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Abstract The asymmetric calibration method is a very interesting technology for differential output probes. It has been proven that the asymmetric calibration method (ACM) can broaden the application scenarios of the electromagnetic field dual probe. However, ACM is not verified on a back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system. This paper calibrates a back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system by inserting a connector for creating an asymmetry using ACM. The calibration results show that ACM can be used to calibrate an asymmetric back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system. The calibration results are further verified by measuring the standing wave magnetic field, and the verification results show that the asymmetric calibration method is effective in eliminating the asymmetry of the back‐to‐back double‐loop differential magnetic field probing system and the work frequency band reaches up to 12 GHz.

Abstract Isolated flat bands are known to host various strongly correlated phases due to the enhanced Coulomb interactions when the flat bands are gapped from dispersive bands. One way to achieve an isolated flat band is by breaking the on-site energy symmetry in a Lieb lattice. In this study, we demonstrate the design of such a Lieb lattice. The self-assembly of square-shaped macrocycle molecules on a Ag(111) surface forms a two-dimensional supramolecular crystal, comprising three types of nanopores with different sizes arranged in a Lieb lattice. The surface-state electrons of the Ag(111) substrate confined by these nanopores behave as quantum dots with specific energies depending on the pore size. Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy and plane-wave quantum simulation, we reveal that this artificial Lieb lattice exhibits an isolated flat band gapped at 0.16 eV from the nearest band. The supramolecular crystal is nearly defect-free and extends to sub-micrometer size, making it a practical platform for exploring the exotic properties of the isolated flat band.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is primarily secreted by hepatocytes. PCSK9 is critical in liver low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLRs) metabolism. In addition to its hepatocellular presence, PCSK9 has also been detected in cardiac, cerebral, islet, renal, adipose, and other tissues. Once perceived primarily as a “harmful factor,” PCSK9 has been a focal point for the targeted inhibition of both systemic circulation and localized tissues to treat diseases. However, PCSK9 also contributes to the maintenance of normal physiological functions in numerous extrahepatic tissues, encompassing both LDLR-dependent and -independent pathways. Consequently, PCSK9 deficiency may harm extrahepatic tissues in close association with several pathophysiological processes, such as lipid accumulation, mitochondrial impairment, insulin resistance, and abnormal neural differentiation. This review encapsulates the beneficial effects of PCSK9 on the physiological processes and potential disorders arising from PCSK9 deficiency in extrahepatic tissues. This review also provides a comprehensive analysis of the disparities between experimental and clinical research findings regarding the potential harm associated with PCSK9 deficiency. The aim is to improve the current understanding of the diverse effects of PCSK9 inhibition.

Abstract Amphibians and reptiles, especially the critically endangered Chinese alligators, are vulnerable to climate change. Historically, the decline in suitable habitats and fragmentation has restricted the distribution of Chinese alligators to a small area in southeast Anhui Province in China. However, the effects of climate change on range‐restricted Chinese alligator habitats are largely unknown. We aimed to predict current and future (2050s and 2070s) Chinese alligator distribution and identify priority conservation areas under climate change. We employed species distribution models, barycenter migration analyses, and the Marxian model to assess current and future Chinese alligator distribution and identify priority conservation areas under climate change. The results showed that the lowest temperature and rainfall seasonality in the coldest month were the two most important factors affecting the distribution of Chinese alligators. Future predictions indicate a reduction (3.39%–98.41%) in suitable habitats and a westward shift in their distribution. Further, the study emphasizes that suitable habitats for Chinese alligators are threatened by climate change. Despite the impact of the Anhui Chinese Alligator National Nature Reserve, protection gaps persist, with 78.27% of the area lacking priority protected area. Our study provides crucial data for Chinese alligator adaptation to climate change and underscores the need for improved conservation strategies. Future research should refine conservation efforts, consider individual plasticity, and address identified limitations to enhance the resilience of Chinese alligator populations in the face of ongoing climate change.

Granary evolves over time, adopting various climate responsive strategies and accordingly producing different grain storage environments. Meanwhile, as a major grain-growing area since ancient times, the North China Plain has a huge demand for granaries. Therefore, this paper investigates the historical vicissitudes of grain storage environment in North China Plain. Four granaries built during different historical periods (ranging from AD 583 to AD 2002) were selected. While their architectural features were obtained via field surveys and literature review, additional information was collected from on-site measurements to mathematically simulate the grain storage environments created by them. Results show that the grain storage environment has not been significantly improved, as the number of hours for safe grain storage has increased only by 2.36% in the past 1400 years. Further analysis revealed that these historical granaries adopted two different strategies (temperature-first vs. humidity-first) that failed to create a desirable grain storage environment, thus calling for a deliberate trade-off between air temperature and relative humidity. The present study not only deepens our understanding of historical granaries typical in the North China Plain but also provides valuable practical implications for the design and construction of modern granaries.

Abstract This study aimed to determine the effect of short-term remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) on coronary blood flow and microcirculation function using the quantitative flow ratio (QFR) and index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR). We randomly divided 129 patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) into RIPC and control groups. Following the first CAG, we randomly divided the patients further into the unilateral upper limb and lower limb groups for four cycles of ischemia/reperfusion circulation; subsequently, we performed the second CAG. During each CAG, contrast-flow QFR (cQFR), fixed-flow QFR (fQFR), and IMR (in patients with cardiac syndrome X) were calculated and compared. We measured 253 coronary arteries in 129 patients. Compared to the control group, the average cQFR of the RIPC group increased significantly after RIPC. Additionally, 23 patients with cardiac syndrome X (IMR > 30) were included in this study. Compared to the control group, IMR and the difference between cQFR and fQFR (cQFR-fQFR) both decreased significantly after receiving RIPC. The application of RIPC can increase coronary blood flow and improve coronary microcirculation function.

Abstract The experimental realization of p-orbital systems is desirable because p-orbital lattices have been proposed theoretically to host strongly correlated electrons that exhibit exotic quantum phases. Here, we synthesize a two-dimensional Fe-coordinated bimolecular metal-organic framework which constitutes a honeycomb lattice of 1,4,5,8,9,12-hexaazatriphenylene molecules and a Kagome lattice of 5,15-di(4-pyridyl)-10,20-diphenylporphyrin molecules on a Au(111) substrate. Density-functional theory calculations show that the framework features multiple well-separated spin-polarized Kagome bands, namely Dirac cone bands and Chern flat bands, near the Fermi level. Using tight-binding modelling, we reveal that these bands are originated from two effects: the low-lying molecular orbitals that exhibit p-orbital characteristics and the honeycomb-Kagome lattice. This study demonstrates that p-orbital Kagome bands can be realized in metal-organic frameworks by using molecules with molecular orbitals of p-orbital like symmetry.

With the deep integration of information technology and manufacturing, the networking of manufacturing transactions has become an inevitable trend.Cloud manufacturing services can realize cross-supplier transactions that are not limited by geographical space, but in the process of transaction, there are problems such as difficulty in guaranteeing the trust of both parties and leakage of privacy.In order to solve the above problems, a cloud manufacturing service platform architecture based on a dual-chain model was proposed, which stores user data and transaction data in separate chains, and adopts a practical Byzantine fault tolerance (PBFT) consensus algorithm to solve the problem of data synchronization between blocks.However, traditional PBFT consensus algorithm has bottlenecks in storage and consensus efficiency, and is not suitable for large-scale manufacturing platforms.Therefore, further research on the PBFT consensus algorithm was carried out.The election process was optimized and the consensus protocol process of the consensus cluster was improved by combining the EigenTrust model and the quality of service (QoS), and then give the manufacturing resource rent-seeking and matching steps.Analysis and simulation experiments show that this research effectively improves the reliability of PBFT consensus nodes, improves the operating efficiency of the platform and the speed of block consensus, and saves data storage space.

Abstract The functionalization of the β‐carbon of enals with electrophiles is a signature umpolung reactivity of N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) derived homoenolates. However, only a limited number of electrophiles are shown to be compatible, with most of them being π‐electrophiles. In this study, the successful enantioselective β‐alkylation of homoenolates is reported using Csp3 electrophiles through an SN2 strategy. The protocol shows a broad scope regarding alkyl electrophiles, delivering good yields, and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). It enables the installation of drug‐like structural motifs in either enals or alkylating agents, demonstrating its potential as a valuable tool for late‐stage modification. Furthermore, a concise synthetic route is presented to chiral pyrroloindoline‐type skeletons. Preliminary mechanistic studies support a direct SN2 mechanism.

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a potent modulator of cholesterol metabolism and plays a crucial role in the normal functioning of pancreatic islets and the progression of diabetes. Islet autocrine PCSK9 deficiency can lead to the enrichment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR) and excessive LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) uptake, subsequently impairing the insulin secretion in β-cells. Circulatory PCSK9 levels are primarily attributed to hepatocyte secretion. Notably, anti-PCSK9 strategies proposed for individuals with hypercholesterolemia chiefly target liver-derived PCSK9; however, these anti-PCSK9 strategies have been associated with the risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM). In the current review, we highlight a new direction in PCSK9 inhibition therapy strategies: screening candidates for anti-PCSK9 from the drugs used in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treatment. We explored the association between circulating, local pancreatic PCSK9 and T2DM, as well as the relationship between PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies and NODM. We discussed the emergence of artificial and natural drugs in recent years, exhibiting dual benefits of antidiabetic activity and PCSK9 reduction, confirming that the diverse effects of these drugs may potentially impact the progression of diabetes and associated disorders, thereby introducing novel avenues and methodologies to enhance disease prognosis.

The FLNA gene encodes the cytoskeletal protein filamin A which plays a key role in the structure and function of the cardiac valves. Truncating FLNA mutations are associated with cardiac valvular dysplasia. To further understand the exact role of FLNA in this disease, we have generated a human FLNA knockout cell line from H9 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology in this study. This cell line WAe009-A-P has a 2 bp deletion in the exon 2 of FLNA gene which resulted in a frameshift in the translation of FLNA and no FLNA protein was detected in this cell line. Moreover, WAe009-A-P also expressed pluripotency markers, had a normal female karyotype (46XX) and maintained the ability to differentiate into the three germ layers in vitro.

The traditional “centralized” access control technology can no longer guarantee the security of private data access control in the current internet of things environment.Based on the ABAC (attribute-based access control) model, a blockchain based access control framework for the internet of things and a private data access control model were proposed.Firstly, the basic framework and process of access control were described and analyzed in detail, and an auditable access control model was proposed to systematically manage the access control policies of private data through the requests, responses and access records stored in the blockchain network.Then, an auditable access control system based on blockchain technology was proposed, which can provide distributed, fine-grained and dynamic access control management in the internet of things, realize the effective management and auditable access to data, and adopt the access control method based on smart contract to realize the transparent, traceable and automatic access control over the internet of things resources.Finally, simulation experiments and performance tests verify the effectiveness and security of the access control model and system.

On-surface synthesis is a useful tool to produce extended macrocyclic structures with atomic precision, with only one type of macrocycle typically formed through on-surface coupling reactions. Here, distinct domains of four-, six- and eight-membered tetraphenylethylene-based macrocycles are synthesized on Ag(111) as segregated large-area mono-component crystals.

Mining key nodes in the network plays a great role in the evolution of information dissemination, virus marketing, and public opinion control, etc.The identification of key nodes can effectively help to control network attacks, detect financial risks, suppress the spread of viruses diseases and rumors, and prevent terrorist attacks.In order to break through the limitations of existing node influence assessment methods with high algorithmic complexity and low accuracy, as well as one-sided perspective of assessing the intrinsic action mechanism of evaluation metrics, a comprehensive influence (CI) assessment algorithm for identifying critical nodes was proposed, which simultaneously processes the local and global topology of the network to perform node importance.The global attributes in the algorithm consider the information entropy of neighboring nodes and the shortest distance nodes between nodes to represent the local attributes of nodes, and the weight ratio of global and local attributes was adjusted by a parameter.By using the SIR (susceptible infected recovered) model and Kendall correlation coefficient as evaluation criteria, experimental analysis on real-world networks of different scales shows that the proposed method is superior to some well-known heuristic algorithms such as betweenness centrality (BC), closeness centrality (CC), gravity index centrality(GIC), and global structure model (GSM), and has better ranking monotonicity, more stable metric results, more adaptable to network topologies, and is applicable to most of the real networks with different structure of real networks.

Abstract In this paper, a quasi‐optical resonator with new coupling method and parasitic‐mode‐suppressing in 110–170 GHz is proposed. The coupling of terahertz (THz) quasi‐optical resonator in this paper is realized by PCB substrate processing and pressurized flange. At the same time, the parasitic mode is effectively suppressed by slitting the plane mirror to reduce the influence on the main mode during the test. And the fused quartz sample was tested to verify the feasibility of the system for complex dielectric testing of materials in 110–170 GHz.

Introduction: Gambling can cause negative consequences affecting finances, work/study, physical and mental health, relationships, law abidingness, and the community. Although existing measures enable investigations of gambling harms, there is still a need for a brief measure covering the full range of gambling related harms. Methods: We validated a 7-item domain-general harm scale (DGHS-7) using data from a cross-sectional survey of United Kingdom residents reporting gambling within the last 12 months (n = 2558, 62.4% women, mean age 40.1 years (SD = 12.5)). The DGHS-7 was investigated in terms of factor structure, measurement invariance, and convergent validity with a comprehensive 72-item checklist of gambling harm, the Short Gambling Harms Screen (SGHS), and the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). Discriminative validity was checked against the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). Internal consistency was also calculated. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a one-factor solution (χ2 = 136.991, df = 14, χ2/df = 9.785, p

Chemical vapor deposition enables the scalable production of 2D semiconductors, but the grown materials are usually affected by high defect densities. Here, the authors report a hydroxide vapour phase deposition method to synthesize wafer-scale monolayer WS2 with reduced defect density and electrical properties comparable to those of exfoliated flakes.

Meningitis-like infectious disease (MID) (also known as frog cataract and torticollis) is a disease prone to occur in amphibians and reptiles. It is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate. In this study, we sampled and sequenced microbiomes from oral and intestinal samples of five normal and five diseased bullfrogs. The analysis found that the richness, uniformity, and abundance of the microbial community of the diseased bullfrogs were significantly higher than those of the normal bullfrogs in both the oral cavity and the gut. In the diseased group, the abundance of Elizabethkingia significantly increased and that of Lactococcus significantly decreased. It showed that the structure of the microbial community had changed a lot in diseased frogs. After the pathogenic bacteria infected the body, it might be make the decline in the immune function of the body declined, and resulting in some conditional pathogenic bacteria in the water body further infecting the body. As a result, the richness and composition of the microbial community significantly changed. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the control of MID of bullfrogs.

Abstract Background Both the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Short Gambling Harms Screen (SGHS) purport to identify individuals harmed by gambling. However, there is dispute as to how much individuals are harmed, conditional on their scores from these instruments. We used an experienced utility framework to estimate the magnitude of implied impacts on health and wellbeing. Methods We measured health utility using the Short Form Six-Dimension (SF-6D), and used this as a benchmark. All 2603 cases were propensity score weighted, to balance the affected group (i.e., SGHS 1+ or PGSI 1+ vs 0) with a reference group of gamblers with respect to risk factors for gambling harm. Weighted regression models estimated decrements to health utility scores attributable to gambling, whilst controlling for key comorbidities. Results We found significant attributable decrements to health utility for all non-zero SGHS scores, as well as moderate-risk and problem gamblers, but not for PGSI low-risk gamblers. Applying these coefficients to population data, we find a similar total burden for both instruments, although the SGHS more specifically identified the subpopulation of harmed individuals. For both screens, outcomes on the SF-6D implies that about two-thirds of the ‘burden of harm’ is attributable to gamblers outside of the most severe categories. Conclusions Gambling screens have hitherto provided nominal category membership, it has been unclear whether moderate or ‘at-risk’ scores imply meaningful impact, and accordingly, population surveys have typically focused on problem gambling prevalence. These results quantify the health utility decrement for each category, allowing for tracking of the aggregate population impact based on all affected gamblers.

Crocodilians, which are a kind of animal secondary adaptation to an aquatic environment, their hindlimb can provide the power needed to engage in various life activities, even in low-oxygen water environments. The development of limbs is an important aspect of animal growth and development, as it is closely linked to body movement, support, heat production, and other critical functions. For the Chinese alligator, the hindlimb is one of the main sources of power, and its development and differentiation will directly influence the survival ability in the wild. Furthermore, a better understanding of the hindlimb developmental process will provide data support for the comparative evolutionary and functional genomics of crocodilians. In this study, the expression levels of genes related to hindlimb development in the Chinese alligator embryos during fetal development (on days 29, 35, 41, and 46) were investigated through transcriptome analysis. A total of 1675 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at different stages were identified by using limma software. These DEGs were then analyzed using weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA), and 4 gene expression modules and 20 hub genes were identified that were associated with the development of hindlimbs in the Chinese alligator at different periods. The results of GO enrichment and hub gene expression showed that the hindlimb development of the Chinese alligator embryos involves the development of the embryonic structure, nervous system, and hindlimb muscle in the early stage (H29) and the development of metabolic capacity occurs in the later stage (H46). Additionally, the enrichment results showed that the AMPK signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction are involved in the development of the hindlimb of the Chinese alligator. Among these, the HIF-1 signaling pathway and neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction may be related to the adaptation of Chinese alligators to low-oxygen environments. Additionally, five DEGs (CAV1, IRS2, LDHA, LDB3, and MYL3) were randomly selected for qRT-PCR to verify the transcriptome results. It is expected that further research on these genes will help us to better understand the process of embryonic hindlimb development in the Chinese alligator.

Cell polarity operates across a broad range of spatial and temporal scales and is essential for specific biological functions of polarized cells. Tip growth is a special type of polarization in which a single and unique polarization site is established and maintained, as for the growth of root hairs and pollen tubes in plants. Extensive studies in past decades have demonstrated that the spatiotemporal localization and activity of Rho of Plants (ROPs), the only class of Rho GTPases in plants, are critical for tip growth. ROPs are switched on or off by different factors to initiate dynamic intracellular activities, leading to tip growth. Recent studies have also uncovered several feedback modules for ROP signaling. In this review, we summarize recent progress on ROP signaling in tip growth, focusing on molecular mechanisms that underlie the dynamic distribution and activity of ROPs in Arabidopsis. We also highlight feedback modules that control ROP-mediated tip growth and provide a perspective for building a complex ROP signaling network. Finally, we provide an evolutionary perspective for ROP-mediated tip growth in Physcomitrella patens and during plant–rhizobia interaction.

It was predicted that lattice reconstruction can lead to the emergence of multiple ultra-flat electronic bands in twisted bilayer transition metal dichalcogenides. Here, by using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, the authors demonstrate such bands in twisted bilayer WSe2.

Abstract This report aims to discuss a case of asymptomatic mesh infection 6 years after laparoscopic totally extraperitoneal (TEP) inguinal hernia repair and to reveal that the risk of mesh infection may occur after a long period of this surgery. This report is also intended to suggest surgeons pay more attention to the follow‐up of such patients and to be aware of the possibility of mesh infection to assist in early diagnosis and treatment. A 63‐year‐old male patient, who underwent TEP inguinal hernia repair 6 years ago for right inguinal hernia, fell down accidentally 2 weeks ago. Enhanced computed tomography(CT) showed right lower abdomen cystic lesions, so he underwent laparoscopic surgery during which abscess caused by delayed mesh infection was found. After removing the mesh and abscess, he was discharged. The risk of mesh infection after TEP inguinal hernia repair is low, but it can last for more than 6 years and can even be asymptomatic as long as the mesh remains in the body.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dielectric properties (permittivity and conductivity), thermoacoustic signals (TAS) and temperature of liver tissues at 3.0 GHz.Materials and Methods: An open-ended coaxial probe was used to measure the dielectric properties of fresh porcine liver tissues in vitro, and a thermoacoustic imaging (TAI) system was used to collect the TAS. Porcine liver tissues were placed on a heating platform, and the dielectric properties measuring probe and temperature sensor were inserted into the liver tissues separated by 1.5 cm. First, the liver tissues were gradually heated by a heating platform from room temperature (30°C) to 60°C, and the dielectric properties and TAS were measured as the temperature increased approximately every 1°C. Second, after the temperature of the porcine liver tissue reached 60°C, the heating platform was turned off to naturally cool the porcine liver tissue to room temperature. During the process, the dielectric properties and TAS were also measured as the temperature decreased every 1°C. Finally, the changes in the dielectric properties and TAS of the liver tissues with temperature at 3.0 GHz frequency were analyzed.Results: During the process of heating the tissues up to 60°C, the conductivity of the porcine liver tissues decreased while the permittivity and TAS of the porcine liver tissues increased, and the relationships were nonlinearly correlated. Meanwhile, during the cooling process, the conductivity of the porcine liver tissues increased, while the permittivity and TAS decreased, and the relationships were also nonlinearly correlated.Conclusion: The dielectric properties and TAS of porcine liver tissue changed significantly with temperature, which makes it possible to differentiate the safety margin during liver thermal ablation with thermoacoustic imaging (TAI). While the relationship between temperature, dielectric properties and TAS needs to be further investigated, TAI has the potential to be utilized for safety margin screening during thermal ablation.

Magneto-electric materials with low loss have prospective applications in microwave systems as they enable miniaturization and broadband impedance matching. Two example applications are antennas and filters in sub-6G communication systems. Therefore, high-accuracy and wideband testing are critical for magneto-electric materials, whose complex permittivity and permeability are usually dependent on frequency. In this paper, the mutual interference between the electric and magnetic field within magneto-electric material samples was seriously considered. It was found that the results calculated with the original perturbation formula were overestimated when the sample size was not so small or higher-order modes are used, especially when the electric or magnetic field is perpendicular to the material under test. Two methods based on perturbation, namely the iteration method and the multi-state method are proposed to reduce the impact of the mutual interference, which have been proven to be direct and effective through theoretical analysis and experiments. Finally, several rod-shaped specimens processed from several standard dielectric materials (PTFE, fused silica, Al2O3) and synthesized magneto-electric materials were measured in a fabricated cavity with a vector network analyzer. Experimental results show that the results obtained by the modified formula are more accurate than those obtained by the original formula, and are in good agreement with the data measured by other methods.

Disease has always been one of the main reasons for the decline of apple quality and yield, which directly harms the development of agricultural economy. Therefore, precise diagnosis of apple diseases and correct decision making are important measures to reduce agricultural losses and promote economic growth. In this paper, a novel Multi-scale Dense classification network is adopted to realize the diagnosis of 11 types of images, including healthy and diseased apple fruits and leaves. The diagnosis of different kinds of diseases and the same disease with different grades was accomplished. First of all, to solve the problem of insufficient images of anthracnose and ring rot, Cycle-GAN algorithm was applied to achieve dataset expansion on the basis of traditional image augmentation methods. Cycle-GAN learned the image characteristics of healthy apples and diseased apples to generate anthracnose and ring rot lesions on the surface of healthy apple fruits. The diseased apple images generated by Cycle-GAN were added to the training set, which improved the diagnosis performance compared with other traditional image augmentation methods. Subsequently, DenseNet and Multi-scale connection were adopted to establish two kinds of models, Multi-scale Dense Inception-V4 and Multi-scale Dense Inception-Resnet-V2, which facilitated the reuse of image features of the bottom layers in the classification neural networks. Both models accomplished the diagnosis of 11 different types of images. The classification accuracy was 94.31 and 94.74%, respectively, which exceeded DenseNet-121 network and reached the state-of-the-art level.

Chromatin interaction analysis by paired-end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET) can discover specific protein-centered chromatin interactions in high resolution. Here, the authors use ChIA-PET to reveal the complex and dynamic interactions between proximal and distal regulatory regions of genes in maize.

The complex dielectric constant is the intrinsic parameter of microwave material, and the accurate acquisition of its value is critical for its application. Generally, the dielectric properties of microwave materials are obtained under weak electromagnetic field. However, with the continuous development of high power microwave technology, the microwave field intensity around materials gradually increases, and the test results of the dielectric properties of materials under the weak electromagnetic field will not be able to characterize the test results under the high power environment. Therefore, a novel testing technology based on the resonator method is proposed, which provides an effective solution for the measurement and characterization of microwave dielectric properties of materials under strong microwave field. Based on the constructed system, the evolution rules of the microwave characteristics of four typical materials are obtained. In the experiment, the temperature of the samples is precisely monitored, and the evolution rules of the temperature characteristics of the dielectric properties of the samples under strong and weak microwave fields are compared. The comparison results demonstrate that the dielectric properties of materials under strong fields are related not only to the microwave heating effect but also to the mechanism of the non-thermal microwave effect.

Objective Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and lethal malignancies. The identification of precise and noninvasive biomarkers is urgently needed to aid the early diagnosis and clinical management of CRC. Methods A total of 112 patients with CRC and 115 healthy control subjects were included in this study. Serum levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7, MMP-9, MMP-11, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, and TIMP-2 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA)19-9 levels were measured using an automatic immunoassay analyzer. Results MMP-7, MMP-9, MMP-11, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, CEA, and CA19-9 levels were all significantly higher in CRC patients compared with healthy controls. MMP-7, TIMP-1, and CEA levels were also closely related to clinicopathologic features in patients with CRC. The combination of serum CEA, MMP-7, and TIMP-1 significantly improved the diagnostic value compared with any single marker (area under the curve 0.858–0.890). Furthermore, a combined detection model including MMP-7, TIMP-1, and CEA improved both the specificity and sensitivity for detecting CRC. Conclusions The results showed that combined detection of CEA, MMP-7, and TIMP-1 in serum could provide a specific and sensitive biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC.

We report on an experimental demonstration of two-way communication between sky and underwater for the first time. Signal transmission from sky to underwater is realized by the thermoacoustic effect (TE), while from underwater to sky, this is based on the microwave vibration measurement (MVM). With a homemade experimental setup, the two-way transmission of “UESTC” is realized. This study suggests that TE combined with MVM has the potential to be used for two-way wireless communication between sky and underwater.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most abundant messenger RNAs modification. Increasing evidence illustrates its critical role on gastric cancer. Here, present research focuses on the potential function of m6A methyltransferase Wilms’ tumour 1-associated protein (WTAP) in gastric cancer tumorigenesis. Firstly, m6A immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis (MeRIP-Seq) analysis demonstrated the m6A profile in gastric cancer cells. Both WTAP and the m6A expression were up-regulated in gastric cancer tissue and cells. The high-expression of WTAP was closely correlated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Functional experiments illustrated that WTAP promoted the proliferation and glycolytic capacity (glucose uptake, lactate production and extracellular acidification rate) in vitro, and the knockdown of WTAP suppressed the tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, HK2 was identified to be the target of WTAP using MeRIP-Seq and MeRIP-qPCR. WTAP enhanced the stability of HK2 mRNA through binding with the 3’-UTR m6A site. In conclusion, our results demonstrate the oncogenic role of WTAP and its m6A-mediated regulation on gastric cancer Warburg effect, providing a novel approach and therapeutic target in gastric cancer.

The role of muscle LIM protein (MLP), encoded by CSRP3, is not well understood in humans. CSRP3 knockout mice developed dilated cardiomyopathy with hypertrophy and heart failure after birth. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated an MLP deficient human ESC line WAe009-A-41 carrying a compound heterozygous 13 bp deletion/1 bp insertion in the CSRP3 gene. The WAe009-A-41 line exhibited a normal female karyotype (46, XX), expressed pluripotency markers and exhibited capability to differentiate into the three germ layers in vitro. MLP expression was not detectable in WAe009-A-41 line. This cell line can be a useful tool for studying the role of CSRP3 in cardiomyopathy and heart failure.

Scoliosis is a common disease of the spine and requires regular monitoring due to its progressive properties. A preferred indicator to assess scoliosis is by the Cobb angle, which is currently measured either manually by the relevant medical staff or semi-automatically, aided by a computer. These methods are not only labor-intensive but also vary in precision by the inter-observer and intra-observer. Therefore, a reliable and convenient method is urgently needed. With the development of computer vision and deep learning, it is possible to automatically calculate the Cobb angles by processing X-ray or CT/MR/US images. In this paper, the research progress of Cobb angle measurement in recent years is reviewed from the perspectives of computer vision and deep learning. By comparing the measurement effects of typical methods, their advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. Finally, the key issues and their development trends are also discussed.

In this paper, the microwave characteristic of photosensitive material InP irradiated by different optical signals is studied based on the coaxial resonant cavity. The coaxial resonant cavity sensor has an operating frequency range from 1 to 4 GHz, an operating mode of TEMn/4, and a quality factor of 8000 or more. According to the theory of semiconductor and electromagnetic field, the equation describing the relationship between the irradiation power and the quality factor of the coaxial resonator is derived. Additionally, in the short-time irradiation experiment, the variation of microwave characteristics of InP with irradiation power of 10mW, 50mW, 100mW, and 250mW is studied by frequency-domain and time-domain scanning methods, respectively. The measurement results indicate that the microwave characteristic variation of the InP under short-time weak power irradiation is mainly caused by the non-thermal effect, while the thermal effect is not obvious. In order to investigate the influence of thermal effect on the microwave characteristic of InP under continuous illumination, taking the irradiation power of 100mW as an example, the irradiation experiment with a duration of 1 min is performed on the InP. The thermal and non-thermal effects at the moment of opening and closing of the monochrome light source and during irradiation are analyzed. Furthermore, the stability and response speed of the system are analyzed and tested, and the measurement results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis.

Asymmetric root growth (ARG) on tilted plates, or root coiling on horizontally placed plates, is proposed to be a combination of gravitropism, mechanical sensing, and “circumnutation,” a word designated by Charles Darwin to describe the helical movement that all plant organs make around the growth direction. ARG is developmentally controlled in which microtubule-regulating proteins and the phytohormone auxin participates. Nutrient deficiency influences ARG. However, it is unclear which nutrients play key roles in regulating ARG, what endogenous components are involved in responding to nutrient deficiency for ARG, and how nutrient deficiency is translated into endogenous responses. We report here that nitrate deficiency resulted in a strong ARG in Arabidopsis. Nitrate deficiency caused root coiling on horizontal plates, which is inhibited by an auxin transport inhibitor, and by mutations in PIN-FORMED2 (PIN2) and AUXIN RESISTANT 1 (AUX1). We further show that suppression of ARG by nitrate is mediated by the nitrate transporter/sensor NRT1.1. In addition, PIN2- and AUX1-mediated auxin transports are epistatic to NRT1.1 in nitrate deficiency-induced ARG. This study reveals a signaling pathway in root growth by responding to exogenous nitrate and relaying it into altered auxin transport.

A thin film is often coated on the dielectric rods used in traveling wave tubes to provide microwave attenuation. The quality of the thin film will affect the performance of the traveling wave tube. To evaluate the quality of the thin-film by measuring the attenuation performance of the dielectric rod, modified parallel strips with a sample hole are designed to provide a relatively reasonable field working environment for the attenuation evaluation. After analyzing the field distribution of the parallel strips, a sample hole is designed on the side of parallel strips, which is tangent with the outer edge of the strip. An arcuate taper is introduced into the parallel strips to reduce the impedance mismatching. Finally, two unqualified and qualified dielectric rods are measured using the modified parallel strips at frequencies 12 GHz and 18 GHz. The measured results indicate that it is feasible to evaluate whether the thin-film coated on the dielectric rod is qualified or not.

An experimental method and apparatus for investigating the interaction mechanism between microwave field and semiconductor material are presented in this paper. The investigation is based on a dual-mode compressed rectangular cavity, which includes the TE102 and TE103 modes. The TE102 mode is used for providing the stimulus signal, which supplies the microwave field during the experiment, and the TE103 mode is for testing. The two modes are individually coupled to the cavity, and two band-stop filters are introduced to isolate the signals coming from both the modes. A directional coupler is utilized to monitor the power level of the stimulus signal. Experimental results demonstrate that microwave field may affect the inherent characteristics of indium phosphate, a typical kind of semiconductor materials, which eventually leads to the nonlinear behavior of the dielectric property. After the microwave field strength exceeds a critical value, the nonlinear behavior of the microwave materials becomes more and more drastic along with further increasing field strength, and according to the particular experiment setup, we conclude that the nonlinear behavior is not caused by microwave thermal effect, but some inherent characteristics of the material itself. In addition, the experimental method and apparatus can also be employed to predict the consequences of the non-thermal action of microwave effect of other high-power microwave material under microwave field.

In this paper, the dielectric properties of indium phosphide (InP) are investigated under a strong microwave field. By introducing a re-entrant coaxial cavity, the strong microwave field is constructed, and the dielectric properties of the material are monitored using the cavity perturbation method. It is shown that the dielectric properties of InP changes obviously under the given strong microwave field. From the experimental results and theoretical analysis, we conclude that the nonlinear behaviour is caused by a kind of non-thermal microwave effect. The experimental setup and method could also be applied to predict the consequences of non-thermal microwave effects of other high power microwave materials under strong microwave field.

Tumor suppressor p53 prevents cell transformation by inducing apoptosis and other responses. Homozygous TP53 deletion occurs in various types of human cancers for which no therapeutic strategies have yet been reported. TCGA database analysis shows that the TP53 homozygous deletion locus mostly exhibits co-deletion of the neighboring gene FXR2, which belongs to the Fragile X gene family. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of the remaining family member FXR1 selectively blocks cell proliferation in human cancer cells containing homozygous deletion of both TP53 and FXR2 in a collateral lethality manner. Mechanistically, in addition to its RNA-binding function, FXR1 recruits transcription factor STAT1 or STAT3 to gene promoters at the chromatin interface and regulates transcription thus, at least partially, mediating cell proliferation. Our study anticipates that inhibition of FXR1 is a potential therapeutic approach to targeting human cancers harboring TP53 homozygous deletion.

Human Cytomegalovirus (hCMV) infects a broad range of the population and establishes life-long latency in the infected individuals. Periodically the latently infected virus can reactivate and becomes a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals. In latent infection, the viral genome is suppressed in a heterochromatic state and viral gene transcription is silenced. Upon reactivation, the repressive chromatin is remodeled to an active form, allowing viral lytic gene transcription, initiated by the expression of viral Immediate Early (IE) genes. During this process, a number of histone modification enzymes, including histone demethylases (HDMs), play important roles in driving IE expression, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. To get a better understanding of these mechanisms, we focused on two HDMs, KDM4 and KDM6, which reverse the repressive histone H3-lysine 9 and lysine 27 methylation, respectively. Our studies show that in lytic infection, both demethylases are important in the activation of viral IE gene expression. Simultaneous disruption of both via genetic or chemical methods leads to severely impaired viral IE gene expression and viral replication. Additionally, in an experimental latency-reactivation model in THP-1 cells, the KDM6 family member JMJD3 is induced upon viral reactivation and its knockdown resulted in reduced IE gene transcription. These findings suggest pharmacological inhibition of these HDMs may potentially block hCMV lytic infection and reactivation, and control the viral infection associated diseases, which are of significant unmet medical needs.

Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), a histone H3 lysine 27 methyltransferase, plays a key role in gene regulation and is a known epigenetics drug target for cancer therapy. The WD40 domain-containing protein EED is the regulatory subunit of PRC2. It binds to the tri-methylated lysine 27 of the histone H3 (H3K27me3), and through which stimulates the activity of PRC2 allosterically. Recently, we disclosed a novel PRC2 inhibitor EED226 which binds to the K27me3-pocket on EED and showed strong antitumor activity in xenograft mice model. Here, we further report the identification and validation of four other EED binders along with EED162, the parental compound of EED226. The crystal structures for all these five compounds in complex with EED revealed a common deep pocket induced by the binding of this diverse set of compounds. This pocket was created after significant conformational rearrangement of the aromatic cage residues (Y365, Y148 and F97) in the H3K27me3 binding pocket of EED, the width of which was delineated by the side chains of these rearranged residues. In addition, all five compounds interact with the Arg367 at the bottom of the pocket. Each compound also displays unique features in its interaction with EED, suggesting the dynamics of the H3K27me3 pocket in accommodating the binding of different compounds. Our results provide structural insights for rational design of novel EED binder for the inhibition of PRC2 complex activity.

The greater green snake Cyclophiops major is a protected and colubrid species. Here, we investigated the complete mitochondrial genome of C. major. The genome is 17,217bp in size, including 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 control regions, and an origin of light-strand replication. All genes are distributed on the heavy strand, except for ND6 gene and 8 tRNA genes. The AT content of the overall base composition of light strand is 59.83%, showing AT bias. Phylogenetic tree was built based on the genome of C. major and other related snakes to analyze their phylogenic relationship.

Angelman syndrome (AS), characterized by motor dysfunction, mental retardation, and seizures, is caused by several genetic etiologies involving chromosome 15q11–q13, including mutations of the UBE3A gene. UBE3A encodes UBE3A/E6-AP, a ubiquitin-protein ligase, and shows brain-specific imprinting, with brain expression predominantly from the maternal allele. Lack of a functional maternal allele of UBE3A causes AS. In order to understand the causal relationship between maternal UBE3A mutations and AS, we have constructed a mouse model with targeted inactivation of Ube3a. The inactive allele contains a lacZ reporter gene for analysis of brain-specific imprinting. Maternal, but not paternal, transmission of the targeted allele leads to β-galactosidase activity in hippocampal and cerebellar neurons. Maternal inheritance of the Ube3a mutant allele also causes impaired performance in tests of motor function and spatial learning, as well as abnormal hippocampal EEG recordings. As predicted from the dependence of UBE3A-mediated ubiquitination of p53 on HPV E6 protein, our maternal-deficient mice show normal brain p53 levels.

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (Lsd1/Aof2/Kdm1a), the first enzyme with specific lysine demethylase activity to be described, demethylates histone and non-histone proteins and is essential for mouse embryogenesis. Lsd1 interacts with numerous proteins through several different domains, most notably the tower domain, an extended helical structure that protrudes from the core of the protein. While there is evidence that Lsd1-interacting proteins regulate the activity and specificity of Lsd1, the significance and roles of such interactions in developmental processes remain largely unknown. Here we describe a hypomorphic Lsd1 allele that contains two point mutations in the tower domain, resulting in a protein with reduced interaction with known binding partners and decreased enzymatic activity. Mice homozygous for this allele die perinatally due to heart defects, with the majority of animals suffering from ventricular septal defects. Molecular analyses revealed hyperphosphorylation of E-cadherin in the hearts of mutant animals. These results identify a previously unknown role for Lsd1 in heart development, perhaps partly through the control of E-cadherin phosphorylation.