Theory and verification of moiréfringes for x-ray three-phase grating interferometer

Dual-phase and three-phase grating x-ray interference is a promising new technique for grating-based x-ray differential phase contrast imaging.Dual-phase grating interferometers have been relatively completely studied and discussed.In this paper,the corresponding imaging fringe formula of the three-phase grating interferometer is provided.At the same time,the similarities and differences between the three-phase grating interferometer and the dual-phase grating interferometer are investigated and verified,and that the three-phase grating interferometer can produce large-period moiréfringes without using the analyzing grating is demonstrated experimentally.Finally,a simple method of designing three-phase grating and multi-grating imaging systems from geometric optics based on the thin-lens theory of gratings is presented.These theoretical formulas and experimental results provide optimization tools for designing three-phase grating interferometer systems.

Mapping of powdery mildew resistance genes transferred to common wheat from wild emmer wheat revealed three functional Pm60 haplotypes

Powdery mildew(PM),caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt),is one of the destructive wheat diseases worldwide.Wild emmer wheat(Triticum turgidum ssp.dicoccoides,WEW),a tetraploid progenitor of common wheat,is a valuable genetic resource for wheat disease resistance breeding programs.We developed three hexaploid pre-breeding lines with PM resistance genes derived from three WEW accessions.These resistant pre-breeding lines were crossed with susceptible common wheat accessions.Segregations in the F2populations were 3 resistant:1 susceptible,suggesting a single dominant allele in each resistant parent.Mapping of the resistance gene in each line indicated a single locus on the long arm of chromosome 7A,at the approximate location of previously cloned Pm60 from T.urartu.Sanger sequencing revealed three different Pm60 haplotypes(Hap 3,Hap 5,and Hap 6).Co-segregating diagnostic markers were developed for identification and selection of each haplotype.The resistance function of each haplotype was verified by the virus-induced gene silencing(VIGS).Common wheat lines carrying each of these Pm60 haplotypes were resistant to most Bgt isolates and differences in the response arrays suggested allelic variation in response.

Transcriptomic analysis of Andrias davidianus meat and experimental validation for exploring its bioactive components as functional foods

Andrias davidianus(Chinese giant salamander,CGS)is the largest and oldest extant amphibian species in the world and is a source of prospective functional food in China.However,the progress of functional peptides mining was slow due to lack of reference genome and protein sequence data.In this study,we illustrated full-length transcriptome sequencing to interpret the proteome of CGS meat and obtain 10703 coding DNA sequences.By functional annotation and amino acid composition analysis,we have discovered various genes related to signal transduction,and 16 genes related to longevity.We have also found vast variety of functional peptides through protein coding sequence(CDS)analysis by comparing the data obtained with the functional peptide database.Val-Pro-Ile predicted by the CDS analysis was released from the CGS meat through enzymatic hydrolysis,suggesting that our approach is reliable.This study suggested that transcriptomic analysis can be used as a reference to guide polypeptide mining in CGS meat,thereby providing a powerful mining strategy for the bioresources with unknown genomic and proteomic sequences.

Advancing Early Detection of Colorectal Adenomatous Polyps via Genetic Data Analysis: A Hybrid Machine Learning Approach

In this study, a hybrid machine learning (HML)-based approach, incorporating Genetic data analysis (GDA), is proposed to accurately identify the presence of adenomatous colorectal polyps (ACRP) which is a crucial early detector of colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study develops a classification ensemble model based on tuned hyperparameters. Surpassing accuracy percentages of early detection approaches used in previous studies, the current method exhibits exceptional performance in identifying ACRP and diagnosing CRC, overcoming limitations of CRC traditional methods that are based on error-prone manual examination. Particularly, the method demonstrates the following CRP identification accuracy data: 97.7 ± 1.1, precision: 94.3 ± 5, recall: 96.0 ± 3, F1-score: 95.7 ± 4, specificity: 97.3 ± 1.2, average AUC: 0.97.3 ± 0.02, and average p-value: 0.0425 ± 0.07. The findings underscore the potential of this method for early detection of ACRP as well as clinical use in the development of CRC treatment planning strategies. The advantages of this approach are highly expected to contribute to the prevention and reduction of CRC mortality.

Mutations in the miRNA165/166 binding site of the HB2 gene result in pleiotropic effects on morphological traits in wheat

Leaf,spike,stem,and root morphologies are key factors that determine crop growth,development,and productivity.Multiple genes that control these morphological traits have been identified in Arabidopsis,rice,maize,and other plant species.However,little is known about the genomic regions and genes associated with morphological traits in wheat.Here,we identified the ethyl methanesulfonate-derived mutant wheat line M133 that displays multiple morphological changes that include upward-curled leaves,paired spikelets,dwarfism,and delayed heading.Using bulked segregant RNA sequencing(BSR-seq)and a high-resolution genetic map,we identified TraesCS1D02G155200(HBD2)as a potential candidate gene.HB-D2 encodes a class III homeodomain-leucine zipper(HD-ZIP III)transcription factor,and the mutation was located in the miRNA165/166 complementary site,resulting in a resistant allele designated rHb-D2.The relative expression of rHb2 in the mutant plants was significantly higher(P<0.01)than in plants homozygous for the WT allele.Independent resistant mutations that disrupt the miRNA165/166 complementary sites in the A-(rHb-A2)and B-genome(rHb-B2)homoeologs showed similar phenotypic alterations,but the relative intensity of the effects was different.Transgenic plants expressing rHb-D2 gene driven by the maize UBIQUITIN(UBI)promoter showed similar phenotypes to the rHb-D2 mutant.These results confirmed that HB-D2 is the causal gene responsible for the mutant phenotypes.Finally,a survey of 1397 wheat accessions showed that the complementary sites for miRNA165/166 in all three HB2 homoeologs are highly conserved.Our results suggest that HB2 plays an important role in regulating growth and development in wheat.

A combination of tides and nontidal variations in ocean bottom pressure may generate interannual slip fluctuations in the transition zone along a subduction plate interface

The tidal triggering of earthquakes has been studied for many years.The discovery of slow earthquakes in the early 2000s,including slow slip,has urged scientists to investigate the tidal responses of these earthquakes due to their sensitivity to weak stress perturbations.Previous studies have shown that slow earthquakes correlate with diurnal and semidiurnal tides and seasonal variations in surface loads more clearly than ordinary earthquakes.However,little is known about long-term responses to external stresses.In this paper,based on a widely accepted frictional law for faults,a mechanism is proposed by which nontidal variations in ocean bottom pressure,when combined with tides,pro mote the occurrence of slow earthquakes.Because slow earthquakes accompany a slip on the plate interface,this mechanism allows one to estimate slip modulations.A one-degree-of-freedom slip model is constructed and applied to Ise Bay in the Tonankai region of southwestern Japan,where large-scale ocean mass redistributions have occurred.The model calculated with parameters determined from the observation of tectonic tremors is quantitatively consistent with the slip during 1997-2013 inferred from GNSS data,suggesting that the decrease in the sea-level change in approximately 2006 could cause the accele ration of a slip observed after that.This result implies that the decreases in sea level in approximately 1996 and 2014 could also cause subsequent slip accelerations.These three slip acceleration periods temporally coincide with the increases in background seismicity in a shallower portion of the plate interface.These changes in seismicity are common to shallow earthquakes in the Tokai area,and a similar model can reproduce them.Further studies are expected to reveal causality between shallow earthquakes and long-term slip fluctuations based on modeling that considers changes in the frictional property along the plate interface.

High-resolution genetic mapping and identification of candidate genes for the wheat stem rust resistance gene Sr8155B1

Stem rust,caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp.tritici(Pgt),threatens global wheat production.Development of cultivars with increased resistance to stem rust by identification,mapping,and deployment of resistance genes is the best strategy for controlling the disease.In this study,we performed fine mapping and characterization of the all-stage stem rust resistance(Sr)gene Sr8155B1 from the durum wheat line 8155-B1.In seedling tests of biparental populations,Sr8155B1 was effective against six Chinese Pgt races tested.In a segregating population of 5060 gametes,Sr8155B1 was mapped to a 0.06-cM region flanked by markers Pku2772 and Pku43365,corresponding to 1.5-and 2.7-Mb regions in the Svevo and Chinese Spring reference genomes.Both regions include several typical nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat(NLR)and protein kinase genes that represent candidate genes.Among them,three NLR genes and three receptor-like protein kinases were highly polymorphic between the parental lines and their transcripts were upregulated in the homozygous resistant line TdR2 relative to its susceptible sister line TdS4.Four markers(Pku2772,Pku43365,Pku2950,and Pku3721)developed in this study,together with seedling resistance responses,correctly predicted Sr8155B1 absence or presence in 78 tetraploid wheat genotypes tested.The presence of Sr8155B1 in tetraploid wheat accessions CItr 14916,PI 197492,and PI 197493 was confirmed by mapping in three F_(2)populations.The genetic map and linked markers developed in this study may accelerate the deployment of Sr8155B1-mediated resistance in wheat breeding programs.

Multiscale strain alleviation of Ni-rich cathode guided by in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy during the solid-state synthesis

Ni-rich layered oxides are one of the most promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries due to their high energy density.However,the chemomechanical breakdown and capacity degradation associated with the anisotropic lattice evolution during lithiation/delithiation hinders its practical application.Herein,by utilizing the in situ environmental transmission electron microscopy(ETEM),we provide a real time nanoscale characterization of high temperature solid-state synthesis of LiNi_(0.8)CO_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)(NCM811) cathode,and unprecedentedly reveal the strain/stress formation and morphological evolution mechanism of primary/second ary particles,as well as their influence on electrochemical performance.We show that stress inhomogeneity during solid-state synthesis will lead to both primary/secondary particle pulverization and new grain boundary initiation,which are detrimental to cathode cycling stability and rate performance.Aiming to alleviate this multiscale strain during solid-state synthesis,we introduced a calcination scheme that effectively relieves the stress during the synthesis,thus mitigating the primary/secondary particle crack and the detrimental grain boundaries formation,which in turn improves the cathode structural integrity and Li-ion transport kinetics for long-life and high-rate electrochemical performance.This work remarkably advances the fundamental understanding on mechanochemical properties of transition metal oxide cathode with solid-state synthesis and provides a unified guide for optimization the Ni-rich oxide cathode.

Design of advanced porous silver powder with high-sintering activity to improve silicon solar cells

Silver(Ag)paste is widely used in semiconductor metallization,especially in silicon solar cells.Ag powder is the material with the highest proportion in Ag paste.The morphology and structure of Ag powder are crucial which determine its characteristics,especially for the sintering activity.In this work,a simple method was developed to synthesize a type of microcrystalline spherical Ag particles(SP-A)with internal pores and the structural changes and sintering behavior were thoroughly studied by combining ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering(USAXS),small-angle X-ray scattering(SAXS),in-situ heating X-ray diffraction(XRD),focused ion beam(FIB),and thermal analysis measurement.Due to the unique internal pores,the grain size of SP-A is smaller,and the coefficient of thermal expansion(CTE)is higher than that of traditional solid Ag particles.As a result,the sintering activity of SP-A is excellent,which can form a denser sintered body and form silver nanoparticles at the Ag–Si interface to improve silver silicon contact.Polycrystalline silicon solar cell built with SP-A obtained a low series resistance(Rs)and a high photoelectric conversion efficiency(PCE)of 19.26%.These fill a gap in Ag particle structure research,which is significant for the development of high-performance electronic Ag particles and efficient semiconductor devices.

Transverse mode-coupling instability with longitudinal impedance

Transverse mode-coupling instability(TMCI)is a dangerous transverse single-bunch instability that can lead to severe par-ticle loss.The mechanism of TMCI can be explained by the coupling of transverse coherent oscillation modes owing to the transverse short-range wakefield(i.e.,the transverse broadband impedance).Recent studies on future circular colliders,e.g.,FCC-ee,showed that the threshold of TMCI decreased significantly when both longitudinal and transverse impedances were included.We performed computations for the circular electron-positron collider(CEPC)and observed a similar phenom-enon.Systematic studies on the influence of longitudinal impedance on the TMCI threshold were conducted.We concluded that the imaginary part of the longitudinal impedance,which caused a reduction in the incoherent synchrotron tune,was the primary reason for the reduction in the TMCI threshold.Additionally,the real part of the longitudinal impedance assists in increasing the TMCI threshold.

Phosphorylated protein chip combined with artificial intelligence tools for precise drug screening

We have developed a protein array system,named"Phospho-Totum",which reproduces the phosphorylation state of a sample on the array.The protein array contains 1471 proteins from 273 known signaling pathways.According to the activation degrees of tyrosine kinases in the sample,the corresponding groups of substrate proteins on the array are phosphorylated under the same conditions.In addition to measuring the phosphorylation levels of the 1471 substrates,we have developed and performed the artificial intelligence-assisted tools to further characterize the phosphorylation state and estimate pathway activation,tyrosine kinase activation,and a list of kinase inhibitors that produce phosphorylation states similar to that of the sample.The Phospho-Totum system,which seamlessly links and interrogates the measurements and analyses,has the potential to not only elucidate pathophysiological mechanisms in diseases by reproducing the phosphorylation state of samples,but also be useful for drug discovery,particularly for screening targeted kinases for potential drug kinase inhibitors.

Research and Implementations of Structural Monitoring for Bridges and Buildings in Japan

This paper provides a review on the development of structural monitoring in Japan, with an emphasis on the type, strategy, and utilization of monitoring systems. The review focuses on bridge and building structures using vibration-based techniques. Structural monitoring systems in Japan historically started with the objective of evaluating structural responses against extreme events. In the development of structural monitoring, monitoring systems and collected data were used to verify design assumptions, update speci cations, and facilitate the ef cacy of vibration control systems. Strategies and case studies on monitoring for the design veri cation of long-span bridges and tall buildings, the performance of seismic isolation systems in building and bridges, the veri cation of structural retro t, the veri cation of structural control systems (passive, semi-active, and active), structural assessment, and damage detec- tion are described. More recently, the application of monitoring systems has been extended to facilitate ef cient operation and effective maintenance through the rationalization of risk and asset management using monitoring data. This paper also summarizes the lessons learned and feedback obtained from case studies on the structural monitoring of bridges and buildings in Japan.

Microstructure formation and grain refinement of Mg-based alloys by electromagnetic vibration technique

The microstructure formation and grains refinement of two Mg-based alloys,i.e.AZ31 and AZ91D,were reported using an electromagnetic vibration(EMV) technique.These two alloys were solidified at various vibration frequencies and the microstructures were observed.The average size of grains was quantitatively measured as a function of vibration frequencies. Moreover,the grain size distribution was outlined versus number fraction.A novel model was proposed to account for the microstructure formation and grain refinement when considering the significant difference of the electrical resistivity properties of the solid and the liquid during EMV processing in the semisolid state.The remarkable difference originates uncoupled movement between the mobile solid and the sluggish liquid,which can activate melt flow.The microstructure evolution can be well explained when the fluid flow intensity versus vibration frequency is taken into account.Moreover,the influence of the static magnetic field on texture formation is also considered,which plays an important role at higher vibration frequencies.

Improving corrosion resistance of RE-containing magnesium alloy ZE41A through ECAP

Significant grain refinement was achieved in rare earth (RE) containing aeronautic magnesium alloy ZE41A through equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) using rotary die at 603 K. Influence of ECAP pass number on its microstructure change and corrosion behavior was investigated by optical microscope (OM)/scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and potentiostatic polarization tests in aqueous solution of NaCl, respectively. The results showed that ultrafine equiaxial grains (about 2.5 μm) were obtained over 16 passes due to plastic-induced grain refinement accommodated by dynamic recrystallization. The lower corrosion current density and nobler corrosion potential correlated with large number of pressing passes were attributed to the low tendency toward localized corrosion with broken secondary phase after homogenization on ultrafine-grained Mg matrix. The multi-pass ECAP method made the ZE41A aeronautic magnesium alloy more attractive since severe plastic deformation may significantly improve its corrosion resistance besides superior mechanical properties.

A laboratory acoustic emission experiment and numerical simulation of rock fracture driven by a high-pressure fluid source

In order to improve our understanding of rock fracture and fault instability driven by high-pressure fluid sources, the authors carried out rock fracture tests using granite under a confining pressure of 80 MPa with fluid injection in the laboratory. Furthermore, we tested a number of numerical models using the FLAC;modeling software to find the best model to represent the experimental results. The high-speed multichannel acoustic emission（AE） waveform recording system used in this study made it possible to examine the total fracture process through detailed monitoring of AE hypocenters and seismic velocity.The experimental results show that injecting high-pressure oil into the rock sample can induce AE activity at very low stress levels and can dramatically reduce the strength of the rock. The results of the numerical simulations show that major experimental results, including the strength, the temporal and spatial patterns of the AE events, and the role of the fluid can be represented fairly well by a model involving（1） randomly distributed defect elements to model pre-existing cracks,（2） random modification of rock properties to represent inhomogeneity introduced by different mineral grains, and（3）macroscopic inhomogeneity. Our study, which incorporates laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, indicates that such an approach is helpful in finding a better model not only for simulating experimental results but also for upscaling purposes.

Comparison of the activities of binder-added and binder-free Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts in methane dehydroaromatization at 1073 K in periodic CH_4-H_2 switch operation mode

Three industry-supplied, well-shaped Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts, two binder-added and one binder-free, were tested for the first time in methane dehydroaromatization to benzene at 1073 K and 10000 mL/（g·h） in periodic CH4-H2 switch operation mode, and their catalytic performances were compared with those of three self-prepared, binder-free powder Mo/HZSM-5 catalysts. XRD, 27Al NMR, SEM, BET and NH3-TPD characterizations of all the catalysts show that the zeolites in the two binder-added catalysts are comparable to those in the three binder-free powder catalysts in crystallinity, crystal size, micropore volume and Br{／o}nsted acidity. The test results, on the other hand, show that the catalytic performances of the two binder-added catalysts are worse than those of the four binder-free catalysts on both catalyst mass and zeolite mass bases. Then, TPO and BET measurements of all spent samples were conducted to get a deep insight into the negative effects of binder addition, and the results suggest that the binder additives functioned mainly to enhance the polyaromatization of formed aromatics to coke on their external surfaces and consequently lower the catalysts＇ benzene formation activity and selectivity.

Development of analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in airborne particulates: A review

In the present work, the different sample collection, pretreatment and analytical methods for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons （PAHs） in airborne particulates is systematacially reviewed, and the applications of these pretreatment and analytical methods for PAHs are compared in detail. Some comments on the future expectation are also presented.

Preparation of Laminin-apatite-polymer Composites Using Metastable Calcium Phosphate Solutions

A synthetic polymer with a laminin-apatite composite layer on its surface would be useful as a percutaneous device. The preparation of such a composite was attempted in the present study using poly（ ethylene terephthalate ） （PET） and polyethylene （PE） as the synthetic polymer. PET and PE plates and those pretreated with an oxygen plasma were alternately dipped in calcium and phosphate ion solutions, and then immersed in a metastable calcium phosphate solution supplemented with laminin （ LCP solution ）. The PET and PE plates pretreated with an oxygen plasma formed a uniform and continuous layer of a laminin-apatite composite on their surfaces. In contrast, the PET and PE plates that had not been pretreated with an oxygen plasma did not form a continuous layer of a laminin-apatite composite on their surfaces. The hydrophilic functional groups on the PET and PE surfaces introduced by the plasma treatment were responsible for the successful laminin-apatite coruposite coating.

Characteristics of Nb/Al superconducting tunnel junctions fabricated using ozone gas

To improve the energy resolution（？E） of Nb/Al superconducting tunnel junctions（STJs）, an ozone（O3） oxidation process has been developed to fabricate a thin defect-free tunnel barrier that simultaneously shows high critical current JC〉 1000 A/cm^2 and high normalized dynamic resistance RDA 〉 100 MΩ·μm^2, where A is the size of the STJ. The 50-μm^2 STJs produced by O3 exposure of 0.26 Pa·min with an indirect spray of O3 gas, which is a much lower level of exposure than the O2 exposure used in a conventional O2 oxidation process, exhibit a maximum JC= 800 A/cm^2 and a high RDA = 372 MΩ ·μm^2. The 100-pixel array of the 100-μm^2STJs produced using the same O3 oxidation conditions exhibits a constant leak current I leak= 14.9 ± 3.2 n A at a bias point around △ /e（where e is half the energy gap of an STJ）,and a high fabrication yield of 87%. Although the I leak values are slightly larger than those of STJs produced using the conventional O2 oxidation process, the STJ produced using O3 oxidation shows a ？E = 10 eV for the C-Kα line, which is the best value of our Nb/Al STJ x-ray detectors.