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Delay-bandwidth product (DBP) is a key metric in slow light waveguides, requiring a balance between a large group index and broad bandwidth—two parameters that often involve a trade-off. Here, we propose and demonstrate a slow light waveguide with large DBP using a pseudospin-polarized transverse electromagnetic mode. This waveguide features a folded edge configuration that supports a 200% relative bandwidth from quasistatic limit (zero frequency) and an arbitrarily large group index. Owing to the pseudospin-polarized design, the dense folding would not introduce backscattering and the associated group velocity dispersion (GVD). The resulting gapless linear dispersion and pulse transmission behavior in folded edge waveguide are observed in microwave experiments. Our scheme provides a way to overcome the trade-off between group index and working bandwidth in slow light waveguide, which has potential applications in broadband optical buffering, light-matter interaction enhancement, terahertz radiation source and time domain processing. Delay-bandwidth product (DBP), which require a large group index and a wide bandwidth, is an important indicator in slow light waveguides. This work relaxes the trade-off between group velocity and working bandwidth in 200% relative bandwidth, and realizes a pseudospin-polarized slow-light waveguide with large DBP and low group velocity dispersion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Metagenomic binning is a part of the metagenomic analysis process that can classify the genomes in complex microbial communities into possible source species. It is dedicated to restoring more complete genomes and is conducive to studying microbial community structure and function. Obtaining more effective feature representations of genome sequences to improve binning is still a major challenge. This study proposes a new metagenomic binning method called CedtBin, which uses an improved BERT model to obtain the embedded representation of contigs and splices it with the decomposed tetranucleotide frequencies into a new feature representation. Then, the Annoy-DBSCAN clustering algorithm is proposed, which can adaptively determine the parameters of the DBSCAN clustering algorithm for binning. The results show that CedtBin can achieve good binning effects on both simulated and real datasets, and can reconstruct more genomes. Metagenomic binning is a crucial step in metagenomic research. It can aggregate the genome sequences belonging to the same microbial species into independent bins. Most existing methods ignore the semantic information of contigs and lack effective processing of tetranucleotide frequency, resulting in insufficient and complex feature information extracted for binning and poor binning results. To address the above problems, we propose CedtBin, a metagenomic binning method based on contig embedding and decomposed tetranucleotide frequency. First, the improved BERT model is used to learn the contigs to obtain their embedding representation. Secondly, the tetranucleotide frequencies are decomposed using a non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm. After that, the two features are spliced and input into the clustering algorithm for binning. Considering the sensitivity of the DBSCAN clustering algorithm to input parameters, in order to solve the drawbacks of manual parameter input, we also propose an Annoy-DBSCAN algorithm that can adaptively determine the parameters of the DBSCAN algorithm. This algorithm uses Approximate Nearest Neighbors Oh Yeah (Annoy) and combines it with a grid search strategy to find the optimal parameters of the DBSCAN algorithm. On simulated and real datasets, CedtBin achieves better binning results than mainstream methods and can reconstruct more genomes, indicating that the proposed method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diterpene synthase AfAS was identified from Aspergillus fumigatiaffinis. Its amino acid sequence and—according to a structural model—active site architecture are highly similar to those of the fusicocca‐2,10(14)‐diene synthase PaFS, but AfAS produces a structurally much more complex diterpene with a novel 6–5–5–5 tetracyclic skeleton called asperfumene. The cyclisation mechanism of AfAS was elucidated through isotopic labelling experiments and DFT calculations. The reaction cascade proceeds in its initial steps through similar intermediates as for the PaFS cascade, but then diverges through an unusual vicinal deprotonation‐reprotonation process that triggers a skeletal rearrangement at the entrance to the steps leading to the unique asperfumene skeleton. The structural model revealed only one major difference between the active sites: The PaFS residue F65 is substituted by I65 in AfAS. Intriguingly, site‐directed mutagenesis experiments with both diterpene synthases revealed that position 65 serves as a bidirectional functional switch for the biosynthesis of tetracyclic asperfumene versus structurally less complex diterpenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die Diterpensynthase AfAS wurde aus Aspergillus fumigatiaffinis identifiziert. Ihre Aminosäuresequenz und – einem Strukturmodell zufolge – die Architektur des aktiven Zentrums sind denen der Fusicocca‐2,10(14)‐dien‐Synthase PaFS sehr ähnlich, AfAS produziert jedoch ein strukturell viel komplexeres Diterpen mit einem neuartigen 6–5–5–5 tetracyclischen Gerüst namens Asperfumen. Der Cyclisierungsmechanismus von AfAS wurde durch Isotopenmarkierungsexperimente und DFT‐Rechnungen aufgeklärt. Die Reaktionskaskade verläuft in ihren ersten Schritten über ähnliche Intermediate wie die PaFS‐Kaskade, divergiert dann aber durch einen ungewöhnlichen vicinalen Deprotonierungs‐Reprotonierungsprozess, der eine Skelettumlagerung am Startpunkt der Stufen auslöst, die zum einzigartigen Asperfumen‐Gerüst führen. Das Strukturmodell zeigte nur einen wesentlichen Unterschied zwischen den aktiven Zentren: Der PaFS‐Rest F65 ist in AfAS durch I65 ersetzt. Interessanterweise zeigten ortsspezifische Mutageneseexperimente mit beiden Diterpensynthasen, dass Position 65 als bidirektionaler funktioneller Schalter für die Biosynthese von tetracyclischem Asperfumen im Vergleich zu strukturell weniger komplexen Diterpenen dient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sand production is one of the main obstacles restricting gas extraction efficiency and safety from marine natural gas hydrate (NGH) reservoirs. Particle migration within the NGH reservoir dominates sand production behaviors, while their relationships were rarely reported, severely constrains quantitative evaluation of sand production risks. This paper reports the optical observations of solid particle migration and production from micrometer to mesoscopic scales conditioned to gravel packing during depressurization-induced NGH dissociation for the first time. Theoretical evolutionary modes of sand migration are established based on experimental observations, and its implications on field NGH are comprehensively discussed. Five particle migration regimes of local borehole failure, continuous collapse, wormhole expansion, extensive slow deformation, and pore-wall fluidization are proved to occur during depressurization. The types of particle migration regimes and their transmission modes during depressurization are predominantly determined by initial hydrate saturation. In contrast, the depressurization mainly dominates the transmission rate of the particle migration regimes. Furthermore, both the cumulative mass and the medium grain size of the produced sand decrease linearly with increasing initial methane hydrate (MH) saturation. Discontinuous gas bubble emission, expansion, and explosion during MH dissociation delay sand migration into the wellbore. At the same time, continuous water flow is a requirement for sand production during hydrate dissociation by depressurization. The experiments enlighten us that a constitutive model that can illustrate visible particle migration regimes and their transmission modes is urgently needed to bridge numerical simulation and field applications. Optimizing wellbore layout positions or special reservoir treatment shall be important for mitigating sand production tendency during NGH exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ziziphi spinosae semen (ZSS), dry mature seeds of Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa (Bunge) Hu ex H.F. Chow., are widely used in the treatment of insomnia, fright palpitations, and profuse dreaming in medical treatments. The counterfeit species of ZSS, Ziziphi mauritianae semen (ZMS), and Hovenia dulcis Thunb (HDT) are seeds from Ziziphus incurva Roxb. and Hovenia acerba Lindl., respectively. However, the pharmacopeia is not recorded for ZMS and HDT. In this article, we reviewed the identification methods of ZSS, ZMS, and HDT. Materials and Methods: The random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to identify the ZSS and its copies. Plant genome DNA was extracted from Z. jujuba Mill., Z. incurva Roxb., and H. acerba Lindl. Random primers were designed to amplify the genome. The amplified products were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis. Results: By analyzing the polymorphism of the amplified product DNA fragment, the DNA fingerprint maps of Z. jujuba Mill., Z. incurva Roxb., and H. acerba Lindl. were successfully constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chern insulators have been generalized to many classical wave systems and thereby lead to many potential applications such as robust waveguides, quantum computation and high-performance lasers. However, the band structure of a material can be either topologically trivial or non-trivial, depending on how the crystal structure is designed. Here, we propose a second Chern crystal in a four-dimensional parameter space by introducing two extra synthetic translation dimensions. Since the topology of the bulk bands in the synthetic translation space is intrinsically non-trivial, our proposed four-dimensional crystal is guaranteed to be topologically non-trivial regardless of the crystal's detailed configuration. We derive the topologically protected modes on the lower dimensional boundaries of such a crystal via dimension reduction. Remarkably, we observe the one-dimensional gapless dislocation modes and confirm their robustness in experiments. Our findings provide novel perspectives on topologically non-trivial crystals and may inspire designs of classical wave devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arf family proteins are best known for their roles in the vesicle biogenesis. However, they also play fundamental roles in a wide range of cellular regulation besides vesicular trafficking, such as modulation of lipid metabolic enzymes, cytoskeleton remodeling, ciliogenesis, lysosomal, and mitochondrial morphology and functions. Growing studies continue to expand the downstream effector landscape of Arf proteins, especially for the less‐studied members, revealing new biological functions, such as amino acid sensing. Experiments with cutting‐edge technologies and in vivo functional studies in the last decade help to provide a more comprehensive view of Arf family functions. In this review, we summarize the cellular functions that are regulated by at least two different Arf members with an emphasis on those beyond vesicle biogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy γ -ray plays an important role in the study of the nuclear industry and nuclear physics. (p , γ) resonant reaction is a classic way to produce quasi-monochromatic γ -ray. The determination of (p , γ) yield is an important prerequisite for using this γ -ray source to carry out subsequent work. In this work, the 7 Li (p , γ) 8 Be resonant reaction at E p = 441 keV is utilized to produce 17.6 MeV γ -ray using the 2 × 1.7 MV tandem accelerator at CIAE. The full yield curve is measured for the first time. The maximum thick-target-yield of 17.6 MeV γ -ray is determined to be (3.2 ± 0.2) × 10 − 9 γ /p. This would lead to the γ -ray intensity of 2 × 10 8 /s when using 10 mA proton beam which has been typically available to date. This intensity is comparable to the one from the laser-Compton scattering facilities in operation. Thus can be used for study of photonuclear reactions. • The angular distribution of 17.6 MeV γ -ray from 7 Li (p , γ) 8 Be resonant reaction at E p = 441 keV has been measured. The divergence between those previous experiments is clarified. • The full yield curve of 17.6 MeV γ -ray from 7 Li (p , γ) 8 Be resonant reaction at E p = 441 keV is measured for the first time. The maximum thick-target-yield is determined to be (3.2 ± 0.2) × 10 − 9 γ /p. This would lead to the γ -ray intensity of 2 × 10 8 /s when the proton beam is 10 mA. • The γ -ray intensity of 17.6 MeV from 7 Li (p , γ) 8 Be resonant reaction γ -source at E p = 441 keV is comparable to the beam intensity provided by a state-of-the-art LCS facilities in operation. Thus can be used for study of photonuclear reactions in some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hippo signaling pathway was originally characterized by genetic studies in Drosophila to regulate tissue growth and organ size, and the core components of this pathway are highly conserved in mammals. Studies over the past two decades have revealed critical physiological and pathological functions of the Hippo tumor-suppressor pathway, which is tightly regulated by a broad range of intracellular and extracellular signals. These properties enable the Hippo pathway to serve as an important controller in organismal development and adult tissue homeostasis. Dysregulation of the Hippo signaling has been observed in many cancer types, suggesting the possibility of cancer treatment by targeting the Hippo pathway. The general consensus is that Hippo has tumor suppressor function. However, growing evidence also suggests that the function of the Hippo pathway in malignancy is cancer context dependent as recent studies indicating tumor promoting function of LATS. This article surveys the Hippo pathway signaling mechanisms and then reviews both the tumor suppressing and promoting function of this pathway. A comprehensive understanding of the dual roles of the Hippo pathway in cancer will benefit future therapeutic targeting of the Hippo pathway for cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Arf GTPase family is involved in a wide range of cellular regulation including membrane trafficking and organelle–structure assembly. Here, we have generated a proximity interaction network for the Arf family using the miniTurboID approach combined with TMT‐based quantitative mass spectrometry. Our interactome confirmed known interactions and identified many novel interactors that provide leads for defining Arf pathway cell biological functions. We explored the unexpected finding that phospholipase D1 (PLD1) preferentially interacts with two closely related but poorly studied Arf family GTPases, ARL11 and ARL14, showing that PLD1 is activated by ARL11/14 and may recruit these GTPases to membrane vesicles, and that PLD1 and ARL11 collaborate to promote macrophage phagocytosis. Moreover, ARL5A and ARL5B were found to interact with and recruit phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase beta (PI4KB) at trans‐Golgi, thus promoting PI4KB's function in PI4P synthesis and protein secretion. Synopsis: The Arf GTPase family is involved in a wide range of cellular regulation events. Here, an unbiased search for its members' effector networks allowed functional investigations into the regulation of phospholipase D1 (PLD1) by ARL11/14, and of phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinase beta (PI4KB) by ARL5A/5B.miniTurboID combined with mass spectrometry reveals proximal interaction networks for the Arf family of small GTPases.ARL11/14 bind and activate PLD1.ARL11/14 act through PLD1 to promote phagocytosis in macrophages.ARL5A/5B recruit PI4KB to increase PI(4)P synthesis and promote protein secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is a complex optimization problem in intelligent manufacturing and plays a key role in improving productivity, which is characterized by that each operation can be processed by multiple machines. Most current research into FJSP focuses on finding a higher-quality scheduling scheme in a shorter time. However, existing studies are hard to optimize the operation sequencing and machine assignment strategies simultaneously, which is critical for making the optimal scheduling decision. Therefore, a multi-agent-based graph reinforcement learning (MAGRL) method is proposed to effectively solve FJSP. Firstly, the FJSP is modeled into two Markov decision processes (MDPs), where the operation and machine agents are adopted to control the operation sequencing and machine assignment respectively. Secondly, to effectively predict the operation sequencing and machine assignment strategies, an encoder-double-decoder architecture is designed, including an improved graph attention network (IGAT)-based encoder, an operation strategy network-based decoder, and a machine strategy network-based decoder. Thirdly, an automatic entropy adjustment multi-agent proximal policy optimization (AEA-MAPPO) algorithm is proposed for effectively training the operation and machine strategy networks to optimize the operation sequencing and machine assignment strategies simultaneously. Finally, the effectiveness of MAGRL is verified through experimental comparisons with the classical scheduling rules and state-of-the-art methods to solve FJSP. The results achieved on the randomly generated FJSP instances and two common benchmarks indicate that MAGRL can consume less solution time to achieve higher solution quality in solving different-sized FJSP instances, and the overall performance of MAGRL is superior to that of the comparison methods. [Display omitted] • A multi-agent-based graph reinforcement learning method is proposed to solve FJSP. • Effectively control the operation sequencing and machine assignment by two agents. • Extract the features of nodes of the heterogeneous graph by an IGAT-based encoder. • An EDD architecture is designed to handle the complex scheduling information of FJSP. • An AEA-MAPPO algorithm is proposed to effectively learn the best scheduling strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flexible job shop scheduling problem (FJSP) is an important production scheduling problem in intelligent manufacturing. How to model the complex FJSP more accurately and improve the efficiency and generalization of scheduling policies is an urgent challenge to be solved. Therefore, a new end-to-end deep reinforcement learning (DRL) method combined with the meta-path-based heterogeneous graph neural network (MHGNN) is proposed to effectively solve FJSP. The task of solving FJSP is decomposed into two subtasks of operation selection and machine allocation. This dual-task FJSP is represented by introducing a heterogeneous graph and modeled as the dual Markov decision process (DMDP). A MHGNN is proposed to embed the global scheduling states of the dual-task FJSP. A heterogeneous graph neural network (GNN) framework is designed for the dual-task FJSP to efficiently encode the operation nodes and machine nodes, where the extracted embedded feature information is used to represent the operation selection policy and the machine allocation policy. Two policy networks are designed to efficiently predict the operation selection policy and the machine allocation policy, and a soft double-actors critic algorithm is proposed to train these two policy networks, where the trained policies can be used to efficiently solve FJSP instances of different scales. The experiments on three public benchmarks show that the proposed method outperforms the well-known heuristic scheduling rules and some advanced methods for solving FJSP. In particular, when solving large-scale FJSPs, the proposed method performs more prominently in terms of solution quality and solution time. • A heterogeneous graph is introduced to represent the dual-task FJSP. • A dual Markov decision process is proposed to model the dual-task FJSP. • A meta-path-based heterogeneous graph neural network is proposed. • A heterogeneous graph neural network framework is designed for the dual-task FJSP. • A soft double-actors critic algorithm is designed to train the scheduling policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses that Semaphorins were originally identified as axonal guidance molecules, but they are also capable of controlling processes like vascular development and tumorigenesis. However, the downstream signaling cascades of Semaphorins in these biological processes are still the area of further research.

• UV-aged polystyrene was more conducive to biofilm formation than pristine PS. • Biofilm on UV aged PS had more resistance mutations than that on pristine PS. • Ery enhanced biofilm formation and resistance mutations on PS microplastics. • UV aging and Ery repressed rpoS, mutS , and uvrD expressions in biofilm bacteria. Microplastics (MPs) and antibiotics co-occur widely in the environment and pose combined risk to microbial communities. The present study investigated the effects of erythromycin on biofilm formation and resistance mutation of a model bacterium, E. coli , on the surface of pristine and UV-aged polystyrene (PS) MPs sized 1–2 mm. The properties of UV-aged PS were significantly altered compared to pristine PS, with notable increases in specific surface area, carbonyl index, hydrophilicity, and hydroxyl radical content. Importantly, the adsorption capacity of UV-aged PS towards erythromycin was approximately 8-fold higher than that of pristine PS. Biofilms colonizing on UV-aged PS had a greater cell count (5.6 × 108 CFU mg−1) and a higher frequency of resistance mutation (1.0 × 10−7) than those on pristine PS (1.4 × 108 CFU mg−1 and 1.4 × 10−8, respectively). Moreover, erythromycin at 0.1 and 1.0 mg L −1 significantly (p < 0.05) promoted the formation and resistance mutation of biofilm on both pristine and UV-aged PS. DNA sequencing results confirmed that the biofilm resistance was attributed to point mutations in rpoB segment of the bacterial genome. qPCR results demonstrated that both UV aging and erythromycin repressed the expression levels of a global regulator rpoS in biofilm bacteria, as well as two DNA mismatch repair genes mutS and uvrD , which was likely to contribute to increased resistance mutation frequency. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a systematic static voltage stability index for evaluating system loading status in distribution networks is deduced from complex power flow models. The proposed index facilitates impact analysis on the integration of inverter-based distributed generators under different control modes, which may affect the static voltage stability. The case study, including various scenarios, is performed to validate the accuracy of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sectionalizing a distribution system with distributed energy resources (DERs) into multiple microgrids in the case of power outages has been recognized as a promising solution to restore critical loads. Nevertheless, most existing literatures focus on restoring loads by optimally dispatching distributed generators (DGs), where the controllability on the demand side is usually neglected. Moreover, unbalances in the restored microgrids should be limited in specified levels to prevent DGs from tripping to enhance the operational reliability. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel method to restore a distribution system into multiple microgrids whilst taking the three-phase demand-side management (T-DSM) into account. The T-DSM exploits optimal phase positions of switchable loads to alleviate the unbalance issue from the demand side, which can be coordinated with network partition and DG dispatching to improve the controllability of microgrids during the restoration process. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer second-order cone programming (MISOCP) which enables applying the off-the-shelve solvers. To improve computational performance, a multi-timescale strategy is developed to enhance its practicality. Simulation results based on the IEEE 34- and 123-bus feeders demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enantioconvergent hydrolysis by epoxide hydrolase is a promising method for the synthesis of important vicinal diols. However, the poor regioselectivity of the naturally occurring enzymes results in low enantioconvergence in the enzymatic hydrolysis of styrene oxides. Herein, modulated residue No. 263 was redesigned based on structural information and a smart variant library was constructed by site‐directed modification using an "optimized amino acid alphabet" to improve the regioselectivity of epoxide hydrolase from Vigna radiata (VrEH2). The regioselectivity coefficient (r) of variant M263Q for the R‐isomer of meta‐substituted styrene oxides was improved 40–63‐fold, and variant M263V also exhibited higher regioselectivity towards the R‐isomer of para‐substituted styrene oxides compared with the wild type, which resulted in improved enantioconvergence in hydrolysis of styrene oxide scaffolds. Structural insight showed the crucial role of residue No. 263 in modulating the substrate binding conformation by altering the binding surroundings. Furthermore, increased differences in the attacking distance between nucleophilic residue Asp101 and the two carbon atoms of the epoxide ring provided evidence for improved regioselectivity. Several high‐value vicinal diols were readily synthesized (>88% yield, 90%–98% ee) by enantioconvergent hydrolysis using the reprogrammed variants. These findings provide a successful strategy for enhancing the enantioconvergence of native epoxide hydrolases through key single‐site mutation and more powerful enzyme tools for the enantioconvergent hydrolysis of styrene oxide scaffolds into single (R)‐enantiomers of chiral vicinal diols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For wide-angle scanning phased arrays, the efficiency of active elements is deteriorated with the increase of mutual impedance. This article demonstrates an effective strategy to control the mutual impedance among array elements by canceling the major coupling effect. The implemented wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM) of a wideband phased array verifies the validity of the proposed strategy. For the array element, to obtain wide-angle radiation and wideband characteristic, parallel slots with unequal lengths are deliberately etched on a low-profile substrate integrated cavity (SIC). The mutual impedance between two arbitrary elements is remarkably controlled and compensated by canceling the major coupling effect, which is realized by etching symmetrical slots and loading periodical loops within each element. With the controlled mutual impedance, the proposed array possesses excellent wide-angle scanning performance. Both the simulated and measured results indicate that the designed array steers its main beam from −70° to +70° in the xoz azimuth plane in a broad frequency range from 8.0 to 9.5 GHz. The active $S$ -parameter of each element remains lower than −10 dB in the operating band while the array scans. Due to the implemented WAIM, the total efficiency of the array exceeds 90% during the scan and the fluctuation of realized gain is less than 3 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melt strength is crucial in foam-processing of polymer materials, especially for linear molecular structured isotactic polypropylene (iPP), which has comparatively weak melt strength to hinder its foaming. In this study, a commercial high melt strength polypropylene (HMSPP) was added into the iPP matrix, cooperated with a thermal treatment, aiming to enhance the melt strength and microcellular foamability of iPP under supercritical CO2. Melt strength enhancement effect was proved by rheological and microcellular foaming results. The crystallization and batch foaming behaviors of iPP and its HMSPP added blends at different foaming conditions were investigated. It was observed that the addition of HMSPP could refine the crystals of the blends, and the crystal nucleation sites could be increased apparently. Cooperated with the suitable thermal control schedule during the batch foaming process, the introduced crystals could correspondingly improve the melt strength and cell nucleating ability of HMSPP added iPP. At a given HMSPP content of 20 wt.%, quite fine microcellular foams with the average cell size of 0.8 μm, and cell density up to 1012 cells/cm3 were fabricated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Kümmell's disease is a special type of osteoporotic vertebral fracture that causes chronic low back pain and deformity, which seriously affects the living quality of patients. PVP is commonly used to treat osteoporotic vertebral fractures and can quickly relieve low back pain. So, the objective of this study was to analyze the clinical efficacy and experience of bipedicular percutaneous vertebroplasty combined with postural reduction for the treatment of Kümmell's disease.Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients with Kümmell's disease who underwent bipedicular percutaneous vertebroplasty was conducted from February 2016 to May 2018. Operative time, VAS, bone cement injection volume, cement leakage rate, compression improvement of vertebral front edge and vertebral center, and correction degree of kyphosis were collected and analyzed meticulously.Results: The operative time was 45.33 ± 7.64 min. The volume of bone cement injected was 5.38 ± 1.33 ml. The compression improvement of vertebral front edge was 7.31 ± 1.21%. The compression improvement of vertebral center was 10.34 ± 1.15% and the correction degree of kyphosis was - 2.73 ± 0.31゜. Bone cement leakage occurred in 6 of 39 patients (15.38%), but no clinical symptoms were observed. The VAS scores were significantly lower at 1 day after the surgery, 6 months and at the last follow-up than before the surgery (P = 0.000, respectively). The VAS score was lower at the last follow-up than at 1 day after the surgery (P = 0.001).Conclusion: Bipedicular percutaneous vertebroplasty combined with postural reduction could achieve satisfactory analgesic effect in the treatment of Kümmell's disease, and restore the height of the vertebral body and improve kyphosis to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Smartphone assisted-fluorescence sensors were developed for tetracycline detection. • An ideal regular octahedral UiO-66-NH 2 material was synthesized and characterized. • UiO-66-NH 2 /Eu3+ was used to design the ratiometric fluorescence sensor. • Both antenna effect and the inner filter effect were attributed to the sensing mechanism. Antibiotic residues cause extensive damage to food security, thus arousing serious concerns. Hence, rapid and sensitive detection of antibiotic residues is crucial to food safety. This study aimed to propose a portable, visual, intelligent and rapid method for tetracycline detection. We developed a ratiometric fluorescent sensor based on the Eu3+-functionalized regular octahedral UiO-66-NH 2 material. The developed sensor could quantify tetracycline in the concentration range of 0.5–200 μM with a detection limit as low as 0.2 μM under the optimum conditions. Furthermore, the analytical results obtained using the designed sensor in the actual samples were basically consistent with those obtained using high-performance liquid chromatography. Based on these achievements, a smartphone application-integrated fluorescent testing paper was designed for facile, intelligent, and visual detection of tetracycline. The integrated portable sensor not only saved cost and time for testing but also provided a forward-looking approach to fast, sensitive detection of antibiotic residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an effective method aimed at reducing the mutual impedance among array elements is developed to realize wide-angle impedance matching (WAIM) for planar phased arrays. According to the property of the coupling field, the inherent field distribution at apertures of each element is properly regulated so that the mutual impedance between two arbitrary elements can be substantially reduced. Based on the analysis of the impedance matrix for the equivalent microwave network, the required WAIM can be implemented with such minified mutual impedance. With the proposed method, a low-profile linear phased array with $1 \times 10$ uniform elements is designed and manufactured. For the presented array, the wide-angle scanning performance is attained from the joint effect of the spatial radiation and the surface-wave diffraction. To achieve WAIM, the inherent field of each element is deliberately adjusted according to the distribution of the guided TM surface wave, which acts as the dominant coupling field. Both simulated and experimental results indicate that the proposed phased array can steer its main beam from −81° to +81° in the azimuth plane, with peak realized gain fluctuation less than 3.5 dB. Particularly, besides the broad range of scan, all the active S-parameters are controlled less than −10 dB in the fixed operating band for all scanning angles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy γ-ray can be used for nuclear waste transmutation by using the giant dipole resonance (GDR). The photonuclear reaction 197Au(γ, n) is known as a standard for studies on photoactivation experiments. The previous experiments on 197Au(γ, n) have been performed with bremsstrahlung, positron annihilation in flight or laser Compton scattering γ-ray. In this work, a new mono-energetic γ-ray source based on 13C(p, γ)14N reaction is used to measure the cross section of 197Au(, n) and the measured value is compared with the results obtained with other ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An engineered epoxide hydrolase from Vigna radiate (Vr EH2 M263N) shows near-perfect enantioconvergence in single enzyme mediated hydrolysis of racemic p -nitrostyrene oxide (pNSO). To explore industrial potential of the promising biocatalyst, we tried to immobilize the Vr EH2 variant by covalently linking onto a commercially available amino resin ECR8405F. Then a 5-mL packed bed reactor filled with the immobilized Vr EH2 M263N was connected with macroporous resin NKA-11 for in situ product adsorption, and the product (R) -p- nitrophenyl glycol (pNPG) was harvested by methanol elution, with 91% isolated yield and 97% ee. The continuous reactor was operated stably for more than 100 h with a space time yield of 20 g⋅L−1⋅h−1. Subsequently, the β -blocker (R)-Nifenalol was prepared by chemically synthesized from (R)-pNPG, affording the product in an overall yield of 61.3% (1.5 g) and an enantiopurity of 99.9% ee after recrystallization. Graphical abstract Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concise approach to a Neu5Ac‐α‐2,3‐LacNPhth trisaccharide derivative was developed. First, the regio/stereoselective glycosylation between glycoside donors and glucoNPhth diol acceptors was investigated. It was found that the regioselectivity depends not only on the steric hindrance of the C2‐NPhth group and the C6‐OH protecting group of the glucosamine acceptors, but also on the leaving group and protecting group of the glycoside donors. Under optimized conditions, LacNPhth derivatives were synthesized in up to 92 % yield through a regio/stereoselective glycosylation between peracetylated‐α‐galactopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate and p‐methoxyphenyl 6‐O‐tert‐butyldiphenylsilyl‐2‐deoxy‐2‐phthalimido‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside, avoiding the formation of glycosylated orthoesters and anomeric aglycon transfer. Then, the LacNPhth derivative was deacylated and then protected on the primary position by TBDPS to form a LacNPhth polyol acceptor. Finally, the Neu5Ac‐α‐2,3‐LacNPhth derivative was synthesized in 48 % yield through the regio/stereoselective glycosylation between the LacNPhth polyol acceptor and a sialyl phosphite donor. Starting from d‐glucosamine hydrochloride, the target Neu5Ac‐α‐2,3‐LacNPhth derivative was synthesized in a total yield of 18.5 % over only 10 steps. Good blood sugar levels: An efficient approach to synthesize the Neu5Ac‐α‐2,3‐LacNPhth derivative 3 was developed, resulting in a total yield of 18.5 % over only 10 steps starting from glucosamine hydrochloride. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the artemisinin drug used to reduce the parasitemia from the blood stream of people diagnosed with malaria. It talks about the rising resistance against the antimalarial drugs failing to treat malarial infections in the body. It tells about the drug resulting in mutations in the body resulting in the body becoming arte­misinin-resistant.

Provides information on a study that investigated the transient electroluminescence behavior of a gold/porous silicon/silicon/aluminum diode by a doubly injected voltage pulse method. Details on the experiment; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

The evolution route of a pharmaceutically relevant esterase Rh Est1 in the coordinate system of catalytic properties. [Display omitted] • Directed evolution and circular permutation are rationally combined to reengineer esterase Rh Est1. • A key mutation site "G282S" was identified from a directed evolution library starting with a circular permutation variant CP-176. • The beneficial mutation G282S in CP-176, equivalent to G167S in Rh Est1, was introduced back into Rh Est1-M2, improving catalytic efficiency by 80% and T m by nearly 10 ℃. A pharmaceutically relevant esterase, Rh Est1, could catalyze the hydrolysis of (R,S)-ethyl-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylate [(R,S)-DmCpCe] with excellent enantioselectivity, producing (S)-(+)-2,2-dimethyl cyclopropane carboxylic acid [(S)-DmCpCa], which is a key chiral building block for the synthesis of Cilastatin. In our previous work, a mutant Rh Est1-M2 was identified with 6.4-fold higher activity than the wild-type. Additionally, the termini of Rh Est1 protein were altered by circular permutation (CP), resulting in a mutant CP-176 which still maintains the catalytic activity of esterase. In this work, to improve the catalytic properties of Rh Est1, the mutant CP-176 was taken as the parent of directed evolution. Consequently, a new mutant designated as CP-M1 (=CP-176 G282S) was identified, indicating 3.2-fold catalytic efficiency enhancement and nearly 7 ℃ improvement in melting temperature (T m) as compared with CP-176. Furthermore, the beneficial mutation "G282S" of CP-M1 was reversely introduced into Rh Est1-M2, generating the best mutant M3 (= Rh Est1-M2 G167S), with 1.8-fold catalytic efficiency improvement and nearly 10 ℃ improvement of T m , as compared with Rh Est1-M2. This is the first report that the circular permutation and random mutagenesis were combined to reshape a protein, affording distinctly improved activity and thermostability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the first to report a large-scale directcurrent electrodeposition of columnar nanotwinned copper within through silicon via (TSV) with a high aspect ratio (~4). With this newly developed technique, void-free nanotwinned copper array could be fabricated in low current density (30 mA/cm2) and convection conditions (300 rpm), which are the preconditions for copper deposition with a uniform deep-hole microstructure. The microstructure of a whole cross-section of deposited copper array was made up of (111) orientated columnar grains with parallel nanoscale twins that had thicknesses of about 22 nm. The hardness was also uniform along the growth direction, with 2.34 and 2.68 GPa for the top and bottom of the TSV, respectively. The gelatin additive is also first reported hereas a key factor in forming nanoscale twins by adsorbing on the cathode surface, in order to enhance the overpotential for cathodic reaction during the copper deposition process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant amounts of volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gases are generated from wastewater lagoons and tailings ponds in Alberta, Canada. Accurate measurements of these air pollutants and greenhouse gases are needed to support management and regulatory decisions. A mobile platform was developed to measure air emissions from tailings pond in the oil sands region of Alberta. The mobile platform was tested in 2015 in a municipal wastewater treatment lagoon. With a flux chamber and a CO2/CH4sensor on board, the mobile platform was able to measure CO2and CH4emissions over two days at two different locations in the pond. Flux emission rates of CO2and CH4that were measured over the study period suggest the presence of aerobic and anaerobic zones in the wastewater treatment lagoon. The study demonstrated the capabilities of the mobile platform in measuring fugitive air emissions and identified the potential for the applications in air and water quality monitoring programs. Implications: The Mobile Platform demonstrated in this study has the ability to measure greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fugitive sources such as municipal wastewater lagoons. This technology can be used to measure emission fluxes from tailings ponds with better detection of spatial and temporal variations of fugitive emissions. Additional air and water sampling equipment could be added to the mobile platform for a broad range of air and water quality studies in the oil sands region of Alberta. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A multi-objective robust optimization scheme for the powertrain mount system of an electric vehicle is proposed in this paper. A permanent magnet synchronous motor model is established by taking account of the effects of magnetic saturation and space harmonics, in which the d-q-axis inductance and the flux linkage excited by permanent magnet were obtained by finite element method. The rippled output torque of the permanent magnet synchronous motor mixed with harmonic components is obtained with the New European Driving Cycle as the running condition of the electric vehicle. A six degree-of-freedoms (DOFs) powertrain mount system is established and the response of the system is obtained with the rippled torque as the excitation input. A multi-objective optimization model of the powertrain mount system is built with the stiffness's of the mounts as the design variables, and with the goal of maximizing the decoupling rates and minimizing the dynamic reaction forces of the mounts acting on the car body. Genetic algorithm is used to conduct the global optimization and all the Pareto optimal solutions are found out based on the optimization theory, and the solution with the optimal robustness of dynamic reaction force is obtained by Latin hypercube sampling method. The results show that with the proposed multi-objective robust optimization scheme applied for the parameters optimization of the motor mount system, the decoupling rates increase obviously, the dynamic reaction force decreases apparently, and the optimization result shows good robustness. The optimization results can make the powertrain mount system of electric vehicles processing of optimal dynamic response characteristics correspondingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ｔｈｅ ａｃｈｅｎｅ ｏｆ Ｅｌａｔｏｓｔｅｍａ ｏｗｎｓ ｈｉｇｈ ｍｏｒｐｈｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌ ｄｉｖｅｒｓｉｔｙ ｉｎｄｉｃａｔｅｓ ｉｔｓ ｕｓｅｆｕｌｎｅｓｓ ｉｎ ｄｅｌｉｍｉｔａｔｉｏｎ． Ｈｏｗｅｖｅｒ， ｏｖｅｒ ｈａｌｆ ｏｆ Ｃｈｉｎｅｓｅ ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ ａｒｅ ｌａｃｋｉｎｇ ｏｆ ａｃｈｅｎｅ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ． Ｉｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｐａｐｅｒ， ｂａｓｅｄ ｏｎ ｏｕｒ ｆｉｅｌｄ ｃｏｌｌｅｃｔｉｏｎ ａｎｄ ｓｐｅｃｉｍｅｎ ｃｈｅｃｋｉｎｇ ｂｙ ｌｉｇｈｔ ｍｉｃｒｏｓｃｏｐｅ （ＬＭ） ａｎｄ ｓｃａｎｎｉｎｇ ｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎ ｍｉｃｒｏｓｃｏｐｅ （ＳＥＭ）， ｗｅ ｓｕｐｐｌｅｍｅｎｔ ｔｈｅ ｄｅｓｃｒｉｐｔｉｏｎ， ｉｌｌｕｓｔｒａｔｉｏｎ ａｎｄ ｐｈｏｔｏｓ ｏｆ ａｃｈｅｎｅ ｏｆ ｓｅｖｅｎ ｓｐｅｃｉｅｓ ｔｈａｔ ｗｏｕｌｄ ｐｒｏｖｉｄｅ ｖａｌｕａｂｌｅ ｉｎｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎ ｆｏｒ ｆｕｒｔｈｅｒ ｔａｘｏｎｏｍｉｃ ｒｅｖｉｓｉｏｎ ｉｎ ｔｈｉｓ ｇｅｎｕｓ． [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrocodon urceolatus F. Wen, H.F. Cen & L.F. Fu, a new species of Gesneriaceae, is described and illustrated from Zhangjiajie city, Hunan Province, China. Morphologically it resembles P. scopulorum (Chun) Y.Z. Wang in the corolla, but differs in several characters including the shape, length and indumentum of the leaf blade, and the length and indumentum of the stamens and staminode. In addition to morphological description, we provide ecological information, geographic distribution and conservation status for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mapping can present the activated cortical area during movement, while little is known about precise location in facial and tongue movements. Objective To investigate the representation of facial and tongue movements by task fMRI. Methods Twenty right-handed healthy subjects were underwent block design task fMRI examination. Task movements included lip pursing, cheek bulging, grinning and vertical tongue excursion. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) was applied to analysis the data. Results One-sample t-test was used to calculate the common activation area between facial and tongue movements. Also, paired t-test was used to test for areas of over- or underactivation in tongue movement compared with each group of facial movements. Conclusions The common areas within facial and tongue movements suggested the similar motor circuits of activation in both movements. Prior activation in tongue movement was situated laterally and inferiorly in sensorimotor area relative to facial movements. Prior activation of tongue movement was investigated in left superior parietal lobe relative to lip pursing. Also, prior activation in bilateral cuneus lobe in grinning compared with tongue movement was detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limestone karsts across southern China to southeastern Asia are renowned biodiversity hotspots. The karst are characterized by exposed calcareous rocks, seasonal droughts and thin soils that are deficient in N and P but with high Ca and Mg content. The stressful habitat may result in high biodiversity through mechanisms such as niche differentiation, hybridization, polyploidy and apomixis. The genus Elatostema (Urticaceae) has particularily high species diversity in this area and can be used a model genus to explore the mechanisms of speciation. We conducted cytological studies on 11 species of Elatostema from 12 populations in Guangxi, China. We found five populations to be diploid (2n = 26), and seven triploid populations (2n = 39). We infer x = 13 as the basic chromosome number of Elatostema. The chromosome numbers 2n = 26 and 2n = 39 were both found in populations of E. longistipulum, indicating that this species comprise both diploids and triploids. Both male and female plants of Elatostema were found to be diploid. In contrast, the triploids found were all female plants, and these produce seeds, presumably by apomixis. We found no clear relationship between ploidy level or reproductive pathway and endemism in Elatostema which might be because Elatostema species are wind-pollinated and independent of biotic pollinators. However, a random sample of 11 karst species revealed that ca 2/3 appeared to be apomictic, suggesting that it is a widespread reproductive strategy of Elatostema in the limestone karsts of Guangxi. Apomixis enables plants to reproduce and disperse from a single individual, allowing 'hopeful monsters' adapted to a new habitat to form stable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Bimetallic Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF was successfully synthesized by one-step solvothermal method at room temperature. • Bimetallic Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF could produce ratiometric fluorescence by itself. • It was revealed that rapid detection of MG and SMZ could be achieved via IFE mechanism. • A smartphone application was designed for assisting fluorescence sensor. A lanthanide terbium/europium metal–organic framework (Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF) was prepared by one-step solvothermal method at room temperature. A series of characterizations including scanning electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction spectra, Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were carried out to clarify the physical characteristics of the synthesized material. The data clarified that the prepared Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF possessed rod-like morphology with a width of 1–2 μm, and had good crystal structure, good stability, response speed and excitation-independent emission feature. The bunchy Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF was then used to construct fluorescent sensors for rapid identification of malachite green and sulfamerazine. It was revealed that the detection mechanism was inner filter effect. The effects of different parameters such as excitation wavelength and incubation times were investigated on the fluorescence analysis performance. The data clarified that the optimal excitation wavelength and incubation time was 240 nm and 3 min, respectively. The detection platform exhibited the high sensitivity and selectivity toward malachite green in the linear range of 2–180 μM and determined limit of detection was 1.12 μM. Besides, the proposed sensor allowed sensitive detection of sulfamerazine in the linear range of 2–140 μM with a low detection limit of 0.1 μM. Meaningfully, a smartphone application was designed to assist the proposed sensor to realize visual, intelligent and rapid detection of malachite green and sulfamerazine. Furthermore, the practical application of the proposed sensor has been also verified by high performance liquid chromatography, showing good accuracy, sensitivity and satisfactory recoveries. The results suggested that the Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF-based ratiometric fluorescent sensor had the potential to become a promising technique for rapid detection of malachite green or sulfamerazine with smartphone application. Therefore, the prepared Tb 0.6 Eu 0.4 -MOF is one kind of efficient and cost-effective potential materials for developing fluorescent sensor for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of sulfamerazine and malachite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic cancer is a deadly cancer. More and more long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have received confirmation to be dysregulated in tumors and exert the regulatory function. Studies have suggested that lncRNA insulin-like growth factor 2 antisense RNA (IGF2-AS) participates in the development of some cancers. Thus, we attempted to clarify its function in pancreatic cancer. Reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction was applied for testing IGF2-AS expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Colony formation and Transwell wound experiments were applied for determining cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities. The alteration of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related gene level was tested via western blot. The mice model was established for measuring the tumor growth and metastasis. RIP validated the interaction of RNAs. IGF2-AS displays high expression in pancreatic cancer cells. IGF2-AS depletion repressed PC cell proliferative, migratory, invasive capabilities, and EMT process. Furthermore, pancreatic cancer tumor growth and metastasis were also inhibited by IGF2-AS depletion. Additionally, IGF2-AS positively regulated IGF2 level via recruiting HNRNPC. IGF2 overexpression counteracted the functions of IGF2-AS deficiency on pancreatic cancer cell behaviors. Moreover, IGF2R deletion was found to inhibit the positive effect of IGF2 on pancreatic cancer progression. IGF2-AS potentiates pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, tumor growth, and metastasis by recruiting HNRNPC via the IGF2-IGF2R regulatory pathway. These discoveries might offer a novel insight for treatment of PC, which may facilitate targeted therapies of PC in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Fusicoccane (FC)-type diterpenoids are a sub-group of diterpenoids featuring a unique 5 – 8 – 5 tricyclic skeleton, which distribute widely in nature and possess a variety of biological activities. Biosynthesis of FC-type diterpenoids starts with the cyclization of an achiral geranylgeranyl diphosphate to 5 – 8 – 5 tricyclic hydrocarbon skeletons with distinct stereochemistry and various unsaturation patterns by FC-type diterpene synthases (DTSs). Subsequent modifications of hydrocarbons including oxidation, reduction, acylation, methylation and glycosylation give rise to structurally diverse and biologically functional FC-type diterpenoids. Recently, outstanding progress in biosynthesis of FC-type diterpenoids has been achieved through numerous interdisciplinary studies including genome mining, structural biology, and computational chemistry. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in biosynthesis of FC-type diterpenoids, with a special emphasis lying on the cyclization mechanisms of FC-type DTSs. Post-modifications of hydrocarbons to biologically functional FC-type diterpenoids are also covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have simulated BiCoO 3 films epitaxially grown along (001) direction with density functional theory computations. Leading candidates for the lowest-energy phases have been identified. The tensile strains induce magnetic phase transition in the ground state ( P 4 m m symmetry) from a C-type antiferromagnetic order to a G-type order for the in-plane lattice parameter above 3.922 Å. The G-type antiferromagnetic order will be maintained with larger tensile strains; however, a continuous structural phase transition will occur, combining the ferroelectric and antiferrodistortive modes. In particular, the larger tensile strain allows an isostructural transition, the so-called Cowley's "Type Zero" phase transitions, from C c -(I) to C c -(II), with a slight volume collapse. The orientation of ferroelectric polarization changes from the out-of-plane direction in the P 4 m m to the in-plane direction in the P m c 2 1 state under epitaxial tensile strain; meanwhile, the magnetic ordering temperature T N can be strikingly affected by the variation of misfit strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valley contrasting physics in photonic systems gives rise to many interesting phenomena such as photonic valley Hall effect and robust valley transport. However, most reported valley photonic crystals are demonstrated in the honeycomb lattice. Here, unidirectional bulk modes and robust edge modes are numerically and experimentally shown in triangular photonic crystals. By switching the phase vortex of an input chiral source, dynamic unidirectional propagation of bulk modes at different valleys is observed. Unidirectional edge modes are also demonstrated on the domain wall between two distinct triangular photonic crystals. In addition, robust edge modes around sharp corners are experimentally confirmed. This work paves the way for the realization of dynamic unidirectional photonic transport and robust valley transport in photonic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Gesneriaceae, Primulina duanensis Fang Wen & S. L. Huang is described and illustrated from Guangxi, China. It differs from P. ronganensis (D. Fang & Y. G. Wei) Mich. Möller & A. Weber in having broadly lanceolate bracts, being 1-3-flowered and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments; from P. sclerophylla (W. T. Wang) Yan Liu in having narrowly ovate to ovate leaf blade, leaf blade margin interrupted shallowly crenate, broadly lanceolate bracts, being 1-3-flowered and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments; from P. shouchengensis (Z. Y. Li) Z. Y. Li in having narrowly ovate to ovate leaf blade, leaf blade margin interrupted shallowly crenate, broadly lanceolate bracts and possessing hairs on the upper part of the anthers where connected with the filaments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for transforming continuous monitoring (CM) fine particulate matter (aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm; PM2.5) data (i.e., by tapered element oscillating microbalance [TEOM]) obtained from the Canadian National Air Pollution Surveillance (NAPS) program to meet the data quality objective (DQO) ofR2> 0.8 against the co-located federal reference method (i.e., dichotomous air sampler) is described. By using a two-step linear regression to account for the effect of the ambient temperature, 16 out of the 23 examined sites met the common model adequacy threshold ofR2> 0.8. After the transformation, 20 out of the 23 examined sites met the DQO ofR2> 0.7, as recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A combined two-step statistical approach was also examined and revealed similar results. The methods described herein show that the CM data can be successfully transformed to meet DQOs for representative sites across Canada using year-round (both summer and winter) data.Implications:This study provides a transformation approach to correct ambient TEOM data against the federal reference method without dividing the ambient data according to warm and cold seasons. This transformation approach will significantly improve the correlation coefficient between TEOM and dichotomous air sampler data. It is possible that TEOM data at many Canadian locations can be transformed to meet the EPA data quality objective, thus making this transformation approach useful for comparisons of ambient PM data across jurisdictions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Reversible logic has attracted much attention in recent years especially when the calculation with minimum energy consumption is considered. This paper presents two novel approaches for designing reversible 4-bit comparator based on parity-preserving gates, which can detect any fault that affects no more than a single logic signal. In order to construct the comparator, three variable EX-OR gate (TVG), comparator gate (CPG), four variable EX-OR gate block (FVGB) and comparator gate block (CPGB) are designed, and they are parity-preserving and reversible. Their quantum equivalent implementations are also proposed. The design of two comparator circuits is completed by using existing reversible gates and the above new reversible circuits. All these comparators have been modeled and verified in Verilog hardware description language (Verilog HDL). The Quartus II simulation results indicate that their circuits' logic structures are correct. The comparative results are presented in terms of quantum cost, delay and garbage outputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable photonuclear reaction rates in stellar conditions are essential for understanding the origin of the heavy stable neutron-deficient isotopes between 74Se and 196Hg, i.e., p -nuclei. However, many reaction rates of relevance still have to rely on the Hauser–Feshbach (HF) model due to the rarity of experimental progress. One such case is in the mass range of 160 for Dy, Er, Ho, and Tm isotopes. In this work we attempt to constrain the HF model in the TALYS package by reproducing the available experimental data on 160Dy(p, γ)161Ho and 162Er(p, γ)163Tm in the A ∼ 160 mass region, and examine the effects of level density, gamma strength function, and the optical model potential. The constrained model then allows us to calculate the reaction rates of 157,159Ho(γ, p) and 163,165Tm(γ, p) for the γ -process nucleosynthesis in a carbon-deflagration model for Type Ia supernovae. Our recommended rates differ from the JINA REACLIB by more than one order of magnitude in the temperature range 2–3 GK. This results in changes in the final abundance of p -nuclei in the A ∼ 160 mass range by −5.5% to 3% from those with JINA, which means that the uncertainty of (γ, p) reactions is not predominant for the synthesis of these nuclei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species, Elatostema planinerve W. T. Wang & Y. G. Wei sp. nov. and E. longicuspe W. T. Wang & Y. G. Wei sp. nov. are described and illustrated from the Guizhou province, China. The former resembles E. bracteosum but differs in leaves, pistillate bracts and pistillate bracteoles; the latter is similar to E. tenuicornutum, but differs in stem surface, leaf shape, venation, cystoliths, staminate inflorescence bracts, bracteolate and staminate flowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Osmanthus fragrans flower, a popular herb in Eastern countries, contains several antioxidant compounds. Ben Cao GangMu, traditional Chinese medical literature, describes the usefulness of these flowers for phlegm and stasis reduction, arrest of dysentery with blood in the bowel, and stomachache and diarrhea treatment. However, modern evidence regarding the therapeutic efficacy of these flowers is limited. This study was aimed at assessing the antioxidative effects of the ethanol extract of O. fragrans flowers (OFE) in vivo and evaluating its antioxidant maintenance and therapeutic effect on an allergic airway inflammation in mice. After OFE's oral administration to mice, the values obtained in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay as well as the glutathione concentration in the lungs and spleens of mice increased while thiobarbituric acid reactive substances decreased significantly, indicating OFE's significant in vivo antioxidant activity. OFE was also therapeutically efficacious in a mouse model of ovalbumin-induced allergic airway inflammation. Orally administered OFE suppressed ovalbumin-specific IgE production and inflammatory cell infiltration in the lung. Moreover, the antioxidative state of the mice improved. Thus, our findings confirm the ability of the O. fragrans flowers to reduce phlegm and suggest that OFE may be useful as an antiallergic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis of N, N'-l,4-bis( 4-methylphenyl) sulfonyl-liomopiperzine was studied with N-methylpyirolidone as solvent, NaOH as acid binding agent and 1,3-dichloropropane as cyclization reagent. The effects of reaction time, the molar ratio of reactants, reaction temperature, and the amount of sodium hydroxide on the yield of N,N'-1,4-bis(4-methylphenyl) sulfonyl-homopiperzine were investigated. The result showed that the order of effects was as follows: alkali amount > temperature > molar ratio of reactants. The yield could reach 81.93% under the conditions of 5 mmol N,N-bis(toluenesulfonyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine, 7.969 mmol 1,3-dichloropropane and 0.548 g sodium hydroxide,123 °C react 40 min. The kinetic analysis of the synthesis of N,N-1,4-bis(4-methylphenyl) sulfonyl-homopiperzine was carried out at 115, 125, 135 °C according to the second-order reaction mechanism, and the activation energy of this reaction was 76. 233 kJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is not clear if sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping can improve outcomes in patients with colorectal cancers. The purpose of this study was to determine the prognostic values of ex vivo sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping and immunohistochemical (IHC) detection of SLN micrometastasis in colorectal cancers. Methods: Colorectal cancer specimens were obtained during radical resections and the SLN was identified by injecting a 1% isosulfan blue solution submucosally and circumferentially around the tumor within 30 min after surgery. The first node to stain blue was defined as the SLN. SLNs negative by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were further examined for micrometastasis using cytokeratin IHC. Results: A total of 54 patients between 25 and 82 years of age were enrolled, including 32 males and 22 females. More than 70% of patients were T3 or above, about 86% of patients were stage II or III, and approximately 90% of patients had lesions grade II or above. Sentinel lymph nodes were detected in all 54 patients. There were 32 patients in whom no lymph node micrometastasis were detected by HE staining and 22 patients with positive lymph nodes micrometastasis detected by HE staining in non-SLNs. In contrast only 7 SLNs stained positive with HE. Using HE examination as the standard, the sensitivity, non-detection rate, and accuracy rate of SLN micrometastasis detection were 31.8% (7/22), 68.2% (15/22), and 72.2%, respectively. Micrometastasis were identified by ICH in 4 of the 32 patients with HE-negative stained lymph nodes, resulting in an upstaging rate 12.5% (4/32). The 4 patients who were upstaged consisted of 2 stage I patients and 2 stage II patients who were upstaged to stage III. Those without lymph node metastasis by HE staining who were upstaged by IHC detection of micrometastasis had a significantly poorer disease-free survival (p = 0.001) and overall survival (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Ex vivo localization and immunohistochemical detection of sentinel lymph node micrometastasis in patients with colorectal cancer can upgrade tumor staging, and may become a factor affecting prognosis and guiding treatment. Virtual slides: The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/ vs/1350200526694475. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]