Biological Mode of Action of Dimethomorph on Pseudoperonospora cubensis and Its Systemic Activity in Cucumber

Dimethomorph is a fungicide with high activity against Peronosporomycetes plant pathogens. The present study showed that dimethomorph is effective on controlling the oomycete fungal pathogen Pseudoperonospora cubensis causing downy mildew on cucumber. The fungicide did not affect zoospores discharge from sporangia of P. cubensis, but it strongly inhibited mycelial growth and sporangial production in vitro and increased lysis of zoospores. Dose of 2 mg L^-1 of dimethomorph was sufficient to inhibit mycelial growth and sporangial production of P. cubensis on leaf disks, 5 mg L^-1 was enough to lyse zoospores of P. cubensis, and 25 mg L^-1 was required to inhibit sporangial production on detached leaves. In whole plant tests, dimethomorph exhibited strong protective and curative activity. Dimethomorph when applied at a dose of 300 mg L^-1 for 1, 3, 5, 7 days before inoculation exhibited 100% efficacy on disease control. On the other hand, efficacies of 67.1 and 31.5% were obtained when the same dose of dimethomorph was applied for 1 and 3 days after inoculation, respectively. So dimethomorph had persistence effect on leaves for 7 days at least and exhibited strong protective and curative activity. Bioassay analyses showed that dimethomorph could be translocated in the xylem system, redistributed in the leaf, and penetrated from the upper surface to the lower surface of the leaf but could not be translocated in phloem system or transferred from the roots to leaves of cucumber plants in sufficient amounts for disease control. The biocharacteristics of dimethomorph make it well suitable for integration of a control programme against downy mildew disease on cucumber and as a component to delay other peronosporomycetes fungicide-resistance development.

Immunotherapies application in active stage of systemic lupus erythematosus in pregnancy:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Pregnancy in the setting of systemic lupus erythematosus can worsen thecondition from the stable to active stage, with quality of life and fertility desirebeing particular concerns. Pregnancy in the active stage of systemic lupuserythematosus (ASLE), although rare and complicated to manage, can be treatedfavorably with immunotherapies ifs used properly. Here we report such a successcase.CASE SUMMARY A 31-year-old primigravida patient, diagnosed with SLE seven years ago, wasinduced ASLE after a cold at 21 + weeks. The patient’s vital signs on presentationwere normal. Her laboratory exam was remarkable for significant proteinuria,liver and renal dysfunction, and low C3 and C4 levels. Infectious work-up wasnegative. The patient was diagnosed with ASLE. She was given immunosuppressiveagents (methylprednisolone, gamma globulin and azathioprine etc.)and plasma adsorption therapy, monitoring blood pressure every 8 h, fetal heartrate twice a day, and liver and renal function at least twice a week. Successfulmaternal and fetal outcomes are presented here.CONCLUSION Child-bearing in ASLE has become more promising, even for this difficult case ofASLE with multiple organ damage. Thorough antepartum counseling, cautiousmaternal-fetal monitoring, and multi-organ function monitoring bymultidisciplinary specialties are keys to favorable pregnancy outcomes.

Initial-state dependence of phase behaviors in a dense active system

There are rich emergent phase behaviors in non-equilibrium active systems.Flocking and clustering are two representative dynamic phases.The relationship between both the phases is still unclear.Herein,we numerically investigate the evolution of flocking and clustering in a system consisting of self-propelled particles with active reorientation.We consider the interplay between flocking and clustering phases with different initial configurations,and observe a domain in steady state order parameter phase diagrams sensitive to the choice of initial configurations.Specifically,by tuning the initial degree of polar ordering,either a more ordered flocking or a disordered clustering state can be observed in the steady state.These results enlighten us to manipulate emergent behaviors and collective motions of an active system,and are qualitatively different from the emergence of a new bi-stable regime observed in aligned active particles due to an explicit attraction[New J.Phys.14073033(2012)].

Effect of Rituximab Versus Mycophenolate Mofetil or Cyclophosphamide as Control in Lupus Nephritis:A Meta-Analysis

Objective:To evaluate the effects of rituximab versus mycophenolate mofetil or cyclophosphamide as control in lupus nephritis by meta-analysis.Methods:A systematic search was carried out up to January 2022,obtaining 7 studies involving 645 participants with lupus nephritis at the commencement of the investigation;198 of them were treated with rituximab,while 447 were treated with mycophenolate mofetil or cyclophosphamide.We determined the odds ratio(OR)and mean difference(MD)with 95%confidence index(CI)to compare rituximab’s efficacy to that of mycophenolate mofetil or cyclophosphamide as control in lupus nephritis using random-or fixed-effects model by dichotomous or continuous techniques.Results:The rituximab group showed significantly higher complete renal remission rate(OR=2.52;95%CI 1.30-4.91,P=0.006)and total renal remission rates(OR=2.22;95%CI 1.36-3.63,P=0.001)than the control group.However,there was no significant difference in terms of end Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index(SLEDAI)score(MD-1.16;95%CI-2.88-0.57,P=0.19),proteinuria(MD-0.31;95%CI-0.70-0.09,P=0.013),and serum creatinine(MD 0.01;95%CI-0.04-0.07,P=0.64)between the rituximab group and the control.Conclusion:Rituximab exhibited significantly greater complete renal remission rate and total renal remission rates,with no significant difference in terms of shorter-end SLEDAI,proteinuria,and serum creatinine,compared with the control in individuals with lupus nephritis.

Finite Frequency Fuzzy H∞Control for Uncertain Active Suspension Systems With Sensor Failure

This paper investigates the problem of finite frequency fuzzy H_∞ control for uncertain active vehicle suspension systems, in which sensor failure is taken into account. TakagiSugeno(T-S) fuzzy model is established for considered suspension systems. In order to describe the sensor fault effectively, a corresponding model is introduced. A vital performance index,H_∞ performance, is utilized to measure the drive comfort. In the framework of Kalman-Yakubovich-Popov theory, the H_∞ norm from external perturbation to controlled output is optimized effectively in the frequency domain of 4 Hz-8 Hz to enhance ride comfort level. Meanwhile, three suspension constrained requirements, i.e., ride comfort level, manipulation stability,suspension deflection are also guaranteed. Furthermore, sufficient conditions are developed to design a fuzzy controller to guarantee the desired performance of active suspension systems. Finally, the proposed control scheme is applied to a quarter-vehicle active suspension, and simulation results are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Recovery of multiply injured ascending reticular activating systems in a stroke patient

Consciousness is controlled by ular activating system （ARAS）. lower and upper parts between activation of the ascending retic- The ARAS consists mainly of the the thalamus and cerebral cortex （Edlow et al., 2012; Yeo et al., 2013; Jang et al., 2014）. Because the ARAS is composed of several neuronal circuits connecting the brainstem to the cortex. These neuronal connections begin from the reticular formation （RF） of the brainstem and the intralaminar nucleus of thalamus to the cerebral cortex （Gosseroes et al., 2011）. In addition, the ARAS system also includes several brainstem nuclei （such as dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus, pedun-culopontine nucleus, median raphe and parabrachial nucleus）, non-specific thalamic nuclei, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain （Fuller et al., 2011）.

Design and optimization of a semi-active suspension system for railway applications

The present work focused on the application of innovative damping technologies in order to improve railway vehicle performances in terms of dynamic stability and comfort. As a benchmark case-study, the secondary sus- pension stage was selected and different control techniques were investigated, such as skyhook, dynamic compensation, and sliding mode control. The final aim was to investigate which control schemes are suitable for optimal exploitation of the non-linear behavior of the actuators. The performance improvement achieved by adoption of the semi-active dampers on a standard high-speed train was evaluated in terms of passenger comfort. Different control strategies have been investigated by comparing a simple SISO （single input single output） regulator based on the skyhook damper ap- proach with a centralized regulator. The centralized regulator allows for the estimation of a near optimal set of control forces that minimize car-body accelerations with respect to constraints imposed by limited performance of semi-active actuators. Simulation results show that best results is obtained using a mixed approach that considers the simultaneous applications of model based and feedback compensation control terms.

Approximate analysis method for displacement responses of structures with active variable stiffness systems

The performance of structures with active variable stiffness (AVS) systems exhibits strong nonlinearity due to the variety with time of the stiffness of each storey unit,in which the AVS system is installed.Hence,the classical dynamic analysis method for linear structures,such as the mode-superposition method,is not applicable to structures with AVS systems.In this paper,an approximate analysis method is proposed for displacement responses of structures with AVS systems.Firstly,an equivalent relationship between single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) structures equipped with AVS systems and so-called fictitious linear structures is established.Then,an approximate mode-superposition (AMS) method is presented for multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) structures equipped with AVS systems.The accuracy of this method is investigated through extensive parametrical study using different types of earthquake excitations,and some modification is made to the method. Numerical calculation results indicate that the modified AMS method is effective for estimating the maximum displacements relative to the ground and the maximum interstorey drifts of MDOF structures equipped with AVS systems.

Robot motion control in mobile environment

With the problem of robot motion control in dynamic environment represented by mobile obstacles,working pieces and external mechanisms considered, a relevant control actions design procedure has been pro-posed to provide coordination of robot motions with respect to the moving external objects so that an extension ofrobot spatial motion techniques and active robotic strategies based on approaches of nonlinear control theory canbe achieved.

LINEAR ACTIVE STRUCTURES AND MODES (Ⅱ) —DISCRETE SYSTEMS AND BEAMS

The basic concepts about the active structures and some attributes of the modes were presented in paper “Liner Active Structures and Modes]( I) ". The characteristics of the active discrete systems and active beams were discussed, especially, the stability of the active structures and the orthogonality of the eigenvectors. The notes about modes were portrayed by a model of a seven-storeyed building with sensors and actuators. The concept of the adjoint active structure was extended from the discrete systems to the beams that were the representations of the continuous structures. Two types of beams with different placements of the measuring and actuating systems were discussed in detail. One is the beam with the discrete sensors and actuators, and the other is the beam with distributed sensor and actuator function. The orthogonality conditions were derived with the modal shapes of the active beam and its adjoint active beam. An example shows that the variation of eigenvalues with feedback amplitude for the homo-configuration and non-homo-configuration active structures.

Ultra-Wideband Systems with Energy Harvesting Units for Sensors, 5G, IoT and Medical Systems

The high tech industrial revolution in the last fifty years depleted and ruined the planet natural resources. Energy harvesting is the main challenge in the research in green technologies. Compact wideband efficient antennas are crucial for energy harvesting portable sensors and systems. Small antennas have low efficiency. The efficiency of 5G, IoT communication and energy harvesting systems may be improved by using wideband efficient passive and active antennas. The system dynamic range may be improved by connecting amplifiers to the small antenna feed line. Ultra-wideband portable harvesting systems are presented in this paper. This paper presents new Ultra-Wideband energy harvesting system and antennas in frequencies ranging from 0.15 GHz to 18 GHz. Three wideband antennas cover the frequency range from 0.15 GHz to 18 GHz. A wideband metamaterial antenna with metallic strips covers the frequency range from 0.15 GHz to 0.42 GHz. The antenna bandwidth is around 75% for VSWR better than 2.3:1. A wideband slot antenna covers the frequency range from 0.4 GHz to 6.4 GHz. A wideband fractal notch antenna covers the frequency range from 6 GHz to 18 GHz. Printed passive and active notch and slot antennas are compact, low cost and have low volume. The active antennas may be employed in energy harvesting portable systems. The antennas and the harvesting system components may be assembled on the same, printed board. The printed notch and slot antennas bandwidth are from 75% to 100% for VSWR better than 3:1. The slot and notch antenna gain is around 3 dBi with efficiency higher than 90%. The antennas electrical parameters were computed in free space and near the human body. There is a good agreement between computed and measured results.

Human Body Behavior as Response on Autonomous Maneuvers, Based on ATD and Human Model

In the near future, active safety systems will take more control over the vehicle driving, even up to introducing fully autonomous vehicles. Nowadays, it is expected that the active safety systems will aid avoiding collisions much more efficiently than human drivers. These systems can protect not only the passengers, but also other road users. To mitigate collision, certain maneuvers （e.g., sudden braking, lane change, etc.） need to be done in a reasonably quick time. However, this may lead to low-g energy pulses. The latter fact, may cause unexpected and, in some cases, unwanted occupant body motion resulting even in OOP （out of position） postures. New patterns of occupant reactions in such cases are, to some extent, confirmed experimentally [1-3]. This paper evaluates the limits of standard ATDs （anthropometric test devices） and chosen human models in well established maneuver scenarios. Obtained results are compared with experimental data available in the literature. Drawbacks identify new challenges for the near future simulation based safety engineering. One scenario with combined conditions of emergency braking during lane change has been used as an example of OOP posture after maneuver.

Decentralized control in active distribution grids via supervised and reinforcement learning

While moving towards a low-carbon, sustainable electricity system, distribution networks are expected to host a large share of distributed generators, such as photovoltaic units and wind turbines. These inverter-based resources are intermittent, but also controllable, and are expected to amplify the role of distribution networks together with other distributed energy resources, such as storage systems and controllable loads. The available control methods for these resources are typically categorized based on the available communication network into centralized, distributed, and decentralized or local. Standard local schemes are typically inefficient, whereas centralized approaches show implementation and cost concerns. This paper focuses on optimized decentralized control of distributed generators via supervised and reinforcement learning. We present existing state-of-the-art decentralized control schemes based on supervised learning, propose a new reinforcement learning scheme based on deep deterministic policy gradient, and compare the behavior of both decentralized and centralized methods in terms of computational effort, scalability, privacy awareness, ability to consider constraints, and overall optimality. We evaluate the performance of the examined schemes on a benchmark European low voltage test system. The results show that both supervised learning and reinforcement learning schemes effectively mitigate the operational issues faced by the distribution network.

Novel plant activators with thieno[2,3-d]-1,2,3-thiadiazole-6-carboxylate scaffold: Synthesis and bioactivity

The 1,2,3-thiadiazole-carboxylate moiety was reported to be an important pharmacophore of plant activators.In this study,a series of novel plant activators based on thieno[2,3-d]-1,2,3-thiadiazole-6-carboxylate were designed and synthesized and their biological activity as plant activators was studied.The structures of the novel compounds were identifed by1H NMR,19F NMR and HRMS.The in vivo bioassay showed that these novel compounds had good effcacy against seven plant diseases.Especially,compounds 1a and 1c were more potent than the commercialized plant activator BTH.Almost no fungicidal activity was observed for the active compounds in the in vitro assay,which matched the requirements as plant activators.

Relationship Between Clinical and Immunological Features with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Female Patients with Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background：Conventional magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） is the preferred neuroimaging method in the evaluation ofneuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus （NPSLE）.The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between clinical and immunological features with MRI abnormalities in female patients with NPSLE,to screen for the value of conventional MRI in NPSLE.Methods：A total of 59 female NPSLE patients with conventional MRI examinations were enrolled in this retrospective study.All patients were classified into different groups according to MRI abnormalities.Both clinical and immunological features were compared between MRI abnormal and normal groups.One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index （SLEDAI） score for MRI abnormalities.Multivariate logistic regression analysis investigated the correlation between immunological features,neuropsychiatric manifestations,and MRI abnormalities.Results：Thirty-six NPSLE patients （61%） showed a variety of MRI abnormalities.There were statistically significant differences in SLEDAI scores （P 〈 0.001）,incidence of neurologic disorders （P =0.001）,levels of 24-h proteinuria （P =0.001） and immunoglobulin M （P =0.004）,and incidence of acute confusional state （P =0.002）,cerebrovascular disease （P =0.004）,and seizure disorder （P =0.028） between MRI abnormal and normal groups.In the MRI abnormal group,SLEDAI scores for cerebral atrophy （CA）,cortex involvement,and restricted diffusion （RD） were much higher than in the MRI normal group （P 〈 0.001,P =0.002,P =0.038,respectively）.Statistically significant positive correlations between seizure disorder and cortex involvement （odds ratio [OR] =14.90;95% confidence interval [CI],1.50-151.70;P =0.023） and cerebrovascular disease and infratentorial involvement （OR =10.00;95% CI,1.70-60.00;P =0.012） were found.Conclusions：MRI abnormalities in NPSLE,especially CA,cortex involvement,and RD might be markers of high systemic lupus erythematosus activity.Some MRI abnormalities might correspond to neuropsychiatric manifestations and might be helpful in understanding the pathophysiology of NPSLE.

Novasure treatment for one case of abnormal uterine bleeding with active systemic lupus erythematosus

Abnormal uterine bleeding（AUB）, especially in the menopausal transition period,is showing a tendency of rising in recent years, and after treatment, high recurrence rate for the treatment of hormone treatment, the endometrial resection and uterine resection. But for patients with severe systemic disease with AUB, it may get worse with the conventional treatment. Novasure provides us with an effective measure for the treatment of AUB with active systemic lupus erythematosus（SLE）.

Clinical characteristics of macrophage activation syndrome secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus

Objective To investigate the clinical features of macrophage activation syndrome(MAS)associated with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE).Methods The clinical data of 15 patients with SLE-induced MAS diagnosed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from July

Tectonic dynamics and correlation of major earthquake sequences of the Xiaojiang and Qujiang-Shiping fault systems, Yunnan, China

The N-S trending Xiaojiang fault zone and the NW-SE trending Qujiang-Shiping fault zone are adjacent active fault systems and seismogenic zones associated with strong and major earthquakes in Yunnan, China. To understand the interaction of the two fault systems, and its probable influence on earthquake occurrences, this paper conducts a synthetic study based on data of active tectonics, historical earthquakes, relocated small earthquakes, GPS station velocities and focal mechanism resolutions. The study makes several conclusions. （1） The active southward motion of the western side of the Xiaojiang fault zone （i.e. the side of the Sichuan-Yunnan block） has a persistent and intensive effect on the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone. The later fault zone has absorbed and transformed the southward motion of the western side of the former fault zone through dextral strike-slip/sheafing as well as transverse shortening/thrusting. （2） Along the Xiaojiang fault zone, the present sinistral strike-slip/sheafing rate decreases from 10 and 8 mm/a on the northern, central and central-southern segments to 4 mm/a on the southern segment. The decreased rate has been adjusted in the area along and surrounding the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone through reverse-dextral faulting and distributed sheafing and shortening. （3） The tectonic-dynamic relation between the Xiaojiang fault zone and the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone is also manifested by a close correlation of earthquake occurrences on the two fault zones. From 1500 to 1850 a sequence of strong and major earthquakes occurred along the Xiaojiang fault zone and its northern neighbor, the Zemuhe fault zone, which was characterized by gradually accelerating strain release, gradually shortening intervals between M≥7 events, and major releases occurring in the mid to later stages of the sequence. As a response to this sequence, after an 88-year delay, another sequence of 383 years （from 1588 to 1970） of strong and major earthquakes occurred on the Qujiang-Shiping fault zone, and had the same features in accelerating strain release and its temporal course. （4） Since there has been no M≥7 event for 177 years on the Xiaojiang fault zone, the potential risk of a strong or major earthquake occurring on this fault zone in the future should be noticed and studied further.