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• The CT20 alloy with bimodal microstructure shows excellent impact toughness. • The microstructure with stronger twinning ability can absorb higher crack initiation energy. • Dynamic impact load may induce phase transformation in CT20 alloy. • The higher impact toughness is caused by the coupling of multiple factors. • Especially, micro-voids of the CT20 alloy with bimodal microstructure tend to initiate in α s rather than α p. Impact deformation behaviors of CT20 alloy with lamellar microstructure (LM), equiaxed microstructure (EM) and bimodal microstructure (BM) at room temperature were systematically investigated in this study. The experimental results indicated the excellent mechanical properties of CT20 alloy with BM under dynamic load. The impact toughness of BM specimen (∼118 J/cm2) is ∼17.5 % higher than that of LM specimen and ∼33.8 % higher than that of EM specimen. The impact energy of EM specimen is the lowest due to the relatively simple equiaxed microstructure. LM specimen can absorb the highest crack initiation energy due to the best twinning ability. The highest impact toughness of BM specimen is induced by multi-factor coupling during impact deformation. Finer initial equivalent grain size, smaller lamellar thickness, lamellar induces twinning, finer twins, crack propagation path, and interaction between twins and β lamellar are all factors affecting impact toughness. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, deep learning-based signal recognition technology has gained attention and emerged as an important approach for safeguarding the electromagnetic environment. However, training deep learning-based classifiers on large signal datasets with redundant samples requires significant memory and high costs. This paper proposes a support databased core-set selection method (SD) for signal recognition, aiming to screen a representative subset that approximates the large signal dataset. Specifically, this subset can be identified by employing the labeled information during the early stages of model training, as some training samples are labeled as supporting data frequently. This support data is crucial for model training and can be found using a border sample selector. Simulation results demonstrate that the SD method minimizes the impact on model recognition performance while reducing the dataset size, and outperforms five other state-of-the-art core-set selection methods when the fraction of training sample kept is less than or equal to 0.3 on the RML2016.04C dataset or 0.5 on the RML22 dataset. The SD method is particularly helpful for signal recognition tasks with limited memory and computing resources.

Milling and appearance quality are important contributors to rice grain quality. Abundant genetic diversity and a suitable environment are crucial for rice improvement. In this study, we investigated the milling and appearance quality-related traits in a panel of 200 japonicarice cultivars selected from Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces in Northeast China. Pedigree assessment and genetic diversity analysis indicated that cultivars from Jilin harbored the highest genetic diversity among the three geographic regions. An evaluation of grain quality indicated that cultivars from Liaoning showed superior milling quality, whereas cultivars from Heilongjiang tended to exhibit superior appearance quality. Single- and multi-locus genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted to identify loci associated with milling and appearance quality-related traits. Ninety-nine significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Three common SNPs were detected using the mixed linear model (MLM), mrMLM, and FASTmrMLM methods. Linkage disequilibrium decay was estimated and indicated three candidate regions (qBRR-1, qBRR-9and qDEC-3) for further candidate gene analysis. More than 300 genes were located in these candidate regions. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was performed to discover the potential candidate genes. Genetic diversity analysis of the candidate regions revealed that qBRR-9may have been subject to strong selection during breeding. These results provide information that will be valuable for the improvement of grain quality in rice breeding.

Hymenoptera venom allergy is one of the common causes of anaphylaxis. However, when physicians make the diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom allergy, the history of being stung is not always consistent with the results of venom-specific IgE. With the development of component-resolved diagnosis, it is possible to accurately localize an allergic reaction to certain sensitized proteins. This paper reviewed the studies that have addressed the identified allergenicity and cross-reactivity of Hymenoptera venom allergens accepted by the WHO/IUIS Nomenclature Sub-committee, the componentresolved diagnosis of Hymenoptera venom allergy and its predictive values for the efficacy and safety of venom immunotherapy. Also special attention was paid to the spread of Hymenoptera venom allergy in Asian countries.

ObjectivesAccumulated evidence implies that night shift work may trigger liver dysfunction. Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is suggested to be a necessary mediator in this process. This study aimed to examine the relationship between night shift work and elevated level of alanine transaminase (e-ALT) of workers and investigate the potential mediation effect of NAFL.MethodsThis study included all male workers from the baseline survey of a cohort of night shift workers. Information on demographics, lifestyle and lifetime working schedule was collected by face-to-face interview. Liver sonography was used to identify NAFL cases. Serum ALT level was detected by an automatic biochemical analyser. e-ALT was defined as ALT >40 U/L. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate ORs, and mediation analysis was employed to examine the mediation effect.ResultsAmong 4740 male workers, 39.5% were night shift workers. Night shift workers had an increased risk of e-ALT (OR, 1.19, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.42). With the increase in night shift years, the OR of e-ALT increased from 1.03 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.36) to 1.60 (95% CI 1.08 to 2.39) among workers without NAFL. A similar trend was not found among workers with NAFL. In addition, no significant mediation effect of NAFL in the association between night shift work and e-ALT was found.ConclusionsNight shift work is positively associated with abnormal liver function, in particular among workers without NAFL. Shift work involving circadian disruption is likely to exert a direct effect on liver dysfunction rather than rely on the mediation effect of NAFL.

Even though metformin has been used worldwide to treat type 2 diabetes for several decades, its mechanism of the action on glucose homeostasis remains controversial. To further assess the effect [...]

This paper proposes a novel fault tolerant control scheme for linear systems with unknown bounded uncertainty and time-varying fault. In this scheme, adaptive output integral-type sliding mode is incorporated with adaptive unknown input observer to cope with aforementioned systems using only input and output information. More specifically, the adaptive unknown input observer is exploited to estimate state and fault simultaneously, and the adaptive output integral-type sliding mode is designed to attenuate unknown bounded uncertainty and tolerate time-varying fault. Then, Lyapunov stability theory is applied to synthesize the design of the observer and nominal controller. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a numerical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractA code called CriSAA used for criticality excursion evaluation and analysis is developed by coupling a two-dimensional thermal-hydraulic code and a zero-dimensional neutron kinetics code. The generalized semi-Markov process simulation method is improved in the neutron kinetics code, which makes it suitable for the transient cases of both stochastic and intense neutron fields. Pulse withdrawal experiments and ramp feed experiments performed on the Transient Experiment Critical Facility (TRACY) are simulated with CriSAA. The transient characteristics of isolated and open criticality excursions on TRACY are studied. The simulation fits well with the experiments. Stochastic phenomena of the criticality excursions under a weak source case are studied. The statistics characteristics, including time and energy to first peak, power of first peak, and total energy, are shown. This work provides an advanced approach for criticality excursion evaluation and analysis.

Oryzaeins A–D (1-4), four new isocoumarin derivatives, along with five known ones (5-9) were isolated from solid cultures of an endophytic fungus Aspergillus oryzae. Their structures were elucidated by detailed spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with reported data of related derivatives. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 represent the first examples of isocoumarins possessing an unusual 2-oxopropyl group and a rare 3-hydroxypropyl group. Compounds 1 and 2 displayedmoderate anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities with inhibition rates of 28.4% and 30.6%, respectively, at the concentration of 20 μM. The new compounds showed moderate inhibitory activities against several human tumor cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 2.8-8.8 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MP/PBS composite was fabricated by melt blending method. The weight loss ratio of MP/PBS composite reached 35.43 wt.% after immersion into phosphate buffered saline solution for 12 weeks, and the pH change from 7.40 to 7.72. The relative proliferation rate of cells on the materials increased with time and the proliferation of the cells on the MP/PBS composite was significantly higher than PBS. The results reveal MP/PBS composite has good biocompatibility, which satisfied the relevant criterion on biomaterials.

Versicolactones A-D (1-4), four new butyrolactones, along with four known butyrolactones (5-8) were isolated from the fermentation products of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor. The structures of compounds 1-4, including absolute configuration, were elucidated by interpretation of the NMR and CD data. Compound 2 was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In particular, compound 1 is the first naturally occurring butyrolactone possessing an unusual 2-oxopropyl group. More importantly, compounds 1 and 8 displayed significant antitobacco mosaic virus activities with inhibition rates of 46.4% and 35.4%, even more potent than the positive control ningnanmycin (30.8%). Compound 1 also showed moderate cytotoxicity against A549 and MCF7 cells with IC50 values of 3.2 and 2.5 μM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CHINA STAR, the first high-speed train produced in China using its own intellectual fights, combines traditional, mature Chinese electric traction experience with advanced traction technology to meet the actual conditions [...]

Hyperaccumulator biomass harvested after heavy-metal phytoremediation must be considered as hazardous waste that should be contained or treated appropriately before disposal or reuse. As a potential method to detoxify the biomass and to convert this material to a suitable bio-energy resource, the hydrothermal upgrading process was applied to remove heavy metals and upgrading crude bio-oil from Pteris vittatastems and leaves harvest. By using univariate experiment method, parameters such as material granularity, temperature, liquid/solid (L/S, mL/g), pressure, duration and catalysts were examined for their effect on the removal efficiency of heavy metals and upgrading efficiency of crude bio-oil. A heavy metals removal efficiency of >99% and crude bio-oil upgrading efficiency of 83% were attained with a 200 mesh (75 α/4m) granularity, L/S 40:1 and 23 MPa at 380 °C in the presence of 0.1 mol/L K2CO3for 30 min. GC•MS analysis results show that the resulting bio-oil mainly consists of benzene 11%, ketone 42%, alcohols 14%, alkene 15% and ester 11%, etc., and the relative molecular weight distribution lies in 94•282, carbon number distribution lies in 6•18, calorific value is 32 MJ/kg.

We study breathers, their collision, and the interaction between breathers and other types of nonlinear localized waves (solitons and rogue waves) in a three-mode optical fiber. We find that there exist three types of breathers with different structures, i.e., bright, dark, and four-petaled breathers. We present some inelastic interaction structures of the breather collision and the interplay of breathers and other types of nonlinear localized waves. In particular, we find that one breather and two rogue waves with different structures can coexist and interact with each other. It is interesting that the breather gets twisted by the attractive interactions between the breather and rogue waves, and its intensity between the rogue waves changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nano manganese oxides were prepared with the hydrothermal method by adding surface-active agent. The influence of the type and addition amount of surface-active agent on the preparation of nano manganese oxides was studied. The products were characterized with XRD. Experimental results show that MnOOH is obtained at 180℃ with the addition of N,N,N-trimethyl-1-dodecanaminium bromide, and Mn3O4 is obtained at 180 ℃ with OP Emulsifier or Tween-80 added. Different addition amount of surface-active agent would have diverse effects on the purity of products.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic condition that manifests as painful and potentially life-threatening episodic attacks of cutaneous and submucosal swelling. It results from functional deficiency of C1 inhibitor (C1 INH), which is a regulator of the complement, fibrinolytic, kinin (contact), and coagulation systems. In patients with HAE, the low plasma concentration of functional C1 INH leads to overactivation of the kinin cascade and local release of bradykinin. Bradykinin is responsible for the pain, vascular permeability changes, and edema associated with HAE. Until recently, therapeutic options for HAE have been very limited. Many new therapies have emerged, however, such as C1 INH replacement drugs and medications aimed at components of the contact system (eg, plasma kallikrein inhibitor and bradykinin B2receptor antagonist). The authors review current and novel treatments for patients with HAE.

The importance of e-commerce is increasingly visible, but the credit problem is still one of the bottlenecks of its development. This paper mainly researches the credit problems of Taobao (

Clarification of the molecular mechanisms of oncogenesis and drug resistance is a prerequisite for the development of new treatment strategies like molecularly targeted therapies. Recent studies demonstrate that EphA2 is overexpressed in human cancers and that EphA2 increases tumor invasion and survival. Thus, an EphA2 receptor antagonist, such as a specific tyrosine kinase inhibitor (in the form of an antibody, small molecule, peptide, or siRNA) or an antibody-drug conjugate that targets the EphA2 receptor could be the basis for a novel targeted antineoplastic therapy. This review summarizes the role of EphA2 in tumorigenesis and the development of EphA2 receptor antagonists as candidate anti-cancer agents. We suggests that continued research into the function of EphA2 signaling in the pathobiology of neoplasia could lead to more rationally designed therapeutics targeting EphA2 in solid tumors.

The article focuses on optogenetic therapy and other therapeutic strategies that rely on trophic factors or calcium channel locker for managing ocular diseases that lead to blindness and are incurable.

Accurate methods that test the eye irritation potential of chemicals, which do not involve the use of animals, are needed to meet new regulatory standards. We evaluated the applicability and predictive capacity of five in vitrotests for eye irritation: the Hen's Egg Test-Chorioallantoic Membrane (HET-CAM) assay; the Chorioallantoic Membrane-Trypan Blue Staining (CAM-TBS) assay; the Fluorescein Leakage Test (FLT); the 3T3-Neutral Red Uptake (3T3-NRU) cytotoxicity assay; and the red blood cell (RBC) haemolysis assay. A panel of 16 chemicals (some at multiple concentrations) was assessed by using the five tests, and the results were compared with historical in vivoDraize test data. The results showed rank correlation and class concordance between the five alternative methods and the Draize test for the 16 chemicals. These in vitroassays had good predictive capacity, reproducibility and reliability when compared to the Draize test. The best relationship was between the HET-CAM, CAM-TBS and FLT results, and the modified maximum average score(s) (MMAS). A prediction model (PM) was developed, based on the maximum possible correlation between the MMAS and the HET-CAM, CAM-TBS and FLT results. The PM had a good predictive capacity when compared to the results of animal tests, indicating its potential value for the in vitroscreening of chemicals for eye irritation effects.

Trust in the patient–physician relationship has been widely discussed, but in-depth and systematic analyses are scarce. A model is proposed to explore the trust–outcomes relationship by identifying the mediating effects of compliance, patient disclosure, placebo effect and physician's caring behaviour. The consequences of patients' trust in physicians and the practical implications of trust to quality patient care are presented.

Dichotomy, or monostability, is one of the most important properties of nonlinear dynamic systems. For a dichotomous system, the solution of the system is either unbounded or convergent to a certain equilibrium, thus periodic or chaotic states cannot exist in the system. In this paper, a new methodology for the analysis of dichotomy of a class of nonlinear systems is proposed, and a linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based criterion is derived. The results are then extended to uncertain systems with real convex poly- topic uncertainties in the linear part, and the LMI representation for robust dichotomy allows the use of parameter-dependent Lyapunov function. Based on the results, a dynamic output feedback controller guaranteeing robust dichotomy is designed, and the controller parameters are explicitly expressed by a set of feasible solutions of corresponding linear matrix inequalities. An extended Chua's circuit with two nonlinear resistors is given at the end of the paper to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the proposed approach. It is shown that by investigating the convergence of the bounded oscillating solutions of the system, our results suggests a viable and effective way for chaos control in nonlinear circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nb-Si alloys have gained much attention over the last decade as the next generation alloys for high-temperature aero-engine applications due to their low density and improved mechanical properties. However, the microstructures of these alloys are quite complex and vary significantly with the addition of elements such as Ti and Hf. Hence, an improved understanding of the phase stability and the microstructural evolution of these alloys is essential for alloy design for advanced high-temperature applications. In the present paper, we describe the microstructural evolution modeling results of the dendritic and eutectic solidification of the binary Nb-16 at.% Si alloy, obtained using a Phase-Field simulations performed with MICRESS. The effect of parameters; such as heat extraction rate, the ratio of the diffusivity of the solute in liquid to solid, and the interfacial energy of liquid and solid interface, on the microstructural evolution during dendritic solidification is discussed in detail.

Core-shell structured nanocomposites with NiFe2O4as the magnetic core and polyaniline (PANI) as the conducting shell were prepared. The structural components in the NiFe2O4and NiFe2O4/PANI were identified from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) of the samples. The crystalline phase of NiFe2O4and NiFe2O4/PANI was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shape and size distribution of particles were observed by transmission electron microgragh (TEM). The thermal stability of samples was ensured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The magnetic properties were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results indicated that the resultant composites exhibited good quadrate morphology and uniform size with magnetic and conducting characteristic and high thermal stability.Core-shell structured nanocomposites with NiFe2O4as the magnetic core and polyaniline (PANI) as the conducting shell were prepared. The structural components in the NiFe2O4and NiFe2O4/PANI were identified from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) of the samples. The crystalline phase of NiFe2O4and NiFe2O4/PANI was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shape and size distribution of particles were observed by transmission electron microgragh (TEM). The thermal stability of samples was ensured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The magnetic properties were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results indicated that the resultant composites exhibited good quadrate morphology and uniform size with magnetic and conducting characteristic and high thermal stability.

The binding of Schiff base selenide, (2‐hydroxy‐benzimido)ethyl‐n‐hexylselenide, to bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied using fluorescence spectroscopy. The measurement was performed in Tris‐HCl buffer aqueous medium at pH 7.4. Stern‐Volmer graphs were plotted and quenching constants were estimated. The quenching constant at 303 K was (1.639 ± 0.046) × 1013L mol−1s−1. Decreased quenching was observed as temperature increased, but at the temperature range of 303–313 K, the association of Schiff base selenide to BSA was not significantly different. The static quenching presented in the system of Schiff base selenide and BSA. A complex was possibly formed between Schiff base selenide and BSA, which was responsible for the quenching of the fluorescence of BSA. This fact was also confirmed by differences in the absorption spectra of BSA before and after Schiff base selenide addition. The hydrophobic interaction was found to play a main role in the binding according to the thermodynamic parameters, enthalpy change (ΔH) and entropy change (ΔS) of reaction. Schiff base selenide most likely binds to the hydrophobic pockets within sub domain IIA of BSA, which can be proved by competition experiments for sodium dodecyl sulfate. By constant‐wavelength synchronous fluorescence spectra, the influence of (2‐hydroxy‐benzimido)‐ethyl‐n‐hexylselenide on the surrounding environment of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in BSA was also investigated. The red shift of the fluorescence peak of tryptophan residues indicated that the hydrophobic amino acid structure surrounding tryptophan residues in BSA collapsed slightly after the addition of (2‐hydroxy‐benzimido)ethyl‐n‐hexylselenide.

For any classical Lie algebra , we construct a family of integrable generalizations of Toda mechanics labeled a pair of ordered integers . The universal form of the Lax pair, equations of motion, Hamiltonian as well as Poisson brackets are provided, and explicit examples for with are also given. For all , it is shown that the dynamics of the - and the -Toda chains are natural reductions of that of the -chain, and for , there is also a family of symmetrically reduced Toda systems, the -Toda systems, which are also integrable. In the quantum case, all -Toda systems with or describe the dynamics of standard Toda variables coupled to noncommutative variables. Except for the symmetrically reduced cases, the integrability for all -Toda systems survive after quantization.

In this paper, we recast the matter part of the open superstring star in the present of a constant Bfield. By using a different coordinate representation the matter part of the open superstring star is identified with the continuous Moyal product of functions of anti-commuting variables. Fortunately we find it does not depend on the value of the Bfield.

In this paper, we consider a two-dimensional integrable and conformal invariant field theory with two Dirac spinors and two scalar fields. This model has chiral symmetry and CP-like symmetry. Moreover, this model also has a Neother current depending only on the matter field. At last, we bosonize the spinor fields.

The effective action of chiral QCD2was studied in two-dimensional non-commutative space-time by using path integral approach. It is shown that vector boson has a mass generation and the effective Lagrangian contains a term corresponding to a Wess-Zumino-Witten-like term.

We have isolated mutations defining a new gene, tlp-1, that affect asymmetric cell fates and morphogenesis during the development of the C. elegans tail. tlp-1 mutations cause defects in the specification of asymmetric cell fates in the descendants of the T blast cell, whose polarity is controlled by Wnt signaling and cause abnormal male tail development leading to the formation of a posterior protrusion reminiscent of 'leptoderan', or pointy tailed, nematode species. In wild-type C. elegans males, which have a 'peloderan' or rounded tail, retraction of the tail tip hypodermis involves a temporally ordered set of cell fusions and changes in cell shape that appear to be heterochronically delayed in tlp-1 males, suggesting that subtle changes in these events can bring about evolutionary changes in morphology. tlp-1 encodes a C2H2 zinc-finger protein that is a member of the Sp family of transcription factors. A TLP-1::GFP fusion protein is expressed in the nuclei of many cells during early embryogenesis and then becomes restricted primarily to posterior cells. At hatching, it is expressed in several head neurons, the posterior intestine cells, tail hypodermal cells, the T cells and specific T-cell descendents in a pattern that suggests TLP-1 may be asymmetrically expressed during the divisions of the T cell lineage. Furthermore, the asymmetry of TLP-1 expression and function appears to be controlled by Wnt signals that control T cell polarity. These results suggest that tlp-1 encodes a transcription factor required for cellular asymmetry that functions downstream of Wnt signals that control cell polarity, as well as in cell fusion and patterning in the C. elegans tail.

By constructing close-one-cochain density in the gauge group space we get the Wess-Zumino-Witten (WZW) effective Lagrangian on high-dimensional noncommutative space. Especially consistent anomalies derived from this WZW effective action in noncommutative four-dimensional space coincide with those obtained by L. Bonora etc. (hep-th/0002210).