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BackgroundThe T cell receptor (TCR) diversity is essential for effective T cell immunity. Previous studies showed that TCR diversity in Wiskott–Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) patients was severely impaired, especially in the memory T cell populations. Whether this defect was caused by intrinsic WASp deficiency or extrinsic reasons is still unclear.MethodsWe sorted different T cell subsets from the bone marrow chimeric mice model using both magnetic beads and flow cytometry. TCR repertoires of memory T cells, especially CD4+ effector memory T (TEM) cells and CD8+ central memory T (TCM) cells, were analyzed using the UMI quantitative high-throughput sequencing (HTS).ResultsAn average of 5.51 million sequencing reads of 32 samples was obtained from the Illumina sequencing platform. Bioinformatic analyses showed that compared with wild type (WT), WAS knock out (KO)-CD4+ TEM cells exhibited increased Simpson index and decreased D50 index (P

Built-up areas and buildings are two main targets in remote sensing research; consequently, automatic extraction of built-up areas and buildings has attracted extensive attention. This task is usually difficult because of boundary blur, object occlusion, and intra-class inconsistency. In this paper, we propose the multi-attention feature fusion HRNet, MAFF-HRNet, which can retain more detailed features to achieve accurate semantic segmentation. The design of a pyramidal feature attention (PFA) hierarchy enhances the multilevel semantic representation of the model. In addition, we develop a mixed convolutional attention (MCA) block, which increases the capture range of receptive fields and overcomes the problem of intra-class inconsistency. To alleviate interference due to occlusion, a multiscale attention feature aggregation (MAFA) block is also proposed to enhance the restoration of the final prediction map. Our approach was systematically tested on the WHU (Wuhan University) Building Dataset and the Massachusetts Buildings Dataset. Compared with other advanced semantic segmentation models, our model achieved the best IoU results of 91.69% and 68.32%, respectively. To further evaluate the application significance of the proposed model, we migrated a pretrained model based on the World-Cover Dataset training to the Gaofen 16 m dataset for testing. Quantitative and qualitative experiments show that our model can accurately segment buildings and built-up areas from remote sensing images.

Dirac cones (DCs) are an important band structure in topological insulators (TIs) for realizing topological phase transition, and they provide unique ways to artificially regulate wave transport. Herein, we proposed a simple method to achieve Dirac hierarchy in three-dimensional (3D) acoustic TIs with rich and controllable topological phase transitions. The split of multifold DCs in each bulk Dirac hierarchy induced boundary Dirac hierarchy, including topological surface states and topological hinge states. We successfully realized 3D higher-order topological insulators (HOTIs) that exhibited two-fold boundary Dirac hierarchy with hinge states and achieved energy transport along three independent directions based on hinge-to-hinge channels. The proposed method is not limited to single hinges, and it provides a new design idea for multidimensional sound transport, serving as the basis for controllable acoustic functional devices.

The BES1 (BRI1-EMSSUPPRESSOR1) gene family play a vital role in the BR (brassinosteroid) signaling pathway, which is involved in the growth and development, biotic, abiotic, and hormone stress response in many plants. However, there are few reports of BES1 in Cucurbita moschata. In this study, 50 BES1 genes were identified in six Cucurbitaceae species by genome-wide analysis, which could be classified into 3 groups according to their gene structural features and motif compositions, and 13 CmoBES1 genes in Cucurbita moschata were mapped on 10 chromosomes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the CmoBES1 genes displayed differential expression under different abiotic stress and hormone treatments. Subcellular localization showed that the most of CmoBES1 proteins localized in nucleus and cytoplasm, and transactivation assay indicated 9 CmoBES1 proteins played roles as transcription factors. Our analysis of BES1s diversity, localization, and expression in Curcubitaceae contributes to the better understanding of the essential roles of these transcription factors in plants.

In the field of autonomous driving, millimeter-wave (MMW) radar is often used as a supplement sensor of other types of sensors, such as optics, in severe weather conditions to provide target-detection services for autonomous driving. RODNet (A Real-Time Radar Object-Detection Network) is one of the most widely used MMW radar range–azimuth (RA) image sequence target-detection algorithms based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). However, RODNet adopts an object-location similarity (OLS) detection method that is independent of the number of targets to obtain the final target detections from the predicted confidence map. Therefore, it gives a poor performance on missed detection ratio in dense pedestrian scenes. Based on the analysis of the predicted confidence map distribution characteristics, we propose a new generative model-based target-location detection algorithm to improve the performance of RODNet in dense pedestrian scenes. The confidence value and space distribution predicted by RODNet are analyzed in this paper. It shows that the space distribution is more robust than the value distribution for clustering. This is useful in selecting a clustering method to estimate the clustering centers of multiple targets in close range under the effects of distributed target and radar measurement variance and multipath scattering. Another key idea of this algorithm is the derivation of a Gaussian Mixture Model with target number (GMM-TN) for generating the likelihood probability distributions of different target number assumptions. Furthermore, a minimum Kullback–Leibler (KL) divergence target number estimation scheme is proposed combined with K-means clustering and a GMM-TN model. Through the CRUW dataset, the target-detection experiment on a dense pedestrian scene is carried out, and the confidence distribution under typical hidden variable conditions is analyzed. The effectiveness of the improved algorithm is verified: the Average Precision (AP) is improved by 29% and the Average Recall (AR) is improved by 36%.

Millimeter wave (MMW) radar simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology is an emerging technology in a tunnel vehicle accident rescue scene. It is a powerful tool for statistic-trapped vehicle detection with limited vision caused by darkness, heat, and smoke. A variety of SLAM frameworks have been proven to be able to obtain 3-degree-of-freedom (3-dof) pose estimation results using 2-dimention (2D) MMW radar in open space. In the application of millimeter wave radar for pose estimation and mapping in a closed environment, closed space structures and artificial targets together constitute high-intensity multi-path scattering measurement data, leading to radar false detections. Radar false detections caused by multi-path scattering are generally considered to be detrimental to radar applications, such as multi-target tracking. However, few studies analyze the mechanism of multi-path effects on radar SLAM, especially in closed spaces. In order to address the problem, this paper first presents a radar multi-path scattering theory to study the generation mechanism difference of false and radar true detection and their influences on radar SLAM 2D pose estimation and mapping in tunnel. According to the scattering mechanism differences on SLAM, a radar azimuth scattering angle signature is proposed, which allows distinguishing radar false detections from real ones. This is useful in avoiding using unreliable radar false detections to solve a radar SLAM problem. In addition, two different radar false detection revising methods combined with the CSM (correlative scan matching) algorithm are proposed in this paper. The HTMR-CSM (hard-threshold-multi-path-revised correlative scan matching) algorithm only depends on a hard threshold of radar azimuth scattering angle signature to eliminate all radar false detections as much as possible before CSM. Another idea is the STMR-CSM (soft-threshold-multi-path-revised correlative scan matching) algorithm. All the radar false detections are classified according to the distribution model of radar azimuth accuracy, and part of more reliable radar false detections are retained to estimate a more accurate pose. All the ideas in this paper are validated by using an MMW 2D radar mounted on a rail-guided robot in a tunnel. Two cars on fire were set as the targets. The experimental results show that the STMR-CSM algorithm that keeps the reliable radar false detections improves the positioning accuracy by 20% compared with CSM.

Background Glioma is the most common brain tumor with poor prognosis all over the world. Anesthetics have been demonstrated to have important impacts on cell migration and invasion in different cancers. However, the underlying mechanism that allows anesthetics-mediated progression of glioma cells remains elusive.Methods Sevoflurane (Sev), a class of common anesthetics, was used to expose to U87-MG and U251 cells. The expressions of microRNA-146b-5p (miR-146b-5p) and matrix metallopeptidase 16 (MMP16)were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Transfection was performed in glioma cells with miR-146b-5p inhibitor, inhibitor negative control, MMP16 overexpression vector, empty vector, small interfering RNA against MMP16 or scramble. Cell migration and invasion were analyzed by the trans-well assay. The interaction between miR-146b-5p and MMP16 was explored by luciferase activity and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.Results Sev treatment inhibited migration and invasion of glioma cells. The expression of miR-146b-5p was enhanced and MMP16 protein was decreased in glioma cells after exposure of Sev. Knockdown of miR-146b-5p or overexpression of MMP16 reversed Sev-induced inhibition of migration and invasion of glioma cells. Moreover, MMP16 was indicated as a target of miR-146b-5p and its silencing attenuated the regulatory role of miR-146b-5p abrogationin Sev-treated glioma cells.Conclusion Sev impeded cell migration and invasion through regulating miR-146b-5p and MMP16 in glioma, indicating a novel theories foundation for the application of anesthetics like Sev in glioma.

Abstract Background Drip loss is a key aspect of meat quality. Transcriptome profiles of muscle with divergent drip loss would offer important insight into the genetic factors responsible for the trait. In this study, drip loss and other meat quality traits of 28 purebred Duroc pigs were measured, muscles of these individuals were RNA sequenced, and eight individuals with extremely low and high drip loss were selected for analyzing their transcriptome differences and identifying potential candidate genes affecting drip loss. Results As a result, 363 differentially expressed (DE) genes were detected in the comparative gene expression analysis, of which 239 were up-regulated and 124 were down-regulated in the low drip loss group. The DE genes were further filtered by correlation analysis between their expression and drip loss values in the 28 Duroc pigs measured and comparison of them with QTLs affecting drip loss. Consequently, of the 363 DE genes, 100 were identified as critical DE genes for drip loss. Functional analysis of these critical DE genes revealed some GO terms (extracellular matrix, cell adhesion mediated by integrin, heterotypic cell-cell adhesion), pathway (ECM-receptor interaction), and new potential candidate genes (TNC, ITGA5, ITGA11, THBS3 and CD44) which played an important role in regulating the variation of drip loss, and deserved to carry further studies to unravel their specific mechanism on drip loss. Conclusions Our study revealed some GO terms, pathways and potential candidate genes affecting drip loss. It provides crucial information to understand the molecular mechanism of drip loss, and would be of help for improving meat quality of pigs.

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is increasingly recognized as a major global public health burden and lacks effective risk stratification. We aimed to assess a multi-biomarker model in improving risk prediction in HFpEF.Methods: We analyzed 18 biomarkers from the main pathophysiological domains of HF in 380 patients hospitalized for HFpEF from a prospective cohort. The association between these biomarkers and 2-year risk of all-cause death was assessed by Cox proportional hazards model. Support vector machine (SVM), a supervised machine learning method, was used to develop a prediction model of 2-year all-cause and cardiovascular death using a combination of 18 biomarkers and clinical indicators. The improvement of this model was evaluated by c-statistics, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).Results: The median age of patients was 71-years, and 50.5% were female. Multiple biomarkers independently predicted the 2-year risk of death in Cox regression model, including N-terminal pro B-type brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), endoglin, and 3 biomarkers of extracellular matrix turnover [tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and MMP-9) (FDR < 0.05). The SVM model effectively predicted the 2-year risk of all-cause death in patients with acute HFpEF in training set (AUC 0.834, 95% CI: 0.771–0.895) and validation set (AUC 0.798, 95% CI: 0.719–0.877). The NRI and IDI indicated that the SVM model significantly improved patient classification compared to the reference model in both sets (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Multiple circulating biomarkers coupled with an appropriate machine-learning method could effectively predict the risk of long-term mortality in patients with acute HFpEF. It is a promising strategy for improving risk stratification in HFpEF.

Fabry disease (FD) is a progressive multisystemic disease characterized by lysosomal enzyme deficiency. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is one of the most significant advancements and breakthroughs in treating FD. However, limited resources and the high cost of ERT might prevent patients from receiving prompt and effective therapy, thereby resulting in severe complications. Future progress in ERT can uncover promising treatment options. In this study, we developed and validated a recombinant enzyme (Lanzyme) based on a CHO-S cell system to provide a new potential option for FD therapy. Our results indicated that Lanzyme was heavily glycosylated, and its highest activity was similar to a commercial enzyme (Fabrazyme®). Our pharmacokinetic assessment revealed that the half-life of Lanzyme was up to 11 min, which is nearly twice that of the commercial enzyme. In vivo experiments revealed that Lanzyme treatment sharply decreased the accumulation levels of Gb3 and lyso-Gb3 in various tissues of FD model mice, with superior or comparable therapeutic effects to Fabrazyme®. Based on these data, Lanzyme may represent a new and promising treatment approach for FD. Building this enzyme production system for ERT can offer additional choice, potentially with enhanced efficacy, for the benefit of patients with FD.

BackgroundMasked face is a characteristic clinical manifestation of Parkinson disease (PD), but subjective evaluations from different clinicians often show low consistency owing to a lack of accurate detection technology. Hence, it is of great significance to develop methods to make monitoring easier and more accessible. ObjectiveThe study aimed to develop a markerless 2D video, facial feature recognition–based, artificial intelligence (AI) model to assess facial features of PD patients and investigate how AI could help neurologists improve the performance of early PD diagnosis. MethodsWe collected 140 videos of facial expressions from 70 PD patients and 70 matched controls from 3 hospitals using a single 2D video camera. We developed and tested an AI model that performs masked face recognition of PD patients based on the acquisition and evaluation of facial features including geometric and texture features. Random forest, support vector machines, and k-nearest neighbor were used to train the model. The diagnostic performance of the AI model was compared with that of 5 neurologists. ResultsThe experimental results showed that our AI models can achieve feasible and effective facial feature recognition ability to assist with PD diagnosis. The accuracy of PD diagnosis can reach 83% using geometric features. And with the model trained by random forest, the accuracy of texture features is up to 86%. When these 2 features are combined, an F1 value of 88% can be reached, where the random forest algorithm is used. Further, the facial features of patients with PD were not associated with the motor and nonmotor symptoms of PD. ConclusionsPD patients commonly exhibit masked facial features. Videos of a facial feature recognition–based AI model can provide a valuable tool to assist with PD diagnosis and the potential of realizing remote monitoring of the patient’s condition, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Milk and fish are two important nutrient rich foods that have shown to possess positive effects in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent evidence from several interventional studies in humans have demonstrated the beneficial effects of bioactive proteins, peptides, and fatty acids derived from fish and milk sources in the prevention and management of T2DM. The anti-diabetic compounds present in the fish are proteins, peptides, and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while milk bioactive compounds are casein, casein derived peptides, whey proteins, and whey protein derived peptides. Fish and milk derived bioactive proteins, peptides and fatty acids exhibited anti-diabetic effects through several mechanisms. This review mainly focuses on the recent studies related to the anti-diabetic activities of fish and milk derived bioactive compounds (proteins, peptides, fatty acids) in humans, animals and in vitro, and mechanisms of action of these bioactive compounds in the management of T2DM.

Moisture variation is extremely relevant for the stability of ecosystems in Central Asia (CA). Therefore, moisture evolution and its potential driving mechanism over the region are always a hot research topic. Although much effort has been devoted to understanding the processes of moisture evolutions in CA during the Quaternary, particularly the Holocene, the associated underlying mechanisms remain in a state of persistent debate. In this study, the granulometry, clay mineral and chroma properties of a loess section (named ZSP section) in the westerlies-dominated Ili Basin, NW China are investigated. With the accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating (AMS 14C)-based Bayesian age–depth model, we provide a sensitive record of effective moisture evolution since the last glacial maximum (LGM) in the basin, and the results help enhance understanding of the possible driving mechanisms for westerly climate change. Comparisons of clay mineralogy indices shows that the study area is involved in the Northern Hemisphere dust cycle processes as a dust source, and the content of

Micro-sprinkling irrigation is a small-flow irrigation technology that uses the grouped outlets on the micro-sprinkling hoses to spray the pressure water evenly in the field. Plants’ barriers during the middle to late growth period of winter wheat significantly reduce the irrigation quality of the micro-spray system. It is still unclear whether soil border width in wheat fields can alleviate the negative effect. In this study, a popularly-used variety (c.v. ZM 369) was adopted to test the mitigation effect of soil borders on irrigation quality, as well as soil moisture distribution, in wheat fields. Two irrigation quotas (i.e., 75 mm and 45 mm per time) and three border widths (i.e., 2.3 m, 3.3 m, and 5.3 m) were arranged in a randomized block design in the experimental years of 2020–2022. Soil moisture distribution and irrigation quality during the middle to late growth period of winter wheat (i.e., jointing to heading stage and grain filling stage) were investigated, as well as the effects on grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE). The results showed that irrigation water distribution in the direction perpendicular to micro-spray tapes generally decreased with the distance from tapes increasing. The maximum difference between the irrigation amount and water collected under the canopy was 134 mm. The uniformity coefficient of soil moisture distribution was increased by 25.8% with a 5.3 m border width compared to a 2.3 m width. Although an irrigation quota of 75 mm was beneficial for ensuring better irrigation uniformity and more stable grain yield, grain yield and WUE were produced with an irrigation quota of 45 mm. In conclusion, it is appropriate to increase border width and adopt a small quota for the micro-spray system in the North China Plain for wheat crops.

In temperate and subtropical climates, Populus deltoides is an important poplar species. To analyze the stability, adaptability, and high yield of P. deltoides hybrid genotypes in East China, 38 P. deltoides genotypes were screened at three experimental sites in Shandong Province, and the coefficients of variation and genetic characteristics of 5-year growth were examined using BLUP-GGE. Results showed that all coefficients of variance were higher for diameter at breast height (DBH) than for tree height at all sites; the repeatability and heritability of tree height were greater than those of DBH at all sites. The fitting degree of tree height and DBH was 93.72% and 92.22%, respectively. The optimum genotype varied by location and grouping, of which Shanxian County divisions are the most powerful and representative of the three sites. The growth of 5-year-old P. deltoides was highly varied because of hereditary factors. Shanxian County is the more appropriate site for growth of P. deltoides in the tested sites in East China. In East China, genotypes 16, 5, 21, and 7 are regarded as superior. The genotypes 8, 26, and 36 are better for the site Rizhao; 16, 5, and 21 for site Shanxian; and 22, 21, and 5 for site Boxing.

In the energy conversion device and fluid transport equipment, the solid–liquid two-phase centrifugal pump occupies a large proportion, but the transport mechanism of dense fine particles has not been studied in detail. In this work, the solid–liquid two-phase flow in a centrifugal pump was numerically simulated by the mixture model. Two-phase performance tests with different particle concentrations and particle sizes at a low flow rate (0.6Qd) were conducted, and dimensionless analysis on the effect of particle concentrations and particle sizes on head and efficiency was conducted. The results show that the increase in particle size and particle concentration can increase the influence coefficient of head and efficiency and the influence of the two parameters on efficiency is greater than that on the head on the whole. The increase in particle size and concentration will lead to more uneven distribution of the solid volume fraction in the pump. The transport of dense fine particles absorbs a large amount of energy, which leads to the relative decrease in the kinetic energy of the liquid phase and inhibits the generation of the vortex in the impeller passage.

Abstract Background Parasitic insects are well-known biological control agents for arthropod pests worldwide. They are capable of regulating their host’s physiology, development and behaviour. However, many of the molecular mechanisms involved in host-parasitoid interaction remain unknown. Results We sequenced the genomes of two parasitic wasps (Cotesia vestalis, and Diadromus collaris) that parasitize the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella using Illumina and Pacbio sequencing platforms. Genome assembly using SOAPdenovo produced a 178 Mb draft genome for C. vestalis and a 399 Mb draft genome for D. collaris. A total set that contained 11,278 and 15,328 protein-coding genes for C. vestalis and D. collaris, respectively, were predicted using evidence (homology-based and transcriptome-based) and de novo prediction methodology. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the braconid C. vestalis and the ichneumonid D. collaris diverged approximately 124 million years ago. These two wasps exhibit gene gains and losses that in some cases reflect their shared life history as parasitic wasps and in other cases are unique to particular species. Gene families with functions in development, nutrient acquisition from hosts, and metabolism have expanded in each wasp species, while genes required for biosynthesis of some amino acids and steroids have been lost, since these nutrients can be directly obtained from the host. Both wasp species encode a relative higher number of neprilysins (NEPs) thus far reported in arthropod genomes while several genes encoding immune-related proteins and detoxification enzymes were lost in both wasp genomes. Conclusions We present the annotated genome sequence of two parasitic wasps C. vestalis and D. collaris, which parasitize a common host, the diamondback moth, P. xylostella. These data will provide a fundamental source for studying the mechanism of host control and will be used in parasitoid comparative genomics to study the origin and diversification of the parasitic lifestyle.

Abstract Background Although assessing temporal dynamics of populations is crucial for understanding metacommunities, empirical studies have primarily analyzed only static snapshots of communities. Here, we present a holistic view of how species traits and habitat characteristics relate to metacommunity dynamics and use it to test for differences in the spatiotemporal distribution of seasonal bird assemblages. Methods We surveyed forest birds in breeding and winter seasons within 36 islands for 9 years. We then grouped birds into four landbird assemblages, selected on the basis of published differences in biology or ecology: winter residents, migratory winter visitors, breeding summer residents, and migratory summer visitors. We estimated dynamic species colonization and extirpation through the 9-year period, and evaluated the associations among island attributes, species attributes and community composition. Results Overall, winter and summer residents showed strong associations between composition and habitat structure of the islands. In addition, winter and summer residents on large islands had lower extirpation and turnover than winter and summer visitors. Visitor assemblages showed no significant habitat associations, and in winter had high extirpation rates and small body sizes. By contrast, local extirpation of summer visitors was correlated with local species richness, indicating a likely effect of competition on extirpation. Conclusions Our results demonstrated repeated patterns among species composition, bird traits, habitat/island characteristics and observed metacommunity dynamics. Winter and summer residents best matched species sorting and patch dynamics, respectively, due to differences in resource availability and requirements of overwinter survival versus breeding. Summer visitors were consistent with species sorting and winter visitors were randomly distributed, likely because of interactions with resident competitors. Our results highlight that coexisting seasonal migrant and resident assemblages differ in their spatial dynamics, with consequences for relevant conservation and management strategies.

Objective Intramuscular fat (IMF) content plays an important role in meat quality. Identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes related to pig IMF, especially using pig populations with high IMF content variation, can help to establish novel molecular breeding tools for optimizing IMF in pork and unveil the mechanisms that underlie fat metabolism. Methods We collected muscle samples of 453 Chinese Lulai black pigs, measured IMF content by Soxhlet petroleum-ether extraction method, and genotyped genome-wide SNPs using GeneSeek Genomic Profiler Porcine HD BeadChip. Then a genome-wide association study was performed using a linear mixed model implemented in the GEMMA software. Results A total of 43 SNPs were identified to be significantly associated with IMF content by the cutoff p

Abstract Background China has a relative high degree of endemism of birds due to its large area, diversified topography, and varied climates and habitats. Among the 77 Chinese endemic birds, 29 species are classified as threatened according to the officially released China Biodiversity Red List in 2015. Chinese endemic birds should be the focus of conservation because their local extinction in China means complete global extinction. However, to date, no study has explicitly examined the patterns and processes of extinction and threat in Chinese endemic birds. Methods We obtained eleven biological traits and four extrinsic factors that are commonly hypothesized to influence extinction risk. After phylogenetic correction, these factors were used separately and in combination to assess their associations with extinction risk. Results We found that 37.7% of Chinese endemic birds were listed as threatened (Vulnerable, Endangered and Critically Endangered). Small range size, high hunting vulnerability, and high human population density were important predictors of high extinction risk in Chinese endemic birds. Conclusions Our study is the first to systematically investigate the patterns and processes of extinction risk in Chinese endemic birds. We suggest that endemic species with small range size and living in area with high human densities require conservation priorities. Conservation efforts should also focus on the reduction of human threats, such as human hunting and habitat degradation, for the effective preservation of Chinese endemic birds.

Remote sensing target tracking in the aerial video from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) plays a key role in public security. As the UAV aerial video has rapid changes in scale and perspective, few pixels in the target region, and multiple similar disruptors, and the main tracking methods in this research field generally have relatively low tracking performance and timeliness, we propose a remote sensing target tracking method for the UAV aerial video based on a saliency enhanced multi-domain convolutional neural network (SEMD). First, in the pre-training stage, we combine the least squares generative adversarial networks (LSGANs) with a multi-orientation Gaussian Pyramid to augment typical easily confused negative samples for enhancing the capacity to distinguish between targets and the background. Then, a saliency module was integrated into our tracking network architecture to boost the saliency of the feature map, which can improve the representation power of a rapid dynamic change target. Finally, in the stage for generating tracking samples, we implemented a local weight allocation model to screen for hard negative samples. This approach can not only improve the stability in tracking but also boost efficiency. The comprehensive evaluations of public and homemade hard datasets demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve high accuracy and efficiency results compared with state-of-the-art methods.

Objective: To compare the therapeutic effects of acupuncture with sham acupuncture on levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) under treatment with metformin. Method: Eighty participants with T2DM were allocated randomly to treatment (n = 40) and control (n = 40) groups. In addition to metformin therapy, patients in the acupuncture group received acupoint stimulation with even manipulation at 15 acupoints, and needles were retained for 20 minutes. The sham-acupuncture group was treated with very small needles inserted at a very shallow depth (3–5 mm) without manipulation at non-acupoints 1 cm around the actual acupuncture points. Both groups were treated for 14 sessions during 10 weeks of treatment. The FPG level was measured before treatment as well as after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. The HbA1c percentage was assessed once before treatment and once 12 weeks after treatment initiation. Results: Levels of FPG and HbA1c in both groups were reduced significantly in comparison with baseline measurements (both P

The sensory characteristics of Maillard reaction products from chicken protein hydrolysates (MRP-CPHs) at different degrees of hydrolysis (DH) were evaluated using descriptive sensory analysis. Five characteristics (boiled chicken flavor, umami, mouthfulness, continuity and overall acceptance) of the MRP-CPHs were evaluated. In addition, the changes in free amino acid contents and molecular weight distribution of chicken protein hydrolysates (CPHs) were also determined. The results showed that the sensory attributes were affected by DH of the CPHs, there was a distinct difference among the MRP-CPHs of almost all sensory attributes. The Maillard reaction product with a hydrolysis time of 3 h showed the strongest in the mouthfulness, boiled chicken flavor, and overall acceptance. These results indicated that the CPHs with a DH range from 15.80% to 18.64% (hydrolysis time range from 3 to 6 h) might be a desirable precursor for the production of chicken flavor in the food industry.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important symbiotic microorganisms in soil that engage in symbiotic relationships with legumes, resulting in mycorrhizal symbiosis. Establishment of strong symbiotic relationships between AMF and legumes promotes the absorption of nitrogen by plants. Ammonium nitrogen can be directly utilised by plants following ammonium transport, but there are few reports on ammonium transporters (AMTs) promoting ammonium nitrogen transport during AM symbiosis. Lotus japonicus is a typical legume model plant that hosts AMF. In this study, we analysed the characteristics of the Lotus japonicus ammonium transporter LjAMT2;2, and found that it is a typical ammonium transporter with mycorrhizal-induced and ammonium nitrogen transport-related cis-acting elements in its promoter region. LjAMT2;2 facilitated ammonium transfer in yeast mutant supplement experiments. In the presence of different nitrogen concentrations, the LjAMT2;2 gene was significantly upregulated following inoculation with AMF, and induced by low nitrogen. Overexpression of LjAMT2;2 increased the absorption of ammonium nitrogen, resulting in doubling of nitrogen content in leaves and roots, thus alleviating nitrogen stress and promoting plant growth.

Ground-based synthetic aperture radar (GBSAR) has the advantage of retrieving submillimeter deformation of the mine slope by using the differential interferometry technique, which is important for safe production in mining applications. However, the moving vehicle’s defocus/displaced signal will mask the SAR image of the mining area which affects the accuracy of interference phase extraction and deformation inversion. In order to remove its influence, the moving target can first be refocused and then removed. To our knowledge, there is no GBSAR moving target refocusing method currently. Hence, the refocusing method is necessary. To solve the above problem, this paper proposes a single-channel FMCW-GBSAR moving target refocusing method based on relative speed. Firstly, the FMCW-GBSAR moving target signal model is analyzed, and then the relative speed based signal model is deduced. Based on the model and GBSAR’s feature of incomplete synthetic aperture, the Range Doppler (RD) algorithm is adopted and improved to achieve refocusing using relative speed parameters. The algorithm is controlled by relative speed and squint angle; thus, the refocused target image can be obtained via searching 2D parameters. The proposed method is verified by the synthetic data, which are generated by combining NCUT FMCW GBSAR real data and simulated moving target echo.

Circular ground-based SAR (GBSAR) is a new 3D imaging GBSAR with the potential of acquiring high-quality 3D SAR images and 3D deformation. However, its donut-shaped spectrum and short radius of antenna rotation cause high sidelobes on 3D curved surfaces, resulting in 3D SAR images with poor quality. The multi-phase-center circular GBSAR with full array can effectively suppress sidelobes by filling the donut-shaped spectrum to be the equivalent solid spectrum, but it requires a larger number of phase centers, increasing system cost and engineering difficulties. In this paper, a sidelobe suppression method for circular GBSAR 3D imaging based on sparse optimization of radial phase-center distribution is proposed to suppress high sidelobes at low cost. By deriving the point spread function (PSF) of multi-phase-center circular GBSAR and taking the peak sidelobe level (PSL) and integrated sidelobe level (ISL) of the derived PSF as multi-objective functions, we solve the multi-objective optimization problem to optimize the sparse distribution of radial phase centers. The advantage of the proposed method is that the solved optimal radial phase-center distribution can effectively suppress the 3D sidelobes of circular GBSAR with a limited number of phase centers. Finally, the sidelobe suppression effect of the proposed method is verified via 3D imaging simulations.

In the traditional coal-mine gas-concentration prediction process, problems such as low timeliness of data and low efficiency of the prediction model in learning data features result in low accuracy of the final prediction. To solve these problems, a gas-concentration prediction method driven by the Spark Streaming framework is proposed. In this research study, the Spark Streaming framework, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and support vector machine (SVM) model are used to construct a new prediction model called the SPARS model. The Spark Streaming framework is used to process large batches of real-time streaming data in a short period of time, and the model can be used to intermittently update and optimize the prediction model so that the model can fully learn the characteristics of the data. At the same time, the advantages of the ARIMA model and SVM model for processing linear data and nonlinear data are combined to improve the model’s prediction efficiency and fully reflect the timeliness of gas prediction. Finally, the proposed prediction model is verified using gas data collected on site. The optimal learning time for the SPARS model in predicting this set of data is determined, and a comparative analysis of the prediction results obtained from the ARIMA, SVM and other models fully confirms that high-precision prediction results can be obtained using the SPARS model. The proposed model can be used to realize scientific and accurate real-time prediction and analyses of coal-mine gas concentrations and provides a new idea for realizing real-time and accurate gas prediction in coal mines.

Abstract Background Rasagiline is a monoamine oxidase-B inhibitor used for Parkinson’s disease (PD) treatment, but its effectiveness on Chinese patients is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rasagiline monotherapy in Chinese patients with early PD. Methods A 26-weeks, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study has been performed at 15 sites in China and enrolled outpatients (≥35 years old) with idiopathic PD without a history of using any dopaminergic drugs. Participants were randomized 1:1 to receive rasagiline 1 mg once daily or placebo. The primary endpoint was the change of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total score from baseline to 26 weeks treatment. Secondary endpoints included changes in UPDRS subscale scores from part I to III. Health status was assessed with the PD Questionnaire (PDQ)-39 and EuroQol-Five-Dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Safety profile was collected until 30 weeks after randomization. Results A total of 130 patients (n = 65/group) were recruited, and 127 (rasagiline, n = 64; placebo, n = 63) were included in the full analysis set. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The decrease in the mean UPDRS total score was greater in the rasagiline group than in the placebo group (− 3.18 ± 0.95 vs. − 0.18 ± 0.98, P = 0.025), and the mean UPDRS part I non-motor symptoms score (− 0.54 ± 0.15 vs. -0.08 ± 0.15, P = 0.003) were significantly decreased in the rasagiline group compared with placebo treated patients. An improvement trend was observed in the active treatment group for the subscales evaluation with parts II and III, while the difference to placebo was not statistically significant. Life quality assessed by the EQ-5D visual analog scale improved in the rasagiline group but worsened in placebo treated patients. The overall incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs) was slightly lower in the rasagiline group (41.5%) than in the placebo group (46.2%). Conclusions Rasagiline is effective, safe, and well tolerated as monotherapy for the treatment of Chinese PD patients. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01556165. Registered 13 Mar 2012.

Lactic acid bacteria are a kind of microorganisms that can ferment carbohydrates to produce lactic acid, and are currently widely used in the fermented food industry. In recent years, with the excellent role of lactic acid bacteria in the food industry and probiotic functions, their microbial metabolic characteristics have also attracted more attention. Lactic acid bacteria can decompose macromolecular substances in food, including degradation of indigestible polysaccharides and transformation of undesirable flavor substances. Meanwhile, they can also produce a variety of products including short-chain fatty acids, amines, bacteriocins, vitamins and exopolysaccharides during metabolism. Based on the above-mentioned metabolic characteristics, lactic acid bacteria have shown a variety of expanded applications in the food industry. On the one hand, they are used to improve the flavor of fermented foods, increase the nutrition of foods, reduce harmful substances, increase shelf life, and so on. On the other hand, they can be used as probiotics to promote health in the body. This article reviews and prospects the important metabolites in the expanded application of lactic acid bacteria from the perspective of bioengineering and biotechnology.

Parasites alter host energy homeostasis for their own development, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon remain largely unknown. Here, we show that Cotesia vestalis, an endoparasitic wasp of Plutella xylostella larvae, stimulates a reduction of host lipid levels. This process requires excess secretion of P. xylostella tachykinin (PxTK) peptides from enteroendocrine cells (EEs) in the midgut of the parasitized host larvae. We found that parasitization upregulates PxTK signaling to suppress lipogenesis in midgut enterocytes (ECs) in a non-cell-autonomous manner, and the reduced host lipid level benefits the development of wasp offspring and their subsequent parasitic ability. We further found that a C. vestalis bracovirus (CvBV) gene, CvBV 9-2, is responsible for PxTK induction, which in turn reduces the systemic lipid level of the host. Taken together, these findings illustrate a novel mechanism for parasite manipulation of host energy homeostasis by a symbiotic bracovirus gene to promote the development and increase the parasitic efficiency of an agriculturally important wasp species.

Objective The present study estimated the national and urban–rural levels and causes of neonatal deaths in China annually between 2014 and 2018 to provide data support for the further end of preventable neonatal deaths for China and other low-income and middle-income countries.Methods The study was based on data from the National Maternal and Child Health Surveillance System. All neonates of surveillance districts (gestational week: ≥28 weeks) who died after delivery have been involved in the study. The mortality rate and the leading causes of death for neonates were analysed.Results The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) of China has steadily decreased from 5.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 2014 to 3.9 deaths per 1000 live births in 2018. The NMR in 2018 of urban and rural areas was 2.2 deaths per 1000 live births and 4.7 deaths per 1000 live births, respectively. The leading preventable causes of neonatal deaths are the same in the urban and rural areas were same, which were preterm birth, intrapartum complications and pneumonia. Mortality rates of these three causes fell significantly between 2014 and 2018 but contributed to a higher proportion of deaths in rural areas than urban areas. The proportion of preventable deaths accounted for 74.6% in 2018.Conclusions The NMR of China has decreased steadily from 2014 to 2018. However, the inequality between urban and rural areas still exists. The goal of government interventions should be to reduce the health inequality of neonates and further take targeted measures to eliminate preventable neonatal death.

Relative quantification 16S-seq (RQS) has drawn deeper insights into bacterial community compositions in silage. However, it provides no information on dynamics of the total amount of bacterial DNA through the ensiling process and across different treatments. In this study, bacterial compositions in alfalfa silage with and without Lactobacillus plantarum inoculation after 10 and 60days of ensiling were investigated using absolute quantification 16S-seq (AQS), and bacterial composition and its interaction with fermentation properties of silage indicated by AQS and RQS were compared. Variation in total bacterial DNA amounts across different treatments and ensiling periods was illustrated by AQS. AQS indicated higher bacterial richness indices and closer correlations of these indices with fermentation properties than RQS via spearman’s correlation analyses, as well as more taxa with significance on bacterial abundance via lefse analyses. In conclusion, AQS effectively illustrated the dynamics of bacterial communities during the ensiling process.

This research aims to obtain a new way based on the directional long borehole layout to investigate the gas migration behavior of coal bed methane. In view of the study of the oil-type gas reservoir and the influence range of mining on the working face in the surrounding rock, the paper puts forward the optimization method of the directional long borehole layout of the surrounding rock and the method of the borehole layout with comprehensive consideration of the influence of mining on the failure of the roof and floor and the distribution of surrounding rock gas-bearing reservoirs. The test results showed that the layout horizon of the directional long boreholes is determined, and the layout was within the height range of 20–40 meters, clarified the relationship between the drainage data and the exposure level of the borehole and the layout of the borehole, compared the gas concentration in the upper corner of the working face before and after the drainage, and constructed a three-dimensional comprehensive drainage mode for the high-gassy working face, which provided a worth-promoting method that supports surrounding rock oil-type gas and gas treatment in the high-gas mining area.

To study the effect of fine particle size and volume concentration on the performance of solid-liquid two-phase centrifugal pump, the mixture multiphase flow model, RNG k-ε turbulence model, and SIMPLEC algorithm were used to simulate the two-phase flow of the centrifugal pump. The effects of particle size and volume concentration on internal pressure distribution, solid volume distribution, and external characteristics were analyzed. The results show that under the design discharge conditions, with the increase of particle size and volume concentration, the internal pressure of the flow field will decrease, and the volume fraction of solid phase in the impeller passage will also decrease as a whole. The solid particles gradually migrate from the suction surface to the pressure surface, and the particles in the volute channel are mainly concentrated in the flow channel near the outlet side of the volute. With the increase of particle size and volume concentration, the negative pressure value at the inlet of centrifugal pump increases, the total pressure difference at the inlet and outlet decreases, and the head and efficiency decrease accordingly.

The demand for a centrifugal pump with open impellers for conveying dense fine particles in solid-liquid two-phase flow has increased significantly in actual engineering. The wear of dense fine particles on the centrifugal pump is also exceedingly prominent, which affects the engineering efficiency and economic benefits. The two-phase flow in the open centrifugal pump is three-dimensional and unsteady; the movement of high-volume concentration particles in the centrifugal pump and its mutual influence on the two-phase flow, which results in the calculation of wear, are very intricate. To study the wear characteristics of the centrifugal pump with open impeller with high-volume concentration particles more accurately, numerical simulation and experimental comparison are carried out for the impeller wear of dense fine particles transported by the centrifugal pump with open impellers. Considering the relationship between particles and walls, we used the Fluent 18.0 built-in rebound function and wear model. The RNG k-ε model and the DDPM model were adopted in the numerical simulation, and the numerical solution for centrifugal pump wear was performed under flow rate (9.6 m3·h−1, 12.8 m3·h−1, 16 m3·h−1, and 19.2 m3·h−1), different particle sizes (0.048 mm, 0.106 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.27 mm, and 0.425 mm), and different particle volume concentrations (10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%), respectively. By comparing the serious wear positions of the impeller, the experimental results correspond well with the numerical simulation, which can be used to predict and study the wear characteristics of the impeller. The results show that the most serious area of blade wear is the middle part of the pressure surface, followed by the middle part of the upper part of the blade. The wear of the impeller is greatly affected by relevant parameters, such as pump flow rate, particle diameter, and particle volume concentration. These results can provide some basis for the wear-resistant design of dense fine particle impeller.

Objective. It remains unknown whether obesity has an effect on the pituitary-thyroid feedback control axis in subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). We aimed to investigate the association of thyroid homeostasis with obesity in a SCH population. Methods. Our study consisted of a community-based and cross-sectional study from the Epidemiological Survey of Thyroid Diseases in Fujian Province, China. A total of 193 subjects with SCH (90 males and 103 females) without a history of treatment of thyroid disease, such as surgery, radiation, and thyroid hormone or antithyroid medication, were included in the present study. Indices of obesity, including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-height ratio (WHtR) were measured. Results. Our results showed that the secretory capacity of the thyroid gland (SPINA-GT) and Jostel’s thyrotropin index (TSHI) were negatively correlated with BMI, WC, and WHtR, whereas the reciprocal of the thyrotroph thyroid hormone resistance index (TTSI-1) was positively correlated with BMI (all p

Relying on the entrance section of a high-speed railway tunnel blasting project, the fluid-solid coupling algorithm based on ANSYS/LS-DYNA was used to optimize the parameters of wedge cut blasting, and the vibration could be reduced on the basis of ensuring the blasting effect. Through the combination of visual numerical simulation results and rock-breaking mechanism of wedge cut blasting, the maximum vibration velocity of different monitoring points in the model under different segmented time delay was analyzed. The results show that the best method for detonation is dividing the blastholes into three segments from upper to lower and dividing the left and right symmetrical blastholes into one segment. When the delay time is 10 ms, the average vibration reduction ratio is the best, which is reduced by 18% compared with the six-hole simultaneous blasting. In addition, the actual surrounding rock stress has a clamping effect on the cut blasting area. The wedge cut blasting footage obtained by numerical simulation was basically consistent with the field results, which proved that the model is reasonable and effective. This study intuitively and accurately demonstrated the process of cut blasting, the superposition curve of vibration velocity and the vibration reduction results under different delay times, and the effect of cut blasting. The results can be directly applied to similar projects, and the optimal blasting parameters and related issues can be solved more accurately with the help of this engineering analysis method.

In this retrospective analysis, we aimed to analyze the epidemic characteristics of neonatal mortality due to preterm birth at 28–36 weeks gestation in different regions from 2009 to 2018. Data were obtained from China’s Under-5 Child Mortality Surveillance System (U5CMSS). The χ2 trend test, Poisson regression and the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel method were used in this study. We found that 51.3%, 42.0% and 44.5% of neonate deaths were preterm infants, and immaturity was mainly attributed to 60.1%, 64.1% and 69.5% of these deaths, in the eastern, central and western regions, respectively. The preterm neonatal mortality rate due to immaturity dropped from 149.2, 216.5 and 339.5 in 2009 to 47.4, 83.8 and 170.1 per 100 000 live births in 2018, giving an average annual decline rate of 12.1%, 11.6% and 6.3% in the eastern, central and western regions, respectively, during the studying period. The relative risk of preterm neonatal mortality due to immaturity were 1.3 and 2.3 for the central regions and western regions in 2009–2010, ascending to 2.2 and 3.9 in 2017–2018. The proportion of preterm neonatal deaths with a gestational age

We present a case report of a patient with incomplete Susac syndrome. He had cognitive impairment, corpus callosum lesions, and vestibulocochlear dysfunction on brainstem auditory evoked responses. He was treated with methylprednisolone and plasmapheresis, improved, and then, also received rituximab. His improvement has been lasting as of this writing. This case shares our experience with a successful treatment of this rare condition that is incompletely understood and lacks well-established treatment guidelines.

We recently showed that inhibition of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) decreased acute ischemic stroke-induced blood-brain barrier (BBB) damage. However, factors that induce the upregulation of HIF-1α expression remain unclear. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase played a critical role in reperfusion-induced BBB damage after stroke. However, the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury during the acute ischemia stage remains unclear. This study is aimed at investigating the role of NADPH oxidase in BBB injury and the expression of HIF-1α after acute ischemic stroke. A sutured middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was used to mimic ischemic stroke in rats. Our results show that the inhibition of NADPH oxidase by apocynin can significantly reduce the BBB damage caused by 2 h ischemic stroke accompanied by reducing the degradation of tight junction protein occludin. In addition, treatment with apocynin significantly decreased the upregulation of HIF-1α induced by 2 h MCAO. More importantly, apocynin could also inhibit the MMP-2 upregulation. Of note, HIF-1α was not colocalized with a bigger blood vessel. Taken together, our results showed that inhibition of NADPH oxidase-mediated HIF-1α upregulation reduced BBB damage accompanied by downregulating MMP-2 expression and occludin degradation after 2 h ischemia stroke. These results explored the mechanism of BBB damage after acute ischemic stroke and may help reduce the associated cerebral hemorrhage transformation after thrombolysis and endovascular treatment after ischemic stroke.

Calcium dobesilate (Cad), a protective agent, protects against microvascular damage, and diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic nephropathy. However, these vascular protective effects have not been demonstrated in chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, we aimed to determine the ability of Cad to protect against renal interstitial fibrosis induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and identify the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of Cad during hypoxia/serum deprivation (H/SD) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). A total of 36 male mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups (12 mice in each group): the Sham-operated group (Sham), the saline solution-treated UUO mice group (UUO), and the Cad administration (intragastrically) group (Cad). The mice in Cad group were administered Cad (100 mg/kg) daily by oral gavage and slaughtered on the 7th and 14th days post-surgery. Six mice from each group were sacrificed by sodium pentobarbital injection on the 7th and 14th day after surgery. Tissue hypoxia, cell apoptosis and fibrotic lesions were detected by Immunostaining and Western blot. Peritubular capillaries (PTCs) injury was measured by a novel technique of fluorescent microangiography (FMA). Endothelial cell-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) were identified by immunofluorescence and Western blot. HUVECs proliferation was measured via Cell Counting Kit‑8 assays and Edu staining. Sirt1 and its downstream gene in Cad regulation of endothelial were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Masson-trichrome stains and Histological findings showed that Cad administration markedly reduced hypoxia and renal interstitial fibrosis at each time point in UUO. Meanwhile, Cad protect against EndMT process of PTCs by increasing CD31 expression and decreasing α-smooth muscle actin and fibronectin expression. in vitro studies showed that there was a proliferative response of the HUVECs incubated with Cad (10 μM) in H/SD. Sirt1 was suppressed after small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected in HUVECs. Mechanistically, Cad enhanced Sirt1 signaling, which was accompanied by increased levels of p53 acetylation (ac-p53). Meanwhile, protein expression of Bcl-2, and VE-cadherin were downregulated, Bax, and α-SMA were upregulated. In summary, the therapeutic effect of Cad in obstructive nephropathy were likely through suppressing EndMT progression and promoting anti-apoptotic effects after via activating the Sirt1/p53 signaling pathway.

Although urban expansion statistics have been widely carried out, large-scale and rapid monitoring is still worth doing in order to improve the efficiency of statistics, as well as make up for the omissions and deficiencies of construction expansion statistics with multi-year intervals. This paper presents a study of urban expansion in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei plain based on ALOS Global Digital Surface Model “ALOS World 3D-30 m” (AW3D30 DSM), Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DSM, and Landsat 7 ETM+ images. Through the evaluation of errors and the elimination of non-building changes, a relatively objective result is derived. The neighborhood block statistics of the construction height expansion reveal that from 2000 to 2009, the largest centralized construction expansion mainly occurred between the Second Ring Road and the Fifth Ring Road of Beijing, followed by Yizhuang, Shunyi, Tianjin Central City, and Langfang. Zonal statistics also show a significant imbalance in the expansion of construction in the counties of the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei plain. For example, Chaoyang, Dongcheng, Xicheng, Xuanwu, Chongwen, Nankai, Heping, and Hexi have a larger construction expansion; however, other counties present a relatively slow rate of building expansion. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between the statistical average building height expansion per unit area (ABHE, by our method) and the actual average completed building floor space per unit area (ACBFS) derived from the Beijing Statistical Yearbook (BSY) is 0.9436, which proves that this method is feasible. With the continuous improvement of DSM data quality in the future, the method proposed in this paper can provide rapid and large-scale statistics to study more urban construction expansion in the world.

Beijing is a major city suffering from land subsidence due to long-term over-exploitation of groundwater. The South-to-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP), however, has had a significant impact on the structure of water consumption since the end of 2014, and it is changing the status of land subsidence in Beijing. In this study, we employed Persistent Scatterers Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometric (PS-InSAR) to investigate the decadal evolution of land subsidence in Beijing with 100 TerraSAR-X stripmap images collected from April 2010 to December 2019. The water resources, historic climate and urban construction data were compiled for the years of 2010 to 2019 to analyze changes in groundwater level, human activity, surface geology, active faults and land subsidence patterns. The results show that the changes in the water supply structure are correlated to a rise in groundwater level after 2015. These changes include an increase in the water supply from the SNWDP, a reduction in groundwater exploitation, the optimization of water consumption, replacing recycled water for environmental water and a reduction in the use of water for agriculture. Land subsidence in the study area was concentrated in the eastern regions, trending towards a decreasing velocity starting about two years after the commencement of SNWDP in 2015. Uneven subsidence in the land subsidence area was related to excavations of underground soil, and the construction of Line 6 and Line 7 led to rapid nonlinear subsidence. Our results have scientific significance for reducing subsidence hazards in the context of SNWDP and urban expansion.

Silage, especially whole crop corn silage (WCCS), is an important part of ruminant diets, with its high moisture content and rich nutrient content, which can easily cause contamination by mold and their toxins, posing a great threat to ruminant production, food safety and human health. The objective of this study was to examine effects of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactiplantibacillus (L.) plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3 and Artemisia argyi (AA) on the fermentation characteristics, microbial community and mycotoxin of WCCS during 60 days (d) ensiling and subsequent 7 d aerobic exposure. The results showed that WCCS treated with LAB and AA both had lower pH value and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) contents, and higher lactic and acetic acids concentration compared with other groups after 60 d ensiling. In addition, for microbial communities, Acetobacter and Enterobacter were inhibited in all AA group, while higher abundance of Lactobacilli was maintained; besides, Candida, Pichia and Kazachstania abundances were decreased in both 6% and 12% AA groups. The content of five kinds of mycotoxins were all significantly lower after 7 d of aerobic exposure. As for the total flavonoid (TF), which is significantly higher in all AA treated groups, it was positively correlated with Paenibacillus, Weissella and Lactobacilli, and negatively with Acetobacter, Enterobacteria, Kazachstania and Pichia.

Iron (Fe) plays an important role in the growth and development of plants. The effects of different Fe concentrations, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), and cobalt chloride (Co2+) treatments on plant growth, quality and the adaptive response to Fe deficiency stress were investigated in flowering Chinese cabbage. The results revealed that Fe deficiency stress inhibited plant growth. The contents of vitamin C, soluble protein, and soluble sugar in leaves and stalks were significantly reduced under Fe deficiency stress, while the content of cellulose and nitrate was increased. Fe deficiency stress clearly reduced the net photosynthetic rate and nitrate reductase activity in the leaves. The balance system of active oxygen metabolism was destroyed due to Fe deficiency, resulting in the decrease in catalase activity, superoxide dismutase activity of roots and leaves, and peroxidase (POD) activity of leaves, while POD activity in roots and malonaldehyde content in roots and leaves were significantly increased. The treatments of Fe deficiency and ACC significantly reduced the pH value of the root medium, promoted the release of ethylene, and increased Fe3+ reductase activity, while Co2+ treatment showed results that were the opposite to those of Fe deficiency and ACC treatments. Thus, Fe deficiency stress affected nitrogen metabolism, photosynthesis, reactive oxygen metabolism, pH of root medium, and Fe3+ reductase activity, which was related to physiological adaptive response and tolerance mechanisms. We also found that ethylene could be involved in regulating the adaptive response to Fe deficiency stress in flowering Chinese cabbage.

Total flower and pod numbers (TFPN) and effective pod numbers per plant (PNPP) are among the most important agronomic traits for soybean production. However, the underlying genetic mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we constructed a recombinant inbred line population derived from a cross between JY73 (high TFPN) and TJSLH (low TFPN) to map loci for the two traits. In total, six QTL for TFPN and five QTL for PNPP were identified, among which a QTL on chromosome 4, named qFPN4, explained 9.2% and 9.6% of the phenotypic variation of TFPN and PNPP, respectively. Analysis of residual heterozygous lines for qFPN4 indicated that TFPN or PNPP was controlled by a single dominant gene at this locus and delimited the QTL into a ~2.62 Mb interval which tightly linked to an Indel marker C1-5. This mapping result was further confirmed by bulked segregant analysis (BSA) of the near isogenic lines. The genome-sequencing-based BSA also identified eight candidate genes carrying nonsynonymous SNPs and/or Indels; two genes, Glyma.04G176600 and Glyma.04G178900, were nominated as the most promising genes for qFPN4 based on additional expression and function analysis. These results improve our understanding of the genetic mechanism of TFPN and PNPP and indicate the potential for soybean yield improvement.

Kombucha, which is rich in tea polyphenols and organic acid, is a kind of acidic tea soup beverage fermented by acetic acid bacteria, yeasts, lactic acid bacteria. Kombucha has been reported to possess anti-diabetic activity, but the underlying mechanism was not well understood. In this study, a high-fat, high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) injection was used to induce T2DM model in mice. After four weeks of kombucha intervention, the physiological and biochemical index were measured to determine the diabetes-related indicators. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the changes in gut microbiota from the feces. The results showed that four weeks of kombucha intervention increased the abundance of SCFAs-producing bacteria and reduced the abundance of gram-negative bacteria and pathogenic bacteria. The improvement in gut microbiota reduced the damage of intestinal barrier, thereby reducing the displacement of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inhibiting the occurrence of inflammation and insulin resistance in vivo. In addition, the increased levels of SCFAs-producing bacteria, and thus increasing the SCFAs, improved islet β cell function by promoting the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones (GLP-1/PYY). This study methodically uncovered the hypoglycemic mechanism of kombucha through gut microbiota intervention, and the result suggested that kombucha may be introduced as a new functional drink for T2DM prevention and treatment.

This study evaluated the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum ZA3, Artemisia argyi and their combination, on the fermentation characteristics, microbial community, mycotoxins and crude flavonoids content of fermented soybean meal during fermentation (under anaerobic conditions) and aerobic exposure (under aerobic conditions). The results showed that ZA3, Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi groups had lower pH values and higher lactic acid concentrations compared with controls, and additives increased the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus and decreased those of Acetobacter and Enterobacter; in particular, Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi reduced the abundance of fungi, such as Aspergillus, Pichia, Fusarium, Cladosporium and Xeromyces. Meanwhile, the contents of mycotoxins were lower in treated groups, and even mycotoxins in the control were significantly reduced after 30 d (p < 0.05). Crude flavonoids that were correlated positively with Lactococcus and negatively with Bacillus, Aspergillus, Enterobacter and Kazachstania were significantly higher in the Artemisia argyi and ZA3+ Artemisia argyi groups (p < 0.05).