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TRU Tree Radar is a new tool for the non-destructive testing of trees. In this work, two-dimensional images of the internal defect cross-section of a tree were reconstructed to provide a theoretical basis for accurately judging the shape and position of the internal decay, rationally using wood, and improving the utilization rate of wood. Two-dimensional images of different height defect sequences of tree trunk obtained by TRU tree radar were preprocessed and interpolated. Finally, the three-dimensional reconstruction of internal defects of tree trunk was realized by the surface rendering method and volume rendering method under the Matlab environment. The surface rendering displayed the rough 3D model quickly and effectively. However, the important internal information was incomplete, and the reconstructed model was not intuitive. Volume rendering was used to process each voxel in the data set, so as to describe the physical reality of the internal defects of the tree relatively accurately. An algorithm was proposed to improve the visualization level of internal defects, which can enhance the understanding of the three-dimensional image.

Background: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, causing a global health issue. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) used in treating overweight/obesity has been widely implemented in clinical practice, but its overall efficacy and safety remain unclear. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of TCM based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Methods: A systematic review was conducted by searching PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and Clinical Trails from their inception to March 2021. Two reviewers screened studies, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias independently. The data were pooled for meta-analysis or presented narratively.Results: Twenty-five RCTs involving 1,947 participants were included. Compared with placebo or blank control, TCM preparations reduced Body Mass Index (BMI) [MD = −1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) = −1.44, −0.89; I2 = 34%], reduced weight (MD = −2.53; 95% CI = −3.08, −1.99; I2 = 34%), reduced waist circumference (MD = −2.64; 95% CI = −3.42, −1.87; I2 = 0%), reduced hip circumference (MD = −3.48; 95% CI = −4.13, −2.83; I2 = 0%), reduced total cholesterol (TCHO) (MD = −10.45; 95% CI = −18.92, −1.98; I2 = 63%), reduced triglycerides (TG) (MD = −4.19; 95% CI = −6.35, −2.03; I2 = 25%), increased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (MD = −3.60; 95% CI = −6.73, −0.47; I2 = 81%), reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) (MD = −0.77; 95% CI = −1.24, −0.29; I2 = 91%). Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)、body fat rate、low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were not statistically significant. For people with hypertension, decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (MD = −5.27; 95% CI = −8.35, −2.19; I2 = 58%), decreased diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (MD = −4.30; 95% CI = −5.90, −2.69; I2 = 0%). For people with normal blood pressure, there was no significant change. There was no significant difference in liver function.Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that TCM preparations have good clinical efficacy and safety for overweight/obesity. TCM may be suitable for overweight/obesity in adult populations for its efficacy and safety of long-term treatment.

Objective: To analyze the pregnancy outcomes and risk factors in pregnant women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), for providing a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of the SLE. Materials and Methods: Seventy-eight SLE patients with 82 pregnancies were enrolled in this study. The general information of patients, maternal history data, clinical symptoms, and laboratory examination data one to three months before pregnancy, during pregnancy, at delivery and after childbirth, drug treatment, and pregnancy outcomes were collected. The single factor and logistic regression analyses of the risk factors related to SLE with deterioration and fetal loss were performed. Results: The single-factor analysis showed that there was significant difference in complement 3, 24-hour urinary protein, anti-dsDNA antibody, anti-CL antibody, pre-pregnancy prednisone dose, and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) between SLE with deterioration group and SLE without deterioration group, respectively (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01), with significant difference in complement 3, combined antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), SLEDAI, and SLE deterioration during pregnancy between fetal loss group and live birth group, respectively (p < 0.01). The multi-factor regression analysis showed that, the complement 3 and SLEDAI were the main risk factors of SLE with deterioration during pregnancy, and the combined APS and SLEDAI were the main risk factors of fetal loss. Conclusion: The pregnancy has a high risk in women with SLE. The complement 3 and SLEDAI are the main risk factors of SLE with deterioration during pregnancy, and the combined APS and SLEDAI are the main risk factors of fetal loss. The reasonable and effective strategies should be formulated based on these factors, in order to reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Abstract For relaxor-ferroelectrics and relaxor-ferromagnets, the initial Ehrenfest-classification gives no phase-transition that contradicts the measured order-parameter, while the classification according to order-parameter and its derivatives raises the question about the relationships between the phase-transition and the specific-heat peak above and near the transition temperature. Here, based on the free-energy (F) of the thermodynamic limit systems when the external-field (h) tends 0, thermal equilibrium phase-transitions of thermodynamic limit systems with temperature (T) are reclassified into: (1) Discontinuous phase-transition. $$\partial F/\partial h|_{h \to 0}$$ and $$\partial F/\partial T|_{h \to 0}$$ have discontinuities in a T range; (2) Continuous phase-transition. $$\partial F/\partial h|_{h \to 0}$$ and $$\partial F/\partial T|_{h \to 0}$$ are continuous with T, while $$\partial^{2} F/\partial h\partial T|_{h \to 0}$$ and $$\partial^{2} F/\partial T^{2} |_{h \to 0}$$ have discontinuities at a T point; and (3) Diffuse phase-transition. $$\partial^{3} F/\partial h\partial^{2} T|_{h \to 0}$$ and $$\partial^{3} F/\partial T^{3} |_{h \to 0}$$ are continuous with T, while they are respectively equal to 0 at the transition-temperature (T d ) and diffuse-temperature (T s ). The diffuse-region of the phase-transition is $$T_{s} - T_{d}$$ and the diffuse-degree $$\left( {T_{s} - T_{d} } \right)/T_{d} \times {1}00\%$$ , naturally giving the relation of the phase-transition to the specific-heat peak.

This study was aimed to measure the dietary effects of probiotic Bacillus subtilis strain fmbj (BS fmbj) on antioxidant capacity and oxidative stability of chicken breast meat during storage. Treatment groups were fed the basal diet with BS fmbj at 0 g/kg (CON), 0.2 g/kg (BS-1), 0.3 g/kg (BS-2), or 0.4 g/kg (BS-3) doses without antibiotics. During 8 days of storage at 4°C, BS-2 group showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) on meat quality (pH, Drip loss, Cooking loss, Shear force, color L*, a*, b*), free radical scavenging activity (DPPH, ABTS+, H2O2), tissues antioxidant enzyme capacity (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GSH, T-SH), mitochondria antioxidant enzyme capacity (MnSOD, GPx, GSH), mRNA expression of antioxidant genes (Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) and mitochondrial function genes (avUCP, NRF1, NRF2, TFAM, PGC-1α), oxidative damage index (MDA, ROS, PC, 8-OHdG), and MMP level in chicken breast meat as compared to the CON group. These results indicate that dietary BS fmbj in broiler diets can protect breast meat against the storage-induced oxidative stress by improving their free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant activity during 8 days of storage at 4°C.

This study investigates the stability, electronic structure, and optical properties of the GaN/g-C3N4 heterojunction using the plane wave super-soft pseudopotential method based on first principles. Additionally, an external electric field is employed to modulate the band structure and optical properties of GaN/g-C3N4. The computational results demonstrate that this heterojunction possesses a direct band gap and is classified as type II heterojunction, where the intrinsic electric field formed at the interface effectively suppresses carrier recombination. When the external electric field intensity (E) falls below −0.1 V/Å and includes −0.1 V/Å, or exceeds 0.2 V/Å, the heterojunction undergoes a transition from a type II structure to the superior Z-scheme, leading to a significant enhancement in the rate of separation of photogenerated carriers and an augmentation in its redox capability. Furthermore, the introduction of a positive electric field induces a redshift in the absorption spectrum, effectively broadening the light absorption range of the heterojunction. The aforementioned findings demonstrate that the optical properties of GaN/g-C3N4 can be precisely tuned by applying an external electric field, thereby facilitating its highly efficient utilization in the field of photocatalysis.

The TanSat carbon satellite is to be launched at the end of 2016. In order to verify the performance of its instruments, a flight test of TanSat instruments was conducted in Jilin Province in September, 2015. The flight test area covered a total area of about 11,000 km2 and the underlying surface cover included several lakes, forest land, grassland, wetland, farmland, a thermal power plant and numerous cities and villages. We modeled the column-average dry-air mole fraction of atmospheric carbon dioxide (XCO2) surface based on flight test data which measured the near- and short-wave infrared (NIR) reflected solar radiation in the absorption bands at around 760 and 1610 nm. However, it is difficult to directly analyze the spatial distribution of XCO2 in the flight area using the limited flight test data and the approximate surface of XCO2, which was obtained by regression modeling, which is not very accurate either. We therefore used the high accuracy surface modeling (HASM) platform to fill the gaps where there is no information on XCO2 in the flight test area, which takes the approximate surface of XCO2 as its driving field and the XCO2 observations retrieved from the flight test as its optimum control constraints. High accuracy surfaces of XCO2 were constructed with HASM based on the flight’s observations. The results showed that the mean XCO2 in the flight test area is about 400 ppm and that XCO2 over urban areas is much higher than in other places. Compared with OCO-2’s XCO2, the mean difference is 0.7 ppm and the standard deviation is 0.95 ppm. Therefore, the modelling of the XCO2 surface based on the flight test of the TanSat instruments fell within an expected and acceptable range.

Objectives: To develop a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) model describing unbound teicoplanin concentrations in Chinese adult patients and perform Monte Carlo simulations to optimize the dosing regimens.Methods: The raw data for PopPK analysis in this study were collected from Chinese adult patients. A PopPK model of unbound teicoplanin was developed and Monte Carlo simulations were used to optimize the dosing regimens. The trough concentrations of unbound teicoplanin were targeted at 0.75 mg/L and 1.13 mg/L for most infection induced by Gram-positive bacteria and endocarditis or severe infections, respectively.Results: A total of 103 teicoplanin unbound concentrations were collected from 72 Chinese adult patients. A one-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order elimination was established. The typical values of clearance and the volume of distribution were 11.7 L/h and 811 L, respectively. The clearance and volume of distribution of unbound teicoplanin were positively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and serum albumin concentrations, respectively. Dosing simulation results showed that standard dosing regimens were unable to meet the treatment needs of all patients, and the dosing regimen need optimize based on eGFR and serum albumin concentrations. The high eGFR and serum albumin concentration were associated with reduced probability of achieving target unbound trough concentrations.Conclusion: We successfully characterized the pharmacokinetics of unbound teicoplanin in Chinese adult patients. Importantly, we further highlight the importance of guiding dosing through unbound drugs. To achieve safe and effective treatment, the dosing regimens need to be adjusted according to eGFR and serum albumin concentrations.

Abstract Background The Gouqi-wentang formula (GQWTF) is a herbal formula used by Academician Xiao-lin Tong for the clinical treatment of T2DM. GQWTF is beneficial to qi, nourishes Yin, clears heat, and promotes fluid production, but the effective components and their mechanism of action remain unclear. Methods The main components of GQWTF were detected by LC–MS, and the multi-target mechanisms of GQWTF in T2DM were elucidated using network pharmacology analysis, including target prediction, protein–protein interaction network construction and analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) terms, Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation, and other network construction. Finally, the efficacy of the GQWTF was verified using biological experiments. Results First, the “herb-channel tropism” network suggested that GQWTF focuses more on treating diseases by recuperating the liver, which is considered as an important insulin-sensitive organ. Subsequently, a total of 16 active ingredients in GQWTF were detected and screened, and their biological targets were predicted. Then, “compound-target” network was constructed, where enrichment analysis of GQWTF targets reflected its potential pharmacological activities. After T2DM-related target identification, 39 cross targets of GQWTF and T2DM were obtained, and 30 key targets highly responsible for the beneficial effect of GQWTF on T2DM were identified by PPI analysis. GO analysis of these key targets showed that many biological processes of GQWTF in treating T2DM are key in the occurrence and development of T2DM, including components related to inflammatory/immune response, insulin, and metabolism. KEGG analysis revealed the regulation of multiple signalling pathways, such as insulin resistance, PPAR signalling pathway, FoxO signalling pathway, Fc epsilon RI signalling pathway, and pathways that influence diabetes primarily by regulating metabolism as well as other T2DM directly related pathways. Furthermore, a “formula-compound-pathway-symptom” network was constructed to represent a global view of GQWTF in the treatment of T2DM. Conclusions This study explored the mechanism of action of GQWTF in T2DM by multi-component and multi-target multi pathways, which could provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of GQWTF.

Abstract Background Understanding the long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on cognitive function is essential for monitoring the cognitive decline in the elderly population. This study aims to assess the current cognitive status and the longitudinal cognitive decline in elderly patients recovered from COVID-19. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 1539 COVID-19 inpatients aged over 60 years who were discharged from three COVID-19-designated hospitals in Wuhan, China, from February 10 to April 10, 2020. In total, 466 uninfected spouses of COVID-19 patients were selected as controls. The current cognitive status was assessed using a Chinese version of the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status-40 (TICS-40) and the longitudinal cognitive decline was assessed using an Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Cognitive assessments were performed 6 months after patient discharge. Results Compared with controls, COVID-19 patients had lower TICS-40 scores and higher IQCODE scores [TICS-40 median (IQR): 29 (25 to 32) vs. 30 (26 to 33), p

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been attracting the attention of academic society for decades. Numerous researchers contributed to figuring out the core mechanisms underlying CVDs. Among those, pathological decompensated cellular loss posed by cell death in different kinds, namely necrosis, apoptosis and necroptosis, was widely regarded to accelerate the pathological development of most heart diseases and deteriorate cardiac function. Recently, apart from programmed cell death revealed previously, ferroptosis, a brand-new cellular death identified by its ferrous-iron-dependent manner, has been demonstrated to govern the occurrence and development of different cardiovascular disorders in many types of research as well. Therefore, clarifying the regulatory function of ferroptosis is conducive to finding out strategies for cardio-protection in different conditions and improving the prognosis of CVDs. Here, molecular mechanisms concerned are summarized systematically and categorized to depict the regulatory network of ferroptosis and point out potential therapeutic targets for diverse cardiovascular disorders.

Abstract Background Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), one of the most economically important leaf vegetables, exhibits early bolting under high-temperature conditions. Early bolting leads to loss of commodity value and edibility, leading to considerable loss and waste of resources. However, the initiation and molecular mechanism underlying early bolting induced by high temperature remain largely elusive. Results In order to better understand this phenomenon, we defined the lettuce bolting starting period, and the high temperature (33 °C) and controlled temperature (20 °C) induced bolting starting phase of proteomics is analyzed, based on the iTRAQ-based proteomics, phenotypic measurement, and biological validation by RT-qPCR. Morphological and microscopic observation showed that the initiation of bolting occurred 8 days after high-temperature treatment. Fructose accumulated rapidly after high-temperature treatment. During initiation of bolting, of the 3305 identified proteins, a total of 93 proteins exhibited differential abundances, 38 of which were upregulated and 55 downregulated. Approximately 38% of the proteins were involved in metabolic pathways and were clustered mainly in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Furthermore, some proteins involved in sugar synthesis were differentially expressed and were also associated with energy production. Conclusions This report is the first to report on the metabolic changes involved in the initiation of bolting in lettuce. Our study suggested that energy metabolism and ribosomal proteins are pivotal components during initiation of bolting. This study could provide a potential regulatory mechanism for the initiation of early bolting by high temperature, which could have applications in the manipulation of lettuce for breeding.

Abstract Background Altica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a highly diverse and taxonomically challenging flea beetle genus that has been used to address questions related to host plant specialization, reproductive isolation, and ecological speciation. To further evolutionary studies in this interesting group, here we present a draft genome of a representative specialist, Altica viridicyanea, the first Alticinae genome reported thus far. Results The genome is 864.8 Mb and consists of 4490 scaffolds with a N50 size of 557 kb, which covered 98.6% complete and 0.4% partial insect Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs. Repetitive sequences accounted for 62.9% of the assembly, and a total of 17,730 protein-coding gene models and 2462 non-coding RNA models were predicted. To provide insight into host plant specialization of this monophagous species, we examined the key gene families involved in chemosensation, detoxification of plant secondary chemistry, and plant cell wall-degradation. Conclusions The genome assembled in this work provides an important resource for further studies on host plant adaptation and functionally affiliated genes. Moreover, this work also opens the way for comparative genomics studies among closely related Altica species, which may provide insight into the molecular evolutionary processes that occur during ecological speciation.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium and potential factors influencing umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants. Methods: A total of 151 preterm infants admitted to the Neonatology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China, from November 2020 to June 2021 were selected. Preterm infants were randomly divided into control and study groups. Control group received 2 % povidone-iodine and 75 % ethanol application, followed by gentle pressure with a cotton swab while the study group received amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium applied to the umbilical cord while shaking. The management interventions were stopped after umbilical cord separation in preterm infants, and the difference in umbilical cord separation time between the two groups was compared. Factors associated with preterm birth conditions, hospitalization, and maternal health were identified by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: The number of cases with umbilical cord separation time > 14 days was significantly higher in the study group compared to control group (p < 0.05). The average umbilical cord separation time in the study group was significantly lower compared to control group (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that incubator residence time significantly affects umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants (p < 0.05). Logistic multivariate regression analysis identified incubator residence time as the main factor influencing umbilical cord separation time in preterm infants. Conclusion: The use of amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium shortens umbilical cord separation time, and incubator residence time is the major factor influencing umbilical cord separation in preterm infants. Further studies should expand the study scale and increase the number of samples used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The definition of Stepanov-like almost automorphic functions on time scales had been proposed in the literature, but at least one result was incorrect, which involved Bochner transform. In our work, we give the Bochner definition of Stepanov-like almost automorphic functions on time scales, and prove that a function is Stepanov-like almost automorphic if and only if it satisfies Bochner definition of Stepanov-like almost automorphic function on time scales. The Bochner definition of Stepanov-like almost automorphic functions on time scales corrects the faulty result, and perfects the definition of Stepanov-like almost automorphic functions. As applications, we discuss the almost automorphy of a certain dynamic equation and some cellular neural networks with delays on time scales.

Traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy often cause irreversible damage to the fertility and endocrine function of cancer patients. The current methods of fertility preservation include freezing the sperms of adult and adolescent males after puberty; freezing the embryos, oocytes, and ovarian tissue of females; and drug intervention and fertility preservation surgery. This article reviews fertility preservation in cancer patients with respect to current methods, indications, and some more recently developed methods that remain under investigation.

Background and PurposeLittle is known about the nutritional status and clinical characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait (PDFOG). The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between nutritional status and characteristics of patients with PDFOG.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 178 PDFOG patients were recruited and classified as nutritionally normal or at risk of malnutrition/already malnourished based on their Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores. Each participant underwent a structured questionnaire, physical examination and routine serum biochemical tests.ResultsWe found that 44.4 and 37.1% of PDFOG patients were malnourished [mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score

The modern Gastroenterology have witnessed an essential stride since Helicobacter pylori was first found in the stomach and then its pathogenic effect was discovered. According to the researches conducted during the nearly 40 years, it has been found that this bacterium is associated with a natural history of many upper gastrointestinal diseases. Epidemiological data show an increased incidence of autoimmune disorders with or after infection with specific microorganisms. The researches have revealed that H. pylori is a potential trigger of gastric autoimmunity, and it may be associated with other autoimmune diseases, both innate and acquired. This paper reviews the current support or opposition about H. pylori as the role of potential triggers of autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune liver diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, systemic lupus erythematosus, as well as Sjogren’s syndrome, chronic urticaria and psoriasis, and tried to explain the possible mechanisms.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered a promising candidate for the detection of toxic gases because of their high specific surface area and excellent electrical and mechanical properties. However, the detecting performance of CNT-based detectors needs to be improved because covalently bonded CNTs are usually chemically inert. We prepared a nitrogen-doped single-wall CNT (SWCNT) film by means of gas-phase fluorination followed by thermal annealing in NH3. The doped nitrogen content could be changed in the range of 2.9–9.9 at%. The N-doped SWCNT films were directly used to construct flexible and transparent gas sensors, which can work at a low voltage of 0.01 V. It was found that their NO2 detection performance was closely related to their nitrogen content. With an optimum nitrogen content of 9.8 at%, a flexible sensor had a detection limit of 500 ppb at room temperature with good cycling ability and stability during bending.

Stay green (SG) maize was found to have higher grain yield and post-silking nitrogen (N) uptake (PostN) compared with a non-stay green (NSG) hybrid. To understand the effects of plant density on grain yield (GY) and N efficiency in modern maize hybrids, we compared two modern hybrids (SG hybrid DY508 and NSG hybrid NH101) with similar maturity ratings at three plant densities (45000, 60000, and 75000 pl ha−1) in 2014 and 2015. GY, leaf senescence, dry matter (DM) accumulation, N accumulation, PostN, and post-silking N remobilization (RemN) were analyzed. DY508 and NH101 had similar GY, but DY508 had higher thousand kernel weight (TKW) and lower kernel number (KN) than NH101. Plant density significantly increased GY in the two hybrids. On average, over the two years, plant density improved GY in DY508 and NH101 by 18.5 and 11.1%, respectively, but there were no differences in total dry matter (TDM) and post-silking DM (PostDM) between the two hybrids. Plant density improved leaf N, stem N, and grain N at the silking and maturity stages in 2014 and 2015. DY508 was lower in harvest index (HI), nitrogen harvest index (NHI), and grain N concentration (GNC) than NH101. Grain N in DY508 was 2.61 kg ha−1 less than in NH101, and this was caused by lower GNC and leaf RemN. On the average, DY508 was 1.62 kg ha−1 less in leaf remobilized N (leaf RemN) than NH101, but was similar in stem remobilized N (stem RemN; 2.47 kg ha−1 vs. 3.41 kg ha−1). Maize hybrid DY508 shows delayed leaf senescence in the upper and bottom canopy layers in the later stages of growth. The present study provides evidence that the NH101, which has rapid leaf senescence at the late grain-filling stage, has gained equivalent GY and higher leaf RemN, and was more efficient in N utilization.

MADS-box transcription factors play vital roles in multiple biological processes in plants. At present, a comprehensive investigation into the genome-wide identification and classification of MADS-box genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) has not been reported. In this study, we identified 72 MADS-box genes in the foxtail millet genome and give an overview of the phylogeny, chromosomal location, gene structures, and potential functions of the proteins encoded by these genes. We also found that the expression of 10 MIKC-type MADS-box genes was induced by abiotic stresses (PEG-6000 and NaCl) and exogenous hormones (ABA and GA), which suggests that these genes may play important regulatory roles in response to different stresses. Further studies showed that transgenic Arabidopsis and rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants overexpressing SiMADS51 had reduced drought stress tolerance as revealed by lower survival rates and poorer growth performance under drought stress conditions, which demonstrated that SiMADS51 is a negative regulator of drought stress tolerance in plants. Moreover, expression of some stress-related genes were down-regulated in the SiMADS51-overexpressing plants. The results of our study provide an overall picture of the MADS-box gene family in foxtail millet and establish a foundation for further research on the mechanisms of action of MADS-box proteins with respect to abiotic stresses.

Urban intersection control mainly undertakes two tasks: traffic safety and traffic efficiency. Traditional intersection control models and methods have been insufficient in improving traffic efficiency, which is composed of the increase in traffic demand and the complexity of demand at present. In this paper, we propose a novel model and method called ATCM, which is based on the advanced technology of cooperative vehicle infrastructure. In this paper, a novel active traffic control model (ATCM) is proposed, which is based on the advanced technology of cooperative vehicle infrastructure. ATCM increases the intersection control model variables from the traditional two dimensions to five dimensions. It reshapes intersection control from the perspective of road designers and managers, so it can achieve more flexible and efficient traffic control. To this end, a multivariable active traffic control model is constructed, which includes road speed, lane control, sequence, phase, and green light time; a D-double layer optimization method is designed for this model. The first part of this optimization method combines speed control and dynamic phase sequence control. The second part is realized by the combination of lane control and dynamic phase sequence control. By conducting comprehensive experiments, the results demonstrate that the proposed approach is more flexible and efficient than traditional methods.

Dedicated bus lanes (DBLs) have been widely utilized to ensure public transport priority. To improve overall road efficiency, various control methods of multiplexing DBL are developed and discussed. In this study, we focus on the control method which is based on the connected-automated vehicle (CAV) technology, and the proposed method is validated by using microscopic traffic simulation. The simulation results show that two proposed control methods of multiplexing DBL can reduce the average delay and the average number of stops and increase the travel speed. In comparison, the real-time control method based on the CAV technology offers better effects than the improved signal light control method.

Background. Memory loss and cognitive impairment characterize the neurodegenerative disorder, Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Amyloid-β (Aβ) is the key factor that triggers the course of AD, and reducing the deposition of Aβ in the brain has been considered as a potential target for the treatment of AD. In clinical and animal studies, electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to be an effective treatment for AD. In recent years, substantial evidence has accumulated suggesting the important role of the glymphatic system in Aβ clearance. Objective. The purpose of this study was to explore whether EA modifies the accumulation of Aβ through the glymphatic system and may thus be applied to alleviate cognitive impairments. Methods. Seven-month-old SAMP8 mice were randomized into a control group (Pc) and an electroacupuncture group (Pe). Age-matched SAMR1 mice were used as normal controls (Rc). Mice in the Pe group were stimulated on Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) for 10 min and then pricked at Shuigou (GV26) for ten times. EA treatment lasted for 8 weeks. In each week, EA would be applied once a day for the first five consecutive days and ceased at the remaining two days. After EA treatment, Morris water maze (MWM) test was used to evaluate the cognitive function; HE and Nissl staining was performed to observe the brain histomorphology; ELISA, contrast-enhanced MRI, and immunofluorescence were applied to explore the mechanisms underlying EA effects from Aβ accumulation, glymphatic system function, reactivity of astrocytes, and AQP4 polarization, respectively. Results. This EA regime could improve cognition and alleviate neuropathological damage to brain tissue. And EA treatment might reduce Aβ accumulation, enhance paravascular influx in the glymphatic system, inhibit the reactivity of astrocytes, and improve AQP4 polarity. Conclusion. EA treatment might reduce Aβ accumulation from the brain via improving clearance performance of the glymphatic system and thereby alleviating cognitive impairment.

Spodoptera frugiperda is a serious invasive pest, which has attracted attention globally in recent years. Research on the sublethal effects of common insecticides on S. frugiperda is important for its comprehensive management in the field. In this paper, the sublethal effects have been studied for S. frugiperda exposed to the LC30 concentration of three insecticides, chlorantraniliprole, dinotefuran, and beta-cypermethrin. The results showed that the pupation rates of the treatment groups were significantly lower than that of control group, but there were no significant differences in the eclosion rate. Chlorantraniliprole and beta-cypermethrin significantly inhibited fecundity of the F0 and F1 generations, and the number of eggs laid per female decreased by 67.4% and 43.1%, respectively, and that of the F1 generation decreased by 28.0% and 21.7%, respectively. The intrinsic growth rate (rm), net growth rate (R0), and weekly growth rate (λ) of the F0 generation in the chlorantraniliprole and beta-cypermethrin treatment groups were significantly lower than those in the control group. Additionally, dinotefuran had a certain role in promoting oviposition in the F0 and F1 generations, which may stimulate the growth of offspring population and cause the resurgence of pests. The results provide a reference for the effective implementation of the IPM plan in the field to control S. frugiperda.

Objective: Poor mental health is associated with impaired social functioning, lower quality of life, and increased risk of suicide and mortality. This study examined the prevalence of poor general mental health among older adults (aged 65 years and above) and its sociodemographic correlates in Hebei province, which is a predominantly agricultural area of China.Methods: This epidemiological survey was conducted from April to August 2016. General mental health status was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12).Results: A total of 3,911 participants were included. The prevalence of poor mental health (defined as GHQ-12 total score ≥ 4) was 9.31% [95% confidence interval (CI): 8.4–10.2%]. Multivariable logistic regression analyses found that female gender [P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 1.63, 95% CI: 1.29–2.07], lower education level (P = 0.048, OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.00–1.75), lower annual household income (P = 0.005, OR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.17–2.51), presence of major medical conditions (P < 0.001, OR = 2.95, 95% CI: 2.19–3.96) and family history of psychiatric disorders (P < 0.001, OR = 3.53, 95% CI: 2.02–6.17) were significantly associated with poor mental health.Conclusion: The prevalence of poor mental health among older adults in a predominantly agricultural area was lower than findings from many other countries and areas in China. However, continued surveillance of mental health status among older adults in China is still needed.

Overflow identification and control at urban road intersection is a derivative problem of oversaturation control. The existing cross-section detector uses the road cross-section occupation of vehicles to identify the overflow state; then, the downstream road condition is often ignored. At present, more and more advanced traffic detection technologies, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure and wide-area radar, can provide reliable data for accurate overflow identification. In this paper, a new method of overflow identification and control at intersections is proposed by using advanced wide-area radar detection data. As a detector for specific segment of road, the wide-area radar can detect the traffic flow data in a certain range of road and provide more data types. Therefore, the average speed and space occupancy of the effective detection road segment are selected as subindicators to establish the comprehensive identification index of overflow identification. Then, the overflow control strategy is developed considering the traffic demand of the overflow phase and the nonoverflow phase. It is proved that the method is more accurate and effective in overflow identification and control by using simulation experiment of field data.

The premise of implementing an effective traffic control strategy is the accurate traffic state recognition. In the existing study, traffic state recognition methods were processed by using statistical characteristics and long-term scale detection of field traffic data. Hence, the dynamic characteristics and subtle changes in traffic flow were easy to overlook. At present, more and more advanced traffic detection technology provides reliable and accurate data for measuring and distinguishing the state of urban road traffic, such as the cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system, wide-area radar technology, and 5G technology. This study proposes a novel method called HTSI (High Precision Traffic State Identification Method), which is based on the advanced detection technology in traffic state recognition at the intersection: The raw data used for intersection traffic state recognition is high-precision detection data of tracking characteristics, which make the data look like a picture of the intersection at God’s perspective. To this end, we construct an image model for intersections and implement image feature extraction in a way that is different from traditional image processing. Then, the traffic state recognition problem at the intersection is translated into an image searching problem with tags. The image searching is realized by the hashing algorithm. Finally, the comprehensive experiments prove that the proposed method is more accurate and finer than other methods.

In this paper, we present a traffic cyber physical system for urban road traffic signal control, which is referred to as UTSC-CPS. With this proposed system, managers and researchers can realize the construction and simulation of various types of traffic scenarios, the rapid development, and optimization of new control strategies and can apply effective control strategies to actual traffic management. The advantages of this new system include the following. Firstly, the fusion architecture of private cloud computing and edge computing is proposed for the first time, which effectively improves the performance of software and hardware of the urban road traffic signal control system and realizes information security perception and protection in cloud and equipment, respectively, within the fusion framework; secondly, using the concept of parallel system, the depth of real-time traffic control subsystem and real-time simulation subsystem is realized. Thirdly, the idea of virtual scene basic engine and strategy agent engine is put forward in the system design, which separates data from control strategy by designing a general control strategy API and helps researchers focus on control algorithm itself without paying attention to detection data and basic data. Finally, considering China, the system designs a general control strategy API to separate data from control strategy. Most of the popular communication protocols between signal controllers and detectors are private protocols. The standard protocol conversion middleware is skillfully designed, which decouples the field equipment from the system software and achieves the universality and reliability of the control strategy. To further demonstrate the advantages of the new system, we have carried out a one-year practical test in Weifang City, Shandong Province, China. The system has been proved in terms of stability, security, scalability, practicability and rapid practice, and verification of the new control strategy. At the same time, it proves the superiority of the simulation subsystem in the performance and simulation scale by comparing the different-scale road networks of Shunyi District in Beijing and Weifang City in Shandong Province. Further tests were conducted using real intersections, and the results were equally valid.

Abstract We investigate the exclusive nonleptonic decays $$B\rightarrow \chi _{c1}K(\pi )$$ B→χc1K(π) in the conventional perturbative QCD (PQCD) formalism. The predictions of branching ratios and CP asymmetries are given in detail. We compare our results with available experimental data as well as predictions of other theoretical studies existing in the literature. It seems that the branching ratios of $$B\rightarrow \chi _{c1} K$$ B→χc1K are more consistent with data than the earlier analyses. For the Cabibbo-suppressed $$B_s$$ Bs decays, the branching ratios can reach the order of $$10^{-5}$$ 10-5 , which would be straight forward for experimental observations. The numerical results show that the direct CP asymmetries of the concerned decays are rather small. The mixing-induced CP asymmetry in the $$B^0\rightarrow \chi _{c1}K_S$$ B0→χc1KS is very close to $$ \sin {2\beta }$$ sin2β , which suggests that this channel offer an alternative method for measuring the Cabbibo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM) angle $$\beta $$ β . The obtained results in the present work could be tested by further experiments in the LHCb and forthcoming Belle II.

In this research, free vibration characteristics of functionally graded metal foam doubly curved panels reinforced with graphene platelets and with porosities have been surveyed. Halpin Tsai's approach is utilized for extracting the effective Young modulus of porous metal foam nanocomposite and also the effective density of nanocomposite porous doubly curved shell panel is estimated by using an extended rule of mixture. The FSDT hypothesis is utilized for determining the displacement field and the Finite element and Hamilton principle are utilized for deriving the mass and stiffness matrices of the structure. Finally, the influences of several variables such as porosity distribution, porosity coefficient, GPL dispersion pattern, the weight fraction of Nanofillers, and span angles on the free vibrations characteristics of doubly curved shell panels with FG porosities and reinforced by graphene platelet have been reported in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Parkinsonism are common neurodegenerative disorders with continuously increasing prevalence, causing high global burdens. However, data concerning the comorbidity burden of patients with PD or Parkinsonism in China are lacking. To investigate the health condition and comorbidity burden, a total of 3367 PD and 823 Parkinsonism patients were included from seven tertiary hospitals in seven cities across China from 2003 to 2012. Their comorbidity burden was collected and quantified by the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). The comorbidity spectra differed between PD and Parkinsonism patients. Compared with PD patients, Parkinsonism patients were older (69.8 ± 11.5 vs. 67.9 ± 11.4, P