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The article presents information related to the flow stress of Nickel-rich NiTi thin films. Among several types of functional materials proposed for fabricating microactuators, TiNi shape memory alloys have great recovering force after deformation. The NiTi thin films were deposited onto copper substrates by magnetron sputtering in an argon atmosphere using a sputtering target of an equiatomic TiNi alloy. The stress-strain curves of the free-standing NiTi thin film were obtained from the experimental stress strain curves of copper substrate together with the thin film adherent to the substrate compared with the stressstrain curves of copper substrate without film.

3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) is acknowledged as one of the most efficient nitrification inhibitors (NIs); however, researchers have suggested that its effectiveness needs to be further improved. The authors combined the biostimulant seaweed extract (SE) with DMPP and conducted an indoor incubation experiment to initially investigate the impact of the influence of SE on the degradation and effectiveness of DMPP. Meanwhile, a method for the extraction and determination of DMPP was developed. DMPP performed better, with a longer effective time in loess than black soil, and SE showed a delayed effect on DMPP degradation of DMPP at the beginning of the incubation and then accelerated the degradation process. This was attributed to the adsorption effect of SE on DMPP, consequently reducing its effectiveness. The SE delayed the hydrolysis of urea in various soils; however, no significant impact on urease activity was observed (P < 0.05) (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it also increased potential nitrification rate (PNR) from 10 to 21 days and promoting the rapid transformation of NH4 +-N in black soil. The SE reduced PNR within 21 days and inhibited nitrification in loess. In addition, the SE appeared to mitigate the adverse effects of excessive nitrogen on microorganisms The combination of DMPP and SE was not conducive to the inhibition of soil nitrification, and this formulation in field applications requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urease inhibitors (UIs) and nitrification inhibitors (NIs) still have limitations in increasing crop yield. Therefore, to improve the application effect of inhibitors, the combination of seaweed extracts (SE) from different sources and inhibitors was added to urea to provide a theoretical basis for the development of a new generation of efficient stabilized urea fertilizer with both biostimulant and inhibitor technologies. The combinations were tested in outdoor pots with no N-fertilizer (CK), application of urea alone (U) as control, and kelp polysaccharide (KP), margin polysaccharide (MP), N-(n-propyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NPPT), dicyandiamide (DCD), and combinations of SE with inhibitor were added to urea to make eight fertilizer prototypes. Compared with KP, MP showed better application effect, with significantly higher grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) (P < 0.05). Compared with the addition of inhibitor alone, the combinations of NPPT with KP and MP, respectively, had opposite effects on urea-N transformation, meanwhile NPPT+KP had a positive effect. However, NPPT+MP significantly decreased yield, plant nitrogen uptake, and NUE (P < 0.05); DCD+MP decreased plant N uptake and NUE to some extent. Therefore, the addition of NPPT with KP and DCD with KP to urea significantly improved yield when planting maize in black soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of ¦Â-carotene (¦Â-C), vitamin E (VE) and ascorbic acid (VC) supplementation on improving cognitive function in the old people. Methods: This prospective study was designed for the 16-week trial. 300 old subjects, aged 60-75y, were randomized into 5 groups, and the one to five groups were supplemented with VC 300mg+VE 200mg+¦Â-C 16.7mg, VC 300mg+VE 200mg+¦ÂC 8.4mg, VC 300mg+VE 200mg+¦Â-C 5.6mg, VC 300mg+VE 200mg, respectively. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Hasegawa Dementia Scale (HDS) were used to evaluate the cognitive function. ¦Â-amyloid protein and estradiol in plasma were determined by radiommunoassay with kits. Results: After the trial, the average scores of the cognitive function evaluated by MMSE and HDS were much higher in group 1 and group 2 than group 5 (P<0.05), and the scores tested by HDS were also higher in the 1 and 2 groups than before. The level of plasma estradiol was higher in the group 1 than group 5 after the trial (p<0.05). Conclusion: ¦Â-C, VE and VC supplementation could improve cognitive function in the old people and enhance the level of plasma estradiol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of beta-carotene supplementation on proliferation of lymphocytes and red blood cell (RBC) hemolyses in young people. Method: One hundred and eighty-eight young subjects were randomly divided into 4 groups, the fourth group was only supplemented with 5mg/d vitamin E as a placebo. The first, second and third groups were daily supplemented with 5mg/d vitamin E + 16.7mg/d, 8.35mg/d and 5.57mg/d beta-carotene respectively for 8 weeks. The proliferation of peripheral-blood lymphocytes (PPL) and the hemolytic degree of RBC induced with H202 were measured at the beginning and the end of the trial. Results: After 8 week supplementation, the proliferation of PPL in the first group increased by 30.4% (P<0.05); compared with the control group, it increased by 25.0%(P<0.05). The RBC hemolyses in the middling-dose group (8.35mg/d) was significantly lower after the trial (P<0.05). Conclusion: The moderate supplementation of beta-carotene could improve the proliferation of lymphocytes and decrease RBC hemolyses against H2O2 oxidation in young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the biochemical events associated with the onset of lipid accumulation in Mucor circinelloides and Mortierella alpina. Analysis of the changes of cellular adenine nucleotide pools and energy charge; Mechanism of lipid synthesis in filamentous fungi; Initiation of lipid accumulation on filamentous fungi.

Considering the shortcomings of the fault tree analysis (FTA) method in the reliability analysis of metro door systems, Bayesian network (BN) and fuzzy theory were introduced to establish the failure probability model of a metro door system. A fault tree of the metro door system was established based on the structure of the metro door, the operation data record and the practical experience of relevant engineers. The BN of the metro door system was constructed based on the fault tree. For the problem that the prior probabilities of root nodes with missing data were unavailable, fuzzy theory was introduced to convert the expert language values on these missing data nodes to corresponding prior probabilities, which were substituted into the BN along with the root nodes whose prior probabilities were obtained from the operation fault data to calculate the leaf node probability. Cause analysis of the metro door system was performed with bidirectional reasoning of BN, which provided a way to find the key factors that caused door faults and the metro door system fault probabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles found in a wide range of organisms and play important roles in stress tolerance. During nitrogen (N) starvation, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii stores large amounts of triacylglycerols (TAGs) inside LDs. When N is resupplied, the LDs disappear and the TAGs are degraded, presumably providing carbon and energy for regrowth. The mechanism by which cells degrade LDs is poorly understood. Here, we isolated a mutant (dth1-1, Delayed in TAG Hydrolysis 1) in which TAG degradation during recovery from N starvation was compromised. Consequently, the dth1-1 mutant grew poorly compared to its parental line during N recovery. Two additional independent loss-of-function mutants (dth1-2 and dth1-3) also exhibited delayed TAG remobilization. DTH1 transcript levels increased sevenfold upon N resupply, and DTH1 protein was localized to LDs. DTH1 contains a putative lipid-binding domain (DTH1LBD) with alpha helices predicted to be structurally similar to those in apolipoproteins E and A-I. Recombinant DTH1LBD bound specifically to phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), a major phospholipid coating the LD surface. Overexpression of DTH1LBD in Chlamydomonas phenocopied the dth1 mutant's defective TAG degradation, suggesting that the function of DTH1 depends on its ability to bind PE. Together, our results demonstrate that the lipid-binding DTH1 plays an essential role in LD degradation and provide insight into the molecular mechanism of protein anchorage to LDs at the LD surface in photosynthetic cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) samples in particles were collected with a PMI0 sampler in rural areas of Beijing. PAH samples collected on quartz fiber filters were first extracted using dichloromethane with ultrasonic methods, and then were fractionated on an alumina-silica column. Finally, the aromatic and n-alkane fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry and gas chromatogra-phy-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The level of PAHs showed distinctly seasonal changes throughout the year, with the highest concentrations in January and lowest concentration in July. Σ16PAH concentrations ranged from 153.23 to 867.41 ng⋅m-3 in January, from 21.53 to 527.42 ng⋅m-3 in April, from 1.84 to 32.02 ng⋅m-3 in July, and from 14.86 to 114.81 ng⋅m-3 in November. Potential PAH emission sources were identified using normal alkane distribution analysis, positive matrix factorization, and compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis. The results revealed that vehicular emission was the major contributor, and it explained about 48.41% PAH source contribution. The petroleum source explaining 38.63% of the total PAHs was another major PAH source contributor. Coal combustion also was a major PAH contributor, totalling 30.45% of the contribution of PAHs in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We propose a SEE_DM model to be extended and the local conditions in northern China to be adopted by the algorithms implemented in the model components, it is able to warn the onset date and estimate incidence trends of downy mildew on grapes. • It was proved that SEE_DM is accuracy in reproducing observed data after an extensive evaluation with multiyear and multisite experimental trial. • Incidence trends under weather variability confirm northern China is gradually becoming the area with heavy grape downy mildew incidence. Grape downy mildew is a major biotic constraint to grapevine production worldwide, and its impact is influenced by environmental conditions and varietal susceptibility. Here, we proposed a grape downy mildew model to optimize plant disease management and its application on northern Chinese grapevine areas. A primary and a secondary infection model of P. viticola were integrated to estimate the date of symptoms on set and disease incidence, to give the firSt brEakout and incidEnce of grape Downy Mildew model (SEE_DM). The experimental data for model calibration were collected on two grapevine varietals with high and moderate susceptibility to downy mildew grown in a multiyear (2009, 2011–2019) and multisite (Beijing, Shenyang and Yantai) trial. A model sensitivity analysis (Sobol analysis) drove the selection of the subset of relevant parameters to be adjusted in calibration. The model adequately reproduced the observed downy mildew incidence, obtaining high R2 (0.89), Nash-Sutcliffe modelling efficiency (0.72), and low RMSE (9–16%). The model correctly estimated the disease onset date in all conditions but two (late by 5 and 13 days), demonstrating to be a valid tool to take timely decision to limit the time course of the disease. The model was then projected in three sites under varying temperature and rainfall to analyses their effects on the trends of grape downy mildew incidence, using a variety with moderate susceptibility. This study highlights that Northern China is gradually becoming more suitable for grape downy mildew infections, along with warmer temperatures and more frequent rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate whether Dectin-1 influences the immune-inflammatory response in A. fumigatus keratitis by modulating macrophage polarization., Methods: 1. The models of 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day of fungal keratitis were established in SPF C57BL/6 mice after stimulation by A. fumigatus. Dectin-1 agonist (curdlan) and antagonist (laminaran) were injected separately in the mouse subconjunctivae for 1 day in the established mouse model of A. fumigatus keratitis; PBS was used as the control. Inflammation of the mouse cornea was observed under a slit lamp to obtain a clinical score. 2. The expression of M1 (TNF-α, INOS, IL-6, IL-12) and M2 (Arg-1, IL-10, Fizz-1, Ym-1) cytokine-encoding mRNAs was quantified by RT-PCR. 3. Changes in the number of macrophages and expression of M1 and M2 macrophages in mouse corneas detected by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. 4. Pre-treatment of RAW264.7 cells with MAPK cell signaling pathway inhibitors SB203580 (p38 inhibitor, 10µM), U0126 (ERK inhibitor, 20µM), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor, 10µM) and DMSO separately for 2 h, and stimulated by A. fumigatus for 12 h. Changes in the mRNA expression of M1 and M2 cytokines in the macrophages were quantified by RT-PCR., Results: 1. With curdlan pre-treatment, mouse corneal inflammation worsened, and the clinical score increased after infection. In contrast, in the laminaran pre-treated group, corneal inflammation was alleviated and the clinical score decreased significantly compared to the PBS group after infection. 2. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of macrophage phenotype-related M1 and M2 cytokine mRNAs increased significantly 1, 3, and 5 days after A. fumigatus infected the corneas of mice. 3. With curdlan pre-treatment, the expression of mRNAs encoding M1 cytokines increased, while those encoding M2 cytokines decreased in the cornea compared to the PBS group. In contrast, after infection, mRNA levels for M1 cytokines decreased significantly and those for M2 cytokines increased in the cornea of the laminaran pre-treated group compared to the PBS group. 4. The number of macrophages in the corneal stroma of mice in the curdlan pretreatment group increased significantly compared with the PBS group, while in the laminaran pretreatment group this number decreased significantly. 5. The results of flow cytometry showed that after 3 days of mouse corneal A. fumigatus infection, the number of macrophages in the mouse A. fumigatus model in the curdlan pretreatment group was increased (10.4%) and the number of macrophages in the mouse A. fumigatus model in the laminaran pretreatment group (6.31%), when compared with the AF+FBS group (7.91%). The proportion of M1-type macrophages was increased in the curdlan pretreated group (55.6%) compared to the AF+FBS group (51.2%), the proportion of laminaran pretreatment group had a decreased proportion of M1-type macrophages (46.8%); while M2-type macrophages were the opposite of M1-type: the proportion of M2-type macrophages was 49.2% in the AF+FBS group, the proportion of M2-type macrophages was decreased in the curdlan pretreatment group (44.0%), and the proportion of M2-type macrophages was increased in the laminaran pretreatment group (53.5%). 6. Expression of M1 and M2 cytokine-encoding mRNAs decreased and increased, respectively, after infection, in the RAW264.7 cells pre-treated with MAPK pathway inhibitors, compared to the control., Conclusion: In a mouse model of A. fumigatus keratitis, Dectin-1 can affect macrophage recruitment and polarization, may regulate macrophage phenotype-associated factor changes through the MAPK signaling pathway., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Guibo, Chunxu, Biao, Zhaolei, Wenwen, Xiangnan, Wentao, Hongmin, Yonghua and Guoqiang.)