Search

Supplementation with far-red light in controlled environment agriculture production can enhance yield by triggering the shade avoidance syndrome. However, the effectiveness of this yield enhancement can be further improved through intermittent far-red light supplementation. In this study, the effects are explored of varying far-red light photon intensities and intermittent exposure durations—specifically at 5, 15, 30, and 45 min intervals—on the growth and development of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in plant factories, while maintaining a constant red light photon flux and daily light integral. The results showed that compared to constant far-red light, 30 min intermittent far-red light increased yield by 11.7% and the number of leaves and buds by 2.66. Furthermore, the various metrics demonstrated that intermittent far-red light supplementation enhanced the overall effectiveness of the far-red light treatment. This was validated by analyzing phytohormone content and the expression of genes related to hormone metabolism and transport at the tip of the lettuce stems. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the differences in gene expression between treatments were primarily concentrated in genes related to signaling, hormone metabolism, and transport. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis identified the co-expression modules associated with yield and quality. Additionally, dynamic expression analysis showed genes involved to far-red photoreception, response, and hormone metabolism and transport exhibited optimal rhythmic responses only under 30 min intermittent far-red light supplementation. This suggests that intermittent far-red light irradiation at 30 min intervals is the most effective for activating far-red light signaling influencing hormone metabolism and transport, thereby accelerating the growth of lettuce leaves and buds and ultimately increasing yield.

Multilayer laminates with a 304 stainless steel as surface layers and with a low C steel and a medium-Mn steel as alternating central layers have been developed in the present study. The number of interfaces and the layer thickness have been varied, while maintaining the similar microstructures for each layer. The uniform elongation is observed to increase from 10.1% to 37.8%, and the product of strength and elongation is found to increase from 13.6 GPa·% to 36.8 GPa·% monotonically with decreasing layer thickness in multilayer laminates, while the yield stress remains almost constant. Firstly, deformation-induced martensite transformation is significantly promoted with decreasing layer thickness. Secondly, the more interfaces can induce the accumulation of higher density of geometrically necessary dislocations, resulting in better mechanical properties. Lastly, the main cracks nucleate and propagate at the interfaces of low C steel layers and medium Mn steel layers, thus the samples with smaller layer thickness have more interfaces and require more energy consumption during the micro-fracture process, resulting in better tensile performance.

Both heterogeneous grain structure and dual nanoprecipitates were designed in a Al0.5 Cr0.9FeNi2.5V0.2 high entropy alloy (HEA), and the dynamic shear responses were investigated by hat-shaped specimens in split Hopkinson pressure bar tests. The present HEA with heterogeneous structure displays an unprecedented synergy of dynamic shear strength and ductility, as compared to the literature data for other metals and alloys. The excellent dynamic shear properties in the unaged samples could be due to the dynamical grain refinement, the dislocations hardening, and the precipitation hardening. The aged samples with a higher volume fraction of coherent L12 nanoprecipitates display even better dynamic shear properties, as compared to the unaged samples, which can be attributed to the triggered planar dislocation slip, the stored higher density of dislocations, the formation of dislocation substructure and the more pronounced precipitation hardening for postponing the occurrence of the adiabatic shear band (ASB). The high strain rate, high strain/stress magnitude, high adiabatic temperature rise, and fast-cooling process within ASB were observed to induce the dynamic recrystallization and the phase transformation from FCC phase to B2 phase, and this newly observed phase transformation phenomenon was not observed before under quasi-static deformation conditions.

Atherosclerosis is an epidemic across the globe[A1], and its morbidity and mortality remain high, involving various complications and poor prognoses. In atherosclerosis, endothelial cells (ECs) dysfunction, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) migration and proliferation, foam cell formation, and inflammatory cell recruitment contribute to disease progression. Vascular stem cells (VSCs) also play a critical role in the cardiovascular system. Important data showed that the simultaneous increase of proliferation and apoptosis of VSMCs is the main cause of graft vein stenosis, suggesting that inhibition of VSMCs proliferation and apoptosis simultaneously is an important strategy for the treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis. Complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) is growing. Berberine is an extract of Chinese traditional herbs that is known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects in the digestive system. Its underlying anti-CVD mechanisms are currently attracting interest, and its pharmacological actions, such as antioxidation, regulation of neurotransmitters and enzymes, and cholesterol-lowering effects, have been substantiated. Recent studying found that berberine could inhibit both the proliferation and apoptosis of VSMCs induced by mechanical stretch stress simultaneously, which suggests that berberine might be an excellent drug to treat atherosclerosis. This review will focus on the recent progress of the effect of berberine on vascular cells, especially VSMCs, to provide important data and a new perspective for the application of berberine in anti-atherosclerosis.

In this study, a series of optically transparent metallized acrylics containing Gd and Pb were synthesized by the bulk polymerization of Gd(MAA)3, Pb(MAA)2 and AM according to different polymerization procedures. The variation of their optic transmittance and mechanical performance with Gd contents was investigated. Then, quasi-static uniaxial tensile tests under different strain rates and temperatures were performed to study the influence of strain rate and temperature on the mechanical properties of radiation-shielding metallized acrylic containing both Gd and Pb. The tensile responses of this material distinctly exhibit nonlinear characteristics and strongly depend on both temperature and strain rate. Based on the experimental results, a modified Zhu–Wang–Tang (ZWT) constitutive model, in which the standard elastic component was replaced by the Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model, was implemented to characterize the observed both hyperelastic and viscoelastic behaviors. The constitutive parameters were expressed as functions of temperature and determined by experimental data. The model fitting results indicate that the selected constitutive model can accurately describe the nonlinear tensile stress–strain responses of metallized acrylic containing Gd and Pb. Furthermore, the great difference in constitutive parameters implies that the viscoelastic behavior of the as-prepared metallized acrylic affects the response to quasi-static tensile loading the most.

Abstract Background Limited treatment options of extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) have led to its high mortality worldwide. Relevant data about mortality of XDR-TB patients in literature are limited and likely underestimate the real situation in China, since the majority of patients with XDR-TB are lost to follow-up after discharge from TB hospitals. In this study, we sought to investigate the mortality and associated risk factors of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-negative patients with XDR-TB in China. Methods All patients who were diagnosed with XDR-TB for the first time in four TB care centers across China between March 2013 and February 2015 were consecutively enrolled. Active tracking through contacting patients or family members by phone or home visit was conducted to obtain patients’ survival information by February 2017. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with mortality. Results Among 67 patients enrolled, the mean age was 48.7 (Standard Deviation [SD] = 16.7) years, and 51 (76%) were men. Fourteen patients (21%) were treatment naïve at diagnosis indicating primary transmission. 58 (86.8%) patients remained positive for sputum smear or culture when discharged. During a median follow-up period of 32 months, 20 deaths occurred, with an overall mortality of 128 per 1000 person-years. Among patients who were dead, the median survival was 5.4 months (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.2–17.8). Seventeen (85%) of them died at home, among whom the median interval from discharge to death was 8.4 months (IQR: 2.0–18.2). In Cox proportional hazards regression models, body mass index (BMI)

Since May 2015, severe outbreaks of hepatitis-hydropericardium syndrome (HHS) associated with infections of fowl aviadenovirus (FAdV) have emerged in broiler chickens in several Chinese provinces. To identify the genotype and gain a better understanding of the genetic properties of the FAdV strains responsible for the recent HHS outbreaks in China, the complete genome sequences of five isolates from outbreaks of HHS in broiler chickens in five provinces were determined. The results demonstrated that a novel fowl aviadenovirus 4 (FAdV-4) genotype was epidemic in China. To investigate the molecular characteristics of these Chinese FAdV-4 isolates, their genome contents were compared with those of reported pathogenic and non-pathogenic FAdV-4 strains. The comparative analysis revealed that the novel Chinese FAdV-4 isolates contain various genomic deletions and multiple distinct amino-acid mutations in their major structural genes. Two additional putative genetic virulence markers in the fiber 2 gene were identified. These findings confirmed some of the genetic differences between the pathogenic and non-pathogenic FAdV-4 isolates. The data presented in this report will enhance the current understanding of the molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of FAdV-4 isolates in China and will provide additional insight into the critical factors that determine the pathogenicity of FAdV-4 strains. Finally, the emergence of this novel and highly pathogenic FAdV-4 genotype emphasizes that preventive measures against FAdV-4 infections on poultry farms should be implemented in China.Emerging Microbes & Infections (2016) 5, e117; doi:10.1038/emi.2016.115; published online 23 November 2016