Absorptive root traits show remarkable cross-species variation, but major root trait dimensions across species have not been defined.
We sampled first-order roots and measured 14 root traits for 96 ...angiosperm woody species from subtropical China, including root diameter, specific root length, stele diameter, cortex thickness, root vessel size and density, mycorrhizal colonization rate, root branching intensity, tissue density, and concentrations of carbon and nitrogen (N).
Root traits differed in the degree of variation and phylogenetic conservatism, but showed predictable patterns of cross-trait coordination. Root diameter, cortex thickness and stele diameter displayed high variation across species (coefficient of variation (CV) = 0.51–0.69), whereas the stele:root diameter ratio and N showed low variation (CV < 0.32). Root diameter, cortex thickness and stele diameter showed a strong phylogenetic signal across species, whereas root branching traits did not, and these two sets of traits were segregated onto two nearly orthogonal (independent) principal component analysis (PCA) axes.
Two major dimensions of root trait variation were found: a diameter-related dimension potentially integrating root construction, maintenance, and persistence with mycorrhizal colonization, and a branching architecture dimension expressing root plastic responses to the environment. These two dimensions may offer a promising path for better understanding root trait economics and root ecological strategies world-wide.
Influenza A viruses (IAVs) are contagious pathogens responsible for severe respiratory infection in humans and animals worldwide. Upon detection of IAV infection, host immune system aims to defend ...against and clear the viral infection. Innate immune system is comprised of physical barriers (mucus and collectins), various phagocytic cells, group of cytokines, interferons (IFNs), and IFN-stimulated genes, which provide first line of defense against IAV infection. The adaptive immunity is mediated by B cells and T cells, characterized with antigen-specific memory cells, capturing and neutralizing the pathogen. The humoral immune response functions through hemagglutinin-specific circulating antibodies to neutralize IAV. In addition, antibodies can bind to the surface of infected cells and induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity or complement activation. Although there are neutralizing antibodies against the virus, cellular immunity also plays a crucial role in the fight against IAVs. On the other hand, IAVs have developed multiple strategies to escape from host immune surveillance for successful replication. In this review, we discuss how immune system, especially innate immune system and critical molecules are involved in the antiviral defense against IAVs. In addition, we highlight how IAVs antagonize different immune responses to achieve a successful infection.
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•Layered n-layer fiber reinforced (L-nLFR) Ti-Al composites mimicking portion II of locust semi-lunar process were designed.•The influences of n, the volume content of Ti and layered ...Ti on the performance of the composites were obtained.•Compared to the multilayer structures with approximately equal strength, the ductility of the L-nLFR structure is 15–20% larger.•The biomimetic L-nLFR Ti-Al composites can provide a new choice for engineering composite materials.
In this study, layered n-layer fiber-reinforced (L-nLFR) Ti–Al composites mimicking portion II of the locust semilunar process (SLP) with excellent mechanical properties were designed, and the finite element method was used to determine the influences of the total volume content of Ti (VTi), volume content of layered Ti (VLTi), and number of fiber layers (n) on the specific bending strength and fracture bending strain of the L-nLFR Ti–Al composite structures. The results showed that increasing VTi from 0.1 to 0.6 and VLTi from 0 to VTi significantly increases the specific bending strength but has a non-monotonic effect on the fracture bending strain of the structures. Increasing n from 1 to 2 significantly increases the specific bending strength but reduces the fracture bending strain, and the increase of n from 2 to 5 can reduce the damage evolution rate. Compared to multilayer Ti–Al composite structures in previous studies with approximately equal specific bending strengths, the fracture bending strain of the L-nLFR structure is 15%-20% larger. The biomimetic layered fiber-reinforced Ti-Al composites designed in this study can provide a new choice for engineering composite materials.
The therapeutic potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been investigated in many preclinical and clinical studies. This potential is dominantly based on the immunosuppressive properties of ...MSCs. Although the therapeutic profiles of MSC transplantation are still not fully characterized, accumulating evidence has revealed that B cells change after MSC infusion, in particular inducing regulatory B cells (Bregs). The immunosuppressive effects of Bregs have been demonstrated, and these cells are being evaluated as new targets for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. MSCs are capable of educating B cells and inducing regulatory B cell production via cell-to-cell contact, soluble factors, and extracellular vesicles (EVs). These cells thus have the potential to complement each other's immunomodulatory functions, and a combined approach may enable synergistic effects for the treatment of immunological diseases. However, compared with investigations regarding other immune cells, investigations into how MSCs specifically regulate Bregs have been superficial and insufficient. In this review, we discuss the current findings related to the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs on regulatory B cells and provide optimal strategies for applications in immune-related disease treatments.
We have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a plasmonic tilted fiber Bragg grating based biosensor for in-situ detection of the small biomolecule S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine (AdoHcy). The sensor ...can also monitor the molecule's interaction with the protein Set7 in real time. The biosensor is made by coating a 50-nm-thick gold film over an 18° tilted fiber Bragg grating. A spectrally dense comb of backward-propagating cladding resonance modes with Q-factor as high as 10 4 is excited due to the tilted grating. The spectral overlap between the excited cladding modes and the broader absorption feature of the surface plasmon makes this device a unique tool for high-accuracy measurement of small shifts of plasmon resonance wavelength. Surface biomolecular functionalization of the gold film enables us to not only detect the corresponding biomolecule but also study its interaction with other biomolecules. Our experimental results demonstrate that our biosensor can detect AdoHcy at concentration as low as 1 nM. Furthermore, we have successfully real-time monitored interaction between the protein Set7 and AdoHcy at different concentrations. Our measurements are consistent with the biological theory that the association rate of a pair of biomolecules depends on their concentrations.
Neurological disorders are a major and increasing global health challenge, which accounts for a substantial portion of the disease burden worldwide. The aim of this systematic analysis is to present ...the most comprehensive and up-to-date estimates of disease burden, epidemiological trends, and attributable risk factors of neurological disorders at global, regional, and national levels.
We extracted data of 18 neurological disorders from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study database. The burden of neurological disorders was measured using the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and further described according to age, sex, year, geographical location and socio-demographic Index (SDI). All estimates were presented with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs).
Globally, in 2019, there were nearly 10 million deaths and 349 million DALYs due to neurological disorders. Among the 18 neurological disorders, stroke was the biggest contributor to DALYs (143232.18 95%UI 133095.81-153241.82 in thousands) and deaths (6552.72 95%UI 5995.20-7015.14 in thousands), followed by neonatal encephalopathy due to birth asphyxia and trauma. From 1990 to 2019, the DALYs of neurological diseases belonging to the communicable, maternal, neonatal and nutritional categories showed a sharp decrease, while Alzheimer's disease and other dementias and Parkinson's disease showed a large increase. Neurological disorders exhibited different profiles in different regions and age groups. A significant correlation between the SDI and the age-standardized DALY rates was also found except for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. In addition, risk factors such as high systolic blood pressure, low birth weight and short gestation period, and metabolic risk contribute significantly to neurological disorders.
The overall burden of neurological disorders has increased from 1990 to 2019, especially for non-communicable neurological disorders. The substantial variations of burden across regions emphasize the need for region-specific interventional strategies and allocation of resources based on priorities.
With the rapid development of the satellite navigation industry, low-cost and high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning has recently become a research hotspot. The ...traditional application of GNSS may be further extended thanks to the low cost of measuring instruments, but effective methods are also desperately needed due to the low quality of the data obtained using these instruments. Thus, in this paper, we propose the analysis and evaluation of the ambiguity fixed-rate and positioning accuracy of single-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) and BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) data, collected from a low-cost u-blox receiver, based on the Constrained LAMBDA (CLAMBDA) method with a baseline length constraint, instead of the classical LAMBDA method. Three sets of experiments in different observation environments, including two sets of static short-baseline experiments and a set of dynamic vehicle experiments, are adopted in this paper. The experiment results show that, compared to classical LAMBDA method, the CLAMBDA method can significantly improve the success rate of the GNSS ambiguity resolution. When the ambiguity is fixed correctly, the baseline solution accuracy reaches 0.5 and 1 cm in a static scenario, and 1 and 2 cm on a dynamic platform.
The Bayesian network algorithm plays a pivotal role in enhancing the teaching and learning process in higher education institutions by facilitating personalized and adaptive learning experiences. ...This algorithm leverages probabilistic graphical models to represent relationships among various educational variables, such as student performance, learning resources, and teaching methods. Additionally, Bayesian networks aid instructors in optimizing course design and instructional strategies by identifying areas for improvement and evaluating the effectiveness of different teaching approaches. This paper explores the application of Hidden Markov Chain Bayesian Networks (HMCBN) in analyzing teaching effectiveness within higher education institutions. Teaching effectiveness is a multifaceted concept influenced by various factors, including teaching strategies, student characteristics, and learning outcomes. Traditional statistical methods often struggle to capture the dynamic and interdependent nature of these factors. Through the construction of HMCBN models, this study investigates the probabilistic relationships between teaching strategies, student characteristics, learning outcomes, and teaching effectiveness. For teaching strategies, the probabilities 0.3, 0.5, 0.2 indicate the likelihood of each strategy being employed, suggesting that Strategy 2 is the most frequently utilized, followed by Strategy 1 and Strategy 3. Similarly, the probabilities 0.4, 0.3, 0.3 for student characteristics suggest a relatively balanced distribution among the three characteristic categories. In terms of learning outcomes, the conditional probabilities reflect the influence of both teaching strategies and student characteristics on the outcomes achieved. For each combination of teaching strategy and student characteristic, the probabilities 0.1, 0.3, 0.6, 0.4, 0.5, 0.1, 0.3, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.5, 0.3, 0.3, 0.4, 0.3, 0.4, 0.3, 0.3, 0.1, 0.7, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.1, and 0.5, 0.4, 0.1 represent the probabilities of achieving different learning outcomes given specific combinations of teaching strategies and student characteristics.
The conventional single-angle tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) can only excite a certain range of cladding modes, limiting it for refractive index (RI) measurement in a wide range. In this letter, ...we fabricate and demonstrate a multi-angle TFBG, in which five individual TFBGs with tilt angles ranging from 5° to 25° are sequentially inscribed along the core of a single mode fiber within a length of 20 mm. The multi-angle TFBG excites a continuous spectral comb of narrowband-cladding modes over a much wider wavelength range (>170 nm) than a single-angle TFBG, making it suitable for dynamic RI measurement over a wide range (1.15-1.45). We have experimentally measured aqueous solutions with RI ranging from 1.30 to 1.45 using the uncoated (by monitoring the cut-off mode) and gold-coated (by monitoring the surface Plasmon resonance) multi-angle TFBGs, and both methods show linear responses, with RI sensitivities about 500 nm/RIU.
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