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Abstract Myelin sheath abnormality is the cause of various neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). G-proteins and their coupled receptors (GPCRs) play the important roles in myelination. Gnao1, encoding the major Gα protein (Gαo) in mammalian nerve system, is required for normal motor function. Here, we show that Gnao1 restricted to Schwann cell (SCs) lineage, but not neurons, negatively regulate SC differentiation, myelination, as well as re-myelination in peripheral nervous system (PNS). Mice lacking Gnao1 expression in SCs exhibit faster re-myelination and motor function recovery after nerve injury. Conversely, mice with Gnao1 overexpression in SCs display the insufficient myelinating capacity and delayed re-myelination. In vitro, Gnao1 deletion in SCs promotes SC differentiation. We found that Gnao1 knockdown in SCs resulting in the elevation of cAMP content and the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, both associated with SC differentiation. The analysis of RNA sequencing data further evidenced that Gnao1 deletion cause the increased expression of myelin-related molecules and activation of regulatory pathways. Taken together, our data indicate that Gnao1 negatively regulated SC differentiation by reducing cAMP level and inhibiting PI3K-AKT cascade activation, identifying a novel drug target for the treatment of demyelinating diseases.

DaiDai fruit, a medicinal and edible plant fruit, is abundant in biologically active compounds and has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. This research focuses on utilizing fermentation to develop a functional DaiDai fruit fermentation broth. Lactobacillus, Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were employed in the fermentation process. By conducting screenings of bacterial strains, single factor experiments, and response surface methodology, the total flavonoids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) free radical scavenging rate were used as the index for selection, ultimately identifying Lactobacillus L-13 as the optimal fermentation strain. The optimal fermentation conditions were determined to be a time of 108 h, a temperature of 43.6°C, and a solid–liquid ratio of 1:15.157 (w/v). Under these conditions, the total flavonoid content reached 412.01 mg/g, representing a 36.71% increase compared to conventional extraction methods. The contents of polysaccharides and polyphenols and the DPPH scavenging rate were also increased. The fermentation broth of DaiDai fruit exhibited inhibitory effects on tyrosinase and melanin production in mouse melanoma cells B16-F10 induced by α-MSH and anti-inflammatory properties in a zebrafish inflammation model. These indicate that the DaiDai fruit fermentation broth possesses anti-melanoma, whitening, and anti-inflammatory properties, showcasing significant potential for applications in medicine, cosmetics, and other industries.

Abstract Background Myelin sheath is a crucial accessory to the functional nerve-fiber unit, its disruption or loss can lead to axonal degeneration and subsequent neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). Notwithstanding of substantial progress in possible molecular mechanisms underlying myelination, there is no therapeutics that prevent demyelination in NDs. Therefore, it is crucial to seek for potential intervention targets. Here, we focused on the transcriptional factor, signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (Stat1), to explore its effects on myelination and its potential as a drug target. Methods By analyzing the transcriptome data obtained from Schwann cells (SCs) at different stages of myelination, it was found that Stat1 might be involved in myelination. To test this, we used the following experiments: (1) In vivo, the effect of Stat1 on remyelination was observed in an in vivo myelination mode with Stat1 knockdown in sciatic nerves or specific knockdown in SCs. (2) In vitro, the RNA interference combined with cell proliferation assay, scratch assay, SC aggregate sphere migration assay, and a SC differentiation model, were used to assess the effects of Stat1 on SC proliferation, migration and differentiation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-Seq), RNA-Seq, ChIP-qPCR and luciferase activity reporter assay were performed to investigate the possible mechanisms of Stat1 regulating myelination. Results Stat1 is important for myelination. Stat1 knockdown in nerve or in SCs reduces the axonal remyelination in the injured sciatic nerve of rats. Deletion of Stat1 in SCs blocks SC differentiation thereby inhibiting the myelination program. Stat1 interacts with the promoter of Rab11-family interacting protein 1 (Rab11fip1) to initiate SC differentiation. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that Stat1 regulates SC differentiation to control myelinogenic programs and repair, uncover a novel function of Stat1, providing a candidate molecule for clinical intervention in demyelinating diseases.

Abstract Background Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is a public health concern that results in sensory and motor disorders as well as neuropathic pain and secondary lesions. Currently, effective treatments for PNI are still limited. For example, while nerve growth factor (NGF) is widely used in the treatment of PNI to promote nerve regeneration, it also induces pain. Maresin 1 (MaR1) is an anti-inflammatory and proresolving mediator that has the potential to regenerate tissue. We determined whether MaR1 is able to promote nerve regeneration as well as alleviating neuropathic pain, and to be considered as a putative therapeutic agent for treating PNI. Methods PNI models were constructed with 8-week-old adult male ICR mice and treated with NGF, MaR1 or saline by local application, intrathecal injection or intraplantar injection. Behavioral analysis and muscle atrophy test were assessed after treatment. Immunofluorescence assay was performed to examine the expression of ATF-3, GFAP, IBA1, and NF200. The expression transcript levels of inflammatory factors IL1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were detected by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. AKT, ERK, mTOR, PI3K, phosphorylated AKT, phosphorylated ERK, phosphorylated mTOR, and phosphorylated PI3K levels were examined by western blot analysis. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were executed to detect transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) currents. Results MaR1 demonstrated a more robust ability to promote sensory and motor function recovery in mice after sciatic nerve crush injury than NGF. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed that the administration of MaR1 to mice with nerve crush injury reduced the number of damaged DRG neurons, promoted injured nerve regeneration and inhibited gastrocnemius muscle atrophy. Western blot analysis of ND7/23 cells cultured with MaR1 or DRG neurons collected from MaR1 treated mice revealed that MaR1 regulated neurite outgrowth through the PI3K–AKT–mTOR signaling pathway. Moreover, MaR1 dose-dependently attenuated the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by nerve injury. Consistent with the analgesic effect, MaR1 inhibited capsaicin-elicited TRPV1 currents, repressed the nerve injury-induced activation of spinal microglia and astrocytes and reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord dorsal horn in PNI mice. Conclusions Application of MaR1 to PNI mice significantly promoted nerve regeneration and alleviated neuropathic pain, suggesting that MaR1 is a promising therapeutic agent for PNI.

This study used brewer’s yeast to ferment Dendrobium officinale and single-factor and orthogonal experiments were conducted to determine the optimal fermentation conditions. The antioxidant capacity of Dendrobium fermentation solution was also investigated by in vitro experiments, which showed that different concentrations of fermentation solution could effectively enhance the total antioxidant capacity of cells. The fermentation liquid was found to contain seven sugar compounds including glucose, galactose, rhamnose, arabinose, and xylose using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS), with the highest concentrations of glucose and galactose at 194.628 and 103.899 μg/ml, respectively. The external fermentation liquid also contained six flavonoids with apigenin glycosides as the main structure and four phenolic acids including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, catechol, and sessile pentosidine B.

The widely-used pyrethroid pesticides have attracted public attention because of their potentials to cause environmental pollution and toxic effects on non-target organisms. Esterase is a kind of hydrolytic enzyme that can catalyze the cleavage or formation of ester bonds. it plays a pivotal role in the decomposition of pyrethroids and esters containing industrial pollutants through the hydrolysis of ester bonds. Here, a new esterase gene est882 was successfully screened, which encodes Est882, a SGNH family esterase composed of 294 amino acids. It was heterogeneously expressed, identified and immobilized. Multiple sequence alignment showed that Est882 had a typical GDS(X) conserved motif and a catalytic triad composed of Ser79, Asp269 and His275. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Est882 shall belong to a new esterase family. Biochemical characterization demonstrated that the optimum condition was 40°C and pH 9.0. Est882 immobilization was studied with mesoporous silica SBA-15 as the carrier and found to significantly improve the tolerance and stability of Est882. Its optimum pH increased to 10.0 and stabilized within pH 8.0–11.0. Free Est882 can effectively degrade various pyrethroids within 30 min, with a degradation rate above 80%. The immobilized Est882 yet degraded more than 70% of pyrethroids within 30 min. The present study indicated that Est882 has outstanding potential in bioremediation of a pyrethroid-polluted environment. These characteristics endow Est882 with potential values in various industrial applications and hydrolysis of pyrethroid residues.

Vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata) is a plant resource with good nutritional and medicinal, and is widely consumed in China. This study aimed to develop a functional vine tea fermentation broth using microbial fermentation and cellulase degradation. First, the most suitable probiotics for vine tea fermentation were screened, and the fermentation conditions were optimized. Then, a new cellulase (Cel 906, MW076177) was added to evaluate the changes in the contents of effective substances and to study its efficacy. The results show that saccharomyces cerevisiae Y-401 was identified as the best strain, the optimal fermentation conditions were a time of 94.60 h, feeding concentration of 115.21 g/L, and temperature of about 34.97°C. The vine tea fermentation broth has a strong inhibitory ability on 2,2′-azinobis3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) (99.73%), peroxyl (53.15%), superoxide anion radicals (84.13%), and 1,1-Diphenyl-2-trinitrophenylhydrazine (DPPH) (92.48%). It has a decent inhibitory impact on the cell viability, tyrosinase activity (32.25%), and melanin synthesis (63.52%) of B16-F10 melanoma cells induced by α-MSH. Inflammatory cell recruitment was reduced in a zebrafish inflammation model. Therefore, this vine tea fermented broth has strong antioxidant, anti-melanoma, and anti-inflammatory effects, and has healthcare potential as a probiotic tea.

Esterase, as a type of powerful catabolic enzyme for the degradation of pyrethroid pesticides (PYRs), appears promising in improving the quality of crops and the environment contaminated by pesticide residues. The purpose of this research is to provide a detailed introduction to the enzymatic properties, optimal production and immobilization conditions, and the degradation ability of Est804 for PYRs. The study on enzymatic properties indicated that Est804 was an alkaline esterase with an optimal pH of 8.0 and a broad optimal temperature in the range of 35−50°C. The optimal activity of free Est804 was calculated to be 112.812 U, and the specific enzyme activity was 48.97 U/mg. The kinetic parameters of Est804 were Km = 0.613 mM, kcat = 12,371 s–1, and Vm = 0.095 mM/min. The results of the fermentative optimization demonstrated that the optimal conditions included 1.5% of inoculation amount, 30 mL of liquid volume, 28°C of the fermentation temperature, and 18 h of the fermentation time. The optimal medium consists of 15.87 g of yeast powder, 8.00 g of glycerol, and 9.57 g of tryptone in 1 L of liquid. The optimized enzyme activity was 1.68-fold higher than that before optimization. Immobilized Est804 exhibited the highest activity under the optimum preparation conditions, including 0.35 g of chitosan dosage, 0.4 mL of an enzyme, and 4 h at 40°C for adsorption. The degradation rates of Cypermethrin (CYP), fenpropathrin (FE), and lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) by Est804 within 30 min were 77.35%, 84.73%, and 74.16%, respectively. The present study indicated that Est804 possesses great potential for the treatment of pesticide residues on crops and environmental remediation, conducive to the development of SGNH family esterase against pyrethroid accumulation.

The working condition of a centrifugal pump as a turbine (PAT) is often unsteady. The rotating speed of a PAT constantly varies as the flow and load change, resulting in transient hydrodynamic behaviors between different working conditions. During the transition, the PAT undergoes a severe change in performance and complicated internal flow structures. In previous work, the fixed rotating speed of a PAT was mostly considered using computational fluid dynamics. To investigate the transient behavior of a PAT, relevant simulation tools are developed to depict transient flow conditions, and the corresponding transient speed of the impeller is calculated. Both large and small fluctuation transitions are simulated for the practical application of the PAT. The simulated results are first verified by experiments. The results show that the rotating speed significantly affects the performance and stability of the PAT. The rapid increment in flow rate and rotating speed lead to large energy dissipation in the internal flow field of the PAT. The range of high efficiency of the PAT expands and migrates to the high flow rate range. The efficiency in the transition condition started a cyclic growth after the flow reached 60 m3/h, and it reached a peak at around 80 m3/h, which was about 5% lower than the calculated value in a quasi-steady state. In the range of high rotating speeds, the rotating speed of the impeller and the operational stability are sensitive to flow fluctuation. The internal flow fields during transition conditions are analyzed as well. The obtained results can be utilized as a reference for studying the hydrodynamic characteristics and stability of fluid machinery in the transition under transient flow conditions.

Neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury or disease remains a major challenge for modern medicine worldwide. Most of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain are centered on neuronal mechanisms. Accumulating evidence suggests that non-neuronal cells, especially glial cells, also play active roles in the initiation and resolution of pain. The preponderance of evidence has implicated central nervous system (CNS) glial cells, i.e., microglia and astrocytes, in the control of pain. The role of Schwann cells in neuropathic pain remains poorly understood. Schwann cells, which detect nerve injury and provide the first response, play a critical role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. The cells respond to nerve injury by changing their phenotype, proliferating and interacting with nociceptive neurons by releasing glial mediators (growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and biologically active small molecules). In addition, receptors expressed in active Schwann cells have the potential to regulate different pain conditions. In this review article, we will provide and discuss emerging evidence by integrating recent advances related to Schwann cells and neuropathic pain.

Remyelination is critical for nerve regeneration. However, the molecular mechanism involved in remyelination is poorly understood. To explore the roles of 17β-estradiol (E2) for myelination in the peripheral nervous system, we used a co-culture model of rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants and Schwann cells (SCs) and a regeneration model of the crushed sciatic nerves in ovariectomized (OVX) and non-ovariectomized (non-OVX) rats for in vitro and in vivo analysis. E2 promoted myelination by facilitating the differentiation of SCs in vitro, which could be inhibited by the estrogen receptors (ER) antagonist ICI182780, ERβ antagonist PHTPP, or ERK1/2 antagonist PD98059. This suggests that E2 accelerates SC differentiation via the ERβ-ERK1/2 signaling. Furthermore, E2 promotes remyelination in crushed sciatic nerves of both OVX and non-OVX rats. Interestingly, E2 also significantly increased the expression of the lysosome membrane proteins LAMP1 and myelin protein P0 in the regenerating nerves. Moreover, P0 has higher degree of colocalization with LAMP1 in the regenerating nerves. Taking together, our results suggest that E2 enhances Schwann cell differentiation and further myelination via the ERβ-ERK1/2 signaling and that E2 increases the expression of myelin proteins and lysosomes in SCs to promotes remyelination in regenerating sciatic nerves.

This article explores the integration of HermiteHadamard Type Inequalities and convex functions within the domain of signal processing, elucidating their theoretical underpinnings and practical implications. Beginning with a comprehensive background, we focus on the historical context and foundational concepts that underlie these mathematical constructs. Our discussion progresses to articulate the problem formulation, delineating the specific challenges and objectives addressed in the study. The theoretical framework elucidates the HermiteHadamard Type Inequalities, highlighting their mathematical formulations, properties, and fundamental proofs. Concurrently, the discourse unfolds the theory and properties of convex functions, elucidating their significance and applications within signal processing paradigms. With a focus on applications, we illustrate the utility of Hermite-Hadamard Type Inequalities and convex functions in signal processing tasks. Through empirical studies and case examples, we demonstrate their efficacy in signal denoising, compression, and feature extraction, showcasing tangible results and comparative analyses. We discuss the challenges and limitations inherent in the application of these mathematical constructs in real-world scenarios, thereby paving the way for future research directions and advancements. Finally, we conclude by summarizing the key insights gleaned from our exploration and underscore the profound implications of Hermite-Hadamard Type Inequalities and convex functions in shaping the landscape of contemporary signal processing methodologies.

Abstract This paper investigates the power allocation in a massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) downlink system, where the base station (BS) simultaneously transmits information and energy to information terminals and energy terminals without resorting to any wireless energy harvesting (EH) protocol, respectively. First, with respect to this system, the closed‐form expressions of achievable rate and harvested energy are, respectively, derived for Rayleigh fading channels. Then, from these expressions, three optimization problems are formulated based on quality‐of‐service (QoS) requirements, with the purposes of maximizing achievable sum rate, harvested sum energy and joint QoS requirements, respectively. The optimization problem of maximizing achievable sum rate is transformed into a sequence of geometric programmings (GPs), which can be solved efficiently with standard convex optimization tools. The optimization problem of maximizing harvested sum energy is proved to be solvable as a linear program. The optimization problem of maximizing joint QoS requirements is shown to be a multi‐objective optimization problem (MOOP) and solved by a one‐dimensional search based on GP. Finally, numerical results manifest that the proposed power allocation algorithms can provide good system performances of achievable sum rate and harvested sum energy, and jointly guarantee QoS fairness in terms of achievable rate and harvested energy.

Combining a single-component white-light phosphor with ultraviolet light emitting diode chips emerges as a promising method to produce white-light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). Nevertheless, it is still a challenge for synthesizing single-component white-light phosphors with a high color rendering index (CRI). Herein, Bi3+/Te4+ co-doped Cs2ZrCl6 perovskite white-light phosphor is presented with a high CRI of 91.7 and good stability against oxygen, water, and heat. The Cs2ZrCl6 microcrystals were prepared using an ultrasound-assisted hydrochloric acid method with controllable Bi3+ and Te4+ dopant contents. By manipulating the excitation wavelength, the emission light can be altered between cold and warm white. The Bi3+/Te4+ co-doped Cs2ZrCl6 phosphor can also emit the warm-white light, showing a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 82.9%. The presented Bi3+/Te4+ co-doped Cs2ZrCl6 perovskite phosphors with a high CRI and great environmental stability offer a new approach for the synthesis of single-phase white-light phosphors and have high potentiality for the application of WLEDs.

Interest of the research in terahertz (THz) wave has been strongly motivated by its wide applications in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. Developing efficient and reliable THz source is of uttermost priority in these researches. Numerous attempts have been made in fulfilling the THz generation. Greatly benefited from the progress of the ultrafast pulses, the laser-induced-plasma is one of the auspicious tools to provide desirable THz waves, owing to its superiorities in high power threshold, intense THz signal, and ultrawide THz spectrum. This paper reviews the physics and progress of the THz generation from the laser-induced plasmas, which are produced by gas, liquid, and solid. The characteristics of the emitted THz waves are also included. There are many complicated physical processes involved in the interactions of laser-plasma, making various laser-plasma scenarios in the THz generations. In view of this, we will only focus on the THz generation classified by physical mechanisms. Finally, we discuss a perspective on the future of THz generation from the laser-induced plasma, as well as its involved challenges.

A two-step physical-chemical etching method, namely large incident angle ion beam etching followed by HF etching, is proposed to remove the damage precursors in fused silica surface to achieve good surface quality and significantly improve the laser damage resistance of fused silica. Ion beam etching with large incident angle is utilized to remove the metal impurities and most subsurface defects in fused silica surface, which can reduce the removal amount of subsequent HF etching of fused silica, thus suppressing the replication and expansion of the subsurface defects, deposition of reaction products and deterioration of surface shape during the HF etching process. After that, HF etching is used to remove the atomic-scale damaged layer and reduce the P–V value of the reflection surface shape induced by ion beam etching. Therefore, a better laser damage performance of fused silica can be obtained by the two-step etching method compared with single ion beam etching and single HF etching. The results show that the two-step physical-chemical etching can be developed to fabricate high-quality and high damage-resistant fused silica optical components with small etching amount and good surface quality for high-power laser application.

Abstract Secure transmission is essential for future non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) system. This paper investigates relay–antenna selection to enhance physical-layer security of cooperative NOMA system in the presence of an eavesdropper, where multiple antennas are deployed at the relays, the users, and the eavesdropper. In order to reduce expense on radio frequency chains, selection combining (SC) is employed at both the relays and the users, whilst the eavesdropper employs either maximal-ratio combining or SC to process the received signals. Under the condition that the channel state information of the eavesdropping channel is available or unavailable, two effective relay–antenna selection schemes are proposed. Additionally, the closed-form expressions of secrecy outage probability (SOP) are derived for the proposed relay–antenna selection schemes. In order to gain more deep insights on the derived results, the asymptotic performance of the derived SOP is analyzed. In simulations, it is demonstrated that the theoretical results match well with the simulation results and the SOP of the proposed schemes is less than that of the conventional orthogonal multiple access scheme obviously.

The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of the most extensively studied problems in the combinatorial optimization area and still presents unsolved challenges due to its NP-hard attribute. Although many real-coded algorithms are available for TSP, they still have some performance challenges in the switch from continuous space to discrete space and perform at low convergence speed. This paper proposes a real-coded carnivorous plant algorithm with a heuristic decoding method (CPA-HDM) to solve the traveling salesman problem (TSP), which exhibits good convergence speed and solution accuracy. In this improved method, a new heuristic decoding method (HDM) is designed, which helps to map continuous variables to discrete ones without losing information, maintain population diversity, and enhance the solution quality after decoding. To balance the algorithm’s search capability and enhance the probability of preferable individuals generated, an adaptive attraction probability (AAP), an improved growth model of carnivorous plants (IGMOCP), and a position update method of prey (IPUMOP) are developed. Aiming to reduce the probability of premature and prevent search stagnation, an improved reproduction strategy (IRS) and an adaptive combination perturbation are reconstructed. Finally, a local search algorithm is employed to improve the exploitation capability. To verify its validation, CPA-HDM is compared with six algorithms, for solving 28 TSP instances. The simulation results and statistical analyses demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed algorithm.

Abstract Both cooperative non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and physical layer security (PLS) are promising techniques for future communication systems. This paper investigates the PLS performance of a cooperative NOMA system where multiple sources transmit a superposed message to two users by utilizing either amplify‐and‐forward (AF) or decode‐and‐forward (DF) relays in both non‐colluding and colluding eavesdropper scenarios. A source‐relay selection scheme is proposed for this system aiming at improving the secrecy performance. Additionally, the closed‐form expression of the secrecy outage probability (SOP) is derived for the proposed source‐relay selection schemes. It is demonstrated that in the proposed schemes, the theoretical results match well with the simulation results. In addition, the proposed schemes outperform the conventional OMA system in terms of SOP.

Abstract This paper investigated the spectral efficiency (SE) in massive multiple-input multiple-output systems, where all terminals have no fixed power supply and thus need to replenish energy via the received signals from the base station. The hybrid wireless energy harvesting (EH) protocol is applied for each terminal, which can switch to either existing time-switching (TS) protocol or power-splitting (PS) protocol. Based on the hybrid wireless EH protocol, a general system model is developed, which can switch to either only uplink data transmission or only downlink data transmission. As a result, a general analytical framework is formulated. Then, closed-form lower bound expressions on SE for each terminal are obtained on the uplink and downlink, respectively. According to these expressions, the joint SE of uplink and downlink maximization problem is designed with some practical constraints. As the designed optimization problem is non-linear and non-convex, it is hard to solve directly. To provide a solution, an iteration algorithm is proposed by utilizing one-dimensional search technique and successive approximation method based on geometric program. Additionally, the convergence and complexity of the proposed algorithm are discussed as well. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed algorithm is analyzed by simulations. Numerical results manifest that the proposed algorithm can provide good SE by optimizing relevant system parameters, and the system model can help to discuss the TS, PS or hybrid protocol for only uplink data transmission, only downlink data transmission or joint data transmission of uplink and downlink in the considered system.

Abstract This paper considers a relay‐assisted massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) downlink system in which a base station (BS) communicates with all terminals via a relay node enabled simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). Both time‐switching (TS) and energy‐splitting (PS) protocols are respectively considered at the relay node for coordinating energy harvesting and information decoding. The quality‐of‐service (QoS) fairness problem among terminals is investigated in the considered systems. In detail, the power allocation coefficients and energy harvesting time duration for TS based SWIPT, and the power allocation coefficients and PS ratio for PS based SWIPT are jointly optimised, aiming at seeking to maximise the minimum achievable rate over all terminals. As the formulated problems are non‐convex and non‐linear, and hard to solve directly, suboptimal heuristic algorithms are proposed for solving them. Additionally, the convergence and complexity of the proposed algorithms are also analysed. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated by extensive computer simulations. Results manifest that the proposed algorithms can provide uniformly great QoS for every terminal by resource allocation.

Considering the stratum anti-drilling ability, drill bit working conditions, drill bit application effect and drill bit economic benefits, the similarity of stratum anti-drilling ability was evaluated by grey relational analysis theory to screen out candidate drill bits with reference values. A new comprehensive performance evaluation model of drill bit was established by constructing the absolute ideal solution, changing the relative distance measurement method, and introducing entropy weight to work out the closeness between the candidate drill bits and ideal drill bits and select the reasonable drill bit. Through the construction of absolute ideal solution, improvement of relative distance measurement method and introduction of entropy weight, the inherent defects of TOPSIS decision analysis method, such as non-absolute order, reverse order and unreasonable weight setting, can be overcome. Simple in calculation and easy to understand, the new bit selection method has good adaptability to drill bit selection using dynamic change drill bit database. Field application has proved that the drill bits selected by the new drill bit selection method had significant increase in average rate of penetration, low wear rate, and good compatibility with the drilled formations in actual drilling. This new method of drill bit selection can be used as a technical means to select drill bits with high efficiency, long life and good economics in oilfields.

Abstract The paper investigates simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) in massive distributed antenna systems, where the remote radio heads (RRH) equipped with a large number of antennas are arbitrarily distributed over the coverage area and each terminal operates via a power‐splitting (PS) device. Utilising the harvested energy, each terminal transmits its pilot signals for channel estimation. A closed‐form lower bound expression on the downlink ergodic capacity is derived for each terminal and then downlink ergodic sum capacity maximisation problem with respect to RRH‐terminal association, channel estimation duration, PS ratios and power allocation (PA) is designed. The designed problem is proved to be a mixed‐inter nonlinear programming with combinatorial variables, which is generally hard to solve due to its NP‐hardness. To this end, a hierarchical iterative algorithm is developed by utilising decomposition technique. Moreover, the convergence and computational complexity of this algorithm are analysed as well. Numerical results manifest the feasibility and effectiveness of this algorithm, and also show that it can achieve the maximum downlink ergodic sum capacity for massive distributed antenna systems with SWIPT protocol.

The spatiotemporal distribution of terahertz (THz) radiation from plasma has been demonstrated with the technology of THz focal-plane imaging. It has been found that the spatiotemporal distribution will vary with the frequency, as well as the length of plasma. A doughnut-shaped distribution appears in the lower frequency range, while the bell-shaped distribution corresponds to the higher frequency range. For plasmas with different lengths, their generated THz images in the time domain are similar, the THz images in the frequency domain as well. The spatiotemporal distributions are simulated with the off-axis-phase matching theory. All the findings will renew the understanding of the THz generation from plasma induced by two-color pulses.

A circularly polarized vortex beam possesses similar focusing properties as a radially polarized beam. This type of beam is highly valuable for developing optical manufacturing technology, microscopy, and particle manipulation. In this work, a left-hand circularly polarized terahertz (THz) vortex beam (CPTVB) is generated by utilizing a THz quarter wave plate and a spiral phase plate. Focusing properties of its longitudinal component Ez are detailedly discussed on the simulation and experiment. With reducing the F-number of the THz beam and comparing with a transverse component Ex of a general circularly polarized THz beam, the simulation results show that the focal spot size and intensity of its Ez component can reach 87 and 50% of Ex under a same focusing condition. In addition, the experimental results still demonstrate that the left-hand CPTVB can always maintain fine Ez focusing properties in a broad bandwidth, which manifest the feasibility of this class of THz beams.

Rice (Oryza sativa) OsMADS58 is a C-class MADS box protein, and characterization of a transposon insertion mutant osmads58 suggested that OsMADS58 plays a role in stamen development. However, as no null mutation has been obtained, its role has remained unclear. Here, we report that the CRISPR knockout mutant osmads58 exhibits complex altered phenotypes, including anomalous diploid germ cells, aberrant meiosis, and delayed tapetum degeneration. This CRISPR mutant line exhibited stronger changes in expression of OsMADS58 target genes compared with the osmads58 dSpm (transposon insertion) line, along with changes in multiple pathways related to early stamen development. Notably, transcriptional regulatory circuits in young panicles covering the stamen at stages 4–6 were substantially altered in the CRISPR line compared to the dSpm line. These findings strongly suggest that the pleiotropic effects of OsMADS58 on stamen development derive from a potential role in stabilizing gene regulatory circuits during early stamen development. Thus, this work opens new avenues for viewing and deciphering the regulatory mechanisms of early stamen development from a network perspective.

Abstract Electric‐field‐induced phase transitions in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3‐based relaxor ferroelectrics are essential to the control of their electrical properties and consequently in revolutionizing their dielectric and piezoelectric applications. However, fundamental understanding of these transitions is a long‐standing challenge due to their complex crystal structures. Given the structural inhomogeneity at the nanoscale or sub‐nanoscale in these materials, dielectric response characterization based on terahertz (THz) electromagnetic‐probe beam fields is intrinsically coordinated to lattice dynamics during DC‐biased poling cycles. The complex permittivity reveals the field‐induced phase transitions to be irreversible. This profoundly counters the claim of reversibility, the conventional support for which is based upon the peak that is manifest in each of four quadrants of the current–field curves. The mechanism of this irreversibility is solely attributed to polar clusters in the transformed lattices. These represent an extrinsic factor, which is quiescent in the THz spectral domain.

The basic concept of effective stress describes the characteristics of fluid and solid interaction in porous media. In this paper, based on the theory of fractal geometry, a fractal model was built to analyze the relationship between the microstructure and the effective stress of porous media. From the microscopic point of view, the influence of effective stress on pore structure of porous media was demonstrated. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that: (i) the fractal model of effective stress can be used to describe the relationship between effective stress and the microstructure of porous media; (ii) a linear increase in the effective stress leads to exponential increases in fractal dimension, porosity and pore number of the porous media, and causes a decreasing trend in the average pore radius. Keywords: Porous media, Effective stress, Porosity, Fractal dimension, Size distribution

Abstract Retinal metabolic changes have been suggested to be associated with myopia development. However, little is known about either their identity or time dependent behavior during this sight compromising process. To address these questions, gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was applied to compare guinea pig retinal metabolite levels in form deprivation (FD) eyes at 3 days and 2 weeks post FD with normal control (NC) eyes. Orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS) models discriminated between time dependent retinal metabolic profiles in the presence and absence of FD. Myopia severity was associated with more metabolic pattern differences in the FD than in the NC eyes. After 3 days of FD, 11 metabolite levels changed and after 2 weeks the number of differences increased to 16. Five metabolites continuously decreased during two weeks of FD. Two-way ANOVA of the changes identified by OPLS indicates that 15 out of the 22 metabolites differences were significant. Taken together, these results suggest that myopia progression is associated with an inverse relationship between increases in glucose accumulation and lipid level decreases in form-deprived guinea pig eyes. Such changes indicate that metabolomic studies are an informative approach to identify time dependent retinal metabolic alterations associated with this disease.

The passive radar detection system receives secondary reflection signal by the navigation satellite signal. The secondary reflection signal is too weak to detect the target. The method to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of weak targets is proposed based on the accumulation algorithm. First, short-time correlation of the echo signal sequence is accumulated in the short-time coherence. Then long-time coherent accumulation is used in the frequency multiplication sequence. Finally, incoherent accumulation is used to detect weak target. By simulation, the SNR of target signal increases 8 dB than tradition method.

Table of contents O1 Changes in peripheral refraction associated with decreased ocular axial growth rate in marmosets Alexandra Benavente-Perez, Ann Nour, Tobin Ansel, Kathleen Abarr, Luying Yan, Keisha Roden, David Troilo O2 PPARα activation suppresses myopia development by increasing scleral collagen synthesis--a new drug target to suppress myopia development Chanyi Lu, Miaozhen Pan, Min Zheng, Jia Qu, Xiangtian Zhou O3 Evidence and possibilities for local ocular growth regulating signal pathways Christine F Wildsoet O4 Myopia researches at Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University Fan Lu, Xiangtian Zhou, Jie Chen, Jinhua Bao, Liang Hu, Qinmei Wang, Zibing Jin, Jia Qu O5 Color, temporal contrast and myopia Frances Rucker, Stephanie Britton, Stephan Hanowsky, Molly Spatcher O6 The impact of atropine usage on visual function and reading performance in myopic school children in Taiwan Hui-Ying Kuo, Ching-Hsiu Ke, I-Hsin Kuo, Chien-Chun Peng, Han-Yin Sun O7 Increased time outdoors prevents the onset of myopia: evidence from randomised clinical trials Ian G Morgan O8 Environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions for myopia in the ALSPAC cohort Jeremy A. Guggenheim, Rupal L. Shah, Cathy Williams O9 Retinal metabolic profiling identifies declines in FP receptor-linked signaling as contributors to form-deprived myopic development in guinea pigs Jinglei Yang, Peter S. Reinach, Sen Zhang, Miaozhen Pan, Wenfeng Sun, Bo Liu, Xiangtian Zhou O10 The study of peripheral refraction in moderate and high myopes after one month of wearing orthokeratology lens Jun Jiang, Haoran Wu, Fan Lu O11 Axial length of school children around the earth’s equatorial area and factors affecting the axial length Kazuo Tsubota, Hiroko Ozawa, Hidemasa Torii, Shigemasa Takamizawa, Toshihide Kurihara, Kazuno Negishi O12 Processing of defocus in the chicken retina by retinal ganglion cells Klaus Graef, Daniel Rathbun, Frank Schaeffel O13 Blue SAD light protects against form deprivation myopia in chickens, by local signaling within the retina Ladan Ghodsi, William K. Stell O14 Contributions of ON and OFF pathways to emmetropization and form deprivation myopia in mice Machelle T. Pardue, Ranjay Chakraborty, Han na Park, Curran S. Sidhu, P. Michael Iuvone O15 Response of the human choroid to defocus Michael J Collins O16 What can RNA sequencing tell us about myopic sclera? Nethrajeith Srinvasalu, Sally A McFadden, Paul N Baird O17 Overview of dopamine, retinal function, and myopia P. Michael Iuvone O18 The eye as a "robust" optical system and myopia Pablo Artal O19 Effect of discontinuation of orthokeratology lens wear on axial elongation in children Pauline Cho, SW Cheung O20 Myopia prevention in Taiwan Pei-Chang Wu O21 Alternatives to ultraviolet light and riboflavin for in vivo crosslinking of scleral collagen Quan V. Hoang, Sally A. McFadden O22 Absence of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGC) alters normal refractive development in mice Ranjay Chakraborty, Duk C. Lee, Erica G. Landis, Michael A. Bergen, Curran Sidhu, Samer Hattar, P. Michael Iuvone, Richard A. Stone, Machelle T. Pardue O23 Scleral micro-RNAs in myopia development and their potential as therapeutic targets Ravi Metlapally O24 Effects of the long-wavelength filtered continuous spectrum on emmetropization in juvenile guinea pigs Ruiqin Li, Qinglin Xu, Hong Zhon, Chenglin Pan, Weizhon Lan, Xiaoning Li, Ling Chen, Zhikuan Yang O25 Ocular and environmental factors associated with eye growth in childhood Scott A. Read O26 Overview- prevention and prediction of myopia and pathologic myopia Seang-Mei Saw O27 New insights into the roles of retinal dopamine in form-deprivation myopia and refractive development in C57BL/6 mice Shi-Jun Weng, Xiao-Hua Wu, Kang-Wei Qian, Yun-Yun Li, Guo-Zhong Xu, Furong Huang, Xiangtian Zhou, Jia Qu, Xiong-Li Yang, Yong-Mei Zhong O28 The effects of the adenosine antagonist, 7-methylxanthine, on refractive development in rhesus monkeys Earl L Smith III, Baskar Arumugam, Li-Fang Hung, Lisa A. Ostrin, Klaus Trier, Monica Jong, Brien A. Holden O29 Application of SWATH™ based next generation proteomics (NGP) in studying eye growth: opportunities and challenges Thomas Chuen Lam, Bing Zuo, Samantha Shan, Sally A. McFadden, Dennis Yan-yin Tse, Jingfang Bian, King-Kit Li, Quan Liu, Chi-ho To O30 How could emmetropization make use of longitudinal chromatic aberration? Timothy J. Gawne, John T. Siegwart Jr., Alexander H. Ward, Thomas T. Norton O31 Balance effect of dopamine D1 and D2 receptor subtype activation on refraction development Xiangtian Zhou O32 BMP gene expression changes in chick rpe in response to visual manipulations Yan Zhang, Yue Liu, Carol Ho, Eileen Phan, Abraham Hang, Emily Eng, Christine Wildsoet

The internal C:N balance must be tightly controlled for the normal growth and development of plants. However, the underlying mechanisms, by which plants sense and balance the intracellular C:N status correspondingly to exogenous C:N availabilities remain elusive. In this study, we use comparative gene expression analysis to identify genes that are responsive to imbalanced C:N treatments in the aerial parts of rice seedlings. Transcripts of rice seedlings treated with four C:N availabilities (1:1, 1:60, 60:1 and 60:60) were compared and two groups of genes were classified: high C:low N responsive genes and low C:high N responsive genes. Our analysis identified several functional correlated genes including chalcone synthase (CHS), chlorophyll a-b binding protein (CAB) and other genes that are implicated in C:N balancing mechanism, such as alternative oxidase 1B (OsAOX1B), malate dehydrogenase (OsMDH) and lysine and histidine specific transporter 1 (OsLHT1). Additionally, six jasmonate synthetic genes and key regulatory genes involved in abiotic and biotic stresses, such as OsMYB4, autoinhibited calcium ATPase 3 (OsACA3) and pleiotropic drug resistance 9 (OsPDR9), were differentially expressed under high C:low N treatment. Gene ontology analysis showed that high C:low N up-regulated genes were primarily enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis and defense responses. Coexpression network analysis of these genes identified eight jasmonate ZIM domain protein (OsJAZ) genes and several defense response related regulators, suggesting that high C:low N status may act as a stress condition, which induces defense responses mediated by jasmonate signaling pathway. Our transcriptome analysis shed new light on the C:N balancing mechanisms and revealed several important regulators of C:N status in rice seedlings.