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This study investigated the impact of axial load on the dynamic response of reinforced concrete (RC) members to asymmetrical lateral impact loads. A series of asymmetrical-span impact tests were conducted on circular and square RC members with and without Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) while varying the axial compression ratios. The impact process was simulated using ABAQUS software, and the time history curves of deflection and impact were measured. The study found that specific impact loads caused bending and shearing failures. The axial compression ratio ranged from 0.05 to 0.13 when the impact curve reached its maximum deflection before the component's impact resistance decreased. Analysis of the impact point and inclined crack location revealed that axial load affects the maximum local concrete. The speed of inclined crack penetration and inclined cracks take longer to form, with weaker resistance to damage to local concrete when the axial compression ratio is between 0.05 and 0.13. When the axial compression ratio is greater than 0.13, inclined cracks form sooner with more brittle and severe damage to the impact point's concrete. The study also identified key parameters affecting the dynamic response of RC members, including impact height, CFRP layer thickness, axial force, and impact location. Thicker CFRP layers in RC can improve impact resistance, especially when the impact location is farther from the center. However, there is a limit to the impact of axial force on this resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Somaclonal variation in tissue culture is a common phenomenon induced by various external or internal environmental conditions, resulting in heritable or non-heritable alterations in gene expression. One crucial mechanism involved in plant growth and development is epigenetic regulation. A highly dynamic epigenome can respond to environmental changes by regulating gene expression. DNA methylation is one of these epigenetic modifications that can alter gene expression in tissue-cultured pineapple plants. The underlying mechanism of such somaclonal variations in pineapple and the epigenetic regulation involvement in somaclonal variations has not been studied. This study performed DNA methylome and transcriptome sequencing of wild-type (WT) and mutant pineapple plants (WS, HW, and TW). We observed altered DNA methylation patterns in chlorophyll development in the mutants. Specifically, we noticed that the methylation levels in the CHG and CHH contexts were lower in the gene body regions compared to the upstream and downstream regions. We identified several thousand differentially methylated regions (DMRs) located at the gene body regions, some of which overlapped with the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional enrichment analyses suggested that these genes were involved in chlorophyll metabolism. Thus, our results revealed that the transcriptional regulation of many chlorophyll metabolic essential genes could be regulated by DNA methylation caused by somaclonal variations and provided insights into epigenetic mechanisms underlying the regulation of chlorosis in pineapple plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the plethora of data on how CFRP layers enhance RCs under static loads, research on how the reinforced structural components react to unequal lateral impact loads from a derailed train striking metro station columns or a car accident is lacking. A similar motivation inspired the current study, which sought to create a numerical technique backed by actual testing to evaluate RC members with CFRP in a range of unequal lateral impact scenarios. This paper uses explicit nonlinear finite element techniques to numerically analyze the response of unequal lateral impact‐loaded RC members wrapped in (CFRP) layers. Diverse variables related to CFRP, concrete, steel reinforcement, and impact energy are investigated. This kind of thorough analysis provides unique insights to strengthen RC members against unequal lateral impact loads. The effects of internal forces and deflections, as well as absorbed energy on the impact response of CFRP‐RC components, were investigated and verified by prior experimental results. A parametric sensitivity analysis was conducted after the strain characteristics of steel bars confirmed the finite element model, reinforcement ratio, impact velocity, CFRP properties, and ductility index all influence the member's impact response. This study's results will help advance the field's understanding of CFRP‐RC components analysis and design under unequal lateral impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To explore the ecological aquaculture model in ponds in North China, several single techniques were assembled into the same culture system. [Methods] Three ponds were selected, the species and stocking rate were exactly the same, the water was not changed during the culture period, and the water loss due to evaporation and leakage was recovered. Since the middle of May, the hydrochemical indicators such as ammonia nitrogen, nitrite nitrogen, water temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were monitored every 10 d. According to the monitoring results of ammonia nitrogen, carbon sources were added to the culture ponds to adjust the ratio of C to N, and carbon sources were added 9 times during the culture period. The stocking rate and yield per unit area were accurately measured at the beginning and end of the experiment, and no less than 30 fishes were randomly sampled to calculate the relevant growth indicators and feed coefficients. [Results] Except that the nonionic ammonia in pond 3# exceeded the standard by 10.3% on July 25, all other hydrochemical indicators met the Fisheries Water Quality Standard, and there was no significant difference in all hydrochemical indicators at the same time（P＞0.05). The survival rate in 3 ponds was more than 95.0%, the average body weight of individuals out of the pond had no difference（P＞0.05), and the feed coefficient was 1.41-1.43. There was no disease during the culture period, and the water was saved by 46.6% compared with the traditional culture model. [Conclusions] This study can provide a basis for the construction of a new model suitable for ecological aquaculture in ponds in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic accidents and derailed train-related incidents have occurred more often than ever in recent years, resulting in some economic damage and casualties. Reinforced concrete (RC) constructions often involve derailed train and vehicle accidents. Rarely are such side collisions studied in previous studies. To do this, high-fidelity simulation-based finite-element (FE) models are created in this paper to accurately simulate the collision of circular RC members with a derailed train. The reinforced concrete member structure is common in high-speed railway stations. The impact energy of the impact body is significant, causing structural member failure. It analyses the dynamic behavior of reinforced concrete members under unequal span impact loads. Numerical implementations of impact issues are discussed from the perspective of geometric, contact, and material properties. The reliability and precision of the ABAQUS code to solve impact issues are verified by comparing failure modes, impact, and deflection time history experimental outputs. By analysing the impact response characteristics, used the control variables to study the failure process and mode (including the characteristics of impact and reaction forces, deflection time history curve, impact force–deflection curve, and bearing reaction force–deflection curve). The reinforcement ratio, impact velocity, concrete strength, and slenderness ratio significantly affect shear crack pattern and development. Changes in impact velocity and slenderness ratio also affect member failure modes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conventional MR imaging has limited value in identifying H3 K27M mutations. We aimed to investigate the capacity of quantitative MR imaging variables in identifying the H3 K27M mutation status of diffuse midline glioma. Materials and Methods: Twenty-three patients with H3 K27M mutation and thirty-two wild-type patients were recruited in this retrospective study, all of whom underwent multimodal MR imaging. Clinical data and quantitative MR imaging variables were explored by subgroup analysis stratified by age (juveniles and adults). Then, a logistic model for all patients was constructed to identify potential variables for predicting K27M mutation status. Besides, a retrospective validation set including 13 patients was recruited. The C-index and F1 score were used to evaluate the performance of the prediction model. Results: It turned out that patients with H3 K27M mutation were younger in the adult subgroup. In the mutation group, some relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC) histogram parameters and myo-inositol/creatine plus phosphocreatine (Ins/tCr) ratio were lower than in the wild-type group of both juveniles and adults (p < 0.05). After nested cross-validation and LASSO algorithm, the age, Ins/tCr, and rADC_15th were selected as potential predictors for H3 K27M mutation in the model. The nomogram model showed good diagnostic power with a validated C-index of 0.884. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.898 (0.976 in validation set) and the F1 score was 0.732. Conclusions: In conclusion, age, rADC_15th, and Ins/tCr values were helpful in identifying H3 K27M mutations in midline gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) are amorphous alloys with desirable mechanical properties and processing capabilities. To date, the design of new BMGs has largely employed empirical rules and trial-and-error experimental approaches. Ab initio computational methods are currently prohibitively slow to be practically used in searching the vast space of possible atomic combinations for bulk glass formers. Here, we perform molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained, anisotropic potential, which mimics interatomic covalent bonding, to measure the critical cooling rates for metal-metalloid alloys as a function of the atomic size ratio σS/σL and number fraction xS of the metalloid species. We show that the regime in the space of σS/σL and xS where well-mixed, optimal glass formers occur for patchy and LJ particle mixtures, coincides with that for experimentally observed metal-metalloid glass formers. Thus, our simple computational model provides the capability to perform combinatorial searches to identify novel glass-forming alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel frequency splitter is proposed based on the spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) coplanar waveguide (CPW). The proposed frequency splitter uses the semi-circular holes etched on the both sides of the middle line of the CPW to realize mode conversion and frequency splitting. The operating principles of the proposed frequency splitter have been analyzed by the dispersion curves, electric field distributions, and equivalent circuit. Moreover, the splitting frequency of the splitter can be easily controlled by changing the corresponding parameters. Furthermore, full-wave simulation along with the measured results are given to describe the performance of the proposed frequency splitter. The highly consistent between simulated and measured results validates the design conception, which means that the proposed design is of importance to develop surface-wave integrated circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pharmacokinetics of levamisole in crucian carp, including the absorption, distribution, and clearance rates in different tissues, were studied at different temperatures and doses for the theoretical basis of proper usage and withdrawal time. The fish were divided into three groups denoted A, B and C. The A and B groups were treated once at a dosage of 5 mg/kg levamisole, at 19 ± 1°C and 26 ± 1°C water temperature, respectively. The C group was treated at a dosage of 20 mg/kg levamisole at 19 ± 1°C water temperature. Then plasma, muscle, hepatopancreas, and kidney tissues samples were collected and pretreated, then measured using an ultra performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet method. Plasma data were analyzed using DAS 3.0 pharmacokinetics software. Total area under the curve (AUC0-t) and elimination half-life (t1/2z) had a negative correlation with water temperature, and a positive correlation with dosage. Apparent volume of distribution (Vz) and total clearance rate (CLz) was positively correlated with temperature, and a negatively correlated with dosage. Levamisole was absorbed quickly to reach its peak concentration. The drug concentration and residence time in hepatopancreal and kidney were considerably higher and longer respectively than in the muscle and plasma suggesting that the hepatopancreas and kidney may be important metabolic organs for levamisole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common type of malignancies. Telomerase activity, which is absent or weakly detected in the majority of human somatic cells, is elevated in esophageal cancer. Although azidothymidine (AZT), a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, has been utilized as a treatment for tumors, its role in treating esophageal cancer has not been confirmed. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of AZT on telomerase activity and the proliferation of the human esophageal cancer cell line TE‑11. A telomeric repeat amplification assay was utilized to detect telomerase activity following treatment of TE‑11 cells with AZT. The effect of AZT on TE‑11 cell cycle distribution was determined by flow cytometry. Cellular DNA damage was evaluated by a comet assay and an MTT assay demonstrated that AZT significantly inhibited the viability of TE‑11 cells, in a time‑and dose‑dependent manner. In addition, TE‑11 cells treated with various concentrations of AZT exhibited a significant reduction in telomerase activity and percentage of cells in the G1/G0 phase, and an increase in the percentage of cells in the S phase. High doses of AZT caused DNA damage, and enhanced the expression levels of γ‑H2A histone family member X and phosphorylated checkpoint kinase 2 in TE‑11 cells. These results demonstrated that AZT effectively inhibits proliferation of the TE‑11 human esophageal cancer cell line in vitro. The growth inhibitory effects were associated with a reduction in telomerase activity, S and G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and enhanced DNA damage, suggesting that AZT may be utilized in the clinic for the treatment of esophageal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antenna arrays with shaped patterns have drawn significant attention for their wide applications in radar, sonar and communication systems. The combination of genetic algorithm (GA) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) has been used to synthesise shaped pattern of antenna array's factor without considering coupling effects. In this work, the GA-FFT method is generalised by integrating with a new virtual active element pattern (AEP) expansion method which approximates each AEP as the radiation pattern by exciting several equally spaced virtual elements surrounding the real element position. The generalised GA-FFT can be applied for the shaped pattern synthesis of unequally spaced linear arrays including mutual coupling and platform effect. Several synthesis examples with different pattern shapes and different antenna structures are given to demonstrate the effectiveness, accuracy and robustness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a TiC reinforcement metal matrix composite coating is produced using nickel and graphite mixing powder on the surface ofTi-6Al-4V alloy by laser radiation. The microstructure of the coatings is investigated by XRD, SEM and EDS. Results show that most of the TiC phase is granular, with a size of several micrometers, and a few of the TiC phases are petals or flakes. At the cross-section of the coatings, a few special TiC patterns are found and these TiC patterns do not always occur at the observed cross-section. The even distribution of the TiC phase in the coatings confirms that the convection of the laser-melted pool leads to the homogenization of titanium atoms from the molten substrate, and carbon atoms from the preplace powder layer, by the mass transfer. The characteristics of the TiC pattern confirm that the morphology and distribution of the primary TiC phase could be influenced by convection. Two main reasons for this are that the density of the TiC phase is lower than the liquid melt, and that the primary TiC phase precipitates from the pool with a high convection speed at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Let-7 miRNAs are reported to play an inhibitory role in carcinogenesis, tumor progression, recurrence, and pluripotency of cancer. However, few studies have reported the relationship between let-7 and drug sensitivity, especially for let-7a (a subtype of let-7). This study aimed to investigate the function of let-7a in regulating the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines to cetuximab. Methods: The cytotoxicity of cetuximab on HCC cell lines (Huh7, Hep3B, HepG2, SNU449, and SNU387) was evaluated using a cell viability assay (the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay) and a cell proliferation assay (the Click-iT EdU Imaging Kit) in the presence of a control, a let-7a mimic, and a let-7a inhibitor. Small interfering RNA to knockdown the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were employed. Protein and mRNA expression levels were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Results: It was found that let-7a enhances the sensitivity of HCC cells with an epithelial phenotype (Huh7, Hep3B, and HepG2) to cetuximab, but has no effect on cells with the mesenchymal phenotype (SNU449 and SNU387). It was determined that STAT3 was a target mRNA of let-7a using TargetScan. Expression of STAT3 and let-7a mRNA were negatively correlated in HCC cell lines. Moreover, let-7a altered the protein and mRNA expression of STAT3. Furthermore, STAT3 knockdown enhanced the function of cetuximab on HCC cell lines with epithelial phenotypes, but not on HCC cell lines with mesenchymal phenotypes. Finally, a rescue experiment confirmed that let-7a affected the sensitivity of HCC cell lines to cetuximab by interacting with STAT3. Conclusions: There is a functional link between let-7a and STAT3 in enhancing the sensitivity of HCC cells with an epithelial phenotype to cetuximab. Our results provide novel insight into new methodologies for combating HCC drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a TiC-reinforced composite coating was produced to improve the wear resistance of a pearlite matrix grey iron using a pre-placed Ti powder by laser cladding. Results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed that the coating was composed of TiC particles and two kinds of a-Fe phase. The fine TiC particles were only a few microns in size and uniformly distributed on the matrix phase in the composite coating. The microstructure characteristic of the composite coating resulted in the microhardness rising to about 1000 HV0.3 (China GB/T 4342-1991) and the wear resistance significantly increased relative to the substrate. In addition, the fine and homogeneous solidification microstructure without graphite phase in the transition zone led to a good metallurgical bonding and transition between the coating and the substrate. It was of great significance for the cast iron to modify the surface and repair surface defects or surface damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isothermal compression tests were carried out on Ni-20.0Cr-2.5Ti-1.5Nb-1.0Al superalloy at the temperatures of 940-1060°C (all below nominal γ'-transus temperature of 1080°C) and strain rates of 0.001-1.0s-1. The processing maps were constructed to evaluate the efficiency of power dissipation (η) and recognize the flow instability regimes. When the strain is 0.70, the optimum processing condition is around 1020°C/1.0s-1 with peak efficiency 0.58. True strain takes great effect on the efficiency of power dissipation η under the condition of 1020°C/1.0s-1. The efficiency value η undergoes a small decline at low strains, and then increases linearly from 0.26 to 0.58 at high strains. However, the efficiency value remains high constant (η=0.40) with the increased strain under the condition of 980°C/0.001s-1. As a result, hot deformation can be carried out firstly at 980°C/0.001s-1 with small strain about 0.35 and then carried out at 1020°C/1.0s-1 to get fine homogeneous microstructure. There are two instability regimes respectively located around 940°C/1.0s-1 and 1060°C/0.001s-1 when the strains are 0.05-0.40. However, there is another instability regime located around 1060°C/1.0s-1 when the strains are 0.45-0.70. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron beam welding of superalloy FGH4096 and GH4133B was conducted, and the cylindrical compression specimens were machined from the central part of the electron beam weldments. Isothermal compression tests were carried out on electron beam weldments FGH4096-GH4133B alloy at the temperatures of 1020-11140 °C (the nominal &#947'-transus temperature is about 1080 °C) and the strain rates of 0.001-1.0 s-1 with the height reduction of 50%. True stress-true strain curves are sensitive to the deformation temperature and strain rate, and the flow stress decreases with the increasing deformation temperature and the decreasing strain rate. The true stress-true strain curves can indicate the intrinsic relationship between the flow stress and the thermal-dynamic behavior. The apparent activation energy of deformation at the strain of 0.6 was calculated to be 550 kJ/mol, and the apparent activation energy has a great effect on the microstructure. The constitutive equation that describes the flow stress as a function of strain rate and deformation temperature was proposed for modeling the hot deformation process of FGH4096-GH4133B electron beam weldments. The constitutive equation at the strain of 0.6 was established using the hyperbolic law. The relationship between the strain and the values of parameters was studied, and the cubic functions were built. The constitutive equation during the whole process can be obtained based on the parameters under different strains. Comparing the experimental flow stress and the calculated flow stress, the constitutive equation obtained in this paper can be very good to predict the flow stress under the deformation temperature range of 1020-1140 °C and the strain rate range of 1.0-0.001 s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We report on two brothers with a distinct syndromic phenotype and explore the potential pathogenic cause. Methods Cytogenetic tests and exome sequencing were performed on the two brothers and their parents. Variants detected by exome sequencing were validated by Sanger sequencing. Results The main phenotype of the two brothers included congenital language disorder, growth retardation, intellectual disability, difficulty in standing and walking, and urinary and fecal incontinence. To the best of our knowledge, no similar phenotype has been reported previously. No abnormalities were detected by G-banding chromosome analysis or array comparative genomic hybridization. However, exome sequencing revealed novel mutations in the ATP-binding cassette, sub-family D member 1 (ABCD1) and Dachshund homolog 2 (DACH2) genes in both brothers. The ABCD1 mutation was a missense mutation c.1126G > C in exon 3 leading to a p.E376Q substitution. The DACH2 mutation was also a missense mutation c.1069A > T in exon 6, leading to a p.S357C substitution. The mother was an asymptomatic heterozygous carrier. Plasma levels of very-long-chain fatty acids were increased in both brothers, suggesting a diagnosis of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD); however, their phenotype was not compatible with any reported forms of ALD. DACH2 plays an important role in the regulation of brain and limb development, suggesting that this mutation may be involved in the phenotype of the two brothers. Conclusion The distinct phenotype demonstrated by these two brothers might represent a new form of ALD or a new syndrome. The combination of mutations in ABCD1 and DACH2 provides a plausible mechanism for this phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of multicomponent alloys out of a vast compositional space is a daunting task, especially for bulk metallic glasses composed of three or more elements. Despite an increasing theoretical understanding of glass formation, bulk metallic glasses are predominantly developed through a sequential and time-consuming trial-and-error approach. Even for binary systems, accurate quantum mechanical approaches are still many orders of magnitude away from being able to simulate the relatively slow kinetics of glass formation. Here, we present a high-throughput strategy where ~3,000 alloy compositions are fabricated simultaneously and characterized for thermoplastic formability through parallel blow forming. Using this approach, we identified the composition with the highest thermoplastic formability in the glass-forming system Mg-Cu-Y. The method provides a versatile toolbox for unveiling complex correlations of material properties and glass formation, and should facilitate a drastic increase in the discovery rate of metallic glasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemoglobin (Hb) Q-Thailand, Hb E, and other forms of thalassemia are prevalent in Southeast Asia including China. We report a hitherto undescribed condition in which four forms of Hb defects co-segregate. The proband was a 20-year-old Chinese man who presented with moderate hypochromic microcytosis with Hb 73 g/l, hematocrit (Hct) 27.0%, mean corpuscular volume 57.6 fl, mean corpuscular hemoglobin 15.5 pg, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) 268.0 g/l. Both Hb electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography analysis revealed abnormal Hbs. DNA analysis demonstrated that the proband was a double heterozygote of Hb Q-Thailand and Hb E in combination with α0-thalassemia and Southeast Asian-type hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin (SEA-HPFH). Family study identified that her father was a double heterozygote for Hb Q-Thailand and Hb E, whereas her mother was a heterozygote for SEA-HPFH with α0-thalassemia. Moreover, his brother was a classical Hb QH disease patient. The genotype–phenotype relationship observed in this Chinese family with complex thalassemia syndromes is presented. This work will provide some clinical implications for molecular diagnosis for complex hemoglobinopathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The matrix pencil method (MPM) has been used to reduce the number of elements in the linear antenna array with a pencil-beam pattern. This work extends the MPM-based synthesis method to the synthesis of shaped-beam patterns by using the forward-backward matrix pencil method (FBMPM). The FBMPM-based synthesis method places a necessary restriction on the poles which correspond to element positions, and consequently obtains more accurate synthesis results, particularly for the synthesis of asymmetric patterns. Numerical examples show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method in the reduction of the number of elements for shaped-beam patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radially encoded MRI has gained increasing attention due to its motion insensitivity and reduced artifacts. However, because its samples are collected nonuniformly in the k-space, multidimensional (especially 3-D) radially sampled Mill image reconstruction is challenging. The objective of this paper is to develop a reconstruction technique in high dimensions with on-the-fly kernel calculation. It implements general multidimensional nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT) algorithms and incorporates them into a k-space image reconstruction framework. The method is then applied to reconstruct from the radially encoded k-space data, although the method is applicable to any non- Cartesian patterns. Performance comparisons are made against the conventional Kaiser-Bessel (KB) gridding method for 2-D and 3-D radially encoded computer-simulated phantoms and physically scanned phantoms. The results show that the NUFFT reconstruction method has better accuracy-efficiency tradeoff than the KB gridding method when the kernel weights are calculated on the fly. It is found that for a particular conventional kernel function, using its corresponding deapodization function as a scaling factor in the NUFFT framework has the potential to improve accuracy. In particular, when a cosine scaling factor is used, the NUFFT method is faster than KB gridding method since a closed-form solution is available and is less computationally expensive than the KB kernel (KB griding requires computation of Bessel functions). The NUFFT method has been successfully applied to 2-D and 3-D in vivo studies on small animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract-The synthesis of a nonuniform antenna array with as few elements as possible has considerable practical applications. This paper introduces a new non-iterative method for linear array synthesis based on the matrix pencil method (MPM). The method can synthesize a nonuniform linear array with a reduced number of elements, and can be also used to reduce the number of elements for linear arrays designed by other synthesis techniques. In the proposed method, the desired radiation pattern is first sampled to form a discrete pattern data set. Then we organize the discrete data set in a form of Hankel matrix and perform the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the matrix. By discarding the non-principal singular values, we obtain an optimal lower-rank approximation of the Hankel matrix. The lower-rank matrix actually corresponds to fewer antenna elements. The matrix pencil method is then utilized to reconstruct the excitation and location distributions from the approximated matrix. Numerical examples show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed synthesis method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building structure regularly needs reinforcement due to damage, specification requirements, and functional changes; carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) is widely used in structural reinforcement due to its high strength, lightweight, good corrosion resistance and easy construction. The regular square section reinforced concrete frame elements strengthened by CFRP material are taken as the research object. The dynamic response of CFRP to reinforced concrete elements under unequal lateral impact was discussed. This technical paper demonstrates that the test elements are subject to the bending failure mode, and the impact point and the near impact point support are severely damaged areas; the transversely wrapped elements are more abruptly broken, and the longitudinal wrapping elements and the number of wrapping layers can effectively reduce the level of damage. Analysis of the impact, deflection, and strain time history curves obtained in the test show that the wrapping mode and the number of layers have less influence on the impact force peak; the longitudinally wrapped elements and the plateau segment take longer. Dynamic equilibrium principle equation was proposed based on the experimental results. The horizontal partition plateau segment fluctuates greatly; the number of vertical wrap layers increases the plateau value. The larger the number of layers, the smaller the deflection caused by the impact. The longitudinal wrapping can effectively transmit the force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of synthesising a sparse linear array with multiple patterns is formulated as an extended reweighted l1-norm minimisation with multiple convex constraints. Synthesis results show that the proposed method can find the common sparse element positions with optimised excitations for multiple-pattern requirements, and the mainlobe, sidelobe as well as nulling region for each pattern can be accurately controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfavorable environmental cues severely affect crop productivity resulting in significant economic losses to farmers. In plants, multiple regulatory genes, such as the WRKY transcription factor (TF) family, modulate the expression of defense genes. However, the role of the pineapple WRKY genes is poorly understood. Here, we studied the pineapple WRKY gene, AcWRKY28, by generating AcWRKY28 over-expressing transgenic pineapple plants. Overexpression of AcWRKY28 enhanced the salt stress resistance in transgenic pineapple lines. Comparative transcriptome analysis of transgenic and wild-type pineapple plants showed that "plant-pathogen interaction" pathway genes, including 9 calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs), were up-regulated in AcWRKY28 over-expressing plants. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation and yeast one-hybrid assays revealed AcCPK12, AcCPK3, AcCPK8, AcCPK1, and AcCPK15 as direct targets of AcWRKY28. Consistently, the study of AcCPK12 over-expressing Arabidopsis lines showed that AcCPK12 enhances salt, drought, and disease resistance. This study shows that AcWRKY28 plays a crucial role in promoting salt stress resistance by activating the expression of AcCPK genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a liquid is cooled well below its melting temperature at a rate that exceeds the critical cooling rate Rc, the crystalline state is bypassed and a metastable, amorphous glassy state forms instead. Rc (or the corresponding critical casting thickness dc) characterizes the glass-forming ability (GFA) of each material. While silica is an excellent glass-former with small Rc < 10-2 K/s, pure metals and most alloys are typically poor glass-formers with large Rc > 1010 K/s. Only in the past thirty years have bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) been identified with Rc approaching that for silica. Recent simulations have shown that simple, hard-sphere models are able to identify the atomic size ratio and number fraction regime where BMGs exist with critical cooling rates more than 13 orders of magnitude smaller than those for pure metals. However, there are a number of other features of interatomic potentials beyond hard-core interactions. How do these other features affect the glass-forming ability of BMGs? In this manuscript, we perform molecular dynamics simulations to determine how variations in the softness and non-additivity of the repulsive core and form of the interatomic pair potential at intermediate distances affect the GFA of binary alloys. These variations in the interatomic pair potential allow us to introduce geometric frustration and change the crystal phases that compete with glass formation. We also investigate the effect of tuning the strength of the many-body interactions from zero to the full embedded atom model on the GFA for pure metals. We then employ the full embedded atom model for binary BMGs and show that hard-core interactions play the dominant role in setting the GFA of alloys, while other features of the interatomic potential only change the GFA by one to two orders of magnitude. Despite their perturbative effect, understanding the detailed form of the intermetallic potential is important for designing BMGs with cm or greater casting thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The likelihood that an undercooled liquid vitrifies or crystallizes depends on the cooling rate R. The critical cooling rate Rc, below which the liquid crystallizes upon cooling, characterizes the glass-forming ability (GFA) of the system. While pure metals are typically poor glass formers with Rc > 1012 K/s, specific multi-component alloys can form bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) even at cooling rates below R ~ 1 K/s. Conventional wisdom asserts that metal alloys with three or more components are better glass formers (with smaller Rc) than binary alloys. However, there is currently no theoretical framework that provides quantitative predictions for Rc for multi-component alloys. In this manuscript, we perform simulations of ternary hard-sphere systems, which have been shown to be accurate models for the glass-forming ability of BMGs, to understand the roles of geometric frustration and demixing in determining Rc. Specifically, we compress ternary hard sphere mixtures into jammed packings and measure the critical compression rate, below which the system crystallizes, as a function of the diameter ratios sB/sA and sC/sA and number fractions xA, xB, and xC. We find two distinct regimes for the GFA in parameter space for ternary hard spheres. When the diameter ratios are close to 1, such that the largest (A) and smallest (C) species are well-mixed, the GFA of ternary systems is no better than that of the optimal binary glass former. However, when sC/sA ≲ 0.8 is below the demixing threshold for binary systems, adding a third component B with sC < sB < sA increases the GFA of the system by preventing demixing of A and C. Analysis of the available data from experimental studies indicates that most ternary BMGs are below the binary demixing threshold with sC/sA < 0.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The likelihood that an undercooled liquid vitrifies or crystallizes depends on the cooling rate R. The critical cooling rate Rc, below which the liquid crystallizes upon cooling, characterizes the glass-forming ability (GFA) of the system. While pure metals are typically poor glass formers with Rc >1012 K/s, specific multi-component alloys can form bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) even at cooling rates below R ~ 1 K/s. Conventional wisdom asserts that metal alloys with three or more components are better glass formers (with smaller Rc) than binary alloys. However, there is currently no theoretical framework that provides quantitative predictions Rc for for multi-component alloys. In this manuscript, we perform simulations of ternary hard-sphere systems, which have been shown to be accurate models for the glass-forming ability of BMGs, to understand the roles of geometric frustration and demixing in determining Rc. Specifically, we compress ternary hard sphere mixtures into jammed packings and measure the critical compression rate, below which the system crystallizes, as a function of the diameter ratios σB/σA and σC/σA and number fractions xA, xB, and xC . We find two distinct regimes for the GFA in parameter space for ternary hard spheres. When the diameter ratios are close to 1, such that the largest (A) and smallest (C) species are well-mixed, the GFA of ternary systems is no better than that of the optimal binary glass former. However, when σC/σA ≲ 0.8 is below the demixing threshold for binary systems, adding a third component B with σC<σB<σA increases the GFA of the system by preventing demixing of A and C. Analysis of the available data from experimental studies indicates that most ternary BMGs are below the binary demixing threshold with σC/σA < 0.8. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Influenza imposes a heavy burden on public health. Little is known, however, of the associations between detailed measures of exposure to ambient air pollution and influenza at an individual level. OBJECTIVE: We examined individual-level associations between six criteria air pollutants and influenza using case-crossover design. METHODS: In this individual-level time-stratified case-crossover study, we linked influenza cases collected by the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2019 with individual residence-level exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO). The exposures were estimated for the day of onset of influenza symptoms (lag 0), 1–7 d before the onset (lags 1–7), as well as an 8-d moving average (lag07), using a random forest model and linked to study participants’ home addresses. Conditional logistic regression was developed to investigate the associations between short-term exposure to air pollution and influenza, adjusting for mean temperature, relative humidity, public holidays, population mobility, and community influenza susceptibility. RESULTS: 푁 =108,479 eligible cases were identified in our study. Every 10-μg/m³ increase in exposure to PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and CO and every 5-μg/m³ increase in SO2 over 8-d moving average (lag07) was associated with higher risk of influenza with a relative risk (RR) of 1.028 (95% CI: 1.018, 1.038), 1.041 (95% CI: 1.032, 1.049), 1.169 (95% CI: 1.151, 1.188), 1.004 (95% CI: 1.003, 1.006), and 1.134 (95% CI: 1.107, 1.163), respectively. There was a negative association between O3 and influenza with a RR of 0.878 (95% CI: 0.866, 0.890). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to air pollution, except for O3, is associated with greater risk for influenza. Further studies are necessary to decipher underlying mechanisms and design preventive interventions and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new least-square active element pattern expansion (LS-AEPE) method is presented. With the help of this method, the array's pattern including the element mutual coupling and platform effect can be efficiently calculated by the fast Fourier transform (FFT). These techniques are then combined with the genetic algorithm (GA) to optimise the excitation phases for a 64-element linear array mounted on a trapezoid metal plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative prediction of glass forming ability using a priori known parameters is highly desired in metallic glass development; however proven to be challenging because of the complexity of glass formation. Here, we estimate the number of potential metallic glasses (MGs) and bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) forming systems and alloys, from empirically determined alloy design rules based on a priori known parameters. Specifically, we take into account atomic size ratio, heat of mixing, and liquidus temperature, which we quantify on binary glasses and centimeter-sized BMGs. When expanding into higher order systems that can be formed among 32 practical elements, we reduce the composition space for BMG formation using developed criteria by 106 times and estimate ~3 million binary, ternary, quaternary, and quinary BMGs alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel short- and open-stub loaded spiral resonator (SOSL-SR) is presented and analysed by the odd- and evenmode method to obtain three controllable resonant modes. Therefore, a triple-mode bandpass filter (BPF) has been designed with good frequency selectivity based on the proposed SOSL-SR. Then, by dividing these three resonant modes into two passbands or stopbands, a dual-band BPF and a dual-band bandstop filter using the proposed SOSL-SR have been demonstrated. Because of the spiral structure, the sizes of these three designed microstrip filters are reduced significantly. Good agreement between simulated and measured results validates the design concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epileptic seizures, the most common symptom accompanying glioma, are closely associated with tumor growth and patient quality of life. However, the association between glioma and glioma-related epilepsy is poorly understood. In fact, findings related to the location of epileptogenicity have been inconsistent in previous studies. We investigated seizure foci in patients with glioma and the corresponding association between glioma-related epilepsy and the tumoral and peritumoral microenvironment. Clinical characteristics, extracellular electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and western blots were conducted on 12 patients with glioma; nine patients had histories of preoperative seizures while three did not. Samples from included patients were used to identify seizure foci and mTOR pathway status. Electrophysiological recordings were conducted on 36 samples (tumor, peritumoral, and normal brain tissues) from 12 patients. Interictal-like discharges (ILDs) were observed in seven of nine peritumoral tissues obtained from patients with glioma that had experienced perioperative seizures. No ILDs were observed in any other sample groups. Western blots and immunohistochemistry for mTOR pathway proteins (mTOR and S6k) suggested that the mTOR pathway was activated in peritumoral tissues of patients with seizure history, but inactivated in patients without seizure history. Our results suggest that mTOR pathway expression in peritumoral tissues is associated with tumor-related seizures, thus providing a potential target for therapeutics aimed at simultaneously controlling gliomas and seizures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Approximately 80% of glioma patients will experience at least one seizure activity during the course of the disease, and because the etiology of glioma-related seizure is most likely multifactorial and complex, it remains poorly understood. MicroRNAs are a class of small noncoding RNAs that function as critical gene regulators. MicroRNA-128 was found to be decreased in glioblastoma, and knockout of the microRNA-128a gene could induce epilepsy in mice. Based on the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and previous study, we hypothesized that dysregulation of miR-128 expression may play a role in the pathogenesis of TAE in low-grade glioma. Methods Fifty-three low-grade glioma samples were analyzed for the expression levels of miR-128 using qRT-PCR, and candidate targets of miR-128 (Cacnge2, GRIK3, and GRIN2D) were detected by the 3′-UTR luciferase reporter assay. Four other miRs (miR-9, miR-192a, miR-92a, and miR-451) that showed dysregulation of glioblastoma in the CGGA data were also analyzed. Results The microRNA-128 expression levels were down-regulated in low-grade glioma tissue ( t -test; p = 0.009). Dysregulation of miR-128 expression in low-grade glioma is associated with glioma-associated epilepsy (p = 0.006). No statistical significance of miR-9, miR-192a, miR-92a, and miR-451 was found to be associated with LGG. Conclusion Our results here, together with other recent lines of evidence, indicate that miR-128 is an extremely attractive target for therapy in glioma patients with seizure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploration of new alloys with desirable properties has been a long-standing challenge in materials science because of the complex relationship between composition and microstructure. In this Research Article, we demonstrate a combinatorial strategy for the exploration of composition dependence of microstructure. This strategy is comprised of alloy library synthesis followed by high-throughput microstructure characterization. As an example, we synthesized a ternary Au-Cu-Si composition library containing over 1000 individual alloys using combinatorial sputtering. We subsequently melted and resolidified the entire library at controlled cooling rates. We used scanning optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction mapping to explore trends in phase formation and microstructural length scale with composition across the library. The integration of combinatorial synthesis with parallelizable analysis methods provides a efficient method for examining vast compositional ranges. The availability of microstructures from this vast composition space not only facilitates design of new alloys by controlling effects of composition on phase selection, phase sequence, length scale, and overall morphology, but also will be instrumental in understanding the complex process of microstructure formation in alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A bulk metallic glass forming alloy is subjected to shear flow in its supercooled state by compression of a short rod to produce a flat disk. The resulting material exhibits enhanced crystallization kinetics during isothermal annealing as reflected in the decrease of the crystallization time relative to the nondeformed case. The transition from quiescent to shear-accelerated crystallization is linked to strain accumulated during shear flow above a critical shear rate ɣc ≈ 0.3 s-1 which corresponds to Péclet number, Pe ~ O(1). The observation of shear-accelerated crystallization in an atomic system at modest shear rates is uncommon. It is made possible here by the substantial viscosity of the supercooled liquid which increases strongly with temperature in the approach to the glass transition. We may therefore anticipate the encounter of nontrivial shear-related effects during thermoplastic deformation of similar systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developed real-time hybrid model (RTHM) tests to reproduce Saige building vibration incident. • Developed RTHM testing system that includes the loading system, instrumentations, and the delay compensation component. • Wind loads tests of the masts were first carried out show that the dynamic characteristics of scaled mast models were conserved. • RTHM results demonstrate the capability of the developed testing method to reproduce the Saige building abnormal vibration. In May 2021, the 72-story Shenzhen Saige building experienced abnormal vibration that was strongly felt on many floors and triggered social panic. The tower was therefore closed for more than 2 months resulting in huge economic losses. A preliminary study consisting of field resonant excitation tests and a series of numerical simulations were carried out. It was concluded that the wind loads provoked the higher modes of the building vibration. Specifically, the vibration of the mast, which is located at the building top, induced this abnormal vibration. To validate this conclusion, real-time hybrid model (RTHM) tests was developed to reproduce this building vibration incident. This paper presents the details of the validation RTHM tests including testing design and result discussions. Structural vibration parameters obtained from the field tests were used in the numerical substructure building model, and the experimental substructures were the two scaled down mast models (the cantilever beam section of the masts). During RTHM test, the restoring force of the experimental substructure due to real wind loads induced by an air fan was measured and used in the numerical simulation to compute interface motions. A shaking table was then used to impose the interface motion back to the bottom of the mast model to reproduce the abnormal vibration incident. The demonstrated ability of the developed RTHM testing method to reproduce the resonant phenomenon of the wind-induced tower vibration provides an alternative experimental method to study vibration responses of high-rise buildings in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which describes the properties of zinc oxide films synthesized by ion beam deposition and post-annealing mechanism. It indicates that post-annealing has played an important role on the film electrical and optical properties. It notes that the optical properties showing the blue shift along with annealing time has stable qualities with no obvious morphological changes.

A novel intermolecular system D-π⋯π′-A was constructed with tetraphenylethylene (TPE) and borondipyrromethene (BODIPY), which had a synergistic effect on PDT and PTT (1 + 1 > 2). The PTT effect of TPD-BOA(D/A) was 1.7 times the sum of BOA + TPD; the effect of PDT(TPA+BOD) was 1.45 times the sum of TPA + BOD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Patients with a homozygous β0‐thalassemia mutation usually have a transfusion‐dependent β‐thalassemia major phenotype. However, some β‐thalassemia patients present with a relatively mild and even normal phenotype and always have a high level of Hb F induced by genetic modifiers. Methods: In this study, we identified a homozygous β0‐thalassemia mutation (HBB: c.126_129delCTTT) in a 36‐year‐old pregnant woman. She had not presented any clinical symptoms of β‐thalassemia since birth. To investigate her unexpected mild phenotype, known genetic modifiers that ameliorate the severity of β‐thalassemia were analysed. Besides, we described the haematological changes during pregnancy. Results: Two genetic modifiers (a heterozygous KLF1: c.519_525dup mutation; and two homozygous HBS1L‐MYB locus SNP variants: rs7776054 and rs9399137) were identified. However, she showed a gradually decreased level of Hb during pregnancy, and serious transfusion complication of hyperhaemolysis was induced and complicated the pregnancy. Conclusion: This report is in accordance with previous findings that genetic modifiers can ameliorate the clinical severity of β‐thalassemia, even without obvious clinical symptoms in a prolonged steady state. However, the steady state can be disrupted during pregnancy. In addition, raising awareness of hyperhaemolysis among clinicians treating patients with thalassemia is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To study the effects of biological flocs on growth performance of Cyprinus carpio var. Furui No. 2 and aquaculture water quality. [Methods] The comparative experiment method was adopted. An experimental group and a control group were set up,with 3 replicates in each group. The experimental group used beet molasses as the carbon source which was added once a week. The breed,quantity,and specifications of stocked fish in each group were exactly the same. The experiment lasted for 60 d. Fish growth indicators were measured every 7 d. After one week of the experiment,ammonia nitrogen and nitrite were monitored once a week,and dissolved oxygen was monitored once a day. [Results] The survival rate of fish,the average weight of,the weight gain rate,and the specific growth rate of the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group（ P < 0.05）,and the feed conversion rate was significantly lower than that of the control group（ P < 0.05）. One week after adding the carbon source in the experimental group,the ammonia nitrogen was lower than the control group,and after three weeks it was significantly lower than the control group（ P < 0.05）; after adding the carbon source,the nitrite in the experimental group was lower than the control group,there was no significant difference in the first three weeks（ P > 0.05）,and there was a significant difference after three weeks（ P < 0.05）. The feed conversion rate of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group（ P < 0.05）. [Conclusions]Adding a carbon source can significantly reduce ammonia nitrogen,nitrite and other toxic and harmful substances in the aquaculture water,promote the growth of aquaculture fish and increase the feed utilization rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of special fishery cooperatives promotes the organization degree of fishermen, and provides technical services, market information for fishermen, and contributes to the organization of production and marketing. On the basis of investigating development of specialized fishery cooperatives in Jilin, it was proposed that local fishery cooperatives remained at the primary development stage, and were still limited by such problems as low organizational degree, low personnel quality, poor management level, and ossified thinking of members. In view of these problems, suggestions were given to facilitate the sustainable and healthy development of specialized fishery cooperatives, such as deepening the understanding of members, enhancing the propaganda; devoting more to fishermen training, and enhancing their awareness of cooperation; enhancing the implementation of Law on Specialized Farmer Cooperatives; providing more policy support for the development of fishery cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megasporogenesis is a key step during ovule development in angiosperms, but the small number and inaccessibility of these cells have hampered molecular and genome-wide studies. Thus, many questions remain regarding the molecular basis of cell specification, differentiation, and development in the female gametophyte. Here, taking advantage of the correlation between spikelet length and ovule development in rice (Oryza sativa), we studied the transcriptome dynamics of young ovules at three stages, the archesporial cell, the megaspore mother cell before meiosis, and the functional megaspore after meiosis, using expression profiling based on RNA sequencing. Our analysis showed that 5,274 genes were preferentially expressed in ovules during megasporogenesis as compared to ovules at the mature female gametophyte stage. Out of these, 958 (18.16%) genes were archesporial cell- and/or megaspore mother cell-preferential genes, and represent a significant enrichment of genes involved in hormone signal transduction and plant pathogen interaction pathways, as well as genes encoding transcription factors. The expression patterns of nine genes that were preferentially expressed in ovules of different developmental stages, including the OsERECTA2 (OsER2) receptor-like kinase gene, were confirmed by in situ hybridization. We further characterized the OsER2 loss-of-function mutant, which had an excessive number of female germline cells and an abnormal female gametophyte, suggesting that OsER2 regulates germline cell specification during megasporogenesis in rice. These results expand our understanding of the molecular control of megasporogenesis in rice and contribute to the functional studies of genes involved in megasporogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of traumatic arteriovenous fistula (TAVF) between the middle meningeal artery (MMA) and the petrosal vein (PV) is rare. Although TAVF has been reported involving the MMA several sinus and veins, this is the first incidence of a fistula involving the extracranial MMA and PV. We present a 47-year-old male with sudden onset of weakness of his right limb and speech difficulty a few hours before admission to our facility. He had a 6-month history of mild traumatic head injury. Initial computed tomography revealed midbrain hemorrhage while digital subtraction angiography revealed a TAVF of the left MMA. Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, however, revealed communication between the MMA and PV. We treated the patient with coil embolization via the transarterial route. This is the first incidence of a fistula connecting the extracranial MMA and PV. We managed the patient with only coil embolization without any further neurologic deficits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact seventh-order wideband bandpass filter (BPF) with sharp roll-off skirts using coupled lines and open stubs (OSs)/shorted stubs (SSs) is proposed. Seven transmission poles in the passband and four deep transmission zeros from 0 to 2f0 ( f0 denotes centre frequency of the passband) can be realised with the help of half-wavelength OSs and quarter-wavelength SSs. For demonstration, a wideband BPF prototype is designed, fabricated with a measured 3-dB fractional bandwidth of 78% (1.22-2.77 GHz) and transition band roll-off rates of over 175 dB/GHz. Good agreement between the simulations and measurements validates the design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact bandstop filter (BSF) using parallel-coupled lines and open stubs with four transmission poles (TPs) is proposed. Through theoretical equation deduction, the positions of these four TPs can be obtained. Good roll-off skirts and stopband suppression characteristics of the BSF can be realised with the help of multiple TPs. To improve transition band roll-off rates, another BSF with five TPs is designed, where a short-circuited T-stub is loaded on the middle of the above BSF circuit structure. For demonstration, two filter examples with centre frequencies at 2 and 1.8 GHz are implemented with generation of four and five TPs, respectively, for theoretically calculated certification. Good agreement between simulated and measured results validates the design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Berberine has been verified to protect the heart from ischemia/reperfusion injury through animal experiments. However, the cardioprotective properties of berberine have not been established fully. This study was aimed at investigating whether berberine is cardioprotective in vivo and in vitro . Methods In the cardiomyoblast cells, the autophagosomes were observed by immunostaining. The apoptosis was detected by a flow cytometry. Beclin-1, LC3-II/I, adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mTOR in cardiomyocytes were detected by Western blot. Next, one hundred patients, who were undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), were randomly assigned to the berberine group (n = 52) or control group (n = 48). Berberine was administered on them postoperatively. Their plasma was then analyzed for CRP, TNF-α and IL-6. Results In the cardiomyoblast cells, berberine reduced the autophagy and apoptosis induced by NaH 2 PO 4 . At the same time, berberine increased the activation of p-AMPK and inhibited the activation of p-mTOR induced by NaH 2 PO 4 . in vivo , berberine significantly reduced the levels of CRP, TNF-α and IL-6 in the patients’ plasma. Conclusion It was concluded that berberine therapy reduced myocardial injury partly by reducing myocardial autophagy and apoptosis through the AMPK/mTOR pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a miniaturized quint-band hightemperature superconducting (HTS) bandpass filter (BPF) based on a single-perturbed multimode resonator (PMMR). By properly adjusting the lengths and the position of the perturbation line in a PMMR, the intrinsic resonance modes can be controlled, which is advantageous for multiband design. The source-load coupling, spurlines, and matching stubs on feedlines are introduced to improve impedance matching and to generate multitransmission zeros, so that enhanced isolation and harmonics suppression can be realized. A low insertion loss (IL) within each band is obtained by using an HTS technology. The filter is fabricated on an MgO substrate with the YBCO thin films, and measured at the temperature of 77 K. The passband measurement is consistent with the simulation, which verifies five passbands located at 0.56, 1.52, 3.8, 4.7, and 5.3 GHz, respectively. A low-measured IL with less than 0.2 dB level is obtained due to the application of a superconducting technology. The proposed HTS BPF owns the great merits of a simple structure, a miniature size (0.008λg 2), an enhanced upper stopband, and a low IL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a one-step and facile immobilization of enzymes by self-assembly of zinc ions and adenine in aqueous solution with mild conditions was reported. Enzymes, such as glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP), could be efficiently encapsulated in Zn/adenine coordination polymers (CPs) with high loading capacity over 90%. When the enzyme was immobilized by CPs, it displayed high catalytic efficiency, high selectivity and enhanced stability due to the protecting effect of the rigid framework. As a result, the relative activity of Zn/adenine nano-CP-immobilized GOx increased by 1.5-fold at pH 3 and 4-fold at 70 to 90 ˚C, compared to free GOx. The immobilized GOx had excellent reusability (more than 90% relative activity after being reused eight times). Furthermore, the use of this system as a glucose biosensor was also demonstrated by co-immobilization of two enzymes, detecting glucose down to 1.84 µM with excellent selectivity. The above work indicated that in-situ self-assembly of Zn/adenine CPs could be a simple and efficient method for biocatalyst immobilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]