Search

Robot operating system (ROS) is a widely used robotic software development framework. In safety-critical applications that require timing guarantees, the first generation of ROS falls short. The introduction of ROS 2 has addressed some of these limitations, but its multithreaded executor still struggles to meet real-time requirements. To address this issue, we design a new multithreaded executor called RTeX for ROS 2. The goal of RTeX is to improve system performance in terms of both run-time efficiency and timing predictability. We have implemented RTeX in the latest version of ROS 2 and conducted experiments on a real platform. The experimental results demonstrate that RTeX outperforms both the default ROS 2 multithreaded executor and its state-of-the-art variant, achieving significant real-time performance improvements.

Based on the benefits of AlN solar-blind ultraviolet (SUBV) detectors in the field of photovoltaics, rare Earth element (RE) yttrium (Y) was doped and investigated to regulate the sensitization range of AlN films by dual-target co-sputtering with different Y target sputtering power. The results showed that the structure of the film changed from AlN (002) to a mixture of AlYN (002) and (100) and then to amorphous with increased Y content, accompanied by the transformation from pebble-like shape morphology to amorphous morphology. The adjusted band gap (5.65–4.51 eV) of AlYN films was widened by Y doped, notably, the film S4 (with Y content of 8.1 at.%) completely covered the solar-blind response band. In particular, there were AlYN and Y crystals formed in the film S2 (with Y content of 1.28 at.%) with low resistivity and high carrier mobility. Based on which, metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) type photodetectors (PDs) with Ag/Al/AlYN MSM interdigitated electrodes (IDE) structures were fabricated, in which the film S2 exhibited the best photo-detection characteristics at −2 V bias, with photo-to-dark current ratio (PDCR), responsivity (R), external quantum efficiency (EQE), and specific detectivity ( ${D}^{\ast } $ ) of 154.9, $35.7~\mu $ A/W, $2.27\times 10^{-{2}}$ %, and $1.42\times 10^{{10}}$ Jones, respectively, while possessing significant self-powered characteristics (PDCR was 121.5).

Most coal-fired industrial flue gases contained low concentration CO. How to deal with it effectively was a research hotspot in recent years. Catalytic oxidation was considered as the most promising method in the 21st century for the removement of CO with the high efficiency, environmentally friendly, easy to operate and low cost. In this review, the reaction mechanisms of CO oxidation were described, which could provide ideas for the development of new catalysts. The effects of supports and preparation methods on catalysts activity was also reviewed systematically. In addition, some suggestions and outlooks were provided for future development of CO catalytic oxidation.

Platelets engage in HIV-1 infection by interacting with immune cells, which has been realized broadly. However, the potential interaction between platelets and CD8+T cells remains unidentified. Here, treatment-naive individuals with HIV-1, complete immunological responders to antiretroviral therapy, and healthy controls were enrolled. First, we found that treatment-naive individuals with HIV-1 had low platelet numbers and high CD8+T-cell counts when compared with complete immunological responders to antiretroviral therapy and healthy controls, leading to a low platelet/CD8+T-cell ratio in peripheral blood, which could effectively differentiate the status of HIV-1 infection. Moreover, cytokines that may have been derived from platelets were higher in the plasma of people with HIV-1 despite viral suppression. Furthermore, we demonstrated that platelet–CD8+T-cell aggregates were elevated in treatment-naive individuals with HIV-1, which positively correlated with HIV-1 viral load but negatively correlated with CD4+T-cell count and CD4/CD8 ratio. Finally, we revealed that platelet–CD8+T-cell aggregates correlate with enhanced activation/exhaustion and pyroptosis/apoptosis compared with free CD8+T cells. Moreover, platelet-induced caspase 1 activation of CD8+T cells correlated with IL-1β and IL-18 plasma levels. In brief, we reveal the importance of platelets in HIV-1 infection, which might secrete more cytokines and mediate CD8+T-cell phenotypic characteristics by forming platelet–CD8+T-cell aggregates, which are related to poor prognosis.Platelets can bind CD8+T cells to regulate the function of CD8+T cells, and increased platelet–CD8+T-cell aggregates correlate with disease progression in people with HIV-1.

AbstractResearch on the growth mindset interventions (GMIs) on nonacademic outcomes is burgeoning. The present systematic review aims to evaluate the effects of GMIs on social–emotional outcomes among school-aged children and adolescents. Using the PRIMSA guidelines, our search across three electronic databases (PsycINFO, ERIC, and PubMed) yielded an initial identification of 1057 records. Inclusion criteria include publication format, language, participant age range, and intervention purpose, focus and components. Risk of bias was analyzed at the study level using a list of research quality indicators and across studies by comparing nonpeer reviewed versus peer reviewed publications. Our final sample yielded 13 papers including 14 studies. The findings from these studies were extracted to examine research quality, sample characteristics, intervention content, and intervention effects of the GMIs. Results showed despite that study quality, samples, and intervention designs varied, core components of the interventions were highly similar. Intervention effect results suggest that mindsets can be changed toward a growth orientation through brief GMIs, and effectiveness of GMIs on social-emotional outcomes is promising, especially in reducing depressive symptoms and aggressive reactions to perceived social exclusion. Research gaps and future directions, and implications for school psychologists and other mental health professionals are discussed.Impact StatementThis is the first study to review growth mindset interventions that target social-emotional outcomes among school-aged children and adolescents. Reviews such as this are important for researchers, school psychologists and other mental health professionals, alike. For mindset researchers, it helps in conducting future empirical studies by considering empirical and methodological implications from previous intervention studies. For practitioners, it may help to design mindset interventions in more cost-effective ways that enable them to be integrated into school-based mental health prevention or intervention programs. Generally, such interventions are effective in changing youth mindset toward a growth orientation. Evidence suggests that such interventions help ameliorate depression from getting worse and reducing aggression when adolescents experience elevated social stress. Overall, growth mindset interventions show promise in improving social-emotional outcomes and cost-efficiency, especially in school settings.

• Decorating high-dielectric-constant TiO 2 endows cell-membrane-mimic grain boundary design of Ag 2 Se. • Charge carrier/phonon selective permeability is achieved. • The decoupling of electron and phonon transport results in a high zT of 0.97 at 390 K. The coupling of charge carrier and phonon transport limits the application of Ag 2 Se as a low-toxic near-room-temperature thermoelectric material. Strategies that reduce the thermal conductivity via enhancing the phonon scattering usually lead to reduced carrier mobility due to high grain boundary potential barrier. In this study, we developed a cell-membrane-mimic grain boundary engineering strategy for decoupling the charge carrier and phonon scattering through decorating high-dielectric-constant rutile TiO 2 at Ag 2 Se grain boundaries to enable the charge carrier/phonon selective permeability. The nano-sized TiO 2 with high dielectric permittivity can secure the charge carrier transport by shielding the interfacial Coulomb potential to lower the energy barrier of grain boundaries, rendering an enhanced power factor. Additionally, benefited from the enhanced phonon scattering by TiO 2 nanoparticles, a significantly decreased lattice thermal conductivity of ∼0.20 W m−1 K−1 and a high zT of ∼0.97 at 390 K are obtained in the Ag 2 Se-based nanocomposites. This work demonstrates that such cell-membrane-mimic grain boundary engineering strategy may shed light on developing high-performance thermoelectric materials. Synergistic optimization of thermoelectric performance by decoupling electrical and thermal transport through cell-membrane-mimic grain boundary engineering. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we attempt to investigate how manufacturing firms can effectively manage artificial intelligence (AI) to deal with the tension posed by both the opportunities and risks associated with AI applications to drive iterative product innovation. We present empirical insights from three cases involving a typical Chinese manufacturing firm engaged in AI-driven iterative product innovation. We followed our sample firm for 12 months, relying on interviews, observations, and external archival data to collect rich data about its innovation process, and conducted text coding and text analytics to gain insights into the data. Our findings reveal that AI provides opportunities for broad, deep, and agile stakeholder interactions with the support of AI-enabled interactive digital platforms, intelligent manufacturing, and intelligent machines. During this process, risks emerge around data leakage, over-reliance on online intelligence decision-making, and unpredictable AI behaviors. Manufacturing firms need to manage AI by focusing on key principles relating to formulating guidelines for data management, integrating offline decision-makers’ experience into online intelligence analysis, and establishing management standards for intelligent devices. We combine these insights into a framework to illustrate how manufacturing firms manage AI to facilitate progress in iterative product innovation.

The nature of activation signals is essential in determining T cell subset differentiation; however, the features that determine T cell subset preference acquired during intrathymic development remain elusive. Here we show that naive CD4+T cells generated in the mouse thymic microenvironment lacking Scd1, encoding the enzyme catalyzing oleic acid (OA) production, exhibit enhanced regulatory T (Treg) cell differentiation and attenuated development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Scd1deletion in K14+thymic epithelia recapitulated the enhanced Tregcell differentiation phenotype of Scd1-deficient mice. The dearth of OA permitted DOT1L to increase H3K79me2 levels at the Atp2a2locus of thymocytes at the DN2–DN3 transition stage. Such epigenetic modification persisted in naive CD4+T cells and facilitated Atp2a2expression. Upon T cell receptor activation, ATP2A2 enhanced the activity of the calcium–NFAT1–Foxp3 axis to promote naive CD4+T cells to differentiate into Tregcells. Therefore, OA availability is critical for preprogramming thymocytes with Tregcell differentiation propensities in the periphery.

Abstract: Objective: A promising radiopharmaceutical 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC (99mTc-HYNIC-Octreotide) can be applied for somatostatin receptor scintigraphy with the potential to replace Indium-111 labeled somatostatin analogus. Here we evaluate whether orbital 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy can be used as a Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) activity parameter to predict the retrobulbar irradiation response. Methods: Orbital 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy was performed on 14 consecutive patients demonstrating moderated to severe Graves’ ophthalmopathy. The patients were treated with retrobulbar irradiation following the octreoscan and the response to this therapy was assessed at 3 months after the start of treatment. The orbital 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC uptake was calculated to assess the effects of treatment. Results: Among the 14 GO patients, eight (57.1%) responded to retrobulbar radiotherapy; six (42.9%) showed no change. We compared the eight responders and six non-responders in terms of orbital 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC uptake, using the orbital/occipital ratio. On the 4-h 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy, responders had a higher orbital/occipital uptake ratio than the no-responders (P = 0.001). A significant correlation was found between the orbital/occipital ratio and the clinical activity score (CAS) (P = 0.034). The Receiving-Operator-Characteristic curve showed the best threshold for discriminating active and inactive disease was 1.40 (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 83.3%). In the responders group, all these eight patients had positive scintigraphy. While there were five patients who had negative scintigraphy in the non-responders group. Conclusion: Orbital 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy can be a useful method for the estimation of disease activity and prediction the response to subsequent radiotherapy in GO patient. And the patients with positive octreoscan were more likely to respond to irradiation.

Metasurface, consisting of subwavelength cells arranged in a periodic pattern, has emerged as a promising structure for controlling the scattering. However, studies in this field have primarily focused on the electromagnetic characteristic of metasurface itself. There are few studies on developing computational models for the scattering characteristic of electrically large target coated with metasurfaces. In this article, a scattering characteristic calculation model is proposed for such target, in which the metasurfaces are treated as rectangular electromagnetic surface radiators. Based on a rectangular plate scattering model and high-frequency approximation theory, the field of metasurface cell and homogeneous material cell is derived. Then, the total scattered field can be obtained by summing up the field of all the cells. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model offers accurate scattering characteristic of electrically large target coated with phase-modulated metasurfaces. In addition, the echo and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of targets coated with metasurfaces are simulated, providing the intuitive variation of scattering characteristic. This article offers a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the design and optimization of metasurfaces based on demand, which have potential applications in diverse areas, such as radar, communication, and sensing.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been extensively deployed to improve wireless coverage due to its high mobility, while ambient backscatter communication has the advantage in improving the energy efficiency. Thus, UAV can be employed to assist ambient backscatter communications when the ground source is unavailable. In this letter, a UAV-assisted ambient backscatter communication scheme is investigated to maximize the average transmission rate of backscatter users by jointly optimizing the user scheduling, transmit power and UAV’s trajectory. The formulated problem is non-convex with integer variables, which is solved by a three-stage iterative algorithm. The user scheduling is first approximately solved. To accelerate the convergence, a coarse optimization scheme is then proposed to obtain the preliminary transmit power and trajectory. Finally, a fine optimization scheme is adopted to improve the accuracy. Simulation results show that the backscatter rate can be effectively enhanced by the proposed scheme.

Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is currently a preeminent challenge for cardiovascular medicine. It has a poor prognosis, increasing mortality, and is escalating in prevalence worldwide. Despite accounting for over 50% of all HF patients, the mechanistic underpinnings driving HFpEF are poorly understood, thus impeding the discovery and development of mechanism-based therapies. HFpEF is a disease syndrome driven by diverse comorbidities, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity, pulmonary hypertension, aging, and atrial fibrillation. There is a lack of high-fidelity animal models that faithfully recapitulate the HFpEF phenotype, owing primarily to the disease heterogeneity, which has hampered our understanding of the complex pathophysiology of HFpEF. This review provides an updated overview of the currently available animal models of HFpEF and discusses their characteristics from the perspective of energy metabolism. Interventional strategies for efficiently utilizing energy substrates in preclinical HFpEF models are also discussed.

ABSTRACT This paper presents an experimental research on the fatigue performance of corroded high-strength steel wires used in bridges. Three dimensional (3D) profile measurements and fatigue tests were conducted on [...]

Ambient backscatter communication is an energy efficient technique for massive Internet of Things (IoT). Combining with flexibly deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the UAV-aided ambient backscatter communication can establish wireless links for isolated IoT nodes efficiently. In this paper, we investigate the outage performance of the UAV-aided air-ground network with underlaid ambient backscatter communications, where the emitted signals from the air-ground link are leveraged as radio frequency (RF) carrier for ambient backscattering. The air-ground channel is modeled as a probabilistic line-of-sight (LoS) channel with Nakagami- $m$ fading. Then, the ground communication is modeled as a non-line-of-sight (NLoS) channel with Rayleigh fading. For the downlink, we derive the expressions of the outage probabilities of the backscatter link and the air-ground link. In addition, the asymptotic cases of infinite transmit power and infinite fading parameter are analyzed. For the uplink, the outage probabilities of the backscatter link and air-ground are analyzed, with the cases of infinite transmit power and fading parameter discussed. Simulation results show that the analytical results match well with the Monte Carlo results, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

AbstractIn order to improve the strengthening efficiency of damaged steel plates, shape memory alloy (SMA) was introduced as a pre-stressing carrier into the strengthening scheme. As a novel strengthening method, firstly, the mechanical properties and thermodynamic properties of NiTiNb-SMA were tested to investigate related mechanical parameters and the heat recovery performance when applied to strengthening. A total of nine specimens were repaired by the stop-hole method, the carbon fiber reinforcement polymer (CFRP) pasting method and the NiTiNb-SMA–CFRP pasting reinforcement method. Subsequently, the stress characteristics in the direction of crack extension was explored through a comparative analysis of numerical and experimental results. Research results indicated that the stress–strain behaviors of NiTiNb-SMA material at room temperature and high temperature were quite different, but the elastic modulus and tensile strength were very close. At an activation temperature of 170°C, the recovery stress of NiTiNb-SMA with a heated length of 15 cm and a single-sided embedded length of 6 cm reached 293.7 MPa. The static repairing test showed that the load stress could be reduced effectively by pasting SMA-CFRP overlays. The proposed 3D FE repairing model appeared to be in reasonable agreement with test results. The findings of this work can lay the preliminary foundation for subsequent fatigue reinforcement tests.

Orthotropic steel decks(OSD’s) are prone to fatigue cracking under cyclic loads, especially for rib-to-deck welded connection and rib-to-crossbeam welded connection. To reveal fracturing behaviors of these fatigue-prone sites, a multi-scale model of OSD’s specimen is established, including segmental shell-element part and local solid-element configuration. Based on the extended finite element method(XFEM), propagation analysis was carried out in this research. The analysis of stress intensity factor (SIF) shows that the crack at the weld root or weld toe of the rib-to-deck welded connection is a mixed-crack with modes I, II and III, where mode I plays a leading role. Besides, the maximum SIF KIof the crack at the weld toe is slightly larger than that at the weld root. For rib-to-crossbeam welded connection, the maximum SIF KIat the weld toe of the U-rib is greater than that at the weld toe of the crossbeam. The analysis of crack propagation shows that the crack growth rate at the weld toe is faster than that at the weld root with the same initial crack size and loading conditions. Similarly, for rib-to-crossbeam welded connection, the crack propagation at the weld toe of U-rib performs faster than that at the weld toe of crossbeam.

The combination of nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provides an effective solution for achieving massive connections and improving spectrum efficiency. However, the related security risk becomes serious due to the line-of-sight (LoS) channels involved and high transmit power for weaker users in NOMA-UAV networks. In this article, a UAV-assisted NOMA transmission scheme is proposed to achieve secure downlink transmission via artificial jamming, where a UAV flies straightly to serve multiple ground users in the presence of a passive eavesdropper. During the flight, only the closest NOMA users are chosen to connect with the UAV in each time slot to achieve high LoS probability. To balance the security and transmission performance, the tradeoff between the jamming power and the sum rate is investigated by jointly optimizing the power allocation, the user scheduling and the UAV trajectory. The formulated problem is mixed-integer and nonconvex due to the coupled variables. To address this, we first decompose the problem into two subproblems of power allocation and trajectory optimization. Then, they are transformed into convex ones via the first-order Taylor expansion. After that, an iterative algorithm is proposed to solve the convex problem. Finally, numerical results show that the security of the network is well enhanced and verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

The present-day globalized economy and diverse market demands have compelled an increasing number of manufacturing enterprises to move toward the distributed manufacturing pattern and the model of multi-variety and small-lot. Taking these two factors into account, this study investigates an extension of the distributed hybrid flowshop scheduling problem (DHFSP), called the distributed hybrid flowshop scheduling problem with consistent sublots (DHFSP_CS). To tackle this problem, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed as a preliminary step. The NP-hard nature of the problem necessitates the use of the iterated F-Race (I/F-Race) as the automated algorithm design (AAD) to compose a metaheuristic that requires minimal user intervention. The I/F-Race enables identifying the ideal values of numerical and categorical parameters within a promising algorithm framework. An extension of the collaborative variable neighborhood descent algorithm (ECVND) is utilized as the algorithm framework, which is modified by intensifying efforts on the critical factories. In consideration of the problem-specific characteristics and the solution encoding, the configurable solution initializations, configurable solution decoding strategies, and configurable collaborative operators are designed. Additionally, several neighborhood structures are specially designed. Extensive computational results on simulation instances and a real-world instance demonstrate that the automated algorithm conceived by the AAD outperforms the CPLEX and other state-of-the-art metaheuristics in addressing the DHFSP_CS.

Objective: Ethnic identity is a crucial aspect of identity development during adolescence. This study aimed to examine the potential protective effect of ethnic identity in the relation between peer stress and global life satisfaction among adolescents. Method: Data were collected via self-report measures from 417 adolescents (ages 14 to 18, 63.0% girls; 32.6% African American, 32.1% European American, 15.0% Asian American, 10.5% Hispanic or Latinx, 6.6% Biracial or Multiracial, and 0.7% Other) at one public, urban high school. Results: The first model tested ethnic identity as the single moderator in the entire sample, and the moderation effect was not significant. The second model added ethnicity (African American vs. European American) as another moderator, and moderation effects were significant for both moderators. Furthermore, the negative effect of peer stress on life satisfaction was stronger for African American adolescents than European American counterparts. For both racial groups, the negative effect of peer stress on life satisfaction decreased as ethnic identity increased. The third model tested a three-way interaction across peer stress, ethnicity (African American vs. European American), and ethnic identity, which was not significant. Conclusions: The results supported the buffering effect of ethnic identity in the context of peer stress for both African American and European American adolescents, and such effect appears to be more important for protecting African American adolescents’ life satisfaction, though these two moderators appear to work independently, rather than interact with each other and the peer stressor. Implications and future directions are discussed.

This paper proposes the use of Gaussian Process Regression to automatically identify relevant predictor variables in a formulation of a remaining useful life model for unmonitored, low value power network assets. Reclosers are used as a proxy for evaluating the efficacy of this method. Distribution network reclosers are typically high-volume assets without on-line monitoring, leading to an insufficient understanding of which factors drive their failures. The ubiquity of reclosers, and their lack of monitoring, prevents the tracking of their individual remaining life, and, confirms their use in validating the proposed process. As an alternative to monitoring, periodic inspection data is used to evaluate asset risk level, which is then used in a predictive model of remaining useful life. Inspection data is often variable in quality with a number of features missing from records. Accordingly, missing inputs are imputed by the proposed process using samples drawn from an advanced form of joint distribution learned from test records and reduced to its conditional form. This work is validated on operational data provided by a regional distribution network operator, but conceptually is applicable to unmonitored fleets of assets of any power network.

Spin locks are widely used in embedded systems to coordinate mutually exclusive accesses to shared resources from different tasks. Although the design and analysis of locking protocols have been intensively studied for sequential real-time tasks, there have been few works on this topic for parallel real-time tasks. In this paper, we study the analysis of parallel real-time tasks modeled by directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) under global fixed priority scheduling using both preemptable and non-preemptable spin locks to protect accesses to shared resources in three commonly used request serving orders (unordered, FIFO-order and priority-order). In particular, we develop a general schedulability analysis framework where the blocking time caused by resource contention is formally defined, so that the blocking analysis can be performed independently and easy to combine with the traditional interference analysis techniques. Moreover, we present a unified blocking analysis technique where the blocking time is analyzed in a scalable manner based on a linear-programming (LP) approach, making our method flexible and extendable. We conduct comprehensive experiments to evaluate our method with other the-state-of-the-art approaches for scheduling real-time parallel tasks using semaphores and spin locks.

A cause-effect chain is a sequence of multi-rate real-time tasks with data dependency. Cause-effect chains are generally subject to end-to-end timing constraints, especially in safety-critical systems. Communication paradigms greatly affect the end-to-end latency of cause-effect chains. This paper compares different communication paradigms (implicit communication, LET, DBP) with regards to the end-to-end latency of cause-effect chains using them, and proposes priority assignment strategies to optimize the end-to-end latency with specific communication paradigm. Experiments with synthesized data based on an automotive benchmark and randomly generated parameters are conducted to evaluate our results.

Epilepsy is one common brain disorder, which is not well controlled by current pharmacotherapy. In this study we characterized the therapeutic potential of borneol, a plant-derived bicyclic monoterpene compound, in the treatment of epilepsy and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. The anti-seizure potency and properties of borneol were assessed in both acute and chronic mouse epilepsy models. Administration of (+)-borneol (10, 30, 100 mg/kg, i.p.) dose-dependently attenuated acute epileptic seizure in maximal-electroshock seizure (MES) and pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure models without obvious side-effect on motor function. Meanwhile, (+)-borneol administration retarded kindling-induced epileptogenesis and relieved fully kindled seizures. Importantly, (+)-borneol administration also showed therapeutic potential in kainic acid-induced chronic spontaneous seizure model, which was considered as a drug-resistant model. We compared the anti-seizure efficacy of 3 borneol enantiomers in the acute seizure models, and found (+)-borneol being the most satisfying one with long-term anti-seizure effect. In electrophysiological study conducted in mouse brain slices containing the subiculum region, we revealed that borneol enantiomers displayed different anti-seizure mechanisms, (+)-borneol (10 μM) markedly suppressed the high frequency burst firing of subicular neurons and decreased glutamatergic synaptic transmission. In vivo calcium fiber photometry analysis further verified that administration of (+)-borneol (100 mg/kg) inhibited the enhanced glutamatergic synaptic transmission in epilepsy mice. We conclude that (+)-borneol displays broad-spectrum anti-seizure potential in different experimental models via decreasing the glutamatergic synaptic transmission without obvious side-effect, suggesting (+)-borneol as a promising anti-seizure compound for pharmacotherapy in epilepsy.

Byline: Yibin. Hou, Ge. Sun, Xu. Jiang, Zhongsheng. Zhu, Jijin. YangBackground: Serine/threonine kinase is originally identified as an oncogene and the forkhead box transcription factor forkhead box O3a (Foxo3a) has [...]

AbstractBlasting fracturing technique has developed into a most promising option replacing the hydraulic fracturing for enhancing the permeability of deep formation in the resource exploitation. At present, blasting-enhanced permeability mostly focus on the blasting-inducing fractures in vertical well. Thus, this paper emphatically studies the issues associated with the multi-stage blasting in horizontal well. In this work, a numerical rectangular-solid model consisting of 64000 elements has a size of 100 × 10 × 8 m (L × W × H) is established based on the finite-difference method to simulate a uranium resource reservoir in the Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, China. A horizontal well with the diameter of 20 cm and the length of 100.0 m is located at the center of this model. The shock wave resulted from the explosive detonation is simulated as a time-varying pressure applied to the wall of the well borehole. Four modes of the multi-stage blasting are investigated with the consideration of different in-situ stress conditions. The results show that multi-stage blasting has great effect on the rock damage and blasting-enhanced permeability, while the in-situ stress condition can not be an ignored factor in this affection. For relatively large compressive in-situ stress, 1-stage blasting is a recommended mode for improving the permeability of rock reservoir. However, for relatively small in-situ stress, the permeability of rock reservoir increase first and then decrease along with the increasing of subsections of multi-stage blasting. There must be an optimal mode of multi-stage to improving the permeability of rock reservoir.

ABSTRACTThis paper demonstrates the application method of GFRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer) on freeform facades, including the design, fabrication, and construction based on an architectural oddment in Fuzhou. This architectural oddment, which covers a sunken plaza, is a sculptural-shaped structure inspired by three-morning glories, and its freeform facade is made up of 4 mm-thick GFRP panels. It is the first all-GFRP structure in China. Based on the construction plan adopted in this project, the final architectural aesthetics satisfy the original expectations of the design, indicating that GFRP panels can perform well as facade components. On the other hand, certain defects highlight problems for further investigation. The benefits and limitations of GFRP when applied on the freeform facade are discussed at the end of the paper, providing a reference for similar architectures.

AbstractIn the hogging moment regions of steel–concrete composite continuous girder bridges, a detrimental condition appears such that concrete slab bears tensile stress and the steel girder bears compressive stress. Decreasing the shear connection in the hogging moment regions helps to improve the mechanical performance for steel–concrete continuous composite girder bridges. In this paper, analytical models for the calculation of composite girders considering partial shear connection (PSC) action are discussed. A project case of Qiwu Bridge in Jiangxi Province using partial shear connection action is introduced. A nonlinear finite element model of Qiwu Bridge is established through ABAQUS®to simulate and predict the mechanical properties and structural performance. Based on the finite element method results, the influence of PSC on various parameters is analysed by performing a parametric analysis. Numerical results show that arranging a partial shear connection region can effectively reduce the crack region and disperse areas having high stress concentration, but shear stiffness mutation can significantly increase the stress level at the edge of the partial shear connection region.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2008.11.002 Byline: Xu Jiang, Yuan Li Keywords: Strategic alliances; Knowledge sharing; Knowledge creation; Innovative performance; Interaction effect Abstract: This paper examines firm-level performance implications of strategic alliances by employing knowledge management practices as intermediaries. Unlike previous research which focuses on partner firm factors, this study investigates how alliance characteristics (i.e., alliance scope and governance) affect interfirm knowledge sharing and creation, and how these two practices and their interaction in turn affect innovative performance. These questions are examined in a sample of 127 German partnering firms. Results show that joint ventures as opposed to contractual alliances are more effective and influential in facilitating knowledge sharing and creation. In contrast, the scope of alliance activities, while positively associated with knowledge sharing, has no direct relationship with knowledge creation. In addition to these results, the study also finds that knowledge sharing, knowledge creation and their interaction significantly contribute to partner firms' innovative performance. Author Affiliation: School of Management, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xi'an 710049, China Article History: Received 22 September 2006; Revised 19 August 2008; Accepted 5 November 2008

Spring regrowth is an important trait for perennial plants including alfalfa, the most cultivated forage legume worldwide. However, the genetic and genomic basis of the trait is largely unknown in alfalfa due to its complex genetic background of the tetroploid genome. The objective of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with spring regrowth using high-resolution genetic linkage maps we constructed previously. In total, 36 significant additive effect QTLs for the trait were detected. Among them, 10 QTLs individually explained more than 10% of the phenotypic variation (PVE) with four in P1 and six in P2. Six overlapped QTLs intervals were detected with two and four intervals distributed in P1 and P2, respectively. In P1, both overlapped genomic regions were located on homolog 7D. In P2, the four QTLs with PVE>10% were co-localized on homolog 6D. Meanwhile, six pairs of significant epistatic QTLs were identified in P2. Screening of potential candidate genes associated with four overlapped QTLs (qCP2019-8, qLF2019-5, qLF2020-4, and qBLUP-3) narrowed down one candidate annotated as MAIL1. The Arabidopsishomolog gene has been reported to play an important role in plant growth. Therefore, the detected QTLs are valuable resources for genetic improvement of alfalfa spring vigor using marker-assisted selection (MAS), and further identification of the associated genes would provide insights into genetic control of spring regrowth in alfalfa.

In response to the research demand in spatial frequency domain techniques at continuous wavelengths in the field of agricultural and food products, a line scan hyperspectral spatial frequency domain combined imaging (LSH-SFDI) system was developed for quantitative hyperspectral optical imaging in the spatial frequency domain for detecting absorption (μa) and reduced scattering (μ′s) parameters of tissues in the continuous spectral range. Systematic calibration of the LSH-SFDI system was performed using the configured liquid phantoms, and the average errors of μaand μ′sat 56 wavelength bands between 450 and 740 nm were obtained as 9.24% and 6.08%, respectively. The optical parameters of milk were measured using the LSH-SFDI system, and the μaand μ′svalues of milk samples at continuous wavelengths were analyzed by linear regression with the fat and protein contents of the corresponding milk, and the final results verified the correlation between the fat content and μ′sand the protein content and μaof milk. The developed system can be further used for milk quality evaluation and classification subsequently, as well as for other agricultural products and foods.

An RNA-involved phase-separation model has been proposed for transcription control. However, the molecular links that connect RNA to the transcription machinery remain missing. Here we find that RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) constitute half of the chromatin proteome in embryonic stem cells (ESCs), some being colocalized with RNA polymerase (Pol) II at promoters and enhancers. Biochemical analyses of representative RBPs show that the paraspeckle protein PSPC1 inhibits the RNA-induced premature release of Pol II, and makes use of RNA as multivalent molecules to enhance the formation of transcription condensates and subsequent phosphorylation and release of Pol II. This synergistic interplay enhances polymerase engagement and activity via the RNA-binding and phase-separation activities of PSPC1. In ESCs, auxin-induced acute degradation of PSPC1 leads to genome-wide defects in Pol II binding and nascent transcription. We propose that promoter-associated RNAs and their binding proteins synergize the phase separation of polymerase condensates to promote active transcription.

The UV/chlorine process was utilized to degrade a common quinolone, ciprofloxacin, in water. Ciprofloxacin removal was high at 92.2% in 100 s, with a first-order rate constant of 0.0026 s−1during the process. The degradation of ciprofloxacin was found to be positively related to UV intensity and chlorine dosage and negatively related to ammonia concentration. According to FMO, MSPA, CDFT, and topological quantum chemical analysis, the N6 or N7 atoms are the most vulnerable to electrophilic or radical attacks in the piperazine ring ciprofloxacin structure, indicating the most likely reactive sites for the initial reaction. 21 degradation products were identified, including 19 products by HRMS LC–MS and 2 by GC–MS. These intermediates were mainly produced through the following three pathways: the piperazine ring's cleavage, hydroxyl addition, and defluorination reaction. Both the acute toxicity tests and ECOSAR prediction illustrated that the ecological risks cannot be effectively removed due to the production of more toxic intermediates during the degradation process.

Oxytetracycline (OTC), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, has posed considerable risks to the ecosystem because of its resistance to adsorption and the inefficiency in biodegradation. In this study, nitrogen–sulfur co-doped graphene oxide anchored with a nickel–zinc ferrite (Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4-N, S-GO) polymetallic magnetic catalyst was successfully fabricated for the first time by a simple hydrothermal reaction and employed as a peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activator for the rapid and highly efficient degradation of OTC. The obtained catalysts were systemically investigated by numerous characterization analyses to prove the successful synthesis of Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4-N, S-GO. The total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency of the Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4-N, S-GO/PMS system reached up to 90.7% within 60 min. In contrast, the PMS-only system achieved less than 60% TOC removal efficiency under the same experimental conditions. Moreover, the catalyst not only had high degradation efficiencies for various organic pollutants (tetracycline, sulfadiazine, cephalothin and enrofloxacin) but also exhibited excellent OTC degradation performances in various actual water bodies (distilled water, drinking water, tap water, pond water and river water). This study provides a novel strategy for the development of high-efficiency catalysts, and the proposed Zn0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4-N, S-GO/PMS system shows great potential in the remediation of practical wastewater.

AbstractObjective:This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying Cd-induced urothelial transformation, using multi-omics analyses (transcriptome, epitranscriptome, and proteome).Methods:Transcriptomics analysis was performed to estimate the expression of genes, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis was used to detect m6A modification, while proteomics analysis was used to identify differentially expressed proteins. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis.Results:A total of 9491 DEGs, 711 differentially expressed proteins, and 633 differentially m6A modified genes between Cd-transformed cells and control cells were identified. The regulation of most genes varied at different omics layers. The three omics data shared 57 genes, and these genes were enriched in response to DNA damage stimulus and cell proliferation. Interestingly, 13 genes, most of which are related to the onset or progression of cancer, were shared by the m6A and proteomics data, but not the transcriptome data. This suggested that m6A modification is crucial for post-transcriptional regulation related to Cd2+-induced malignant transformation.Conclusion:Our multi-omics analysis provided a comprehensive reference map of gene activity and revealed m6A signalling pathways crucial for Cd2+carcinogenesis.

In this study, a novel nanoscale zero-valent iron/chitosan/attapulgite (nZVI/CS/APT) composite was successfully prepared and was employed to remove Naphthol Green B (NGB) from water. Compared to the individual components, the removal performance of the nZVI/CS/APT composite was observed to be dramatically improved. Further, the surface morphology of the composite was characterized, and the possible degradation mechanism was proposed. The results indicated that nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) demonstrated high dispersity and reaction activity after supported by CS/APT. NGB was observed to be degraded into hypotoxic or non-toxic small molecules by nZVI/CS/APT. Further, the critical variables affecting the NGB removal efficiency were screened by the Plackett–Burman design. The interactive effects of the different factors and perfect removal conditions were further elucidated using the response surface methodology. The values of mFe/mCS-APT, adsorbent dosage, and pH were determined to be the main influencing factors. The average removal efficiency of NGB was determined to be 97.34% (three replicated experiments), which was almost similar to 98.89% predicted by the model. These results demonstrated the reliability of the statistical optimization designs for predicting the efficient removal of NGB.

[Display omitted]

Membrane separation is a promising technology for extracting temperature-sensitive organic molecules from solvents. However, a lack of membrane materials that are permeable toward organic solvents yet highly selective curtails large-scale membrane applications. To overcome the trade-off between flux and selectivity, additional molecular transportation pathways are constructed in ultrathin polyamide membranes using highly hydrostable metal organic frameworks with diverse functional surface architectures. Additional passageways enhance water permeance by 84% (15.4 L m–2h–1bar–1) with nearly 100% rose bengal rejection and 97.6% azithromycin rejection, while showing excellent separation performance in ethyl acetate, ketones, and alcohols. These unique composite membranes remain stable in both aqueous and organic solvent environments. This immediately finds application in the purification of aqueous mixtures containing organic soluble compounds, such as antibiotics, during pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Objective Exosomes derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC-Exos) may modulate the M1/M2 polarization of macrophages during osteoarthritis (OA). However, the underlying mechanisms of BMSC-Exos in this process still need to be elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of BMSC-Exos in the polarization of macrophages in vitroand the OA rats in vivo.Methods The effects of BMSC-Exos on RAW264.7 cells were determined, including the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the protein expression of Akt, PINK1, and Parkin. We prepared an OA model by resecting the anterior cruciate ligament and medial meniscus of Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) and safranin O-fast green staining, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence analyses, and the examination of interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) were performed to assess changes in cartilage and synovium.Results BMSC-Exos inhibited mitochondrial membrane damage, ROS production, and the protein expression of PINK1 and Parkin. Akt phosphorylation was downregulated under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction but significantly recovered after treatment with BMSC-Exos. BMSC-Exos alleviated cartilage damage, inhibited M1 polarization, and promoted M2 polarization in the synovium in OA rats. The expression of PINK1 and Parkin in the synovium and the levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the serum decreased, but the level of IL-10 increased when BMSC-Exos were used in OA rats.Conclusion BMSC-Exos ameliorate OA development by regulating synovial macrophage polarization, and one of the underlying mechanisms may be through inhibiting PINK1/Parkin signaling.

Previous research demonstrated a positive relationship between strength-based parenting (SBP) and subjective well-being (SWB). However, the underlying mechanisms still need further research. Based on the social cognitive theory and developmental assets framework, we investigated the influence of SBP on college students’ SWB through the mediating role of personal growth initiative (PGI) and strengths use. A total of 621 Chinese college students were recruited. Participants completed self-report scales about the SBP, PGI, strengths use and SWB. The results showed that SBP had a positive impact on college students’ SWB. On the one hand, PGI and strengths use mediated the above relationship respectively. On the other hand, SBP influenced SWB through the chain mediating effect of PGI and strengths use. The findings indicate that exploring the relationship between SBP and SWB has positive implications for family education and youth development.

Enhancing the monodispersity and surface properties of nanoporous zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) are crucial for maximizing their performance in advanced nanocomposites for separations. Herein, we developed an in situ method to synthesize monodispersed ZIF-8 nanocrystals with unique dopamine (DA) surface decoration layer (ZIF-8-DA) in an aqueous solution at room temperature. Interestingly, the in situ formation of the monodispersed ZIF-8-DA nanocrystals experiences a triple-stage crystallization process, resulting in a rhombic dodecahedron architecture, which is greatly different from the synthesis of conventional ZIF-8. The crystallinity and abundant microporosity of ZIF-8-DA nanocrystals is well maintained even with the DA surface decoration. Owing to the advanced surface compatibility and pore properties of ZIF-8-DA, ZIF-8-DA/Matrimid mixed-matrix membranes exhibit both higher gas permeability and selectivity than the pristine Matrimid polyimide membrane, which breaks out the traditional “trade-off” phenomena between permeability and selectivity.

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) assisted communication is a promising technique for future wireless networks due to its characteristics of low cost and flexible deployment. However, the high possibility of line-of-sight (LoS) air-ground channels may result in a great risk of being attacked by malicious users. Especially compared to the encryption and physical layer security that prevent eavesdropping, covert communication aims at hiding the existence of transmission, which is able to satisfy the more critical requirement of security. Thus, in this article, we focus on the covert communication issues of UAV-assisted wireless networks. First, the preliminaries of secure communications including encryption, physical layer security and covert communication are discussed. Then, current works and typical applications of UAV in covert communications are demonstrated. We then propose two schemes to enhance the covertness of UAV-assisted networks for some typical scenarios. Specifically, to improve the covert rate in UAV-assisted data dissemination, an iterative algorithm is proposed to jointly optimize the time slot, transmit power and trajectory. For the covertness of ground-air communication, a friendly jammer is employed to confuse the wardens, where the location of the jammer, the jamming power and the legitimate transmit power are jointly optimized. Numerical results are presented to validate the performance of these two proposed schemes. Finally, several challenges and promising directions are pointed out.

ABSTRACTOsteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease. Increased apoptosis of chondrocytes contributes to cartilage degradation in OA pathogenesis. The function of lncRNA MCM3AP-AS1 in regulating the viability of chondrocytes still awaits further elaboration. In this work, MCM3AP-AS1, miR-138-5p and SIRT1 mRNA expression levels in OA and normal cartilage tissues were detected by qRT-PCR. Besides, chondrocyte cell lines, CHON-001 and ATDC5 induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were used to initiate the inflammatory response environment of OA. CCK-8 assay was used to examine the cell multiplication; meanwhile, transwell assay was utilized to detect migration. Western blot was adopted to determine SIRT1 expression in chondrocyte. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to evaluate inflammatory factor levels. In addition, the binding sites between MCM3AP-AS1 and miR-138-5p, miR-138-5p and 3ʹUTR of SIRT1 were validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay or RNA pull-down assay. It was found that MCM3AP-AS1 was declined in OA cartilage tissues, positively interrelated with SIRT1 expression while negatively correlated with miR-138-5p. MCM3AP-AS1 up-regulation enhanced the viability and migration of CHON-001 and ATDC5 cells while restraining the apoptosis and inflammatory response. Additionally, miR-138-5p overexpression counteracted the effects on chondrocytes caused by MCM3AP-AS1 overexpression. MCM3AP-AS1 could adsorb miR-138-5p, and SIRT1 was verified as a target of miR-138-5p, and SIRT1 could be up-regulated by overexpression of MCM3AP-AS1 indirectly. In conclusion, MCM3AP-AS1 has the potential to be the ‘ceRNA’ to regulate miR-138-5p and SIRT1 in chondrocytes, and to participate in the pathogenesis of OA.