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Abstract In the anti‐interference of broadband communication radio, interference cancellation performance is seriously affected by the uncertainty of the working frequency selection of the communication system and the direction of hostile interference. The closed‐form solution of the interference cancellation weight value and the signal‐to‐interference noise ratio after the cancellation are derived and simplified to clarify the factors affecting interference cancellation quality. Then, the efficient blind area criterion is established for the low computational complexity in view of cancellation quality, which combines the radio communication index and anti‐interference demand index. Based on this criterion, the minimum blind area model is proposed for robust performance. The experimental results in the auxiliary antenna spacing optimisation are consistent with the theoretical analysis, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed model in dealing with uncertain communication frequency and interference direction. It is very promising in communication interference cancellation.

Abstract Precise radar pulse detection is the premise of electronic support measures. A constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection algorithm based on difference of box (DOB) filter is proposed to realise low‐complexity and environment‐adaptive radar pulse detection, and the principle behind the proposed algorithm is revealed. Specifically, the DOB filter is adopted to extract the rising edges and falling edges of radar pulses, and the signal variation law of probability density functions (PDFs) during the process of DOB filter are first theoretically analysed. Based on the derived PDFs, dynamic detection threshold and fixed threshold factor for the proposed CFAR algorithm based on DOB filter are deduced to detect the presence of radar pulses. Furthermore, the closed‐form expression of the detection probability is derived. Simulations and on‐board field programmable gate arrays implementation verify the superiority of the proposed CFAR algorithm based on DOB filter. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm performs well in detecting various types of pulse signals, the detection probability ≥99% on condition that the signal‐to‐noise ratio ≥3 dB and false alarm probability = 10−8. Moreover, the proposed CFAR algorithm based on DOB filter can deal with both singular pulses and pulse on pulse signals.

Abstract Objectives Pituitary abscess (PA) accounts for only 0.3–0.5% of sellar masses, and the lack of specific clinical symptoms makes diagnosing PA difficult without a surgical biopsy. In clinical practice, PA is often mistaken for cystic pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, and Rathke’s cyst. Thus, this study aims to investigate challenges in diagnosing PA and evaluate the importance of combining intraoperative surgery with postoperative antibiotic treatment. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 19 patients diagnosed with PA through histopathology. All patients underwent transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) for pituitary adenomas after undergoing comprehensive preoperative evaluations, including routine tests, endocrine assay, and imaging examination. Furthermore, we compared different treatments for pituitary abscess (PA) to determine the most effective approach for achieving a favorable prognosis. Results The most prevalent symptom of PA was headache, especially in the frontal–temporal and vertex regions, ranging from mild to moderate severity. Hypopituitarism-related symptoms were also frequently observed, including hypaphrodisia, cold sensitivity, fatigue, weight loss, polyuria, and amenorrhea. Twelve patients exhibited abnormalities in endocrinology examinations. Diagnosing PA correctly is challenging. In our study, none of the patients were correctly diagnosed with PA prior to surgery, and many sellar lesions were misdiagnosed. The favorable prognosis was largely attributed to surgical intervention and active postoperative antibiotic therapy. Conclusions Given the lack of clarity in preoperative diagnosis, typical intraoperative findings and effective antibiotics treatment are more indicative of the correct diagnosis than other tests. In terms of therapy, optimal surgical intervention and active postoperative antibiotic treatment contribute to resolving the challenges posed by PA.

Abstract This article proposes a cooperative jamming (CJ) architecture based on the coded signal of interest (SOI). The CJ is superimposed on the coded SOI directly at the transmitter, and the authorized user reconstructs the received signal and cancels the CJ based on the prior knowledge of the coding information, then different radiation patterns after cancellation are created for SOI and CJ, which effectively cancels CJ while retaining SOI. Eavesdropper, however, is unaware of the coding information and will cause significant loss to the SOI while cancelling the CJ, therefore unable to achieve eavesdropping on communication signals. Numerical results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.

Abstract Background Supraclavicular nodal (SCL) irradiation is commonly used for patients with high-risk breast cancer after breast surgery. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) breast contouring atlases delineate the medial part of the SCL region, while excluding the posterolateral part. However, recent studies have found that a substantial proportion of SCL failures are located in the posterolateral SCL region, outside of the RTOG/ESTRO-defined SCL target volumes. Consequently, many radiation oncologists advocate for enlarging the SCL irradiation target volume to include both the medial and posterolateral SCL regions. Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether adding the posterolateral SCL irradiation improves survival outcomes for high-risk breast cancer patients. Methods The SUCLANODE trial is an open-label, multicenter, randomized, phase 3 trial comparing the efficacy and adverse events of medial SCL irradiation (M-SCLI group) and medial plus posterolateral SCL irradiation (entire SCL irradiation, E-SCLI group) in high-risk breast cancer patients who underwent breast conserving-surgery or mastectomy. Patients with pathological N2-3b disease following initial surgery, or clinical stage III or pathological N1-3b if receiving neoadjuvant systemic therapy, are eligible and randomly assigned (1:1) to M-SCLI group and E-SCLI group. Stratification is by chemotherapy sequence (neoadjuvant vs. adjuvant), T stage (T3-4 vs. T1-2), N stage (N1-2 vs. N3), and ER status (positive vs. negative). Other radiation volumes are identical in the two arms, including breast/chest wall, undissected axillary lymph node, and internal mammary node. Advanced intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), or tomotherapy techniques are recommended. Both hypofractionated and conventional fractionation schedules are permitted. The primary end point is invasive disease-free survival, and secondary end points included overall survival, SCL recurrence, local-regional recurrence, distance recurrence, safety outcome, and patient-reported outcomes. The target sample size is 1650 participants. Discussion The results of the SUCLANODE trial will provide high-level evidence regarding whether adding posterolateral SCL irradiation to medial SCL target volume provides survival benefit in patients with high-risk breast cancer. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05059379. Registered 28 September 2021, https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05059379 .

The remote sensing satellite is developing toward high resolution, large data capacity, and fast transmission rate. The ground receiver is correspondingly required to have the high parallel to improve real-time reception and processing capabilities. In the frequency domain, the parallel processing of multiple subbands is achieved by dividing broadband into narrow bands. However, narrow-band subbands are reconstructed into broadband signals, which can lead to cross-subband distortion. It will affect the accuracy of high-resolution remote sensing images. In this article, the subband division and reconstruction framework is proposed by combining the analog filter with the digital filter. The phase calibration methods and digital filter optimization are proposed to improve the amplitude and phase consistency of the reconstructed signal. The simulation results show that the proposed amplitude consistency optimization method effectively reduces the reconstruction error within 0.001 dB. The proposed phase calibration method effectively reduces the bit error rate of the reconstructed signal. The maximum deviation is no more than 0.1%. Experiments have shown that the optimization method can reduce the distortion error of high-resolution remote sensing images.

In this paper, an in-band and out-of-band microwave wireless power-transmission characteristic analysis of a slot ring radome based on an approximate analytical method is proposed. The main contribution of this paper is that, in the approximate analysis of the ring radome, a unified expression of the incident field on the radome surface is derived with E-plane and H-plane scanning, and the ring is approximated as 30 segments of straight strips. Solving the corresponding 60 × 60 linear equations yields the electric current distribution along the ring strip. The magnetic current along the complementary slot ring is obtained by duality. Thanks to the fully analytical format of the current distribution, the microwave wireless power-transmission characteristics are efficiently calculated using Munk’s scheme. An example of a slot ring biplanar symmetric hybrid radome is used to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed scheme. The central processing unit (CPU) time is about 690 s using Ansys HFSS software versus 2.82 s for the proposed method.

ObjectiveA method involving derivatization combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of vitamin D in infant formula food.MethodsThe samples were treated with enzymolysis， saponification， liquid-liquid extraction， and 4-phenyl-1，2，4-triazoline-3，5-dion derivatization. Chromatographic separation was performed using an Atlantis® T3 column， and gradient elution was performed using the methanol-5 mmol/L ammonium format solution as the mobile phase. The method applied positive electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode and was quantified with the isotope internal standard method.ResultsA good linearity was obtained with a correlation coefficient above 0.99. The average recovery levels from three different ranged from 92.3% to 94.2%， and the relative standard deviations were between 3.03% and 5.34% （n=6）. The limit of quantification was 1 μg/kg.ConclusionThis method is simple， accurate with high sensitivity and high selectivity， and suitable for the determination of vitamin D in infant formula food.

Abstract The adaptive interference cancellation technique has been widely utilized in radar, GPS, data link, etc., systems to address challenges from external interference, such as co-site and hostile interference. Since the anti-jamming performance of the adaptive interference cancellation technique is sensitive to group delay mismatch between channels, the group delay mismatch becomes one of the main factors that limit the system’s anti-jamming capability. However, the traditional adaptive interference cancellation system’s mathematical model cannot quantitatively characterize the group delay mismatch effect on the wideband interference cancellation performance. In this paper, the mathematical model of the wideband adaptive spatial interference cancellation (ASIC) system is established, which considers the group delay mismatch, to quantitatively analyze the impact of group delay mismatch on the hostile interference cancellation. The mathematical model utilizes the weighted multi-tone signals to fit the wideband interference, and then, delay differences are attached to each tone signal to simulate the group delay mismatch. Then, the analytic expressions of weight and interference cancellation ratio are derived, which consider the interference bandwidth and group delay mismatch, to quantitatively analyze the group delay mismatch effect on the anti-jamming performance of the wideband ASIC system. Simulation results indicate that the theoretical analysis based on the mathematical model of wideband ASIC system are accurate, which can achieve the quantitative analysis of the group delay mismatch effect on the WIC performance.

To address the requirement of functioning as a transmit/receive isolation device in terahertz transceiver systems, in this paper, we present two high−isolation multi−branch waveguide directional couplers operating at a center frequency of 510 GHz. One is a high−performance five−branch directional coupler, and the other is a new type of three−branch waveguide coupler with lower processing difficulty. Both couplers were fabricated using low−cost CNC milling technologies. The performance of these couplers was verified through measurement results, demonstrating high isolation at the center frequency.

Abstract Background Breast cancer brain metastases (BCBM) are highly heterogenous with widely differing survival. The prognosis of the oligometastatic breast cancer (BC) patients with brain metastases (BM) has not been well studied. We aimed to investigate the prognosis of BCBM patients with limited intracranial and extracranial metastatic lesions. Methods Four hundred and forty-five BCBM patients treated between 1st January 2008 and 31st December 2018 at our institute were included. Clinical characteristics and treatment information were obtained from patient’s medical records. The updated breast Graded Prognostic Assessment (Breast GPA) was calculated. Results The median OS after diagnosis of BM were 15.9 months. Median OS for patients with GPA 0–1.0, 1.5–2, 2.5–3 and 3.5–4 were 6.9, 14.2, 21.8, 42.6 months respectively. The total number of intracranial and extracranial metastatic lesions, in addition to the Breast GPA, salvage local therapy and systemic therapy (anti-HER2 therapy, chemotherapy and endocrine therapy) were demonstrated to be associated with prognosis. One hundred and thirteen patients (25.4%) had 1–5 total metastatic lesions at BM diagnosis. Patients with 1–5 total metastatic lesions had a significantly longer median OS of 24.3 months compared to those with greater than 5 total metastatic lesions with a median OS of 12.2 months (P

Sidelobe cancellation (SLC) is a well-established beamforming technique for mitigating interference, particularly in the context of satellite communication (SATCOM). However, traditional SLC suffers from the issue of partially canceling the desired signal at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), primarily due to unconstrained beamforming processing. Extensive research has been conducted to address this problem; however, existing algorithms have limitations such as dependence on knowledge of signal array vectors or number of interferers and involve high computational complexity. In this paper, we propose a robust SLC algorithm based on beamforming vector norm constraint. Our proposal offers a practical solution by only requiring knowledge of the earth station antenna gain and maximum auxiliary array gain to the desired signal, both of which are fully known. Furthermore, compared to traditional SLC, our proposed method introduces additional computational complexity that only scales linearly with the size of the auxiliary array. Simulation results demonstrate comparable performance between our proposed method and existing techniques such as diagonal loading and spatial degrees-of-freedom control-based algorithms.

There is an increasing trend towards multi-modal sensor fusion to improve the perception capability of autonomous vehicles, such as the fusion of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) pointcloud and camera image data. In this work, we proposed the early-fusion method of projection mapping segmentation blocks, which is a method to map spatial pointcloud segmentation blocks and image pixel segmentation blocks to each other according to the projection relationship. The local spatial association feature and the local semi-variance texture feature were additionally designed for feature extraction, and each pair of segmentation blocks is used as a processing unit for feature extraction. Finally, the classification task was completed by Support Vector Machines (SVM) algorithm. We compared the classification results of the single pointcloud without fusion and pointcloud+image fusion under two segmentation methods: box-based and sector ring hexahedron-based. Our findings suggest that the data fusion classification method based on sector ring hexahedron segmentation not only improves classification accuracy but also reduces computational resources, yielding encouraging results.

External ecological interactions and intrinsic biological parameters affect evolutionary pathways and animal diversity. Here, the authors use ruminant inner ear morphology to investigate patterns of diversity through 33 million years, finding clade-dependent climate and paleogeographic trends.

Cross-eye jamming is an electronic countermeasure technology used to cause angular deviation of monopulse radar via multiple coherent sources. Despite a complex electromagnetic environment, using active-passive composite monopulse radar is a development trend for improving the anti-interference ability of modern terminal guidance radar. A mathematical model of cross-eye jamming considering the active-passive composite monopulse radar is established. The influence mechanism of cross-eye jamming on the active-passive composite monopulse radar is revealed by comparing the effect of active and passive monopulse radar systems on angle measurement. Furthermore, the results can provide theoretical guidance and simulation data to reasonably apply Electronic Countermeasures (ECMs) and Electronic Counter-Countermeasures (ECCMs).

Artiodactyls diversified during the Eocene and Oligocene in North America and Europe after their first Holarctic appearance at the beginning of the Eocene. However, the relationships among early artiodactyls, European endemic forms, and later derived suiforms, tylopods, and ruminants remain unclear. Early artiodactyls are relatively rare in Asia compared to those known from North America and Europe; thus, investigation of Eocene artiodactyls from Asia is important to resolve these issues. Here we report two new genera and three new species of small early artiodactyls from middle Eocene deposits of the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. The new materials represent a morphologically gradational series from Asian Land Mammal Ages Irdinmanhan to Sharamurunian, characterized by a trend towards bilophodonty in the lower molars. Morphologic and phylogenetic analyses suggest that these new taxa have a close relationship with the enigmatic European Tapirulus, which currently consists of five species that range from the middle Eocene to the early Oligocene. The close relationship between the Erlian specimens and Tapirulus suggests possible faunal exchanges between Europe and Asia during the middle Eocene, a view that has been supported by other mammalian groups across the two continents. The evolution of bilophodonty in Tapirulidae and Raoellidae is probably attributable to convergence.

Abstract The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) taurine up-regulated gene 1 (TUG1) acts as tumor-promoting factor in colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which the transcription factor specificity protein 1 (SP1) regulates TUG1 and microRNAs (miRs)/mRNAs in the context of CRC, which has not been fully studied before. Expression patterns of TUG1 and SP1 were determined in clinical CRC samples and cells, followed by identification of their interaction. Next, the functional significance of TUG1 in CRC was investigated. An in vivo CRC model was established to validate the effect of TUG1. The results demonstrated that TUG1 and SP1 were highly-expressed in CRC, wherein SP1 bound to the TUG1 promoter and consequently, positively regulated its expression. Silencing of TUG1 caused suppression of CRC cell growth and promotion of cell apoptosis. TUG1 could bind to miR-421 to increase KDM2A expression, a target gene of miR-421. TUG1 could activate the ERK pathway by impairing miR-421-targeted inhibition of KDM2A. Additionally, SP1 could facilitate the tumorigenesis of CRC cells in vivo by regulating the TUG1/miR-421/KDM2A/ERK axis. Altogether, the current study emphasizes the oncogenic role of TUG1 in CRC, and illustrates its interactions with the upstream transcription factor SP1 and the downstream modulatory axis miR-421/KDM2A/ERK, thus offering novel insights into the cancerogenic mechanism in CRC.

A new specimen of Lactodens sheni, the only known spalacolestine from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, is reported from the Jiufotang Formation, Liaoning, China. The description focuses on the dental and mandibular morphologies from both the new specimen and the holotype, particularly those that were unknown or poorly known from the holotype when the taxon was established. As revealed primarily by high-resolution computed tomography, morphologies and size gradient of the lower molars and detailed features of the mandibles, such as the masseteric foramen, can be unequivocally described. The dental and mandibular morphologies of Lactodens are compared with those of Origolestes lii, also from the Jehol Biota; these two taxa represent by far the best specimens in Spalacotheriidae and Zhangheotheriidae, respectively, and could be used as the representatives of their own groups in future higher-level phylogenetic analysis of mammals. The two taxa display considerable differences in dental and mandibular features, probably indicating a deeper split of spalacotheriids and zhangheotheriids than previously thought. Absence of the Meckelian groove in Lactodens, contrasting to the distinct one that holds a sizable Meckel’s cartilage in adult Origolestes, suggests an independent evolution of the definitive mammalian middle ear within “symmetrodontans”. The morphological gradient in the tooth row and association of the upper and lower dentitions from the same individual animal are also instructive for interpreting molar variations and evolution in “symmetrodontans” and mammals.

In this study, the effects of wax deposition on submarine multiphase pipelines are investigated. In order to understand the mechanism of wax deposition in submarine multiphase pipelines, a wax deposition model in a submarine pipeline was established using the OLGA wax deposition module, and key factors influencing this phenomenon were analyzed. Additionally, a multifactor impact analysis of wax deposition was performed via the orthogonal test method. The results indicated the relative influence of five factors on oil-gas-water three-phase wax deposition, namely, oil flow rate, water content, inlet temperature, gas-oil ratio, and outlet pressure. Then, the main influencing factors of wax deposition in a multiphase pipeline flow were extracted, and the wax deposition prediction model was established. The wax deposition rate under different operating conditions was simulated using the OLGA wax deposition simulation module. The SPSS software was used to perform nonlinear regression analysis under different working conditions. In this manner, the constant terms in the wax deposition prediction model for a submarine multiphase pipeline were obtained. The prediction model could be used to programmatically predict wax deposition along a multiphase pipeline by programming the initial waxing conditions. By using this method, the wax deposition prediction model of an M − N submarine multiphase pipeline was obtained under different working conditions. After comparing the predicted and the OLGA simulation results, it was concluded that the established wax deposition model can be used to accurately calculate the wax deposition in a submarine multiphase pipeline within an allowable error range. If the physical properties and operating parameters of the conveying medium in a multiphase pipeline are given, the developed oil-gas-water three-phase wax deposition model can be used to predict the distribution of wax deposition in submarine multiphase pipelines without laboratory experiments. The results of this study can help production units understand the waxing situation of pipelines in time in order to scientifically formulate a pigging plan and avoid pipeline blockages and shutdowns.

The interference cancellation ratio (ICR) is a key performance indicator of digital-to-analog hybrid radio frequency (RF) interference cancellation systems. Aiming at the low convergence speed of a digital-to-analog hybrid RF interference cancellation system based on a multi-tap structure (MDARFICS), a novel, fast, and robust variable-step-size least-mean-square (LMS) algorithm based on an improved hyperbolic tangent function (IHVSS-LMS) is proposed. The IHVSS-LMS algorithm adopts an improved hyperbolic tangent function and uses adjustable parameters and the iteration number to jointly adjust the step size, which improves the convergence speed and reduces the computational complexity. Moreover, by using the prior information of the input signal, the non-linear relationship between the step size and the input signal power is established, which enhances the robustness and the ability to suppress interference with mutable power. The IHVSS-LMS algorithm is applied to the MDARFICS. Through theoretical derivation, the convergence speed and the steady-state expressions of the interference cancellation ratio of the MDARFICS are obtained. The simulation results show that under the conditions of high and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the robustness, convergence speed, and steady-state error performance of the IHVSS-LMS algorithm are better than the existing variable-step-size algorithm. The experimental results show that using the IHVSS-LMS algorithm, the MDARFICS can not only effectively accelerate the convergence speed by at least three times but can also improve the ICR by more than 3 dB.

The authors showed that, in C. elegans, inhibition of translation or mTORC1 increases ATF-4 expression independently of ISR signalling. ATF-4 promotes longevity by increasing hydrogen sulfide production by the enzyme CTH-2.

In interference cancellation, the null at the angle of arrival (AoA) of interference can suppress interference. However, due to the large spacing between array elements and the periodicity of the array, some small nulls at the angles of noninterference are formed inevitably. When the AoA of the desired signal is in these small nulls, they impair the effectiveness of interference cancellation by attenuating the desired signal. This paper proposes the concept of a side null to represent these nulls in the noninterference direction. And the cancellation ratio of the desired signal (SCR) is deduced to quantitatively characterize the side null. The spatial noncooperative interference cancellation model based on the main-auxiliary antenna array is established. Based on this, the SCR is derived to evaluate the amount of desired signal attenuation. Then the simulation, respectively, in two-dimensional plane and three-dimensional space, describes the side null visually. Moreover, the method of side null reduction is discussed by modulation of the array. Finally, the existence of side null and its influence on interference cancellation are verified through the experiments. The results of the simulation and experiment are in good agreement, and both support the theoretical analysis.

Radiotherapy (RT) is a major modality of postoperative treatment in breast cancer. The maximal standardized value (SUVmax) is 18FDG-PET/CT derived parameter that reported to be a valuable prognostic factor in cancer patients. Herein, we aimed to identify a prognostic gene signature associated with glucose uptake for breast cancer patients after RT by leveraging the mRNA expression profiling on public datasets. The glucose uptake signature was constructed using the single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and evaluated in GSE21217 where SUVmax value was measured by PET-CT directly. The prognostic value was validated in three post-RT breast cancer cohorts (GSE103744, NKI, and FUSCC databases). The patients were stratified into glucose uptake signature score-high and low groups. Patients with a higher score had worse survival than those with a lower score. Mechanistically, the glucose uptake signature was calculated in each cell type of a single-cell RNA-seq database from five breast cancer patients. Glucose uptake signature score was significantly elevated in the malignant epithelial cells compared with normal ones. The immunosuppression markers including PDCD1, TIGIT, LAG3, and HAVCR2 were significantly upregulated in the T cells bearing a high glucose uptake signature score. Collectively, our results demonstrated the potential prognostic value of a glucose uptake signature in the post-RT breast cancer patients.

The “condylarth” genus Hyopsodus is diverse and abundantly represented in Eocene mammalian faunas of North America. In contrast, fossil specimens of Hyopsodus are rather sparse in Eurasia. Only four species of Hyopsodus are known from Asia and two from Europe, as compared to the 18 species of Hyopsodus described from North America. Here, we report a new species of Hyopsodus, Hyopsodus arshantensis sp. nov., from the middle part of the Arshanto Formation in the Erlian Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. The holotype and only specimen of the new species, a right mandible with m1–m2, exhibits a unique combination of characters on m1–m2 not present in other species of Hyopsodus, including a moderately lophodont crown, a long trigonid without a paraconid, an obliquely aligned protolophid, an angle between the cristid obliqua and the posthypocristid slightly greater than 90°, a midline position of the hypoconulid, and a relatively large entoconid. The m1–m2 morphology of H. arshantensis is intermediate between specimens of Hyopsodus from the Wasatchian and Uintan North American Land Mammal Ages (NALMA), and is comparable to that of Hyopsodus from the Bridgerian NALMA. Moreover, its relatively large size is near the size range present among the late Bridgerian species of Hyopsodus. Based on those similarities, in combination with a few fossil mammals from overlying layers, the middle part of the Arshanto Formation could be correlated in part to the late Bridgerian, and the upper part of the Arshanto Formation may bracket the time interval equivalent to the Bridgerian/Uintan boundary. That proposed correlation and somewhat different faunas recognized within the Arshanto Formation suggest that it may be necessary to subdivide the Arshantan Asian Land Mammal Age (ALMA) and/or redefine the Arshantan/Irdinmanhan ALMA boundary in future comprehensive studies.

Abstract In this letter, an adaptive two‐dimensional orthogonalization (ATDO) scheme for non‐linear digital canceller is proposed to realize self‐interference (SI) suppression in full‐duplex radios. The proposed scheme consists of three parts. First, an adaptive lattice predictor is adopted to orthogonalize the input data over sample delay dimension. Then, a gradient‐based adaptive orthogonalizer is developed to further orthogonalize the basis functions established with predictor output over non‐linear order, and a new set of two‐dimension orthogonal basis functions is constructed consequently. Finally, a least mean square (LMS) model‐based parameter learning approach is utilized to implement the coefficients estimation with the newly established two‐dimension orthogonal basis functions. The proposed ATDO scheme provides an effective solution to track quickly time‐varying interference with high accuracy for real‐time communication system. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed scheme can efficiently improve the cancellation performance of non‐linear digital canceller, especially for higher order non‐linear distortion model compared to other algorithms in previous literatures.

In this paper, a high-power 170 GHz frequency doubler based on a Schottky diode is proposed using an in-phase power-combining structure. Unlike a conventional power-combining frequency doubler, the proposed frequency doubler utilizes the combination of a T-junction power divider and two bend waveguides to eliminate the phase difference between the two output ports of the T-junction power divider, so as to achieve in-phase power combining with a concise structure. The frequency doubler was fabricated on a 50 μm thick AlN high-thermal-conductivity substrate to reduce the impact of the thermal effect on the performance. The measured results show that the doubler exhibits a conversion efficiency of 11–31.3% in the 165–180 GHz band under 350–400 mW of input power, and a 118 mW peak output power with a 31.3% efficiency was measured at 174 GHz `when the input power was 376 mW. A good agreement was achieved between the simulation results and the measured performance of the doubler, which proves the effectiveness of the proposed in-phase power-combining structure.

Fine-grained urban environment instance segmentation is a fundamental and important task in the field of environment perception for autonomous vehicles. To address this goal, a model was designed with LiDAR pointcloud data and camera image data as the subject of study, and the reliability of the model was enhanced using dual fusion at the data level and feature level. By introducing the Markov Random Field algorithm, the Support Vector Machine classification results were optimized according to the spatial contextual linkage while providing the model with the prerequisite of the differentiation of similar but foreign objects, and the object classification and instance segmentation of 3D urban environments were completed by combining the Mean Shift. The dual fusion approach in this paper is a method for the deeper fusion of data from different sources, and the model, designed more accurately, describes the categories of items in the environment with a classification accuracy of 99.3%, and segments the different individuals into groups of the same kind of objects without instance labels. Moreover, our model does not have high computational resource and time cost requirements, and is a lightweight, efficient, and accurate instance segmentation model.

The Main Steam Valve Set (MSVS) is the key protection device for nuclear power plants, whose dynamic characteristics are directly related to the security of the secondary circuit system especially under overpressure conditions. Dynamic mesh technology is used in this work to capture the dynamic characteristics of the interconnected pilot valves on the MSVS with different inlet diameters. The research results show that increasing inlet diameter can significantly reduce the opening time of the pilot valves, but it will also increase the fluid force of valve stem during the opening process as well as the movement speed at the maximum opening. The pressure of the pilot valves during the opening process is then analyzed. It can be seen that changing the inlet diameter will affect the inlet annular throttling area, thereby changing the pressure rise speed in the external chamber of the valve stem and the inner cavity of the valve body, thereby affecting the total response time. This work provides a reference for the selection of the pilot valve diameter in MSVS and helps to improve the overpressure protection capability of MSVS.

Reversible cysteine oxidative modifications have emerged as important mechanisms that alter protein function. Here the authors globally assess the cysteine reactivity and an array of cysteine oxidative modifications in C. elegans, providing insights into redox signaling at the organismal level.

Terahertz scattering-scanning near-field optical microscopy (THz s-SNOM), combining the best features of terahertz technology and s-SNOM technology, has shown unique advantages in various applications. Consequently, building a model to characterize near-field interactions and investigate practical issues has become a popular topic in THz s-SNOM research. In this study, a finite element model (FEM) is proposed to quantify the near-field interactions, and to investigate the edge effect and antenna effect in THz s-SNOM. Our results indicate that the proposed model can give us a better understanding of the near-field interactions and direct the parameter design of the probe for THz s-SNOM.

Abstract Background The regulatory roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in tumorigenesis have attracted increasing attention. However, novel circRNAs with the potential to be used as serum/plasma biomarkers and their regulatory mechanism in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain explored. Methods CircRNA expression profiles of tumor tissues and plasma samples from HCC patients were compiled and jointly analyzed. CircRNA–miRNA–mRNA interactions were predicted by bioinformatics tools. The expression of interacting miRNAs and mRNA was verified in independent datasets. Survival analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were conducted on hub genes. Results We identified three significantly up-regulated circRNAs (hsa_circ_0009910, hsa_circ_0049783, and hsa_circ_0089172) both in HCC tissues and plasma samples. Two of them were validated to be indeed circular and could be excreted from hepatoma cells. We further revealed four miRNAs (hsa-miR-455-5p, hsa-miR-615-3p, hsa-miR-18a-3p, hsa-miR-4524a-3p) that targeting circRNAs and expressed in human HCC samples, and 95 mRNAs targeted by miRNAs and significantly up-regulated in two HCC cohorts. A protein-protein interaction network revealed 19 hub genes, 12 of them (MCM6, CCNB1, CDC20, NDC80, ZWINT, ASPM, CENPU, MCM3, MCM5, ECT2, CDC7, and DLGAP5) were associated with reduced survival in two HCC cohorts. KEGG, Reactome, and Wikipathway enrichment analysis indicated that the hub genes mainly functioned in DNA replication and cell cycle. Conclusions Our study uncovers three novel deregulated circRNAs in tumor and plasma from HCC patients and provides an insight into the pathogenesis from the circRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory network.

Objective(s): The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression of calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) at different times in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rat myocardial tissue after mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) transplantation treatment and to assess its effects on apoptosis and oxidative stress of cardiomyocytes. Materials and Methods: The AMI rats were treated with mESCs, Calindol (a CaSR agonist) and Calhex231 (a CaSR inhibitor). Serum measurements, Echocardiographic analysis and TUNEL assay were performed. Myocardial ultrastructure changes were viewed by electron microscopy. Additionally, western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions.Results: Compared to the sham group, it was found that the expression levels of CaSR, caspase-3, cytoplasmic cytochrome C (cyt-C) and Bcl2-associated x (Bax), and the levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased in both AMI and AMI + mESCs + Calindol groups with the development of myocardial infarction. Furthermore, the ultra-microstructure of cardiomyocyte was highly damaged, the expression levels of mitochondrial cyt-C and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) were significantly decreased, and there was decreased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). However, the combination of Calhex231 and mESCs transplantation could inhibit these changes. Conclusion: Our results suggested that CaSR expression in myocardial tissue of AMI rats was increased over time, and that Calhex231 could enhance the efficacy of ESCs transplantation for the treatment of AMI, which would be a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of AMI.

Abstract Cenozoic mammal evolution and faunal turnover are considered to have been influenced and triggered by global climate change. Teeth of large terrestrial ungulates are reliable proxies to trace long‐term climatic changes due to their morphological and physicochemical properties; however, the role of premolar molarization in ungulate evolution and related climatic change has rarely been investigated. Recently, three patterns of premolar molarization among perissodactyls have been recognized: endoprotocrista‐derived hypocone (type I); paraconule–protocone separation (type II); and metaconule‐derived pseudohypocone (type III). These three patterns of premolar molarization play an important role in perissodactyl diversity coupled with global climate change during the Cenozoic in Asia. Those groups with a relatively higher degree of premolar molarization, initiated by the formation of the hypocone, survived into Neogene, whereas those with a lesser degree of molarization, initiated by the deformation of existing ridges and cusps, went extinct by the end of the Oligocene. In addition, the hypothesis of the “Ulan Gochu Decline” is proposed here to designate the most conspicuous decrease of perissodactyl diversity that occurred in the latest middle Eocene rather than at the Eocene–Oligocene transition in Asia, as conventionally thought; this event was likely comparable to the contemporaneous post‐Uintan decline of the North American land fauna.

BACKGROUND Isotope geochronology is a basic subject to explore the temporal and special evolution of geological bodies and geodynamics. The U-Pb dating technology of accessory minerals is the most widely used in isotope geochronology. Titanite has a relatively low closed temperature for U-Pb isotopic system and is common in magmatic rocks, metamorphic rocks, hydrothermal-related rocks and a few sedimentary rocks. This indicates that it is an ideal mineral for U-Pb dating to constrain the medium to high temperature geological event. OBJECTIVES To understand the element fractionation behavior during laser ablation-inductively coupled plasms-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb dating and propose corresponding correction methods. METHODS In situ U-Pb dating were performed using a Geolas Pro laser-ablation system and a 7700x quadrupole ICP-MS. A stationary laser ablation spot with a beam diameter of 24μm was used for the analyses. The ablated aerosol was carried by helium and then combined with argon via a T-connector before being introduced to the ICP-MS plasma. After smoothed, the sample gas will go into quadrupole ICP-MS for U-Pb dating. Each analysis incorporated a background acquisition of approximately 10s (gas blank) followed by 40s data acquisition from the sample. After the experiments, the fractionation behavior of elements of titanite during the laser ablation were compared for using different fractionation correction methods to correct zircon, monazite and titanite separately. These correction methods were based on different mathematical model such as quadratic curve, power function and so on. The data was processed with different softwares such as GLITTER and BUSTER based on different mathematical equations, in order to look for the appropriate correction methods for different uranium-rich minerals based on different fractionation characteristics. RESULTS The inconsistent fractionation behavior of elements between different titanite particles was revealed. After comparison, it was proposed that the 'Exponential Function Method' and the 'Average Data method' can only be used for uranium-rich minerals minerals that have consistent fractionation behavior, but it was not pragmatic for inconsistent ones. For these uranium-rich minerals minerals such as tianite, the 'Intercept Method' was an improvement on the current method, in order to ascertain the correct age. CONCLUSIONS It is indicated that the 'Intercept Method' can avoid inaccurate correction caused by inconsistent fractionation behavior.

Theoretical study of a narrow-strip broadband microstrip antenna with L-probe fed is presented in this paper. In order to realize narrow-strip antenna structure (the width is less than 0.22λ), the L-probe is designed at the width side of the rectangle radiating patch. Equivalent transmission line model is then used to analysis the two resonant frequencies which result in a broadband property (-10dB impedance bandwidth of 32%). It is found that for the L-probe fed miscrostrip antenna with relatively high air layer (0.1λ), the termination capacitance of the patch is negligible and the effective dielectric constant is approximate to that of the air. In addition, a simple approximate scheme is proposed to further estimate the lower resonant frequency accurately. Simulated and measured results are carried out to verify the theoretical analysis.

The cross-eye method is commonly used to interfere monopulse radars. To overcome the strict tolerance and the range limitation of the traditional retrodirective cross-eye method and the multi-loop method, a novel four-element retrodirective cross-eye based on Direction of Arrival (DoA) is proposed. The mathematical model of the four-element retrodirective cross-eye jamming is derived based on the method of expansibility analysis, and the general formulas of indication angle are obtained. Based on the DoA information, the antenna layout of jamming loops is optimized, and the influence of the modulation parameters on cross-eye jamming effect are analyzed. The orthogonal four-element retrodirective cross-eye is compared with the traditional cross eye jamming, the results show that the the proposed method is superior to the traditional and the orthogonal four-element retrodirective cross-eye in terms of the jamming effect and the modulation parameter tolerance.

A digital-controlled adaptive self-interference cancellation system with capabilities of high interference cancellation ratio and strong environmental applicability is presented. The key part - analog-to-digital converter (ADC) / digital-to-analog converter (DAC) quantization effect, is analysed comprehensively. Specially, the analytical relation between the quantization noise and the interference cancellation ratio is derived, which can provide important guidance for system implementation and performance optimization. The theoretical deductions are validated firstly by Simulink simulation and then by practical experimental measurements. Both the analysis and experiments show that the system stability and convergence property are not affected by ADC/DAC. The magnification of the conditioning circuit in front of the error-sampled ADC plays an important role in the cancellation ratio improvement. The practical space channel measurements presented an average interference cancellation ratio of 59 dB for the single-tone interference waveform and 50 dB for the amplitude-modulated (AM) interference waveform, rendering the system as a powerful tool for solving the in-band self-interference problem.

Developing with digital and the application of digital information in the future education, how teachers will cope with the impact of new technology on teaching in the future education, how to cope with the challenges brought by future education to teachers’ teaching ability in advance, how to make reasonable prediction is the focus of teachers in the future education. From the perspective of future education, this study uses the methods of content analysis and text analysis to analyse the driving factors of future teachers’ ability exploration and related aspects of future education’s challenge to future teachers’ ability, explores the elements and development trend of teachers’ teaching ability in future education, and encourages teachers to actively explore their adaptability to future education. Based on the research and the model of teachers’ knowledge and technology, providing the digital technology framework for future teacher’s education.

As a special micro-motion feature of rotor targets, rotational angular velocity can provide a discriminant basis for target classification and recognition. In this paper, an adaptive and accurate method is proposed for estimating the rotational angular velocity of rotor targets via a Fourier coefficient interpolation algorithm that is based on modified frequency index residue initialization. The negative frequency complex exponential signal component is removed at each iteration to eliminate the estimation bias caused by spectrum superposition and improve the estimation accuracy. The frequency index residue initialization is modified, based on a normalized Fourier spectrum, to improve the estimable range of the rotational angular velocity and reduce the computational complexity of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the estimation performance of the proposed method achieves the Cramér–Rao lower bound and outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of the estimable range and estimation accuracy of the rotational angular velocity.

Palaeolagus, a late Eocene to early Miocene North American lagomorph genus, represented by numerous and well-preserved specimens, has been long considered a basal leporid, although it is currently understood as a stem lagomorph. Based on micro-computed tomography (μCT) data and 3D reconstructions, here we present the first description of intracranial structures of the nasal and auditory regions of a complete skull of Palaeolagus haydeni from the early Oligocene of Nebraska. Although Palaeolagus haydeni shows a puzzling mixture of extant leporid and ochotonid characters, it helps to polarize and re-evaluate already known lagomorph intracranial characters based on outgroup comparison with Rodentia and Scandentia. Common derived features of Palaeolagus haydeni and extant Lagomorpha are the dendritic maxilloturbinal and the excavated nasoturbinal that contacts the lamina semicircularis. Generally, Palaeolagus haydeni and Leporidae have several characters in common, some of which are certainly plesiomorphic (e.g., thin wall of bulla tympani and flat conic cochlea). Palaeolagus haydeni resembles Leporidae in having an interturbinal between the two frontoturbinals, and three ethmoturbinals plus one interturbinal between ethmoturbinal I and II. Now, this should also be regarded as a plesiomorphic grundplan pattern for Leporidae whereas ochotonids are derived from the lagomorph grundplan as concerns the number of frontoturbinals. Concerning the middle ear, Palaeolagus haydeni significantly contributes to the polarization of the anterior anchoring of the malleus in extant lagomorphs. Palaeolagus haydeni resembles the pattern observed in early ontogenetic stages of Ochotonidae, i.e., the attachment of the malleus to the ectotympanic via a short processus anterior. The patterns in adult ochotonids and leporids now can be regarded as two different and apomorphic character states. Autapomorphic characters of Palaeolagus haydeni are the reduced frontoturbinal 2 and the additional anterolaterally oriented process of the lamina semicircularis. Interestingly, among the investigated intracranial structures the loss of the secondary crus commune is the only apomorphic grundplan character of crown Lagomorpha.

Abstract Background To improve the outcome of cancer treatment, the combination of multiple therapy models has proved to be effective and promising. Gas therapy (GT) and chemodynamic therapy (CDT), mainly targeting the mitochondrion and nucleus, respectively, are two emerging strategy for anti-cancer. The development of novel nanomedicine for integrating these new therapy models is greatly significant and highly desired. Methods A new nanomedicine is programmed by successive encapsulation of MnO2 nanoparticles and iron carbonyl (FeCO) into mesoporous silica nanoparticle. By decoding the nanomedicine, acidity in the lysosome drives MnO2 to generate ROS, ·OH among which further triggers the decomposition of FeCO into CO, realizing the effective combination of chemodynamic therapy with gas therapy for the first time. Results Acidity in the TEM drives MnO2 to generate ROS, ∙OH among which further triggers the decomposition of FeCO into CO, realizing the effective combination of CDT and CDGT. The co-released ROS and CO do damage to DNA and mitochondria of various cancer cells, respectively. The mitochondrial damage can effectively cut off the ATP source required for DNA repair, causing a synergetic anti-cancer effect in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions The combination of CDT and CDGT causing a synergetic anti-cancer effect in vitro and in vivo. The proposed therapy concept and nanomedicine designing strategy might open a new window for engineering high-performance anti-cancer nanomedicine.

Background ING5 is the last member of the Inhibitor of Growth (ING) candidate tumor suppressor family that has been implicated in multiple cellular functions, including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and chromatin remodeling. Our previous study showed that ING5 overexpression inhibits lung cancer aggressiveness and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), with unknown mechanisms. Methods Western blotting was used to detect total and phosphorylated levels of β‐catenin and EMT‐related proteins. Immunofluorescent staining was used to observe E‐cadherin expression. Proliferation and colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to study the proliferative and invasive abilities of cancer cells. Results ING5 overexpression promotes phosphorylation of β‐catenin at Ser33/37, leading to a decreased β‐catenin protein level. Small hairpin RNA‐mediated ING5 knockdown significantly increased the β‐catenin level and inhibited phosphorylation of β‐catenin S33/37. Treatment with the WNT/β‐catenin inhibitor XAV939 inhibited ING5‐knockdown promoted proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer A549 cells, with increased phosphorylation of β‐catenin S33/37 and a decreased β‐catenin level. XAV939 also impaired ING5‐knockdown‐induced EMT, as indicated by upregulated expression of the EMT marker E‐cadherin, an epithelial marker; and decreased expression of N‐cadherin, a mesenchymal marker, and EMT‐related transcription factors, including Snail, Slug, Twist, and Smad3. Furthermore, XAV939 could inhibit the activation of both IL‐6/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Conclusion ING5 inhibits lung cancer invasion and EMT by inhibiting the WNT/β‐catenin pathway.

Traditional GaAs-based frequency multipliers still exhibit great challenges to meet the demand for solid-state high-power THz sources due to low breakdown voltage and heat dissipation of the Schottky barrier diode (SBD). In this study, a GaN SBD chain was fabricated with n−/n+-GaN structure. As a consequence, the breakdown voltage of 54.9 V at 1 μA and cut-off frequency of 587.5 GHz at zero bias were obtained. A 120 GHz frequency-doubler module based on the GaN SBD chain was designed and fabricated. When driven with 500 mW input power in a continuous wave, the output power of the frequency-doubler module was 15.1 mW at 120 GHz. Moreover, the experiments show that the frequency-doubler module can endure an input power of 2 W. In addition, it is worth noting that the SBD chain works well at an anode temperature of 337.2 °C.

In this paper, we acquire the boundedness of commutators generated by multilinear Calderón-Zygmund operator and BMO functions on products of weighted Herz-Morrey spaces with variable exponents.