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The behavioral immune system (BIS), which evolved to protect humans from infectious disease threats, prompts people to be sensitive to disease-connoting cues. A common denominator of many disease-connoting cues is benign physical abnormalities, such as birthmarks and obesity. Previous studies found that among people whose BIS was activated (e.g., people who were exposed to situational disease prime or chronically concerned about disease threat), disease-connoting cues could make people feel threatened by infectious disease and induce their malevolence. Malevolence is a necessary feature of malevolent creativity (MC), which is defined as creativity that deliberately leads to harmful or immoral results. According to the motivated focus account of creativity, a threat could promote creativity when creativity is relevant to the threat. Thus, infectious disease threats might increase malevolent creativity. However, whether infectious disease threats could influence MC is unknown. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the effect of infectious disease threat on MC by two disease-connoting cues (birthmark, obesity). In Study 1 (n = 174), a 2 (threat prime: infectious disease, natural disaster) × 2 (disease-connoting cue: birthmarked face, normal face) between-subjects design was used. Participants were asked to complete a malevolent creativity task (MCT). In Study 2 (n = 131), we used a perceived vulnerability to disease scale (PVD) to assess people's dispositional tendencies of concerns about disease and selected high as well as low PVD participants. A 2 (PVD: high, low) × 2 (disease-connoting cue: obese, average-weight) between-subjects design was used. Participants were asked to complete the negotiation task to assess their MC. The results of Study 1 showed that, compared with participants in the normal face condition, participants in the birthmarked face condition showed higher MC fluency and total MC when they were exposed to situational disease prime. Compared with the natural disaster prime group, the infectious disease prime group showed higher MC fluency and total MC when they were provoked by a birthmark person. The results of Study 2 showed that, compared with the average-weight condition, the obese condition led to higher MC fluency and originality among high PVD participants. Compared with low PVD participants, high PVD participants showed higher MC fluency and originality when they negotiated with an obese person. Our studies suggest that among people whose BIS is situationally or chronically activated, birthmarks and obesity could increase MC, and people's malevolent creativity might be induced by disease-connoting cues during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The principles of hydro-wind compensating operation are explored. • Hydropower compensation for wind power in a power grid is quantitatively analyzed. • The principles of hydro-wind compensation are used for the complementary operation of a power grid. • Carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced while satisfying the load demand of the power grid. The high randomness, intermittency and uncontrollability of wind power make large-scale wind power generation present large challenges for integration into a power grid. In this paper, the principles of hydro-wind compensating operation are explored, aiming at improving the power quality of wind power and promoting the integration of wind power into the power grid. Based on the principles of hydro-wind compensating operation, the calculation method of the hydropower compensation capacity for wind power is derived. Then, an optimizing operation model of a hydro-thermal-wind hybrid power system based on the hydro-wind power compensating principle is proposed to minimize the carbon dioxide emissions and obtain optimal operation scheduling of the hybrid power system by taking advantage of hydro-wind compensation and the peak regulation capacity of hydropower. In this model, the baseload and nonbaseload output emission rates are adopted to estimate the carbon dioxide emissions of different power output processes and the emission reduction benefits. Moreover, three scenarios of the operation mode are proposed to demonstrate the applicability of the hydro-wind power compensating principle in practice. The Northwest Power Grid in China is selected as a case study to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model compared to historical operating data. The results indicate that the hydro-wind power compensating principle plays a crucial role in hydro-thermal-wind combined optimal operation. Additionally, the proposed model can improve the wind power generation and reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of the power grid. In particular, the carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by approximately 1696*104 t each year in the Northwest Power Grid. This study provides an approach to schedule optimal operation plans for power grids with large-scale wind power and provides a valuable reference for the large-scale utilization of other kinds of renewable energy worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological indices of two lines of hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet), MEIDOU 2012 and NANHUI 23, were compared during a progressive course of water-withholding treatments. MEIDOU 2012 was shown to be a superior drought-tolerant genotype. A suppressive subtractive hybridisation library was then constructed by using drought-stressed MEIDOU 2012 roots and sequenced to screen for transcripts with differential abundance variations. In total, 2792 unigenes were assembled from 4064 drought-induced expressed sequence tags. Comparative analysis with other legume genomic sequences, including soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), was performed, from which 338 unigenes associated with root growth and drought response were identified. Among these unigenes, 27 transcription factors were deduced by functional-domain prediction. The transcription levels of a GRAS and a WRKY transcription factor were confirmed to be responding sensitively to water stresses. Additionally, protein--protein interaction (PPI) networks were predicted for all drought-induced root-related unigenes with different stringency levels. A mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK4) and an EF-hand calcium-binding protein (CML24) module were pinpointed to be putative 'master' signalling hubs in these PPI networks. Detailed examination of these genomic resources would further reveal key regulators of Lablab drought tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is thought to be multifactorial in etiology, including genetic and environmental components. While a number of gene-environment interaction studies have been carried out, meta-analyses are scarce. The present meta-analysis aimed to quantify evidence on the interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and stress in depression.Methods: Included were 31 peer-reviewed with a pooled total of 21060 participants published before October 2016 and literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Wolters Kluwer, Web of Science, EBSCO, Elsevier Science Direct and Baidu Scholar databases.Results: The results indicated that the Met allele of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism significantly moderated the relationship between stress and depression (Z=2.666, p = 0.003). The results of subgroup analysis concluded that stressful life events and childhood adversity separately interacted with the Met allele of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in depression (Z = 2.552, p = 0.005; Z = 1.775, p = 0.03).Limitations: The results could be affected by errors or bias in primary studies which had small sample sizes with relatively lower statistic power. We could not estimate how strong the interaction effect between gene and environment was.Conclusions: We found evidence that supported the hypothesis that BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderated the relationship between stress and depression, despite the fact that many included individual studies did not show this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• River water mixing and CO 2 dissolution in groundwater was modeled with δ13C tracers. • Decomposition of both C3 and lacustrine organic matter was related to CO 2 dissolution. • Modeling identified similar amounts of vertical and horizontal groundwater recharge. Carbon stable isotopic compositions of dissolved inorganic carbon (δ13C DIC) and chemical compositions of groundwater were used to investigate the processes of supply of DIC to groundwater in the lowland area of the Fukui-Ohno Basin and to examine constraints on the groundwater recharge-flow system. The groundwater in the basin is dominantly of Ca-HCO 3 type with relatively high concentrations of Ca2+ and HCO 3 − and lower concentrations of Mg2+; this groundwater chemistry can be attributed to weathering within the aquifer of mainly anorthite and some pyroxene at partial pressures of CO 2 that are typical of soils. The δ13C values of the CO 2 gas initially equilibrated with DIC in the groundwater were calculated to be −28.6‰ to −22.8‰, indicating that the groundwater in the lowland basin has two main sources of carbon: (1) C3 organic matter (δ13C ≈ −29‰), distributed mainly in mountains surrounding much of the basin and in aquicludes within the basin; and (2) organic matter in shallow lacustrine deposits within the lowland basin (δ13C ≈ −20‰). The results of modeling accounting for these two sources demonstrated that roughly equal proportions (50 ± 20%) of DIC in the groundwater are sourced from lacustrine deposits and C3 organic matter. The distributions of these types of organic matters in and around the lowland basin suggest that there are two major and roughly equal components of groundwater recharge: a vertical component of downward percolation of precipitation in the lowland area and a mainly horizontal component of groundwater flow originating in the mountains around the study area and flowing through aquifers into the lowland basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, treatments, and prognoses of papillary mycosis fungus (PMF). From May 2004 to September 2015, three cases of papular mycosis fungoides were analyzed at Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital. Diagnostic criteria refer to the World Health Organization 2005 Classification of Cutaneous Lymphoma. Factors that influenced patient survival and prognoses were analyzed. Skin papules were reduced, and skin color was lightened in three patients after a short treatment regimen. Follow-up for 4–7 years revealed few changes in pigmentation, no increase in skin papules, and neither organ nor lymph node involvement. Skin papular mycosis fungal disease can heal itself, and there is no need for excessive intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The flexibility evaluation method framework of the WMCB power system is proposed. • The LOFP, LOFE, and FDS indices are introduced to measure the flexibility margin of the WMCB. • The appropriate capacity ratio of the wind-PV power to hydropower in the WMCB should be 1:1 ∼ 1.5:1. The widespread expansion of renewable energy, like wind and photovoltaic (PV), increases the importance of power system flexibility. Quantify the balance between the flexibility supply of hydropower and the flexibility demand of wind-PV power is the key to the planning and development of multi-energy complementary system. Based on the power system flexibility balance principle, a novel flexibility evaluation method is proposed for watershed-type wind-PV-hydro multi-energy complementary bases (WMCB) considering the complementary characteristics of cascade hydropower stations. First, the wind and PV power capacity ratio are determined by complementarity index, and the timing production simulation model are used to determine the wind-PV-hydro power output to calculate the flexible supply. And the flexibility demand is calculated by the combined bias distribution of the wind-PV power output states. Then, the flexibility margin distribution is calculated by the convolution difference, and loss of flexibility probability (LOFP), loss of flexibility expectation (LOFE), and flexibility demand shortage (FDS) indices are used to measure various aspects of the WMCB system flexibility margin. Finally, the relationship is established between the wind-PV power capacity and system flexibility margin indices, and the impact of wind-PV power capacity improvement on the system flexibility margin is analyzed. To verify the feasibility of the method, the WMCB of the downstream Yalong River basin is taken as a case study, and 21 wind-PV power capacity scenarios are set as the comparative schemes. The case study results indicate that the wind and PV power capacity rate should be 0.43:0.57. The suitable wind-PV power developing capacity of the WMCB should be 12.7 GW to 14.7 GW without other flexibility resources. And the developing development potential of wind-PV power capacity would reach about 22.0 GW with 1600 MW upward flexibility resources and 850 MW downward flexibility resources. This study provides a novel method framework for the flexibility analysis of the wind-PV-hydro power systems and provides a valuable reference for the planning and design of WMCBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, as membrane-bound hemoproteins, play important roles in the detoxification of drugs, cellular metabolism, and homeostasis. In humans, almost 80% of oxidative metabolism and approximately 50% of the overall elimination of common clinical drugs can be attributed to one or more of the various CYPs, from the CYP families 1–3. In addition to the basic metabolic effects for elimination, CYPs are also capable of affecting drug responses by influencing drug action, safety, bioavailability, and drug resistance through metabolism, in both metabolic organs and local sites of action. Structures of CYPs have recently provided new insights into both understanding the mechanisms of drug metabolism and exploiting CYPs as drug targets. Genetic polymorphisms and epigenetic changes in CYP genes and environmental factors may be responsible for interethnic and interindividual variations in the therapeutic efficacy of drugs. In this review, we summarize and highlight the structural knowledge about CYPs and the major CYPs in drug metabolism. Additionally, genetic and epigenetic factors, as well as several intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to interindividual variation in drug response are also reviewed, to reveal the multifarious and important roles of CYP-mediated metabolism and elimination in drug therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the emergence of new models for wood formation and the increasing emphasis on improving the efficiency of cellulosic biofuel production, research on vascular tissue biology has intensified in recent years. Some of the most active areas of research focus on manipulating activity of enzymes in the cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin pathways. In addition, great strides have been made in the characterization of transcriptional networks controlling genes that affect differentiation, secondary cell wall synthesis and programmed cell death in xylem. Less attention has been devoted to the characterization of proteases that may be important regulators of post-translational events that affect vascular cell differentiation and function and cell wall composition. Several genes for proteases and components of the ubiquitin/26S proteasome pathway are upregulated in xylem and phloem and in cell culture systems for studying the differentiation of xylem tracheary elements (TEs). Although small molecule protease inhibitors have been used to explore the roles of proteases during the differentiation of cultured TEs, only a small number of vascular tissue-associated protease genes have been directly tested to determine whether they play roles in vascular tissue biology. In this report, we review roles for proteases in vascular cell differentiation and function as determined through the use of protease inhibitors and genetic analyses and conclude by identifying opportunities for future research in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In all higher plants studied to date, the anthocyanin pigment pathway is regulated by a suite of transcription factors that include Myb, bHLH and WD-repeat proteins. However, in Arabidopsis thaliana, the Myb regulators remain to be conclusively identified, and little is known about anthocyanin pathway regulation by TTG1-dependent transcriptional complexes. Previous overexpression of the PAP1 Myb suggested that genes from the entire phenylpropanoid pathway are targets of regulation by Myb/bHLH/WD-repeat complexes in Arabidopsis, in contrast to other plants. Here we demonstrate that overexpression of Myb113 or Myb114 results in substantial increases in pigment production similar to those previously seen as a result of over-expression of PAP1, and pigment production in these overexpressors remains TTG1- and bHLH-dependent. Also, plants harboring an RNAi construct targeting PAP1 and three Myb candidates ( PAP2, Myb113 and Myb114) showed downregulated Myb gene expression and obvious anthocyanin deficiencies. Correlated with these anthocyanin deficiencies is downregulation of the same late anthocyanin structural genes that are downregulated in ttg1 and bHLH anthocyanin mutants. Expression studies using GL3:GR and TTG1:GR fusions revealed direct regulation of the late biosynthetic genes only. Functional diversification between GL3 and EGL3 with regard to activation of gene targets was revealed by GL3:GR studies in single and double bHLH mutant seedlings. Expression profiles for Myb and bHLH regulators are also presented in the context of pigment production in young seedlings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosylation is a prominent biological mechanism, affecting the structural and functional diversity of many natural products. In this study, a novel thermostable uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferase gene PpGT1 was cloned from Paenibacillus polymyxa NJPI29 and recombinantly expressed in B. subtilis WB600. The purified PpGT1 had a molecular weight of 45 kDa, as estimated using SDS-PAGE. The PpGT1 could catalyze the glycosylation of vanillic acid, methyl vanillate, caffeic acid, cinnamic alcohol, and ferulic acid. Moreover, PpGT1 possessed good thermostability and retained 80% of its original activity even after 12 h of incubation at 45 °C. In addition, PpGT1 remained stable within a neutral to alkaline pH range as well as in the presence of metal ions. The synthesis of methyl vanillate 4-O-β-D-glucoside by purified PpGT1 reached a yield 3.58 mM in a system with pH 8.0, 45 °C, 12 mM UDP-Glc, and 4 mM methyl vanillate. 3D-structure-based amino acid sequence alignments revealed that the catalytic residues and C-terminated PSPG motif were conserved. These unusual properties indicated that PpGT1 is a candidate UGT for valuable natural product industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycosylation is a prominent biological mechanism, affecting the structural and functional diversity of many natural products. In this study, a novel thermostable uridine diphosphate-dependent glycosyltransferase gene PpGT1 was cloned from Paenibacillus polymyxa NJPI29 and recombinantly expressed in B. subtilis WB600. The purified PpGT1 had a molecular weight of 45 kDa, as estimated using SDS-PAGE. The PpGT1 could catalyze the glycosylation of vanillic acid, methyl vanillate, caffeic acid, cinnamic alcohol, and ferulic acid. Moreover, PpGT1 possessed good thermostability and retained 80% of its original activity even after 12 h of incubation at 45 °C. In addition, PpGT1 remained stable within a neutral to alkaline pH range as well as in the presence of metal ions. The synthesis of methyl vanillate 4-O-β-D-glucoside by purified PpGT1 reached a yield 3.58 mM in a system with pH 8.0, 45 °C, 12 mM UDP-Glc, and 4 mM methyl vanillate. 3D-structure-based amino acid sequence alignments revealed that the catalytic residues and C-terminated PSPG motif were conserved. These unusual properties indicated that PpGT1 is a candidate UGT for valuable natural product industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Switching the internal state machine from FPGA is proposed to adjust the operating bias-point control of Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator, which indicates the proposed method can realize automatic bias-point control in real time without circuit, feedback or algorithm to compensate the drift. • A pulsed laser source of Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator based on the FPGA is established experimentally to demonstrate the modulation depth and the extinction ratio of pulse are improved by 40.50% and 32.85 dB, separately. • The sensing performances of ring-down cavity are improved including the initial curve rise of ring-down signals and the distortion of ring-down waveform. The good linearity, repeatability, stability and accuracy of temperature sensing system are investigated experimentally at the continuous temperature variation from −30℃ to 30℃. Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator as the essential component of high-speed modulation in the optical fiber communication and sensing system, its stability control of operating bias-point plays a key role in determining the transmission signal quality. Based on the output characteristic principle of Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator, researches on its bias-point drifting for causing the reduction mechanism of modulation depth and extinction ratio are analyzed. Switching its internal state machine from FPGA is proposed to automatically adjust the bias voltage in real time realizing the operating bias-point control of Mach-Zehnder electro-optic modulator, which is studied through the theoretical investigation. A pulsed laser with the temperature sensing system of fiber Bragg grating ring-down cavity based on FPGA is established experimentally to demonstrate its effectiveness. The experimental results show the modulation depth and the extinction ratio of pulsed laser are improved by 40.45% and 32.85 dB, respectively. Output characteristic curve of the sensing system is optimized, which includes the phenomenon of initial curve rise of ring-down signals and the distortion of ring-down waveform are eliminated. The good linearity, repeatability, stability and accuracy of sensing system are investigated at the continuous variation temperature from −30℃ to 30℃. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface layer of military airfield pavements is prone to damage, including cracking, abrasion, and spalling. It is proposed to strengthen the pavement mortar layer by laying fiber mesh to solve these issues. In this study, three meshes of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and basalt fiber were selected for surface reinforcement across six pavement slabs of 1.5m (length) × 1.5m (width) × 0.25m (height). The drop hammer impact test was carried out on the six pavement slabs. The test data were analyzed using impact times, crack development characteristics, and development models on the surface deflection as evaluation indices. The results show that the fiber mesh can effectively improve the impact resistance of concrete pavement slabs. Aramid fiber mesh best strengthened the pavement surface, whereas the basalt fiber mesh had the least strengthening effect. However, the mesh size has a negligible influence on the impact resistance of concrete pavement slabs. The effect of fiber mesh on improving the impact resistance of the concrete pavement slab corner was greater than that of the concrete pavement slab edge midpoint. Considering the performance and cost indicators, within the scope of the study, aramid fiber mesh is the most suitable for surface strengthening of airfield concrete pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface layer of military airfield pavements is prone to damage, including cracking, abrasion, and spalling. It is proposed to strengthen the pavement mortar layer by laying fiber mesh to solve these issues. In this study, three meshes of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and basalt fiber were selected for surface reinforcement across six pavement slabs of 1.5m (length) × 1.5m (width) × 0.25m (height). The drop hammer impact test was carried out on the six pavement slabs. The test data were analyzed using impact times, crack development characteristics, and development models on the surface deflection as evaluation indices. The results show that the fiber mesh can effectively improve the impact resistance of concrete pavement slabs. Aramid fiber mesh best strengthened the pavement surface, whereas the basalt fiber mesh had the least strengthening effect. However, the mesh size has a negligible influence on the impact resistance of concrete pavement slabs. The effect of fiber mesh on improving the impact resistance of the concrete pavement slab corner was greater than that of the concrete pavement slab edge midpoint. Considering the performance and cost indicators, within the scope of the study, aramid fiber mesh is the most suitable for surface strengthening of airfield concrete pavement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has been found to have a high mortality rate. Despite continuous efforts, current histopathological classification is insufficient to guide individualized therapies of PDA. We first define the molecular subtypes of PDA (MSOP) based on a meta-cohort of 845 samples from 11 PDA datasets. We then performed functional analyses involving immunity, fibrosis and metabolism. We recognized six molecular subtypes with different survival statistics and molecular composition. The squamous basal-like (SBL) subtype had a poor prognosis and high infiltration of ENO1+ (Enolase 1)/ADM+ (Adrenomedullin) cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The immune mesenchymal-like (IML) subtype and the normal mesenchymal-like (NML) subtype were characterized by genes associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) activities and immune responses, having favorable prognoses. IML was featured by elevated exhausted immune signaling and inflammatory CAFs infiltration, whereas NML was featured with myofibroblastic CAFs infiltration. The exocrine-like (EL) subtype was high in exocrine signals, while the pure classical-like (PCL) subtype lacked immunocytes infiltration. The quiescent-like (QL) subtype had diminished metabolic signaling and high infiltration of NK cells. SBL, IML and NML were enriched in innate anti-PD-1 resistance signatures. In sum, this MSOP depicts a vivid cell-to-molecular atlas of the tumor microenvironment of PDA and might facilitate to design a precise combination of therapies that target immunity, metabolism and stroma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease whose global incidence increases annually. The role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) is a crucial aspect of asthma research with respect to different endotypes of asthma. Based on its pathological and inflammatory features, asthma is divided into type 2 high and type 2 low endotypes. Type‐2 high asthma is distinguished by the activation of type 2 immune cells, including T helper 2 (Th2) cells and ILC2s; the production of cytokines interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13; eosinophilic aggregation; and bronchial hyper‐responsiveness. Type‐2 low asthma represents a variety of endotypes other than type 2 high endotype such as the IL‐1β/ILC3/neutrophil endotype and a paucigranulocytic asthma, which may be insensitive to corticosteroid treatment and/or associated with obesity. The complexity of asthma is due to the involvement of multiple cell types, including tissue‐resident ILCs and other innate immune cells including bronchial epithelial cells, dendritic cells, macrophages and eosinophils, which provide immediate defence against viruses, pathogens and allergens. On this basis, innate immune cells and adaptive immune cells combine to induce the pathological condition of asthma. In addition, the plasticity of ILCs increases the heterogeneity of asthma. This review focuses on the phenotypes of tissue‐resident ILCs and their roles in the different endotypes of asthma, as well as the mechanisms of tissue‐resident ILCs and other immune cells. Based on the phenotypes, roles and mechanisms of immune cells, the therapeutic strategies for asthma are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the genetic basis of leaf sucrose content can provide a novel way in improving soybean yields. To identify the related QTLs, 190 materials of chromosome fragment substitution lines (CSSLs) were used in this study. The CSSLs were developed from the cross between the cultivated soybean Suinong 14 (SN14) and wild soybean ZYD00006. Only one QTL with a high logarithm of odds (LOD) score was detected in 2021 and 2022 among 3780 bin markers (combined by 580,524 SNPs) distributed in 20 chromosomes. Nine candidate genes were screened and Glyma.14G029100 was considered as the hub gene. A promoter difference and CDS mutant was found among the parents and the reference genome, which lead to the relative transcriptional level difference.. Our results lay the groundwork for further research into its genetic mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variations of seawater salinity often cause ocean internal waves, water masses and stratification, which affect the stability of the ocean environment. Therefore, the study of seawater salinity is significant for the prediction of changes in the ocean environment. However, existing methods for measuring seawater salinity generally have the disadvantages of low sensitivity and low accuracy. In this work, we proposed a seawater salinity sensor based on long period fiber grating (LPFG) in the dispersion turning point (DTP), which has demonstrated the possibility to fabricate LPFG with a shorter grating period by CO2 laser in a thin single mode fiber (SMF) of 80 μm cladding diameter without etching. For obtaining higher sensitivity that could meet the measurement requirement in practice, the proposed sensor was optimized by combining etching cladding and DTP. After the LPFG working near DTP was fabricated by a CO2 laser, the cladding diameter was reduced to 57.14 μm for making cladding mode LP1,7 work near DTP by hydrofluoric acid (HF) solutions. The experimental results have demonstrated that a sensitivity of 0.571 nm/‰ can be achieved when the salinity increases from 5.001‰ to 39.996‰, and the sensor shows good repeatability and stability. Based on its excellent performance, the optimized LPFG is a prospective sensor to monitor seawater salinity in real time. Meanwhile, a low-cost way was provided to make LPFG work near DTP instead of ultraviolet exposure and femtosecond laser writing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-DNA insertion mutants play a crucial role in elucidating Arabidopsis gene function. In some cases, two or more T-DNA mutants are combined to study genetic interactions between homologous genes or genes hypothesized to act in the same pathway. We studied the significance of protein–protein interactions between CSN5A and ROP11 by crossing three independent rop11 T-DNA insertion mutants with csn5a -2, a partial loss-of-function intronic T-DNA insertion mutant. The csn5a-2 single mutant is severely stunted, but double rop11 csn5a-2 mutants were rescued and exhibited increased CSN5A transcript and protein levels. The rescued phenotype was maintained in non-Mendelian fashion when the csn5a-2 single mutant was re-isolated from the rop11-1 csn5a-2 double mutant, and was sensitive to two inhibitors of DNA methylation. Loss of kanamycin resistance was also observed in re-isolated csn5a-2 . These findings indicate that the rescue of csn5a-2 resulted from a trans T-DNA-mediated epigenetic effect on the csn5a-2 intronic T-DNA, similar to recent reports involving the intronic T-DNA mutants ag-TD , ben1-1 , and cob-6 . Thus the work reported here provides further support for the recommendation that mutants created through novel combinations of T-DNA alleles should be carefully evaluated for evidence of epigenetic modification of T-DNA before final conclusions are drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel pressure sensor based on the fiber Bragg grating with square diaphragm is proposed for static ice pressure detection, which is investigated by numerical model established by the finite element analysis to simulate and analyze the sensing structure, static analysis, and transient analysis for the proposed sensor. • The static ice pressure sensing system is established to investigate the performances of the proposed sensor, which shows the sensor has low hysteresis, good repeatability and good linearity with a temperature-induced error of 0.87 °C. • The detection tests of ice freezing and thawing are conducted to obtain the dynamic variation and distribution regularity of static ice pressure under continuous temperature changes of 5.0 ∼ −19.8 ∼ 5.0 °C. Meanwhile, the proposed sensor is simple and economical, capable of real-time measuring the changes in static ice pressure during continuous processes of freezing and thawing. Static ice pressure of the ice freezing and thawing as the primary control load poses a serious threat to the hydraulic structures. A special sensor is required because of its harsh testing environment. A novel pressure sensor based on the fiber Bragg grating with square diaphragm is proposed for static ice pressure detection. The finite element analysis method is utilized to simulate and analyze the sensing structure, static analysis, and transient analysis for the proposed sensor. The static ice pressure sensing system is established to investigate the performances of the proposed sensor. Experimental results demonstrate that the pressure sensitivity of the sensor is 1.89 pm/kPa within the range of 100–500 kPa, with a linear record of 99.15 %. Moreover, the sensor has low hysteresis and good repeatability. The relative error of the sensor caused by temperature is 0.90 %, which indicates that the influence of temperature on pressure measurement can be effectively eliminated. Meanwhile, the proposed sensor is used to detect the dynamic variations of the static ice pressure during continuous processes of freezing and thawing. The researches indicate that the designed pressure sensor is simple and economical which is suitable for static ice pressure detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power system flexibility refers to the ability to respond to changing net loads within a predefined timeframe. The main causes of flexible demand are resource and load uncertainties. The joint interaction of resource and load uncertainty makes flexible demand more complex. Accurately assessing the power system flexibility and promoting flexible supply are important for maintaining grid safety and stability. In this study, a joint probability distribution for intermittent renewable energy sources (IRES) output and load forecast deviation is proposed. Subsequently, an optimal dispatch model that considers flexible demand and hydropower flexible supply is built to improve the operation scheme of flexible resources. A hydropower dispatch model that does not consider the probability of IRES output and load forecast deviation is used as the contrast model. A comparison of the results shows that the optimal dispatch model is more beneficial for maintaining grid safety and stability. The results show that the maximum upward adjustment flexible (UAF) margin of the optimal dispatch model of the Yalong River Downstream is 376 MW, whereas the maximum downward adjustment flexible (DAF) margin is 197 MW. This implies that a greater UAF supply is required in the case study to satisfy the power system flexible demand. • A quantitative method for power system flexibility is proposed. • A joint probability distribution considering resource and load uncertainties is presented. • An optimal dispatch model considering flexible margins is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is one kind of the mutant enzymes, which target regulating the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene in Burkitt's lymphoma to initiate class switch recombination (CSR), resulting in c-Myc chromosomal translocation. However, it is not clear that whether AID induces c-Myc/IgH translocation in double-hit lymphoma (DHL) with c-Myc gene translocation. In this study, the AID in DHL tissues and classical diffuse large b-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) tissues were compared. The results suggested that AID is of important value in predicting DHL, stronger CSR of AID was observed in DHL patients, which exhibited AID overexpression and c-Myc gene translocation of DHL after CSR induction. It is concluded that AID directly induces CSR in DHL and may result in c-Myc gene translocation. Targeting AID may be a good treatment regimen for DHL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agrobacterium-mediated soybean transformation has been greatly improved in recent years, however the transformation efficiency is still low and highly genotype-dependent when compared to other species. Here, we characterized seventeen soybean genotypes based on their genetic transformation efficiencies, i.e., high and low, during Agrobacterium -mediated transformation. To reveal the molecular basis of this transformation difference, we constructed a highly efficient transient transgene expression system using soybean cotyledon protoplasts and then assess the methylation levels of promoter and coding regions of an EYFP (enhanced yellow fluorescent protein) gene introduced into the protoplast cultures of various soybean genotypes using BSP (bisulfite sequencing PCR). Increased methylation was found to be associated with the considerably decreased transfection efficiency (as percentage of EYFP fluorescent protoplasts) in low-efficacy genotypes as compared with those in high-efficacy on three DAT (day after transfection). 5-Azacytidine (5-Azac), a demethylating reagent commonly applied in epigenetic researches, significantly improved the transient transfection efficiency and transgene expression level in low-efficiency genotypes. Furthermore, the shoot regeneration efficiency in low-efficiency genotypes was substantially increased by 5-Azac treatment in an Agrobacterium -mediated soybean transformation system. Taken together, we concluded that lower methylation level in transgene contributed to enhanced shoot regeneration in Agrobacterium -mediated soybean transformation. • 17 soybean cultivars were classified as high-/low-efficiency in Agrobacterium -mediated genetic transformation. • An optimized soybean cotyledon protoplast transient expression system is presented. • DNA methylation triggered the decrease of exogenous gene expression in low-efficiency soybean protoplasts. • 5-Azac treatment increased the regeneration efficiency of resistant shoots in low-efficiency genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max. (L.) Merr.) is a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing crop. In order to increase grain yield, it is important to know how soybean plants respond to nitrogen topdressing for the improvement of nitrogen utilisation. We used two soybean cultivars with different grain yield potentials and applied 13 nitrogen topdressing treatments to determine optimal topdressing time and nitrogen metabolism. Nitrogen treatments included a base fertiliser and single topdressings at different times, in 10-day intervals from 10 to 120 days after emergence (DAE). Among the nitrogen treatments, the optimal times for topdressing were at 40 DAE or 90 DAE to increase grain yield, and both soybean cultivars also had higher nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities with topdressing at these times. Higher expression of the NR2 gene was associated with upregulated NR activity in leaves of both cultivars at the early-mature stage. With topdressing at 90 DAE, higher GS1 expression and GS activity were found in the leaves of the higher yielding cultivar at the full-seed stage and the early-mature stage. With topdressing at 90 DAE, the higher yielding cultivar had a higher nitrate metabolism capacity at the late reproductive stages than the lower (common) yielding cultivar. By up-regulated soybean nitrogen metabolism, topdressing at 40 DAE and 90 DAE increased soybean grain yield significantly. With topdressing at beginning seed stage (90 DAE), the higher yielding cultivar had a higher nitrate metabolism capacity at the late reproductive stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular processes, such as signal transduction and cell wall deposition, are organized by macromolecule interactions. Experimentally determined protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and protein-DNA interactions (PDIs) relevant to woody plant development are sparse. To begin to develop a Populus trichocarpa Torr. & A. Gray wood interactome, we applied the yeast-two-hybrid (Y2H) assay in different ways to enable the discovery of novel PPIs and connected networks. We first cloned open reading frames (ORFs) for 361 genes markedly upregulated in secondary xylem compared with secondary phloem and performed a binary Y2H screen with these proteins. By screening a xylem cDNA library for interactors of a subset of these proteins and then recapitulating the process by using a subset of the interactors as baits, we ultimately identified 165 PPIs involving 162 different ORFs. Thirty-eight transcription factors (TFs) included in our collection of P. trichocarpa wood ORFs were used in a Y1H screen for binding to promoter regions of three genes involved in lignin biosynthesis resulting in 40 PDIs involving 20 different TFs. The network incorporating both the PPIs and PDIs included 14 connected subnetworks, with the largest having 132 members. Protein-protein interactions and PDIs validated previous reports and also identified new candidate wood formation proteins and modules through their interactions with proteins and promoters known to be involved in secondary cell wall synthesis. Selected examples are discussed including a PPI between Mps one binder (MOB1) and a mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase kinase (M4K) that was further characterized by assays confirming the PPI as well as its effect on subcellular localization. Mapping of published transcriptomic data showing developmentally detailed expression patterns across a secondary stem onto the network supported that the PPIs and PDIs are relevant to wood formation, and also illustrated that wood-associated interactions involve gene products that are not upregulated in secondary xylem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Both genetic and environmental factors as well as their interaction contribute to the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Estrogen receptor β (ESR2) may play a vital role in the development of MDD in females. The aim of this study is to analyze ESR2 gene polymorphisms and the interaction of ESR2 gene variation and negative life events concerning the risk of developing MDD in females, especially during menopausal stage.Methods: Genotyping was performed by Taqman allelic discrimination assay among 191 female MDD patients and 200 healthy females. Life Events Scale and the generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction method were employed to assess the frequency and severity of negative life events and gene-environment interaction (G×E), respectively. All subjects were regrouped into reproductive and menopausal group based on age. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the set of risk factors.Results: No association of ESR2 G×E interaction with MDD was found in the reproductive group. However, in menopausal females, significant G×E interactions between negative life events and allelic variation of rs1256049 and rs4986938 were observed. Individuals with the A+ allele of rs1256049 and rs4986938 were susceptible to MDD when exposed to low negative life events.Limitation: Assessment of negative life events was influenced by subjective interpretation.Conclusions: ESR2 may modify the interaction between negative life events and MDD in the Chinese Han menopausal females. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report an effect modification between negative life events and ESR2 variations in female MDD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A framework for short-term risk and economic dispatch of HTWPS considering spinning reserve is proposed. • Synchronic peak-shaving strategy is proposed to reduce hydropower fluctuation and improve hydropower peak shaving. • SR reasonable arrangement is helpful to reduce the risk and cost of the hybrid system. • The incoming water and comprehensive utilization significantly affect the risk and economy of HTWPS. The objective of the traditional dispatching model of multi-energy systems is to seek the most economical scheduling mode, while ignoring the operating risk caused by inaccurate predictions of wind and PV power. Given this, this paper proposes a framework for the short-term risk and economic dispatch of the hydro-thermal-wind-PV hybrid system (HTWPS). First, a quantile regression method and multivariate Gaussian distribution are adopted to generate wind-PV scenarios. Then, a short-term risk and economic dispatching model of the HTWPS considering spinning reserve (SR) requirements is established to minimize the operating risk and cost. Finally, a synchronic peak-shaving strategy for hydropower stations is developed to determine reasonable hydropower generation plans in model solving. The proposed framework is applied to China's Qinghai grid. The results show that: (1) As comprehensive utilization flow rises, the cost and risk drop sharply in the dry season, but almost keep unchanged in the wet season constrained by hydropower SR boundary. (2) The power abandonment risk in the dry season is high due to the low hydropower generation capacity induced by limited runoff. The power abandonment and shortage risk are mainly subject to the hydropower SR boundary in the wet season. (3) Compared with the operating mode with hydropower SR alone, the comprehensive risk decreases by 10.6%, and the comprehensive cost rises by 5.8% under the operating mode with hydro and thermal power SR (HTSR) in the dry season. The comprehensive risk decreases by 51.4%, and the comprehensive cost increases by 172.8% under HTSR in the wet season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane adsorption characteristics of six Chinese pulverized coals were analyzed systemically. The maximum vitrinite reflectance values of the coal samples are within the range of 0.59% to 2.35% with varying maceral composition. Textures of the coal samples were characterized by N 2 adsorption method at 77 K. Particle surface morphologies were measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fine chemical structures on coal surface were analyzed by FTIR and Raman spectra. Methane adsorption isotherms were measured at simulated ambient environment of underground coal mine (298 K and 1 atm) and the Langmuir model was used to fit the experimental data. From the results, it can be seen that the nature of the isotherms varied widely for the selected six coal samples. Langmuir model is of the correct qualitative form to represent methane adsorption isotherms on the pulverized coal at ambient pressure environment. Methane adsorption parameters ( V L and P L ) present significant non-linear correlations with the increasing of coal maceral and proximate compositions. Ash has a negative impact on methane adsorption for all coals. About 1% increase in ash contents may reduce the methane adsorption capacities of 1.46 cm 3 /g on the average. With the increase of maximum vitrinite reflectance values ( R 0,max ), the Langmuir volume ( V L ) present first a decreasing and then an increasing trend after the maximum vitrinite reflectance values ( R 0,max ) exceed 1.2%. However, Langmuir pressure ( P L ) presents a decreasing trend with the increase of the maximum vitrinite reflectance, which indicates that methane seems to show a faster adsorption rate and higher affinity to the surface of coal with higher vitrinite contents. Furthermore, coals with larger specific surface area and richer-aromatic structures always have higher methane adsorption capacities. Research results may have important significance for understanding the mechanism of coal and methane coupling interactions in hybrid mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression in HIV/AIDS children not only worsens the progression and outcome of illness, but also impacts their quality of life, having a negative influence on society. The present study was conducted from a psychosocial perspective, considering children's social desirability, cognitive emotion regulation, and perceived social support to identify the factors influencing depression in HIV-infected children in China. Methods: Participants were 155 children aged 8–18 years who were eligible to participate in this study assessing depression and associated risk factors using the Children's Depression Inventory, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Children's Social Desirability scale. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to model the effects of social desirability, perceived social support, and cognitive emotion regulation on depression in HIV/AIDS children. Results: Statistically significant linear relationships were found among social desirability, perceived social support, partial dimensions of cognitive emotion regulation, and children's depression scores. Perceived social support, planning and positive reappraisal were negatively related to the depression. Conversely, social desirability, catastrophizing and other-blame were positively associated with the depression. Linear regression analysis indicated that children's social desirability, perceived social support, and one dimension of cognitive emotion regulation (catastrophizing) were found to significantly predict depression. Conclusions: Psychosocial factors have an important influence on the depression experienced by HIV-infected children. Interventions from personal subjective psychosocial to reduce depression in HIV-infected children in China are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]