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The pervasiveness of PID control in process industries stipulates the critical need for efficient autotuning techniques. Recently, the use of Bayesian optimization (BO) has been popularized to seek optimal PID parameters and automate the tuning procedure. To evaluate the overall risk-averse performance of PID controllers, scenario programming that considers a wide range of uncertain scenarios provides a systematic method, but induces extensive simulations and expensive computations. Parallel computing offers a viable method to address this issue, and thus we propose a novel parallel BO algorithm for the risk-averse tuning, which enjoys a higher efficiency in both surrogate modeling and surrogate optimization. For the latter, a multiacquisition-function strategy with diversity promotion is developed to generate widely scattered query points to parallelize experiments efficiently. For the former, a data-efficient stability-aware Gaussian process modeling strategy is designed, obviating the need for building an additional classifier as required by existing methods. Numerical examples and application to a real-world industrial bio-oil processing unit demonstrate that the proposed parallel BO algorithm considerably improves the efficiency of simulation-aided PID tuning and yields practically viable controller parameters under the risk-averse tuning framework.

The popularization of the Internet and the rise of social media enable people to share and access information rapidly, leading to a significant increase in the importance of public opinion analysis. However, public opinion analysis still needs help with issues, such as data security, data sharing, and data credibility, which may result in information leakage and inaccurate analysis results. This article proposes a secure management method for public opinion analysis to address these issues. First, a group key management framework is proposed, and then device grouping and mutual authentication methods are used to determine device identity, addressing the data security issue. A dynamic key generation algorithm is proposed to solve the data sharing problem, and a group key management algorithm is implemented to manage the entire lifecycle of group keys, addressing the data credibility issue and establishing a more secure data processing, and storage environment for public opinion analysis. This article utilizes OpenEthereum to build a blockchain network and conducts simulation experiments on the proposed solution. After comprehensive evaluation, it is confirmed that the solution is efficient and scalable.

Background: In recent years, the detection rate of adrenal tumors has increased, but it is unclear whether smoking and alcohol drinking are risk factors for benign adrenal tumors. The objective of this study is to employ Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causal relationship between smoking, alcohol drinking and susceptibility to benign adrenal tumors. Methods: We acquired large-scale data from publicly accessible databases on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) pertaining to smoking, alcohol drinking and benign adrenal tumors. A total of 11 sets of instrumental variables (IVs) and 281 associated single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) loci were identified. The Mendelian randomization analyses were conducted using inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger regression and weighted median estimation (WME) methods, in addition to sensitivity analyses. Results: There is no causal relationship between smoking status, alcohol drinking status, alcohol intake frequency, alcohol taken with meals, alcohol consumption and benign adrenal tumors, while pack years of smoking and cigarettes per day are risk factors for benign adrenal tumors. The IVW analysis revealed that both the pack years of smoking and cigarettes per day were positively associated with an increased risk of benign adrenal tumors (OR = 2.853, 95%CI = 1.384–5.878, p= 0.004; OR = 1.543, 95%CI = 1.147–2.076, p= 0.004). Two SNPs (rs8042849 in the analysis of pack years of smoking and rs8034191 in the analysis of cigarettes per day) significantly drove the observed causal effects. Conclusion: Two-sample Mendelian randomization analysis showed a causal effect between smoking but not alcohol consumption and benign adrenal tumors.

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes hold great promise for oil–water separation due to their ultrathin membrane thickness and adjustable layer spacing. Improving the hydrophilicity and promoting mass transfer of GO membranes are the critical issues that need to be addressed for constructing GO-based oil–water separation membranes. Herein, the hydrophilic halloysite nanotubes are intercalated between GO nanosheets to simultaneously enhance the hydrophilicity and expand the interlayer channels of the membrane. By intercalating the halloysites, the permeance of the membrane can be increased from 50.0 to 1150.7 L m–2h–1bar–1. Besides, the hydroxyl-rich halloysite nanotubes increase the polar component of the surface energy of the GO/halloysite membrane, thus enhancing the interaction between the membrane surface and water while reducing the interaction between the membrane surface and oil, endowing the GO/halloysite membrane with excellent wetting selectivity and self-cleaning properties. The as-prepared halloysite nanotube-intercalated GO membrane can effectively treat oily wastewater with different concentrations (1000–5000 ppm) and under different pressures (0.5–3.0 bar) (retention >98%). In addition, the membrane also shows high efficiency for purifying salty emulsion, which is expected to be used in the treatment of practical oily wastewater.

All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) with a Li metal anode are expected to be one of the most promising energy storage systems to achieve high energy density. However, the interfacial instability between the Li metal anode and solid-state electrolyte (SSE) limits the rate capability and cycling stability of ASSBs. The main issue is the formation of voids at the Li/SSE interface during Li stripping due to the slow diffusion of Li within the bulk Li metal, then increasing internal cell resistance and inducing the formation of lithium dendrites. To address these issues, a composite Li anode (LAO) composed by Li–Ag alloy and Li2O is constructed by mixing the stoichiometric metal Li and Ag2O directly. LAO anode is capable of improving bulk Li diffusion kinetics and inhibiting the formation of interfacial voids effectively, achieving a high critical current density over 1.5 mA cm–2and long stable cycling over 1000 h at 1 mA cm–2. The ASSBs, employing LAO as the anode, Li6PS5Cl as the SSE, and LiCoO2as the cathode, exhibit superior rate capability and stable cycling over 4000 cycles at 5 C. Moreover, ASSBs can operate stably with a high LiCoO2loading of 17.8 mg cm–2for more than 100 cycles at 0.2 C.

From the viewpoint of the poor formability and mechanical anisotropy of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF)-processed NiTi alloys, three different energy densities, i.e., minimum value, median value, and maximum value, were adopted in this work. The anisotropic behavior in the microstructural distribution and tensile properties were explored to evaluate the performance stability of NiTi components within a wide processing window. The results showed that an excellent deposition quality was acquired when the energy density was within the range of 45–75 J/mm3. The phase constitution and microstructural features were similar even under different processing parameters. In a single melting pool, the columnar grains within the body zone exhibited {110}<001> and {100}<011> textures. However, no preferred orientation was observed for the fine dot-like sub-structures within the overlapping zone. The anisotropy in tensile strength and plasticity was mainly attributed to the columnar grains with preferred crystallographic orientation in the body zone. Only a dimple-like morphology was observed on the fracture surface, indicating a ductile tensile failure mechanism. The findings demonstrated that the stable microstructural features and tensile performance of LPBF-processed NiTi components were ensured within a wide processing window (45–75 J/mm3), despite the anisotropic behavior along the transverse and longitudinal tensile directions.

Chiral nanoparticles are one of the research hotspots in the field of materials science, chemistry, and biology. Understanding and controlling the chirality of nanoparticles is one key step toward their use, but the origin of nanoparticles’ chirality and its determinative factor are not well understood. In this work, we studied the chirality of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) prepared through the conventional citrate reduction method. Unexpectedly, it was found that small AuNPs (∼13 nm) exhibited opposite chirality to the large AuNPs (>30 nm). The origin of the AuNPs chirality was revealed by comparing the crystal structure between small AuNPs and large AuNPs. It was proposed that the lattice orientation of fivefold-twinned AuNPs may be responsible for the intrinsic chirality of AuNPs. This work provides a deep mechanistic understanding of the intrinsic chirality of the AuNPs and will boost the development of the structure-controlled synthesis and application of chiral AuNPs and other chiral nanomaterials. Furthermore, based on the unexpected size effect, chiral AuNP probes were rationally constructed to improve the precision of chiral recognition.

A high order finite difference numerical scheme is developed for the shallow water equations on curvilinear meshes based on an alternative flux formulation of the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme. The exact C-property is investigated, and comparison with the standard finite difference WENO scheme is made. Theoretical derivation and numerical results show that the proposed finite difference WENO scheme can maintain the exact C-property on both stationarily and dynamically generalized coordinate systems. The Harten-Lax-van Leer type flux is developed on general curvilinear meshes in two dimensions and verified on a number of benchmark problems, indicating smaller errors compared with the Lax-Friedrichs solver. In addition, we propose a positivity-preserving limiter on stationary meshes such that the scheme can preserve the non-negativity of the water height without loss of mass conservation.

Relay feedback tuning has been a state-of-the-art autotuning technique in process control, where frequency-domain analysis is generically carried out using limit cycle data for model identification and controller tuning. However, due to noise and disturbance, nonnegligible approximation errors exist in frequency information distilled from data, resulting in model mismatch and a huge obstacle for automating the tuning procedure. In this article, we propose an efficient time-domain identification approach toward relay feedback autotuning. A new rank-constrained nonparametric formulation of model identification is proposed, which is in correspondence to low-order parametric transfer functions. Based on this, an efficient initialization strategy for nonparametric models is put forward using kernel-based regularization, which helps to circumvent local optima and eventually deliver better model estimates than conventional gradient-based approaches. Moreover, nonzero initial conditions can be tackled by means of regularization heuristics. Numerical examples and experiments on a real-world system showcase that the proposed identification approach not only improves accuracy but also effectively circumvents unfaithful models contradicting prior knowledge, thereby substantially benefiting the automated tuning of industrial controllers.

Neuromedin-U (NMU) mediates several physiological functions via its two cognate receptors, NMUR1 and NMUR2. Disentangling the individual roles of each receptor has largely been undertaken through the use of transgenic mice bearing a deletion in one of the two receptors or by testing native molecules (NMU or its truncated version NMU-8) in a tissue-specific manner, in effect, taking advantage of the distinct receptor expression profiles. These strategies have proved quite useful despite the inherent limitations of overlapping receptor roles and potential compensatory influences of germline gene deletion. With these considerations in mind, the availability of potent, selective NMU compounds with appropriate pharmacokinetic profiles would advance the capabilities of investigators undertaking such efforts. Here, we evaluate a recently reported NMUR2-selective peptide (compound 17) for its in vitro potency (mouse and human), binding affinity, murine pharmacokinetic properties, and in vivo effects. Despite being designed as an NMUR2 agonist, our results show compound 17unexpectedly binds but does not have functional activity on NMUR1, thereby acting as an R1 antagonist while simultaneously being a potent NMUR2 agonist. Furthermore, evaluation of compound 17across all known and orphan G-protein-coupled receptors demonstrates multiple receptor partners beyond NMUR2/R1 binding. These properties need to be appreciated for accurate interpretation of results generated using this molecule and may limit the broader ability of this particular entity in disentangling the physiological role of NMU receptor biology.

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) represents one of the commonest types of lung cancer featured with high morbidity and poor prognosis. Many types of research have documented that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert crucial functions in the development of cancers, and LUSC is included. In our study, we aimed at unveiling the mechanism underlying long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 0649 (LINC00649) in LUSC cells. As a result, LINC00649 was discovered to be with high expression in LUSC cells. Moreover, it was confirmed through functional assays that the knockdown of LINC00649 hindered the occurrence and progression of LUSC. Results of mechanism assays validated that E2F transcription factor 7 (E2F7) was a transcription activator of LINC00649 and induced its up-regulation in LUSC cells. Furthermore, LINC00649 recruited TAF15, which is TATA-box binding protein associated factor 15 to stabilize mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (MAPK6) expression and activate the transcription of MAPK6, thereby enhancing MAPK6 expression to activate the MAPK signaling pathway. Eventually, results of rescue assays suggested that overexpression of MAPK6 offset the influence of LINC00649 silencing on LUSC progression. In summary, our research determined the E2F7/LINC00649/TAF15/MAPK6/MAPK signaling pathway in regulating LUSC development, which made LINC00649 a potential biomarker for LUSC treatment.

Background: Studies comparing C-RARP and RS-RARP have reported different results and the choice between the two operation methods remains controversia. Methods: We present the meta-analysis on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines. The meta-analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.3 (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, United Kingdom) and Stata SE 14.0. The mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to describe the results of continuous data; odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI were used to describe dichotomous data. Statistical significance was set at P&lt; 0.05. Results: The meta-analysis revealed that RS-RARP had a statistically significant advantage in terms of continence recovery immediately after operation (OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.20–0.77; P= 0.007) (Fig. 2a), after 1 month (OR: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.10–0.29; P&lt; 0.00001) (Fig. 2b), after 3 months (OR: 0.18, 95% CI: 0.09–0.36; P&lt; 0.00001) (Fig. 2c), after 6 months (OR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.15–0.46; P&lt; 0.00001) (Fig. 2d) and after 12 months (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.28–0.89; P= 0.02) (Fig. 2e). Conclusions: This meta-analysis found that RS-RARP had better postoperative continence recovery than C-RARP, while sexual function recovery rates were not significantly different. There were also no significant differences in operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of stay, positive margin rate and complications.

ABSTRACTAnaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is the most common malignant endocrine tumors which resist to majority treatment. Thus, there is impelling need to figure out the mechanism of progress of ATC. In this study, we explored the function and mechanism of lncRNA actin filamentin-1 antisense RNA (AFAP-AS1) which provided a new biomarker for ATC. Viabilities and apoptosis were tested by CCK-8, colony formation and flow cytometry. The interactions between miR-155-5p and AFAP-AS1 or ETS1 was detected by luciferase reporter assays. ETS proto-oncogene1/mitogen-activated protein kinase1 (ETS1/ERK) pathway was assessed by Western blot. Xenograft models were built to confirm the function of AFAP-AS1 in vivo. Firstly, we showed that relative RNA expression of AFAP-AS1 in ATC cells was higher than in immortalized thyroid cells. Next, AFAP-AS1 was verified as an oncogene in ATC since knock-down of AFAP-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation and accelerated apoptosis. In addition, miR-155-5p was negatively regulated by AFAP-AS1. Moreover, AFAP-AS1 regulated ETS1/ERK pathway by sponging miR-155-5p. Finally, we confirmed knock-down of AFAP-AS1 significantly suppressed tumor proliferation in vivo. Our research proved that AFAP-AS1 could facilitate progression of thyroid cancer sponging miR-155-5p through ETS1/ERK pathway.

ABSTRACTThe lncRNAs have been made certain to take part in the development of most cancers in multiple ways. Here, our purpose is to making observation of the biological role and function of lncRNA CDKN2B-AS1 in human breast cancer. Twenty-eight pairs of breast cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue from breast cancer patients were used to investigate the expression of CDKN2B-AS1 by qRT-PCR. And a lentivirus-shRNA guided CDKN2B-AS1 were to reduce its expression. The function of CDKN2B-AS1 was analyzed using a series of in vitroassays. Meanwhile, the xenograft model was used to further explicate the role of CDKN2B-AS1 in breast cancer. As for the results, there is a relative rich expression of CDKN2B-AS1 in breast cancer tissues compared with the corresponding adjacent normal tissues. Compared with the human breast epithelial cell line, the abundant expression of CDKN2B-AS1 in breast cancer cells were revealed as well. Then, knockdown CDKN2B-AS1 inhibited the malignant biological behaviors of MCF7 and T47D cells. In mechanism, CDKN2B-AS1 sponged the miR-122-5p to regulate STK39 expression. Furthermore, the inhibition effect with sh-CDKN2B-AS1 on breast cancer cells was alleviated by miR-122-5p inhibitor. Last, an in vivomodel also confirmed that knockdown CDKN2B-AS1 retarded the growth of breast cancer. Our data concluded that knockdown of CDKN2B-AS1 suppresses the progression of breast cancer by miR-122-5p/STK39 axis.

Previous numerical simulations have focused mainly on the mesoscale structure of the principal rainband in tropical cyclones with a relatively coarse model resolution. In this study, the principal rainband was simulated in a semi-idealized experiment at a horizontal grid spacing of 1/9 km and its convective-scale structure was examined by comparing the convective elements of the simulated principal rainband with previous observational studies. It is found that the convective scale structure of the simulated principal rainband is well comparable to the observation.

Strong vertical motion (>10 m s−1) has profound implications for tropical cyclone (TC) structure changes and intensity. While extreme updrafts in the TC are occasionally observed in real TCs, the associated small-scale features remain unclear. Based on an analysis of the extreme eyewall updrafts in two numerical experiments conducted with the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, in which the large-eddy simulation (LES) technique was used with the finest grid spacings of 37 and 111 m, for the first time this study demonstrates that the simulated extreme updrafts that occur mainly in the enhanced eyewall convection on the down-shear left side are comparable to available observations. The simulated extreme updraft exhibits relatively high frequencies in the lower (750 m), middle (6.5 km) and upper (13 km) troposphere, which are associated with different types of small-scale structures. While the lower-level extreme updraft is mainly related to the tornado-scale vortex, the extreme updraft at upper levels is closely associated with a pair of counter-rotating horizontal rolls oriented generally along the TC tangential flow, which are closely associated with the enhanced eyewall convection. The extreme updraft at middle levels is related to relatively complicated small-scale structures. The study suggests that extreme updrafts can be simulated when the grid spacing is about 100 m or less in the WRF-LES framework, although the simulated small-scale features need further verification in both observation and simulation.

This study aimed to explore factors contributing to the delays in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer (BC) in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. We conducted a cohort analysis of 1012 patients with BC diagnosed at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University between January 2018 and December 2019. Sociodemographic data were collected through questionnaires, and clinical data were gathered and analyzed from relevant databases. Furthermore, observations were made regarding delays in the diagnosis and treatment of BC, followed by an analysis of the correlations between patient delay and both sociological factors within the population and clinical factors specific to patients with BC. Subsequently, the factors associated with patient delay and system delay were examined using Cox regression analysis, along with the inclusion of neoadjuvant therapy. In the prevention and treatment of BC in Ningxia, the patient delay rate was 33.20%, the diagnosis delay rate was 17.89%, the treatment delay rate was 0.0099% and the system delay rate was 41.60%. There was a higher proportion of patient delay and system delay in aged patients (age ≥ 61 years) with rural registered permanent residence (RPR), multiple clinical symptoms (such as nipple spillage, axillary abnormalities, etc), a T4 tumor size classification, and the initial use of neoadjuvant therapy. Besides, significant positive correlations were observed between patient delay and system delay time with BC stage. Patients aged 51 to 60 and those with molecular types (Limanal1B: ki-67 > 14%, Limanal1B: HER-2 positive) were prone to patient delay, whereas molecular characteristics influenced system delay, unrelated to sociodemographic factors. The study identifies significant age, residency, and tumor molecular subtype correlations with diagnostic and treatment delays in Ningxia’s patients with BC, predominantly affecting women aged 41 to 60, especially urban dwellers. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to reduce delays and improve BC care in this region.

African swine fever virus (ASFV) poses a significant threat to the global swine industry. Currently, there are no effective vaccines or treatments available to combat ASFV infection in pigs. The primary means of controlling the spread of the disease is through rapid detection and subsequent elimination of infected pig. Recently, a lower virulent ASFV isolate with a deleted EP402Rgene (CD2v-deleted) has been reported in China, which further complicates the control of ASFV infection the pig farms. Furthermore, an EP402R-deleted ASFV variant has been developed as a potential live attenuated vaccine candidate strain. Therefore, it is crucial to develop detection methods that can distinguish wild-type and EP402R-deleted ASFV infections. In this study, two recombinant ASFV-p72 and -CD2v proteins were expressed using a prokaryotic system and used to immunize Bactrian camels. Subsequently, eight nanobodies against ASFV-p72 and ten nanobodies against ASFV-CD2v were screened. Following the production of these nanobodies with horse radish peroxidase (HRP) fusion proteins, the ASFV-p72-Nb2-HRP and ASFV-CD2v-Nb22-HRP fusions were selected for the development of two competitive ELISAs (cELISAs) to detect anti-ASFV antibodies. The two cELISAs exhibited high sensitivity, good specificity, repeatability, and stability. The coincidence rate between the two cELISAs and commercial ELISA kits was 98.6% and 97.6%, respectively. Collectively, the two cELISA for detecting antibodies against ASFV demonstrated ease of operation, a low cost, and a simple production process. The two cELISAs could determine whether pigs were infected with wild-type or CD2v-deleted ASFV, and they play an important role in monitoring ASFV infections in pig farms.

•Principle of photoactive decontamination is discussed.•The performance of ultraviolet inactivation is summarized.•The structure and performance of photoactive nano-masks are analyzed.•Future challenges and prospects are highlighted.

Significant variability of raindrop size distributions (DSDs) has been observed in the “21·7” Henan extremely heavy rainfall event (the “21·7” Henan EHR event), while the capability of model to reproduce such complicated heavy rainfall DSDs is yet unclear. This study primarily evaluates the simulated DSDs of multiple microphysics schemes by comparing with the observations from a network of 50 disdrometers. Constrained DSD variability is identified in most schemes that the simulated raindrop mean sizes are gradually restricted around specific values as the growth of heavy rainfall intensity. The schemes are also incapable of reproducing the different raindrop mean sizes from deep convection and shallow convection. Moreover, simulations show unrealistic evolutions of raindrop mean size standard deviations as height declines. By investigating the empirical formula and performing sensitivity experiment, the constrained DSD variability in heavy rainfall is largely blamed on the insufficient parameterizations of the self‐collection (breakup) processes. Surface rainfall intensity is determined by raindrop mean size and number concentration. Realistic simulation of raindrop mean size and number concentration in numerical models is one important step to guarantee the accuracy of quantitative precipitation forecast. In this study, we evaluate the value distributions of simulated raindrop mean size and number concentration in an extremely heavy rainfall event. We found that numerical models produce narrower value ranges of raindrop mean size in heavy rainfall compared to observations. Especially as heavy rainfall intensity increases, the simulated raindrop mean size can even be restricted around a specific value. Further investigations show that insufficient modeling of raindrop collide processes in heavy rainfall are likely to be the reason of unrealistic raindrop simulations. Variability of simulated raindrop size distributions (DSDs) from multiple microphysics schemes are evaluated in the “21·7” Henan EHR eventConstrained DSDs are identified in the simulations as the enhancing of rainfall intensityRestricted DSD variability in heavy rainfall is largely attributed to the uncertainties in self‐collection (breakup) processes Variability of simulated raindrop size distributions (DSDs) from multiple microphysics schemes are evaluated in the “21·7” Henan EHR event Constrained DSDs are identified in the simulations as the enhancing of rainfall intensity Restricted DSD variability in heavy rainfall is largely attributed to the uncertainties in self‐collection (breakup) processes

Many studies have indicated that convective bursts (CBs) are closely related to tropical cyclone (TC) intensification, but few studies have been conducted on the mechanisms that control the formation and evolution of CBs. In this study, the 1‐min output data of a simulated TC are used to understand the convective extreme updrafts of CBs in the TC eyewall. Three different reference states including the local square‐area mean (LAM), the lower wavenumber‐components mean (WNM), and the arc‐area mean (ArcM) are used to calculate the driving forces of convective extreme updrafts. Contrary to the WNM and ArcM reference states, the LAM reference state struggles to capture realistic basic state structures. The LAM reference state can be modified through the inclusion of the mean hydrometeor mixing ratio in the basic state to produce physically consistent forcing in relation to the simulated convective extreme updrafts. The simulated convective extreme updrafts in the TC eyewall exhibit two peaks at middle and upper levels, respectively, since the effect of hydrometeor loading, decelerates the air parcels between the updraft maxima. While the positive buoyancy makes air parcels in the CBs accelerate at middle levels, in agreement with previous studies, it is found that, at the upper levels, both the positive buoyancy and the upward vertical perturbation pressure gradient force accelerate the air parcels. This study suggests that the vertical perturbation pressure gradient force also plays an important role in the formation of CBs in the TC eyewall. This study examines the characteristics and driving forces of convective extreme updrafts of convective bursts (CBs) in the tropical cyclone (TC) eyewall using the 1‐min simulated data. The convective extreme updrafts in the TC eyewall peak at middle and upper levels. The driving forces of convective extreme updrafts are calculated using three different reference states. Results show that, in agreement with previous studies, air parcels in the CBs accelerate up by large positive buoyancy at middle levels. We also found that the air parcels accelerate again by both the positive buoyancy and the upward vertical perturbation pressure gradient force at the upper levels. This study highlights the important role of the upward vertical perturbation pressure gradient force in the formation of CBs in the TC eyewall. Extreme updrafts associated with convective bursts in the tropical cyclone eyewall peak at the middle and upper levels, respectivelyBoth the buoyancy and the vertical perturbation pressure gradient force accelerate eyewall air parcels at upper levels in convective burstsThree methods with different reference states perform similarly in assessing driving forces for convective eyewall updrafts Extreme updrafts associated with convective bursts in the tropical cyclone eyewall peak at the middle and upper levels, respectively Both the buoyancy and the vertical perturbation pressure gradient force accelerate eyewall air parcels at upper levels in convective bursts Three methods with different reference states perform similarly in assessing driving forces for convective eyewall updrafts

A monsoon gyre is a low‐frequency cyclonic circulation over the western North Pacific, which plays important roles in tropical cyclone formation and motion. This study shows that the interaction between a monsoon gyre and a tropical cyclone can lead to a sudden weakening of the tropical cyclone through an observational analysis of Typhoon Chan‐Hom (2015). Typhoon Chan‐Hom (2015) initially moved westward along ~10°N and sharply turned northeastward in the Philippine Sea at 0000 UTC 3 July. Its intensity decreased by 10.3 m s−1within 12 h during the sudden northward turn. Such a rapid weakening event was failed to predict in all of the operational forecasts. It is found that Chan‐Hom was coalescing with a large‐scale monsoon gyre on the intraseasonal (15–30 day) timescale, while it experienced the sudden track change and rapid intensity weakening. The weak and loosely organized convection on the eastern side of the monsoon gyre at 1200 UTC 2 July rapidly enhanced into the well‐organized convection within 6 h. The strong convection maintaining from 1800 UTC 2 July to 0600 UTC 3 July enhanced inflows outside the radius of 500 km from the tropical cyclone center, which prevented the inward transportation of mass and moisture into Chan‐Hom, leading to the collapsing of the eastern part of the eyewall. As a result, Chan‐Hom underwent the rapid weakening even under a large‐scale environment favorable for intensification. The study suggests that the rapid weakening of a tropical cyclone can result from its interaction with a monsoon gyre. Typhoon Chan‐Hom (2015) underwent the rapid weakening even under a large‐scale environment favorable for intensificationThe rapid weakening of tropical cyclone intensity can result from its interaction with a monsoon gyreThe strong convection in the monsoon gyre prevented the inward energy transportation into Chan‐Hom, leading to the collapsing of the eyewall

Opsariichthys bidens(O. bidens) is a fish species native to China. It has become a popular ornamental fish because of its interesting colour dimorphism. Its colour pattern is unique; however, with the exception of model species, such as zebrafish, the molecular mechanisms of most fish colour patterns remain unclear. In the present study, we compared and analysed the transcriptomic data of the skin and anal fins of male and female O. bidens. A total of 9028 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 5259 were upregulated and 3769 were downregulated in males. Compared with known pigmentation genes, Mitf, Tyr, Tyrp1, Dct, Pnp4a, Alx4a, Gch1,and Csf1rwere identified as potential genes related to colour dimorphism. Second, we tracked the process of colour development in male O. bidensand found that there were three stages in the formation of body colour. We explored the distribution, migration, and expression patterns of genes related to pigment cells at each stage using microscopic imaging, transmission electron microscopy, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Melanophores, xanthophores, and iridophores were found to be distributed on the skin or anal fins of O. bidens. It was inferred that this unique body colour pattern is caused by the differentiation and migration of pigment cells at specific stages. This discovery provides a basis for studying the molecular mechanisms of pigmentation in ornamental fish and will contribute to the genetic selection and breeding of O. bidensin ornamental fish cultures in the future.

The transcription factor c-Myc regulates numerous target genes that are important for multiple cellular processes such as cell growth and differentiation. It is commonly deregulated in leukemia. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by a blockade of granulocytic differentiation at the promyelocyte stage. Despite the great success of all-transretinoic acid (ATRA)–based therapy, which results in a clinical remission by inducing promyelocyte maturation, a significant number of patients relapse due to the development of ATRA resistance. A significant role has been ascribed to the cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in retinoid treatment since PKA activation is able to restore differentiation in some ATRA-resistant cells and eradicate leukemia-initiating cells in vivo. In this study, using NB4 APL cell variants resistant to ATRA-induced differentiation, we reveal distinct functional roles of the two PKA isozymes, PKA type I (PKA-I) and PKA-type II (PKA-II), on the steady-state level of c-Myc protein, providing a likely mechanism by which cAMP-elevating agents can restore differentiation in ATRA maturation–resistant APL cells. Therefore, both the inhibition of c-Myc activity and the PKA-I/PKA-II ratio should be taken into account if cAMP-based therapy is considered in the clinical management of APL.

The transcription factor c-Myc regulates numerous target genes that are important for multiple cellular processes such as cell growth and differentiation. It is commonly deregulated in leukemia. Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is characterized by a blockade of granulocytic differentiation at the promyelocyte stage. Despite the great success of all-transretinoic acid (ATRA)–based therapy, which results in a clinical remission by inducing promyelocyte maturation, a significant number of patients relapse due to the development of ATRA resistance. A significant role has been ascribed to the cAMP/cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway in retinoid treatment since PKA activation is able to restore differentiation in some ATRA-resistant cells and eradicate leukemia-initiating cells in vivo. In this study, using NB4 APL cell variants resistant to ATRA-induced differentiation, we reveal distinct functional roles of the two PKA isozymes, PKA type I (PKA-I) and PKA-type II (PKA-II), on the steady-state level of c-Myc protein, providing a likely mechanism by which cAMP-elevating agents can restore differentiation in ATRA maturation–resistant APL cells. Therefore, both the inhibition of c-Myc activity and the PKA-I/PKA-II ratio should be taken into account if cAMP-based therapy is considered in the clinical management of APL.

Mass spectrometry was used to probe the preferred locations of trans‐4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE) addition to the cysteine, histidine, and lysine residues of human serum albumin (HSA). Considering only those modified peptides supported by high mass accuracy Orbitrap precursor ion measurements (high confidence hits), with HNE:HSA ratios of 1:1 and 10:1, 3 and 15 addition sites, respectively, were identified. Using less stringent criteria, a total of 34 modifications were identified at the higher concentration. To gain quantitative data, iTRAQ labeling studies were completed. Previous work had identified Cys34, the only free cysteine, as the most reactive residue in HSA, and we have found that Lys199, His242/7, and His288are the next most reactive residues. Although the kinetic data indicate that the lysines and histidines can react at relatively similar rates, the results show that lysine addition is much less favorable thermodynamically; under our reaction conditions, lysine addition generally does not go to completion. This suggests that under physiological conditions, HNE addition to lysine is only relevant in situations where unusually high HNE concentrations or access to irreversible secondary reactions are found. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The energetics of Y2O3cubic (C-type) and monoclinic (B-type) polymorphs as a function of surface area have been studied by high-temperature oxide melt solution calorimetry and water adsorption calorimetry. The hydrated surface of the monoclinic phase has a lower surface enthalpy (0.64 ± 0.49 J/m2) than that of the cubic (1.25 ± 0.17 J/m2). However, the anhydrous surface of the monoclinic form is less stable (surface enthalpy 2.78 ± 0.49 J/m2) than that of the cubic (1.66 ± 0.14 J/m2). The phase transformation enthalpy (monoclinic to cubic) for coarse Y2O3is −21.8 ± 3.2 kJ/mol. An energetic crossover is suggested between the polymorphs under ambient conditions, in which the surfaces are hydrated, at a size of 7 ± 6 nm; however, anhydrous monoclinic yttria of any particle size is thermodynamically metastable at atmosphere pressure. Surface hydration controls the energetic landscape of Y2O3polymorphs. The phase transformation process of monoclinic nanocrystals to the cubic phase was also studied using measurements of surface area, X-ray diffraction, and differential scanning calorimetry.

Previous studies demonstrated that the tropical cyclone (TC) boundary layer (TCBL) contains small‐scale coherent structures, such as roll vortices and tornado‐scale vortices (TSVs), and they play important roles in energy transport and intensity changes in TCs. However, little is known about how horizontal resolutions can affect storm‐scale and fine‐scale structures in the TCBL with the grid spacing decreasing from the turbulent gray zone (100 m–1 km) to the large‐eddy scale (<100 m). In this study, numerical experiments with the large eddy simulation technique are used to investigate the effect of the model horizontal resolution on the simulated TC‐scale and fine‐scale structures in the TCBL. The simulated TC tends to have a shallower BL, a lower BL jet associated with stronger near‐surface vertical wind shear in the TCBL when the grid spacing decreases from 333 to 111 m or 37 m. When the grid spacing decreases to 111 m or 37 m, the fine‐scale coherent structures and near‐surface wind streaks associated with roll vortices and TSVs can be simulated, and the characteristics of the simulated turbulent kinetic energy in the TCBL are in good agreement with observational studies. With the grid spacing of 111 and 37 m, no significant differences in TC intensity are found in terms of instantaneous maximum and azimuthal‐mean maximum wind speeds. This study suggests that simulations with the horizontal grid spacing of 100 m or less can simulate the small coherent structures in the TCBL and their effect on TC intensity. Numerical experiments with large‐eddy simulation are conducted to investigate the effect of the model horizontal resolution on the simulated storm‐scale and fine‐scale structures in the tropical cyclone boundary layer with the grid spacing decreasing from the turbulent gray zone (100 m–1 km) to the large‐eddy scale (<100 m).Storm‐scale and fine‐scale structures can be well simulated when the horizontal resolution is about or less than 100 m. No significant differences in the simulated storm‐scale, fine‐scale structures, and intensity of near‐surface winds are found when the horizontal grid spacing decreases from 111 to 37 m. Numerical simulations with the horizontal grid spacing decreasing from the turbulent gray zone to large‐eddy scale are performedStorm‐scale and fine‐scale structures can be well simulated when the horizontal resolution is about or less than 100 mNo significant differences in storm‐scale, fine‐scale structures are found when the horizontal grid spacing decreases from 111 to 37 m Numerical simulations with the horizontal grid spacing decreasing from the turbulent gray zone to large‐eddy scale are performed Storm‐scale and fine‐scale structures can be well simulated when the horizontal resolution is about or less than 100 m No significant differences in storm‐scale, fine‐scale structures are found when the horizontal grid spacing decreases from 111 to 37 m

Dangerous turbulences were observed in the eyewall of category 5 Hurricane Hugo (1989) and the surface pressure associated with the turbulence was 8 hPa lower than the mean pressure in the eye. In this study, it is demonstrated that small scale, negative pressure perturbations in the tropical cyclone eyewall are associated with the tornado‐scale vortex (TSV) simulated with the large‐eddy simulation technique in a semi‐idealized numerical experiment. The negative pressure perturbation associated with TSVs is nonhydrostatic, dynamically resulting from the shearing effect. As a result, the negative pressure perturbation is linearly correlated with the vertical component of relative vorticity and maximum wind perturbation. Since the TSV is prevalent near the inner edge of the tropical cyclone eyewall, it is suggested that caution should be taken to estimate the central pressure of tropical cyclones with the extremely low pressure observed in the eyewall. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research aircraft encountered dangerous turbulences in the eyewall of category 5 Hurricane Hugo (1989) and the observed surface pressure associated with the turbulence sharply decreased to 916 hPa in the eyewall, 8 hPa lower than the mean pressure of 924 hPa in the eye. This study demonstrates that the small‐scale pressure perturbation in the eyewall are associated with the tornado‐scale vortex. The negative pressure perturbation is linearly correlated with the vertical component of relative vorticity and maximum wind perturbation. Since the perturbation is prevalent near the inner edge of the tropical cyclone eyewall, it is suggested that the extremely low pressure observed in the eyewall is not necessarily associated with the tropical cyclone intensity. Caution should be taken to estimate the central pressure of tropical cyclones with the extremely low pressure observed in the eyewall.Small scale, negative pressure perturbations are associated with the tornado‐scale vortex in the tropical cyclone eyewall.The negative pressure perturbations associated with tornado‐scale vortices (TSVs) is nonhydrostatic, dynamically resulting from the shearing effect. Caution should be taken to estimate the central pressure of tropical cyclones with the extremely low pressure observed in the eyewall. Small scale, negative pressure perturbations are associated with the tornado‐scale vortex in the tropical cyclone eyewall. The negative pressure perturbations associated with tornado‐scale vortices (TSVs) is nonhydrostatic, dynamically resulting from the shearing effect.

2Cr13 thin-wall part was additively deposited by robotic cold metal transfer (CMT) technology, and two traditionally manufactured counterparts in annealing (as-Aed) and quenching & tempering (as-QTed) conditions were adopted as comparison. The results show that only a strong texturing corresponding to α-Fe phase was detected for the wire-arc additively manufactured (WAAM) part, indicating an austenite-free structure. As-deposited microstructure was consisted of martensite laths and ferrite matrix, along with irregular δ-ferrite precipitation. The martensitic growth direction was non-oriented in the X-Y plane, but primarily parallel to the depositing direction in the X-Z and Y-Z planes along the maximum thermal gradient. Both nanohardness and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) for each WAAM sample were enhanced when compared with the as-Aed BM, while poorer than that of the as-QTed BM. Such mechanical evolution was a result of the intrinsic microstructural features, whereas the similar elastic modulus properties were mainly attributed to the similar 2Cr13 atomic bonding. A ductile tensile fracture behavior was dominant in the X-Z plane, while a mixed mode of ductile and brittle fracture occurred in the X-Y and Y-Z planes. The findings above reveal an isotropy in mechanical properties despite a slightly microstructural discrepancy in different planes for the as-deposited 2Cr13 WAAM part.

Monodispersed aluminum-substituted hematite particles were synthesized from concentrated mixed solutions of FeCl3and AlCl3using the gel/sol process. With increasing aluminum content (Al/(Fe+Al)) in the starting solutions, hematite particles became more and more elongated. The product particles exhibited ellipsoidal, rod- and peanut-like shapes, depending on Al concentration. Higher Al content (>20 mol%) in the system greatly suppressed the formation of hematite. Atomic emission spectrometry analysis and lattice parameter measurement confirmed the substitution of Al in hematite particles.