One of the main issues in designing optimum tapered cascades for uranium enrichment for annual fuel production in a power reactor is whether to employ large(fat)or small(thin)cascades.What will be the permissible and ...One of the main issues in designing optimum tapered cascades for uranium enrichment for annual fuel production in a power reactor is whether to employ large(fat)or small(thin)cascades.What will be the permissible and optimal ranges of the number of machines that can be used in a cascade?For the first time,the permissible and optimal ranges of the number of gas centrifuges that can be utilized in a cascade were investigated using two types of centrifuges,and the performance of small and large tapered cascades was discussed.The particle swarm optimization algorithm(PSO)has been used to optimize tapered cascades.The results show:(1)For the first centrifuge,41 cascades(91≤n≤4897)and for the second centrifuge,49 cascades(18≤n≤3839)with small and large sizes can be used in enrichment facilities,and the best cascade for them has 530(with 23 stages)and 39(with 7 stages)centrifuges,respectively.(2)For both centrifuges,when 600≤n(number of centrifuges=n),the large cascade performance changes are relatively insignificant.(3)For both types of gas centrifuges,the annual los s of separation power in enrichment facilities is approximately 1.25%-4.82%of the total separation work required.展开更多
Using molecular dynamics methods,simulations of collision cascades in polycrystalline tungsten(W)have been conducted in this study,including different primary-knock-on atom(PKA)directions,grain sizes,and PKA energies ...Using molecular dynamics methods,simulations of collision cascades in polycrystalline tungsten(W)have been conducted in this study,including different primary-knock-on atom(PKA)directions,grain sizes,and PKA energies between 1 keV and 150 keV.The results indicate that a smaller grain size leads to more defects forming in grain boundary regions during cascade processes.The impact of high-energy PKA may cause a certain degree of distortion of the grain boundaries,which has a higher probability in systems with smaller grain sizes and becomes more pronounced as the PKA energy increases.The direction of PKA can affect the formation and diffusion pathways of defects.When the PKA direction is perpendicular to the grain boundary,defects preferentially form near the grain boundary regions;by contrast,defects are more inclined to form in the interior of the grains.These results are of great significance for comprehending the changes in the performance of polycrystalline W under the high-energy fusion environments and can provide theoretical guidance for further optimization and application of W-based plasma materials.展开更多
This article describes the effects of some factors on the tip clearance flow in axial linear turbine cascades. The measurements of the total pressure loss coefficient are made at the cascade outlets by using a five-ho...This article describes the effects of some factors on the tip clearance flow in axial linear turbine cascades. The measurements of the total pressure loss coefficient are made at the cascade outlets by using a five-hole probe at exit Mach numbers of 0.10, 0.14 and 0.19. At each exit Mach number, experiments are performed at the tip clearance heights of 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5% and 3.0% of the blade height. The effects of the non-uniform tip clearance height of each blade in the pitchwise direction are also studied. The results show that at a given tip clearance height, generally, total pressure loss rises with exit Mach numbers proportionally. At a fixed exit Mach number, the total pressure loss augments nearly proportionally as the tip clearance height increases. The increased tip clearance heights in the tip regions of two adjacent blades are to be blame for the larger clearance loss of the center blade. Compared to the effects of the tip clearance height, the effects of the exit Mach number and the pitchwise variation of the tip clearance height on the cascade total pressure loss are so less significant to be omitted.展开更多
The evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)cascades relay extracellular signals into cells,triggering a variety of cellular responses.We previously revealed NtMPK4 as a positive regulator of ni...The evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)cascades relay extracellular signals into cells,triggering a variety of cellular responses.We previously revealed NtMPK4 as a positive regulator of nicotine biosynthesis;however,its upstream regulation remains unclear.Here,we characterized a MAPK cascade,comprising NtMEKK1b,NtMPKK2a,and NtMPK4,that promotes nicotine biosynthesis.This signaling module transduces external cues,including jasmonate and pathogen elicitors such as flg22,into post-translational modifications that enhance transcriptional activity and pathway gene expression.NtMPKK2a physically interacts with and phosphorylates NtMPK4 in vivo,confirming its role as an upstream kinase.RNAi-mediated silencing of NtMPKK2a significantly reduced the expression of nicotine pathway genes and decreased nicotine accumulation,whereas induced-overexpression of NtMPKK2a upregulated nicotine pathway genes and increased nicotine contents in tobacco hairy roots.Overexpression of NtMPKK2a in tobacco cells enhanced the transactivation activity of a NIC2-locus Ethylene Response Factor NtERF221 on Putrescine N-methyltransferase(NtPMT)promotor,further supporting its role in promoting nicotine biosynthesis.Furthermore,we identified NtMEKK1b,a tobacco MEKK that interacts with NtMAPKK2a in yeast cells.Knock-down of NtMEKK1b in transgenic tobacco plants attenuated the expression of nicotine pathway genes and reduced nicotine contents,whereas induced-overexpression of NtMEKK1b upregulated gene expression and nicotine accumulation.Our findings uncover a previously uncharacterized MAPK cascade module,NtMEKK1b-NtMPKK2a-NtMPK4,that regulates nicotine biosynthesis,highlighting the importance of posttranslational regulation in nicotine biosynthesis.展开更多
Amyloid-β(Aβ)and tau,the two hallmark proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease(AD),exhibit distinct toxic effects but also interact synergistically within the disease pathology.The prevailing theory in AD patho...Amyloid-β(Aβ)and tau,the two hallmark proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease(AD),exhibit distinct toxic effects but also interact synergistically within the disease pathology.The prevailing theory in AD pathology-the amyloid cascade hypothesis-highlights the pivotal role of increased processing of the amyloid precursor protein(APP).Initially cleaved by the majorβ-secretase(β-amyloid cleaving enzyme-1,BACE1)in the brain,then undergoes further cleavage by theγ-secretase complex,resulting in the production of Aβ_(40-42)and a set of intracellular C-terminal peptides known as Aβand APP intracellular domain(β-AICDs)and soluble amyloid precursor proteinβ(sAPPβ)(Orobets and Karamyshev,2023).展开更多
Currently,our understanding of the pathogenesis of major neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's,Parkinson's,and Huntington's diseases,is largely shaped by the amyloid cascade hypothesis.Pa rticula...Currently,our understanding of the pathogenesis of major neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's,Parkinson's,and Huntington's diseases,is largely shaped by the amyloid cascade hypothesis.Pa rticularly,this hypothesis posits that in Alzheimer's disease,the aggregation of amyloid-beta peptide initiates a series of pathological processes leading to neuronal dysfunction and death(Zhang et al.,2024).展开更多
Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure(CI)systems has become a focal point of national and inter-national policies.However,the formulation of resilience enhancement strategies often requires component-(i....Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure(CI)systems has become a focal point of national and inter-national policies.However,the formulation of resilience enhancement strategies often requires component-(i.e.asset-)level prioritization,which entails many complexities.Acknowledging the complex and interdependent nature of infrastructure systems,this paper aims to aid researchers,practitioners and policy-makers by pre-senting a review of the relative literature and current state-of-the-art,and by identifying future research op-portunities to improve the applicability and operationalizability of CI component identification and prioritization methods.Theoretical and practical applications are reviewed for definitions,analysis and modelling approaches regarding the resilience of interdependent infrastructure systems.A detailed review of infrastructure criticality definitions,component criticality assessment and prioritization frameworks,from scientific,policy and other documents,is presented.A discussion on social justice and equity dimensions therein is included,which have the potential to greatly influence decisions and should always be incorporated in infrastructure planning and in-vestment discussions.The findings of this review are discussed in terms of applicability and operationalizability.Key recommendations for future research include:(i)developing quantification frameworks for CI component criticality based on formal definitions and multiple criteria,(ii)incorporating the entire resilience cycle of CI in component prioritization,(iii)accounting for the socio-technical nature of CI systems by integrating social di-mensions and their wider operating environment and(iv)developing comprehensive model validation,cali-bration and uncertainty analysis frameworks.展开更多
Photo-responsive supramolecular assembly especially supramolecular hydrogels with tunable luminescence show a promising application potential in writable information recording and display materials.Herein,we report ph...Photo-responsive supramolecular assembly especially supramolecular hydrogels with tunable luminescence show a promising application potential in writable information recording and display materials.Herein,we report photo-responsive reversible multicolor supramolecular hydrogel with near-infrared emission,which is constructed by cucurbit[7]uril(CB[7]),cyanostilbene derivative(DAC)and Laponite XLG(LP)via supramolecular cascade assembly.Compared with the free vip molecule DAC,the confinement of macrocycle CB[7]achieve effective near-infrared fluorescence in the aqueous phase from scratch,and the subsequent cascade assembly with LP further restrict the molecular rotation of the DAC,which not only result in a substantial enhancement of the fluorescence intensity,but is also endowed with light-controlled fluorescence on/off both in the solution and hydrogel states.Further,8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt(HPTS)is introduced in the cascade assembly to fabricated photocontrollable reversible multicolor luminescence supramolecular hydrogel between red and green induced by Förster resonance energy transfer,which is successfully employed in reversible multiple information encryption.展开更多
Deep learning-based methods have become alternatives to traditional numerical weather prediction systems,offering faster computation and the ability to utilize large historical datasets.However,the application of deep...Deep learning-based methods have become alternatives to traditional numerical weather prediction systems,offering faster computation and the ability to utilize large historical datasets.However,the application of deep learning to medium-range regional weather forecasting with limited data remains a significant challenge.In this work,three key solutions are proposed:(1)motivated by the need to improve model performance in data-scarce regional forecasting scenarios,the authors innovatively apply semantic segmentation models,to better capture spatiotemporal features and improve prediction accuracy;(2)recognizing the challenge of overfitting and the inability of traditional noise-based data augmentation methods to effectively enhance model robustness,a novel learnable Gaussian noise mechanism is introduced that allows the model to adaptively optimize perturbations for different locations,ensuring more effective learning;and(3)to address the issue of error accumulation in autoregressive prediction,as well as the challenge of learning difficulty and the lack of intermediate data utilization in one-shot prediction,the authors propose a cascade prediction approach that effectively resolves these problems while significantly improving model forecasting performance.The method achieves a competitive result in The East China Regional AI Medium Range Weather Forecasting Competition.Ablation experiments further validate the effectiveness of each component,highlighting their contributions to enhancing prediction performance.展开更多
Following a magnitude M 7.9 earthquake that struck near Mandalay,Myanmar in March 2025,this study investigates the seismic damage inflicted upon the city’s municipal water supply system.The analysis focuses on the fa...Following a magnitude M 7.9 earthquake that struck near Mandalay,Myanmar in March 2025,this study investigates the seismic damage inflicted upon the city’s municipal water supply system.The analysis focuses on the failure characteristics of water facilities and pipelines,examines cross-system cascading effects,and proposes corresponding recovery strategies.The main findings are as follows:(1)The damage to water plant facilities,concentrated in ancillary structures and connections due to insufficient seismic measures,demonstrated significant intensity-dependence.Increased seismic intensity not only aggravated structural damage but also compromised core treatment processes,leading to deteriorated water quality.(2)Within the same seismic intensity zone,high-density polyethylene(HDPE)pipes exhibited a significantly lower damage occurrence rate than ductile iron(DI)pipes,highlighting the material’s substantial influence on seismic performance.Moreover,a strong positive correlation was observed between the overall pipeline network damage and the seismic intensity.The average damage rate in IntensityⅨzones was 6.84 times that of IntensityⅧzones.(3)A cascading failure,initiated by a power outage,led to water supply disruption,loss of emergency response capability,and elevated secondary risks.This strongly coupled cross-system effect resulted in significant spatiotemporal propagation of disaster impacts.(4)The post-earthquake recovery adopted a phased strategy that prioritized critical facilities.Actions involved rapidly restoring the core supply zone with temporary points,reinstating the water plant’s power supply,and deploying targeted technologies for efficient pipeline repair.The outcomes of this study are expected to provide critical support and a valuable reference for developing earthquake-resilient urban water supply systems.展开更多
Tooth morphogenesis is orchestrated by a complex interplay of signaling pathways and transcription factors that control cell proliferation,apoptosis,and differentiation,with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway playin...Tooth morphogenesis is orchestrated by a complex interplay of signaling pathways and transcription factors that control cell proliferation,apoptosis,and differentiation,with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway playing a pivotal role.However,the comprehensive regulatory mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling remain largely unclear.Smad7,a key antagonist of the TGF-βsuperfamily,is essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and ensuring proper cellular function.Our previous study has demonstrated that Smad7 knockout in mice leads to impaired proliferative property of tooth germ cells,resulting in small molars.Here,we identified SMAD7 expression in human dental papilla and dental pulp,colocalized with β-CATENIN and cell proliferationrelated proteins.RNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant reduction in Wnt signaling activity in Smad7-deficient mouse tooth germs.Using lentivirus transfection,we established SMAD7-knockdown human dental papilla stem cells,which manifested remarkably blunt proliferation rate,along with diminished Wnt signaling activity.In vivo transplantation investigations further revealed the indispensable role of SMAD7 in dentin formation.Mechanistically,we revealed that β-CATENIN interacts with P-SMAD2/3 and SMAD7 through co-immunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid assays.Inhibition of TGF-β pathway or disruption of SMAD7/β-CATENIN transcription factor complex formation potently impacted Wnt/β-catenin activities,indicating both direct and indirect regulatory mechanisms.These findings highlight the critical role of SMAD7 in the proliferation and diffe rentiation of human dental stem cells,which could contribute to dental tissue regeneration and engineering.展开更多
Cascading failures pose a serious threat to the survivability of underwater unmanned swarm networks(UUSNs),significantly limiting their service ability in collaborative missions such as military reconnaissance and env...Cascading failures pose a serious threat to the survivability of underwater unmanned swarm networks(UUSNs),significantly limiting their service ability in collaborative missions such as military reconnaissance and environmental monitoring.Existing failure models primarily focus on power grids and traffic systems,and don't address the unique challenges of weak-communication UUSNs.In UUSNs,cascading failure present a complex and dynamic process driven by the coupling of unstable acoustic channels,passive node drift,adversarial attacks,and network heterogeneity.To address these challenges,a directed weighted graph model of UUSNs is first developed,in which node positions are updated according to ocean-current-driven drift and link weights reflect the probability of successful acoustic transmission.Building on this UUSNs graph model,a cascading failure model is proposed that integrates a normal-failure-recovery state-cycle mechanism,multiple attack strategies,and routingbased load redistribution.Finally,under a five-level connectivity UUSNs scheme,simulations are conducted to analyze how dynamic topology,network load,node recovery delay,and attack modes jointly affect network survivability.The main findings are:(1)moderate node drift can improve survivability by activating weak links;(2)based-energy routing(BER)outperform based-depth routing(BDR)in harsh conditions;(3)node self-recovery time is critical to network survivability;(4)traditional degree-based critical node metrics are inadequate for weak-communication UUSNs.These results provide a theoretical foundation for designing robust survivability mechanisms in weak-communication UUSNs.展开更多
Erysiphe necator is a destructive fungal pathogen that compromises grapevine yield and quality,leading to substantial economic losses.Therefore,elucidating host resistance mechanisms is essential.In this study,we iden...Erysiphe necator is a destructive fungal pathogen that compromises grapevine yield and quality,leading to substantial economic losses.Therefore,elucidating host resistance mechanisms is essential.In this study,we identified an ethylene response factor,VqERF1B,that exhibits sustained high expression during E.necator infection in Chinese wild grape Vitis quinquangularis accession ‘Danfeng-2'.Transient overexpression of VqERF1B in grape leaves enhanced resistance to E.necator by elevating transcript levels of pathogenesis-related(PR) genes,including PR1,PR2,PR5,and PR10.Conversely,silencing VqERF1B resulted in increased susceptibility.Moreover,transgenic Arabidopsis lines stably overexpressing VqERF1B exhibited enhanced resistance to powdery mildew,associated with elevated PR gene expression and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS).A series of assays identified VqMAPK3,a phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase,as a direct interactor of VqERF1B.Furthermore,VqERF1B was shown to bind directly to the promoters of VqPRs,thereby activating their transcription.Notably,the VqMAPK3-VqERF1B complex exhibited greater transactivation activity on VqPR promoters than VqERF1B alone,indicating that VqMAPK3 positively modulates VqERF1Bmediated transcription of PR genes.This work advances understanding of the molecular basis of grape resistance to E.necator and provides a foundation for molecular breeding strategies.展开更多
Current pharmacotherapies for Alzheimer's disease(AD)exhibit constrained transient symptomatic relief without halting underlying neurodegenerative progression.Based on the framework of the amyloid cascade and neur...Current pharmacotherapies for Alzheimer's disease(AD)exhibit constrained transient symptomatic relief without halting underlying neurodegenerative progression.Based on the framework of the amyloid cascade and neurofibrillary tangle hypotheses[1],two FDA-approved antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies(Aβ-mAbs),Kisunla and Lecanemab,have demonstrated efficacy in removing cerebral amyloid buildup,thereby modestly slowing cognitive decline in AD patients[2,3].A 2023 meta-analysis in Neurology demonstrated that anti-amyloid therapies significantly accelerated brain volume loss compared to placebo,with Lecanemab demonstrating 36.4%greater volume reduction and Donanemab 23%.展开更多
To investigate the influence of real leading-edge manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance of high subsonic compressor blades,a family of leading-edge manufacturing error data were obtained from measured compres...To investigate the influence of real leading-edge manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance of high subsonic compressor blades,a family of leading-edge manufacturing error data were obtained from measured compressor cascades.Considering the limited samples,the leadingedge angle and leading-edge radius distribution forms were evaluated by Shapiro-Wilk test and quantile–quantile plot.Their statistical characteristics provided can be introduced to later related researches.The parameterization design method B-spline and Bezier are adopted to create geometry models with manufacturing error based on leading-edge angle and leading-edge radius.The influence of real manufacturing error is quantified and analyzed by self-developed non-intrusive polynomial chaos and Sobol’indices.The mechanism of leading-edge manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance is discussed.The results show that the total pressure loss coefficient is sensitive to the leading-edge manufacturing error compared with the static pressure ratio,especially at high incidence.Specifically,manufacturing error of the leading edge will influence the local flow acceleration and subsequently cause fluctuation of the downstream flow.The aerodynamic performance is sensitive to the manufacturing error of leading-edge radius at the design and negative incidences,while it is sensitive to the manufacturing error of leading-edge angle under the operation conditions with high incidences.展开更多
The circumferentially averaged equation of the inlet flow radial equilibrium in axial compressor was deduced. It indicates that the blade inlet radial pressure gradient is closely related to the radial component of th...The circumferentially averaged equation of the inlet flow radial equilibrium in axial compressor was deduced. It indicates that the blade inlet radial pressure gradient is closely related to the radial component of the circumferential fluctuation（CF） source item. Several simplified cascades with/without aerodynamic loading were numerically studied to investigate the effects of blade bowing on the inlet flow radial equilibrium. A data reduction program was conducted to obtain the CF source from three-dimensional（3D） simulation results. Flow parameters at the passage inlet were focused on and each term in the radial equilibrium equation was discussed quantitatively. Results indicate that the inviscid blade force is the inducement of the inlet CF due to geometrical asymmetry. Blade bowing induces variation of the inlet CF, thus changes the radial pressure gradient and leads to flow migration before leading edge（LE） in the cascades. Positive bowing drives the inlet flow to migrate from end walls to mid-span and negative bowing turns it to the reverse direction to build a new equilibrium. In addition, comparative studies indicate that the inlet Mach number and blade loading can efficiently impact the effectiveness of blade bowing on radial equilibrium in compressor design.展开更多
In this paper, cascading failure is studied by coupled map lattice （CML） methods in preferential attachment community networks. It is found that external perturbation R is increasing with modularity Q growing by sim...In this paper, cascading failure is studied by coupled map lattice （CML） methods in preferential attachment community networks. It is found that external perturbation R is increasing with modularity Q growing by simulation. In particular, the large modularity Q can hold off the cascading failure dynamic process in community networks. Furthermore, different attack strategies also greatly affect the cascading failure dynamic process. It is particularly significant to control cascading failure process in real community networks.展开更多
This paper studies the cascading failure on random networks and scale-free networks by introducing the tolerance parameter of edge based on the coupled map lattices methods. The whole work focuses on investigating som...This paper studies the cascading failure on random networks and scale-free networks by introducing the tolerance parameter of edge based on the coupled map lattices methods. The whole work focuses on investigating some indices including the number of failed edges, dynamic edge tolerance capacity and the perturbation of edge. In general, it assumes that the perturbation is attributed to the normal distribution in adopted simulations. By investigating the effectiveness of edge tolerance in scale-free and random networks, it finds that the larger tolerance parameter λ can more efficiently delay the cascading failure process for scale-free networks than random networks. These results indicate that the cascading failure process can be effectively controlled by increasing the tolerance parameter λ. Moreover, the simulations also show that, larger variance of perturbation can easily trigger the cascading failures than the smaller one. This study may be useful for evaluating efficiency of whole traffic systems, and for alleviating cascading failure in such systems.展开更多
The complex and variable nature of traumatic spinal cord inju- ry （SCI） presents a unique challenge for translational research. SCI is not bound by any demographic nor is it limited to specific injury biomechanics.
文摘One of the main issues in designing optimum tapered cascades for uranium enrichment for annual fuel production in a power reactor is whether to employ large(fat)or small(thin)cascades.What will be the permissible and optimal ranges of the number of machines that can be used in a cascade?For the first time,the permissible and optimal ranges of the number of gas centrifuges that can be utilized in a cascade were investigated using two types of centrifuges,and the performance of small and large tapered cascades was discussed.The particle swarm optimization algorithm(PSO)has been used to optimize tapered cascades.The results show:(1)For the first centrifuge,41 cascades(91≤n≤4897)and for the second centrifuge,49 cascades(18≤n≤3839)with small and large sizes can be used in enrichment facilities,and the best cascade for them has 530(with 23 stages)and 39(with 7 stages)centrifuges,respectively.(2)For both centrifuges,when 600≤n(number of centrifuges=n),the large cascade performance changes are relatively insignificant.(3)For both types of gas centrifuges,the annual los s of separation power in enrichment facilities is approximately 1.25%-4.82%of the total separation work required.
基金Project supported by the National MCF Energy Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2018YFE0308101)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2018YFB0704000)+1 种基金the Suqian Science and Technology Program(Grant No.K202337)the Natural Science Foundation of the Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions of China(Grant No.23KJD490001).
文摘Using molecular dynamics methods,simulations of collision cascades in polycrystalline tungsten(W)have been conducted in this study,including different primary-knock-on atom(PKA)directions,grain sizes,and PKA energies between 1 keV and 150 keV.The results indicate that a smaller grain size leads to more defects forming in grain boundary regions during cascade processes.The impact of high-energy PKA may cause a certain degree of distortion of the grain boundaries,which has a higher probability in systems with smaller grain sizes and becomes more pronounced as the PKA energy increases.The direction of PKA can affect the formation and diffusion pathways of defects.When the PKA direction is perpendicular to the grain boundary,defects preferentially form near the grain boundary regions;by contrast,defects are more inclined to form in the interior of the grains.These results are of great significance for comprehending the changes in the performance of polycrystalline W under the high-energy fusion environments and can provide theoretical guidance for further optimization and application of W-based plasma materials.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (10377011)
文摘This article describes the effects of some factors on the tip clearance flow in axial linear turbine cascades. The measurements of the total pressure loss coefficient are made at the cascade outlets by using a five-hole probe at exit Mach numbers of 0.10, 0.14 and 0.19. At each exit Mach number, experiments are performed at the tip clearance heights of 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5% and 3.0% of the blade height. The effects of the non-uniform tip clearance height of each blade in the pitchwise direction are also studied. The results show that at a given tip clearance height, generally, total pressure loss rises with exit Mach numbers proportionally. At a fixed exit Mach number, the total pressure loss augments nearly proportionally as the tip clearance height increases. The increased tip clearance heights in the tip regions of two adjacent blades are to be blame for the larger clearance loss of the center blade. Compared to the effects of the tip clearance height, the effects of the exit Mach number and the pitchwise variation of the tip clearance height on the cascade total pressure loss are so less significant to be omitted.
基金supported partially by the Kentucky Tobacco Research and Development Center(KTRDC),University of Kentucky.
文摘The evolutionarily conserved mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)cascades relay extracellular signals into cells,triggering a variety of cellular responses.We previously revealed NtMPK4 as a positive regulator of nicotine biosynthesis;however,its upstream regulation remains unclear.Here,we characterized a MAPK cascade,comprising NtMEKK1b,NtMPKK2a,and NtMPK4,that promotes nicotine biosynthesis.This signaling module transduces external cues,including jasmonate and pathogen elicitors such as flg22,into post-translational modifications that enhance transcriptional activity and pathway gene expression.NtMPKK2a physically interacts with and phosphorylates NtMPK4 in vivo,confirming its role as an upstream kinase.RNAi-mediated silencing of NtMPKK2a significantly reduced the expression of nicotine pathway genes and decreased nicotine accumulation,whereas induced-overexpression of NtMPKK2a upregulated nicotine pathway genes and increased nicotine contents in tobacco hairy roots.Overexpression of NtMPKK2a in tobacco cells enhanced the transactivation activity of a NIC2-locus Ethylene Response Factor NtERF221 on Putrescine N-methyltransferase(NtPMT)promotor,further supporting its role in promoting nicotine biosynthesis.Furthermore,we identified NtMEKK1b,a tobacco MEKK that interacts with NtMAPKK2a in yeast cells.Knock-down of NtMEKK1b in transgenic tobacco plants attenuated the expression of nicotine pathway genes and reduced nicotine contents,whereas induced-overexpression of NtMEKK1b upregulated gene expression and nicotine accumulation.Our findings uncover a previously uncharacterized MAPK cascade module,NtMEKK1b-NtMPKK2a-NtMPK4,that regulates nicotine biosynthesis,highlighting the importance of posttranslational regulation in nicotine biosynthesis.
文摘Amyloid-β(Aβ)and tau,the two hallmark proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease(AD),exhibit distinct toxic effects but also interact synergistically within the disease pathology.The prevailing theory in AD pathology-the amyloid cascade hypothesis-highlights the pivotal role of increased processing of the amyloid precursor protein(APP).Initially cleaved by the majorβ-secretase(β-amyloid cleaving enzyme-1,BACE1)in the brain,then undergoes further cleavage by theγ-secretase complex,resulting in the production of Aβ_(40-42)and a set of intracellular C-terminal peptides known as Aβand APP intracellular domain(β-AICDs)and soluble amyloid precursor proteinβ(sAPPβ)(Orobets and Karamyshev,2023).
基金funded by the Russian Science Foundation(grant No.23-74-10092)(to AIS)。
文摘Currently,our understanding of the pathogenesis of major neurodegenerative disorders,such as Alzheimer's,Parkinson's,and Huntington's diseases,is largely shaped by the amyloid cascade hypothesis.Pa rticularly,this hypothesis posits that in Alzheimer's disease,the aggregation of amyloid-beta peptide initiates a series of pathological processes leading to neuronal dysfunction and death(Zhang et al.,2024).
基金supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No.101037424.
文摘Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure(CI)systems has become a focal point of national and inter-national policies.However,the formulation of resilience enhancement strategies often requires component-(i.e.asset-)level prioritization,which entails many complexities.Acknowledging the complex and interdependent nature of infrastructure systems,this paper aims to aid researchers,practitioners and policy-makers by pre-senting a review of the relative literature and current state-of-the-art,and by identifying future research op-portunities to improve the applicability and operationalizability of CI component identification and prioritization methods.Theoretical and practical applications are reviewed for definitions,analysis and modelling approaches regarding the resilience of interdependent infrastructure systems.A detailed review of infrastructure criticality definitions,component criticality assessment and prioritization frameworks,from scientific,policy and other documents,is presented.A discussion on social justice and equity dimensions therein is included,which have the potential to greatly influence decisions and should always be incorporated in infrastructure planning and in-vestment discussions.The findings of this review are discussed in terms of applicability and operationalizability.Key recommendations for future research include:(i)developing quantification frameworks for CI component criticality based on formal definitions and multiple criteria,(ii)incorporating the entire resilience cycle of CI in component prioritization,(iii)accounting for the socio-technical nature of CI systems by integrating social di-mensions and their wider operating environment and(iv)developing comprehensive model validation,cali-bration and uncertainty analysis frameworks.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No.22131008)the Haihe Laboratory of Sustainable Chemical Transformations for financial support。
文摘Photo-responsive supramolecular assembly especially supramolecular hydrogels with tunable luminescence show a promising application potential in writable information recording and display materials.Herein,we report photo-responsive reversible multicolor supramolecular hydrogel with near-infrared emission,which is constructed by cucurbit[7]uril(CB[7]),cyanostilbene derivative(DAC)and Laponite XLG(LP)via supramolecular cascade assembly.Compared with the free vip molecule DAC,the confinement of macrocycle CB[7]achieve effective near-infrared fluorescence in the aqueous phase from scratch,and the subsequent cascade assembly with LP further restrict the molecular rotation of the DAC,which not only result in a substantial enhancement of the fluorescence intensity,but is also endowed with light-controlled fluorescence on/off both in the solution and hydrogel states.Further,8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrenetrisulfonic acid trisodium salt(HPTS)is introduced in the cascade assembly to fabricated photocontrollable reversible multicolor luminescence supramolecular hydrogel between red and green induced by Förster resonance energy transfer,which is successfully employed in reversible multiple information encryption.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant number 62376217]the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST[grant number 2023QNRC001]the Joint Research Project for Meteorological Capacity Improvement[grant number 24NLTSZ003]。
文摘Deep learning-based methods have become alternatives to traditional numerical weather prediction systems,offering faster computation and the ability to utilize large historical datasets.However,the application of deep learning to medium-range regional weather forecasting with limited data remains a significant challenge.In this work,three key solutions are proposed:(1)motivated by the need to improve model performance in data-scarce regional forecasting scenarios,the authors innovatively apply semantic segmentation models,to better capture spatiotemporal features and improve prediction accuracy;(2)recognizing the challenge of overfitting and the inability of traditional noise-based data augmentation methods to effectively enhance model robustness,a novel learnable Gaussian noise mechanism is introduced that allows the model to adaptively optimize perturbations for different locations,ensuring more effective learning;and(3)to address the issue of error accumulation in autoregressive prediction,as well as the challenge of learning difficulty and the lack of intermediate data utilization in one-shot prediction,the authors propose a cascade prediction approach that effectively resolves these problems while significantly improving model forecasting performance.The method achieves a competitive result in The East China Regional AI Medium Range Weather Forecasting Competition.Ablation experiments further validate the effectiveness of each component,highlighting their contributions to enhancing prediction performance.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China under Grant No.2023YFC3805201Scientific Research Fund of Institute of Engineering Mechanics,China Earthquake Administration under Grant Nos.2024B29 and 2024B25。
文摘Following a magnitude M 7.9 earthquake that struck near Mandalay,Myanmar in March 2025,this study investigates the seismic damage inflicted upon the city’s municipal water supply system.The analysis focuses on the failure characteristics of water facilities and pipelines,examines cross-system cascading effects,and proposes corresponding recovery strategies.The main findings are as follows:(1)The damage to water plant facilities,concentrated in ancillary structures and connections due to insufficient seismic measures,demonstrated significant intensity-dependence.Increased seismic intensity not only aggravated structural damage but also compromised core treatment processes,leading to deteriorated water quality.(2)Within the same seismic intensity zone,high-density polyethylene(HDPE)pipes exhibited a significantly lower damage occurrence rate than ductile iron(DI)pipes,highlighting the material’s substantial influence on seismic performance.Moreover,a strong positive correlation was observed between the overall pipeline network damage and the seismic intensity.The average damage rate in IntensityⅨzones was 6.84 times that of IntensityⅧzones.(3)A cascading failure,initiated by a power outage,led to water supply disruption,loss of emergency response capability,and elevated secondary risks.This strongly coupled cross-system effect resulted in significant spatiotemporal propagation of disaster impacts.(4)The post-earthquake recovery adopted a phased strategy that prioritized critical facilities.Actions involved rapidly restoring the core supply zone with temporary points,reinstating the water plant’s power supply,and deploying targeted technologies for efficient pipeline repair.The outcomes of this study are expected to provide critical support and a valuable reference for developing earthquake-resilient urban water supply systems.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China to W.Tian (2022YFA1104400)the National Natural Science Foundation of China to T.Chen (82100959)a grant from the Sichuan Science and Technology Program to Z.Liu (2024YFFK0068)。
文摘Tooth morphogenesis is orchestrated by a complex interplay of signaling pathways and transcription factors that control cell proliferation,apoptosis,and differentiation,with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway playing a pivotal role.However,the comprehensive regulatory mechanisms of Wnt/β-catenin signaling remain largely unclear.Smad7,a key antagonist of the TGF-βsuperfamily,is essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis and ensuring proper cellular function.Our previous study has demonstrated that Smad7 knockout in mice leads to impaired proliferative property of tooth germ cells,resulting in small molars.Here,we identified SMAD7 expression in human dental papilla and dental pulp,colocalized with β-CATENIN and cell proliferationrelated proteins.RNA sequencing analysis revealed a significant reduction in Wnt signaling activity in Smad7-deficient mouse tooth germs.Using lentivirus transfection,we established SMAD7-knockdown human dental papilla stem cells,which manifested remarkably blunt proliferation rate,along with diminished Wnt signaling activity.In vivo transplantation investigations further revealed the indispensable role of SMAD7 in dentin formation.Mechanistically,we revealed that β-CATENIN interacts with P-SMAD2/3 and SMAD7 through co-immunoprecipitation and yeast two-hybrid assays.Inhibition of TGF-β pathway or disruption of SMAD7/β-CATENIN transcription factor complex formation potently impacted Wnt/β-catenin activities,indicating both direct and indirect regulatory mechanisms.These findings highlight the critical role of SMAD7 in the proliferation and diffe rentiation of human dental stem cells,which could contribute to dental tissue regeneration and engineering.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Key Program)under Grant No.62031021。
文摘Cascading failures pose a serious threat to the survivability of underwater unmanned swarm networks(UUSNs),significantly limiting their service ability in collaborative missions such as military reconnaissance and environmental monitoring.Existing failure models primarily focus on power grids and traffic systems,and don't address the unique challenges of weak-communication UUSNs.In UUSNs,cascading failure present a complex and dynamic process driven by the coupling of unstable acoustic channels,passive node drift,adversarial attacks,and network heterogeneity.To address these challenges,a directed weighted graph model of UUSNs is first developed,in which node positions are updated according to ocean-current-driven drift and link weights reflect the probability of successful acoustic transmission.Building on this UUSNs graph model,a cascading failure model is proposed that integrates a normal-failure-recovery state-cycle mechanism,multiple attack strategies,and routingbased load redistribution.Finally,under a five-level connectivity UUSNs scheme,simulations are conducted to analyze how dynamic topology,network load,node recovery delay,and attack modes jointly affect network survivability.The main findings are:(1)moderate node drift can improve survivability by activating weak links;(2)based-energy routing(BER)outperform based-depth routing(BDR)in harsh conditions;(3)node self-recovery time is critical to network survivability;(4)traditional degree-based critical node metrics are inadequate for weak-communication UUSNs.These results provide a theoretical foundation for designing robust survivability mechanisms in weak-communication UUSNs.
基金This study is granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52209055,52379041,and 32272667)the Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects,China (202401AU070197,202501AW070013,202501BC070015,and 202501AT070377)+3 种基金the Yunnan Education Department Project,China (2024J0079)the Kunming University of Science and Technology Talent Development Project,China (KKZ3202423161)the Yunnan Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources and Intelligent Control,China (202449CE340014)the Yunnan Intelligent Water-Fertilizer-Pesticide Integration Technology and Equipment Innovation Team,China (202505AS350025)。
文摘Erysiphe necator is a destructive fungal pathogen that compromises grapevine yield and quality,leading to substantial economic losses.Therefore,elucidating host resistance mechanisms is essential.In this study,we identified an ethylene response factor,VqERF1B,that exhibits sustained high expression during E.necator infection in Chinese wild grape Vitis quinquangularis accession ‘Danfeng-2'.Transient overexpression of VqERF1B in grape leaves enhanced resistance to E.necator by elevating transcript levels of pathogenesis-related(PR) genes,including PR1,PR2,PR5,and PR10.Conversely,silencing VqERF1B resulted in increased susceptibility.Moreover,transgenic Arabidopsis lines stably overexpressing VqERF1B exhibited enhanced resistance to powdery mildew,associated with elevated PR gene expression and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species(ROS).A series of assays identified VqMAPK3,a phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase,as a direct interactor of VqERF1B.Furthermore,VqERF1B was shown to bind directly to the promoters of VqPRs,thereby activating their transcription.Notably,the VqMAPK3-VqERF1B complex exhibited greater transactivation activity on VqPR promoters than VqERF1B alone,indicating that VqMAPK3 positively modulates VqERF1Bmediated transcription of PR genes.This work advances understanding of the molecular basis of grape resistance to E.necator and provides a foundation for molecular breeding strategies.
基金supported by the Research Personnel Cultivation Programme of Zhongda Hospital Southeast(CZXM-GSP-RC172)the Science and Technology Innovation 2030 Major Projects(2022ZD0211600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82271574 and 82502335).
文摘Current pharmacotherapies for Alzheimer's disease(AD)exhibit constrained transient symptomatic relief without halting underlying neurodegenerative progression.Based on the framework of the amyloid cascade and neurofibrillary tangle hypotheses[1],two FDA-approved antiamyloid monoclonal antibodies(Aβ-mAbs),Kisunla and Lecanemab,have demonstrated efficacy in removing cerebral amyloid buildup,thereby modestly slowing cognitive decline in AD patients[2,3].A 2023 meta-analysis in Neurology demonstrated that anti-amyloid therapies significantly accelerated brain volume loss compared to placebo,with Lecanemab demonstrating 36.4%greater volume reduction and Donanemab 23%.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51790512)the 111 Project(No.B17037)the National Key Laboratory Foundation,Industry-Academia-Research Collaboration Project of Aero Engine Corporation of China(No.HFZL2018CXY011-1)and MIIT。
文摘To investigate the influence of real leading-edge manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance of high subsonic compressor blades,a family of leading-edge manufacturing error data were obtained from measured compressor cascades.Considering the limited samples,the leadingedge angle and leading-edge radius distribution forms were evaluated by Shapiro-Wilk test and quantile–quantile plot.Their statistical characteristics provided can be introduced to later related researches.The parameterization design method B-spline and Bezier are adopted to create geometry models with manufacturing error based on leading-edge angle and leading-edge radius.The influence of real manufacturing error is quantified and analyzed by self-developed non-intrusive polynomial chaos and Sobol’indices.The mechanism of leading-edge manufacturing error on aerodynamic performance is discussed.The results show that the total pressure loss coefficient is sensitive to the leading-edge manufacturing error compared with the static pressure ratio,especially at high incidence.Specifically,manufacturing error of the leading edge will influence the local flow acceleration and subsequently cause fluctuation of the downstream flow.The aerodynamic performance is sensitive to the manufacturing error of leading-edge radius at the design and negative incidences,while it is sensitive to the manufacturing error of leading-edge angle under the operation conditions with high incidences.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.51236001,51006005)the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB720201)Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 3151002)
文摘The circumferentially averaged equation of the inlet flow radial equilibrium in axial compressor was deduced. It indicates that the blade inlet radial pressure gradient is closely related to the radial component of the circumferential fluctuation（CF） source item. Several simplified cascades with/without aerodynamic loading were numerically studied to investigate the effects of blade bowing on the inlet flow radial equilibrium. A data reduction program was conducted to obtain the CF source from three-dimensional（3D） simulation results. Flow parameters at the passage inlet were focused on and each term in the radial equilibrium equation was discussed quantitatively. Results indicate that the inviscid blade force is the inducement of the inlet CF due to geometrical asymmetry. Blade bowing induces variation of the inlet CF, thus changes the radial pressure gradient and leads to flow migration before leading edge（LE） in the cascades. Positive bowing drives the inlet flow to migrate from end walls to mid-span and negative bowing turns it to the reverse direction to build a new equilibrium. In addition, comparative studies indicate that the inlet Mach number and blade loading can efficiently impact the effectiveness of blade bowing on radial equilibrium in compressor design.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No 2006CB705500)Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (Grant No IRT0605)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 70631001)
文摘In this paper, cascading failure is studied by coupled map lattice （CML） methods in preferential attachment community networks. It is found that external perturbation R is increasing with modularity Q growing by simulation. In particular, the large modularity Q can hold off the cascading failure dynamic process in community networks. Furthermore, different attack strategies also greatly affect the cascading failure dynamic process. It is particularly significant to control cascading failure process in real community networks.
基金supported by National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No 2006CB705500)Chang-Jiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of China (Grant No IRT0605)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No70631001)
文摘This paper studies the cascading failure on random networks and scale-free networks by introducing the tolerance parameter of edge based on the coupled map lattices methods. The whole work focuses on investigating some indices including the number of failed edges, dynamic edge tolerance capacity and the perturbation of edge. In general, it assumes that the perturbation is attributed to the normal distribution in adopted simulations. By investigating the effectiveness of edge tolerance in scale-free and random networks, it finds that the larger tolerance parameter λ can more efficiently delay the cascading failure process for scale-free networks than random networks. These results indicate that the cascading failure process can be effectively controlled by increasing the tolerance parameter λ. Moreover, the simulations also show that, larger variance of perturbation can easily trigger the cascading failures than the smaller one. This study may be useful for evaluating efficiency of whole traffic systems, and for alleviating cascading failure in such systems.
文摘The complex and variable nature of traumatic spinal cord inju- ry （SCI） presents a unique challenge for translational research. SCI is not bound by any demographic nor is it limited to specific injury biomechanics.
