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In the title paper, Zhu et al. presented a technique for generating filter less frequency octo-tupling signal based on a cascade of two dual-polarization modulators. Firstly, the harmonics of order 4 $$l$$ ( $$l$$ in an integer) are generated in the $$x$$ -polarization by driving the x-modulators with an RF signal with a 90° phase difference between the two stages. Then the carrier is suppressed using unmodulated $$y$$ -polarization by means of polarization multiplexing. Accordingly, the demerit of their design is the requirement to reset a precise polarizer angle to suppress the optical carrier every time there is a change in the RF drive amplitude or the modulation index. Nevertheless, the authors claim superior performance to a similar architecture in which the y-branch is modulated with the proper RF drive phases to suppress the carrier for all drive levels with no need to adjust a splitting ratio. The aim of this comment is to show that by modulating the $$y$$ -polarization with adjusted RF drive phases, same architecture can be used to perform frequency octo-tupling whose performance is neither limited by precise settings of the polarizer angle nor by the proper settings of the modulation index. The carrier is suppressed for a unique value of the polarizer angle for all modulation index. If the modulation index is adjusted to suppress the $$4{\text{th}}$$ harmonics, same circuit can be used to perform frequency 24-tupling generation.

An effective method based on molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase microextraction (MIP-SPME) to assess the risk of kojic acid (KA) in food was proposed in this work. KA is widely used in the food industry but may have potential hazards, such as carcinogenicity. Herein, theoretical simulation and UV–vis spectrum were applied to investigate the synthesis procedure of MIP. The molecular simulation was in marked contrast with the traditional complicated preparation optimization of MIP-SPME coating. The prepared MIP-SPME fiber coating was a mesoporous material with high porosity, the leading cause of better mass transfer of target analytes in complex media. Furthermore, a novel theoretical simulation method of annealing operation was used to obtain the hydrogen bond interaction force for every possible or even dominate action site in the template-monomer system. In addition, compared to the existing approaches of KA determination, this method exhibited ultralow limits of quantification (0.20 and 0.72 μg L−1); it was successfully used for the selective trace detection of KA in wheat flour and starch. The proposed MIP-SPME approach, as a strategy for the risk assessment of KA, is proven to have great stability, high sensitivity and reproducibility.

Wind load prediction is critical to the design of buildings, especially skyscrapers, because wind-induced dynamic loads and vibrations can often be a major concern that dominates the design. This paper presents a real-time wind load predictor for buildings by training an artificial neural network, with big data generated from a well-established software package for computational fluid dynamics (CFD), known as GSM-CFD. The cross-section of a building is idealized as a rectangle with various aspect ratios. The attack angles and velocity of the wind are also treated as variables in a wide range for building design considerations. We firstly establish a large number of computational models of major possible situations, and intensive computations using the GSM-CFD solver are conducted to generate detailed flow fields. Due to the high Reynold numbers of the flow fields, large eddy simulation (LES) model has been adopted in the calculation process. Both drag and lift coefficients are then computed based on the pressure distribution around the surface of the rectangular blocks. The GSM-CFD enables us to generate a mass of data considering different aspect ratios, wind velocities and attacking angles. Finally, an artificial neural network is trained to predict the drag coefficients for any given aspect ratios of the rectangular cross-sections of building subject to any given attack angles of wind with various velocities. The trained neural network is verified by comparing the results of the neural network predictions and that of the numerical simulations. The accuracy based on the test data set is found about 3.17%, which is sufficient for engineering design purposes. Our trained neural network model is applicable to other problems with a flow around rectangles with aspect ratios from 0.2 to 1, air-flow velocity of 34 m/s, and attack angles from 0° to 90°. The prediction is practically in real-time.

Cucurbit phloem is complex, with large sieve tubes on both sides of the xylem (bicollateral phloem), and extrafascicular elements that form an intricate web linking the rest of the vasculature. Little is known of the physical interconnections between these networks or their functional specialization, largely because the extrafascicular phloem strands branch and turn at irregular angles. Here, export in the phloem from specific regions of the lamina of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) was mapped using carboxyfluorescein and 14 C as mobile tracers. We also mapped vascular architecture by conventional microscopy and X-ray computed tomography using optimized whole-tissue staining procedures. Differential gene expression in the internal (IP) and external phloem (EP) was analyzed by laser-capture microdissection followed by RNA-seq. The vascular bundles of the lamina form a nexus at the petiole junction, emerging in a predictable pattern, each bundle conducting photoassimilate from a specific region of the blade. The vascular bundles of the stem interconnect at the node, facilitating lateral transport around the stem. Elements of the extrafascicular phloem traverse the stem and petiole obliquely, joining the IP and EP of adjacent bundles. Using pairwise comparisons and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), we found differences in gene expression patterns between the petiole and stem and between IP and EP, and we identified hub genes of tissue-specific modules. Genes related to transport were expressed primarily in the EP while those involved in cell differentiation and development as well as amino acid transport and metabolism were expressed mainly in the IP.

The Wanshan mercury mine, which is an abandoned mine located in northeastern Guizhou Province in Southwest China, has introduced serious Hg pollution to the local ecosystem resulting from previous mining and smelting activities. However, it is not clear to date whether soil pollution has actually improved after treatment by related departments. Therefore, the present study investigates the vegetation community and heavy metal contents of the soil and plants in the Wanshan mercury mining area. The results showed that most of Hg, Cd, As, Cu, and Zn contents in soil samples were higher than those of Soil Environment Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land in China (GB15618-2018). The observed plant species mainly consisted of Compositae, followed by Leguminosae. Unfortunately, this investigation found that heavy metal concentrations in these plants were not extremely high and far below the standard of hyperaccumulator. Despite all this, the maximum values of bioaccumulation factor for Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Cu and Zn were Serissa japonica (Thunb.) Thunb., Rhus chinensis Mill., Potentilla sibbaldii Haller f., Erigeron canadensis L., Clerodendrum bungei var. bungei. and Rhus chinensis Mill., respectively. Regardless of the carcinogenic or noncarcinogenic risk index, the potential risk to urban children is higher. Our results suggest that heavy metal pollution was indeed relieved since their contents in soil significantly decreased in comparison with those reported in other previous studies. This finding provides a reference for the long-term treatment of heavy metal pollution in the local environment and other areas employing analogous environmental protection measures.

Forming robust associative interactions has been an effective strategy for the design of tough hydrogels. However, the role of associative interactions in the dynamics of hydrogels still remains el...

TiC-reinforced CrMo steel was successfully fabricated by 3D gel-printing in this study. The rheological behaviour and polymerisation of slurries with different TiC content were researched. The appr...

The aluminum tolerance of Tamba black soybean (Glycine max cv. Tamba) is closely related to organic acid secretion mechanisms. The gene responsible for this tolerance in this variety (GmFER84) is extracted from lysates of soybean root tips using silylated Fe3O4 nanomagnetic beads. GmFER84 (Glycine max XP 003540203.1) is a stable protein. Tobacco genetically transformed with GmFER84 using an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was tested for aluminum tolerance. Citrate synthase and citric acid secretion in the roots of transgenic tobacco prove to be significantly higher than those of wild tobacco, and the antioxidant properties of transgenic tobacco are also substantially increased. Research on GmFER84 may enable further agronomic development.

A new cross double point discharge (CrossPD) microplasma was designed as an excitation source to construct a miniaturized optical emission spectrometer with hydride generation (HG) for sample introduction. The CrossPD was designed with four electrodes arranged as a cross to generate a discharge with an enlarged microplasma region for improved excitation capability. The gaseous analyte generated in the HG process was transported to and intercepted by the enlarged discharge; thus most of it had to enter into the microplasma and participated in the excitation process instead of bypassing the microplasma area as in a conventional single point discharge (SinPD). Under optimized conditions, examples of arsenic, mercury and lead were successfully determined, with limits of detection (LODs) of 2.4, 0.15 and 1.9 μg L−1, respectively, and relative standard deviations all less than 4% (n = 5, at concentrations of 50, 10 and 50 μg L−1, respectively). Compared with a traditional SinPD for excitation, the analytical sensitivities for As, Hg and Pb were improved by 3–4 times. Its reliability and practicability were demonstrated by the analysis of Certified Reference Materials (CRMs, including water, soils, cosmetics and biological samples) and real water samples. This provides a useful scheme to enhance the analytical performance of discharge microplasma based miniaturized atomic emission spectrometers, and would be promising in the field analysis of As, Hg, Pb and other elements.

BackgroundTartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a nutritionally balanced and flavonoid-rich crop plant that has been in cultivation for 4000 years and is now grown globally. Despite its nutraceutical and agricultural value, the characterization of its genetics and its domestication history is limited.ResultsHere, we report a comprehensive database of Tartary buckwheat genomic variation based on whole-genome resequencing of 510 germplasms. Our analysis suggests that two independent domestication events occurred in southwestern and northern China, resulting in diverse characteristics of modern Tartary buckwheat varieties. Genome-wide association studies for important agricultural traits identify several candidate genes, includingFtUFGT3andFtAP2YT1that significantly correlate with flavonoid accumulation and grain weight, respectively.ConclusionsWe describe the domestication history of Tartary buckwheat and provide a detailed resource of genomic variation to allow for genomic-assisted breeding in the improvement of elite cultivars.

The UV/chlorination of three prescription drugs, sulfamethazine (SMZ), gemfibrozil (GEM) and antipyrine (ANT) were studied by the investigation of kinetics, transformation products and combined toxicological assessment. The degradation followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, with half-lives significantly affected by chlorine dosage, without being greatly influenced by pH value and bromide concentration. Based on the Frontier Orbital Theory, the structures of products by hydroxylation or chlorine substitution were proposed and the transformation pathways were introduced, with two, two and one never-before-reported products identified for SMZ, GEM and ANT, respectively. Compared to the results of the experiments with artificial water sample, the degradation kinetics of the three prescription drugs was observed with a prolonged half-lives in both Yangtze River and Taihu Lake water, suggesting that aromatic containing transformation products (TPs) may also exist in UV/chlorine treated natural waters. The results of combined toxicity on E. coli showed that the antagonism effect predominated in most binary and ternary combinations. However, the synergistic toxicity of combinations at low concentrations of prescription drugs subjected to UV/chlorine should be cautioned, which was more close to the natural concentration of prescription drugs in waters.

In this paper, a novel microwave photonic full-range phase shifter with simultaneous frequency-multiplying capability is proposed. The main device is a dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulator (DMZM) embe...

Plant hormones known as strigolactones control plant development and interactions between host plants and symbiotic fungi or parasitic weeds1–4. In Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, the proteins DWARF14 (D14), MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 2 (MAX2), SUPPRESSOR OF MAX2-LIKE 6, 7 and 8 (SMXL6, SMXL7 and SMXL8) and their orthologues form a complex upon strigolactone perception and play a central part in strigolactone signalling5–10. However, whether and how strigolactones activate downstream transcription remains largely unknown. Here we use a synthetic strigolactone to identify 401 strigolactone-responsive genes in Arabidopsis, and show that these plant hormones regulate shoot branching, leaf shape and anthocyanin accumulation mainly through transcriptional activation of the BRANCHED 1, TCP DOMAIN PROTEIN 1 and PRODUCTION OF ANTHOCYANIN PIGMENT 1 genes. We find that SMXL6 targets 729 genes in the Arabidopsis genome and represses the transcription of SMXL6, SMXL7 and SMXL8 by binding directly to their promoters, showing that SMXL6 serves as an autoregulated transcription factor to maintain the homeostasis of strigolactone signalling. These findings reveal an unanticipated mechanism through which a transcriptional repressor of hormone signalling can directly recognize DNA and regulate transcription in higher plants. Many of the molecular targets of strigolactones—plant hormones involved in development and in interactions with symbiotic and parasitic organisms—are uncovered, revealing how strigolactones function and an intriguing role for self-regulation of a downstream transcription factor.

Porous polycaprolactone (PCL)-coated calcium silicate (CaSiO3) composite scaffolds were successfully prepared by 3D gel-printing (3DGP) and vacuum impregnation technology in this study. The effect of different PCL concentration on porous CaSiO3 scaffolds prepared by 3DGP technology was studied. The composition and morphological characteristics of PCL/CaSiO3 scaffolds were tested by using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) analysis. PCL coating amount on the scaffolds surface was calculated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Compressive strength was tested by a universal testing machine, and degradability was tested by immersing the scaffolds in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The results show that PCL coating thickness increased from 7.29 μm to 12.2 μm, and the compressive strength of the corresponding composite scaffolds increased from 17.15 MPa to 24.12 MPa following with PCL concentration increasing from 7.5% to 12.5%. When the porous composite scaffolds were immersed in SBF for 28 days, the degradation ratio was 1.06% (CaSiO3), 1.63% (CaSiO3-7.5PCL), 1.81% (CaSiO3-10PCL) and 1.55% (CaSiO3-12.5PCL), respectively. It is obviously that PCL/CaSiO3 composite scaffolds, which are suitable for bone growth in bone repair engineering, are beneficial to improve the mechanical properties and biodegradability of pure CaSiO3 scaffolds.

A new process, staggered stacking method of printing wires and printing wire deformation by 3D gel-printing, to prepare ZrO2 dense parts was used in this study. In order to reduce the gap between adjacent printing wires, a new type of stacking method-staggered stacking is proposed. The density of sintered parts prepared by staggered stacking method is about 88%. In order to eliminate the gap between the adjacent cylindrical printing lines, according to printing wire deformation and then adjusting the parameters, the printing head was used as a scraper to fill the gaps. The relative density of sintered body prepared by staggered stacking method of printing wires and printing wire deformation in this study is 98.86%, and the three-point bending strength of the parts is 496 ± 20 MPa.

Background No single pure enantiomeric pesticide residues was investigated and set regulations for tea quality safety and risk assessment. Objective Due to lack of chiral pesticide analysis method and data, the Maximum residue limits (MRLs) about the chiral pesticides in tea was unknown. Method An analytical method for the determination of chiral pesticide residues by QuEChERS combined chiral liquid chromatography quadruple/linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS-Qtrap) was developed and applied to the analysis of various teas. Results The mean recoveries for pesticides enantiomers ranged from 75.9% to 112.4%. Reproducibility represented by relative standard deviation percentage was 10% or less. Good linearity was achieved for all enantiomers with determination coefficients (r2) greater than 0.99. The detection of limit (CCα) and quantification of limit (CCβ) were 0.2 ∼1 µg/kg and 0.5∼5 µg/kg, respectively. Conclusions The method was suitable for monitoring the enantiomeric pesticide residues in various teas. Highlights Enantioselective multiclass pesticide residues were determined in various teas by LC-MS/MS-Qtrap, additional Qtrap scan functions greatly enhance the performance of screening, confirmation, and identification of chiral pesticides.

The heterogeneous Fenton-like process is regarded as a promising approach to produce reactive oxygen species for water purification and environmental remediation. Here, we report a simple and rational strategy for the design of an efficient catalyst by reducing the dimensionality instead of changing the composition or structure. Based on theoretical and experimental evidence, considerable active sites were exposed on the low-dimensional Ti3C2Tx monolayer surface and showed outstanding reactivity toward peroxymonosulfate activation, which was mainly because of the superior compatibility between the highest occupied molecular orbital of catalysts and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of Oxone. Stimulated emission depletion super-resolution microscopy innovatively provided visual insights into the spatiotemporal heterogeneous activation process and revealed that the unilaminar Ti3C2Tx nanosheet exhibited preferable reaction dynamics relative to its inert bulk counterpart, with an aqueous 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid degradation rate ∼376 times higher than that when using bulk Ti3C2Tx as the activator.

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a unique challenge in prechlorinated raw water distribution systems (PRWDSs) because of its contribution to the formation of harmful nitrogen-disinfection byproducts, influence upon biogeochemical processes, and unclear molecular characteristics. Here, Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry in combination with high-throughput sequencing was applied to elucidate the molecular changes of DON and biofilm microbial communities in a PRWDS in Yixing, China. Our study revealed that dynamic characteristics of DON are significantly correlated with the biofilm. The accumulation of refractory lignin-like compounds and C

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) aeromagnetic measurement system can precisely obtain large-scale data with high efficiency and low cost in regions with complex exploration conditions, which has aroused interest in the field of aerial survey. In this article, based on the unmanned helicopter platform, an aeronautical magnetic field measurement system is integrated to complete the integration of a rotor UAV, magnetometers, and data recorders. Equipped with a three-axis fluxgate magnetometer for real-time flight compensation, the compensation deviation is ±0.052 nT, which meets the aeromagnetic survey specifications. The UAV can fly autonomously with a maximum load of 45 kg at a speed of 60 km/h for 2 h, and the wind resistance level is level 7. The system has completed a field test of 111.9 km in the Ma’anshan crisis mine region of China and collected 145,495 data points. Then, the adaptive down-sampling method is used to compress the data (to 1.7% of the original data), and it is applied to the three-dimensional magnetic inversion, which successfully obtains the spatial distribution characteristics of the underground orebody, improving the inversion efficiency while ensuring the target area resolution. Six favorable magnetite prospecting sites are delineated in the survey area through inversion results, which demonstrates the potential of the developed UAV aeromagnetic system in the exploration over the areas with complex terrain.

Two-dimensional (2D) lamellar membranes have shown great potential in efficient molecular separations. However, the development of membranes with both high permeability and selectivity using traditional single-spacing channels is still challenging. In this study, a high-performance heterostructured membrane with fusiform transport channels using carbon nanotubes as spacing tailors among MXene layers is explored, where the combination of narrow “gate” for blocking the guest molecules and wide slit-like pathway for fast permeation are constructed. Based on the synergistic effects of hierarchical transport channels, a high rejection for molecules larger than 1 nm and ultrahigh water permeation (1270 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, which is about 3.4 times that of a pure MXene membrane) are achieved. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations reveal that water molecules transport with an ordered alignment within the confined channels, facilitating the fast diffusion and transport of aggregates. This facile and scalable approach of constructing hierarchical channels in 2D membranes can demonstrate the potential for accelerating transport and separation processes.

The high-pressure behaviors of Mn3O4 nanorods were studied by high pressure powder synchrotron X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. We found that the initial hausmannite phase transforms into the orthorhombic CaTi2O4-type structure, and then to the marokite-like phase upon compression. Upon decompression, the marokite-like phase is retained at the ambient pressure. Compared with Mn3O4 bulk and nanoparticles, Mn3O4 nanorods show obviously different phase transition behaviors. Upon compression, the phase transition sequence of Mn3O4 nanorods is similar with the nanoparticles, while the decompression behavior is consistent with the bulk counterparts. The hausmannite phase shows higher stability and smaller bulk modulus in Mn3O4 nanorods than those of the corresponding bulk and nanoparticles. We proposed that the higher phase stability and compressibility of the nanorods are concerned with their nanosize effects and the rod morphology. Both the growth orientation and the suppressed Jahn–Teller distortion of the Mn3O4 nanorods are crucial factors for their high pressure behaviors.

Porous CaSiO3 composite scaffolds with different dopants, such as MgSiO3, MgCl2 and CaSO4, were successfully prepared by 3D gel-printing (3DGP). (m, n) is proposed to describe the filament geometry features. The results show that doping can improve the strength of porous composite scaffolds and MgCl2-doped composite scaffolds had the highest modulus of elasticity of 1241 MPa. The shrinkage rate range of the composite scaffolds was 11.44–13.16%, and their porosity was all about 60%. When porous composite scaffolds were soaked in SBF for 28 days at 37°С, the degradation rate was 2.7% (pure), 0.3% (MgSiO3), 0.2% (MgCl2), 5.27% (CaSO4), respectively. It explains that MgSiO3 and MgCl2 inhibited the in vitro degradation of CaSiO3, while CaSO4 promoted. It is obviously that doped MgCl2 can improve the mechanical properties of porous scaffolds, and doped CaSO4 can improve the degradation of scaffolds, which play an important role in bone repair engineering.

This article is about the error analysis for a partially penalized immersed finite element (PPIFE) method designed to solve linear planar-elasticity problems whose Lamé parameters are piecewise constants with an interface-independent mesh. The bilinear form in this method contains penalties to handle the discontinuity in the global immersed finite element (IFE) functions across interface edges. We establish a stress trace inequality for IFE functions on interface elements, we employ a patch idea to derive an optimal error bound for the stress of the IFE interpolation on interface edges, and we design a suitable energy norm by which the bilinear form in this PPIFE method is coercive. These key ingredients enable us to prove that this PPIFE method converges optimally in both an energy norm and the usualL2norm under the standard piecewiseH2-regularity assumption for the exact solution. Features of the proposed PPIFE method are demonstrated with numerical examples.

A high-flux thin film nanocomposite (TFN) nanofiltration (NF) membrane for low pressure operation (3.5 bar) was fabricated by blending purified amino-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (NH2-SWCNTs) with piperazine (PIP) as aqueous phase monomers through interfacial polymerization (IP). The surface properties and structures of the polyamide (PA) active layer were suitably tailored by introducing different amounts of NH2-SWCNTs into the PA layer. It was found that the homogeneous incorporation of NH2-SWCNTs facilitated a more integral PA layer along with improved roughness, hydrophilicity, and surface charge of the modified membranes, which could be validated by membrane characterisation including SEM, AFM, ATR-FTIR, XPS, zeta potential and water contact angle measurements. Based on cross-flow NF tests, the optimized ultra-thin NH2-SWCNT-TFN membranes with 0.002 wt% of NH2-SWCNTs exhibited outstanding water permeability of up to 17.8 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, 71.1% higher than that of the pristine membrane, along with high MgSO4 rejection of 91.0% and Na2SO4 rejection of 96.34%. Meanwhile, NH2-SWCNT-TFN membranes also showed excellent long-term stability and antifouling ability. This work demonstrates a facile strategy to fabricate a scalable, low-pressure and ultra-thin TFN membrane with excellent performance.

Background The Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is a prominent pest of citrus because it transmits Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus associated with huanglongbing. Phototactic behavior ubiquitously exists in insects and plays essential roles in host-searching and mate-searching in ACP. However, its mechanism has remained unclear to date. In this paper, molecular assays were performed to understand the relation between opsins and the phototactic behavior of ACP. Results We cloned five opsin genes and analyzed their expression patterns. The main three opsin genes (Dc-UV, Dc-BW and Dc-LW) displayed high expression levels in daytime, and the expression levels of the other two opsin genes (Dc-UV-like and Dc-arthropsin) increased during nighttime. In constant darkness, the expression patterns and levels of opsin genes of ACP were altered. Under starvation, the expression levels of the main three opsins were reduced (53.89-84.10%). In contrast, the expression levels in females increased (27.55-60.58%). Feeding of double-stranded RNA (Dc-UV, Dc-LW or Dc-BW) have reduced the phototactic efficiency of ACP to ultraviolet light (44.79%), green light (54.81%) and blue light (43.00%), respectively. Conclusion The results suggest that the expression levels and patterns of opsins of ACP were influenced by photoperiod and the physiological status of ACP. Our research indicates that opsins play crucial roles in phototactic behavior in ACP. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Understanding large-scale crop growth and its responses to climate change are critical for yield estimation and prediction, especially under the increased frequency of extreme climate and weather events. County-level corn phenology varies spatially and interannually across the Corn Belt in the United States, where precipitation and heat stress presents a temporal pattern among growth phases (GPs) and vary interannually. In this study, we developed a long short-term memory (LSTM) model that integrates heterogeneous crop phenology, meteorology, and remote sensing data to estimate county-level corn yields. By conflating heterogeneous phenology-based remote sensing and meteorological indices, the LSTM model accounted for 76% of yield variations across the Corn Belt, improved from 39% of yield variations explained by phenology-based meteorological indices alone. The LSTM model outperformed least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and random forest (RF) approaches for end-of-the-season yield estimation, as a result of its recurrent neural network structure that can incorporate cumulative and nonlinear relationships between corn yield and environmental factors. The results showed that the period from silking to dough was most critical for crop yield estimation. The LSTM model presented a robust yield estimation under extreme weather events in 2012, which reduced the root-mean-square error to 1.47 Mg/ha from 1.93 Mg/ha for LASSO and 2.43 Mg/ha for RF. The LSTM model has the capability to learn general patterns from high-dimensional (spectral, spatial, and temporal) input features to achieve a robust county-level crop yield estimation. This deep learning approach holds great promise for better understanding the global condition of crop growth based on publicly available remote sensing and meteorological data.

We present a discontinuous immersed finite element (IFE) method for incompressible interfacial flows that are governed by the Stokes equations. The method is based on a Cartesian mesh with elements cut by the moving interface. On this fixed unfitted mesh, we employ an immersed Q 1 ∕ Q 0 finite element space constructed according to the location of the interface and pertinent interface jump conditions. As such, the smearing of solution across the interface is greatly reduced. The interface, represented by a sequence of marker points, is advected on the fixed background mesh by the local fluid velocity. The mesh is locally refined near the interface to further improve accuracy. Compared with the phase-field method on adaptive meshes, our method can achieve the same level of accuracy with much less degrees of freedoms. We present some numerical examples to validate and demonstrate the capability of the proposed method.

In this article, we present and analyze a weak Galerkin finite element method for stationary Navier–Stokes problems. This weak Galerkin finite element scheme is based on a shape regular partition consisting of arbitrary polygons/polyhedra. We first establish a discrete embedding inequality that is useful in weak Galerkin finite element analysis for nonlinear problems. Then the stability and unique existence are proved for the discrete velocity and pressure by means of a discrete inf–sup condition. Furthermore, we derive the optimal error estimates for velocity approximation in the discrete H 1 -norm and pressure approximation in the L 2 -norm, respectively. Numerical examples are provided that corroborate the optimal convergence of the proposed method.

Defect passivation is an effective method to improve the performance of perovskite solar cells. In this study, four phenethylammonium iodides featuring different functional groups directly linking ...

The porous β-tricalcium phosphate (TCP) bioceramic scaffolds were successfully prepared by 3D gel-printing method. The calcium phosphate salt precursor was synthesized by hydration precipitation method and calcium chloride and diammonium hydrogen phosphate were as raw materials. The rheological properties of slurries with different calcium to phosphorus (Ca/P) ratios and the shrinkage and porosity of the printed scaffolds were studied in this paper. Also, the effect of different Ca/P ratios on the composition of powders was studied. The calcium phosphate salt powders with average particle size of 37.12 μm were used in this study and the maximum solids loading of the slurry which is suitable for printing was about 50 vol% and the printing green scaffolds have well-distributed designed voids and microporous. The β-TCP bioceramic scaffolds were obtained by sintering at 1100 °C for 3 h when Ca/P ratio is 3.5. The porosity of the sintered scaffold is approximately 58.05% which is suitable for bone growth in bone repair engineering.

Fruit characteristics of sweet watermelon are largely the result of human selection. Here we report an improved watermelon reference genome and whole-genome resequencing of 414 accessions representing all extant species in theCitrullusgenus. Population genomic analyses reveal the evolutionary history ofCitrullus, suggesting independent evolutions inCitrullus amarusand the lineage containingCitrullus lanatusandCitrullus mucosospermus. Our findings indicate that different loci affecting watermelon fruit size have been under selection during speciation, domestication and improvement. A non-bitter allele, arising in the progenitor of sweet watermelon, is largely fixed inC. lanatus. Selection for flesh sweetness started in the progenitor ofC. lanatusand continues through modern breeding on loci controlling raffinose catabolism and sugar transport. Fruit flesh coloration and sugar accumulation might have co-evolved through shared genetic components including a sugar transporter gene. This study provides valuable genomic resources and sheds light on watermelon speciation and breeding history.

In this paper, a novel photonic phase shifter with − 180° to 180° phase-tunable range and multi-band frequency-conversion feature is proposed. The main device is a single polarization division multiplexing dual-parallel Mach–Zehnder modulator (PDM-DPMZM). The PDM-DPMZM is employed to generate an optical frequency comb (OFC) and a carrier-suppressed single sideband (CS-SSB) in two mutually orthogonal polarizations. Simultaneously, an electrical phase shifter is adopted to control the initial phase of the CS-SSB. The simulation results show, a RF signal with the frequency of 4.3 GHz (C-band) can be down-converted to 1.4 GHz (L-band). Meanwhile, it can also be up-converted to 5.7 GHz (C-band), 10 GHz (LO signal), 14.3 GHz (Ku-band) and 18.6 GHz (K-band) with their phases continuously tuned from − 180° to 180°. Furthermore, the proposed structure features flat power response, frequency-independent operation, simple configuration, easy phase tuning, better ability to cope with DC drift and wide operation bandwidth. The unwanted signal suppression ratio (USSR) and the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of the phase shifter are also studied.

Recent studies reported a multiscale structure in tough and self-healing hydrogels containing physical associations. For example, a type of tough and self-healing hydrogel from charge-balanced polyampholytes (PA) has a mesoscale bicontinuous double network structure with structural length around 400 nm. This mesoscale network structure plays an essential role in the multistep rupture process, which leads to the high toughness of PA hydrogels. In this work, by using an osmotic stress method, we symmetrically studied how the relative strength of soft and hard networks and the strength of ionic bonds influence the property of PA gels. We found that increasing osmotic stress of the bath solution triggers the structure transition from bicontinuous double network structure to a homogeneous structure, which drives the concurrently opaque−transparent transition in optical property and viscoelastic−glassy transition in mechanical behavior. The gels around the structural transition point were found to possess both high toughness (fracture energy of 7200 J m−2) and high stiffness (Young’s modulus of 12.9 MPa), which is a synergy of soft network and hard network of the bicontinuous structure. Our work not only provides an approach to tune the structure and property of physical hydrogels through tuning physical association but also gives a demo to investigate their relationships, yet another step forward gives inspiration to design a new type of tough and self-healing materials around the structural transition point.

A charge-reversal amphiphilic pillar[5]arene, P5NH-DCA, bearing 10 charge-reversal headgroups is reported. It targets the cell membrane of cancer cells and selectively destroys the cancer cells by disrupting the membrane. In the acidic tumor microenvironment, the headgroup charge of P5NH-DCA reversed from negative to positive owing to hydrolysis of the acid-labile amide group. The hydrolyzed product bearing multiple positive charges can bind to the cell membrane and then disrupt the membrane of cancer cells with high efficiency. However, under the neutral microenvironment of healthy cells, the negatively charged P5NH-DCA remains stable and the cytotoxicity is considerably reduced. The strategy killing the cancer cells by membrane disruption may represent a new route of cancer chemotherapy.

The current investigation reports the synthesis of N-CDs using glucosamine, ascorbic acid, and ethylenediamine precursors by a simple hydrothermal technique. The formation of N-CDs was proved by various characterisation techniques such as X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrophotometer (FT-IR). The optical properties were investigated by fluorescence and UV-vis spectrophotometer. Also, N-CDs showed high selectivity in detecting the MTZ compared to several other analytes. However, the metronidazole serves as an antibiotic against several microbial diseases but also a genotoxic, carcinogenic to the human when used in excessive dosage. The synthesised N-CDs showed high selectivity in detecting the MTZ compared to several other analytes. Besides, the cytotoxicity of the N-CDs was studied to evaluate its toxicity against the HeLa cancer cells. It showed 65.6% cell viability and 34.3% toxicity against the cancerous cells, and similarly 71% of cells viability against H9C2 cells. Thus, the current investigation explores the promising selective sensing of N-CDs against MTZ, along with that, it proved its cytotoxicity against HeLa cancerous cells and non-toxicity against H9C2 cells. The synthesised CDs can be better MTZ sensors and anti-cancer agents on further development at the industrial scale.

By hydrothermal method, porous TiO2 spheres with pompon morphology are successfully synthesized in the tetrabutyl titanate (TBT)–acetic acid (HAc) system with no other additives. The morphological, structural and textural properties of the specimen are figured out by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption/desorption, and fluorescence microscope. The results show the pompon-like morphology of porous TiO2 with high specific surface area and large pore volume, which can be used as a drug carrier. In this paper, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) is chosen as drug model to understand the process of drug release. And results indicate that the porous TiO2 is biocompatible and can be used for continuing drug-release, which shows lots of possibilities in medical fields.

The identification and regulation of the critical source areas (CSAs) of non-point source (NPS) pollution have been proven as economical and effective ways to control such pollution in watersheds. However, the traditional models for the identification of CSAs have complex operation processes, and comprehensive systematic methods for the regulation of CSAs are still lacking. This study systematically developed a new methodological framework for the identification and regulation of CSAs in medium and small watersheds based on source-sink theory, which included the following: (1) a grid-based CSAs identification model involving the evaluation of the rationality of the source-sink landscape pattern and three geographical factors (landscape slope, relative elevation, and the distance from the river), and identifying CSAs by the calculation and division of the integrated grid pollution index (IGPI), (2) a comprehensive CSAs regulation strategy that was formulated based on three landscape levels/regulation intensities—including the optimization of the overall source-sink landscape pattern, the conversion of the landscape type or landscape combination, and local optimization for single source landscape—to meet various regulatory intensity requirements in watersheds. The Jiulong River watershed in Fujian Province of China was taken as a case study. The results indicate that: (1) the identified CSAs of the Jiulong River watershed covered 656.91 km2, equivalent to 4.44% of the watershed, and through adopting multiple-intensity regulation measures for 10 key control zones that had spatially concentrated high values of the IGPI among the CSAs, the watershed IGPIs were predicted to be generally reduced and the area of CSAs was predicted to decrease by 23.84% (31.43% in Zhangzhou, the major city in the watershed), (2) the identification model can identify the CSAs with easy data access and simple operation, and the utilization of neighborhood impact analysis makes the grid-based research more scientific in the evaluation of the rationality of the source-sink landscape pattern, (3) the application of multi-scale landscape planning framework and the principle of source-sink landscape pattern regulation make the CSAs regulation strategy systematic and cost-effective, and the provision of different intensity regulation strategies makes the regulation strategy easy to implement and relatively lower cost. The proposed methodological framework can provide technical support for governments to quickly and accurately identify the CSAs of NPS pollution and effectively control such CSAs in medium and small watersheds.

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture based on polymer scaffold provides a promising tool to mimic a physiological microenvironment for drug testing; however, the next-generation cell activity monitoring technology for 3D cell culture is still challenging. Conventionally, drug efficacy evaluation and cell growth heavily rely on cell staining assays, using optical devices or flow cytometry. Here, we report a dual-function polymer scaffold (DFPS) composed of thermosensitive, silver flake- and gold nanoparticle-decorated polymers, enabling conductance change upon cell proliferation or death for in situ cell activity monitoring and drug screening. The cell activity can be quantitatively monitored via measuring the conductance change induced by polymeric network swelling or shrinkage. This novel dual-function system (1) provides a 3D microenvironment to enable the formation and growth of tumor spheroid in vitro and streamlines the harvesting of tumor spheroids through the thermosensitive scaffold and (2) offers a simple and direct quantitative method to monitor 3D cell culture in situ for drug responses. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated that a breast cancer stem cell line MDA-MB-436 was able to form cell spheroids in the scaffold, and the conductance change of the sensor exhibited a linear relationship with cell concentration. To examine its potential in drug screening, cancer spheroids in the cell sensor were treated with paclitaxel (PTX) and docetaxel (DTX), and predicted quantitative evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of drugs was established. Our results indicated that this cell sensing system may hold promising potential in expanding into an array device for high-throughput drug screening.

The development of renewable clean energy such as hydropower can not only ensure energy security, but also help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. This paper uses the annual data of 30 provinces in China from 2000 to 2017, and constructs a dynamic spatial Durbin model and a geographically weighted regression model to empirically test the dynamic impact of hydropower on haze pollution and economic growth at the national and provincial levels. The empirical results show that the promoting effect of hydropower on economic growth in Western China is less than that in Eastern China, which further aggravates the economic development gap between the eastern and western regions. In addition, the suppression effect of hydropower on the haze pollution in the western region is greater than that in the eastern region, where the haze pollution is serious. From the national level, hydropower can promote regional economic growth and inhibit haze pollution, and the spatial spillover effects of these two effects are greater than the local effects, and the long-term impact is greater than the short-term impact. The research conclusions of this paper will help China realize the sustainable development goals of energy saving and emission reduction.

In this paper, we investigate the potential factors involved in the critical processes from copper chemical and mechanical planarization (CMP) to nitride capping that can lead to copper (Cu) migration into the oxide-nitride interface. Cu migration creates weak points that can accelerate the failure of a MOM capacitor under high voltage, therefore it is important to understand the factors and mechanism of Cu migration to prevent it from happening. Based upon our experimental results, we gain further insight into this phenomenon, and propose a new approach for the mechanism of Cu migration.

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are critical for providing good user experience of cloud services. CDN providers typically collect various multivariate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) time series to monitor and diagnose system performance. State-of-the-art anomaly detection methods mostly use deep learning to extract the normal patterns of data, due to its superior performance. However, KPI data usually exhibit non-additive Gaussian noise, which makes it difficult for deep learning models to learn the normal patterns, resulting in degraded performance in anomaly detection. In this paper, we propose a robust and noise-resilient anomaly detection mechanism using multivariate KPIs. Our key insight is that different KPIs are constrained by certain time-invariant characteristics of the underlying system, and that explicitly modelling such invariance may help resist noise in the data. We thus propose a novel anomaly detection method called SDFVAE, short for Static and Dynamic Factorized VAE, that learns the representations of KPIs by explicitly factorizing the latent variables into dynamic and static parts. Extensive experiments using real-world data show that SDFVAE achieves a F1-score ranging from 0.92 to 0.99 on both regular and noisy dataset, outperforming state-of-the-art methods by a large margin.

Urban spatial expansion poses a threat to regional ecosystems and biodiversity directly through altering the size, shape, and interconnectivity of natural landscapes. Monitoring urban spatial expansion using traditional area-based metrics from remote sensing provides a feasible way to quantify this regional ecological stress. However, variation in landscape-adjacency relationships (i.e., the adjacency between individual landscape classes) caused by urban expansion is often overlooked. In this study, a novel edge-based index (landscape-adjacency index, LAdI) was proposed based on the spatial-adjacency relationship between landscape patches to measure the regional ecological stress of urban expansion on natural landscapes. Taking the entire Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomerations (YRD) as a study area, we applied the LAdI for individual landscape classes (Vi) and landscape level (LV) to quantitatively assess change over time in the ecological stress of YRD from 1990 to 2015 at two spatial scales: municipal scale and 5 km-grid scale. The results showed that the vulnerable zones (LV ≥ 0.6) were mainly distributed in the north of the YRD, and cultivated land was the most vulnerable natural landscape (Vi ≥ 0.6) at the 5 km-grid scale. The most vulnerable landscape at the municipal scale was cultivated land in 19 of 26 cities in each period, and that in the remaining 7 cities varied at distinct urbanization stages. We used scatter diagrams and Pearson correlation analysis to compare the edge-based LAdI with an area-based index (percent of built-up area, PB) and found that: LV and PB had a significant positive correlation at both the municipal scale and 5 km-grid scale. But there were multiple LVs with different values corresponding to one PB with the same value at the 5 km-grid scale. Both indexes could represent the degree of urban expansion; however, the edge-based metric better quantified ecological stress under different urban-sprawl patterns sharing the same percent of built-up area. As changes in land use affect both the size and edge effect among landscape patches, the area-based PB and the edge-based LAdI should be applied together when assessing the ecological stress caused by urbanization.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • Ultrasound/Fenton system was firstly explored for the application of Fe-MOFs. • There was a synergistic effect between ultrasound and Fenton processes. • The TC-HCl could be effectively removed in a wide range of pH (5–11). • •OH was generated by the unsaturated iron sites, cavitation effect and H2O2 decomposition. • •OH and •O2– both contributed to the degradation, while ·OH contributed more., In this work, as a new strategy, ultrasound/H2O2/MOF system was firstly applied by environmental-benign Fe-MOFs (MIL-53, MIL-88B and MIL-101) for tetracycline hydrochloride removal. The synthetic Fe-MOFs were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, XPS, N2 sorption-desorption isotherms and CO-FTIR. MIL-88B demonstrated the best catalytic performance because of its highest amount of Lewis acid sites. Influencing factors, contrast experiment, and corresponding dynamics were carried out to obtain the best experimental conditions and reaction system. Under optimal conditions ([Tetracycline hydrochloride] = 10 mg/L, [MIL-88B] = 0.3 g/L, [H2O2] = 44 mM, [ultrasound power] = 60 W, and pH = 5.0), the-first-order kinetic rate constant k was calculated to be 0.226 min−1, higher than the simple combination of the ultrasound system (0.004) and MIL-88B/H2O2 system (0.163), indicating the importance of synergistic effect between ultrasound and Fenton reaction. EPR test and quenching experiment proved that ·OH is mainly responsible for tetracycline hydrochloride removal. The major reaction path is the adsorption and decomposition of H2O2 by coordinative unsaturated iron sites on Fe-MOF, but it is not the only path. The direct decomposition of H2O2 and the cavitation effect caused by ultrasound also contribute to the generation of •OH.

We have achieved an on-surface synthesis of giant conjugated macrocycles of diameter ~7 nm consisting of up to 30 subunits. The synthesis was initiated from a debrominative coupling of the molecular precursors occurring on a hot Ag(111) surface, leading to the formation of arched oligomeric chains and macrocycles. These products, revealed by scanning tunneling microscopy in combination with density functional theory, were covalent oligomers assisted by C-Ag organometallic bonds between parallel molecular subunits, due to a site-selective debromination and the asymmetric molecular conformation. A consecutive cyclodehydrogenation activated by thermal treatments at higher temperatures steered the final conjugation of the macrocycles. Our finding provides a novel design strategy toward π-conjugated macrocycles, and opens up new opportunities for precise synthesis of organic nanostructures.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 13% ~ 15% of lung cancer. It is a subtype with high malignancy and poor prognosis. Almost all patients with SCLC will inevitably have drug resistance and tumor recurrence, which has become an urgent problem in the treatment of SCLC. Nuclear-targeted drug delivery system, which enables intra-nuclear release of anticancer drugs, is expected to address this challenge. In this study, based on transactivator of transcription (TAT)’s active transport property to the nucleus, we developed a high-efficiency nucleus-targeted co-delivery vector that delivers genes and drugs directly into the nucleus of A549 cells. The system is based on a poly-(N-ε-carbobenzyloxy-L-lysine) (PZLL) and dendritic polyamidoamine (PAMAM) block copolymer (PZLL-D3) with TAT modified on the surface of carrier. In vitro studies showed that DOX and p53 could can be effectively transported to the nucleus and kill the cancer cells. Thus, such deliver system would bypass the drug resistance and tumor recurrence problem.

We present the calibration strategy for the 20 kton liquid scintillator central detector of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO). By utilizing a comprehensive multiple-source and multiple-positional calibration program, in combination with a novel dual calorimetry technique exploiting two independent photosensors and readout systems, we demonstrate that the JUNO central detector can achieve a better than 1% energy linearity and a 3% effective energy resolution, required by the neutrino mass ordering determination. [Figure not available: see fulltext.], 0, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

Picea mongolica, a native species with excellent industrial wood quality and strong sand-fixing capacity, may be utilized in construction of urban green spaces in arid areas in China. However, now the sustainability of the ecosystems where this species grows is at serious risk due to a lack of natural regeneration. In this study, we developed an efficient regeneration system and comprehensively analyzed various factors affecting somatic embryogenesis (SE) using zygotic embryos as explants. We identified the optimal plant growth regulators (PGRs) performance and the best donor trees (k81) for the generation of somatic embryos (SEMs). Additionally, we confirmed that the positive developmental window of SEMs initiation was at the end of July to early August, which is when zygotic embryos was at the late embryogeny. In this time period, specific transcripts associated with the regulation of epigenetic modifications, plant hormone-related genes, and embryonic development-related transcription factors play important roles for early SEMs initiation. These results may provide a valuable resource for vegetative propagation of Picea mongolica. Our results may help to establish a reliable protocol for plantlet regeneration, which may facilitate urban greening applications and industrialization in arid areas.

Unbalanced regional development is widespread, and the imbalance of regional development in developing countries with rapid urbanization is increasingly apparent. This threatens the sustainable development of the region. Promoting the coordinated development of the region has become a hot spot of scientific research and a major practical need. Taking 99 counties of Jiangsu Province China, a typical coastal plain region, as the basic research unit, this paper explores the unbalanced development characteristics of the regional urban spatial form using three indicators: urban spatial expansion size, development intensity, and distribution aggregation degree. Then, their driving mechanisms were evaluated using spatial autocorrelation analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, linear regression, and geographically weighted regression. Our results found that the areas with larger urban spatial expansion size and development intensity were mainly concentrated in southern Jiangsu, where there was a positive spatial correlation between them. We found no agglomeration phenomenon in urban spatial distribution aggregation degree. From the perspective of driving factors: economics was the main driving factor of urban spatial expansion size, urbanization level and urbanization quality were the main driving factors of urban spatial development intensity. Natural landform and urbanization level are the main driving factors of urban spatial distribution aggregation degree. Finally, we discussed the optimization strategy of regional coordinated development. The quality of urbanization development and regional integration should be promoted in Southern Jiangsu. The level of urbanization development should be improved relying on rapid transportation to develop along the axis in central Jiangsu. The economic size should be increased, focusing on the expansion of the urban agglomeration in northern Jiangsu. This study will enrich the perspective of research on the characteristics and mechanisms of regional urban spatial imbalance, and helps to optimize and regulate the imbalance of regional urban development from multiple perspectives.

Although liver transplantation is a potential effective cure for patients with end-stage liver diseases, this strategy has several drawbacks including high cost, long waiting list, and limited availability of liver organs. Therefore, stem cell-based therapy is presented as an alternative option, which showed promising results in animal models of acute and chronic liver injuries. ABCB5+ cells isolated from skin dermis represent an easy accessible and expandable source of homogenous stem cell populations. In addition, ABCB5+ cells showed already promising results in the treatment of corneal and skin injury. To date, the effect of these cells on liver injury is still unknown. In the current study, sixteen weeks old Mdr2KO mice were i.v. injected with 500,000 ABCB5+ cells using different experimental setups. The effects of cellular therapy on inflammation, fibrosis, apoptosis, and proliferation were analyzed in the collected liver tissues. Toxicity of ABCB5+ cells was additionally investigated in mice with partial liver resection. In vitro, the fibrosis- and inflammatory-modulating effects of supernatant from ABCB5+ cells were examined in the human hepatic stellate cell line (LX-2). Cell injections into fibrotic Mdr2KO mice as well as into mice upon partial liver resection have no signs of toxicity with regard to cell transformation, cellular damage, fibrosis or inflammation as compared to controls. We next investigated the effects of ABCB5+ cells on established biliary liver fibrosis in the Mdr2KO mice. ABCB5+ cells to some extent influenced the shape of the liver inflammatory response and significantly reduced the amount of collagen deposition, as estimated from quantification of sirius red staining. Furthermore, reduced apoptosis and enhanced death compensatory proliferation resulted from ABCB5+ cell transformation. The stem cells secreted several trophic factors that activated TGF-β family signaling in cultured LX-2 hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), therewith shaping cell fate to an αSMAhigh, Vimentinlow phenotype. Taken together, ABCB5+ cells can represent a safe and feasible strategy to support liver regeneration and to reduce liver fibrosis in chronic liver diseases.

Cryptorchidism is a common disorder in children and may cause infertility in adults. The BTB is essential for maintaining the microenvironment necessary for normal spermatogenesis. This study investigated whether retinoic acid (RA) may regulate the proteins that are essential for integrity of the BTB in cryptorchidism. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were administrated flutamide during late pregnancy to induce a model of cryptorchidism in male offspring. The concentrations of RA and BTB tight and gap junction protein levels were significantly lower in untreated cryptorchid pups compared with normal pups, but almost normal in cryptorchid pups given RA. Studies in vitro corroborated these findings. The sperm quality of RA-treated model pups was better compared with the untreated model. RA treatment may have therapeutic potential to restore retinoic acid and proteins associated with integrity of the BTB in cryptorchid testis.