Bifurcation and Turing Pattern Formation in a Diffusion Modified Leslie-Gower Predator-Prey Model with Crowley-Martin Functional Response

In this paper, we study a modified Leslie-Gower predator-prey model with Smith growth subject to homogeneous Neumann boundary condition, in which the functional response is the Crowley-Martin functional response term. Firstly, for ODE model, the local stability of equilibrium point is given. And by using bifurcation theory and selecting suitable bifurcation parameters, we find many kinds of bifurcation phenomena, including Transcritical bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation. For the reaction-diffusion model, we find that Turing instability occurs. Besides, it is proved that Hopf bifurcation exists in the model. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to verify and illustrate the theoretical results.

Response of phytoplankton functional group to spring drought in a large subtropical reservoir

Global warming has caused an increase in the frequency and duration of droughts worldwide.Droughts could trigger large changes in physico-chemical conditions and phytoplankton community in waterbodies,resulting in a shift in the phytoplankton community.Spring diatom blooms in reservoirs have been increasingly observed in the past decade in the Taihu Lake basin.The aim of the present study is to elucidate the impacts of droughts on aquatic environment and to determine the driving factors for the succession of the phytoplankton functional groups based on the analysis of data collected during spring from 2009 to 2020 in the Daxi Reservoir.The unimodal relationship between 1-month aggregated precipitation index and phytoplankton species richness indicated the competitive exclusion occurred in extremely drought period.The structural equation modeling indicated that drought-related low water level conditions intensified sediment resuspension,and increased the phosphorus-enriched nonalgal turbidity in the Daxi Reservoir.Concurrently,a steady shift in the Reynolds phytoplankton functional groups from L 0,TD,J,X 2,and A(phytoplankton taxa preferring low turbidity and nutrient conditions)to TB(pennate diatoms being adapt to turbid and nutrient-rich conditions)was observed.The increased TP and non-algal turbidity in addition to the lowered disturbance contribute to the prevalence of Group TB.Considering the difficulties in nutrient control,timely water replenishment is often a feasible method of controlling the dominance of harmful algae for reservoir management.Finally,alternative water sources are in high demand for ensuring ecological safety and water availability when dealing with drought.

Stability Analysis of a Self-Memory Prey-Predator Diffusion Model Based on Bazykin Functional Response

To investigate the effects of self-memory diffusion on predator-prey models, we consider a predator-prey model with Bazykin functional response of self- memory diffusion. The uniqueness, boundedness, positivity, existence and stability of equilibrium point of the model are studied. In this paper, the uniqueness of the solution is discussed under the non-negative initial function and Neumann boundary conditions satisfying a specific space. The boundness of the solution is proved by the comparison principle of parabolic equations, and the positivity of the solution is proved by the strong maximum principle of parabolic equations. Hurwitz criterion and Lyapunov function construction are used to analyze the local stability and global stability of feasible equilibrium points. The results show that the system solution is unique non-negative and bounded. The model is unstable at the trivial equilibrium point E0 and the boundary equilibrium point E1, and the condition of whether the positive equilibrium point E2 is stable under certain conditions is given.

Dynamic Analysis of a Predator-Prey Model with Holling-II Functional Response

A predator-prey model with linear capture term Holling-II functional response was studied by using differential equation theory. The existence and the stabilities of non-negative equilibrium points of the model were discussed. The results show that under certain limited conditions, these two groups can maintain a balanced position, which provides a theoretical reference for relevant departments to make decisions on ecological protection.

Inflammation: Complexity and significance of cellular and molecular responses

Inflammation is a multifaceted cellular and molecular response triggered by injury,infection,or various pathological conditions.Serving as a protective defense mechanism,the inflammatory response involves clinical signs like redness,swelling,pain,and increased body temperature.Immune cells,notably neutrophils and macrophages,play key roles in orchestrating this response.The delicate balance between proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators,including cytokines and chemokines,regulates the inflammatory cascade.While acute inflammation is crucial for tissue repair,chronic inflammation may indicate an imbalance,contributing to conditions like autoimmune diseases.Understanding these mechanisms is vital for developing therapeutic strategies and managing chronic diseases.

DiriNet:An Estimation Network for Spectral Response Function and Point Spread Function

Hyper-and multi-spectral image fusion is an important technology to produce hyper-spectral and hyper-resolution images,which always depends on the spectral response function andthe point spread function.However,few works have been payed on the estimation of the two degra-dation functions.To learn the two functions from image pairs to be fused,we propose a Dirichletnetwork,where both functions are properly constrained.Specifically,the spatial response function isconstrained with positivity,while the Dirichlet distribution along with a total variation is imposedon the point spread function.To the best of our knowledge,the neural network and the Dirichlet regularization are exclusively investigated,for the first time,to estimate the degradation functions.Both image degradation and fusion experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of theproposed Dirichlet network.

Tailoring MXene Thickness and Functionalization for Enhanced Room‑Temperature Trace NO_(2) Sensing

In this study,precise control over the thickness and termination of Ti3C2TX MXene flakes is achieved to enhance their electrical properties,environmental stability,and gas-sensing performance.Utilizing a hybrid method involving high-pressure processing,stirring,and immiscible solutions,sub-100 nm MXene flake thickness is achieved within the MXene film on the Si-wafer.Functionalization control is achieved by defunctionalizing MXene at 650℃ under vacuum and H2 gas in a CVD furnace,followed by refunctionalization with iodine and bromine vaporization from a bubbler attached to the CVD.Notably,the introduction of iodine,which has a larger atomic size,lower electronegativity,reduce shielding effect,and lower hydrophilicity(contact angle:99°),profoundly affecting MXene.It improves the surface area(36.2 cm^(2) g^(-1)),oxidation stability in aqueous/ambient environments(21 days/80 days),and film conductivity(749 S m^(-1)).Additionally,it significantly enhances the gas-sensing performance,including the sensitivity(0.1119Ωppm^(-1)),response(0.2% and 23%to 50 ppb and 200 ppm NO_(2)),and response/recovery times(90/100 s).The reduced shielding effect of the–I-terminals and the metallic characteristics of MXene enhance the selectivity of I-MXene toward NO2.This approach paves the way for the development of stable and high-performance gas-sensing two-dimensional materials with promising prospects for future studies.

Combining stochastic density functional theory with deep potential molecular dynamics to study warm dense matter

In traditional finite-temperature Kohn–Sham density functional theory(KSDFT),the partial occupation of a large number of high-energy KS eigenstates restricts the use of first-principles molecular dynamics methods at extremely high temperatures.However,stochastic density functional theory(SDFT)can overcome this limitation.Recently,SDFT and the related mixed stochastic–deterministic density functional theory,based on a plane-wave basis set,have been implemented in the first-principles electronic structure software ABACUS[Q.Liu and M.Chen,Phys.Rev.B 106,125132(2022)].In this study,we combine SDFT with the Born–Oppenheimer molecular dynamics method to investigate systems with temperatures ranging from a few tens of eV to 1000 eV.Importantly,we train machine-learning-based interatomic models using the SDFT data and employ these deep potential models to simulate large-scale systems with long trajectories.Subsequently,we compute and analyze the structural properties,dynamic properties,and transport coefficients of warm dense matter.

Did Species and Functional Diversities of Sandy Intertidal Marine Nematodes Reveal Similar Response to Environmental Changes?

Free living marine nematodes were sampled from two sandy beaches in Dalian City,in December of 2015,and April,July,and October of 2016.The spatial and seasonal variations of marine nematode species diversity(based on species abundance dataset)and functional diversity(based on functional traits dataset:feeding types and life history strategies)were investigated to understand the environmental drivers and how they respond to specific environmental variations.Sediment granularity was revealed to be the main environmental factor causing spatial differences in nematode diversity indices between the two beaches.Species diversity indices,namely species number,Margalef index,Shannon-Wiener diversity index(H’),were higher in fine-grained sediments,while the functional diversity indices,including functional evenness,functional dispersion,and Rao’s quadratic entropy index(RaoQ),were higher in coarse-grained sediments.Nematode species diversity indices also fluctuated with seasonal variations of temperature,dissolved oxygen,pH,salinity,and sediment chlorophyll-a within the study beaches.However,functional diversity indices did not show significant seasonal variations and exhibited weak correlation with the studied environmental variables.Overall,the functional diversity indices were negatively correlated with the species diversity indices,suggesting an inconsistent response to environmental changes.A decrease in nematode species diversity in coarse sands,accompanied by an increase in functional diversity,can be regarded as an early warning signal of environment disturbance.If more biological traits are involved in calculating functional diversity indices,it will be helpful for the future study of the internal connections of species diversity and functional diversity.

Probiotics: Shaping the gut immunological responses

Probiotics are live microorganisms exerting beneficial effects on the host’s health when administered in adequate amounts.Among the most popular and adequately studied probiotics are bacteria from the families Lactobacillaceae,Bifidobacteriaceae and yeasts.Most of them have been shown,both in vitro and in vivo studies of intestinal inflammation models,to provide favorable results by means of improving the gut microbiota composition,promoting the wound healing process and shaping the immunological responses.Chronic intestinal conditions,such as inflammatory bowel diseases(IBD),are characterized by an imbalance in microbiota composition,with decreased diversity,and by relapsing and persisting inflammation,which may lead to mucosal damage.Although the results of the clinical studies investigating the effect of probiotics on patients with IBD are still controversial,it is without doubt that these microorganisms and their metabolites,now named postbiotics,have a positive influence on both the host’s microbiota and the immune system,and ultimately alter the topical tissue microenvironment.This influence is achieved through three axes:(1)By dis-placement of potential pathogens via competitive exclusion;(2)by offering protection to the host through the secretion of various defensive mediators;and(3)by supplying the host with essential nutrients.We will analyze and discuss almost all the in vitro and in vivo studies of the past 2 years dealing with the possible favorable effects of certain probiotic genus on gut immunological responses,highlighting which species are the most beneficial against intestinal inflammation.

Effects of Rosa roxburghii&edible fungus fermentation broth on immune response and gut microbiota in immunosuppressed mice

With the rise of probiotics fermentation in food industry,fermented foods have attracted worldwide attention.In this study,protective effects of Rosa roxburghii&edible fungus fermentation broth(REFB)on immune function and gut health in Cyclophosphamide induced immunosuppressed mice were investigated.Results showed that REFB could improve the immune organ index,and promote the proliferation and differentiation of splenic T lymphocytes.In addition,it attenuated intestinal mucosal damage and improved intestinal cellular immunity.REFB administration also up-regulated the expression of IL-4,INF-γ,TNF-α,T-bet and GATA-3 mRNA in small intestine.Furthermore,administration of REFB modulated gut microbiota composition and increased the relative abundance of beneficial genus,such as Bacteroides.It also increased the production of fecal short-chain fatty acids.These indicate that REFB has the potential to improve immunity,alleviate intestinal injury and regulate gut microbiota in immunosuppressed mice.

Thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical responses of a reservoir-induced landslide tracked by high-resolution fiber optic sensing nerves

Thermo-poro-mechanical responses along sliding zone/surface have been extensively studied.However,it has not been recognized that the potential contribution of other crucial engineering geological interfaces beyond the slip surface to progressive failure.Here,we aim to investigate the subsurface multiphysics of reservoir landslides under two extreme hydrologic conditions(i.e.wet and dry),particularly within sliding masses.Based on ultra-weak fiber Bragg grating(UWFBG)technology,we employ specialpurpose fiber optic sensing cables that can be implanted into boreholes as“nerves of the Earth”to collect data on soil temperature,water content,pore water pressure,and strain.The Xinpu landslide in the middle reach of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area in China was selected as a case study to establish a paradigm for in situ thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical monitoring.These UWFBG-based sensing cables were vertically buried in a 31 m-deep borehole at the foot of the landslide,with a resolution of 1 m except for the pressure sensor.We reported field measurements covering the period 2021 and 2022 and produced the spatiotemporal profiles throughout the borehole.Results show that wet years are more likely to motivate landslide motions than dry years.The annual thermally active layer of the landslide has a critical depth of roughly 9 m and might move downward in warmer years.The dynamic groundwater table is located at depths of 9e15 m,where the peaked strain undergoes a periodical response of leap and withdrawal to annual hydrometeorological cycles.These interface behaviors may support the interpretation of the contribution of reservoir regulation to slope stability,allowing us to correlate them to local damage events and potential global destabilization.This paper also offers a natural framework for interpreting thermo-hydro-poro-mechanical signatures from creeping reservoir bank slopes,which may form the basis for a landslide monitoring and early warning system.

Amino-functionalized UiO-66-doped mixed matrix membranes with high permeation performance and fouling resistance

For the reduction of bovine serum proteins from wastewater,a novel mixed matrix membrane was prepared by functionalizing the substrate material polyaryletherketone(PAEK),followed by carboxyl groups(C-SPAEKS),and then adding amino-functionalized UiO-66-NH_(2)(Am-UiO-66-NH_(2)).Aminofunctionalization of UiO-66 was accomplished by melamine,followed by an amidation reaction to immobilize Am-UiO-66-NH_(2),which was immobilized on the surface of the membrane as well as in the pore channels,which enhanced the hydrophilicity of the membrane surface while increasing the negative potential of the membrane surface.This nanoparticle-loaded ultrafiltration membrane has good permeation performance,with a pure water flux of up to 482.3 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1) for C-SPAEKS/AmUiO-66-NH_(2) and a retention rate of up to 98.7%for bovine serum albumin(BSA)-contaminated solutions.Meanwhile,after several hydrophilic modifications,the flux recovery of BSA contaminants by this series of membranes increased from 56.2%to 80.55%of pure membranes.The results of ultra-filtration flux time tests performed at room temperature showed that the series of ultrafiltration membranes remained relatively stable over a test time of 300 min.Thus,the newly developed mixed matrix membrane showed potential for high efficiency and stability in wastewater treatment containing bovine serum proteins.

Time-domain dynamic constitutive model suitable for mucky soil site seismic response

Soil nonlinear behavior displays noticeable effects on the site seismic response.This study proposes a new functional expression of the skeleton curve to replace the hyperbolic skeleton curve.By integrating shear modulus and combining the dynamic skeleton curve and the damping degradation coefficient,the constitutive equation of the logarithmic dynamic skeleton can be obtained,which considers the damping effect in a soil dynamics problem.Based on the finite difference method and the multi-transmitting boundary condition,a 1D site seismic response analysis program called Soilresp1D has been developed herein and used to analyze the time-domain seismic response in three types of sites.At the same time,this study also provides numerical simulation results based on the hyperbolic constitutive model and the equivalent linear method.The results verify the rationality of the new soil dynamic constitutive model.It can analyze the mucky soil site nonlinear seismic response,reflecting the deformation characteristics and damping effect of the silty soil.The hysteresis loop area is more extensive,and the residual strain is evident.

Transplantation of fibrin-thrombin encapsulated human induced neural stem cells promotes functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats through modulation of the microenvironment

Recent studies have mostly focused on engraftment of cells at the lesioned spinal cord,with the expectation that differentiated neurons facilitate recovery.Only a few studies have attempted to use transplanted cells and/or biomaterials as major modulators of the spinal cord injury microenvironment.Here,we aimed to investigate the role of microenvironment modulation by cell graft on functional recovery after spinal cord injury.Induced neural stem cells reprogrammed from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and/or thrombin plus fibrinogen,were transplanted into the lesion site of an immunosuppressed rat spinal cord injury model.Basso,Beattie and Bresnahan score,electrophysiological function,and immunofluorescence/histological analyses showed that transplantation facilitates motor and electrophysiological function,reduces lesion volume,and promotes axonal neurofilament expression at the lesion core.Examination of the graft and niche components revealed that although the graft only survived for a relatively short period(up to 15 days),it still had a crucial impact on the microenvironment.Altogether,induced neural stem cells and human fibrin reduced the number of infiltrated immune cells,biased microglia towards a regenerative M2 phenotype,and changed the cytokine expression profile at the lesion site.Graft-induced changes of the microenvironment during the acute and subacute stages might have disrupted the inflammatory cascade chain reactions,which may have exerted a long-term impact on the functional recovery of spinal cord injury rats.

Photoactive Naphthalene Diimide Functionalized Titanium-Oxo Clusters with High Photoelectrochemical Responses

Photoactive functionalized titanium-oxo clusters(TOCs)are regarded as an important model compound for dye-sensitized titanium dioxide solar cells.However,the dyes used for sensitizing TOCs are still limited.Herein,two cyclic TOCs are reported,namely,[Ti_(6)(μ_(3)-O)_(2)(Oi-Pr)_(8))(LA)_(2)]·i-PrOH(S1)and[Ti_(6)(μ_(3)-O)2(Oi-Pr)_(8))(LV)_(2)]·i-PrOH(S2),which are functionalized by photoactive naphthalene diimide(NDI)chromophores.Their molecular structures and photophysical and photochemical properties were systematically studied.As shown by ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis)spectra and photocurrent study results,the band gap and the photocurrent response of S1 and S2 were derived from NDI ligands which extend the absorption edge of S1 and S2 approaching 500 nm and afford high photocurrent densities of 2.12μA/cm^(2)and 1.95μA/cm^(2)for S1 and S2,respectively,demonstrating the significance of the photoactive ligand in modulating photoresponse of TOCs.This work is expected to enrich the structural library of photoactive TOCs and provide insights into understanding the structure-property relationships of sensitized clusters.

Deep brain implantable microelectrode arrays for detection and functional localization of the subthalamic nucleus in rats with Parkinson’s disease

The subthalamic nucleus(STN)is considered the best target for deep brain stimulation treatments of Parkinson’s disease(PD).It is difficult to localize the STN due to its small size and deep location.Multichannel microelectrode arrays(MEAs)can rapidly and precisely locate the STN,which is important for precise stimulation.In this paper,16-channel MEAs modified with multiwalled carbon nanotube/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(MWCNT/PEDOT:PSS)nanocomposites were designed and fabricated,and the accurate and rapid identification of the STN in PD rats was performed using detection sites distributed at different brain depths.These results showed that nuclei in 6-hydroxydopamine hydrobromide(6-OHDA)-lesioned brains discharged more intensely than those in unlesioned brains.In addition,the MEA simultaneously acquired neural signals from both the STN and the upper or lower boundary nuclei of the STN.Moreover,higher values of spike firing rate,spike amplitude,local field potential(LFP)power,and beta oscillations were detected in the STN of the 6-OHDA-lesioned brain,and may therefore be biomarkers of STN localization.Compared with the STNs of unlesioned brains,the power spectral density of spikes and LFPs synchronously decreased in the delta band and increased in the beta band of 6-OHDA-lesioned brains.This may be a cause of sleep and motor disorders associated with PD.Overall,this work describes a new cellular-level localization and detection method and provides a tool for future studies of deep brain nuclei.

Combined Promoting Effects of Specific Organic Functional Groups and Alumina Surface Characteristics for the Design of a Highly Efficient NiMo/Al_(2)O_(3) Hydrodesulfurization Catalyst

To prepare a highly efficient NiMo/Al_(2)O_(3) hydrodesulfurization catalyst,the combined effects of specific organic functional groups and alumina surface characteristics were investigated.First,the correlation between the surface characteristics of four different alumina and the existing Mo species states was established.It was found that the Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity can be used as a specific descriptor to quantitatively evaluate the changes in surface characteristics of different alumina.A lower Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity for alumina means weaker metal-support interaction and the loaded Mo species are easier to transform into MoS2.However,the Mo-O-Al bonds still exist at the metal-support interface.The introduction of cationic surfactant hecadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB)can further improve Mo species dispersion through electrostatic attraction with Mo anions and interaction of its alkyl chain with the alumina surface;meanwhile,the introduction of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA)can complex with Ni ions to enhance the Ni-promoting effect on Mo.Therefore,the NiMo catalyst designed using alumina with lower Mo equilibrium adsorption capacity and the simultaneous addition of EDTA and CTAB exhibits the highest hydrodesulfurization activity for 4,6-dimethyl dibenzothiophene because of its proper metal-support interaction and more well-dispersed Ni-Mo-S active phases.

Greatly enhanced corrosion/wear resistances of epoxy coating for Mg alloy through a synergistic effect between functionalized graphene and insulated blocking layer

The poor corrosion and wear resistances of Mg alloys seriously limit their potential applications in various industries.The conventional epoxy coating easily forms many intrinsic defects during the solidification process,which cannot provide sufficient protection.In the current study,we design a double-layer epoxy composite coating on Mg alloy with enhanced anti-corrosion/wear properties,via the spin-assisted assembly technique.The outer layer is functionalized graphene(FG)in waterborne epoxy resin(WEP)and the inner layer is Ce-based conversion(Ce)film.The FG sheets can be homogeneously dispersed within the epoxy matrix to fill the intrinsic defects and improve the barrier capability.The Ce film connects the outer layer with the substrate,showing the transition effect.The corrosion rate of Ce/WEP/FG composite coating is 2131 times lower than that of bare Mg alloy,and the wear rate is decreased by~90%.The improved corrosion resistance is attributed to the labyrinth effect(hindering the penetration of corrosive medium)and the obstruction of galvanic coupling behavior.The synergistic effect derived from the FG sheet and blocking layer exhibits great potential in realizing the improvement of multi-functional integration,which will open up a new avenue for the development of novel composite protection coatings of Mg alloys.

Winery by‑products as a feed source with functional properties:dose–response effect of grape pomace,grape seed meal,and grape seed extract on rumen microbial community and their fermentation activity in RUSITEC

Background Grape and winery by-products have nutritional values for cattle and also contain functional compounds like phenols,which not only bind to protein but can also directly affect microbiota and their function in the rumen.We characterized the nutritional and functional effects of grape seed meal and grape pomace as well as an effective dosage of grape phenols on ruminal microbiota and fermentation characteristics using a rumen simulation technique.Results Six diets(each n=8)were compared including a control diet(CON,no by-product),a positive control diet(EXT,CON+3.7%grape seed extract on a dry matter(DM)basis),two diets with grape seed meal at 5%(GS-low)and 10%(GS-high),and two diets with grape pomace:at 10%(GP-low)and 20%(GP-high),on a DM basis.The inclusion of the by-product supplied total phenols at 3.4%,0.7%,1.4%,1.3%,and 2.7%of diet DM for EXT,GS-low,GS-high,GP-low,and GP-high,respectively.Diets were tested in four experimental runs.All treatments decreased ammonia concentrations and the disappearances of DM and OM(P<0.05)compared to CON.EXT and GP-high lowered butyrate and odd-and branch-chain short-chain fatty acids while increased acetate compared to CON(P<0.05).Treatments did not affect methane formation.EXT decreased the abundance of many bacterial genera including those belonging to the core microbiota.GP-high and EXT consistently decreased Olsenella and Anaerotipes while increased Ruminobacter abundances.Conclusion The data suggest that the inclusion of winery by-products or grape seed extract could be an option for reducing excessive ammonia production.Exposure to grape phenols at a high dosage in an extract form can alter the rumen microbial community.This,however,does not necessarily alter the effect of grape phenols on the microbial community function compared to feeding high levels of winery by-products.This suggests the dominant role of dosage over the form or source of the grape phenols in affecting ruminal microbial activity.In conclusion,supplementing grape phenols at about 3%of diet DM is an effective dosage tolerable to ruminal microbiota.