The Infiuence of Velocity-dependent Correction Factor on Proton Decay Reactions in Massive White Dwarfs

Twenty-five typical massive white dwarfs(WDs)are selected and the proton decay reaction catalyzed by magnetic monopoles(MMs)for these WDs is discussed.A velocity-dependent correction factor strongly affects the cross-section.We find that a strong suppression controls the monopole catalysis of nucleon decay by the correction factor.The maximum number of MMs is captured and the luminosity can be 2.235×10^(21)and 1.7859×10^(32)erg s^(-1)(e.g.,for the O+Ne core mass WD J055631.17+130639.78).The luminosities of most massive WDs agree well with the observations at relatively low temperatures(e.g.,T_(6)=0.1),but can be three and two orders of magnitude higher than those of the observations for model(Ⅰ)and(Ⅱ)at relatively high temperatures(e.g.,T_(6)=10),respectively.The luminosities of model(Ⅰ)are about one order of magnitude higher than those of model(Ⅱ).Since we consider the effect of the number of MMs captured on the mass–radius relation and the suppression of the proton decay by the correction factor,the study by model(Ⅱ)may be an improved estimation.

Premature axon-oligodendrocyte interaction contributes to stalling of experimental axon regeneration after injury to the white matter

Studies from nearly 3 decades ago suggested that,in the central nervous system(CNS),myelination of axons by oligodendrocytes not only helps improve axonal conductivity but also stabilizes circuitry(Colello and Schwab,1994).Over the years,myelin sheaths produced by oligodendrocytes have been found to contain multiple molecules that are inhibitory to axonal growth(e.g.,MAG,NogoA,OMgp,Semaphorins)(Yiu and He,2006;Silver et al.,2014).After white matter injury in the adult CNS,myelin debris from damaged axons and dead oligodendrocytes accumulates in the forming glial scar and exposes these myelin-associated axon growth-inhibitory molecules to the injured axonal stumps,thereby contributing to the inhibition of axonal regrowth.During development,CNS axons reach their postsynaptic targets and stop growing before oligodendrocytes appear and myelinate them(Foran and Peterson,1992;Dangata et al.,1996).Therefore,myelin-associated axon growth-inhibitory molecules interacting with already grown axons during myelination were thought to block axons from promiscuous sprouting and miswiring,thereby stabilizing neural circuitry in the CNS(Colello and Schwab,1994).

Rotating Massive Strangeon Stars and X-Ray Plateau of Short GRBs

Strangeon stars,which are proposed to describe the nature of pulsar-like compact stars,have passed various observational tests.The maximum mass of a non-rotating strangeon star could be high,which implies that the remnants of binary strangeon star mergers could even be long-lived massive strangeon stars.We study rigidly rotating strangeon stars in the slowly rotating approximation,using the Lennard-Jones model for the equation of state.Rotation can significantly increase the maximum mass of strangeon stars with unchanged baryon numbers,enlarging the mass-range of long-lived strangeon stars.During spin-down after merger,the decrease of radius of the remnant will lead to the release of gravitational energy.Taking into account the efficiency of converting the gravitational energy luminosity to the observed X-ray luminosity,we find that the gravitational energy could provide an alternative energy source for the plateau emission of X-ray afterglow.The fitting results of X-ray plateau emission of some short gamma-ray bursts suggest that the magnetic dipole field strength of the remnants can be much smaller than that of expected when the plateau emission is powered only by spin-down luminosity of magnetars.

Vascular endothelial growth factor:a double-edged sword in the development of white matter lesions

As the population ages,the burden of age-related diseases becomes greater.Currently,over 55 million people suffer from dementia worldwide,with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form.However,it is becoming clearer that underlying vascular pathology such as cerebral small vessel disease(cSVD)may be a more detrimental cause for dementia(Cuadrado-Godia et al.,2018).It is estimated that 10%-30%of the elderly population and 35%-90%of all dementia patients exhibit signs of cSVD.The term cSVD refers to pathology affecting the small vessels of the brain,which can lead to lacunar cerebral infarcts,enlarged perivascular spaces,and cortical hemorrhages(Cuadrado-Godia et al.,2018).CSVD is often associated with cognitive decline,gait problems,and dementia(Cuadrado-Godia et al.,2018).

Correlation of Microbiological Stability with Redox Processes in White Wines

In this paper, the authors analyzed the correlation between the microbiological stability of white wines and the content of sulfur dioxide, which influences the main redox processes that take place in the technological stages of the wine. The consecutive, parallel and spontaneous development of several redox processes and their impact on the quality, microbiological and crystalline stability of white wines were examined. The reduction of additive and subtractive technological interventions, of the amounts of adjuvants (sulphurous anhydride) is essential for the production of organic wines.

On the Identification of N-rich Metal-poor Field Stars with Future Chinese Space Station Telescope

During the long term evolution of globular clusters(GCs), some member stars are lost to the field. The recently found nitrogen-rich(N-rich) metal-poor field stars are promising candidates of these GC escapees, since N enhancement is the fingerprint of chemically enhanced populations in GCs. In this work, we discuss the possibility of identifying N-rich metal-poor field stars with the upcoming Chinese Space Station Telescope(CSST). We focus on the main survey camera with NUV, u, g, r, i, z, y filters and slitless spectrograph with a resolution about 200.The combination of UV sensitive equipment and prominent N-related molecular lines in the UV band bodes well for the identification: the color–color diagram of(u-g) versus(g-r) is capable of separating N-rich field stars from normal halo stars, if metallicity can be estimated without using the information on u-band photometry.Besides, the synthetic spectra show that a signal-to-noise ratio of 10 is sufficient to identify N-rich field stars. In the near future, a large sample of N-rich field stars found by CSST, combined with state-of-the-art N-body simulations will be crucial to deciphering GC-Galaxy co-evolution.

Free Energy of Anisotropic Strangeon Stars

Can pulsar-like compact objects release further huge free energy besides the kinematic energy of rotation?This is actually relevant to the equation of state of cold supra-nuclear matter,which is still under hot debate.Enormous energy is surely needed to understand various observations,such asγ-ray bursts,fast radio bursts and softγ-ray repeaters.In this paper,the elastic/gravitational free energy of solid strangeon stars is revisited for strangeon stars,with two anisotropic models to calculate in general relativity.It is found that huge free energy(>10^(46)erg)could be released via starquakes,given an extremely small anisotropy((p_(t)-p_(r))/p_(r)~10^(-4),with pt/pr the tangential/radial pressure),implying that pulsar-like stars could have great potential of free energy release without extremely strong magnetic fields in the solid strangeon star model.

Clinical features and possible pathogenesis of multiple evanescent white dot syndrome with different retinal diseases and events:a narrative review

●Multiple evanescent white dot syndrome(MEWDS)is a rare fundus disease,characterized by acute vision loss and visual field defects.Many previous studies have explained the possible pathogenesis and clinical features of primary MEWDS.However,as the number of reported cases increases,secondary MEWDS occurs in other related retinal diseases and injuries,exhibiting some special characteristics.The associated retinal diseases include multifocal choroiditis/punctate inner choroidopathy(MFC/PIC),acute zonal occult outer retinopathy,best vitelliform macular dystrophy,pseudoxanthoma elasticum,and ocular toxoplasmosis.The related retinal injury is laser photocoagulation,surgery,and trauma.Although primary MEWDS often have a self-limiting course,secondary MEWDS may require treatment in some cases,according to the severity of concomitant diseases and complications.Notably,MEWDS secondary to MFC/PIC that is prone to forming choroidal neovascularization and focal choroidal excavation,needs positive treatment with corticosteroids.The possible underlying pathogenesis of secondary MEWDS is the exposure of choroidal antigen after the disruption of Bruch’s membrane.The MEWDS-related features in secondary MEWDS are still evanescent under most circumstances.Its prognosis and treatment depend on the severity of complications.Current studies propose that the etiology is associated with immune factors,including viral infection,inflammation in choroid and Bruch’s membrane,and antigen exposure caused by retinal and/or choroidal insults.More pathogenic studies should be conducted in the future.Accurate diagnosis for secondary MEWDS could benefit patients in aspects of management and prognosis.

Barley chitinase genes expression revamp resistance against whitefly (Bemisia Tabaci) in transgenic cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Background Chitinase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes chitin,a major component of the exoskeleton of insects,including plant pests like whiteflies.The present study aimed to investigate the expression of chemically synthesized barley ch1 and chi2 genes in cotton(Gossypium hirsutum)through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.Fifty-five putative transgenic cotton plants were obtained,out of which fifteen plants successfully survived and were shifted to the field.Using gene-specific primers,amplification of 447 bp and 401 bp fragments confirmed the presence of the ch1 and chi2 genes in five transgenic cotton plants of the T0 generation.These five plants were further evalu-ated for their mRNA expression levels.The T0 transgenic cotton plants with the highest mRNA expression level and better yield performance in field,were selected to raise their subsequent progenies.Results The T1 cotton plants showed the highest mRNA expression levels of 3.5-fold in P10(2)for the ch1 gene and 3.7-fold in P2(1)for the chi2 gene.Fluorescent in situ hybridization(FISH)confirmed a single copy number of ch1 and chi2(hemizygous)on chromosome no.6.Furthermore,the efficacy of transgenes on whitefly was evaluated through an insect bioassay,where after 96 h of infestation,mortality rates of whitefly were calculated to be 78%–80%in transgenic cotton plants.The number of eggs on transgenic cotton plants were calculated to be 0.1%–0.12 per plant compared with the non-transgenic plants where egg number was calculated to be 0.90–1.00 per plant.Conclusion Based on these findings,it can be concluded that the chemically synthesized barley chitinase genes(ch1 and chi2)have the potential to be effective against insects with chitin exoskeletons,including whiteflies.The transgenic cotton plants expressing these genes showed increased resistance to whiteflies,resulting in reduced egg numbers and higher mortality rates.

Period–Luminosity Relationship forδScuti Stars Revisited

The Gaia DR3 parallax approach was used to estimate the absolute parameters of 2375δScuti stars from the ASAS catalog.The selected stars have a variety of observational characteristics,with a higher than 80%probability of beingδScuti stars.We have displayed all the stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram along with theδScuti instability strip,the Zero Age Main Sequence and the Terminal Age Main Sequence.Then,we determined which fundamental and overtone modes each star belongs to using pulsation constant(Q)calculations.In addition,we evaluated the parameters in the Q calculation equation using three machine learning methods,which showed that surface gravity and temperature have the greatest effect on its calculation.The Period-Luminosity(P-L)relationship of theδScuti stars was also revisited.Eventually,using least squares linear regression,we made four linear fits for fundamental and overtone modes and updated their relationships.

Variable Stars in the 50BiN Open Cluster Survey.Ⅲ.NGC 884

Open clusters are the basic building blocks that serve as a laboratory for the study of young stellar populations in the Milky Way.Variable stars in open clusters provide a unique way to accurately probe the internal structure,temporal and dynamical evolutionary stages of individual stars and the host cluster.The most powerful tool for such studies is time-domain photometric observations.This paper follows the route of our previous work,concentrating on a photometric search for variable stars in NGC 884.The target cluster is the companion of NGC869,forming the well-known double cluster system that is gravitationally bound.From the observation run in 2016 November,a total of 9247 B-band CCD images and 8218Ⅴ-band CCD images were obtained.We detected a total of 15 stars with variability in visual brightness,including five Be stars,three eclipsing binaries,and seven of unknown types.Two new variable stars were discovered in this work.We also compared the variable star content of NGC 884 with its companion NGC 869.

Ash removal from inferior coal via ammonium fluoride roasting and simultaneous yield of white carbon black

The quality upgrading and deashing of inferior coal by chemical method still faces great challenges.The dangers of strong acid,strong alkali,waste water and exhaust gas as well as high cost limit its industrial production.This paper systematically investigates the ash reduction and desilicification of two typical inferior coal utilizing ammonium fluoride roasting method.Under the optimal conditions,for fat coal and gas coal,the deashing rates are 69.02%and 54.13%,and the desilicification rates are 92.64%and 90.27%,respectively.The molar dosage of ammonium fluoride remains consistent for both coals;however,the gas coal,characterized by a lower ash and silica content(less than half that of the fat coal),achieves optimum deashing effect at a reduced time and temperature.The majority of silicon in coal transforms into gaseous ammonium fluorosilicate,subsequently preparing nanoscale amorphous silica with a purity of 99.90%through ammonia precipitation.Most of the fluorine in deashed coal are assigned in inorganic minerals,suggesting the possibility of further fluorine and ash removal via flotation.This research provides a green and facile route to deash inferior coal and produce nano-scale white carbon black simultaneously.

Life Origin in the Milky Way Galaxy: III. Spatial Distribution of Overheated Stars in the Solar Neighborhood

A concept of ensemble averaged stellar reactors is developed to study the dynamics of processes occurring in stars, allocated in the ~200 pc solar neighborhood. According to the effective temperature value, four stellar classes are identified, for which the correlation coefficients and standard deviation are counted. The theory of the buoyancy terrestial elements is generalized to stellar systems. It was suggested that stars are over-heated due to the shift parameters of the nuclear processes occurring inside the stars, which leads to the synthesis of transuranium elements until the achievement of a critical nuclear mass and star explosion. The heavy transuranium elements sink downward and are concentrated in the stellar depth layers. The physical explanation of the existence of the critical Chandrasekhar star limit has been offered. Based on the spatial analysis of overheated stars, it was suggested that the withdrawal of the stellar reactor from the equilibrium state is a consequence of extragalactic compression inside the galaxy arm due to the arm spirality (not to be confused with the spirality of the galaxy itself).

Performance of the walking trail making test in older adults with white matter hyperintensities

BACKGROUND Several studies have reported that the walking trail making test(WTMT)completion time is significantly higher in patients with developmental coordination disorders and mild cognitive impairments.We hypothesized that WTMT performance would be altered in older adults with white matter hyperintensities(WMH).AIM To explore the performance in the WTMT in older people with WMH.METHODS In this single-center,observational study,25 elderly WMH patients admitted to our hospital from June 2019 to June 2020 served as the WMH group and 20 participants matched for age,gender,and educational level who were undergoing physical examination in our hospital during the same period served as the control group.The participants completed the WTMT-A and WTMT-B to obtain their gait parameters,including WTMT-A completion time,WTMT-B completion time,speed,step length,cadence,and stance phase percent.White matter lesions were scored according to the Fazekas scale.Multiple neuropsychological assessments were carried out to assess cognitive function.The relationships between WTMT performance and cognition and motion in elderly patients with WMH were analyzed by partial Pearson correlation analysis.RESULTS Patients with WMH performed significantly worse on the choice reaction test(CRT)(0.51±0.09 s vs 0.44±0.06 s,P=0.007),verbal fluency test(VFT,14.2±2.75 vs 16.65±3.54,P=0.012),and digit symbol substitution test(16.00±2.75 vs 18.40±3.27,P=0.010)than participants in the control group.The WMH group also required significantly more time to complete the WTMT-A(93.00±10.76 s vs 70.55±11.28 s,P<0.001)and WTMT-B(109.72±12.26 s vs 82.85±7.90 s,P<0.001).WTMT-A completion time was positively correlated with CRT time(r=0.460,P=0.001),while WTMT-B completion time was negatively correlated with VFT(r=-0.391,P=0.008).On the WTMT-A,only speed was found to statistically differ between the WMH and control groups(0.803±0.096 vs 0.975±0.050 m/s,P<0.001),whereas on the WTMT-B,the WMH group exhibited a significantly lower speed(0.778±0.111 vs 0.970±0.053 m/s,P<0.001)and cadence(82.600±4.140 vs 85.500±5.020 steps/m,P=0.039),as well as a higher stance phase percentage(65.061±1.813%vs 63.513±2.465%,P=0.019)relative to controls.CONCLUSION Older adults with WMH showed obviously poorer WTMT performance.WTMT could be a potential indicator for cognitive and motor deficits in patients with WMH.

Neuropathological characteristics of abnormal white matter functional signaling in adolescents with major depression

BACKGROUND Major depression disorder(MDD)constitutes a significant mental health concern.Epidemiological surveys indicate that the lifetime prevalence of depression in adolescents is much higher than that in adults,with a corresponding increased risk of suicide.In studying brain dysfunction associated with MDD in adolescents,research on brain white matter(WM)is sparse.Some researchers even mistakenly regard the signals generated by the WM as noise points.In fact,studies have shown that WM exhibits similar blood oxygen level-dependent signal fluctuations.The alterations in WM signals and their relationship with disease severity in adolescents with MDD remain unclear.AIM To explore potential abnormalities in WM functional signals in adolescents with MDD.METHODS This study involved 48 adolescent patients with MDD and 31 healthy controls(HC).All participants were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Scale and the mini international neuropsychiatric interview(MINI)suicide inventory.In addition,a Siemens Skyra 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner was used to obtain the subjects'image data.The DPABI software was utilized to calculate the WM signal of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations(fALFF)and regional homogeneity,followed by a two-sample t-test between the MDD and HC groups.Independent component analysis(ICA)was also used to evaluate the WM functional signal.Pearson’s correlation was performed to assess the relationship between statistical test results and clinical scales.RESULTS Compared to HC,individuals with MDD demonstrated a decrease in the fALFF of WM in the corpus callosum body,left posterior limb of the internal capsule,right superior corona radiata,and bilateral posterior corona radiata[P<0.001,family-wise error(FWE)voxel correction].The regional homogeneity of WM increased in the right posterior limb of internal capsule and left superior corona radiata,and decreased in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus(P<0.001,FWE voxel correction).The ICA results of WM overlapped with those of regional homogeneity.The fALFF of WM signal in the left posterior limb of the internal capsule was negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.026,r=-0.32),and the right posterior corona radiata was also negatively correlated with the MINI suicide scale(P=0.047,r=-0.288).CONCLUSION Adolescents with MDD involves changes in WM functional signals,and these differences in brain regions may increase the risk of suicide.

When Conscious Consumerism Backfires:A Critical Study on Social Exclusion,Partnerships,and White Saviorism

Purpose:What factors influence conscious consumerism,especially related to race and gender identities?This scholarship explores three white women-led social responsibility organizations’(SROs)aspirations to encourage conscious consumerism as well as factors that influence conscious consumerism.Design/methodology/approach:Using the Black feminist thought and sustainability development theory,the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis to explore the activation of the white savior industrial complex(WSIC)in SROs.Interviews provided in-depth knowledge of the SRO culture including,but not limited to,insight on social exclusion and partnerships.Findings:Noonday Collection,Sseko Designs,and Trades of Hope,all SROs,aspire to be dedicated to people,planet,and profit and encourage conscious consumerism as a means for their customer base and sales consultants to“do their part”,and yet,an unintended consequence of the SROs’work is social exclusion and white saviorism.Originality:This scholarship investigates what can be done to dismantle the overreliance of conscious consumerism in an effort to finally strip white saviorism,and its role in the white savior industrial complex(WSIC),of its power.

Study on Key Joining Technology and Test Method of Steel/Al Hybrid Structure Body-in-White

Green and low carbon promote the application and development of light-weight materials in body-in-white. Large-scale die-casting Al alloy (DCAA) and high-strength thermo-formed steel sheet (TFSS) have put forward higher requirements for the application of joining technology of high-strength steel/Al dissimilar materials. Taking the new die-casting Al alloy body as an example, this paper systematically studies the progress of the latest joining methods of steel/Al dissimilar material with combination of two-layer plate and three-layer plate. By analyzing the joining technologies such as FSPR, RES, FDS and SPR, the technology and process characteristics of steel/Al dissimilar material joining are studied, and the joining technical feasibility and realization means of different material combination of the body are analyzed. The conditions of material combination, material thickness, material strength, flange height, preformed holes and joint spacing for achieving high-quality joining are given. The FSPR joining technology is developed and tested in order to meet with the joining of parts with DCAA and TFSS, especially for the joining of three-layer plates with them. It finds the method and technical basis for the realization of high quality joining of dissimilar materials, provides the early conditions for the application of large DCAA and TFSS parts in body-in-white, and meets the design requirements of new energy body. .

音乐录影带中情感表达的体认多模态隐喻建构——以Black or White音乐录影带为例

自20世纪90年代起,以Forceville为代表的一批国外学者开始着眼于多模态隐喻的研究,探讨图像、声音、语言等不同模态表征符号中的隐喻构建,研究范围涉及广告、漫画、手势、音乐和电影等,但选取MV为研究对象的却很少,尤其是从体认语言学角度研究的几乎没有。有鉴于此,文章选取美国歌手迈克尔·杰克逊以“反种族歧视”为主题的Black or White MV为语料,基于体认多模态隐喻理论,分析其中有关“骄傲”和“愤怒”情感的多模态隐喻建构。分析发现,在该MV中,“骄傲”和“愤怒”情感都涉及非语言听觉和视觉符号的隐喻建构。“骄傲”分别涉及“骄傲是高音”和“骄傲是向上的舞蹈动作”隐喻概念;“愤怒”分别涉及“愤怒是高音”和“愤怒是火”隐喻概念。这些非语言符号隐喻概念都是基于人们的身体体验和认知加工建构起来的,使信息接受主体的情感识解更直接、更快,甚至更强。

Asteroseismology of DAV white dwarf stars and G29–38

Asteroseismology is a powerful tool used for detecting the inner structure of stars, which is also widely used to study white dwarfs. We discuss the asteroseismology of DAV stars. The period-to-period fitting method is discussed in detail, including its reliability in detecting the inner structure of DAV stars. If we assume that all observed modes of some DAV stars are the l = I cases, the errors associated with model fitting will be always large. If we assume that the observed modes are com- posed of I = 1 and 2 modes, the errors associated with model fitting in this case will be small. However, there will be modes identified as l = 2 that do not have ob- served quintuplets. G29-38 has been observed spectroscopically and photometrically for many years. Thompson et al. made 1 modes identifications in the star through the limb darkening effect. With 11 known I modes, we also study the asteroseismology of G29-38, which reduces the blind l fittings and is a fair choice. Unfortunately, our two best-fitting models are not in line with the previous atmospheric results. Based on factors like only a few observed modes, stability and identification of eigenmodes, identification of spherical degrees, construction of physical and realistic models and so on, detecting the inner structure of DAV stars by asteroseismology needs further development.

Preserved egg white alleviates DSS-induced colitis in mice through the reduction of oxidative stress,modulation of inflammatory cytokines,NF-κB,MAPK and gut microbiota composition

Traditional Chinese preserved egg products have exhibited some anti-inflammatory effects,but their mechanisms of action remain unknown.This study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of preserved egg white(PEW)treatment on dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced colitis in mice and the underlying mechanisms.The results showed that treatment with PEW in mice with DSS-induced colitis for 14 days effectively improved the clinical signs,inhibited the secretion and gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines,and reduced myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity and oxidative stress levels.In addition,western blotting results showed that PEW significantly suppressed DSS-induced phosphorylation levels of nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB)p65 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)in colon tissues of mice with colitis.PEW also enhanced the production of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)and modulated gut microbiota composition in mice with DSS-induced colitis,including increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria Lachnospiraceae,Ruminococcaceae and Muribaculaceae,and reducing the relative abundance of harmful bacteria Proteobacteria.Taken together,our study demonstrated that preserved egg white could alleviate DSS-induced colitis in mice through the reduction of oxidative stress,modulation of inflammatory cytokines,NF-κB,MAPK and gut microbiota composition.