Investigating the elliptic anisotropy of identified particles in p-Pb collisions with a multi-phase transport model

The elliptic azimuthal anisotropy coefficient(v_(2))of the identified particles at midrapidity(|η|<0.8)was investigated in p-Pb collisions at√s_(NN)=5.02 TeV using a multi-phase transport model(AMPT).The calculations of differential v_(2)based on the advanced flow extraction method of light flavor hadrons(pions,kaons,protons,andΛ)in small collision systems were extended to a wider transverse momentum(p_(T))range of up to 8 GeV/c for the first time.The string-melting version of the AMPT model provides a good description of the measured p_(T)-differential v_(2)of the mesons but exhibits a slight deviation from the baryon v_(2).In addition,we observed the features of mass ordering at low p_(T)and the approximate number-of-constituentquark(NCQ)scaling at intermediate p_(T).Moreover,we demonstrate that hadronic rescattering does not have a significant impact on v_(2)in p-Pb collisions for different centrality selections,whereas partonic scattering dominates in generating the elliptic anisotropy of the final particles.This study provides further insight into the origin of collective-like behavior in small collision systems and has referential value for future measurements of azimuthal anisotropy.

Host-induced gene silencing of the Verticillium dahliae thiamine transporter protein gene(VdThit)confers resistance to Verticillium wilt in cotton

Verticillium wilt(VW),induced by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae(Vd),poses a substantial threat to a diverse array of plant species.Employing molecular breeding technology for the development of cotton varieties with heightened resistance to VW stands out as one of the most efficacious protective measures.In this study,we successfully generated two stable transgenic lines of cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.),VdThitRNAi-1 and VdThit-RNAi-2,using host-induced gene silencing(HIGS)technology to introduce double-stranded RNA(dsRNA)targeting the thiamine transporter protein gene(VdThit).Southern blot analysis confirmed the presence of a single-copy insertion in each line.Microscopic examination showed marked reductions in the colonization and spread of Vd-mCherry in the roots of VdThit-RNAi cotton compared to wild type(WT).The corresponding disease index and fungal biomass of VdThit-RNAi-1/2 also exhibited significant reductions.Real-time quantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)analysis demonstrated a substantial inhibition of VdThit expression following prolonged inoculation of VdThit-RNAi cotton.Small RNA sequencing(sRNA-Seq)analysis revealed the generation of a substantial number of VdThit-specific siRNAs in the VdThit-RNAi transgenic lines.Additionally,the silencing of VdThit by the siVdThit produced by VdThit-RNAi-1/2 resulted in the elevated expression of multiple genes involved in the thiamine biosynthesis pathway in Vd.Under field conditions,VdThit-RNAi transgenic cotton exhibited significantly enhanced disease resistance and yield compared with WT.In summary,our findings underscore the efficacy of HIGS targeting VdThit in restraining the infection and spread of Vd in cotton,thereby potentially enabling the development of cotton breeding as a promising strategy for managing VW.

Identification of the lysine and histidine transporter family in Camellia sinensis and the characterizations in nitrogen utilization

In plants,the lysine and histidine transporter(LHT)family represent a class of proteins that mediate the uptake,translocation,and utilization of amino acids.The tea plant(Camellia sinensis)is a perennial evergreen with a relatively high level of amino acids.However,systematic identification and molecular characterization of the LHT gene family has rarely been reported in tea plants.In this study,22 CsLHTs were identified from the‘Shuchazao’genome and classified into two groups.The modeled three-dimensional structure and the conserved domains presented a high similarity among the LHTs proteins.Moreover,it was predicted that a few genes were conserved through the analysis of the physiochemical characters,structures and cis-elements in promoters.The expression patterns in tea plants revealed that CsLHT7 was mainly expressed in the roots,and CsLHT4 and CsLHT11 exhibited relatively high expression in both the roots and leaves.Moreover,the expression of all three genes could be induced by organic nitrogen.Additionally,heterogeneous expression of CsLHT4,CsLHT7 and CsLHT11 in Arabidopsis thaliana decreased the aerial parts biomass compared with that in WT plants while significantly increased the rosette biomass only for CsLHT11transgenic plants versus WT plants.Overall,our results provide fundamental information about CsLHTs and potential genes in N utilization for further analysis in tea plants.

Hydromechanical characterization of gas transport amidst uncertainty for underground nuclear explosion detection

Given the challenge of definitively discriminating between chemical and nuclear explosions using seismic methods alone,surface detection of signature noble gas radioisotopes is considered a positive identification of underground nuclear explosions(UNEs).However,the migration of signature radionuclide gases between the nuclear cavity and surface is not well understood because complex processes are involved,including the generation of complex fracture networks,reactivation of natural fractures and faults,and thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical(THMC)coupling of radionuclide gas transport in the subsurface.In this study,we provide an experimental investigation of hydro-mechanical(HM)coupling among gas flow,stress states,rock deformation,and rock damage using a unique multi-physics triaxial direct shear rock testing system.The testing system also features redundant gas pressure and flow rate measurements,well suited for parameter uncertainty quantification.Using porous tuff and tight granite samples that are relevant to historic UNE tests,we measured the Biot effective stress coefficient,rock matrix gas permeability,and fracture gas permeability at a range of pore pressure and stress conditions.The Biot effective stress coefficient varies from 0.69 to 1 for the tuff,whose porosity averages 35.3%±0.7%,while this coefficient varies from 0.51 to 0.78 for the tight granite(porosity<1%,perhaps an underestimate).Matrix gas permeability is strongly correlated to effective stress for the granite,but not for the porous tuff.Our experiments reveal the following key engineering implications on transport of radionuclide gases post a UNE event:(1)The porous tuff shows apparent fracture dilation or compression upon stress changes,which does not necessarily change the gas permeability;(2)The granite fracture permeability shows strong stress sensitivity and is positively related to shear displacement;and(3)Hydromechanical coupling among stress states,rock damage,and gas flow appears to be stronger in tight granite than in porous tuff.

Inward particle transport driven by biased endplate in a cylindrical magnetized plasma

The inward particle transport is associated with the formation of peaked density profiles,which contributes to improve the fusion rate and the realization of steady-state discharge.The active control of inward particle transport is considered as one of the most critical issues of magnetic confinement fusion.Recently,it is realized preliminarily by adding a biased endplate in the Peking University Plasma Test(PPT)device.The results reveal that the inward particle flux increases with the bias voltage of the endplate.It is also found that the profile of radial electric field(Er)shear is flattened by the increased bias voltage.Radial velocity fluctuations affect the inward particle more than density fluctuations,and the frequency of the dominant mode driving inward particle flux increases with the biased voltage applied to the endplate.The experimental results in the PPT device provide a method to actively control the inward particle flux using a biased endplate and enrich the understanding of the relationship between E_(r)×B shear and turbulence transport.

Impact of T_(i)/T_(e )ratio on ion transport based on EAST H-mode plasmas

At the EAST tokamak, the ion temperature(T_(i)) is observed to be clamped around 1.25 keV in electron cyclotron resonance(ECR)-heated plasmas, even at core electron temperatures up to 10 keV(depending on the ECR heating power and the plasma density). This clamping results from the lack of direct ion heating and high levels of turbulence-driven transport. Turbulent transport analysis shows that trapped electron mode and electron temperature gradient-driven modes are the most unstable modes in the core of ECR-heated H-mode plasmas. Nevertheless, recently it was found that the T_(i)/T_(e)ratio can increase further with the fraction of the neutral beam injection(NBI) power, which leads to a higher core ion temperature(Ti0). In NBI heating-dominant H-mode plasmas, the ion temperature gradient-driven modes become the most unstable modes.Furthermore, a strong and broad internal transport barrier(ITB) can form at the plasma core in high-power NBI-heated H-mode plasmas when the T_(i)/T_(e)ratio approaches ~1, which results in steep core Teand Tiprofiles, as well as a peaked neprofile. Power balance analysis shows a weaker Teprofile stiffness after the formation of ITBs in the core plasma region, where Ticlamping is broken,and the core Tican increase further above 2 keV, which is 80% higher than the value of Ticlamping in ECR-heated plasmas. This finding proposes a possible solution to the problem of Ticlamping on EAST and demonstrates an advanced operational regime with the formation of a strong and broad ITB for future fusion plasmas dominated by electron heating.

A new review of single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes in the light of ion transport mechanisms

With the depletion of fossil fuels and the demand for high-performance energy storage devices,solidstate lithium metal batteries have received widespread attention due to their high energy density and safety advantages.Among them,the earliest developed organic solid-state polymer electrolyte has a promising future due to its advantages such as good mechanical flexibility,but its poor ion transport performance dramatically limits its performance improvement.Therefore,single-ion conducting polymer electrolytes(SICPEs)with high lithium-ion transport number,capable of improving the concentration polarization and inhibiting the growth of lithium dendrites,have been proposed,which provide a new direction for the further development of high-performance organic polymer electrolytes.In view of this,lithium ions transport mechanisms and design principles in SICPEs are summarized and discussed in this paper.The modification principles currently used can be categorized into the following three types:enhancement of lithium salt anion-polymer interactions,weakening of lithium salt anion-cation interactions,and modulation of lithium ion-polymer interactions.In addition,the advances in single-ion conductors of conventional and novel polymer electrolytes are summarized,and several typical highperformance single-ion conductors are enumerated and analyzed in what way they improve ionic conductivity,lithium ions mobility,and the ability to inhibit lithium dendrites.Finally,the advantages and design methodology of SICPEs are summarized again and the future directions are outlined.

Increased excitatory amino acid transporter 2 levels in basolateral amygdala astrocytes mediate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behavior

The conventional perception of astrocytes as mere supportive cells within the brain has recently been called into question by empirical evidence, which has revealed their active involvement in regulating brain function and encoding behaviors associated with emotions.Specifically, astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala have been found to play a role in the modulation of anxiety-like behaviors triggered by chronic stress. Nevertheless, the precise molecular mechanisms by which basolateral amygdala astrocytes regulate chronic stress–induced anxiety-like behaviors remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we found that in a mouse model of anxiety triggered by unpredictable chronic mild stress, the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 was upregulated in the basolateral amygdala. Interestingly, our findings indicate that the targeted knockdown of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically within the basolateral amygdala astrocytes was able to rescue the anxiety-like behavior in mice subjected to stress. Furthermore, we found that the overexpression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, whether achieved through intracranial administration of excitatory amino acid transporter 2agonists or through injection of excitatory amino acid transporter 2-overexpressing viruses with GfaABC1D promoters, evoked anxiety-like behavior in mice. Our single-nucleus RNA sequencing analysis further confirmed that chronic stress induced an upregulation of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 specifically in astrocytes in the basolateral amygdala. Moreover, through in vivo calcium signal recordings, we found that the frequency of calcium activity in the basolateral amygdala of mice subjected to chronic stress was higher compared with normal mice.After knocking down the expression of excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala, the frequency of calcium activity was not significantly increased, and anxiety-like behavior was obviously mitigated. Additionally, administration of an excitatory amino acid transporter 2 inhibitor in the basolateral amygdala yielded a notable reduction in anxiety level among mice subjected to stress. These results suggest that basolateral amygdala astrocytic excitatory amino acid transporter 2 plays a role in in the regulation of unpredictable chronic mild stress-induced anxiety-like behavior by impacting the activity of local glutamatergic neurons, and targeting excitatory amino acid transporter 2 in the basolateral amygdala holds therapeutic promise for addressing anxiety disorders.

Effects of Rattling Behavior of K and Cd Atoms along Different Directions in Anisotropic KCdAs on Lattice Thermal Transport and Thermoelectric Properties

We employ advanced first principles methodology,merging self-consistent phonon theory and the Boltzmann transport equation,to comprehensively explore the thermal transport and thermoelectric properties of KCdAs.Notably,the study accounts for the impact of quartic anharmonicity on phonon group velocities in the pursuit of lattice thermal conductivity and investigates 3ph and 4ph scattering processes on phonon lifetimes.Through various methodologies,including examining atomic vibrational modes and analyzing 3ph and 4ph scattering processes,the article unveils microphysical mechanisms contributing to the lowκL within KCdAs.Key features include significant anisotropy in Cd atoms,pronounced anharmonicity in K atoms,and relative vibrations in non-equivalent As atomic layers.Cd atoms,situated between As layers,exhibit rattling modes and strong lattice anharmonicity,contributing to the observed lowκL.Remarkably flat bands near the valence band maximum translate into high PF,aligning with ultralowκL for exceptional thermoelectric performance.Under optimal temperature and carrier concentration doping,outstanding ZT values are achieved:4.25(a(b)-axis,p-type,3×10^(19)cm^(−3),500 K),0.90(c-axis,p-type,5×10^(20)cm^(−3),700 K),1.61(a(b)-axis,n-type,2×10^(18)cm^(−3),700 K),and 3.06(c-axis,n-type,9×10^(17)cm^(−3),700 K).

Long radial coherence of electron temperature fluctuations in non-local transport in HL-2A plasmas

The dynamics of long-wavelength(kθ<1.4 cm^(-1)),broadband(20 kHz–200 kHz)electron temperature fluctuations(Te/Te)of plasmas in gas-puff experiments are observed for the first time in HL-2A tokamak.In a relatively low density(ne(0)■0.91×10^(19)m^(-3)–1.20×10^(19)m^(-3))scenario,after gas-puffing the core temperature increases and the edge temperature drops.On the contrary,temperature fluctuation drops at the core and increases at the edge.Analyses show the non-local emergence is accompanied with a long radial coherent length of turbulent fluctuations.While in a higher density(ne(0)?1.83×10^(19)m^(-3)–2.02×10^(19)m^(-3))scenario,the phenomena are not observed.Furthermore,compelling evidence indicates that E×B shear serves as a substantial contributor to this extensive radial interaction.This finding offers a direct explanatory link to the intriguing core-heating phenomenon witnessed within the realm of non-local transport.

Transport properties of Hall-type quantum states in disordered bismuthene

Bismuthene,an inherently hexagonal structure characterized by a huge bulk gap,offers a versatile platform for investigating the electronic transport of various topological quantum states.Using nonequilibrium Green's function method and Landauer-Büttiker formula,we thoroughly investigate the transport properties of various Hall-type quantum states,including quantum spin Hall(QSH)edge states,quantum valley Hall kink(QVHK)states,and quantum spin-valley Hall kink(QSVHK)states,in the presence of various disorders.Based on the exotic transport features,a spin-valley filter,capable of generating a highly spin-and valley-polarized current,is proposed.The valley index and the spin index of the filtered QSVHK state are determined by the staggered potential and the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling,respectively.The efficiency of the spin-valley filter is supported by the spacial current distribution,the valley-resolved conductance,and the spin-resolved conductance.Compared with a sandwich structure for QSVHK,our proposed spin-valley filter can work with a much smaller size and is more accessible in the experiment.

Solute transport and geochemical modeling of the coastal quaternary aquifer, Delta Dahab Basin, South Sinai, Egypt

The wadi dahab delta is in a dry, arid coastal zone within Egypt’s south Sinai Peninsula’s eastern portion. The primary water source is the Quaternary coastal alluvial aquifer. The groundwater salinity varies from 890to 8213 mg/L, with a mean value of 3417 mg/L. The dissolved major ions have been used to calculate the seawater mixing index(SWMI) using a linear equation that discriminates the groundwater mostly affected by water–rock interaction(SWMI 1>) and other samples mixed with Seawater(SWMI < 1). The isotopic composition of groundwater for specifically chosen groundwater samples ranges from-0.645‰ to +5.212‰ for δ^(18)O and from-9.582‰ to + 22.778‰ for δ^(2)H, where the seawater represented by a Red Sea water sample(δ^(18)O + 1.64‰-δ^(2)H + 9.80‰) and reject brine water are considerably enriched the isotopic groundwater values. The geochemical NETPATH model constrained by the dissolved significant ions, isotopes, and the rock aquifer forming minerals as phases indicate the mixing percent with the seawater ranges from 9% to 97% of seawater from 91% to 3% of original recharge water. According to the SEAWAT 3-D flow models, seawater has penetrated the Northeastern Dahab delta aquifer, with the intrusion zone extending1500 m inland. The salt dissolution, upwelling of saline water, recharge from the upstream mountain block, and seawater encroachment are the primary aspects contributing to the deterioration of groundwater quality. These findings may have significance for effective groundwater withdrawal management in arid locations worldwide with similar hydrogeological systems.

The Correlation between Nutrition and Transport Mechanism under Abiotic Stress in Plants: A Comprehensive Review

Variations in the nutrients and water that plants require for metabolism,development,and the maintenance of cellular homeostasis are the main causes of abiotic stress in plants.It has,however,hardly ever been studied how these transporter proteins,such as aquaporin which is responsible for food and water intake in cell plasma mem-branes,interact with one another.This review aims to explore the interactions between nutrient transporters and aquaporins during water and nutrient uptake.It also investigates how symbiotic relationships influence the plant genome’s responses to regulatory processes such as photoperiodism,senescence,and nitrogenfixation.These responses are observed in reaction to various abiotic stresses.For instance,plasma membrane transporters are upregulated during macronutrient insufficiency,tonoplast transporters are overexpressed,and aquaporins are downregulated in micronutrient deficiency.Additionally,tolerant plants often exhibit increased expression of nutrient transporters and aquaporins in response to drought,salt,and cold temperatures.To better comprehend plant stress tolerance to abiotic challenges including starvation,K famine,salt,and freezing temperatures,both classes of nutrient and water transporters should be considered at the same time.

Electronic transport evolution across the successive structural transitions in Ni_(50-x)Fe_xTi_(50) shape memory alloys

TiNi-based shape memory alloys have been extensively investigated due to their significant applications,but a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of electronic structure and electrical transport in a system with martensitic transformations(MT) is still lacking.In this work,we focused on the electronic transport behavior of three phases in Ni_(50-x)Fe_xTi_(50)across the MT.A phase diagram of Ni_(50-x)Fe_xTi_(50) was established based on x-ray diffraction,calorimetric,magnetic,and electrical measurements.To reveal the driving force of MT,phonon softening was revealed using first-principles calculations.Notably,the transverse and longitudinal transport behavior changed significantly across the phase transition,which can be attributed to the reconstruction of electronic structures.This work promotes the understanding of phase transitions and demonstrates the sensitivity of electron transport to phase transition.

Glutamine transporters as effective targets in digestive system malignant tumor treatment

Glutamine is one of the most abundant non-essential amino acids in human plasma and plays a crucial role in many biological processes of the human body.Tumor cells take up a large amount of glutamine to meet their rapid proliferation requirements,which is supported by the upregulation of glutamine transporters.Targeted inhibition of glutamine transporters effectively inhibits cell growth and proliferation in tumors.Among all cancers,digestive system malignant tumors(DSMTs)have the highest incidence and mortality rates,and the current therapeutic strategies for DSMTs are mainly surgical resection and chemotherapy.Due to the relatively low survival rate and severe side effects associated with DSMTs treatment,new treatment strategies are urgently required.This article summarizes the glutamine transporters involved in DSMTs and describes their role in DSMTs.Additionally,glutamine transportertarget drugs are discussed,providing theoretical guidance for the further development of drugs DSMTs treatment.

Controlled thermally-driven mass transport in carbon nanotubes using carbon hoops

Controlling mass transportation using intrinsic mechanisms is a challenging topic in nanotechnology.Herein,we employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the mass transport inside carbon nanotubes(CNT)with temperature gradients,specifically the effects of adding a static carbon hoop to the outside of a CNT on the transport of a nanomotor inside the CNT.We reveal that the underlying mechanism is the uneven potential energy created by the hoops,i.e.,the hoop outside the CNT forms potential energy barriers or wells that affect mass transport inside the CNT.This fundamental control of directional mass transportation may lead to promising routes for nanoscale actuation and energy conversion.

Nonreciprocal transport in the superconducting state of the chiral crystal NbGe_(2)

Due to the lack of inversion,mirror or other roto-inversion symmetries,chiral crystals possess a well-defined handedness which,when combined with time-reversal symmetry breaking from the application of magnetic fields,can give rise to directional dichroism of the electrical transport phenomena via the magnetochiral anisotropy.In this study,we investigate the nonreciprocal magneto-transport in microdevices of NbGe_(2),a superconductor with structural chirality.A giant nonreciprocal signal from vortex motions is observed during the superconducting transition,with the ratio of nonreciprocal resistance to the normal resistanceγreaching 6×10^(5)T^(-1)·A^(-1).Interestingly,the intensity can be adjusted and even sign-reversed by varying the current,the temperature,and the crystalline orientation.Our findings illustrate intricate vortex dynamics and offer ways of manipulation on the rectification effect in superconductors with structural chirality.

Theoretical insights into thermal transport and structural stability mechanisms of triaxial compressed methane hydrate

The heat transfer and stability of methane hydrate in reservoirs have a direct impact on the drilling and production efficiency of hydrate resources,especially in complex stress environments caused by formation subsidence.In this study,we investigated the thermal transport and structural stability of methane hydrate under triaxial compression using molecular dynamics simulations.The results suggest that the thermal conductivity of methane hydrate increases with increasing compression strain.Two phonon transport mechanisms were identified as factors enhancing thermal conductivity.At low compressive strains,a low-frequency phonon transport channel was established due to the overlap of phonon vibration peaks between methane and water molecules.At high compressive strains,the filling of larger phonon bandgaps facilitated the opening of more phonon transport channels.Additionally,we found that a strain of0.04 is a watershed point,where methane hydrate transitions from stable to unstable.Furthermore,a strain of0.06 marks the threshold at which the diffusion capacities of methane and water molecules are at their peaks.At a higher strain of0.08,the increased volume compression reduces the available space,limiting the diffusion ability of water and methane molecules within the hydrate.The synergistic effect of the strong diffusion ability and high probability of collision between atoms increases the thermal conductivity of hydrates during the unstable period compared to the stable period.Our findings offer valuable theoretical insights into the thermal conductivity and stability of methane hydrates in reservoir stress environments.

A mutation in the promoter of the yellow stripe-like transporter gene in cucumber results in a yellow cotyledon phenotype

Leaf color mutants in higher plants are considered to be ideal materials for studying the chlorophyll biosynthesis,photosynthesis mechanism and chloroplast development.Herein,we identified a spontaneous mutant,yc412,in cultivated cucumber that exhibited yellow cotyledons.The yellow-lethal mutant was diagnosed with an abnormal chloroplast ultrastructure,and reduced photosynthetic capacity and pigment content.Through bulked segregant analysis-based whole-genome sequencing and fine genetic mapping,we narrowed the yellow cotyledons (yc) locus to a 96.8 kb interval on chromosome 3.By resequencing and molecular cloning,we showed that Csyc is a potential candidate gene,which encodes a yellow stripe-like (YSL) transporter.The T to C mutation in the promoter region of Csyc caused the yellow cotyledon phenotype in yc412.Compared to YZU027A (WT),the expression of Csyc was significantly downregulated in the cotyledons of yc412.Silencing of Csyc in cucumber via virus-induced gene silencing resulted in chlorotic leaves,mainly by suppressing the chlorophyll content.Furthermore,a comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that chloroplast-related genes and chlorophyll biosynthesis genes were significantly downregulated in yc412 cotyledons.Our results provide new insights into the molecular function of the YSL transporter in plant chloroplast development and chlorophyll synthesis.

Experimental Investigation on Vertical Hydraulic Transport of Ores in Deepsea Mining

Deepsea mining has been proposed since the 1960s to alleviate the lack of resources on land.Vertical hydraulic transport of collected ores from the seabed to the sea surface is considered the most promising method for industrial applications.In the present study,an indoor model test of the vertical hydraulic transport of particles was conducted.A noncontact optical method has been proposed to measure the local characteristics of the particles inside a vertical pipe,including the local concentration and particle velocity.The hydraulic gradient of ore transport was evaluated with various particle size distributions,particle densities,feeding concentrations and mixture flow velocities.During transport,the local concentration is larger than the feeding concentration,whereas the particle velocity is less than the mixture velocity.The qualitative effects of the local concentration and local fluid velocity on the particle velocity and slip velocity were investigated.The local fluid velocity contributes significantly to particle velocity and slip velocity,whereas the effect of the local concentration is marginal.A higher feeding concentration and mixture flow velocity result in an increased hydraulic gradient.The effect of the particle size gradation is slight,whereas the particle density plays a crucial role in the transport.