In this study, effects of continuous cropping on soil properties, enzyme activities, and relative abundance, community composition and diversity of fungal taxa were investigated. Rhizosphere soil ...from field continuously cropped for one-year, three-year and five-year by Coptis chinensis Franch. was collected and analyzed. Illumina high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that continuous cropping of C. chinensis resulted in a significant and continuous decline in the richness and diversity of soil fungal population. Ascomycota, Zygomycota, Basidiomycota, and Glomeromycota were the dominant phyla of fungi detected in rhizosphere soil. Fungal genera such as Phoma, Volutella, Pachycudonia, Heterodermia, Gibberella, Cladosporium, Trichocladium, and Sporothrix, were more dominant in continuously cropped samples for three-year and five-year compared to that for one-year. By contrast, genera, such as Zygosaccharomyces, Pseudotaeniolina, Hydnum, Umbelopsis, Humicola, Crustoderma, Psilocybe, Coralloidiomyces, Mortierella, Polyporus, Pyrenula, and Monographella showed higher relative abundance in one-year samples than that in three-year and five-year samples. Cluster analysis of the fungal communities from three samples of rhizosphere soil from C. chinensis field revealed that the fungal community composition, diversity, and structure were significantly affected by the continuous cropping. Continuous cropping of C. chinensis also led to significant declines in soil pH, urease, and catalase activities. Redundancy analysis showed that the soil pH had the most significant effect on soil fungal population under continuous cropping of C. chinensis.
A novel magnetic coupler (MC) with cross-coupling mode is proposed in this article, which has merits of fit-to-surface and lightweight in receiver, and supports stable and efficient charging for ...autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The proposed magnetic structure employing an arc bipolar transmitter and a compact dipole-coil-based receiver utilizes horizontal flux to establish strong and stable coupling against three-dimensional misalignment; the MC structure is constructed and optimized according to the magnetic field distribution characteristics. The influence of geometric parameters on the MC's performance is obtained based on ANSYS Maxwell simulation, with which the parameters of MC are optimized. In order to fully verify the performance of the designed MC, an AUV wireless charging system circuit is also developed. A wireless charging system prototype is built and tested with a 600 g receiver, and it can deliver 1 kW at a dc-to-dc efficiency of 95.1%. The experimental results under various operating conditions indicate that the proposed MC is viable and can be used for charging the AUVs.
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is aggressive and has poor clinical outcomes because of typically delayed diagnosis and a lack of effective non-surgical therapeutic options. Recent studies have shown that ...plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP) is related to angiogenesis in various tumors, and in vivo PLVAP targeting therapy has been proven effective against hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. The goal of this study was to determine the potential therapeutic utility of targeting PLVAP and thus angiogenesis in CCA and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that the PLVAP expression levels were significantly higher in CCA tissues when compared with matched adjacent non-tumor tissues obtained from a total of 90 CCA patients; higher expression levels of PLVAP were associated with shorter overall survival of patients. In addition, overexpression of PLVAP was associated with higher micro-vessel density in CCA tissues. In a PLVAP overexpressing CCA patient-derived xenograft model, a novel humanized anti-PLVAP antibody in combination with Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin was significantly inhibited tumor growth. Molecular analysis of CCA cells co-cultured with human umbilical vascular endothelial cells or human hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells showed that Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) secreted by CCA cells activated the PI3K/Akt pathway after binding to its receptor, cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 (CKAP4), resulting in the upregulation of PLVAP. Thus, CCA cells increased the angiogenic potency of endothelial cells in a paracrine fashion. Consistently, patients bearing CKAP4 and PLVAP overexpressing tumors had a poor prognosis. In conclusion, the DKK1/CKAP4/PI3K/PLVAP pathway increases angiogenesis in CCA and is therefore a potential anti-angiogenic target.
Design and fabrication of a wireless charging system, which includes a wireless charging base station and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with wireless charging capability is proposed for enlarging ...the UAV's working range. First, an optimized magnetic coupler featuring with an orthogonal magnetic structure with a flexible soft magnetic core in receiver is proposed to ensure high efficiency and low-leakage magnetic flux interference. Second, a wireless charging circuit topology and a closed-loop power controller implemented on the primary side are designed and analyzed in detail to maintain constant current/constant voltage charging for the UAV. Then, a wireless charging station with position correction aid device is developed, which can achieve high-precision alignment. A prototype of the UAV wireless charging system with the proposed magnetic structure, primary-side control, and position correction are built and tested. Experimental results show that the fabricated wireless charging system can deliver 87.4 W at a dc-to-battery efficiency of 87.3%, and the system is adapted autonomous charging of UAV.
Food security is an important issue affecting people’s lives and social stability. Clarifying levels of food security and the factors affecting it (social, economic, agricultural, climatic) can help ...improve regional food security. The spatiotemporal patterns and driving factors of food security vary at different scales. There is, however, a lack of research that considers the various factors affecting food security at multiple scales. This study, therefore, analyzed dynamic spatiotemporal changes in food security at small (city), medium (province), and large (country) scales; identified hot and cold areas of food security; and revealed the main factors affecting food security at different scales. A food security index (FSI) was built based on the coupling of grain yield, population, and GDP, and spatial analysis was used to evaluate dynamic spatiotemporal changes in China’s food security from 1980 to 2017. Further, the relationship between food security and its driving factors was quantitatively analyzed using stepwise regression. The results showed greater heterogeneity in food security at the smaller scale than at the larger scale. The key factors affecting food security varied substantially at different scales: the added value of tertiary industry dominated the prefecture level, and gross agricultural output value was the main factor at the provincial and national levels. Multiple-scale research can reveal the status and primary factors of food security and provide a decision-making basis for improving regional food security.
This letter develops a wireless charging system based on a novel orthogonal magnetic structure and primary-side power control to simplify the structure and reduce the weight of on-board pick-up for ...recharging the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The novel magnetic structure has a polarized transmitter with a flat U-type core and a perpendicular air-cored receiving coil, guaranteeing the magnetic flux operation space away from a UAV body by coil structure itself and also reducing the weight of a magnetic receiver. The power flow to the battery is controlled by the primary side based on charging current and voltage feedback by pick-up. Simulations based on ANSYS Maxwell and experiments are carried out to validate the proposal. The weight of a magnetic receiver is 130 g. And the system can deliver 500 W with a dc-to-battery efficiency of 90.8%, meanwhile 10 A constant current/50 V constant voltage charging for 12S lithium-ion battery is achieved by the closed-loop system.
Oesophageal cancer is one of the most aggressive cancers and is the sixth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Approximately 70% of global oesophageal cancer cases occur in China, with ...oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) being the histopathological form in the vast majority of cases (>90%). Currently, there are limited clinical approaches for the early diagnosis and treatment of ESCC, resulting in a 10% five-year survival rate for patients. However, the full repertoire of genomic events leading to the pathogenesis of ESCC remains unclear. Here we describe a comprehensive genomic analysis of 158 ESCC cases, as part of the International Cancer Genome Consortium research project. We conducted whole-genome sequencing in 17 ESCC cases and whole-exome sequencing in 71 cases, of which 53 cases, plus an additional 70 ESCC cases not used in the whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing, were subjected to array comparative genomic hybridization analysis. We identified eight significantly mutated genes, of which six are well known tumour-associated genes (TP53, RB1, CDKN2A, PIK3CA, NOTCH1, NFE2L2), and two have not previously been described in ESCC (ADAM29 and FAM135B). Notably, FAM135B is identified as a novel cancer-implicated gene as assayed for its ability to promote malignancy of ESCC cells. Additionally, MIR548K, a microRNA encoded in the amplified 11q13.3-13.4 region, is characterized as a novel oncogene, and functional assays demonstrate that MIR548K enhances malignant phenotypes of ESCC cells. Moreover, we have found that several important histone regulator genes (MLL2 (also called KMT2D), ASH1L, MLL3 (KMT2C), SETD1B, CREBBP and EP300) are frequently altered in ESCC. Pathway assessment reveals that somatic aberrations are mainly involved in the Wnt, cell cycle and Notch pathways. Genomic analyses suggest that ESCC and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma share some common pathogenic mechanisms, and ESCC development is associated with alcohol drinking. This study has explored novel biological markers and tumorigenic pathways that would greatly improve therapeutic strategies for ESCC.
The South Qiangtang block of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau represents an area critical to understanding the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic history of the Tethyan realm, but its drift history remains ...poorly constrained. Here we report a new quantitative paleogeographic constraint for the South Qiangtang block from a paleomagnetic study of Late Triassic volcanic rocks of the Xiaoqiebao Formation. A characteristic remanent magnetization isolated from 25 sites passes both fold‐ and reversal tests, and likely represents a primary magnetization. On the basis of these data, we estimate that the South Qiangtang block occupied a paleolatitude of 30.1 ± 4.6°N at ca. 222 Ma. When combined with existing paleomagnetic constraints, these new results indicate that the South Qiangtang block (and other “Cimmerian” blocks) moved rapidly northward (in true latitude) between the middle Permian and Late Triassic. Our new data further suggest that the southern branch of the Paleo‐Tethys (Longmuco‐Shuanghu Ocean) likely closed by the mid‐Late Triassic.
Plain Language Summary
The Paleo‐Tethys was a major eastward‐widening oceanic domain that separated eastern Gondwana and eastern Laurasia during Carboniferous‐Permian time. The eventual disappearance of this ocean coincided with the amalgamation of the terranes comprising the modern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. However, the plate kinematic history that led up to this suturing remains poorly constrained. In particular, the South Qiangtang block, which is thought to have formed the southern margin of the system, is a key area in need of additional constraints. In this work, we present new paleomagnetic results which indicate that the South Qiangtang block drifted rapidly northward between the middle Permian and Late Triassic (at an average south‐north speed of ∼13.4 cm/yr) to arrive to a paleolatitude of 30°N by 222 Ma. Such a position suggests that the southern branch of the Paleo‐Tethys (Longmuco‐Shuanghu Ocean) may have closed by this time.
Key Points
The South Qiangtang block was located at ∼30°N in the Late Triassic
In the Permo‐Triassic the South Qiangtang block drifted rapidly northward at ∼13.4 cm/yr
The Longmuco‐Shuanghu Ocean closed no later than ca. 222 Ma
Mast cells (MCs) are crucial cells participating in both innate and adaptive immune processes that play important roles in protecting human health and in the pathophysiology of various diseases, such ...as allergies, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. In the context of tumors, MCs are a non-negligible population of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In most tumor types, MCs accumulate in both the tumor tissue and the surrounding tissue. MCs interact with multiple components of the TME, affecting TME remodeling and the tumor cell fate. However, controversy persists regarding whether MCs contribute to tumor progression or trigger an anti-tumor immune response. This review focuses on the context of the TME to explore the specific properties and functions of MCs and discusses the crosstalk that occurs between MCs and other components of the TME, which affect tumor angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, and tumor immunity through different mechanisms. We also anticipate the potential role of MCs in cancer immunotherapy, which might expand upon the success achieved with existing cancer therapies.
Pancreatic cancer has an exclusive inhibitory tumor microenvironment characterized by a dense mechanical barrier, profound infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, and a lack of penetration of ...effector T cells, which constitute an important cause for recurrence and metastasis, resistance to chemotherapy, and insensitivity to immunotherapy. Neoadjuvant therapy has been widely used in clinical practice due to its many benefits, including the ability to improve the R0 resection rate, eliminate tumor cell micrometastases, and identify highly malignant tumors that may not benefit from surgery. In this review, we summarize multiple aspects of the effect of neoadjuvant therapy on the immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, discuss possible mechanisms by which these changes occur, and generalize the theoretical basis of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy combined with immunotherapy, providing support for the development of more effective combination therapeutic strategies to induce potent immune responses to tumors.
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