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In this paper, a family of novel generalizations of the (dented) pentagram map are proposed on the space of coupled polygons. Their geometry and integrability are described together with some explicit examples. In particular, we find that these maps are related to refactorization maps in the Poisson–Lie group of pseudo-difference operators associated with pairs of non-disjoint progressions J ± ⊂ Z , which resolves an open question proposed by Izosimov. Furthermore, it is shown that these maps can be associated with a class of bi-orthogonal polynomials, which generalize the corresponding result for the classical Laurent bi-orthogonal polynomials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving high efficiency narrowband near‐ultraviolet (NUV) emitters in organic light emitting diode (OLED) is still a formidable challenge. Herein, a proof‐of‐concept hybridized local and charge transfer (HLCT) molecule, named ICz‐BO, is prepared and characterized, in which both multiresonant (MR) skeletons are integrated via conjugation connection. A slightly distorted structure and weak intramolecular charge transfer (CT) interaction between two MR subunits lead to a high‐lying reverse intersystem crossing (h‐RISC) channel of T6→S1, also evidenced by both experimental and calculated results. Impressively, the ICz‐BO emitter exhibits outstanding narrowband NUV emission at 404 nm with a full‐width at half maximum of 28 nm in toluene solution. The solution processable OLED shows an excellent device performance with the recorded maximum external quantum efficiency of 12.01 %, concomitant with an extremely low y‐axis Commission Internationale de l’Éclairage (CIEy) value of 0.031. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest efficiency reported for the HLCT‐based NUV‐OLEDs to date. This research proves that the MR skeleton plays a positive effect on the narrowband hot exciton emitter, which provides an alternative paradigm for developing high‐efficiency NUV emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: In order to study the relationship between the sensitivity and pressure of energetic materials, six kinds of energetic materials were selected as the research object. The crystal structure, electronic, and phonon properties under hydrostatic pressure of 0 ~ 45 GPa were calculated by first principles. The calculation results show that the lattice parameters and band gap values of these six energetic materials decrease with the increase of pressure. The peak of the density of states decreases and moves to the low energy direction, and the electrons become more active. Meanwhile, the effect of pressure on the sensitivity of the energetic materials is analyzed based on the multi-phonon up-pumping theory. The number of doorway modes and integral of projected phonon density of states under high pressure is calculated. The results show that both of them increase with the increase of pressure. And the smaller the value of the band gap, the larger the number of doorway modes and integral of projected phonon density of states, and the more sensitive the energetic material is. Methods: All calculations are performed using the Materials Studio software based on density functional theory. The Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof (PBE) functional of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is used to calculate the exchange correlation function, and the Grimme dispersion correction method is used to deal with the weak intermolecular interaction. The structure of the compound was optimized by BFGS algorithm. The linear response is used to calculate the phonon properties of energetic materials. The plane wave cutoff energy was set to 830 eV. The K-point grids of TATB, FOX-7, TNX, RDX, TNT, and HMX were chosen as 2 × 2 × 2, 2 × 2 × 1, 2 × 1 × 1, 1 × 1 × 1, 1 × 2 × 1, and 2 × 1 × 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the decoding problem for multiple Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH)‐Goppa codes over the same finite field is investigated. A new iterative decoding algorithm is proposed based on the quotient difference (qd)‐type discrete hungry Lotka–Volterra equation over finite fields. Compared with certain existing algorithms, the proposed algorithm manifests its advantage in computational complexity. A few of examples are presented to demonstrate its efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metal flow is complicated and will be affected by the dimensions of the rolling deformation zone during the rolling of doubly curved sheet metal surfaces. The dimensions of the rolling deformation zone are mainly affected by the rolling reduction and the central cross-section diameters of rollers. The work studied the influences of central cross-section diameters of rollers on the longitudinal bending deformation of formed spherical surfaces and the stability of the rolling process combined with the rolling reduction. The results showed that the larger the central cross-section diameters of rollers, the more stable the rolling process, and the better the shape accuracy of formed spherical surfaces. When the central cross-section diameters of rollers were relatively small, the longitudinal bending deformation of formed spherical surfaces increased with the increased central cross-section diameters of rollers. However, an excessively large roller diameter restrained the longitudinal bending deformation of the sheet. When the central cross-section diameters of rollers were relatively large, the longitudinal bending deformation of formed spherical surfaces decreased with the increased central cross-section diameters of rollers. The results can be used as a reference for designing rollers to ensure that formed doubly curved surfaces can obtain greater longitudinal bending deformations and better shape accuracy under the same rolling reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Camassa–Holm hierarchy can be regarded as isospectral flows of the inhomogeneous string. This paper is devoted to the exploration of the second flow in the Camassa–Holm hierarchy (2ndCH) together with its peakon dynamical system as well as their nonisospectral generalizations. It is shown that a reduction of the peakon dynamical system of the 2ndCH equation results in the two-component modified Camassa–Holm (2mCH) interlacing peakon dynamical system. This reduction result is then extended to the nonisospectral case. More precisely, a nonisospectral extension of the 2ndCH is proposed together with its multipeakons based on classical determinant technique. It is also demonstrated that the corresponding peakon dynamical system can be reduced to the generalized nonisospectral 2mCH interlacing peakon dynamical system. Moreover, a special case of the proposed equation is investigated and a new phenomenon of 2-peakon is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent probe (SWJT-9) was designed and synthesized for the detection of hypochlorite anion (ClO−) using a diaminomaleonitrile group as the recognition site. SWJT-9 had large Stokes shift (237 nm) and showed an excellent NIR fluorescence response to ClO− with the color change under the visible light. It showed a low detection limit (24.7 nM), high selectivity, and rapid detection (within 2 min) for ClO−. The new detection mechanism of SWJT-9 on ClO− was confirmed by 1H NMR, MS spectrum, and the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, the probe was successfully used to detect ClO− in HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a generalized discrete Lotka-Volterra equation and explore its connections with symmetric orthogonal polynomials, Hankel determinants and convergence acceleration algorithms. Firstly, we extend the fully discrete Lotka-Volterra equation to a generalized one with a sequence of given constants { u 0 (n) } and derive its solution in terms of Hankel determinants. Then, it is shown that the discrete equation of motion is transformed into a discrete Riccati system for a discrete Stieltjes function, hence leading to a complete linearization. Besides, we obtain its Lax pair in terms of symmetric orthogonal polynomials by generalizing the Christoffel transformation for the symmetric orthogonal polynomials. Moreover, a generalization of the famous Wynn's ε-algorithm is also derived via a Miura transformation to the generalized discrete Lotka-Volterra equation. Finally, the numerical effects of this generalized ε-algorithm are discussed by applying to some linearly, logarithmically convergent sequences and some divergent series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A metabolic illness known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), affects more than one-quarter of the world's population. Bile acids (BAs), as detergents involved in lipid digestion, show an abnormal metabolism in patients with NAFLD. However, BAs can affect other organs as well, such as the brain, where it has a neuroprotective effect. According to a series of studies, brain disorders may be extrahepatic manifestations of NAFLD, such as depression, changes to the cerebrovascular system, and worsening cognitive ability. Consequently, we propose that NAFLD affects the development of brain disease, through the bile acid signaling pathway. Through direct or indirect channels, BAs can send messages to the brain. Some BAs may operate directly on the central Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and the G protein bile acid-activated receptor 1 (GPBAR1) by overcoming the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Furthermore, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 19 are released from the intestine FXR and GPBAR1 receptors, upon activation, both of which send signals to the brain. Inflammatory, systemic metabolic disorders in the liver and brain are regulated by the bile acid-activated receptors FXR and GPBAR1, which are potential therapeutic targets. From a bile acid viewpoint, we examine the bile acid signaling changes in NAFLD and brain disease. We also recommend the development of dual GPBAR1/FXR ligands to reduce side effects and manage NAFLD and brain disease efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate Laurent biorthogonal polynomials with a weight function of three parameters, i.e. z^\alpha e^{-t_1z-\frac {t_2}{z}}, z\in (0,+\infty), (t_1>0,\ t_2>0,\ \alpha \in \mathbb {R}). First, the structure relation of the Laurent biorthogonal polynomials is found with the aid of biorthogonality. Then we derive an alternate discrete Painlevé II by considering the compatibility condition of the three-term recurrence relation and the structure relation. In addition, we make use of the relativistic Toda chains and nonlinear difference system to obtain two continuous Painlevé-type differential equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Genomic and transcriptomic findings greatly broaden the biological knowledge regarding substance use. However, systematic convergence and comparison evidence of genome‐wide findings is lacking for substance use. Here, we combined all the genome‐wide findings from both substance use behavior and disorder (SUBD) and identified common and distinguishing genetic factors for different SUBDs. Methods: Systemic literature search for genome‐wide association (GWAS) and RNA‐seq studies of alcohol/nicotine/drug use behavior (partially meets or not reported diagnostic criteria) and alcohol use behavior and disorder (AUBD), nicotine use behavior and disorder (NUBD) and drug use behavior and disorder (DUBD) was performed using PubMed and the GWAS catalog. Drug use was focused upon cannabis, opioid, cocaine and methamphetamine use. GWAS studies required case–control or case/cohort samples. RNA‐seq studies were based on brain tissues. The genes which contained significant single nucleotide polymorphism (P ≤ 1 × 10−6) in GWAS and reported as significant in RNA‐seq studies were extracted. Pathway enrichment was performed by using Metascape. Gene interaction networks were identified by using the Protein Interaction Network Analysis database. Results: Total SUBD‐related 2910 genes were extracted from 75 GWAS studies (2 773 889 participants) and 17 RNA‐seq studies. By overlapping the genes and pathways of AUBD, NUBD and DUBD, four shared genes (CACNB2, GRIN2B, PLXDC2 and PKNOX2), four shared pathways [two Gene Ontology (GO) terms of 'modulation of chemical synaptic transmission', 'regulation of trans‐synaptic signaling', two Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways of 'dopaminergic synapse', 'cocaine addiction'] were identified (significantly higher than random, P < 1 × 10−5). The top shared KEGG pathways (Benjamini–Hochberg‐corrected P‐value < 0.05) in the pairwise comparison of AUBD versus DUBD, NUBD versus DUBD, AUBD versus NUBD were 'Epstein–Barr virus infection', 'protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum' and 'neuroactive ligand‐receptor interaction', respectively. We also identified substance‐specific genetic factors: i.e. ADH1B and ALDH2 were unique for AUBD, while CHRNA3 and CHRNA4 were unique for NUBD. Conclusions: This systematic review identifies the shared and unique genes and pathways for alcohol, nicotine and drug use behaviors and disorders at the genome‐wide level and highlights critical biological processes for the common and distinguishing vulnerability of substance use behaviors and disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to deeply understand the basic physical properties of potassium perchlorate (KClO 4) as a typical ionic energetic material under pressure. KClO 4 Received attention for its widespread use in explosives, fireworks, safety matches and rocket propellants. In this paper, we systematically study the basic physical properties of KClO 4 under 0–20 GPa pressure, including electrons, mechanical, vibrations, and thermodynamic parameters, based on density functional theory (DFT). The accuracy of the calculations was verified by optimizing the lattice parameters of the crystal structure and comparing them with previous experimental values. Electronic structure analysis revealed that KClO 4 is a broadband gap nonconductor. Electronic density of states (DOS) analysis revealed strong covalent bonding between Cl–O bonds. Based on the phonon information, this study calculates the thermodynamic properties of KClO 4 and analyzes a function of the relevant thermodynamic quantities under pressure. Combined with the structural phase transition phenomena observed in high pressure experiments, we analyze the dynamic and mechanical instability. These analyses help to understand the behavior of KClO 4 under high pressure conditions and are crucial for its application in energetic materials. The evolution of the structure, electronic, thermodynamic properties, vibrational properties, and stability of potassium perchlorate under pressure. [Display omitted] • Based on density functional theory, the basic physical properties of KClO4 under 0-20 GPa pressure are systematically studied. • The results of electronic property analysis show that KClO4 is a wide-band gap nonconductor and there is a strong covalent bond between Cl-O. • The vibrational modes of KClO4 at different frequencies at 0 GPa were analyzed by phonon calculation. • From the theoretical point of view, the evidence of the structural phase transition of orthorhombic KClO4 under pressure was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overparameterized Neural Networks demonstrate state-of-the-art performance; however, the escalating demand for more compact and energy-efficient neural networks has arisen to facilitate the deployment of machine learning applications on devices with limited computational resources. A prevalent approach employs various pruning techniques. However, hyperparameters, such as the pruning ratio for each layer in pruning techniques, are typically set by human experts and often lack optimization. In this paper, we therefore propose a novel method named "Automatic Multi-Agent Transformer Reinforcement Learning Pruner" (ARLP). ARLP leverages a transformer-based multi-agent reinforcement learning controller to autonomously prune networks at initialization by extracting network meta-features. This autonomous process eliminates the need for human intervention in determining the optimal pruning ratio for each layer. The meta-features are derived from various zero-cost pruning-at-initialization proxies to perform One-shot Pruning. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that ARLP outperforms other state-of-the-art methods, establishing its efficacy in achieving superior performance. [Display omitted] • ARLP uses reinforcement learning to autonomously optimize neural network pruning. • ARLP uses zero-cost pruning proxies to streamline pruning and save resources. • ARLP uses Transformers to enhance pruning adaptability and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a graph G , let S 2 (G) be the sum of the first two largest signless Laplacian eigenvalues of G , and f (G) = e (G) + 3 − S 2 (G). Oliveira, Lima, Rama and Carvalho conjectured that K 1 , n − 1 + (the star graph with an additional edge) is the unique graph with minimum value of f (G) on n vertices. In this paper, we prove this conjecture, which also confirm a conjecture for the upper bound of S 2 (G) proposed by Ashraf et al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned about certain generalization of Laurent biorthogonal polynomials together with the corresponding related integrable lattices. On one hand, a generalization for Laurent biorthogonal polynomials is proposed and its recurrence relation and Christoffel transformation are derived. On the other hand, it turns out the compatibility condition between the recurrence relation and the Christoffel transformation for the generalized Laurent biorthogonal polynomials yields an extension of the fully discrete relativistic Toda lattice. And also, it is shown that isospectral deformations of the generalized Laurent biorthogonal polynomials lead to two different generalizations of the continuous-time relativistic Toda lattice, one of which can reduce to the Naritaâ€"Itohâ€"Bogoyavlensky lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D curved parts rolling based on rigid arc-shaped rollers is a novel plastic forming process for rapidly manufacturing curved parts with double curvature. This work proved that the method can form different types of 3D curved parts through small adjustments of the rolling reduction without replacing the rollers. The study found that when the generatrix radius of the convex roller is smaller than that of the concave roller, the distribution rule of uneven roll gap could vary with the change of the rolling reduction. Therefore, the forming method can change the distribution rule of uneven roll gaps by adjusting the rolling reduction to form different types of curved parts (spherical parts, saddle-shaped parts, or cylindrical parts). The relationship between the rolling reduction and the distribution rule of roll gaps is studied by analytical, finite element, and experiment method. And the influence of the rolling reduction on the bending deformation of different types of curved parts is studied. The research results show that the longitudinal bending deformation of formed curved parts is greatly affected by the rolling reduction. The longitudinal curvature of formed saddle-shaped parts decreases with the increase of the rolling reduction, and the longitudinal curvature of formed spherical parts increases with the increases of the rolling reduction. The transverse bending deformation of formed curved parts is little affected by the rolling reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although restricting food intake during labor is recommended by guidelines, intrapartum starvation has not been popular in some regions. We conducted this comparative cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of risk stomach in non-fasted laboring women compared with fasted non-laboring women using gastric ultrasound. Methods: Ultrasound examination of the antrum was performed in 50 term fasted non-laboring women before elective cesarean delivery and 50 laboring women allowed to eat and drink during active labor. Examinations consisted of the qualitative (antral grades, 0–3) and quantitative evaluation (antral cross-sectional area and calculated gastric volume) in the supine and right lateral decubitus (RLD) position. A risk stomach was defined as an antral grade ≥ 2 or grade 1 with gastric volume ≥ 1.5 ml· kg− 1. Results: No non-laboring women had grade ≥ 2, while 34 (68%) laboring women had grade ≥ 2. Nine (18%) non-laboring and 40 (80%) laboring women presented risk stomach (P < 0.001) (risk ratio: 4.4, 95% CI 2.4–8.2). Compared with non-laboring women, laboring women had larger antral area at "empty" stomach (grade 0) (437 mm2 vs.350 mm2 in supine, 571 mm2 vs.480 mm2 in RLD, P < 0.05) and cut-off values of antral area to discriminate a risk stomach (510 mm2 vs. 453 mm2 in supine, 670 mm2 vs. 605 mm2 in RLD). Conclusions: This study confirms a higher prevalence of risk stomach presents in laboring women under a liberal eating policy, gastric ultrasound is therefore useful for this risk population if general anesthesia is required unexpectedly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firstly, a new sequence transformation that can be expressed in terms of a ratio of two pfaffians is derived based on a special kernel. It can be regarded as a direct generalization of Aitken's Δ2 process from the point of view of pfaffians and then the corresponding convergence acceleration algorithm is constructed. Numerical examples with applications of this algorithm are also presented. Secondly, we find a way to generalize the Shanks transformation via pfaffians so that a larger class of new sequence transformations are derived. The corresponding recursive algorithms are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 3D curved part rolling method based on the rigid arc-shaped rollers is a novel sheet metal rolling process to rapidly manufacture 3D surface parts for various parameters. The flow of material inside the sheet metal is complicated during the cold rolling forming process of the 3D curved parts, whose quality of products is sensitive to process parameters. The work analyzed the friction force for the sheet metal inside the roll gap during rolling as well as the reason for the instability of the forming process. The instability of the forming process significantly affected the forming accuracy of curved parts. Therefore, the method of using an auxiliary plate was proposed to improve the stability of the rolling process. The finite element numerical simulation models were established for two rolling processes, with and without the auxiliary plate, and the forming errors of the two processes were computed. The numerical simulation results showed that the rolling process with the auxiliary plate can obtain a more stable rolling process, and the forming error of formed curved parts was smaller. The reliability of the numerical simulation results was verified through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A stable continuous AnDMBR was first applied in codigestion with CS and FW. • Lignocellulase addition improved the CH 4 yield and lignocellulose degradation rate. • Solid-liquid separation efficiency of DM enhanced with lignocellulase as additive. • The addition of enzymes promotes the acetylation ability of microbial communities. To explore the enzyme-enhanced strategy of a continuous anaerobic dynamic membrane reactor (AnDMBR), the anaerobic codigestion system of food waste and corn straw was first operated stably, and then the best combination of compound enzymes (laccase, endo -β-1,4-glucanase, xylanase) was determined via a series of batch trials. The results showed that the methane yield (186.8 ± 19.9 mL/g VS) with enzyme addition was 12.2 % higher than that without enzyme addition. Furthermore, the removal rates of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin increased by 31 %, 36 % and 78 %, respectively. In addition, dynamic membranes can form faster and more stably with enzyme addition. The addition of enzymes changed the structure of microbial communities while maintaining sufficient hydrolysis bacteria (Bacteroidetes), promoting the proliferation of Proteobacteria as a dominant strain and bringing stronger acetylation ability. In summary, the compound enzyme strengthening strategy successfully improved the methane production, dynamic membrane effect, and degradation rate of lignocellulose in AnDMBR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an orthogonal polynomials-based (OPs-based) approach to generate discrete moving frames and invariants is developed. It is shown that OPs can provide explicit expressions for the discrete moving frame as well as the associated difference invariants, and this approach enables one to obtain the corresponding discrete invariant curve flows simultaneously. Several examples in the cases of centro-affine plane, pseudo-Euclidean plane, and high-dimensional centro-affine space are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carboniferous volcanic reservoir in the Chepaizi Uplift became an exploration hot target in recent years for its substantial amount of oils discovered. However, most of the Carboniferous heavy oils were biodegraded to PM7 or higher with orders of magnitude variation in oil viscosities. Two oil groups (I and II) exactly corresponding to the western and eastern Chepaizi Uplift were distinguished according to their source diagnose. Furthermore, three oil families (II1, II2 and II3), with the biodegradation level of PM7, PM8–8+, PM9+, respectively, were classified based on molecular compositions and parameter-stripping method of strongly bioresistant parameters. Allowing for this extremely high biodegradation case, more biodegradation refractory compound class were added to establish a refined Manco scale to quantitatively evaluate the biodegradation extent. Refined Manco number (RMN2) positively correlated with the oil density, NSO contents, and absolute concentrations of diasteranes and gammacerane, negatively correlated with the absolute concentrations of diahopane, summed tricyclic terpanes and pentacyclic terpanes. This refined scale showed higher resolution than the PM one to differentiate the biodegradation extent of Carboniferous heavy oils from the Chepaizi Uplift, especially those with same PM values but different oil viscosities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we consider the generalised two-parameter Cauchy two-matrix model and the corresponding integrable lattice equation. It is shown that with parameters chosen as 1 / k i , k i ∈ Z > 0 ( i = 1 , 2 ), the average characteristic polynomials admit (k 1 + k 2 + 2) -term recurrence relations, which can be interpreted as spectral problems for integrable lattices. The tau function is then given by the partition function of the generalised Cauchy two-matrix model as well as Gram determinant. The simplest solvable example is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By introducing bilinear operators of trigonometric type, we propose several novel integrable variants of the famous Toda lattice, two of which can be regarded as integrable discretizations of the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation—a universal model describing weakly nonlinear waves in media with dispersion of velocity. We also demonstrate that two one-dimensional reductions of these variants can approximate the nonlinear Schrödinger equation and a generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation well. It turns out that these equations admit meaningful solutions including solitons, breathers, lumps and rogue waves, which are expressed in terms of explicit and closed forms. In particular, it seems to be the first time that rogue wave solutions have been obtained for Toda-type equations. Furthermore, g-periodic wave solutions are also produced in terms of Riemann theta function. An approximation solution of the three-periodic wave is successfully carried out by using a deep neural network. The introduction of trigonometric-type bilinear operators is also efficient in generating new variants together with rich properties for some other integrable equations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The isospectral deformations of the Frobenius–Stickelberger–Thiele (FST) polynomials introduced in Spiridonov et al. (Commun Math Phys 272:139–165, 2007) are studied. For a specific choice of the deformation of the spectral measure, one is led to an integrable lattice (FST lattice), which is indeed an isospectral flow connected with a generalized eigenvalue problem. In the second part of the paper the spectral problem used previously in the study of the modified Camassa–Holm (mCH) peakon lattice is interpreted in terms of the FST polynomials together with the associated FST polynomials, resulting in a map from the mCH peakon lattice to a negative flow of the finite FST lattice. Furthermore, it is pointed out that the degenerate case of the finite FST lattice unexpectedly maps to the interlacing peakon ODE system associated with the two-component mCH equation studied in Chang et al. (Adv Math 299:1–35, 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed dispersal selection pressures may cause morphological differences in cone structure and seed traits of large‐seeded pine trees. We investigated the cone, seed, and scale traits of four species of animal‐dispersed pine trees to explore the adaptations of morphological structures to different dispersers. The four focal pines analyzed in this study were Chinese white pine (Pinus armandi), Korean pine (P. koraiensis), Siberian dwarf pine (P. pumila), and Dabieshan white pine (P. dabeshanensis). There are significant differences in the traits of the cones and seeds of these four animal‐dispersed pines. The scales of Korean pine and Siberian dwarf pine are somewhat opened after cone maturity, the seeds are closely combined with scales, and the seed coat and scales are thick. The cones of Chinese white pine and Dabieshan white pine are open after ripening, the seeds fall easily from the cones, and the seed coat and seed scales are relatively thin. The results showed that the cone structure of Chinese white pine is similar to that of Dabieshan white pine, whereas Korean pine and Siberian dwarf pine are significantly different from the other two pines and vary significantly from each other. This suggests that species with similar seed dispersal strategies exhibit similar morphological adaptions. Accordingly, we predicted three possible seed dispersal paradigms for animal‐dispersed pines: the first, as represented by Chinese white pine and Dabieshan white pine, relies upon small forest rodents for seed dispersal; the second, represented by Korean pine, relies primarily on birds and squirrels to disperse the seeds; and the third, represented by Siberian dwarf pine, relies primarily on birds for seed dispersal. Our study highlights the significance of animal seed dispersal in shaping cone morphology, and our predictions provide a theoretical framework for research investigating the coevolution of large‐seeded pines and their seed dispersers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordos Basin is one of the most petroliferous basins in China, and the cumulative gas yield of the Jingbian gas field was 91.36 × 109 m3, accounting for nearly 30% of total gas production in the Ordos Basin. The ethane carbon isotopic value of gases in the Ordovician carbonate reservoirs in the Jingbian gas field is abnormally depleted (δ13C1 > δ13C2 < δ13C3), which has directly led to the controversy over the source and genetic types of natural gas in the Jingbian gas field. To find out the genetic mechanism of anomalies of ethane carbon isotope, components and carbon isotopic values of natural gas in the Jingbian gas field were measured. On this basis, natural gas components and stable carbon isotopic values of the Wushenqi and Jingbian gas field were comprehensively measured and compared. The results show that higher thermal maturity leads to further cracking of the oil generated earlier and the residual kerogen. These secondary cracked gases mixed with the early generated gases lead to the anomalies of ethane carbon isotope. When thermal maturity reaches a critical value, it will have different effect on carbon isotopic values of methane and ethane. The carbon isotopic value of methane will continue to increase; however, that of the ethane will gradually decrease, which will eventually lead to the anomalies of ethane carbon isotope. Migration fractionation will also lead to the abnormally depleted of carbon isotopic values of ethane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By introducing alkaline-earth metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, and Sr2+) as structure-directing agents, three new heterometallic complexes, Mg(H2O)6·[Cu2Mg(L)4(H2O)4]·4H2O (1), [CuCa(L)2(H2O)4]n (2) and [CuSr(L)2(H2O)4]n (3) [H2L = 4-(3-(pyridine-4-yl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)picolinic acid], have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized. H2L was in situ generated from hydrolysis of the well-known selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor topiroxostat. Complex 1 crystallizes in the space group P21/c and exhibits a zero-dimensional (0-D) structure containing the discrete [Mg(H2O)6]2+ cationic and [Cu2Mg(L)4(H2O)4]2– dianionic moieties. Complexes 2 and 3 are isostructural and crystallize in the space group C2/c, with one-dimensional (1-D) polymeric structure with infinite Cu(II)–Ca/Sr–carboxylate chains. The results reveal the significant influence of the alkaline-earth metal ions on the molecular structure. Their spectroscopic, thermal and solid-state luminescent properties have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct new sequence transformations based on Wynn's epsilon and rho algorithms. The recursions of the new algorithms include the recursions of Wynn's epsilon and rho algorithm and of Osada's generalized rho algorithm as special cases. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithms numerically by applying them to some linearly and logarithmically convergent sequences as well as some divergent series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A well-known selective xanthine oxidase inhibitor topiroxostat, 4-[3-(4-pyridinyl)-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl]-2-pyridinecarbonitrile (ptpc), was selected to react with Cu(NO3)2 · 3H2O in dialkylformamide solvents, affording two novel supramolecular coordination compounds [Cu(ptpc)2(NO3)(DMF)2] · NO3 (1) and Cu(ptpc)2(NO3)2(DEF)2 (2). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed that compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c. The components are assembled to a 3D supramolecular framework through hydrogen-bonding interactions between the large [Cu(ptpc)2(NO3)(DMF)2]+ cationic moieties and the nitrate anions. Compound 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1̅ and shows a 2D hydrogen-bonded network structure. The results clearly indicate that dialkylformamide solvents with different sizes have an important influence on the structures of the complexes. The luminescence properties of 1 and 2 in the solid state and their thermal stabilities were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qinzhizhudan Formula (QZZD) is composed of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Huang Qin) extract, Gardenia jasminoides (Zhizi) extract and Suis Fellis Pulvis (Zhudanfen) (ratio of 4:5:6). This formula is optimized from Qingkailing (QKL) injection. Regarding brain injury, QZZD is protective. However, the mechanism by which QZZD treats vascular dementia (VD) has not been elucidated. To ascertain QZZD's effect on the treatment of VD and further investigate the molecular mechanisms. In this study, we screened the possible components and targets of QZZD against VD and microglia polarization using network pharmacology (NP), then an animal model of bilateral common carotid artery ligation method (2VO) was induced. Afterward, The Morris water maze was employed to evaluate cognitive ability, and pathological alterations in the CA1 area of the hippocampus were detected using HE and Nissl staining. To confirm the affect of QZZD on VD and its molecular mechanism, the contents of inflammatory factors IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-4, and IL-10 were performed to detect by ELISA, the phenotype polarization of microglia cells was detected by immunofluorescence staining, and the expressions of MyD88, p-IκBα and p-NF-κB p65 in brain tissue were detected by western blot. A total of 112 active compounds and 363 common targets of QZZD, microglia polarization, and VD were identified, according to the NP analysis. 38 hub targets were screened out from the PPI network. GO analysis and KEGG pathway analysis showed that QZZD may regulate microglia polarization through anti-inflammatory mechanism such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway and NF-κB signaling pathway. The further results showed that QZZD can alleviate the memory impairment induced by 2VO. QZZD profoundly rescued brain hippocampus neuronal damage and increased the number of neurons. These advantageous outcomes were linked to the control of microglia polarization. QZZD decreased M1 phenotypic marker expression while increasing M2 phenotypic marker expression. QZZD may controll the polarization of the M1 microglia by blocking the core part of Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, that is the MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, which reduced the neurotoxic effects of the microglia. Here, we explored the anti-VD microglial polarization characteristic of QZZD for the first time and clarified its mechanisms. These findings will provide valuable clues for the discovery of anti-VD agents. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new near-infrared fluorescent probe has been developed for the rapid detection of Pd (II) ions. [Display omitted] • A NIR fluorescent probe (SWJT-13) for Pd2+ ions was designeded based on ICT effect. • It showed low detection limit (10.5 nM), a large stokes shift (155 nm), and high selectivity for Pd2+ ions over various interfering analytes. • The probe has been applied to image Pd2+ ions in HeLa cells. A novel near-infrared fluorescent probe (SWJT-13) for detecting Pd2+ ions was designed and synthesized using 3-bromopropargyne group as a recognition site. SWJT-13 can detect Pd2+ ions specifically, which can be quickly recognized by naked eye under natural light. SWJT-13 has a large Stokes shift (155 nm) with LOD of 10.5 nM. The mechanism was verified by 1H NMR, MS, and Gaussian calculations. In addition, the detection of Pd2+ ions by the probe was studied in HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Surface wear is the main reason for the breaking failure of the wire rope in service, particularly in the multi-layer winding hoist system of a coal mine. Understanding the effect of wear scars on the failure and mechanical properties of the rope is the effective way to ensure the safety of multi-layer winding hoist. In this paper, the breaking failure characteristics of hoist ropes with different wear scars were investigated by the breaking tensile test. The temperature rise in the wear scar regions was obtained and analyzed. Additionally, the finite element method was used to simulate the mechanical properties of the wear-out strands subjected to tensile load. Results show that the severe plastic deformation and obvious temperature rise occur in the wear scar region. The temperature rise curves during the breaking tensile test can reflect the number and the order of the fractured strands. The wear-out outer wires fracture earlier than the internal wires, and the wires with irregular wear scar always fracture along the sliding wear direction at the location with the maximum wear depth. Additionally, the wear scar caused by left cross contact will cause stress concentration and uneven distribution, and the wear depth makes it more obvious. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • The severe plastic deformation and high temperature rise first occur in the wear scar regions. • The variation of temperature rise can reflect the number and the order of the fractured strands. • The fracture always occurs at the location with the maximum wear depth for irregular wear scar. • There is little effect of the wear scar on the fracture of the internal undamaged strand wires. • There is obvious stress concentration and uneven stress distribution in the wear scar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skew-orthogonal polynomials (SOPs) arise in the study of the n-point distribution function for orthogonal and symplectic random matrix ensembles. Motivated by the average of characteristic polynomials of the Bures random matrix ensemble studied in Forrester and Kieburg (Commun Math Phys 342(1):151-187, 2016), we propose the concept of partial-skew-orthogonal polynomials (PSOPs) as a modification of the SOPs, and then the PSOPs with a variety of special skew-symmetric kernels and weight functions are addressed. By considering appropriate deformations of the weight functions, we derive nine integrable lattices in different dimensions. As a consequence, the tau-functions for these systems are shown to be expressed in terms of Pfaffians and the wave vectors PSOPs. In fact, the tau-functions also admit the multiple integral representations. Among these integrable lattices, some of them are known, while the others are novel to the best of our knowledge. In particular, one integrable lattice is related to the partition function of the Bures ensemble. Besides, we derive a discrete integrable lattice which can be used to compute certain vector Padé approximants. This yields the first example regarding the connection between integrable lattices and generalised inverse vector-valued Padé approximants, about which Hietarinta, Joshi, and Nijhoff pointed out that, “This field remains largely to be explored”, in the recent monograph (Hietarinta et al. in Discrete systems and integrability, vol 54. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2016, [Section 4.4]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Novikov equation is an integrable analogue of the Camassa–Holm equation with a cubic (rather than quadratic) nonlinear term. Both these equations support a special family of weak solutions called multipeakon solutions. In this paper, an approach involving Pfaffians is applied to study multipeakons of the Novikov equation. First, we show that the Novikov peakon ODEs describe an isospectral flow on the manifold cut out by certain Pfaffian identities. Then, a link between the Novikov peakons and the finite Toda lattice of BKP type (B-Toda lattice) is established based on the use of Pfaffians. Finally, certain generalizations of the Novikov equation and the finite B-Toda lattice are proposed together with special solutions. To our knowledge, it is the first time that the peakon problem is interpreted in terms of Pfaffians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Firstly, a formal correspondence is established between the Camassa–Holm (CH) equation and a two-component modified CH (or called SQQ) equation according to the method of moment modification for multipeakon formulae. Secondly, based on the generalized nonisospectral CH equation in Chang et al. (2014) [14] and the interlacing multipeakons of the two-component modified CH equation in Chang et al. (2016) [15] , we propose a new generalized two-component modified CH equation with two parameters, which possesses a nonisospectral Lax pair. The proposed equation still admits multipeakon solutions of explicit and closed form. Sufficient conditions for global existence of solutions are given and two concrete examples with certain interesting phenomenon are presented. Last of all, as a by-product, a generalized nonisospectral modified CH equation is deduced, together with its Lax pair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on key influencing factors (coil’s size and excitation frequency) of eddy current testing (ECT) sensitivity, monotonicity and defect detectability have been carried out for detection of subsurface defects in ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic plate materials. A set of ECT finite element models and experiments have been accomplished and the detection performance has been analyzed and compared. The simulation and experiment results have indicated that for ferromagnetic material, the amplitude response of low frequency excitation has lower sensitivity but better monotonicity than high frequency. The phase response of low frequency excitation has higher sensitivity and better monotonicity than high frequency. For the non-ferromagnetic plate material, the lower the excitation frequency is, the smaller the detection sensitivity of the amplitude response is. Outside a defined excitation frequency, the defect monotonicity of the amplitude response reduces. For phase response, the lower the excitation frequency is, the smaller the detection sensitivity and the greater the monotonicity. The coil’s size has a certain extent influence on the detection sensitivity. For ferromagnetic and non-ferromagnetic plate materials, it is effective to enhance the detection sensitivity of amplitude response by increasing the size of the exciter coil and the detector coil within a certain range; and it is effective to enhance the detection sensitivity of phase response by decreasing the size of the detector coil or increasing the size of exciter coil within a certain range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, most known sequence transformations can be written as a ratio of two determinants. But, it is not always this case. One exception is that the sequence transformation proposed by Brezinski, Durbin, and Redivo-Zaglia cannot be expressed as a ratio of two determinants. Motivated by this, we will introduce a new algebraic tool—pfaffians, instead of determinants in the paper. It turns out that Brezinski-Durbin-Redivo-Zaglia’s transformation can be expressed as a ratio of two pfaffians. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time to introduce pfaffians in the expressions of sequence transformations. Furthermore, an extended transformation of high order is presented in terms of pfaffians and a new convergence acceleration algorithm for implementing the transformation is constructed. Then, the Lax pair of the recursive algorithm is obtained which implies that the algorithm is integrable. Numerical examples with applications of the algorithm are also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Friction and impact between steel wire rope always exist in multi-layer winding hoist during the winding-in process, in particular for an ultra-deep coal mine. To understand the friction and wear mechanisms of wire rope among the layers in the winding hoist, a series of sliding friction experiments were carried out using a self-made friction test rig. The results show that the coefficient of friction (COF) of the wire rope changes little with increasing load and stabilizes at approximately 0.73, but decreases with the sliding velocity under dry-friction condition. However, under lubrication condition, there is almost no effect of the contact load and sliding velocity on the COF, which stabilizes at approximately 0.35. Additionally, the temperature rise is concentrated at the contact area, and it increases with the load and the sliding velocity. The maximum temperature rise with the lubrication is much lower, approximately 10 °C, than that under the condition of dry-friction, which is approximately 103 °C. Furthermore, the maximum of the COF under the impact load is significantly lower than that for the stable contact friction. With the impact and sliding velocities increase, the maximum COF under the impact load experiences a slight increase and reaches a maximum value of approximately 0.36. As the impact load increases, the COF changes little, but the impact process occurs more than once. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wear is one of the primary factors for the degradation of the wire rope used for multi-layer winding hoist. It decreases the carrying capacity and service life of the hoisting rope, which will affect the mine safety directly. In this paper, the effects of the wear scars caused by sliding friction under different crossing angles and cross directions on the mechanical response of the wire rope were investigated through the breaking tensile test. Additionally, the fracture failure mechanism of the rope samples was discussed. Results show that the surface wear decreases the breaking force of the wire rope. The distribution of wear region and the maximum wear depth of the wear scar are the major influence factors on the mechanical properties of the rope. The variation range of the breaking force is larger for the rope with the wear scar under the sliding condition of right cross contact and the damage is more serious for that in the condition of left cross contact. There is obvious plastic deformation and temperature rise near the wear scar before the rope breaks. The fracture failure mechanism is ductile fracture with necking and dimples on the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 1990s, the theory of orthogonal polynomials has been increasingly playing an essential role in integrable systems, in particular Toda type lattices, peakon dynamical systems of Camassa–Holm (CH) type, as well as Random Matrix theory, and Painlevé Transcendents. This special issue focuses on recent advances in these areas. Still, in addition to research papers, it also includes review articles providing an overview of the pertinent developments which have impacted the synergy of the theory of integrable systems, approximation theory, and the theory of orthogonal polynomials and generalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two NIR-emitting Ir(III) complexes with rigid coordinated cocoon and peripheral TPA are synthesized. • The effect of rigid coordinated cocoon and peripheral TPA position on properties of Ir(III) complexes are studied. • (PyQl-TPA) 2 Ir(acac) with extending coordinated cocoon behaves stronger SOC, smaller Δ E ST and lower reorganized energy. • (PyQl-TPA) 2 Ir(acac)-doped devices exhibit a NIR emission at 784 nm with a record EQE of 5.42% by solution process. Due to the non-radiative decay of excited states, it is extremely complicated for iridium (III) complexes to simultaneously harvest high-efficiency and long-wavelength emission in the near-infrared (NIR) region based on the energy-gap law. In order to address this issue, we designed and synthesized two butterfly-type iridium(III) complexes of (PyPz-TPA) 2 Ir(acac) and (PyQl-TPA) 2 Ir(acac), in which pyrene-pyrazine (PyPz) and pyrene-quinoxaline (PyQl) are respectively used as the rigid C^N bidentate coordinated cocoons, peripherally with two triphenylamine (TPA) units at 4, 5-positions. Their photophysical, electrochemical and electroluminescent properties are primarily investigated. It is found that the (PyQl-TPA) 2 Ir(acac) presents stronger spin-orbital coupling effect, a smaller Δ E ST energy difference, and lower reorganization energy than (PyPz-TPA) 2 Ir(acac) by selecting rigid pyrene-quinoxaline coordination and optimizing peripheral TPA position. Furthermore, the (PyQl-TPA) 2 Ir(acac)-doped OLEDs exhibit a red-shifted NIR emission peaked at 784 nm with a record external quantum efficiency of 5.42% using CBP as host matrix by solution process, which is a rare representation to shrink the limitation of energy-gap law in NIR region for iridium(III) complexes. This study provides a feasible strategy to construct high-efficiency NIR-emitting iridium(III) complexes by an artfully motivated strategy of extending and breaking the C^N coordinate cocoon into butterfly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Using o -isothiocyanato-(E)-cinnamaldehydes as powerful and versatile precursors, a facile domino reaction for the simultaneous formation of a compound library similar to natural products 3,4-dihydroquinazoline derivatives and 2,4-dihydro-1 H -benzo[ d ][1,3]thiazine derivatives has been developed. The domino reaction of o -isothiocyanato- (E)-cinnamaldehydes with hydroxylamine resulted in the simultaneous formation of N/S- heterocycles and N/N -heterocycles, generating six classes of previously unknown 2,4-dihydro-1 H -benzo[ d ][1,3]thiazine derivatives with various functional groups. This strategy is a typical example of diversity-oriented synthesis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-efficiency narrowband near-ultraviolet (NUV) organic light-emitting diodes with high color purity have currently encountered great challenges. Here, using butyl (Bu) and cyanogen (CN) substituted strategy in the simplest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons of indolocarbazole (ICz), two simple emitters of BuICz and BuICzCN were demonstrated. This simple strategy was observed to enable both emitters to realize NUV emission at 380–381 nm with a small full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 21–23 nm and high photoluminescent quantum efficiency of 50%–59% in toluene solution. Furthermore, the BuICzCN doped devices exhibited a slightly blueshifted narrowband NUV electroluminescence at 388 nm with a small FWHM of 32.3 nm but a higher external quantum efficiency of 3.92% in comparison with the BuICz doped devices. This work provides a path to realize high-performance narrow-band NUV emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A spectral and the inverse spectral problem are studied for the two-component modified Camassa–Holm type for measures associated to interlacing peaks. It is shown that the spectral problem is equivalent to an inhomogeneous string problem with Dirichlet/Neumann boundary conditions. The inverse problem is solved by Stieltjes's continued fraction expansion, leading to an explicit construction of peakon solutions. Sufficient conditions for global existence of solutions are given. The large time asymptotics reveals that, asymptotically, peakons pair up to form bound states moving with constant speeds. The peakon flow is shown to project to one of the isospectral flows of the finite Kac–van Moerbeke lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, we give an algebraic proof to the Christoffel–Darboux identity of formal orthogonal rational functions on the real line by exposing some underlying algebraic properties. This proof does not involve the three-term recurrence relationship. Besides, it is shown that if a family of rational functions satisfies the Christoffel–Darboux relation, then it also admits a three-term recurrence relationship. Thus, the equivalence between both relations is revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wear leads to performance degradation of the wire rope and seriously threatens its service reliability. This paper explored the tribological behavior of a transmission wire rope by a homemade rope-sheave sliding friction and wear test rig. Then, the strength and fatigue performance of the wire rope with different surface wear were investigated using customized test apparatuses. The results show that the friction coefficient (COF) is affected by the rope structure, contact angle and sliding velocity, which decreases from approximately 0.65 to 0.32 with increasing sliding velocity. The friction temperature rise is obviously influenced by the sliding velocity. It increases nonlinearly from approximately 51 °C to approximately 102 °C. The wear characteristics are mainly spalling, furrows and plastic deformation. The wear mechanisms are adhesive wear and abrasive wear. Additionally, with a decrease in sliding velocity, the breaking force decreases from approximately 48.7 kN–41.2 kN, and the bending fatigue life reduces nonlinearly. The maximum bending fatigue times decrease from approximately 9.9 k to 3.2 k. Furthermore, the surface wear accelerates the crack propagation rate of the service wire rope. The fracture mechanism of the wire rope is mainly ductile fracture under tensile loading and brittle fracture under fatigue loading. [Display omitted] • The COF of wire rope is affected by contact angle and sliding velocity. • Surface wear degree decreases with the increase of sliding parameters. • Wear characteristics are mainly spalling, furrow and plastic deformation. • Mechanical properties degenerate nonlinearly with the sliding velocity decreases. • Wear accelerates the crack propagation and reduces the fatigue life of the wire rope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased glucose production and reduced hepatic glycogen storage contribute to metabolic abnormalities in diabetes. Irisin, a newly identified myokine, induces the browning of white adipose tissue, but its effects on gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis are unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of irisin on gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis in hepatocytes with insulin resistance, and its therapeutic role in type 2 diabetic mice. Insulin resistance was induced by glucosamine (GlcN) or palmitate in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells and mouse primary hepatocytes. Type 2 diabetes was induced by streptozotocin/high-fat diet (STZ/HFD) in mice. In HepG2 cells, irisin ameliorated the GlcN-induced increases in glucose production, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) expression, and glycogen synthase (GS) phosphorylation; it prevented GlcN-induced decreases in glycogen content and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) p110a subunit level, and the phosphorylation of Akt/protein kinase B, forkhead box transcription factor O1 (FOXO1) and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3). These effects of irisin were abolished by the inhibition of PI3K or Akt. The effects of irisin were confirmed in mouse primary hepatocytes with GlcN-induced insulin resistance and in human HepG2 cells with palmitate-induced insulin resistance. In diabetic mice, persistent subcutaneous perfusion of irisin improved the insulin sensitivity, reduced fasting blood glucose, increased GSK3 and Akt phosphorylation, glycogen content and irisin level, and suppressed GS phosphorylation and PEPCK and G6Pase expression in the liver. Irisin improves glucose homoeostasis by reducing gluconeogenesis via PI3K/Akt/FOXO1-mediated PEPCK and G6Pase down-regulation and increasing glycogenesis via PI3K/Akt/GSK3-mediated GS activation. Irisin may be regarded as a novel therapeutic strategy for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]