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To realize carbon neutrality, there is an urgent need to develop sustainable, green energy systems (especially solar energy systems) owing to the environmental friendliness of solar energy, given the substantial greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-based power sources. When it comes to the evolution of intelligent green energy systems, Internet of Things (IoT)-based green-smart photovoltaic (PV) systems have been brought into the spotlight owing to their cutting- edge sensing and data-processing technologies. This review is focused on three critical segments of IoT-based green-smart PV systems. First, the climatic parameters and sensing technologies for IoT-based PV systems under extreme weather conditions are presented. Second, the methods for processing data from smart sensors are discussed, in order to realize health monitoring of PV systems under extreme environmental conditions. Third, the smart materials applied to sensors and the insulation materials used in PV backsheets are susceptible to aging, and these materials and their aging phenomena are highlighted in this review. This review also offers new perspectives for optimizing the current international standards for green energy systems using big data from IoT-based smart sensors.

Abstract Quantum heat engines and refrigerators are open quantum systems, whose dynamics can be well understood using a non-Hermitian formalism. A prominent feature of non-Hermiticity is the existence of exceptional points (EPs), which has no counterpart in closed quantum systems. It has been shown in classical systems that dynamical encirclement in the vicinity of an EP, whether the loop includes the EP or not, could lead to chiral mode conversion. Here, we show that this is valid also for quantum systems when dynamical encircling is performed in the vicinity of their Liouvillian EPs (LEPs), which include the effects of quantum jumps and associated noise—an important quantum feature not present in previous works. We demonstrate, using a Paul-trapped ultracold ion, the first chiral quantum heating and refrigeration by dynamically encircling a closed loop in the vicinity of an LEP. We witness the cycling direction to be associated with the chirality and heat release (absorption) of the quantum heat engine (quantum refrigerator). Our experiments have revealed that not only the adiabaticity breakdown but also the Landau–Zener–Stückelberg process play an essential role during dynamic encircling, resulting in chiral thermodynamic cycles. Our observations contribute to further understanding of chiral and topological features in non-Hermitian systems and pave a way to exploring the relation between chirality and quantum thermodynamics.

Abstract In this paper, we present an improved calculation for the decay rate of the rare Z-boson decay into $$J/\psi + J/\psi .$$ J / ψ + J / ψ . This decay is dominated by the photon fragmentation mechanism, i.e., the transition $$Z\rightarrow J/\psi + \gamma ^{*}$$ Z → J / ψ + γ ∗ followed by the fragmentation $$\gamma ^{*}\rightarrow J/\psi .$$ γ ∗ → J / ψ . In our calculation, the amplitude of $$\gamma ^{*}\rightarrow J/\psi $$ γ ∗ → J / ψ is extracted from the measured value of $$\Gamma (J/\psi \rightarrow e^+ e^-),$$ Γ ( J / ψ → e + e - ) , and the amplitude of $$Z\rightarrow J/\psi + \gamma ^{*}$$ Z → J / ψ + γ ∗ is calculate through the light-cone approach. The higher-order QCD and relativistic corrections in the amplitude of $$\gamma ^{*}\rightarrow J/\psi $$ γ ∗ → J / ψ and the large logarithms of $$m_{_Z}^2/m_c^2$$ m Z 2 / m c 2 that appear in the amplitude of $$Z\rightarrow J/\psi + \gamma ^{*}$$ Z → J / ψ + γ ∗ are resummed in our calculation. Besides, the non-fragmentation amplitude is calculated based on the NRQCD factorization, and the next-to-leading order QCD and relativistic corrections are included. The obtained branching fraction for this Z decay channel is $$8.66 ^{+1.48} _{-0.69}\times 10^{-11}.$$ 8 . 66 - 0.69 + 1.48 × 10 - 11 .

ABSTRACTAlpinia zerumbet cv. ’Variegata’, as a special spice, has attracted social attention for its potential to replace synthetic chemicals as insecticides and repellents in food protection. In this work, the essential oils (EOs) from different organs of Alpinia zerumbet cv. ’Variegata’ (stem and leaf, flower, and rhizome) were extracted by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The contact toxicities and repellent activities of the extracted EOs, along with their common components, against three insect species (Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne, and Liposcelis bostrychophila) were evaluated. GC-MS analysis identified 25 components, and eucalyptol and camphor were the common primary components in the three EOs. The result showed that EOs and the main components (eucalyptol and camphor) exhibited varying degrees of contact toxicity and repellent activity against three insect species. Camphor exhibited more obvious contact toxicity than eucalyptol against both insect species (L. serricorne and L. bostrychophila), but the toxic effect was opposite for T. castaneum. The gray relation analysis explained that REOA had the strongest repellency against L. serricorne, with a coefficient of 0.52. The results in this study suggest that EOs of A. zerumbet cv. ’Variegata’ have the potential to be developed into botanical insecticides and repellents to control stored-product insects.

Abstract Smart sensors with excellent performance are accelerating the development of biomedicine and the Internet of Energy. Nanodielectrics exhibit unique electrical and mechanical properties. As the predominant materials in optical magnetic field sensor (MFS), they can not only exert the anti‐interference of optical sensing, but improve the measuring characteristics of optical sensors. For instance, the optical fibre quantum probe for the magnetic field can obtain a higher sensitivity of 0.57 nT/Hz1/2, while the measurement range of the sensor that uses Co‐doped ZnO nanorods as cladding is 17–180 mT. Here, these exciting recent achievements in the realm of optical sensing methods for magnetic field detection are reviewed, with a focus on nanodielectrics, which provide an emerging opportunity to achieve higher sensitivity and a wider measurement range of MFS.

Melicope pteleifolia is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant that is thought to be developed as a biological insecticide. In this work, essential oils (EOs) of M. pteleifolia (collected in 2021 and 2022) over different extraction time (1 h, 2 h, 5 h) were investigated for their chemical composition and insecticidal activities. The EOs extracted from fresh leaves in 2021 were named A1h, A2h and A5h, and extracted from fresh leaves in 2022 were named B1h, B2h and B5h. The chemical components of EOs were analyzed by GC-MS. α-Thujene is the common primary compound of the EOs A1h, A2h and A5h, which contained 83.27%, 63.86% and 25.17%, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that sesquiterpenes were the primary representative components in EOs. The EOs that were extracted for 5 h were significantly different from other EOs. Moreover, the EOs and α-thujene showed obvious contact and repellent activities against Lasioderma serricorne and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The gray correlation degree explained that EOs A2h and A5h had the strongest repellency against L. serricorne, while EOs A1h and B1h had the most significant repellent effect on L. bostrychophila, with coefficients above 0.50. The comprehensive score of weighting coefficient revealed that the scores of EOs A1h and A5h were the highest and both reached 0.80. In general, M. pteleifolia have the potential to be exploited as biological insecticide.

A new real-time underwater equipment location method adopting an electric field induced by a standard current source is proposed. Our goals were real-time tracking and location of stationary or moving underwater equipment both in shallow and deep seas, under noisy conditions. The main features of this method are as follows: (1) a standard current source on the water surface, which can be towed by a vehicle, consisting of two electrodes, a signal generator, and a GPS unit; (2) measurement of the extremely low frequency (ELF) electric field emitted by the current source, made possible by electric field sensors on the underwater equipment; (3) position of the underwater equipment is estimated in real time based on a progressive update extended Kalman filter (PUEKF), which is carried out using the propagation model of an ELF electric field because the electric field at the position of the underwater equipment and the current source position are known. We verified the accuracy of our method and confirmed real-time location feasibility through numerical, physical scale, and real-time sea experiments. Through numerical experiments, we verified that our method works for underwater equipment location in real-world conditions, and the location error can be less than 0.2 m. Next, real-time location experiments for stationary underwater measuring equipment in water tank were conducted. The result shows that the location error can be less than 0.1 m. We also confirmed real-time location feasibility through the use of offshore experiment. We expect that our method will complement conventional underwater acoustic location methods for underwater equipment in acoustically noisy environments.

We study the Zcs(3985) and Zcs(4000) exotic states in the decays of Λb baryons through a molecular scenario. In the final state interaction, the Λb→Λc+Ds(⁎)− decays are followed by the Λc+Ds(⁎)− to Zcs−p rescatterings via exchange of a D(⁎) meson. We predict a branching fraction of (3.1−2.6+1.4)×10−4 for Λb→Zcs−p, which can be measured in the Λb→J/ψK(⁎)−p decay. This study proposes a new approach to test the molecular model, and guides future experimental searches for the Zcs(3985) and Zcs(4000).

Blumea balsamifera (L.) DC. (Asteraceae), also known as sambong, is a perennial herb used in China for medicinal purposes. The essential oil (EO) of B. balsamifera was extracted by hydrodistillation. Thirty chemical components of the EO were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and GC, accounting for 88.0% (w/w) of the total oil. The EO of B. balsamifera was mainly composed of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, in which borneol (23.3%), β-caryophyllene (20.9%) and camphor (11.8%) were the major components. The insecticidal activities of the EO and its three main compounds against Tribolium castaneum, Lasioderma serricorne and Sitophilus oryzae were evaluated. The results of bioassays displayed that the EO of B. balsamifera did not have fumigant toxicity to the three target insects, but exhibited significant contact activity against L. serricorne (LD50 = 12.4 μg/adult) and S. oryzae (LD50 = 44.4 μg/adult). Meanwhile, the EO showed a notable repellent effect on T. castaneum at all testing concentrations and a general repellent effect on S. oryzae at high concentrations (78.63 nL/cm2). β-Caryophyllene showed the best performance in the contact toxicity bioassays against the three insects. The results indicated that B. balsamifera has the potential to be used as a source of botanical insecticides for the control of stored-product insects.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute a significant component of the tumor microenvironment. This work reviewed the latest progress in comprehending the function of TAMs and their strategies for cancer therapy. TAMs are highly heterogeneous and plastic and exhibit different functional phenotypes in response to different signal stimuli. The emergence of single-cell technologies allows us to revisit their diversity in cancer. When their pro-inflammatory function is activated, antitumor TAMs support and activate adaptive immune cells to eliminate cancer cells through T cell-mediated killing. In the context of cancer, anti-inflammatory TAMs play a variety of pro-tumor functions, such as releasing cytokines to promote the recruitment of bone marrow cells, promoting tumor angiogenesis, and inhibiting cytotoxic T cell function. The plasticity of TAMs makes them a potential tumor therapeutic target, so finally, we updated strategies for targeting TAMs and the TAM-targeting agents currently being evaluated in clinical trials.

Background: Aspirin, with its pleiotropic effects such as anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation, has been widely used for anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and cardiovascular diseases. However, the association between the use of aspirin before the intensive care unit (ICU) and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) is unknown.Methods: Patients with AKI in this retrospective observational study were selected from the Marketplace for Medical Information in Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV). The association between aspirin intervention and 30-day mortality was assessed using Cox proportional hazards model. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of aspirin intervention with the risks of intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding and blood transfusion. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was adopted to balance the baseline variables. Sensitivity analysis was performed to validate the results by multiple interpolations for the missing data.Results: The study included 4237 pre-ICU aspirin users and 9745 non-users. In multivariate models, we found a decreased risk of mortality in those who received aspirin before ICU compared to those who did not (30-day:hazard ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.62–0.79; p < 0.001; 90-day:HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.63–0.77, p < 0.001; 180-day:HR, 0.72; 95%CI,0.65–0.79, p < 0.001). This benefit was consistent in the post-PSM analyses, sensitivity analyses, and subgroup analyses. Moreover, aspirin intervention was associated with a reduced risk of intracranial hemorrhage and gastrointestinal bleeding (HR, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.10–0.25; p < 0.001; HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.38–0.88, p = 0.012) after being adjusted by relating covariates, whereas with a increased risk of blood transfusion (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.16–1.46; p < 0.001).Conclusion: Patients with AKI treated with aspirin before ICU admission might have reduced 30-day, 90-day and 180-day mortality without increasing the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) or gastrointestinal bleeding, but may increase the risk of transfusion.

Increasing evidence indicates that mitochondrial fission imbalance plays an important role in delayed neuronal cell death. Our previous study found that photobiomodulation improved the motor function of rats with spinal cord injury. However, the precise mechanism remains unclear. To investigate the effect of photobiomodulation on mitochondrial fission imbalance after spinal cord injury, in this study, we treated rat models of spinal cord injury with 60-minute photobiomodulation (810 nm, 150 mW) every day for 14 consecutive days. Transmission electron microscopy results confirmed the swollen and fragmented alterations of mitochondrial morphology in neurons in acute (1 day) and subacute (7 and 14 days) phases. Photobiomodulation alleviated mitochondrial fission imbalance in spinal cord tissue in the subacute phase, reduced neuronal cell death, and improved rat posterior limb motor function in a time-dependent manner. These findings suggest that photobiomodulation targets neuronal mitochondria, alleviates mitochondrial fission imbalance-induced neuronal apoptosis, and thereby promotes the motor function recovery of rats with spinal cord injury.

Magnetic sensor based on functional dielectric with high-efficiency energy property is projected to stimulate technological advancement in the fields of energy internet, power engineering materials, energy harvesting and storage, touchless human–machine interface, and magnetoreception for artificial intelligence (AI). At present, the research and development of hypersensitive magnetic sensors remain extraordinarily challenging. The effects of magnetoelectric (ME) composite electrodes with different conductivities and their electromechanical resonance frequency of Metal/PZT/Metal laminates were investigated in this paper. The results of calculations and experiments showed that the magnetoelectric coupling in the magnetoelectric composite (Metal/PZT/Metal) was mostly caused by the piezoelectricity effect in the radial direction and Ampere force under DC bias magnetic fields. According to the radial strain measurement, it can be further indicated that the capping layer with high conductivity produced a larger magnetoelectric voltage at the range of resonance frequency. Therefore, the ME voltage coefficient of the silver electrodes was higher than that of the gold electrodes, and they were 77.8 mV/(cm Oe) and 58.3 mV/(cm Oe) at a DC magnetic field of 3000 Oe, respectively. The ME coupling in the ME composite was mostly connected to the piezoelectricity effect and Ampere force, as well as the conductivity of the electrode layer of the ME composite. The optimization of the electrode structures of magnetoelectric composites provides a vital reference for the development of energy storage, information storage and sensing technology in new power systems.

Plant photosynthesis assimilates CO2 from the atmosphere, and CO2 diffusion efficiency is mainly constrained by stomatal and mesophyll resistance. The stomatal and mesophyll conductance of plants are sensitive to abiotic stress factors, which affect the CO2 concentrations at carboxylation sites to control photosynthetic rates. Early studies conducted relevant reviews on the responses of stomatal conductance to the environment and the limitations of mesophyll conductance by internal structure and biochemical factors. However, reviews on the abiotic stress factors that systematically regulate plant CO2 diffusion are rare. Therefore, in this review, the rapid and long-term responses of stomatal and mesophyll conductance to abiotic stress factors (such as light intensity, drought, CO2 concentration and temperature) and their physiological mechanisms are summarized. Finally, future research trends are also investigated.

An analysis of the J/ψ→ηη′γ decay by the BESIII collaboration claims the observation of an exotic state η1(1855) with IGJPC=0+1−+. To establish its C-parity partner η1′(1855) in the picture of the KK¯1(1400) molecular state, we propose that J/ψ→η1′(1855)η(′) receives the main contributions from the final state interaction of KK⁎(K+K⁎−, K−K⁎+, K0K¯⁎0, and K¯0K⁎0). Specifically, K and K⁎ in J/ψ→KK⁎ decays transform as η1′(1855)η(′), by exchanging a K1(1400). We predict B(J/ψ→η1′(1855)η)=(6.3−3.5+12.6)×10−6, and B(J/ψ→η1′(1855)η′)=(6.5−4.6+6.6)×10−6, which can be studied in the J/ψ→K⁎K¯⁎η(′) decays.

IntroductionSelenium is a critical trace element with antioxidant activities that has been related to the preservation of kidney function. Few studies, however, have looked at the effects of excess selenium on kidneys. The purpose of the present study was performed to investigate the relationship between dietary selenium intake and the prevalence of microalbuminuria in American adults with obesity.MethodsA total of 8,547 participants with obesity in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with the age of 19 years or older were included in the present study. Multivariable regression and subgroup analyses were performed to examine the association between dietary selenium and microalbuminuria in the two genders, separately. A selenium intake above the median was defined as high selenium intake.ResultsDietary selenium intake was significantly higher in men compared to women (139.49 μg/day vs. 101.06 μg/day; P < 0.0001). Among female participants, the prevalence of microalbuminuria was significantly higher in participants with a high selenium intake compared with those without a high selenium intake (13.82 vs. 9.96%; P = 0.008), whereas this difference did not exist in male participants (10.79 vs. 11.97%; P = 0.40). Dietary selenium is not significantly correlated with microalbuminuria (P = 0.68) in the male population, whereas each 1 μg/day of increase in selenium consumption was independently associated with a 6h higher risk of microalbuminuria (OR = 1.006; 95% CI, 1.001–1.011, P = 0.01) in females.ConclusionAccording to our research, excessive selenium consumption is positively correlated with microalbuminuria in females with obesity, but not in males with obesity.

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the possibility of testing the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter (DM) models by applying the simplest phenomenological model which introduces an interaction term between dark energy (DE) and WIMP DM, i.e., Q = 3γ DM Hρ DM. In general, the coupling strength γ DE is close to 0 as the interaction between DE and WIMP DM is very weak, thus the effect of γ DE on the evolution of Y associated with DM energy density can be safely neglected. Meanwhile, our numerical calculation also indicates that x f ≈ 20 is associated with DM freeze-out temperature, which is the same as the vanishing interaction scenario. As for DM relic density, it will be magnified by 2 − 3 γ DM 2 2 π g ∗ m DM 3 / 45 s 0 x f 3 γ DM $$ \frac{2-3{\upgamma}_{\mathrm{DM}}}{2}{\left[2\pi {g}_{\ast }{m}_{\mathrm{DM}}^3/\left(45{s}_0{x}_f^3\right)\right]}^{\gamma_{\mathrm{DM}}} $$ times, which provides a new way to test WIMP DM models. As an example, we analyze the case in which WIMP DM is a scalar DM. (SGL+SNe+Hz) and (CMB+BAO+SNe) cosmological observations will give γ DM = 0.134 − 0.069 + 0.17 $$ {0.134}_{-0.069}^{+0.17} $$ and γ DM = −0.0008 ± 0.0016, respectively. After further considering the constraints from DM direct detection experiment, DM indirect detection experiment, and DM relic density, we find that the allowed parameter space of the scalar DM model will be completely excluded for the former cosmological observations, while it will increase for the latter ones. Those two cosmological observations lead to an almost paradoxical conclusion. Therefore, one could expect more stringent constraints on the WMIP DM models, with the accumulation of more accurate cosmological observations in the near future.

Abstract Background NOD-like receptors affect multiple stages of cancer progression in many malignancies. NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 7 (NLRP7) is a member of the NOD-like receptor family, although its role in tumorigenesis remains unclear. By analyzing clinical samples, we found that NLRP7 protein levels were upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC). We proposed the hypothesis that a high level of NLRP7 in CRC may promote tumor progression. Here, we further investigated the role of NLRP7 in CRC and the underlying mechanism. Methods NLRP7 expression in human CRC and adjacent non-tumorous tissues was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. The effect of NLRP7 in CRC progression was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Proteins interacting with NLRP7 were identified by immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis while immunofluorescence staining revealed the cellular location of the proteins. Cellular ubiquitination and protein stability assays were applied to demonstrate the ubiquitination effect on NLRP7. Cloning and mutagenesis were used to identify a lysine acceptor site that mediates NLRP7 ubiquitination. Cytokines/chemokines affected by NLRP7 were identified by RNA sequencing, qRT-PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Macrophage phenotypes were determined using qRT-PCR, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. Results NLRP7 protein levels, but not mRNA levels, were upregulated in CRC, and increased NLRP7 protein expression was associated with poor survival. NLRP7 promoted tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo and in vitro and interacted with ubiquitin-specific protease 10, which catalyzed its deubiquitination in CRC cells. NLRP7 stability and protein levels in CRC cells were modulated by ubiquitination and deubiquitination, and NLRP7 was involved in the ubiquitin-specific protease 10 promotion of tumor progression and metastasis in CRC. K379 was an important lysine acceptor site that mediates NLRP7 ubiquitination in CRC cells. In CRC, NLRP7 promoted the polarization of pro-tumor M2-like macrophages by inducing the secretion of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2. Furthermore, NLRP7 promoted NF-κB nuclear translocation and activation of C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 transcription. Conclusions We showed that NLRP7 promotes CRC progression and revealed an as-yet-unidentified mechanism by which NLRP7 induces the polarization of pro-tumor M2-like macrophages. These results suggest that NLRP7 could serve as a biomarker and novel therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.

As a source of aromatic plants, the genus Artemisia has long been considered to have the potential to develop plant pesticides. In this study, components of essential oils from A. dalai-lamae, A. tangutica, A. sieversiana, A. tanacetifolia and A. ordosica were identified by GC-MS. A total of 56 constituents were analysed, and each species consisted of 9 to 24 constituents. Principle component analysis (PCA) revealed that A. dalai-lamae, A. tangutica and A. tanacetifolia are characterised by monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed the most remarkable similarity between A. sieversiana and A. ordosica, but the similarity was still lower than 50%. Contact toxicity and repellency of essential oils were evaluated by bioassays; A. ordosica oil exhibited the most substantial contact toxicity (LD50 = 52.11 μg/cm2) against Liposcelis bostrychophila, while A. tangutica oil showed the most potent contact toxicity (LD50 = 17.42 μg/adult) against Tribolium castaneum. Except for A. dalai-lamae, the other four species showed the same level (p > 0.05) of repellent activity as the positive control against both pests at high concentrations. The results indicated that these five Artemisia species had high chemical diversity and great potential to be developed into more effective and environmentally friendly anti-insect agents.

Golgi-Cox staining has been used extensively in neuroscience. Despite its unique ability to identify neuronal interconnections and neural processes, its lack of consistency and time-consuming nature reduces its appeal to researchers. Here, using a spared nerve injury (SNI) mouse model and control mice, we present a modified Golgi-Cox staining protocol that can stain mouse hippocampal neurons within 8 days. In this improved procedure, the mouse brain was fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and then stored in a modified Golgi-Cox solution at 37 ± 2°C. The impregnation period was reduced from 5–14 days to 36–48 h. Brain slices prepared in this way could be preserved long-term at –80°C for up to 8 weeks. In addition to minimizing frequently encountered problems and reducing the time required to conduct the method, our modified protocol maintained, and even improved, the quality of traditional Golgi-Cox staining as applied to hippocampal neuronal morphology in SNI mice.

Abstract The transverse momentum distribution of the Higgs at large P T is complicated by its dependence on three important energy scales: P T , the top quark mass m t , and the Higgs mass m H . A strategy for simplifying the calculation of the cross section at large P T is to calculate only the leading terms in its expansion in m t 2/P T 2 and/or m H 2/P T 2. The expansion of the cross section in inverse powers of P T is complicated by logarithms of P T and by mass singularities. In this paper, we consider the top-quark loop contribution to the subprocess qq¯→H+g $$ q\overline{q}\to H+g $$ at leading order in α s . We show that the leading power of 1/P T 2 can be expressed in the form of a factorization formula that separates the large scale P T from the scale of the masses. All the dependence on m t and m H can be factorized into a distribution amplitude for tt¯ $$ t\overline{t} $$ in the Higgs, a distribution amplitude for tt¯ $$ t\overline{t} $$ in a real gluon, and an endpoint contribution. The factorization formula can be used to simplify calculations of the P T distribution at large P T to next-to-leading order in α s . The results are readily applied to the qg process via a straightforward analytical continuation.

The equivalent resistance of a class of n-step resistor networks with △ structure and multi-parameter is investigated and a breakthrough in methodology and theory is made. In this paper, a simple equivalent model is established, and a nonlinear difference equation is established by applying Kirchhoff's law. The solution of the nonlinear difference equation is given by the transformation method of variable substitution. Finally, a simple equivalent resistance formula is obtained. This paper also gives several interesting special conclusions, indicating that our network model contains a series of basic n-step resistor network models. Our method and the conclusions can also be applied to research on complex impedance networks. Keywords: n-step network, Equivalent resistance, Nonlinear difference equation, Equivalent transform, Variable substitution

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphorylated mTOR (p-mTOR) occurring downstream in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, are regarded as potential prognostic markers for gastric cancer (GC). However, the prognostic value of mTOR/p-mTOR expression remains controversial. In this study, we determined the expression of mTOR, p-mTOR, p70S6k, and p-p70S6K in GC, and investigated the correlation between their overexpression, clinicopathological parameters, and overall survival (OS).The expression of mTOR, p-mTOR, p70S6k, and p-p70S6K was examined in 120 GC patients by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The association of protein expression with clinicopathological features and OS was explored. The p-mTOR expression was detected in normal, adjacent, and GC tissues using Western blot. Eligible studies retrieved from PubMed, Ovid, Web of Science and Cochrane databases, were reviewed in this meta-analysis.IHC showed that the rates of expression of the signal transduction molecules mTOR, p-mTOR, p70S6k and p-p70S6K in GC were 60.8%, 54.2%, 53.3% and 53.3%, respectively. Overexpression of mTOR and p70S6K showed no significant association with clinical variables. Expression of p-mTOR was significantly associated with differentiation (P < 0.01), depth of invasion (P < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.04) and TNM stage (P = 0.02). Expression of p-p70S6K was associated with differentiation (P = 0.006), depth of invasion (P < 0.001), and TNM stage (P = 0.02). In survival analysis, differentiation, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage were not related to OS (all P > 0.05). Furthermore, p-mTOR and p-p70S6K expression, but not mTOR and p70S6K, were tightly associated with OS of GC patients (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). In Western blot, p-mTOR was significantly higher in GC tissues than in normal and adjacent tissues. In the present meta-analysis, mTOR overexpression showed no relationship with any clinicopathological variables. However, p-mTOR was correlated with depth of invasion, and TNM stage (all P < 0.05), and its overexpression was associated with a shorter survival time (P < 0.001).The results suggest that p-mTOR is a more valuable prognostic factor than mTOR in GC.

The current data sharing schemes mainly employ Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) technique to achieve one-to-many access control for power data. However, these schemes suffer from issues such as low encryption efficiency and vulnerability to user attribute tampering. To address these problems, a power data sharing scheme based on multi-strategy access trees is proposed. By combining ABE with symmetric encryption algorithms, specifically employing the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in conjunction with Ciphertext-Policy ABE (CP-ABE), a hybrid encryption mechanism is adopted. Building upon an encryption algorithm rooted in multi-strategy access trees, data visitors are categorized into security levels according to roles and regions. Then, a time-constrained attribute encryption scheme is proposed for designated personnel, thereby achieving confidentiality and fine-grained access control for power data. Analysis results indicate that the proposed scheme enables secure sharing of power data and is highly suitable for resource-limited power terminal devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volatile secondary metabolites of plants interact with environments heavily. In this work, characteristic components of Michelia yunnanensis essential oils (EOs) were isolated, purified and identified by column chromatography, GC-MS and NMR. Leaves of M. yunnanensis were collected monthly and extracted for EOs to investigate chemical and insecticidal activity variations as well as potential influencing environments. Different organs were employed to reveal distribution strategies of characteristic components. Results of insecticidal activities showed that all EOs samples exerted stronger contact activity to Lasioderma serricorne, but repellent effect was more efficient on Tribolium castaneum. One oxygenated sesquiterpene was isolated from EOs, basically it could be confirmed as (+)-cyclocolorenone (1). It exerted contact toxicity to L. serricorne (LD50 = 28.8 µg/adult). Chemical analysis showed that M. yunnanensis leaves in reproductive period would produce and accumulate more 1 than in vegetative period. Moreover, reproductive organs (flowers and fruits) contained more 1 than vegetative organs (leaves and twigs). Partial correlation analysis indicated that temperature-related elements positively correlated with the relative content of 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural microbial communities produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites with ecologically and biotechnologically relevant activities. Some of them have been used clinically as drugs, and their production pathways have been identified in a few culturable microorganisms. However, since the vast majority of microorganisms in nature have not been cultured, identifying the synthetic pathways of these metabolites and tracking their hosts remain a challenge. The microbial biosynthetic potential of mangrove swamps remains largely unknown. Here, we examined the diversity and novelty of biosynthetic gene clusters in dominant microbial populations in mangrove wetlands by mining 809 newly reconstructed draft genomes and probing the activities and products of these clusters by using metatranscriptomic and metabolomic techniques. A total of 3,740 biosynthetic gene clusters were identified from these genomes, including 1,065 polyketide and nonribosomal peptide gene clusters, 86% of which showed no similarity to known clusters in the Minimum Information about a Biosynthetic Gene Cluster (MIBiG) repository. Of these gene clusters, 59% were harbored by new species or lineages of Desulfobacterota-related phyla and Chloroflexota, whose members are highly abundant in mangrove wetlands and for which few synthetic natural products have been reported. Metatranscriptomics revealed that most of the identified gene clusters were active in field and microcosm samples. Untargeted metabolomics was also used to identify metabolites from the sediment enrichments, and 98% of the mass spectra generated were unrecognizable, further supporting the novelty of these biosynthetic gene clusters. Our study taps into a corner of the microbial metabolite reservoir in mangrove swamps, providing clues for the discovery of new compounds with valuable activities. IMPORTANCE At present, the majority of known clinical drugs originated from cultivated species of a few bacterial lineages. It is vital for the development of new pharmaceuticals to explore the biosynthetic potential of naturally uncultivable microorganisms using new techniques. Based on the large numbers of genomes reconstructed from mangrove wetlands, we identified abundant and diverse biosynthetic gene clusters in previously unsuspected phylogenetic groups. These gene clusters exhibited a variety of organizational architectures, especially for nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) and polyketide synthase (PKS), implying the presence of new compounds with valuable activities in the mangrove swamp microbiome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

n recent years, secondary metabolites of plants have attracted researchers’ interest as a substitute for synthetic insecticides with many advantages. Elsholtzia kachinensis is an annual herb with medicinal and edible value. In this study, the essential oil (EO) of the aerial part of E. kachinensis was extracted by hydrodistillation, and GC-MS analysed essential oil components. The results show that carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are the main components of the essential oil, accounting for 32.298% and 31.540%, respectively. EO, carvone and dehydroelsholtzia ketone are used to determine the effects against stored-product insects Lasioderma serricorne, Tribolium castaneum, Sitophilus oryzae and Liposcelis bostrychophila. The essential oil showed the most vital contact and fumigation toxicity to L. serricorne, of which LD 50 and LC 50 values were 3.85 μg/adult and 7.74 mg/L air, respectively. S. oryzae did not show repellent activity, but the repellent rate of the other three species reached 90% under EO treatment at a concentration of 78.63 nL/cm2 . Therefore, the essential oil of E. kachinensis has an insecticidal effect and has the potential to be developed as a new eco-friendly insecticide [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artemisia songarica Schrenk is a dominant sand fixation plant growing in the People's Republic of China. At present, there are rare studies on the chemical composition and biological activity of A. songarica. The chemical composition of the original oil was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and 16 compounds were determined. The main compounds were bisabolol oxide II (28.7%), nerolidol (18.6%), bisabolol (12.9%), bisaboloxide A (10.0%), and spathulenol (6.0%). The contact toxicity and repellent activity of A. songarica essential oil and four selected compounds (bisabolol, geranyl butyrate, nerolidol, and santalol) were assessed against Tribolium castaneum Herbst and Liposcelis bostrychophila Badonnel. Bioassays showed that the crude essential oil exhibited strong insecticide and repellent activities against both pests. Santalol possessed the strongest contact toxicity (50% lethal dose [LD50] = 1.29 μg per adult) against T. castaneum. Nerolidol, santalol, and geranyl butyrate showed fair contact activity against L. bostrychophila. In particular, geranyl butyrate exhibited outstanding activity (LD50 = 11.53 μg/cm2). In addition, all of the four compounds did not detect a difference between compounds and the positive control (P > 0.05) against two pests at five tested concentrations. These results indicated that A. songarica and its selected compounds could be used as prospective insecticidal and repellent agents for further development and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pd-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) supported on ZrO2 were prepared by an impregnation-reduction method. The BMNPs showed excellent catalytic performance in Suzuki carbon-carbon cross-coupling reactions and almost quantitative conversion of the substrates was obtained under mild conditions in the absence of ligand. The excellent catalytic performance of the bimetallic catalyst could be a result of the synergistic effect between the two metal components. The catalyst showed outstanding recyclability during the reaction process; no obvious decrease in catalytic performance was observed after five cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Consumer values, including but not limited to materialism, have received much less attention than other topics within research on Asian Americans.Methods: Across 3 studies (N = 6,955), the author explored the difference between Asian Americans and White/European Americans on materialism, and the mediating and moderating mechanisms.Results: Studies 1a-1c found Asian Americans, compared to White/European Americans, more strongly endorsed materialistic values. In Study 2, the author tested a multiple mediation model and demonstrated that Asian Americans, compared to White/European Americans, more strongly endorse materialistic values because they reported higher extrinsic aspirations (i.e., stronger desires for money, image, and popularity). Finally, in Study 3, the author tested a moderation model and found that Asian Americans who are higher on a general tendency to adhere to norms endorse a greater level of materialism than White/European Americans.Conclusions: The author discussed how these results have implications for expanding the research topics within research on Asian Americans, consequences for mental health and provide future directions to counteract materialism. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel broadband CPW-fed 2-iteration fractal antenna based on the circular patch and the equilateral triangle slot is designed for RF energy harvesting. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed antenna offers an impedance bandwidth of 162% from 0.88 to 8.45 GHz and a peak gain of 8.7 dBi. Afterwards, the single-stage voltage multiplier rectifier with a T shape LC matching network to reduce the reflection losses is used to realize RF-to-DC conversion in energy harvesting; here, it is also integrated with the fractal antenna to form the rectenna. Accumulating RF power from 2G (GSM), 3G (the third generation), 4G-LTE and WLAN frequency-bands, the measured results across an optimized load resistor of 4.7-kΩ show that the maximum rectenna efficiency is 51.8%, 46.1% and 45.08% at the center frequency of 2.4 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 1.9 GHz, respectively. Additionally, the measured peak conversion efficiency of the system is 24.03% at 2.4 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important feedstock for biodiesel production, microbial oil has attracted considerable interest in recent years. Here, we investigated the effect of medium composition and culture conditions on cell growth and lipid accumulation of an oleaginous fungus Fusarium sp. 3A00501 on synthetic nitrogen-limited media. The optimal nitrogen source, carbon source, and C/N molar ratio in the medium for lipid accumulation were peptone, glucose, and 76, respectively. Additionally, the optimal initial pH of the medium and culture temperature for lipid production of the fungus were 6.0 and 30°C, respectively. Under the optimized fermentation conditions, the cell biomass decreased, but the lipid content and yield increased (by about 45% and 27%, respectively) compared with the unoptimized conditions. The microbial oil produced by the fungus mainly contained palmitic, elaidic, oleic, linolenic, heneicosanoic, and eicosadienoic acids. The unsaturated fatty acids accounted for about 65% of the total fatty acids. This high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids in the oil was similar to the plant oils commonly used in biodiesel production. These results suggest that Fusarium sp. 3A00501 might be a promising strain to provide lipids for biodiesel production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boron (B) deficiency stress is frequently observed in citrus orchards and causes considerable loss of productivity and fruit quality. Carrizo citrange (Cc) has been reported as a rootstock more tolerant to B deficiency than Trifoliate orange (To). The 'Newhall' navel orange (Ns) performed better when grafted onto Cc (Ns/Cc) than when grafted onto To (Ns/To) under long-term B deficiency. The present study confirmed that Ns/Cc had higher boron content, leaf fresh weight, lower leaf chlorosis and stronger photosynthesis ability than Ns/To. Moreover, B-deficiency significantly reduced the chlorophyll and carotenoid content in Ns/To. The content of total soluble sugar and lignin were dramatically increased and the expression levels of photosynthesis-related genes were substantially down-regulated in Ns/To by B-deficient treatment. B-deficiency also strongly induced expression levels of chlorophyll decomposition-related genes, glucose synthesis-related genes and lignin synthesis-related genes, and significantly inhibited the expression of carotenoid synthesis-related genes in Ns/To. Overall, these findings suggested that the influence of To on the scion of Ns was worse than that of Cc due to differently regulating these metabolic pathways under the long term of B-deficiency. The transcriptome analysis provided further information for understanding the mechanism of the different responses of scion-rootstock combinations to B-deficiency stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a construction of concentric deformed annular slots with a stepped microstrip feed line, two designs of dual-band dual-sense circularly polarized slot antenna are proposed in this paper. Compared with the first antenna, the second design possesses the merits of simple structure by devising a twin-slot with less adjusted parameters to achieve the same satisfactory output responses. The results from simulations and measurements demonstrate that both of the antennas have good quality of impedance matching and dual-sense circular polarization at 1.6GHz and 2.5GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a third form, the so-called HP-BiNbO4 synthesized at high pressure and high temperature is investigated with the in-situ angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction (ADXRD) measurements under high pressure. We explore the compression behavior and phase stability of HP-BiNbO4. The structure of HP-BiNbO4 is first determined. The x-ray diffraction data reveal that the structure HP-BiNbO4 is stable under pressures up to 24.1 GPa. The ADXRD data yield a bulk modulus Ko = 185(7) GPa with a pressure derivative Ko′ = 2.9(0.8). Furthermore, the data are compared with those of other ABO4 compounds. The results show that the bulk modulus of HP-BiNbO4 (about 185 GPa) is slightly higher than that of tetragonal BiVO4 and significantly greater than those of the tungstates and molybdates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]