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Glycosylation is a post-transcriptional modification that can influence protein structure and function, yet the glycosylation of the major shellfish allergen, sarcoplasmic calcium-binding protein (SCP), remains poorly understood. In this study, we characterized the glycosylation profile of SCP and explored the role of N-glycans in its allergenicity. Tandem mass spectrometry (MSn) revealed seven distinct N-glycans conjugated to SCP and provided detailed structural identification. ELISA and mast cell degranulation assay using sera from allergic individuals demonstrated that SCP exhibits significant allergenicity, which was markedly reduced following deglycosylation. Additionally, through the integration of various bioinformatics approaches, seven potential epitopes of SCP were predicted, and two glycosylated conformational epitopes were identified. In summary, this study elucidated the detailed glycosylation pattern and allergenic properties of SCP, offering a theoretical foundation for future research on the impact of glycosylation on allergenicity and contributing to the development of hypoallergenic products.

Mepiquat chloride (1,1-dimethyl piperidinium chloride, DPC) is a representative plant growth regulator which can regulate the source-sink relationship for yield increase and shape ideal plant type for mechanical cultivation. Here we show a DPC adsorbed layered double hydroxide (DPC-LDH) architecture with enhanced controlled release property and soil distribution. By drip irrigation on cotton, it makes total dosage of DPC reduced from 270 to 90 g/ha, while the frequency decreased from 5 to 2 times. The unique supramolecular interaction is confirmed as the basis of controlled release behavior. Moreover, except for the physical resistance to the sedimentation brought by the lamellar LDH, the enhanced electrostatic interaction makes DPC-LDH the dominant distribution in soil. It improves the efficiency of DPC molecules absorbed by cotton plants and greatly saves the inputs in labor and chemicals. This method is expected to achieve the yield increase and agricultural sustainability by energy saving and emission reduction.

Within this manuscript, we provide a novel Fano resonance-driven micro-nanosensor. Its primary structural components are a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) waveguide, a shield with three disks, and a T-shaped cavity (STDTC). The finite element approach was used to study the gadget in theory. It is found that the adjustment of the structure and the change of the dimensions are closely related to the sensitivity (S) and the quality factor (FOM). Different model structural parameters affect the Fano resonance, which in turn changes the transmission characteristics of the resonator. Through in-depth experimental analysis and selection of appropriate parameters, the sensor sensitivity finally reaches 3020 nm/RIU and the quality factor reaches 51.89. Furthermore, the installation of this microrefractive index sensor allows for the quick and sensitive measurement of glucose levels. It is a positive contribution to the field of optical devices and micro-nano sensors and meets the demand for efficient detection when applied in medical and environmental scenarios.

The BTB gene superfamily is widely distributed among higher eukaryotes and plays a significant role in numerous biological processes. However, there is limited knowledge about the structure and function of BTB genes in the critically endangered species Alligator sinensis, which is endemic to China. A total of 170 BTB genes were identified from the A. sinensis genome, classified into 13 families, and unevenly distributed across 16 chromosomes. Analysis of gene duplication events yielded eight pairs of tandem duplication genes and six pairs of segmental duplication genes. Phylogenetics shows that the AsBTB genes are evolutionarily conserved. The cis-regulatory elements in the AsBTB family promoter region reveal their involvement in multiple biological processes. Protein interaction network analysis indicates that the protein interactions of the AsBTB genes are centered around CLU-3, mainly participating in the regulation of biological processes through the ubiquitination pathway. The expression profile and protein interaction network analysis of AsBTB genes during sex differentiation and early gonadal development indicate that AsBTB genes are widely expressed in this process and involves numerous genes and pathways for regulation. This study provides a basis for further investigation of the role of the BTB gene in sex differentiation and gonadal development in A. sinensis.

The hybrid F1 offspring of Ctenopharyngodon idella (♂) and Squaliobarbus curriculus (♀) exhibit heterosis in disease resistance and also show abnormal sex differentiation. To understand the mechanism behind gonadal differentiation in the hybrid F1, we analyzed the transcriptomes of C. idella, S. curriculus, and the hybrid F1; screened for genes related to gonad development in these samples; and measured their expression levels. Our results revealed that compared to either C. idella or S. curriculus, the gene expressions in most sub-pathways of the SNARE interactions in the vesicular transport pathway in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonadal tissues of their hybrid F1 offspring were significantly up-regulated. Furthermore, insufficient transcription of genes involved in oocyte meiosis may be the main reason for the insufficient reproductive ability of the hybrid F1 offspring. Through transcriptome screening, we identified key molecules involved in gonad development, including HSD3B7, HSD17B1, HSD17B3, HSD20B2, CYP17A2, CYP1B1, CYP2AA12, UGT2A1, UGT1A1, and FSHR, which showed significant differences in expression levels in the hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonads of these fish. Notably, the expression levels of UGT1A1 in the gonads of the hybrid F1 were significantly higher than those in C. idella and S. curriculus. These results provide a scientific basis for further research on the gonadal differentiation mechanism of hybrid F1 offspring.

Ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) based on nanowire (NW) hold significant promise for applications in fire detection, optical communication, and environmental monitoring. As optoelectronic devices evolve towards lower dimensionality, multifunctionality, and integrability, multicolor PDs have become a research hotspot in optics and electronic information. This study investigates the enhancement of detection capability in a light-trapping ZnO NW array through modification with Pt nanoparticles (NPs) via magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal synthesis. The optimized PD exhibits superior performance, achieving a responsivity of 12.49 A/W, detectivity of 4.07 × 1012 Jones, and external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 4.19 × 103%, respectively. In addition, the Pt NPs/ZnO NW/ZnO PD maintains spectral selectivity in the UV region. These findings show the pivotal role of Pt NPs in enhancing photodetection performance through their strong light absorption and scattering properties. This improvement is associated with localized surface plasmon resonance induced by the Pt NPs, leading to enhanced incident light and interfacial charge separation for the specialized configurations of the nanodevice. Utilizing metal NPs for device modification represents a breakthrough that positively affects the preparation of high-performance ZnO-based UV PDs.

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation via water decomposition is a promising avenue in the pursuit of large-scale, cost-effective renewable hydrogen energy generation. However, the design of an efficient photocatalyst plays a crucial role in achieving high yields in hydrogen generation. Herein, we have engineered a fullerene-2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa(octyloxy)copper phthalocyanine (C60-CuPcOC8) photocatalyst, achieving both efficient hydrogen generation and high stability. The significant donor–acceptor (D–A) interactions facilitate the efficient electron transfer from CuPcOC8 to C60. The rate of photocatalytic hydrogen generation for C60-CuPcOC8 is 8.32 mmol·g−1·h−1, which is two orders of magnitude higher than the individual C60 and CuPcOC8. The remarkable increase in hydrogen generation activity can be attributed to the development of a robust internal electric field within the C60-CuPcOC8 assembly. It is 16.68 times higher than that of the pure CuPcOC8. The strong internal electric field facilitates the rapid separation within 0.6 ps, enabling photogenerated charge transfer efficiently. Notably, the hydrogen generation efficiency of C60-CuPcOC8 remains above 95%, even after 10 h, showing its exceptional photocatalytic stability. This study provides critical insight into advancing the field of photocatalysis.

Absract: Carbon nanomaterials are very versatile, but the tunable preparation of their morphology and emission colors is still very challenging. Herein, we present a simple self-assembly method for the preparation of tunable carbon nano (Tween-80@NaCl), where the key tunable parameter is the concentration. More specifically, the structural and optical properties of carbon nanomaterials can be controlled by modulating the concentration of surfactants. It is worth mentioning that salt plays an important role in separating the micelle structure and protecting the micelle morphology. The samples were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction to determine the microcrystalline structure and crystal size. The evolution of the micellar structure was established by transmission electron microscopy analysis of the transformation of the Tween-80@NaCl structure. The continuous adjustment of surfactant concentration leads to a change in micelle morphology, like from large-sized blocks to small-sized rods. In addition, carbon nanoparticles with typical fluorescence properties can be obtained by simply changing the surfactant concentration and can easily change from purple fluorescence to dark blue. Notably, this simple strategy of separating first and then carbonizing provides inspiration for future structural design of carbon nanomaterials.

Nanomaterials have been widely used for improving the physicochemical properties of geomaterials. However, quantitative interpretation of the microscopic mechanisms is still not well understood. In this study, a statistical principle was applied to study the microscopic characteristics of nano-silica (NS) modified silty clay. We use mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) to measure the micro-pore parameters (median pore diameter and cumulative volume of pore diameters smaller than 0.1 µm) based on various NS-modified silty clays (NS mass contents 0, 0.25%, 1%, and 3%). The test results indicate two micro-pore parameters have significant randomness and uncertainty, and soil pores become smaller and more compacted. Furthermore, four potential probability distributions were selected to compare with measured data. All distributions agree excellently with the experimental data, and three distributions satisfy the hypothesis testing, except the Weibull distribution. Finally, according to the information spread estimation method and chi-square test effect evaluation indexes, the normal distribution was proposed because it has the optimal described effect for the statistical characteristics of NS-modified silty clay. These results have important implications for understanding the randomness and evolution of microstructures of NS geomaterials, which are helpful to guide the evaluation of freezing process and water transport in modified soils.

In order to study the applicability of high-pressure gas expansion rock-cracking technology in hard rock tunnel near historic sites, theoretical analysis, field tests as well as vibration monitoring are conducted to obtain suitable rock mass cracking parameters for tunnel excavation. The results show that the ideal effect of rock mass cracking can be achieved with the cutting mode of “central vertical empty hole + double wedge cutting hole” and the auxiliary hole network parameter of “0.8 m × 0.7 m”. The measured vibration velocity is less than 0.1 cm/s at the monitoring point 60 m away from the tunnel face in the field test, which meets the vibration control requirements of the historic sites in the process of tunnel excavation. The research results show that as long as there is a high quality of hole plugging and no punching, the high-pressure gas expansion rock-cracking technology has the advantages of little vibration, low noise and less flying rocks, which provides a technical reference for the excavation of hard rock tunnels near ancient buildings and historic sites.

The shuttling effect of soluble lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and the sluggish conversion kinetics of polysulfides into insoluble Li2S2/Li2S severely hinders the practical application of Li-S batteries. Advanced catalysts can capture and accelerate the liquid–solid conversion of polysulfides. Herein, we try to make use of bismuth tantalum oxide with oxygen vacancies as an electrocatalyst to catalyze the conversion of LiPSs by reducing the sulfur reduction reaction (SRR) nucleation energy barrier. Oxygen vacancies in Bi4TaO7 nanoparticles alter the electron band structure to improve instinct electronic conductivity and catalytic activity. In addition, the defective surface could provide unsaturated bonds around the vacancies to enhance the chemisorption capability with LiPSs. Hence, a multidimensional carbon (super P/CNT/Graphene) standing sulfur cathode is prepared by coating oxygen vacancies Bi4TaO7−x nanoparticles, in which the multidimensional carbon (MC) with micropores structure can host sulfur and provide a fast electron/ion pathway, while the outer-coated oxygen vacancies with Bi4TaO7−x with improved electronic conductivity and strong affinities for polysulfides can work as an adsorptive and conductive protective layer to achieve the physical restriction and chemical immobilization of lithium polysulfides as well as speed up their catalytic conversion. Benefiting from the synergistic effects of different components, the S/C@Bi3TaO7−x coin cell cathode shows superior cycling and rate performance. Even under a high level of sulfur loading of 9.6 mg cm−2, a relatively high initial areal capacity of 10.20 mAh cm−2 and a specific energy density of 300 Wh kg−1 are achieved with a low electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 3.3 µL mg−1. Combined with experimental results and theoretical calculations, the mechanism by which the Bi4TaO7 with oxygen vacancies promotes the kinetics of polysulfide conversion reactions has been revealed. The design of the multiple confined cathode structure provides physical and chemical adsorption, fast charge transfer, and catalytic conversion for polysulfides.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most toxic gases to human life. Therefore, the effective monitoring of it down to ppb level is of great significance. Herein, a series of In2O3 nanofibers modified with Au or Pd species or simultaneous Au and Pd species have been prepared by electrospinning combined with a calcination process. The as-obtained samples are applied for the detection of CO. Gas-sensing investigations indicate that 2 at% Au and 2 at% Pd-co-modified In2O3 nanofibers exhibit the highest response (21.7) to 100 ppm CO at 180 °C, and the response value is ~8.5 times higher than that of pure In2O3 nanofibers. More importantly, the detection limit to CO is about 200 ppb with a response value of 1.23, and is obviously lower than that (6 ppm) of pure In2O3 nanofibers. In addition, the sensor also shows good stability within 19 days. These demonstrate that co-modifying In2O3 nanofibers with suitable amounts of Pd and Au species might be a meaningful strategy for the development of high-performance carbon monoxide gas sensors.

How to fabricate bone tissue engineering scaffolds with excellent antibacterial and bone regeneration ability has attracted increasing attention. Herein, we produced a hierarchical porous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-polycaprolactone composite bone tissue engineering scaffold containing tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) through a micro-extrusion-based cryogenic 3D printing of Pickering emulsion inks, in which the hydrophobic silica (h-SiO2) nanoparticles were used as emulsifiers to stabilize composite Pickering emulsion inks. Hierarchically porous scaffolds with desirable antibacterial properties and bone-forming ability were obtained. Grid scaffolds with a macroscopic pore size of 250.03 ± 75.88 μm and a large number of secondary micropores with a diameter of 24.70 ± 15.56 μm can be fabricated through cryogenic 3D printing, followed by freeze-drying treatment, whereas the grid structure of scaffolds printed or dried at room temperature was discontinuous, and fewer micropores could be observed on the strut surface. Moreover, the impartment of β-TCP in scaffolds changed the shape and density of the micropores but endowed the scaffold with better osteoconductivity. Scaffolds loaded with TCH had excellent antibacterial properties and could effectively promote the adhesion, expansion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells afterward. The scaffolds loaded with TCH could realize the strategy to “kill bacteria first, then induce osteogenesis”. Such hierarchically porous scaffolds with abundant micropores, excellent antibacterial property, and improved bone-forming ability display great prospects in treating bone defects with infection.

A high-performance ZnSnO (ZTO) thin-film transistor (TFT) was fabricated, with ZTO deposited by rf magnetron sputtering. XPS was used to analyze and study the effects of different annealing temperatures on the element composition and valence state of ZTO films. Then, the influence mechanism of annealing treatment on the electrical properties of ZTO thin films was analyzed. The results show that, with an increase in annealing temperature, the amount of metal bonding with oxygen increases first and then decreases, while the oxygen vacancy decreases first and then increases. Further analysis on the ratio of Sn2+ is presented. Electrical results show that the TFT annealed at 600 °C exhibits the best performance. It exhibits high saturation mobilities (μSAT) up to 12.64 cm2V−1s−1, a threshold voltage (VTH) of −6.61 V, a large on/off current ratio (Ion/Ioff) of 1.87 × 109, and an excellent subthreshold swing (SS) of 0.79 V/Decade.

The hollow trait is crucial for commercial quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit, and its molecular regulatory mechanism is poorly understood due to its environmental sensitivity. In the previous research, we obtained the hollow and the non-hollow materials of ecotype cucumbers of South China, which were not easily affected by the external environment through a systematic breeding method. In this study, first, we proposed to use the percentage of the hollow area as the criterion to compare the hollow characteristics between two materials, and to analyze the formation mechanism of early hollow trait from the perspective of cytology. The results showed that the hollow trait occurred in the early stage of fruit development, and formed with the opening of carpel ventral zipped bi-cell layer, which formed rapidly from 2 to 4 days, and then slowed to a constant rate from 14 to 16 days. Meanwhile, the different genetic populations were constructed using these materials, and fine mapping was performed by bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) method. The Csa1G630860 (CsALMT2), encoding protein ALMT2, was determined as a candidate gene for regulating the hollow trait in fruit. Furthermore, the expression profile of CsALMT2 was analyzed by qRT-PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The expression of CsALMT2 had obvious tissue specificity, and it was abundantly expressed in the ovule development zone inside the fruit. In the hollow material of cucumber fruit, the expression of CsALMT2 was significantly downregulated. The subcellular localization in tobacco leaves indicated that CsALMT2 was distributed on the plasma membrane. In conclusion, in this study, for the first time, we found the regulatory gene of hollow trait in cucumber fruit, which laid the foundation for subsequent research on the molecular mechanism of hollow trait formation in cucumber fruit, and made it possible to apply this gene in cucumber breeding.

In this study, pyraclostrobin nanocapsules were prepared by in situ polymerization with urea–formaldehyde resin as a wall material. The effects of different emulsifiers, emulsifier concentrations, and solvents on the physicochemical properties of pyraclostrobin nanocapsules were investigated. Solvesso™ 100 was selected as the solvent, and Emulsifier 600# was used as the emulsifier, which accounted for 5% of the aqueous phase system, to prepare pyraclostrobin nanocapsules with excellent physical and chemical properties. The particle size, ζ potential, and morphology of the nanocapsules were characterized by a particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscope. The nanocapsules were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and the loading content and sustained release properties of the nanocapsules were measured. The results show that the size of the prepared nanocapsules was 261.87 nm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.12, presenting a uniform spherical appearance. The loading content of the pyraclostrobin nanocapsules was 14.3%, and their cumulative release rate was 70.99% at 250 h, providing better efficacy and sustainability compared with the pyraclostrobin commercial formulation.

Ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMSs) exhibit great potential in spintronic applications. It is believed that a revolution of microelectronic techniques can take off, once the challenges of FMSs in both the room-temperature stability of the ferromagnetic phase and the compatibility with Si-based technology are overcome. In this article, the MnxGe1−x/Si quantum dots (QDs) with the Curie temperature (TC) higher than the room temperature were grown by ion beam co-sputtering (IBCS). With the Mn doping level increasing, the ripening growth of MnGe QDs occurs due to self-assembly via the Stranski–Krastanov (SK) growth mode. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect of Mn sites observed in MnGe QDs are used to reveal the distribution behavior of Mn atoms in QDs and the Si buffer layer. The Curie temperature of MnxGe1−x QDs increases, then slightly decreases with increasing the Mn doping level, and reaches its maximum value of 321 K at the doping level of 0.068. After a low-temperature and short-time annealing, the TC value of Mn0.068Ge0.932 QDs increases from 321 K to 383 K. The higher Ge composition and residual strain in the IBCS grown MnxGe1−x QDs are proposed to be responsible for maintaining the ferromagnetic phase above room temperature.

Downhole drill string vibration data can provide an effective reference for research drill string vibration during drilling. In this paper, the research group used a storage-type downhole vibration measurement equipment equipped with an orthogonal, three-axis accelerometer to measure and collect drill string vibration signals during drilling in an oil well. Based on the installation characteristics of the sensor, the relationship between the acceleration measurement value of the sensor and the center acceleration value of the drill string is obtained. Then the time-domain signals representative of the vibration in igneous rock drilling is analyzed. It can be found that the occurrence of stick-slip vibration can be judged by the regular wave packets in the time-domain signal, while the time-domain signal of whirl is disorderly. The main frequency of stick-slip vibration in the low-frequency band is 0.1221 Hz and the period of stick-slip vibration is very close to 10 s through Fast Fourier (FFT) and Short-time Fourier transform (DTFT) methods. In the process of whirling, two frequencies, respectively, 0.05341 Hz and 155.5 Hz, play a major role. The frequency 0.05341 Hz is very close to the reciprocal of the period of 20 s when the peak energy spectrum density appears, indicating that the occurrence of whirl is very likely to be related to the natural frequency of the drilling tool. Through further time-frequency analysis, it also can be found that the occurrence of whirl and stick-slip is greatly related to the use of torsional impactors and jars.

The aim of the present investigation was to determine the active ingredients in Amaranthus tricolor L. leaves and develop a biological pesticide. Organic solvent extraction, column chromatography, liquid chromatography, ODS-C18 reverse elution, Sephadex LH-20 gel filtration, H spectrum, and C spectrum were used to isolate the pure product for an assessment of the agricultural activity and bacteriostatic mechanisms. The results showed that the activity of the crude extract following carbon powder filtration was 1.63-fold that of the non-filtered extract. Further isolation was performed to obtain two pure products, namely, hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and benzo[b]furan-2-carboxaldehyde (BFC), and their molecular formulas and molecular weights were C7H6O3 and 138.12, and C9H6O2 and 146.12, respectively. Our study is the first to determine that HBA has bacteriostatic activity (MIC 125 μg/mL) and is also the first to isolate BFC from A. tricolor. The ultrastructure observation results showed that HBA caused the bacteria to become shriveled, distorted, and deformed, as well as exhibit uneven surfaces. After HBA treatment, 70 differentially expressed metabolites were detected in the bacteria, of which 9 were downregulated and 61 were upregulated. The differentially expressed metabolites were mainly strigolactones, organic acids and derivatives, fatty acids, benzene and substituted benzene derivatives, amino acids and associated metabolites, and alcohols and amines. Among all of the downregulated differentially expressed metabolites, MEDP1280 was the most critical, as it participates in many physiological and biochemical processes. The enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed metabolites mainly participate in tyrosine metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism. Additionally, HBA was found to disrupt cell membrane permeability and integrity, causing the leakage of substances and apoptosis. The physiological and biochemical test results showed that HBA could increase the pyruvate levels in bacteria but could decrease the activities of respiratory enzymes (malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and NADH oxidase) and antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX)). Inverse molecular docking was used to study the binding between HBA and respiratory and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that HBA could bind to MDH, NADH oxidase, SOD, and GSH-PX, suggesting that these enzymes may be the effector targets of HBA. Conclusion: The optimal active ingredient in A. tricolor that can inhibit Acidovorax avenae subsp. citrulli was identified as HBA. HBA mainly disrupts the cell membrane, damages the metabolic system, and inhibits respiration and antioxidant enzyme activity to control bacterial growth. These results provide a reference for the further development of biological pesticides.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are deemed to be one of the most optimal solutions for the next generation of high-energy-density and low-cost energy storage systems. However, the low volumetric energy density and short cycle life are a bottleneck for their commercial application. To achieve high energy density for lithium-sulfur batteries, the concept of synergistic adsorptive–catalytic sites is proposed. Base on this concept, the TiN@C/S/Ta2O5 sulfur electrode with about 90 wt% sulfur content is prepared. TiN contributes its high intrinsic electron conductivity to improve the redox reaction of polysulfides, while Ta2O5 provides strong adsorption capability toward lithium polysulfides (LiPSs). Moreover, the multidimensional carbon structure facilitates the infiltration of electrolytes and the motion of ions and electrons throughout the framework. As a result, the coin Li-S cells with TiN@C/S/Ta2O5 cathode exhibit superior cycle stability with a decent capacity retention of 56.1% over 300 cycles and low capacity fading rate of 0.192% per cycle at 0.5 C. Furthermore, the pouch cells at sulfur loading of 5.3 mg cm−2 deliver a high areal capacity of 5.8 mAh cm−2 at low electrolyte/sulfur ratio (E/S, 3.3 μL mg−1), implying a high sulfur utilization even under high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte operation.

In the aerospace industry, spacecraft often serve in harsh operating environments, so the design of ultra-lightweight and high-performance structures is a major requirement in aerospace structure design. In this article, a lightweight aerospace bracket considering fatigue performance was designed by topology optimization and manufactured by 3D-printing. Considering the requirements of assembly with a fixture for fatigue testing and avoiding stress concentration, a reconstructed model was presented by CAD software before manufacturing. To improve the fatigue performance of the structure, this article proposes the design idea of abstracting the practiced working condition of the bracket subjected to cycle loads in the vertical direction via a multiple load-case topology optimization problem by minimizing compliance under a variety of asymmetric extreme loading conditions. Parameter sweeping was used to improve the computational efficiency. The mass of the new bracket was reduced by 37% compared to the original structure. Both numerical simulation and the fatigue test were implemented to support the validity of the new bracket. This work indicates that the integration of the proposed topology optimization design method and additive manufacturing can be a powerful tool for the design of lightweight structures considering fatigue performance.

Once an active distribution network of a cyber-physical system is in alert state, it is vulnerable to cross-domain cascading failures. It is necessary to transit the state of an active distribution network of cyber-physical system from an alert state to a normal state using a preventive control policy against cross-domain cascading failures. In fact, it is difficult to construct and analyze a preventive control policy via theoretical analysis methods or physical experimental methods. The theoretical analysis methods may not be accurate due to approximated models, and the physical experimental methods are expensive and time consuming for building prototypes. This paper presents a preventive control policy construction method based on a deep deterministic policy gradient idea (shorted as PCMD) to generate and optimize a preventive control policy with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. It adopts the reinforcement learning technique to make full use of the available historical data to overcome the problems of high cost and low accuracy. Firstly, a preventive control model is designed based on the finite automaton theory, which can guide the data collection and learning policy selection. The control model considers the voltage stability, frequency stability, current overload prevention, and the control cost reduction as a feedback variable, without the specific power flow equations and differential equations. Then, after enough training, a local optimal preventive control policy can be constructed under the comparability condition among a fitted action-value function and a fitted policy function. The constructed preventive control policy contains some control actions to achieve a low cost and in accord with the principle of shortening a cross-domain cascading failures propagation sequence as far as possible. The PCMD is more flexible and closer to reality than the theoretical analysis methods and has a lower cost than the physical experimental methods. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, an experimental case study, China Electric Power Research-Cyber-Physical System (shorted as CEPR-CPS), which comes from China Electric Power Research Institute, is carried out. The result shows that the effectiveness of preventive control policy construction with the PCMD is better than most current methods, such as the multi-agent method in terms of reducing the number of failure nodes and avoiding the state space explosion.

The prevention and control of pests and diseases are becoming increasingly difficult owing to extensive pesticide resistance. The synergistic use of pesticides for disease control is an effective way of slowing pesticide resistance, reducing the number of pesticide applications, and protecting the environment. In this study, a dual-functionalized pesticide nanocapsule delivery system loaded with two active ingredients (AIs)—validamycin and thifluzamide—was developed to prevent and control rice sheath blight; the nanocapsule system was based on a water−oil−water double emulsion method combined with high-pressure homogenization technology. Our results showed that the dual-functionalized pesticide nanocapsules were monodisperse spheres with a mean particle size of ~260 nm and had good storage stability. Compared with commercial formulations, the dual-functionalized pesticide nanocapsules exhibited good foliar spread owing to their small size, which is beneficial for reducing the loss of pesticides on the leaves. The 50% median effect concentration and synergistic ratio against Rhizoctonia solani of the dual-functionalized pesticide nanocapsules and commercial formulation were 0.0082 and 0.0350 μg/mL, and 2.088 and 0.917, respectively. These findings indicate that the bioactivity of the dual-functionalized system was significantly better than that of the commercial formulations and that the dual-functionalized system demonstrated a clear synergistic effect between the two AIs. The system presented here is simple, fast, and capable of dual-pesticide loading with significant synergistic effects. Our findings could help to facilitate the improvement of pesticides efficiency and the slowing of pesticide resistance.

Tropomyosin (TM) and arginine kinase (AK) are known as two major allergens in seafood. For the first time, we demonstrate a newly developed ion-exchange chromatography coupled with dynamic coating capillary electrophoresis (IEC-DCCE) method to simultaneously analyze the TM and AK in shellfish. First, we have optimized the procedure of IEC for simple enrichment of TM and AK crude extract. By using 30 mM borate-borax at pH 9.0 with 0.3% (v/v) Tween-20 as a dynamic coating modifier for capillary electrophoresis (CE) separation, the migration time, separation efficiency and electrophoretic resolution greatly improved. The limits of detection (LOD) were 1.2 μg mL−1 for AK and 1.1 μg mL−1 for TM (S/N = 3), and the limits of quantification (LOQ) were 4.0 μg mL−1 for AK and 3.7 μg mL−1 for TM (S/N = 10). The recovery of AK ranged from 91.5 to 106.1%, while that of TM ranged from 94.0 to 109.5%. We also found that only when the concentrations of AK and TM were above LOD reported here, these proteins can stimulate human mast cell (LAD2) degranulation. Finally, the use of IEC-DCCE to analyze fresh shellfish samples highlights the applicability of this method for the simultaneous detection of these allergens in complex food systems.

The innate immune system of the skin is thought to depend largely on a multi-layered mechanical barrier supplemented by epidermis-derived antimicrobial peptides. To date, there are no reports of antimicrobial antibody secretion by the epidermis. In this study, we report the expression of functional immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA), previously thought to be only produced by B cells, in normal human epidermal cells and the human keratinocyte line HaCaT. While B cells express a fully diverse Ig, epidermal cell-expressed IgG or IgA showed one or two conservative VHDJH rearrangements in each individual. These unique VDJ rearrangements in epidermal cells were found neither in the B cell-derived Ig VDJ databases published by others nor in our positive controls. IgG and IgA from epidermal cells of the same individual had different VDJ rearrangement patterns. IgG was found primarily in prickle cells, and IgA was mainly detected in basal cells. Both epidermal cell-derived IgG and IgA showed potential antibody activity by binding pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus, the most common pathogenic skin bacteria, but the microbial-binding profile was different. Our data indicates that normal human epidermal cells spontaneously express IgG and IgA, and we speculate that these Igs participate in skin innate immunity.

Active distribution networks (ADNs) are a typical cyber−physical system (CPS), which consist of two kinds of interdependent sub-networks: power networks (PNs) and communication networks (CNs). The combination of typical characteristics of the ADN includes (1) a large number of distributed generators contained in the PN, (2) load redistribution in both the PN and CN, and (3) strong interdependence between the PN and CN, which makes ADNs vulnerable to cross-domain cascading failures (CCFs). In this paper, we focus on the robustness analysis of the ADN against the CCF. Rather than via the rate of the clusters with size greater than a predefined threshold, we evaluate the robustness of the ADN using the rate of the clusters containing generators after the CCF. Firstly, a synchronous probabilistic model is derived to calculate the proportions of remaining normal operational nodes after the CCF. With this model, the propagation of the CCF in the ADN can be described as recursive equations. Secondly, we analyze the relationship between the proportions of remaining normal operational nodes after the CCF and the distribution of distributed generators, unintentional random initial failure rate, the interdependence between the sub-networks, network topology, and tolerance parameters. Some results are revealed which include (1) the more distributed generators the PN contains, the higher ADN robustness is, (2) the robustness of the ADN is negatively correlated with the unintentional random initial failure rate, (3) the robustness of the ADN can be improved by increasing the average control fan in of each node in the PN and the average power fan in of each node in the CN, (4) the robustness of the ADN with Erdos−Renyi (ER) network topological structure is greater than that with Barabasi−Albert (BA) network topological structure under the same average node degree, and (5) the robustness of the ADN is greater, when the tolerance parameters increase. Lastly, some simulation experiments are conducted and experimental results also demonstrate that the conclusions above are effective to improve the robustness of the ADN against the CCF.

Notch signaling as a conserved cell fate regulator is involved in the regulation of cell quiescence, proliferation, differentiation and postnatal tissue regeneration. However, how Notch signaling regulates porcine satellite cells (PSCs) has not been elucidated. We stably transfected Notch1 intracellular domain (N1ICD) into PSCs to analyze the gene expression profile and miRNA-seq. The analysis of the gene expression profile identified 295 differentially-expressed genes (DEGs) in proliferating-N1ICD PSCs (P-N1ICD) and nine DEGs on differentiating-N1ICD PSCs (D-N1ICD), compared with that in control groups (P-Control and D-Control, respectively). Analyzing the underlying function of DEGs showed that most of the upregulated DEGs enriched in P-N1ICD PSCs are related to the cell cycle. Forty-four and 12 known differentially-expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the P-N1ICD PSCs and D-N1ICD PSCs group, respectively. Furthermore, we constructed the gene-miRNA network of the DEGs and DEMs. In P-N1ICD PSCs, miR-125a, miR-125b, miR-10a-5p, ssc-miR-214, miR-423 and miR-149 are downregulated hub miRNAs, whose corresponding hub genes are marker of proliferation Ki-67 (MKI67) and nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 2 (WHSC1). By contrast, miR-27a, miR-146a-5p and miR-221-3p are upregulated hub miRNAs, whose hub genes are RUNX1 translocation partner 1 (RUNX1T1) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2). All the hub miRNAs and genes are associated with cell proliferation. Quantitative RT-PCR results are consistent with the gene expression profile and miRNA-seq results. The results of our study provide valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Notch signaling in PSCs and skeletal muscle development.