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Abstract The central nervous system (CNS) comprises a diverse range of brain cell types with distinct functions and gene expression profiles. Although single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides new insights into the brain cell atlases, integrating large-scale CNS scRNA-seq data still encounters challenges due to the complexity and heterogeneity among CNS cell types/subtypes. In this study, we introduce a self-supervised contrastive learning method, called scCM, for integrating large-scale CNS scRNA-seq data. scCM brings functionally related cells close together while simultaneously pushing apart dissimilar cells by comparing the variations of gene expression, effectively revealing the heterogeneous relationships within the CNS cell types/subtypes. The effectiveness of scCM is evaluated on 20 CNS datasets covering 4 species and 10 CNS diseases. Leveraging these strengths, we successfully integrate the collected human CNS datasets into a large-scale reference to annotate cell types and subtypes in neural tissues. Results demonstrate that scCM provides an accurate annotation, along with rich spatial information of cell state. In summary, scCM is a robust and promising method for integrating large-scale CNS scRNA-seq data, enabling researchers to gain insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying CNS functions and diseases.

This study investigates the fracture characteristics and damage mechanism of granite after treatment under different heating rates. The cracked straight-through Brazilian disc(CSTBD)specimen was used for high-temperature treatment with four heating rates under four sets of heating temperatures. The Brazilian splitting experiments were carried out using electro-hydraulic servo press after cooling down to room temperature, and the static fracture process was analyzed to investigate the effect of heating rate on the fracture mechanical properties of specimens. The results show that: (1) Granite treated at different high temperatures shifted from brittle to ductile damage. (2)The peak damage load of granite treated with different heating rates at the same temperature decreased with the increase of heating rate. At the same temperature, the increase of heating rate doesn't lead to obvious difference in the apparent color of granite, but with gradual increase of apparent cracks. (3)At different heating rates, the longitudinal wave velocity and elastic modulus at 200 ℃ and 400 ℃ show subtle changes, yet at 600 ℃ and above, the longitudinal wave velocity and elastic modulus decrease significantly with the increase of heating rate. (4) The fracture toughness of granite shows gradual decay with the increase of temperature. At the same temperature, type I fracture toughness of granite specimens decreases with the increase of heating rate. At 400 ℃, heating rate exerts maximum influence on the fracture toughness of granite.

To infer product fitness information, consumers often consult digital influencers who exert effort to learn and evaluate product features and then propagate information to their followers. However, influencers' recommendations are not limited to products that exactly match their expertise, which may lead followers to unfollow them. This study investigates which product (high or low congruence) an influencer should endorse and how much endorsement effort should be exerted. Using a theoretical model, we obtain several interesting results. First, endorsing a low-congruence product can surprisingly benefit the influencer if the penalty per lost follower is moderate or if the influencer has sufficiently high efficiency in reducing the perception error of this product. Second, although the influencer has high expertise in the high-congruence product, she will lose more followers when endorsing it than when endorsing the low-congruence product if a particularly small or large proportion of her followers are potential consumers of the low-congruence product. Third, when the influencer endorses the low-congruence product, the number of new followers increases with the size of the influencer's follower base only when the follower base is small and a large proportion of followers are potential consumers of the low-congruence product. Interestingly, as the size of the follower base increases, the influencer always exerts more effort when endorsing the high-congruence product but will exert less effort in learning about the low-congruence product if a sufficiently small proportion of followers are potential consumers. Finally, after taking consumers' knowledge about product features into account, the main results still hold, and when considering the competition between influencers, we uncover the conditions under which both influencers will choose to endorse the high-congruence product.

Endo-xylanase hydrolyzing xylan in cellulosic residues releasing xylobiose as the major product at neutral pH are desirable in the substitute sweeteners industry. In this study, two endo-xylanases were obtained from Streptomyces rochei and Bacillus velezensis. SrocXyn10 showed the highest identity of 77.22%, with a reported endo-xylanase. The optimum reaction temperature and pH of rSrocXyn10-Ec were pH 7.0 and 60°C, with remarkable stability at 45°C or pHs ranging from 4.5 to 11.0. rBvelXyn11-Ec was most active at pH 6.0 and 50°C, and was stable at 35°C or pH 3.5 to 10.5. Both rSrocXyn10-Ec and rBvelXyn11-Ec showed specific enzyme activities on wheat arabinoxylan (685.83 ± 13.82 and 2809.89 ± 21.26 U/mg, respectively), with no enzyme activity on non-xylan substrates. The Vmax of rSrocXyn10-Ec and rBvelXyn11-Ec were 467.86 U mg−1 and 3067.68 U mg−1, respectively. The determined Km values of rSrocXyn10-Ec and rBvelXyn11-Ec were 3.08 g L−1 and 1.45 g L−1, respectively. The predominant product of the hydrolysis of alkaline extracts from bagasse, corncob, and bamboo by rSrocXyn10-Ec and rBvelXyn11-Ec were xylooligosaccharides. Interestingly, the xylobiose content in hydrolysates by rSrocXyn10-Ec was approximately 80%, which is higher than most reported endo-xylanases. rSrocXyn10-Ec and rBvelXyn11-Ec could be excellent candidates to produce xylooligosaccharides at neutral/near-neutral pHs. rSrocXyn10-Ec also has potential value in the production of xylobiose as a substitute sweetener.

Abstract Background Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a routine procedure used for the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) with concomitant acute subdural haematoma (SDH). However, certain patients are prone to developing malignant brain bulge during DC, which prolongs the operative time and worsens patient outcomes. Previous studies have shown that malignant intraoperative brain bulge (IOBB) may be associated with excessive arterial hyperaemia caused by cerebrovascular system disorders. Through a clinical retrospective analysis and prospective observations, we found that the cerebral blood flow of patients who possessed risk factors manifested high resistance and low flow velocity, which severely affected brain tissue perfusion and resulted in the occurrence of malignant IOBB. In the current literature, rat models of severe brain injury-associated brain bulge have rarely been reported. Methods To gain an in-depth understanding of cerebrovascular changes and the cascade of responses related to brain bulge, we introduced acute SDH into the Marmarou model for the preparation of a rat model of high intracranial pressure (ICP) to simulate the pathological conditions experienced by patients with severe brain injury. Results With the introduction of a 400-µL haematoma, significant dynamic changes occurred in ICP, mean arterial pressure, and relative blood perfusion rate of the cerebral cortical vessels. ICP increased to 56.9 ± 2.3 mmHg, mean arterial pressure showed reactive decrease, and the blood flow of cerebral cortical arteries and veins on the non-SDH-affected side decreased to

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global public health problem. As an important cause of secondary injury, cerebrovascular reaction can cause secondary bleeding, venous sinus thrombosis, and malignant brain swelling. Recent clinical studies have confirmed that intracranial venous return disorder is closely related to the prognosis of patients, yet the specific molecular mechanism involved in this process is still unclear. This study used an acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) model with cranial venous outflow obstruction (CVO) to explore how CVO aggravates the pathological process after TBI, especially for inflammation and tissue damage. The results suggest that intracranial venous return disorder exacerbates neurological deficits and brain edema in rats with ASDH by aggravating the destruction of endothelial cell tight junctions (TJs) proteins and promoting the expression of inflammatory factors, the activation of microglia and expression of recombinant A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) as well as the secretion of solTNF-α, a soluble form of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), which in turn increase IκB-α ((inhibitor of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB) and NF-κB p65. Our study revealed a molecular basis of how CVO aggravates inflammation and tissue damage.

Sugarcane bagasse (SCB) is an abundant agricultural waste, rich in cellulose and hemicellulose, that could be used as an ideal raw material for succinic acid (SA) production. A two-step chemical pretreatment, involving alkali extraction and alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment, was utilized to treat SCB, followed by multi-enzyme hydrolysis to obtain a reducing sugar hydrolysate mainly composed of glucose and xylose. Optimization of the multi-enzyme hydrolysis of pretreated SCB resulted in a final reducing sugar concentration of 78.34 g/L. In order to enhance the bioconversion of SCB to SA and to reduce the production costs, the initial reducing sugar concentration, nitrogen source, and MgCO3 content were further optimized. The results demonstrated that the inexpensive corn steep liquor powder (CSLP) could be utilized as an alternative nitrogen source to yeast extract for the production of SA; and the optimal concentrations of initial reducing sugar, CSLP, and MgCO3 were 70 g/L, 18 g/L, and 60 g/L, respectively. When fed-batch fermentation was conducted in a 2 L stirred bioreactor, approximately 72.9 g/L of SA was produced, with a yield of 83.2% and a productivity of 1.40 g/L/h. The high SA concentration, yield, and productivity achieved in this study demonstrate the potential of SCB, an agricultural waste, as a viable alternative substrate for Actinobacillus succinogenes GXAS137 to produce SA. This lays a solid foundation for the resource utilization of agricultural waste and cost-effective industrial-scale production of SA in the future.

The evolution process of the North China Craton has been discussed by many scholars; however, the frame for the timing of the Trans-North China Block has not been fully agreed upon. Related research has mostly focused on the northern and southern sections of the Trans-North China Block, and in-depth studies on intrusive rocks in the central region are lacking. In this study, we conduct a systematic study of the petrography, the whole-rock geochemistry, and the zircon U–Pb dating for the beschtauite intrusion, located in the Mengjiaping area of the Southern Taihang Mountains. Our results demonstrate that the dyke intrusion is mainly composed of beschtauite. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry zircon U–Pb dating shows that the beschtauite intrusion occurred at ∼1,880 ± 69 Ma. The beschtauite belongs to I-type granite, Arc tholeiite series, and Cale-alkaline series, with low total alkali, low potassium, and high aluminum. They are also enriched in large-ion lithophile elements, relatively depleted in high-field strength elements, and low total rare-earth elements. Based on the abovementioned data, it is suggested that the magmas for the beschtauite intrusion were metasomatized by oceanic slab subduction in the Late Paleoproterozoic. The formation time of the North China Craton basement should be set to after 1,880 Ma.

Polymer microspheres with inter-connecting pores are widely used as microsphere materials. In the study, the ethyl cellulose microspheres (ECM) were prepared by using the solvent-evaporation method. Based on that, a method for the separation and purification of benzoic acid from crude extract of Cyclocarya paliurus was established by the ECM and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The ECM after the sorption equilibrium was desorbed by using 40% methanol as the analytical solvent. The content of benzoic acid in eluent is up to 0.0216 mg/mL, and the benzoic acid can be obtained with a high purity of 82.22%. Furthermore, the adsorption-desorption behavior of benzoic acid onto ECM was investigated. The results of adsorption kinetics of benzoic acid showed that the adsorption followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The ECM was characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the ECM has a high adsorption property due to its more porous structure, phenolic hydroxyl group, and other oxygen-containing functional groups. This method and the ECM can be used stably, continuously, and efficiently to purify the benzoic acid from the methanol extract of C. paliurus on a large scale.

ContextAcute subdural hematoma (ASDH) has a high incidence and high mortality. During surgery for ASDH, brain tissue sometimes rapidly swells and protrudes into the bone window during or after removal of the hematoma. This phenomenon, known as acute intraoperative brain bulge, progresses rapidly and can cause ischemic necrosis of brain tissue or even mortality. The mechanism of this phenomenon remains unclear.ObjectiveTo investigate the changes in cerebral surface blood flow during ASDH and acute intraoperative brain bulge in rats.MethodsAdult male Sprague–Dawley rats were selected to establish an ASDH model, and acute intraoperative brain bulge was induced by late-onset intracranial hematoma. The changes in cerebral surface blood flow during ASDH and acute intraoperative brain bulge were observed with a laser speckle imaging system, and intracranial pressure (ICP) was monitored.ResultsICP in rats increased significantly after ASDH (P < 0.05). The blood perfusion rate (BPR) values of the superior sagittal sinus, collateral vein and artery decreased significantly in rats with subdural hematomas (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the preoperative and 90-min postoperative BPR values of rats. ICP was significantly increased in rats with acute intraoperative brain bulge (P < 0.05) and decreased significantly after the removal of delayed hematomas (P < 0.05). The BPR of the superior sagittal sinus, collateral vein and artery decreased significantly during brain bulge (P < 0.05). After the removal of delayed hematomas, BPR increased significantly, but it remained significantly different from the values measured before brain bulge (P < 0.05).ConclusionASDH may cause not only high intracranial pressure but also cerebral blood circulation disorders. Brain bulge resulting from late-onset intracranial hematoma may aggravate these circulation disorders. If the cause of brain bulge in a given patient is late-onset intracranial hematoma, clinicians should promptly perform surgery to remove the hematoma and relieve circulation disorders, thus preventing more serious complications.

Efficient and cost-effective production of thermophilic endo-polygalacturonase is desirable for industrial fruit juice production, because its application could shorten the processing time and lower the production cost, by eliminating the separate step of pectin degradation. However, no endo-polygalacturonase that both functions well at sufficiently high temperature and can be manufactured economically, has been reported previously. In this study, the cDNA encoding a thermophilic endo-polygalacturonase from Penicillium oxalicum CZ1028, was cloned and over-expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 and Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The recombinant proteins PoxaEnPG28B-Pp (from P. pastoris) and PoxaEnPG28B-Ec (from E. coli) were isolated and purified. PoxaEnPG28B-Pp was sufficiently thermostable for potential industrial use, but PoxaEnPG28B-Ec was not. The optimal pH and temperature of PoxaEnPG28B-Pp were pH 5.0 and 65°C, respectively. The enzyme had a low Km of 1.82 g/L and a high Vmax of 77882.2 U/mg, with polygalacturonic acid (PGA) as substrate. The performance of PoxaEnPG28B-Pp in depectinization of papaya, plantain and banana juices at 65°C for 15 min was superior to that of a reported mesophilic endo-polygalacturonase. PoxaEnPG28B-Pp is the first endo-polygalacturonase reported to show excellent performance at high temperature. An innovative process, including a step of simultaneous heat-treatment and depectinization of fruit pulps with PoxaEnPG28B-Pp, is reported for the first time.

In order to understand the cooling procedure of aviation engine blade after titanium combustion, the finite element method was used to simulate the temperature and fluid field of ROTOR37 model after combustion occurred with 550℃ fire proof titanium alloy(TF550 titanium alloy) and 600℃ high temperature titanium alloy(TA29 titanium alloy), respectively. The results show that the relative mach number influences the cooling procedure of blade, the cooling performance at the area of mach number about 0.7-1 is much higher than other area; compared with the leading edge, the cooling process of the tip is more complex, and the cooling rate is an order of magnitude lower than that of the leading edge. The difference of cooling temperature between TF550 titanium alloy and TA29 titanium alloy at tip combustion area is quite observable; and the maximum value occurs within the scope of 1000-2500K; the former is more than 100K lower than the latter, the value is reduced into 30K within the scope of 300-500K. The temperature distortion of the flow field would increase the intensity of the surge, the effect of combustion on the surge margin should be fully considered during the design of the blade.

Abstract Species from the genus Talaromyces produce useful biomass-degrading enzymes and secondary metabolites. However, these enzymes and secondary metabolites are still poorly understood and have not been explored in depth because of a lack of comprehensive genetic information. Here, we report a 36.51-megabase genome assembly of Talaromyces pinophilus strain 1–95, with coverage of nine scaffolds of eight chromosomes with telomeric repeats at their ends and circular mitochondrial DNA. In total, 13,472 protein-coding genes were predicted. Of these, 803 were annotated to encode enzymes that act on carbohydrates, including 39 cellulose-degrading and 24 starch-degrading enzymes. In addition, 68 secondary metabolism gene clusters were identified, mainly including T1 polyketide synthase genes and nonribosomal peptide synthase genes. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that T. pinophilus 1–95 harbors more biomass-degrading enzymes and secondary metabolites than other related filamentous fungi. The prediction of the T. pinophilus 1–95 secretome indicated that approximately 50% of the biomass-degrading enzymes are secreted into the extracellular environment. These results expanded our genetic knowledge of the biomass-degrading enzyme system of T. pinophilus and its biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, facilitating the cultivation of T. pinophilus for high production of useful products.

This paper presents numerical simulation results to study the impact of the co-existence between a fixed service (FS) system and 5G small cell networks at 28-, 38-, and 60-GHz millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands. For this paper, two scenarios are considered: aggregation of interference from small cells into an FS receiver from base stations (BSs) to their associated user equipment (UE) (downlink) and the aggregation of cellular interference at the FS receiver from UEs to their associated BSs (downlink). Moreover, mmWave-specific propagation characteristics and attenuation factors are considered for a more precise simulation study. The simulation results determine how much interference rejection is required to protect the operation of FS. In addition, currently available mmWave modular antenna array (MAA) architectures are introduced. Based on the information, additionalmmWave frequency sharing study is performed using the realistic MAA radiation patterns. Last, we compare and analyze the performance differences between ITU standard models and MAA solutions.

This paper provides practical 60 GHz link budget estimation results with IEEE 802.11ad standard-defined parameters and 60 GHz specific attenuation factors. In addition, the parameters from currently developing modular antenna arrays (MAAs) are adopted for estimating the actual link budgets of our 60 GHz integrated MAA platforms. Based on the practical link budget analysis results, we can estimate fundamental limits in terms of achievable data rates over 60 GHz millimeter-wave wireless links.

Alpha-amylase is a very important enzyme in the starch conversion process. Most of the α-amylases are calcium-dependent and exhibit poor performance in the simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process of industrial bioethanol production that uses starch as feedstock. In this study, an extracellular amylolytic enzyme was purified from the culture broth of newly isolated Talaromyces pinophilus strain 1-95. The purified amylolytic enzyme, with an apparent molecular weight of 58 kDa on SDS-PAGE, hydrolyzed maltopentaose, maltohexaose, and maltoheptaose into mainly maltose and maltotriose and minor amount of glucose, confirming the endo-acting mode of the enzyme, and hence, was named Talaromyces pinophilus α-amylase (TpAA). TpAA was most active at pH 4.0-5.0 (with the temperature held at 37°C) and 55°C (at pH 5.0), and stable within the pH range of 5.0-9.5 (at 4°C) and below 45°C (at pH 5.0). Interestingly, the Ca2+ did not improve its enzymatic activity, optimal temperature, or thermostability of the enzyme, indicating that the TpAA was Ca2+-independent. TpAA displayed higher enzyme activity toward malto-oligosaccharides and dextrin than other previously reported α-amylases. This highly active Ca2+-independent α-amylase may have potential applications in starch-to-ethanol conversion process.

BACKGROUND: The Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is distributed in southern and eastern Asia, from India and China to Korea and Japan and southeast to the Moluccas. This species is also widely kept for honey production besides Apis mellifera. Apis cerana is also a model organism for studying social behavior, caste determination, mating biology, sexual selection, and host-parasite interactions. Few resources are available for molecular research in this species, and a linkage map was never constructed. A linkage map is a prerequisite for quantitative trait loci mapping and for analyzing genome structure. We used the Chinese honey bee, Apis cerana cerana to construct the first linkage map in the Eastern honey bee. RESULTS: F2 workers (N = 103) were genotyped for 126,990 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After filtering low quality and those not passing the Mendel test, we obtained 3,000 SNPs, 1,535 of these were informative and used to construct a linkage map. The preliminary map contains 19 linkage groups, we then mapped the 19 linkage groups to 16 chromosomes by comparing the markers to the genome of A. mellfiera. The final map contains 16 linkage groups with a total of 1,535 markers. The total genetic distance is 3,942.7 centimorgans (cM) with the largest linkage group (180 loci) measuring 574.5 cM. Average marker interval for all markers across the 16 linkage groups is 2.6 cM. CONCLUSION: We constructed a high density linkage map for A. c. cerana with 1,535 markers. Because the map is based on SNP markers, it will enable easier and faster genotyping assays than randomly amplified polymorphic DNA or microsatellite based maps used in A. mellifera.

The title thiourea molecule, C13H18N2OS, adopts a folded conformation due to the steric hindrance of the two ethyl groups and the acetyl group. In the crystal structure, the acetyl O atom is not involved in hydrogen bonding, but intermolecular N—H...S hydrogen bonds link the molecules into centrosymmetric dimers.

In the title compound, C14H10N4O5S·0.5C3H6O, the nitrobenzoyl and nitrophenyl groups have trans and cis configurations, respectively, with respect to the thiourea S atom. The molecular conformation is stabilized by intramolecular N—H...O and C—H...S hydrogen bonds. The acetone solvent molecule possesses a crystallographically imposed twofold axis. In the crystal packing, thiourea molecules are linked by intermolecular C—H...O hydrogen-bond interactions to form chains running parallel to the c axis. The chains are further bridged via N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds involving the acetone molecules.

Two molecules of the title compound, C15H13N3O3S, are linked by an intermolecular N—H...S hydrogen bond. There is also an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond, forming a six-membered ring. The steric restriction of the m-methyl and p-nitro groups, as well as the intramolecular hydrogen bond, are the main factors influencing the molecular conformation.