Rainfall Monitoring Using a Microwave Links Network:A Long-Term Experiment in East China

The first long-term rainfall monitoring experiment using the commercial microwave links(CMLs)network in East China is introduced.The network,located in Jiangyin,Jiangsu Province,consists of 49 links with frequencies ranging from 15 GHz to 26 GHz and lengths from 1.14 km to 4.78 km.An OTT PARSIVEL disdrometer is deployed to refine the local rain-induced attenuation relationship,and the CML observations are compared simultaneously with five rain gauges.The inversion parameters of the CML are optimized by minimizing the error of the accumulated rainfall of historical rainfall events.The inversion results show that the daily accumulated rainfall retrieved by the CMLs agrees well with the rain gauge measurements.As an opportunistic approach to monitor near-surface rainfall with high spatiotemporal representativeness and accuracy,the CML network can be used to monitor and forecast urban flood disasters,especially in regions where the widepread deployment of conventional meteorological instruments is impractical.

Edible mushrooms as a potent therapeutics of subclinical thyroid dysfunction among adults,especially in obese individuals:a prospective cohort study

Background:Mushrooms are a good source of many nutrients which are potentially beneficial for chronic diseases.We speculated that due to its abundant nutrients edible mushrooms might have a beneficial effect on the prevention of subclinical thyroid dysfunction(SCTD).Therefore,we designed a large-scale cohort study to examine whether mushrooms consumption is a protective factor for SCTD in adults.Methods:This prospective cohort study investigated 6631 participants(mean age:(45.0±10.2)years;55.1%men).Edible mushrooms consumption was measured at baseline using a validated food frequency questionnaire.SCTD was defined as abnormal serum thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and normal free thyroxine.Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the association of edible mushrooms consumption with incident SCTD.Results:During follow-up period,a total of 262 new cases of SCTD were identified,the incidence rate of subclinical hypothyroidism was 8.9/1000 person-years and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 7.2/1000 person-years.After adjusting potential confounding factors,the multivariable hazard ratios(95%confidence intervals)for subclinical hypothyroidism were 1.00(reference)for almost never,0.53(0.29,0.97)for 1-3 times/week and 0.30(0.10,0.87)for≥4 times/week(P for trend=0.02).It also showed edible mushrooms consumption was inversely associated with subclinical hypothyroidism in obese individuals but not non-obese individuals,the final hazard ratios(95%confidence intervals)were 0.14(0.03,0.73)(P for trend<0.01).Conclusions:This population-based prospective cohort study has firstly demonstrated that higher edible mushrooms consumption was significantly associated with lower incidence of subclinical hypothyroidism among general adult population,especially in obese individuals.

Electrochemical behavior of gold and its associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions

Electrochemical measurements were conducted to study the electrochemical behavior of gold （Au） and its commonly associated minerals in alkaline thiourea solutions. The results indicated that without addition of any stabilizer, selective dissolution of Au from stibnite and pyrite was only possible at relatively low thiourea concentrations. As Na2SiO3 was added, pyrite started to become active and an oxida- tion peak appeared; the oxidation peaks of axsenopyrite and chalcocite appeared earlier thaxl that of Au. The chalcocite peak shifted in the positive direction and the peak current increased. Stibnite did not show an oxidation peak and its current was nearly zero. Adding Na2SiO3 favored the selective dissolution of Au when its minerals were associated with chalcocite and stibinte. At pH 12, the Au anode dissolution peak current increased with stabilizer concentration. At 0.38 and 0.42 V and for Na2SiO3 concentration below 0.09 M, the current density continuously increased with Na2SiO3 concentration. The Na2SiO3 concentration had to be adequate to stabilize thiourea. When the potential was higher than 0.42 V, the surface of the Au electrode started to passivate. With an additional increase in potential, the presence of Na2SiO3 could not stop the inevitable decomposition of thiourea.

Forest characteristics and population structure of Glyptostrobus pensilis, a globally endangered relict species of southeastern China

The Chinese water pine Glyptostrobus pensilis is the sole surviving species of the genus Glyptostrobus. It is endemic to southern China, central Vietnam, and eastern Laos, and today it is nearly extinct in the wild. Forest community characteristics and population structure of G. pensilis in China have remained un-known up to now. We investigated six swamp forest stands and analyzed their forest community characteristics (i.e. vertical stratification, species composition, and diversity) and population structure, including the frequency distribution of DBH (diameter at breast height) and age-classes as found in Fujian Province, southeastern China. The vertical stratifications of all the forest stands were rather simple. The remaining wild specimens ranged from roughly 15 to some 357 years for an average of ca. 85 years, with only a few individuals less than 20 years old. Compared with the stands and populations of G. pensilis in Vietnam, the taxonomic compositions of the stands in the two regions were different, except for the dominant species-G. pensilis. The Shannon-Wiener index showed the overstory of each stand had much lower diversity (0.26 on average) in Fujian Province than that (1.97 on average) in Vietnam, whereas the diversity indices were about the same (around 2.41) for the understories in the two regions. Furthermore, we discovered 18 G. pensilis seedlings at the study sites in Fujian Province. This discovery demonstrates that G. pensilis regeneration is extremely poor and its populations are declining, although these populations are rela-tively healthier than those in Vietnam.

Interaction effects on heat conduction and thermal stress in an infinite elastic plane with two circular holes

Numerous researches have focused on the physical behavior of an elastic material in the vicinity of a single hole under the assumption that the interaction effects arising from the introduction of multiple holes remain negligible if the holes are placed sufficiently far from each other.In an effort to understand hole interaction effects on heat conduction and thermal stress,we consider the case when two circular holes are embedded in an infinite elastic material and use complex variable methods together with numerical analysis to obtain solutions describing temperature and elastic fields in the vicinity of the two circular holes.The results indicate that the interaction effects on temperature distribution and stress strongly depend on the relative size of the two holes and the distance placed between them but not on the actual size of the holes.

采集策略对叶附生苔类植物发现概率及物种多样性的重要性

叶附生苔类植物主要生长在热带和亚热带常绿阔叶林维管植物叶片的表面,是苔藓植物中较为复杂的一个类群,特殊的生理生态特性使其在成为气候变化指示类群方面的潜力很大。为了探究采集者的经验及采样强度是否显著影响叶附生苔的发现概率及物种多样性,本研究在乌岩岭国家级自然保护区对叶附生苔开展了系统的采集和比较研究,以期为我国其他地区开展叶附生苔类植物的调查和研究提供经验和方法支持。通过4位具有不同采集经验的采集者在规定的时间(每人每次30 min)和区域(铁炉基至黄家岱)内对叶附生苔进行3次重复采集,分析不同采集者所采集到的含有叶附生苔的叶片数及所获得的物种多样性之间的差异。结果显示,4位采集者共采集叶附生苔类植物5科11属36种,并新增1种首次发现附生于叶片的种类(南溪苔Makinoa crispata)。采集者经验对叶附生苔的发现概率影响不显著,但对叶附生苔的物种多样性,尤其是一般种和优势种的多样性具有显著影响,推测这一差异主要是由采集者不同的采集策略所导致。同时,本研究结果还表明,叶附生苔的物种多样性随着采样强度的增加而增加,4位采集者共同参与的采样结果体现出较高的采样充分性。本研究结果表明即使针对叶附生苔类植物这一类常被认为采集和鉴定非常困难的类群,如加以必要的采集前的经验培训,即使是非专业的采集人员也足以开展针对叶附生苔类植物的调查。

Fabrication of wide temperature lanthanum and cerium doped Cu/TNU-9 catalyst with excellent NH_(3)-SCR performance and outstanding SO_(2)+H_(2)O tolerance

The effects of La on the catalytic performance,SO_(2)and H2O resistance of Cu-Ce/TNU-9 catalyst were studied in the selective catalytic reduction of NO_(x)via ammonia(NH_(3)-SCR).The results show that the La doped Ce-Cu/TNU-9(CCL/T9)catalyst exhibits better SCR performance than Ce-Cu/TNU-9(CC/T9)and Cu/TNU-9(C/T9)in the wide temperature window(200-450℃)due to La benefiting from enhancing Cu^(+)+Ce^(4+)?Cu^(2+)-+Ce^(3+)to facilitate the electron transfer,which further accelerates the oxidation of NO into NO_(2)that leads to the"Fast SCR".The La can also enhance the surface acidic,redox property and is beneficial to the formation of oxygen vacancy.Meanwhile,the larger co ntent of Ce^(3+) can produce oxygen vacancy,resulting in rising SCR activity.The CCL/T9 has outstanding water and SO_(2) resistance,which may be due to the adso rbed S on the surface of these catalysts mainly existing in the form of a small amount of sulfate and sulfite,the decomposition of ammonium bisulphite under high temperature and the hydrophobicity of TNU-9 zeolite.

工程纳米材料对高等植物生长影响的研究进展

由于纳米尺寸效应和卓越的物理化学性质,工程纳米材料(ENMs)广泛应用于生产和生活的各个领域。在农业生产领域,ENMs对高等植物生物及生态效应的风险评估备受关注。为全面认识和了解ENMs对生态系统中高等植物的影响,该文综述了农业中常用的几种ENMs (主要包括金属、金属氧化物和碳基纳米材料)对高等植物生长的影响及作用机制,探讨了ENMs对植物生物学效应的主要影响因素,包括植物种类和生长介质及ENMs粒径、形状、表面特性、浓度和处理时间。同时,从真实土壤环境、长期低剂量效应和植物吸收转运等方面对ENMs与高等植物互作研究进行了展望,以期为ENMs在农业生产上的高效利用提供参考依据。

Adjuvant chemotherapy versus adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy after radical surgery for early-stage cervical cancer:a randomized,non-inferiority,multicenter trial

We conducted a prospective study to assess the non-inferiority of adjuvant chemotherapy alone versus adjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as an alternative strategy for patients with early-stage (FIGO 2009 stage IB–IIA) cervical cancer having risk factors after surgery. The condition was assessed in terms of prognosis, adverse effects, and quality of life. This randomized trial involved nine centers across China. Eligible patients were randomized to receive adjuvant chemotherapy or CCRT after surgery. The primary end-point was progression-free survival (PFS). From December 2012 to December 2014, 337 patients were subjected to randomization. Final analysis included 329 patients, including 165 in the adjuvant chemotherapy group and 164 in the adjuvant CCRT group. The median follow-up was 72.1 months. The three-year PFS rates were both 91.9%, and the five-year OS was 90.6% versus 90.0% in adjuvant chemotherapy and CCRT groups, respectively. No significant differences were observed in the PFS or OS between groups. The adjusted HR for PFS was 0.854 (95% confidence interval 0.415–1.757;P = 0.667) favoring adjuvant chemotherapy, excluding the predefined non-inferiority boundary of 1.9. The chemotherapy group showed a tendency toward good quality of life. In comparison with post-operative adjuvant CCRT, adjuvant chemotherapy treatment showed non-inferior efficacy in patients with early-stage cervical cancer having pathological risk factors. Adjuvant chemotherapy alone is a favorable alternative post-operative treatment.

A thermodynamic model showing that information recording can drive active ion transport

Dear Editor,Ion gradients are characteristic features of a living cell that do not represent thermodynamic equilibrium.These unequilibrium status are maintained by various ion pumps such as Na-K-ATPase,which are known as the P-type ATPases.Working mechanism of Na-K-ATPase is described as Post-Albers cycle1(Fig.1a).However,the reaction scheme is non-Michaelis-Menten kinetics assembled from transient-state results,which can hardly be used to rebuild the real reaction cycle.

A ribosomal gene panel predicting a novel synthetic lethality in non-BRCAness tumors

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase(PARP)inhibitors are one of the most exciting classes of targeted therapy agents for cancers with homologous recombination(HR)deficiency.However,many patients without apparent HR defects also respond well to PARP inhibitors/cisplatin.The biomarker responsible for this mechanism remains unclear.Here,we identified a set of ribosomal genes that predict response to PARP inhibitors/cisplatin in HR-proficient patients.PARP inhibitor/cisplatin selectively eliminates cells with high expression of the eight genes in the identified panel via DNA damage(ATM)signaling-induced pro-apoptotic ribosomal stress,which along with ATM signaling-induced pro-survival HR repair constitutes a new model to balance the cell fate in response to DNA damage.Therefore,the combined examination of the gene panel along with HR status would allow for more precise predictions of clinical response to PARP inhibitor/cisplatin.The gene panel as an independent biomarker was validated by multiple published clinical datasets,as well as by an ovarian cancer organoids library we established.More importantly,its predictive value was further verified in a cohort of PARP inhibitor-treated ovarian cancer patients with both RNA-seq and WGS data.Furthermore,we identified several marketed drugs capable of upregulating the expression of the genes in the panel without causing HR deficiency in PARP inhibitor/cisplatin-resistant cell lines.These drugs enhance PARP inhibitor/cisplatin sensitivity in both intrinsically resistant organoids and cell lines with acquired resistance.Together,our study identifies a marker gene panel for HR-proficient patients and reveals a broader application of PARP inhibitor/cisplatin in cancer therapy.

The clinical significance of human papillomavirus and p16^(INK4a)in vulvar tumors

Vulvar cancer is the fourth most common gynecological malignancy,with a global incidence of an estimated 45,240 new cases and 17,427 deaths in 2022.1 The 5-year survival rate for vulvar cancer is about 70%based on data from the SEER database.2 More than 90%of vulvar cancer was vulvar squamous cell carcinoma(SCC),which included keratinizing,non-keratinizing,basaloid,warty,and verrucous carcinoma.

Platelet RNA signature independently predicts ovarian cancer prognosis by deep learning neural network model

Dear Editor,Platelets are circulating anucleate cytoplasmic fragments of megakaryocytes and characterized by their functions in wound healing and vascular integrity maintenance.Increasing evidence highlights the extensive reciprocal signaling interactions between platelets and tumor cells(Haemmerle et al.,2018).Tumor cells activate and aggregate platelets to sustain proliferation(Cho et al.,2012),resist apoptosis,and promote metastasis(Haemmerle et al.,2017).

浙江乌岩岭国家级自然保护区叶附生苔类及附主植物多样性

叶附生苔类植物是一类主要生长在热带雨林和亚热带常绿阔叶林维管植物叶片表面的苔类植物,具有重要的生态价值,是苔藓植物中最需要关注和保护的一个类群。但由于其个体细小、分类困难等原因,此前针对我国叶附生苔类植物的采样可能存在低估其多样性的情况。为了解采样方式可能对叶附生苔类植物多样性的影响,本研究在乌岩岭国家级自然保护区对叶附生苔开展了系统的采样及比较研究。根据叶附生苔附主植物的叶片特性、分布位置等因素,对保护区内的叶附生苔类植物及附主植物开展沿海拔梯度的系统调查和取样,分析了叶附生苔类植物和附主植物的多样性及物种组成情况。结果显示,该保护区共有叶附生苔类植物5科14属49种,叶附生苔附主植物57科84属119种。与历史数据相比,本研究区新增叶附生苔2科5属35种,其中浙江省新记录苔类4种。叶附生苔物种丰富度表现出随海拔升高呈单峰型分布的模式,在500-900 m海拔段的种数最多。基于叶片数的物种累积曲线及随机抽样分析表明,该保护区叶附生苔在不同生境及同一附主植物不同叶片间表现出较大的种类组成差异。鉴于本研究采集方法获得的较高叶附生苔物种多样性,建议在我国叶附生苔多样性其他分布中心开展类似的研究,以进一步摸清我国叶附生苔类植物物种多样性。

成年MECP2倍增小鼠中社交障碍相关神经集合的实时成像及功能挽救

人类男性中MECP2基因的倍增将导致严重的自闭症症状.过表达人源MECP2基因,会使转基因小鼠(MECP2-TG)表现出类似自闭症的行为,但这种社交行为缺陷相关的神经环路机制尚不明确.本文在小鼠海马体CA1区植入微型荧光透镜,观察MECP2-TG小鼠和野生型小鼠的社交过程及相关的实时神经活动钙荧光信号,发现与社交行为紧密相关的神经活动在MECP2-TG小鼠中被削弱了.当使用CRISPR/Cas9技术,敲除成年MECP2-TG小鼠CA1区细胞中的过表达人源MECP2基因后,小鼠的社交障碍被缓解.这一数据提示了小鼠海马体中与社交行为相关的神经环路,并提出一种缓解成年自闭症患者社交障碍的潜在方法.

可以诱导PPARγ相加效应的变构热区的识别

PPARγ激动剂-噻唑烷二酮类药物(thiazolidinedione,TZD)为治疗2型糖尿病的胰岛素增敏剂.尽管TZD药物具有强有效的药理活性,但其日益凸显的毒副作用已经被证实与常规使用剂量成正相关.目前为止,尚无一种有效的方式可以平衡TZD药物的药理活性和毒副作用.本研究发现补骨脂二氢黄酮甲醚(BVC)可以通过触发PPARγ的全新变构位点,来累积放大RSG的抗糖尿病活性,同时缓解其毒副作用的发生.BVC可协同增强TZD对PPARγ转录活性的激动作用,进而相加诱导低剂量RSG的胰岛素增敏性,同时缓解RSG单独用药时造成的体重增加和肝肾毒性副作用.BVC与RSG可同时结合在PPARγY型空腔中,其中BVC占据TZD右上方由螺旋-H3、螺旋H5、β折叠-3以及Loop 7构成的口袋.位于螺旋H5上的Met329和Ser332周围的变构热区介导了BVC触发的相加效应.基于该变构热区,本文筛选了一系列新型的变构激动剂,而且其同时具备与TZD的相加效应.这些工作揭示了选择性变构调控PPARγ的新方向,可望为2型糖尿病的治疗方式提供一种新思路.

Mu-Opioid Receptors Expressed in Glutamatergic Neurons are Essential for Morphine Withdrawal

Although opioids still remain the most powerful pain-killers,the chronic use of opioid analgesics is largely limited by their numerous side-effects,including opioid dependence.However,the mechanism underlying this dependence is largely unknown.In this study,we used the withdrawal symptoms precipitated by naloxone to characterize opioid dependence in mice.We determined the functional role of mu-opioid receptors(MORs)expressed in different subpopulations of neurons in the development of morphine withdrawal.We found that conditional deletion of MORs from glutamatergic neurons expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 2(Vglut2^+)largely eliminated the naloxone-precipitated withdrawal symptoms.In contrast,conditional deletion of MORs expressed in GABAergic neurons had a limited effect on morphine withdrawal.Consistently,mice with MORs deleted from Vglut2^+glutamatergic neurons also showed no morphine-induced locomotor hyperactivity.Furthermore,morphine withdrawal and morphine-induced hyperactivity were not significantly affected by conditional knockout of MORs from dorsal spinal neurons.Taken together,our data indicate that the development of morphine withdrawal is largely mediated by MORs expressed in Vglut2^+glutamatergic neurons.

Targeting a cryptic allosteric site of SIRT6 with small-molecule inhibitors that inhibit the migration of pancreatic cancer cells

SIRT6 belongs to the conserved NAD^(+)-dependent deacetylase superfamily and mediates multiple biological and pathological processes.Targeting SIRT6 by allosteric modulators represents a novel direction for therapeutics,which can overcome the selectivity problem caused by the structural similarity of orthosteric sites among deacetylases.Here,developing a reversed allosteric strategy Allo Reverse,we identified a cryptic allosteric site,Pocket Z,which was only induced by the bi-directional allosteric signal triggered upon orthosteric binding of NAD^(+).Based on Pocket Z,we discovered an SIRT6 allosteric inhibitor named JYQ-42.JYQ-42 selectively targets SIRT6 among other histone deacetylases and effectively inhibits SIRT6 deacetylation,with an IC50 of 2.33μmol/L.JYQ-42 significantly suppresses SIRT6-mediated cancer cell migration and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.JYQ-42,to our knowledge,is the most potent and selective allosteric SIRT6 inhibitor.This study provides a novel strategy for allosteric drug design and will help in the challenging development of therapeutic agents that can selectively bind SIRT6.

In vivo biocompatibility and degradability of a Zn-Mg-Fe alloy osteosynthesis system

Zinc is generally considered to be one of the most promising materials to be used in biodegradable implants,and many zinc alloys have been optimized to improve implant biocompatibility,degradation,and mechanical properties.However,long-term degradation leads to the prolonged presence of degradation products,which risks foreign body reactions.Herein,we investigated the in vivo biocompatibility and degradation of a biodegradable Zn-Mg-Fe alloy osteosynthesis system in the frontal bone,mandible,and femur in beagles for 1 year.Results of the routine blood,biochemical,trace element,and histological analyses of multiple organs,peripheral blood CD4/CD8a levels,and serum interleukin 2 and 4 levels showed good biocompatibility of the Zn-Mg-Fe alloy.Zinc content analysis revealed zinc accumulation in adjacent bone tissue,but not in the liver,kidney,and spleen,which was related to the degradation of the Zn-Mg-Fe alloy.The alloy demonstrated a uniform slowing degradation rate in vivo.No degradation differences in the frontal bone,mandible,and femur were observed.The degradation products included zinc oxide[ZnO],zinc hydroxide[Zn(OH)_(2)],hydrozincite[Zn_(5)(OH)_(6)(CO_(3))_(2)],and hopeite[Zn_(3)(PO_(4))_(2)⋅4H_(2)O].The good biocompatibility and degradation properties of the Zn-Mg-Fe alloy render it a very attractive osteosynthesis system for clinical applications.

Non-proteolytic ubiquitination of OTULIN regulates NF-κB signaling pathway

NF-κB signaling regulates diverse processes such as cell death,inflammation,immunity,and cancer.The activity of NF-κB is controlled by methionine 1-linked linear polyubiquitin,which is assembled by the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex(LUBAC)and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2L3.Recent studies found that the deubiquitinase OTULIN breaks the linear ubiquitin chain,thus inhibiting NF-κB signaling.Despite the essential role of OTULIN in NF-κB signaling has been established,the regulatory mechanism for OTULIN is not well elucidated.To discover the potential regulators of OTULIN,we analyzed the OTULIN protein complex by proteomics and revealed several OTULIN-binding proteins,including LUBAC and tripartite motif-containing protein 32(TRIM32).TRIM32 is known to activate NF-κB signaling,but the mechanism is not dear.Genetic complement experiments found that TRIM32 is upstream of OTULIN and TRIM32-mediated NF-κB activation is dependent on OTULIN.Mutagenesis of the E3 ligase domain showed that the E3 ligase activity is essential for TRIM32-mediated NF-κB activation.Further experiments found that TRIM32 conjugates polyubiquitin onto OTULIN and the polyubiquitin blocks the interaction between HOIP and OTULIN,thereby activating NF-κB signaling.Taken together,we report a novel regulatory mechanism by which TRIM32-mediated non-proteolytic ubiquitination of OTULIN impedes the access of OTULIN to the LUBAC and promotes NF-κB activation.