Characterization of the infectivity of an Indonesian Zika virus strain in mammalian cell lines

Objective:To characterize the infection patterns and growth characteristics of the Zika virus(ZIKV)strain JMB-185 from Indonesia in various mammalian cell lines.Methods:ZIKV was grown in human(A549,HEK293,HepG2,Huh7,Jurkat,and THP-1)and non-human mammalian(RAW264.7,Vero,and Vero76)cell lines.Viral replication kinetics were measured using plaque assay,while intra-and extracellular viral RNA concentrations were assessed using RT-PCR.Flow cytometry was used to quantify the infected cells and cell viability was measured using an MTT assay.The ability of ZIKV to infect cell lines was visualized using a fluorescence immunostaining assay.Results:This ZIKV strain preferentially infected the lung,kidney,and liver cell lines A549,HEK293,Huh7,Vero,and Vero76,but not the immune cells Jurkat,RAW264.7,and THP-1.By contrast,the ZIKV showed no sign of infection in HepG2 cells,while maintaining viral titer over 3 days post-infection,with no infection recorded in immunostaining,no increase in viral RNA,and no indication of cell deterioration.Conclusions:The Indonesian ZIKV strain has a similar infection profile as other strains,except for its poor infectivity on HepG2 cells.Information on the growth characteristics of Indonesia ZIKV will help expand our understanding of the biology of ZIKV which will be useful for various applications including antiviral discovery.

Derivative Spectroscopy and its Application at Detecting the Weak Emission/Absorption Lines

The development of spectroscopic survey telescopes like Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope(LAMOST),Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment and Sloan Digital Sky Survey has opened up unprecedented opportunities for stellar classification.Specific types of stars,such as early-type emission-line stars and those with stellar winds,can be distinguished by the profiles of their spectral lines.In this paper,we introduce a method based on derivative spectroscopy(DS)designed to detect signals within complex backgrounds and provide a preliminary estimation of curve profiles.This method exhibits a unique advantage in identifying weak signals and unusual spectral line profiles when compared to other popular line detection methods.We validated our approach using synthesis spectra,demonstrating that DS can detect emission signals three times fainter than Gaussian fitting.Furthermore,we applied our method to 579,680 co-added spectra from LAMOST Medium-Resolution Spectroscopic Survey,identifying 16,629 spectra with emission peaks around the Hαline from 10,963 stars.These spectra were classified into three distinct morphological groups,resulting in nine subclasses as follows.(1)Emission peak above the pseudo-continuum line(single peak,double peaks,emission peak situated within an absorption line,P Cygni profile,Inverse P Cygni profile);(2)Emission peak below the pseudo-continuum line(sharp emission peak,double absorption peaks,emission peak shifted to one side of the absorption line);(3)Emission peak between the pseudo-continuum line.

GATA binding protein 2 mediated ankyrin repeat domain containing 26 high expression in myeloid-derived cell lines

BACKGROUND Thrombocytopenia 2,an autosomal dominant inherited disease characterized by moderate thrombocytopenia,predisposition to myeloid malignancies and normal platelet size and function,can be caused by 5’-untranslated region(UTR)point mutations in ankyrin repeat domain containing 26(ANKRD26).Runt related transcription factor 1(RUNX1)and friend leukemia integration 1(FLI1)have been identified as negative regulators of ANKRD26.However,the positive regulators of ANKRD26 are still unknown.AIM To prove the positive regulatory effect of GATA binding protein 2(GATA2)on ANKRD26 transcription.METHODS Human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from bone marrow(hiPSC-BM)INTRODUCTION Ankyrin repeat domain containing protein 26(ANKRD26)acts as a regulator of adipogenesis and is involved in the regulation of feeding behavior[1-3].The ANKRD26 gene is located on chromosome 10 and shares regions of homology with the primate-specific gene family POTE.According to the Human Protein Atlas database,the ANKRD26 protein is localized to the Golgi apparatus and vesicles,and its expression can be detected in nearly all human tissues[4].Moreover,UniProt annotation revealed that ANKRD26 is localized in the centrosome and contains coiled-coil domains formed by spectrin helices and ankyrin repeats[5,6].The most common disease related to ANKRD26 is thrombocytopenia 2(THC2),which is a rare autosomal dominant inherited disease characterized by lifelong mild-to-moderate thrombocytopenia and mild bleeding[7-9].Caused by the variants in the 5’-untranslated region(UTR)of ANKRD26,THC2 is defined by a decrease in the number of platelets in circulating blood and results in increased bleeding and decreased clotting ability[8,10].Due to the point mutations that occur in the 5’-UTR of ANKRD26,its negative transcription factors(TFs),Runt related transcription factor 1(RUNX1)and friend leukemia integration 1(FLI1),lose their repression effect[11].The persistent expression of ANKRD26 increases the activity of the mitogen activated protein kinase and extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2 signaling pathways,which are potentially involved in the regulation of thrombopoietin-dependent signaling and further impair proplatelet formation by megakaryocytes(MKs)[11].However,the positive regulators of ANKRD26,which might be associated with THC2 pathology,are still unknown.

Study on the Design Scheme of Vehicle Flow Lines in Unilateral Agglomerative Open Service Area

In recent years,with the introduction of the strategy to strengthen the country’s transportation infrastructure and the continuous implementation of new economic development models such as integrating transportation with tourism,various open service areas integrating highway service areas with local tourism have emerged nationwide.Examples include the Yangcheng Lake service area in Jiangsu and the Lengshui service area in Chongqing.This paper focuses on the design example of the Dazu Stone Carving service area on the Chongqing section of the Yurong Expressway,comprehensively considering factors such as construction scale,terrain conditions,and local urban planning.It analyzes and studies the traffic flow design of unilateral agglomerative open service areas around two vehicle traffic conversion links:between the main expressway and the service area,and between the service area and local roads.The aim is to provide a case study reference for similar projects.

Molecular cytogenetic analyses of two new wheat-rye 6RL translocation lines with resistance to wheat powdery mildew

Rye(Secale cereale)is a valuable gene donor for wheat improvement,especially for its resistance to diseases.Developing rye-derived resistance sources is important for wheat breeding.In the present study,two wheat-rye derivatives,designated JS016 and JS110,were produced by crossing common wheat cultivar Yangmai 23 with Pakistani rye accession W2A.Using sequential genomic in situ hybridization(GISH)and multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization(mc-FISH),JS016 and JS110 were identified as a T6BS.6RL translocation line and a T6BS.6BL6RL translocation line,respectively.Ten newly 6RL chromosome arm-specific markers were developed and used to confirm the 6RL translocation.The wheat 55K single-nucleotide polymorphism(SNP)array further verified the molecular cytogenetic identification results above and clarified their breakpoints at 430.9 and 523.0 Mb of chromosome 6B in JS016 and JS110,respectively.Resistance spectrum and allelism test demonstrated that JS016 and JS110 possessed novel powdery mildew resistance gene(s)that was derived from the 6RL translocation but differed from Pm20.Moreover,JS016 and JS110 had better agronomic traits than the previously reported 6RL translocation line carrying Pm20.To efficiently transfer and detect the 6RL translocation from JS016 and JS110,one 6RL-specific Kompetitive allele specific PCR(KASP)marker was developed and validated in high throughput marker-assisted selection(MAS).

Experimental,Numerical,and Analytical Studies on the Bending of Mechanically Lined Pipe

Mechanically lined pipe(MLP)is often used for offshore oil and gas transport because of its low cost and corrosion resistance.During installation and operation,the pipe may undergo severe bending deformation,which causes the liner to separate from the outer pipe and buckles,affecting the stability of the whole line.In this paper,the buckling response of MLP subjected to bending is investigated to clarify its bending characteristics by employing both experiments,numerical simulation,as theoretical methods.Two types of MLPs were manufactured with GB 45 carbon steel(SLP)and Al 6061(ALP)used as the outer pipe material,respectively.The hydraulic expansion and bending experiments of small-scale MLPs are conducted.In addition to the ovalized shape of the cross-section for the SLP specimens,the copper liner was found to wrinkle on the compressive side.In contrast,the liner of ALP remains intact without developing any wrinkling and collapse mode.In addition,a dedicated numerical framework and theoretical models were also established.It was found both the manufacturing and bending responses of the MLP can be well reproduced,and the predicted maximum moment and critical curvatures are in good agreement with the experimental results.

Fertility,genome stability,and homozygosity in a diverse set of resynthesized rapeseed lines

Rapeseed(Brassica napus,AACC)was formed by hybridization between progenitor species Brassica rapa(AA)and Brassica oleracea(CC).As a result of a limited number of hybridization events between specific progenitor genotypes and strong breeding selection for oil quality traits,rapeseed has limited genetic diversity.The production of resynthesized B.napus lines via interspecific hybridization of the diploid progenitor species B.rapa and B.oleracea is one possible way to increase genetic variation in rapeseed.However,most resynthesized lines produced so far have been reported to be meiotically unstable and infertile,in contrast to established B.napus cultivars.This hinders both maintenance and use of this germplasm in breeding programs.We characterized a large set of 140 resynthesized lines produced by crosses between B.rapa and B.oleracea,as well as between B.rapa and wild C genome species(B.incana,B.hilarionis,B.montana,B.Bourgeaui,B.villosa and B.cretica)for purity(homozygosity),fertility,and genome stability.Self-pollinated seed set,seeds per ten pods as well as percentage pollen viability were used to estimate fertility.SNP genotyping was performed using the Illumina Infinium Brassica 60K array for 116 genotypes,with at least three individuals per line.Most of the material which had been advanced through multiple generations was no longer pure,with heterozygosity detected corresponding to unknown parental contributions via outcrossing.Fertility and genome stability were both genotypedependent.Most lines had high numbers of copy number variants(CNVs),indicative of meiotic instability,and high numbers of CNVs were significantly associated with reduced fertility.Eight putatively stable resynthesized B.napus lines were observed.Further investigation of these lines may reveal the mechanisms underlying this effect.Our results suggest that selection of stable resynthesized lines for breeding purposes is possible.

Saturated absorption spectrum of cesium micrometric-thin cell with suppressed crossover spectral lines

Micrometric-thin cells(MCs)with alkali vapor atoms have been valuable for research and applications of hyperfine Zeeman splitting and atomic magnetometers under strong magnetic fields.We theoretically and experimentally study the saturated absorption spectra using a 100-μm cesium MC,where the pump and probe beams are linearly polarized with mutually perpendicular polarizations,and the magnetic field is along the pump beam.Because of the distinctive thin chamber of the MC,crossover spectral lines in saturated absorption spectra are largely suppressed leading to clear splittings of hyperfine Zeeman transitions in experiments,and the effect of spatial magnetic field gradient is expected to be reduced.A calculation method is proposed to achieve good agreements between theoretical calculations and experimental results.This method successfully explains the suppression of crossover lines in MCs,as well as the effects of magnetic field direction,propagation and polarization directions of the pump/probe beam on saturated absorption spectrum.The saturated absorption spectrum with suppressed crossover lines is used for laser frequency stabilization,which may provide the potential value of MCs for high spatial resolution strong-field magnetometry with high sensitivity.

Multi-Equipment Detection Method for Distribution Lines Based on Improved YOLOx-s

The YOLOx-s network does not sufficiently meet the accuracy demand of equipment detection in the autonomous inspection of distribution lines by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)due to the complex background of distribution lines,variable morphology of equipment,and large differences in equipment sizes.Therefore,aiming at the difficult detection of power equipment in UAV inspection images,we propose a multi-equipment detection method for inspection of distribution lines based on the YOLOx-s.Based on the YOLOx-s network,we make the following improvements:1)The Receptive Field Block(RFB)module is added after the shallow feature layer of the backbone network to expand the receptive field of the network.2)The Coordinate Attention(CA)module is added to obtain the spatial direction information of the targets and improve the accuracy of target localization.3)After the first fusion of features in the Path Aggregation Network(PANet),the Adaptively Spatial Feature Fusion(ASFF)module is added to achieve efficient re-fusion of multi-scale deep and shallow feature maps by assigning adaptive weight parameters to features at different scales.4)The loss function Binary Cross Entropy(BCE)Loss in YOLOx-s is replaced by Focal Loss to alleviate the difficulty of network convergence caused by the imbalance between positive and negative samples of small-sized targets.The experiments take a private dataset consisting of four types of power equipment:Transformers,Isolators,Drop Fuses,and Lightning Arrestors.On average,the mean Average Precision(mAP)of the proposed method can reach 93.64%,an increase of 3.27%.The experimental results show that the proposed method can better identify multiple types of power equipment of different scales at the same time,which helps to improve the intelligence of UAV autonomous inspection in distribution lines.

Construction of EMS-Induced Peanut Mutant Libraries and Identification of Pod-Related Traits Mutant Lines

Peanut(Arachis hypogaea L.)is an oil and economic crop of vital importance,and peanut pod is the key organ influencing the yield and processing quality.Hence,the Pod-related traits(PRTs)are considered as important agronomic traits in peanut breeding.To broaden the variability of PRTs in current peanut germplasms,three elite peanut cultivars were used to construct Ethyl methane sulfonate(EMS)-induced mutant libraries in this study.The optimal EMS treatment conditions for the three peanut varieties were determined.It was found that the median lethal dose(LD50)of EMS treatment varied greatly among different genotypes.Finally,the EMS-induced peanut mutant libraries were constructed and a total of 124 mutant lines for PRTs were identified and evaluated.Furthermore,“M-8070”,one of the mutant lines for pod constriction,was re-sequenced via high-throughput sequencing technology.The genome-wide variations between“M-8070”and its wild parent“Fuhua 8”(FH 8)were detected.2994 EMS-induced single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)and 1188 insertion-deletions(InDels)between“M-8070”and its wild parent were identified.The predominant SNP mutation type was C/G to T/A transitions,while the predominant InDel mutation type was“1-bp”.We analyzed the distribution of identified mutations and annotated their functions.Most of the mutations(91.68%of the SNPs and 77.69%of the InDels)were located in the intergenic region.72 SNPs were identified in the exonic region,leading to 27 synonymous,43 nonsynonymous and 2 stop-gain variation for gene structure.13 Indels were identified in the exonic region,leading to 4 frame-shift,8 non-frame-shift and 1 stop-gain variations of genes.These mutations may lead to the phenotypic variation of“M-8070”.Our study provided valuable resources for peanut improvement and functional genomic research.

Minimization of Electric Power Losses on 132 kV and 220 kV Uganda Electricity Transmission Lines

The classical minimization of power losses in transmission lines is dominated by artificial intelligence techniques, which do not guarantee global optimum amidst local minima. Revolutionary and evolutionary techniques are encumbered with sophisticated transformations, which weaken the techniques. Power loss minimization is crucial to the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines. Minimization of losses is one way to meet steady grid supply, especially at peak demand. Thus, this paper has presented a gradient technique to obtain optimal variables and values from the power loss model, which efficiently minimizes power losses by modifying the traditional power loss model that combines Ohm and Corona losses. Optimality tests showed that the unmodified model does not support the minimization of power losses on transmission lines as the Hessian matrix portrayed the maximization of power losses. However, the modified model is consistent with the gradient method of optimization, which yielded optimum variables and values from the power loss model developed in this study. The unmodified (modified) models for Bujagali-Kawanda 220 kV and Masaka West-Mbarara North 132 kV transmission lines in Uganda showed maximum power losses of 0.406 (0.391) and 0.452 (0.446) kW/km/phase respectively. These results indicate that the modified model is superior to the unmodified model in minimizing power losses in the transmission lines and should be implemented for the efficient design and operation of power transmission lines within and outside Uganda for the same transmission voltages.

Data-Centric Approach to Digital Twin Modeling of Production Lines

Digital twin(DT) is a virtual replica of a physical world that has become one of the most important ideas in the manufacturing industry’s digital revolution. DT modeling is a vital issue in building a DT of a production line. In this paper, a method is proposed to address the difficulties of complicated production line business and data heterogeneity. The method focuses on essential data in the production line and creates conceptual and information models based on the ArtiFlow model and AutomationML(AML). Conceptual models are mainly used to describe and analyze the business activities of the production line, and information models describe real production lines in the form of XML files. The proposed modeling approach has been applied to a real-world clothing production line to demonstrate its feasibility and effectiveness.

Crossing Limit Cycles of Planar Piecewise Hamiltonian Systems with Linear Centers Separated by Two Parallel Straight Lines

In this paper, we have studied several classes of planar piecewise Hamiltonian systems with three zones separated by two parallel straight lines. Firstly, we give the maximal number of limit cycles in these classes of systems with a center in two zones and without equilibrium points in the other zone (or with a center in one zone and without equilibrium points in the other zones). In addition, we also give examples to illustrate that it can reach the maximal number.

Evaluation of red soil-bentonite mixtures for compacted clay liners

Compacted clay liners are an integral part of the waste landfills,which are provided to contain the leachate within the landfills and protect the surrounding environment.Generally,locally available natural soils are used for the construction of compacted clay liners if they satisfy the design criteria.However,not all soils in their natural state satisfy all the design criteria for the liner materials.Thus,there is a definite need to modify the locally available natural soils by blending with bentonite to meet the required design criteria for the liners.In view of this,the present study evaluates the suitability of an Indian red soil enhanced with bentonite as a liner material.To achieve this,a series of experiments were carried out using locally available red soil and bentonite.First,the suitability of the red soil was evaluated as a liner material.The experimental results showed that the red soil met all the selection criteria stipulated by the Environmental Protection Agencies(EPAs)for the liners except the hydraulic conductivity criterion.Therefore,the red soil was mixed with bentonite contents of 10%,20%and 30%,and the red soil-bentonite mixtures were evaluated for their suitability for liners in their compacted state.Further,as the liners in the arid and semi-arid regions are subjected to moisture variations due to seasonal moisture fluctuations and other factors,the red soil-bentonite mixtures were subjected to wetdry cycles,and their suitability was evaluated after wet-dry cycles.The experimental results revealed that all the red soil-bentonite mixtures met the stipulated EPA criteria for the liners in the as-compacted state.However,the red soil-bentonite mixtures with 20%and 30%bentonite contents only satisfied the hydraulic conductivity requirement even after wet-dry cycles.The experimental findings were supplemented with the microstructural insights captured through digital camera images,scanning electron microscopy(SEM),and mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)studies.

Long-term Integration Ability of the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite(SWAS)Spectral Line Receivers

The Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite(SWAS)was the first space telescope capable of high spectral resolution observations of terahertz spectral lines.We have investigated the integration ability of its two receivers and spectrometer during five and a half years of on-orbit operation.The CI,O_(2),H_(2)O,and^(13)CO spectra taken toward all observed Galactic sources were analyzed.The present results are based on spectra with a total integration time of up to 2.72×10~4hr(■10~8s).The noise in the spectra is generally consistent with that expected from the radiometer equation,without any sign of approaching a noise floor.This noise performance reflects the extremely stable performance of the passively cooled front end as well as other relevant components in the SWAS instrument throughout its mission lifetime.

ST-LaneNet: Lane Line Detection Method Based on Swin Transformer and LaneNet

The advancement of autonomous driving heavily relies on the ability to accurate lane lines detection.As deep learning and computer vision technologies evolve,a variety of deep learning-based methods for lane line detection have been proposed by researchers in the field.However,owing to the simple appearance of lane lines and the lack of distinctive features,it is easy for other objects with similar local appearances to interfere with the process of detecting lane lines.The precision of lane line detection is limited by the unpredictable quantity and diversity of lane lines.To address the aforementioned challenges,we propose a novel deep learning approach for lane line detection.This method leverages the Swin Transformer in conjunction with LaneNet(called ST-LaneNet).The experience results showed that the true positive detection rate can reach 97.53%for easy lanes and 96.83%for difficult lanes(such as scenes with severe occlusion and extreme lighting conditions),which can better accomplish the objective of detecting lane lines.In 1000 detection samples,the average detection accuracy can reach 97.83%,the average inference time per image can reach 17.8 ms,and the average number of frames per second can reach 64.8 Hz.The programming scripts and associated models for this project can be accessed openly at the following GitHub repository:https://github.com/Duane 711/Lane-line-detec tion-ST-LaneNet.

Optimizing profile line interval for enhanced accuracy in rock joint morphology and shear strength assessments

2D profile lines play a critical role in cost-effectively evaluating rock joint properties and shear strength.However, the interval(ΔI_(L)) between these lines significantly impacts roughness and shear strength assessments. A detailed study of 45 joint samples using four statistical measures across 500 different ΔI_(L)values identified a clear line interval effect with two stages: stable and fluctuation-discrete.Further statistical analysis showed a linear relationship between the error bounds of four parameters,shear strength evaluation, and their corresponding maximum ΔI_(L)values, where the gradient k of this linear relationship was influenced by the basic friction angle and normal stress. Accounting for these factors,lower-limit linear models were employed to determine the optimal ΔI_(L)values that met error tolerances(1%–10%) for all metrics and shear strength. The study also explored the consistent size effect on joints regardless of ΔI_(L)changes, revealing three types of size effects based on morphological heterogeneity.Notably, larger joints required generally higher ΔI_(L)to maintain the predefined error limits, suggesting an increased interval for large joint analyses. Consequently, this research provides a basis for determining the optimal ΔI_(L), improving accuracy in 2D profile line assessments of joint characteristics.

An Implementation of Multiscale Line Detection and Mathematical Morphology for Efficient and Precise Blood Vessel Segmentation in Fundus Images

Diagnosing various diseases such as glaucoma,age-related macular degeneration,cardiovascular conditions,and diabetic retinopathy involves segmenting retinal blood vessels.The task is particularly challenging when dealing with color fundus images due to issues like non-uniformillumination,low contrast,and variations in vessel appearance,especially in the presence of different pathologies.Furthermore,the speed of the retinal vessel segmentation system is of utmost importance.With the surge of now available big data,the speed of the algorithm becomes increasingly important,carrying almost equivalent weightage to the accuracy of the algorithm.To address these challenges,we present a novel approach for retinal vessel segmentation,leveraging efficient and robust techniques based on multiscale line detection and mathematical morphology.Our algorithm’s performance is evaluated on two publicly available datasets,namely the Digital Retinal Images for Vessel Extraction dataset(DRIVE)and the Structure Analysis of Retina(STARE)dataset.The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method,withmean accuracy values of 0.9467 forDRIVE and 0.9535 for STARE datasets,aswell as sensitivity values of 0.6952 forDRIVE and 0.6809 for STARE datasets.Notably,our algorithmexhibits competitive performance with state-of-the-art methods.Importantly,it operates at an average speed of 3.73 s per image for DRIVE and 3.75 s for STARE datasets.It is worth noting that these results were achieved using Matlab scripts containing multiple loops.This suggests that the processing time can be further reduced by replacing loops with vectorization.Thus the proposed algorithm can be deployed in real time applications.In summary,our proposed system strikes a fine balance between swift computation and accuracy that is on par with the best available methods in the field.

A Miniaturized Broadband Wilkinson Power Divider Using Micro-Strip Branch Lines

A miniaturized broadband Wilkinson power divider is proposed. Micro-strip branch lines are introduced to replace multiple resistors used in multi-stage Wilkinson power dividers to increase the bandwidth of single-stage Wilkinson power dividers. To demonstrate its performance, an improved single-stage Wilkinson power divider with four micro-strip branch lines was designed. Simulated results show that the insert loss is better than 3.2 dB, the input return loss, output return loss, and isolation are better than 15 dB respectively, across a 76% bandwidth from 18 to 40 GHz. .

On traceable iterated line graph and hamiltonian path index

Xiong and Liu[21]gave a characterization of the graphs G for which the n-iterated line graph L^(n)(G)is hamiltonian,for n≥2.In this paper,we study the existence of a hamiltonian path in L^(n)(G),and give a characterization of G for which L^(n)(G)has a hamiltonian path.As applications,we use this characterization to give several upper bounds on the hamiltonian path index of a graph.