Brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the neuromuscular junction during developmental axonal competition and synapse elimination

During the development of the nervous system,there is an overproduction of neurons and synapses.Hebbian competition between neighboring nerve endings and synapses performing different activity levels leads to their elimination or strengthening.We have extensively studied the involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor-Tropomyosin-related kinase B receptor neurotrophic retrograde pathway,at the neuromuscular junction,in the axonal development and synapse elimination process versus the synapse consolidation.The purpose of this review is to describe the neurotrophic influence on developmental synapse elimination,in relation to other molecular pathways that we and others have found to regulate this process.In particular,we summarize our published results based on transmitter release analysis and axonal counts to show the different involvement of the presynaptic acetylcholine muscarinic autoreceptors,coupled to downstream serine-threonine protein kinases A and C(PKA and PKC)and voltage-gated calcium channels,at different nerve endings in developmental competition.The dynamic changes that occur simultaneously in several nerve terminals and synapses converge across a postsynaptic site,influence each other,and require careful studies to individualize the mechanisms of specific endings.We describe an activity-dependent balance(related to the extent of transmitter release)between the presynaptic muscarinic subtypes and the neurotrophin-mediated TrkB/p75NTR pathways that can influence the timing and fate of the competitive interactions between the different axon terminals.The downstream displacement of the PKA/PKC activity ratio to lower values,both in competing nerve terminals and at postsynaptic sites,plays a relevant role in controlling the elimination of supernumerary synapses.Finally,calcium entry through L-and P/Q-subtypes of voltage-gated calcium channels(both channels are present,together with the N-type channel in developing nerve terminals)contributes to reduce transmitter release and promote withdrawal of the most unfavorable nerve terminals during elimination(the weakest in acetylcholine release and those that have already become silent).The main findings contribute to a better understanding of punishment-rewarding interactions between nerve endings during development.Identifying the molecular targets and signaling pathways that allow synapse consolidation or withdrawal of synapses in different situations is important for potential therapies in neurodegenerative diseases.

Anion competition for Li^(+)solvated coordination environments in poly(1,3 dioxolane)electrolyte to enable high-voltage lithium metal solid-state batteries

Gel-based polymer electrolytes are limited by the polarity of the residual solvent,which restricts the coupling-breaking behaviour during Li^(+)conduction,resulting in the Li^(+)transport kinetics being greatly affected.Here,we designed anion competitive gel polymer electrolyte(ACPE)by introducing lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate(LiDFOB)anion into the 1,3-dioxolane(DOL)in situ polymerisation system.ACPE enhances the ionic dipole interaction between Li^(+)and the solvent molecules and synergizes with Li^(+)across the solvation site of the polymer ethylene oxide(EO)unit,combination that greatly improves the Li^(+)transport efficiency.As a result,ACPE exhibits 1.12 mS cm^(−1)ionic conductivity and 0.75 Li^(+)transfer number at room temperature.Additionally,this intra-polymer solvation sheath allows preferential desolvation of DFOB−,which contributes to the formation of kinetically stable anion-derived interphase and effectively mitigates side reactions.Our results demonstrate that the assembled Li||NCM622 solid-state battery exhibits lifespan of over 300 cycles with average Coulombic efficiency of 98.8%and capacity retention of 80.3%.This study introduces a novel approach for ion migration and interface design,paving the way for high-safety and high-energy-density batteries.

Tree allometry responses to competition and complementarity in mixed-species plantations of Betula alnoides

Tree allometry plays a crucial role in tree survival,stability,and timber quantity and quality of mixed-species plantations.However,the responses of tree allometry to resource utilisation within the framework of interspecific competition and complementarity remain poorly understood.Taking into consideration strong-and weakspace competition(SC and WC),as well as N_(2)-fixing and non-N_(2)-fixing tree species(FN and nFN),a mixedspecies planting trial was conducted for Betula alnoides,a pioneer tree species,which was separately mixed with Acacia melanoxylon(SC+FN),Erythrophleum fordii(WC+FN),Eucalyptus cloeziana(SC+nFN)and Pinus kesiya var.langbianensis(WC+nFN)in southern China.Six years after planting,tree growth,total nitrogen(N)and carbon(C)contents,and the natural abundances of^(15)N and^(13)C in the leaves were measured for each species,and the mycorrhizal colonisation rates of B.alnoides were investigated under each treatment.Allometric variations and their relationships with space competition and nutrient-related factors were analyzed.The results showed a consistent effect of space competition on the height-diameter relationship of B.alnoides in mixtures with FN or nFN.The tree height growth of B.alnoides was significantly promoted under high space competition,and growth in diameter at breast height(DBH),tree height and crown size were all expedited in mixtures with FN.The symbiotic relationship between ectomycorrhizal fungi and B.alnoides was significantly influenced by both space competition and N_(2) fixation by the accompanying tree species,whereas such significant effects were absent for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.Furthermore,high space competition significantly decreased the water use efficiency(WUE)of B.alnoides,and its N use efficiency(NUE)was much lower in the FN mixtures.Structural equation modeling further demonstrated that the stem allometry of B.alnoides was affected by its NUE and WUE via changes in its height growth,and crown allometry was influenced by the mycorrhizal symbiotic relationship.Our findings provide new insights into the mechanisms driving tree allometric responses to above-and belowground resource competition and complementarity in mixed-species plantations,which are instructive for the establishment of mixed-species plantations.

Discussion on the Application of Technical and Tactical Skills in Mixed Martial Arts Competitions

This article mainly analyzes the application of technical and tactical skills in mixed martial arts competitions,including mixed martial arts and its competition characteristics,the main application significance of technical and tactical skills in mixed martial arts competitions,and its primary application strategies.It is hoped that this analysis can provide some guidelines for the appropriate application of mixed martial arts athletes’technical and tactical skills to improve their winning rate in mixed martial arts competitions.

Dilemmas and Optimization of Third-Party Assessment System in Chinese Fair Competition Review

The current predominant self-review mechanism by policy-making bodies suffers from deficiencies such as insufficient motivations, limited review capabilities, and weak external supervision. Third-party assessment, characterized by independence and specialization, is designed to mitigate these shortcomings. However, the implementation of third-party assessment faces challenges too. This paper intends to improve the third-party assessment system and to realize the legislative purpose of the system. Based on social research, discussions and exchanges with relevant parties, and the existing research results, this paper analyzes the challenges and possible optimization measures for the third-party assessment. The challenges include repulsion from policy-making bodies, insufficient independence of assessment bodies, disparity of assessment quality, and limited application of assessment outcomes. Possible optimization measures include promoting fair competition culture, increasing the acceptance of third-party assessment from policy-making bodies, enhancing the quality of third-party assessment, clarifying the relationship between policy-making bodies and assessment bodies, ensuring the independence of third-party assessments, and promoting the application of assessment results.

Teaching Design and Implementation of the Electrical and Electronic Technology Course Based on Teaching Ability Competition

The teaching ability competition is a vital method for stimulating teachers’enthusiasm and enhancing their teaching skills.This approach has gained increasing attention from colleges and universities in recent years.The competition focuses on evaluating teachers’capabilities in designing and implementing lessons,encouraging the exchange of new educational ideas and high-quality teaching methods.Reforming the teaching of Electrical and Electronic Technology courses based on insights from teaching competitions can significantly improve teaching quality.This paper explores the teaching design and implementation of the Electrical and Electronic Technology course,drawing on the principles of teaching ability competitions.First,it analyzes the existing problems in teaching this course.Then,it highlights the significant benefits that teaching competitions bring to the course.Based on these insights,the paper proposes practical strategies aimed at enhancing students’interest and practical skills,thereby promoting innovative developments in teaching Electrical and Electronic Technology.

The Model of“Post,Course,Competition,Certificate”Integrated Education for Electronic Information Engineering Technology Major in Higher Vocational Colleges

The core education function of higher vocational colleges is to train technical talents with high quality,so as to meet the needs of talents in the development stage of our society.Under the guidance of talent training,higher vocational colleges need to pay attention to establishing an all-round and three-dimensional education model,and promote innovation of higher vocational education on the basis of this.It is also a way to promote the innovation of higher vocational education to vigorously promote the construction of“post,course,competition,certificate”mode in the construction of education mode.Through the construction of“post,course,competition,certificate”mode,the education mode of higher vocational colleges is gradually improved,so as to strengthen the effectiveness of talent training in higher vocational colleges.Therefore,in this paper,the author puts forward some suggestions to promote the construction of the integrated education mode of the electronic information engineering technology major in higher vocational colleges,so as to help improve the talent training level of higher vocational colleges.

Research on the Role of Guiding Students to Participate in Skills Competitions on the Development of Young Teachers in Vocational Colleges

This paper explores the role of guiding students to participate in skills competitions on the development of young teachers in vocational colleges.We investigate the impact of skills competitions on the consolidation of professional knowledge,development of innovation capabilities,improvement of hands-on abilities,and enhancement of communication skills with students.The results of this research demonstrate that skills competitions have a positive influence on the professional growth of young teachers.The consolidation of professional knowledge,development of innovation capabilities,improvement of hands-on abilities,and enhancement of communication skills collectively contribute to the effectiveness of young teachers in vocational colleges.It is recommended that vocational colleges prioritize and support the participation of young teachers in skills competitions to foster their professional development.

Discussion on the Integration of“Post,Course,Competition,Certificate”:Taking the Internet of Things Application Technology Courses in Higher Vocational Colleges as an Example

This article explores the development of the Internet of Things(IoT)application technology course in higher vocational colleges under the background of“post,course,competition,certificate.”It first emphasizes the importance of IoT talent training and course construction in higher vocational colleges and deeply analyzes the core concept of“post,course,competition,certificate”integration.In view of the problems faced in the course construction of IoT application technology in higher vocational colleges and the practical experience of Tianjin Vocational College of Mechanics and Electricity,the implementation strategy of the course construction of IoT application technology in higher vocational colleges is elaborated in detail based on the integrated concept of“post,course,competition,certificate.”

Effects of Interspecific Competition on the Population Dynamics of Four Stored Grain Insect Pests

The effects of interspecific competition on the population dynamics of four insect grain Insecp pests （ Sitophilus zeamais, Rhizopertha dominica, Tribolium castaneum and Cryptolestes ferrugineus ） was studied at 30℃, 75% relative humidity. A regression analysis of the population dynamics was conducted. The results showed that population growth of S. zeamais , R. dominica, T. castaneum and C. ferrugineus was restrained under mixed rearing. Population growth of T. castaneum and C. ferrugineus was remarkably accelerated when they coexisted with S. zeamais or R. dominica, while that of S. zeamais and R. dominica was restrained to some extent. Regression analysis results showed that the population growth potential of S. zeamais was the largest and that of C. ferrugineus was the smallest, and the changing trends of population growth rates were not distinct.

Growth and Competition of Fourteen Herb Species in Experimental Microcoenosiums

Growth and competition of 14 herb species were investigated in the experimental microcoenosiums in laboratory under the following environmental factors and treatment levels: high and low fertility, clipping and un-clipping, and with and without microbial infusion. The most intense competition and the biggest difference in biomass among the species were detected in the high fertility microcoenosiums subjected to no clipping disturbance. Clippings or low fertility reduced the growth of the competitors and resulted in more even biomass distribution among the species. Successive clippings reduced the total accumulative biomass of the microcoenosiums. Microbial infusion significantly increased the growth of legume species Lotus corniculatus L. and Trifolium pratense L. The growth of Alopecurus pratensis L. was also raised by microbial infusion, whereas Dactylis glomerata L. had more biomass in without-microbial-infusion microcoenosiums than in microbial infusion ones. Most of the 14 species were not obviously affected. The positive effect of microbial infusion was more marked in the low fertility microcoenosiums.

R&D subsidy policy of domestic firm considering foreign firm competition

Taking the advanced technology of the foreign firm into account, a mixed duopoly three-stage game model is established in the context of research and development（RD）investment subsidies and product subsidies for domestic firms provided by the government, and the RD subsidy policy of domestic firms in competition with foreign firms is analyzed.The equilibrium output, RD investment of the domestic firm, social welfare and the value of government subsidies are derived, in the case of the two policies, RD investment subsidies and product subsidies for domestic firms, provided by the government. The results show that, the equilibrium output and the optimal social welfare under the RD investment subsidy policy are both less than those under the product subsidy policy; the optimal RD investment under the RD investment subsidy policy is less than that under the product subsidy policy; and the RD product subsidy has a more obvious incentive effect on firm RD investment. Under the background of the leading edge of technology of foreign firms, the product subsidy policy drawn up by the government to encourage RD innovation of domestic firms is more effective than the RD investment subsidy policy.

Influences of Nitrogen-phosphorus Ratio on the Growth and Competition of Chlorella vulga and Anabaena sp. strain PCC

This paper studied the effects of different ratios of nitrogen and phospho- rus on the growth and competition of Anabaena sp. strain PCC and chloralla vul- gads （low nitrogen-phosphorus ratio group： N/P=16：1; Medium low nitrogen-phospho- rus ratio group： N/P=32：1; Medium high nitrogen-phosphorus ratio group： N/P=64：1; High nitrogen-phosphorus ratio group： N/P=320：1）. Results suggested that the largest amount of anabaena sp.strain PCC survived in medium high nitrogen-phosphorus ratio group. The nitrogen-phosphorus ratio showed no significant influences on the growth of Chlorella vulgaris, but it exerted dramatic influences on the growth of Chlore/la vulgaris of the mixed cultivation system. The largest amount of Ch/orel/a vulgaris can be found in the medium-high nitrogen-phosphorus ratio group. The inhi- bition parameter of nitrogen-phosphorus on the algae was distinctive. Anabaena sp. strain PCC had advantages in the competition with the low nitrogen-phosphorus ra- tio and medium-low nitrogen-phosphorus ratio. Potential instability existed between anabaena sp.strain PCC and Chlorella vulgaris when the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio was medium-high and high.

几类本原有向图Scrambling指数极图的广义Competition指数

设D为n阶本原有向图,对于D中的每一对顶点x,y,存在正整数m,1≤m≤n,在D中总能找到m个不同的顶点v1,v2,…,vm,使得x和y到vi(1≤i≤m)都存在k长的途径,上述k中的最小者称为D的广义Competition指数(m-Competition指数).广义Competition指数是本原指数和Scrambling指数的推广.采用图论与组合矩阵论的方法,对几类本原有向图Scrambling指数极图的广义Competition指数进行研究,给出了这几类极图的广义Competition指数.

Analysis of China's tobacco industry competition modes in the government monopoly environment

China is by far the largest producer of tobacco products in the world. As a big tax source, tobacco industry brings about 10%of China's annual income.At present tobacco industry is under the administrative monopoly management in China. The nation's policy and management mechanism greatly influence the competition structure of tobbacco industry. Due to the double character of tobacco, the country generally imposes a high tax and limits total product output in order to control the tobacco market. Therefore, the price signal of tobacco market is distorted and to a large extent the competition of the industry is far from a free one. The cigarette production is in a multi element competition style within the nation's planning system. In other words, administrative monopoly and over competition exist simultaneously in China's tobacco industry. The country predetermines the output quota of each cigarette manufacturing enterprise and the actual production outputs of these enterprises could be adjusted through the quota trades among them. The competition in tobacco industry is mainly represented in 3 modes, i.e.production output competition based on quota trades, value added competition in producing and marketing, and the niche market competition based on product classification.

Evaluation and analysis of intraspecific competition in maize: A case study on plant density experiment

Intraspecific competition is a common phenomenon in agricultural production,and maize is one of the most sensitive grass species to intraspecific competition due to its low tillering ability.This study evaluated and analyzed intraspecific competition in maize,and screened competitive indices that could be used to evaluate intraspecific competition in a maize population.A 2-year field experiment was conducted using the maize hybrid Zhongdan 2 at 12 plant densities ranging from 1.5 to 18.0 plants（pl）m-2.The results showed that the response of single-plant grain yield and dry matter at harvest to increased plant density decreased exponentially and that the harvest index decreased linearly.The response of population-level grain yield to plant density was curvilinear,producing a maximum value at the optimum population density.However,the yielddensity equation agreed well with the Steinhart-Hart equation curves,but not with the quadratic equation curves reported by most previous studies.Competitive indices are used to evaluate competition in a plant population or plant species.The present results show that competitive intensity（CI）and absolute severity of competition（ASC）increased with increasing plant density;however,relative yield（RY）and relative reproductive efficiency（RReff）decreased.The different responses of these indices reflect different aspects of competition.According to the analysis of CI,ASC,RY,and RReff,higher CI and ASC values indicate higher intraspecific competition,whereas higher RY and RReff values indirectly reflect lower intraspecific competition.These competitive indices evaluate not only the intraspecific competitive intensity under different plant densities of the same cultivar but also those of different cultivars under the same plant density.However,some overlap exists in the calculations of ASC,CI,and RY,so one could simply select any one of these indices to evaluate intraspecific competition in a maize population.In conclusion,the present study provides a method to evaluate intraspecific competition in maize populations,which may be beneficial for breeding high-yield maize varieties in the future.

Oil and gas cooperation between China and Central Asia in an environment of political and resource competition

This paper investigates Central Asia＇s oil and gas resources, special geopolitics and energy competition, and approaches, challenges and prospects in cooperation between China and Central Asia. The objective is to propose measures for oil and gas cooperation between China and Central Asia. Central Asia is rich in oil and gas resources. Its remaining recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas account for 1.9% and 10.6 %, respectively, of the world＇s total reserves. Moreover, there is great exploration and development potential. As a strategic channel connecting Eurasia, Central Asia has a prominent geopolitical status. Many powerful countries such as the United States, Russia and China, as well as Europe, have an intense energy competition in Central Asia. In the oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, the China National Petroleum Corporation （CNPC） focuses on establishing a coordination group, promoting overall oil and gas business opportunities and sustainable development, innovating and applying specialty engineering technology and improving project economic benefits. Through its efforts over the last nearly two decades, the China National Petroleum Corporation has completed a 50-million-tonne a year oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and oil and gas pipelines passing through multiple countries, becoming an important channel for securing China＇s energy imports. If appropriate measures are taken in the ＇Thirteenth Five-Year Plan＇ period or later, the China National Petroleum Corporation will develop a 100-million-tonne p.a. oil and gas production centre in Central Asia and a strategic oil and gas import channel exceeding this amount of production. This cooperation between China and Central Asia is however faced with the following challenges： increasing multinational competition uncertainty, potential risks in the political systems of Central Asian countries, frequently occurring violence and also resource policy tightening in Central Asia. To further oil and gas cooperation with Central Asia, it is recommended that China should develop an energy acquisition strategy, assign a regional energy ambassador, enhance oil and gas supply by mergers and acquisitions, establish regional multinational subsidiaries and improve its risk prevention system.

A Memetic Algorithm With Competition for the Capacitated Green Vehicle Routing Problem

In this paper, a memetic algorithm with competition(MAC) is proposed to solve the capacitated green vehicle routing problem(CGVRP). Firstly, the permutation array called traveling salesman problem(TSP) route is used to encode the solution, and an effective decoding method to construct the CGVRP route is presented accordingly. Secondly, the k-nearest neighbor(k NN) based initialization is presented to take use of the location information of the customers. Thirdly, according to the characteristics of the CGVRP, the search operators in the variable neighborhood search(VNS) framework and the simulated annealing(SA) strategy are executed on the TSP route for all solutions. Moreover, the customer adjustment operator and the alternative fuel station(AFS) adjustment operator on the CGVRP route are executed for the elite solutions after competition. In addition, the crossover operator is employed to share information among different solutions. The effect of parameter setting is investigated using the Taguchi method of design-ofexperiment to suggest suitable values. Via numerical tests, it demonstrates the effectiveness of both the competitive search and the decoding method. Moreover, extensive comparative results show that the proposed algorithm is more effective and efficient than the existing methods in solving the CGVRP.

The effect of UV-B radiation enhancement on the interspecific competition between Skeletonema costatum and Heterosigma akashiwo

The responses of the interspecific competition between Skeletonema costatum and Heterosigma akashiwo to UV-B radiation enhancement were studied by the co-culture method. The results showed that Heterosigma akashiwo exhibited inhibition on the growth of Skeletonema costatum, and with the increase of initial inoculation density of Heterosigma akashiwo, heavier inhibition on Skeletonema costatum appeared. Under different inoculation proportions, Heterosigma akashiwo could always be in predominance in competition with Skeletonema costatum. The UV-B radiation treatment could change the competition relationship between Skeletonema costatum and Heterosigma akashiwo, which could increase the competitive dominance of Skeletonema costatum and decrease the competitive dominance of Heterosigma akashiwo. When the inoculation proportions of Heterosigma akashiwo and Skeletonema costatum were H∶S=1∶4 and H∶S=1∶1,Skeletonema costatum was in predominance in this competition; however, Heterosigma akashiwo was in predominance when the inoculation proportion was H∶S=4∶1.

Storage reliability assessment model based on competition failure of multi-components in missile

The degradation data of multi-components in missile is derived by periodical testing. How to use these data to assess the storage reliability (SR) of the whole missile is a difficult problem in current research. An SR assessment model based on competition failure of multi-components in missile is proposed. By analyzing the missile life profile and its storage failure feature, the key components in missile are obtained and the characteristics voltage is assumed to be its key performance parameter. When the voltage testing data of key components in missile are available, a state space model (SSM) is applied to obtain the whole missile degradation state, which is defined as the missile degradation degree (DD). A Wiener process with the time-scale model (TSM) is applied to build the degradation failure model with individual variability and nonlinearity. The Weibull distribution and proportional risk model are applied to build an outburst failure model with performance degradation effect. Furthermore, a competition failure model with the correlation between degradation failure and outburst failure is proposed. A numerical example with a set of missiles in storage is analyzed to demonstrate the accuracy and superiority of the proposed model.