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Abstract Plant roots perceive heat stress (HS) and adapt their architecture accordingly, which in turn influence the yield in crops. Investigating their heterogeneity and cell type-specific response to HS is essential for improving crop resilience. Here, we generate single-cell transcriptional landscape of maize (Zea mays) roots in response to HS. We characterize 15 cell clusters corresponding to 9 major cell types and identify cortex as the main root cell type responsive to HS with the most differentially expressed genes and its trajectory being preferentially affected upon HS. We find that cortex size strongly correlated with heat tolerance that is experimentally validated by using inbred lines and genetic mutation analysis of one candidate gene in maize, providing potential HS tolerance indicator and targets for crop improvement. Moreover, interspecies comparison reveals conserved root cell types and core markers in response to HS in plants, which are experimentally validated. These results provide a universal atlas for unraveling the transcriptional programs that specify and maintain the cell identity of maize roots in response to HS at a cell type-specific level.

IntroductionPeritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP) is a serious complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The aim of this study was to construct a risk prediction model for frequent episodes in PDAP patients.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included PDAP patients in our center from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2021. The risk prediction model for frequent episodes in PDAP patients was constructed by the binary logistic regression.ResultsWe included 371 PDAP patients, of which 235 patients had single episode and 136 had frequent episodes. We randomly allocated the patients into training set (296 patients) and test set (75 patients) in the ratio of 8:2. In the training set, we found several independent risk factors significantly associated with frequent episodes in PDAP patients, including diabetes mellitus (DM), hemoglobin (HB), serum albumin (ALB), lactatic dehydrogenase (LDH), serum potassium (K), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and peritoneal dialysate white cell counts on day 1. And we constructed a prediction model with an area under curve (AUC) values of 0.75 in the training set and 0.76 in the test set, which showed excellent predictive performance.ConclusionWe constructed a predictive model that demonstrated excellent predictive performance for identifying high-risk frequent episodes in PDAP patients and developed a more intuitive nomogram for evaluating the risk. However, multicenter studies with a larger sample size are warranted to validate the model in the future.

Objectives: Peritoneal dialysis (PD) access damage is an uncommon complication of PD. This study aimed to describe the characteristics, management and outcomes of PD access damage.Methods: This retrospective study included patients who suffered from PD access damage between January 2018 and January 2024 at the PD Center of West China Hospital. Patient characteristics and access damage information were collected from medical records.Results: A total of 128 PD patients without PD access damage were included in the control group. A total of 45 patients (51% male; aged 58 ± 14 years) suffered from 49 cases of PD access damage. Multivariate logistic analysis revealed that previous peritonitis [odds ratio (OR) 3.93; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.56 to 9.94] and assisted PD (OR 4.20; 95% CI 1.25 to 14.12) were risk factors, while catheter belt use (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.44) and training frequency per year (0.34; 95% CI 0.19 to 0.64) were protective factors against PD access damage. Managements included cutting and repairing (N = 24), transfer set replacement (N = 11), catheter removal (N = 9) and catheter replacement (N = 4). Thirty-nine patients continued with PD after access repair and were followed up for a median of 35 months. The repaired access functioned well during follow-up.Conclusions: In conclusion, to avoid PD access damage, catheter belt and routine retraining are recommended. Once PD access damage is identified, patients should clamp the catheter, take prophylactic antibiotics and resort to the treatment team. The treatment team should evaluate PD access and handle it according to a clinical protocol.

Introduction: Biomarkers are urgently required to identify peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients at risk of cardiovascular (CV) events. This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2) for CV events in patients undergoing incident PD. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, incident PD patients were enrolled. Blood samples to measure sST2 levels were obtained before PD catheter implantation. The patients underwent a standard peritoneal equilibration test (PET) after initiation of PD for 4–6 weeks. The sST2 levels in both serum and dialysate were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. CV events were recorded during the follow-up period. Results: A total of 137 patients were enrolled. During the follow-up period of 17.3 months, 49 (35.76%) patients experienced CV events. When patients were dichotomized based on the median values and the calculated cutoff values of sST2, the higher sST2 group had 2.980- and 3.048-fold increased risks of CV events, respectively, when compared with the lower sST2 group. Moreover, the prognostic value of sST2 remained significant as a continuous variable (per 1 standard deviation increase, hazard ratio [HR] = 1.037, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.010–1.066, p = 0.008). N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were found to indicate a higher risk only when dichotomized based on the calculated cutoff values. Furthermore, serum sST2 and NT-proBNP levels simultaneously above the calculated cutoff values were associated with a higher risk of CV events (HR = 3.398, 95% CI 1.813–6.367, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Baseline serum sST2 level is an independent predictor of the risk of CV events in patients receiving incident PD, and in combination with NT-proBNP level, it can provide a more accurate predictive value.

Objectives We aimed to explore the lived experiences and needs of women after a recent stillbirth event.Design Qualitative phenomenological study.Setting The current study was conducted in a tertiary obstetric hospital in East China between 25 January 2024 and 29 March 2024.Participants 14 women having experienced a stillbirth within the last 6 months.Results Researchers agreed on four key themes including individual variations in emotional reaction and recovery, physical recovery and concerns about future pregnancies, the critical role of social support systems and variations in perceptions of stillbirth as the death of a fetus versus a human being, along with related mourning rituals. These themes collectively highlight the multifaceted nature of the stillbirth experience, underscoring the complex interplay between personal, cultural and medical factors that shape women’s emotional and physical responses.Conclusions Post-stillbirth experiences among Chinese women are deeply individualised and influenced by a complex interplay of personal emotions, cultural contexts and medical interactions. It is imperative for healthcare systems to implement tailored care strategies beyond standard protocols to proactively address their varied emotional landscapes and physical concerns with an enhanced awareness of cultural sensitivities. Specialised training for healthcare providers should be devised to recognise and respond to the unique grief processes. Comprehensive support systems should be established to significantly enhance the recovery journey by providing essential resources and community connections.

As an important member of innate immunity, macrophages show remarkable plasticity and heterogeneity, and play an important role in immune regulation, tissue development, homeostasis of the internal environment and injury repair. However, the excessive activation of macrophages is closely related to the occurrence and development of many diseases. The prenylated flavonoid structure is one of the characteristic structures isolated from Sophora flavescens, with anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-allergy and other effects. In this study, the effects of (2R)-3β,7,4′-trihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-prenylflavanone (TMP), a prenylated dihydroflavonol, on the polarization and phagocytosis of macrophages were systematically studied. In LPS-induced M1-type macrophages, TMP dose-dependently inhibited the expression of COX-2, iNOS and the secretion of NO, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-18, showing an inhibitory effect on M1 polarization. Further experiments revealed that it was related to the inhibition of TLR4-related AKT/mTOR, MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways; in IL-4-induced M2-type macrophages, TMP down-regulated the expression of M2-related Arg1, IL-10, TGF-β, CD206 and CD163, as well as the phosphorylation levels of AKT1 and STAT6. For macrophages in a physiological state, it was very important for cells to return from a stress state to a phenotypic stability in the M0 state. These results indicated that TMP negatively regulated the M1/M2 polarization of macrophages, and made them tend to M0 homeostasis, which might provide new theoretical and data support for explaining the anti-inflammatory immunoregulatory activity of Sophora flavescens.

Objective To establish a practical and feasible blood management (PBM) model for clinical liver transplant patients, so as to optimize the perioperative blood usage and improve patient prognosis and survival rate. Methods Led by the Medical Department, a questionnaire survey Establishment and Implementation of a Blood Management Model for Organ Transplant Patients on the importance of establishing a PBM model for liver transplant patients in clinical practice was conducted among 71 staff from relevant departments such as the Anesthesiology Department, Hepatobiliary Department, Blood Transfusion Department, and ICU Medical Department. After statistical analysis, the important items of PBM for liver transplant patients were determined, and a (trial) plan was organized by the Medical Department and training was conducted by Blood Transfusion Department for medical staff training from departments as Anesthesiology, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatology, and ICU; PBM measures for liver transplant patients before, during and after surgery were determined by the Anesthesiology Department, Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Department, and ICU; PBM was fully implemented in the experimental group with liver transplant patients in our hospital in 2021 as subjects; 30 cases of liver transplantation performed in our hospital in 2020 were selected as the control group, and the general data, preoperative laboratory examination results, and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative blood transfusion of the two groups of patients were compared. Results Compared with the control group, the experimental group did not receive any blood component transfusion before surgery. Intraoperative blood transfusion volume of allogeneic components: red blood cells(U) were 12.75(8.75, 18.63) vs 15.25(8.38, 26.13)(P>0.05), apheresis platelet (treatment volume) was 0(0, 2) vs 1(0, 4.25)(P>0.05), plasma(U) was 2 300(1 550, 3 763) vs 3 650(2 075, 5 400)(P0.05), platelets were not transfused, plasma(U) was 0(0, 0) vs 0(0, 600)(P>0.05), and cryoprecipitates were not transfused. Conclusion The establishment of PBM model for liver transplant patients and the application of its management measures before, during and after transplantation significantly reduced the intraoperative blood transfusion volume and improved the prognosis of patients after transplantation.

The low cycle fatigue（LCF） properties of DD6 single crystal superalloy were investigated at 700 ℃ and R of 0.05. SEM was used to study the fracture surface and fracture microstructure. The results show that the LCF life of the alloy decreases with the increase of strain amplitude. LCF properties of the alloy are excellent under asymmetrical cyclic loading. The alloy has no transition fatigue life during LCF tests at all total strain amplitudes. LCF fatigue damage can be dominantly contributed to elastic damage and the plastic deformation is very minimal. The plastic damage increases with the increase of total strain amplitude. The crack initiation site, the fatigue crack propagation area and the final fracture zone can be observed in the fracture surface and all specimens is similar to quasi-cleavage fracture. The fatigue cracks are initiated from the micro-pores on the surface, sub-surface or far from the surface. Far from the surface crack fractures have fish-eye feature. The fatigue crack propagates perpendicularly to main stress at first and then along {111} plane. Typical fatigue striation, cleavage steps and river pattern characteristic are formed on fatigue crack propagation zone. The cleavage plane, slip band and tearing ridge are seen in the final fracture zone. Fracture microstructure analysis shows that the γ′ phase morphology far from the fracture surface still maintains cubic shape， and the slip bands are visible seen near the fracture surface， and secondary cracks are formed along slip bands.

Free Space Optical (FSO) communication systems are easily affected by atmospheric turbulence effects. In order to reduce the Bit Error Rate (BER) of the system under saturated turbulence condition, and considering the requirement of maximum diversity gain under limited Signal Noise Ratio (SNR) in practical engineering, it is necessary to study the diversity performance of the system to obtain the relationship between diversity gain and parameters such as SNR and system link number. This article uses Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology to design a MIMO-FSO system based on Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM). The performance of the system in a negative exponential distribution channel model is analyzed, and the BER calculation formula and closed form expressions of diversity gain related parameters (such as Diversity Order (DO), Incremental Diversity Order (IDO), and speed of convergence (SOC)) are derived. Simulation experiments are conducted using mathematical software such as Matlab to verify the accuracy of the derived formula through Monte Carlo simulation. The simulation results show that MIMO the technology can significantly reduce the BER of FSO systems without increasing the transmission power and receiving aperture area. Moreover, in saturated turbulent channels, when the number of system links increases or the turbulence intensity decreases, the diversity order increases to the theoretical maximum with the SNR at a faster rate. The MIMO technology effectively suppresses the negative impact of atmospheric turbulence on the system and significantly improves system performance. When conditions are satisfied, using more transmitters and receivers can achieve higher diversity gain in the system under limited SNR. However, it is also necessary to consider the deployment cost and installation difficulty in actual engineering to choose the appropriate number of links.

InstructionsPeritoneal dialysis associated peritonitis (PDAP) is a major cause of technique failure in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. The purpose of this study is to construct risk prediction models by multiple machine learning (ML) algorithms and select the best one to predict technique failure in PDAP patients accurately.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included maintenance PD patients in our center from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2021. The risk prediction models for technique failure were constructed based on five ML algorithms: random forest (RF), the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), decision tree, k nearest neighbor (KNN), and logistic regression (LR). The internal validation was conducted in the test cohort.ResultsFive hundred and eight episodes of peritonitis were included in this study. The technique failure accounted for 26.38%, and the mortality rate was 4.53%. There were resignificant statistical differences between technique failure group and technique survival group in multiple baseline characteristics. The RF prediction model is the best able to predict the technique failure in PDAP patients, with the accuracy of 93.70% and area under curve (AUC) of 0.916. The sensitivity and specificity of this model was 96.67 and 86.49%, respectively.ConclusionRF prediction model could accurately predict the technique failure of PDAP patients, which demonstrated excellent predictive performance and may assist in clinical decision making.

This paper analyzes the mutual influence mechanism between vocational education and open education based on the development of the information age. Secondly, it constructs the coupling evaluation mode, uses the comprehensive development level test model to measure the value of the comprehensive development level of the regional system, and quantitatively analyzes the interactions between multiple systems through the coupling degree model. Then, the gray correlation model and entropy value method are used to test and analyze vocational education and open education. Finally, the empirical analysis of the coupling development of vocational education and open education. From the time analysis of the coupling coordination degree, the average value of the coupling coordination degree of vocational education and open education across the country was 0.18432 in 2010 and 0.35384 in 2020, with an overall increase of 0.16952, 91.97%, which is a significant increase. As a result, the coupling development mechanism of vocational education and open education adapts to the current needs of economic development and individual enhancement, prompting self-improvement and sustainable development of education.

During urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (USPD) in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, both adequate dialysis and skill training for fluid exchange are essential. However, automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) alone or manual fluid exchange peritoneal dialysis (MPD) alone could meet the above demands. Therefore, our study combined APD with MPD (A-MPD), and compared A-MPD with MPD, aiming to find the most appropriate treatment mode. This was a single-center, prospective, randomized controlled study. All eligible patients were randomized into the MPD and A-MPD groups. All patients underwent a five-day USPD treatment 48 h after catheter implantation, and they were followed up for six months after discharge. Overall, 74 patients were enrolled in this study. Among these, 14 and 60 patients quit due to complications during USPD and completed the study (A-MPD = 31, MPD = 29), respectively. Compared with MPD, the A-MPD treatment mode had a better effect on removing serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and potassium and improving serum carbon dioxide combining power levels; it had less time expenditure on the fluid exchange by nurses (p

AbstractWhile the detailed mechanisms for how particulate matter (PM) causes adverse health effects in the lungs remain largely unknown, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress has been implicated in PM-induced lung injury. The present study was undertaken to examine how/if ER stress might regulate PM-induced inflammation, and to begin to define potential underlying molecular mechanisms. Here, ER stress hallmarks were examined in human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells exposed to PM. To confirm roles of certain pathways, siRNA targeting ER stress genes and an ER stress inhibitor were employed. Expression of select inflammatory cytokines and related signaling pathway components by the cells were assessed as well. The results showed that PM exposure induced elevations in two ER stress hallmarks, i.e. GRP78 and IRE1α, in time-and/or dose-related manners in the HBE cells. Inhibition of ER stress by siRNA for GRP78 or IRE1α significantly alleviated the PM-induced effects. Further, ER stress appeared to regulate PM-induced inflammation – likely through downstream autophagy and NF-κB pathways – as implied by studies showing that inhibition of ER stress by siRNA of GRP78 or IRE1α caused significant amelioration of PM-induced autophagy and subsequent activation of NF-κB pathways. Moreover, the ER stress inhibitor 4-PBA were used to confirm the protective effects against PM-induced outcomes. Together, the results suggest ER stress plays a deleterious role in PM-induced airway inflammation, possibly through activation of autophagy and NF-κB signaling. Accordingly, protocols/treatments that could lead to inhibited ER stress could potentially be effective for treatment of PM-related airway disorders.

Recent research results show that great progress has been made in improving the generation rate of physical random numbers. However, there are still some defects such as complex generation process and large volume. To solve these problems, this paper theoretically proposes a scheme for generating random numbers using mode hopping of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) with optical feedback. The VCSEL is perturbed by the optical feedback to generate the mode hopping. The square wave signal then modulates the injection current, periodically restarts the VCSEL to switch from the non-emitting state to the mode hopping state, and finally outputs a random pulse sequence to realize the random number generation. The results of this paper show that unbiased random numbers with verified randomness can be generated continuously at a rate of the order of Gbit/s. Our scheme eliminates the need for optoelectronic conversion and post-processing operations, simplifing the current random number generation structure, which has the potential to realize a low-cost photonic integrated random number generator.

Objective·To survey the status quo of knowledge, attitude, belief and practice (KAP) of safe medication in the process of medication therapy management in dialysis patients, and analyze the related factors.Methods·This study was a cross-sectional study with the maintenance dialysis patients selected from the Department of Nephrology, Shanghai Ninth People′s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from March 2019 to March 2021. The KAP scale for safe medication in patients with chronic kidney disease verified by reliability and validity tests was used to evaluate the status quo of safe medication, and their medication list and clinical characteristics were also investigated. The occurrence of medication-related problems (MRPs) was evaluated according to the Strand classification system. The related factors of KAP level of safe medication in the dialysis patients were analyzed by univariate analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.Results·A total of 187 maintenance dialysis patients were included, including 103 patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and 84 patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The mean age of them was (60.19±12.80) years, the mean dialysis duration was (44.31±36.90) months, and the mean numbers of comorbidities and medications were 6.37±2.17 and 7.48±2.66, respectively. In the dialysis patients, the mean score of KAP scale was (77.68±18.53) points. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice of safe medication were (24.96±8.92), (17.19±3.18), and (35.40±8.18) points, respectively. The univariate analysis results showed that there were significant differences of KAP scores for safe medication in the dialysis pattern, the educational level, the economic level and the occurrence of renal anemia in the maintenance dialysis patients (all P

Interoception plays a crucial role in maintaining bodily homeostasis and promoting survival, and is considered the basis of human emotion, cognition, and self-formation. A malfunction of interoception is increasingly suggested to be a fundamental component of different mental health conditions, and depressive disorders have been especially closely associated. Interoceptive signaling and processing depends on a system called the “interoceptive pathway,” with the insula, located in the deep part of the lateral fissure, being the most important brain structure in this pathway. Neuroimaging studies have revealed alterations in the structure and function of the insula in a large number of individuals with depression, yet the precise relationship between these alterations and interoceptive dysfunction remains unclear. The goal of this review is to examine the evidence that exists for dysfunction of interoception in people with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), and to determine the associated specific alterations in the structure and function of the insula revealed by neuroimaging. Overall, three aspects of the potential relationship between interoceptive dysfunction and alterations in insular function in people with depression have been assessed, namely clinical symptoms, quantitative measures of interoceptive function and ability, and interoceptive modulation. To conclude, several specific limitations of the published studies and important lines of enquiry for future research are offered.

ObjectiveBrain neuroplasticity in which sleep affects the speed of information processing in the elderly population has not been reported. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the effects of sleep on information processing speed and its central plasticity mechanism in the elderly.MethodsA total of 50 individuals aged 60 and older were enrolled in this case control study. All subjects were divided into two groups according to the sleep time: short sleep duration (< 360 min) (6 men and 19 women; mean age: 66.96 ± 4.28 years old), and non-short sleep duration (> 360 min) (13 men and 12 women). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected, and the amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated for each participant. Two-sample t-tests were performed to compare the ALFF, ReHo, and DC maps between the two groups. Then, the relationships among clinical features, fMRI and cognitive function were analyzed using general linear model.ResultsShort sleep duration group showed significantly increased ALFF value in the bilateral middle frontal gyrus and right insula; significantly increased ReHo value in the left superior parietal gyrus, and decreased ReHo value in the right crebellum; significantly decreased DC value in the left inferior occipital gyrus, left superior parietal gyrus and right cerebellum (p

When the misalignment angle is a large angle in the strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS), it is necessary to establish a nonlinear error model to estimate the error. Hence, an improved initial alignment method based on adaptive robust CKF algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, based on the analysis results, SINS/GPS nonlinear error model is established. Secondly, in the view of observation gross errors and inaccurate noise statistical characteristics, adaptive robust CKF algorithm is designed. Finally, according to simulation analysis and experiment, adaptive robust CKF algorithm can augment the stability, improve filter estimation accuracy and convergence rate, which significantly improves the initial alignment ability of strapdown inertial navigation system at large azimuth misalignment angle.

Abstract Methylating RNA post‐transcriptionally is emerging as a significant mechanism of gene regulation in eukaryotes. The crosstalk between RNA methylation and histone modification is critical for chromatin state and gene expression in mammals. However, it is not well understood mechanistically in plants. Here, the authors report a genome‐wide correlation between RNA 5‐cytosine methylation (m5C) and histone 3 lysine27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) in Arabidopsis. The plant‐specific Polycomb group (PcG) protein EMBRYONIC FLOWER1 (EMF1) plays dual roles as activators or repressors. Transcriptome‐wide RNA m5C profiling revealed that m5C peaks are mostly enriched in chromatin regions that lacked H3K27me3 in both wild type and emf1 mutants. EMF1 repressed the expression of m5C methyltransferase tRNA specific methyltransferase 4B (TRM4B) through H3K4me3, independent of PcG‐mediated H3K27me3 mechanism. The 5‐Cytosine methylation on targets is increased in emf1 mutants, thereby decreased the mRNA transcripts of photosynthesis and chloroplast genes. In addition, impairing EMF1 activity reduced H3K27me3 levels of PcG targets, such as starch genes, which are de‐repressed in emf1 mutants. Both EMF1‐mediated promotion and repression of gene activities via m5C and H3K27me3 are required for normal vegetative growth. Collectively, t study reveals a previously undescribed epigenetic mechanism of RNA m5C modifications and histone modifications to regulate gene expression in eukaryotes.

Maize (Zea mays) is one of the most important food crops in the world with the greatest global production, and contributes to satiating the demands for human food, animal feed, and biofuels. With population growth and deteriorating environment, efficient and innovative breeding strategies to develop maize varieties with high yield and stress resistance are urgently needed to augment global food security and sustainable agriculture. CRISPR-Cas-mediated genome-editing technology (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas (CRISPR-associated)) has emerged as an effective and powerful tool for plant science and crop improvement, and is likely to accelerate crop breeding in ways dissimilar to crossbreeding and transgenic technologies. In this review, we summarize the current applications and prospects of CRISPR-Cas technology in maize gene-function studies and the generation of new germplasm for increased yield, specialty corns, plant architecture, stress response, haploid induction, and male sterility. Optimization of gene editing and genetic transformation systems for maize is also briefly reviewed. Lastly, the challenges and new opportunities that arise with the use of the CRISPR-Cas technology for maize genetic improvement are discussed.

Freshwater-seawater (FW-SW) temperature contrasts widely exist in natural coastal aquifers. The significant effects of thermal forcing on water flow and salinity distributions for homogeneous aquifers have been demonstrated recently, however, the impact on heterogeneous aquifers remains unclear. This study conducted simulations of variable-density flow, and heat and salt transport with Monte-Carlo realizations of log-normally distributed permeability fields to examine such impacts. The averaged results showed that warmer freshwater could lead to a significant landward intrusion of freshwater-seawater interface in the heterogeneous aquifer. The random permeability fields increased the thermal effects of warmer freshwater and thus facilitated landward seawater intrusion. Furthermore, under warmer seawater conditions, salt dispersion was enhanced and density effects were reduced in heterogeneous coastal aquifers, thus altering the two opposing seawater circulation cells induced by double diffusion of salt and heat. The clockwise seawater circulation was strengthened whereas the anticlockwise one was weakened. Sensitivity analyses showed that an increased variance of permeability field further inhibited the anticlockwise seawater circulation cell caused mainly by heat diffusion. A larger correlation length of permeability field facilitated the thermal effect on the salinity distribution, increasing the associated uncertainty range caused by FW-SW temperature contrasts.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore whether team-based learning (TBL) was more effective than traditional didactic lectures (TDLs) in improving medical students' problem-solving and study skills in the clinical course of ophthalmology. In addition, we were also concerned about Chinese students' satisfaction with TBL.MethodsOur study program involved 275 students of the 5-year clinical medicine program from Central South China University, of which 140 were enrolled in a modified TBL course. A questionnaire that included closed-ended and open-ended items was distributed to students immediately following the completion of the TBL session, and 108 valid questionnaires were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data. The effects of the TBL module on students' performance were measured between the groups using a one-way between-group analysis of variance (ANOVA) test by the individual readiness assurance test (IRAT), the group readiness assurance test (GRAT), and final examination scores (FESs), compared with a class without the TBL session.ResultsWith our modified TBL strategy, 140 students achieved a mean test score of 72.65 on test questions that assessed their knowledge of ophthalmology compared to 135 students who achieved a mean score of 70.8 using the TDL method (p = 0.3434). The performance in a pre-class quiz was significantly better in the GRAT compared to the IRAT. In comparison to the TDL session, the modified TBL was preferred and acceptable by most medical students.ConclusionsBy applying the modified TBL to ophthalmology, students improved their performance, self-study, and teamwork, and their class engagement and satisfaction were enhanced. However, TBL should be further optimized and developed to enhance educational outcomes.

Gallium nitride high electron mobility transistor (GaN HEMT) is liable to gate false turn-on problem when the gate crosstalk voltage exceeds its threshold voltage in the widely adopted phase-leg topology due to its low threshold voltage and high switching speed. Without considering the gate loop stray inductance, gate internal resistance, nonlinearity of parasitic capacitances and power loop stray parameters, traditional false turn-on analytical method is insufficient to support accurate analysis. And it has been found that GaN HEMT gate-source parasitic capacitance $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ previously assumed constant is otherwise highly nonlinear and has strong impacts on the gate crosstalk voltage. This paper has measured $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ by vector network analyzer and constructed an accurate nonlinear model of $C_{\mathrm {gs}}$ , based on which an accurate GaN HEMT behavior model is further fulfilled. The accuracy of the proposed behavior model has been verified by large amounts of experiment results. The proposed GaN HEMT model is used to accurately calculate gate crosstalk voltage and switching losses. Besides, false turn-on induced extra loss has been calculated and is adopted as a criterion to evaluate the severity of false turn-on and optimal design method for false turn-on suppression has been detailed further.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage crop, and salt stress is a major limiting factor in its yield. Melatonin (MT) is a multi-regulatory molecule in plants. We showed that basal MT content was positively correlated with the salt tolerance degree of different alfalfa varieties. MT and its precursor 5-HT fully recovered seed germination while partially ameliorated seedling growth of salt-stressed alfalfa. The 5-HT showed some divergent effects from MT with regards to growth amelioration under salinity. Salt stress caused stunted plant growth in soil culture, while MT ameliorated it by elevating plant height, fresh weight, branching number, and chlorophyll content. Silencing of a putative MT receptor, MsPMTR1, which was shown to be membrane-localized, abolished the ameliorative effects of MT on salt-stressed alfalfa seedling growth, while overexpression of MsPMTR1 improved plant growth under salt stress. The RNA sequencing analysis showed that nine pathway genes were specifically induced by MT treatment compared with salt stress. These MT-responsive differentially expressed genes include basal metabolic pathway genes, such as “ribosome, elongation factor,” “sugar and lipid metabolism,” and “photosynthesis” and stress-related genes encoding “membrane integrity” related proteins, heat shock protein, peroxidase/oxidoreductase, and protease. Several abiotic stress response-related genes, such as DRE, ARF, HD-ZF, MYB, and REM were repressed by NaCl treatment while induced by MT treatment. In summary, we demonstrated the importance of MsPMTR1 in MT-mediated salt tolerance in alfalfa, and we also analyzed the regulatory mechanism of MT during alfalfa seed germination under salt stress.

Arabidopsis thaliana ENO2 (AtENO2) encodes two proteins AtENO2 (enolase) and AtMBP-1 (c-Myc binding protein 1-like). The loss of AtENO2 function causes the constitutive developmental defects which are correlated with reduced enolase activity, but not AtMBP-1 transcript abundance. However, the regulation mechanism of AtENO2 on the seed properties is still not clear. In this study, we found that the mutation of AtENO2 reduced the seed size and weight. The level of glucose in seed was significantly elevated but that of starch was decreased in AtENO2 mutants compared to WT plants. We also found that AtENO2 mutation reduced the content of cytokinin which resulted in smaller cotyledons. The RNA-seq data showed that there were 1892 differentially expressed genes and secondary metabolic pathways were significantly enriched. Instead of AtMBP-1, AtENO2 protein interacted with AtbZIP75 which may mediate the secondary metabolism. Therefore, ENO2 alters the size and weight of seeds which is not only regulated by the content of cytokinin and secondary metabolism, but may be affected by the interaction of ENO2 and bZIP57. These results are helpful to understand the novel function of AtENO2 which provide a foundation for further exploration of the key candidate genes for crop breeding.

Soybean is an important economic crop for human diet, animal feeds and biodiesel due to high protein and oil content. Its productivity is significantly hampered by salt stress, which impairs plant growth and development by affecting gene expression, in part, through epigenetic modification of chromatin status. However, little is known about epigenetic regulation of stress response in soybean roots. Here, we used RNA-seq and ChIP-seq technologies to study the dynamics of genome-wide transcription and histone methylation patterns in soybean roots under salt stress. Eight thousand seven hundred ninety eight soybean genes changed their expression under salt stress treatment. Whole-genome ChIP-seq study of an epigenetic repressive mark, histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), revealed the changes in H3K27me3 deposition during the response to salt stress. Unexpectedly, we found that most of the inactivation of genes under salt stress is strongly correlated with the de novo establishment of H3K27me3 in various parts of the promoter or coding regions where there is no H3K27me3 in control plants. In addition, the soybean histone modifiers were identified which may contribute to de novo histone methylation and gene silencing under salt stress. Thus, dynamic chromatin regulation, switch between active and inactive modes, occur at target loci in order to respond to salt stress in soybean. Our analysis demonstrates histone methylation modifications are correlated with the activation or inactivation of salt-inducible genes in soybean roots.

Breaking through the conventional P/M processing, a new process for preparing high density Fe-Cu-C alloys was designed. Through sulfuring treatments on the surface of iron powder, Fe reacts with moderate S to generate FeS, which is uniformly coated on the surface of iron powder particles and formed a thin-layered FeS lubrication film. The FeS lubrication film is useful for reducing the friction of compaction. The phase, element distribution and microstructure were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the FeS lubrication film coating on the surface of iron powder is significant to improve the green density and activate sintering. After sulfuring treatments, Fe-2Cu-0.8C alloys with 0.5% S exhibit higher mechanical properties:the green density reaches 7.31 g·cm-3, the hardness 78.6 HRB, and the tensile strength 485 MPa. When the mass fraction of S is 0.8%, redundant FeS accounts for pressing volume fraction, resulting in the decreasing of green density and mechanical properties.

C20H14S, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 31.155(3) Å, b = 5.8419(6) Å, c = 7.7505(8) Å, β = 94.664(4)°, V = 1405.9(3) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0480, wRref(F2) = 0.1352, T = 193(2) K.

Along with the rapid development of Intelligent Transportation Systems, traffic data collection technologies have progressed fast. The emergence of innovative data collection technologies such as remote traffic microwave sensor, Bluetooth sensor, GPS-based floating car method, and automated license plate recognition, has significantly increased the variety and volume of traffic data. Despite the development of these technologies, the missing data issue is still a problem that poses great challenge for data based applications such as traffic forecasting, real-time incident detection, dynamic route guidance, and massive evacuation optimization. A thorough literature review suggests most current imputation models either focus on the temporal nature of the traffic data and fail to consider the spatial information of neighboring locations or assume the data follow a certain distribution. These two issues reduce the imputation accuracy and limit the use of the corresponding imputation methods respectively. As a result, this paper presents a Kriging based data imputation approach that is able to fully utilize the spatiotemporal correlation in the traffic data and that does not assume the data follow any distribution. A set of scenarios with different missing rates are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The performance of the proposed method was compared with that of two other widely used methods, historical average and K-nearest neighborhood. Comparison results indicate that the proposed method has the highest imputation accuracy and is more flexible compared to other methods.