Mechanical behaviours of bedded sandstone under hydromechanical coupling

The combination of the dipping effect and hydromechanical(H-M)coupling effect can easily lead to water inrush disasters in water-rich roadways with different dip angles in coal mines.Therefore,H-M coupling tests of bedded sandstones under identical osmotic pressure and various confining pressures were conducted.Then,the evolution curves of stress-strain,permeability and damage,macro-and mesoscopic failure characteristics were obtained.Subsequently,the mechanical behaviour was characterized,and finally the failure mechanism was revealed.The results showed that:(1)The failure of the sandstone with the bedding angle of 45°or 60°was the structure-dominant type,while that with the bedding angle of 0°,30°or 90°was the force-dominant type.(2)When the bedding angle was in the range of(0°,30°)or(45°,90°),the confining pressure played a dominant role in influencing the peak strength.However,withinβ∈(30°,45°),the bedding effect played a dominant role in the peak strength.(3)With the increase in bedding angle,the cohesion increased first,then decreased and finally increased,while the internal friction angle was the opposite.(4)When the bedding angle was 0°or 30°,the“water wedging”effect and the“bedding buckling”effect would lead to the forking or converging shear failure.When the bedding angle was 45°or 60°,the sliding friction effect would lead to the shear slipping failure.When the bedding angle was 90°,the combination of the“bedding buckling”effect and shear effect would lead to the mixed tension-shear failure.The above conclusions obtained are helpful for the prevention of water inrush disasters in water-rich roadways with different dips in coal mines.

Removal of kathon by UV-C activated hydrogen peroxide:Kinetics,mechanisms,and enhanced biodegradability assessment

Kathon(CMI-MI),a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one(CMI)and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one(MI),was extensively used in industry as a nonoxidizing biocide or disinfectant.However,it would show adverse effects on aquatic life when it is discharged into surface water.In this study,the removal performance,parameter influence,degradation products and enhancement of subsequent biodegradation of CMI-MI in UV/H_(2)O_(2)system were systematically investigated.The degradation rate of CMI-MI could reach 90%under UV irradiation for 20 min when the dosage of H_(2)O_(2)was 0.3 mmol·L^(–1).The DOC(dissolved organic carbon)mineralization rate of CMI-MI could reach 35%under certain conditions([H_(2)O_(2)]=0.3 mmol·L^(–1),UV irradiation for 40 min).kobs was inversely proportional to the concentration of CMI-MI and proportional to the concentration of H_(2)O_(2).The degradation rate of CMIMI was almost unchanged in the pH range from 4 to 10.Except the presence of CO_(3)^(2-)inhibited the removal rate of CMI-MI,SO_(4)^(2-),Cl^(-),NO_(3)^(-),and NH_(4)^(+) did not interfere with the degradation of CMI-MI in the system.It was found that UV/H_(2)O_(2)system had lower energy consumption and more economic advantage compared with UV/PS system by comparing the EEO(electric energy per order)values under the same conditions.Two main organic products were identified,namely HCOOH and CH_(3)NH_(2).There’s also the formation of Cl^(-)and SO_(4)^(2-).After UV and UV/H_(2)O_(2)photolysis,the biochemical properties of CMI-MI solution were obviously improved,especially the UV/H_(2)O_(2)treatment effect was better,indicating that UV/H_(2)O_(2)technology is expected to combine with biotechnology to remove CMI-MI effectively and environmentally friendly from wastewater.

The HY5 transcription factor negatively regulates ethylene production by inhibiting ACS1 expression under blue light conditions in pear

Ethylene is the main factor controlling fruit ripening of pear(Pyrus ussuriensis).Ethylene production rate is negatively correlated with fruit shelf life;therefore,it is important to decrease the ethylene levels for optimal fruit storage.Here,we observed that blue light treatment could inhibit ethylene production and promote the expression of ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5(PuHY5),a basic leucine zipper domain(bZIP)transcription factor.The following studies showed that PuHY5 could bind to the promoter of ACC synthase 1(PuACS1),a rate-limiting enzyme in ethylene biosynthesis,and inhibit its expression.For pears in which Pu HY5 was silenced,the ethylene production and PuACS1 expression were much higher than those in the control fruit.These results demonstrated that blue light inhibited ethylene production through the induction of Pu HY5 in pear.Our finding provides a new method for prolonging fruit shelf life.

Selective Laser Melting under Variable Ambient Pressure: A Mesoscopic Model and Transport Phenomena

Recent reports on the selective laser melting(SLM)process under a vacuum or low ambient pressure have shown fewer defects and better surface quality of the as-printed products.Although the physical process of SLM in a vacuum has been investigated by high-speed imaging,the underlying mechanisms governing the heat transfer and molten flow are still not well understood.Herein,we first developed a mesoscopic model of SLM under variable ambient pressure based on our recent laser-welding studies.We simulated the transport phenomena of SLM 316L stainless steel powders under atmospheric and 100 Pa ambient pressure.For typical process parameters(laser power:200W;scanning speed:2m∙s^(-1);powder diameter:27 lm),the average surface temperature of the cavity approached 2800 K under atmospheric pressure,while it came close to 2300 K under 100 Pa pressure.More vigorous fluid flow(average speed:4m∙s^(-1))was observed under 100 Pa ambient pressure,because the pressure difference between the evaporation-induced surface pressure and the ambient pressure was relatively larger and drives the flow under lower pressure.It was also shown that there are periodical ripple flows(period:14ls)affecting the surface roughness of the as-printed track.Moreover,the molten flow was shown to be laminar because the Reynolds number is less than 400 and is far below the critical value of turbulence;thus,the viscous dissipation is significant.It was demonstrated that under a vacuum or lower ambient pressure,the ripple flow can be dissipated more easily by the viscous effect because the trajectory length of the ripple is longer;thus,the surface quality of the tracks is improved.To summarize,our model elucidates the physical mechanisms of the interesting transport phenomena that have been observed in independent experimental studies of the SLM process under variable ambient pressure,which could be a powerful tool for optimizing the SLM process in the future.

Reflective optical vortex generators with ultrabroadband self-phase compensation

The explosive growth of information urgently requires extending the capacity of optical communication and information processing.Orbital-angular-momentum-based mode division multiplexing(MDM)is recognized as the most promising technique to improve the bandwidth of a single fiber.To make it compatible with the dominant wavelength division multiplexing(WDM),broadband equal high-efficient phase encoding is highly pursued.Here,we propose a twisted-liquid-crystal and rear-mirror-based design for ultrabroadband reflective planar optics.The backtracking of the light inside the twisted birefringent medium leads to an achromatic phase modulation.With this design,a single-twisted reflective q-plate is demonstrated to convert a white beam to a polychromatic optical vortex.Jones calculus and vector beam characterization are carried out to analyze the broadband phase compensation.A dual-twisted configuration further extends the working band to over 600 nm.It supplies an ultrabroadband and reflective solution for the WDM/MDMcompatible elements and may significantly promote advances in ultrabroadband planar optics.

Safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet 2 h versus overnight fasting before non-emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography:A single-blind,multicenter,randomized controlled trial

Background:Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP),the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet(CFD)intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear.This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’recovery.Methods:This prospective,multicenter,randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers.A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group(n=665)and fasting group(n=665).The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP,while the control group abstained from food/water overnight(>6 h)before ERCP.All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol.The investigators were blinded but not the patients.The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score,and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators.The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle.Results:The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h(4.1±2.6 vs.4.8±2.8,t=4.23,P<0.001)and 20 h(2.4±2.1 vs.3.4±2.4,t=7.94,P<0.001)in the CFD group,with least-squares mean differences of 0.48(95%confidence interval[CI]:0.26-0.71,P<0.001)and 0.76(95%CI:0.57-0.95,P<0.001),respectively.The 4-h pain scores(2.1±1.7 vs.2.2±1.7,t=2.60,P=0.009,with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21[95%CI:0.05-0.37])and positive urine ketone levels(7.7%[39/509]vs.15.4%[82/533],χ^(2)=15.13,P<0.001)were lower in the CFD group.The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis(2.1%[13/634]vs.4.0%[26/658],χ^(2)=3.99,P=0.046)but not pancreatitis(5.5%[35/634]vs.6.5%[43/658],χ^(2)=0.59,P=0.444).Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla(odds ratio[OR]:0.61,95%CI:0.39-0.95,P=0.028)in the multivariable models.Conclusion:Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe,with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue,abdominal pain,and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration:ClinicalTrials.gov,No.NCT03075280.

TaMYB72 directly activates the expression of TaFT to promote heading and enhance grain yield traits in wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)

Wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)is a staple food for approximately half the global population.As the population continues to grow,the demand for high-yielding varieties is increasing(Zorb et al.,2018).Higher yields can be achieved by increasing the number and weight of grains produced and by optimizing heading dates to maximize production in local environments(Sakuma and Schnurbusch,2020).

WheatGmap:a comprehensive platform for wheat gene mapping and genomic studies

Bulked segregant analysis(BSA)is an efficient and low-cost strategy that is widely used to identify causal genes in segregating populations.BSA-based methods,such as BSA sequencing(Wenger et al.,2010),bulked segregant RNA sequencing(BSR-seq)(del Viso et al.,2012),and MutMap(Abe et al.,2012),are powerful tools that can be used for rapidly discovering genetic markers and gene mapping.Although BSA is increasingly being used in wheat(Triticum aestivum)gene mapping efforts,few user-friendly BSA tools have been developed for researchers lacking a strong bioinformatics background.Here,we developed the web-based BSA platform WheatGmap(https://www.wheatgmap.org),which integrates multiple BSA mapping models and large amounts of public data to accelerate gene cloning and functional research and facilitate resource sharing.

Wearable and flexible electrochemical sensors for sweat analysis:a review

Flexible wearable sweat sensors allow continuous,real-time,noninvasive detection of sweat analytes,provide insight into human physiology at the molecular level,and have received significant attention for their promising applications in personalized health monitoring.Electrochemical sensors are the best choice for wearable sweat sensors due to their high performance,low cost,miniaturization,and wide applicability.Recent developments in soft microfluidics,multiplexed biosensing,energy harvesting devices,and materials have advanced the compatibility of wearable electrochemical sweat-sensing platforms.In this review,we summarize the potential of sweat for medical detection and methods for sweat stimulation and collection.This paper provides an overview of the components of wearable sweat sensors and recent developments in materials and power supply technologies and highlights some typical sensing platforms for different types of analytes.Finally,the paper ends with a discussion of the challenges and a view of the prospective development of this exciting field.

Genome resources for the elite bread wheat cultivar Aikang 58 and mining of elite homeologous haplotypes for accelerating wheat improvement

Despite recent progress in crop genomics studies,the genomic changes brought about by modern breeding selection are still poorly understood,thus hampering genomics-assisted breeding,especially in polyploid crops with compound genomes such as common wheat(Triticum aestivum).In this work,we constructed genome resources for the modern elite common wheat variety Aikang 58(AK58).Comparative genomics between AK58 and the landrace cultivar Chinese Spring(CS)shed light on genomic changes that occurred through recent varietal improvement.We also explored subgenome diploidization and divergence in common wheat and developed a homoeologous locus-based genome-wide association study(HGWAS)approach,which was more effective than single homoeolog-based GWAS in unraveling agronomic trait-associated loci.A total of 123 major HGWAs loci were detected using a genetic population derived from AK58 and cs.Elite homoeologous haplotypes(HHs),formed by combinations of subgenomic homoeologs of the associated loci,were found in both parents and progeny,and many could substantially improve wheat yield and related traits.We built a website where users can download genome assembly sequence and annotation data for AK58,perform blast analysis,and run JBrowse.Our work enriches genome resources for wheat,provides new insights into genomic changes during modern wheat improve-.ment,and suggests that efficientmining of elite HHs can make a substantial contribuutionto genomics-assisted breeding in common wheat and other polyploid crops.

Wheat male-sterile 2 reduces ROS levels to inhibit anther development by deactivating ROS modulator 1

Ms2 is an important dominant male-sterile gene in wheat,but the biochemical function of Ms2 and the mechanism by which it causes male sterility remain elusive.Here,we report the molecular basis underlying Ms2-induced male sterility in wheat.We found that activated Ms2 specifically reduces the reactive oxygen species(ROS)signals in anthers and thereby induces termination of wheat anther development at an early stage.Furthermore,our results indicate that Ms2 is localized in mitochondria,where it physically interacts with a wheat homolog of ROS modulator 1(TaRomo1).Romo1 positively regulates the ROS levels in humans but has never been studied in plants.We found that single amino acid substitutions in the Ms2 protein that rescue the ms2 male-sterile phenotype abolish the interaction between Ms2 and TaRomo1.Significantly,Ms2 promotes the transition of TaRomo1 proteins from active monomers to inactive oligomers.Taken together,our findings unravel the molecular basis of Ms2-induced male sterility and reveal a regulatory mechanism in which ROS act as essential signals guiding the anther development program in wheat.

Analysis of the relationship between bile duct and duodenal microbiota reveals that potential dysbacteriosis is the main cause of primary common bile duct stones

Bacteria play an important role in the formation of primary Common Bile Duct(CBD)stones.However,the composition and function of the microbiota of bile duct in patients with primary CBD stones remained to be explored.We utilized the 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the microbial diversity and community composition of biliary and duodenal microbiota in 15 patients with primary CBD stones and 4 patients without biliary tract diseases.Alpha diversity analysis showed that the microbiota richness was similar in bile and intestinal fluid;Beta diversity analysis showed that there were differences in the composition between biliary microbiota and the duodenal microbiota,but the abundance of the main groups showed similarities.The composition of the biliary microbiota from gallstone patients was more complex,as was the duodenal microbiota.Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant bacteria at phylum level,accounting for at least 75%of the total reads in each subgroup.Pseudomonas and EscherichiaShigella were the major genus among subgroups,but Escherichia-Shigella had increased abundance in duodenal microbiota with primary choledocholithiasis,which may play an important role in stone formation.It is noteworthy that Clostridiumsensu_stricto,Lachnospiraceae_UCG-008,Butyrivibrio and Roseburia which could produce short chain fatty acids(SCFAs),were significantly decreased in biliary microbiota with primary CBD stones(p<0.05).Our study provided new insights into the compositional of normal biliary microbiota.The micro-ecology of biliary and duodenal in patients with stones is complex and closely related,and there is a potential for dysbacteriosis.The decrease in abundance of certain major acid-producing bacteria affects the health of the biliary tract and thus leads to the formation of stones.

The wheat MYB-related transcription factor TaMYB72 promotes flowering in rice

Through large-scale transformation analyses, Ta MYB72 was identified as a flowering time regulator in wheat. Ta MYB72 is a MYB family transcription factor localized to the nucleus. Three Ta MYB72 homologs,Ta MYB72-A, Ta MYB72-B and Ta MYB72-D, cloned from hexaploid wheat were mapped to the short arm of the group 6 chromosomes. Under the long-day conditions,over-expression of the Ta MYB72 in rice shortened the flowering time by approximately 12 d. Expression analyses suggest that Ta MYB72 may function through upregulation of florigen genes Hd3 a and RFT1.

GSK3 regulates VRN1 to control flowering time in wheat

The precise control of flowering time is important for the regional adaptability and productivity of many crops.Various categories of genes related to flowering have been isolated and characterized functionally in wheat(Triticum aestivum) in response to vernalization to adjust flowering initiation. Before vernalization, the inhibitory histone modification H3K27me3 is enriched in the promoter and the first intron of the vernalization gene VRN1.

ERCP combined with colonoscopy in the treatment of biliary-colonic fistula:case report and literature review

Introduction Internal biliary fistula is a potentially serious complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy[1].Biliary-colonic fistula is a rare type of internal biliary fistula.Formation of a biliary-colonic fistula can occur as the result of surgical injury,stone obstruction,and biliary hypertension.More infrequent causes include intestinal ulcer and malignant tumor.The formation of a fistula also has the effect of infection and inflammation.While very few cases of biliary-colonic fistulas have been reported,these cases typically present with the aforementioned clinical presentations[2,3].In the present case,a biliary-colonic fistula resulting from bile-duct injury after laparoscopic cholecystectomy was identified by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).We innovatively adopted ERCP combined with colonoscopy to clamp the sinus tract for the patient.

Assessing effects of land use and land cover changes on hydrological processes and sediment yield in the Xunwu River watershed, Jiangxi Province, China

The effects of land use and land cover changes on hydrological processes and sediment yield are important issues in regional hydrology.The Xunwu River catchment located in the red soil hilly region of southern China has experienced drastic land use changes in the past 30 years,with orchard increases of approximately 42%and forest decreases of approximately 40%.These changes have resulted in some alterations of runoff and sediment yield.This study aims to evaluate effects of land use/land cover on runoff and sediment yield in the Xunwu River catchment.The SWAT model(Soil and Water Assessment Tool)was used for runoff and sediment simulation,and the results met the requirements of the model acceptance based on evaluation statistics of R^(2)(the coefficient of determination),PBIAS(percent bias),and NSE(Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency).Four land use scenarios representing the gradual expansion of orchards in the past 26 years were developed for assessment of hydrological processes and sediment yield simulation.As a result,both runoff and sediment yield were changed insignificantly with decrease rates of 1.84%and 5.29%,respectively.In addition,surface runoff accounts for the largest share of the runoff components,but the lateral flow changed more than other runoff components with a decrease rate of 10.96%.The results show that orchard expansion does not reveal severe water and soil loss.This study can contribute to the rational utilization of land and water resources in the red soil hilly area of southern Jiangxi Province.

Identification and classification of promoters using the attention mechanism based on long short-term memory

A promoter is a short region of DNA that can bind RNA polymerase and initiate gene transcription.It is usually located directly upstream of the transcription initiation site.DNA promoters have been proven to be the main cause of many human diseases,especially diabetes,cancer or Huntington’s disease.Therefore,the classification of promoters has become an interesting problem and has attracted the attention of many researchers in the field of bioinformatics.Various studies have been conducted in order to solve this problem,but their performance still needs further improvement.In this research,we segmented the DNA sequence in a k-mers manner,then trained the word vector model,inputted it into long short-term memory(LSTM)and used the attention mechanism to predict.Our method can achieve 93.45%and 90.59%cross-validation accuracy in the two layers,respectively.Our results are better than others based on the same data set,and provided some ideas for accurately predicting promoters.In addition,this research suggested that natural language processing can play a significant role in biological sequence prediction.

Genome sequencing of Sitopsis species provides insights into their contribution to the B subgenome of bread wheat

Wheat(Triticum aestivum,BBAADD)is an allohexaploid species that originated from two polyploidization events.The progenitors of the A and D subgenomes have been identified as Triticum urartu and Aegilops tauschii,respectively.Current research suggests that Aegilops speltoides is the closest but not the direct ancestor of the B subgenome.However,whether Ae.speltoides has contributed genomically to the wheat B subgenome and which chromosome regions are conserved between Ae.speltoides and the B subgenome remain unclear.Here,we assembled a high-quality reference genome for Ae.speltoides,resequenced 53 accessions from seven species(Aegilops bicornis,Aegilops longissima,Aegilops searsii,Aegilops sharonensis,Ae.speltoides,Aegilops mutica[syn.Amblyopyrum muticum],and Triticumdicoccoides)and revealed their genomic contributions to the wheat B subgenome.Our results showed that centromeric regions were particularly conserved between Aegilops and Triticum and revealed 0.17 Gb of conserved blocks between Ae.speltoides and the B subgenome.We classified five groups of conserved and non-conserved genes between Aegilops and Triticum,revealing their biological characteristics,differentiation in gene expression patterns,and collinear relationships between Ae.speltoides and the wheat B subgenome.We also identified gene families that expanded in Ae.speltoides during its evolution and 789 genes specific to Ae.speltoides.These genes can serve as genetic resources for improvement of adaptability to biotic and abiotic stress.The newly constructed reference genome and large-scale resequencing data for Sitopsis species will provide a valuable genomic resource for wheat genetic improvement and genomic studies.

Novel per-oral cholangioscopy for treatment of occult accessory hepatic duct stones

Introduction The accessory hepatic duct is a variation of the biliary tree and is considered to be an important factor contributing to bile duct injury during surgery[1].Accessory hepatic duct stones are a rare form of cholelithiasis.The angle at which the accessory hepatic duct opens into the common bile duct makes it difficult to remove stones using conventional endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).We reported a rare and insidious case of an accessory hepatic duct stone.The patient’s abdominal computed tomography(CT)did not reveal any abnormalities,but endoscopic ultrasound revealed a stone in the bile duct opening into a branch of the common bile duct.The patient underwent ERCP,and cholangiography showed no abnormalities.However,the accessory hepatic duct opening was found in the common bile duct and the accessory hepatic duct stones were successfully removed using the EyeMax Choledochoscope System Digital Controller(Nanjing,China).