Analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer(SMILE)satellite is a small magnetosphere–ionosphere link explorer developed cooperatively between China and Europe.It pioneers the use of X-ray imaging technology to perform large-scale imaging of the Earth’s magnetosheath and polar cusp regions.It uses a high-precision ultraviolet imager to image the overall configuration of the aurora and monitor changes in the source of solar wind in real time,using in situ detection instruments to improve human understanding of the relationship between solar activity and changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.The SMILE satellite is scheduled to launch in 2025.The European Incoherent Scatter Sciences Association(EISCAT)-3D radar is a new generation of European incoherent scatter radar constructed by EISCAT and is the most advanced ground-based ionospheric experimental device in the high-latitude polar region.It has multibeam and multidirectional quasi-real-time three-dimensional(3D)imaging capabilities,continuous monitoring and operation capabilities,and multiple-baseline interferometry capabilities.Joint detection by the SMILE satellite and the EISCAT-3D radar is of great significance for revealing the coupling process of the solar wind–magnetosphere–ionosphere.Therefore,we performed an analysis of the joint detection capability of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D,analyzed the period during which the two can perform joint detection,and defined the key scientific problems that can be solved by joint detection.In addition,we developed Web-based software to search for and visualize the joint detection period of the SMILE satellite and EISCAT-3D radar,which lays the foundation for subsequent joint detection experiments and scientific research.

Heterogeneity beyond tumor heterogeneity—SULF2 involvement in Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation in a heterogeneous side population of liver cancer cells

Introduction:Sulfatase 2(SULF2),an endogenous extracellular sulfatase,can remove 6-O-sulfate groups of glucosamine residues from heparan sulfate(HS)chains to modulate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,which plays an important role in both liver carcinogenesis and embryogenesis.Side population(SP)cells are widely identified as stem-like cancer cells and are closely related to carcinoma metastasis,recurrence,and poor patient prognosis.However,the roles of SULF2 in SP cells of hepatomas are unclear,and the underlying mechanism is undefined.Objectives:This study aimed to compare the heterogeneity between SP cells and non-side population(NSP)cells derived from three different liver cancer cell lines and to elucidate the involvement of the SULF2-Wnt/β-catenin axis in liver cancer stem cells(CSCs)and its impact on the processes of carcinogenesis and invasiveness.Methods:In this work,three different liver cancer SP cells(HepG2,Huh7,and PRC/PRL/5)were sorted by flow cytometry.We also examined the migration and invasion behaviors of SP and NSP cells.To determine if this high tumorigenic potential of SP cells is correlated to SULF2,qPCR,western blotting,and immunofluorescence analysis were conducted.We also performed nude mouse xenograft experiments for in vivo analysis.Results:The results from the in vitro colony formation assay showed that SP cells exhibited a 2-fold higher colony formation efficiency compared to their NSP counterparts.The SP cells exhibited significantly higher potentials in terms of their migratory capacity and invasive ability compared to NSP cells.We found that higher expression of SULF2 in SP cells was associated with greater capabilities for clonogenicity,migration,and invasion.It was also linked to higher activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway via stimulation of key downstream factors,particularlyβ-catenin,c-Myc,and cyclin D1.Further,a positive correlation between the upregulated SULF2 expression and tumorigenesis in the in vivo nude mouse xenograft models was demonstrated,highlighting that the potential underlying mechanism was Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation.Conclusion:Our findings show that variable SULF2 expression was associated with differential activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway,which could lead to behavioral differences between SP and NSP cells and also among the SP cells of the three liver cancer cell lines assessed.It was reasonably concluded that the SULF2-Wnt/β-catenin axis could play an important role in the tumorigenicity of liver cancer stem cells.

Spatial spillover effects of official development assistance on environmental pressure in sub-Saharan African(SSA)countries

Impoverished sub-Saharan Africa(SSA)is under increasing environmental pressure from global environmental changes.It is now generally accepted in academic circles that economic development in SSA countries can cause environmental pressure in other countries.However,there is research gap on the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressure in SSA countries and whether economic assistance causes spatial spillovers of environ-mental pressure between SSA countries.To better understand the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures in SSA,a dynamic spatial Dubin panel model was developed.It helped us explore the spatial spillover effects of economic assistance on environmental pressures in recipient countries based on the panel data from 34 SSA countries.The results show that economic assistance had a positive stimulating effect on environmen-tal pressures of recipient countries,which means that the degree of human disturbance to the environment has deepened.Due to the regional correlation effect,neighboring countries were saddled with environmental pres-sures from the target country.Moreover,environmental pressures have time inertia,which can easily produce a snowball effect.The decomposition of effects shows that the impact of economic assistance on environmental pressures is relatively minor.Environmental pressures have spillover effects,so to deal with diffuse risks,joint regional prevention and control policies should be developed.

Analysis of a Water-Inrush Disaster Caused by Coal Seam Subsidence Karst Collapse Column under the Action of Multi-Field Coupling in Taoyuan Coal Mine

Minin-induced water inrush from a confined aquifer due to subsided floor karst collapse column(SKCC)is a type of serious disaster in the underground coal extraction.Karst collapse column(KCC)developed in a confined aquifer occurs widely throughout northern China.A water inrush disaster from SKCC occurred in Taoyuan coal mine on February 3,2013.In order to analyze the effect of the KCC influence zone’s(KCCIZ)width and the entry driving distance of the water inrush through the fractured channels of the SKCC,the stress,seepage,and impact dynamics coupling equations were used tomodel the seepage rule,and a numerical FLAC3D model was created to determine the plastic zones,the vertical displacement development of the rockmass surrounding the entry driving working face(EDWF),and the seepage vector and water inflow development of the seepage field.The hysteretic mechanism of water inrush due to SKCC in Taoyuan coal mine was investigated.The results indicate that a water inrush disaster will occur when the width of the KCCIZ exceeds 16 m under a driving,which leads to the aquifer connecting with the fractured zones of the entry floor.Hysteretic water inrush disasters are related to the stress release rate of the surrounding rocks under the entry driving.When the entry driving exceeds about 10 m from the water inrush point,the stress release rate reaches about 100%,and a water inrush disaster occurs.

High-performance wood-based thermoelectric sponges for thermal energy harvesting and smart buildings

The development of renewable woods for power generation can help improve the energy efficiency of buildings,and promote the concept design and implementation of“smart buildings”.Here,with specific chemical treatment and hydrothermal synthesis,we demonstrated the practical value of natural wood for thermoelectric power generation in smart buildings.The prepared wood-based thermoelectric sponges show high Seebeck coefficients of 320.5 and 436.6μV/K in the vertical and parallel directions of the longitudinal channel of wood.After 500 cycles of the compressive strain at 20%,the corresponding Seebeck coefficients increase up to 413.4 and 502.1μV/K,respectively,which is attributed to the improved contact and connection between tellurium thermoelectric nanowires.The Seebeck coefficients are much larger than those of most reported inorganic thermoelectric materials.Meanwhile,the thermoelectric sponges maintain excellent thermoelectric and mechanical stability.We further modeled the application value of wood-based thermoelectric sponges in smart buildings for power generation.Relatively high thermoelectric electricity can be obtained,such as in Beijing with over 1.5 million kWh every year,demonstrating the great potential in thermal energy harvest and energy supply.

“源-网-荷-储”式异质能流复合供能系统的研究现状及发展趋势

发展新一代“源-网-荷-储”式异质能流复合供能系统是能源行业高质量发展和提高可再生能源消纳水平的必然需求,加快其发展对构建多能互补、灵活、智慧的能源系统具有重要意义.目前,我国能源系统转型与升级进程加快,能源系统多能流交织、多品位分布、多时空尺度等特征愈发突出,给能源的高效利用带来新的理论和技术挑战.为实现异质能流系统的协同发展,还需要突破单一能流系统能量转换分析的局限,从能质、能量品位的角度,解释不同能源系统间的耦合逻辑并指导能源结构优化和能量管控,解决异质能流多尺度协同响应难等问题.因此,本文以“源-网-荷-储”式异质能流复合供能系统的构成和特征为切入,明晰了异质能流系统基础架构及各层间的关系,阐明了按质用能思想和能量品位相匹配对构建高效能量梯级利用系统、实现能量有序按需转化的重要性,总结了异质能流系统动态响应特性与协同调控、结构优化和能量管控等研究现状和挑战,并对未来能源系统的发展提出了一些建议.

Comparative study of the pathogenicity of the mosquito origin strain and duck origin strain of Tembusu virus in ducklings and three-week-old mice

Dear Editor,Duck Tembusu virus(DTMUV)is the causative agent of a new,acute and severe infectious disease in ducks(Su et al.,2011).TMUV was first isolated from Culex tritaeniorhynchus in Malaysia in 1955(Platt et al.,1975),and this strain is regarded as a reference strain.In our previous study,an infectious clone for the mosquito-derived Tembusu virus prototypical strain MM_1775(GenBank:JX477685.2)was constructed,and the rMM_1775 virus was rescued successfully(Wang et al.,2021).And the TMUV strain rCQW1 was rescued by a reverse genetic system using the viral RNAs of CQW1(GenBank:KM233707.1)(Chen et al.,2018;Guo et al.,2020),which was isolated from ducks in 2013(Zhu et al.,2015).

Construction of an Infectious Clone for Mosquito-Derived Tembusu Virus Prototypical Strain

Dear Editor,Duck Tembusu virus(DTMUV),a member of the Flavivirus genus within the Flaviviridae family,has caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry in China and even in Asia since 2010(Zhang et al.2017).The first strain of Tembusu virus(TMUV)MM_1775 was isolated from mosquitoes in 1955 in Malaysia(Platt et al.1975).DTMUV CQW1 strain(GenBank:KM233707.1)was isolated from the liver tissue of Cherry Valley ducks in southwest China in 2015(Zhu et al.2015).The positive control rCQW1 was rescued from an infectious clone that contained the full-length cDNA of CQW1.And the complete cDNA was positioned under the control of the T7 promoter elements for in vitro transcription(Chen et al.2018).The relationship between TMUV evolution and pathogenic variants has not been revealed.The fundamental reason is the lack of the in vitro operation platform for the prototypical strain genome.

How to manage a task-oriented virtual assistant software project:an experience report

Task-oriented virtual assistants are software systems that provide users with a natural language interface to complete domain-specific tasks.With the recent technological advances in natural language processing and machine learning,an increasing number of task-oriented virtual assistants have been developed.However,due to the well-known complexity and difficulties of the natural language understanding problem,it is challenging to manage a task-oriented virtual assistant software project.Meanwhile,the management and experience related to the development of virtual assistants are hardly studied or shared in the research community or industry,to the best of our knowledge.To bridge this knowledge gap,in this paper,we share our experience and the lessons that we have learned at managing a task-oriented virtual assistant software project at Microsoft.We believe that our practices and the lessons learned can provide a useful reference for other researchers and practitioners who aim to develop a virtual assistant system.Finally,we have developed a requirement management tool,named SpecSpace,which can facilitate the management of virtual assistant projects.

Bio-renewable polymers based on lignin-derived phenol monomers:Synthesis,applications,and perspectives

In recent decades,the continuous depletion of fossil fuels and the increasingly serious environmental issue have aroused wide attention on the development of biopolymers based on renewable biomass.Lignin is the second most abundant organic bio-based macromolecule second to cellulose,and it can be widely found in plants.Furthermore,various phenol derivatives can be obtained by their depolymerization processes.The development of bio-renewable polymeric materials originating from lignin-derivative phenol monomers,such as vanillin,syringaldehyde,eugenol,vanillyl alcohol,vanillic acid,and ferulic acid,will not only valorize the bio-sourced materials but also effectively reduce petroleum resource consumption and mitigate the environmental pollution.Therefore,an updated overview of the synthesis processes of these bio-based polymers developed in the past decade,which includes both thermosets and thermoplastics such as epoxy,phenolic,polyimine,polybenzoxazine,polyurethane,and polyesters,are elucidated.In addition,the applications of these bio-based polymers and their composites in flame-retarded materials,degradable and reprocessable materials,dielectric materials,optoelectronic materials,as well as smart responsive materials are also intensively discussed.In line with the gradual development of synthesis technologies,we believe that derivatives of lignin will turn into one of the most promising materials to be considered for the preparation of high-performance and functional bio-based polymer materials.