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In the distributed sensing method, various sensor arrays encompass both sensor readings and potential spatial information. While increasing the number of sensors can enhance accuracy, an alternative approach to achieve this lies in extracting spatial knowledge from combinations of horizontal and vertical sensor arrays. By adopting a scaffold-based conceptualization of sensor distribution, this study introduces a novel input preprocessing approach termed the “scaffold-based preprocessing autoencoder” (SPA) to augment distributed sensing methods. This approach leverages autoencoders to extract informative features from diverse combinations of sensor arrays arranged in vertical columns and horizontal planes. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is empirically validated in the posture sensing of a vacuum-powered bellow-shaped fluidic elastomer actuator (FEA), employing nine distributed flexible bending sensors. The results demonstrate that the neural network incorporating features extracted from sensor combinations surpasses the performance of conventional long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks. Comparative investigations validate the distinct advantages of these arrangements, with horizontal combinations yielding improved estimation accuracy in the X- and Y-axes, and vertical combinations enhancing accuracy in the Z-axis. Collectively, these combinations yield reductions in root mean square error (RMSE) of 9.51–6.93 mm in the X-axis, 6.77–5.43 mm in the Y-axis, and 7.72–4.38 mm in the Z-axis. Besides, the application of SPA to the gated recurrent unit (GRU) and bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM) models also demonstrated significant improvements. Both models exhibited a substantial reduction in the sum of RMSE in each axis, with decreases of 20% and 27%, respectively.

Purpose: In order to precisely control the resonant frequency of RF superconducting cavity to detect dark photon dark matter, and to be able to tune within a certain frequency range, it is necessary to design a low-temperature tuner for frequency control on the bare cavity. Methods: Two type mechanical tuners have been designed for the 1.3 GHz single-cell bare cavity and 650 MHz single cell bare cavity. The tuner device tunes the frequency of RF superconducting cavity for the detection of dark photons and dark matter and measures its tuning range and accuracy in both room-temperature and low-temperature environments. Results: The tuner for the 1.3 GHz cavity has a tuning accuracy of 1 Hz per step and a tuning range of 1.37 MHz at low temperature. The tuner for the 650 MHz cavity has a tuning range of 467 kHz at low temperatures, with a tuning accuracy of 1.77 Hz per step. Conclusion: The designed tuner can meet the requirements of RF superconducting cavity tuning for detecting dark photons and dark matter, and its adjustable range, precision and stability ensure that the detection experiment can be carried out smoothly.

Background Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is extremely common in clinical practice and needs to be focused. Anwulignan is a unique lignan monomer of Schisandra Sphenanthera Fructusand is used as the main active ingredient of Wuzhi tablet, which is used for liver protection in clinical practice. In this study, an acute liver injury mouse model induced by acetaminophen and paracetamol (APAP) was used to observe its effects.Materials and Methods An acute liver injury mouse model was established by intraperitoneally injecting APAP. Mice were divided into blank control (CON) group, APAP model (MOD) group, Anwulignan CON group, and Anwulignan MOD group. Anwulignan (6 mg/kg) or sodium carboxymethylcellulose (10 mL/kg) was intragastrically given to mice once a day, successively for 14 days. On day 14, 250 mg/kg APAP solution (10 mL/kg) or saline was injected intraperitoneally, and 12 h later, the mice were killed. alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in the serum of mice were tested. The liver index of mice was calculated, and the pathology of liver injury was evaluated by HE staining in mice. The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as well as the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver tissue were tested. The levels of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap-1), nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), BCL2 associated X protein (Bax), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), caspase-3 and tumor suppressor protein (P53) mRNAs in the liver tissues of mice were detected by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), and the expression levels of Keap-1, Nrf2, HO-1, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and P53 proteins in the liver tissue of mice were detected by Western blot.Results Anwulignan can alleviate the acute liver injury of mice. The down-regulation of the cyclophosphamide (CYP2E1) expression in the liver tissue of mice to reduce the hepatotoxicity of APAP, and the regulation of Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway-related gene expressions to play an antioxidant role and apoptosis-related gene expressions to inhibit the liver cell apoptosis may be involved in the mechanism through which Anwulignan can exert its effect.Conclusion Anwulignan can alleviate the liver injury induced by APAP in mice, and this study may provide evidence for researching and developing some drugs and nutraceuticals used for preventing and treating liver injury.

Transcription factors respond to multilevel stimuli and co-occupy promoter regions of target genes to activate RNA polymerase (RNAP) in a cooperative manner. To decipher the molecular mechanism, here we report two cryo-electron microscopy structures of Anabaenatranscription activation complexes (TACs): NtcA-TAC composed of RNAP holoenzyme, promoter and a global activator NtcA, and NtcA–NtcB-TAC comprising an extra context-specific regulator, NtcB. Structural analysis showed that NtcA binding makes the promoter DNA bend by ∼50°, which facilitates RNAP to contact NtcB at the distal upstream NtcB box. The sequential binding of NtcA and NtcB induces looping back of promoter DNA towards RNAP, enabling the assembly of a fully activated TAC bound with two activators. Together with biochemical assays, we propose a ‘DNA looping’ mechanism of cooperative transcription activation in bacteria.

China is home to shales of three facies: Marine shale, continental shale, and marine-continental transitional shale. Different types of shale gas are associated with significantly different formation conditions and major controlling factors. This study compared the geological characteristics of various shales and analyzed the influences of different parameters on the formation and accumulation of shale gas. In general, shales in China’s several regions exhibit high total organic carbon (TOC) contents, which lays a sound material basis for shale gas generation. Marine strata generally show high degrees of thermal evolution. In contrast, continental shales manifest low degrees of thermal evolution, necessitating focusing on areas with relatively high degrees of thermal evolution in the process of shale gas surveys for these shales. The shales of the Wufeng and Silurian formations constitute the most favorable shale gas reservoirs since they exhibit the highest porosity among the three types of shales. These shales are followed by those in the Niutitang and Longtan formations. In contrast, the shales of the Doushantuo, Yanchang, and Qingshankou formations manifest low porosities. Furthermore, the shales of the Wufeng and Longmaxi formations exhibit high brittle mineral contents. Despite a low siliceous mineral content, the shales of the Doushantuo Formation feature a high carbonate mineral content, which can increase the shales’ brittleness to some extent. For marine-continental transitional shales, where thin interbeds of tight sandstone with unequal thicknesses are generally found, it is recommended that fracturing combined with drainage of multiple sets of lithologic strata should be employed to enhance their shale gas production.

CAPZA2encodes the α2 subunit of CAPZA, which is vital for actin polymerization and depolymerization in humans. However, understanding of diseases associated with CAPZA2remains limited. To date, only three cases have been documented with neurodevelopmental abnormalities such as delayed motor development, speech delay, intellectual disability, hypotonia, and a history of seizures. In this study, we document a patient who exhibited seizures, mild intellectual disability, and impaired motor development yet did not demonstrate speech delay or hypotonia. The patient also suffered from recurrent instances of respiratory infections, gastrointestinal and allergic diseases. A novel de novo splicing variant c.219+1 G > A was detected in the CAPZA2gene through whole-exome sequencing. This variant led to exon 4 skipping in mRNA splicing, confirmed by RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the third study on human CAPZA2defects, documenting the fourth unambiguously diagnosed case. Furthermore, this splicing mutation type is reported here for the first time. Our research offers additional support for the existence of a CAPZA2-related non-syndromic neurodevelopmental disorder. Our findings augment our understanding of the phenotypic range associated with CAPZA2deficiency and enrich the knowledge of the mutational spectrum of the CAPZA2gene.

Objective: The present study was conducted to demonstrate the age-dependent changes in skeletal muscle mass and visceral fat area in a population of Chinese adults aged 30–92 years old. Methods: A total of 6669 healthy Chinese men and 4494 healthy Chinese women aged 30–92 years old were assessed for their skeletal muscle mass and visceral fat area. Results: The results showed age-dependent decreases in the total skeletal muscle mass indexes in both men and women aged 40–92 years old as well as age-dependent increases in the visceral fat area in men aged 30–92 years old and in women aged 30–80 years old. Multivariate regression models showed that the total skeletal muscle mass index was positively associated with the body mass index and negatively associated with the age and visceral fat area in both sexes. Conclusion: The loss of skeletal muscle mass becomes obvious at approximately 50 years of age, and the visceral fat area commences to increase at approximately 40 years of age in this Chinese population.

The mechanisms that regulate the specificity and maintenance of chicken muscle fiber types remain largely unknown. In mammals, CSRP3 has been shown to play a vital role in the maintenance of typical muscle structure and function. This study investigated the role that CSRP3 plays in chicken skeletal muscle. First, the antibody against chicken CSRP3 protein was prepared, and the expression levels of the mRNA and protein of the CSRP3gene in four chicken skeletal muscles with different myofiber compositions were compared. Then the effects of CSRP3 silencing on the expression profile of chicken myoblast transcriptomes were analyzed. The results showed that the expression levels of the mRNA and protein of the CSRP3gene were both associated with the composition of fiber types in chicken skeletal muscles. A total of 650 genes with at least 1.5-fold differences (Q<0.05) were identified, of which 255 genes were upregulated and 395 genes were downregulated by CSRP3 silencing. Functional enrichment showed that several pathways, including adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, adipocytokine signaling pathway and apelin signaling pathway, were significantly (P<0.05) enriched both in differentially expressed genes and all expressed genes. The co-expressed gene network suggested that CSRP3 silencing caused a compensatory upregulation (Q<0.05) of genes related to the assembly of myofibrils, muscle differentiation, and contraction. Meanwhile, two fast myosin heavy chain genes (MyH1Band MyH1E) were upregulated (Q<0.05) upon CSRP3 silencing. These results suggested that CSRP3 plays a crucial role in chicken myofiber composition, and affects the distribution of chicken myofiber types, probably by regulating the expression of MyH1Band MyH1E.

Understanding how cortical circuits generate complex behavior requires investigating the cell types that comprise them. Functional differences across pyramidal neuron (PyN) types have been observed within cortical areas, but it is not known whether these local differences extend throughout the cortex, nor whether additional differences emerge when larger-scale dynamics are considered. We used genetic and retrograde labeling to target pyramidal tract, intratelencephalic and corticostriatal projection neurons and measured their cortex-wide activity. Each PyN type drove unique neural dynamics, both at the local and cortex-wide scales. Cortical activity and optogenetic inactivation during an auditory decision task revealed distinct functional roles. All PyNs in parietal cortex were recruited during perception of the auditory stimulus, but, surprisingly, pyramidal tract neurons had the largest causal role. In frontal cortex, all PyNs were required for accurate choices but showed distinct choice tuning. Our results reveal that rich, cell-type-specific cortical dynamics shape perceptual decisions.

To investigate the characteristic ultrasonographic findings of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in major salivary glands and identify the value of polar vessel in color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) for the diagnosis of ACC. From January 2017 to December 2021, 76 patients with parotid and submandibular gland tumors, including 14 patients with ACC, as confirmed by surgery and histopathology, were enrolled. Their clinicopathologic information and ultrasound (US) features were recorded and analyzed. The performance of polar vessel in CDFI for differentiating ACC from non‐ACC (benign tumors and mucoepidermoid carcinoma [MEC]) was analyzed. ACC in the major salivary gland was more likely to be associated with pain symptoms (P= .027) and unclear borders and rough edges in grayscale US (P= .002, .015, respectively) than benign tumors. Compared to MEC, ACC tended to feature a homogeneous internal echo (P= .008). ACC of the major salivary gland had a significantly higher incidence of polar vessel sign than that of non‐ACC (benign tumors and MEC) (P <.0001, .0001, respectively). The polar vessel sign showed good performance in distinguishing between ACC and non‐ACC, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.857, a sensitivity of 71.4%, a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of 94.7%. Positive predictive value and negative predictive value were calculated at 100% and 93.9%, respectively. The US sign of polar vessel has high diagnostic efficiency, and it may have important potential for use as a new complementary sign for the diagnosis of ACC in major salivary glands.

A novel nanozyme of bimetallic (Ni/Co) metal–organic framework (Ni/Co-MOF) was synthesized using a simultaneous precipitation and acid etching method with a zeolitic imidazolate framework ZIF-67 as the template. The as-synthesized Ni/Co-MOF catalyst presented a three-dimensional hollow nanocage structure and exhibited excellent intrinsic oxidase-like activity. It was demonstrated that Ni/Co-MOF could directly catalyze the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to produce a blue product (oxidized TMB, oxTMB) in the absence of H2O2. The mechanisms and kinetics of this nanozyme activity were investigated, and it was determined that the catalytic activity of Ni/Co-MOF was closely related to temperature and solution pH. Owing to its strong reducibility, ascorbic acid (AA) could reduce oxTMB, and the blue color of the reaction mixture faded over time. Therefore, a novel colorimetric platform was constructed to detect AA based on the oxidase-like activity of Ni/Co-MOF. Under optimal conditions, the absorbance of ox-TMB at 652 nm decreased linearly over the 0.015–50 μM AA range with a detection limit of 0.004 μM.

Despite efforts to circumvent and alleviate the impact of a mid-flight collision, it remains extremely challenging to safeguard a multirotor vehicle when it operates in cluttered environments. In this work, we introduce a flying robot with the ability to roll through a gap narrower than its diameter to prevent a possible aerial collision entirely. The novelty of the proposed design lies in a simple passive mechanism that redirects the propelling thrust for the terrestrial operation without the need for extra actuators. As a result, the robot remains compact and lightweight. Furthermore, to overcome the underactuation associated with the passive structure, the transitions between flight and rolling are accomplished with a highly dynamic maneuver. In the experimental demonstration, the robot seamlessly switched between the aerial and terrestrial locomotion to safely negotiate a 10-cm opening.

Traditionally, the participation patterns in the humanities and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs in higher education differ. This study aimed to tackle this issue using concurrent time series data sets in the expanding higher education system. Authors selected the higher education system in Taiwan as an example. The participation in the humanities and STEM programs, covering 71 periods from 1950-2020, were collected from the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. The authors applied CCF (cross-correlation function) and ARIMAX (multivariable autoregressive integrated moving average) models to select the fittest model to predict the future trend. The humanities was the input variable and STEM was the output variable in the model. The findings revealed that ARIMAX (1,2,1) works well for these target data sets. According to the findings, enrollment in STEM programs will decrease with the decline in humanities programs in the future. This finding may provide useful information for related policy makers.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been shown to be associated with high risk of diabetes in offspring. However, the mechanisms involved and the possibilities of transgenerational transmission are still unclear. We intercrossed male and female adult control and first-generation offspring of GDM (F1-GDM) mice to obtain the second-generation (F2) offspring in four groups: C♂-C♀, C♂-GDM♀, GDM♂-C♀, and GDM♂-GDM♀. We found that birth weight significantly increased in F2 offspring through the paternal line with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Regardless of birth from F1-GDM with or without IGT, high risk of IGT appeared as early as 3 weeks in F2 offspring and progressed through both parental lineages, especial the paternal line. IGT in male offspring was more obvious than that in females, with parental characteristics and sex-specific transmission. In both F1 and F2 offspring of GDM, the expression of imprinted genes Igf2 and H19 was downregulated in pancreatic islets, caused by abnormal methylation status of the differentially methylated region, which may be one of the mechanisms for impaired islet ultrastructure and function. Furthermore, altered Igf2 and H19 gene expression was found in sperm of adult F1-GDM, regardless of the presence of IGT, indicating that changes of epigenetics in germ cells contributed to transgenerational transmission. Diabetes 61:1133-1142, 2012, A growing body of research suggests that exposure to an abnormal environment in the uterus can lead to chronic health problems later in life (1,2). Intrauterine hyperglycemia is a major [...]

The impact of boron on the dissolution and repairing behavior of passive films formed on S31254 super-austenitic stainless steel (SASS) was investigated. SASS was immersed in 0.5 mol/L of H2SO4for 0, 2, 6, 10, and 14 days to explore the evolution of the passive film. The electrochemical impedance spectroscope (EIS), the Mott–Schottky analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscope were utilized to analyze the semiconductor properties and compositions of the passive films. EIS showed a decrease and consequent increase over 14 days; the same pattern was observed for Cr2O3and Cr/Fe. However, the defect density of the passive film exhibited a reverse trend. The variation in film thicknesses indicated that the passive films possessed dissolution and repairing behavior. SASS passive film had a double-layer structure; the outer layer was found to be rich in Fe3+and Cr(OH)3, but low on Mo6+, while the inner layer was rich in Cr2O3and low in Mo4+. The addition of boron increased the corrosion resistance and could promote the efficiency of the passive film repair, likely by promoting the migration of Mox+, which promoted the repairing of the passive film.

With the rapid growth of the automotive industry, a huge amount of tires have been produced, which inevitably led to the accumulation of scrap tires. A typical disposal routine is using scrap tires as a partial substitute for fine aggregate in concrete, producing so-called rubber concrete. However, the detrimental effects of rubber particles on concrete properties have been identified, which, to some content, hinders their broader application. The discrete fiber addition is shown to be effective in minimizing this detrimental effect, and this paper has therefore attempted to introduce macro fiber produced from waste glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) into the rubber concrete system. Three series of specimens for compression, splitting, and flexural testing were tested. The test variables include concrete type (i.e., normal concrete, rubber concrete, and modified rubber concrete); and macro fiber content (i.e., 0–2 %). In addition, the inverse analysis is performed to transform the flexural test response into the tensile constitutive law of the fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC). The test results revealed macro fibers have little effect on the compressive strength of normal concrete and rubber concrete and a detrimental effect on that of modified rubber concrete. Incorporated fibers notably improve the splitting and flexural performance of normal concrete and rubber concrete. In addition, the cost and environmental impact analysis revealed that the addition of recycling products increases the concrete cost and results in a maximum reduction of carbon emissions by 17.3 % and embodied energy emissions by 80 %.

Objectives: It was the first time to examine the role of maternal polymorphisms of FOLR1gene and FOLR2gene, as well as their interactions with maternal folic acid supplementation (FAS), in the risk of ventricular septal defect (VSD). Methods: A case-control study was conducted with 385 mothers of VSD infants and 652 controls. The exposures of interest were FAS and FOLR1gene and FOLR2gene polymorphisms. The logistic regression model was used for accessing the strength of association. Results: After controlling for the potential confounders, women who did not utilize folic acid had a substantially higher risk of VSD (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI: 1.48 to 3.43), compared to those who did. We also observed genetic polymorphisms of FOLR1gene at rs2071010 (GA vs. GG: aOR = 0.63, 95%CI: 0.45 to 0.88) and rs11235462 (AA vs. TT: aOR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.33 to 0.84), as well as FOLR2gene at rs651646 (AA vs. TT: aOR = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.30 to 0.70), rs2298444 (CC vs. TT: aOR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.36 to 0.91) and rs514933 (TC vs. TT: aOR = 0.57, 95%CI: 0.41 to 0.78) were associated with a lower risk of VSD. Furthermore, there was a statistically significant interaction between maternal FAS and genetic polymorphisms at rs514933 on the risk of VSD (FDR_P= 0.015). Conclusions: The maternal genetic polymorphisms of the FOLR1gene and FOLR2gene, as well as FAS and their interactions, were shown to be significantly associated with the risk of VSD in offspring.

Two-dimensional layered structure of rGO@Bi2O2CO3@NiCo-LDHs as positive material of supercapacitor is fabricated using the simple hydrothermal reaction, freeze-drying technology, and heat treatment process. The corresponding electrode exhibits a maximum specific capacity of 1147 F/g at 0.5 A/g and 82.2% capacity retention after 1000 times charging and discharging at 10 A/g. Additionally, negative material of rGO film is also prepared, which has a higher specific capacity of 354 F/g than that of other carbon materials. To obtain a high performance of supercapacitor device, an asymmetric supercapacitor of rGO//rGO@Bi2O2CO3@NiCo-LDHs is assembled based on rGO@Bi2O2CO3@NiCo-LDHs, rGO film, and 2 M KOH electrolyte. The testing data show that the maximum specific capacitance and energy density of asymmetric supercapacitor are 85 F/g and 23.14 Wh/kg, respectively. Simultaneously, it also shows the good electrochemical stability, remaining 80% capacity after 3000 cycles. This means that rGO@Bi2O2CO3@NiCo-LDHs could be regarded as a promising electrode material for energy storage devices.

In order to evaluate the geological characteristics and gas-bearing factors of Niutitang Formation within the Lower Cambrian of northern Guizhou, the Huangping area located at the southern edge of the ancient uplift belt of Xuefeng Mountain was selected as the target area, and Well Huangdi 1 was drilled for the geological survey of shale gas. Through geological background analysis and well logging and laboratory analysis such as organic geochemical test, gas content analysis, isothermal adsorption, and specific surface area experiments on Well Huangdi 1, the results show that the Niutitang Formation is a deep-water shelf, trough-like folds and thrust fault. The thickness of black shale is 119.95 m, of which carbonaceous shale is 89.6 m. The average value of organic carbon content is 3.55%, kerogen vitrinite reflectance value is 2.37% and kerogen type is sapropel-type. The brittle mineral content is 51% (quartz 38%), clay mineral content is 38.3%. The value of porosity and permeability are 0.5% and 0.0014 mD, which the reservoir of the Niutitang Formation belongs to low permeability with characteristics of ultra-low porosity. The gas content is 0.09 −1.31 m3/t with a high-value area and a second high-value area. By comparing with the geological parameters of adjacent wells in the adjacent area, the accumulation model of “sediment control zone, Rocontrol zone, structure controlling reservoir” in the study area is proposed. Therefore, deep-water shelf-slope facies, Rois between high maturity-early stage of overmaturity and well-preserved zones in the Niutitang Formation in this area are favorable direction for the next step of shale gas exploration.

The promise of access to key 21st‐century skills (i.e., bilingualism, biliteracy, and global awareness) has resulted in the rapid gain in popularity of dual language bilingual education (DLBE) programs in the United States over the past two decades. Despite their integrative and additive nature, concerns have been raised about lack of equity in their implementation (Cervantes‐Soon, 2014; Palmer, 2010; Valdés, 1997, 2018). In this article, the authors argue that the fact that DLBE research almost exclusively focuses on English outcomes contributes to inequity. In order to represent the full achievements of emerging bilingual students, the authors designed a longitudinal study to examine the biliteracy growth rates of third‐grade students enrolled in all of the DLBE programs that had longitudinal achievement data in the two program languages in one state in the United States. The data were disaggregated by students who were currently, or had at one point been, classified as an English learner (ever ELs) and those who had never been classified as ELs including those with English as their home language (never ELs). Results of the three‐level linear growth model estimated on participants’ reading scale scores show that, although both groups made progress in reading achievement in both languages over time, never ELs exhibited faster growth rates in Spanish than ever ELs but their growth rates in English were similar. Considering outcomes in the two program languages not only provides a better understanding of emerging bilingual students’ full biliteracy potential, but underscores the value of their language background.

Previous studies on mammals showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) played a prominent role in regulating muscle fiber type transition and composition. However, the role of PGC-1α in chicken muscle has seldom been explored. To investigate the effect of PGC-1α on chicken skeletal muscles in this study, the PGC-1αgene was overexpressed or silenced in chicken primary myoblasts by using lentivirus, and then the effects of the PGC-1αgene overexpression and knockdown on the mRNA expression profile of genes related to myofiber type specificity were examined during fiber formation. The results showed that overexpression of PGC-1αfrom proliferation to differentiation was accompanied by the up-regulated expression of Pax7, MyoD, and CnAα, which was significantly (P<0.01) increased after one day of transfection (1I). The enhancement of MyoG, MEF2c, and MyHC SMexpression lagged, which was improved significantly (P<0.01) after four days of transfection (1I3D). Overexpression of PGC-1αdecreased (P<0.01) the MyHC FWMexpression after four days of transfection (1I3D), and it had no significant impact (P>0.05) on the expression of CnB1, NFATc3, and MyHC FRMduring myofiber formation. The effective silence (P<0.01) of PGC-1αby lentivirus mediating short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was detected after four days of transfection (1I3D) in cultures, and the lack of its function in chicken primary myoblasts significantly (P<0.01) down-regulated the expression of Pax7, MyoD, CnAα, MyoG, MEF2c, and MyHC SM, significantly (P<0.01) up-regulated the expression of MyHC FWM, and had no significant impact (P>0.05) on the expression of CnB1, NFATc3, and MyHC FRM. These results indicated that the role of PGC-1αin regulating the fiber type specificity of chicken skeletal muscles might be similar to that in mammals, which interplayed with key genes related to myocyte differentiation and calcineurin signaling pathway.

The impregnated diamond composites are widely used for rock drilling and the processing of construction materials. In order to decrease the sintering temperature so as to reduce the thermal damage of diamond, and ultimately improve the sharpness of the diamond tool, the iron-nickel pre-alloyed powder sintered specimens and the impregnated diamond composites were prepared by powder metallurgy. The microstructure and phase composition of specimens were characterized by SEM and EDS. The effect of sintering temperature and the content of WC particles on the mechanical properties of the specimens, such as relative density, hardness, bending strength and wear resistance were investigated. The results showed that the relative density, hardness and bending strength of the sintered specimens increased first and then decreased with the sintering temperature changing from 700 °C to 900 °C. The performance of the specimens sintered at 800 °C was the best, with the corresponding values of 97.75%, 24.0 HRC and 2114.87 MPa. The optimum content of WC was 30wt%, and the grinding ratio reached to 424.11. The rate of penetration of drilling bits with iron-nickel pre-alloyed based matrix increased by 91.14% compared with the traditional bits which used 663Cu-Co-Ni-Mn as binder.

Significant breakthroughs of shale gas exploration have been made in Lower Cambrian and Sinian shale in the north margin of the Yangtze Block, South China. The drill wells with industrial gas flow located in the southern margin of the Huangling dome. Base on the geological survey, 2D seismic, geochronological and drill wells data, the tectonic evolution history of Huangling dome was studied, and its control effect on the preservation condition of shale gas was discussed. The result shows that the Huangling dome might undergo four tectonic stages: (1) About 800 Ma, granite intrusion in the Huangling dome basement, primarily of granites replaced metamorphism rocks; (2) 800–200 Ma, no significant tectonic movement with slowly buried history; (3) From 200 Ma, multi-phase uplift and the sedimentary rocks was eroded in the core of the Huangling dome. Shale gas in the Cambrian and Sinian strata was well preserved in the margin of the Huangling dome as the following reasons: (1) The Sinian shale was buried about 7.8 km in-depth during Middle Jurassic, source rocks have a suitable thermal maturity for shale gas; (2) The rigid basement of the Huangling dome was mainly composed by homogeneity granite, without intensive deformation. As the main challenges of the widely distributed Lower Cambrian and Sinian shale are high-maturity and intensive deformation, a geological unit with a dome probably is a favorable zone for the old age shale gas. Therefore, it indicates that the adjacent zone of the Xuefengshan, Shennongjia and Hannan are the geological units with a dome and probably have potentials for the exploration of shale in the Lower Cambrian and Sinian.

Objectives:This study evaluated the bioactive composition of tempeh products and examined the effects of tempeh on BV-2 microglial cell cytotoxicity, neurotrophic effects, and expression of inflammatory genes.Methods:Tempeh products included soybean fermented by Rhizopus, soybean fermented through cocultivation with Rhizopusand Lactobacillus, and red bean fermented through cocultivation with Rhizopusand Lactobacillus(RT-C). We analyzed the bioactive contents of tempeh extracts and evaluated the effects of tempeh water extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated BV-2 cells.Results:The results showed that RT-C water extract had the highest concentrations of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and anthocyanin. The tempeh water extracts, especially RT-C, reduced the formation of LPS-induced reactive oxygen species, downregulated the levels of nitric oxide synthase and phospho-cyclic-AMP response element-binding protein, and upregulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).Discussion:Our data demonstrate that RT-C has the highest concentrations of GABA and anthocyanin, more effectively reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, and increases the expression of BDNF in LPS-induced BV-2 cells.

In this paper, substantial domestic and foreign research results of microscopic shale reservoir space were systemically reviewed, the research history consisting of simple observation and qualitative classification, quantitative research, the combination of qualitative and quantitative research successively as well as the characteristics of each research stage were summarized. In addition, the current problems existing in the characterization methods of shale reservoir space were also analyzed. Furthermore, based on massive actual detection of typical core samples obtained from more than 50 global shale gas wells and relevant practical experience, a comprehensive characterization method of combining qualitative with the semi-quantitative characterization was put forward. In detail, the indicators of the qualitative characterization include pore combination type and organic-matter microscopic morphology type, while the core elements of the semi-quantitative characterization include the percentage of the organic-matter area and the plane porosity of the pores of different types. Based on the reference of the naming and classification of rocks, the three-end-member diagram method was used to characterize microscopic shale reservoir space. This is achieved by plotting the three end-member diagram of 3 kinds of first-order critical reservoir spaces, i.e., organic-matter pores, matrix pores, and micro-fractures, in order to intuitively present the features of the microscopic pore combination. Meanwhile, statistic histograms of organic-matter microscopic morphology type and the plane porosity of different types of pores were adopted to characterize the development degree of second-order pores quantitatively. By this comprehensive characterization method, the importance of both pore combination and the microscopic morphology of organic matter were emphasized, revealing the control of organic-matter microscopic morphology over the organic-matter pores. What is more, high-resolution FE-SEM was adopted to obtain semi-quantitative statistics results. In this way, the features of pore development and pore combination were quantified, not only reflecting the types and storage capacity of the microscopic shale reservoir space, but also presenting the hydrocarbon-generating potential of organic matter in shale. Therefore, the results of this research are capable of providing in-depth microscopic information for the assessment and exploration and development of shale gas resources.

An efficient and ecofriendly method to remove impurities from raw cashmere fiber was constructed by employing various biological enzymes (lipase, cellulase, pectinaseand protease) to form reverse microemulsion in supercritical carbon dioxide. An investigation and optimization of various parameters, such as the dosage of biological enzymes, cleaning temperature, pressure and duration for this method were performed according to the whiteness and weight loss of the treated samples. Then the proposed method was further validated by X-ray energy spectrometry (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis to verify the impurity removal from cashmere fiber. Moreover, the aggregation structure and properties of cleaned cashmere fiber were also investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), strength measurement, moisture absorption testing and thermal analysis (TG-DTG). The results declare that, via forming a type of (W+enzymes)/SCF-CO2microemulsion to transfer the biological enzymes into supercritical medium, various impurities from raw cashmere fiber could be efficiently decreased and removed, which cleaning performance was better than a conventional control process. The cleaning efficiency for various impurities was notably influenced by the dosages of the applied enzymes and system parameters, which could be improved at an appropriate condition in SCF-CO2. Furthermore, the cleaning feasibility, reliability and efficiency of the enzymatically catalyzed method for raw cashmere fiber was successfully verified by SEM, EDS, XRD, TG-DTG, tensile strength analysis, and a supercritical cleaning mechanism for raw cashmere was further proposed.

Salt plays a crucial role in food processing and consumption, and the rapid detection of chloride ions in food and feed has great significance for practical applications. In this work, Ag−based nanomaterials were deposited on the surface of a flexible integrated electrochemical sensor for the detection of Cl−in food. In order to enhance the detection performance, a unique needle−tip structure was formed by manipulating the electro−engraving process during the electrodeposition growth. Theoretical calculations and electrochemical investigations have demonstrated that the dendrimer's rich tip structure significantly enhanced its electrochemical performance. A sensitive and flexible integrated electrochemical sensor was creatively developed for the detection of Cl−using needle−tip effect−promoted Ag micro dendrimers. The sensor achieved quantitative detection of Cl−over a dynamic range of 10.0 μM to 100.0 mM, with a low limit of detection of 0.148 μM. The flexible electrochemical sensor proposed in this work exhibited demonstrated good repeatability, selectivity and recoveries in real food samples.

Microbial secondary metabolites produced by Streptomyces have diverse application prospects in the control of plant diseases. Herein, the fermentation filtrate of StreptomycesSN40 effectively inhibited the infection of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) in Nicotiana glutinosaand systemic infection of potato virus Y (PVY) in Nicotiana benthamiana. Additionally, metabolomic analysis indicated that anisomycin (C14H19NO4) and trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (C11H9NO2) were highly abundant in the crude extract and that anisomycin effectively suppressed the infection of TMV as well as PVY. Subsequently, transcriptomic analysis was conducted to elucidate its mechanisms on the induction of host defense responses. Furthermore, the results of molecular docking suggested that anisomycin can potentially bind with the helicase domain (Hel) of TMV replicase, TMV coat protein (CP), and PVY helper component proteinase (HC-Pro). This study demonstrates new functions of anisomycin in virus inhibition and provides important theoretical significance for the development of new biological pesticides to control diverse plant viruses.

C21H20FN3O6S, monoclinic, P21/n(no. 14), a= 7.8502(4) Å, b= 7.9892(4) Å, c= 34.9707(19) Å, β= 92.500(1)°, V= 2191.2(2) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0502, wRref(F2) = 0.1361, T= 296(2) K.

C19H20NO2, monoclinic, P21(no. 4), a= 6.6936(4) Å, b= 8.8892(6) Å, c= 13.2577(8) Å, β= 97.740(1)°, V= 781.66(8) Å3, Z= 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0387, wRref(F2) = 0.0741, T = 296(2) K.

Macrophages are essential for supporting tissue homeostasis, regulating immune response, and promoting tumor progression. Due to its heterogeneity, macrophages have different phenotypes and functions in various tissues and diseases. It is becoming clear that epigenetic modification playing an essential role in determining the biological behavior of cells. In particular, changes of DNA methylation, histone methylation and acetylation regulated by the corresponding epigenetic enzymes, can directly control macrophages differentiation and change their functions under different conditions. In addition, epigenetic enzymes also have become anti-tumor targets, such as HDAC, LSD1, DNMT, and so on. In this review, we presented an overview of the latest progress in the study of macrophages phenotype and function regulated by epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation and histone modifications, to better understand how epigenetic modification controls macrophages phenotype and function in inflammation-associated diseases, and the application prospect in anti-tumor.

Objective: This study aims to analyze the clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis of children with cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa (CPAN), in order to improve the understanding of this disease. Methods: Data of 14 children with CPAN, who were hospitalized in the Beijing Children's Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2006 to December 2016, were collected. The clinical characteristics of all patients were summarized, the antistreptolysin-O (ASO)-positive and ASO-negative groups were compared, and the follow-up results were analyzed. X2-test, Fisher’s exact probability test, t-test and Mann-Whitney test were used for statistical analysis. Results: Among these 14 CPAN patients, nodular rash was the most common manifestation (14/14). The ASO-positive group had more nodules in the lower limbs and the ASO-negative group appeared more in the upper limbs, which were statistically significant (p<0.05). ASOpositive children were more likely to have joint symptoms (P<0.05), and were more prone to elevated white blood cells (P<0.05). Follow-ups were performed on nine patients, and the prognoses were all good. The occurrence of systemic polyarteritis nodosa was not observed. Conclusion: The main clinical manifestation of children with CPAN is skin nodules, which rarely affects the internal organs. Streptococcal infection is often the main cause. Anti-infection treatment should be simultaneously considered.

The inhibitor of melanin and the bacteriostatic agent kojic acid was inserted into Zn-Ti layered double hydroxide (LDH) by anion-exchange reaction. The structure, slow release, antibacterial and skin whitening activity were studied.

•Pressure profiles of an associating L-J fluid in a closed nanocavity are presented.•Difference of surface tensions of the fluid in closed and opened cavities are found.•Encapsulation energy of fluid in a cavity is calculated under various conditions.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by hyperglycemia that can lead to long-term complications including heart diseases, stroke, retinopathy, and renal failure. Treatment strategies include stimulating glucose uptake and controlling blood glucose level. Bofutsushosan (BOF) and Daisaikoto (DAI) are two herb-based kampo medicines that have been demonstrated to improve metabolism-associated disorders including obesity, hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver. Given their bioactivities against metabolic syndromes, we explored in this study the effect of BOF and DAI extracts on glucose absorption and used them as source to identify phytochemical stimulator of glucose absorption. Glucose uptake and mechanistic studies were evaluated in differentiated C2C12 skeletal muscle cells, and HPLC analysis was used to determine the molecular bioactive constituents. Our results indicated that the ethanolic extracts of BOF and DAI (BOFEE and DAIEE, respectively) enhanced the glucose uptake ratio in the differentiated C2C12 cells, and further analysis identified the flavone baicalin as a major constituent capable of efficiently stimulating glucose absorption. Mechanistic studies revealed that the effect from baicalin involved the activation of IRS-1 and GLUT-4, and implicated the AMPK, PI3K/Akt, and MAPK/ERK signaling cascades. Due to its potency, we suggest that baicalin merit further evaluation as a potential candidate anti-hyperglycemic agent for the treatment and management of T2DM.

We report the experimental and theoretical study on the complementary planar metamaterial with asymmetrical air nanorods. Three high-quality samples are fabricated by the focused ion beam technique. Multi-band Fano-like resonances and selective electric field confinement in the visible-near infrared range are presented and well explained by the bonding/anti-boding and coupled mode theories of plasmonic resonators.

SnO2/C(Carbon)/PPy composites have been prepared by in situ polymerization using SnO2/C nanomaterials as the matrix. The structures and properties of as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, XPS, BET, SEM and TEM. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic reaction mechanism of SnO2/C/PPy composite for degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) was analyzed. The photocatalytic tests indicated that the SnO2/C/PPy composites have excellent photocatalytic activity for RhB degradation under visible light irradiation and the RhB can be degraded to 90% within 20 min. The photocatalytic activity is still outstanding after five cycles and as-synthesized samples have emerged as powerful foundation for further industrial application.

C10H13Cl4N2Zn, monoclinic, P21/c(no. 14), a= 13.370(2) Å, b= 10.0304(14) Å, c= 17.913(2) Å, β= 93.950(4)°, V= 2396.5(6) Å3, Z= 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0461, wRref(F2) = 0.1038, T= 150(2) K.

There are plenty of Sinian and Cambrian potential shale gas resources in South China, which is characterized by high thermal evolution degrees, poor drilling performances and only occurs in local areas. Taking the principle “high to find low” is the key issue to achieving a breakthrough in older shale. China Geological Survey drilled in the periphery of the Proterozoic basement, i.e. the Huangling anticline, in the western Hubei, and Hannan paleocontinent in the southern Shanxi. It received high-quality gas-bearing shale with relatively low Ro in the in Lower Cambrian Niutitang formation and Sinian Doushantuo formation. Based on geological conditions of shale gas reservoirs in the Huangling anticline, this paper puts forward the new model named “Control over reservoirs by periphery of basement” about shale gas accumulation, suggesting that the shale deposited in a deepwater continental shelf in the periphery of the basement is characterized by shallow burial, a short burial time, stable tectonics, relatively low thermal evolution degrees, and shale gas reservoirs in a good condition. The shale of the Sinian-Cambrian strata deposited in deepwater continental shelves in the periphery of Chuanzhong paleo-uplift in Sichuan, Hannan paleocontinent in the southern Shanxi, Huangling anticline in western Hubei and Jiangnang-Xuefeng paleo-uplift in Hunan and Guizhou province have good shale gas exploration potential.

The spalling and corrosion during the thermal cycles are the main causes of the damages observed in mullite based castable composites which are used in molten iron system. Using the toughening agents of carbon fibers and the anti-oxidant of silicon, mullite based castable composites were prepared by sintering in air atmosphere. The effect of the anti-oxidant of silicon on the various physical, microstructures and mechanical properties were studied. The addition of silicon has significantly improved the cold modules of rupture and the cold crushing strength after firing at 1100 °C, but has little effect on the samples fired at 1450 °C. The cold modules of rupture and the cold crushing strength can be increased by above 20% and 30% respectively when the samples were fired at 1100 °C. After being heated in the air, the most of carbon fibers still can be found in the samples fired at 1450 °C, but can not be found in the samples fired at 1100 °C.

This paper reports the effects of γ-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3 on the properties of lightweight insulation materials. The phase compositions, microstructure and mechanical properties of lightweight insulation materials are separately investigated by XRD, SEM and tabulate thermal conductivity apparatus methods. The results indicate that the increasing of the amount of γ-Al2O3 is beneficial to improving the bulk density, compressive strength and acid resistance of the fired specimens. The fact negatively impacts on the increasing of the apparent porosity; however, it has no significant effect on the thermal conductivity of specimens. Meanwhile, the studies highlight that when the content of γ-Al2O3 increases, the nucleation and growth of mullite is accelerated at high calcination temperature, which has positive effect on improving the physicochemical properties of lightweight insulation materials. And the γ-Al2O3-free SiO2 glass phase system is guided by theoretical analysis of reaction conditions for non-catalytic system with Factsage modelling.

Plant peptide hormones play important roles in plant growth and development. Among these hormones, the C-TERMINALLYENCODED PEPTIDE (CEP) belongs to a newly found peptide family that regulates root development in Arabidopsisas well as in other species. However, nothing is known about the CEPgenes in apple (Malus×domestica, MdCEP). In this study, a total of 27 apple CEPgenes were identified through a genome-wide analysis and were phylogenetically divided into three classes (I, II and III). The predicted MdCEPgenes were distributed across 10 of 17 chromosomes with different densities. Next, the gene structures and motif compositions of the MdCEPgenes were analyzed. Subsequently, the expression analysis suggested that the MdCEPgenes were highly activated in roots and that MdCEP23may play an important role in regulating the growth and development of roots. Moreover, all of the MdCEPgenes were responsive to multiple abiotic stresses, indicating that MdCEPgenes may be involved with various aspects of physiological processes in apple. Nearly one-third of MdCEPgenes had a significant response to low nitrogen treatment. Most of the MdCEPgenes were up-regulated under stress, including mannitol, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and abscisic acid (ABA), suggesting that MdCEPgenes may be involved in the drought stress response. This study provides insight into the putative functions of the MdCEPgenes using a genome-wide analysis of the CEPgene family.

ABSTRACTPeripheral muscle dysfunction is an important complication in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between the levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) mRNA expression and the respiratory function and ultrastructure of mitochondria in the vastus lateralis of patients with COPD. Vastus lateralis biopsies were performed on 14 patients with COPD and 6 control subjects with normal lung function. PPARα mRNA levels in the muscle tissue were detected by real-time PCR. A Clark oxygen electrode was used to assess mitochondrial respiratory function. Mitochondrial number, fractional area in skeletal muscle cross-sections, and Z-line width were observed via transmission electron microscopy. The PPARα mRNA expression was significantly lower in COPD patients with low body mass index (BMIL) than in both COPD patients with normal body mass index (BMIN) and controls. Mitochondrial respiratory function (assessed by respiratory control ratio) was impaired in COPD patients, particularly in BMIL. Compared with that in the control group, mitochondrial number and fractional area were lower in the BMIL group, but were maintained in the BMIN group. Further, the Z-line became narrow in the BMIL group. PPARα mRNA expression was positively related to mitochondrial respiratory function and volume density. In COPD patients with BMIN, mitochondria volume density was maintained, while respiratory function decreased, whereas both volume density and respiratory function decreased in COPD patients with BMIL. PPARα mRNA expression levels are associated with decreased mitochondrial respiratory function and volume density, which may contribute to muscle dysfunction in COPD patients.