A technique for the synthesis of shaped beam radiation patterns is proposed. The new synthesis method is based on superposition principle and Taylor method. The method may control the sidelobe level ...of the shaped beam. The approach includes four steps: 1) get the distribution of pencil beam array with low sidelobe by Taylor method; 2) let the beams scan as a phased array to the specific angles according to the requirement of the shaped beam, The sum pattern is close to the shaping beam; 3) determine the value of angles and weights; and 4) count the distribution of the shaped beam array according to the new array factor function. Numerical results are provided to assess the capabilities of the proposed design method. The method develops an effective approach for the synthesis of shaped beams via uniform linear arrays. Both the ripple and sidelobe level of shaped beam may be controlled by the new synthesis method.
The intensely studied white gene is widely used as a genetic marker in Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we cloned and characterized the white gene in an important pest of the fruit industry, Bactrocera ...dorsalis, to understand its functional role in pigmentation. We obtained BdWhite knockout strains, based on the wild‐type strain, using the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing system, and found that mutants lost pigmentation in the compound eye and their black head spots. We then examined differences in the expression levels of genes associated with melanin pigmentation between mutants and the wild‐type strain using quantitative reverse transcription PCR. We found that transcription levels of the Bd‐yellow1 were lower in the head of mutants than in the wild‐type strain, and there were no significant differences in expression of the other six genes between mutants and the wild type. Since yellow is critical for melanin biosynthesis (Heinze et al., Scientific Reports. 2017;7:4582), the lower levels of expression of Bd‐yellow1 in mutants led to reduced dark pigmentation in head spots. Our results provide the first evidence, to our knowledge, that white may play a functional role in cuticle pigmentation by affecting the expression of yellow.
An extremely powerful, superfast interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) from the Sun on 23 July 2012 was detected by widely separated multiple spacecraft, namely STEREO-A, STEREO-B, and ACE, ...together with the ICME-driven shock and associated solar energetic particles (SEPs). We use the Parker spiral magnetic field model to analyze the relationship between the propagation of the shock and the SEP flux. Furthermore, we simulate the SEP event by numerically solving the three-dimensional focused transport equation of SEPs considering the shock as the moving source of energetic particles. To deal with the fact that protons and electrons behave completely differently for both parallel and perpendicular diffusion, for simplicity, we use the same diffusion model format for the simulations of protons and electrons but with different parameters. We find that the analysis can qualitatively explain the important features of the SEP flux observed by the multiple spacecraft simultaneously. In addition, the numerical results for both energetic protons and electrons approximately agree with multi-spacecraft observations.
Abstract
Topological Weyl semimetal (TWS), a new state of quantum matter, has sparked enormous research interest recently. Possessing unique Weyl fermions in the bulk and Fermi arcs on the surface, ...TWSs offer a rare platform for realizing many exotic physical phenomena. TWSs can be classified into type-I that respect Lorentz symmetry and type-II that do not. Here, we directly visualize the electronic structure of MoTe
2
, a recently proposed type-II TWS. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we unravel the unique surface Fermi arcs, in good agreement with our
ab initio
calculations that have nontrivial topological nature. Our work not only leads to new understandings of the unusual properties discovered in this family of compounds, but also allows for the further exploration of exotic properties and practical applications of type-II TWSs, as well as the interplay between superconductivity (MoTe
2
was discovered to be superconducting recently) and their topological order.
Dioscin, one natural product, has various pharmacological actions. However, its effects on methotrexate (MTX)-induced hepatorenal damages still remain unknown. In the present study, the data ...manifested that dioscin restored the viabilities of L-02 and NRK-52E cells, reduced ALT, AST, Cr, BUN levels, and ameliorated histopathological changes of liver and kidney. Besides, dioscin decreased ROS levels in cells, and adjusted SOD, MDA, GSH and GSH-Px levels in rats. Dioscin reduced the expression levels of miR-145–5p which directly targeted Sirt5, and then regulated the expression levels of SOD1, Nrf2, Gst, Keap1, HO-1, GCLC and NQO1. MiR-145–5p mimic in cells deteriorated ROS levels and decreased Sirt5 expression to accentuate oxidative stress by regulating the expression levels of SOD1, Nrf2, Keap1, which were all reversed by dioscin. Moreover, MTX-induced hepatorenal damage were worsened in mice by Sirt5 siRNA or miR-145–5p agomir, which were also alleviated by dioscin. Dioscin relieved MTX-induced hepatorenal damages through regulating miR-145-5p-medicated oxidative stress, which should be considered as one effective drug to treat the disorder in future.
Proposed signaling mechanism of dioscin on restoring MTX-induced liver and kidney damages via regulating miR-145-5p-mediated oxidative stress. Dioscin up-regulated Sirt5 level by down-regulating miR-145–5p level to adjust the expression levels of Nrf2, HO-1, GCLC, NQO1, Gst, SOD1 and Keap1. Dioscin protected hepatorenal damages caused by MTX via regulating miR-145-5p-mediated oxidative stress. Display omitted
•Dioscin significantly relieved MTX-induced hepatorenal damages in vitro and in vivo.•MTX caused oxidative damages to the liver and kidney in vitro and in vivo.•miR-145–5p directly targeted Sirt5 to adjust oxidative stress.•Dioscin reduced the expression levels of miR-145–5p and suppressed w miR-145-5p-medicated oxidative stress.
Single- and double-electron capture (SEC and DEC) processes occurring in O6+ and H2 collisions are investigated in a wide-energy domain ranging from 0.1 to 100 keV u−1. Total and partial cross ...sections are calculated using a three-center, two-active-electron, semiclassical nonperturbative approach. To date, our close-coupling description of the collision is the most elaborate one in terms of accounting for electron correlation, molecular structures, and active channels. Our results are, in general, in good agreement with the available experimental ones for both total and partial cross sections. The comparison between the present calculations and available experimental data suggests that about 70% of the autoionization double capture may contribute to the measured SEC cross sections through postcollisional autoionization, while the stabilization of 30% of doubly excited states via the autotransfer to Rydberg states mechanism contributes to the measured DEC ones. Furthermore, we extend the understanding of the electron-capture processes on this system to impact energies above 20 keV u−1 for which no data exists. Our work provides new data for these electronic processes, which will be helpful for modeling astrophysical X-ray emissions induced by charge exchange.
•Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorated the depression-like behavior induced by CUMS.•Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorated the neuronal structural changes induced by CUMS.•Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorated the decreased ...expression of BDNF induced by CUMS.•Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorated the decreased level of p-CREB induced by CUMS.•Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorated the decreased level of p-PKA induced by CUMS.
Depression is a common neuropsychiatric disorder which has been associated with a wide range of structural and functional changes within specific brain regions. Ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to exert a number of neuroprotective effects as demonstrated in various in vivo and in vitro studies. However, little information is available regarding the site and mechanisms of ginsenoside Rg1 in promoting antidepressant effects. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective and ameliorating effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on depression-like behavior as induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The results showed that CUMS was effective in producing depression-like behaviors in rats as indicated by decreased responses in sucrose preference and forced swim tests which were associated with ultrastructural changes in neurons within the amygdala. Moreover, levels of PKA and CREB phosphorylation and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were decreased in the amygdala of CUMS rats. Remarkably, chronic ginsenoside Rg1 (40mg/kg, i.p., 5weeks) treatment significantly ameliorated these behavioral and biochemical alterations associated with CUMS-induced depression. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that ginsenoside Rg1 exhibits antidepressant-like effects against CUMS-induced depression. This amelioration of depression-like behaviors by ginsenoside Rg1 appears to be mediated, at least in part, by a CREB-regulated increase of BDNF expression in the amygdala of rats. Therefore, these findings reveal the therapeutic potential of ginsenoside Rg1 for use in clinical trials in the treatment of depression.
Based on a content analysis of 533 Chinese listed companies, this study examines how corporate environmental performance affects not only the level of detail of a company's environmental disclosures, ...but also what information is disclosed. The results show that (1) both poor and good performers have more disclosure than the median (i.e., “mixed”) performers, which provides empirical evidence to support a nonlinear relationship between corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure; (2) poor performers disclose more soft information on environmental performance than good performers, and good performers disclose more solid information; and (3) although poor performers increase disclosure after being exposed as environmental violators, they avoid disclosing negative environmental information, such as the violation and the associated penalties. This study provides additional evidence for a nonlinear relationship between environmental performance and disclosure in emerging markets, and suggests environmental disclosure may not be a valid signal to differentiate good performers from poor performers in contemporary China.
•Both poor and good performers have more disclosure than the mixed performers.•Good performers disclose more solid information.•Poor performers avoid disclosing negative environmental information.
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