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Germplasm resources are the foundation for improving crop varieties and a strategic asset for global food security. They also advance plant breeding, agricultural biotechnology and the production of essential agricultural goods. To assess the distribution, diversity and conservation status of food crop germplasm in the Hainan Province, China, we conducted a detailed survey of the Hainan Island. Between 2017 and 2022, we collected 330 food crop germplasm resources, encompassing 16 cereal crops, including rice, maize, sweet potato. The collected germplasm resources exhibited traits of high resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses, including common diseases and drought stress, as well as superior quality and adaptability to poor soil conditions such as sandy land. However, challenges such as low productivity and hybrid degradation were identified. These resources were primarily found in Haikou City, Baisha County, Danzhou City, Wuzhishan City and Sanya City. Additionally, we collected several ancient local varieties and endangered germplasm resources such as ‘Jiezi rice’ and ‘Wuzhishan maize’. This study serves as a reference for the conservation, development and utilization of local food crop germplasm resources in Hainan Province and lays the foundation for breeding and developing new varieties.
Despite the important role of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in government policy implementation, there is a lack of research on how SOEs owned by different government entities differ. We draw on an attention-based view (ABV) to understand how central government-owned (called central SOEs) and local government-owned enterprises (called local SOEs) differ in their response to digitalization, a major state objective in China in recent years. The two types of SOEs differ in the foundational feature of attention structure – the rules of the game (as embodied in their different goals, identities, and evaluation of top executives) – as well as important features such as governance structures and resources. These features can trigger more attention in central SOEs to digitalization. Given the interdependence of these features in shaping the structural distribution of attention, we further propose how governance structures and resources can influence strategic attention differently in SOEs with different rules of the game. The arguments are tested using data from all Chinese-listed manufacturing SOEs between 2009 and 2020. The study reveals different responses to national strategy between central and local SOEs due to their distinct attention structures designed by the state. It also extends the ABV and research on corporate digital transformation.
Blastocystis sp. is a prevalent protistan parasite found globally in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and various animals. This review aims to elucidate the advancements in research on axenic isolation techniques for Blastocystis sp. and their diverse applications. Axenic isolation, involving the culture and isolation of Blastocystis sp. free from any other organisms, necessitates the application of specific media and a series of axenic treatment methods. These methods encompass antibiotic treatment, monoclonal culture, differential centrifugation, density gradient separation, micromanipulation and the combined use of culture media. Critical factors influencing axenic isolation effectiveness include medium composition, culture temperature, medium characteristics, antibiotic type and dosage and the subtype (ST) of Blastocystis sp. Applications of axenic isolation encompass exploring pathogenicity, karyotype and ST analysis, immunoassay, characterization of surface chemical structure and lipid composition and understanding drug treatment effects. This review serves as a valuable reference for clinicians and scientists in selecting appropriate axenic isolation methods.
Blastocystis sp. is a common parasite in the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The clinical diagnosis of Blastocystis sp. mainly depends on the microscopic observation of parasite, which can lead to false-negative results. An accurate and convenient diagnostic approach for Blastocystis sp. infection is crucial for effectively preventing and controlling blastocystosis. Herein, we developed a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) method for detecting Blastocystis sp. The results showed that the DNA amplification by RPA established in this study could be performed within 5 min at 37°C, with maximum band intensity observed at 30 min. The minimum detection limit of RPA was 100 fg μL−1, consistent with conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR). Furthermore, the RPA method exhibited no cross-reactivity with 7 other non-target pathogens in the intestinal tract. Next, the newly established RPA method was used to analyse 40 fecal samples collected clinically, and the detection results were consistent with cPCR. These results corroborate that the newly developed RPA method has good sensitivity and specificity and offers the advantage of short detection times, which can be harnessed for differential diagnosis and rapid detection of Blastocystis sp.
With the spread of COVID-19, in application-oriented undergraduate colleges, the difficulty of teaching work for “double-qualified” teachers has greatly increased, resulting in enormous work pressure for some teachers, which is not conducive to the development of teaching work and the physical and mental health of teachers.
Subjects and Methods
Twenty “double qualified” teachers from a domestic finance and economics college were selected and divided into an experience group and a control group. The evaluation index system of college teachers’ competency and anti-pressure ability is constructed by using hesitant fuzzy language. Teachers in the experience group were trained in positive psychology, and their competency and anti-pressure ability were evaluated before and after the experiment using the evaluation model. The evaluation grade is divided into poor, general, relatively good, good and excellent, and is assigned with integers 1-5 respectively. The measurement type data is displayed in the form of mean ± standard deviation, and the t difference significance test is conducted. The difference significance level is 0.05.
Results
After completing the experiment, the statistics are shown in Table 1. Observation Table 1 shows that before the experiment, the P value of the t-test for the competency and compression resistance scores of the two groups of teachers is far greater than 0.05, with no significant difference. However, after the completion of the experiment, the average scores of teachers’ competency and compressive capacity in the experience group were 4.52 and 4.63, respectively, higher than those in the control group, and the P value of the t-test was 0.001, which was considered significant.Table 1.
Comparison of competence and compressive ability scores of two groups of “double qualified” financial teachers
Competency
Compressive capacity
-
Experience group
Control group
t
P
Experience group
Control group
t
P
Before experiment
3.15±0.14
3.15±0.17
0.485
1.526
3.88±0.20
3.86±0.24
0.571
1.639
After experiment
4.52±0.27
3.16±0.19
2.862
0.002
4.63±0.31
3.85±0.22
3.376
0.001
t
3.215
0.448
-
-
3.894
0.472
-
-
P
0.001
1.569
-
-
0.001
1.738
-
-
Conclusions
This research carried out experiments to verify the effect of positive psychological intervention on improving the competency and psychological pressure resistance of “double qualified” teachers. The experimental results showed that the post-competence and anti-pressure ability of the financial “double qualified” teachers in the experience group after positive psychological intervention were higher than those in the control group, and the difference was significant. The experimental results show that positive psychology training is conducive to improving the negative psychological pressure resistance of the “double qualified” teachers in China, so as to enhance their post competency.
The vortex force map method for incompressible viscous flows with multiple bodies is derived in this work. The method breaks the fluid force into inertial, vortex-pressure, viscous-pressure and skin-friction components, and it could be used to analyse the fluid dynamic forces on individual bodies in a multi-body assembly. For the first time, we provide a graphical representation of the vortex-pressure force – the vortex force map – for individual bodies in a multi-body assembly. We have shown that the vortex force map in a multi-body set-up differs from single-bodied counterparts from modifications to their hypothetical potential through a nonlinear cross-coupling, and that the inertial and viscous-pressure contributions contain influences from other bodies explicitly. We then demonstrate the multi-body vortex force decomposition method with a wing–flap starting flow problem using computational fluid dynamics data, identifying the positive and negative force-generating critical regions or directions. It is found that the dominant force is the vortex-pressure force, and the force variation against time is closely related to the evolution of the vortex structures. Furthermore, we showed that the existence of another body significantly alters the force contribution roles of vortices in the flow.
The association between executive dysfunction, brain dysconnectivity, and inflammation is a prominent feature across major psychiatric disorders (MPDs), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder. A dimensional approach is warranted to delineate their mechanistic interplay across MPDs.
Methods
This single site study included a total of 1543 participants (1058 patients and 485 controls). In total, 1169 participants underwent diffusion tensor and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (745 patients and 379 controls completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and regional homogeneity (ReHo) assessed structural and functional connectivity, respectively. Pro-inflammatory cytokine levels [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α] were obtained in 325 participants using blood samples collected with 24 h of scanning. Group differences were determined for main measures, and correlation and mediation analyses and machine learning prediction modeling were performed.
Results
Executive deficits were associated with decreased FA, increased ReHo, and elevated IL-1β and IL-6 levels across MPDs, compared to controls. FA and ReHo alterations in fronto-limbic-striatal regions contributed to executive deficits. IL-1β mediated the association between FA and cognition, and IL-6 mediated the relationship between ReHo and cognition. Executive cognition was better predicted by both brain connectivity and cytokine measures than either one alone for FA-IL-1β and ReHo-IL-6.
Conclusions
Transdiagnostic associations among brain connectivity, inflammation, and executive cognition exist across MPDs, implicating common neurobiological substrates and mechanisms for executive deficits in MPDs. Further, inflammation-related brain dysconnectivity within fronto-limbic-striatal regions may represent a transdiagnostic dimension underlying executive dysfunction that could be leveraged to advance treatment.
This paper investigates the comprehension of Relative Clauses (RCs) in 15 Mandarin children with suspected Specific Language Impairment (SLI) (aged between 4; 5 and 6; 0) and 29 typically developing (TD) controls. Results from a Character Picture Matching Task indicate that (i) the subject RC was better understood than the object RC in children with SLI, but there was no asymmetry in the comprehension of the two RCs in TD children; (ii) the performance of children with SLI was significantly worse than that of their TD peers; (iii) children with SLI were prone to committing thematic role reversal errors and middle errors. In order to overcome the shortcomings of previous accounts, we therefore put forward the Edge Feature Underspecification Hypothesis, which can not only explain the asymmetry of comprehension seen in children with SLI but also shed light on the nature of errors committed by them in the task.
The prevention, treatment and control of Haemonchus contortus have been increasingly problematic due to its widespread occurrence and anthelmintic resistance. There are very few descriptions of recombinant antigens being protective for H. contortus, despite the success of various native antigen preparations, including Barbervax. We recently identified an H. contortus excretory–secretory antigen, H. contortus adhesion-regulating molecule 1 (HcADRM1), that served as an immunomodulator to impair host T-cell functions. Given the prophylactic potential of HcADRM1 protein as a vaccine candidate, we hereby assessed the efficacies of HcADRM1 preparations against H. contortus infection. Parasitological and immunological parameters were evaluated throughout all time points of the trials, including fecal egg counts (FEC), abomasal worm burdens, complete blood counts, cytokine production profiles and antibody responses. Active vaccination with recombinant HcADRM1 (rHcADRM1) protein induced protective immunity in inoculated goats, resulting in reductions of 48.9 and 58.6% in cumulative FEC and worm burdens. Simultaneously, passive administration of anti-HcADRM1 antibodies generated encouraging levels of protection with 46.7 and 56.2% reductions in cumulative FEC and worm burdens in challenged goats. In addition, HcADRM1 preparations-immunized goats showed significant differences in mucosal and serum antigen-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels, total mucosal IgA levels, haemoglobin values and circulating interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17A production compared to control goats in both trials. The preliminary data of these laboratory trials validated the immunoprophylactic effects of rHcADRM1 protein. It can be pursued as a potential vaccine antigen to develop an effective recombinant subunit vaccine against H. contortus under field conditions.
Schizophrenia is considered a polygenic disorder. People with schizophrenia and those with genetic high risk of schizophrenia (GHR) have presented with similar neurodevelopmental deficits in hemispheric asymmetry. The potential associations between neurodevelopmental abnormalities and schizophrenia-related risk genes in both schizophrenia and those with GHR remains unclear.
Aims
To investigate the shared and specific alternations to the structural network in people with schizophrenia and those with GHR. And to identify an association between vulnerable structural network alternation and schizophrenia-related risk genes.
Method
A total of 97 participants with schizophrenia, 79 participants with GHR and 192 healthy controls, underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scans at a single site. We used graph theory to characterise hemispheric and whole-brain structural network topological metrics. For 26 people in the schizophrenia group and 48 in the GHR group with DTI scans we also calculated their schizophrenia-related polygenic risk scores (SZ-PRSs). The correlations between alterations to the structural network and SZ-PRSs were calculated. Based on the identified genetic–neural association, bioinformatics enrichment was explored.
Results
There were significant hemispheric asymmetric deficits of nodal efficiency, global and local efficiency in the schizophrenia and GHR groups. Hemispheric asymmetric deficit of local efficiency was significantly positively correlated with SZ-PRSs in the schizophrenia and GHR groups. Bioinformatics enrichment analysis showed that these risk genes may be linked to signal transduction, neural development and neuron structure. The schizophrenia group showed a significant decrease in the whole-brain structural network.
Conclusions
The shared asymmetric deficits in people with schizophrenia and those with GHR, and the association between anomalous asymmetry and SZ-PRSs suggested a vulnerability imaging marker regulated by schizophrenia-related risk genes. Our findings provide new insights into asymmetry regulated by risk genes and provides a better understanding of the genetic–neural pathological underpinnings of schizophrenia.
In this paper, a vortex moment map (VMM) method is proposed to predict the pitching moment on a body from the vorticity field. VMM is designed to identify the moment contribution of each given vortex in the flow field. Implementing this VMM approach in starting flows of a NACA0012 airfoil, it is found that, due to the rolling up of leading-edge vortices (LEVs) and trailing-edge vortices (TEVs), the unsteady nose-down moment about the quarter chord is higher than the steady-state value. The time variation of the unsteady moment is closely related to the LEVs and TEVs near the body and the VMM gives an intuitive understanding of how each part of the vorticity field contributes to the pitching moment on the body.
A tunable ultrafast intensity-rotating optical field is generated by overlapping a pair of 20 Hz, 800 nm chirped pulses with a Michelson interferometer (MI). Its rotating rate can be up to 10 trillion radians per second ($\text{Trad}/\text{s}$), which can be flexibly tuned with a mirror in the MI. Besides, its fold rotational symmetry structure is also changeable by controlling the difference from the topological charges of the pulse pair. Experimentally, we have successfully developed a two-petal lattice with a tunable rotating speed from $3.9~\text{Trad}/\text{s}$ up to $11.9~\text{Trad}/\text{s}$, which is confirmed by our single-shot ultrafast frame imager based on noncollinear optical-parametric amplification with its highest frame rate of 15 trillion frames per second (Tfps). This work is carried out at a low repetition rate. Therefore, it can be applied at relativistic, even ultrarelativistic, intensities, which usually operate in low repetition rate ultrashort and ultraintense laser systems. We believe that it may have application in laser-plasma-based accelerators, strong terahertz radiations and celestial phenomena.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is enormously important in suicide and major depressive disorder (MDD). However, little is known about the structural alterations in the brains of people with MDD and suicidal ideation. We examined the gray matter volume (GMV) of the PFC of individuals with MDD and suicidal ideation to determine if PFC volumetric differences contribute to suicidal ideation in patients with MDD. Thirty-five subjects with MDD and suicidal ideation, 38 subjects with MDD but without suicidal ideation, and 43 age- and gender-matched healthy control (HC) subjects underwent T1-weighted imaging. A voxel-based morphometric analysis was conducted to compare the PFC GMVs of the three groups. Further GMV reductions in the left and right dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and right ventrolateral PFC (VLPFC) were detected in the MDD with suicidal ideation group compared with those in the HC group and the MDD without suicidal ideation group, whereas the MDD without suicidal ideation group only exhibited significant differences in the left DLPFC relative to the HC group. Our findings demonstrated that left DLPFC reductions were associated with MDD and suicidal ideation, and diminished GMV reductions in the right DLPFC and right VLPFC were only associated with suicidal ideation. These results help us better understand the neuropathological changes in MDD with suicidal ideation.
Twinned silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires (NWs) reinforced Si3N4–SiOC composites were successfully fabricated through a joint process of three-dimensional printing (3DP), direct nitridation, and polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP). 3DP and PIP were both addictive manufacturing processes, enabling the near net shape fabrication and microstructure designing of Si3N4–SiOC. With the increase of the PIP cycle number, the pores of Si3N4 were mostly filled with polymer-derived ceramics-silicon oxycarbide (containing SiC NWs and free carbons), which led to the increase of electrical conductivity of Si3N4–SiOC composites. With the increase of SiOC ceramics, the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of Si3N4–SiOC composites increased from 2 dB to 35 dB, in which the absorption shielding effectiveness increased to 27 dB. The flexural strength of Si3N4–SiOC composites reached 63 MPa when the content of SiOC ceramics was 50.1 wt%. It is indicated that Si3N4–SiOC ceramics are a promising electromagnetic shielding and structural material.
The LAMOST Galactic surveys provide robust stellar atmospheric parameters, abundances, masses and ages of millions of stars, allowing a unprecedented mapping of matter distribution, spatial structure, star formation rate, chemistry and kinematics of the Galaxy. In this proceeding we present structure and metallicity of the Galactic disk revealed by mono-age stellar populations within a few kilo-parsec of the solar neighborhood.
Our experiments show that external focusing and initial laser energy strongly influences filament generated by the femtosecond Ti–sapphire laser in air. The experimental measurements show the filament length can be extended both by increasing the laser energy and focal length of focusing lens. On the other hand, the plasma fluorescence emission can be enhanced by increasing the laser energy with fixed focal length or decreasing the focal length. In addition, the collapse distance measured experimentally are larger than the calculated ones owing to the group-velocity-dispersion effect. In addition, we find that the line widths of the spectral lines from $\text{N}_{2}$ is independent of filament positions, laser energies and external focusing.
We prove by the Hilbert–Mumford criterion that a slope stable polarized weighted pointed nodal curve is Chow asymptotic stable. This generalizes the result of Caporaso on stability of polarized nodal curves and of Hassett on weighted pointed stable curves polarized by the weighted dualizing sheaves. It also solves a question raised by Mumford and Gieseker, to prove the Chow asymptotic stability of stable nodal curves by the Hilbert–Mumford criterion.
In this paper, the effect of an annealing treatment on the microstructure, mechanicalproperties and electrical conductivity of a deformed Cu-12.8 wt%Fe composite prepared bythe “casting/cold working” process is investigated. The Fe filaments exhibit the shapecharacteristic in the as-drawn composite as the annealing temperature is lower than 500°C. When the annealing temperature is above 500 °C, the Fe filaments undergo theinstability process in terms of boundary splitting, coarsening and breakup gradually. Thetensile strength gradually decreases with increasing annealing temperature due to thecoarsening of filament spacing. The work hardening for the composite annealed above 600 °Cis slower than that annealed at a lower temperature. The electrical conductivity reaches amaximum of 60%IACS at a temperature of 450 °C for one hour of annealing, and it furtherincreases with increasing annealing time at 450 °C to reach a plateau of 68% IACS. Thecurve between the tensile strength and electrical conductivity under different annealingprocesses indicates that the optimum annealing temperature for the Cu-Fe composite is 450°C.
Light trapping is one of the key challenges for the next generation of thin film solar cells. In this work, we have identified the distinct light trapping effects for short and long wavelength solar spectrum ranges, by investigating lighting trapping structures on both sides of Si thin film solar cells. The sub-wavelength moth-eye-like photonic front surface and multi-layer grating photonic crystal reflector on the bottom surface are studied in detail via the Finite Difference Time Domain method for its solar energy absorption characteristics. Our study reveals the drastic difference in the light trapping effects within the solar spectrum wavelength. This work may provide guidance for efficiency enhancement of next generation thin film photovoltaic cells.