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In this paper, the H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ optimal output tracking control problem for Markov jump systems is investigated, where the two cases with known or completely unknown transition probabilities are both considered. Based on game theory and H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ performance, quadratic cost is considered, where a discount parameter is introduced into the quadratic cost in order to track unstable systems and eliminate the assumption that the noise energy is bounded. The game coupled algebraic Riccati equation and the corresponding controller are presented by dynamic programming. The stochastic stability of the tracking error system is further investigated. Moreover, iterative and reinforcement learning‐based algorithms are proposed for solving the H∞$$ {H}_{\infty } $$ optimal tracking controller with known or completely unknown transition probabilities, respectively. Finally, some numerical simulations on a DC motor are performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of landfalling severe typhoons (LSTYs)—i.e., typhoons with landfall intensities of 2 min with a mean maximum sustained wind ≥41.5 m s−1—in South China (SC) were here examined. Thirteen LSTYs have been recorded in SC since 1949, and most of them underwent a rapid intensification before landfall. The LSTYs were classified into three categories based on the intensity of the western North Pacific summer monsoon, i.e., as weak, moderate, and strong monsoons. The characteristics of the three types of LSTYs are markedly different. Two LSTYs (7317 and 1523) were developed against a weak monsoon (WM) background and did not have abundant monsoon water vapor drawn into the typhoon cores. Therefore, these two LSTYs exhibited smaller horizontal outer sizes and weaker "warm–wet" cores than those in moderate and strong monsoons. However, a warm offshore ocean supplied a sufficient amount of energy, favoring these two LSTYs' rapid intensification before landfall. There have been five LSTYs (9113, 0518, 0816, 1320, and 1826) that formed under strong monsoon (SM) conditions but obtained a poor energy supply from the coastal ocean. Embedded in the SM, the vigorous warm–wet monsoon flow was drawn into the typhoons and persisted for several days until landfall. Then, the five LSTYs developed strongly at the greatest horizontal scale and were maintained as severe typhoons for almost 48 h before landfall. The beneficial warm–wet atmospheric circulation stimulated the strongest warm (wet) core at the upper (lower) level of the LSTYs, and a secondary, low-level warm core occurred as well. In moderate monsoon (MM) cases (8106, 9617, 1311, 1410, 1418, and 1714), the strength of the monsoon flow, the "warm–wet" core of the typhoon, and the ocean energy supply were ranked just between those of the LSTYs in WMs and SMs. The development of the LSTYs in the MM cases resulted from a combination of the effects of monsoon and ocean energy supply. In addition, the powerful upper-level divergence ascribed to the strong South Asia High may have played an auxiliary role in MM cases. From the perspective of the sea surface temperature (SST) response to the LSTYs, because of a relatively fast translation speed and the warmer subsurface ocean, the SST cooling was weakest for WM cases. However, the strongest SST cooling was found in SM cases and it was partially due to their slowest translation speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a severe central nervous system infection. In patients with HIV infections and coexisting CM, elevated baseline cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate levels can predict increased mortality. However, the CSF lactate level's significance in patients with CM who are HIV negative remains unclear, necessitating further investigation to elucidate the potential distinctions and enhance patient management. This study investigated the significance of CSF lactate levels in patients with CM who were HIV negative. Methods This retrospective study utilized data from the clinical databases of patients who underwent lumbar punctures at a medical center in Kaohsiung City, southern Taiwan. Demographic data, CSF lactate levels, routine CSF analyses, and hematologic and neurologic findings were evaluated. The optimal CSF lactate threshold value was determined by the Youden index. Results This retrospective study included 70 patients with CM, among whom 44 (63%) and 26 (37%) tested negative and positive for HIV, respectively. The group without HIV exhibited higher CSF lactate levels, with an optimal CSF lactate cutoff point of 7.935 mmol/L for predicting 90-day mortality, resulting in significant predictive accuracies (area under the curve, 0.755; sensitivity, 57.1%; specificity, 100%); this value was an independent mortality predictor in patients who were HIV negative. In patients with CM who were HIV negative, CSF lactate levels ≥7.935 mmol/L correlated with higher mortality rates but without statistical significance. All patients with CM who were HIV negative and had CSF lactate levels ≥7.935 mmol/L died within 3 months of admission. Conclusions Patients with CM who were HIV negative had elevated CSF lactate levels that correlated with adverse outcomes, enabling early identification of high-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective laser melting (SLM) has been applied to manufacture various alloy components with excellent properties, but its further application is restricted by the intrinsic defects. In this work, the internal defect distributions in samples of three alloys (316L stainless steel, AlSi10Mg and Inconel 718) were investigated respectively, considering the effects of geometrical characteristics of the samples. The defects in the 316L stainless steel sample tend to be formed densely in the central part with large wall thickness, indicating a strong sensitivity to heat accumulation. Contrarily, the Inconel 718 sample shows a higher relative density with homogeneous defect distribution, indicating better formability for the SLM process. For the AlSi10Mg sample, the defect density keeps increasing as the deposition goes on. Typically, the defect density located at sample edges shows an abnormally high level comparing with the inner part, especially in the top sections of AlSi10Mg and Inconel 718 samples. The results are helpful for the geometrical design, the adjustment of building orientation and the further optimization of process parameters in the SLM process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe landfall typhoons (SLTYs), defined as those with maximum sustained wind speed ≥41.5 m s−1 at landfalls, strongly affect the coastal regions of China and cause grave losses of life and property. In this study, we analyse the SLTYs in China in peak summer (July–September) for the period of 1973–2017, during which typhoon landfall intensity (LFI) experienced significantly abrupt strengthening in 1987 and 2003. The period is divided into three sub‐periods: period‐I (1973–1987), period‐II (1988–2003), and period‐III (2004–2017). It is found that the increase in LFI is dominated by the enhancement of intensification rate but not intensification duration. Meanwhile, the SLTYs in China have also abruptly increased since 2004, characterized by the count of about 65.9% (72.7%) of SLTYs in China (South China) in period‐III. Further analysis shows that the warming subsurface ocean heat content (OHC) over the northern South China Sea (SCS) plays a key role in modulating typhoon's intensification, which subsequently enhances the easterly steering flow leading typhoons to move westward. Low‐level water vapour convergence and vorticity are enhanced accompanied by warming northern SCS along the coastal region of southeastern China, resulting rapid typhoon intensification before landfall. About 9.7% of typhoons with landfall in South China experienced a rapid intensification process in 24 hr before landfalls in period‐III. However, the percentage is only 1.6 and 3.1% for period‐I and period‐II, respectively. The warming land surface over South China plays a minor role in attracting typhoons to landfall in South China, which named as "warmward landfall". Overall, the abrupt enhancement of LFI and more SLTYs in China since 2004 are governed by the warming ocean, while the abnormal easterly steering flow and warming land surface over South China leading typhoons to move westward play a secondary role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two types of NPs, i.e., mild-toxicity CuInS 2 and high-toxicity CdTe NPs ,were used to evaluate the effects of NP exposure for macrophages. • CuInS 2 or CdTe nanoparticles can impair phagocytic activities of THP-1 toward Staphylococcus aureus in vitro. • CuInS 2 or CdTe depressed the transcription of pro-inflammatory factor and up-regulated anti-inflammatory factor in macrophages. Macrophages eliminate and destroy invading bacteria and contaminants by engulfing them or secreting cytokines that trigger downstream immune responses. Consequently, impairment of the phagocytic functions of macrophages and/or suppressing their cytokine secretion are dangerous to organisms that rely on immune protection. Accordingly, exposure to environmental nanoparticles (NPs) that display immunomodulatory properties are serious. In this work, two types of NPs, i.e., mild-toxicity CuInS 2 NPs and high-toxicity CdTe NPs, were used to evaluate the effects of NP exposure for macrophages. Following incubation for 24 h, THP-1-derived macrophage viability was assessed using an MTT method after exposing the THP-1 cells to different concentrations of CuInS 2 or CdTe NPs. Phagocytosis assays demonstrated that both CuInS 2 and CdTe NPs impair phagocytic activity toward Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). After pretreatment with CuInS 2 and CdTe NPs at 4 μmol/L, THP-1 macrophages exhibited decreases in phagocytic ratio from ca. 32.9% to ca. 18.5% and 18.7%, respectively. Since the zeta potentials of intact and weathered CuInS 2 NPs were distributed over a wide range from positive to negative, large quantities of intact and weathered CuInS 2 NPs bore sufficient positive charge on their surfaces to induce membrane depolarization, thus theoretically providing electrostatic forces between S. aureus and THP-1, which could induce downstream intracellular events that increase phagocytosis. However, real time polymerase chain reaction arrays revealed that transcription of the pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α decreased while that of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 increased after treatment with CuInS 2 NPs. Furthermore, transcription of TNF-α decreased while IL-10 increased after treatment with CdTe NPs. Thus, both kinds of NPs inhibited phagocytosis of S. aureus by THP-1 to some extent, confirming that immunosuppression can occur when macrophages are exposed to environmental NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing intense landfalling typhoons (LFTYs) are of great coastal threatens to southern China. However, changes in genesis location and landfalling frequency of western North Pacific (WNP) LFTY dedicated to southern China remain unclear. Here we identified such LFTYs during peak summer and found that most LFTYs formed south of 20°N and the LFTY genesis locations over southern WNP have also experienced a sharp interdecadal shift since 1998, which are mainly attributed to the large‐scale environment changes induced by the Mega‐La Niña‐like climate shift. However, LFTY frequency (= "landfalling frequency of southern China typhoon") shows a slight increasing trend but without significant interdecadal variation. Variations of LFTY frequency are mainly affected by the easterly steering flows near 20°N over the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, which are closely linked to the WNP subtropical high activity. Our results provide a new perspective on the LFTY activities dedicated to southern China. Plain Language Summary: We explore the changes in frequency and genesis location of landfalling typhoon (LFTY) dedicated to southern China during peak summer over 1979–2015, which is important for people's life and property from the coastal risk perspective. Results show that the LFTY genesis location is primarily modulated by the Pacific interdecadal variation via modifying the large‐scale atmospheric and oceanic responses over the western North Pacific. While the LFTY frequency (= "landfalling frequency of southern China typhoon") is significantly affected by the easterly steering flows near 20°N over the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, which are closely linked to the western North Pacific subtropical high activity. Key Points: Landfalling frequency and genesis location of southern China typhoon are affected by different mechanisms during peak summerInterdecadal changes in landfalling typhoon (LFTY) genesis location are primarily attributed to the late‐1990s Mega‐La Niña‐like regime shiftVariations of LFTY frequency are mainly driven by the easterly steering flows near 20°N associated with the western North Pacific subtropical high activity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Nanoparticle CdSe QDs were successfully biosynthesized in B. amyloliquefaciensand held inside the cells as a whole fluorescent bioprobe. The fluorescent B.amyloliquefaciens bioprobes were accordingly utilized to trace copper (II) inthree blood plasmas. • The bacterial membrane with highly selective permeability worked as an efficientsemipermeable filter to prevent external interferences for detection. Celloriginatedpeptides and proteins' wrapping outside the CdSe QDs further excluded certain other interferences from cytoplasm. • With the combination of these dual selective effects, the technique presented aselective, reliable and simple way of copper(II) determination in complex fluidmatrices. Abstract Bacillus amyloliquefaciens containing intracellularly biosynthesized cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) was used as a fluorescent bioprobe. Several parameters in the QD biosynthesis process were systematically optimized. The optimized protocol for producing high-quality CdSe QDs in B. amyloliquefaciens features mild synthetic conditions, good reproducibility, short reaction time and high yield. This process shows promise for the mass production of QDs by bacterial matrices. The resultant fluorescent B. amyloliquefaciens containing intracellular CdSe QDs was used as a bioprobe for the simple detection of copper (II) ions in blood plasma. The selective permeability of the bacterial cell membrane along with the protection provided by a protein envelope on the QD surface prevented interference by other components of blood plasma, resulting in the accurate determination of Cu2+. Using the copper addition method, the content of Cu2+ in human blood plasma samples was determined to be 15.6–18.5 μmol/L, consistent with atomic absorption spectroscopy results. The technique developed here shows potential for the simple determination of Cu2+ in plasma with excellent selectivity and good sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation rates of Al-Mg alloy were studied as a function of laser fluences in air and vacuum. The central wavelength was 800 nm and the pulse duration was 35 fs. Three distinct ablation regimes were identified from the ablation rate curves. Ablation thresholds of 0.16 J/cm 2 , and 0.73 J/cm 2 were obtained in the low and moderate laser fluence regimes, respectively. In the case of the third ablation regime, the ablation rate in vacuum is much higher than that in air, which may be due to the oxidation effects and strong defocusing effects associated with the non-equilibrium ionization of air. The damage threshold decreased with the increase of the pulse number, showing an accumulation effect. The fs laser ablated craters showed smooth edges, and laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were observed around craters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on multiple datasets, a comparative analysis has investigated the different rainfall distributions and the factors related to strong (weak) rainfall induced by landfalling strong typhoons moving northwest (SR-NWLFSTYs, WR-NWLFSTYs) which are defined from the tracks, the locations, and intensities of the rainfall center of LFSTYs based on a dynamic composite analysis method. The obviously stronger rainfall induced by SR-NWLFSTYs, with the intensive rainfall center presenting a cyclonic rotation in the lifecycle of typhoons, tends to be accompanied by the pronouncedly enhanced low-level jet and a warmer SST before and during landfall. Owing to the enhanced low-level jet, moisture convergence experiences an intensification, resulting in a warmer and more humid circulation. Sufficient water vapor and latent heat is favorable for the enhancement of the mid-troposphere warm core structure with longer maintenance which can prolong the impact period of typhoons, leading to continuous precipitation. Simultaneously, the coupling of low-level convergence and upper-level divergence provides favorable dynamic conditions, thus further promoting the upward transportation of moisture through Ekman pumping, which tends to increase the mid-troposphere moisture through moisture advection. The changes in the mid-troposphere moisture coincide well with the evolution of rainfall over the same region during the lifecycle of typhoons. Comparatively, the asymmetric rainfall features of WR-NWLFSTYs with intense rainfall center mainly placed in the northeast quarter of the TC center during the lifecycle of TCs is likely related to the relatively weaker low-level jet which remains almost constant during and after landfall. The weaker low-level flow transports less moisture into the cyclone, and prohibits the weakening of vertical wind shear after landfall, leading to reduced precipitation with an obvious asymmetric distribution. Concurrently, the configuration of the weakening upper-level divergence and low-level convergence after landfall has been unable to maintain the upward motion for precipitation, resulting in relatively weaker rainfall for WR-NWLFSTYs. • The evolution and primary possible mechanisms of the different precipitation distributions before, during, and after landfall of three types of landfalling strong typhoons (LFSTYs) over South China were investigated. • The different intensities of low-level jets corresponded to different possible dynamic mechanisms of precipitation evolutions for two main types of LFSTYs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and energetic stability of A2BX6 halide compounds with the cubic and tetragonal variants of the perovskite-derived K2PtCl6 prototype structure are investigated computationally within the frameworks of density-functional-theory (DFT) and hybrid (HSE06) functionals. The HSE06 calculations are undertaken for seven known A2BX6 compounds with A = K, Rb, and Cs; and B = Sn, Pd, Pt, Te, and X = I. Trends in band gaps and energetic stability are identified, which are explored further employing DFT calculations over a larger range of chemistries, characterized by A = K, Rb, Cs, B = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Ni, Pd, Pt, Se, and Te; and X = Cl, Br, I. For the systems investigated in this work, the band gap increases from iodide to bromide to chloride. Further, variations in the A site cation influences the band gap as well as the preferred degree of tetragonal distortion. Smaller A site cations such as K and Rb favor tetragonal structural distortions, resulting in a slightly larger band gap. For variations in the B site in the (Ni, Pd, Pt) group and the (Se, Te) group, the band gap increases with increasing cation size. However, no observed chemical trend with respect to cation size for band gap was found for the (Si, Sn, Ge, Pb) group. The findings in this work provide guidelines for the design of halide A2BX6 compounds for potential photovoltaic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation rates of K9 glass were studied as a function of femtosecond laser fluences. The central wavelength was 800 nm, and pulse durations of 35 fs and 500 fs in air and vacuum were employed. Ablation thresholds of 0.42 J/cm 2 and 2.1 J/cm 2 were obtained at 35 fs and 500 fs, respectively, which were independent with the ambient conditions and depend on the incident pulse numbers due to incubation effects. The ablation rate of 35 fs pulse laser increased with the increasing of laser fluence in vacuum, while in air condition, it slowly increased to a plateau at high fluence. The ablation rate of 500 fs pulse laser showed an increase at low fluence and a slow drop of ablation rate was observed at high fluence in air and vacuum, which may due to the strong defocusing effects associated with the non-equilibrium ionization of air, and/or the shielding effects of conduction band electrons (CBEs) produced by multi-photon ionization and impact ionization in K9 glass surface. The typical ablation morphologies, e.g. smooth zone and laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were also presented and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ablation rates of fused silica were studied as a function of femtosecond laser pulse fluences (0.7–41 J/cm 2 ) in air and vacuum. The experiment was conducted by using a Ti:sapphire laser that emits radiation at 800 nm with a pulse width of 35 fs and a repetition rate of 10 Hz. The morphology and ablation depth of laser-induced damage crater were evaluated by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ablation rates were calculated from the depth of craters induced by multiple laser pulses. Results showed that two ablation regimes, i.e. non-thermal and thermal ablation co-existed in air and vacuum at low and moderate fluences. A drop of ablation rate was observed at high fluence (higher than 9.5 J/cm 2 ) in air. While in vacuum, the ablation rate increased continuously with the increasing of laser fluence and much higher than that in air. The drop of ablation rate observed at high fluence in air was due to the strong defocusing effects associated with the non-equilibrium ionization of air. Furthermore, the laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT), which was determined from the relationship between crater area and the logarithm of laser energy, was found to depend on the number of incident pulses on the same spot, and similar phenomenon was observed in air and vacuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the main climatological features of extreme precipitation (TCER) induced by tropical cyclones (TCs) affecting Guangxi (GX), South China using multiple datasets and a 99th percentile threshold during 1981–2020, with an emphasis on the rainfall diversities of different high-impact TC groups and their associated mechanisms. Results show that there are large regional differences and a seasonal imbalance in the climatological features of TCER in GX. In summer (fall), TCs with TCER events primarily move northward or eastward (northwestward or westward), namely, S-NWTCs and S-ETCs (F-WTCs and F-NWTCs). The rainfall centers exhibit asymmetrical features with S-NWTCs and F-NWTCs located in the northeast quadrant, but S-ETCs and F-WTCs in the southwest and northeast quadrants, respectively. Comparisons of atmospheric circulations and environmental factors indicate that the intense rainfall of F-WTCs is mainly attributed to the trough–TC interaction, which is accompanied by stronger upper-level westerly jet and cold air intrusion, thus increasing baroclinic energy and uplifting for the strongest rainfall among these four groups. This interaction is absent for other groups due to a greater South Asian high and western North Pacific subtropical high. Instead, the increased rainfall in S-NWTCs and F-NWTCs can mainly be attributed to the stronger low-level southwesterly jet, which, in combination with low-level warm advection and convergence induced by land–sea friction, promotes the release of latent heat through moisture condensation. S-ETCs differ from S-NWTCs and F-NWTCs in that moisture convergence is weaker due to the much-weakened TC circulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crystal structures and microstructural features, such as structural phase transitions, defect structures, and chemical and structural inhomogeneities, are known to have profound effects on the physical properties of superconducting materials. Recently, many studies on the structural properties of Fe-based high-Tc superconductors have been published. This review article will mainly focus on the typical microstructural features in samples that have been well characterized by physical measurements. (i) Certain common structural features are discussed, in particular, the crystal structural features for different superconducting families, the local structural distortions in the Fe2Pn2 (Pn = P As, Sb) or Fe2Ch2 (Ch = S, Se, Te) blocks, and the structural transformations in the 122 system. (ii) In FeTe(Se) (11 family), the superconductivity, chemical and structural inhomogeneities are investigated and discussed in correlation with superconductivity. (iii) In the K0.8Fe1.6+xSe2 system, we focus on the typical compounds with emphasis on the Fe-vacancy order and phase separations. The microstructural features in other superconducting materials are also briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of high-resolution precipitation data for 1978-2006 indicates that the precipitation over southern China in June experienced a low-value period in 1980-1989 and a high-value period in 1992-2001. It also reveals that exceptional heavy (light) precipitation occurred in June 2005 (2004) since 1951. For these variations on both interdecadal and interannual timescales, fairly uniform anomalies of precipitation appeared over Vietnam, southern China, and southeastern China. Corresponding to positive (negative) precipitation anomalies, anomalous southeasterly (northwesterly) flow at 850 hPa reached Vietnam and anomalous southwesterly (northeasterly) flow expanded to the coastal regions of southern and southeastern China. Precedent to the positive (negative) precipitation anomalies during 1992-2001 (1980-1989), positive (negative) anomalies of sea surface temperature appeared over the extratropical northwestern Pacific in the winter and spring seasons, associated with a strong (weak) extension of the warm Kuroshio Current that affects the coastal region of eastern China. The above-normal precipitation in June 2005 was associated with the pseudo-ENSO event in the previous winter, and the below-normal precipitation in June 2004 was associated with negative anomalies of sea surface temperature over the equatorial central Pacific and positive anomalies over the equatorial western and eastern Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The bilinear form of a coupled modified KdV equations with non-uniformity terms is given and a few soliton solutions are obtained. Furthermore, the multisoliton of the coupled system is expressed by Pfaffian. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The tropical cyclone (TC) Rammasun (1409) successively caused three extreme rainstorms centered in Hepu, Fangcheng, and Lingshan in Guangxi. In this study, a set of datasets, including the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) TC best-track data, rain gauge stations, radar products, and the latest ERA5 reanalysis, were used to investigate the spatial–temporal characteristics and causes of the three rainstorms. Overall, there are apparent discrepancies among them regarding the triggering and maintenance mechanisms. Prior to its landfall in Guangxi, the rainstorm surge (hourly precipitation 136.9 mm) around Hepu was triggered by the approaching low-level jet and northward intrusion of convective instability in the context of abundant vapor supply and vigorous convection. At the weakening stage, Rammasun gradually crossed over the Shiwan Mountains, with a strong convection zone in the western eyewall moving to Fangcheng, which enhanced the precipitation there under the help of topographic uplift. The friction effect slowed down the TC, and contributed to accumulation of the precipitation, which, however, was somewhat suppressed (hourly precipitation less than 50 mm) by the low-level stratification. In the decaying stage, the Lingshan rainstorm was triggered under the combined efforts of the high-level divergence due to the expansion of the South Asian high and the surface convergence between the southeasterly and southerly winds, accompanied by the westward expansion of the high-energy zone. Finally, the corresponding conceptual models for the three rainstorms are summarized and should provide important implications to both research and forecasting for TC-related heavy precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of the stems and leaves of Lonicera hypoglauca Miq. led to the isolation of one novel methoxylated flavone, acunminatin (7,2′,4′-trihydroxyl-5,5′- methoxyflavone) (1), and fourteen known compounds (2 – 15), including six flavonoids (mearnsetin 2 , kaempferol 3 , acacetin 4 , 5,7,3′,4′-tetramethoxyflavone 5 , tricin 6 , and 5,7,3′,4′,5′-pentamethoxyflavone 7), two coumarins (umbelliferone 8 and scopoletin 9), two phenylpropanoids (trans-ferulic acid 10 and chlorogenic acid 11), two iridoid glycosides (loganin 12 and sweroside 13), and two triterpenoids (uvaol 14 and ursolic acid 15). The structures of the compounds were identified by spectroscopic analysis and by comparing their spectral data with those reported in the literature. Five of these compounds (1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , and 7) were isolated from the L. genus for the first time, and compounds 6 – 8 and 14 – 15 were isolated for the first time from L. hypoglauca. The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds in the L. genus and the Caprifoliaceae family are discussed herein. [Display omitted] • One new methoxylated flavone named as acunminatin (1) and fourteen known compounds were obtained from Lonicera hypoglauca. • Nine compounds (1 - 2 , 4 - 8 , and 14 - 15) were isolated from the species for the first time. • Five compounds (1 - 2 , 4 - 5 , and 7) were firstly isolated from the genus Lonicera. • Three compounds (1 , 2 and 5) were first time reported from family Caprifoliaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven undescribed C 27 steroidal glycosides, Seladelicatulasine A–G, including six cholestanol glycosides and one spirostanol glycoside, were isolated from Selaginella delicatula. Their structures were elucidated by 1D/2D NMR spectra and HRESIMS analyses. The absolute configurations of the sugars were determined by enzymatic hydrolysis and GC/MS analyses. These cholestanol glycosides were isolated from the family Selaginellaceae for the first time. Seladelicatulasine F is characterized as a rare B-5,6-secosteroid. In addition, all the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against cholinesterase (AChE/BChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO-A/MAO-B). These steroidal glycosides displayed selective inhibition activities on cholinesterase. Seladelicatulasine A, B and E inhibited the AChE activity with IC 50 values of 0.31, 0.09, and 0.04 μ M, respectively. Seladelicatulasine A and F showed the strongest inhibition activity on BChE with IC 50 values of 0.37 and 0.65 μ M, respectively. Image 1 • Seven undescribed C 27 steroidal glycosides were isolated from S. delicatula. • The absolute configurations of the sugars were determined by enzymatic hydrolysis and GC/MS analyses. • Compounds 1, 2 and 5 inhibited the AchE activity with IC 50 values of 0.31, 0.09, and 0.04 μ M, respectively. • Compounds 1 and 6 showed the strongest inhibition activity on BchE with IC 50 values of 0.37 and 0.65 μ M, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analytical solution for a lined circular tunnel at shallow depths is presented. • The interaction between surrounding rock and lining is considered. • A new approach is proposed based on complex variable method. • The mechanical contribution of lining is analyzed quantitatively. In this study, a new approach is presented to determine the stress and displacement field of a shallow buried circular tunnel subject to gravity and arbitrary lateral stress based on the complex variable method. The soil mass and lining are conformally mapped onto two ring regions. A more effective method than the power series method is used to solve the undetermined coefficients of complex potential functions. The interaction mechanism between the lining and the soil mass is fully considered. The boundary conditions along the inner boundary of the lining and the ground surface and the stress and displacement continuity conditions along the excavation line are used in the analytical derivation. In the verification, the stress and displacement distributions obtained in the semi-analytical solution agree with the numerical results and satisfy the boundary and continuity conditions. Using examples, the stress distributions along the inner boundary of the lining and interface are presented to examine the influence of key parameters including the Young's modulus and buried depth. The effect of the lining in reducing stress concentration and restricting tunnel convergence is quantitatively analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activatable cell-penetrating peptide (ACPP) would reduce the cytotoxicity of cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-based drug delivery system by shielding the negative charge and improve the targeting of CPP when hydrolyzed by characteristic proteases. However, it is still not well understood how ACPP could be specifically recognized and how the shielding effect is removed. In this work, molecular dynamic simulations are used to study the interaction mechanism of the interacting domain of ACPP (the linking peptide) and its characteristic protein matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9). Results indicate the residue located in P1 site of the linking peptide is the key residue for recognition. The peptide bond skeleton rather than the side chain of residue determines the adsorption of residue in P1 site, which is also confirmed by mutation. The release process after hydrolysis is also found to be an important step to remove the shielding effect of ACPP. After enzyme hydrolysis, the binding of C-product (Ace-Pro-Leu-Gly) to MMP-9 is much stronger than that of N-product (Leu-Ala-Gly-Nme). Depending on the research for the departure mechanism of the hydrolysates, the dissociation constant (Kd) of C-product is much lower than N-product. Therefore, N-product (drug loaded CPP) prefers to leave MMP-9, while C-product (peptides providing shielding effects) tends to stay on MMP-9. This work highlights the recognizing and releasing process of substate-MMP-9 system, may provide a new perspective understanding for ACPP-based drug delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organisms possess photoperiodic timing mechanisms to detect variations in day length and temperature as the seasons progress. The nature of the molecular mechanisms interpreting and signaling these environmental changes to elicit downstream neuroendocrine and physiological responses are just starting to emerge. Here, we demonstrate that, in Drosophila melanogaster, EYES ABSENT (EYA) acts as a seasonal sensor by interpreting photoperiodic and temperature changes to trigger appropriate physiological responses. We observed that tissue-specific genetic manipulation of eya expression is sufficient to disrupt the ability of flies to sense seasonal cues, thereby altering the extent of female reproductive dormancy. Specifically, we observed that EYA proteins, which peak at night in short photoperiod and accumulate at higher levels in the cold, promote reproductive dormancy in female D. melanogaster. Furthermore, we provide evidence indicating that the role of EYA in photoperiodism and temperature sensing is aided by the stabilizing action of the light-sensitive circadian clock protein TIMELESS (TIM). We postulate that increased stability and level of TIM at night under short photoperiod together with the production of cold-induced and light-insensitive TIM isoforms facilitate EYA accumulation in winter conditions. This is supported by our observations that tim null mutants exhibit reduced incidence of reproductive dormancy in simulated winter conditions, while flies overexpressing tim show an increased incidence of reproductive dormancy even in long photoperiod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper indium sulfide, CuInS2 (CIS), semiconductor nanocrystals have the qualities of low toxicity, high absorption coefficient and near-infrared luminescence, and thus have attracted increasing attention due to their wide prospective applications in various fields. However, little is known about their potential biological effects, including their underlying toxicity on environmental bacteria and microcosms in water, especially pathogenic bacteria. In this work, two types of pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus strains (S. aureus, CMCC 26003 and ATCC 25923) were used to investigate their antibiotic resistance changes to 14 types of antibiotics after exposure to intact CIS quantum dots and their weathered products. It was found that after exposure to certain concentrations of weathered CIS nanocrystals, S. aureus (CMCC 26003) exhibited increased tolerance to penicillin G, tetracycline and ciprofloxacin, whereas that of S. aureus (ATCC 25923) remained relatively unchanged. Moreover, the CIS quantum dot-exposed S. aureus (CMCC 26003) returned to their previous antimicrobial susceptibility level in the following generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytic stress solution is presented for a circular tunnel problem in a half plane with a concentrated force acting on any position in the field under gravity. The solution uses the complex variable method and the power series method. The influence of the unbalanced force system on the tunnel boundary is considered. The relationship between two analytic functions is established by using surface stress boundary condition. The analytic functions can be determined from the tunnel stress boundary condition. Based on the principle of superposition, the stresses of the surrounding rock can be calculated by superimposing three partial solutions which are obtained separately. The examples give contour plots of the principal stresses in the surrounding rock, focus on the stress distribution on the ground surface and the tunnel boundary and analyze the effect on the stress distribution of some main parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe inflammatory disease with high morbidity and mortality in pa - tients and lung transplant recipients. Tumor necrosis factor-tx-induced protein 8-like 3 (TIPE3) is one of the members of the TIPE family. While TIPE2 has been demonstrated to be protective against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI, the role of TIPE) in ALI is currently unidentified. Methods: To examine the role of TIPE3 in ALI, we pretreated C57BL/6 mice with control or TIPE)-lentivirus iii LPS-induced ALI models. The C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group; ALI-induced group; ALI-induced group with control lentivirus; and ALI-induced group with TIPE3-lentivirus. Additionally, RAW 264.7 cells were used to validate the role and molecular mechanism of TIPE3 signaling in vitro. Results.· An increased expression of TIPE3 reduced lung histopathological damage in ALI-affected mice. ALIaffected mice treated with TIPE3-lentivirus exhibited reduced lung microvascular permeability, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, neutrophil buildup, and inflanimation response. Additionally, over-expression of TIPE3 significantly inhibited NF-KB activation and promoted the activation of Liver X receptors alpha (LXRcr). In LPS treated RAW264.7 cells, enforced TIPE3 expression produced anti-inflammatory effects, whereas the LXR inhibitor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) reversed these effects. Conclusions.· TIPE3 protected against LPS-induced ALI by regulating the LXR(x/NF-KB signaling pathway. These results suggest that TIPE3 might provide a novel insight into the prevention of ALL [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study structure-specific solubilization effect of Sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) on Remdesivir (RDV) and to understand the experimental clathration with the aid of quantum mechanics (QM), molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. Methods: The experiment was carried out by phase solubility method at various pH and temperatures, while the concentration of Remdesivir in the solution was determined by HPLC. The complexation mechanism and the pH dependence of drug loading were investigated following a novel procedure combining QM, MD and molecular docking, based on accurate pKa predictions. Results: The phase solubility and solubilization effect of RDV in SBE-β-CD were explored kinetically and thermodynamically for each assessed condition. An optimal drug / SBE-β-CD feeding molar ratio was determined stoichiometrically for RDV solubility in pH1.7 solution. The supersaturated solubility was examined over time after pH of the solution was adjusted from 1.7 to 3.5. A possible hypothesis was raised to elucidate the experimentally observed stabilization of supersaturation based on the proposed RDV Cation A /SBE-β-CD pocket conformations. Conclusion: The computational explorations conformed to the experimentally determined phase solubilization and well elucidated the mechanism of macroscopic clathration between RDV and SBE-β-CD from the perspective of microscopic molecular calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study structure-specific solubilization effect of Sulfobutyl ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) on Remdesivir (RDV) and to understand the experimental clathration with the aid of quantum mechanics (QM), molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. Methods: The experiment was carried out by phase solubility method at various pH and temperatures, while the concentration of Remdesivir in the solution was determined by HPLC. The complexation mechanism and the pH dependence of drug loading were investigated following a novel procedure combining QM, MD and molecular docking, based on accurate pKa predictions. Results: The phase solubility and solubilization effect of RDV in SBE-β-CD were explored kinetically and thermodynamically for each assessed condition. An optimal drug / SBE-β-CD feeding molar ratio was determined stoichiometrically for RDV solubility in pH1.7 solution. The supersaturated solubility was examined over time after pH of the solution was adjusted from 1.7 to 3.5. A possible hypothesis was raised to elucidate the experimentally observed stabilization of supersaturation based on the proposed RDV Cation A /SBE-β-CD pocket conformations. Conclusion: The computational explorations conformed to the experimentally determined phase solubilization and well elucidated the mechanism of macroscopic clathration between RDV and SBE-β-CD from the perspective of microscopic molecular calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the variable coefficient is discussed, and the exact dark N-soliton solution is presented by using the Hirota bilinear method, from finding the 1-soliton to 2-soliton, and then we obtain the N-soliton solution. With the aid of Maple, a few figures of solutions under several different cases are shown when aleatoric constants and variables are given exact values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The generalized nonlinear Schrödinger equation, studied in this paper, is an important model of nonlinear excitations of matter waves in Bose—Einstein condensates. Through a natural transformation and the Hirota bilinear method, N bright and dark soliton solutions are obtained. Based on Jacobi theta functions, periodic-like solutions, which are periodic in x, are also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, a highly efficient dual-band transmitarray antenna using cross and square rings elements is presented for X and Ku bands. The dual-band transmitarray is designed for downlink/uplink frequencies of Ku band satellite communications. The transmitarray element consists of four metal patches and two dielectric substrates. The metal patch is printed on both sides of the substrate. By optimizing the parameters, the transmitarray element can achieve a transmission phase coverage greater than 360° and work independently in both frequency bands. Then, a method to select the size of the element is proposed, so that all the elements in the array can realize the transmission phase of the two frequencies as much as possible. A 201-elements transmitarray antenna is fabricated and measured and the band ratio of the antenna is 1.13. The measured maximum gain at 11.5 GHz is 22.4 dB, corresponding to the aperture efficiency is 52.7%. The measured maximum gain at 13 GHz is 24.2 dB, corresponding to the aperture efficiency is 62.4%. The 1-dB gain bandwidths are 9.7% (10.8-11.9 GHz) at X band and 9% (12.6-13.8 GHz) at Ku band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality standards for Andrographis paniculata , a widely used medicinal herb, exhibited significant variations across different pharmacopeias. In this study, we compared the HPLC content determination methods and total lactone content of A. paniculata samples from different regions, as specified in the Chinese (CP), United States (USP), European (EP), Thai (TP), and Indian pharmacopeias (IP), as well as the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HK). We aimed to assess the differences and similarities among these pharmacopeias and harmonized international quality standards for A. paniculata. The analysis revealed variations in sample preparation, liquid chromatographic conditions, fingerprint profiles, and total lactone content among the different pharmacopeias. Specifically, the CP and HK methods exhibited superior sample preparation and chromatographic separation. Further comparing the content of 20 A. paniculata samples with the CP, USP, EP and HK methods showed consistent determinations for the same components, indicating similar detection capabilities. The discrepancies in total lactone content primarily stemmed from differences in the number and types of detected compounds. Moreover, the acceptance criteria exhibited a stringency in the order CP > HK > EP > USP. In conclusion, this comparison analysis of content determination in CP, USP, HK, EP, TP and IP provided a scientific foundation for the international standardization and trade regulations of A. paniculata. It also served as a valuable reference for the development of international quality standards for other medicinal herbs, facilitating the harmonization of global pharmaceutical standards. • Investigating variations in A. paniculata content assay across six international pharmacopeias. • Evaluating pre-treatment, chromatographic separation, content values, and acceptance criteria. • Noting variations in quality and quantities among the six pharmacopeias. • CP and HK offer a more preferred pre-treatment and chromatographic separation. • Establishing a stringency hierarchy of acceptance criteria: CP > HK > EP > USP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analytical solution for shallow tunnel with point anchored rockbolts is presented. • The mechanical contribution of rockbolts is analyzed quantitatively. • The effect of parameters on axial load is discussed. • The interaction between surrounding rock and rockbolts is considered. In this paper, an analytical approach is presented, by focusing on the shallow buried tunnel reinforced by two-point anchored rockbolts, by considering the rockbolts as two identical concentrated forces acting in opposite directions, applied at both the ends of the rockbolts. It was assumed that the surrounding rock and the bolts were in an elastic state and the problem existed in a plane strain condition. The complex variable method was applied to reach a solution. While solving the problem, first, the problem of a circular shallow buried tunnel, with a concentrated force acting on the surrounding rock mass, was addressed. Afterwards, the solution for a tunnel reinforced by multiple rockbolts was obtained, based on the previous solution, considering that displacements between the rockbolts and rock mass were compatible. The case of pre-stressed rockbolts was also considered in this paper. The solution obtained in this paper provides the results for the axial load of the rockbolts and the stress and displacement of the surrounding rock. The analytical solution results were found to be similar to that of the finite element method obtained by ANSYS software. In addition, to quantify the mechanical contribution of the rockbolts, the stress and displacement distributions of the surrounding rock, for reinforced tunnel and non-reinforced tunnel, were also compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase transitions in halide perovskites triggered by external stimuli generate significantly different material properties, providing a great opportunity for broad applications. Here, we demonstrate an In-based, charge-ordered (In+/In3+) inorganic halide perovskite with the composition of Cs2In(I)In(III)Cl6 in which a pressure-driven semiconductor-to-metal phase transition exists. The single crystals, synthesized via a solid-state reaction method, crystallize in a distorted perovskite structure with space group I4/m with a = 17.2604(12) Ã…, c = 11.0113(16) Ã… if both the strong reflections and superstructures are considered. The supercell was further confirmed by rotation electron diffraction measurement. The pressure-induced semiconductor-to-metal phase transition was demonstrated by high-pressure Raman and absorbance spectroscopies and was consistent with theoretical modeling. This type of charge-ordered inorganic halide perovskite with a pressure-induced semiconductor-to-metal phase transition may inspire a range of potential applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Four pairs of new scalemic caged xanthones and twelve known ones were isolated. • The relative configuration of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. • Absolute configurations were determined by the comparison of measurements and calculations of ECD spectra and OR values. • HPLC-ECD analysis was a fast and reliable analytical approach for scalemic mixtures. • Compound 4 exhibited a low micromolar activity against four cancer cell lines. Abstract Four pairs of previously undescribed caged xanthones (1 – 4) and twelve known caged xanthones (5 – 16) were isolated from the leaf extract of Garcinia bracteata. Their structures were unambiguously elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. The planar structure and relative configuration of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The enantiomers of compounds 1 , 2 , 4 were further resolved by semi-preparative chiral HPLC, and the absolute configurations of enantiomers of compounds 1 and 4 were determined by measurement and calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra and specific rotations. The inhibitory activities of the isolated compounds against human HeLa, A549, PC-3, HT-29, and WPMY-1 cell lines were assayed, and garcibractatin A (4) showed the most potent inhibitory activities in vitro with IC 50 values from 1.11 to 2.93 μM. A preliminary structure-activity relationship has been discussed, and some helpful conclusions have been drawn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an effective optimization approach based on the equi-stress criterion and conformal transformation to determine two equi-stress holes with different areas in an infinite plate subjected to biaxial loads at infinity and internal uniform pressure on hole boundaries. Conformal transformation in the complex variable method is used to map the outer domain of two holes in the physical plane onto an annulus in the image plane. Mathematically, the hole shapes are parameterized and expressed in one mapping function, therefore, the shape of two holes can be determined by obtaining the coefficients of the mapping function. In the process of optimization, the coefficients are used as design variables in the differential evolution (DE) algorithm to determine the hole shapes. As examples, the results has high accuracy, the optimal hole shapes under different conditions are given and the effect of each parameter are analyzed. What's more, the contour plots of principal stresses are presented to clearly show the stress distribution in the domain for the optimal hole shape. • Obtaining the shape of two equi-stress holes with different areas. • The equi-stress criterion and conformal transformation were used. • The process is simple and the scope of application is wide. • Presenting the hole shapes for different parameters. • Presenting the stress filed of the domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we experimentally investigated the dynamic responses of stacked coated conductor tapes that were levitated over an Nd-Fe-B magnet guideway. The experiments were carried out on a recently designed test rig that can simultaneously measure the acceleration and levitation force during a vibration process. We applied three typical excitations, viz., unloading, free fall, and pulsed excitation. The attenuation coefficient and damping ratio of such stack-based maglev system were analyzed by means of free vibration attenuation method. Last, the dynamic response of mechanical components of the stack-based maglev on pulsed excitation was visualized clearly. Results obtained by this study tell us that the damping ratio is relative to the intensity of external disturbance, which means a weak excitation will cause a small damping ratio and a longer convergence time; however, a larger damping ratio and a faster convergence of vibration will be presented when a stronger stimulation is imposed on. This phenomenon could be contributed by the metal components of the stack, and is promising in practical application, particularly, in construction of HTS maglev where a large damping ratio is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differences in the climatology of extratropical transition (ET) of western North Pacific tropical cyclones (TCs) were investigated in this study using the TCs best-track datasets of China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). The results show that the ET identification, ET completion time, and post-ET duration reported in the JTWC dataset are greatly different from those in CMA and JMA datasets during 2004-2010. However, the key differences between the CMA and JMA datasets from 1951 to 2010 are the ET identification and the post-ET duration, because of inconsistent objective ET criteria used in the centers. Further analysis indicates that annual ET percentage of CMA was lower than that of JMA, and exhibited an interannual decreasing trend, while that of JMA was an unchanged trend. The western North Pacific ET events occurred mainly during the period June to November. The latitude of ET occurrence shifted northward from February to August, followed by a southward shift. Most of ET events were observed between 35° N and 45° N. From a regional perspective, TCs tended to undergo ET in Japan and the ocean east to it. It is found that TCs which experienced the ET process at higher latitudes were generally more intense at the ET completion time. TCs completing the ET overland or offshore were weaker than those finishing the ET over the ocean. Most of the TCs weakened 24 h before the completion of ET. In contrast, 21% (27%) of the TCs showed an intensification process based on the CMA (JMA) dataset during the post-ET period. The results presented in this study indicate that consistent ET determination criteria are needed to reduce the uncertainty involved in ET identification among the centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a ubiquitously expressed protein kinase, which regulates cell fate in numerous injury conditions. Therefore, ASK1 may be a promising novel therapeutic target for injury. However, the expression and distribution of ASK1 in the perinatal brain following hypoxia-ischemia (HI) remains to be elucidated. In the present study, western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to determine the expression and distribution of ASK1 and any associated downstream targets in the perinatal rat brain following HI. NQDI-1, a specific inhibitor of ASK1 was intracerebroventricularly injected following neonatal rats brain insult for neuroprotection. The results revealed an increased expression of ASK1 and this expression was localized to the neurons and astrocytes, compared with the sham controls. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the ASK1/ c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) pathway was involved in the brain damage following HI in neonatal rats. Notably, NQDI-1 significantly inhibited the in vivo expression levels of ASK1, phosphorylated (p-)JNK, p-c-Jun, p53 and caspase 3. Reduced acute hypoxic-ischemic cerebral injury and cell apoptosis was observed following the injection of NQDI-1. Collectively, NQDI-1 attenuated acute perinatal hypoxic-ischemic cerebral injury by inhibiting the expression of ASK1 and cell apoptosis. This may be a promising novel neuroprotective inhibitor for perinatal cerebra injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most assassin bugs are predators that act as important natural enemies of insect pests. Mitochondrial (mt) genomes of these insects are double-strand circular DNAs that encode 37 genes. In the present study, we explore the duplication and rearrangement of tRNA genes in the mt genome of Reduvius tenebrosus, the first mt genome from the subfamily Reduviinae. The gene order rearranges from CR (control region)-trnI-trnQ-trnM-ND2 to CR-trnQ-trnI2-trnI1-trnM-ND2. We identified 23 tRNA genes, including 22 tRNAs commonly found in insects and an additional trnI (trnI2), which has high sequence similarity to trnM. We found several pseudo genes, such as pseudo-trnI, pseudo-CR, and pseudo-ND2, in the hotspot region of gene rearrangement (between the control region and ND2). These features provided evidence that this novel gene order could be explained by the tandem duplication/random loss (TDRL) model. The tRNA duplication/anticodon mutation mechanism further explains the presence of trnI2, which is remolded from a duplicated trnM in the TDRL process (through an anticodon mutation of CAT to GAT). Our study also raises new questions as to whether the two events proceed simultaneously and if the remolded tRNA gene is fully functional. Significantly, the duplicated tRNA gene in the mitochondrial genome has evolved independently at least two times within assassin bugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High quality Rb0.8Fe1.6+xSe2 single crystals are grown by a one-step melting growth method. Superconductivity has been observed in all samples with x ≥ 0.05 and the maximum critical temperature (Tc) ≈ 32 K has been obtained in samples with 0.1 ≤ x ≤ 0.2 from electronic resistivity measurement. A superconducting dome in the electronic phase diagram of Tc as a function of Fe content has been observed for the first time in this AxFeySe2 (A = K, Rb) superconducting system. Two coexisting phases with structural modulation vectors of q1 = 1/5[3a* + b*] and q2 = 1/2[a* + b*] have been observed in all superconducting samples by TEM observations. Moreover, phase separation in the superconducting crystals, which can be recognized as micro-stripes in the a–b plane, are found to be highly dependent on the Fe content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

122 type pnictide superconductors are of particular interest for high-field applications because of their large upper critical fields Hc2 (> 100 T) and low anisotropy γ (<2). Successful magnet applications require fabrication of polycrystalline superconducting wires that exhibit large critical current density Jc, which is limited by poor grain coupling and weak-link behavior at grain boundaries. Here, we report our recent achievement in the developing Sr0.6K0.4Fe2As2 tapes with transport Jc up to 0.1 MA/cm² at 10 T and 4.2K. This value is by far the highest ever recorded for iron based superconducting wires and has surpassed the threshold for practical application. The synergy effects of enhanced grain connectivity, alleviation of the weak-link behavior at grain boundaries, and the strong intrinsic pinning characteristics led to the superior Jc performance exhibited in our samples. This advanced Jc result opens up the possibility for iron-pnictide superconducting wires to win the race in high-field magnet applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Highway Intelligent Space System (HISS) is proposed to study vehicle environment perception in this paper. The nature of HISS is that a space sensors system using laser, ultrasonic or radar sensors are installed in a highway environment and communication technology is used to realize the information exchange between the HISS server and vehicles, which provides vehicles with the surrounding road information. Considering the high-speed feature of vehicles on highways, when vehicles will be passing a road ahead that is prone to accidents, the vehicle driving state should be predicted to ensure drivers have road environment perception information in advance, thereby ensuring vehicle driving safety and stability. In order to verify the accuracy and feasibility of the HISS, a traditional vehicle-mounted sensor system for environment perception is used to obtain the relative driving state. Furthermore, an inter-vehicle dynamics model is built and model predictive control approach is used to predict the driving state in the following period. Finally, the simulation results shows that using the HISS for environment perception can arrive at the same results detected by a traditional vehicle-mounted sensors system. Meanwhile, we can further draw the conclusion that using HISS to realize vehicle environment perception can ensure system stability, thereby demonstrating the method's feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In the east countries, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are usually associated with varied degrees of liver cirrhosis, and anatomic resection is therefore limited to use, especially in those with severe liver cirrhosis. This study aims to evaluate the clinical value of non-anatomic resection in HCC patients with cirrhosis. Methods: Seventy-seven consecutive HCC patients with cirrhosis underwent non-anatomic liver resection in Tongji Hospital from January 2003 to December 2006. The clinical data, severity of liver cirrhosis, and survival rates of these patients were retrospectively evaluated, and the prognostic factors were analyzed. Results: One-, 2-, and 3-year overall and disease-free survival rates of this cohort of patients were 78%, 68%, 56%, and 66%, 58%, 55%, respectively. The hospital mortality and morbidity were 0% and 24.7%, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 85.7%, 77.1%, and 74.3% in the patients with mild cirrhosis, 81.5%, 63%, and 48.1% in the patients with moderate cirrhosis, and 60.0%, 53.3%, and 26.7% in the patients with severe cirrhosis, respectively. There was a significant difference among the patients with different grades of cirrhosis ( P = 0.001). Multivariate and univariate analyses revealed that severity of cirrhosis, tumor diameter larger than 5 cm, and vascular invasion were independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: Non-anatomic liver resection for HCC could yield comparable outcomes with anatomic resection in the patients with mild cirrhosis or tumors diameter smaller than 5 cm. Severity of cirrhosis is an independent factor worsening long-time survival. Non-anatomic resection is a safe and effective surgical modality in the treatment of HCC patients with cirrhosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncidium Gower Ramsey is a fascinating and important ornamental flower in floral industry. In this research, the complete nucleotide sequence of the chloroplast genome in Oncidium Gower Ramsey was studied, then analyzed using Codonw software. Correspondence analysis and method of effective number of codon as Nc-plot were conducted to analyze synonymous codon usage. According to the corresponding analysis, codon bias in the chloroplast genome of Oncidium Gower Ramsey is related to their gene length, mutation bias, gene hydropathy level of each protein, gene function and selection or gene expression only subtly affect codon usage. This study will provide insights into the molecular evolution study and high-level transgene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of ZnSe nanostructures, including the single-, bi- and tri-crystal nanobelts, are successfully fabricated through the thermal evaporation method and comprehensively investigated by a combination of various transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. All nanostructures are of metastable wurtzite phase and the bi- and tri-crystal nanobelts are both mediated by the {0113} twinning, with the single crystal nanobelts as building blocks. Benefiting from the commonly observed morphological evolutions, not only the crystallographic relations for different variants in an individual bi- or tri-crystal nanobelt, but also the intrinsic connections between different morphologies are fully understood by selected area electron diffraction, convergent beam electron diffraction and high-resolution TEM techniques, which reveals that the accompanying formation of tri-crystal nanobelt, the {0113} relationship, though maintained still, is not as strict as that in a bi-crystal nanobelt and holds a ∼0.75° deviation for a case study; the angles between adjacent twinning variants/planes are compressed from ∼125.0° in bi-crystal nanobelts to ∼120°, and finally form an asymmetric twinning plane distributions. The study helps deepen the understanding of tri-crystal and related complex semiconductor nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetoferritin (M-HFn) is a biomimetic magnetic nanoparticle with a human heavy-chain ferritin (HFn) shell, trapping a magnetite (Fe3O4) core that has inherited peroxidase-like activity. In this study, cobalt-doped M-HFn nanoparticles (M-HFn-CoxFe3–xO4) with different amounts of cobalt were successfully synthesized. Experimental results indicate that the controlled doping of a certain amount of cobalt into the magnetite cores of M-HFn nanoparticles enhances its peroxidase-like catalytic activity and efficacy for visualizing tumour tissues. For example, compared with sample Co0 (without cobalt doping), the peroxidase-like activity of the cobalt-doped nanoparticle sample Co60 (with a cobalt doping molar percentage of ∼34.2%) increases 1.7 times, and has the maximal reaction velocity (Vmax) values. Moreover, after a one-step incubation with Co60 nanoparticles, and using the peroxidase substrate 3,3′-diaminobenzidine tetrahydrochloride (DAB) for colour development, the tumour tissues of breast, colorectal, stomach and pancreas tumours showed a deeper brown colour with clear boundaries between the healthy and tumourous cells. Therefore, this suggests that the cobalt-doped magnetoferritin nanoparticles enhance peroxidase activity and tumour tissue visualization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]