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The violation of the U(1) axial symmetry in QCD is stricter than the chiral SU(2) breaking simply because of the presence of the quantum axial anomaly. If the QCD gauge coupling is sent to zero (the asymptotic free limit, where the U(1) axial anomaly does not exist), the strength of the U(1) axial breaking coincides with that of the chiral SU(2) breaking, which we, in short, call an axial–chiral coincidence. This coincidence is trivial since QCD then becomes a non-interacting theory. Actually, there exists another limit in the QCD parameter space, where an axial–chiral coincidence occurs even with nonzero QCD gauge coupling, which can be dubbed a nontrivial coincidence: it is the case with the massive light quarks (ml≠0) and the massless strange quark (ms=0) due to the flavor-singlet nature of the topological susceptibility. This coincidence is robust and tied to the anomalous chiral Ward–Takahashi identity, which is operative even at hot QCD. This implies that the chiral SU(2) symmetry is restored simultaneously with the U(1) axial symmetry at high temperatures. This simultaneous restoration is independent of ml(≠0) and, hence, is irrespective of the order of the chiral phase transition. In this paper, we discuss how the real-life QCD can be evolved from the nontrivial chiral–axial coincidence limit by working on a Nambu–Jona–Lasinio model with the U(1) axial anomaly contribution properly incorporated. It is shown that, at high temperatures, the large differences between the restorations of the chiral SU(2) symmetry and the U(1) axial symmetry for two light quarks and a sufficiently large current mass for the strange quark are induced by a significant interference of the topological susceptibility. Thus, the deviation from the nontrivial coincidence, which is monitored by the strange quark mass controlling the topological susceptibility, provides a new way of understanding the chiral SU(2) and U(1) axial breaking in QCD.

The project of China initiative Accelerator Driven Subcritical (CiADS) system has been started to construct in southeast China's Guangdong province since 2019, which is expected to be checked and accepted in the year 2025. In order to make the students in University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) better understand the main characteristic and the operation condition in the subcritical nuclear facility, the training platform for CiADS has been developed based on the Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE) in the Institute of Modern Physics Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMPCAS). The CAVE platform is a kind of non-head mounted virtual reality display system, which can provide the immersive experience and the alternative training platform to substitute the dangerous operation experiments with strong radioactivity. In this paper, the CAVE platform for the training scenarios in CiADS system has been presented with real-time simulation feature, where the required devices to generate the auditory and visual senses with the interactive mode have been detailed. Moreover, the three dimensional modeling database has been created for the different operation conditions, which can bring more freedom for the teachers to generate the appropriate training courses for the students. All the user-friendly features will offer a deep realistic impression to the students for the purpose of getting the required knowledge and experience without the large costs in the traditional experimental nuclear reactor.

The core power control is an important issue for the study of dynamic characteristics in China initiative accelerator driven subcritical system (CiADS), which has direct impact on the control strategy and safety analysis process. The CiADS is an experimental facility that is only controlled by the proton beam intensity without considering the control rods in the current engineering design stage. In order to get the optimized operation scheme with the stable and reliable features, the variation of beam intensity using the continuous and periodic control approaches has been adopted, and the change of collimator and the adjusting of duty ratio have been proposed in the power control process. Considering the neutronics and the thermal-hydraulics characteristics in CiADS, the physical model for the core power control has been established by means of the point reactor kinetics method and the lumped parameter method. Moreover, the multi-inputs single-output (MISO) logical structure for the power control process has been constructed using proportional integral derivative (PID) controller, and the meta-heuristic algorithm has been employed to obtain the global optimized parameters for the stable running mode without producing large perturbations. Finally, the verification and validation of the control method have been tested based on the reference scenarios in considering the disturbances of spallation neutron source and inlet temperature respectively, where all the numerical results reveal that the optimization method has satisfactory performance in the CiADS core power control scenarios.

We find that a big gap between indicators for the breaking strengths of the global chiral SU(2) and U(1) axial symmetries in the QCD of the standard model (SM) can be interpreted as a new fine-tuning problem. This may thus imply calling for a class beyond the SM, which turns out to favor having a new chiral symmetry, and the associated massless new quark is insensitive to the chiral SU(2) symmetry for the lightest up and down quarks so that the fine-tuning is relaxed. Our statistical estimate shows that QCD of the SM is by more than 300 standard deviations off the parameter space free from fine-tuning, and the significance will be greater as the lattice measurements on the QCD hadron observables become more accurate. We briefly address a dark QCD model with massless new quarks as one viable candidate.

Despite their superior control performance, active vibration control techniques cannot be widely used in some engineering fields because of their substantial power demand in controlling large-scale structures. As an innovative solution to this problem, an unprecedented self-powered active vibration control system was developped in this study. The topological design, working mechanism, and power flow of the proposed system are presented herein. The self-powering ability of the system was confirmed based on a detailed power flow analysis of vibration control processes. A self-powered actively controlled actuator was designed and applied to a scaled active vibration isolation table. The feasibility and effectiveness of the innovative system were successfully validated through a series of analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations. The setup and control strategy of the proposed system can be readily extended to diversified active vibration control applications in various engineering fields.

C-type lectins (CTLs) are a superfamily of Ca2+-dependent carbohydrate-recognition proteins, and an important pattern recognition receptor (PRR) in insect innate immunity which can mediate humoral and cellular immunity in insects. In this study, we report a novel dual carbohydrate-recognition domain (CRD) CTL from Plutella xylostella which we designate PxIML. PxIML is a protein with a 969 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding 322 amino acids, containing a signal peptide and a dual-CRD with EPN (Glu124-Pro125-Asn126) and QPD (Gln274-Pro275-Asp276) motifs. The expression of PxIML mRNA in the fat body was significantly higher than in hemocytes and midgut. The relative expression levels of PxIML in the whole insect and the fat body were significantly inhibited after infection with Bacillus thuringiensis 8010 (Bt8010) at 18 h, while they were significantly upregulated after infection with Serratia marcescens IAE6 or Pichia pastoris. The recombinant PxIML (rPxIML) protein could bind to the tested pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and the bacteria of Enterobacter sp. IAE5, S. marcescens IAE6, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli BL21, and Bt8010 in a Ca2+-dependent manner, however, it showed limited binding to the fungus, P. pastoris. The rPxIML exhibited strong activity in the presence of Ca2+ to agglutinate Bt8010, Enterobacter sp. IAE5 and S. aureus, but it only weakly agglutinated with E. coli BL21, and could not agglutinate with S. marcescens IAE6 or P. pastoris. Furthermore, the rPxIML could bind to hemocytes, promote the adsorption of hemocytes to beads, and enhance the phenoloxidase (PO) activity and melanization of P. xylostella. Our results suggest that PxIML plays an important role in pathogen recognition and in mediating subsequent humoral and cellular immunity of P. xylostella.

Field application of organic fertilizers may promote the spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in farmland ecosystems, which represents a major threat to public health. However, impacts of multi-year organic fertilization on the spread of soil and phyllosphere ARGs and the possible transmission pathways remain elusive. Here, we investigated the patterns of ARGs and structures of bacterial and fungal communities in soil and wheat crop phyllosphere, under long-term fertilization of swine manure or sewage sludge using high-throughput quantitative PCR and amplicon sequencing. It was found that application of swine manure and sewage sludge had more influence on the prevalence of ARGs in phyllosphere than in soil. SourceTracker analysis revealed that a few bacterial taxa from swine manure and sewage sludge could survive in soil, but hardly in phyllosphere. Mantel test and variation partitioning analysis further revealed that shift in the microbial community compositions was an important factor affecting soil ARGs, while horizontal gene transfer mediated by mobile genetic elements might contribute to the spread of phyllosphere ARGs. Overall, these results demonstrated that long-term application of swine manure and sewage sludge differently impacts the ARGs in soil and phyllosphere, which have implications for sustainable agricultural management.

An effective construction method for long-length quantum code has important applications in the field based on large-scale data. With the rapid development of quantum computing, how to construct this class of quantum coding has become one of the key research fields in quantum information theory. Motivated by the block jacket matrix and its circulant permutation, we proposed a construction method for quantum quasi-cyclic (QC) codes with two classical codes. This simplifies the coding process for long-length quantum error-correction code (QECC) using number decomposition. The obtained code length N can achieve O(n2) if an appropriate prime number n is taken. Furthermore, with a suitable parameter in the construction method, the obtained codes have four cycles in their generator matrices and show good performance for low density codes.

Li‐based secondary batteries are now attracting soaring research attention as a promising energy storage system with high energy density for commercial applications. However, the high‐energy systems meanwhile are causing serious concerns on safety issues due to unstable interfaces on both cathodes and anodes. To improve interphase stability upon extended cycles, surface fluorinated treatment becomes highly desirable due to its unique capability in modulating the chemistry of electrode/electrolyte interface to ensure a stable electrochemical performance. Accordingly, it is essential that a deeper understanding on the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), especially the role of fluorine‐containing components, is demanded to guide the interface design. This review begins with an introduction to the fundamental knowledge on the structure of SEI with focus on the unique physiochemical properties of fluorides. Detailed discussions are then taken on the control strategies for a reliable construction of fluoride‐based interfaces, which typically includes the surface coating of metal fluorides on cathodes and ex situ/in situ fluorination on lithium, based on which the structure–performance relationship is elaborated to inspire a rational interface engineering. Finally, perspectives are provided to give insights into the possible research directions of fluorinated SEI for further development of rechargeable Li batteries.

Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, which mainly input to the aquatic environment through discharge of industrial and agricultural waste, can be a threat to human and animal health. Selenium (Se) possesses a beneficial role in protecting animals and ameliorating the toxic effects of Cd. However, the comparative antagonistic effects of different Se sources such as inorganic, organic Se and nano-form Se on Cd toxicity are still under-investigated. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the comparative of Se sources antagonism on Cd-induced nephrotoxicity via oxidative stress and selenoproteome transcription. In the present study, Cd-diet disturbed in the system balance of 5 trace elements (Zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Se, Cd) and impaired renal function. Se sources, including nano- Se (NS), Se- yeast (SY), sodium selenite (SS) and mixed selenium (MS) significantly recovered the balance of 4 trace elements (Zn, Cu, Cd, Se) and renal impaired indexes (blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CREA)). Histological appearance of Cd-treated kidney indicated renal tubular epithelial vacuoles, particle degeneration and enlarged capsular space. Ultrastructure observation results illustrated that Cd-induced mitochondrial cristae reduction, membrane disappearance, and nuclear deformation. Treatment with Se sources, NS appeared a better impact on improving kidney tissues against the pathological alterations resulting from Cd administration. Meanwhile, NS reflected a significant impact on relieving Cd-induced kidney oxidative damage, and significantly restored the antioxidant defense system of the body. Our findings also showed NS ameliorated the Cd-induced downtrends expression of selenoproteome and selenoprotein synthesis related transcription factors. Overall, NS was the most effective Se source in avoiding of Cd cumulative toxicity, improving antioxidant capacity and regulating of selenoproteome transcriptome and selenoprotein synthesis related transcription factors expression, which contributes to ameliorate Cd-induced nephrotoxicity in chickens. These results demonstrated diet supplement with NS may prove to be an effective approach for alleviating Cd toxicity and minimizing Cd -induced health risk.

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a major invasive pest that seriously threatens world agricultural production and food security. Microorganisms play a crucial role in the growth and development of insects. However, the diversity and dynamics of gut microbes with different developmental stages, environmental habitats, and diets in S. frugiperda remain unclear. In this study, we found the changes of the microbiome of S. frugiperda across their life stages, and the bacteria were dominated by Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The community composition of the egg stage was quite different from other developmental stages, which had the highest community diversity and community richness, and was dominated by Proteobacteria. The bacterial community compositions of male and female adults were similar to those of early larvae stage (L1–L2), and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) with abundant content were Enterococcus and Enterobacteriaceae bacteria, including Enterobacteria, Klebsiella, Pantoea, and Escherichia. The third instar larvae (L3) mainly consist of Enterococcus. The late stage larvae (L4–L6) harbored high proportions of Enterococcus, Rhodococcus, and Ralstonia. There was no significant difference in gut microbial composition between field populations and laboratory populations in a short period of rearing time. However, after long-term laboratory feeding, the gut microbial diversity of S. frugiperda was significantly reduced. Enterococcus and Rhodococccus of S. frugiperda feeding on maize showed higher relative proportion, while the microbial community of S. frugiperda feeding on artificial diet was composed mainly of Enterococcus, with a total of 98% of the gut microbiota. The gene functions such as metabolism, cell growth and death, transport and catabolism, and environmental adaptation were more active in S. frugiperda feeding on corn than those feeding on artificial diet. In short, these results indicate that developmental stage, habitat, and diet can alter the gut bacteria of S. frugiperda, and suggest a vertical transmission route of bacteria in S. frugiperda. A comprehensive understanding of gut microbiome of S. frugiperda will help develop novel pest control strategies to manage this pest.

Context: Radix Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae) (LGT) has outstanding curative efficacy; however, side effects include high toxicity, particularly hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Objective: To investigate detoxification mechanisms of LGT through processing separately with each of these medicinal herbs including Flower Lonicera japonica Thunb. (Caprifoliaceae) (JYH), Radix Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (Ranunculaceae) (BS), Herba Lysimachia christinae Hance (Primulaceae) (JQC), Radix et Rhizoma Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (Fabaceae) (GC) and Seed Phaseolus radiatus L. (Fabaceae) (LD) in S180-bearing mice by involving nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). Materials and methods: LGT raw and processed products were orally administered at 60 mg/kg to KM male mice inoculated with S180 tumour cells for 14 consecutive days, and blood, tumour, liver and kidney were taken to observe the detoxifying effects and biological mechanisms. Results: Herbal-processing technology significantly weakened hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity evoked by LGT with ED50 of the converted triptolide in each processed-herb product for serum alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, creatinine and urea nitrogen of 9.3, 16.6, 2.5 and 4.2 μg/kg, for liver glutathione, glutathione S-transferase, catalase, tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 of 114.9, 67.8, 134.1, 7.7, 4171.6 μg/kg, and for kidney 21.9, 20.5, 145.0, 529.7, 19.4 μg/kg, respectively. Moreover, herbal-processing technology promoted the accumulation of Nrf2 into the nucleus, and upregulated mRNA expression of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1. Additionally, herbal-processing technology enhanced the tumour inhibition rate with ED50 12.2 μg/kg. Discussion and conclusions: Herbal-processing technology improves the safety and effectiveness of LGT in cancer treatment, and future research may be focused on the Nrf2-related molecules.

In an eccentric rotating system driven by two hydraulic motors without synchronous gears, vibration coupling may help render motion stable. In order to investigate how vibration coupling influences the motion, the coupling characteristics of the vibration system were studied regarding the differences between two motors such as leakage network, coulomb damping network, and pressure loss network, and the sensitivity of the influence factors was also studied. The influence of tiny differences between the two motors, tiny differences in the motion pair structure, in the oil temperature and in the resistance coefficient on the coupling motion were discovered, and the criterion for synchronous motion were obtained consequently. The results show that the influence of the resistance coefficient difference on system motion stability is the greatest, accounting for 46.7%, and the influence of the difference in motion pair structure (e.g. motor piston clearance) is the second, accounting for 32.8%. For motors with displacement 80 ml/r, the condition of self-synchronization is that the difference in piston clearance between the two motors is equal to or smaller than 6 μm. Experiments have proved the correctness of the theory and showed that the synchronization can be achieved by leakage compensation, damping compensation, and back-pressure compensation of the external system by means of control when the motors rotate slowly enough for system response. The study shows that the coupling synchronous model can reduce the force of the gear for the eccentricity rotary system with synchronous gear, and that the synchronous stability can be improved for the eccentricity rotary system without synchronous gear.

(1) Background: l-leucine (Leu) plays a positive role in regulating protein turnover in skeletal muscle in mammal. However, the molecular mechanism for the effects of Leu on muscle growth and protein deposition is not clearly demonstrated in fish. This study investigated the effects of dietary Leu on growth performance and muscle growth, protein synthesis, and degradation-related signaling pathways of hybrid catfish (Pelteobagrus vachelli♀ × Leiocassis longirostris♂). (2) Methods: A total of 630 hybrid catfish (23.19 ± 0.20 g) were fed 6 different experimental diets containing graded levels of Leu at 10.0 (control), 15.0, 20.0, 25.0, 30.0, 35.0, and 40.0 g Leu kg-1 for 8 weeks. (3) Results: Results showed that dietary Leu increased percent weight gain (PWG), specific growth rate (SGR), FI (feed intake), feed efficiency (FE), protein efficiency ratio (PER), muscle fibers diameter, and muscle fibers density; up-regulated insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), myogenic regulation factors (MyoD, Myf5, MyoG, and Mrf4), and MyHC mRNA levels; increased muscle protein synthesis via regulating the AKT/TOR signaling pathway; and attenuated protein degradation via regulating the AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway. (4) Conclusions: These results suggest that Leu has potential role to improve muscle growth and protein deposition in fish, which might be due to the regulation of IGF mRNA expression, muscle growth related gene, and protein synthesis and degradation-related signaling pathways. Based on the broken-line model, the Leu requirement of hybrid catfish (23.19-54.55 g) for PWG was estimated to be 28.10 g kg-1 of the diet (73.04 g kg-1 of dietary protein). These results will improve our understanding of the mechanisms responsible for muscle growth and protein deposition effects of Leu in fish.