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Quantum gates are the essential block for quantum computers. High‐dimensional quantum gates exhibit remarkable advantages over their 2D counterparts for some quantum information processing tasks. Here, a family of entanglement‐based optical controlled‐SWAP gates on C2⊗Cd⊗Cd$\mathbb {C}^{2}\otimes \mathbb {C}^{d}\otimes \mathbb {C}^{d}$ is presented. With the hybrid encoding, the control qubits and target qudits are encoded in photonic polarization and spatial degrees of freedom, respectively. The circuit is constructed using only (2+3d)$(2+3d)$ (d≥2$d\ge 2$) linear optics, beating an earlier result of 14 linear optics with d=2$d=2$. The circuit depth five is much lower than an earlier result of 11 with d=2$d=2$. Besides, the fidelity of the presented circuit can reach 99.4%, and it is higher than the previous counterpart with d=2$d=2$. The scheme is constructed in a deterministic way without any borrowed ancillary photons or measurement‐induced nonlinearities. Moreover, the approach allows d>2$d>2$. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geospatial cellular automata (Geo-CA) models have encountered challenges in computing efficiency and scalability when conducting large-scale land use change simulation applications. Parallel computing has proven to be effective to address these challenges. However, parallelization strategies for existing parallel Geo-CA models are always optimized for specific models and lack applicability to others. Besides, most parallel Geo-CA models focus on parallelizing land use change simulations, ignoring land use transition rule mining. Moreover, there is a lack of effective parallel strategies for demand-constrained land use change simulation on distributed heterogeneous architectures. This study proposes a parallel framework on hybrid parallel computing architectures applicable for raster-based Geo-CA models to enhance their computing efficiency and scalability while maintaining simulation accuracy. The framework provides parallelization strategies for both the land use transition rule mining for multiple land use types and the demand-constrained land use change simulation on distributed heterogeneous architectures. The framework was employed to parallelize two contemporary Geo-CA models, i.e., PLUS and MCCA. Experiments showed that the parallelized models achieved significant improvements in computing efficiency and scalability, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed framework for large-scale land use change simulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slow hole transfer is one of the important reasons for limited charge separation. This work reports a strategy to construct a p-n heterojunction biomimetic hollow composite (Cu 2-x S@ZGS) by combining Cu 2-x S (composed of Cu 7.2 S 4 and Cu 1.96 S) with Zn 3.74 Ga 1.02 S 5.24 (ZGS) to promote charge space separation and improve the photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of ZGS. Cu 2-x S@ZGS shows significantly enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production. The hydrogen production rate of 7 %Cu 2-x S@ZGS is 44 and 3 times higher than that of Cu 2-x S and ZGS under simulated sunlight and is 36, 30, and 25 times higher than that of Cu 2 S, Cu 2-x S, and ZGS under visible-light-driven, respectively. The biomimetic hollow structure provides the site of spatial separation for the redox reaction. The Cu 2-x S/ZGS p-n heterojunction promotes the migration of photogenerated holes to the inner Cu 2-x S, where oxidation reactions occur, and it promotes the migration of photogenerated electrons to the outer ZGS, where the proton reduction reaction occurs, improving the spatial separation efficiency of charges. In addition, the Cu vacancies of Cu 2-x S further promote the rapid transfer of h+ and the S vacancies of ZGS expose the active site to enhance hydrophilicity. This study provides design ideas and synthesis guidance for heterojunction catalysts that achieve photogenerated charge spatial separation. [Display omitted] • The biomimetic Cu 2-x S@ZGS hollow composite with p-n heterojunctions was developed. • p-type Cu 2-x S extracts photogenerated holes to improve carrier's transfer. • n-type ZGS with S defects has a larger surface area and hydrophilia. • The p-n heterojunction hollow structure achieves the spatial separation of charges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hallucinogenic 5-HT2A receptor (5-HT2AR) agonists-induced head-twitch response (HTR) is regulated by Gs signaling pathway. Formation of heterodimers between 5-HT2AR and metabotropic glutamate mGlu2 receptor (mGluR2) is essential for the hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonist-induced HTR. In order to investigate the effects of mGluR2 agonists and inverse agonists on hallucinogenic 5-HT2AR agonists DOM-induced HTR, C57BL/6 mice were pretreated with mGluR2 agonists (LY379268, LY354740, LY404039) or the inverse agonist LY341495, and the HTR was manually counted after administering DOM immediately. IP-One (IP1) HTRF assay and cAMP assay were performed to evaluate the effect of LY341495 or LY354740 on DOM-induced Gq and Gs activation in Human Embryonic Kidney-293 (HEK-293) T-type cells co-expressing 5-HT2AR and mGluR2. The results showed that DOM-induced HTR in mice was dose-dependently inhibited by LY379268, LY354740, and LY404039, while it was dose-dependently enhanced by LY341495. Moreover, LY341495 reversed the inhibitory effect of LY354740 on DOM-induced HTR. In HEK-293T cells co-expressing 5-HT2AR and mGluR2, DOM-induced cAMP level was decreased by LY354740 and increased by LY341495, but DOM-induced IP1 level was not regulated by LY354740 or LY341495. The regulation of DOM-induced HTR by mGluR2 agonists and inverse agonists is closely related to 5-HT2AR-mediated Gs signaling pathway. In HEK-293T cells co-expressing 5-HT2AR and mGluR2 A677S/A681P/A685G mutant (mGluR2 3 A mutant), DOM-induced cAMP level was not regulated by LY354740, but was significantly enhanced by LY341495. The 5-HT2AR/mGluR2 heterodimers is critical for DOM-induced HTR and cAMP level, both of which are inhibited by mGluR2 agonists and enhanced by mGluR2 inverse agonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the polynomial recursion formalism, the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy is derived in a standard way. The first two nontrivial members in the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy are listed correspondingly. Based on the squared eigenfunctions, an algebraic curve κ n and a Riemann surface S with arithmetic genus n are introduced, then the Dubrovin-type equations are obtained naturally. With the help of the conservation laws, the Baker–Akhiezer functions are defined. Finally, the asymptotic properties of the Baker–Akhiezer functions are analyzed, from which the algebro-geometric solutions of the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy are constructed in term of the Riemann theta function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomic dysfunction (AutD) is common and debilitating in Parkinson's disease (PD). Predictors of AutD are unclear, and data are limited on the biological relevance of AutD in PD. Here, we evaluated the baseline prevalence and 2-year longitudinal assessment of AutD in patients with de novo PD compared with healthy controls (HC). Moreover, we also assessed various variables that could predict longitudinal changes in AutD in early PD. Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) was utilized to evaluate untreated PD participants at baseline and HC. Autonomic function was assessed using the 25-item Scale for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease-Autonomic (SCOPA-AUT) score at baseline and 2 years. Clinical and biological variables were measured for their correlations with AuD for up to 2 years. Two hundred and ninety PD subjects and 170 HC were enrolled and followed for 2 years. SCOPA-AUT mean (SD) scores increased from baseline 8.49 ± 5.23 to 10.12 ± 5.77 at year 2 in PD subjects (p < 0.001) versus from 4.98 ± 3.34 to 5.03 ± 374 in HC (p = 0.496), with a significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). Among them, 242 PD participants and 151 HC completed the SCOPA-AUT assessment, including sexual function. In the multivariate analysis, a higher baseline SCOPA-AUT score was associated with higher baseline MDS-UPDRS Part I scores (p < 0.001). Moreover, a longitudinal increase in autonomic function severity was associated with the white race (p = 0.010) at baseline. In contrast, there was no association with the CSF biomarkers. MDS-UPDRS Part I score may predict AuD in patients with early PD, which is correlated with nonmotor symptoms and race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the polynomial recursion formalism, the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy is derived in a standard way. The first two nontrivial members in the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy are listed correspondingly. Based on the squared eigenfunctions, an algebraic curve κ n and a Riemann surface S with arithmetic genus n are introduced, then the Dubrovin-type equations are obtained naturally. With the help of the conservation laws, the Baker–Akhiezer functions are defined. Finally, the asymptotic properties of the Baker–Akhiezer functions are analyzed, from which the algebro-geometric solutions of the modified Jaulent–Miodek hierarchy are constructed in term of the Riemann theta function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new iridoid glycosides were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction of the whole plants of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. They were identified as E-6-O-p-methoxycinnamoyl-10-O-acetyl scandoside acid methyl ester (1), Z-6-O-p-methoxycinnamoyl-10-O-acetyl scandoside acid methyl ester (2), E-6-O-caffeoyl scandoside methyl ester (3), E-6-O-p-coumaroyl-6′-O-acetyl scandoside methyl ester (4), Z-6-O-p-coumaroyl-6′-O-acetyl scandoside methyl ester (5), and E-6-O-p-coumaroyl-4′-O-acetyl scandoside methyl ester (6). The structures of them were elucidated based on unambiguous spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HRESIMS, and NMR). They were screened for anti-inflammatory effect, antioxidant effect, antitumor effect, and neuroprotective effect and did not show potent activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascorbic acid is a potent antioxidant and a crucial nutrient for plants and animals. The accumulation of ascorbic acid in plants is controlled by its biosynthesis, recycling, and degradation. Monodehydroascorbate reductase is deeply involved in the ascorbic acid cycle; however, the mechanism of monodehydroascorbate reductase genes in regulating kiwifruit ascorbic acid accumulation remains unclear. Here, we identified seven monodehydroascorbate reductase genes in the genome of kiwifruit (Actinidia eriantha) and they were designated as AeMDHAR1 to AeMDHAR7, following their genome identifiers. We found that the relative expression level of AeMDHAR3 in fruit continued to decline during development. The over-expression of kiwifruit AeMDHAR3 in tomato plants improved monodehydroascorbate reductase activity, and, unexpectedly, ascorbic acid content decreased significantly in the fruit of the transgenic tomato lines. Ascorbate peroxidase activity also increased significantly in the transgenic lines. In addition, a total of 1781 differentially expressed genes were identified via transcriptomic analysis. Three kinds of ontologies were identified, and 106 KEGG pathways were significantly enriched for these differently expressed genes. Expression verification via quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed the reliability of the RNA-seq data. Furthermore, APX3, belonging to the ascorbate and aldarate metabolism pathway, was identified as a key candidate gene that may be primarily responsible for the decrease in ascorbic acid concentration in transgenic tomato fruits. The present study provides novel evidence to support the feedback regulation of ascorbic acid accumulation in the fruit of kiwifruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important fruit pest of global significance, Drosophila suzukii occupies a special ecological niche, with the characteristics of high sugar and low protein contents. This niche differs from those occupied by other fruit‐damaging Drosophila species. Gut bacteria substantially impact the physiology and ecology of insects. However, the contribution of gut microbes to the fitness of D. suzukii in their special ecological niche remains unclear. In this study, the effect of Klebsiella oxytoca on the development of D. suzukii was examined at physiological and molecular levels. The results showed that, after the removal of gut microbiota, the survival rate and longevity of axenic D. suzukii decreased significantly. Reintroduction of K. oxytoca to the midgut of D. suzukii advanced the development level of D. suzukii. The differentially expressed genes and metabolites between axenic and K. oxytoca‐reintroduced D. suzukii were enriched in the pathways of carbohydrate metabolism. This advancement was achieved through an increased glycolysis rate and the regulation of the transcript level of key genes in the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway. Klebsiella oxytoca is likely to play an important role in increasing host fitness in their high‐sugar ecological niche by stimulating the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway. As a protein source, bacteria can also provide direct nutrition for D. suzukii, which depends on the quantity or biomass of K. oxytoca. This result may provide a new target for controlling D. suzukii by inhibiting sugar metabolism through eliminating the effect of K. oxytoca and thus disrupting the balance of gut microbial communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petroleum contamination is a severe threat to the soil environment. Previous studies have demonstrated that petroleum degradation efficiency is promoted by enhancing soil moisture content (MC). However, the effects of MC on soil microbial ecological functions during bioremediation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the impacts of 5% and 15% of moisture contents on petroleum degradation, soil microbial structures and functions, and the related genes using high-throughput sequencing and gene function prediction. Results indicated that petroleum biodegradation efficiency was increased by 8.06% in the soils with 15% MC when compared to that with 5% of MC. The complexity and stability of soil microbial community structures with 15% MC were higher than those in the soils with 5% MC when hydrocarbon-degrading bacterial flora (HDBF) were inoculated into the soils. Fifteen percent of moisture content strengthened the interaction of the bacterial community network and reduced the loss of some key bacteria species including Mycobacterium, Sphingomonas, and Gemmatimonas. Some downregulated gene pathways relating to bioaugmentation were enhanced in the soils with 15% MC. The results suggested that the dynamic balances of microbial communities and the metabolic interactions by 15% MC treatment are the driving forces for the enhancement of bioremediation in petroleum-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground fissure is the most common geological catastrophe phenomenon in Xi'an, posing a major security threat to the currently developing urban cloud rail transit system. In this paper, a 3D-FEM calculation model is established to study the influence of the intersection angles between the hidden ground fissure and the cloud rail on the deformation and failure characteristics of the structure. The findings indicate that the pile foundation is under tension in the main deformation area of the hanging wall of the ground fissure, and the negative friction zone (NFZ) appears below the neutral point (buried depth 18 m for intersection angle 30°). The pile foundation is under compression in the footwall, and the pressure it bears is less than the tensile force sustained by the hanging wall pile, and the NFZ is above the middle point. The NFZ of the pile foundation in the hanging wall and footwall increases as the intersection angle decreases. The pile foundation mainly undergoes vertical settlement, and the horizontal displacement is relatively small. The 3D movement of the pile foundation results in settlement and inclination of the superstructure of the cloud rail simply supported beam bridge, such as the pier and track beam. Therefore, the cloud rail bridge should span the ground fissure at a large angle as far as possible, and 3D adjustable support should be adopted to adjust the offset of the track beam caused by the ground fissure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High ammonia concentration and ZnO NPs had synergistic toxic effects on BNR system. • C 10 -HSL enhanced defense mechanism against NPs through synergistic effects. • Beneficial efficacy of C 10 -HSL was limited at high ammonia concentrations. • EPS spontaneously increased under high ammonia concentration and ZnO NPs stress. The inhibitory effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and impacts of N -acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)-based quorum sensing (QS) on biological nitrogen removal (BNR) performance have been well-investigated. However, the effects of ammonia nitrogen (NH 4 +-N) concentrations on NP toxicity and AHL regulation have seldom been addressed yet. This study consulted on the impacts of ZnO NPs on BNR systems when high NH 4 +-N concentration was available. The synergistic toxic effects of high-strength NH 4 +-N (200 mg/L) and ZnO NPs resulted in decreased ammonia oxidation rates and dropped the nitrogen removal efficiencies by 17.5% ± 0.2%. The increased extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) production was observed in response to the high NH 4 +-N and ZnO NP stress, which indicated the defense mechanism against the toxic effects in the BNR systems was stimulated. Furthermore, the regulatory effects of exogenous N -decanoyl-homoserine lactone (C 10 -HSL)-mediated QS system on NP-stressed BNR systems were revealed to improve the BNR performance under different NH 4 +-N concentrations. The C 10 -HSL regulated the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, denitrification functional enzyme activities, and antioxidant enzyme activities, respectively. This probably synergistically enhanced the defense mechanism against NP toxicity. However, compared to the low NH 4 +-N concentration of 60 mg/L, the efficacy of C 10 -HSL was inhibited at high NH 4 +-N levels of 200 mg/L. The findings provided the significant application potential of QS system for BNR when facing toxic compound shock threats. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quest for advanced water purification technologies has been vigorous over recent decades, motivated by the promise of ever more efficient, greener, and affordable tools. Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) are naturally-occurring materials that have shown potential as dye sorbents. Unfortunately, these nanoclays suffer from low permeation during water treatment, which limits their widespread application. Here, we use cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as structural scaffolds to support HNTs and fabricate permeable aerogel sorbent materials with mechanical stability. Aerogels containing 40 wt% HNTs showed a maximum dye adsorption capacity of 60 mg g−1 towards methylene blue, with only 15% decay in efficiency after 5 cycles. The good mechanical properties of these materials allowed for their incorporation into free-flowing purification columns that displayed excellent dye removal ability. Overall, this work provides a new strategy to fabricate green, renewable, and low-cost sorbent materials for the removal of dyes and shows potential for the sorption of other ionic pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase change materials (PCMs) are prospective energy materials that are widely applied in building energy conservation, waste heat recovery, infrared stealth technology and solar dynamic power system. The enhancement of heat transfer and leak-proof performance are critical to PCMs. Although geopolymers have been applied in thermal energy storage, meanwhile, hierarchically porous geopolymers have already shown superb performance in various functional applications, to the authors' knowledge, no report concerning the application of hierarchical porous ones have been issued. This paper concerns the preparation of a shape-stabilized composite PCMs, consisting of hierarchically porous kaolinite-based geopolymer (PKG) embedding polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG4000), which shows promising prospects in thermal energy storage. Optimized porous geopolymer matrices feature high porosity (>83%), combined with high specific surface area (4.7 m2/g) and thermal conductivity (TC, 1.324 W·m−1·K−1). Furthermore, the shape-stabilized composite PCMs show excellent thermal energy storage properties: loading rate of 80.93 wt%, latent heat of 168.80 J g−1 and TC of ∼0.36 W·m−1·K−1 at 20–30 °C, which is 1.64 times of the TC of pure PEG4000. Finally, the photothermal conversion performances of the shape-stabilized composite PCMs were also simulated. [Display omitted] • A hierarchical porous PKG structure was proposed to carry PCMs. • The hierarchical PKG displayed excellent encapsulation properties. • The PKG/PEG shape-stabilized composite PCMs show prominent thermal energy storage properties. • The photothermal conversion effects of shape-stabilized composite PCMs weresimulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parallel computing on distributed heterogeneous architectures (e.g. computing clusters with multiple CPUs and GPUs) can significantly improve the computational efficiency and scalability of complicated algorithms, but it is theoretically and technically complex. Parallel raster processing libraries reduce the development complexity of parallel raster algorithms by hiding parallel computing details; however, no existing library sufficiently utilizes distributed heterogeneous computing resources. A general-purpose raster processing library (mcRPL) combining multi-process parallelism and multi-thread parallelism is proposed to enable parallel raster processing on distributed heterogeneous architectures with multiple CPUs and GPUs. Additionally, an adaptive hardware assignment strategy is proposed to fully utilize available processors in various hardware environments. A series of task-processing strategies are adopted to aim toward maximizing the utilization of the computing capacity of involved processors. Experiments revealed that two raster algorithms parallelized using mcRPL for spatiotemporal data fusion and land-use change simulation were 170.7- and 143.2-fold faster than original serial algorithms using 8 and 16 GPUs, respectively. While hiding the details of mixed parallelism and reducing the development complexity, mcRPL provides user-friendly interfaces for the development of parallel raster algorithms to enhance computational performance and enable large-scale raster computing tasks with extensive data volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to detect various forms of danger. Damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) are endogenous danger molecules that are released from damaged cells and activate the innate immunity. Recent evidence suggests that plant extracellular self-DNA (esDNA) can serve as a DAMP molecule. However, the mechanisms by which esDNA functions are largely unknown. In this study, we confirmed that esDNA inhibits root growth and triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in a concentration- and species-specific manner in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Furthermore, by combining RNA sequencing, hormone measurement, and genetic analysis, we found that esDNA-mediated growth inhibition and ROS production are achieved through the jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. Specifically, esDNA induces JA production and the expression of JA-responsive genes. The esDNA-mediated growth inhibition, ROS production, and gene expression are impaired in the JA-related mutants. Finally, we found that the JA signaling pathway is required for the esDNA-elicited resistance against the pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000. This finding highlights the importance of JA signaling in esDNA-mediated biological effects, thereby providing insight into how esDNA functions as a DAMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Films of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with chiral nematic organization can show vivid iridescence that arises from their hierarchical structure. Unfortunately, the brittleness of the films limits their potential applications. In this paper, we investigate the incorporation of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) into CNC films to prepare organic–inorganic composite films with enhanced mechanical properties, while preserving the chiral nematic structure and brilliant iridescence. The hybrid composite films containing 10 wt% HNTs are more elastic than pristine CNC films, with a 1.3-fold increase in tensile strength and a 1.6-fold increase in maximum strain. As well, the incorporation of HNTs slightly improves the thermal stability of the composite films. These materials mimic the hybrid composite structures of crab shells, leading to enhanced mechanical properties and thermal stability of CNC films while maintaining iridescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the problems of congestion and accident risk when multiple vehicles merge into the merging area of a freeway, a platoon split collaborative merging (PSCM) method was proposed for an on-ramp connected and automated vehicle (CAV) platoon under a mixed traffic environment composed of human-driving vehicles (HDV) and CAVs. The PSCM method mainly includes two parts: merging vehicle motion control and merging effect evaluation. Firstly, the collision avoidance constraints of merging vehicles were analyzed, and on this basis, a following–merging motion rule was proposed. Then, considering the feasibility of and constraints on the stability of traffic flow during merging, a performance measurement function with safety and merging efficiency as optimization objectives was established to screen for the optimal splitting strategy. Simulation experiments under traffic demand of 1500 pcu/h/lane and CAV ratios of 30%, 50%, and 70% were conducted respectively. It was shown that under the 50% CAV ratio, the average travel time of the on-ramp CAV platoon was reduced by 50.7% under the optimal platoon split strategy compared with the no-split control strategy. In addition, the average travel time of main road vehicles was reduced by 27.9%. Thus, the proposed PSCM method is suitable for the merging control of on-ramp CAV platoons under the condition of heavy main road traffic demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arrhenia nivea is a new bryophilous species of Arrhenia from a valley in southwestern China'a subtropical monsoon humid climate zone.The species is characterized by pure white basidiomata with an irregularly discoid to cupulate 1.5-4.5 mm diameter pileus, reduced hymenium, nonamyloid basidiospores, lack of cystidia, the presence of clamps, and no incrusted pigment of the pileipellic hyphae. Phylogenetic analysis using ITS sequence data confirmed that it arised from a pathway separate from other species of Arrhenia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper introduces the mutual learning strategy train the brain tumor segmentation network, using the shallowest feature map to supervise the subsequent feature map of the network. using the deepest logits to supervise the previous shallow network's logits. The shallow feature map and deep logit supervise mutually and improve the accuracy of tumor sub-region segmentation. • This paper introduces the depth supervision to train this network, using the prediction of each up-sample layer is to deep supervise the training process for enlarging the receptive field to improve the overall segmentation accuracy. • A large number of experiments on BraTS dataset show that our method can effectively improve the accuracy of brain tumor segmentation and achieve the performance of SOTA. Deep learning methods have been successfully applied to Brain tumor segmentation. However, the extreme data imbalance exists in the different sub-regions of tumor, results in training the deep learning methods on these data will reduce the accuracy of segmentation. We introduce the deep mutual learning strategy to address the challenges, the proposed integrates transformer layers in both encoder and decoder of a U-Net architecture. In the network, using the prediction of up-sampled layer is to deep supervise the training process for enlarging the receptive field to extract features, the feature map of the shallowest layer supervises the subsequent feature map of layers to keep more edge information to guide the sub-region segmentation accuracy. the classification logits of the deepest layer supervise the previous layer of logits to get more semantic information for distinguish of tumor sub-regions. Furthermore, the feature map and the classification logits supervise mutually to improve the overall segmentation accuracy. The experimental results on benchmark dataset shows that our method has significant performance gain over existing methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was used to carry out impact compression test on the concrete, granite, and concrete-granite combined samples with different interface roughness. The effect of interface roughness on stress wave propagation was studied, which was the result of competition between the strengthening effect of interface bonding force on the transmission ability of stress wave and the weakening effect of rough fluctuation on stress wave propagation. The failure mode of components in the concrete, granite, and combined samples were compared and analyzed; the failure patterns of concrete components were mainly massive, granular, or even powdery, and the rock components existing in combined form were mostly split along the groove position of the interface. After analyzing the crushing characteristics and energy dissipation characteristics of samples, the energy absorption characteristics of the two components in combination and the influence of roughness on the mechanical characteristics of the composite were explored based on the difference in the block characteristics of the concrete, granite, and the composite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Clonidine attenuates cerebral infarction, neuronal damage and apoptosis in neonatal HIBD mice. • Clonidine improves neuroinflammation and oxidative stress injury caused by HIBD. • Clonidine reverses neuronal apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress injury after OGD/R injury. • The activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and inhibition of NF-κB pathway by clonidine are validated in vivo and in vitro. Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) is a severe condition closely associated with neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Clonidine, a selective α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, is known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Despite these recognized therapeutic benefits, the exact mechanisms by which clonidine exerts its effects in the context of HIBD are not fully understood. This study was designed to thoroughly investigate the impact of clonidine on HIBD-induced neuronal injury and to clarify its underlying mechanism of action. We employed a neonatal mouse model of HIBD to meticulously assess the effects of clonidine on neuronal injury, apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress markers. In addition, we conducted extensive in vitro studies to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of clonidine on primary hippocampal neuronal cells, utilizing advanced techniques such as the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay, and western blotting. Furthermore, we explored the regulatory effects of clonidine on the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway through a combination of in vivo and in vitro experiments. The results showed that clonidine significantly reduced cerebral infarction, neuronal damage, and apoptosis in HIBD mice. It also alleviated neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, improved cell viability, and reduced neuronal injury following oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R). The neuroprotective effects of clonidine were linked to the activation of the Nrf2/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway and the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway. Overall, clonidine exhibited neuroprotective properties in HIBD by reducing neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, likely through the modulation of the Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basalt, the most widely distributed alumino-silicate volcanic rock on Earth, is commonly utilized in construction aggregate area. The challenge lies in how to utilize the tailings produced during mining processes to create high-value products through energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly means. A previous study has already shown the use of basalt tail powder as raw material for lightweight geopolymer materials supported microwave curing, without an extensive focus on mechanical properties, in turn known to be significantly affected by the reactivity of constituents. Here, calcination operations are discussed in their impact on the activity of basalt for lightweight geopolymer from microwave curing. Additionally, the thermal characteristics of basalt during temperature were analyzed using differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses were employed to examine the micromorphology, chemical structure, phase compositions, and reaction degree of basalt and its alkali activated products. The results prove that basalt is a sustainable raw material for geopolymers, with properties already optimized without calcination, in turn determining a slight increase only at 750 °C (resulting in compressive strength >7 MPa, with a porosity of 30 %). The effect mechanism of calcination temperature on the activity of basalt tailings for the lightweight geopolymer from microwave curing is also discussed. [Display omitted] • A novel treatment method for basalt tailings has been proposed. • A porous geopolymer with high compressive strength is achieved. • Effect mechanism of calcination temperature on the activity of basalt is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Seven isostructural 3D single- and dual- Ln-MOFs display a rtl topology using classical paddle-wheel dimeric {Ln 2 (COO) 4 } as SBUs. • Dual Ln-MOF can serve as an efficient ratiometric fluorescent thermometer with a large relative sensitivity S r. • The emission color of dual Ln-MOF can be visualized by naked eyes and applied in practical LED applications. High-performance optical temperature sensors play an important role in various fields, and lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) are expected to be luminescent temperature sensors due to their distinctive luminescent properties. Herein, a new three-dimensional (3D) Ln-MOF [Tb(TCA)(Phen)]·DEF (1) (H 3 TCA = 4,4′,4′'-nitrilotribenzoic acid, Phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, DEF= N, N-diethylformamide) is constructed with a rtl topology based on {Tb 2 (COO) 4 } secondary building units (SBUs). Meanwhile, dual-lanthanide Ln-MOFs [Tb x Eu 1-x (TCA)(Phen)]·DEF (2-6) are also synthesized by varying the ratio of Tb3+: Eu3+ in the reaction mixture, which can be applied in practical LED applications originating from their visual luminescent color changes. Among them, 4 is an efficient ratiometric fluorescent thermometer over a wide temperature range from 283 to 393 K and has a large relative sensitivity S r of 4.2407 % K−1 at 393 K with good repeatability. Furthermore, the emission color of 4 gradually changes from yellow (283 K) to orange-red (393 K) as temperature increases for visual colorimetric temperature measurements, which attributed to the energy transfer between Tb3+ and Eu3+ ions. Seven isostructural 3D single- and dual- Ln-MOFs 1 - 7 are synthesized and utilized in practical LED applications. The dual-Ln-MOF 4 is an efficient ratiometric fluorescent temperature sensor among 283 to 393 K with a large relative sensitivity S r of 3.9692 % K-1 at 393 K. The obvious emission colors change provides visual fluorescent thermometer by naked eyes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid cooling is a promising approach for battery thermal management due to its compact construction and high heat transfer coefficient. However, the conventional liquid cooling plates are generally designed by trial-and-error approaches regarding the battery as a uniform heat generating body during charge and discharge processes, limiting the cooling performance of the battery thermal management systems. This paper introduces a deep learning framework that considers non-uniform heat generation to design a liquid cooling plate with a bionic leaf structure. The framework links the structural features of the cooling plate to performance using deep learning and optimizes these features with a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II. The results show that the maximum temperature difference of the battery can be up to 11°C in natural cooling condition at 4C. The average value of of the three outputs of the established ANN neural network model is 0.98, and the model is capable of predicting results with high accuracy. More significantly, the temperature difference and pressure drop are 2.26°C and 2562.62 Pa compared to traditional structure, which are reduced by 60.17% and 25.06%, respectively. The proposed deep learning-based multi-objective optimization framework can guide the design of liquid cooling plates for battery thermal management systems. • A model considering the non-uniform heat generation characteristics is developed. • A novel bionic leaf structure liquid cooling plate is designed and optimized. • Deep learning is used to predict the performance of liquid cooling plates. • A multi-objective optimization framework combining deep learning and NSGA-II is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), two prominent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), are potentially harmful to many human organs. However, there only exist limited methods to mitigate their health hazards. The aim of this study is to combine a bioinformatics analysis with in vitro experiments to discover small molecules that can alleviate liver damage caused by PFOA/PFOS. We identified 192 and 82 key genes related to hepatocytes exposed to PFOA and PFOS, respectively. The functional enrichment analysis of key genes suggested cellular senescence may be important in PFOA/PFOS-induced hepatotoxicity. The in vitro models revealed that PFOA/PFOS led to hepatocyte senescence by increasing the activity of SA-β-gal, inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, impacting cell cycle arrest, and elevating the expressions of p21, p53, IL-1β, and SASP-related cytokines. The drug-target gene set enrichment analysis method was employed to compare the transcriptome data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GEO), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), and the high-throughput experiment- and reference-guided database (HERB), and 21 traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) were identified that may alleviate PFOA/PFOS-induced liver aging. The experimental results of co-exposure to PFOA/PFOS and TCMs showed that sanguinarine has particular promise in alleviating cellular senescence caused by PFOA/PFOS. Further investigations revealed that the mTOR-p53 signaling pathway was involved in PFOA/PFOS-mediated hepatic senescence and can be blocked using sanguinarine. [Display omitted] • Cellular senescence plays a crucial role in PFOA/PFOS-induced hepatotoxicity. • Sanguinarine filtered using the dtGESA-based method can mitigate the hepatotoxicity of PFOA/PFOS. • Sanguinarine might alleviate PFOA/PFOS-mediated hepatic senescence via the mTOR-p53 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • C 6 -HSL and C 10 -HSL prevented BNR system's crash in the 90-d NPs' exposure. • AHLs promoted the conversions of TB-EPS to LB-EPS and the enrichment of NPs in EPS. • AHLs enhanced the TCA-related enzyme activities and metabolite expressions. • C 6 -HSL and C 10 -HSL increased the levels of 966 – 1 , Nitrosomonas , and Nitrospira. • Endogenous AHLs induced by exogenous ones activated QS positive regulations. The effects of three typical N -acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) on the tolerance of biological nitrogen removal (BNR) system to chronic exposure of zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated. C 4 -HSL successfully delayed the crash time of nitrogen removal performances in the NP-stressed system, while C 6 -HSL and C 10 -HSL maintained total nitrogen removal efficiencies throughout the 90-day NP exposure. All three AHLs increased NPs' contents captured in extracellular polymeric substances, alleviating membrane damage and preserving floc structure. The activities of tricarboxylic acid cycle-related enzymes and the relative abundances of BNR-related functional genes and genera were significantly enhanced. Besides, C 6 -HSL and C 10 -HSL augmented antioxidant enzyme activities and the abundances of functional genes and metabolites related to antioxidation, flagellar assembly, and chemotaxis, which synergistically reduced the reactive oxygen species' excessive accumulation. The tested AHLs effectively enhanced BNR systems' tolerance to chronic NP exposure, providing inspiration for quorum sensing applications in emerging contaminant removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better understand the drying process, the water variation and surface crust of Polygonati Rhizoma extract during drying were investigated. Water variation investigation showed that the total water content decreased gradually over drying time, mainly attributed to the removal of most of the immobile and all of the free water; As drying progressed, the mobility of immobile water and free water increased, while the bound water increased; water in different status underwent mutual transformation. Surface crust investigation showed that the extract surface gradually shrunk and became roughness during drying; crust with a dark color circle appeared on the extract surface, and some cracks connected between pores were found; as drying progressed, the porosity, total pore number and pore volume increased, the number of pores for all volume distributions below 1 mm3, 1–2 mm3 and over 2 mm3 initially increased and then decreased. • The mutual transformation of different water status was observed during drying. • The mobility of bound water raised and immobile and free water reduced during drying. • An uneven and porous crust with a dark color circle appeared on the extract surface. • The porosity, total pore number and pore volume increased during drying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long noncoding RNA (LncRNA) Peg13 has been demonstrated to protect against neurological diseases. However, its underlying mechanism in the progression of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) has not been well investigated. The expression of target genes was determined in neonatal mice with HIBD and in mouse hippocampal neurons during oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunoblotting. Functional assays, including CCK-8 cell viability and apoptotic cell detection using TdT mediated dUTP nick ending labeling (TUNEL) assay were used to examine the neuroprotective role of Peg13 in mouse hippocampal neurons. Luciferase assays were performed to determine the regulatory mechanism of Peg13 in OGD-induced neuronal apoptosis. Peg13 was reduced in HIBD mice and OGD-treated mouse hippocampal neurons. Altered Peg13 expression relieved OGD-induced neuronal apoptosis. Mechanistically, Peg13 may serve as a sponge for miR-20a-5p to increase the expression of X chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP), a downstream target of miR-20a-5p. Our study showed that Peg13 fulfilled its anti-apoptotic function in neurons through suppressing XIAP expression by sponging miR-20a-5p. Together, Peg13 binds to miR-20a-5p to upregulate XIAP and alleviate HIBD in neonatal mice. The Peg13/miR-20a-5p/XIAP competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) axis could be a potential therapeutic target for HIBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatiotemporal data fusion is a cost-effective way to produce remote sensing images with high spatial and temporal resolutions using multisource images. Using spectral unmixing analysis and spatial interpolation, the flexible spatiotemporal data fusion (FSDAF) algorithm is suitable for heterogeneous landscapes and capable of capturing abrupt land-cover changes. However, the extensive computational complexity of FSDAF prevents its use in large-scale applications and mass production. Besides, the domain decomposition strategy of FSDAF causes accuracy loss at the edges of subdomains due to the insufficient consideration of edge effects. In this study, an enhanced FSDAF (cuFSDAF) is proposed to address these problems, and includes three main improvements. First, the TPS interpolator is replaced by an accelerated inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolator to reduce computational complexity. Second, the algorithm is parallelized based on the compute unified device architecture (CUDA), a widely used parallel computing framework for graphics processing units (GPUs). Third, an adaptive domain decomposition (ADD) method is proposed to improve the fusion accuracy at the edges of subdomains and to enable GPUs with varying computing capacities to deal with datasets of any size. Experiments showed while obtaining similar accuracies to FSDAF and an up-to-date deep-learning-based method, cuFSDAF reduced the computing time significantly and achieved speed-ups of 140.3–182.2 over the original FSDAF program. cuFSDAF is capable of efficiently producing fused images with both high spatial and temporal resolutions to support applications for large-scale and long-term land surface dynamics. Source code and test data available at https://github.com/HPSCIL/cuFSDAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain machine interfaces (BMIs) used for movement restoration primarily rely on studies of motor decoding. It has been proved that local field potentials (LFPs) from primary motor cortex and premotor cortex of normal rodents could be used for decoding motor signals. However, few studies have explored the decoding performance of these brain areas under motor cortex damage. In this work, we focus on force decoding performance of LFPs spectrum from both ipsilesional caudal forelimb area (CFA) and rostral forelimb area (RFA) of rodents with ischemia over CFA. After three months of ischemia induced by photothrombosis over CFA, the power of high-frequency bands (>120 Hz) from both CFA and RFA can decode force signals by Kalman filters. The fair performance of CFA indicates motor reorganization over penumbra. Further exploration of RFA decoding ability proves that at least four electrodes of RFA should be used on decoding and electrodes far from CFA of stroke rats could achieve almost as good results as those close to CFA of normal rats, which indicates the motor remapping. Experimental results show the long-term stability of PM LFPs decoding performance of stroke rats as the trained Kalman model could be used to accurately decode force some days later which provides a possibility for online decoding system. In conclusion, our work shows that even under CFA ischemia, high-frequency power of LFPs from RFA is still able to accurately decode force signals and has long stability, which provides the possibility of BMIs for motor function reconstruction of chronic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To tackle the issues of inadequate mechanical properties of recycled aggregate concrete and its limited application in load-bearing structural components, a high-performance hybrid fiber reinforced recycled aggregate concrete (HP-HFRAC) was developed in this study. Sixteen groups of HP-HFRAC specimens fabricated with varying replacement rates of recycled coarse aggregate and different fiber parameters were subjected to uniaxial compression, as well as acoustic emission (AE) tests, to investigate the cyclic behavior and uncover the underlying mechanisms. The findings demonstrated a strong correlation between the AE signals and the macroscopic phenomenon throughout the whole compression process. The AE amplitude distribution was found to be capable of identifying damage mechanisms, including matrix cracking (40–50 dB), fiber sliding (50–80 dB), and fiber pull-out (more than 80 dB). Additionally, the inclusion of hybrid fibers contributed to mitigating the degradation of stiffness and the accumulation of plastic strain, resulting in the ductile failure of the specimens and significantly enhancing the energy dissipation capacity. Specifically, the peak stress of specimens with 1.5% steel fibers increased by 19% compared to that of specimens without steel fibers, compensating for the strength loss due to the presence of recycled coarse aggregate. Finally, constitutive equations governing the skeleton curves and the unloading and reloading curves of HP-HFRAC subjected to cyclic compression were formulated, which were validated using both the test results and the predicted results of the physics-based data-driven model previously published in our companion paper. The findings of this study might contribute to the development of sustainable high performance recycled aggregate concrete for reliable application in load-bearing components. [Display omitted] • The effect of recycled coarse aggregate and hybrid fibers on monotonic and cyclic performance of HP-HFRAC was investigated. • The whole compression process, damage mechanisms and failure modes were revealed using AE technique. • The addition of hybrid fibers helped to slow the stiffness degradation and decrease the cumulative plastic strain. • A constitutive model for HP-HFRAC under uniaxial cyclic compression was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Three kiwifruit cultivars have different starch degradation characteristics. • β-amylase has an irreplaceable role in starch degradation. • AGPS is the key gene in regulating starch synthesis. • BAM is the key gene for starch conversion. • Transient overexpression of BAM3.3 in kiwifruit could degrade the starch content. In previous field investigations, we found that Actinidia eriantha has sweeter flavor than other kiwifruit, which provided an opportunity to explore the formation mechanism of sweet flavor. In this study, we selected three cultivars of kiwifruit with different accumulation characters of starch and sugar, i.e., 'Ganlv 1′ (A. eriantha), 'Jinkui' (A. chinensis var. deliciosa), and 'Jinyan' (A. eriantha × A. chinensis var. chinensis), as materials to identify the key regulatory enzymes and genes. Our results showed that the maximum starch content in A. eriantha was the highest. Importantly, the A. eriantha also had the highest degradation rate, because of the highest amylase activity in A. eriantha among the cultivars tested. Fifty-nine differentially expressed genes involved in starch metabolism were identified by the transcriptome data, the accuracy of transcriptome data was verified by qRT-PCR analysis. Among these genes, starch synthesis related genes were significantly up-regulated at 120 DAFB in A. eriantha , including AGPS1.1, AGPS1.2 and WAXY1. And key degradation related genes were also identified, such as BAM3.2, BAM3.3, PHO1, PHO2.2, SUS2.1 and SUS2.2. Moreover, transient transformations provided overexpressing AcBAM3.3 in kiwifruit could up-regulate the expression of AcBAM3.3 gene and degrade starch content by 15.1∼22.3 %. In conclusion, the stronger biosynthesis capacity and the faster inversion rate of starch in the fruit of A. eriantha were the reasons for its higher sweet flavor in which benefit to fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report experimentally the properties of the hyperfine spectra in 5S 1 / 2 (F = 2) – 5P 3 / 2 (F ′ = 2 , 3) – 5D 3 / 2 (F ′ ′ = 1 , 2 , 3) transitions of 8 7 Rb. When the frequency of the coupling field is fixed between 5P 3 / 2 (F ′ = 3) – 5D 3 / 2 (F ′ ′ = 3) transition and the probe scans the 5S 1 / 2 (F = 2) – 5P 3 / 2 transitions, two-photon absorption (TPA) and electromagnetically induced transparent (EIT) peaks could be investigated simultaneously, and the amplitude of the peaks can be controlled by changing the temperature of rubidium atomic vapor cell and the probe field power. In particular, the probe field power plays a dual role in controlling the amplitude of the peaks. In the 5S 1 / 2 (F = 2) – 5P 3 / 2 (F ′ = 2) – 5D 3 / 2 (F ′ ′ = 1 , 2 , 3) transitions with the open intermediate state 5P 3 / 2 (F ′ = 2) , with decrease of the coupling field power, our experimental results show a crossover from a convoluted line-shape to EIT when the probe is weak whereas a transformation from a convoluted line-shape to TPA with an enhanced probe power. Formation of the convoluted line-shape is explained by virtue of the dressed energy-level diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meng, Zhijun, Huan Gao, Tao Li, Peng Ge, Yixiao Xu, and Binghong Gao. Effects of eight weeks altitude training on the aerobic capacity and microcirculation function in trained rowers. High Alt Med Biol. 22:24–31, 2021. Background: The mechanism of aerobic improvement after altitude training (AT) has not been resolved yet. Few studies have looked at microcirculation changes after AT in athletes. Materials and Methods: Thirty-three male rowers were recruited and divided into either the AT (n = 18, altitude 2,280 m) or the sea level training (ST group, n = 15, altitude 50 m) for 8 weeks training. Microcirculation function was monitored using a laser Doppler flowmeter. VO2peak and ergometer 5 km time trial (Er5k) were conducted. Results: Within the AT group there was an 8.8% increment in VO2peak from pre- to post-training (4,708.9 ± 455.2 vs. 5,123.3 ± 391.2 ml/min, p < 0.01), whereas in ST group there was a 3.1% increase of VO2peak from pre- to post-training (4,975.4 ± 501.1 vs. 5,128.0 ± 499.3 m/min, p = 0.125). Er5k performance in AT group was significantly improved (1,040.3 ± 26.3 vs. 1,033.2 ± 27.5 seconds, p = 0.038), whereas in ST group Er5k performance was not improved (1,059.6 ± 30.9 vs. 1,060.4 ± 33.2 seconds, p = 0.819). Postocclusive reactive hyperemia reserve and heat reserve in the forearm of AT subjects increased significantly after 8 weeks. Meanwhile, the AT group's resting blood flow and cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) of the thigh were higher after AT. For the ST group, resting blood flow and CVC in the thigh decreased significantly at third week post-training. There was a low correlation between the change of VO2peak and blood flow of the thigh (r = 0.45, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Trained rowers benefit more from 8 weeks of AT than from 8 weeks ST in terms of aerobic capacity. We have found that 8 weeks of AT increases thigh blood flow and improves endothelial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereoblock polypropylenes bearing isotactic, atactic, and syndiotactic polypropylene segments were successfully prepared by dry methyl aluminoxane activated binary catalysts system, Ph2CFluCpZrCl2 and {Me2Si(2,5-Me2-3-(2-MePh)-cyclopento[2,3-b]thiophen-6-yl)2}ZrCl2, in the presence of iBu3Al as a chain shuttling agent. By studying the catalyst activity, chain transfer efficiency, and reversibility of chain transfer reaction of each catalyst system, as well as the molecular weight and polydispersity of the resulting polymers, the alkyl exchange reactions between the zirconium catalyst and different main-group metal alky were estimated, respectively. Based on the optimized react condition, the chain shuttling polymerization was conducted by binary catalyst system in the presence of iBu3Al under both atmospheric and high pressure. Resultant polymers were identified as stereoblock polypropylenes according to microstructure and physical properties analyses by 13C{1H}-NMR, DSC, and GPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of transcriptome sequences, the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) gene of Exopalaemon carinicauda was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and named FABP. The full length of the FABP gene is 878 bp, with the open reading frame being 399 bp and the non-coding regions of the 5′ end and the 3′ end being 94 bp and 385 bp, respectively. The gene encodes a protein composed of 132 amino acids. A homology analysis showed that the FABP gene has high similarity with fatty acid-binding protein and retinoic acid-binding protein genes. Real-time PCR showed that the FABP gene was expressed mainly in subepidermal adipose tissue, and secondarily in intestine and heart. The expression characteristics at different developmental stages showed that the expression of the gene was low at the larval stage (0–25 d) and reached the highest level after 30 days. RNA interference results showed no significant difference in the appearance of E. carinicauda and no individual death after this gene was silenced. Compared with the control group, except C20:2n-6 which increased, the contents of the other 12 fatty acids in shrimps in the RNA interference group decreased significantly, and the total amount of fatty acids also decreased significantly, which suggests that the FABP gene is closely related to changes in fatty acid content in shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms are the driver of petroleum hydrocarbon degradation in soil micro-ecological systems. However, the distribution characteristics of microbial communities and hydrocarbon degradation dynamics during the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil by enhancing moisture content are not clear. In this study, polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing of soil microbial DNA were applied to investigate the compositions of microorganisms and alpha diversity in the oil-polluted soil, and the hydrocarbon removal also being analyzed using ultrasonic extraction and gravimetric method in a laboratory simulated ex-situ experiment. Results showed the distribution of petroleum hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms in the petroleum-contaminated loessal soil mainly was Proteobacteria phylum (96.26%)—Gamma-proteobacteria class (90.03%)—Pseudomonadales order (89.98%)—Pseudomonadaceae family (89.96%)—Pseudomonas sp. (87.22%). After 15% moisture content treatment, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes still were the predominant phyla, but their relative abundances changed greatly. Also Bacillus sp. and Promicromonospora sp. became the predominant genera. Maintaining 15% moisture content increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phylum and Bacillus sp. As the moisture-treated time increases, the uniformity and the richness of the soil bacterial community were decreased and increased respectively; the relative abundance of Pseudomonas sp. increased. Petroleum hydrocarbon degradation by enhancing soil moisture accorded with the pseudo-first-order reaction kinetic model (correlation coefficient of 0.81; half-life of 56 weeks). The richness of Firmicutes phylum and Bacillus sp. may be a main reason for promoting the removal of 18% petroleum hydrocarbons responded to 15% moisture treatment. Our results provided some beneficial microbiological information of oil-contaminated soil and will promote the exploration of remediation by changing soil moisture content for increasing petroleum hydrocarbon degradation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous geopolymers are energy saving, environment-friendly and simple in preparation. However, the thermal conductivity (TC) of present porous geopolymers as well as other inorganic thermal insulation materials can be hardly below 0.050 W m-1 K-1 in the markets. In order to further decrease the TC of porous geopolymers, it is vital to understand the heat transfer mechanism of this type of materials. In this work, we made a comparison among the main heat transfer models for porous two-component system reported so far including series model, parallel model, geometric mean model, Maxwell-Eucken equation, Hashin spherical structure model and novel effective medium theory (NEMT) based on the data reported in references and obtained by our group for porous geopolymers, and found that NEMT could describe the heat transfer mechanism of porous geopolymers better. Then we systematically studied the relationship among the effective TC (k e), porosity (ε), TC of solid skeleton (k s) and TC of the uniform medium reflecting the heat conduction of the solid skeleton to air (k m) based on the calculations with NEMT. It was found that it is essential to increase ε and decrease k s and k m for reducing the TC of porous geopolymers. Under the guidance of above calculations, we successfully designed and obtained some porous geopolymers with TC as low as 0.040 W m-1 K-1. This paper offers not only several porous geopolymers with low TC, but also an idea to design novel thermal insulation materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave of volunteerism and popular participation in disaster relief activities after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in authoritarian China has attracted much academic attention. Existing literature leverages the erosion of state capacity, the moral symbolism and emotions of disaster relief, and civil society's ability to provide crucial public goods and services to explain this popular mobilization ([12]; [15]; [22]). However, these arguments do not satisfactorily explain why sustained, self-organized non-state activities were concentrated in few sites across the region most affected by the earthquake. This paper investigates the lingering puzzle of uneven grassroots activities through the lens of spatial theory. I argue that conditions favorable to popular mobilization were mediated by the creation of large and accessible public spaces in the form of emergency shelters, breaking the ordinary cellular spatial order which enhances state control through partitioning, surveillance, and securitization. Public spaces open to all increased contact among citizens, enabled coordination and collective activities, and created new common symbols and histories, thus facilitating sustained and self-organized popular activities. To test this theory, I conduct a most similar cases comparison between two prefectural-level cities, Deyang and Mianyang, in Sichuan province. I demonstrate that despite the similar lack of civil society organizations before the earthquake and similar needs after the earthquake, Mianyang saw more sustained grassroots activities due to the presence of large, dense, highly visible and accessible emergency shelters, while Deyang's distributed emergency resettlement strategies better maintained the cellular spatial order that left few sites for sustained popular activities. This paper seeks to understand the spatial nature of popular mobilization and aims to address a so far understudied element of civil society formation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of 4 weeks of living high-training low and high (LHTLH) under moderate hypoxia on body weight, body composition, and metabolic risk markers of overweight and obese females. Nineteen healthy overweight or obese females participated in this study. Participants were assigned to the normoxic training group (NG) or the LHTLH group (HG). The NG participants lived and trained at sea level. The HG participants stayed for approximately 10 hours in a simulated 2300 m normobaric state of hypoxia for six days a week and trained for 2 hours 3 times a week under the same simulated hypoxia. The interventions lasted for 4 weeks. All groups underwent dietary restriction based on resting metabolic rate. The heart rate of the participants was monitored every ten minutes during exercise to ensure that the intensity was in the aerobic range. Compared with the preintervention values, body weight decreased significantly in both the NG and the HG (−8.81 ± 2.09% and −9.09 ± 1.15%, respectively). The fat mass of the arm, leg, trunk, and whole body showed significant reductions in both the NG and the HG, but no significant interaction effect was observed. The percentage of lean soft tissue mass loss in the total body weight loss tended to be lower in the HG (27.61% versus 15.94%, P = 0.085). Between the NG and the HG, significant interaction effects of serum total cholesterol (−12.66 ± 9.09% versus −0.05 ± 13.36%,) and apolipoprotein A1 (−13.66 ± 3.61% versus −5.32 ± 11.07%, P = 0.042) were observed. A slight increase in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was observed in the HG (1.12 ± 12.34%) but a decrease was observed in the NG (−11.36 ± 18.91%). The interaction effect of HDL-C between NG and HG exhibited a significant trend (P = 0.055). No added effects on serum triglycerides (TGs), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), or APO-B were observed after 4 weeks of LHTLH. In conclusion, 4 weeks of LHTLH combined with dietary restriction could effectively reduce the body weight and body fat mass of overweight and obese females. Compared with training and sleeping under normoxia, no additive benefit of LHTLH on the loss of body weight and body fat mass was exhibited. However, LHTLH may help to relieve the loss of lean soft tissue mass and serum HDL-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes/calcium zirconium phosphate composite (MWCNTs/CZP) ceramics were successfully synthesized by co-precipitation to improve the mechanical strength of CZP ceramics sintered at 1100 ℃ under an argon atmosphere. The impact of the different weight percentages of MWCNTs (ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt%) on the structure, morphological, and mechanical strength of CZP was investigated. Microstructural analysis revealed the grain size was reduced and the surface morphology and densification were improved by the addition of MWCNTs compared to pure CZP ceramics. The flexural strength and modulus of 0.5 MWCNTs/CZP composite were measured at 91.76 MPa and 21.98 GPa, respectively, further revealing that MWCNTs had significant effects on densification and mechanical strength of CZP ceramics. • Investigated the enhance mechanical strength mechanism of CZP ceramics by MWCNTs. • An excellent flexural strength and dense structure CZP ceramics are obtained with lower MWCNTs addition. • The strengthening mechanism are due to the synergistic effect of pull-out, bridging, and grain refinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seventeen undescribed iridoid derivatives (1–17) and four known compounds (18–21) were isolated from the whole plant of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Their structures were elucidated based on unambiguous spectroscopic data (UV, IR, HRESIMS, CD, and 1D and 2D NMR). It is noteworthy that compounds 1–8, which possess unique long-chain aliphatic acid moiety, were reported for the first time among the iridoid natural products. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Compounds 2, 4, and 6 showed significant suppression effects on nitric oxide production, with IC 50 values of 5.69, 6.16, and 6.84 μM, respectively. The structure-activity relationships of these compounds indicated that long-chain aliphatic moieties at C-10 might be the key group for their anti-inflammatory activities. The therapeutic properties of these iridoid derivatives could give an insight into utilizing H. diffusa as a natural source of anti-inflammatory agents. Seventeen undescribed iridoid derivatives were identified from H. diffusa. And three of them exhibited potent nitric oxide (NO) inhibitory effects in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC 50 values of 5.69, 6.16, and 6.84 μM, respectively. [Display omitted] • Seventeen undescribed iridoid derivatives were identified from Hedyotis diffusa. • Eight compounds possess unique long-chain aliphatic acid moiety. • Compounds 2, 4, and 6 showed significant suppression effects on NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. • The long-chain aliphatic moieties at C-10 might be the key group for their anti-inflammatory activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inorganic thermal insulation material with triple-hierarchical pores was designed. • A special heat treatment method was used to create different size of pores. • The density decreased by ∼15% and thermal conductivity decreased by ∼10%. • Softening coefficient (water resistance) was remarkably improved by ∼80%. Inorganic thermal insulation materials are incombustible, cheap, and perdurable, and can thus effectively avoid such shortcomings of organic materials. Nevertheless, the physical properties, such as thermal conductivity and apparent density, are usually not as good as the organic thermal insulation materials. In present work, we designed and synthesized a new kind of inorganic thermal insulation material with admirable and intriguing triple-hierarchical porous structures by combining the ambient temperature foam method and simple heat treatment. The final products contained triple-hierarchical pores in the range of hundreds of microns, several microns to tens of microns, and submicrons to several microns. Compared to products without heat treatment, the apparent density of this kind of inorganic thermal insulation material was 0.148 g·cm−3, which decreased by 15%, and the compressive strength was 0.30 MPa; the thermal conductivity reached 0.047 W· m −1· K −1 which reduced by 10%, and the softening coefficient (the ratio of the samples' strength under saturation with that in dry condition) was improved from 0 to ∼80%. Therefore, this work not only provided a new type of thermal insulation material with hierarchical pores, but also has great significance for the design of inorganic thermal insulation materials with high performance. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the studies presented in this paper is the principle and test of a novel giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect sensor. We designed and developed a new type of vibration sensor using the GMR sensor chip SS501A based on the GMR effect; the sensor has the advantages of small volume, low cost, low power consumption, simple manufacturing process, and so on. The designed GMR sensor is calibrated by a vibration table; the effective bandwidth of the sensor is 6 Hz–284.2 Hz. Experiments indicate that the sensor has a wide bandwidth, and the output is stable. Under the same experimental conditions, the output is higher than that of the moving coil geophone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2008 Sichuan earthquake was one of the deadliest natural disasters in China's recent history, and it inspired unprecedented activism in China. This article shows that one important yet overlooked path to the development of new NGOs in Sichuan was a massive transfer of resources and personnel from other provincial governments. Pairing richer provinces with poorer ones to spur development was already a PRC practice and was immediately implemented when the earthquake struck; transferred officials with experience working with NGOs in their own provinces brought such NGOs with them, helped to create new organizations in Sichuan, and facilitated cooperation between local officials and NGO activists—a scenario neglected in earlier studies. The disaster provided an opportunity for local governments in Sichuan to learn how to outsource social service programs to cooperative NGOs, in line with recent policy elsewhere in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Driven by increased applications in biological networks and wireless sensor networks, synchronization of pulse-coupled oscillators (PCOs) has gained increased popularity. However, most existing results address the local synchronization of PCOs with initial phases constrained in a half cycle, and results on global synchronization from any initial condition are very sparse. In this paper, we address global PCO synchronization from an arbitrary phase distribution under chain or directed tree graphs. Our results differ from existing global synchronization studies on decentralized PCO networks in two key aspects: first, our work allows heterogeneous coupling functions, and we analyze the behavior of oscillators with perturbations on their natural frequencies; second, rather than requiring a large enough coupling strength, our results hold under any coupling strength between zero and one, which is crucial because a large coupling strength has been shown to be detrimental to the robustness of PCO synchronization to disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A novel thermal insulation material was made utilizing perlite tailings. • A more energy-saving preparation method was conducted. • It showed low thermal conductivity (0.04 W·m−1·K−1) and density (0.102 g·cm−3). • The preparation technique reported in this paper is of application prospect. Abstract Installing thermal insulation materials on the external and/or interior wall is a primary means for the conservation of building energy. Expanded perlite is one of the most widely used inorganic building insulation materials nowadays. However, it not only consumes a large amount of energy in the fabricated process, but also produces a great deal of perlite tailings during the exploiting or smashing process. In this work, a new kind of light foamy thermal insulation materials were prepared utilizing perlite tailings by an energy-saving and environment-friendly method. The influences of each raw materials, including perlite/sodium silicate, H 2 O 2 , cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide and rock wool, on the physical properties (such as pores characters, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength) were discussed in detail based on the formation processes of the foamy thermal insulation materials. The optimized foamy materials showed low thermal conductivities (0.040–0.060 W·m−1·K−1) with low apparent densities (0.1–0.2 g cm−3) and relatively high mechanical strength (0.09–0.6 MPa). As compared with other reported inorganic thermal insulation materials, this new type of thermal insulation material was very light and exhibited much better heat-insulated performance. Therefore, this work not only proposed a new energy-saving method for obtaining a kind of promising non-flammability insulating materials, but also solved the problem of solid tailings utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A pulse-wave ultrasonic Doppler industrial measurement system is established. • Velocity profiles of four typical dispersed oil-water two-phase flow patterns were measured in a horizontal pipe. • Velocity profiles were separately for flow patterns of different continuous phase. Abstract Flow velocity is an important parameter in oil-water two-phase flow, which is closely related to the oil production estimation and production safety. In recent years, pulse-wave Doppler is widely studied because it can obtain the velocity profile along the ultrasound beam. In this paper, a new Pulse-wave Doppler system based on the industrial bus was designed to measure the velocity profile of oil-water two-phase flow. This system was used to study the velocity profile of a horizontal tube oil-water two-phase flow, the flow patterns include dispersion of oil in water and water (Do/w & w), oil in water emulsion (O/W), dual dispersions of water in oil and oil in water (Dw/o & Do/w) and water in oil emulsion (W/O). The velocity profile obtained was compared with the Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) data under similar flow conditions. The results showed that, in water continuous flow patterns, the velocity profile of the two-phase flow can be described by a modified Nikuradse equation that describes the velocity profile of single phase pipe flow; in oil continuous flow patterns, the velocity profile also can be described by a modified Nikuradse equation with different parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]