On the functions of astrocyte-mediated neuronal slow inward currents

Slow inward currents are known as neuronal excitatory currents mediated by glutamate release and activation of neuronal extra synaptic N-met hyl-D-aspartate receptors with the contribution of astrocytes.These events are significantly slower than the excitatory postsynaptic currents.Parameters of slow inward currents are determined by seve ral factors including the mechanisms of astrocytic activation and glutamate release,as well as the diffusion pathways from the release site towards the extra synaptic recepto rs.Astrocytes are stimulated by neuronal network activity,which in turn excite neurons,forming an astrocyte-neuron feedback loop.Mostly as a consequence of brain edema,astrocytic swelling can also induce slow inward currents under pathological conditions.There is a growing body of evidence on the roles of slow inward currents on a single neuron or local network level.These events often occur in synchro ny on neurons located in the same astrocytic domain.Besides synchronization of neuronal excitability,slow inward currents also set synaptic strength via eliciting timing-dependent synaptic plasticity.In addition,slow inward currents are also subject to non-synaptic plasticity triggered by long-la sting stimulation of the excitatory inputs.Of note,there might be important regionspecific differences in the roles and actions triggering slow inward currents.In greater networks,the pathophysiological roles of slow inward currents can be better understood than physiological ones.Slow inward currents are identified in the pathophysiological background of autism,as slow inward currents drive early hypersynchrony of the neural networks.Slow inward currents are significant contributors to paroxysmal depolarizational shifts/interictal spikes.These events are related to epilepsy,but also found in Alzheimer's disease,Parkinson's disease,and stroke,leading to the decline of cognitive functions.Events with features overlapping with slow inward currents(excitatory,N-methyl-Daspartate-receptor mediated currents with astrocytic contribution) as ischemic currents and spreading depolarization also have a well-known pathophysiological role in worsening consequences of stroke,traumatic brain injury,or epilepsy.One might assume that slow inward currents occurring with low frequency under physiological conditions might contribute to synaptic plasticity and memory formation.However,to state this,more experimental evidence from greater neuronal networks or the level of the individual is needed.In this review,I aimed to summarize findings on slow inward currents and to speculate on the potential functions of it.

Identification and fine mapping of qSW2 for leaf slow wilting in soybean

Drought is one of the abiotic stresses limiting the production of soybean(Glycine max).Elucidation of the genetic and molecular basis of the slow-wilting(SW)trait of this crop offers the prospect of its genetic improvement.A panel of 188 accessions and a set of recombinant inbred lines produced from a cross between cultivars Liaodou 14 and Liaodou 21 were used to identify quantitative-trait loci(QTL)associated with SW.Plants were genotyped by Specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing and seedling leaf wilting was assessed under three water-stress treatments.A genome-wide association study identified 26 SW-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs),including three located in a 248-kb linkage-disequilibrium(LD)block on chromosome 2.Linkage mapping revealed a major-effect QTL,qSW2,associated with all three treatments and adjacent to the LD block.Fine mapping in a BC_(2)F_(3) population derived from a backcross between Liaodou 21 and R26 confined qSW2 to a 60-kb interval.Gene expression and sequence variation analysis identified the gene Glyma.02 g218100,encoding an auxin transcription factor,as a candidate gene for qSW2.Our results will contribute significantly to improving drought-resistant soybean cultivars by providing genetic information and resources.

Transferable adversarial slow feature extraction network for few-shot quality prediction in coal-to-ethylene glycol process

In the coal-to-ethylene glycol(CTEG)process,precisely estimating quality variables is crucial for process monitoring,optimization,and control.A significant challenge in this regard is relying on offline laboratory analysis to obtain these variables,which often incurs substantial monetary costs and significant time delays.The resulting few-shot learning scenarios present a hurdle to the efficient development of predictive models.To address this issue,our study introduces the transferable adversarial slow feature extraction network(TASF-Net),an innovative approach designed specifically for few-shot quality prediction in the CTEG process.TASF-Net uniquely integrates the slowness principle with a deep Bayesian framework,effectively capturing the nonlinear and inertial characteristics of the CTEG process.Additionally,the model employs a variable attention mechanism to identify quality-related input variables adaptively at each time step.A key strength of TASF-Net lies in its ability to navigate the complex measurement noise,outliers,and system interference typical in CTEG data.Adversarial learning strategy using a min-max game is adopted to improve its robustness and ability to model irregular industrial data accurately and significantly.Furthermore,an incremental refining transfer learning framework is designed to further improve few-shot prediction performance achieved by transferring knowledge from the pretrained model on the source domain to the target domain.The effectiveness and superiority of TASF-Net have been empirically validated using a real-world CTEG dataset.Compared with some state-of-the-art methods,TASF-Net demonstrates exceptional capability in addressing the intricate challenges for few-shot quality prediction in the CTEG process.

Topological slow light and rainbow trapping of surface wave in valley photonic crystal bounded by air

Topological slow light and rainbow trapping tend to rely on large-scale interface structure in previous research work,which have restricted further miniaturization.In this work,we propose a method to realize slow light and rainbow trapping at the zigzag edge of a single valley photonic crystals(VPCs)bounded by air,which is very different from previous studies where rainbow trapping is supported at the interface separating two VPCs with inversion symmetry.By constructing the VPC–air boundaries and VPC–VPC interfaces experimentally,we have observed the topologically protected rainbow trapping simultaneously at the external and internal boundary.This work provides a feasible platform for the miniaturized optical communication devices such as optical buffers,optical storage and optical routing.

Prediction and critical transition mechanism for granite fracture:Insights from critical slowing down theory

Rock fracture warning is one of the significant challenges in rock mechanics.Many true triaxial and synchronous acoustic emission(AE)tests were conducted on granite samples.The investigation focused on the characteristics of AE signals preceding granite fracture,based on the critical slowing down(CSD)theory.The granite undergoes a transition from the stable phase to the fracture phase and exhibits a clear CSD phenomenon,characterized by a pronounced increase in variance and autocorrelation coefficient.The variance mutation points were found to be more identifiable and suitable as the primary criterion for predicting precursor information related to granite fracture,compared to the autocorrelation coefficient.It is noteworthy to emphasize that the CSD factor holds greater potential in elucidating the underlying mechanisms responsible for the critical transition of granite fracture,in comparison to the AE timing parameters.Furthermore,a novel multi-parameter collaborative prediction method for rock fracture was developed by comprehensively analyzing predictive information,including abnormal variation modes and the CSD factor of AE characteristic parameters.This method enhances the understanding and prediction of rock fracture-related geohazards.

Tunable phonon-photon coupling induces double magnomechanically induced transparency and enhances slow light in an atom-opto-magnomechanical system

We theoretically investigate the magnomechanically induced transparency phenomenon,Fano resonance and the slow-fast light effect in the situation where an atomic ensemble is placed inside the hybrid cavity of an optomagnomechanical system.The system is driven by dual optical and phononic drives.We show double magnomechanically induced transparency in the probe output spectrum by exploiting the phonon-photon coupling strength.Then,we study the effects of the decay rate of the cavity and the atomic ensemble on magnomechanically induced transparency.In addition,we demonstrate that effective detuning of the cavity field frequency changes the transparency window from a symmetrical to an asymmetrical profile,resembling Fano resonances.Further,the fast and slow light effects in the system are explored.We show that the slow light profile is enhanced by adjusting the phonon-photon coupling strength.This result may have potential applications in quantum information processing and communication.

Structure-controlled slow dynamics in Al−Mg melts

Molecular dynamics simulation was employed to investigate the dynamical and structural properties of Al−Mg melts with the Al concentration systematically changed.The results show that the viscosity of Al67Mg33 abnormally surpasses that of Al85Mg15 below 550 K,inconsistent with the tendency at high temperatures.The evolution of the icosahedral order population is found to account for this dynamic behavior.Structural analysis shows a preferred bonding between Al and Mg atoms in the nearest neighbor shells,while a repelling tendency between them in the second shells,leading to the prepeak emergence in the partial static structure factors.The formation of icosahedral clusters is constrained in the Al-rich compositions because of the lack of sufficient Mg atoms to stabilize the clusters geometrically.These results demonstrate the structural consequence through the interplay between geometric packing and chemical interaction.These findings are crucial to understanding the structure−dynamic properties in Al−Mg melts.

Preservation of superior rectal artery in laparoscopic colectomy:The best choice for slow transit constipation?

Laparoscopic colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis may be beneficial for patients with slow transit constipation who do not respond to conservative treatment,particularly if the superior rectal artery(SRA)is preserved.Several important concerns have been addressed in this commentary.It is important to first go over the definition of surgical procedure as it is used in this text.Second,the current study lacked a control group that had SRA preservation.Thirdly,it would be best to use a prospective,randomized controlled study.Lastly,a description of the mesenteric defect’s state following a laparoscopic colectomy is necessary.

In Vitro Slow Growth Preservation of Vaccinium uliginosum

As an important wild blueberry resource,Vaccinium uliginosum has attracted more and more attention.At present,the wild resources are under destruction.The conservation of wild Vaccinium uliginosum resources is imminent.However,there are few researches on the protection and preservation of its germplasm resources.In vitro preservation is an important method for germplasm conservation.In this study,one strain of wild Vaccinium uliginosum was used as material.The effects of temperature(25℃,15℃,10℃,or 0℃),media(WPM,1/2WPM or 1/3WPM),medium supplements(sorbitol or mannose),and photoperiod(8,10,12,or 14 h•d^(-1))on the growth,survival rate and rejuvenation rate of the plantlets were studied.The physiological changes of plantlets during preservation were analyzed.Methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism(MSAP)analysis of genomic DNA methylation of plantlets was carried out to explore the genetic stability of the plantlets after preservation.The research results provided a theoretical basis for the germplasm preservation of Vaccinium uliginosum.

Flow field analysis and particle erosion of tunnel-slope systems under coupling between runoff and fast (slow) seepage

The presence of particles on the surface of a tunnel slope renders it susceptible to erosion by waterflow,which is a major cause of soil and water loss.In this study,a nonlinear mathematical model and a mechanical equilibrium model are developed to investigate the distribution offlowfields and particle motion characteristics of tunnel slopes,respectively.The mathematical model offlowfields comprises three parts:a runoff region,a highly permeable soil layer,and a weakly permeable soil layer.The Navier‒Stokes equation controlsfluid motion in the runoff region,while the Brinkman-extended Darcy equation governs fast and slow seepage in the highly and weakly permeable soil layers,respectively.Analytical solutions are derived for the velocity profile and shear stress expression of the modelflowfield under the boundary condition of continuous transition of velocity and stress at thefluid‒solid interface.The shear stress distribution shows that the shear stress at the tunnel-slope surface is the largest,followed by the shear stress of the soil interface,indicating that particles in these two locations are most vulnerable to erosion.A mechanical equilibrium model of sliding and rolling of single particles is established at thefluid‒solid interface,and the safety factor of particle motion(sliding and rolling)is derived.Sensitivity analysis shows that by increasing the runoff depth,slope angle,and soil permeability,the erosion of soil particles will be aggravated on the tunnel-slope surface,but by increasing the particle diameter,particle-specific gravity,and particle stacking angle,the erosion resistance ability of the tunnel-slope surface particles will be enhanced.This study can serve as a reference for the analysis of surface soil and water loss in tunnel-slope systems.

黄土高原夜间地表能量不平衡问题的初步研究

一般认为白天的地表能量不平衡(surface energy imbalance,SEI)主要由涡动相关法造成,但夜间湍流受到抑制,其产生的原因尚不清楚.本文分析了夜间与白天地表能量的区别,认为夜间土壤热量存在的双向传递慢过程、向上长波辐射位相延后与湍流相干结构是其重要原因.为此,本文利用黄土高原典型代表站的观测数据,对夜间SEI展开研究.发现:(1)考虑慢过程后,夜间土壤温度、土壤热通量、土壤热储与地表土壤热通量均有一定程度的增大,其能量闭合率(Energy BalanceRatio,EBR)提高了0.02或3%,达到0.71,能量平衡残差(Residual,Res)绝对值降低了0.8 W·m^(-2)或4%,为17.0 W·m^(-2);(2)考虑向上长波辐射位相延后,夜间向上长波辐射和净辐射均有所降低,其EBR也为0.71,也提高了0.02或3%,|Res|为15.5W·m^(-2),降低了2.3W·m^(-2)或13%;(3)考虑相干结构的贡献后,感热与潜热分别增大了53%(绝对值)和35%,其EBR未有显著变化,但|Res|降低了1.1W·m^(-2)或6%;(4)既考虑慢过程,又考虑向上长波辐射位相延后和相干结构时,夜间EBR为0.73,提高了0.04或6%,|Res|为14.8 W·m^(-2),降低了3.0 W·m^(-2)或17%.显然,这三个过程均可改善夜间地表能量闭合水平,但综合效应改善更大;(5)增加Durand(2022)提出的湍流通量漏失部分,可使EBR提高0.03,达到0.76,|Res|降低1.4 W·m^(-2),达到13.4 W·m^(-2),但也未闭合,故涡动相关法可能不是夜间SEI产生的主要原因.分析发现,长波辐射计的观测误差较大,且无世界标准;检测结果显示,长波辐射存在系统误差,且EBR和Res与长波辐射均存在显著的正相关关系,因此我们认为长波辐射的系统误差可能是夜间SEI产生的主要原因,提高长波辐射计的观测精度应该是改善夜间地表能量闭合水平的重要途径.

缓粘结预应力混凝土在房建施工中的应用

缓粘结预应力是一种在无粘结、有粘结预应力后出现的新型预应力技术,其综合了无粘结与有粘结预应力各自的优势,避免了两者缺点,其适用范围更广。研究结合工程实例,分析了缓粘结预应力混凝土在房建施工中的应用,实际施工中从缓粘结预应力混凝土施工工艺出发,论述了缓粘结预应力混凝土的施工要点,以实现提质降本增效的目的。

电动汽车交流慢充不充电故障诊断研究

作为电动汽车检修工作中的常见故障,电动汽车交流慢充不充电故障能否被有效诊断及快速修复,对于提升用户体验及保障电动汽车充电安全至关重要。文章围绕充电控制导向电路这一关键环节,深入分析了电动汽车慢充系统的工作原理,紧密结合实际检修经验,总结了电动汽车交流慢充不充电故障的常见原因,设计了一套故障诊断流程和检修步骤,涵盖了从故障定位到故障排除的全过程,为技术人员快速、准确地解决电动汽车交流慢充系统故障提供参考与借鉴。

Preliminary Discussion on Research Progress and Prospect of Slow Released Fertilizers

Slow/controlled release fertilizers （SRFs/CRFs） have been paid more at- tentions by the researchersin recent years. In this paper, the application effects and methods, types, current problem and development prospect of SRFs/CRFsboth at home and abroad were reviewed. The production principles and processes of urea- formaldehyde slow release fertilizers were introduced; and It is suggested that the urea-formaldehyde slow release fertilizers show great development to ease energy and environment pressure.

Effect of Slow and Controlled Release Fertilizers on the Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Hot Pepper in Qiu-bei

[Objective] The aim of this study was to investigate the impacts of slow and controlled release fertilizers（SCRF）on the yield of qiubei hot pepper,its nutrient use efficiency and environment.[Method] Using Qiubei hot pepper（Capsicum frutescens L.）as the experimental material,we studied the fertilization effect and environment-protecting effect of SCRF.[Result] The result showed that SCRF could improve the agronomic characteristics of hot pepper.Compared to singly applied common fertilizers,SCRF increased economic yield by 20.90% and economic benefit by 13 234.35 Yuan/hm2,and the ratio of output to input was improved by 47.93%.In comparison with common straight fertilizers at same NPK proportion and rate,SCRF increased economic yield by 5.26% and economic benefit by 5 554.80 Yuan/hm2,and the ratio of output to input was improved by 9.91%.Under the reduced use of SCRF by 20%,SCRF increased economic yield by 12.38% and economic benefit by 9595.20 Yuan/hm2 compared with singly applied common fertilizers,and the ratio of output to input was improved by 65.95%.SCRF improved nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium use efficiencies by 12.42-17.53,3.35-5.24 and 5.37-14.02 percents respectively.[Conclusion] As the result of much reduced N and P application rates,SCRF would significantly economize fertilizer resources and minimize the pollution caused by the loss of fertilizer nutrients,which is of practical importance for environment protection.

Effects of Slow Release Fertilizer on the Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Carnation and Its Environmental Protection Effect

[Objective] The aim was to study the effects of slow release fertilizer on the yield,economic benefit and nutrient use efficiency of carnation and environmental pollution.[Method] Taking carnation（Dianthus caryophyllus）as research object,the application effect and environmental protection effect of slow release fertilizer on carnation were discussed through field plot test.[Result] The main agronomic characters of carnation improved after the application of slow release fertilizer;compared with Conv-F treatment,the yield of carnation with slow release fertilizer increased by 18.67%-20.83%,and its economic benefit increased by 105 500 yuan/hm2,while the ratio of output to input improved by 74.29%;under the same NPK ratio and nutrient amount,the yield,economic benefit and ratio of output to input of carnation after the application of slow release fertilizer increased by 2.11%,14 800 yuan and 16.2%,respectively;besides,the application of slow release fertilizer improved the nutrient use efficiency of carnation,and N,P and K nutrient use efficiency in Opt-F-0.7% treatment increased by 13.88%,8.57% and 30.14% compared with Conv-F treatment.[Conclusion] Slow release fertilizer could not only reduce the waste of fertilizer resources and improve fertilizer use efficiency but also decrease the pollution caused by nutrient loss,which had important practical significance for protecting ecological environment and promoting the sustainable development of agriculture.

Vacuum assisted high-pressure die casting of AZ91D magnesium alloy at different slow shot speeds

The effects of vacuum assistance on the microstructure and mechanical properties of high-pressure die cast AZ91 D alloy at different slow shot speeds were evaluated. Plate-shaped castings of AZ91 D alloy were carried out on a TOYO BD-350V5 cold chamber die casting machine incorporated with a self-improved TOYO vacuum system. It was found that the vacuum pressure in the die cavity at the beginning of mold filling increases with the increase of slow shot speed, following a cubic polynomial curve, resulting in a decline in the porosity-reduction ability of vacuum assistance with the increase of slow shot speed. The externally solidified crystal（ESC） contents in conventional and vacuum die castings behave similar against the slow shot speed. The tensile properties of vacuum die castings were strongly influenced by the ESC content at relative low slow shot speeds. With the increase of slow shot speed, the influence of the gas porosity level in vacuum die castings would get prominent.

Thickness Impacts of Vacancy Defects in Epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 Thin Films Using Slow Positron Beam

Thickness effects of thin La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 （LSMO） films on （LaAlOa）0.3（Sr2AlTaO6）0.7 substrates were examined by a slow positron beam technique. Doppler-broadening line shape parameter S was measured as a function of thickness and differnt annealing conditions. Results reveal there could be more than one mechanism to induce vacancy-like defects. It was found that strain-induced defects mainly influence the S value of the in situ oxygenambience annealing LSMO thin films and the strain could vanish still faster along with the increase of thickness, and the oxygen-deficient induced defects mainly affect the S value of post-annealing LSMO films.

Effect of multi-step slow shot speed on microstructure of vacuum die cast AZ91D magnesium alloy

Two multi-step （two-step and three-step） slow shot speeds were used in the vacuum die casting process of AZ91D magnesium alloy. The vacuum pressure variation in the die cavity before mold filling was monitored by using a pressure sensor. The microstructures of the produced castings were analyzed with optical microscope and image analysis software. The experimental results demonstrate that, the vacuum pressure in the die cavity at the beginning of mold filling is significantly reduced by using three-step slow shot speed, resulting in a low gas porosity level in the produced castings. At an appropriate multi-step slow shot speed, the dwell time of the liquid metal in the shot sleeve before mold filling can be reduced and the flow of the liquid metal in the shot sleeve at the later stage of the slow shot process can be restrained, which cause a low externally solidified crystal content in the produced castings.

Effects of Calcium Element on Biomass and Effective Constituents Contents in Blumea balsamifera in Slow Growth Period of Winter

The one-year-old seedlings of Blumea balsamifera （L.） DC. were applied with CaCl2.H2O that supplied Ca in slow growth period of winter three times. The heights, ground diameters, leaf lengths, leaf widths and biomasses of B. balsamifera plants were measured. In addition, the relative contents of total flavones in different parts of B. balsamifera were determined by UV spectrophotometry, and the absolute contents of total flavones were calculated. The relative contents of L-borneol in leaves of B. balsamifera were determined by GC, and the absolute contents of L- borneol were calculated. The results showed that calcium element significantly in- creased the biomasses in leaves, stems and roots of B. balsamifera in slow growth period of winter. The leaf biomass of B. balsamifera in the 5 g/L CaCl2-H2O treat- ment group was significantly higher than those in the other three treatment groups. The leaf biomasses of B. balsamifera in the 10 and 15 g/L CaCl2.H2O treatment groups were significantly higher than that in the CK, with 3.03 and 2.65 times, re- spectively. The application of Ca inhibited the accumulation of total flavones relative contents, but significantly increased the total flavones absolute contents in different parts of B. balsamifera. The relative and absolute contents of L-borneol in the 5 g/L CaCl2 .H2O treatment group were 0.22% and 0.22 g, which were increased by 37.50%, 22.22%, 37.50% and 100%, 100%, 450%, respectively compared with those in the 0, 10 and 15 g/L CaCl2.H2O treatment groups. The Ca element could signifi- cantly promote the accumulation of biomasses in leaves, stems and roots, as well as the absolute contents of total flavones and L-borneol in B. balsamifera in slow growth period of winter.