Search

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was proposed as suitable method to study the low content of impurity phases on ZnGeP 2 (ZGP) single crystals which are excellent materials in non-linear infrared fields. Besides it, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) tests were carried out to characterize the components homogeneity of the crystal. It is found that impurity phases Zn 3 P 2 and ZnP 2 , which are undetectable by X-ray diffraction (XRD) method due to low content, results in the heterogeneity of components and phases of ZGP single crystal. Meanwhile, Oxides of P 2 O 5 and GeO 2 were found to exist on the surface of the crystal.

Single-phase AgGaGeS4 polycrystalline materials were synthesized directly from the constituent elements by vapor transporting and mechanical oscillation method. The problem of explosions was solved by careful control of the heating and cooling cycle and adopting the two-zone rocking furnace with specially designed temperature profile. The mechanical and temperature oscillations, as well as gradient cooling, were introduced in the synthesis process. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) micro analysis indicated that the synthesized compound is a single-phase AgGaGeS4 polycrystalline material.

The performances of second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical parametric oscillator (OPO) in CdGeAs2 crystal are strongly influenced by surface quality. In this paper, the surfaces of samples were treated by mechanical polishing (MP), chemical polishing (CP), chemical–mechanical polishing (CMP) and CP following CMP closely (CMP + CP). Then, the surface state was characterized by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). AFM measurements show that an ultra-smooth surface is achieved after CMP + CP treatment and the roughness value is 0.98 nm. Meanwhile, the roughness of the surfaces treated by MP, CP and CMP are 4.53, 2.83 and 1.38 nm, respectively. By XRD rocking curves, the diffraction peak which belongs to the wafer treated by CMP + CP is the highest in intensity and best symmetrical in shape. XPS analysis indicates that Ge4+ proportions of GeO2 in total Ge content of CdGeAs2 wafers’ surface after MP, CP, CMP and CMP + CP treatment are 27.6%, 42.8%, 6.1% and 30.3%, respectively.

Thermal expansion coefficients measurements of AgGa 0.7 In 0.3 Se 2 with the direction of c- and a- axis are made in the temperature range between 300 and 900 K. It is obviously that AgGa 0.7 In 0.3 Se 2 is with a reverse thermal expansion behavior along the c -axis, and variation of directional coefficient at different temperatures as a function of cos2φ has been discussed in this work. It’s found that the crystal would expand with increasing temperature if the angle between the direction [ hkl ] and the c-axis is greater than 42.71°. In addition, Gruneisen parameters at different temperatures have been calculated and also exhibit anisotropic behavior ( γ a > γ c ). At last, by a modified formula, variation of lattice thermal conductivity with temperature have been deduced. And the calculation value at room temperature is a little larger than the measurement value of thermal conductivity with [100] direction at room temperature which is found to be 0.751 W/m K.

Programmed death ligand 1 (PDL1, CD274, B7-H1) has been identified as the ligand for the immune inhibitory receptor programmed death 1 protein (PD1/PDCD1). PDL1 is a member of B7 family of immune molecules and this protein together with PDL2, are two ligands for PD1 expressed on activated lymphoid cells. By binding to PD1 on activated T cells, PDL1 may inhibit T cell responses by inducing apoptosis. Accordingly, it leads to the immune evasion of cancers and contribute to tumor growth, thus PDL1 is regarded as therapeutic target for malignant cancers. We selected PDL1 specific nanobodies from a high quality dromedary camel immune library by phage display technology, three anti-PDL1-VHHs were developed.

This study used the Weather Research and Forecasting model with chemistry (WRF‐Chem) with a parameterization for the emissions of sea‐salt aerosols to assess the effects of sea‐salt aerosols on a tropical cyclone. A control simulation (Ctl) and a simulation with a sea‐salt emission flux that is one‐tenth of that in Ctl (Low) were conducted. Results show that sea‐salt aerosols enhance the condensation process, promoting vertical motion and precipitation in a tropical cyclone. Peak precipitation value in Ctl is 120% that in Low. Enhanced vertical motion in Ctl results in increase of water vapor transport to the upper atmosphere, which promotes deposition growth of cloud ice crystals. Therefore, cloud ice mixing ratio and stratiform precipitation in Ctl are larger than those in Low. Stratiform precipitation in the rain band is about 0.5 mm/h in Ctl and about 0.4 mm/h in Low.

AgGaGeS

Background Root systems are critical for plant growth and development. The Casparian strip in root systems is involved in stress resistance and maintaining homeostasis. Casparian strip membrane domain proteins (CASPs) are responsible for the formation of Casparian strips. Results To investigate the function of CASPs in cotton, we identified and characterized 48, 54, 91 and 94 CASPs from Gossypium arboreum, Gossypium raimondii, Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum, respectively, at the genome-wide level. However, only 29 common homologous CASP genes were detected in the four Gossypium species. A collinearity analysis revealed that whole genome duplication (WGD) was the primary reason for the expansion of the genes of the CASP family in the four cotton species. However, dispersed duplication could also contribute to the expansion of the GaCASPs gene family in the ancestors of G. arboreum. Phylogenetic analysis was used to cluster a total of 85 CASP genes from G. arboreum and Arabidopsis into six distinct groups, while the genetic structure and motifs of CASPs were conserved in the same group. Most GaCASPs were expressed in diverse tissues, with the exception of that five GaCASPs (Ga08G0113, Ga08G0114, Ga08G0116, Ga08G0117 and Ga08G0118) that were highly expressed in root tissues. Analyses of the tissue and subcellular localization suggested that GaCASP27 genes (Ga08G0117) are membrane protein genes located in the root. In the GaCASP27 silenced plants and the Arabidopsis mutants, the lateral root number significantly increased. Furthermore, GaMYB36, which is related to root development was found to regulate lateral root growth by targeting GaCASP27. Conclusions This study provides a fundamental understanding of the CASP gene family in cotton and demonstrates the regulatory role of GaCASP27 on lateral root growth and development.

Fourteen-month precipitation measurements from a second-generation PARSIVEL disdrometer deployed in Beijing, northern China, were analyzed to investigate the microphysical structure of raindrop size distribution and its implications on polarimetric radar applications. Rainfall types are classified and analyzed in the domain of median volume diameter D 0 and the normalized intercept parameter N w . The separation line between convective and stratiform rain is almost equivalent to rain rate at 8.6 mm h−1 and radar reflectivity at 36.8 dBZ. Convective rain in Beijing shows distinct seasonal variations in log 10 N w − D 0 domain. X-band dual-polarization variables are simulated using the T-matrix method to derive radar-based quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) estimators, and rainfall products at hourly scale are evaluated for four radar QPE estimators using collocated but independent rain gauge observations. This study also combines the advantages of individual estimators based on the thresholds on polarimetric variables. Results show that the blended QPE estimator has better performance than others. The rainfall microphysical analysis presented in this study is expected to facilitate the development of a high-resolution X-band radar network for urban QPE applications.

It is generally accepted that primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP) is found mostly in tall, thin young males. However, the precise etiology of PSP is unclear. We compared some thoracic structural angles of PSPs and controls in young males to determine the predominant factor. CT data of 43 male PSPs (age 21.88 ± 5.30) and 30 controls (age 21.47 ± 5.47) were collected. The angle of thoracic vertebrae slope (∠α), sternal slope angle (∠β), and tracheal-sternal stem angle (∠γ) were measured in the sagittal position. Carina angle (∠δ) was measured in the coronal position. After a propensity score match (PSM) of age and smoking history, the angles were comparatively evaluated. There were significant differences in all four angles between two unmatched groups, while only in three (∠β, ∠γ, and ∠δ) after PSM was performed. The correlation between ∠β and PSP was most significant, and R2 was 0.456. The prediction accuracy of ∠β was 81.3%, OR was 1.386, 95% confidence interval was (1.095-1.754). The sternal slope angles in PSPs are greater than controls indicate the sternal slope angle is associates with the development of PSP and it could be a thoracic structural index to predict the risk of PSP occurrence. Clin. Anat. 33:605-609, 2020. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AgGaGe

Developing injectable nanocomposite conductive hydrogel dressings with multifunctions including adhesiveness, antibacterial, and radical scavenging ability and good mechanical property to enhance full-thickness skin wound regeneration is highly desirable in clinical application. Herein, a series of adhesive hemostatic antioxidant conductive photothermal antibacterial hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid-graft-dopamine and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) using a H2 O2 /HPR (horseradish peroxidase) system are prepared for wound dressing. These hydrogels exhibit high swelling, degradability, tunable rheological property, and similar or superior mechanical properties to human skin. The polydopamine endowed antioxidant activity, tissue adhesiveness and hemostatic ability, self-healing ability, conductivity, and NIR irradiation enhanced in vivo antibacterial behavior of the hydrogels are investigated. Moreover, drug release and zone of inhibition tests confirm sustained drug release capacity of the hydrogels. Furthermore, the hydrogel dressings significantly enhance vascularization by upregulating growth factor expression of CD31 and improve the granulation tissue thickness and collagen deposition, all of which promote wound closure and contribute to a better therapeutic effect than the commercial Tegaderm films group in a mouse full-thickness wounds model. In summary, these adhesive hemostatic antioxidative conductive hydrogels with sustained drug release property to promote complete skin regeneration are an excellent wound dressing for full-thickness skin repair.

In this paper, the high order basis function method is used to calculate the resistance inductance parameter of the interconnection, which uses the global basis function. The advantage is that the number of the basis functions is fixed, and when analyzing any dimension wire, the dimension of the resistive inductance matrix is constant in the part of calculating each wire, which is not affected by the reduction of computational efficiency resulted from excessive matrix elements. This paper also gives the elements analytic expression of part of resistance and inductance matrix, increasing the computational efficiency significantly. Compared with the experimental measurement data, the method has high precision and meets the requirements.

Locomotion mode recognition plays an important role in the control of lower-limb exoskeletons and prostheses. In such applications, the accurate and timely classification of the locomotion mode, using the minimum number of sensors, is still a challenge. In this paper we present an algorithm to recognize four different locomotion modes (namely stand, walk, stair ascent, and stair descent) and all the possible transitions among them, based on wearable sensors. The algorithm grounds on an event-based and mode-dependent strategy, which is able to recognize the locomotion mode during the swing phase. Tests conducted with three healthy subjects showed an average recognition accuracy of 98.8 ± 0.4% in steady locomotion conditions. Transitions between different modes were also accurately detected during the swing phase. Further studies will be conducted to validate the algorithm and test it in real-time applications with wearable robots.

e16010 Background: Preoperative therapy of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is stepping into the era of combined therapy with PD-1 inhibitor after the success of PD-1 antibodies in the first-line and second-line treatment for advanced ESCC. This single center study retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of preoperative chemotherapy combined with PD-1 antibody in patients with locally advanced operable or potentially resectable ESCC in the real world. Methods: The study enrolled operable or potentially resectable locally advanced ESCC patients treated with preoperative chemotherapy combined with PD-1 inhibitor in our center from April 2020 to December 2020. The treatment regimen were 2 to 4 cycles of paclitaxel liposome (135̃175 mg/m2) or albumin paclitaxel (180mg/m2) plus nedaplatin (75mg/m2) or lobaplatin (30mg/m2) combined with PD-1 inhibitors (toripalimab 13/20, sintilimab 3/20, pembrolizumab 2/20, camrelizumab 1/20, tislelizumab 1/20) with standard therapeutic dose followed by tumor response assessment and surgery. The primary end point were safety, tumor response and complete pathological response (pCR) rate. Results: A total of 20 patients including 17 males and 3 females, of which median age was 65 and 85% were stage III-IVA (AJCC 8th), were included in the study. Of all the patients, 18 patients accomplished 2 cycles of therapy and had safety assessment, 13 patients underwent surgery, 2 patients were waiting for operations and 2 patients achieving partial response rejected surgery and were prepared for radical chemoradiotherapy. Treatment-related adverse events exceeding grade 3 levels included leukopenia 5.6% (1/18), neutropenia 16.7% (3/18), thrombocytopenia 5.6% (1/18), and immune hepatitis 5.6% (1/18). There was no severe surgery-related complication. Objective response rate (ORR) was 70.6% (12/17), and disease control rate (DCR) was 100% (17/17). R0 resection rate was 92.3% (12/13), the pCR rate was 15.4% (2/13), and 61.5% (8/13) of the patients had downstaged to the ypT1-2N0M0 I stage. One patient finally reached a pCR after switching to preoperative chemoradiotherapy because of progression after treatment of chemotherapy and PD-1 inhibitor. Conclusions: Preoperative chemotherapy combined PD-1 inhibitor treatment was well tolerated and had high efficacy in locally advanced operable and potential resectable ESCC. Since the study included some potentially resectable patients with late staging, the pCR rate may be lowered. The further study aims to find the efficient biomarker including PD-L1 expression and CD8+ T cell infiltration. Moreover, well-designed randomized prospective trials for better evidence are required.

AgGaGe5Se12 is a new quaternary nonlinear optical crystal which is applied to laser frequency conversion, especially converting 1.064 µm light to mid-IR range. In this work, we have synthesized the AgGaGe5Se12 polycrystal by the two-zones temperature method. By the modified Bridgman method, we have grown high-quality AgGaGe5Se12 single crystal 30 mm in diameter and 50 mm in length. The structure refinement was carried out by the Rietveld method. Besides, the XRS results were analyzed by comparing with AgGaGeS4 and AgGaGe5S12. In addition, the non-polarized Raman spectra were recorded and the intense peaks were observed at 200 and 232 cm−1. The peaks were attributed to corner-sharing (CS) and edge-sharing (ES) clusters. At last, the crystal was characterized by a high transparency in the 0.6–15 µm spectral range and the absorptions at 3.4 and 7 µm, observed in the as-grown crystal, have been eliminated after annealing. Thus, AgGaGe5Se12 is appropriate for further optical experiments and more comprehensive applications.

The optical-phonon spectra of CdGeAs2 were investigated by low temperature polarized Raman scattering. According to vibrational modes of ZnS-type materials and selection rules of Raman scattering, all Raman active vibrational modes in the Brillouin-zone (BZ) center of CdGeAs2 predicted from group-theory arguments were identified and artificially grouped in three energy bands, including 45–94, 158–215 and around 260 cm−1. Based on the Lyddane-Sachs-Teller (LST) relation and measured refractive indices, the low-frequency dielectric constant e(0) is estimated to be 15.04 and shows good agreement with the previous tests and predictions.

Chalcopyrite of CdGeAs 2 single crystal was grown by a modified vertical Bridgman method with sufficient size and quality, and its optical, electrical and thermodynamic properties are characterized. The transmission is recorded in the 2.3–18 μm range, and the band-gap at room temperature is at 0.56 eV. Non-ideal transparency near 5.5 μm which limited its application severely exists in the front of the crystal. The crystal is p type at room temperature with hole concentrations varying from 10 14 to 10 16 cm −3 . From the results of X-ray diffraction measurements carried out over the range 25–450 °C and thermal dilatometer tests, the thermal expansion coefficients are evaluated. And on this basis the Gruneisen parameters at different temperatures are evaluated and also exhibit anisotropic behavior ( γ a > γ c ). It is found that γ a , γ c , and γ V have some difference between these two kinds of test methods. Using these Gruneisen parameters, lattice thermal conductivities have been deduced by two correction formulas. Meanwhile, specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity of [204] have been obtained as a function of temperature by experiment.

Aims RB1CC1/FIP200 was essential for autophagosome formation. Therefore, RB1CC1/FIP200 cellular levels are critical for the activation of the autophagy pathways. Following the screen of miRNAs affecting RB1CC1/FIP200 level and rapamycin-induced autophagy, we discovered miR-20a and miR-20b could regulate autophagy by targeting RB1CC1/FIP200. Main methods Inhibitory effect of miR-20a and 20b on basal and rapamycin-stimulated autophagy was demonstrated using various autophagic tests including GFP-LC3 puncta analysis, LC3II/LC3I gel shift and TEM observation. Key findings We discovered RB1CC1/FIP200 as cellular targets of miR-20a and miR-20b. Upon miR-20a and miR-20b overexpression, both mRNA and protein levels of RB1CC1/FIP200 decreased. miR-20a and miR-20b target sequences present in the 3′ UTR of RB1CC1/FIP200 mRNAs and introduction of mutations abolished the miR-20a and miR-20b responsiveness. In MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, miR-20a and miR-20b over-expression attenuated basal and rapamycin-induced autophagy; while suppression of miR-20a or miR-20b by specific antagomir showed normal rapamycin-induced autophagic activity. Significance To our knowledge, this is the first study showing the significance of miR-20a and miR-20b regulating autophagy by targeting RB1CC1/FIP200.

A high-quality ZnGeP2 (ZGP) single crystal with large size of Φ30 mm × 80 mm was grown by a modified vertical Bridgman method. ZGP wafers were annealed with ZGP polycrystalline powder for 300 h at 550, 600 and 650 °C, respectively. The as-grown and annealed crystals were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), IR microscope and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Results show that the quality of all wafers is improved evidently after annealing and the optimum annealing temperature obtained is 600 °C. The IR transmittance of the wafer measured by FTIR is up to 56.78 % at wavelength of 2.0 μm nearby and exceeds 59.00 % in the wavelength range of 3.0–8.0 μm. The deviations from stoichiometry decrease, and the homogeneity of the crystal is also improved after annealing. In this paper, scanning infrared map was proposed as a new nondestructive method to evaluate optical quality and homogeneity of crystal through comparing the IR transmittance with the three-dimensional IR spectral contour map.

As a promising material for second harmonic generation (SHG) and optical parametric oscillator (OPO), CdGeAs 2 single crystals are difficult to reproducibly grow with low loss optical, particularly in the region of 5.5 μm. In addition, a correlation between processing conditions and absorption has attracted various researchers to focus on this problem. This paper describes a series of etching experiments and Hall measurements which were undertaken to see if there might be a relationship between dislocation density, carrier concentration and optical absorption. In this study, a single crystal was grown by the modified Vertical Bridgman method. The spontaneous nucleation growth direction has been determined as [102]. Etch pit densities (EPD) about 10 5 cm −2 were observed at the edges of the boules, whereas etch pits were almost not found in the center. The distribution of dislocation along the radial direction affected optical homogeneity, and the high EPD caused the low transmittance. Meanwhile, the samples are p type at room temperature with hole concentrations varying from 10 14 to 10 16 cm −3 . A linear correlation between absorption at 5.5 μm and hole concentration is established. The results of these experiments are very useful for improving radial and axial optical uniformity of the crystal grown by modified Vertical Bridgman method.

The knowledge of plantar pressure distribution is important in understanding human locomotion activities, and its integration with robotic assistive devices is an important potential application. In this paper, we aim to explore the potential of using discrete contact force distribution signals for locomotion mode recognition. A foot-wearable interface comprising a pair of sensing insoles, each with four sensors at selected locations, has been designed to record discrete contact forces during locomotion. Based on the information of discrete contact force distribution, we present a locomotion mode recognition strategy with decision tree and linear discriminant analysis classifiers. To verify the measurement performance of the sensing system, experiments are carried out to investigate the system stability in long term working conditions and its adaptation to different ground surfaces. To evaluate whether discrete contact force signals can be used for locomotion mode recognition, five able-bodied subjects and one amputee subject are recruited and asked to perform six types of locomotion tasks. With the proposed recognition strategy, reliable recognition performance is obtained. The average classification accuracy is 98.8% ± 0.5% for able-bodied subjects and 98.4% for the amputee subject, which is comparable to those obtained from systems based on other sensors. These experimental results indicate that monitoring of discrete contact force distribution is valuable for locomotion mode recognition. Its use can be combined with other sensing systems to achieve better performance of locomotion mode recognition for intelligent assistive device control.

mWasabi is a bright monomeric green fluorescent protein. It can be used as a fusion tag to monitor various biological events, e.g. protein localization. Here we report the selection of camelid-derived single-domain antibody fragments (nanobodies) against mWasabi. In this work, phage-display approach was employed to select the high affinity mWasabi-specific Nb (nanobodies). These nanobodies were able to recognize mWasabi or in a fused fashion with PD1. The interesting binding characteristics of these two mWasabi-specific nanobodies could be valuable for design new tools for cellular tracing or targeting based on the mWasabi-fusing protein in many different biological research fields.

The fibrocartilaginous enthesis regeneration after rotator repair is still a major challenge. Although magnesium-based alloy orthopedic implant is effective to promote fibrocartilage formation at the tendon-bone interface in the anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction model, it was limited in the rotator cuff repair for its special anatomical structure. Herein, we developed a multifunctional self-healing magnesium ions-quaternized chitosan/Pluronic® F127 (Mg-QCS/PF) hydrogels to achieve in-situ and customized release of Mg2+, and demonstrated the sustained release of Mg2+ from the hydrogel to significantly promote the rotator cuff repair in the rabbit rotator cuff tear model. The obtained hydrogels showed excellent self-healing and anti-compressive performance. Additionally, the good injectability and adhesive properties of the hydrogels make it easier and stable to deliver Mg2+ at the tendon-bone interface with irregular shapes. The release of Mg2+ from Mg-QCS/PF hydrogels improved the adhesion, proliferation and migration of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and MC3T3 cells in vitro compared with QCS/PF without Mg2+. Furthermore, the composite hydrogels significantly enhanced the fibrocartilaginous interface regeneration in the rabbit rotator cuff tear model in terms of repaired tendon mature scores, fibrocartilage regeneration, collagen remodeling and biomechanical properties. This is the first study to demonstrate the positive effects of Mg2+ for the rotator cuff healing in the rabbit preclinical model, and the results indicate that the acellular injectable self-healing Mg-doped hydrogels are candidates to effectively promote in situ regeneration of rotator cuff.

p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21) plays critical roles in cell‐cycle regulation and DNA repair and is transcriptionally regulated through p53‐dependent or ‐independent pathways. Bioinformatic analysis predicated one stress‐response element (STRE) implicated in single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2395655 of the p21 promoter. Here, we investigated the transcriptional regulatory function of rs2395655 variant genotype and analyzed its associations with the p21 expression and clinical outcomes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Luciferase assay results showed significantly increased transcriptional activity of the rs2395655 G allele‐containing p21 promoter compared with rs2395655 A allele‐containing counterpart, especially in ESCC cells with ectopic LEDGF/p75 expression. Furthermore electrophoretic mobility shift assay using the rs2395655 G or A allele‐containing probe and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay with specific anti‐LEDGF/p75 antibody indicated the potential binding activity of LEDGF/p75 with the STRE element implicated in rs2395655 G allele of the p21 promoter. Subsequent specific RNA interference‐mediated depletion or ectopic expression of LEDGF/p75 caused obviously down‐ or up‐regulated expression of p21 mRNA in ESCC cells harboring rs2395655 GG genotype but not cells with rs2395655 AA genotype. Furthermore, rs2395655 GG genotype carriers showed significantly elevated p21 protein expression and conferred survival advantage in both univariate and multivariate analyses in total 218 ESCC patients. Our findings suggest that LEDGF/p75 regulates the p21 expression in ESCC cells through interacting with STRE element implicated in polymorphism rs2395655 and the elevated p21 protein expression and rs2395655 GG genotype may serve as positive prognostic factors for ESCC patients.

To provide assistance with an active exoskeleton, the control system of the device has to automatically detect the onset of the user’s movement and provide timely assistance, according to the recognized movement. In this paper, we present an algorithm designed to detect the lift movement with an active pelvis exoskeleton, based on a quadratic-discriminant-analysis classifier combined with a rule-based algorithm. The algorithm relies on sensory information acquired from the sensory apparatus of the exoskeleton, without needing additional sensors to be placed on the user’s body. The algorithm was validated in experiments with seven healthy subjects. Participants were requested to execute different actions, i.e. lift and lower a load, stand up, sit down and walk, while wearing the exoskeleton. On average, the algorithm showed an accuracy of 98.7 ± 0.6% in recognizing the lift task; such performance make it suitable for use in real application scenarios.

EnglishThe mysterious ancient Mesoamerican Indian crop chia (Salvia hispanica) is revived and expanding worldwide due to its richness of valuable nutraceuticals such as α-linolenic acid (ALA), antioxidants, food fiber, gels, and proteins. We carried out a pilot experiment on chia planting in non-frost Sichuan Basin, at Hechuan Base (30˚0′ 43″ N, 106˚7′ 41″ E, 216 m), Southwest University, Chongqing, China. The split-plot trial contained two factors, 3 spring-summer sowing times as main plots, and 6 densities as subplots, with 3 replicates. Phenological, botanical, adversity, yield, and seed quality traits were investigated. Plants were very tall, suffered from lodging, and flowered in mid-October. Sichuan Basin can be considered as a north edge for growing chia, with low yield (680 kg/hectare) because of insufficient seed filling and maturation in autumn-winter season (1000-seed weight of 1.14 g). However, its ALA content is 5 percent points higher than the seed-donor commercial bottle (65.06%/63.96% VS 59.35%/59.74% for black/white seeds), accompanied by decrease oleic and stearic acid, while linoleic acid and palmitic acid are equivalent. Considering its short-day habit, it is recommended to try sowing in middle summer (from late June to early August) to avoid too long growing period, excessive vegetative growth, and waste of field and climate resources caused by spring-summer sowing. Furthermore, winter sowing of chia with mulch cover could also be tried, with an expectation of harvesting in summer. Most importantly, only when the photoperiod-insensitive early flowering stocks are created, chia can be recommended as a low-risk crop to the farmers of this region. Key words: chia (Salvia hispanica); field trial; Chongqing; yield; α-linolenic acid (ALA) portuguesA chia (Salvia hispanica) e cultivada em todo o mundo por sua riqueza de nutrientes nutraceuticos valiosos, tais como a-acido linolenico (ALA), antioxidantes, fibras alimentares, geis e proteinas. Entretanto, nao ha informacoes sobre sua performance agronomica se cultivada aos 30˚N na China. Assim, realizou-se um experimento com o cultivo de chia na base Hechuan (30°0’43”N, 106°7’41”E, 216m, que nao apresenta geada) da Southwest University, Chongqing, China. O delineamento em parcela subdividida contem dois fatores,tres epocas de semeadura na primavera-verao como parcelas principais e seis densidades de sementes como subparcelas, com tres repeticoes. Foram investigados os caracteres fenologicos, botânicos, de adversidade, rendimento e qualidade da semente. As plantas se tornaram altas, acamarame floresceram em meados de outubro. A bacia de Sichuan pode ser considerada como uma fronteira limitrofe norte para o crescimento da chia, com baixo rendimento (680kg ha-1) devido ao enchimento e amadurecimento insuficientes na estacao outono-inverno (peso de 1000 sementes de 1,14g). No entanto, o seu conteudo de ALA e de 5 pontos percentuais mais elevado do que a semente comercial, 65,06%/63,96% contra 59,35%/59,74% para as sementes pretas/brancas, respectivamente, acompanhado por diminuicao de acido oleico e acido estearico, enquanto que o acido linoleico e o acido palmitico sao equivalentes. Considerando o seu habito de dia curto, recomenda-se semear no meio do verao,de junho a inicio de agosto, para evitar um tempo de cultivo muito longo, desenvolvimento vegetativo excessivo e desperdicio de recursos de campo e clima causados pela semeadura de primavera-verao. Alem disso, a semeadura de inverno da chia com cobertura morta tambem poderia ser realizada, com expectativa de colheita no verao. Mais importante ainda, somente quando os estoques de floracao precoce insensiveis ao fotoperiodo sao criados, pode-se recomendar como uma cultura de baixo risco para os agricultores desta regiao. Palavras-chave: chia (Salvia hispanica); ensaio de campo; Bacia do Sichuan; rendimento; aacido linolenico

Background To evaluate the association of plasma miR-34a/b/c expressions with the clinicopathological properties and the prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Methods A total of 196 NSCLC patients were recruited in the study. Plasma sample and tumor tissue sample were collected. Total RNA was extracted from plasma and tissue samples, and microR-34a/b/c expression was evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results MiR-34a and miR-34c in plasma were positively associated with that in tumor tissue (P

BACKGROUND MicroRNA (miR) has been proved to be an important biomarker for tumors because it can regulate occurrence, progression, invasion, and metastasis of cancer. A previous study has shown the involvement of miR-503 in multiple gastrointestinal tumors. Its detailed role and immune regulatory function in esophagus carcinoma, however, remains unknown. This study thus investigated the effect of miR-503 in regulating growth, proliferation, and invasion of esophagus cancer and its influence on cytokine secretion. MATERIAL AND METHODS Esophagus carcinoma cell line EC9706 and normal esophageal epithelial cell line HEEC were transfected with miR-503 inhibitor. MTT assay was used to quantify the cell proliferation, and a Transwell chamber was used to evaluate cell invasion. Release of cytokines, including interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, IL-10, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS MiR-503 expression was significantly elevated in esophagus carcinoma cells (p

Allowing amputees to volitionally control robotic prostheses can improve the adaptability to terrain changes. In this paper, we propose a myoelectric controller for a robotic transtibial prosthesis to realize adaptive slope walking. It works together with the intrinsic controller, enabling amputee users to pay relatively less attention on myoelectric control during walking. Amputee users convey the information of ground slope to prostheses by consciously performing dorsiflexion and plantar flexion of the “phantom ankle” with different intensities at the beginning of the swing phase. Two channels of surface electromyographic signals are measured from the residual shank, and they are mapped to the inclination angle of the slope. Control parameters of the intrinsic controller are then calculated according to the estimated inclination angle. In this preliminary study, two transtibial amputee subjects were recruited. They were asked to convey six targeted inclination angles ( $\bf \pm 5^{\circ}$ , $\bf \pm 10^{\circ}$ , and $\bf \pm 15^{\circ}$ ) to the prosthesis with the trained myoelectric controller during level-ground walking, and satisfactory control performance was achieved. This experiment was designed to simulate the scenario of transiting from level-ground walking to slope walking. Experimental results of controlling the robotic prosthesis to walk on level ground and slopes further verified that it is promising for amputees to adaptively walk on the ground with varied inclination angles in daily life.

PbI2 is a type of syntectic compound, and its single crystal is one of the room temperature semiconductor nuclear radiation detector materials. A new method for the growth of the PbI2 single crystal is proposed in this article, which was named the top seed vertical zone melting method (TSVZMM), directly from the synthesis of polycrystal with analytically pure lead and iodine, by controlling the decomposition and stratification of the melt and the stoichiometry of the PbI2 crystal. Impurities in the crystal and the coagulating droplets of lead were eliminated during the PbI2 crystal growth process from the top to bottom by TSVZMM. The PbI2 single crystal was successfully grown with the size of Φ15 mm×15 mm, an infrared transmittance of more than 40%, a resistivity of 2×1012 Ω cm magnitude and stoichiometry close to its theoretical value.

Surface nanocoating of lithium-rich layered Li1.2Mn0.52Co0.08Ni0.2O2 with samarium fluoride (SmF3) has been performed through a chemical deposition route combined with a low-temperature hydrothermal treatment. The surface-modified Li1.2Mn0.52Co0.08Ni0.2O2 particles are uniformly and completely covered by an amorphous SmF3 protective layer with a thin thickness of ∼20 nm. After surface modification, the coated Li1.2Mn0.52Co0.08Ni0.2O2 as cathode shows a significantly improved cycling stability, keeping a capacity retention of 84.5% after 150 cycles at 2 C, much higher than 68.9%forits uncoated counterpart. Moreover, the coated sample delivers an enhanced rate capability with an average capacity of ∼132.3 mA h g−1 when charged at 5 C and discharged at 0.2 C, while the uncoated counterpart only exhibits a capacity of ∼111.4 mA h g−1 under the same conditions. Our results reveal that the remarkably improved electrochemical performance of the surface-modified cathode is attributed to the presence of uniform, robust, and nanoscale SmF3 coating layer, which not only suppresses the growth of SEI layer by reducing the side reaction between cathode and electrolyte solution, but also strengthens the structure stability of the Li-rich layered cathode materials.

MALAT1 was discovered as a prognostic marker for lung cancer metastasis and has been found upregulated in many types of tumor, but its transcriptional regulation mechanism in tumors remains unclear. A deletion analysis of MALAT1 promoter region was performed to find the cis elements that were critical for the transcriptional activation of MALAT1 gene. Reporter gene assays were employed to analyze the effect of Sp1 on the promoter activity of MALAT1 gene. The binding activity of Sp1 with the promoter of MALAT1 gene was examined by EMSA and ChIP assay. Effects of Sp1 on regulation of MALAT1 were analyzed by RNA interference in vitro and in vivo mouse model. By means of luciferase assay, Sp1 was found to activate the promoter of the human MALAT1 gene. The binding of Sp1 to this region was also detected by electrophoretic mobility shift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Sp1 knockdown also decreased the MALAT1 and inhibited A549 lung cancer cells’ growth and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, knockdown of Sp1 also mimicked the inhibition of MALAT1 in A549 lung cancer cells’ growth and metastasis in vivo. Taken together, our data suggest that upregulation of MALAT1 was mediated by the transcription factor Sp1 in A549 lung cancer cells, and Sp1 could be therapeutic target for cancer.

Phase-dependent recognition strategy is an effective approach for lower-limb locomotion mode recognition. However, in previous studies, classifiers, feature sets and other parameters for the classification are the same for all the phases. The potential of this method could therefore be limited, as movement characteristics of different phases are not the same. In this paper, we aim to further improve phase-dependent recognition by proposing a new parameter optimization strategy which optimizes classifier, feature set and window size individually for each phase. Seven able-bodied subjects and one transtibial amputee subject are recruited in this research and they are required to perform six kinds of locomotion tasks. Signals recorded from two inertial measurement units and one pressure insole of the measured side are used for feature set calculation. And phase-dependent recognition method with four phases defined is applied for locomotion mode identification. The proposed strategy for parameter optimization is proved to be more efficient than the conventional optimization strategy by providing better overall recognition performance and lower computation burden.

Diverse single crystalline spinel LiMn2O4 cathode materials are derived from spherical and cubic MnCO3 precursors using a general pH-mediated chemical precipitation approach. With careful pre-controls over the particle properties of the MnCO3 precursors upon pH adjustment, five LiMn2O4 samples with an average size of 0.5–1.0 μm are obtained. Among these samples, the LiMn2O4 prepared at a pH value of 7.0 exhibits a well-defined truncated octahedral crystal structure in which most surfaces are aligned to the {111} crystalline orientations with minimal Mn dissolution, whereas a small portion of the structure is truncated along the {110} orientations to support Li diffusion. Benefiting from the unique crystal structure, the synthesized LiMn2O4 cathode manifests superior rate capability and prolonged cycle stability, especially at elevated temperatures with a capacity retention of 86.7% after 1000 cycles at 5 C under 25 °C and of 80.7% after 250 cycles at 1 C under 55 °C. These results demonstrate that the morphology of the MnCO3 precursor obtained by using the precipitation method has a significant influence on the crystal structure and electrochemical properties of resultant LiMn2O4. The work described here also shows a great potential in practical industrial applications aimed towards developing high performance LiMn2O4 electrode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Cerium fluoride (CeF3) coated lithium-rich layered Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 particles are synthesized using a facile chemical deposition route. The structural and electrochemical properties of pristine and CeF3-coated electrodes are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry (TG-DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), galvanostatic charge/discharge tests, electrochemical impedance spectra (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results indicate that the cathode particles are uniformly covered with a CeF3 layer (∼10 nm thick) after 2 wt.% CeF3 surface coating. The coated electrode shows an enhanced initial coulombic efficiency of 80.8% compared to 75.2% for the pristine electrode. Moreover, the coated electrode demonstrates better cyclic performance, which exhibits capacity retention of 91.7% after 50 cycles compared with only 82.1% for the pristine one. Furthermore, the CeF3-coated electrode delivers a superior high-rate capacity of 103.1 mAh g−1 at 5C, higher than 82.2 mAh g−1 for the pristine one. The remarkably improved cycling stability and high-rate capacity of the surface-modified electrode is ascribed to the presence of a stable and thin CeF3 coating layer which effectively reduces the damage of electrode structure and suppresses the increase of impedance during cycling by preventing direct contact of electrode with electrolyte.

An intercomparison study of a midlatitude mesoscale squall line is performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at 1 km horizontal grid spacing with eight different cloud microphysics schemes to investigate processes that contribute to the large variability in simulated cloud and precipitation properties. All simulations tend to produce a wider area of high radar reflectivity (Z_e > 45 dBZ) than observed but a much narrower stratiform area. The magnitude of the virtual potential temperature drop associated with the gust front passage is similar in simulations and observations, while the pressure rise and peak wind speed are smaller than observed, possibly suggesting that simulated cold pools are shallower than observed. Most of the microphysics schemes overestimate vertical velocity and Ze in convective updrafts as compared with observational retrievals. Simulated precipitation rates and updraft velocities have significant variability across the eight schemes, even in this strongly dynamically driven system. Differences in simulated updraft velocity correlate well with differences in simulated buoyancy and low-level vertical perturbation pressure gradient, which appears related to cold pool intensity that is controlled by the evaporation rate. Simulations with stronger updrafts have a more optimal convective state, with stronger cold pools, ambient low-level vertical wind shear, and rear-inflow jets. Updraft velocity variability between schemes is mainly controlled by differences in simulated ice-related processes, which impact the overall latent heating rate, whereas surface rainfall variability increases in no-ice simulations mainly because of scheme differences in collision-coalescence parameterizations.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an important oilseed crop worldwide, and fatty acid (FA) compositions determine the nutritional and economic value of its seed oil. Fatty acid desaturases (FADs) play a pivotal role in regulating FA compositions, but to date, no comprehensive genome-wide analysis of FAD gene family in rapeseed and its parent species has been reported. In this study, using homology searches, 84, 45, and 44 FAD genes were identified in rapeseed, Brassica rapa, and Brassica oleracea genomes, respectively. These FAD genes were unevenly located in 17 chromosomes and 2 scaffolds of rapeseed, 9 chromosomes and 1 scaffold of B. rapa, and all the chromosomes of B. oleracea. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the soluble and membrane-bound FADs in the three Brassica species were divided into four and six subfamilies, respectively. Generally, the soluble FADs contained two conserved histidine boxes, while three highly conserved histidine boxes were harbored in membrane-bound FADs. Exon-intron structure, intron phase, and motif composition and position were highly conserved in each FAD subfamily. Putative subcellular locations of FAD proteins in three Brassica species were consistent with those of corresponding known FADs. In total, 25 of simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci were found in FAD genes of the three Brassica species. Transcripts of selected FAD genes in the three species were examined in various organs/tissues or stress treatments from NCBI expressed sequence tag (EST) database. This study provides a critical molecular basis for quality improvement of rapeseed oil and facilitates our understanding of key roles of FAD genes in plant growth and development and stress response.

FATTY ACID DESATURASE 2 (FAD2, EC 1.3.1.35), also known as delta-12 oleate desaturase, is a key enzyme for linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid biosynthesis. Chia (Salvia hispanica) seeds contain the highest known proportion of α-linolenic acid in any plant sources. In this study, two full-length FAD2 genes, named as ShFAD2-1 and ShFAD2-2, were isolated from S. hispanica based on RACE method. Both ShFAD2-1 and ShFAD2-2 proteins possess strong transmembrane helices, three histidine motifs and a C-terminal ER-located signal (YNNKL). Phylogenetic analysis showed that both ShFAD2-1 and ShFAD2-2 are grouped with constitutive plant FAD2s. Heterologous expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae indicated that ShFAD2-1 and ShFAD2-2 genes both encode a bio-functional delta-12 oleate desaturase. ShFAD2-2 was mainly expressed in flowers and early-stage seeds while ShFAD2-1 expression was almost constitutive in different organs. qRT-PCR results demonstrated that ShFAD2-1 and ShFAD2-2 show a cold-induced and heat-repressed expression pattern, whereas they also were differentially up-regulated or repressed by other abiotic stresses. This is the first cloning and function characterization of FAD2 from S. hispanica, which can provide insights into molecular mechanism of high ALA traits of S. hispanica and enrich our understanding of the roles of FAD2 genes in various abiotic stresses.

∆12 fatty acid desaturase (FAD2) is a key enzyme for linoleic acid and linolenic acid biosynthesis. Perilla frutescens is a special oil plant species with highest linolenic acid content. In this study, based on RACE, two alleles for one FAD2 gene were isolated from P. frutescens cultivar C2: the 3956 bp PfFAD2a and the 3959 bp PfFAD2b, both with a full-length cDNA of 1526 bp, and both encoding a 382aa basic protein. The alleles have identities of over 98%, and their encoded proteins differ only by substitution of a strongly similar residue. Saccharomyces cerevisiae heterologous expression suggested that PfFAD2a/b both encode a bio-functional FAD2 enzyme. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that PfFAD2 shows the highest homologies to FAD2 genes from dicots such as Boraginaceae and Burseraceae. PfFAD2a/b expressions are mainly restricted to developing seeds. PfFAD2a/b expression in the seedling leaf is upregulated by cold (4 °C) and repressed by heat (42 °C). Each of the eight cultivars contains two alleles for one PfFAD2 and 40 SNP sites are found. One allelic gene in cultivars C1 and P1 is pseudogene because of premature stop codon mutation in 5′ coding region. All other normal PfFAD2 genes/allelic genes encode identical or very similar proteins. PfFAD2a/b expression level in developing seeds also varies among the eight cultivars. This study provides systemic molecular and functional features of PfFAD2 and enables its application in the study of plant fatty acids traits.

In this work, influence of multistep sintering method on electrochemical performances of 7LiFePO4·Li3V2(PO4)3/C composite cathode material for lithium ion batteries has been researched in detail, and a 7LiFePO4·Li3V2(PO4)3/C cathode composite material with excellent cycling stability and rate capability is successfully synthesized. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope analysis results demonstrate that the multistep sintering method has significant effect on the crystal structure and surface morphology of the synthesized materials. Cycle voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and charge/discharge test are further carried out to investigate the influence of the sintering time on the electrochemical performances of the cathode materials. The electrochemical analysis results indicate that, when sintered at 650 °C for 12 h and then 750 °C for 4 h, the cathode material 7LiFePO4·Li3V2(PO4)3/C shows the most excellent electrochemical performances. It exhibits a good rate capability with the initial discharge specific capacities of 162.8, 149.8, and 122.2 mAh g−1 at 1, 2, and 5 C, respectively. Moreover, after a total of 150 cycles at different rates, this cathode material still maintains an excellent cycling stability without significant capacity fading, in which it can deliver the discharge specific capacities of 160.8, 146.9, and 120.6 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 1, 2, and 5 C, while the capacity retentions can reach to 98.8, 98.1, and 98.7 %, respectively.

In present work, thermal properties of silver thiogallate (AgGaS 2 ) crystal were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements performed at different heating and cooling rates. The DSC results confirmed that the melting point was 1249 K with a slight change around 5 K and that the nucleation temperature varied from 1183 K to 1218 K. The supercooling temperature was evaluated in the range 37.69 K to 62.46 K which was considered to be harmful for the single nucleus formation at the beginning of crystal growth. The activation energy E and the pre-exponential factor A were also calculated using different isoconversional methods, namely Kissinger–Akahira–Sunose (KAS) method and Flynn–Wall–Ozawa (FWO) method, and the results showed good agreement with each other. According to the results of DSC, a larger temperature gradient up to 30 K/cm was utilized to suppress the formation and growth of multi nuclei and a rapid cooling rate 25 K/min was applied to minimize the second-phase precipitates during the process of crystal growth. Finally, an integral and transparent AgGaS 2 single crystal with diameter of 22 mm and the length of 55 mm was obtained.

Numerical simulations with the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) model were performed to investigate the impact of microphysical drop size distribution (DSD) on tornadogenesis in a subtropical supercell thunderstorm over Anhui Province, eastern China. Sensitivity experiments with different intercept parameters of rain, hail and snow DSDs in a Lin-type microphysics scheme were conducted. Results showed that rain and hail DSDs have a significant impact on the simulated storm both microphysically and dynamically. DSDs characterized by larger (smaller) intercepts have a smaller (larger) particle size and a lower (higher) mass-weighted mean fall velocity, and produce relatively stronger (weaker) and wider (narrower) cold pools through enhanced (reduced) rain evaporation and hail melting processes, which are then less favorable (favorable) for tornadogenesis. However, tornadogenesis will also be suppressed by the weakened mid-level mesocyclone when the cold pool is too weak. When compared to a U.S. Great Plain case, the two microphysical processes are more sensitive to DSD variations in the present case with a higher melting level and deeper warm layer. This suggests that DSD-related cloud microphysics has a stronger influence on tornadogenesis in supercells over the subtropics than the U.S. Great Plains.

Decrystallization of cathode material and decomposition of electrolyte in LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2-based cells are studied in this work. Surface morphology of the synthesized material is observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Initial charge–discharge capacities and cycling performance are measured in the voltage range of 2.75–4.30 V (vs. Li+/Li). The changes on crystal structure, surface elements of electrodes, and battery impedance are characterized by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. The results show that the capacity fade is mainly caused by decrystallization of the cathode material and decomposition of electrolyte. During the cycling process, crystal structure is badly destroyed, degree of cation mixing increases, and amorphous phase forms, which will directly lead to the increase of irreversible capacity. Moreover, battery impedance will increase rapidly because the surface of electrode is covered and diffusion path of lithium ions is blocked by impurities generated from the decomposition of the electrolyte.

Stratospheric water vapor has an important effect on Earth's climate. Considering the significance of overshooting deep convection in modulating the water vapor content (WVC) of the lower stratosphere (LS), we use a three-dimensional convective cloud model to simulate the effects of various silver iodide (AgI) seeding scenarios on tropical overshooting deep convection that occurred on 30 November 2005 in Darwin, Australia. The primary motivation for this study is to investigate whether the WVC in the LS can be artificially modified by deliberate cloud seeding. It is found that AgI seeding done at the early stages of clouds produces significant effects on cloud microphysical and dynamical properties, and that further affects the WVC in the LS, while seeding at the mature stages of clouds has only a slight impact. The response of stratospheric water vapor to changes in the amount of seeding agent is nonlinear. The seeding with a small (large) amount of AgI increases (decreases) the WVC in the LS, due to enhanced (reduced) production and vertical transport of cloud ice from the troposphere and subsequent sublimation in the stratosphere. The results show that stratospheric water vapor can be artificially altered by deliberate cloud seeding with proper amount of seeding agent. This study also shows an important role of graupel in regulating cloud microphysics and dynamics and in modifying the WVC in the LS.

Layer-structured LiTiO2 as a coating layer is built on the surface of ternary layered LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 microspheres using a facile infiltrative pre-coating approach. The uniform, nanoscale LiTiO2 coating layer doped with Ni2+ and Mn4+ ions strongly adheres to the host materials, which endows LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 microspheres with superior high-voltage cycling and thermal stability when used as cathode material for Li-ion batteries.