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The implementation of a laparoscope-holding robot in minimally invasive surgery enhances the efficiency and safety of the operation. However, the extra robot control task can increase the cognitive load on surgeons. A suitable interface may simplify the control task and reduce the surgeon load. Foot interfaces are commonly used for commanding laparoscope-holding robots, with two control strategies available: decoupled control permits only one Cartesian axis actuation, known as decoupled commands; hybrid control allows for both decoupled commands and multiple axes actuation, known as coupled commands. This paper aims to determine the optimal control strategy for foot interfaces by investigating two common assumptions in the literature: (1) Decoupled control is believed to result in better predictability of the final laparoscopic view orientation, and (2) Hybrid control has the efficiency advantage in laparoscope control. Our user study with 11 experienced and trainee surgeons shows that decoupled control has better predictability than hybrid control, while both approaches are equally efficient. In addition, using two surgery-like tasks in a simulator, users’ choice of decoupled and coupled commands is analysed based on their level of surgical experience and the nature of the movement. Results show that trainee surgeons tend to issue more commands than the more experienced participants. Single decoupled commands were frequently used in small view adjustments, while a mixture of coupled and decoupled commands was preferred in larger view adjustments. A guideline for foot interface control strategy selection is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe trauma could induce sepsis due to the loss of control of the infection, which may eventually lead to death. Accurate and timely diagnosis of sepsis with severe trauma remains challenging both for clinician and laboratory. Combinations of markers, as opposed to single ones, may improve diagnosis. We compared the diagnostic characteristics of routinely used biomarkers of sepsis alone and in combination, trying to define a biomarker panel to predict sepsis in severe patients. This prospective observational study included patients with severe trauma (Injury severity score, ISS = 16 or more) in the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) at a university hospital. Blood samples were collected and plasma levels of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and serum amyloid A (SAA) were measured using commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. A total of 100 patients were eligible for analysis. Of these, 52 were diagnosed with sepsis. CRP yielded the highest discriminative value followed by PCT. In multiple logistic regression, SAA, CRP, and PCT were found to be independent predictors of sepsis. Bioscore which was composed of SAA, CRP, and PCT was shown to be far superior to that of each individual biomarker taken individually. Therefore, compared with single markers, the biomarker panel of PCT, CRP, and SAA was more predictive of sepsis in severe polytrauma patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article we develop an analogue of Aubry-Mather theory for time periodic dissipative equation x ˙ = ∂ p H (x , p , t) , p ˙ = - ∂ x H (x , p , t) - f (t) p with (x , p , t) ∈ T ∗ M × T (compact manifold M without boundary). We discuss the asymptotic behaviors of viscosity solutions for the associated Hamilton-Jacobi equation ∂ t u + f (t) u + H (x , ∂ x u , t) = 0 , (x , t) ∈ M × T w.r.t. certain parameters, and analyze the meanings in controlling the global dynamics. We also discuss the prospect of applying our conclusions to many physical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolutionary game theory on complex networks provides an effective theoretical tool to explain the emergence of sustained cooperative behavior. Human society has formed various organizational networks. The network structure and individual behavior take on a variety of forms. This diversity provides the basis for choice, so it is crucial for the emergence of cooperation. This article provides a dynamic algorithm for individual network evolution, and calculates the importance of different nodes in the network evolution process. In the dynamic evolution simulation, the probability of the cooperation strategy and betrayal strategy is described. In the individual interaction network, cooperative behavior will promote the continuous evolution of individual relationships and form a better aggregative interpersonal network. The interpersonal network of betrayal has been in a relatively loose state, and its continuity must rely on the participation of new nodes, but there will be certain "weak links" in the existing nodes of the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the association of thigh muscle fat infiltration by quantitative MRI with muscle strength in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Seventy T2DM patients and sixty control subjects (71 males; age: 52 ± 8 years) underwent 3.0T MRI and isokinetic muscle strength measurements to obtain the skeletal muscle index (SMI), intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) proton density fat fraction (PDFF), intramuscular fat (IMF) PDFF, peak torque (PT) and total work (TW) of knee extensors and flexors. The differences of measurements between T2DM patients and asymptomatic volunteers were compared. Multivariate regression analysis was used to determine significant predictors of thigh extension and flexion strength. The SMI, IMAT and IMF PDFF of thigh muscles in T2DM patients were higher than that in the control group (p < 0.001), while PT and TW were lower than those in the control subjects (p < 0.05). Both IMF and IMAT PDFF were negatively correlated with PT, TW in participants with T2DM (extensors: r = − 0.72, − 0.70, p < 0.001; r = − 0.62, − 0.56, p < 0.05. flexors: r = − 0.37, − 0.43, p < 0.05; r = − 0.39, − 0.46, p < 0.05). Moderate and strong correlations between HOMA-IR and muscle strength measurements, muscle PDFFs were observed in extensors and flexors. IMF PDFF and age were the statistically significant predictor of PT and TW of extensors of thigh in multivariate regression analysis. Therefore, the thigh muscle PDFF increased was associated with muscle strength decreased in T2DM patients beyond SMI. Age are also important factors influencing thigh muscle PDFF and strength in T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crust–mantle interaction induced by continental subduction occurs through metasomatic reaction of continental crust-derived materials with mantle wedge peridotite in continental subduction channels. Mantle-derived igneous rocks above continental subduction zones can provide insights into the nature of crust–mantle interaction and the types of metasomatism. The Laixi region is located on the southeastern margin of the North China Craton adjacent to the Sulu orogen. Here, we present K–Ar dating, whole-rock major and trace elements, Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes, and olivine and clinopyroxene major and trace elements of the Laixi basalt to investigate the nature of metasomatism at the crust–mantle interface. These basalts exhibit geochemical inheritance of island arc basalt (IAB)-like trace-element patterns, moderately enriched Sr–Nd isotopic compositions, and variable Pb isotopic compositions from upper-crustal materials of the subducted South China Block. The olivine and clinopyroxene contents of the Laixi basalts indicate a mixed source composed of ~ 51% pyroxenite and ~ 49% peridotite which is the result of carbonate metasomatism. On the basis of the typical differences in MgO, CaO and Al2O3 contents between the Laixi basaltic magmas and experimental melts, the metasomatic agents are identified as carbonated eclogite-derived melts. These features of the IAB-like basalts suggest metasomatic reaction of mantle-wedge peridotite with carbonated silicate melt derived from the subducted upper crust in the continental subduction channel, with olivine being consumed to generate ultramafic metasomatites enriched in pyroxene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is rich in nutrients and extremely beneficial to human health. We identified and comprehensively analyzed 89 MADS-box genes in the foxtail millet genome. According to the classification of MADS-box genes in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, the SiMADS-box genes were divided into M-type (37) and MIKC-type (52). During evolution, the differentiation of MIKC-type MADS-box genes occurred before that of monocotyledons and dicotyledons. The SiMADS-box gene structure has undergone much differentiation, and the number of introns in the MIKC-type subfamily is much greater than that in the M-type subfamily. Analysis of gene duplication events revealed that MIKC-type MADS-box gene segmental duplication accounted for the vast majority of gene duplication events, and MIKC-type MADS-box genes played a major role in the amplification of SiMADS-box genes. Collinearity analysis showed highest collinearity between foxtail millet and maize MADS-box genes. Analysis of tissue-specific expression showed that SiMADS-box genes are highly expressed throughout the grain-filling process. Expression analysis of SiMADS-box genes under eight different abiotic stresses revealed many stress-tolerant genes, with induced expression of SiMADS33 and SiMADS78 under various stresses warranting further attention. Further, some SiMADS-box proteins may interact under external stress. This study provides insights for MADS-box gene mining and molecular breeding of foxtail millet in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel deep eutectic solvent-magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer (DES-MMIP) for the specific removal of oxalic acid (OA) was prepared by an environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent, consisting of betaine, citric acid, and glycerol, which acted as the functional monomer for polymerization. The structure and morphology of DES-MMIPs were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. DES-MMIPs had a core–shell structure, with magnetic iron oxide as the core, and showed good thermal stability and high adsorption capacity (18.73 mg/g) for OA. The adsorption process of OA by DES-MMIPs followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm model. DES-MMIPs had significant selectivity for OA and their imprinting factor was 3.26. When applied to real samples, high performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that DES-MMIPs could remove OA from both spinach and blood serum. These findings provide potential methods for removal of OA from vegetables and for specific removal of OA in renal dialysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and evolution of the Late Mesozoic lithospheric mantle of the South China Block (SCB) and the influence of subduction of the (paleo-) Pacific plate on it are still highly controversial. A volcanic pipe containing plentiful peridotite xenoliths was newly identified in the eastern Jiangnan orogenic belt of the SCB, which provides us with the possibility to solve the above-mentioned disputes. The host olivine basalts yield a whole-rock K–Ar age of 73 Ma, thus indicating Late Cretaceous magmatic activity. The peridotite xenoliths are all spinel lherzolites, with Mg# in olivine ranging from 87.6 to 89.0, Al2O3 in ortho- and clinopyroxene ranging, respectively, from 3.93 wt% to 4.97 wt% and from 5.30 wt% to 7.00 wt%, and Cr# in spinel ranging from 10.3 to 13.7, all of which are characteristics of a fertile lithospheric mantle. The clinopyroxenes from the peridotite xenoliths show light/heavy rare earth element (L/HREE) fractionation (i.e. (La/Yb)N = 1.69–3.91), which is different from the LREE-depleted patterns of Middle-Late Jurassic peridotite xenoliths. Besides, the 87Sr/86Sr(t) and εNd(t) values of clinopyroxene vary from 0.7044 to 0.7052 and from 0.6 to 2.8, respectively, which corresponds to a very weakly depleted mantle source. Collectively, the mineral chemistry of peridotite xenoliths and the trace elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of clinopyroxene both suggest that the lithospheric mantle beneath the eastern Jiangnan orogenic belt underwent a low degree of partial melting (i.e. 1%–3% batch melting or 2%–3% fractional melting), followed by silicate melt metasomatism, the metasomatic agent being derived from a subducted oceanic plate. Combined with previous studies on peridotite xenoliths of different ages, we outline a complete Phanerozoic lithospheric mantle evolution of the SCB and propose that the subduction of the (paleo-) Pacific plate contributed both material and energy to the modification of the lithospheric mantle since the Cretaceous (and possibly until the Eocene). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luster is one of the vital indexes in pearl grading. To find a fast, nondestructive, and low-cost grading method, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is introduced to predict the luster grade through the texture features. After background removal, flattening, and segmentation, the speckle pattern of the region of interest is described by seven kinds of feature textures, including center-symmetric auto-correlation (CSAC), fractal dimension (FD), Gabor, gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), histogram of oriented gradients (HOG), laws texture energy (LAWS), and local binary patterns (LBP). To find the relations between speckle-derived texture features and luster grades, four Four groups of pearl samples were used in the experiment to detect texture differences based on support vector machines (SVMs) and random forest classifier (RFC)) for investigating the relations between speckle-derived texture features and luster grades. The precision, recall, F1-score, and accuracy are more significant than 0.9 in several simulations, even after dimension reduction. This demonstrates that the texture feature from OCT images can be applied to class the pearl luster based on speckle changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs), are widely used as free-standing anode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), due to their high specific surface area and excellent ion diffusion kinetics, but they also present problems of reduced rate performance and cycling performance, due to poor strength caused by porosity. Herein, a novel surface porous carbon nanofiber (SPCNFs) is prepared by coaxial electrospinning, followed by carbonization. All the pores are distributed in the shell of the fibers, with a dense amorphous carbon structure in the core, which would not only provide abundant lithium-ion embedding sites, and accelerate the penetration of electrolyte ions, but also alleviate the reduction of mechanical properties (with a ~ 30% improvement to PCNFs). Consequently, our LIBs assembled with this SPCNFs anode represent remarkable cycling stability (445.33 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 after 100 cycles and 388.92 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1 after 1000 cycles), and excellent rate capacity (317.55 mAh g−1 at 1 A g−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous magnetic field generation plays important role in laser-plasma interactions. Strong quasi-static magnetic fields affect the thermal conductivity and the plasma dynamics, particularly in the case of ultra intense laser where the magnetic part of Lorentz force becomes as significant as the electric part. Kinetic simulations of giga-gauss magnetic field amplification via a laser irradiated microtube structure reveal the dynamics of charged particle implosions and the mechanism of magnetic field growth. A giga-gauss magnetic field is generated and amplified with the opposite polarity to the seed magnetic field. The spot size of the field is comparable to the laser wavelength, and the lifetime is hundreds of femtoseconds. An analytical model is presented to explain the underlying physics. This study should aid in designing future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving crack propagation and rapid deterioration of high-temperature rock masses by using cooling shocks is important for improving the efficiency of low-permeability oil and gas production, geothermal well pumping, and other engineering facilities. In this study, the temperatures of four groups of granite samples with holes were set as 150, 350, 550, and 750 °C. To study the crack propagation in high-temperature granite suffering from different cooling shocks, the cooling shock temperatures were set as −20, 0, 20, and 25 °C in experiments and an RFPA2D-Thermal numerical simulation. The results indicated that in the range of 350–550 °C, there is a critical temperature for the sudden change of the crack macroscopic shape. Numerous open cracks appeared on the rock surface, and the thermal damage caused by the cooling shocks was significantly enhanced within the temperature range. Additionally, under the action of the cooling shocks, cracks were initiated in the high-temperature granite at the boundary of the cooling shock hole and the sample and extended radially to the interior of the sample. Moreover, in the process of crack propagation, there was always an annular heat-balance zone inside the rock. Thus, the cracks generated at the boundary of the cube are not connected to the cracks formed at the center hole. A larger temperature gradient in the rock led to a higher crack propagation rate, larger penetration depth, and higher density of cooling-induced cracks. The results of this study can not only improve the permeability of reservoir rocks but also have important reference value for rock engineering in high-temperature environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic mitigation for the tearing mode instability in the current sheet in collisionless plasmas is demonstrated by applying a wobbling electron current beam. The initial small amplitude modulations imposed on the current sheet induce the electric current filamentation and the reconnection of the magnetic field lines. When the wobbling or oscillatory motion is added from the electron beam having a form of a thin layer moving along the current sheet, the perturbation phase is mixed and consequently the instability growth is saturated remarkably, like in the case of the feed-forward control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) plays an important role in plant development. It is closely related to the physiological process of cell development and the response to abiotic and biological stress. However, the classification and evolution of Hsp70 genes in bread wheat, wild emmer wheat and Aegilops tauschii are still unclear. Therefore, this study conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of Hsp70 gene in three species. Among these three species, 113, 79 and 36 Hsp70 genes were identified. They are divided into six subfamilies. Group vi-1 is different from Arabidopsis thaliana. It may be the result of early evolutionary segregation. The number of exons in different subfamilies (from 1 to 13) was different, but the distribution patterns of exons / introns in the same subfamily were similar. The results of Hsp70 promoter region analysis showed that the cis-regulatory elements of A. tauschii and wild emmer wheat were different from those of wheat. In addition, CpG island proportion of wild emmer Hsp70 was higher than that of wheat, which may be the molecular basis of heat resistance of wild wheat relative to cultivated wheat. Further comprehensive analysis of chromosome location and repeat events of Hsp70 gene showed that whole-genome duplication and tandem duplication events contributed to the evolution and expansion of Hsp70 gene in wheat. The results of non-synonymous substitution and synonymous substitution analysis showed that Hsp70 genes of three species had undergone purification selection. The expression profile analysis showed that Hsp70 gene was highly expressed in the roots during the vegetative growth period. In addition, TaHsp70 gene was highly expressed under various stress. The identification, classification and evolution of Hsp70 in wheat and its relatives provided a basis for further research on its evolution and its molecular mechanism in response to stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiscale clustering-based topology optimization for thermo-elastic lattice structures is studied based on the extended multiscale finite element method (EMsFEM). The strain energy of thermo-elastic lattice structures is chosen as the objective function. The microstructural configuration and the macrostructural distribution of the thermo-elastic lattice material are designed through topology optimization concurrently. The K-means clustering-based method is proposed to group the microstructures of the lattice materials. The effects of the number of clusters (groups), magnitude of the thermal loads, size factor of the microstructure, and material volume fraction on the optimization results are discussed. The results show that the clustering-based multiscale design optimization is superior to the classical multiscale design optimization of lattice structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food crop, feeding more than 50% of the world's population. Diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral pathogens constantly threaten the rice production and lead to enormous yield losses. Bacterial blight (BB) and bacterial leaf streak (BLS), caused respectively by gram-negative bacteria Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), are two important diseases affecting rice production worldwide. Due to the economic importance, extensive genetic and genomic studies have been conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanism of rice response to Xoo and Xoc in the last two decades. A series of resistance (R) genes and their cognate avirulence and virulence effector genes have been characterized. Here, we summarize the recent advances in studies on interactions between rice and the two pathogens through these R genes or their products and effectors. Breeding strategies to develop varieties with durable and broad-spectrum resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae based on the published studies are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) were reported to be associated with plasma lipid and glucose levels. However, interplays of PTSD with GHSR on plasma lipid and glucose levels have not been explored yet. This study was to investigate the interplays of PTSD and GHSR rs495225 on plasma glucose and lipid profiles. A total of 709 high school students were recruited at 6 months after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Variants of GHSR rs495225 were identified by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and verified by DNA sequencing. The PTSD Checklist Civilian Version (PCL-C) was used to assess PTSD. There was no significant difference of PTSD prevalence between the TT homozygotes and the C allele carriers. However, the students with PTSD had significantly lower levels of glucose, insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) than the students without PTSD in the C allele carriers of GHSR rs495225 after the adjustment for age, gender and body mass index (BMI), but higher levels of TG and TG/HDL-C in the TT homozygotes. Meanwhile, the TT homozygotes had lower levels of HDL-C than the C allele carriers in the students without PTSD, but higher levels of insulin and HOMA-IR in the subjects with PTSD. After the adjustment of age and gender, and additional adjustment for BMI, the results were not changed except the difference of insulin was only a tendency (p = 0.054) after the additional adjustment for BMI. PTSD may augment TG levels and the related lipid ratio TG/HDL-C in the TT homozygotes of GHSR rs495225 but decrease the levels of glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR in the C allele carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Red-emitting nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) are synthesized using o-phenylenediamine by a one-step method, and can serve as a fluorescent probe for "turn off" detection of hematin in human red cells. The red-emitting N-CDs can be obtained only in acidic conditions and the emission of the red-emitting N-CDs is pH-dependent, indicating proton-controlled synthesis and emission. The red-emitting N-CDs are 2.7 nm in mean size and have a uniform dispersion and exhibit a high quantum yield (12.8%) and great optical properties. The developed sensing system for hematin displays a linear response from 0.4 to 32 μM with a detection limit of 0.18 μM. Importantly, this fluorescent probe demonstrates a good potential practicability for the quantitative detection of hematin in complex matrixes.ᅟ [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machining time and energy consumption are common process planning evaluation metrics. However, it is difficult to obtain accurate machining time and energy consumption values in the process planning stage, which may result in non-optimal obtaining process routes. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a flexible process planning method based on processing time and energy consumption prediction models. The historical processing data is analyzed, and a prediction model of machining time and energy consumption based on a radial basis function neural network is proposed. Considering the flexibility of multiple processes, a mathematical model of the flexible process planning problem based on the machining time and energy consumption prediction model is established. A multi-objective algorithm using a multidimensional real number coding method is proposed for problem-solving with the completion time and energy consumption minimization as the optimization objective. Two algorithms with better multi-objective optimization performance, the strength Pareto evolution algorithm 2, and the dominance ranking genetic algorithm II are selected for comparative analysis to obtain a better effect of optimization. The better algorithm is selected with the best parameters. Finally, case studies are conducted to verify the validity of the prediction model and the flexible process planning model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the interaction between long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and metabolic risk factors that contribute to coronary artery disease (CAD). A total transcriptome high throughput sequencing study was conducted on peripheral blood mononuclear cells from five patients with CAD and five healthy controls. Validation assay by qRT-PCR was conducted among 270 patients and 47 controls. Finally, to evaluate the lncRNAs’ diagnostic value for CAD, the Spearman correlation test and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis were utilized. Additionally, univariate and multivariate logistic regression along with crossover analyses were conducted to identify the interaction between lncRNA and environmental risk factors. A total of 2149 of 26,027 lncRNAs identified by RNA sequencing were differentially expressed in CAD patients compared to controls. Validation by qRT-PCR showed significantly different relative expression levels for lncRNAs PDXDC1-AS1, SFI1-AS1, RP13-143G15.3, DAPK1-IT1, PPIE-AS1, and RP11-362A1.1 between the two groups (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC values of PDXDC1-AS1 and SFI1-AS1 is 0.645 (sensitivity=0.443 and specificity=0.920) and 0.629 (sensitivity=0.571 and specificity=0.909), especially. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that lncRNAs PDXDC1-AS1 (OR=2.285, 95%CI=1.390-3.754, p=0.001) and SFI1-AS1 (OR=1.163, 95%CI=1.163–2.264, p=0.004) were protective factors against CAD. Under the additive model, cross-over analyses demonstrated significant interactions between lncRNAs PDXDC1-AS1 and smoking in relation to CAD risk (S=3.871, 95%CI=1.140–6.599). PDXDC1-AS1 and SFI1-AS1 were sensitive and specific biomarkers for CAD and exhibited synergistic effects with certain environmental factors. These results highlighted their potential use as CAD diagnostic biomarkers for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall infiltration can be a major cause of slope failure. In the present paper, an indoor soil slope model was built; a distributed sensing fiber was designed based on Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA). Two soil moisture probes were planted and a rainfall infiltration test was simulated to acquire the data of slope infiltration and deformation progress under rainfall infiltration. Time domain volumetric moisture content of the slope as well as the vertical and horizontal strain changes were monitored. The moisture content results showed the infiltration path and had obvious ascent at the sliding surface of the slope. The fiber results showed that there existed an apparent strain concentration near the shear section of the slope and strain conversion zone; the soil deformation law had a close spatial relationship with the infiltration path in the soil. In addition to the accurate determination of the sliding surface, a secondary shear surface was also detected by the BOTDA system. These results provide valuable information pertaining to the sliding mechanism and prediction of slope failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

UV-Vis reflectance spectroscopy combined with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to characterize the nacres of seawater and freshwater cultured pearls and shells. While distinct spectral features were observed for different types of pearls or shells, a characteristic absorption band at about 275 nm was identified in the UV-Vis spectra for the nacres of pearls and shells regardless of their growing environments or physical appearance. The UV absorption peak was no longer observable after the nacres were coated with Pt, indicating that the laminated structure of the nacre's surface, which remains intact after coating, was not responsible for producing the peak. In addition, the peak was observed in different parts of the nacre where the thickness of the individual aragonite platelets varied significantly, indicating that the inner multilayered microstructure of nacre did not contribute to the formation of this characteristic absorption. It is therefore here suggested that the characteristic UV band of the nacres of pearls and shells originates from the organic matrix in nacre. Given the established key role of the organic matrix in facilitating the unique brick-and-mortar architectures of nacre, which is known for its superior mechanical properties, the present study could potentially provide the basis for designing advanced optical and biomedical materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VP35 of Ebola viruses (EBOVs) is an attractive potential target because of its multifunction. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) energy calculations are performed to investigate the single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) as an inhibitor in wild-type (WT) VP35 as well as in three primary mutants (K248A, I295A, and K248A/I295A) through docking the SWCNT in the first basic patch (FBP) of VP35. The SWCNTs of all the four systems effectively bind to the FBP. Interestingly, the sites and orientations of the SWCNT binding to the I295A mutant and K248A/I295A double mutants change significantly to accommodate the variation of the VP35 conformation. Moreover, the VDW can provide the major forces for affinity binding in all four systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, whether endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is superior to conventional TBNA (cTBNA) in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy remains controversial. We undertook a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA versus cTBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy, both in benign and malignant etiologies. Computer-based retrieval was performed on PubMed and EMBASE. The quality was evaluated according to the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2, and Meta-Disc was adopted to perform meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The summary receiving operating characteristic curve as well as the areas under curve (AUC) was measured. Four studies with a total of 440 patients met the inclusion criteria. Our results showed that the pooled sensitivity was 0.90 (95 % CI 0.85-0.94) and 0.76 (95 % CI 0.68-0.82), pooled specificity was 0.75 (95 % CI 0.60-0.87) and 0.94 (95 % CI 0.86-0.98), DOR was 75.38 (95 % CI 16.38-346.97) and 108.17 (95 % CI 13.84-845.35), and AUC was 0.9339 and 0.9732 for EBUS-TBNA group and cTBNA group, respectively. Although EBUS-TBNA with a higher sensitivity performs better than cTBNA, there is lack of enough evidence regarding EBUS-TBNA being superior to cTBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Considering the limitations of methodology and limited data, further robust RCTs are needed to verify the current findings and investigate the optimal choice in patients receiving TBNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, multi-scale concurrent topology optimization of material and structural design under mechanical and thermal loads is considered. To this end, the Porous Anisotropic Material with Penalization (PAMP) model which includes both microscopic material density and macroscopic material density as design variables, is employed to distribute material on two length scales in an optimal way. Corresponding problem formulation and numerical solution procedures are also developed and validated through a number of numerical examples. It is found that the proposed method is effective for the solution of concurrent material and structural optimization problems. Numerical evidences also suggest that compared with solid material, porous material with well-designed microstructure may be a better choice when thermo-elastic effects are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ligament of bivalve molluscs is known for its exceptional mechanical properties. In the present work, we investigated the nanoscale structure and composition of the aragonite fibers in the inner ligament of the freshwater shell Hyriopsis Cumingii, using high-resolution transmission electron microscope coupled with selected area electron diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscope, and X-ray diffraction. The sample was found to exhibit cobble-like nanograins that were the basic building blocks to construct individual needle-shaped aragonite fibers in the ligament, which are generally different in sizes and shapes. The individual aragonite fibers were confirmed to be polycrystalline. In addition, twin stacking faults have been observed in the aragonite fibers of the ligament. These newly identified structural properties enhance our understanding of the formation mechanisms of bivalve ligaments and provide new guidelines to design and synthesis advanced functional materials for biomedical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes within Cenozoic extreme climate events such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum and the First Oligocene Glacial provide good opportunities to estimate the global climate trends in our present and future life. However, quantitative paleotemperatures data for Cenozoic climatic reconstruction are still lacking, hindering a better understanding of the past and future climate conditions. In this contribution, quantitative paleotemperatures were determined by fluid inclusion homogenization temperature (Th) data from continental halite of the first member of the Shahejie Formation (SF1; probably late Eocene to early Oligocene) in Bohai Bay Basin, North China. The primary textures of the SF1 halite typified by cumulate and chevron halite suggest halite deposited in a shallow saline water and halite Th can serve as an temperature proxy. In total, one-hundred-twenty-one Th data from primary and single-phase aqueous fluid inclusions with different depths were acquired by the cooling nucleation method. The results show that all Th range from 17.7°C to 50.7°C,with the maximum homogenization temperatures (ThMAX) of 50.56C at the depth of 3028.04 mand 50.7°C at 3188.61 m, respectively. Both the ThMAX presented here are significantly higher than the highest temperature recorded in this region since 1954 and agree with global temperature models for the year 2100 predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rolling is one of the key stages of railway wheel hot forming process. In this work, a three-dimensional finite element analysis on wheel vertical rolling process based on some strategies proposed has been carried out by using FE code SuperForm. In modeling, a virtual mandrel is exploited in the hub hole to keep the wheel central instead of the guide rolls and centering rolls. Some features of the wheel forming are deeply investigated such as the rim diameter expanding, the rim lateral spreading, the metal flow in the circumferential direction, and the stresses distribution. The results show that (1) the rim radius expanding mainly occurs in the two affected zones before and after the back roll deformation zone; (2) the rim metal has flow trend in the circumferential direction during rolling, the metal of the intersection area, between the tread and the rim external side surface has the largest relative angular displacement; and (3) the tensile stresses of the web both in radial and circumferential directions during rolling result in the web thickness decreasing by about 3 mm for the investigated wheel. The simulations results reveal the forming mechanisms of wheel rolling, laying the basis for designing and optimizing railway wheel forming process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile and palladium-free process for the electroless plating on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastic has been demonstrated. The process is based on the Cu adsorption capacity of semi-interpenetrating polymer network (semi-IPN) hydrogel chemically bonded to PVC surface via a simple and one-step approach that applying a chitosan/polyethylene glycol/glutaraldehyde system under mild stirring at room temperature. Therefore, electroless plating can be achieved in the following three steps, namely: (1) the functionalization of PVC by the semi-IPN hydrogel film (2) the adsorption and formation of the catalyst Cu0 on the PVC surface, and (3) the electroless nickel plating in plating bath. Batch adsorption experiments are conducted to determine the effects of pH, initial Cu2+ ions concentration and the dosage of crosslinking agent glutaraldehyde on copper adsorption and the surface resistance of the corresponding plated-PVC. The activated reaction progress and resulting nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) layer were characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results show that the Cu nanoparticles chemisorbed on the functionalized PVC substrate, could effectively initial the subsequent electroless nickel plating; and a compact and continuous Ni-P layer with amorphous phase was successfully deposited on PVC by this process. Besides, the surface resistance of the plated-PVC as low as 0.5 Ω sq-1 showed an excellent adhesion with the PVC substrate proved by Scotch-tape test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the microstructure and mechanical properties of 1420 aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloy joints before and after heat treatment by CO laser-metal inter gas (MIG) hybrid welding. The 5-mm-thick 1420 Al-Li alloy plates were welded by CO laser-MIG hybrid welding. Full penetration joints without any defects were produced. Optic and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the microstructure and fractograph characteristics. The results show that the microstructures of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone exist as a predominantly discontinuous equiaxed dendritic structure and as a fine cellular dendritic structure, respectively. After heat treatment, the microstructures change from dendritic structure to a spheroidal crystal; the grain size of fusion zone is obviously larger than that of the base metal and the HAZ. Furthermore, the hardness recovers substantially to a level similar to that of the parent material. The tensile strengths of the joints in the as-welded condition and after heat treatment are 223 and 267 MPa, reaching up to 57 and 68 % of the parent materials' strength, respectively. The fractographs show that the joint as-welded condition exhibits the characteristics of dominated dimples and a small amount tear ridges, which are associated with the mixed ductile and brittle facture mechanisms. The fracture mode transforms from a transgranular to an intergranular after heat treatment; cleavage cracking coupled with an intergranular microvoid coalescence fracture mechanism occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) sequences have been widely used to link the expression of two independent proteins on the same mRNA transcript. Genes encoding fluorescent proteins or drug-resistance enzymes are usually placed downstream of IRES, serving as expression indicators or selection markers. In biological applications where the upstream gene-of-interest is to be expressed at extremely high levels, it is often desirable to purposely reduce IRES downstream gene expression to economize the cellular resources and/or to generate more stringent selection pressure. Here we describe a miniature IRES mutant sequence (IRESmut3) with dramatically diminished co-translational efficiency to fulfill these purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly efficient hydrogen generation from formic acid/sodium formate aqueous solution catalyzed by in situ synthesized Pd/C with citric acid has been successfully achieved at room temperature. Interestingly, the presence of citric acid during the formation and growth of the Pd nanoparticles on carbon can drastically enhance the catalytic property of the resulted Pd/C, on which the conversion and turnover frequency for decomposition of formic acid/sodium formate system can reach the highest values ever reported of 85% within 160 min and 64 mol H2 mol−1 catalyst h−1, respectively, at room temperature. The present simple, low cost, but highly efficient CO-free hydrogen generation system at room temperature is believed to greatly promote the practical application of formic acid system on fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hsp90 (for heat shock protein90) and the Sgt1 (for suppressor of the G2 allele of skp1) are widely distributed in animals, yeast, and plants. The former functions as molecular chaperon activating a series of client proteins, the latter functions as an adaptor protein participating in multiple biological processes such as immunity response through interactions with different protein complexes. In the present study, we have constructed a homology model of Hsp90-Sgt1 complex in rice based on a recently resolved structure from barley and Arabidopsis to explore its binding mechanisms and to understand the detailed interaction profile. A total of 20 ns explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations combined with MM-GBSA computations and virtual alanine scanning were performed for the modeled complex. In the final structure, three strong salt bridges were found between OsHsp90 and OsSgt1, D217(OsHsp90) - K186(OsSgt1), D218(OsHsp90) - K237(OsSgt1) and K161(OsHsp90) - E239(OsSgt1). Besides, residue Y173 of OsSgt1 played a vital role in the interactions with OsHsp90, the detailed interactions were discussed. These results would help us understand the critical features determining the Hsp90-Sgt1 binding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genest and Rémillard have recently studied tests of randomness based on a decomposition of the serial independence empirical copula process into a finite number of asymptotically independent sub-processes. A generalization of this decomposition that can be used to test serial independence in the continuous multivariate time series framework is investigated. The weak limits of the Cramér-von Mises statistics derived from the various processes under consideration are determined. As these statistics are not distribution-free, the consistency of the bootstrap methodology is investigated. Extensive simulations are used to study the finite-sample behavior of the tests for continuous time series of dimension one to three, and comparisons with the portmanteau test are provided, as well as, in the one-dimensional case, with the ranked-based version of the Brock, Dechert, and Scheinkman test. Finally, the studied tests are applied to a real trivariate financial time series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ofloxacin is an antibacterial compound that belongs to the fluoroquinolone family. In this paper, the interaction between ofloxacin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and UV-Vis absorbtion spectroscopy under approximately the human physiological conditions. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated according to the dependence of enthalpy change on the temperature as follows: Δ H has a small negative value (−9.96 kJ⋅mol−1), whereas Δ S has a positive value (54.77 J⋅mol−1⋅K−1). In this work, it was proved that the fluorescence quenching of BSA by ofloxacin is a result of the formation of an ofloxacin–BSA complex. Binding studies concerning the number of binding sites ( n=1.14) and apparent binding constant were performed by Scatchard’s procedure. The binding distance r between donor (BSA) and acceptor (ofloxacin) was obtained according to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gene encoding a novel chitinase chi58 was cloned from the fungus Chaetomium cupreum by using inverse PCR. The DNA sequence of chi58 contains a 1,602 bp open reading frame and two introns that are 52 and 201 bp in length. Regarding our in silico analysis, chi58 is a modular enzyme composed of a family-18 catalytic domain, which is responsible for chitinase activity, and a chitin-binding domain containing several cysteines. Apparently, the function of these domains is to anchor the enzyme tightly onto the large insoluble polymeric substrate. Chi58 has a pI of 4.47 and a deduced molecular mass of 58 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature conditions were determined to be 5.8 and 45°C, respectively, when colloidal chitin was used as the substrate. SDS-PAGE and zymogram analyses indicated the presence of a single active chitinase. Cells with pPIC9K -chi58 produced an extracellular chitinase that had an activity of 39 U/ml protein. Metal ions such as Ba2+, Mg2+, K+, Cu2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, and Co2+ also influenced the activity of the recombinant enzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) pathway has been implicated in breast cancer metastasis, its in vivo dynamics and temporal-spatial involvement in organ-specific metastasis have not been investigated. Here we engineered a xenograft model system with a conditional control of the TGF-β–SMAD signaling pathway and a dual-luciferase reporter system for tracing both metastatic burden and TGF-β signaling activity in vivo. Strong TGF-β signaling in osteolytic bone lesions is suppressed directly by genetic and pharmacological disruption of the TGF-β–SMAD pathway and indirectly by inhibition of osteoclast function with bisphosphonates. Notably, disruption of TGF-β signaling early in metastasis can substantially reduce metastasis burden but becomes less effective when bone lesions are well established. Our in vivo system for real-time manipulation and detection of TGF-β signaling provides a proof of principle for using similar strategies to analyze the in vivo dynamics of other metastasis-associated signaling pathways and will expedite the development and characterization of therapeutic agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estrogen receptor alpha (ER-α) plays an important role in mediating estrogen signaling. Studies in Caucasian populations have shown that it is involved in endocrine-related diseases such as osteoporosis and obesity. In the present study, we first used a quantitative transmission disequilibrium test (QTDT) to examine the relationship between this gene and both the osteoporosis-related phenotype bone mineral density (BMD), and the obesity-related phenotype body mass index (BMI), in 384 Chinese nuclear families. We genotyped a dinucleotide repeat marker (TA) n, and a long-range haplotype was reconstructed using this marker and two other restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers at PvuII and XbaI loci. Although we found significant total association [allele (TA)21 with hip BMD ( P=0.001), and haplotype Px(TA)21 with spine ( P=0.0007) and hip ( P=0.0006) BMD], the more reliable within-family associations were not significant between these phenotype pairs. No linkage signal was obtained for either spine BMD or hip BMD. We found no association or linkage between any of the three studied polymorphisms and the long-range haplotypes of the ER-α gene and BMI. Our study does not support an association of the ER-α gene with BMD and BMI in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is a new method for drug delivery. The analysis of plenty of experiments in vitro can lead to a suitable mathematical model for the description of the process of the drug’s penetration through the skin, together with the important parameters that are related to the characters of the drugs. After the research work of the experiments data, a suitable nonlinear regression model was selected. Using this model, the most important parameter-penetrated coefficient of 20 drugs was computed. In the result one can find, this work supports the theory that the skin can be regarded as singular membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell migration is an essential manner of different cell lines that are involved in embryological development, immune responses, tumorigenesis, and metastasis in vivo. Physical confinement derived from crowded tissue microenvironments has pivotal effects on migratory behaviors. Distinct migration modes under a heterogeneous extracellular matrix (ECM) have been extensively studied, uncovering potential molecular mechanisms involving a series of biological processes. Significantly, multi-omics strategies have been launched to provide multi-angle views of complex biological phenomena, facilitating comprehensive insights into molecular regulatory networks during cell migration. In this review, we describe biomimetic devices developed to explore the migratory behaviors of cells induced by different types of confined microenvironments in vitro. We also discuss the results of multi-omics analysis of intrinsic molecular alterations and critical pathway dysregulations of cell migration under heterogeneous microenvironments, highlighting the significance of physical confinement–triggered intracellular signal transduction in order to regulate cellular behaviors. Finally, we discuss both the challenges and promise of mechanistic analysis in confinement-induced cell migration, promoting the development of early diagnosis and precision therapeutics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: A strategy based on metal-organic decomposition is proposed to enhance the tube-tube interactions of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The robust tube-tube interactions of CNTs enhance both EMI shielding performance and mechanical properties of CNT film. This innovative approach provides an effective way to obtain high-performance CNT film. The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, for macroscopic CNT assemblies, such as CNT film, achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging, which heavily depends on the tube–tube interactions of CNTs. Herein, we develop a novel strategy based on metal–organic decomposition (MOD) to fabricate a flexible silver–carbon nanotube (Ag–CNT) film. The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD, leading to enhanced tube–tube interactions. As a result, the electrical conductivity of Ag–CNT film is up to 6.82 × 105 S m−1, and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag–CNT film with a thickness of ~ 7.8 μm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range (3–40 GHz). The tensile strength and Young's modulus of Ag–CNT film increase from 30.09 ± 3.14 to 76.06 ± 6.20 MPa (~ 253%) and from 1.12 ± 0.33 to 8.90 ± 0.97 GPa (~ 795%), respectively. Moreover, the Ag–CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shielding performance, which can effectively block wireless transmission. This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a simple fluorescent sensor for detecting the Pb2+ heavy metal is fundamentally important. The CH3NH3PbBr3 perovskite material exhibits excellent photoluminescence properties that are related to Pb2+. Based on the effects of Pb2+ on the luminescent properties of CH3NH3PbBr3, we design a novel platform for the selective fluorescence detection of Pb2+ ions. Herein, we use a CH3NH3Br solution at a high concentration as the fluorescent probe. Incorporation of PbBr2 into the CH3NH3Br solution results in a rapid chemical reaction to form CH3NH3PbBr3. Hence, the nonfluorescent CH3NH3Br material displays a sensitive and selective luminescent response to Pb2+ under UV light illumination. Moreover, the reaction between CH3NH3Br and PbBr2 could transform Pb2+ into CH3NH3PbBr3, and therefore, CH3NH3Br may also be used to extract Pb2+ from liquid waste in recycling applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Topography is a crucial characteristic reflecting the stability status of a landslide dam. The methods for measuring landslide dam topography in a laboratory-scale test study are currently operator dependent, time-consuming, or only applicable to the measurement of the two-dimensional section. In this paper, a laboratory-scale photogrammetric method based on the structure from motion (SfM) technique was proposed to measure the three-dimensional (3D) topography of a landslide dam. The SfM technique, which is a revolutionary, low-cost, user-friendly computer vision technique, was employed for reconstructing a landslide dam 3D computer model. A scientific method to determine the topography parameters of a landslide dam was put forward. Meanwhile, two materials with different particle sizes were used to simulate the formation process of the landslide dam in the laboratory-scale. Then, the measurement results of the two materials were compared. Five parameters of a landslide dam topography with 100 parallel measurement results for each parameter were obtained. The results show that the SfM technique could build a high-quality 3D point cloud in a laboratory scale. The proposed method of determining the topography parameters of a landslide dam was useful and has low measurement uncertainty. The material type affected the sparse density of the point cloud and then affected the measurement uncertainty of landslide dam topography parameters. The measurement uncertainty of the gravel-type landslide dam was significantly higher than that of the sand-type landslide dam. This research contributes to promoting the application of a photogrammetric method based on the SfM technique in geotechnical engineering laboratory-scale tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed and evaluated two-level, namely 2017011 and 2017012, serum-based reference materials (RMs) for 17 beta-estradiol (17 β-E2) by the reference method of isotope dilution liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) from the remaining serum samples after routine clinical tests, to help improve clinical routine testing and provide the traceability of results. This paper describes the development process of these RMs. The National Metrology Institute of Japan (NMIJ) certified reference material (CRM) 6004-a was used as the primary RM for the measurement of 17 β-E2. These serum-based RMs showed satisfactory homogeneity and stability. They also assessed the commutability between the reference method and the three routine clinical immunoassay systems. Besides, a collaborative study was carried out in five reference laboratories, all of which had been accredited by the China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) in accordance with ISO/WD 15725-1. Statistical analysis of raw results and uncertainty assessment obtained certified values: 2017011 was 445.2 ± 39.0 pmol/L, and 2017012 was 761.9 ± 35.5 pmol/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important pilot target for shale gas exploration and development in China, the Longmaxi Formation shale in the Dianqianbei Area is characterized by high content of nitrogen, which severely increases exploration risk. Accordingly, this study explores the genesis of shale gas reservoir and the mechanism of nitrogen enrichment through investigating shale gas compositions, isotope features, and geochemical characteristics of associated gases. The high-nitrogen shale gas reservoir in the Longmaxi Formation is demonstrated to be a typical dry gas reservoir. Specifically, the alkane carbon isotope reversal is ascribed to the secondary cracking of crude oil and the Rayleigh fractionation induced by the basalt mantle plume. Such a thermogenic oil-type gas reservoir is composed of both oil-cracking gas and kerogen-cracking gas. The normally high nitrogen content (18.05%–40.92%) is attributed to organic matter cracking and thermal ammoniation in the high-maturity stage. Specifically, the high heat flow effect of the Emeishan mantle plume exacerbates the thermal cracking of organic matter in the Longmaxi Formation shale, accompanied by nitrogen generation. In comparison, the abnormally high nitrogen content (86.79%–98.54%) is ascribed to the communication between the atmosphere and deep underground fluids by deep faults, which results in hydrocarbon loss and nitrogen intrusion, acting as the key factor for deconstruction of the primary shale gas reservoir. Results of this study not only enrich research on genetic mechanism of high-maturity N2 shale gas reservoirs, but also provide theoretical guidance for subsequent gas reservoir resource evaluation and well-drilling deployment in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the transport problem that a spinful matter wave is incident on a strong localized spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensate in optical lattices, where the localization is admitted by atom interaction only existing at one particular site, and the spin-orbit coupling arouse spatial rotation of the spin texture. We find that tuning the spin orientation of the localized Bose-Einstein condensate can lead to spin-nonreciprocal/spin-reciprocal transport, meaning the transport properties are dependent on/independent of the spin orientation of incident waves. In the former case, we obtain the conditions to achieve transparency, beam-splitting, and blockade of the incident wave with a given spin orientation, and furthermore the ones to perfectly isolate incident waves of different spin orientation, while in the latter, we obtain the condition to maximize the conversion of different spin states. The result may be useful to develop a novel spinful matter wave valve that integrates spin switcher, beam-splitter, isolator, and converter. The method can also be applied to other real systems, e.g., realizing perfect isolation of spin states in magnetism, which is otherwise rather difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a transcription product of the mammalian genome that regulates the development and growth in the body. The present study aimed to analyze the expression dynamics of lncRNA in sika antler mesenchymal and cartilage tissues by high-throughput sequencing. Bioinformatics was applied to predict differentially expressed lncRNAs and target genes and screen lncRNAs and mRNAs related to osteogenic differentiation, cell proliferation, and migration. Finally, the expression of the lncRNAs and target genes were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The results showed that compared to the cartilage tissue, the transcription levels of lncRNA and mRNA, 1212 lncRNAs and 518 mRNAs, in mesenchymal tissue were altered significantly. Thus, a complex interaction network was constructed, and the lncRNA-mRNA interaction network correlation related to osteogenic differentiation, cell proliferation, and migration was analyzed. Among these, the 26 lncRNAs and potential target genes were verified by qRT-PCR, and the results of qRT-PCR were consistent with high-throughput sequencing results. These data indicated that lncRNA promotes the differentiation of deer antler mesenchymal tissue into cartilage tissue by regulating the related osteogenic factors, cell proliferation, and migration-related genes and accelerating the process of deer antler regeneration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we study photon emission in the interaction of the laser beam with an under-dense target and the attached reflecting plasma mirror. Photons are emitted due to the inverse Compton scattering when accelerated electrons interact with a reflected part of the laser pulse. The enhancement of photon generation in this configuration lies in using the laser pulse with a steep rising edge. Such a laser pulse can be obtained by the preceding interaction of the incoming laser pulse with a thin solid-density foil. Using numerical simulations we study how such a laser pulse affects photon emission. As a result of employing a laser pulse with a steep rising edge, accelerated electrons can interact directly with the most intense part of the laser pulse that enhances photon emission. This approach increases the number of created photons and improves photon beam divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convolutions of independent gamma variables are encountered in many applications such as insurance, reliability, and network engineering. Accurate and fast evaluations of their density and distribution functions are critical for such applications, but no open source, user-friendly software implementation has been available. We review several numerical evaluations of the density and distribution of convolution of independent gamma variables and compare them with respect to their accuracy and speed. The methods that are based on the Kummer confluent hypergeometric function are computationally most efficient. The benefit of employing the confluent hypergeometric function is further demonstrated by a renewal process application, where the gamma variables in the convolution are Erlang variables. We derive a new computationally efficient formula for the probability mass function of the number of renewals by a given time. An R package coga provides efficient C++ based implementations of the discussed methods and are available in CRAN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]