Comparative transcriptome analysis between rhesus macaques(Macaca mulatta) and crab-eating macaques(M. fascicularis)

Understanding gene expression variations between species is pivotal for deciphering the evolutionary diversity in phenotypes. Rhesus macaques(Macaca mulatta, MMU)and crab-eating macaques(M. fascicularis, MFA) serve as crucial nonhuman primate biomedical models with different phenotypes. To date, however, large-scale comparative transcriptome research between these two species has not yet been fully explored. Here, we conducted systematic comparisons utilizing newly sequenced RNA-seq data from84 samples(41 MFA samples and 43 MMU samples)encompassing 14 common tissues. Our findings revealed a small fraction of genes(3.7%) with differential expression between the two species, as well as 36.5% of genes with tissue-specific expression in both macaques. Comparison of gene expression between macaques and humans indicated that 22.6% of orthologous genes displayed differential expression in at least two tissues. Moreover,19.41% of genes that overlapped with macaque-specific structural variants showed differential expression between humans and macaques. Of these, the FAM220A gene exhibited elevated expression in humans compared to macaques due to lineage-specific duplication. In summary,this study presents a large-scale transcriptomic comparison between MMU and MFA and between macaques and humans. The discovery of gene expression variations not only enhances the biomedical utility of macaque models but also contributes to the wider field of primate genomics.

Population genetics of marmosets in Asian primate research centers and loci associated with epileptic risk revealed by whole-genome sequencing

The common marmoset(Callithrix jacchus)has emerged as a valuable nonhuman primate model in biomedical research with the recent release of high-quality reference genome assemblies.Epileptic marmosets have been independently reported in two Asian primate research centers.Nevertheless,the population genetics within these primate centers and the specific genetic variants associated with epilepsy in marmosets have not yet been elucidated.Here,we characterized the genetic relationships and risk variants for epilepsy in 41 samples from two epileptic marmoset pedigrees using whole-genome sequencing.We identified 14558184 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)from the 41 samples and found higher chimerism levels in blood samples than in fingernail samples.Genetic analysis showed fourth-degree of relatedness among marmosets at the primate centers.In addition,SNP and copy number variation(CNV)analyses suggested that the WW domain-containing oxidoreductase(WWOX)and Tyrosine-protein phosphatase nonreceptor type 21(PTPN21)genes may be associated with epilepsy in marmosets.Notably,KCTD18-like gene deletion was more common in epileptic marmosets than control marmosets.This study provides valuable population genomic resources for marmosets in two Asian primate centers.Genetic analyses identified a reasonable breeding strategy for genetic diversity maintenance in the two centers,while the case-control study revealed potential risk genes/variants associated with epilepsy in marmosets.

Bioinformatic analysis of chromatin organization and biased expression of duplicated genes between two poplars with a common whole-genome duplication

The nonrandom three-dimensional organization of chromatin plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression.However,it remains unclear whether this organization is conserved and whether it is involved in regulating gene expression during speciation after whole-genome duplication(WGD)in plants.In this study,high-resolution interaction maps were generated using high-throughput chromatin conformation capture(Hi-C)techniques for two poplar species,Populus euphratica and Populus alba var.pyramidalis,which diverged~14 Mya after a common WGD.We examined the similarities and differences in the hierarchical chromatin organization between the two species,including A/B compartment regions and topologically associating domains(TADs),as well as in their DNA methylation and gene expression patterns.We found that chromatin status was strongly associated with epigenetic modifications and gene transcriptional activity,yet the conservation of hierarchical chromatin organization across the two species was low.The divergence of gene expression between WGD-derived paralogs was associated with the strength of chromatin interactions,and colocalized paralogs exhibited strong similarities in epigenetic modifications and expression levels.Thus,the spatial localization of duplicated genes is highly correlated with biased expression during the diploidization process.This study provides new insights into the evolution of chromatin organization and transcriptional regulation during the speciation process of poplars after WGD.

Soliton molecules and dynamics of the smooth positon for the Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation

Soliton molecules are firstly obtained by velocity resonance for the Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation, and n-order smooth positon solutions for the Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation are generated by means of the general determinant expression of n-soliton solution. The dynamics of the smooth positons of the Gerdjikov–Ivanov equation are discussed using the decomposition of the modulus square, the trajectories and time-dependent "phase shifts" of positons after the collision can be described approximately. Additionally, some novel hybrid solutions consisting solitons and positons are presented and their rather complicated dynamics are revealed.

Trajectory equation of a lump before and after collision with line,lump, and breather waves for (2+1)-dimensional Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation

Based on the hybrid solutions to(2+1)-dimensional Kadomtsev–Petviashvili(KP) equation, the motion trajectory of the solutions to KP equation is further studied. We obtain trajectory equation of a single lump before and after collision with line, lump, and breather waves by approximating solutions of KP equation along some parallel orbits at infinity. We derive the mathematical expression of the phase change before and after the collision of a lump wave. At the same time,we give some collision plots to reveal the obvious phase change. Our method proposed to find the trajectory equation of a lump wave can be applied to other(2+1)-dimensional integrable equations. The results expand the understanding of lump,breather, and hybrid solutions in soliton theory.

Development of covalent-organic frameworks derived hierarchical porous hollow carbon spheres based LiOH composites for thermochemical heat storage

Under the joint assistance of its excellent storage strength, accessible long storage lifespan, and high heat utilization efficiency, salt hydrate-based thermochemical heat storage(THS) materials give renewable energy an important outlet to alleviate the pressure of underutilization. Herein, an activated hollow spherical carbon(AHSC) with hierarchical porous architectures converted from covalent-organic frameworks(COFs) is constructed and utilized as the supporting matrix for Li OH.THS composite material for the first time. The obtained Li/AHSC_(3) composites have distinguished hydration performance while manifesting impressive storage ability up to 1916.4 k J kg^(-1)with low operating temperature stemming from the collective effect of the void spherical framework, multimodal porosity, and high surface area of AHSC3. And the Li/AHSC3-40 composite with evidently progressed thermal conductivity is capable of realizing 94.5% heat preservation after twenty-five adsorption-desorption cycles, exhibiting its eminent cyclability and great heat transfer performance. This study not only brings new hope for overcoming the underutilization of low-grade heat but also may enlighten new ideas for enriching the application scenarios of COFs-derived carbonaceous materials.

Influence factors on the ground surface rupture zone induced by buried normal fault dislocation

The seismic disaster presents a zonal distribution along the fault strike.In this paper,rupture zone of ground surface soil caused by the uniform dislocation,inclined dislocation and warped dislocation of buried normal fault are studied by constituting a three-dimensional finite element model in Automatic Dynamic Incremental Nonlinear Analysis(ADINA).According to the critical value of surface rupture,the variational features and influencing factors of width and starting position of the"avoiding zone"in engineering construction are analyzed by using 96 model calculations.The main results are as follows:(1)Since the rupture zone of the ground surface soil from the point of mechanics is different from the"avoidance zone"from the point of engineering safety,the equivalent plastic strain and the total displacement ratio should be considered to evaluate the effect of the seismic ground movement on buildings.(2)During fault dislocation,plastic failure firstly occurred on the ground surface soil of the footwall side,and then the larger deformation gradually moved to the side of the hanging wall of the fault with the increase of fault displacement.(3)When the vertical displacement of buried fault reaches 3 m,the width of"avoiding zone"in engineering construction varies within the range of 10-90 m,which is most affected by the thickness of overlying soil and the dip angle of the fault.

Intelligent overheating fault diagnosis for overhead transmission line using semantic segmentation

The strain clamps and leading wires are important components that connect conductors on overhead transmission lines and conduct current.During operation,poor contact between these components can cause abnormal overheating,leading to electric failures and threatening power system reliability.Recently,the use of unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with infrared thermal imagers for strain clamp and leading wire maintenance has become increasingly popular.Deep learning-based image recognition shows promising prospects for intelligent fault diagnosis of overheating faults.A pre-treatment method is proposed based on dynamic histogram equalisation to enhance the contrast of infrared images.The DeepLab v3+network,loss function,and existing networks with different backbones are compared.The DeepLab v3+network with ResNet101 and convolutional block attention module added,and the Focal Loss function achieved the highest performance with an average pixel accuracy of 0.614,an average intersection over union(AIoU)of 0.567,an F1 score of 0.644,and a frequency weighted intersection over union of 0.594 on the test set.The optimised Atrous rates has increased the AIoU by 12.91%.Moreover,an intelligent diagnosis scheme for evaluating the defect state of the strain clamps and leading wires is proposed and which achieves a diagnostic accuracy of 91.0%.

Signaling pathways in vascular function and hypertension:molecular mechanisms and therapeutic interventions

Hypertension is a global public health issue and the leading cause of premature death in humans.Despite more than a century of research,hypertension remains difficult to cure due to its complex mechanisms involving multiple interactive factors and our limited understanding of it.Hypertension is a condition that is named after its clinical features.Vascular function is a factor that affects blood pressure directly,and it is a main strategy for clinically controlling BP to regulate constriction/relaxation function of blood vessels.Vascular elasticity,caliber,and reactivity are all characteristic indicators reflecting vascular function.Blood vessels are composed of three distinct layers,out of which the endothelial cells in intima and the smooth muscle cells in media are the main performers of vascular function.The alterations in signaling pathways in these cells are the key molecular mechanisms underlying vascular dysfunction and hypertension development.In this manuscript,we will comprehensively review the signaling pathways involved in vascular function regulation and hypertension progression,including calcium pathway,NO-NOsGC-cGMP pathway,various vascular remodeling pathways and some important upstream pathways such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system,oxidative stress-related signaling pathway,immunity/inflammation pathway,etc.Meanwhile,we will also summarize the treatment methods of hypertension that targets vascular function regulation and discuss the possibility of these signaling pathways being applied to clinical work.

Gli1 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of non-small cell lung carcinoma by regulating snail transcriptional activity and stability

Metastasis is crucial for the mortality of non-small cell lung carcinoma(NSCLC) patients.The epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) plays a critical role in regulating tumor metastasis.Glioma-associated oncogene 1(Gli1) is aberrantly active in a series of tumor tissues. However, the molecular regulatory relationships between Gli1 and NSCLC metastasis have not yet been identified. Herein,we reported Gli1 promoted NSCLC metastasis. High Gli1 expression was associated with poor survival of NSCLC patients. Ectopic expression of Gli1 in low metastatic A549 and NCI-H460 cells enhanced their migration, invasion abilities and facilitated EMT process, whereas knock-down of Gli1 in high metastatic NCI-H1299 and NCI-H1703 cells showed an opposite effect. Notably, Gli1 overexpression accelerated the lung and liver metastasis of NSCLC in the intravenously injected metastasis model. Further research showed that Gli1 positively regulated Snail expression by binding to its promoter and enhancing its protein stability, thereby facilitating the migration, invasion and EMT of NSCLC. In addition, administration of GANT-61, a Gli1 inhibitor, obviously suppressed the metastasis of NSCLC. Collectively, our study reveals that Gli1 is a critical regulator for NSCLC metastasis and suggests that targeting Gli1 is a prospective therapy strategy for metastatic NSCLC.

Translocation and biotoxicity of metal (oxide) nanoparticles in the wetland-plant system

Engineered nanoparticles(ENPs)threaten the environment through wastewater discharging.Generally,constructed wetlands(CWs)are efficient methods for ENPs removal.However,the biotoxicity of ENPs on plants in CWs is unclear.Here,we investigated the distribution and bio-impacts of different ENPs(Ag NPs,TiO_(2) NPs,and CeO_(2) NPs)in plants under 5-and 60-day exposure to 1 and 50 mg/L concentrations.Results showed that ENPs appeared in the vascular bundle and mesophyll cell space,which induced the variation in antioxidase activities(e.g.,superoxide dismutase[SOD],peroxidase[POD],and catalase[CAT]activities)as well as overproduction of malondialdehyde(MDA).Additionally,Ag NPs inhibited photosynthesis rate and root activity during two exposure phases.CeO_(2) NPs had positive and negative impacts on plants in 5-and 60-day exposure,respectively.Inversely,TiO_(2) NPs enhanced photosynthesis and root activity under 60-day exposure.Finally,the contents of the C,N,and P elements in plants fluctuated in response to ENPs stress.All results have a positive correlation with the wetland performance under ENPs exposure except for TiO_(2) NPs treatment.Overall,our study systematically reveals aquatic plants'responses to ENPs and provides a reference for building ecological treatment systems to purify wastewater containing ENPs.

Label-free selective sensing of Pb^(2+)lead(Ⅱ) sensors based on the aggregation of a pyrene fluorescent probe

In the present work,we report a label-free fluorescence turn-on approach for the sensitive and selective sensing of Pb2?.Pyrene with one positive charge was used as the fluorescent probe,and thrombin aptamer(TBA),which was a G-rich oligonucleotide,was employed to form G-quadruplex with lead(II).When TBA and Pb2?were mixed with lead(II)in an aqueous solution,it was folded into a stable G-quadruplex.Subsequently,a single-stranded nucleic acid-specific nuclease S1 was added.The G-quadruplex stabilized by Pb2?lead(II)had markedly a significant resistant ability to nuclease S1 digestion.However,in the absence of Pb2?lead(II),no quadruplex or less stable quadruplex was formed and TBA was digested by nuclease S1 in 3 min under the optimized experimental conditions.Finally,pyrene probe was mixed with oligonucleotide in Pb2?lead(II).Electrostatic interactions between oligonucleotide(a polyanion)and the probe induced the aggregation of the probe,which in turn produced strong emission of the strong pyrene excimer emission.The intensity of the induced excimer emission was directly proportional to the amount of Pb2?added.Our approach shows good selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of Pb2?with a limit of detection limit as low as 800 nmol/L.

Fabrication of LiOH-metal organic framework derived hierarchical porous host carbon matrix composites for seasonal thermochemical energy storage

By virtue of its long lifespan and outstanding storage intensity with near-zero heat loss,salt hydrate thermochemical energy storage(TES)materials provide a feasible option for the effective use of renewable energy and overcoming its unsynchronized supply and demand.Here,an activated porous carbon originating from the zeolite imidazolate framework(ZHCM)is fabricated and served as the carbon matrix for the LiOH TES material.The as-synthesized Li/ZHCM2-40 not only has excellent storage intensity(maximum 2414.2 kJ·kg^(−1))with low charging temperature,but also shows great hydration properties stemming from the ultrahigh surface area and hierarchical porous structure of ZHCM2.Besides,this composite material exhibits superior thermal conductivity,while its storage intensity is only attenuated by 10.2%after 15 times of consecutive charge-discharge process,revealing its outstanding cycle stability.And the numerical simulation results also demonstrate its superior heat transfer performance.The developed LiOH TES composite may afford a new avenue for efficient low-grade thermochemical energy storage and liberate the possibility of further exploration of metal organic frameworks derived porous carbon matrix in the future.

Neuroaesthetics: a narrative review of neuroimaging techniques

As a new discipline,neuroaesthetics has developed rapidly to become an important branch of neuroscience.The study of neuroaesthetics is of great significance to understanding the mechanisms underlying human aesthetics.In this review,we briefly define neuroaesthetics,and then review the current state of aesthetics research with a focus on single-modal and multi-modal neuroimaging technologies using the visual and auditory modalities.Finally,we summarize current challenges and trends in the field.

Sparse Optimization for Green Edge AI Inference

With the rapid upsurge of deep learning tasks at the network edge,effective edge artificial intelligence(AI)inference becomes critical to provide lowlatency intelligent services for mobile users via leveraging the edge computing capability.In such scenarios,energy efficiency becomes a primary concern.In this paper,we present a joint inference task selection and downlink beamforming strategy to achieve energy-efficient edge AI inference through minimizing the overall power consumption consisting of both computation and transmission power consumption,yielding a mixed combinatorial optimization problem.By exploiting the inherent connections between the set of task selection and group sparsity structural transmit beamforming vector,we reformulate the optimization as a group sparse beamforming problem.To solve this challenging problem,we propose a logsum function based three-stage approach.By adopting the log-sum function to enhance the group sparsity,a proximal iteratively reweighted algorithm is developed.Furthermore,we establish the global convergence analysis and provide the ergodic worst-case convergence rate for this algorithm.Simulation results will demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach for improving energy efficiency in edge AI inference systems.