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The main purpose of this paper is to consider the multiple birth properties for multi-type Markov branching processes. We first construct a new multi-dimensional Markov process based on the multi-type Markov branching process, which can reveal the multiple birth characteristics. Then the joint probability distribution of multiple birth of multi-type Markov branching process until any time t is obtained by using the new process. Furthermore, the probability distribution of multiple birth until the extinction of the process is also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix composites (Cf/SiC composites) are lightweight, high strength, wear-resistant, and heat-resistant, making them widely used in aerospace and other industries. However, machining holes in Cf/SiC composites is a great challenge due to the anisotropy and high hardness of the material. In this paper, a brazed diamond grinding rod was employed to grind 1 mm diameter holes in Cf/SiC composites, and the influence of grinding parameters on grinding force, hole entrance/exit defects, and hole wall quality was investigated. In addition, the material removal mechanism of Cf/SiC composites and the wear mechanism of the diamond grinding rod were explored. The findings showed that the damage at the hole entrance and exit predominantly manifests as tearing and burring. The damage factor at the hole exit is 3.5% larger than that at the hole entrance, and the damage factor at both the hole entrance and exit reduces with the growth of spindle speed and the decrease of feed rate. In addition, the diameter errors of the hole entrances and exits are all less than 10%, and the entrance diameter is 2.9% larger than the exit. The hole wall defects include fiber fracture, silicon carbide matrix peeling, and inherent porosity, with poorer surface quality at fiber orientation angles (FOA) of 90° to 180°. The main wear mechanisms were identified as abrasive wear and the spalling of abrasive grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the most important pathogens affecting the swine industry. In this report, a novel PRRSV strain SXht2012 was isolated from Shanxi province in China. To identify genetic characteristics of SXht2012, we conducted phylogenetic and homology analyses after sequencing its complete genome. The results revealed that SXht2012 belonged to NADC30-like strain and shared 91.3% nucleotide (nt) identity with strain NADC30. Notably, sequence alignment showed that a distinctive feature in the NSP2 region, where a 131-amino acid (aa) deletion was found in the hypervariable region (HVR). Additionally, variations were also detected in the GP5 protein, specifically in the decoy peptide, T cell peptide, and a potential glycosylation site (aa 32). Furthermore, we also found that SXht2012 was likely a recombination virus originating from NADC30-like and JXA1-like strains, and three recombination breakpoints were identified in the genome at nt positions 1516, 5280 and 6851, which correspond to the NSP2, NSP3, and NSP7 regions. Overall, these findings have significant implications for understanding the genetic variation and evolutionary dynamics of PRRSV strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let { X t ; t ≥ 0 } be a Markov branching process with immigration, in which each particle has exponential lifetime distribution with parameter a and offspring law { p k ; k = 0 , 1 , 2 , ... } . The time interval of immigration follows an exponential distribution with parameter θ . Let p 0 = 0 and λ : = a (∑ k = 1 ∞ k p k - 1) < ∞ . In this paper, we investigate the large deviation behavior of X t + s / X t ; t ≥ 0 , s > 0 by studying the asymptotic behavior of harmonic moments E [ X t - r ] for r > 0 . We obtain that there is a "phase transition" in rates depending on whether λ r - a - θ is less than, equal to or greater than 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid aerial underwater vehicle (HAUV) could operate in the air and underwater might provide a great convenience for aerial and underwater exploration, and the fixed-wing HAUV (FHAUV) has time, space and cost advantages in future large-scale applications, while the large difference between the aerial and underwater environments is a challenge to control, especially in the air/water transition. However, for FHAUV control, there is a lack of research on phenomena or problems caused by large changes in the air/water transition. In addition, the effects of wind, wave, other factors and conditions on motion control are not investigated. This paper presents the first control study on the above issues. The motion model of FHAUV is developed, with the effects of wind and wave disturbances. Then, this paper improves a cascade gain scheduling (CGS) PID for different media environments (air and water) and proposes a cascade state feedback (CSF) control strategy to address the convergence problem of FHAUV control caused by large speed change in the air/water transition. In the comparisons of the two control schemes in various tracking cases including trajectory slopes, reference speeds, wind and wave disturbances, CSF has a better control effect, convergence rate and robustness; the key factors and conditions of the air/water transition are investigated, the critical relations and feasible domains of the trajectory slopes and reference speeds that the FHAUV must meet to successfully exit the water and enter the air are obtained, the critical slope decreases as the reference speed increases, and the feasible domain of CSF is larger than that of CGS, revealing that CSF is superior than CGS for exiting the water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on the general birth–death processes with two different types of catastrophes. The Laplace transform of transition probability function for birth–death processes with two-type catastrophes is successfully expressed with the Laplace transform of transition probability function of the birth–death processes without catastrophe. The first effective catastrophe occurrence time is considered. The Laplace transform of its probability density function, expectation and variance are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the resolvent decomposition theorems presented very recently by Chen (J Theor Probab 33:2089–2118, 2020), in this paper we focus on investigating the fundamental problems of existence and uniqueness criteria for Denumerable Markov Processes with finitely many instantaneous states. Some elegant sufficient and necessary conditions are obtained for this less-investigated topic. A few important examples including the generalized Kolmogorov models are presented to illustrate our general results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Phospholipid scramblase 1 interacts with influenza A virus NP, impairing its nuclear import and thereby suppressing virus replication." The correction addresses errors in the figures of the original article, including the reuse of data and incorrect images. The corrected figures are provided in the notice, and the original unadjusted images are available as supplementary material. The authors apologize for the errors and provide an updated Data Availability statement. [Extracted from the article]

Background: To observe morphologic and functional changes in meibomian glands in pediatric patients with and without lower eyelid epiblepharon. Methods: In this prospective observation study, 55 eyes of 55 patients(24 males, 31 females; mean age ± SD,9.82 ± 2.59 years; range 6–14 years) and 60 eyes of 60 controls (32 males, 28 females; mean age ± SD,10.57 ± 2.75 years; range 6–14 years) were included. The following tests were performed: eyelid margin abnormality by slit-lamp examination, measurement of noninvasive keratographic break-up time (NIKBUT), grading of absence of meibomian gland (meibography score) assessed with noncontact meibography, morphologic changes of meibomian glands (thinning, dilatation and distortion), tear production by the Schirmer 1 test, and grading of meibum quality and meibomian gland expressibility. Results: The morphologic changes in meibomian glands were more common in the epiblepharon group (56.36%) than in the control group (28.33%) (p = 0.002). The meibum quality was worse in the epiblepharon group than in the control group (p = 0.009), and the NIKBUT was significantly shorter in the epiblepharon group than in the control group (p = 0.012). There was no significant difference in the Schirmer 1 test, meibomian gland expressibility, eyelid margin abnormality score or total meibography score between the two groups. Morphologic changes in the meibomian glands in the upper eyelids (38.18%) were more common than those in the lower eyelids (20%) (p = 0.036) in the epiblepharon group, and the meibography score was higher in the upper eyelids than in the lower eyelids (p = 0.001). Conclusion: There are morphological and functional changes in meibomian glands in pediatric patients with lower eyelid epiblepharon. Although the inverted eyelashes were located in the lower eyelid, morphological changes in the meibomian glands were more common in the upper eyelid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to explore the expression changes of P2Y1 receptors in the distal colonic myenteric layer of rats. An opioid induced constipation(OIC) rat model was generated by intraperitoneal (i.p) injection of loperamide. At 7 days post-treatment, the model rats were assessed by calculating the fecal water content and the gastrointestinal transit ratio. The immunofluorescence (IF)-based histochemical study was used to observe the distribution of P2Y1 receptors in the distal colonic myenteric plexus. Western blotting (WB) was performed to evaluate the expression changes of P2Y1 proteins in the myenteric layer, and the electrophysiological approaches were carried out to determine the regulatory roles of P2Y1 receptors on distal colonic motor function. IF showed that P2Y1 receptors are co-expressed MOR in the enteric nerve cells of the distal colonic myenteric plexus. Moreover, the WB revealed that the protein levels of P2Y1 were significantly decreased in the distal colonic myenteric layer of OIC rats. In vitro tension experiments exhibited that the P2Y1 receptor antagonist MRS2500 enhanced the spontaneous contraction amplitude, adding EM2 and β-FNA did not have any effect on MRS2500. Therefore, P2Y1 receptor expression could be associated with the occurrence of OIC in this rat model and the regulation of colonic motility by MOR may be related to the release of purine neurotransmitters such as ATP in the colonic nervous system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider n-type Markov branching–immigration processes. The uniqueness criterion is first established. Then, we construct a related system of differential equations based on the branching property. Furthermore, the explicit expression of extinction probability and the mean extinction time are successfully obtained in the absorbing case by using the unique solution of the related system of differential equations and Kolmogorov forward equations. Finally, the recurrence and ergodicity criteria are given if the zero state 0 is not absorbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the occurrence of necroptosis in skeletal muscle after eccentric exercise and investigate the role and possible mechanisms of ZBP1 and its related pathway proteins in the process, providing a theoretical basis for the study of exercise-induced skeletal muscle injury and recovery. Forty-eight male adult Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (C, n = 8) and an exercise group (E, n = 40). The exercise group was further divided into 0 h (E0), 12 h (E12), 24 h (E24), 48 h (E48), and 72 h (E72) after exercise, with 8 rats in each subgroup. At each time point, gastrocnemius muscle was collected under general anesthesia. The expression levels of ZBP1 and its related pathway proteins were assessed using Western blot analysis. The colocalization of pathway proteins was examined using immunofluorescence staining. After 48 h of eccentric exercise, the expression of necroptosis marker protein MLKL reached its peak (P < 0.01), and the protein levels of ZBP1, RIPK3, and HMGB1 also peaked (P < 0.01). At 48 h post high-load eccentric exercise, there was a significant increase in colocalization of ZBP1/RIPK3 pathway proteins, reaching a peak (P < 0.01). (1) Eccentric exercise induced necroptosis in skeletal muscle, with MLKL, p-MLKLS358, and HMGB1 significantly elevated, especially at 48 h after exercise. (2) After eccentric exercise, the ZBP1/RIPK3-related pathway proteins ZBP1, RIPK3, and p-RIPK3S232 were significantly elevated, particularly at 48 h after exercise. (3) Following high-load eccentric exercise, there was a significant increase in the colocalization of ZBP1/RIPK3 pathway proteins, with a particularly pronounced elevation observed at 48 h post-exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) variants have caused substantial economic losses in the swine industry in China since 2011. To surveil the genetic variation in PRV field strains, here, two novel variant strains of PRV were isolated from Shanxi Province in central China and were designated SX1910 and SX1911. To identify the genetic characteristics of the two isolates, their complete genomes were sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment revealed that field PRV variants have undergone genetic variations; notably, the protein-coding sequences UL5, UL36, US1 and IE180 exhibited extensive variation and contained one or more hypervariable regions. Furthermore, we also found that the glycoproteins gB and gD of the two isolates had some novel amino acid (aa) mutations. Importantly, most of these mutations were located on the surface of the protein molecule, according to protein structure model analysis. We constructed a mutant virus of SX1911 with deletion of the gE and gI genes via CRISPR/Cas9. When tested in mice, SX1911-ΔgE/gI-vaccinated mice were protected within a comparable range to Bartha-K61-vaccinated mice. Additionally, a higher dose of inactivated Bartha-K61 protected the mice from lethal SX1911 challenge, while a lower neutralization titer, higher viral load and more severe microscopic lesions were displayed in Bartha-K61-vaccinated mice. These findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring of PRV and novel vaccine development or vaccination program design for PRV control in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the oxidation resistance of SiC/SiC composites, four types of modified SiC/SiC composites were fabricated by PIP method using polyborosilazane and/or polycarbosilane precursor. The order to use polyborosilazane and polycarbosilane precursor during PIP process plays a key role to affect the oxidation resistance of composites. The SiC/SiBCN-SiC composites reveals the highest oxidation resistance. The SiC matrix outside the SiBCN matrix can effectively inhibit the volatilization of liquid B2O3 at 1200 °C. Liquid B2O3 filled the micro-cracks of matrix during the oxidation process, which prevent further oxidation damages. Micro-cracks in the matrix of SiC/SiBCN and SiC/SiC-SiBCN composites cannot be sealed due to the volatilization of liquid B2O3 at 1200 °C, leading to higher oxidation damages in the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural variations (SVs) play an essential role in the evolution of human genomes and are associated with cancer genetics and rare disease. High-throughput chromosome capture (Hi-C) technology probed all genome-wide crosslinked chromatin to study the spatial architecture of chromosomes. Hi-C read pairs can span megabases, making the technology useful for detecting large-scale SVs. So far, the identification of SVs from Hi-C data is still in the early stages with only a few methods available. Especially, no algorithm has been developed that can detect SVs without control samples. Therefore, we developed HiSV (Hi-C for Structural Variation), a control-free method for identifying large-scale SVs from a Hi-C sample. Inspired by the single image saliency detection model, HiSV constructed a saliency map of interaction frequencies and extracted saliency segments as large-scale SVs. By evaluating both simulated and real data, HiSV not only detected all variant types, but also achieved a higher level of accuracy and sensitivity than existing methods. Moreover, our results on cancer cell lines showed that HiSV effectively detected eight complex SV events and identified two novel SVs of key factors associated with cancer development. Finally, we found that integrating the result of HiSV helped the WGS method to identify a total number of 94 novel SVs in two cancer cell lines. Author summary: Cancer and rare diseases are often driven by structural variations (SVs). Despite their importance, detecting SV events remains challenging. High-throughput chromosome capture (Hi-C) technology has proven valuable for large-scale SV detection. However, algorithms that can use Hi-C data without control samples for SV detection have been severely lacking. Therefore, we presented HiSV (Hi-C for Structural Variation), a control-free method for identifying large-scale SVs from a Hi-C sample. We evaluated HiSV's performance on the simulation datasets and cancer cell lines, HiSV achieved superior accuracy and sensitivity. Moreover, HiSV effectively captured complex SVs in cancer cell lines. Finally, we demonstrated that HiSV can be applied to supplement the result of WGS methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To observe whether downhill running can lead to DNA damage in skeletal muscle cells and changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability and to explore whether the DNA damage caused by downhill running can lead to changes in mitochondrial membrane permeability by regulating the components of the endoplasmic reticulum mitochondrial coupling structure (MAM). A total of 48 male adult Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group (C, n = 8) and a motor group (E, n = 40). Rats in Group E were further divided into 0 h (E0), 12 h (E12), 24 h (E24), 48 h (E48) and 72 h (E72) after prescribed exercise, with 8 rats in each group. At each time point, flounder muscle was collected under general anaesthesia. The DNA oxidative damage marker 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression levels of the DNA damage-related protein p53 in the nucleus and the EI24 protein and reep1 protein in whole cells were detected by Western blot. The colocalization coefficients of the endoplasmic reticulum protein EI24 and the mitochondrial protein Vdac2 were determined by immunofluorescence double staining, and the concentration of Ca2+ in skeletal muscle mitochondria was detected by a fluorescent probe. Finally, the opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pore (mPTP) was detected by immunofluorescence. Twelve hours after downhill running, the mitochondrial membrane permeability of the mPTP opened the most (P < 0.05), the content of 8-OHdG in skeletal muscle peaked (P < 0.05), and the levels of the regulatory protein p53, mitochondrial Ca2+, and the EI24 and reep1 proteins peaked (P < 0.01). Moreover, the colocalization coefficients of EI24 and Vdac2 and the Mandes coefficients of the two proteins increased first and then recovered 72 h after exercise (P < 0.05). (1) Downhill running can lead to DNA damage in skeletal muscle cells, overload of mitochondrial Ca2+ and large opening of membrane permeability transformation pores. (2) The DNA damage caused by downhill running may result in p53 promoting the transcriptional activation of reep1 and EI24, enhancing the interaction between EI24 and Vdac2, and then leading to an increase in Ca2+ in skeletal muscle mitochondria and the opening of membrane permeability transition pores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the design and control method of the hybrid underwater glider (HUG) for hands-on investigative engineering. The HUG is a lightweight, small, modular, and low-cost underwater vehicle. The HUG uses a piston buoyancy system to control buoyancy and pitch angle and two thrusters to control yaw angle. A hybrid control method utilizing both a piston buoyancy system and a pair of horizontal thrusters is proposed. The novelty of this study is: 1) a two-hull design to facilitate modularity and ease of assembly, 2) an effective piston buoyancy and thrusters’ mechanism to reduce the weight and size of the vehicle, and 3) a pitch control method based on equilibrium identification to enables a fixable and convenient parameters selection and reduces model dependence. Experimental results show that the HUG design reduces the thrusters’ disturbance to pitch angle control, and pitch angle control with the hybrid control method has less overshoot compared to the PID controller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is characterized by a high relapse rate, drug tolerance, and limited treatment choices. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)‐modified NK cells represent a promising immunotherapeutic modality for cancer treatment. However, their potential applications have not been explored in SCLC. Delta‐like ligand 3 (DLL3) has been reported to be overexpressed in SCLC and may be a rational target for CAR NK immunotherapy. In this study, we developed DLL3‐specific NK‐92 cells and explored their potential in the treatment of SCLC. A coculture of DLL3+ SCLC cell lines with DLL3‐CAR NK‐92 cells exhibited significant in vitro cytotoxicity and cytokine production. DLL3‐CAR NK‐92 cells induced tumor regression in an H446‐derived pulmonary metastasis tumor model under a good safety threshold. The potent antitumor activities of DLL3‐CAR NK‐92 cells were observed in subcutaneous tumor models of SCLC. Moreover, obvious tumor‐infiltrated DLL3‐CAR NK‐92 cells were detected in DLL3+ SCLC xenografts. These findings indicate that DLL3‐CAR NK‐92 cells might be a potential strategy for the treatment of SCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic nanomaterials with enzyme-like activity have been attracting much attention due to their low cost, favorable stability, convenient storage, and simple preparation. Herein, Co3O4 nanoplates with a uniform nanostructure were prepared by the thermolysis of cobalt hydroxide at different temperatures, and the influence of the annealing temperature on the performance of the mimetic enzyme also was reported for the first time. The results demonstrated that Co3O4 nanoplates obtained at an annealing temperature of 200 °C possessed strong oxidase activity and efficiently catalyzed the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) without the addition of hydrogen peroxide to generate the blue color product ox-TMB. Once the annealing temperature was increased to 500 °C and 800 °C, the oxidase activity of Co3O4 decreased rapidly, and was even inactivated. This might be attributed to the relatively large specific surface area of Co3O4 annealed at 200 °C. Besides this, based on the TMB-Co3O4 nanoplate system, a colorimetric analysis method was developed to detect dopamine with a limit of 0.82 μmol/L in a linear range from 1.6 μmol/L to 20 μmol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We consider the important decay parameter issue for a Markovian bulk-arrival and bulk-service queue which stops at reaching the first m states. The results obtained in this paper are a significant generalization of the ones obtained in Chen et al. (Queueing Syst 66:275–311, 2010). The exact value of the decay parameter is obtained. Based on the results obtained in this paper, we provide a practical method for calculating the decay parameter which is very effective. In some cases, the decay parameter can even be easily expressed explicitly. Some important key lemmas which also have their own interest are provided. The interesting and clear geometric interpretation of the decay parameter is explained. A few examples are provided to illustrate the results obtained in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copy number variation (CNV) is a major type of genomic structural variations that play an important role in human disorders. Next generation sequencing (NGS) has fueled the advancement in algorithm design to detect CNVs at base-pair resolution. However, accurate detection of CNVs of low amplitudes remains a challenging task. This paper proposes a new computational method, CNV-LOF, to identify CNVs of full-range amplitudes from NGS data. CNV-LOF is distinctly different from traditional methods, which mainly consider aberrations from a global perspective and rely on some assumed distribution of NGS read depths. In contrast, CNV-LOF takes a local view on the read depths and assigns an outlier factor to each genome segment. With the outlier factor profile, CNV-LOF uses a boxplot procedure to declare CNVs without the reliance of any distribution assumptions. Simulation experiments indicate that CNV-LOF outperforms five existing methods with respect to F1-measure, sensitivity, and precision. CNV-LOF is further validated on real sequencing samples, yielding highly consistent results with peer methods. CNV-LOF is able to detect CNVs of low and moderate amplitudes where the other existing methods fail, and it is expected to become a routine approach for the discovery of novel CNVs on whole sequencing genome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the design of planetary sampling devices, calculating the reaction force acting on the sampling devices is crucial. According to related research, the influence zone caused by sampling plays an important role in calculating the reaction force. A new method for estimating the range of the influence zone based on 3D DEM simulation is discussed in this paper. Taking lunar soil as an example, first, via validation of physical experiments, the DEM lunar soil simulant was proven to have mechanical properties similar to those of real lunar soil. Second, stress was selected as an indicator to identify the influence zone by computing the match percentage via a comparison between classical soil mechanics and DEM simulation. Using the proposed calculation method, it can be observed that the trend of change of influence zone at different sampling moments showed similar to the change of reaction force. Calculation of the influence zone can be used to analyze the reaction force of different gravity environments, sampling device structures, and motions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concentrates on considering the down/up crossing property of weighted Markov collision processes. The joint probability generating function of down crossing and up crossing numbers of weighted Markov collision processes until its extinction are obtained by constructing and studying a related multi-dimensional Markov chain. Hence, the joint probability distribution of down crossing and up crossing numbers and the mean numbers are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by communication networks, we study a single-server queue with varying service rates and multiple customers' types. The difference between types of customers is defined by the profits contributed to the system. We show that the optimal trunk reservation policy exists and we compare the optimal control levels with different parameter values. Furthermore, when the optimal trunk reservation policy is more than one, we prove the uniqueness of the bias optimal policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let {X(t);t ≥ 0} be a continuous-time branching-immigration system with branching rates {bk; k ≥ 0,k≠ 1} and immigration rates {ak; k ≥ 1}. We assume that b0 = 0, m = : ∑ k = 1 ∞ k b k < ∞ and a = : ∑ k = 1 ∞ k a k < ∞ . In this paper, we first discuss the martingale property of W(t) = e−mtX(t) − m− 1a(1 − e−mt) and prove that it has a limit W. Furthermore, we show that X(t + s)/X(t) converges to ems in probability, W(t) converges to W in probability and X(t + s)/X(t) converges to ems in probability conditioned on W ≥ α (here α is a positive constant) as t → ∞ . The explicit estimates of the above three convergence rates are obtained under various moment conditions on {bk; k ≥ 0,k≠ 1}. It is shown that the rate of the first one is geometric, while the other two are supergeometric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let { X n } 0 ∞ be a supercritical branching process with immigration with offspring distribution { p j } 0 ∞ and immigration distribution { h i } 0 ∞. Throughout this paper, we assume that p 0 = 0 , p j ≠ 1 for any j ≥ 1 , 1 < m = ∑ j = 0 ∞ j p j < ∞ , and h 0 < 1 , 0 < a = ∑ j = 0 ∞ j h j < ∞. We first show that Y n = m - n (X n - m n + 1 - 1 m - 1 a) is a martingale and converges to a random variable Y. Secondly, we study the rates of convergence to 0 as n → ∞ of P (Y n - Y > ε) , P X n + 1 X n - m > ε | Y ≥ α for ε > 0 and α > 0 under various moment conditions on { p j } 0 ∞ and { h i } 0 ∞. It is shown that the rates are always supergeometric under a finite moment generating function hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttranslational modifications, such as SUMOylation, play specific roles in the life cycle of invading pathogens. However, the effect of SUMOylation on the adaptation, pathogenesis, and transmission of influenza A virus (IAV) remains largely unknown. Here, we found that a conserved lysine residue at position 612 (K612) of the polymerase basic protein 1 (PB1) of IAV is a bona fide SUMOylation site. SUMOylation of PB1 at K612 had no effect on the stability or cellular localization of PB1, but was critical for viral ribonucleoprotein (vRNP) complex activity and virus replication in vitro. When tested in vivo, we found that the virulence of SUMOylation-defective PB1/K612R mutant IAVs was highly attenuated in mice. Moreover, the airborne transmission of a 2009 pandemic H1N1 PB1/K612R mutant virus was impaired in ferrets, resulting in reversion to wild-type PB1 K612. Mechanistically, SUMOylation at K612 was essential for PB1 to act as the enzymatic core of the viral polymerase by preserving its ability to bind viral RNA. Our study reveals an essential role for PB1 K612 SUMOylation in the pathogenesis and transmission of IAVs, which can be targeted for the design of anti-influenza therapies. Author summary: IAV has evolved to exploit the host posttranslational modifications system for its own benefit. The transcription and replication of IAV genome occur in the nucleus of infected cells, which is catalyzed by the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). PB1 is the catalytic subunit and the assembly core of the RdRp. The ability to efficiently bind viral RNA by PB1 is a prerequisite for the RdRp to fulfil its function. In this study, we demonstrated that PB1 protein from different subtypes of IAV is a target of SUMOylation in both transfected and infected cells, and identified K612 of PB1 as the key SUMOylation site. The vRNP complex activity, replication in vitro, pathogenicity in mice and airborne transmission among ferrets were dramatically attenuated when the SUMOylation-defective PB1/K612R mutation was introduced. Notably, we found that SUMOylation at K612 is essential for PB1 to acquire the ability to efficiently bind viral RNA, thus allowing for the RdRp to transcribe and replicate the viral genome. Our findings therefore thoroughly explore the contribution of PB1 SUMOylation on influenza infection and establish SUMOylation site PB1 K612 as a potential target for anti-influenza drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we show that when the oxidation treatment temperature exceeded 600°C, the tensile strength of SiC/SiC begins to decrease. Oxidation leads to the damages on the PyC fiber/matrix interface, which is replaced by SiO2 at higher temperature. The fracture mode converts from fiber pull-out to fiber-break as the fiber/matrix interface is filled with SiO2. Oxidation time also plays an important role in affecting the tensile strength of SiC/SiC. The tensile modulus decreases with temperature from RT to 800°C, then increases above 800°C due to the decomposition of remaining CSi x O y and crystallization of the SiC matrix. A special surface densification treatment performed in this study is confirmed to be an effective approach to reduce the oxidation damages and improve the tensile strength of SiC/SiC after oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we show that when the oxidation treatment temperature exceeded 600°C, the tensile strength of SiC/SiC begins to decrease. Oxidation leads to the damages on the PyC fiber/matrix interface, which is replaced by SiO2 at higher temperature. The fracture mode converts from fiber pull-out to fiber-break as the fiber/matrix interface is filled with SiO2. Oxidation time also plays an important role in affecting the tensile strength of SiC/SiC. The tensile modulus decreases with temperature from RT to 800°C, then increases above 800°C due to the decomposition of remaining CSi x O y and crystallization of the SiC matrix. A special surface densification treatment performed in this study is confirmed to be an effective approach to reduce the oxidation damages and improve the tensile strength of SiC/SiC after oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of rock mass is governed by the properties of both the rock material and discontinuities in the rock mass. Surrounding environments including the existence of water also have a great influence on the behavior and mechanical properties of rocks. In this study, a novel-designed compression and seepage testing system, associated with an acoustic emission system, was designed and constructed. The changes in the specimens resulting from the uniaxial compression were monitored by an acoustic emission technique. The characteristics of the acoustic emission parameters at different stages including compaction and crack initiation, crack propagation, and catastrophic failure were analyzed. The existence of seepage had direct influences on the mechanical properties and failure patterns of the specimens. The specimens tested in pure compression conditions demonstrated strong burst proneness and ruptured into separate pieces, while for the specimens with seepage, no burst proneness was observed and the specimens tended to fail along a macroscopic shear failure plane. The highest average energy of the acoustic signal occurred at the stage of initial rupture of rock specimens, rather than at the stage of widespread rupture. The studies explored the possibilities of using the acoustic emission technique to investigate the problems associated with the seepage in geotechnical and rock engineering and provided meaningful results for further research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total synthesis of six natural phenylethanoid glycosides (PhEGs) has been accomplished. Key steps in the divergent synthesis strategy involved glycosylation based on trichloroacetimidate donors, and one‐pot removal of benzyl and 4,6‐O‐benzylidene acetal groups by hydrogenation over Pd/C. Among them, four natural PhEGs, scroside D (2), rebouoside B (3), ginkgoside C (4), and ginkgoside D (5) were synthesized for the first time. In the subsequent antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory activities evaluation, all compounds showed strong DPPH radical scavenging activities, and compounds 1–2, 5–6 exhibited obvious inhibitory activities against mushroom tyrosinase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the regularity and ergodic properties of the Branching Collision Process with Immigration (BCIP) in this paper. We establish an easy checking sufficient condition under which the Feller minimal BCIP is honest. We provide some good conditions under which the Feller minimal BCIP is positive recurrent and then establish an analytic form of the generating function of the stationary distribution. The closely associated expected hitting times are also considered. Examples and numerical calculations are provided to illustrate our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To observe the effects of chalazion and its treatments on meibomian gland function and morphology in the chalazion area.Methods: This nonrandomized, prospective observational clinical study included 58 patients (67 eyelids) who were cured of chalazion, including 23 patients (23 eyelids) treated with a conservative method and 35 patients (44 eyelids) treated with surgery. Infrared meibomian gland photography combined with image analysis by ImageJ software was used to measure the chalazion area proportion. Slit-lamp microscopy was employed to evaluate meibomian gland function, and a confocal microscope was used to observe meibomian gland acinar morphology before treatment and 1 month after complete chalazion resolution.Results: At 1 month after chalazion resolution, the original chalazion area showed meibomian gland loss according to infrared meibomian gland photography in both groups. In patients who received conservative treatment, the meibomian gland function parameters before treatment were 0.74 ± 0.75, 0.48 ± 0.67, and 1.22 ± 0.60, respectively. One month after chalazion resolution, the parameters were 0.35 ± 0.49, 0.17 ± 0.49, and 0.91 ± 0.60, respectively; there was significant difference (P < 0.05). The proportion of the chalazion area before treatment was 14.90 (11.03, 25.3), and the proportion of meibomian gland loss at 1 month after chalazion resolution was 14.64 (10.33, 25.77); there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). In patients who underwent surgery, the meibomian gland function parameters before surgery were 0.93 ± 0.87, 1.07 ± 0.70, and 1.59 ± 0.76, respectively, and at 1 month after chalazion resolution, they were 0.93 ± 0.82, 0.95 ± 0.75, and 1.52 ± 0.70, respectively; there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The proportion of the chalazion area before surgery was 14.90 (12.04, 21.6), and the proportion of meibomian gland loss at 1 month after chalazion resolution was 14.84 (11.31, 21.81); there was no significant difference (P > 0.05). The acinar structure could not be observed clearly in the meibomian gland loss area in most patients.Conclusions: Chalazion causes meibomian gland loss, and the range of meibomian gland loss is not related to the treatment method but to the range of chalazion itself. A hot compress as part of conservative treatment can improve meibomian gland function at the site of chalazion in the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Although Botulinum Toxin Type A (BTXA) has been applied to scar prevention and treatment, the mechanisms still require further exploration. Objective. To investigate the effects of BTXA on microvessels in the hypertrophic scar models on rabbit ears. Methods. Eight big-eared New Zealand rabbits (males or females) were selected to establish scar models. One ear of each rabbit (4 models in each ear) was selected randomly to be injected with BTXA immediately after modeling and included in the treated group, while the opposite ear was untreated and included in the control group. The growth of scars in each group was observed and recorded, and 4 rabbits were sacrificed on days 30 and 45 after modeling. Then, scar height was measured by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was detected by immunohistochemical (IHC) testing, and microvessel density (MVD) was calculated based on CD34 (human hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen). Results. The wounds in each group were well healed and free from infection or necrosis. On days 30 and 45, the scar height, MVD value, and VEGF expression in the treated group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). For the treated group, the above indicators on day 45 were lower than on day 30 (P > 0.05). Besides, there was a positive correlation between the MVD value and the VEGF expression in the treated group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The injection of BTXA immediately after modeling inhibits VEGF expression and reduces angiogenesis, thereby inhibiting hypertrophic scar formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,3,4,6‐Tetra‐O‐chloroacetyl‐glycopyranoses are key precursors for the formation of glycosyl donors which are important building blocks in carbohydrate chemistry. Inexpensive ammonium acetate (NH4OAc) was found to be an effective reagent for anomeric dechloroacetylations in carbohydrates, giving 2,3,4,6‐tetra‐O‐chloroacetyl‐glycopyranoses in excellent yields. This strategy is convenient for operation and purification, and thus suitable for the large‐scale synthesis. Based on this methodology, two cinnamoyl glucose esters were successfully prepared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, 1-mm-thickness monomer cast nylon 6 sheets were joined under the pressure and the frictional heat generated between the pinless tool and thin stainless steel plates, which was named friction spot pressure welding technology. Influences of welding parameters on spot weld diameter, morphology, and mechanical performance were investigated. Results showed that incomplete interfacial bonding was observed under insufficient plunge depth. Increased rotational speed, plunge depth, and dwell time caused severer extrusion ring and reticular cracks on the joint surface. Material overheating occurred under rotational speed of 1000 rpm and material adhesion on the back of steel plate happened under plunge depth of 0.25 mm. The weld-bonded area diameter increased with larger welding parameters, but the corresponding joint fracture loads increased and then decreased. Four failure modes including lap interface tearing (IT), upper sheet fracture (UF), outer bonding area separation (BS), and the mixed UF and BS were observed. Spot welds failed with UF possessed the maximum tensile load while joints fractured with IT showed low performance. Three different morphologies were observed on the fracture surface of the IT joints while the fracture surfaces of the joints failed with other fracture modes showed elongated strips and flocculent structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large deviation rates are determined for quantities associated with a Markov branching process (X t : t ≥ 0) having offspring mean m ∈ (1 , ∞) and split rate a > 0. The principal quantities examined are P (| X t + τ / X t − exp (a (m − 1) t) | > 𝜖) and P (| W − W t | > 𝜖) , where W is the almost sure limit of an appropriately normed version of X t . Modifications and conditional versions are examined. Some of this requires determination of the asymptotic behavior of harmonic moments E (X t − r). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Protein degradation is the main reason of exercise induced muscle damage (ElMO). High-intensity exercise may lead to the misfolding of proteins and fonn aggregates, which is harmful to the ultrastructure of skeleton muscle. OBJECTIVE: To determine the formation and role of protein aggregate (especially the desmin aggregate) in ElMO. METHODS: Sixty-four adult male Sprague-Dawtey rats (purchased from Beijing Vital River Laboratory Animal Technology Co., Ltd., China) were randomly divided into eight groups (control, post-exercise 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours, eight rats in each). A damage model was established by downhill running (-160, 16m/min, 90 minutes). All rats were then killed at corresponding time points to take the soleus as specimen. Severity of damage was observed histologically under a transmission electron microscope. Expression of ubiquitin in the insoluble protein of soleus muscle was detected using western blot, and expression of desmin aggregates was observed by immunofluorescence double labeling. All experimental procedures were approved by the Beijing Sport University Institutional Review Board. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After a large-load eccentric exercise, the sarcomere of the soleus muscle was widened, the Z-line was broken, and the myofibril was broken and distorted, all of which was most serious at 12 hours after exercise, and recovered completely at 72 hours after exercise. (2) Western blot results indicated that the expression of ubiquitin in the skeletal muscle increased first and then decreased after a large-load eccentric exercise. The expression peaked at 12 hours after exercise and returned to normal at 72 hours after exercise. (3)0verall expression of desmin aggregates significantly raised (P < 0.01) instantly when the ElMO occurred. It reached the peak at 12 hours after exercise, then reduced somewhat (P < 0.01) at 24 and 48 hours, and finally recovered at 72 hours. (4)These findings indicate that desmin aggregation may be one of the causes of ElMO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two undescribed phenolic compounds, angelicols A (1) and B (2) and one undescribed coumarin rhamnoside, angelicoside A (3), together with 17 known compounds (4–20) were isolated from the roots of Angelica dahurica. Their structures were characterized by physical data analyses such as NMR, HRESIMS, and X-ray diffraction. Compounds 2, 3, 5, 6 and L-ascorbic acid (positive control) exhibited obvious DPPH radical scavenging activities with IC50 values of 0.36 mM, 0.43 mM, 0.39 mM, 0.44 mM, 0.25 mM, respectively. At a concentration of 25 μM, all compounds showed weaker tyrosinase inhibition activities (%inhibition < 5%) than kojic acid (26.00 ± 0.67%, IC50 = 44.29 ± 0.06 μM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: A high-intensity eccentric exercise may lead to skeletal muscle damage, endoplasmic reticulum stress, increasing misfolded proteins. Aggraphagy works as an effective way of controlling quality of proteins and plays an important role in damage repair. OBJECTIVE: To discover the activation degree of aggrephagy in the damage repair process after an overload eccentric exercise, and to discuss the role of aggrephagy in the exercise-induced muscle damage, which is supplementary to the protein degradation pathway in skeletal muscle damage. METHODS: Sixty-four male adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a static control group (n=8) and seven exercise groups according to post-exercise time (0, 3, 6, 12, 24,48 and 72 hours, eight rats in each). Damage models were established by downhill running (-16°, 16m/min, 90 minutes). Subsequently, the histological changes of the rat soleus muscle was observed under an electron microscope and protein expressions of histone deacetylase 6 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3II/I related to aggrephagy were detected using western bot assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Under the transmission electron microscope, the rat soleus muscle was disordered and widened and appeared to have transient sarcomere, the Z line was water wave-like, broken and disappeared, and the mitochondria were swollen and unevenly distributed with an unclear structure after high-intensity eccentric exercise. The model rats suffered severest muscle damage at 12 hours and recovered completely at 72 hours after high-intensity eccentric exercise. (2) After one-time eccentric exercise, the expression of histone deacetylase 6 had a transient increase. The histone deacetylase 6 expression reached the peak at 6 hours, then gradually reduced and recovered at 72 hours after exercise. The microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3II/I expression was significantly increased at 3 hours after exercise, reached the peak at 12 hours, then reduced significantly and recovered at 72 hours after exercise. All these findings indicate that aggrephagy transiently happens and exerts important roles in the clearance of misfolded proteins, maintenance of cellular environmental homeostasis and recovery of skeletal muscle damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One novel neoligan glucoside, Ginkgoside B (1), and one new glucose ester, 6-O-(4-hydroxyhydrocinnamoyl)-d-glucopyranose (2), along with nine known compounds (3–11) were isolated from the ethanol extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves. Their structures were elucidated by combination of spectroscopic analyses and alkaline methanolysis. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity activities, and compound 11 exhibited IC50 values of 36.20 and 58.95 μM against 5637 and HeLa cell lines, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disorders mainly caused by ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R), including stroke and myocardial infarction, is linked to debilitating health conditions and death. Recent research indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate the process of ischemic pathology. This study investigated the effects of miR‐145‐5p in regulating myocardial ischemic injury. The I/R models were established in rat cardiomyocytes H9C2 and rats. Western blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze protein expression. Annexin V‐FITC/PI staining was conducted to evaluate cell apoptosis. The application of miR‐145‐5p mimics and inhibitor revealed that miR‐145‐5p promoted apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, we found that miR‐145‐5p directly inhibited dual specificity phosphatase 6 (DUSP6) by luciferase reporter assay. The results indicated that DUSP6 was beneficial against I/R injury through inhibiting c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase pathways. In conclusion, the essential roles of miR‐145‐5p and DUSP6 in I/R provide a novel therapeutic target to develop future intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, friction plug welding technology was employed to join Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene sheets. Proper welding process was investigated and determined first, and the influence of plug diameter and length, blind hole profile and depth on joint morphology and mechanical performance was investigated subsequently. Results showed that incomplete connection was generated at the weld boundary when no chuck was utilized, and excellent bonding was produced with the employment of a chuck. Joints produced with blind holes that characterized by perpendicular base angle showed incomplete fusion at the bottom corner of the weld while defect-free joints were obtained with rounded hole base angle. Plug size and blind hole depth significantly affected the joint morphology and strength. Cavities were formed under small plug diameter, excessive plug length or large blind hole depth, and weak connection occurred when plug length was small. Joint shear strength increased with the plug diameter but decreased with the plug length. Proper increase of the hole depth slightly influenced the joint quality, but extreme hole depth caused reduced joint strength. Only joints fabricated with insufficient plug length failed with lower nugget pulling out and other spot welds failed with shear fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because there are less restrictions in space, a variety of different movement patterns and equipment structures may be used during the process of planetary surface sampling. Traditionally, the optimal analysis for surface sampling is focused on specific equipment structures and movements; in contrast, a new modular motion-structure design model for surface sampling, which is a more flexible model, is discussed in this paper. By establishing and combining two basic module groups, namely, the motion group and the structure group, this new design model can define and analyse multiple movement patterns and structures. For the motion group, calculating the sampling trajectory is the main purpose, in which there are two basic modules: tridimensional uniform rectilinear movements and tridimensional uniform circular movements. The two basic motion modules can be freely combined in a given coordinate system to simulate a random sampling trajectory. The structure group contains a series of curved and flat plates, which can be defined by a set of unified parameters (including section, extension, and cutting parameters). By assigning different values to these parameters, the curved or flat plates can represent different external shapes. The different structures of the various pieces of surface sampling equipment can be simulated by combining these different plates. In addition to defining these basic modules, analysing the coupling among different modules, which can be simplified to the relationship between velocity and surface, plays an important role in establishing this design model. Based on the modular design theory, this new model will not only reduce the difficulty of analysis but also improve accuracy for planetary surface sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]