposed method. The results indicate that the fuel economy of the proposed OCPEM is improved by 4% compared with the original predictive energy management and achieve 90.51% of that of the DP benchmark.

In terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation is sensitive to climate change and human activities. Its spatial-temporal changes also affect the ecological and social environment. In this paper, we considered the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region to study the spatio-temporal vegetation patterns. The detailed analysis of a moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data were carried out through the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Our results show a slow and tortuous upward trend in the average leaf area index (LAI) in the study region for the periods 2001–2020. Specifically, Beijing had the highest LAI value, with an average of 1.64 over twenty years, followed by Hebei (1.30) and Tianjin (1.04). Among different vegetation types, forests had the highest normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with the range of 0.62–0.78, followed by shrubland (0.58–0.75), grassland (0.34–0.66), and cropland (0.38–0.54) over the years. Spatially, compared to the whole study area, index value in the northwestern part of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region increased greatly in many areas, such as northwest Beijing, Chengde, and Zhangjiakou, indicating a significant ecological optimization. Meanwhile, there was ecological degradation in the middle and southeast regions, from Tangshan southeastward to Handan, crossing Tianjin, Langfang, the east part of Baoding, Shijiazhuang, and the west part of Cangzhou. Air temperature and precipitation were positively and significantly correlated with net primary production (NPP) and precipitation stood out as a key driver. Additionally, an intensification of the urbanization rate will negatively impact the vegetation NPP, with the shrubland and forest being affected most relative to the cropland.

As a member of the transition metal nitride material family, titanium nitride (TiN) quantum dots (QDs) have attracted great attention in optical and electronic fields because of their excellent optoelectronic properties and favorable stability. Herein, TiN QDs were synthesized and served as a saturable absorber (SA) for an ultrafast fiber laser. Due to the strong nonlinear optical absorption characteristics with a modulation depth of ~33%, the typical fundamental mode-locked pulses and harmonics mode-locked pulses can be easily obtained in an ultrafast erbium-doped fiber laser with a TiN-QD SA. In addition, at the maximum pump power, harmonic mode-locked pulses with a repetition rate of ~1 GHz (164th order) and a pulse duration of ~1.45 ps are achieved. As far as we know, the repetition rate is the highest in the ultrafast fiber laser using TiN QDs as an SA. Thus, these experimental results indicate that TiN QDs can be considered a promising material, showing more potential in the category of ultrafast laser and nonlinear optics.

L-ascorbic acid (AA) was reported to have an anti-cancer effect over 40 years. In recent years, several ongoing clinical trials are exploring the safety and efficacy of intravenous high-dose AA for cancer treatment. The lack of appropriate imaging modality limits the identification of potentially suitable patients for AA treatment. This study focuses on identifying AA-sensitive tumor cells using molecular imaging. 6-Deoxy-6-[18F] fluoro-L-ascorbic Acid (18F-DFA), a structural analog of AA, was synthesized and labeled to visualize the metabolism of AA in vivo. Colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines with high and low expression of sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters 2 (SVCT2) were used for a series of cellular uptake tests. PET imaging was performed on xenograft tumor-bearing mice. More AA uptake was observed in CRC cells with high SVCT2 expression than in cells with low SVCT2 expression. The substrate (unlabeled AA) can competitively inhibit the 18F-DFA tracer uptake by CRC cells. The biodistribution of 18F-DFA in mice showed high radioactivity was seen in organs such as adrenal glands, kidneys, and liver that were known to have high concentrations of AA. Both PET imaging and tissue distribution showed that cancer cells with high SVCT2 expression enhanced the accumulation of 18F-DFA in mice after tumor formation. Immunohistochemistry was used to verify the corresponding results. As a radiotracer, 18F-DFA can provide powerful imaging information to identify tumor with high affinity of AA, and SVCT2 can be a potential biomarker in this process.

BackgroundThe anticancer potential of pharmacologic ascorbic acid (AA) has been detected in a number of cancer cells. However, in vivo study suggested a strongly reduced cytotoxic activity of AA. It was known that pH could be a critical influencing factor for multiple anticancer treatments. In this study, we explored the influence of pH on the cytotoxicity of ascorbic acid. We employed castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cell lines PC3 and DU145 to observe the therapeutic effect of AA on PCa cells that were cultured with different pH in vitro. We also analyzed the influence of pH and extracellular oxidation on cytotoxicity of AA in cancer cells using reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay, cellular uptake of AA, and NADPH assay. Male BALB/c nude mice bearing prostate carcinoma xenografts (PC3 or DU145) were used to assess treatment response to AA with or without bicarbonate in vivo. The cellular uptake of AA in PCa xenografts was detected using positron emission tomography (PET). Small animal PET/CT scans were performed on mice after the administration of 6-deoxy-6-[18F] fluoro-L-ascorbic acid (18F-DFA).ResultsOur in vitro studies demonstrate that acidic pH attenuates the cytotoxic activity of pharmacologic ascorbic acid by inhibiting AA uptake in PCa cells. Additionally, we found that the cancer cell-selective toxicity of AA depends on ROS. In vivo, combination of AA and bicarbonate could provide a significant better therapeutic outcome in comparison with controls or AA single treated mice. 18F-DFA PET imaging illustrated that the treatment with NaHCO3 could significantly increase the AA uptake in tumor.ConclusionsThe alkalinity of tumor microenvironment plays an important role in anticancer efficiency of AA in CRPC. 18F-DFA PET/CT imaging could predict the therapeutic response of PCa animal model through illustration of tumoral uptake of AA. 18F-DFA might be a potential PET tracer in clinical diagnosis and treatment for CRPC.

Natural polyphenols have attracted great interests in medicine, food and cosmetics due to their versatile functions such as antioxidant, anticancer and antibacterial. The polyphenolic structures (i.e. catechol, and pyrogallol) in natural polyphenols are responsible for strong noncovalent interactions via multiple hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, and dynamic covalent complexation with boronate groups and multiple metal ions. In this review, we focused on the preparation and applications of natural polyphenol-based coating films, nanoparticles, nanocapsules, and hydrogels emerged from their chemical and functional signatures. The beneficial role and mechanism of natural polyphenols in facilitating the delivery of proteins, nucleic acids and conventional drug molecules were reviewed. Finally, the challenges of natural polyphenol-based delivery systems and perspectives in rational design of next generation natural polyphenol biomaterials will be discussed.

Cordycepin, isolated from the traditional medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris, has gained much attention due to its various clinical functions. Previous reports of L-alanine addition could significantly improve cordycepin production, but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, transcriptome analysis of C. militaris with doubled cordycepin production induced by L-alanine addition provides an insight into the flexibility of the cordycepin network. The biopathways of energy generation and amino acid conversion were activated so that cordycepin substrate generation was consequently improved. Specific genes of rate-limiting enzymes in these pathways, as well as related transcription factors, were figured out. Two key Zn2Cys6-type transcription factors CmTf1 and CmTf2 were verified to play the roles of doubling the cordycepin production by overexpression of their coding genes in C. militaris wild type. These results provide a complete map of the cordycepin network in C. militaris with a distinct understanding of the flexibility of joints, giving a better foundation for increasing cordycepin yield and strain breeding in the future.

Digital twinning technology originated in the field of aerospace. The real-time and bidirectional feature of data interaction guarantees its advantages of high accuracy, real-time performance and scalability. In this paper the digital twin technology was introduced to electric vehicle energy consumption research. First, an energy consumption model of an electric vehicle of BAIC BJEV was established, then the model was optimized and verified through the energy consumption data of the drum test. Based on the data of the vehicle real-time monitoring platform, a digital twin model was built, and it was trained and updated by daily new data. Eventually it can be used to predict and verify the data of vehicle. In this way the prediction of energy consumption of vehicles can be achieved.

The simulation of electronic control function failure has been utilized broadly as an evaluation method when determining the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL). The driver model is quite critical in the ASIL evaluation simulation. A new driver model that can consider drivers of different driving skills is proposed in this paper. It can simulate the overall performance of different drivers driving vehicles by adjusting parameters, with which the impact of a certain electronic control function failure and the ASIL are evaluated. This paper has taken the function failure of regenerative braking as the simulation object in the double-lane-change driving scenario to simulate typical driving conditions with the designed driver model, and then has obtained the ASIL of regenerative braking function, which is applied to a BAIC new energy vehicle development project.

This paper presents a reinforcement learning (RL)–based energy management strategy for a hybrid electric tracked vehicle. A control-oriented model of the powertrain and vehicle dynamics is first established. According to the sample information of the experimental driving schedule, statistical characteristics at various velocities are determined by extracting the transition probability matrix of the power request. Two RL-based algorithms, namely Q-learning and Dyna algorithms, are applied to generate optimal control solutions. The two algorithms are simulated on the same driving schedule, and the simulation results are compared to clarify the merits and demerits of these algorithms. Although the Q-learning algorithm is faster (3 h) than the Dyna algorithm (7 h), its fuel consumption is 1.7% higher than that of the Dyna algorithm. Furthermore, the Dyna algorithm registers approximately the same fuel consumption as the dynamic programming–based global optimal solution. The computational cost of the Dyna algorithm is substantially lower than that of the stochastic dynamic programming.

To further improve the fuel economy of series hybrid electric tracked vehicles, a reinforcement learning (RL)-based real-time energy management strategy is developed in this paper. In order to utilize the statistical characteristics of online driving schedule effectively, a recursive algorithm for the transition probability matrix (TPM) of power-request is derived. The reinforcement learning (RL) is applied to calculate and update the control policy at regular time, adapting to the varying driving conditions. A facing-forward powertrain model is built in detail, including the engine-generator model, battery model and vehicle dynamical model. The robustness and adaptability of real-time energy management strategy are validated through the comparison with the stationary control strategy based on initial transition probability matrix (TPM) generated from a long naturalistic driving cycle in the simulation. Results indicate that proposed method has better fuel economy than stationary one and is more effective in real-time control.

To examine the effects of formononetin (FMN) on Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced liver injury in vitro and in vivo. Human non-tumor hepatic cells LO2 were pretreated with either vehicle or FMN (20, 40 μM), for 6 h, followed by incubation with or without APAP (10 mM) for 24 h. In an in vivo assay, male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: (1) control group; (2) APAP group; (3) APAP + FMN (50 mg/Kg); (4) APAP + FMN (100 mg/Kg). The mice in the control and APAP groups were pre-treated with vehicle; the other two groups were pretreated daily with FMN (50, 100 mg/Kg) orally for 7 consecutive days. After the final treatment, acute liver injury was induced in all groups, except the control group, by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 300 mg/Kg APAP. In LO2 cells, APAP exposure decreased the cell viability and glutathione (GSH) content, which were both greatly restored by FMN pretreatment. Overdose of APAP increased hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity in experimental mice. Supplementation with 100 mg/Kg FMN significantly reduced APAP-induced elevated levels of MDA (1.97 ± 0.27 vs 0.55 ± 0.14 nmol/mg protein, p < 0.001), ALT (955.80 ± 209.40 vs 46.90 ± 20.40 IU/L, p < 0.001) and AST (1533.80 ± 244.80 vs 56.70 ± 28.80 IU/L, p < 0.001), and hepatic GSH level (5.54 ± 0.93 vs 8.91 ± 1.11 μmol/mg protein, p < 0.001) was significantly increased. These results were further validated by histopathology and TdT-mediated biotin-dUTP nick-endlabeling (TUNEL) staining, pretreatment with 100 mg/Kg FMN significant decreased APAP-induced hepatocellular damage and cell apoptosis (36.55 ± 3.82 vs 2.58 ± 1.80%, p < 0.001). Concomitantly, FMN stimulated the expression of Nrf2 and antioxidant gene expression in the presence of APAP. These data provide an experimental basis for the use of FMN in the treatment of patients with APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.

The optimal sizing and control of a hybrid tracked vehicle is presented and solved in this paper. A driving schedule obtained from field tests is used to represent typical tracked vehicle operations. Dynamics of the diesel engine-permanent magnetic AC synchronous generator set, the lithium-ion battery pack, and the power split between them are modeled and validated through experiments. Two coupled optimizations, one for the plant parameters, forming the outer optimization loop and one for the control strategy, forming the inner optimization loop, are used to achieve minimum fuel consumption under the selected driving schedule. The dynamic programming technique is applied to find the optimal controller in the inner loop while the component parameters are optimized iteratively in the outer loop. The results are analyzed, and the relationship between the key parameters is observed to keep the optimal sizing and control simultaneously.

In order to safely and efficiently use the power as well as to extend the lifetime of the traction battery pack, accurate estimation of State of Charge (SoC) is very important and necessary. This paper presents an adaptive observer-based technique for estimating SoC of a lithium-ion battery pack used in an electric vehicle (EV). The RC equivalent circuit model in ADVISOR is applied to simulate the lithium-ion battery pack. The parameters of the battery model as a function of SoC, are identified and optimized using the numerically nonlinear least squares algorithm, based on an experimental data set. By means of the optimized model, an adaptive Luenberger observer is built to estimate online the SoC of the lithium-ion battery pack. The observer gain is adaptively adjusted using a stochastic gradient approach so as to reduce the error between the estimated battery output voltage and the filtered battery terminal voltage measurement. Validation results show that the proposed technique can accurately estimate SoC of the lithium-ion battery pack without a heavy computational load.

This paper presents a supervised reinforcement learning (SRL)-based framework for longitudinal vehicle dynamics control of cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) system. A supervisor network trained by real driving data is incorporated into the actor-critic reinforcement learning approach. In the SRL training process, the actor and critic network are updated under the guidance of the supervisor and the gain scheduler. As a result, the training success rate is improved, and the driver characteristics can be learned by the actor to achieve a human-like CACC controller. The SRL-based control policy is compared with a linear controller in typical driving situations through simulation, and the control policies trained by drivers with different driving styles are compared using a real driving cycle. Furthermore, the proposed control strategy is demonstrated by a real vehicle-following experiment with different time headways. The simulation and experimental results not only validate the effectiveness and adaptability of the SRL-based CACC system, but also show that it can provide natural following performance like human driving.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the beet webworm, Spoladea recurvalis has been sequenced. The circular genome is 15,273 bp in size, encoding 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes and containing a control region with gene order and orientation identical to that of other ditrysian lepidopteran mitogenomes. The nucleotide composition of the mitogenome shows a high A+T content of 80.9%, and the AT skewness is slightly negative (-0.023). All PCGs start with the typical ATN codons, except for COX1, which may start with the CGA codon. Nine of 13 PCGs have the common stop codon TAA; however, COX1, COX2 and ND5 utilize the T nucleotide and ND4 utilizes TA nucleotides as incomplete termination codons. All tRNAs genes are folded into the typical cloverleaf structure of mitochondrial tRNAs, except for the tRNASer(AGY) gene, in which the DHU arm fails to form a stable stem-loop structure. A total of 157 bp intergenic spacers are scattered in 17 regions. The overlapping sequences are 42 bp in total and found in eight different locations. The 329 bp AT-rich region is comprised of non-repetitive sequences, including the motif ATAG, which is followed by a 14 bp poly-T stretch, a (AT11 microsatellite-like repeat, which is adjacent to the motif ATTTA, and a 9 bp poly-A, which is immediately upstream from the tRNAMet gene. Phylogenetic analysis, based on 13 PCGs and 13 PCGs+2 rRNAs using Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood methods, show that the classification position of Pyraloidea is inconsistent with the traditional classification. Hesperioidea is placed within the Papilionoidea rather than as a sister group to it. The Pyraloidea is placed within the Macrolepidoptera with other superfamilies instead of the Papilionoidea.

Papaya (Carica papaya L.) is sensitive to low temperature and easy to be subjected to chilling injury, which causes fruit ripening disorder. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the expression of genes related to ethylene and fruit ripening disorder caused by chilling injury. Papaya fruits were firstly stored at 7°C and 12°C for 25 and 30 days, respectively, then treated with exogenous ethylene and followed by ripening at 25°C for 5 days. Chilling injury symptoms such as pulp water soaking were observed in fruit stored at 7°C on 20 days, whereas the coloration and softening were completely blocked after 25 days, Large differences in the changes in the expression levels of twenty two genes involved in ethylene were seen during 7°C-storage with chilling injury. Those genes with altered expression could be divided into three groups: the group of genes that were up-regulated, including ACS1/2/3, EIN2, EIN3s/EIL1, CTR1/2/3, and ERF1/3/4; the group of genes that were down-regulated, including ACO3, ETR1, CTR4, EBF2, and ERF2; and the group of genes that were un-regulated, including ACO1/2, ERS, and EBF1. The results also showed that pulp firmness had a significantly positive correlation with the expression of ACS2, ACO1, CTR1/4, EIN3a/b, and EBF1/2 in fruit without chilling injury. This positive correlation was changed to negative one in fruit after storage at 7°C for 25 days with chilling injury. The coloring index displayed significantly negative correlations with the expression levels of ACS2, ACO1/2, CTR4, EIN3a/b, ERF3 in fruit without chilling injury, but these correlations were changed into the positive ones in fruit after storage at 7°C for 25 days with chilling injury. All together, these results indicate that these genes may play important roles in the abnormal softening and coloration with chilling injury in papaya.