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The clinical application of random flaps in wound repair has been a topic of discussion. Random flaps are prone to necrosis due to the lack of well-defined vascular blood supply during transfer surgery. Their clinical utility is restricted, financial and psychological burdens is imposed on patients due to this limitation. The survival of random skin flaps depends on factors such as ischemia–reperfusion injury, oxidative stress, local inflammatory response, and neovascularization. This review aims to provide an overview of the evidence supporting the use of random flaps in clinical practice. In addition, this review explores the impact of different medications on signaling pathways within the flap's local microcirculation and investigates the interconnections between these pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a notorious pest in agriculture that has developed resistance to almost all chemical types used for its control. Here, we assembled a chromosome-level genome for the TSSM using Illumina, Nanopore, and Hi-C sequencing technologies. The assembled contigs had a total length of 103.94 Mb with an N50 of 3.46 Mb, with 87.7 Mb of 34 contigs anchored to three chromosomes. The chromosome-level genome assembly had a BUSCO completeness of 94.8%. We identified 15,604 protein-coding genes, with 11,435 genes that could be functionally annotated. The high-quality genome provides invaluable resources for the genetic and evolutionary study of TSSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hope for a futuristic global quantum internet that provides robust and high-capacity quantum information transfer lies largely on qudits, the fundamental quantum information carriers prepared in high-dimensional superposition states. However, preparing and manipulating N-dimensional flying qudits as well as subsequently establishing their entanglement are still challenging tasks, which require precise and simultaneous maneuver of 2 (N-1) parameters across multiple degrees of freedom. Here, using an integrated approach, we explore the synergy from two degrees of freedom of light, spatial mode and polarization, to generate, encode, and manipulate flying structured photons and their formed qudits in a four-dimensional Hilbert space with high quantum fidelity, intrinsically enabling enhanced noise resilience and higher quantum data rates. The four eigen spin–orbit modes of our qudits possess identical spatial–temporal characteristics in terms of intensity distribution and group velocity, thereby preserving long-haul coherence within the entirety of the quantum data transmission link. Judiciously leveraging the bi-photon entanglement, which is well preserved in the integrated manipulation process, we present versatile spin–orbit cluster states in an extensive dimensional Hilbert space. Such cluster states hold the promise for quantum error correction which can further bolster the channel robustness in long-range quantum communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultural and creative clusters (CCCs) have been a crucial driving force to generate economic, cultural, and social impacts. However, few studies have investigated theories about how the spatial clustering of CCCs differs from that of traditional technology-based clusters (TBCs). To address this gap, we adopted the systematic literature review methodology to conduct a comprehensive comparison between CCCs and TBCs by drawing on the knowledge-based view (KBV). Based on our review of the literature, we argue that, as a boundary-specific resource, the local cultural knowledge (LCK) plays a central role in the development of CCCs. The paper explores the creation, diffusion, and utilization of LCK, facilitating the development of CCCs through three dimensions: urban regeneration, cultural preservation, and well-being promotion. Moreover, we further propose a triple-helix model of three interactive mechanisms among these three dimensions, namely gentrification, identification, and holistic sustainability. Three research propositions for developing successful CCCs are proposed. The paper concludes that the creation, diffusion, and utilization of LCK foster regional economic renewal, cultural preservation, and social welfare in a harmonious way. Some policy implications are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urapidil is an important drug for the treatment of essential hypertension and intravenously in hypertensive emergencies. Herein, an improved route to Urapidil was introduced. The new designed synthetic route starts with the addition reaction of 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine and oxetane catalyzed by Yb(OTf)3 in acetonitrile to form the key intermediate 3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propan-1-ol. Additionally, 3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propan-1-ol was purified by recrystallization from the optimized solvents, which was beneficial to large scale production. Intermediate 3-(4-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazin-1-yl)propyl-4-methylbenzenesulfonate was cast directly for the subsequent reaction without further purification. The overall yield of this route is about 45%. The structure of the final product was well confirmed by 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and HRMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been observed that polyvalent metal ions can mediate the adsorption of DNA on polydopamine (PDA) surfaces. Exploiting this, we used two divalent metal ions (Mg2+ or Ca2+) to promote the adsorption of fluorescence-labelled ochratoxin A (OTA) aptamers on PDA-coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA). Based on the different adsorption affinities of free aptamers and OTA-bound aptamers, a facile assay method was established for OTA detection. The aptamers adsorbed on Fe3O4@PDA were removed via simple magnetic separation, and the remaining aptamers in the supernatant exhibited a positive correlation with the OTA concentration. The concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+ were finely tuned to attain the optimal adsorption affinity and sensitivity for OTA detection. In addition, other factors, including the Fe3O4@PDA dosage, pH, mixing order, and incubation time, were studied. Finally, under optimized conditions, a detection limit (3σ/s) of 1.26 ng/mL was achieved for OTA. Real samples of spiked red wine were analysed with this aptamer-based method. This is the first report of regulating aptamer adsorption on the PDA surface with polyvalent metal ions for OTA detection. By changing the aptamers, the method can be easily extended to other target analytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Atmospheric Sciences is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study is to observe the upregulation effect of astragaloside IV on ghrelin in diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI) rats and to investigate the pathway in prevention and treatment by reducing oxidative stress. The DCI model was induced with streptozotocin (STZ) in conjunction with a high-fat and high-sugar diet and divided into three groups: model, low-dose (40 mg/kg), and high-dose (80 mg/kg) astragaloside IV. After 30 days of gavage, the learning and memory abilities of rats, as well as their body weight and blood glucose levels, were tested using the Morris water maze and then detection of insulin resistance, SOD activity, and serum MDA levels. The whole brain of rats was sampled for hematoxylin–eosin and Nissl staining to observe pathological changes in the hippocampal CA1 region. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect ghrelin expression in the hippocampal CA1 region. A Western blot was used to determine changes in GHS-R1α/AMPK/PGC-1α/UCP2. RT-qPCR was used to determine the levels of ghrelin mRNA. Astragaloside IV reduced nerve damage, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, decreased MDA levels, and improved insulin resistance. Ghrelin levels and expression increased in serum and hippocampal tissues, and ghrelin mRNA levels increased in rat stomach tissues. According to Western blot, it increased the expression of the ghrelin receptor GHS-R1α and upregulated the mitochondrial function associated-protein AMPK-PGC-1α-UCP2. Astragaloside IV increases ghrelin expression in the brain to reduce oxidative stress and delay diabetes-induced cognitive impairment. It may be related to the promotion of ghrelin mRNA levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates robust non-fragile event-triggered sampled-data fuzzy (ETSDF) control for uncertain nonlinear delayed distributed parameter systems. Initially, a T-S fuzzy delayed partial differential equation model is presented to exactly describe the uncertain nonlinear delayed distributed parameter systems (DPS). secondly, a robust non-fragile ETSDF control strategy is proposed to reduce the unnecessary SD and cope with the uncertainties in controller and system. Then, based on an appropriate Lyapunov functional, the exponential stability conditions of closed-loop nonlinear delayed DPS via linear matrix inequalities are presented. Lastly, one example is presented to illustrate the design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of microstructure and formation mechanism of incipient melting microstructure of DD5 single crystal superalloy during solution heat treatment were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The solidus and liquidus of single crystal alloy were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results show that the mosaic-like eutectic and fan-like eutectic are dissolved at first, and the coarse γ' phase is dissolved later during the solution heat treatment of 1,390 °C/2 h+1,310 °C/4 h+1,320 °C/10 h + air cooling (AC). The composition segregations of Al, Ta, W and Re are 0.99, 0.96, 1.04 and 1.16, respectively, which close to 1. The incipient melting is caused by the low local temperature of the alloy, and the micropore region with a lower melting point is the preferred position for incipient melting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated photonics, because of its intrinsic high speed, large bandwidth and unlimited parallelism, is critical in the drive to ease the increasing data traffic. Its technological enabler is high-precision lithography, which allows for the fabrication of high-resolution photonic structures. Here, in complete contrast to the state of the art, where photonic functions are predefined by lithographically modulating the real index, we report a lithography-free paradigm for an integrated photonic processor, targeting dynamic control of spatial-temporal modulations of the imaginary index on an active semiconductor platform, without the need for lithography. We demonstrate an imaginary-index-driven methodology to tailor optical-gain distributions to rationally execute prescribed optical responses and configure desired photonic functionality to route and switch optical signals. Leveraging its real-time reconfigurability, we realize photonic neural networks with extraordinary flexibility, performing in situ training of vowel recognition with high accuracy. The programmability and multifunctionality intrinsically arising from the lithography-free characteristics can lead to a new paradigm for integrated photonic signal processing to conduct and reconfigure complex computation algorithms, accelerating the information-processing speed to achieve long-term performance requirements. Spatial light modulator-based lithography-free programmable light transmission through optical gain medium is demonstrated for optical switching and a rudimentary photonic neural network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bupleurum chinense DC. is a commonly used plant in traditional Chinese medicine, and saikosaponins(SSs) are the main active oleanane-typetriterpene saponins in B. chinense. β-Amyrin synthase (β-AS) is an important enzyme in oleanane-type triterpenoid saponin synthesis, but its role in saikosaponin synthesis has rarely been studied. Here, the putative β-AS gene BcBAS1(Accession No.ON890382) selected according to metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses was cloned and functionally characterized by heterologous expression in Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris, and its subcellular localization and expression patterns were examined. The molecular weight of the BcBAS1 recombinant protein was approximately 87 kDa, and this protein could catalyse the production of β-amyrin, the precursor of SSs. Furthermore, BcBAS1 was located in the cytosol, and relative expression in four tissues of the four genotypes was positively correlated with SSa and SSd contents. Our results indicate that BcBAS1 is a β-AS gene and may play an important role in saikosaponin biosynthesis and regulation. This study sheds light on the role of β-AS genes in the synthesis of SSs and provides insights for the metabolic engineering of SSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene, with its two linearly dispersing Dirac points with opposite windings, is the minimal topological nodal configuration in the hexagonal Brillouin zone. Topological semimetals with higher-order nodes beyond the Dirac points have recently attracted considerable interest due to their rich chiral physics and their potential for the design of next-generation integrated devices. Here we report the experimental realization of the topological semimetal with quadratic nodes in a photonic microring lattice. Our structure hosts a robust second-order node at the center of the Brillouin zone and two Dirac points at the Brillouin zone boundary—the second minimal configuration, next to graphene, that satisfies the Nielsen–Ninomiya theorem. The symmetry-protected quadratic nodal point, together with the Dirac points, leads to the coexistence of massive and massless components in a hybrid chiral particle. This gives rise to unique transport properties, which we demonstrate by directly imaging simultaneous Klein and anti-Klein tunnelling in the microring lattice. Topological semimetals can host coexisting higher-order topological nodes that may enable unique physical properties. Here, based on these topological principles, authors design and experimentally realise simultaneous massive and massless chiral quasiparticles in a photonic microring lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a potential threat to male reproductive health but the mechanisms underlying its influence on testes during ZIKV infection remain obscure. To address this question, we perform single-cell RNA sequencing using testes from ZIKV-infected mice. The results reveal the fragility of spermatogenic cells, especially spermatogonia, to ZIKV infection and show that the genes of the complement system are significantly upregulated mainly in infiltrated S100A4 + monocytes/macrophages. Complement activation and its contribution to testicular damage are validated by ELISA, RT‒qPCR and IFA and further verify in ZIKV-infected northern pigtailed macaques by RNA genome sequencing and IFA, suggesting that this might be the common response to ZIKV infection in primates. On this basis, we test the complement inhibitor C1INH and S100A4 inhibitors sulindac and niclosamide for their effects on testis protection. C1INH alleviates the pathological change in the testis but deteriorates ZIKV infection in general. In contrast, niclosamide effectively reduces S100A4 + monocyte/macrophage infiltration, inhibits complement activation, alleviates testicular damage, and rescues the fertility of male mice from ZIKV infection. This discovery therefore encourages male reproductive health protection during the next ZIKV epidemic. Zika virus poses a potential threat to male reproductive health but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. To address this question, the study by Yang et al performs single-cell RNA sequencing with ZIKV-infected mice testes. The authors find that spermatogenic cells are fragile to ZIKV infection and the complement system components produced by infiltrated S100A4 + monocytes/macrophages are crucial for the injury of spermatogenic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of ionic-junction devices has attracted growing interests due to the potential of serving as signal transmission and translation media between electronic devices and biological systems using ions. Among them, fiber-shaped iontronics possesses a great advantage in implantable applications owing to the unique one-dimensional geometry. However, fabricating stable ionic-junction on curved surfaces remains a challenge. Here, we developed a polyelectrolyte based ionic-junction fiber via an integrated opposite charge grafting method capable of large-scale continuous fabrication. The ionic-junction fibers can be integrated into functions such as ionic diodes and ionic bipolar junction transistors, where rectification and switching of input signals are implemented. Moreover, synaptic functionality has also been demonstrated by utilizing the fiber memory capacitance. The connection between the ionic-junction fiber and sciatic nerves of the mouse simulating end-to-side anastomosis is further performed to realize effective nerve signal conduction, verifying the capability for next-generation artificial neural pathways in implantable bioelectronics. Ionic-junction devices are difficult to integrate with fiber-shaped tissues like nerves and muscles for applications in implantable bioelectronics due to their large size and bulk structure. Authors realize here easy to implant fiber-shaped iontronics through an integrated opposite charge grafting process, enabling the construction of ionic logic gates and artificial neural pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkanes are the most energy-rich form of carbon and are widely dispersed in the environment. Their transformation by microbes represents a key step in the global carbon cycle. Alkane monooxygenase (AlkB), a membrane-spanning metalloenzyme, converts straight chain alkanes to alcohols in the first step of the microbially-mediated degradation of alkanes, thereby playing a critical role in the global cycling of carbon and the bioremediation of oil. AlkB biodiversity is attributed to its ability to oxidize alkanes of various chain lengths, while individual AlkBs target a relatively narrow range. Mechanisms of substrate selectivity and catalytic activity remain elusive. Here we report the cryo-EM structure of AlkB, which provides a distinct architecture for membrane enzymes. Our structure and functional studies reveal an unexpected diiron center configuration and identify molecular determinants for substrate selectivity. These findings provide insight into the catalytic mechanism of AlkB and shed light on its function in alkane-degrading microorganisms. Alkane monooxygenase (AlkB) plays a key role in the global carbon cycle and remediation of oil spills. Here, the authors report the cryo-EM structure of AlkB to provide insight into the catalytic mechanism and substrate selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bupleurum chinense DC is an important medicinal plant with many active ingredients that are used for the treatment of different types of diseases and valued in pharmaceutical markets. In vitro shoot regeneration can efficiently contribute to the improvement of B. chinense. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the explant type and plant growth regulators (PGRs) on embryogenic callus induction and plant regeneration in B. chinense. Our investigation demonstrated that 2 mg/L 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) combined with 1 mg/L thidiazuron (TDZ) played a major role in promoting callus induction from leaf, hypocotyl and stem 2 explants, whereas the most effective treatment for stem 1 callus formation was Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1 mg/L 2,4-D, 0.5 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 0.5 mg/L kinetin (Kin). The highest shoot regeneration rate (57.14%) was obtained from hypocotyl-induced calli in MS medium with 0.5 mg/L Kin after 12 weeks of cultivation. This regeneration protocol can be used in large-scale cultivation and may be useful for future genetic modifications of B. chinense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were prepared using a semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting method. The microstructures, mechanical properties, and thermal conductivities of the composites fabricated under different suction casting processes were compared. Additionally, the microstructural evolution characteristics and performance enhancement mechanism of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were discussed. The results demonstrate that suction casting at 610 °C with a low solid phase ratio can significantly enhance the material density and reduce the agglomeration of SiCp. The A357-SiCp/A357 interface is clear and straight with good bonding. With an increase in the suction casting temperature, the bending resistance and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites exhibit a trend of significantly increase at first and then slowly decrease owing to casting defects, interface bonding, and SiCp distribution. Compared with SiCp/A357 composites, the bending strength, deflection, and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites increase from 257 MPa, 1.07 mm, and 155.72 W·(m·K)-1 to 298 MPa, 2.1 mm, and 169.86 W·(m·K)-1, respectively. This study provides a reference for improving the rheological casting of aluminum matrix layered composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sodium–chloride cotransporter (NCC) is critical for kidney physiology1. The NCC has a major role in salt reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron2,3, and mutations in the NCC cause the salt-wasting disease Gitelman syndrome4. As a key player in salt handling, the NCC regulates blood pressure and is the target of thiazide diuretics, which have been widely prescribed as first-line medications to treat hypertension for more than 60 years5–7. Here we determined the structures of human NCC alone and in complex with a commonly used thiazide diuretic using cryo-electron microscopy. These structures, together with functional studies, reveal major conformational states of the NCC and an intriguing regulatory mechanism. They also illuminate how thiazide diuretics specifically interact with the NCC and inhibit its transport function. Our results provide critical insights for understanding the Na–Cl cotransport mechanism of the NCC, and they establish a framework for future drug design and for interpreting disease-related mutations.Using cryo-electron microscopy, the structures of human Na–Cl cotransporter are determined alone and in complex with a thiazide diuretic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) and OECT-based circuitry offer great potential in bioelectronics, wearable electronics and artificial neuromorphic electronics because of their exceptionally low driving voltages (<1 V), low power consumption (<1 µW), high transconductances (>10 mS) and biocompatibility1–5. However, the successful realization of critical complementary logic OECTs is currently limited by temporal and/or operational instability, slow redox processes and/or switching, incompatibility with high-density monolithic integration and inferior n-type OECT performance6–8. Here we demonstrate p- and n-type vertical OECTs with balanced and ultra-high performance by blending redox-active semiconducting polymers with a redox-inactive photocurable and/or photopatternable polymer to form an ion-permeable semiconducting channel, implemented in a simple, scalable vertical architecture that has a dense, impermeable top contact. Footprint current densities exceeding 1 kA cm−2 at less than ±0.7 V, transconductances of 0.2–0.4 S, short transient times of less than 1 ms and ultra-stable switching (>50,000 cycles) are achieved in, to our knowledge, the first vertically stacked complementary vertical OECT logic circuits. This architecture opens many possibilities for fundamental studies of organic semiconductor redox chemistry and physics in nanoscopically confined spaces, without macroscopic electrolyte contact, as well as wearable and implantable device applications.Vertical organic electrochemical transistors demonstrating unprecedented performances in both p- and n-type operation modes have been synthesized from new electro-active and ion-permeable semiconducting polymers by the interface engineering of electro-active blend layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A step towards the next generation of high-capacity, noise-resilient communication and computing technologies is a substantial increase in the dimensionality of information space and the synthesis of superposition states on an N-dimensional (N > 2) Hilbert space featuring exotic group symmetries. Despite the rapid development of photonic devices and systems, on-chip information technologies are mostly limited to two-level systems owing to the lack of sufficient reconfigurability to satisfy the stringent requirement for 2(N − 1) degrees of freedom, intrinsically associated with the increase of synthetic dimensionalities. Even with extensive efforts dedicated to recently emerged vector lasers and microcavities for the expansion of dimensionalities1–10, it still remains a challenge to actively tune the diversified, high-dimensional superposition states of light on demand. Here we demonstrate a hyperdimensional, spin–orbit microlaser for chip-scale flexible generation and manipulation of arbitrary four-level states. Two microcavities coupled through a non-Hermitian synthetic gauge field are designed to emit spin–orbit-coupled states of light with six degrees of freedom. The vectorial state of the emitted laser beam in free space can be mapped on a Bloch hypersphere defining an SU(4) symmetry, demonstrating dynamical generation and reconfiguration of high-dimensional superposition states with high fidelity.A fully integrated semiconductor microlaser that exploits spin–orbit coupling of light emits in a four-dimensional Hilbert space, with flexible control of up to six degrees of freedom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cellular senescence affects the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-mediated tissue regeneration. Insulin-like growth factor binding proteins-7 (IGFBP7), as a member of the IGF family, is associated with osteogenic differentiation and the senescence of MSCs, but its exact function and mechanism remain unclear. We found IGFBP7 promoted the osteogenic differentiation and prevented the senescence of dental pulp-derived MSCs (DPSCs), as observed in the gain-of-function and loss-of-function analyses, the senescence-associated marker p21 showed the most pronounced expression changes. We demonstrated that IGFBP7 activated the biological activity of SIRT1 deacetylase via metabolism, resulting in a deacetylation of H3K36ac and a decrease of the binding affinity of H3K36ac to p21 promoter, thereby reducing the transcription of p21, which ultimately prevents DPSCs senescence and promotes tissue regeneration. The activation of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) by Coenzyme Q10 could rescue the promotion of DPSC senescence induced by the knockdown of IGFBP7, whereas the inhibition of ETC by rotenone attenuated the prevention of DPSC senescence induced by IGFBP7 overexpression. In conclusion, our present results reveal a novel function of IGFBP7 in preventing DPSC senescence via the metabolism-induced deacetylation of H3K36ac and reduction of p21 transcription, suggesting that IGFBP7 is a potential target for promoting tissue regeneration in an aging environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A microfluidic system for rapid nucleic acid analysis based on real-time convective PCR is developed. To perform 'sample-in, answer-out' nucleic acid analysis, a microfluidic chip is developed to efficiently extract nucleic acid, and meanwhile convective PCR (CPCR) is applied for rapid nucleic acid amplification. With an integrated microfluidic chip consisting of reagent pre-storage chambers, a lysis & wash chamber, an elution chamber and a waste chamber, nucleic acid extraction based on magnetic beads can be automatically performed for a large size of test sample within a limited time. Based on an easy-to-operate strategy, different pre-stored reagents can be conveniently released for consecutive reaction at different steps. To achieve efficient mixing, a portable companion device is developed to introduce properly controlled 3-D actuation to magnetic beads in nucleic acid extraction. In CPCR amplification, PCR reagent can be spontaneously and repeatedly circulated between hot and cool zones of the reactor for space-domain thermal cycling based on pseudo-isothermal heating. A handheld real-time CPCR device is developed to perform nucleic acid amplification and in-situ detection. To extend the detection throughput, multiple handheld real-time CPCR devices can be grouped together by a common control system. It is demonstrated that influenza A (H1N1) viruses with the reasonable concentration down to 1.0 TCID50/ml can be successfully detected with the microfluidic system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent studies, proxy XCH4 retrievals from the Japanese Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) have been used to constrain top-down estimation of CH4 emissions. Still, the resulting interannual variations often show significant discrepancies over some of the most important CH4 source regions, such as China and Tropical South America, by causes yet to be determined. This study compares monthly CH4 flux estimates from two parallel assimilations of GOSAT XCH4 retrievals from 2010 to 2019 based on the same Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) framework but with the global chemistry transport model (GEOS-Chem v12.5) being run at two different spatial resolutions of 4° × 5° (R4, lon × lat) and 2° × 2.5° (R2, lon × lat) to investigate the effects of resolution-related model errors on the derived long-term global and regional CH4 emission trends. We found that the mean annual global methane emission for the 2010s is 573.04 Tg yr−1 for the inversion using the R4 model, which becomes about 4.4 Tg yr−1 less (568.63 Tg yr−1) when a finer R2 model is used, though both are well within the ensemble range of the 22 top-down results (2008–17) included in the current Global Carbon Project (from 550 Tg yr−1 to 594 Tg yr−1). Compared to the R2 model, the inversion based on the R4 tends to overestimate tropical emissions (by 13.3 Tg yr which is accompanied by a general underestimation (by 8.9 Tg yr−1) in the extratropics. Such a dipole reflects differences in tropical-mid-latitude air exchange in relation to the model's convective and advective schemes at different resolutions. The two inversions show a rather consistent long-term CH4 emission trend at the global scale and over most of the continents, suggesting that the observed rapid increase in atmospheric methane can largely be attributed to the emission growth from North Africa (1.79 Tg yr−2 for R4 and 1.29 Tg yr−2 for R2) and South America Temperate (1.08 Tg yr−2 for R4 and 1.21 Tg yr−2 for R2) during the first half of the 2010s, and from Eurasia Boreal (1.46 Tg yr−2 for R4 and 1.63 Tg yr−2 for R2) and Tropical South America (1.72 Tg yr−2 for R4 and 1.43 Tg yr−2 for R2) over 2015–19. In the meantime, emissions in Europe have shown a consistent decrease over the past decade. However, the growth rates by the two parallel inversions show significant discrepancies over Eurasia Temperate, South America Temperate, and South Africa, which are also the places where recent GOSAT inversions usually disagree with one other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Advances in Atmospheric Sciences is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study is to investigate the role and mechanism of Jianpi Jiedu decoction in psoriasis vulgaris. Seventy healthy male ICR mice were divided into control group, Acitretin capsule group, Jianpi decoction group, Jiedu decoction group, Jianpi Jiedu decoction group, spleen deficiency model group and psoriasis vulgaris with spleen deficiency group. The expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-17 in the drug intervention groups were significantly different from those in the control, the spleen deficiency model and the psoriasis vulgaris with spleen deficiency groups (P < 0.05). The psoriasis vulgaris with spleen deficiency group had obvious psoriasis vulgaris-like skin lesions, which were attenuated in the Jianpi Jiedu decoction group. The mRNA levels of STAT3 and STAT5 in Jianpi Jiedu decoction group were significantly lower than those in Jianpi decoction and Jiedu decoction groups (P < 0.05). At the protein level, STAT3 and STAT5 had no statistical significance among groups (P > 0.05). The protein expression levels of p-STAT3 and p-STAT5 in Jianpi Jiedu decoction group were significantly lower than those in Jianpi decoction and Jiedu decoction groups (P < 0.05). Conclusively, Jianpi Jiedu decoction may exert treatment effects on psoriasis vulgaris in mice with spleen deficiency via regulating JAKS/STATS pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) is widely used to treat atrial fibrillation (AF), but its effect on left atrial (LA) remodeling in patients with AF is not completely clarified. Few studies have reported the changes in structure and function of the left atrium in patients with different types of AF after RFCA. To analyze the effect of RFCA on the LA structure and function in patients with nonvalvular paroxysmal AF, persistent AF and long-standing persistent AF (LSPAF). RFCA was performed in 180 patients with paroxysmal AF, persistent AF and LSPAF. The changes of LA structure and function in echocardiogram and speckle-tracking echocardiography findings were compared before the procedure, and at 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks, and 2, 3, 6, and 9–12 months after the procedure. There were 60 patients in the paroxysmal AF group, 60 in the persistent AF group and 60 patients in LSPAF group. The pre-procedure LA diameter and volume were smaller in the paroxysmal AF group than persistent AF and LSPAF group. There was no significant change of in the LA structure and function in the paroxysmal AF group within 1 year. In the persistent AF and LSPAF groups, LA structure (anteroposterior diameter, LA volume) significantly decreased, but remained larger than that in paroxysmal AF group. In persistent and LSPAF, function (LA ejection fraction, strain, strain rate) increased significantly within 1 week, then gradually increased. RFCA improved the LA structure and function and resulted in heart reverse remodeling, especially for persistent AF and LSPAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-space evolutionary search (MSES ) is a recently proposed paradigm to optimize across multiple solution spaces for solving a large-scale optimization problem. MSES allocates the computational resource equally on each search space. However, different search spaces are likely to make different contributions to the finding of global optimum of the given problem. Dividing the limited resources equally on each search space in MSES is thus not an efficient strategy. This paper aims to investigate how to utilize the imbalanced efforts to allocate computational resources in multiple search spaces to efficiently improve the performance of MSES . In this paper, we propose a novel multi-space evolutionary search with dynamic resource allocation strategy ( MSES - DRA ) for large-scale optimization. In particular, a detection mechanism is presented to measure the reasonableness of assignment in terms of computation resource of different spaces. Further, according to the interaction between optimal individual and population, the proposed dynamic resource allocation strategy is designed based on the explicit–implicit contributions of spaces. The explicit and implicit contributions are defined by the fitness improvement of best solution and the survival of individuals, respectively. An adaptive technology based on the feedback is conducted to balance the assignment of computational resources for each search space. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, comprehensive empirical experiments have been conducted on the CEC2013 large-scale benchmark problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Relay intercropping maize yields are comparable to sole cropping maize yields, but mechanism explanations and studies based on plant morphology, source-sink relationships and leaf photosynthesis physiological perspectives are unclear.The experiments was conducted in a two-factor randomized block design, including two different maize varieties (A1: RongYu 1210 (RY1210), A2: ZhongWangYu 18(ZWY18)) and two plant pattern (B1: Relay intercropping (RI), B2: sole cropping (SC)).The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A1B1 wide row (WR) was increased by 6.95% and 10.78% compared to A1B2, respectively. Chlb and Chl(a + b) of A1B1 WR were no significant difference from A1B2. Average dry matter accumulation in ear of A1B1 was significantly lower than that of A1B2 by 9.77%. When 13CO2 labeling the WR of ear leaves, the abundance of 13CO2 in the ear of A1B1 WR was significantly increased by 0.75% and 150% compared to A2B1 WR in the ear and ear leaves, respectively. Silking stage, the thickness of upper and lower epidermis and leaf thickness of A1B1 significantly increased by 10.70%, 5.82% and 1.77% compared to A2B1. The average yield of A1B1 was 8344.13 kg ha−1, which was no significant difference compared to A1B2.It was attributed mainly to increase the Pn of WR maize, which increased the 13CO2 abundance of WR ear leaves, leaf epidermal thickness and photosynthetic leaf area, and facilitated the transfer of photosynthetic assimilated products to the seeds, which guaranteed stable yields of A1B1.Methods: Relay intercropping maize yields are comparable to sole cropping maize yields, but mechanism explanations and studies based on plant morphology, source-sink relationships and leaf photosynthesis physiological perspectives are unclear.The experiments was conducted in a two-factor randomized block design, including two different maize varieties (A1: RongYu 1210 (RY1210), A2: ZhongWangYu 18(ZWY18)) and two plant pattern (B1: Relay intercropping (RI), B2: sole cropping (SC)).The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A1B1 wide row (WR) was increased by 6.95% and 10.78% compared to A1B2, respectively. Chlb and Chl(a + b) of A1B1 WR were no significant difference from A1B2. Average dry matter accumulation in ear of A1B1 was significantly lower than that of A1B2 by 9.77%. When 13CO2 labeling the WR of ear leaves, the abundance of 13CO2 in the ear of A1B1 WR was significantly increased by 0.75% and 150% compared to A2B1 WR in the ear and ear leaves, respectively. Silking stage, the thickness of upper and lower epidermis and leaf thickness of A1B1 significantly increased by 10.70%, 5.82% and 1.77% compared to A2B1. The average yield of A1B1 was 8344.13 kg ha−1, which was no significant difference compared to A1B2.It was attributed mainly to increase the Pn of WR maize, which increased the 13CO2 abundance of WR ear leaves, leaf epidermal thickness and photosynthetic leaf area, and facilitated the transfer of photosynthetic assimilated products to the seeds, which guaranteed stable yields of A1B1.Results: Relay intercropping maize yields are comparable to sole cropping maize yields, but mechanism explanations and studies based on plant morphology, source-sink relationships and leaf photosynthesis physiological perspectives are unclear.The experiments was conducted in a two-factor randomized block design, including two different maize varieties (A1: RongYu 1210 (RY1210), A2: ZhongWangYu 18(ZWY18)) and two plant pattern (B1: Relay intercropping (RI), B2: sole cropping (SC)).The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A1B1 wide row (WR) was increased by 6.95% and 10.78% compared to A1B2, respectively. Chlb and Chl(a + b) of A1B1 WR were no significant difference from A1B2. Average dry matter accumulation in ear of A1B1 was significantly lower than that of A1B2 by 9.77%. When 13CO2 labeling the WR of ear leaves, the abundance of 13CO2 in the ear of A1B1 WR was significantly increased by 0.75% and 150% compared to A2B1 WR in the ear and ear leaves, respectively. Silking stage, the thickness of upper and lower epidermis and leaf thickness of A1B1 significantly increased by 10.70%, 5.82% and 1.77% compared to A2B1. The average yield of A1B1 was 8344.13 kg ha−1, which was no significant difference compared to A1B2.It was attributed mainly to increase the Pn of WR maize, which increased the 13CO2 abundance of WR ear leaves, leaf epidermal thickness and photosynthetic leaf area, and facilitated the transfer of photosynthetic assimilated products to the seeds, which guaranteed stable yields of A1B1.Conclusions: Relay intercropping maize yields are comparable to sole cropping maize yields, but mechanism explanations and studies based on plant morphology, source-sink relationships and leaf photosynthesis physiological perspectives are unclear.The experiments was conducted in a two-factor randomized block design, including two different maize varieties (A1: RongYu 1210 (RY1210), A2: ZhongWangYu 18(ZWY18)) and two plant pattern (B1: Relay intercropping (RI), B2: sole cropping (SC)).The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of A1B1 wide row (WR) was increased by 6.95% and 10.78% compared to A1B2, respectively. Chlb and Chl(a + b) of A1B1 WR were no significant difference from A1B2. Average dry matter accumulation in ear of A1B1 was significantly lower than that of A1B2 by 9.77%. When 13CO2 labeling the WR of ear leaves, the abundance of 13CO2 in the ear of A1B1 WR was significantly increased by 0.75% and 150% compared to A2B1 WR in the ear and ear leaves, respectively. Silking stage, the thickness of upper and lower epidermis and leaf thickness of A1B1 significantly increased by 10.70%, 5.82% and 1.77% compared to A2B1. The average yield of A1B1 was 8344.13 kg ha−1, which was no significant difference compared to A1B2.It was attributed mainly to increase the Pn of WR maize, which increased the 13CO2 abundance of WR ear leaves, leaf epidermal thickness and photosynthetic leaf area, and facilitated the transfer of photosynthetic assimilated products to the seeds, which guaranteed stable yields of A1B1. [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]

Topological Dirac materials are attracting a lot of attention because they offer exotic physical phenomena. An exhaustive search coupled with first-principles calculations was implemented to investigate 10 Zintl compounds with a chemical formula of CaM2X2 (M = Zn or Cd, X = N, P, As, Sb, or Bi) under three crystal structures: CaAl2Si2-, ThCr2Si2-, and BaCu2S2-type crystal phases. All of the materials were found to energetically prefer the CaAl2Si2-type structure based on total ground state energy calculations. Symmetry-based indicators are used to evaluate their topological properties. Interestingly, we found that CaM2Bi2 (M = Zn or Cd) are topological crystalline insulators. Further calculations under the hybrid functional approach and analysis using k · p model reveal that they exhibit topological Dirac semimetal (TDSM) states, where the four-fold degenerate Dirac points are located along the high symmetry line in-between Г to A points. These findings are verified through Green's function surface state calculations under HSE06. Finally, phonon spectra calculations revealed that CaCd2Bi2 is thermodynamically stable. The Zintl phase of AM2X2 compounds have not been identified in any topological material databases, thus can be a new playground in the search for new topological materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large variations in the growth of atmospheric methane, a prominent greenhouse gas, are driven by a diverse range of anthropogenic and natural emissions and by loss from oxidation by the hydroxyl radical. We used a decade-long dataset (2010–2019) of satellite observations of methane to show that tropical terrestrial emissions explain more than 80% of the observed changes in the global atmospheric methane growth rate over this period. Using correlative meteorological analyses, we show strong seasonal correlations (r = 0.6–0.8) between large-scale changes in sea surface temperature over the tropical oceans and regional variations in methane emissions (via changes in rainfall and temperature) over tropical South America and tropical Africa. Existing predictive skill for sea surface temperature variations could therefore be used to help forecast variations in global atmospheric methane. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with emissions that are challenging to constrain. Here the authors use 10 years of satellite observations and show tropical terrestrial emissions account for 80% of observed global methane increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle routing problem (VRP) is a well-known NP-hard combinational optimization problem. In the literature, existing approaches can be generally classified into two categories: exact methods and metaheuristics methods. The former is only effective for small problem instances while the latter is more suitable for practical applications with larger scale. However, these methods perform evolutionary search only on a single problem form of VRP, while the efficient problem form of a given VRP is often unknown before hand. Keeping the above in mind, this paper proposes memetic search with evolutionary multitasking for solving vehicle routing problem on multiple problem forms. In particular, multiple simplified vehicle routing problems are firstly constructed and acted as the auxiliary tasks of original VRP. The memetic evolutionary search is thus simultaneously performed on simplified vehicle routing problems and original VRP. In this way, the useful routing traits can be shared by knowledge transfer among the tasks to enhance the evolutionary search. To verify the performance of the proposed method, comprehensive empirical experiments have been conducted on commonly used VRP benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucose is a primary energy source in living cells. The discovery in 1960s that a sodium gradient powers the active uptake of glucose in the intestine1 heralded the concept of a secondary active transporter that can catalyse the movement of a substrate against an electrochemical gradient by harnessing energy from another coupled substrate. Subsequently, coupled Na+/glucose transport was found to be mediated by sodium–glucose cotransporters2,3 (SGLTs). SGLTs are responsible for active glucose and galactose absorption in the intestine and for glucose reabsorption in the kidney4, and are targeted by multiple drugs to treat diabetes5. Several members within the SGLT family transport key metabolites other than glucose2. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of the prototypic human SGLT1 and a related monocarboxylate transporter SMCT1 from the same family. The structures, together with molecular dynamics simulations and functional studies, define the architecture of SGLTs, uncover the mechanism of substrate binding and selectivity, and shed light on water permeability of SGLT1. These results provide insights into the multifaceted functions of SGLTs.Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the sodium–glucose cotransporter SGLT1 and a related transporter SMCT1 define the architecture of this protein family and provide insights into substrate binding and transport function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric substances exhibit great potential for high-power capacitors due to their high stability and fast charge–discharge; however, a long-term challenge is to enhance energy density. Here, we propose a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) composite utilizing BaTiO3 nanoparticle@TiO2 nanosheet (BT@TO ns) 2D nanohybrids as fillers, aiming at combining the interfacial strategy of using a core–shell filler and the electron scattering of a 2D filler to improve the energy density. With 4 wt% filler, the composite possesses the largest breakdown strength (Eb) of 561.2 MV m−1, which is significantly enhanced from the 407.6 MV m−1 of PVDF, and permittivity of 12.6 at 1 kHz, which is a 23% increase from that of PVDF. A superhigh energy density of 21.3 J cm−3 with an efficiency of 61% is obtained at 550 MV m−1. The 2D BT@TO ns-filled composite exhibits a higher energy density than composites filled with core–shell 1D BT@TO nws or non-core–shell 0D BT, 1D TO, or 2D TO particles. The Eb and energy density improvements are attributed to the buffer layer-based interface engineering and enhanced area scattering of electrons caused by the 2D hybrids, an effect similar to that of a ping-pong paddle to scatter electric field-induced charge migrations in composites. Thus, an effective hybrid strategy is presented for achieving high-performance polymer composites that can be used in energy storage devices.This work presents a polymer-matrix composite filled with BaTiO3@TiO2 nanosheets for tailoring the energy density. Due to the fact that TiO2 possesses the intermediate dielectric constant between that of BaTiO3 and the polymer matrix thus it reduces the interface charges, and also, the large aspect ratio of nanosheets enhance the ping-pong-like electron area scattering, as a result, significantly enhanced breakdown strength and energy density are fulfilled in the composite, with high potentials in electrostatic energy storage capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H-infinity filter (HIf) is widely used in state of charge (SOC) estimation of lithium-ion batteries due to its superior performance to extended Kalman filter (EKF) whose robustness is weak. In this paper, an improved HIf-based SOC estimation algorithm is proposed, which incorporates a sliding mode observer, yielding better estimation stability and accuracy than conventional HIf. The proposed algorithm takes advantages of HIf and sliding mode observer that it is more robust to the modeling error and noises. Samsung ICR18650 lithium-ion battery cell is tested and results show that the proposed method improves SOC estimation accuracy, two error indicators are evaluated and both are reduced compared to that of the EKF and HIf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) are common environmental contaminants that present a growing health concern due to their increasing presence in aquatic and human systems. However, the mechanisms behind MP effects on organisms are unclear. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were used as an in vivo model to investigate the potential risks and molecular mechanisms of the toxic effects of polyethylene MPs (45–53 μm). In the zebrafish intestine, 6, 5, and 186 genes showed differential expression after MP treatment for 1, 5, and 10 days, respectively. In the gills, 318, 92, and 484 genes showed differential expression after MP treatment for 1, 5, and 10 days, respectively. In both the intestine and the gills, Gene Ontology (GO) annotation showed that the main enriched terms were biological regulation, cellular process, metabolic process, cellular anatomical entity, and binding. KEGG enrichment analysis on DEGs revealed that the dominant pathways were carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism, which were strongly influenced by MPs in the intestine. The dominant pathways in the gills were immune and lipid metabolism. The respiratory rate of gills, the activity of SOD and GSH in the intestine significantly increased after exposure to MPs compared with the control (p < 0.05), while the activity of SOD did not change in the gills. GSH activity was only significantly increased after MP exposure for 5 days. Also, the MDA content was not changed in the intestine but was significantly decreased in the gills after MP exposure. The activity of AChE significantly decreased only after MPs exposure for 5 days. Overall, these results indicated that MPs pollution significantly induced oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, increased respiratory rate, disturbed energy metabolism and stimulated immune function in fish, displaying an environmental risk of MPs to aquatic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strategy based on CsPbBr3 quantum dots (QDs) is described for the determination of ziram pesticide. A facile and inert gas-free method was used for the synthesis of CsPbBr3 QDs. The obtained CsPbBr3 QDs displayed turn-off fluorescence behavior for ziram. The fluorescence intensity of the CsPbBr3 QDs (Ex/Em = 365/516 nm) was inversely proportional to the concentration of ziram (0.10 to 50.0 ppm) with a detection limit of 0.086 ppm. Notably, satisfactory recoveries (100 ± 0.25 to 107 ± 5.72%) were obtained in spiked fruit samples, which demonstrated that this method is capable of detecting ziram in real samples. In addition, the mechanism for the detection of ziram was investigated in detail. According to the results, this mechanism can be tentatively explained by fluorescence quenching originating from the increased surface defects and the structural changes of the CsPbBr3 QDs. The detection ability of this strategy shows promising applicability in food safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chalcogenide photonics offers unique solutions for a broad range of applications from mid-infrared sensing to integrated, ultrafast, ultrahigh-bandwidth signal processing. However, to date its usage has been limited to the infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum, thus avoiding ultraviolet and visible ranges due to absorption of chalcogenide glasses. Here, we experimentally demonstrate and report near-infrared to ultraviolet frequency conversion in an As2S3-based metasurface, enabled by a phase locking mechanism between the pump and the inhomogeneous portion of the third harmonic signal. Due to the phase locking, the inhomogeneous component co-propagates with the pump pulse and encounters the same effective dispersion as the infrared pump, and thus experiences little or no absorption, consequently opening previously unexploited spectral range for chalcogenide glass science and applications, despite the presence of strong material absorption in this range. The use of chalcogenide glass in optical science and applications at the UV frequencies has been so far hindered by its absorption in this spectral region. Here the authors demonstrate that a nanostructured chalcogenide glass can efficiently generate third harmonic radiation, leading to a strong UV light source at the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-based mercury pollution from power plants has received increasing attention. In a previous study, high iron and calcium coal ash (HICCA) was found as a promising oxygen carrier (OC) for chemical looping combustion (CLC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the catalytic effect of HICCA on Hg0 removal as well as the impacts of several gas impurities, such as HCl, SO2, and NO. Experiments on Hg0 removal efficiencies for different atmospheres were performed in the fixed-bed reactor at 850 °C. Based upon the characterization of BET, SEM, XRD, XPS, and EDS of reaction products, the reaction mechanisms of different gases with the HICCA samples were established. The mechanisms were further explained using the thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. The experimental results showed that the Hg0 removal efficiency using HICCA was 11.60%, while the corresponding value in the presence of 50 ppm HCl was 90.46%. Hg0 removal by HICCA involving HCl is mainly attributed to homogeneous reaction between Hg0 and HCl as well as the formation of reactive species (Cl, Cl2, Cl2O, O, S, and SCl2) through the reactions of HCl with Fe2O3 and CaSO4 in HICCA. The formation of C–Cl bond is not the main pathway for the promotional effect of HCl on Hg0 removal. SO2 played a negative role in Hg0 removal by HICCA. The inhibition of SO2 may be attributed to its effect on the reduction of Fe2O3 and its bonding with C–O, COOH, and C(O)–O–C. NO enhanced Hg0 removal by HICCA primarily through the homogeneous reactions of Hg0 with N2O and O. In addition, NO also interacted with HICCA and promoted the heterogeneous oxidation of Hg0 by producing more C–O, C=O, and COOH/C(O)−O−C on HICCA surface. This study proved the effectiveness of HICCA on Hg0 removal in iG-CLC and revealed the mechanisms of the interaction between HCl/SO2/NO and MxOy/CaSO4 as well as carbon-oxygen groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-objective optimization problem (MOP) denotes the optimization problem involving more than one objective function to be optimized simultaneously. In the literature, to solve MOP, evolutionary algorithm has been recognized as an effective approach. Over the years, a number of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) have been developed. In this paper, we present a study on multiform multi-objective evolutionary optimization. In contrast to existing MOEAs, which only focus on the optimization of a single MOP, the proposed new paradigm considers to construct multiple forms of a given MOP, which may contain different useful information for solving the MOP. The evolutionary search is then performed on both the given MOP and the constructed forms concurrently. By transferring useful traits found along the evolutionary search across the given MOP and the built problem forms, enhanced multi-objective optimization performance can be obtained. To the best of our knowledge, there is no existing work that considers the multiform optimization for solving MOP. To evaluate the performance of the proposed multiform paradigm for multi-objective optimization, comprehensive empirical studies with commonly used MOP benchmarks using different existing MOEAs as the basic MOP solvers are conducted and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-borne measurements of atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations provide global observation constraints for top-down estimates of surface carbon flux. Here, the first estimates of the global distribution of carbon surface fluxes inferred from dry-air CO2 column (XCO2) measurements by the Chinese Global Carbon Dioxide Monitoring Scientific Experimental Satellite (TanSat) are presented. An ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF) data assimilation system coupled with the GEOS-Chem global chemistry transport model is used to optimally fit model simulations with the TanSat XCO2 observations, which were retrieved using the Institute of Atmospheric Physics Carbon dioxide retrieval Algorithm for Satellite remote sensing (IAPCAS). High posterior error reduction (30%–50%) compared with a priori fluxes indicates that assimilating satellite XCO2 measurements provides highly effective constraints on global carbon flux estimation. Their impacts are also highlighted by significant spatiotemporal shifts in flux patterns over regions critical to the global carbon budget, such as tropical South America and China. An integrated global land carbon net flux of 6.71 ± 0.76 Gt C yr−1 over 12 months (May 2017–April 2018) is estimated from the TanSat XCO2 data, which is generally consistent with other inversions based on satellite data, such as the JAXA GOSAT and NASA OCO-2 XCO2 retrievals. However, discrepancies were found in some regional flux estimates, particularly over the Southern Hemisphere, where there may still be uncorrected bias between satellite measurements due to the lack of independent reference observations. The results of this study provide the groundwork for further studies using current or future TanSat XCO2 data together with other surface-based and space-borne measurements to quantify biosphere-atmosphere carbon exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MFSD2A is a sodium-dependent lysophosphatidylcholine symporter that is responsible for the uptake of docosahexaenoic acid into the brain1,2, which is crucial for the development and performance of the brain3. Mutations that affect MFSD2A cause microcephaly syndromes4,5. The ability of MFSD2A to transport lipid is also a key mechanism that underlies its function as an inhibitor of transcytosis to regulate the blood–brain barrier6,7. Thus, MFSD2A represents an attractive target for modulating the permeability of the blood–brain barrier for drug delivery. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structure of mouse MFSD2A. Our structure defines the architecture of this important transporter, reveals its unique extracellular domain and uncovers its substrate-binding cavity. The structure—together with our functional studies and molecular dynamics simulations—identifies a conserved sodium-binding site, reveals a potential lipid entry pathway and helps to rationalize MFSD2A mutations that underlie microcephaly syndromes. These results shed light on the critical lipid transport function of MFSD2A and provide a framework to aid in the design of specific modulators for therapeutic purposes.The cryo-electron microscopy structure of mouse MFSD2A sheds light on the mechanism that underlies its lipid transport functions, which have a pivotal role in regulating the blood–brain barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solution processability of polymer semiconductors becomes an unfavorable factor during the fabrication of pixelated films since the underlying layer is vulnerable to subsequent solvent exposure. A foundry-compatible patterning process must meet requirements including high-throughput and high-resolution patternability, broad generality, ambient processability, environmentally benign solvents, and, minimal device performance degradation. However, known methodologies can only meet very few of these requirements. Here, a facile photolithographic approach is demonstrated for foundry-compatible high-resolution patterning of known p- and n-type semiconducting polymers. This process involves crosslinking a vertically phase-separated blend of the semiconducting polymer and a UV photocurable additive, and enables ambient processable photopatterning at resolutions as high as 0.5 μm in only three steps with environmentally benign solvents. The patterned semiconducting films can be integrated into thin-film transistors having excellent transport characteristics, low off-currents, and high thermal (up to 175 °C) and chemical (24 h immersion in chloroform) stability. Moreover, these patterned organic structures can also be integrated on 1.5 μm-thick parylene substrates to yield highly flexible (1 mm radius) and mechanically robust (5,000 bending cycles) thin-film transistors. Though shape-changing devices are promising for future haptic displays, existing designs fail to provide smooth surfaces for the user during tactile exploration. Here, the authors utilize flexible auxetic structures to realize shape displays with smooth surfaces and different Gaussian curvatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser engraving is an essential tool of automatic drawings and 3D printers. When the laser engraving tasks become large and complicated, engraving process will be time-consuming. To improve the time and energy efficiency, the trajectory optimization of laser engraving is studied. The trajectory of laser engraving robot is modelled as a large-scale traveling salesman problem (TSP), by converting grayscale images into halftone images. To solve the large-scale TSP, two-layered ant colony system (ACS) is newly proposed to combine k-means, top-layer ACS, and bottom-layer ACS. Finally, we use the presented algorithm to optimize the path of four engraving instances which include tens of thousands of discrete points. Experimental results show that this method can reduce laser engraving time by about 50% compared with traditional engraving methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]