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In the United States, poison ivy is the most common naturally occurring allergen that causes allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). The immune and pruritic mechanisms associated with poison ivy ACD remain largely unexplored. Here, we compared skin whole transcriptomes and itch mediator levels in mouse ACD models induced by the poison ivy allergen, urushiol, and the synthetic allergen, oxazolone. The urushiol model produced a Th2-biased immune response and scratching behavior, resembling findings in poison ivy ACD patients. Urushiol-challenged skin contained elevated levels of the cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a T cell regulator and itch mediator, and pruritogenic serotonin (5-HT) and endothelin (ET-1) but not substance P (SP) or histamine. The oxazolone model generated a mixed Th1/Th2 response associated with increased levels of SP, 5-HT, and ET-1 but not TSLP or histamine. Injections of a TSLP monoclonal neutralizing antibody or serotonergic or endothelin inhibitors, but not SP inhibitors or antihistamines, reduced scratching behaviors in urushiol-challenged mice. Our findings suggest that the mouse urushiol model may serve as a translational model of human poison ivy ACD. Inhibiting signaling by TSLP and other cytokines may represent alternatives to the standard steroid/antihistamine regimen for steroid-resistant or -intolerant patients and in exaggerated systemic responses to poison ivy., Characterization of the immune and pruritic pathways in a mouse model of poison ivy-induced allergic contact dermatitis.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent endogenous vasoconstrictor that has been widely known as a pain mediator involved in various pain states. Evidence indicates that ET-1 sensitizes transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) in vivo. But the molecular mechanisms still remain unknown. We aim to explore whether ET-1 sensitizes TRPA1 in primary sensory neurons and the molecular mechanisms. Ca2+ imaging, immunostaining, electrophysiology, animal behavioral assay combined with pharmacological experiments were performed. ET-1 sensitized TRPA1-mediated Ca2+ responses in human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells as well as in cultured native mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. ET-1 also sensitized TRPA1 channel currents. ET-1 sensitized TRPA1 activated by endogenous agonist H2O2. ETA receptor (ETAR) colocalized with TRPA1 in DRG neurons. ET-1-induced TRPA1 sensitization in vivo was mediated via ETAR and protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in HEK293 cells and DRG neurons. Pharmacological blocking of ETAR, PKA, and TRPA1 significantly attenuated ET-1-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in mice. Our results suggest that TRPA1 acts as a molecular target for ET-1, and sensitization of TRPA1 through ETAR–PKA pathway contributes to ET-1-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Pharmacological targeting of TRPA1 and ETAR-PKA pathway may provide effective strategies to alleviate pain conditions associated with ET-1.

Chengyu Yin,1,2,* Qimiao Hu,1,* Boyu Liu,1,* Yan Tai,3 Xiaoli Zheng,1 Yuanyuan Li,1 Xuaner Xiang,1 Ping Wang,4 Boyi Liu11Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Life Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 3Academy of Chinese Medicine Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally tothis workPurpose: Complex regional pain syndrome type-I (CRPS-I) is a progressive and devastating pain condition, which remains clinically challenging. The mechanisms of CRPS-I still remain largely unknown. We aim to identify transcriptome profiles of genes relevant to pain mechanisms and major pathways involved in CRPS-I.Methods: A rat model of chronic post-ischemia pain (CPIP) was established to mimic CRPS-I. RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) was used to profile transcriptome of L4-6 dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) of a rat model of CRPS-I.Results: CPIP model rats developed persistent mechanical/thermal hyperalgesia in ipsilateral hind paw. RNA-Seq identified a total of 295 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 195 up- and 100 downregulated, in ipsilateral DRGs of CPIP rats compared with sham rats. The expression of several representative genes was confirmed by qPCR. Functional analysis of DEGs revealed that the most significant enriched biological processes of upregulated genes include response to lipopolysaccharide, inflammatory response and cytokine activity, which are all important mechanisms mediating pain. We further screened DEGs implicated in pain progress, genes enriched in small- to medium-sized sensory neurons and enriched in TRPV1-lineage nociceptors. By comparing our dataset with other published datasets of neuropathic or inflammatory pain models, we identified a core set of genes and pathways that extensively participate in CPIP and other neuropathic pain states.Conclusion: Our study identified transcriptome gene changes in DRGs of an animal model of CRPS-I and could provide insights into identifying promising genes or pathways that can be potentially targeted to ameliorate CRPS-I.Keywords: RNA-Seq, pain, CRPS-I, dorsal root ganglion, neuropathic pain &nbsp

In this research, astaxanthin-rich nanopowder was prepared by nanoencapsulation and freeze-drying techniques with enhanced bioavailability and antioxidant activities. The nanopowder showed a maximum solubility of 230 mg mL−1 with an astaxanthin content as high as 2.9%. Compared with free astaxanthin, the astaxanthin-loaded nanopowder exhibited a more efficient antioxidant effect: an oral dose of 0.9 mg per kg BW significantly reduced the malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl contents, and increased the glutathione content as well as the superoxide dismutase activities in alcohol-induced acute hepatic injured mice, and maintained these oxidative stress indicators at a normal level for a longer period when treated with nanoencapsulated-astaxanthin than free astaxanthin. Simulated gastrointestinal tract studies demonstrated that the nanopowder with pH and DNase I-dependent dissociation properties delivered astaxanthin efficiently to the small intestine. Astaxanthin-rich nanopowder with a dose as high as 2.4 mg per kg BW (equivalent to astaxanthin) showed no chronic toxicity to mice in terms of hematology and pathological histology, indicating its impressive biocompatibility for biomedical applications. Pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability (207%) of the nanopowder further proved that DNA/chitosan nanocarriers significantly improved the delivery efficiency of astaxanthin. With enhanced bioavailability and antioxidant activities, this novel type of astaxanthin-loaded nanopowder is expected to find broad application in the food and drug industry.

This paper presents a dynamic control strategy of air-conditioning air supply volume based on statistical data of the spatial and temporal distribution of occupants in the building, aiming at reducing overheating in buildings under local heat island effect. Nowadays, energy consumption in air-conditioning system is relatively high when considering the limited number of occupants and chiller plants operating inefficiently because the traditional central air-conditioning system was not designed to operate at different cooling load demands. Therefore, variable air volume (VAV) air-conditioning system is applied in this paper with corresponding wind volume control method. To address the above issue, in this paper: (1) A spatiotemporal distribution of occupants in the building is analyzed, and the relationship between occupant distribution and characteristics of the thermal dissipating load is established; (2) A strategy for dynamic controlling of the air supply volume in time and space is proposed; (3) A distributed photovoltaic system supplies power to cooling load of the building, and a strategy is proposed for optimizing the match between cooling power and photovoltaic (PV) output power using competitive swarm optimization algorithm; and (4) Air blower total amount of wind control method is adopted in VAV air-conditioning system for dynamic controlling of the air supply volume. This paper uses a simulation to verify the feasibility and optimality of the above strategies. The simulation results show that the building energy consumption is greatly reduced by 39.52%, the PV accommodation is improved as 77.14%, and four control indicators are well satisfied due to the air blower total amount of wind control method.

Complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-I) is a debilitating pain condition that significantly affects life quality of patients. It remains a clinically challenging condition and the mechanisms of CRPS-I have not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the involvement of TRPV1, a non-selective cation channel important for integrating various painful stimuli, in an animal model of CRPS-I. A rat model of chronic post-ischemia pain (CPIP) was established to mimic CRPS-I. TRPV1 expression was significantly increased in hind paw tissue and small to medium-sized dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons of CPIP rats. CPIP rats showed increased TRPV1 current density and capsaicin responding rate in small-sized nociceptive DRG neurons. Local pharmacological blockage of TRPV1 with the specific antagonist AMG9810, at a dosage that does not produce hyperthermia or affect thermal perception or locomotor activity, effectively attenuated thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in bilateral hind paws of CPIP rats and reduced the hyperexcitability of DRG neurons induced by CPIP. CPIP rats showed bilateral spinal astrocyte and microglia activations, which were significantly attenuated by AMG9810 treatment. These findings identified an important role of TRPV1 in mediating thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in a CRPS-I animal model and further suggest local pharmacological blocking TRPV1 may represent an effective approach to ameliorate CRPS-I.

Conflicts between ecological conservation and socio-economic development persisted over many decades in the Beijing&ndash, Tianjin&ndash, Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH). Ecosystem services were affected drastically by rapid urbanization and ecological restoration programs in the BTH since 2000. This study aims to identify the spatial patterns of the four types of ecosystem services (net primary productivity (NPP), crop production, water retention, and soil conservation) in 2000 and 2010, and to make clear the impacts of urbanization and associated factors on the spatial patterns of ecosystem services. Based on the quantification of ecosystem services, we assessed the spatial patterns and changes, and identified the relationships between the type diversity of ecosystem services and land-use change. We also analyzed the effect of the spatial differentiation of influencing factors on ecosystem services, using the geographical detector model. The results showed that the average value of crop production increased substantially between 2000 and 2010, whereas the net primary productivity decreased significantly, and the water retention and soil conservation decreased slightly. The ecosystem services exhibited a spatial similar to that of influencing factors, and the combination of any two factors strengthened the spatial effect more than a single factor. The geomorphic factors (elevation and slope) were found to control the distribution of NPP, water retention, and soil conservation. The population density was responsible for crop production. We also found that the urbanization rate plays a major indirect role in crop production and water retention when interacting with population density and slope, respectively. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) indirectly influences the spatial distribution of NPP when interacting with geomorphic factors. These findings highlight the need to promote new strategies of land-use management in the BTH. On the one hand, it is necessary to carefully select where new urban land should be located in order to relieve the pressure on ecosystem services in dense urban areas. On the other hand, the maintenance of ecological restoration programs is needed for improving vegetation coverage in the ecological functional zones in the medium and long term.

Background Polycomb group (PcG) proteins play important roles in animal and plant development and stress response. Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and PRC2 are the key epigenetic regulators of gene expression, and are involved in almost all developmental stages. PRC1 catalyzes H2A monoubiquitination resulting in transcriptional silencing or activation. The PRC1 components in the green lineage were identified and evolution and conservation was analyzed by bioinformatics techniques. RING Finger Protein 1 (RING1), B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog (BMI1), Like Heterochromatin Protein 1 (LHP1) and Embryonic Flower 1 (EMF1) are the PRC1 core components and Vernalization 1 (VRN1), VP1/ABI3-Like 1/2/3 (VAL1/2/3), Alfin-like 1–7 (AL1–7), Inhibitor of growth 1/2 (ING1/2), and Early Bolting in Short Days (EBS) / Short Life (SHL) are the associated factors. Results Each PRC1 subunit possesses special domain organizations, such as RING and the ring finger and WD40-associated ubiquitin-like (RAWUL) domains for RING1 and BMI1, chromatin organization modifier (CHROMO) and chromo shadow (ChSh) domains for LHP1, one or two B3 DNA binding domain(s) for VRN1, B3 and zf-CW domains for VAL1/2/3, Alfin and Plant HomeoDomain (PHD) domains for AL1–7, ING and PHD domains for ING1/2, Bromoadjacent homology (BAT) and PHD domains for EBS/SHL. Six new motifs are uncovered in EMF1. The PRC1 core components RING1 and BMI1, and the associated factors VAL1/2/3, AL1–7, ING1/2, and EBS/SHL exist from alga to higher plants, whereas LHP1 only occurs in higher plants. EMF1 and VRN1 are present only in eudicots. PRC1 components undergo duplication in the plant evolution. Most of plants carry the homologous core component LHP1, the associated factor EMF1, and several homologs in RING1, BMI1, VRN1, AL1–7, ING1/2/3, and EBS/SHL. Cabbage, cotton, poplar, orange and maize often exhibit more gene copies than other species. Domain organization analysis shows that duplicated gene functions may be of diverse. Conclusions The PRC1 core components RING1 and BMI1, and the associated factors VAL1/2/3, AL1–7, ING1/2, and EBS/SHL originate from algae. The core component LHP1 is from moss and the associated factors EMF1 and VRN1 are from dicotyledon. PRC1 components are of functional redundancy and diversity in evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12864-019-5905-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Because of the severe air pollution in northern China, facemasks have gained popularity in this area in recent years. Although the results of previous studies have shown the effectiveness of wearing facemasks for intercepting particles, the individual differences and the overall health benefits of wearing facemasks have not been comprehensively documented. In this study, using both model and personal tests under various conditions, we test eight major brands of facemasks for their removal efficiencies (REs) of particulate matter (PM) in six size ranges (from 0.3 μm to >10 μm). The results are used to assess the overall exposure reduction at the individual and population levels in Beijing. We find significant differences in REs among PM sizes, facemask brands, pollution levels, and genders. Combining the information on the usage of various brands, facemask wearing rates, and PM2.5 concentrations in the ambient and indoor air in this area, we evaluate the overall effect of facemask wearing on PM2.5 exposure reduction. It is quantitatively demonstrated that because people spend most time indoors, facemask protection is limited. For facemask wearers, the overall exposure can be reduced by less than 20%, whereas the reduction rate is as low as 2.4 ± 1.6% for the entire adult populations even in the year with the highest level of pollution with an annual mean PM2.5 concentration of 102 ± 98 μg∙m−3. As a strategy of self-protection from long-term exposure to particulate matter, wearing facemasks outdoors is inferior to the installation of indoor air purifiers.

The major latex protein/ripening-related protein (MLP/RRP) subfamily plays a key role in the growth, development, and stress resistance of plants. Brassica rapa is an important oil crop in China but also represents a model species for studying plant evolution. The specific roles of the MLP gene family in the development of B. rapa have yet to be elucidated. Here, we identified 31 MLPs from B. rapa (BrMLPs) which could have belonged to 3 groups. Using bioinformatics tools, we investigated and compared the 31 MLPs with regards to gene exons, gene sub-structures, protein domains, and chromosomal location. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was then carried out to investigate the expression of the 31 BrMLPs, using Murashige and Skoog as contrast, with three types of processing conditions (NaCl), abscisic acid (ABA), and mannitol and over three time periods (1, 3, and 6 h). Our data showed that BrMLP1/6 plays a role in resistance to drought and salt resistance. Collectively, our findings provide a useful foundation or improving the resistance of B. rapa to period of drought and salty conditions.

With the increasing network threat, network anomaly detection has become a very challenging and indispensable task. In this article, we propose an anomaly detection algorithm through modeling computer network as temporal network. The active subnetwork is extracted from the original computer communication network and then projected to an undirected weighted network series, finally the abnormal behavior patterns of network series are detected based on eigenvectors. Data test experiment shows that the proposed algorithm has achieved very good results.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonic generation scheme for multiband ultra-wideband (MB-UWB) signal by employing a dual-drive Mach–Zehnder modulator (DDMZM). In this scheme, four electrical binary pulse streams with different bit rates are combined to drive one radio frequency (RF) port of the DDMZM, while the other RF port is modulated by the sum of their 1-b delayed duplicates. By properly adjusting the bit rate and the amplitude of each pulse stream, as well as the bias voltage of the DDMZM, an MB-UWB signal with four sub-bands can be obtained and the transmission capacity can be quadrupled. The feasibility of the proposed scheme is verified by a system demonstration, where the signal modulated by amplitude-phase-shift-key format reaches a high bit rate of 2 Gb/s.

We present our recent progress on microwave signal processing (MSP) using on-chip passive silicon photonic devices, including tunable microwave notch filtering/millimeter-wave (MMW) signal generation based on self-coupled micro-resonators (SCMRs), and tunable radio-frequency (RF) phase shifting implemented by a micro-disk resonator (MDR). These schemes can provide improved flexibility and performances of MSP. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions, which validate the effectiveness of the proposed schemes.

Histone methylations play fundamental roles in epigenetic regulation of transcription in many eukaryotes. In the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana as in human, a same histone lysine residue (e.g. H3K4 or H3K36) can be a potential target substrate for various different histone lysine methyltransferases (HKMTs). Using powerful genetic tool in Arabidopsis, we here investigate the interplay between two close HKMT homologues, SET DOMAIN GROUP 8 (SDG8) and SDG26, in regulating transcription and plant growth and development. We show that the sdg8 mutation is epistatic to the sdg26 one, leading to a sdg8 sdg26 double mutant exhibiting defects similar to sdg8 (reduced level of H3K36me3, increased level of H3K36me1, reduced plant body size, early flowering associated with reduced expression of FLC and MAFs and increased expression of FT and SOC1), but opposite to sdg26 (increased rosette size, late flowering associated with increased FLC and MAF5 expression and reduced FT and SOC1 expression). In parallel to the finding of the epistasis of SDG8, our study also unravels novel functions of SDG26 in H3K36me1 deposition and in the interplay with SDG8 in regulating the genome-wide gene expression. The implication of various HKMTs in establishing different forms of histone methylation and gene-context-specific chromatin modifications likely provides an advantageous mechanism for the regulation of transcription to cope with complex and plastic growth and developmental programs in plants and possibly also in other organisms.

Compelling evidence has implicated role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in neurogenesis. Methyl-CpG Binding Protein 2 (MeCP2) was a key contributor to neurological disease. This study investigated whether miR-212-3p affects early neurogenesis associated with MeCP2. Microarray-based gene expression profiling of neurogenesis was employed to identify differentially expressed genes. Next, miR-212-3p expression in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) was detected using in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence. Effect of miR-212-3p and MeCP2 on cell viability, β-tubulin III expression and the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway activity was examined with gain- and loss-of-function experiments. In vivo experiments were also performed to verify effects of miR-212-3p on nerve tube development. MiR-212-3p expression was decreased while MeCP2 expression was increased during differentiation of NPCs. MiR-212-3p targets MeCP2 and down-regulates its expression, which resulted in repressed cell differentiation, proliferation as well as blocked AKT/mTOR pathway activation, subsequently early neurogenesis was prevented. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-212-3p inhibited nerve tube development in vivo. Taken together, miR-212-3p could restrain early neurogenesis through the blockade of AKT/mTOR pathway activation by targeting MeCP2, suggesting a promising therapeutic target for neurogenic disorders.

With the increasing competition for limited metal ore resources, nexus between economics society and mineral resource utilization has been studied broadly. However, the driving forces and pathways of metal footprint change still haven’t been fully understood. Therefore, in the present study, the additive structural decomposition analysis based on an environmental input-output model is adopted to decompose the world metal footprint from 1995 to 2013 into five major driving factors: metal consumption intensity effect, production structure effect, category effect, consumption patterns effect and consumption volume effect. The obtained results indicate that: i) the modern production structure has been becoming increasingly dependent upon metal resources; ii)the production structure effect and consumption volume effect are dominant factors driving the metal footprint increase, yet the metal consumption intensity effect is the main force offsetting this inclining trend; iii) distinct patterns can be observed among different kinds of metals due to the production structure effect; iv) all the driving factors in developing countries tend to be more divergent comparing with developed countries consistent with their economic growth characteristics. The findings of this study are significant for policy makers to understand the deep causes for domestic metal footprint change and propose proper relevant polices.

To make best use of available coastal renewable energy and to meet local freshwater demand, optimal operation of a coastal hydro-electrical energy system with consideration of seawater desalination is proposed in this paper. The paper outlines a system configuration which is used to develop the virtual energy storage characteristics of a desalination plant and in which cost-savings are demonstrated while preserving the local desalinated water supply. To achieve the control criteria, minimization of the total period cost and tie-line power fluctuations are considered as two objectives in an objective function. Constraints are established based on the system configuration and the multi-objective optimization problem is solved with the third generation of the constrained non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-III) algorithm. Virtual energy storage characteristics of the desalination units is studied and utilized in the model. The paper examines several case studies to verify the feasibility and merits of the proposed method. The operational characteristics of the virtual energy storage components in the system is discussed, and sensitivity analysis of the operating parameters of the pumped storage hydropower unit and the seawater desalination unit are also conducted. Simulation results show that the proposed optimal operation approach is suitable for calculating the total cost as well as assessing the power stability on the tie-line, and NSGA-III is capable of determining the Pareto-optimal operational plans of the system.

With the rapid increase of the installed capacity and generation capacity of renewable generation, the topology and structure of modern power systems get more complicated, which promotes higher requirements for power system secure and stable operation. However, power system large-scale blackouts often occur. This paper firstly reviewed 51 major blackouts in history worldwide. The main causes of blackouts were summarized afterwards. Finally, distributed accommodation for distributed energy in energy internet was proposed as a key research direction to avoid large-scale blackouts.

Despite their energy-efficient merits as promising light-weight structural materials, magnesium (Mg) based alloys suffer from inadequate corrosion resistance. One primary reason is that the native surface film on Mg formed in air mainly consists of Mg(OH)2 and MgO, which is porous and unprotective, especially in humid environments. Here, we demonstrate an environmentally benign method to grow a protective film on the surface of Mg/Mg alloy samples at room temperature, via a direct reaction of already-existing surface film with excited CO2. Moreover, for samples that have been corroded obviously on surface, the corrosion products can be converted directly to create a new protective surface. Mechanical tests show that compared with untreated samples, the protective layer can elevate the yield stress, suppress plastic instability and prolong compressive strains without peeling off from the metal surface. This environmentally friendly surface treatment method is promising to protect Mg alloys, including those already-corroded on the surface., Magnesium alloys usually have poor corrosion resistance, which inhibits their use in the automotive and biomedical industries. Here, the authors use an environmental TEM to carbonate the natural corrosion products at the surface of magnesium alloys and form a compact and protective surface layer.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an on-chip all-optical differential-equation solver capable of solving second-order ordinary differential equations (ODEs) characterizing continuous-time linear time-invariant systems. The photonic device is implemented by a self-coupled microresonator on a silicon-on-insulator platform with mutual coupling between the cavity modes. Owing to the mutual mode coupling within the same resonant cavity, the resonance wavelengths induced by different cavity modes are self-aligned, thus avoiding precise wavelength alignment and unequal thermal wavelength drifts as in the case of cascaded resonators. By changing the mutual mode coupling strength, the proposed device can be used to solve second-order ODEs with tunable coefficients. System demonstration using the fabricated device is carried out for 10-Gb/s optical Gaussian and super-Gaussian input pulses. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions of the solutions, which verify the feasibility of the fabricated device as a tunable second-order photonic ODE solver.

Leptospirosis, which is caused by pathogenic species of the genus Leptospira, has emerged as one of the most widespread zoonotic diseases in the world. The exact mechanism of pathogenesis remains unknown, and the interaction between Leptospira and macrophages is not well understood. In this study, we report that carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFDA-SE) can efficiently label different Leptospira interrogans strains without affecting bacterial motility, viability, or virulence. Following co-incubation, CFDA-SE-labeled leptospires associated with macrophages were quantified by flow cytometry or confocal microscopy. In addition, we showed that trypan blue efficiently quenched the extracellular fluorescence from the adherent leptospires, which enabled intracellular and extracellular bacteria to be distinguished.

A compact silicon bandpass filter with high sidelobe suppression is proposed and experimentally demonstrated using an apodized subwavelength grating (SWG) coupler. The device is implemented by placing a SWG waveguide next to a strip waveguide, and apodization is employed with a Gaussian profile to taper the gap between the two waveguides. A high sidelobe suppression ratio of 27 dB can be obtained with a 3-dB bandwidth of 8.8 nm and an insertion loss of 2.5 dB. Owing to the large optical phase mismatch between the two waveguides and the presence of the SWG waveguide, the coupling length of the device is reduced to 100.3 μm. The experimental results validate our proposed apodized-SWG-based contradirectional coupler (contra-DC) as a promising device in suppressing out-of-band components in coarse wavelength division multiplexed (CWDM) optical communication systems.

This study aimed to identify the key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) following ischemic stroke (IS). The GSE22255 microarray dataset, which contains samples from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 20 IS patients and 20 sex- and age-matched controls, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. After data pre-processing, DEGs were identified using the Linear Models for Microarray Data package in R. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes database was used to predict the interactions among the products of DEGs, and then Cytoscape software was used to visualize the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. DEGs in the PPI network were then analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery online software to predict their underlying functions through functional and pathway enrichment analyses. A total of 144 DEGs were identified in IS samples compared with control samples, including 75 upregulated and 69 downregulated genes. Genes with higher degrees in the PPI network included FOS (degree = 26), TP53 (degree = 22), JUN (degree = 20), EGR1 (degree = 18), JUNB (degree = 16), and ATF3 (degree = 15), and these genes may function in IS by interacting with each other (e.g., EGR1-JUN, EGR1-TP53, ATF3-FOS, and JUNB-FOS). Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the downregulated TP53 gene was enriched in immune response and protein targeting categories. ATF3 and EGR1 may have an important protective effect on IS, whereas FOS, JUN, and JUNB may be associated with the development of IS. In addition, TP53 may function as an indicator of poor prognosis for IS through its association with the immune response and protein targeting.

We experimentally demonstrate a compact silicon contradirectional coupler with high sidelobe suppression by using apodized subwavelength grating waveguide. A suppression ratio of higher than 20 dB is achieved with a ∼100-pm coupling length.

In recent years, the number of electronic controllers are equipped in vehicle is on the rise. The reliability requirements for vehicle active safety controller are higher and higher, such as VCU (Vehicle Control Unit) and ABS (Antiskid Brake System). The vehicle must enter the security status that ensures vehicle running at a safe mode, even if the vehicle breaks down. If we want to develop a VCU which is based on functional safety, the most important thing is to design a VCU system architecture which is consistent with functional safety. This paper designs the VCU system architecture that is in accordance with function safety and meets the function safety requirements. It contains a double MCU redundant mechanism, a CAN communication diagnosis mechanism and a signal acquisition mechanism. The safety architecture gives a new scheme with plans and ideas for high safety VCU in the future.

Metal modified C

A compact polarization splitter-rotator is experimentally demonstrated by using a subwavelength grating waveguide based directional coupler. Over 13 dB extinction ratios for both polarizations are achieved. Large tolerance (50 nm) to waveguide-width variation is also verified.

Pollen Ole e 1 domain-containing proteins were initially identified as major allergens. However, recent studies have suggested that these proteins also function as developmental regulators in many other plant tissues. To understand the possible roles of these proteins in plant development, we characterized 28 Pollen Ole e 1 allergen and extensin (AtPOE1) family proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana, and analyzed the transcript levels of the genes encoding these proteins in various tissues. Our analysis revealed that most of the AtPOE1 family genes showed spatial transcription patterns, suggesting that they may be involved in various events at diverse developmental stages. Using one member of the family, AtPOE1;26, as a model, we showed that it is mainly expressed in the root. In addition, the AtPOE1;26 gene locus has a significant histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) modification, which is the typical epigenetic regulation marker of the Polycomb group (PcG) pathway. AtPOE1;26 transcription was upregulated in the PcG mutant curly leaf (clf), and the H3K27me3 level at the AtPOE1;26 locus was reduced in clf, suggesting that its expression is controlled by PcG. Besides AtPOE1;26, the gene loci of at least 13 AtPOE1 family members were modified by H3K27me3. Overall, these data indicate that AtPOE1 family members have spatial expression patterns in multiple plant tissues, and that their expression could be epigenetically controlled.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent endogenous vasoconstrictor that has been widely known as a pain mediator involved in various pain states. Evidence indicates that ET-1 sensitizes transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, member 1 (TRPA1) in vivo. But the molecular mechanisms still remain unknown. We aim to explore whether ET-1 sensitizes TRPA1 in primary sensory neurons and the molecular mechanisms. Ca2+ imaging, immunostaining, electrophysiology, animal behavioral assay combined with pharmacological experiments were performed. ET-1 sensitized TRPA1-mediated Ca2+ responses in human embryonic kidney (HEK)293 cells as well as in cultured native mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. ET-1 also sensitized TRPA1 channel currents. ET-1 sensitized TRPA1 activated by endogenous agonist H2O2. ETA receptor (ETAR) colocalized with TRPA1 in DRG neurons. ET-1-induced TRPA1 sensitization in vivo was mediated via ETAR and protein kinase A (PKA) pathway in HEK293 cells and DRG neurons. Pharmacological blocking of ETAR, PKA, and TRPA1 significantly attenuated ET-1-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in mice. Our results suggest that TRPA1 acts as a molecular target for ET-1, and sensitization of TRPA1 through ETAR-PKA pathway contributes to ET-1-induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Pharmacological targeting of TRPA1 and ETAR-PKA pathway may provide effective strategies to alleviate pain conditions associated with ET-1.

Alarmone Guanosine 5'-diphosphate (or 5'-triphosphate) 3'-diphosphate [(p)ppGpp] is the key component that globally regulates stringent control in bacteria. There are two homologous enzymes, RelA and SpoT in Escherichia coli, which are responsible for fluctuations in (p)ppGpp concentration inside the cell, whereas there exists only a single RelA/SpoT enzyme in Gram-positive bacteria. We have identified a bifunctional enzyme with (p)ppGpp-hydrolase/synthase activity in Leptospira interrogans. We show that the relLin gene (LA_3085) encodes a protein that fully complements the relA/spoT double mutants in E. coli. The protein functions as a (p)ppGpp degradase as well as a (p)ppGpp synthase when the cells encounter amino acid stress and deprivation of carbon sources. N-terminus HD and RSD domains of relLin (relLinN ) were observed to restore growth of double mutants of E. coli. Finally, We demonstrate that purified RelLin and RelLinN show high (p)ppGpp synthesis activity in vitro. Taken together, our results suggest that L. interrogans contain a single Rel-like bifunctional protein, RelLin , which plays an important role in maintaining the basal level of (p)ppGpp in the cell potentially contributing to the regulation of bacterial stress response.

An ultra-compact (coupling length ∼ 6.28 μm) broadband polarization splitter is experimentally demonstrated based on a silicon bridged bent directional coupler. The polarization extinction ratios are >15 dB and > 20 dB for the TE- and TM-polarized lights in the wavelength range of 90 nm, respectively.

Land cover change detection is a comprehensive procedure involved with several interlinked steps. As a large number of change detection algorithms have been developed depending on different requirements, it becomes difficult for common end-users to select an appropriate change detection workflow. To address the challenge, this paper presents an online land cover change detection system with web service composition. Firstly, change detection domain knowledge is summarized, and a service relation model (CDS-Net) is developed for knowledge representation. Then, a dynamic service composition algorithm is proposed based on service relation reasoning. Finally, a prototype system (SCS-OCD) is designed and implemented to enable users to execute a web service chain of land cover change detection in an open web environment. A case study of online change detection with different users' requirements is used to demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the prototype system.

International audience; The polycomb group (PcG) proteins are key epigenetic regulators of gene expression in animals and plants. They act in multiprotein complexes, of which the best characterized is the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which catalyses the tri-methylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) at chromatin targets. In Arabidopsis thaliana, PRC2 proteins are involved in the regulation of diverse developmental processes, including cell fate determination, vegetative growth and development, flowering time control and embryogenesis. Here, we systematically analysed the evolutionary conservation and diversification of PRC2 components in lower and higher plants. We searched for and identified PRC2 homologues from the sequenced genomes of several green lineage species, from the unicellular green alga Ostreococcus lucimarinus to more complicated angiosperms. We found that some PRC2 core components, e.g. E(z), ESC/FIE and MSI/p55, are ancient and have multiplied coincidently with multicellular evolution. For one component, some members are newly formed, especially in the Cruciferae. During evolution, higher plants underwent copy number multiplication of various PRC2 components, which occurred independently for each component, without any obvious co-amplification of PRC2 members. Among the amplified members, usually one was well-conserved and the others were more diversified. Gene amplification occurred at different times for different PcG members during green lineage evolution. Certain PRC2 core components or members of them were highly conserved. Our study provides an insight into the evolutionary conservation and diversification of PcG proteins and may guide future functional characterization of these important epigenetic regulators in plants other than Arabidopsis.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a wavelength and bandwidth-tunable comb filter based on silicon Sagnac loop mirrors (SLMs) with Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) couplers. By thermally tuning the MZI couplers in common and differential modes, the phase shift and reflectivity of the SLMs can be changed, respectively, leading to tunable wavelength and bandwidth of the comb filter. The fabricated comb filter has 93 comb lines in the wavelength range from 1535 nm to 1565 nm spaced by ~0.322 nm. The central wavelength can be red-shifted by ~0.462 nm with a tuning efficiency of ~0.019 nm/mW. A continuously tunable bandwidth from 5.88 GHz to 24.89 GHz is also achieved with a differential heating power ranging from 0.00 mW to 0.53 mW.

China cities are in the state of shortage of water in recent years. Although large scale projects have solved some of the city's municipal water supply problems,the linear water supply policy still can’t cover all the small and medium-sized city. In recent years, seawater desalination technology has becom mature. In this paper the feasibility of the city’s municipal water supply in some cities is analyzed in-depth.

We propose a compact (5μm×40μm) 2×2 electro-optic switch implemented by dual silicon photonic crystal nanobeam (PCN) cavities. A switching power of 2.6 fJ/bit is numerically demonstrated. Extinction ratios of 14.2/13.4 dB are achieved at through/drop ports.

We performed preepidemic and postepidemic serologic surveys to elucidate the rate of enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection in Lu'an City, Anhui Province, Central China. For the preepidemic study, a total of 472 healthy infants and children (age range, neonates to 15 years) were randomly selected before the 2008 outbreak of EV71 in the region. Blood samples were collected and tested for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against EV71 by performing a microneutralization assay. The results of preepidemic serological survey showed that 43.2% (204/472) of the tested samples yielded positive results for NAbs against EV71. The seropositivity rates were 29.6% (93/314) in children who were 0-7 years of age and 74.6% (59/79) in children who were 12-15 years of age. The overall geometric mean titer was 18.1, and the highest antibody titers were detected in children who were 5-7 years of age; this suggests that this group was frequently exposed to EV71 infection. For the postepidemic study, 83 serum samples were collected from healthy children ≤15 years of age in 2010. The seropositivity rate of EV71 NAbs increased in this young population after the 2008 outbreak, especially in 2- to 11-year-old children. This report shows that EV71 was spreading in Lu'an City before the 2008 outbreak, and children under 7 years of age were the main susceptible population.

Immunosuppression associated with chronic helminth infections has been documented in many studies and regulatory T (Treg) cells have been shown to mediate the nematode-induced immunosuppression, but the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in the induction of Treg cell response and immunosuppression has not yet been fully determined. We analysed the response and function of DCs in mesenteric lymph node (MLNs) of mice infected with a gastrointestinal nematode, Heligmosomoides polygyrus, and observed a substantial expansion of DCs in MLNs following the infection. The CD11c(+) DCs in MLNs of infected mice showed reduced expression of co-stimulatory molecules CD40, CD86 and MHC-II, and production of inflammatory cytokines IL-12 and IL-6. Analysis of MLN DC subsets defined by CD11c and CD45RB expression showed that the CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) subset increased rapidly following H. polygyrus infection and the CD11c(mid)CD45RB(high) subset expanded from the third week after infection. In the co-culture of sorted DC subsets with ovalbumin-(OVA-)specific T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic CD4(+) T cells, CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) DCs induced a low proliferation response and a high level of IL-10 production in CD4(+) T cells, whereas CD11c(mid)CD45RB(high) DCs induced more IFN-γ and IL-4 producing CD4(+) T cells. Intracellular staining revealed that CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) DCs promoted CD4(+) Foxp3(+) differentiations. These results indicate that nematode infections selectively induce expansion of the CD11c(low)CD45RB(mid) regulatory DC subset that promotes development of Foxp3(+) and IL-10 producing Treg cells. The Treg cell responses and immunoregulatory cytokines induced by this regulatory DC subset in turn play an important role in mediation of the nematode-induced immunosuppression.

Enterovirus 71 (EV71) strains from children were characterized by full-length VP1 nucleotide sequencing. Out of 22 clinical specimens, five isolates identified as EV71 were recovered by virus isolation. The VP1 sequences of the five isolates had more than 97.4% sequence identity with prototype virus BrCr, clustering in the genotype A lineage. This represents the first record of genotype A EV71 in China since the BrCr prototype strain was discovered in the USA in 1969.

We propose and numerically study an on-chip graphene-silicon hybrid electro-optic (EO) modulator operating at the telecommunication band, which is implemented by a compact 1D photonic crystal nanobeam (PCN) cavity coupled to a bus waveguide with a graphene sheet on top. Through electrically tuning the Fermi level of the graphene, both the quality factor and the resonance wavelength can be significantly changed, thus the in-plane lightwave can be efficiently modulated. Based on finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation results, the proposed modulator can provide a large free spectral range (FSR) of 125.6 nm, a high modulation speed of 133 GHz, and a large modulation depth of ~12.5 dB in a small modal volume, promising a high performance EO modulator for wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) optical communication systems.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an on-chip silicon photonic differential-equation solver that can be used to solve second-order constant-coefficient ordinary-differential-equations (ODEs). The feasibility of the device is verified by 5 and 10 Gb/s optical signals.

Background The genome of pathogenic Leptospira interrogans contains two chromosomes. Plasmids and prophages are known to play specific roles in gene transfer in bacteria and can potentially serve as efficient genetic tools in these organisms. Although plasmids and prophage remnants have recently been reported in Leptospira species, their characteristics and potential applications in leptospiral genetic transformation systems have not been fully evaluated. Results Three extrachromosomal replicons designated lcp1 (65,732 bp), lcp2 (56,757 bp), and lcp3 (54,986 bp) in the L. interrogans serovar Linhai strain 56609 were identified through whole genome sequencing. All three replicons were stable outside of the bacterial chromosomes. Phage particles were observed in the culture supernatant of 56609 after mitomycin C induction, and lcp3, which contained phage-related genes, was considered to be an inducible prophage. L. interrogans–Escherichia coli shuttle vectors, constructed with the predicted replication elements of single rep or rep combined with parAB loci from the three plasmids were shown to successfully transform into both saprophytic and pathogenic Leptospira species, suggesting an essential function for rep genes in supporting auto-replication of the plasmids. Additionally, a wide distribution of homologs of the three rep genes was identified in L. interrogans isolates, and correlation tests showed that the transformability of the shuttle vectors in L. interrogans isolates depended, to certain extent, on genetic compatibility between the rep sequences of both plasmid and host. Conclusions Three extrachromosomal replicons co-exist in L. interrogans, one of which we consider to be an inducible prophage. The vectors constructed with the rep genes of the three replicons successfully transformed into saprophytic and pathogenic Leptospira species alike, but this was partly dependent on genetic compatibility between the rep sequences of both plasmid and host. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-1321-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a new scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) sidelobe suppression by inserting sidelobe suppression prefix (SSP) ahead of cyclic prefix (CP). The feasibility of the proposal is verified by both simulation and experiment.

the polarized light in the atmosphere, water and human tissue is more application. For polarized light in turbid medium of different integrated transmission characteristics, this paper adopts the mie scattering theory polarized light scattering method research in turbid medium, the transmission characteristics of polarized light in turbid medium is given in the model, the change law of polarization light intensity change. Finally based on the coherent polarization theory, USES the cross spectral density partially coherent light polarization characteristics of transmission in the transmission process changes to make predictions.

the polarized light is used in polarization imaging and detection in complex environment, turbid atmosphere under the harsh conditions. Polarized light in the transmission process is affected by smoke composition, the uneven distribution of concentration, particle shape,particle refractive index and other aspects of the causes of polarized light transmission, and the degree of polarization and polarization parameters change. The polarized light research is single on theory study, the experiment equipment simulating environment is not conducive to the transmission characteristics of quantitative study of polarized light in smoke environment. This paper from the research and simulation of smoke device, the device uesd the temperature and humidity adjusting device to control the generation of water mist, to simulate the natural environment in the haze environment, and use of particle size instrument and concentration detection device real-time monitoring test . Polarized light transmission characteristics in the test program and its influencing factors, which can provide reference of polarized light for the transmission characteristics.

Polarization imaging detection technology in addition to the traditional imaging information, also can get polarization multi-dimensional information, thus improve the probability of target detection and recognition.Image fusion in turbid medium target polarization image research, is helpful to obtain high quality images. Based on visible light wavelength of light wavelength of laser polarization imaging, through the rotation Angle of polaroid get corresponding linear polarized light intensity, respectively to obtain the concentration range from 5% to 10% of turbid medium target stocks of polarization parameters, introduces the processing of image fusion technology, main research on access to the polarization of the image by using different polarization image fusion methods for image processing, discusses several kinds of turbid medium has superior performance of polarization image fusion method, and gives the treatment effect and analysis of data tables. Then use pixel level, feature level and decision level fusion algorithm on three levels of information fusion, DOLP polarization image fusion, the results show that: with the increase of the polarization Angle, polarization image will be more and more fuzzy, quality worse and worse. Than a single fused image contrast of the image be improved obviously, the finally analysis on reasons of the increase the image contrast and polarized light.