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1. A new assessment method for duck footpad dermatitis (FPD) evaluation was developed, combining visual and histological characters using the images and sections of 400 ducks' feet at 340 d of age. All ducks were graded as G0 (healthy), G1 (mild), G2 (moderate) and G3 (severe) according to the degree of FPD. 2. To reveal the potential biomarkers in serum related to duck FPD, non-targeted metabolomics and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to explore differential metabolites in each group. 3. There were 57, 91 and 210 annotated differential metabolites in groups G1, G2 and G3 compared with G0, which meant that the severity of FPD increased in line with the number of metabolites. Four metabolites, L-phenylalanine, L-arginine, L-leucine and L-lysine, were considered potential biomarkers related to FPD. 4. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the FPD was mainly involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid metabolism. These are related to production metabolism and can affect the physiological activities of ducks, which might explain the decrease in production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft materials are widely used in biomedical and flexible electronics fields, while their deformation properties are affected by many factors. It is difficult to obtain accurate characteristic parameters using common test methods. In this work, polydimethylsiloxane is used as the tested object, and the samples with different mass ratios of curing agent/base and thicknesses are prepared. The deformation properties of polydimethylsiloxane under the conditions of different loads and two indenters are investigated using the experiment and finite element analysis, and the factors affecting its deformation properties are discussed. The results demonstrate that the elastic modulus of polydimethylsiloxane is positively correlated with the content of curing agent, and the load has no significant role in its deformation properties. The correlation coefficients between the indentation tests and finite element results are in excess of 0.92. The difference between the modulus of the spherical indentation mode and the elastic modulus of the standard tensile test is lower than 3 %, while the flat‐ended indentation mode is more applicable to characterizing deformation properties of soft materials with variable thickness. These results will provide a new insight into the deformation characterization of soft materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and mechanical properties of calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (C-A-S-H) were investigated using CLAYFF force field molecular dynamics simulations. A computational study was conducted to define a structural model for C-A-S-H gels formed in Al-containing cement pastes. A series of amorphous C-A-S-H were constructed randomly starting from the building blocks, including Ca2+, Al3+, Si4+, O2-, OH-, and H2O. Trajectory analysis shows that the polymerization degree of the SiO4 chain did not change with increasing Al content. Instead, AlO4 acted as a chain linker to form the Si-O-Al structure and the branching network structure of the C-A-S-H phase. Meanwhile, the integration of Al into C-S-H had little effect on the elastic modulus of C-S-H. Theoretical simulation results are in good agreement with many experimental data and indicate the universal applicability of the stochastic packing C-A-S-H modeling method to describe the microstructure and mechanical properties of C-A-S-H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The roof snow load in the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) is expressed as the sum of the snow and rain components. A probabilistic analysis of the components was carried out by using the recorded historical meteorological data. Probabilistic characterizations of the annual maximum ground snow depth SA, ground snow load SL, and snowpack bulk density were given. By considering the commonly adopted probabilistic models for SA, it was found that the use of the lognormal distribution, Gumbel distribution, and generalized extreme value distribution (GEVD) for SA is preferred for 46%, 35%, and 19% of the considered meteorological stations. A similar observation was made for SL. Snow hazard maps in terms of return period values of SA and SL were developed. Also, the hazard maps of (winter) rain load, SR, were developed. It was found that the correlation coefficient between SA and SR is negligible; the implication of this is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compare strongly coupled data assimilation (SCDA) and weakly coupled data assimilation (WCDA) by analyzing the assimilation effect on the estimation of the ocean and the atmosphere variables. The AWI climate model (AWI‐CM‐1.1) is coupled with the parallel data assimilation framework (PDAF). Only satellite sea surface temperature data are assimilated. For WCDA, only the ocean variables are directly updated by the assimilation. For SCDA, both the ocean and the atmosphere variables are directly updated by the assimilation. Both WCDA and SCDA improve ocean state and yield similar errors. In the atmosphere, WCDA gives slightly smaller errors for the near‐surface temperature and wind velocity than SCDA. In the free atmosphere, SCDA yields smaller errors for the temperature, wind velocity, and specific humidity than WCDA in the Arctic region, while in the tropical region, the errors are generally larger. Plain Language Summary: Satellite sea surface temperature observations are combined with a coupled ocean‐atmosphere model to improve the estimation of the ocean as well as the atmosphere variables. This is done by the so‐called strongly coupled data assimilation, which updates not only the ocean state but uses the cross‐covariance to update the atmosphere variables directly through the assimilation algorithm. The results are compared with the weakly coupled data assimilation, which only updates the ocean state directly. Both of the two assimilation algorithms improve the estimation of the ocean temperature. In the atmosphere, the strongly coupled data assimilation outperforms the weakly coupled data assimilation only in the Arctic region while in the low latitudes the strongly coupled data assimilation deteriorates the results. Key Points: Strongly coupled data assimilation is implemented for a coupled ocean atmosphere modelSatellite sea surface temperatures are the only observations for assimilationStrongly coupled data assimilation performs better in the Arctic region than the weakly coupled data assimilation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the ultra-low concentration of 226Ra in water samples (< 0.2 Bq/m3) is carried out by using the 226Ra concentration determination method widely used in oceanography. Various background sources in the determination process were tested and measures to reduce the background were explored. the sum of the residual blank background was reduced to less than 12 mBq after various measures were taken. The requirement of measuring the ultra-low concentration radium solution with concentration < 0.2 Bq/m3 was met. In this paper, the possibility of further reducing the background is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the central engine of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), a nascent magnetar can release its rotational energy by magnetic dipole radiation. This energy is injected into the outflow of the GRB jet. With the rapid evolution of the magnetic inclination angle, the perpendicular component of the magnetar's surface magnetic field decreases rapidly. The energy loss rate of the magnetar is characterized by two different timescales. This peculiar two-stage energy injection model will affect the shape of the X-ray afterglow light curve. It is shown that a new shallow decay phase will emerge following the initial shallow decay phase. As a result, there could be two plateaus in the X-ray light curve. The effects of various physical parameters on the light curves are studied in detail. It is found that the observed afterglows of GRB 161217A and GRB 190114A, both having two plateaus in the light curve, can be well fitted in our framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicity and degradation of hybrid lead-halide perovskites hinder their extensive applications. It is thus of great importance to explore non-toxic alternative materials with excellent stability and optoelectronic property. We investigate the atomic structures and optoelectronic properties of non-toxic organic tin bromide perovskites (OTBP) with one/zero-dimensional (1D/0D) structures by first-principles calculations. The calculated atomic structures show that the 1D/0D OTBPs are stable and the structure of inorganic octahedra in 0D is higher order than that in 1D. Moreover, the origination of exceptional purity emitting light in experiments is explained based on the calculated electronic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poincaré maps for toroidal magnetic fields are routinely employed to study gross confinement properties in devices built to contain hot plasmas. In most practical applications, evaluating a Poincaré map requires numerical integration of a magnetic field line, a process that can be slow and that cannot be easily accelerated using parallel computations. We propose a novel neural network architecture, the HénonNet, and show that it is capable of accurately learning realistic Poincaré maps from observations of a conventional field-line-following algorithm. After training, such learned Poincaré maps evaluate much faster than the field-line integration method. Moreover, the HénonNet architecture exactly reproduces the primary physics constraint imposed on field-line Poincaré maps: flux preservation. This structure-preserving property is the consequence of each layer in a HénonNet being a symplectic map. We demonstrate empirically that a HénonNet can learn to mock the confinement properties of a large magnetic island by using coiled hyperbolic invariant manifolds to produce a sticky chaotic region at the desired island location. This suggests a novel approach to designing magnetic fields with good confinement properties that may be more flexible than ensuring confinement using KAM tori. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Rev‐erbα has been reported to regulate the healing of inflammatory lesions through its effect on the immune system in a variety of inflammatory disease. Moreover, the balance of macrophages polarization plays a crucial role in immune response and inflammatory progression. However, in refractory periapical periodontitis (RAP), the role of Rev‐erbα in inflammatory response and bone resorption by regulating macrophage polarization remains unclarified. The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression of Rev‐erbα in experimental RAP and to explore the relationship between Rev‐erbα and macrophage polarization through the application of its pharmacological agonist SR9009 into the in vivo and in vitro experiments. Methodology: Enterococcus faecalis‐induced RAP models were established in SD rats. Histological staining and micro‐computed tomography scanning were used to evaluate osteoclastogenesis and alveolar bone resorption. The expression of Rev‐erbα and macrophage polarization were detected in the periapical tissues from rats by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and western blots. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were performed to explore the relationship between Rev‐erbα and inflammatory cytokines related to macrophage polarization. Result: Compared to healthy periapical tissue, the expression of Rev‐erbα was significantly down‐regulated in macrophages from inflammatory periapical area, especially in Enterococcus faecalis‐induced periapical lesions, with obvious type‐1 macrophage (M1)‐like dominance and the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In addition, Rev‐erbα activation by SR9009 could induce type‐2 macrophage (M2)‐like polarization in periapical tissue and THP1 cell line, followed by increased secretion of anti‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐10 and TGF‐β. Furthermore, intracanal application of SR9009 reduced the lesion size and promoted the repair of RAP by decreasing the number of osteoclasts and enhancing the formation of mineralized tissue in periapical inflammatory lesions. Conclusions: Rev‐erbα played an essential role in the pathogenesis of RAP through its effect on macrophage polarization. Targeting Rev‐erbα might be a promising and prospective therapy method for the prevention and management of RAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: One prevalent malignant tumor in the digestive system is gastric cancer (GC). Cortactin is an intracellular cytoskeleton protein and exerts the crucial function in GC development. However, the roles and mechanisms of cortactin in the invasion and metastasis of GC need further exploration. Materials and Methods: Cortactin expression in GC tissues and cells via western blot and quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Cell migration and invasion were detected by the Transwell assays. Immunofluorescence staining and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation assays verified the ability to invadopodium formation and ECM degradation. We then used gelatin zymography to identify the relationship between cortactin and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The xenograft tumor model proved that cortactin can accelerate tumor growth and intraperitoneal metastasis in mice. Results: We found that cortactin is overexpressed in GC. cortactin overexpression facilitated cell migration and invasion, whereas cortactin silencing exerted the opposite function. cortactin can facilitate invadopodium formation and ECM degradation in GC cells. Cortactin can positively regulate matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) levels. Furthermore, Cortactin accelerate GC progression in vivo. Conclusion: In short, this study confirmed that cortactin enhanced invadopodium formation to accelerate GC development through upregulating MMP2 and MMP9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future cosmic microwave background (CMB) experiments, including the large scale ground-based Stage Four CMB Experiment (CMB-S4), satellites, and balloons, aim to map the CMB to an unprecedented precision in order to answer several key questions in cosmology. However, to reach the target noise sensitivity, more than 100,000 detectors will be needed. Arrays of kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) are a promising alternative for experiments that require large number of detectors due to the intrinsic multiplexing capabilities. We present the fabrication procedure for a prototype planar orthomode transducer (OMT)-coupled multi-color KID array optimized for 220/270 GHz frequency bands. These devices are made from silicon-on-insulator wafers to provide a low-loss substrate for the KIDs. The OMT couples the two polarizations of light from a wide-band feedhorn to separate Nb/SiN/Nb microstrip lines, which are then coupled to Al/Nb lumped-element KIDs (LEKIDs). The silicon on the backside of the OMT is etched away using deep reactive ion etch to release the OMT membrane to enable operation over a wide bandwidth. Finally, the buried oxide is removed underneath the KID capacitors in order to minimize two-level system noise and loss mitigation. We achieved a good yield (> 80%) on our prototype devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is crucial to develop highly sensitive and selective sensors for ammonia, one of the most common toxic gases which have been widely used in pharmaceutical, chemical, and manufacturing industries. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) film was spin-coated onto surfaces of ST-cut quartz surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices with a resonant frequency of 200 MHz for ammonia sensing. The oxygen-containing functional groups (such as hydroxyl and epoxy ones) on the surface of GO film strongly absorb ammonia molecules and thus increase the film stiffness. This is attributed to the main ammonia sensing mechanism of the Love mode SAW devices, which show not only a positive frequency shift of 620 Hz for 500 ppb ammonia gas, but also an excellent selectivity (as compared to other gases such as H2, H2S, CO, and NO2) and a good reproducibility, operated at room temperature of 22 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) have become an attractive alternative to traditional bolometers in the sub-mm and mm observing community due to their innate frequency multiplexing capabilities and simple lithographic processes. These advantages make KIDs a viable option for the O(500,000) detectors needed for the upcoming Cosmic Microwave Background-Stage 4 experiment. We have fabricated an antenna-coupled MKID array in the 150 GHz band optimized for CMB detection. Our design uses a twin-slot antenna coupled to an inverted microstrip made from a superconducting Nb/Al bilayer as the strip, a Nb ground plane and a SiNx dielectric layer in between, which is then coupled to an Al KID grown on high-resistivity Si. We present the fabrication process and measurements of SiNx microstrip resonators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermodynamic calculation and optimization on the binary and ternary systems consisting of Mo, Pu, Th, Ti, U, V and Zr used in metallic nuclear fuel are systematically reviewed. By combining the optimized systems in literatures and present assessment of U-Mo-Zr ternary system, the thermodynamic databases of U-Mo-based and U-Zr-based nuclear fuels were established based on the Calculation of Phase Diagram (CALPHAD) method. The stable phase diagrams and dynamical phase diagrams under irradiation were reviewed based on the database. As the examples for the application of the two thermodynamic databases, the effect of alloying elements on the stability of bcc (γU) phase in different ternary and multicomponent alloys were discussed, which can provide essential theoretical guidance for the design Uranium-based metallic nuclear fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leek is an economically important vegetable. In model plants, the CONSTANS (CO) and CONSTANS-like (COL) genes play central roles in plant flowering modulation. However, none of leek CO homolog has been identified, because of limited gene resources obtained in this crop. Here, we reported the transcriptome analysis of leek, along with the identification of putative leek CONSTANS-like (COL) (ApCOL) genes. A total of 189 713 non-redundant transcripts were de novo assembled by using about 128.9 million clean sequence reads, of which, 48 621 were achieved for functional annotation. Thereafter, the search for putative ApCOL genes against the assembled transcripts was performed, and 17 genes were identified. The 17 putative ApCOL proteins, together with 16 function-known COL proteins published for other species, were subjected to phylogenetic analysis and divided into four groups. Some putative ApCOL members showed high sequence similarity with published COL proteins involved in flowering regulation. Expression analysis revealed that, among the 17 putative ApCOL genes, eight, two, and three genes showed higher expression in leaves, cauloids, and roots, respectively. The discovery of putative ApCOL genes and the characterization of their expression patterns will provide a basis for future clarification of their functions in leek growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mississippi Delta is an important agricultural area, producing 67% of the soybean, corn, and cotton grown in the state of Mississippi. Because irrigation can stabilize and increase crop yields and economic returns, approximately 80% of the water withdrawn from the alluvial aquifer is used for irrigation. This region is experiencing severe declines in groundwater level, which threaten the sustainability of irrigated agriculture. Therefore, better irrigation management practices must be developed, but there is lack of knowledge regarding crop water requirements, rain water deficits, and irrigation demand to improve rain and irrigation water use efficiencies of these crops. The objective of this study was to determine the crop water requirements, rain water deficits, and irrigation demand of the three crops using the RZWQM2 model based on a 100-year representative weather data series from the Stoneville weather station for improving irrigation management in the Mississippi Delta. The analysis indicated that mean monthly precipitation in the crop non-growing season from November to the following April was 127 mm, while only 82 mm on average was received during the crop growing season. Soybean, corn, and cotton are typically planted in early May, late March, and late May and harvested in mid-September, late August, and late October, respectively. Rainfall during the growing seasons for soybean, corn, and cotton was 400, 510, and 435 mm and accounted for 31%, 40%, and 34% of annual rainfall, respectively, over the 100-year period. Early seeding can allow crops to receive more early season rainfall and reduce the number of days of water stress during the growing season. Average crop evapotranspiration of soybean, corn, and cotton was 546, 588, and 552 mm, respectively. Rainfall was found to be insufficient to meet the crop water requirements beginning in the 5th, 7th, and 6th weeks after planting. Weekly effective rain water deficits greater than 20 mm were found in weeks 7 through 16 (22 to 29 mm) for soybean, in weeks 11 through 20 (20 to 26 mm) for corn, and in weeks 11 through 16 (20 to 30 mm) for cotton. The RZWQM2 model estimated a range of annual effective rain water deficits in soybean of 0 to 622 mm, with an average deficit of 340 mm. Deficits in corn ranged from 32 to 685 mm, with an average deficit of 355 mm, while deficits in cotton ranged from 169 to 650 mm, with an average deficit of 395 mm. Results obtained from the 100-year historical weather data can be applied to improve irrigation scheduling, water resources planning, and design of irrigation and cropping systems in the Mississippi Delta. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new cyprinid gudgeon, Saurogobio punctatus sp. nov., is described based on specimens collected from the Yangtze River, China. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by differences in both morphology and the cytochrome b (cytb) gene sequence. Numerous minute blackish spots are scattered on dorsal and caudal fins in S. punctatus sp. nov. v. absent in the other seven valid Saurogobio species. The new species can be further distinguished from its congeners by the following unique combination of characters: a dorsal fin with eight branched rays; absence of scales in chest area before pectoral origin; upper and lower lips thick, covered with papillae; and a papillose mental pad approximately triangular. Morphologically, the new species most resembles the Chinese lizard gudgeon Saurogobio dabryi, but the new species lays yellowish adhesive eggs v. white pelagic eggs in S. dabryi. A phylogenetic analysis of all Saurogobio species based on cytb gene sequences indicated that S. punctatus sp. nov was distinctly separated from its congeners, with mean sequence divergence ranging from 12·6 to 21·0%. Therefore, molecular data further supported the distinctiveness of the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riverbed hydraulic conductivity ( K ) is a critical parameter for the prediction of exchange fluxes between a river and an aquifer. In this study, the role of heterogeneity patterns was explored using the fully integrated hydrological model HydroGeoSphere simulating complex, variably saturated subsurface flow. A synthetic 3-D river-aquifer reference model was constructed with a heterogeneous riverbed using non-multi-Gaussian patterns in the form of meandering channels. Data assimilation was used to test the ability of different riverbed K patterns to reproduce hydraulic heads, riverbed K and river-aquifer exchange fluxes. Both fully saturated as well as variably saturated conditions underneath the riverbed were tested. The data assimilation experiments with the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) were carried out for four types of geostatistical models of riverbed K fields: (i) spatially homogeneous, (ii) heterogeneous with multi-Gaussian distribution, (iii) heterogeneous with non-multi-Gaussian distribution (channelized structures) and (iv) heterogeneous with non-multi-Gaussian distribution (elliptic structures). For all data assimilation experiments, state variables and riverbed K were updated by assimilating hydraulic heads. For saturated conditions, heterogeneous geostatistical models allowed a better characterization of net exchange fluxes than a homogeneous approximation. Among the three heterogeneous models, the performance of non-multi-Gaussian models was superior to the performance of the multi-Gaussian model, but the two tested non-multi-Gaussian models showed only small differences in performance from one another. For the variably saturated conditions both the multi-Gaussian model and the homogeneous model performed clearly worse than the two non-multi-Gaussian models. The two non-multi-Gaussian models did not show much difference in performance. This clearly shows that characterizing heterogeneity of riverbed K is important. Moreover, particularly under variably saturated flow conditions the mean and the variance of riverbed K do not provide enough information for exchange flux characterization and additional histogram information of riverbed K provides crucial information for the reproduction of exchange fluxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the roles of cyclooxygenases (COX) and their metabolites in C57/BL6 mice with 5/6 nephrectomy, an animal model of chronic renal failure. Main methods C57/BL6 mice were grouped into sham-operated (2K), one kidney removal (1K) and 5/6 nephrectomy groups (5/6Nx). Renal resistive index was measured by ultrasonography. Blood, aortae, renal arteries and renal cortex were collected for measurement of kidney function, assessment of vascular responsiveness, Western blotting, immuohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Key findings After four weeks, acetylcholine-induced relaxations were blunted in renal arteries of 1K and 5/6Nx mice; indomethacin, a non-selective COX inhibitor, improved the response in 5/6Nx, but not in 1K renal arteries. In 5/6Nx renal arteries, but not in 1K preparations, the protein presence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) was decreased, while that of COX-2 and its products [prostacyclin and thromboxane A 2 ] were increased. The renal resistive index was lower in 5/6Nx mice, suggesting a lower resistance in the renal microvasculature. In the renal cortex of 5/6Nx mice, eNOS protein presence was increased; while the presence of COX-2 was not detectable. The prostaglandin E 2 level was lower in the 5/6Nx cortex than in the other two groups. Significance The early stage of renal mass removal is associated with increased renal arterial constriction and reduced microvascular resistance. The former is due to downregulation of eNOS and upregulation of COX-2, leading to an increased production of prostacyclin and thromboxane A 2 . A reduced production of PGE 2 in the renal cortex is important for maintaining normal renal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using computer simulation of a soft, coarse-grained model and self-consistent field theory we investigate how collapsed, globular chain conformations in the initial stages of structure formation, which are produced by spray-coating, affect the single-chain structure and morphology of microphase-separated multiblock copolymers. Comparing spray-coated films with films that start from a disordered state of Gaussian chains, we observe that the collapsed molecular conformations in the initial stage give rise to (1) a smaller fraction of blocks that straddle domains (bridges), (2) a significant reduction of the molecular extension normal to the internal interfaces, and (3) a slightly larger lamellar domain spacing in the final morphology. The relaxation of molecular conformations towards equilibrium is very protracted for both processes - solvent casting and spray coating. These findings illustrate that the process conditions of the copolymer materials may significantly affect materials properties (such as mechanical properties) because the system does not reach thermal equilibrium on the relevant time scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote the in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in electro-Fenton system, a new air diffusion electrode (ADE) was put forward in the present work using N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NCNT) as the catalyst layer, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the diffusion layer, and nickel foam (NF) as the supporting material, respectively. The catalyst layer in ADE was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Then the performances of H2O2 accumulation and p-nitrophenol (p-NP) degradation with the electrode (NCNT/ NF/CNT ADE) were investigated. The experimental results showed that H2O2 accumulation on the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE was greatly improved by the presence of N doping, and H2O2 accumulation concentration could reach 307 mg L-1 after 120 min at the current intensity of 100 mA. Moreover, the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE presented more effective performance on p-NP degradation than the CNT/NF/CNT ADE or the NF ADE. p-NP of initial 50 mg L-1 could be almost completely removed after 30 min, and the total organic carbon removal efficiency reached 62.61% after 120 min when 0.4 mM Fe2+ was added into the system. The repeatability test suggested that the stability of the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE was very good. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of oxide particle refinement in a Ni-based ODS alloy is discussed from the point of view of orientation relationship between the oxide particles/Ni matrix. The coherency in Ni-based ODS alloys are confirmed to be size-dependent. Misfit parameter is calculated from the HRTEM analysis. FCC Y2Hf2O7 has better coherency to the FCC Ni matrix than those of YAH and YAG. The mechanism of particle growth is regulated by Ostwald ripening. Both solubility and interfacial energy are important for the particle refinement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Interactions between surface water and groundwater play an essential role in hydrology, hydrogeology, ecology, and water resources management. A proper characterisation of riverbed structures might be important for estimating river–aquifer exchange fluxes. The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) is commonly used in subsurface flow and transport modelling for estimating states and parameters. However, EnKF only performs optimally for MultiGaussian distributed parameter fields, but the spatial distribution of streambed hydraulic conductivities often shows non-MultiGaussian patterns, which are related to flow velocity dependent sedimentation and erosion processes. In this synthetic study, we assumed a riverbed with non-MultiGaussian channel-distributed hydraulic parameters as a virtual reference. The synthetic study was carried out for a 3-D river–aquifer model with a river in hydraulic connection to a homogeneous aquifer. Next, in a series of data assimilation experiments three different groups of scenarios were studied. In the first and second group of scenarios, stochastic realisations of non-MultiGaussian distributed riverbeds were inversely conditioned to state information, using EnKF and the normal score ensemble Kalman filter (NS-EnKF). The riverbed hydraulic conductivity was oriented in the form of channels (first group of scenarios) or, with the same bimodal histogram, without channelling (second group of scenarios). In the third group of scenarios, the stochastic realisations of riverbeds have MultiGaussian distributed hydraulic parameters and are conditioned to state information with EnKF. It was found that the best results were achieved for channel-distributed non-MultiGaussian stochastic realisations and with parameter updating. However, differences between the simulations were small and non-MultiGaussian riverbed properties seem to be of less importance for subsurface flow than non-MultiGaussian aquifer properties. In addition, it was concluded that both EnKF and NS-EnKF improve the characterisation of non-MultiGaussian riverbed properties, hydraulic heads and exchange fluxes by piezometric head assimilation, and only NS-EnKF could preserve the initial distribution of riverbed hydraulic conductivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), is a noncompetitive inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, and is now widely used for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Dysregulated expression of microRNA has been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of SLE. However, it is unexplored whether altering microRNA expression in SLE patients is one of the therapeutic effects of MPA. Objectives This study thus aims to investigate the effect of MPA on microRNAs expression in lupus CD4+T cells and its underlying mechanisms. Results According to our microarray data, 101 upregulated microRNAs and 77 downregulated microRNAs were identified in MPA-treated lupus CD4+T cells. Among these microRNAs, miR-142-3p/5p and miR-146a expression was found to be significantly increased in MPA-treated lupus CD4+T cells compared to untreated controls. Furthermore, we observed that MPA-treated CD4+T cells from patients with SLE showed enriched levels of H4 acetylation in the putative miRNA-142 regulatory region and enhanced levels of H3 acetylation in the putative miRNA-146a regulatory region compared to untreated cells. Conclusion Data from this study suggest that MPA activates miR-142 and miR-146a expression through histone modification at the promoter region, which may partially explain the pharmacological mechanisms of MPA for SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SiC thermal barrier coating thickness uniformity of a high-temperature alloy was investigated using a pulsed infrared thermographic image. A thermal quadrupole method is used to solve a one-dimensional thermal conduction model. The temperature of the high-temperature alloy with SiC coating is directly affected by the pulse intensity of optical excitation; furthermore, the relation between the SiC thermal barrier coating thickness and temperature difference is obtained. Pulsed phase thermography and principal component analysis are applied to extract the characteristic information from thermal image sequences, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the thermal wave signal is clearly improved. The thermal contrast of the SiC thermal barrier coating thickness is related to the optical pulse intensity and infrared camera frame rate. Furthermore, a relatively simple quantitative method is developed to estimate the SiC thermal barrier coating thickness uniformity of the high-temperature alloy, and the coating thickness measurement using pulsed thermographic imaging is in very good agreement with the actual coating thickness value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change may affect crop growth and yield, which consequently casts a shadow of doubt over China's food self-sufficiency efforts. In this study, we used the projections derived from four global gridded crop models (GGCropMs) to assess the effects of future climate change on the yields of the major crops (i.e., maize, rice, soybean and wheat) in China. The GGCropMs were forced with the bias-corrected climate data from five global climate models (GCMs) under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5, which were made available through the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP). The results show that the potential yields of the crops would decrease in the 21st century without carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization effect. With the CO2 effect, the potential yields of rice and soybean would increase, while the potential yields of maize and wheat would decrease. The uncertainty in yields resulting from the GGCropMs is larger than the uncertainty derived from GCMs in the greater part of China. Climate change may benefit rice and soybean yields in highaltitude and cold regions which are not in the current main agricultural area. However, the potential yields of maize, soybean and wheat may decrease in the major food production area. Development of new agronomic management strategies may be useful for coping with climate change in the areas with a high risk of yield reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and myostatin (MSTN) mRNA in breast and leg muscle was quantified in 70-d-old Taihu and Wanxi geese by using a Multiplex Competitive Fluorescent–PCR method and the correlations between mRNA levels and carcass traits were analysed. 2.IGF1mRNA expression in breast muscle in Taihu geese was significantly higher than that in Wanxi geese and theMSTNmRNA level in leg muscle in Taihu geese was significantly higher than that in Wanxi geese. 3. There was no significant difference in breast muscleMSTNor leg muscleIGF1mRNA expression between the two breeds. 4. Within the same breed, theIGF1mRNA expression in leg muscle of male geese was significantly higher than that in female geese, andMSTNmRNA expression in leg muscle was significantly higher than that in breast muscle. 5. There was no difference in theIGF1mRNA expression between tissues. 6. There was a positive correlation betweenIGF1mRNA andMSTNmRNA and a negative correlation betweenIGF1mRNA expression of breast muscle and leg muscle ratio. 7. In Wanxi geese,MSTNmRNA expression in leg muscle was negatively associated with body weight and leg muscle weight. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The synthesis of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers (PODEn), being green diesel fuel additives, from dimethoxymethane (DMM) and paraformaldehyde over three different cation resins, namely NKC-9, D001-CC, and D72, in a stirred-autoclave reactor was investigated. The pore size distribution and surface area were measured with nitrogen adsorption-desorption. NKC-9 had a larger exchange capacity, better developed porosity structure, and higher reaction activity than D001-CC and D72. The effects of reaction temperature, DMM/CH2O molar ratio, reaction time, and catalyst loading were studied with NKC-9. A possible mechanism was explored to describe the bond reorganizations during the reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The well-known debate on the nature and origin of intracellular inclusions ( ICIs) in silicified microfossils from the early Neoproterozoic Bitter Springs Formation has recently been revived by reports of possible fossilized nuclei in phosphatized animal embryo-like fossils from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation of South China. The revisitation of this discussion prompted a critical and comprehensive investigation of ICIs in some of the oldest indisputable eukaryote microfossils-the ornamented acritarchs Dictyosphaera delicata and Shuiyousphaeridium macroreticulatum from the Paleoproterozoic Ruyang Group of North China-using a suite of characterization approaches: scanning electron microscopy ( SEM), transmission electron microscopy ( TEM), and focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy ( FIB- SEM). Although the Ruyang acritarchs must have had nuclei when alive, our data suggest that their ICIs represent neither fossilized nuclei nor taphonomically condensed cytoplasm. We instead propose that these ICIs likely represent biologically contracted and consolidated eukaryotic protoplasts (the combination of the nucleus, surrounding cytoplasm, and plasma membrane). As opposed to degradational contraction of prokaryotic cells within a mucoidal sheath-a model proposed to explain the Bitter Springs ICIs-our model implies that protoplast condensation in the Ruyang acritarchs was an in vivo biologically programmed response to adverse conditions in preparation for encystment. While the discovery of bona fide nuclei in Paleoproterozoic acritarchs would be a substantial landmark in our understanding of eukaryote evolution, the various processes (such as degradational and biological condensation of protoplasts) capable of producing nuclei-mimicking structures require that interpretation of ICIs as fossilized nuclei be based on comprehensive investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS2 nanosheets with controllable morphologies were successfully synthesized via a novel mixed-solvothermal approach based on interfusing organic solvent in the solution. The morphology of the MoS2 nanosheets was lamellar-like using the mixed water/ethanol/N-Methyl pyrrolidone solvents, whereas that prepared with the mixed water/ethano/ethylene glycol solvents changes to fullerene-like. Because of the structure-directing ability of organic molecules, the mixed solvents were proposed to be responsible for the formation of such different morphologies. The average size of MoS2 nanosheets was approximately 90 nm, and the thickness was about 10-20 nm. The results indicated that the crystalline phase and morphology were largely influenced by calcination and reaction system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mite Psoroptes cuniculi is globally widespread and has a serious impact on commercial rabbit breeding. Current treatment methods are based on chemotherapy. Because of the disadvantages of these methods, alternative measures are required, and vaccination is one of the most promising strategies. Here, we cloned and expressed the recombinant P. cuniculi actin gene ( rPc-act). Antiserum levels against rPc-act in rabbits were used to locate actin distribution in mite sections. Challenge trials were carried out to evaluate the immunity protection of rPc-act in rabbits, with antibody levels determined by ELISA. Sequence analysis of this gene fragment showed 89·26% and 84·91% identity to Sarcoptes scabiei and Mayetiola destructor sequences, respectively. Immunohistochemistry showed rPc-act to locate widely throughout the mites, especially in feet and muscle tissues. Recombinant P. cuniculi actin with QuliA adjuvant was used to immunize six rabbits. Each animal was challenge-infested with 25-50 adult mites. Although IgE levels showed no significant difference to controls, IgG levels were significantly higher, and clinical development showed no significantly different severity of lesions in vaccinated rabbits than in the controls. This study showed that rPc-act is a muscular isotype actin and has no clinical protective efficacy against P. cuniculi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using a floating zone technique and a passive afterheater, crack-free single crystals of manganese orthosilicate, Mn2SiO4, were grown along the three principle orientations in a reducing gas atmosphere at atmospheric pressure. The grown crystals were typically 5–7mm in diameter and 20–40mm in length. Well-developed facets were found on the periphery of some of the crystals grown along the [100] orientation (space group: Pbnm). Laue back reflection was used to determine orientations of grown crystals and of facets formed at outer surfaces. Dislocation densities ranging between 105 and 106 cm−2 were determined by optical microscopy after polishing and chemical etching. By using X-ray powder diffraction it was determined that a thermodynamically favored decomposition of grown single crystals of manganese silicate during cooling after crystal growth did not occur. Concentrations of impurities and the degree of a desired silica excess present in the grown crystals were determined by using the ICP-AES technique. The presence of intended silica-rich precipitates was confirmed by electron microprobe analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The diffusion of manganese in manganese silicate, Mn2SiO4, in equilibrium with MnSiO3 was experimentally studied as a function of crystallographic orientation, oxygen activity and temperature using high purity synthetic single crystals of manganese silicate. The oxygen activity dependence of the manganese cation diffusion in Mn2SiO4 along the three principle orientations at 1200°C suggests that, at high oxygen activities, manganese cations move via different types of vacancies, most likely isolated manganese vacancies, ()″, and possibly neutral associates, {2(MnMn2+ 3+) ⋅()″}×, the latter being minority defects. At lower oxygen activities, the oxygen activity dependence of the manganese tracer diffusion becomes smaller than that at higher oxygen activities and eventually becomes negative at very low oxygen activities. The latter is attributed to an increased concentration of manganese interstitials at lower oxygen activities. The temperature dependence of the manganese tracer diffusion along the three principle orientations was experimentally investigated between 1150 and 1250°C at log =−2.7 ( = with P O 2 o =1atm) and between 1150 and 1300°C at log =−9.8. The results obtained suggest that the orientation dependence of the diffusion of manganese in Mn2SiO4 does not vary very significantly with temperature. When using the space group Pbnm to describe crystal orientations, the ratio found for the manganese tracer diffusion coefficients at log =−2.7 is approximately DMn[001] ∗:DMn[010] ∗:DMn[100] ∗ =5.3:2.2:1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To contribute to a better understanding of point defects and defect-related transport properties in cobalt orthosilicate, Co2SiO4, the orientation-dependent diffusion of cobalt in high purity, synthetic single crystals of Co2SiO4 being in thermodynamic equilibrium with silica was experimentally studied as a function of crystallographic orientation, oxygen activity and temperature. The oxygen activity dependence of the diffusion of cobalt in Co2SiO4 along the three principle orientations at 1300°C is at high oxygen activities compatible with cobalt vacancies and holes as majority defects. At lower oxygen activities the oxygen activity dependence of the cobalt tracer diffusion coefficients becomes smaller than at high oxygen activities. This is most likely related to an increase of the concentrations of cobalt interstitials at lower oxygen activities and at such oxygen activities also to an increased influence of the impurity ions being present in the samples used. The latter is due to smaller overall point defect concentrations at lower oxygen activities compared to those found at higher oxygen activities. The temperature dependence of the cobalt tracer diffusion along the orientations denoted above was investigated in the range between 1200 and 1300°C at aO2 =1 (aO2 =PO2 /P°O2 and P°O2 =1atm). The results obtained suggest that the anisotropy of the diffusion of Co in Co2SiO4 does not very significantly vary with the temperature. When using the space group Pbnm when assigning crystal orientations the ratio found for the cobalt tracer diffusion coefficients at aO2 =1 is approximately D⁎ Co[001]:D⁎ Co[010]:D⁎ Co[100] =30:3:1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper addresses the problem of cooperative motion of a swarm mobile robotic system with the purpose of searching a target in a complicated environment. The solution is inspired from Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and combined with multibody system dynamics which also includes the consideration of robots' physical properties like mass, inertia, force, acceleration, etc. The entire robot swarm is mainly guided by this physical PSO and an independent obstacle avoidance module is active when robots encounter any conflicts during missions. This paper considers an artificial swarm mobile robot system to perform searching tasks and each member of the system may interact with its neighbors or the environment by limited local communication ability. Several groups of simulations are set up for the verification of the strategy and the results show that this method creates the desired behavior well. The simulation experiments also investigate the feature of fault tolerance of this strategy. Finally, a framework for the future application on real robots is briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Good quality single crystals of high purity cobalt silicate, Co2SiO4, were successfully grown by the floating-zone method in air at atmospheric pressure along the three principle orientations. The grown crystals were 30–60mm in length and 6–10mm in diameter. Well developed facets were found on all crystals grown. Impurity levels and the degree of a desired excess of silicon in grown crystals were determined by using the ICP-AES technique. In addition, the presence of a small amount of inclusions in the matrix of grown crystals due to a small excess of silica was confirmed by TEM. Dislocation densities were determined upon etching; the observed densities were on the order of 105–106 cm−2. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]