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The unreasonable actuation of electric vehicle's motor drive system usually results in a lot of unwanted energy consumption on a slope road. This paper proposes an eco-cruise control (ECC) scheme based on the driving condition estimation to decrease electric vehicle's energy consumption in the constant-speed cruise control mode. The eco-cruise control scheme is realized by reducing the unreasonable actuation of the motor drive system. The vehicle's total mass and pitch angle are estimated in real time by using an improved base-vector-based cross iteration estimator (BVCIE). Based on the estimated results, the required torque is predicted. Combining the speed deviation between the desired speed and the real speed, and the torque deviation between the required torque and the real torque, a three-power nonlinear controller of the ECC scheme is designed. The ECC scheme is validated on a slope road with different cruise speeds on a cosimulation platform, and the results indicate that the proposed strategy enjoys a better speed maintenance ability and energy efficiency compared with the benchmarked cruise control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep neural network pruning is effective in enabling high-performance perception models to be deployed on autonomous driving platforms with limited computation and memory resources. With their rapid development, state-of-the-art autonomous driving perception (ADP) models have advocated the use of multimodal sensors to extract diverse feature categories. However, existing pruning studies in the ADP area focus on single-modal models and neglect multimodal models. Compared with conventional pruning, multimodal pruning presents a new type of redundancy, namely modal-wise redundancy that is caused by multimodal branches extracting similar perception information. When a specific type of information is extracted by more than one modal branch, although this extraction is deemed essential from an individual single-modal standpoint, it becomes redundant when viewed from a modal-wise perspective. Therefore, modal branches must be handled cooperatively to eliminate modal-wise redundancy while concurrently preserving the original perception accuracy. Building on this, we propose CrossPrune, a modal cooperative pruning framework designed for camera–LiDAR fused perception in autonomous driving. The primary objective of CrossPrune is to effectively eliminate redundancy and achieve nondestructive pruning for multimodal ADP models. This was accomplished by approaching the problem as a multi-objective optimization task, encompassing both weight pruning and the restriction of feature distortions caused by pruning. Experiments conducted on the nuScenes and KITTI datasets demonstrated that CrossPrune attained superior pruning ratios while minimizing accuracy loss, surpassing the performance of the baselines. The key results indicated that the proposed CrossPrune achieved relative improvements of 9.6% in mAP and 11.5% in NDS under 89.8% pruning sparsity. • DNN pruning effectively optimizes perception models for resource-constrained autonomous driving. • Contemporary pruning overlooks multi-modal driving perception models, despite their significance. • The CrossPrune framework innovatively mitigates modal-wise redundancy and outperforms baselines in terms of pruning rates and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A review and classification of multiobjective workflow scheduling. • A formulation of the joint optimization of makespan and execution cost for workflows executing on the IaaS clouds. • A new list multiobjective scheduling approach with high effectiveness and efficiency for workflow scheduling. • Extensive experiments on real-life workflows and randomly synthetic workflows with several existing approaches. Highly scalable resource supply capacity of cloud computing has greatly improved the execution speed of workflow applications, however, traditional workflow scheduling algorithms which focus on the optimization of makespan (execution time) of workflows, become inappropriate for the design of large-scale workflow systems. Workflow scheduling in cloud computing is particularly a multiobjective optimization problem, in which many critical issues besides the execution time of workflows should be taken into account. Although many heuristics and meta-heuristics have been proposed to solve this problem, most of them cannot produce satisfactory cost-makespan tradeoffs and have a long time overhead. In this paper, we propose an efficient heuristic named CMSWC (Cost and Makespan Scheduling of Workflows in the Cloud) to solve the workflow scheduling problem, by simultaneously minimizing cost and makespan of workflows. CMSCW follows a two-phase list scheduling philosophy: ranking and mapping. Furthermore, CMSCW incorporates with three designs specifically for the multiobjective challenges: (i) The mapping phase is designed to avoid exploring useless resources for tasks, which significantly narrows down the search space. (ii) A new method is proposed to select non-dominated solutions, by combining the quick non-dominated sorting approach and Shift-Based Density Estimation (SDE) based crowding distance. (iii) Several elitist study strategies are designed to make solutions close to the true Pareto front as well as avoid trapping into local optimum. Extensive experiments on real-life workflows demonstrate that our approach can generate better cost-makespan tradeoff fronts than that of several state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soot in laminar coflow methane and ethylene diffusion flames with different hydrogen addition ratios is sampled by a capillary soot sampling system and analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Soot functional groups and morphological characteristics are studied. The results show that with hydrogen addition, the relative contents of aromatic and aliphatic functional groups in the soot of methane flames increase, while the relative contents of the same functional groups in the soot of ethylene flames mostly show different trends, indicating that H 2 has a chemical promotion and inhibition on soot in methane and ethylene flames, respectively. The relative content of oxygen-containing functional groups in the soot of both methane and ethylene flames with hydrogen addition increases. By adding H 2 , the coagulation and condensation of soot low in the methane flames are greatly enhanced, indicating that H 2 promotes the formation and growth of PAH molecules. This is an important reason for the chemical promotion effect of H 2 in methane flames. For the soot of C 2 H 4 hydrogen-added flames, oxidation is relatively thorough such that a large number of soot branches are oxidized. This is an important reason for the chemical inhibition of H 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) based membranes with exquisite sieving nanochannels are promising for advanced separation process. The goal-directed GO nanochannels can be skillfully regulated by inserting various molecules. Although GO has been employed to enhance the permeation of hydrophobic membrane during the membrane distillation (MD), the effectiveness of GO layer and decorated 2D nanochannel with molecules on the wetting and scaling of MD have not been systematically investigated yet. Herein, a novel GO Janus membrane inserted by polyethyleneimine (PEI) and poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) was developed. According to our results, the intercalation of PEI or PEI-PAA sustained the constructure stability of GO layer via multiple binding forces, which also created a defect-free and dense membrane surface. Moreover, the synergism of stabile 2D nanochannels and phase change in the PEI-PAA-GO membrane generated a continuous capillary force, which protected the substance polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane from wetting. The fabricated PEI-PAA-GO membrane resisted the 0.4 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and prolonged the MD test for 17 h compared with GO membrane. Molecular dynamics simulation verified that polymer insertion increased the energy barrier of transport and desorption of SDS molecules from the 2D nanochannels. In addition, the rationally inserted PAA decorated GO nanochannels with more carboxyl groups, which stabilized the scale precursor and nascent CaSO 4 nuclei, postponing the growth of crystalline gypsum. The MD operation of scaling test was prolonged for 42 h in the optimal PEI-PAA-GO membrane, which was 10 times higher than that of GO membrane. This work synchronously promoted the anti-wetting and anti-scaling of GO based Janus membrane during the distillation process of hypersaline wastewater. [Display omitted] • Polymers crosslinked GO layer enhanced wetting resistance of Janus membrane. • The capillary force within GO nanosheets controlled the SDS transport process. • The chelation of inserted PAA with Ca2+ relieved the scaling of GO Janus membrane. • Cooperative goal was obtained by inserting dual-polymers in GO nanochannels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The driving safety at signalized road intersections is a critical issue for intelligent and connected vehicles (ICVs). Vehicle-following driving scenarios are common conditions at road intersections, as the traffic congestion often occurs at these locations. This paper proposes a safety-aware vehicle-following driving optimization strategy (SAVFDOS) for ICVs at signalized road intersections. The framework of the SAVFDOS includes three layers, i.e., the situation assessment layer, the decision-making layer and the speed planning layer. The situation assessment layer evaluates the likelihood of the vehicle passing through the signalized road intersection and the safety of the vehicle-following driving. The decision-making layer determines the ICV's actions, such as acceleration, deceleration, cruising and stop. The speed planning layer outputs the planned speed based on the situation assessment layer and the decision-making layer. With the SAVFDOS, the rear-end collision and the dilemma zone (DZ) problem can be simultaneously avoided. The validations are conducted by comparing the proposed method with an advanced benchmarked method. Compared with the benchmarked method in the simulation scenarios, the average time proportion of the following vehicle in DZ by the proposed method can be decreased by 33%. In addition, the real-world validations demonstrate that the average time proportion of the following vehicle in DZ by the proposed method is lower than 25%. The validation results prove that the proposed method can eliminate the potential risks of ICVs in vehicle-following driving scene at signalized road intersection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we sprang up a novel approach to synthesize molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles coated by hexagonal boron nitride via high-temperature sintering technique under floating ammonia gas at 900 °C for 3 h MoS 2 -BN nanocomposites have significant thermal stability with an oxidation temperature of 715 °C, indicating that its antioxidant performance increased by 217% compared with the pure MoS 2 nanospheres. Additionally, the strong red PL signal of MoS 2 -BN characterized by Steady state transient fluorescence spectrometer appears at ~678 nm at room temperature, its strength has reached 3.14 × 106 CPS, while the original MoS 2 nanospheres shows almost no characteristics, demonstrating that the nanocomposites have excellent luminescent properties. Therefore, the improved properties of molybdenum disulfide materials encapsulated by hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) expand the applications of MoS 2 nanospheres in high temperature and optoelectronic devices, which could pave way for the h-BN encapsulated transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Typical magnetic three-phase alloys-modificated graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) synthetic nanocomposites (FeCoNi@GNPs) were prepared by liquid-phase reduction method and precursor-assisted high-temperature sintering technique. FeCoNi@GNPs nanocomposites exhibit superior magnetic properties with the saturation magnetization and coercive force 58.4 emu/g and 197.25 Oe, respectively. Furthermore, the GNPs encapsulated by FeCoNi increase of 48.2% in antioxidation performance compared with original GNPs due to surface passivation layers. Additionally, it also shows superior electrochemical performances with a capacitance of 538 F/g at 1 A/g, which provides great application in the fields of magnetocaloric device, high-temperature heat-insulating coatings, electromagnetic material and electrochemical sensors, etc. The structure of FeCoNi@GNPs nanocomposites with excellent magnetic properties, thermal stability and electrochemical performances. Image 1 • FeCoNi@GNPs were successfully synthesized by liquid-phase reduction method. • It exhibits the saturation magnetization and coercive force 58.4 emu/g and 197.25 Oe, respectively. • The antioxidant capacity is achieved a 48.2% increase compared to pristine GNPs. • It shows excellent electrochemical performances with a capacitance of 538 F/g at 1 A/g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Combine the multiple guiders mechanism with the PDG on double layer networks. • Substantial simulation experiments have verified that group can maintain cooperative behavior the experienced guidance of multiple guides. • The Process of Group Evolution under Special Conditions In evolutionary game theory, the emergence and maintenance of group cooperative behavior is usually challenged by the lure of high-payoff defection behavior.Recently, besides imitation rules, the adaptive ability of individuals under limited information is also the key to adjust strategies, for example, individuals based on reinforcement learning rules by judging whether previous performance is satisfactory. In realistic scenarios, individuals with rich experience usually lead those who are inexperienced and play a guiding role in the group. Here we propose a multi-guider game model. Players on each layer of the network play different roles and follow different strategy update rules. Specifically, guiders use reinforcement learning rules to update their strategies in the upper network, and guided players use payoff-based imitation rules to update their strategies in the lower network. As the evolution progresses, guided players in the lower layer begin to reference the experienced guiders in the upper layer to update their strategies. A large number of Monte Carlo simulation results show that inexperienced individuals in the group are able to learn from the experience of others with the experienced guidance of multiple guiders. In addition to the improvement of group decision-making, the cooperative behavior can also be maintained at a higher level in the simulation of social dilemma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Urachal carcinoma (UC) is a rare genitourinary cancer with an insidious onset, high risk of recurrence, and a poor prognosis. Surgical resection alone has difficulty in controlling the tumor. We aim to explore treatment options and prognostic risk factors for UC based on a multicenter cohort and long-term follow-up database.Materials and Methods: The clinical data, treatment and follow-up results of 163 patients with UC in 6 medical centers were analyzed retrospectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess the treatment options and prognostic risk factors for UC.Results: Kaplan-Meier analysis showed no difference in the 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (P =0.282) or overall survival rate (P =0.673) between extended partial cystectomy (EPC) and radical cystectomy (RC) for patients at stage III and below. Whether bilateral pelvic lymph nodes were dissected was also not significantly correlated with the patient's recurrence (P =0.921) or prognosis (P =0.741). Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy significantly reduced the recurrence rate of patients with stage Ⅲb or below (P =0.005). Combined treatment of postoperative recurrence patients prolonged the survival time of patients compared with single chemotherapy or conservative treatment (34.022±5.031 vs. 12.837±2.349 or 6.192±0.875 months, P <0.001). Kaplan-Meier and univariate Cox regression analyses showed that age >55 years, Sheldon stage, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) >9.935 U/mL, carbohydrate antigen 72-4 (CA724) >6.02 U/mL, and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were closely related to the overall survival and recurrence-free survival of patients (P <0.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression confirmed that the Sheldon stage and CA724 >6.02 U/mL were independent recurrence risk factors.Conclusions: EPC or RC provides similar oncologic results for UC, but bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection is not necessary in early-stage patients. Postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can significantly reduce the recurrence rate, and combination therapy may provide better survival outcomes. CA724 can predict tumor recurrence or metastasis at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data uncertainty has been taken into a consideration for mining and discovery of its hidden knowledge in a variety of applications. Due to the fact that the nature of closed sequences is closely related to possible world, more recent studies on uncertain closed sequential data mining has usually been challenged by the explosive possible worlds, which is exponential to the number of uncertain sequences in the database. Although basic Probabilistic Frequent Closed Sequences Mining (PFCSM-FF) strategy can solve this problem preliminarily, the inclusion–exclusion rules and closure checking methods used in PFCSM-FF makes mining algorithm very inefficient. And on this basis, another two improvements, PFCSM-CF and PFCSM-CC algorithms, are designed to reduce the search space and simplify the candidate sequence database, which significantly compress the computational scale. Substantial experiments on the real and synthetic datasets have demonstrated the efficiency improvement on the proposed PFCSM-CC and PFCSM-CF methods. Besides, the high usability of the proposed PFCSM-CC algorithm is further demonstrated according to the similarity of the time spent on existing probabilistic frequent sequence mining algorithm. • Compared with basic PFCSM-FF, PFCSM-CF enhances the efficiency by avoiding invalid computation. • A PFCSM-CC algorithm is implied to reduces the computational cost of frequent closed probability. • The experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of PFCSM-CF and PFCSM-CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor stability of metal halide perovskite in water is one of the main obstacles restricting its practical application. Hydrostable cesium lead bromide-titania heterojunction was synthesized by the solvothermal method with the following sintering process and applied for the visible-light-driven photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) in water. The introduced TiO 2 components effectively protect CsPbBr 3 nanoparticles from phase transition which spurs significantly improved photocatalytic performance and stability on CsPbBr 3 –TiO 2 heterojunction in water. The structure of synthesized CsPbBr 3 –TiO 2 photocatalyst is characterized by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The photoelectric characteristics of prepared photocatalysts investigated through photoelectrochemical and photoluminescent analyses indicate that the enhanced photocatalytic property may be related to the optimized light response and electron-hole separation on heterojunction composites. The active substances in the photocatalytic process are determined through capture experiments, indicating that holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (• O 2 −) are responsible for photocatalytic activity. A reaction mechanism is suggested in the end. This work provides an alternative for the construction of water-resistant halide perovskite to break through the poor water stability and opens novel applications for halide perovskite-based materials in aqueous environmental control. Hydrostable CsPbBr 3 –TiO 2 composite has been successfully prepared by solvothermal method, which shows enhanced photocatalytic performance for visible-light degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride in an aqueous system with good stability. [Display omitted] • Hydrostable CsPbBr 3 –TiO 2 composite is synthesized by solvothermal method. • CsPbBr 3 –TiO 2 shows prominent visible-light photodegradation of aqueous TC-HCl. • The photocatalytic activity and water resistance are related to CsPbBr 3 /TiO 2 ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a salt of cyameluric acid and a derivative of tri-s-triazine, rod-shaped potassium cyamelurate K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] has been synthesized and employed as a homogeneous photocatalyst for photodegradation of aquatic tetracycline hydrochloride (TC-HCl) under visible-light irradiation for the first time. The water-soluble K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] owns excellent visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity, which is approximately 9 and 10 times higher than those on melon and g-C 3 N 4 in water, respectively. The photocatalytic process is investigated experimentally and theoretically, and the active centers of K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] are identified by first principles calculations. The active radicals for the photodegradation are identified and a reaction mechanism is proposed. Moreover, K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] can also work as an efficiently heterogeneous photocatalyst for the removal of TC-HCl in ethanol. This work provides a novel photocatalyst bridging homogenous and heterogeneous photocatalysis for environmental protection and opens a new application space for alkali cyanurates. [Display omitted] • K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] bridges the homogeneous and heterogeneous visible-light-driven photocatalysis. • K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] is efficient for homogeneously visible-light photodegradation of TC-HCl in water. • K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] is active for heterogeneously visible-light photodegradation of TC-HCl in ethanol. • The active centers of K 3 [C 6 N 7 O 3 ] are identified by first principles calculations. • The photocatalytic process is investigated and reactive radicals are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the hydrophobicity of traditional polyethersulfone (PES) membranes, this study combined the reverse thermally induced phase separation (RTIPS) method with the constructed bimetallic polyphenol networks (BMPNs) to prepare hydrophilic anti-fouling membranes. As for BMPNs, tannic acid (TA) was served as an intermediate to construct both the inner and surface hydrophilic layers of the PES membranes. On the one hand, etching Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (EZIF-8) with synergistic etching and surface functionalization via TA not only retained the high pore structure of MOFs, but also had good hydrophilicity. On the other hand, the MPN hydrophilic layer was formed on the membrane surface by the combination of TA from the surface of EZIF-8 and iron ions in the coagulation bath. Therefore, BMPNs structure penetrated the interior and surface of PES membrane, which greatly improved the hydrophilic properties. In addition, the membrane with porous surfaces and spongy cross sections by RTIPS method improved the permeability and mechanical properties of the membrane by several times compared with the membrane via NIPS method. The obtained membranes in this experiment showed excellent permeability, just like pure water flux reached 1662.16 L/m2 h, while BSA rejection rate remained at 92.78%. Compared with pure membrane, it showed a better flux recovery rate (FRR = 83.33%) after cleaning, and the reduction of irreversible (R ir = 16.67%) fouling indexes indicated that the adsorption of protein was inhibited. These results suggested that the hydrophilic anti-fouling PES membranes prepared by this method possessed great application potential in membrane separation technology. [Display omitted] • BMPNs structure assisted RTIPS method was applied. • The hydrophilic EZIF-8 obtained by TA etching showed good compatibility with polymer and retained the porous properties of MOFs. • The PES membranes containing BMPNs structure prepared by RTIPS method have prominent hydrophilic and antifouling properties. • The structural properties of the membrane prepared by RTIPS method were better than those by NIPS method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for low-cost and high-performance energy storage supercapacitors is continuously promoting as a result of the rapid development of portable electric vehicles and electronic devices. Here, a high-performance MnCo alloy nanoparticles decorated boron-doped carbon nanotubes (MnCo–B/CNTs) electrode was obtained by a facile heteroatom hydrothermal and subsequent liquid-phase reduction methods, which yields improved performance for supercapacitor. In this process, boron doping led to extra oxygen graft into carbon surface, leading to the improved durability and wettability of the fabricated carbon-based electrodes, which presented both increased capacitances and rate capability due to electrolyte ion penetration and interactions with carbon surface. In addition, boron doping led to smaller size and higher dispersion of MnCo nanoparticles, facilitating more metallic alloy and new electroactive sites formation and promoting supercapacitive activity, which was attributed to increased MnCo alloy nucleation rate with boron-doped, electron donation from boron to alloy, and extra chemisorption sites. The constructed electrode exhibited all-round performance improvements of specific capacitance (1175 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) and capacitance retention (94.48% at a current density of 20 A g−1 after 5000 cycles), providing a novel insight for designing high performance supercapacitors. The structure of MnCo-B/CNTs nanocomposites with excellent electrochemical performances in supercapacitor for the potential applications. Image 1 • B/CNTs and MnCo–B/CNTs nanocomposites were successfully synthesized. • The nanocomposites display perfect electrochemical performances with the increase of content of boron-doped and MnCo NPs decorated. • The (MnCo) 2 –B 2 /CNTs composites exhibit superior electrochemical performance with 1175 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1. • The BET specific surface area and capacitance retention reach 1133.5 m2 g−1 and 93.15% at 20 A g−1 after 5000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel 3D hierarchical network porous CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co-180-10/GNPs hetero-nanostructure hybrid was successfully synthesized using an assistance of nickel foam as a precursor structure-controlling template. • The mass ratio of the second metal, hybridized temperature and activated time were verified to be the extremely sensitive parameters, affecting the electrochemical activity of CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co precursor. • The as-prepared CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co-180-10/GNPs sample exhibits large specific surface area, suitable wider mesopores and narrow micropores porosity, and unique morphology. • Due to the synergistic effect contribution of multi-compositional features, the CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co-180-10/GNPs displays an excellent electrochemical performance with 657.6 F g−1 for specific capacitance at 1 A g−1 and 97.11% for capacitance retention at a current density of 15 A g−1 after 5000 cycles. The increasing demands for green sustainable energy have motivated much interest and attention in energy conversion systems. In this work, 3D hierarchical network porous CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co-180-10/GNPs hetero-nanostructure hybrid was successfully designed and fabricated via a multistep transformation approach of liquid-phase reduction procedure and subsequent hydrothermal activation pathway, through using a facile heteroatoms synergistic-doping cobalt-based AgCo hybrid and precursor assisted-templating strategy. Here, the chemical compositions, structure parameters and electrochemical performances of C, N, S-tri-doped Ag@Co composites precursor can be simply tuned by adjusting the requirement of Ag content in alloys, hybridization temperature and activation time. It was found that the typical CNS@Ag 0.5 @Co-180-10/GNPs material possessed a molar ratio of 0.5:1 of Ag and Co, hybridized at 180 °C and activated for 10 h is endowed with large specific surface area (1370 m2g−1), suitable porosity (wider mesopores and narrow micropores), unique morphology (porous 3D hierarchical network structure) and outstanding electrochemical performance (657.6 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 for specific capacitance, 97.11% at a current density of 15 A g−1 after 5000 cycles for capacitance retention), providing a new insight to design a promising electrode materials for high-performance supercapacitors. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The red imported fire ant (RIFA) has made China its habitat for approximately 25 years, but few reports have described the species and amount of virus circulating in it. Researchers are currently exploring viruses associated with RIFAs as potential biological control agents against invasive ants. The present meta-transcriptome analysis revealed the virome of red imported fire ants in Guangdong, southern China, which included 17 viruses, including Solenopsis invicta virus 4-GD (SINV-4) and Guangdong Polycipiviridae ant virus 1 (GPAV1) in the Polycipiviridae family; Solenopsis invicta virus 1-GD (SINV-1), and Guangdong Dicistroviridae ant virus 2-3 (GDAV2-3) in the Dicistroviridae family; Guangdong Iflaviridae ant virus 4-9 (GIAV4-9) in the Iflaviridae family; Guangdong Parvoviridae ant virus 10 (GPAV10) in the Parvoviridae family; and Guangdong ant virus 11-15 (GAV11-15). A total of 15 novel viruses and 2 known viruses were identified in this study. These findings reveal the virome of red imported fire ants in Guangdong Province and present a different result from that of a similar study reported in the United States, providing more choices for potential classical biological control agents against red imported fire ants in China., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Li, Lian, Zhang, Chen, Chen, Wu, Zhang, Chen, Zhang, Lu, Ma and Bai.)

The endosperm in cereal grains is instrumental in determining grain yield and seed quality, as it controls starch and seed storage protein (SSP) production. In this study, we identified a specific nuclear factor-Y (NF-Y) trimeric complex in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), consisting of TaNF-YA3-D, TaNF-YB7-B, and TaNF-YC6-B, and exhibiting robust expression within the endosperm during grain filling. Knockdown of either TaNF-YA3 or TaNF-YC6 led to reduced starch but increased gluten protein levels. TaNF-Y indirectly boosted starch biosynthesis genes by repressing TaNAC019, a repressor of cytosolic small ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase 1a (TacAGPS1a), sucrose synthase 2 (TaSuS2), and other genes involved in starch biosynthesis. Conversely, TaNF-Y directly inhibited the expression of Gliadin-γ-700 (TaGli-γ-700) and low molecular weight-400 (TaLMW-400). Furthermore, TaNF-Y components interacted with SWINGER (TaSWN), the histone methyltransferase subunit of Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), to repress TaNAC019, TaGli-γ-700, and TaLMW-400 expression through trimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3) modifications. Notably, weak mutation of FERTILIZATION INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (TaFIE), a core PRC2 subunit, reduced starch but elevated gliadin and LMW-GS contents. Intriguingly, sequence variation within the TaNF-YB7-B coding region was linked to differences in starch and SSP content. Distinct TaNF-YB7-B haplotypes affect its interaction with TaSWN-B, influencing the repression of targets like TaNAC019 and TaGli-γ-700. Our findings illuminate the intricate molecular mechanisms governing TaNF-Y-PRC2-mediated epigenetic regulation for wheat endosperm development. Manipulating the TaNF-Y complex holds potential for optimizing grain yield and enhancing grain quality., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement. None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Winter plants rely on vernalization, a crucial process for adapting to cold conditions and ensuring successful reproduction. However, understanding the role of histone modifications in guiding the vernalization process in winter wheat remains limited. In this study, we investigated the transcriptome and chromatin dynamics in the shoot apex throughout the life cycle of winter wheat in the field. Two core histone modifications, H3K27me3 and H3K36me3, exhibited opposite patterns on the key vernalization gene VERNALIZATION1 (VRN1), correlating with its induction during cold exposure. Moreover, the H3K36me3 level remained high at VRN1 after cold exposure, which may maintain its active state. Mutations in FERTILIZATION-INDEPENDENT ENDOSPERM (TaFIE) and SET DOMAIN GROUP 8/EARLY FLOWERING IN SHORT DAYS (TaSDG8/TaEFS), components of the writer complex for H3K27me3 and H3K36me3, respectively, affected flowering time. Intriguingly, VRN1 lost its high expression after the cold exposure memory in the absence of H3K36me3. During embryo development, VRN1 was silenced with the removal of active histone modifications in both winter and spring wheat, with selective restoration of H3K27me3 in winter wheat. The mutant of Tafie-cr-87, a component of H3K27me3 "writer" complex, did not influence the silence of VRN1 during embryo development, but rather attenuated the cold exposure requirement of winter wheat. Integrating gene expression with H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 patterns identified potential regulators of flowering. This study unveils distinct roles of H3K27me3 and H3K36me3 in controlling vernalization response, maintenance, and resetting in winter wheat., (© 2024. Science China Press.)

5,18-Dimesitylorangarin and its BF 2 complex were synthesized by double S N Ar reaction of 3,5-dibromo-BODIPY with 2-pyrrolydipyrrin as the first examples of meso-aryl-substituted orangarin. These orangarins, delineated as [20]pentaphyrin(1.0.1.0.0), are strongly antiaromatic but rather stable. The free base orangarin was coupled by oxidation with MnO 2 to give a 11,11'-linked dimer, a cyclooctatetraene(COT)-centered trimer, and a spiro-trimer. Fused COT-centered 3H-orangarin dimer was oxidized to the corresponding 2H-orangarin dimer, which was further coupled to give a triply COT-centered 2H-orangarin tetramer. 3H-Orangarin oligomers are all antiaromatic as evinced by extremely low-field-shifted 1 H NMR signals of the inner NH and ill-defined absorption spectra with broad tails. In contrast, COT-centered 2H-orangarin dimer and tetramer show moderately low-field-shifted NH signals and intense NIR absorbance over 900 nm, suggesting effective π-conjugation through the COT bridge and almost non-antiaromatic character. These orangarin oligomers exhibit many reversible redox potentials owing to the intramolecular electronic interactions. Regardless of the different aromatic characters, all the orangarin monomers and oligomers exhibit very rapid excited-state decays., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Starch and seed storage protein (SSP) composition profoundly impact wheat grain yield and quality. To unveil regulatory mechanisms governing their biosynthesis, transcriptome, and epigenome profiling is conducted across key endosperm developmental stages, revealing that chromatin accessibility, H3K27ac, and H3K27me3 collectively regulate SSP and starch genes with varying impact. Population transcriptome and phenotype analyses highlight accessible promoter regions' crucial role as a genetic variation resource, influencing grain yield and quality in a core collection of wheat accessions. Integration of time-serial RNA-seq and ATAC-seq enables the construction of a hierarchical transcriptional regulatory network governing starch and SSP biosynthesis, identifying 42 high-confidence novel candidates. These candidates exhibit overlap with genetic regions associated with grain size and quality traits, and their functional significance is validated through expression-phenotype association analysis among wheat accessions and loss-of-function mutants. Functional analysis of wheat abscisic acid insensitive 3-A1 (TaABI3-A1) with genome editing knock-out lines demonstrates its role in promoting SSP accumulation while repressing starch biosynthesis through transcriptional regulation. Excellent TaABI3-A1 Hap1 with enhanced grain weight is selected during the breeding process in China, linked to altered expression levels. This study unveils key regulators, advancing understanding of SSP and starch biosynthesis regulation and contributing to breeding enhancement., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Exploration of expanded porphyrins with unprecedented reactivities has remained important. Here [22]pentaphyrins(2.0.1.1.0) were synthesized as a constitutional isomer of sapphyrin by acid-catalyzed cyclization of 1,14-dibromo-5,10-diaryltripyrrin with 1,2-di(pyrro-2-ly)ethenes. These pentaphyrins display roughly planar structures and varying aromaticities depending upon the vinylene structures. The 19,20-ditolyl pentaphyrin gave an N-fused product and an unprecedented pyrrole-rearranged product, depending upon the oxidation conditions. Remarkably, upon the metalation with CuCl, the N-fused product and the pyrrole-rearranged product afforded an inner β-β coupled face-to-face Cu II complex dimer and an outer β-β coupled lateral Cu II complex dimer, respectively, in fairly good yields. Further, [22]pentaphyrin(2.0.1.1.0) fused with a Ni II porphyrin was effectively dimerized upon oxidation with MnO 2 to give a 16-16' directly linked dl-dimer., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objectives: RC48 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets HER2. In China, RC48 is approved for patients with HER-2-positive metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) who have failed at least platinum-based chemotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate RC48 for mUC in a cohort of real-world patients., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 103 mUC patients from 12 centers between July 2021 and August 2023 in China. RC48 alone or with immunotherapy was administered until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, death, or other reasons. The objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were evaluated., Results: The median age of the patients was 68 years, and 68.0% were men. Twenty-nine (28.2%) patients received RC48 alone; 73 (70.9%) received RC48 combination therapy. The response rates were as follows: complete response in 2 (1.9%) patients, partial response in 50 (48.5%) patients, stable disease in 30 (29.1%) patients. The ORR was 50.5%. In patients with ≥80 years, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status ≥2 and creatinine clearance rate (CCr) <30 mL/min, the ORR was 75%, 48.6%, and 40.0%, respectively. The median PFS was 6 (3.9-8.1) months, and the median OS was not reached. The most reported TRAEs were peripheral sensory neuropathy (53.4%), alopecia (42.7%), asthenia (38.8%), decreased appetite (35.9%) and weight loss (35.9%) and TRAE did not increase in patients with poor condition or impaired renal function., Conclusion: Administration of RC48 for real-world patients is both effective and safe. mUC patients can benefit from RC48-based therapy, regardless of their poor condition or impaired renal function., Competing Interests: Disclosure There are no potential conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

N-Terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a pivotal biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure (HF). However, no SI-traceable certified reference material (CRM) or reference measurement procedure (RMP) is available for this biomarker, and so clinical testing results obtained in different laboratories cannot be traced to a higher-order standard, leading to incomparable measurements. Protein hydrolysis and protein cleavage isotope dilution mass spectrometry (AAA-IDMS and PepA-IDMS) were used to develop a CRM. Structurally related impurities were identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The quantitative AAA-IDMS results were corrected according to the amino acid compositions of the impurities. Using PepA-IDMS, two peptides from the proteolyzed product were confirmed as signature peptides. To obtain traceable and accurate results, the signature peptides were quantified using impurity-corrected AAA-IDMS. The candidate NT-proBNP solution was denatured and enzymatically digested using the Glu-C endoproteinase. The released signature peptides were measured using an isotopic dilution approach. The homogeneity and stability of the candidate CRM were characterized, and their uncertainties were combined with the value assignment process. The developed CRM can be considered a unique SI-traceable NT-proBNP reference material and is expected to be used as a primary calibrator for matrix NT-proBNP CRM development., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE part of Springer Nature.)

Carbazole-incorporated smaragdyrin BF 2 -complex 3 was synthesized by S N Ar reaction of 3,5-dibromo-8-mesityl-BODIPY 1 with 3,6-di(tert-butyl)-1,8-di(pyrrol-2-yl)carbazole 2 as a nucleophile. Demetalation of 3 with ZrCl 4 gave the corresponding smaragdyrin free base 4 in a good yield. Oxidations of 3 and 4 with MnO 2 gave smaragdyrins 5 and 6, respectively, both followed by aromaticity switching, since the oxidized products showed a moderate paratropic ring current owing to their 20π-electronic circuits. Further, treatment of 4 with [RhCl(CO) 2 ] 2 in the presence of NaOAc gave Rh I complex 7, and oxidation of 3 with RuCl 3 in the presence of triethylamine led to the formation of a spiro dimer product, 8., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) usually has a high metastasis rate and high mortality rate. To enable precise risk stratification, there is a need for novel biomarkers. As one form of apoptosis, anoikis results from the disruption of cell-cell connection or cell-ECM attachment. However, the impact of anoikis-related lncRNAs on ccRCC has not yet received adequate attention., Methods: The study utilized univariate Cox regression analysis in order to identify the overall survival (OS) associated anoikis-related lncRNAs (ARLs), followed by the LASSO algorithm for selection. On this basis, a risk model was subsequently established using five anoikis-related lncRNAs. To dig the inner molecular mechanism, KEGG, GO, and GSVA analyses were conducted. Additionally, the immune infiltration landscape was estimated using the ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA algorithms., Results: The study constructed a novel risk model based on five ARLs (AC092611.2, AC027601.2, AC103809.1, AL133215.2, and AL162586.1). Patients categorized as low-risk exhibited significantly better OS. Notably, the study observed marked different immune infiltration landscapes and drug sensitivity by risk stratification. Additionally, the study preliminarily explored potential signal pathways associated with risk stratification., Conclusion: The study exhibited the crucial role of ARLs in the carcinogenesis of ccRCC, potentially through differential immune infiltration. Furthermore, the established risk model could serve as a valuable stratification factor for predicting OS prognosis.

The breeding of crops with improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is crucial for sustainable agriculture, but the involvement of epigenetic modifications remains unexplored. Here, we analyze the chromatin landscapes of two wheat cultivars (KN9204 and J411) that differ in NUE under varied nitrogen conditions. The expression of nitrogen metabolism genes is closely linked to variation in histone modification instead of differences in DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications exhibit clear cultivar-specificity, which likely contributes to distinct agronomic traits. Additionally, low nitrogen (LN) induces H3K27ac and H3K27me3 to significantly enhance root growth in KN9204, while remarkably inducing NRT2 in J411. Evidence from histone deacetylase inhibitor treatment and transgenic plants with loss function of H3K27me3 methyltransferase shows that changes in epigenetic modifications could alter the strategy preference for root development or nitrogen uptake in response to LN. Here, we show the importance of epigenetic regulation in mediating cultivar-specific adaptation to LN in wheat., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Recent evidences have suggested that Zinc finger protein 582 (ZNF582) plays different important roles in various tumors, but its clinical role, biological function and regulatory mechanism in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still vague. Through analyzing GEO and TCGA-KIRC data and validation with local samples, we identified the low expression pattern of ZNF582 in ccRCC. Decreased ZNF582 expression is correlated with higher tumor stage and grade, distant metastasis and poor prognosis. By analyzing the DNA methylation data of ccRCC in TCGA-KIRC and using Massarray DNA methylation and demethylation analysis, we confirmed the hypermethylation status of ZNF582 in ccRCC and its negative regulation on ZNF582 expression. Using cell phenotype experiments and orthotopic kidney tumor growth models, we determined the inhibitory effect of ZNF582 overexpression on ccRCC growth and metastasis in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistically, using TMT (Tandem mass tags) quantitative proteomics test, Co-IP (Co-immunoprecipitation) and Western Blot experiments, we clarified that ZNF582 binds to TJP2 and up-regulates TJP2 protein expression. Increased TJP2 protein combines with ERK2 to promote ERK2 protein expression and suppresses the phosphorylation of ERK2, thereby inhibiting the growth and metastasis of ccRCC. In general, our findings provide the first solid theoretical rationale for targeting ZNF582/TJP2/ERK2 axis to improve ccRCC treatment., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

As an interleukin (IL)-1 receptor family member, scientists found that when circulating soluble growth stimulation expressed gene 2 (sST2) is low, its ligand, IL-33, will bind to ST2L to exert protective effects on various types of cells. On the other hand, competitive binding of IL-33 occurs when sST2 concentrations are increased, followed by a reduction in the amount available for cell protection. Based on this mechanism, the usage of sST2 is to identify the population of high-risk patients with cardiovascular disease. In recent years, the role of serum sST2 in the occurrence, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cardiovascular diseases has been gradually accepted by doctors. This manuscript systemically reviews the biological functions and applications of sST2 in disease diagnosis and treatment, especially for cardiovascular diseases. In clinical testing, since IL-33 can negatively impact sST2 measurement accuracy, the properties of current assay kits have been summarized and discussed to provide a clear view of the clinical chemistry results. Although sST2 is a promising biomarker, there are few quantitative approaches available for clinical testing. In this context, a mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach might be an option, as this is a powerful analytical tool to distinguish structurally related molecules in the matrix and decrease false-positive results in clinical testing. Moreover, approaches developed based on MS would be an ideal way to further study sST2 standardization., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Xiao, Song, Song, Chen and Li.)

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histological subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Anoikis plays an essential function in tumourigenesis, whereas the role of anoikis in ccRCC remains unclear. Methods: Anoikis-related genes (ARGs) were collected from the MSigDB database. According to univariate Cox regression analysis, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was utilized to select the ARGs associated with the overall rate (OS). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify 5 prognostic ARGs, and a risk model was established. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the OS rate of ccRCC patients. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG), and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSVA) were utilized to investigate the molecular mechanism of patients in the low- and high-risk group. ESTIMATE, CIBERSOT, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithms were conducted to estimate the immune infiltration landscape. Consensus clustering analysis was performed to divide the patients into different subgroups. Results: A fresh risk model was constructed based on the 5 prognostic ARGs ( CHEK2, PDK4, ZNF304, SNAI2, SRC ). The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that the OS rate of patients with a low-risk score was significantly higher than those with a high-risk score. Consensus clustering analysis successfully clustered the patients into two subgroups, with a remarkable difference in immune infiltration landscape and prognosis. The ESTIMATE, CIBERSORT, and ssGSEA results illustrated a significant gap in immune infiltration landscape of patients in the low- and high-risk group. Enrichment analysis and GSVA revealed that immune-related signaling pathways might mediate the role of ARGs in ccRCC. The nomogram results illustrated that the ARGs prognostic signature was an independent prognostic predictor that distinguished it from other clinical characteristics. TIDE score showed a promising immunotherapy response of ccRCC patients in different risk subgroups and cluster subgroups. Conclusion: Our study revealed that ARGs play a carcinogenic role in ccRCC. Additionally, we firstly integrated multiple ARGs to establish a risk-predictive model. This study highlights that ARGs could be implemented as a stratification factor for individualized and precise treatment in ccRCC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Liu, Zhu, Chen, Wang, Chen, Zhu and Zhang.)

Objective: To comprehensively describe the manifestations, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the collecting duct carcinoma (CDC) of the kidney., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data from 74 patients with CDC from two centers between January 2001 and December 2020. The clinical characteristics, imaging and pathological features, and diagnostic and treatment methods were analyzed., Results: The mean age of the patients was 61.5 years, and 54.1% were males. The most common symptoms were low back pain, hematuria, and fatigue. Computed tomography was not specific, with 10.8% of the patients diagnosed with urothelial carcinoma and 4.1% with infectious disease. Thirty-two patients had metastasis at presentation, while 17.6% had tumor thrombus in the venous system. Twenty-two patients underwent renal biopsy, and 50% of the patients were diagnosed with CDC. Sixty-one renal surgeries were performed, and the pathological median diameter was 6.5 cm. Eight patients received immune checkpoint inhibitors, and the objective remission rate was 50%. The median follow-up time was 16 months, while the median overall survival was 24.0 months. The univariate and multivariable analysis showed that sarcomatoid differentiation and absence of renal surgery were predictors of mortality., Conclusion: CDC is highly aggressive. Patients are commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage. Early surgical treatment can improve prognosis. Though there is still a lack of standard treatment, immune checkpoint inhibitors bring new hope for the treatment of CDC., (Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Second primary renal cell carcinoma (2nd RCC) refers to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) diagnosed after another unrelated malignancy. This study aims to compare the clinical manifestation, pathology, treatment, and prognostic features of patients with 2nd RCC and first primary renal cell carcinoma (1st RCC)., Materials and Methods: Data of the patients with localized RCC were retrospectively collected. They were classified as 2nd RCC or 1st RCC according to a previously diagnosed cancer, including 113 cases of 2nd RCC and 749 cases of 1st RCC., Results: The most common types of extrarenal malignancies in patients with 2nd RCC include lung, colorectal, breast, gynecological, and gastric cancers. The age and smoking rate of 2nd RCC patients were significantly higher than in those of 1st RCC patients. For 2nd RCC patients, fewer had clinical symptoms and renal masses tend to be smaller. One hundred and eight (95.6%) patients with 2nd RCC received surgical interventions. All patients with 1st RCC underwent renal surgery. More patients with 2nd RCC underwent a partial nephrectomy. Pathologically, there was no significant difference in postoperative pathological types between the 2nd and 1st RCCs. However, the 2nd RCCs were commonly identified in the early stages. The median overall survival (OS) of 2nd RCC patients was 117 months, which was shorter than that of 1st RCC patients., Conclusions: Second RCC is not uncommon. More attention should be paid to screening for 2nd RCC in cancer survivors. There are some differences between patients with 2nd and 1st RCCs that should be viewed separately., (© 2022. The Author(s).)