•A new high-resolution Pn anisotropic tomographic model is inferred.•Two N-S material flow channels are revealed around the Chuan-Dian diamond block.•A N-S oriented low-V zone is observed around 86°E ...under the rift, indicating the breaking-off of the subducting Indian slab.
We present a new high-resolution Pn anisotropic tomographic model of the uppermost mantle beneath China inferred from 52,061 Pn arrival-time data manually picked from seismograms recorded at provincial seismic stations in China and temporary stations in Tibet and the Tienshan orogenic belt. Significant features well correlated with surface geology are revealed and provide new insights into the deep dynamics beneath China. Prominent high Pn velocities are visible under the stable cratonic blocks (e.g., the Tarim, Junngar, and Sichuan basins, and the Ordos block), whereas remarkable low Pn velocities are observed in the tectonically active areas (e.g., Pamir, the Tienshan orogenic belt, central Tibet and the Qilian fold belt). A distinct N-S trending low Pn velocity zone around 86°E is revealed under the rift running from the Himalayan block through the Lhasa block to the Qiangtang block, which indicates the hot material upwelling due to the breaking-off of the subducting Indian slab. Two N-S trending low Pn velocity belts with an approximate N-S Pn fast direction along the faults around the Chuan-Dian diamond block suggest that these faults may serve as channels of mantle flow from Tibet. The fast Pn direction changes from N-S in the north across 27°N to E-W in the south, which may reflect different types of mantle deformation. The anisotropy in the south could be caused by the asthenospheric flow resulted from the eastward subduction of the Indian plate down to the mantle transition zone beneath the Burma arc. Across the Talas-Fergana fault in the Tienshan orogenic belt, an obvious difference in velocity and anisotropy is revealed. To the west, high Pn velocities and an arc-shaped fast Pn direction are observed, implying the Indo-Asian collision, whereas to the east low Pn velocities and a range-parallel Pn fast direction are imaged, reflecting the northward underthrusting of the Tarim lithosphere and the southward underthrusting of the Kazakh lithosphere. In most parts of eastern China, pronounced low Pn velocities and a complex anisotropy pattern are observed, implying the re-orientation of the olivine arrangement in the thin lithosphere due to the westward subduction of the Pacific plate.
Along with the intensification of culture systems to meet the increasing global demands, there was an elevated risk for diseases outbreak and substantial loss for farmers. In view of several ...drawbacks caused by prophylactic administration of antibiotics, strict regulations have been established to ban or minimize their application in aquaculture. As an alternative to antibiotics, dietary administration of feed additives has received increasing attention during the past three decades. Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics and medicinal plants were among the most promising feed supplements for control or treatments of bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases of fish and shellfish. The present review summarizes and discusses the topic of potential application of probiotics as a means of disease control with comprehensive look at the available literature. The possible mode of action of probiotics (Strengthening immune response, competition for binding sites, production of antibacterial substances, and competition for nutrients) in providing protection against diseases is described. Besides, we have classified different pathogens and separately described the effects of probiotics as protective strategy. Furthermore, we have addressed the gaps of existing knowledge as well as the topics that merit further investigations. Overall, the present review paper revealed potential of different probiont to be used as protective agent against various pathogens.
China is the largest aquaculture producer in the world. Antibiotics were extensively used to ensure the development of the intensive aquaculture; however, the use of antibiotics causes safety- and ...environment-associated problems. As an alternative strategy to antibiotics, aquatic probiotics have attracted attention. The microbial organisms used as probiotics or tested as potential probiotics in Chinese aquaculture belong to various taxonomic divisions, including Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and yeast. Moreover, the mixture of probiotic strains and synbiotics are also widely used. Studies on the mode of action of aquatic probiotics have extended our understanding of the probiotic effects, and novel mechanisms have been discovered, such as interference of quorum sensing. However, use of probiotics in Chinese aquaculture is still at an initial stage, and there are potential risks for some probiotic applications in aquaculture. Further regulation and management are required to normalize the production and usage of aquatic probiotics. In this review, we discuss species, effects, and mode of actions of probiotics in Chinese aquaculture since 2008. Challenges and future directions for research are also discussed.
Structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) has been widely applied in early-stage drug discovery. From a problem-centric perspective, we reviewed the recent advances and applications in SBVS with a ...special focus on docking-based virtual screening. We emphasized the researchers’ practical efforts in real projects by understanding the ligand-target binding interactions as a premise. We also highlighted the recent progress in developing target-biased scoring functions by optimizing current generic scoring functions toward certain target classes, as well as in developing novel ones by means of machine learning techniques.
•A data-mining-based method is used to analyze district heating operational data.•Clustering analysis can identify the seasonal and daily operating patterns.•Association rules can help to understand ...the substation regulation strategies.•A malfunction of a secondary remote flow meter is detected accurately.•An energy-inefficient operation strategy in a substation is detected and modified.
The present generation of district heating (DH) technologies will have to be further developed into the 4th generation to fulfil the important role in future smart energy systems. At present, automatic meter reading systems have been installed in DH systems. These systems make hourly or even minutely meter readings available at low cost. However, the sheer quantity and complex of the data poses a challenge at various levels for traditional data analysis approaches. Data mining is a promising technology and is used to automatically extract valuable knowledge hidden in large amounts of data. To investigate the potential application of descriptive data mining techniques in DH systems, this study proposes a method based on descriptive data mining to improve the energy performance of DH substations. The proposed method consists of five steps: data cleaning, data transformation, cluster analysis, association analysis, and interpretation/evaluation. Data cleaning and transformation are implemented to improve data quality and transform data into forms that are appropriate for mining. Cluster analysis is performed to identify distinct operating patterns of substations. Based on each pattern, association analysis is then adopted to discover the unsuspected knowledge in the form of rules. Interpretation/evaluation is performed to select and interpret potentially useful rules. To demonstrate its applicability, the proposed method is used to analyze the datasets obtained from an automatic meter reading system at two substations in the DH system in Changchun, China. This application reveals that the method can effectively extract potentially useful knowledge and thereby provide essential guidance for the fault detection and operation optimization of DH substations.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different dietary sustained-release microencapsulated sodium butyrate (MSB) products (0 (non-supplement), 1·5 and 3·0 h) for a control ...or oxidised soyabean oil (SBO) diet on fish production, intestinal mucosal condition, immunity and intestinal bacteria in juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Dietary MSB increased weight gain and reduced the feed conversion ratio within the control and oxidised SBO groups. Gut mucosa was damaged in the oxidised SBO group fed without MSB, in contrast to a normal appearance found in fish fed the MSB1·5 and MSB3·0 diets in the oxidised SBO group. Microvillus density increased in fish fed the MSB1·5 and MSB3·0 diets in the oxidised SBO group (P< 0·001); however, microvillus density was affected by the different pre-fed diets in the midgut (P< 0·001) and by the different sustained-release times of MSB in the distal gut (DG) (P= 0·003). The interaction between the pre-fed diets and the sustained-release times of dietary MSB was significant for the relative gene expression levels of gut heat shock protein-70 (HSP70), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (transforming growth factor-β) within each gut segment, except for HSP70 in the DG and IL-1β in the foregut. Modulation of adherent bacterial communities within each gut segment investigated was not obvious when the common carp were fed the diets with MSB, as similarity coefficients of >0·79 were observed. These results indicated that MSB can be used as a dietary supplement to repair or prevent intestinal damage in carp fed oxidised SBO.
The capability of carbohydrate utilization in fish is limited compared to mammals. It has scientific and practical significance to improve the ability of fish to use carbohydrates. The efficiency of ...dietary carbohydrate utilization varies among fish with different feeding habits, which are associated with differential intestinal microbiota. In this study, we found that zebrafish fed with omnivorous diet (OD) and herbivorous diet (HD) showed better glucose homeostasis compared with carnivorous diet (CD) fed counterpart and the differential glucose utilization efficiency was attributable to the intestinal microbiota. The commensal bacterium Cetobacterium somerae, an acetate producer, was enriched in OD and HD groups, and administration of C. somerae in both adult zebrafish and gnotobiotic larval zebrafish models resulted in improved glucose homeostasis and increased insulin expression, supporting a causative role of C. somerae enrichment in glucose homeostasis in fish. The enrichment of C. somerae was constantly associated with higher acetate levels, and dietary supplementation of acetate promotes glucose utilization in zebrafish, suggesting a contribution of acetate in the function of C. somerae. Furthermore, we found that the beneficial effect of both acetate and C. somerae on glucose homeostasis was mediated through parasympathetic activation. Overall, this work highlights the existence of a C. somerae-brain axis in the regulation of glucose homeostasis in fish and suggests a role of acetate in mediating the axis function. Our results suggest potential strategies for improvement of fish carbohydrate utilization.
The isothiocyanate (ITC) sulforaphane (SFN) was shown at low levels (1-5 µM) to promote cell proliferation to 120-143% of the controls in a number of human cell lines, whilst at high levels (10-40 ...µM) it inhibited such cell proliferation. Similar dose responses were observed for cell migration, i.e. SFN at 2.5 µM increased cell migration in bladder cancer T24 cells to 128% whilst high levels inhibited cell migration. This hormetic action was also found in an angiogenesis assay where SFN at 2.5 µM promoted endothelial tube formation (118% of the control), whereas at 10-20 µM it caused significant inhibition. The precise mechanism by which SFN influences promotion of cell growth and migration is not known, but probably involves activation of autophagy since an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, abolished the effect of SFN on cell migration. Moreover, low doses of SFN offered a protective effect against free-radical mediated cell death, an effect that was enhanced by co-treatment with selenium. These results suggest that SFN may either prevent or promote tumour cell growth depending on the dose and the nature of the target cells. In normal cells, the promotion of cell growth may be of benefit, but in transformed or cancer cells it may be an undesirable risk factor. In summary, ITCs have a biphasic effect on cell growth and migration. The benefits and risks of ITCs are not only determined by the doses, but are affected by interactions with Se and the measured endpoint.
In order to provide a basis for the structural analysis, design and maintenance of permeable asphalt pavements, and to promote their engineering promotion and application, this study investigated the ...dynamic viscoelastic properties of permeable asphalt mixtures (PAC-13) under complex stress states. A Simple Performance Tester (SPT) system was used to measure the dynamic modulus of the mix under complex stress states. The displacement factor and principal dynamic modulus curves were formed by fitting Sigmoidal functions and using 1stOpt (first optimization) software, the phase angle principal curves were further determined, and the dynamic modulus was predicted for the ambient phase (15–25 °C) using the Hirsch model. The results showed that the dynamic modulus of the mixtures decreases with an increasing temperature, and the maximum decrease in the dynamic modulus is 93% when the confining pressure is 100 kPa and the loading frequency is 10 Hz. The dynamic modulus increases with an increasing confining pressure and loading frequency, the maximum increase with an increasing confining pressure is 26.1% when the temperature is 25 °C and the loading frequency is 10 Hz, and the maximum increase with an increasing loading frequency is 411% when the temperature is 25 °C and the confining pressure is 100 Hz. The dynamic modulus has a strong frequency dependence at low temperatures, while it is stress-dependent at high temperatures. Meanwhile, based on the Hirsch model, a new modified prediction model was developed, which can well predict the dynamic modulus of permeable asphalt mixtures at room temperature.
Improvements in the understanding of the metabolic cross-talk between cancer and its microenvironment are expected to lead to novel therapeutic approaches. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells have ...increased mitochondria compared with nonmalignant CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells. Furthermore, contrary to the Warburg hypothesis, AML relies on oxidative phosphorylation to generate adenosine triphosphate. Here we report that in human AML, NOX2 generates superoxide, which stimulates bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) to AML blast transfer of mitochondria through AML-derived tunneling nanotubes. Moreover, inhibition of NOX2 was able to prevent mitochondrial transfer, increase AML apoptosis, and improve NSG AML mouse survival. Although mitochondrial transfer from BMSC to nonmalignant CD34+ cells occurs in response to oxidative stress, NOX2 inhibition had no detectable effect on nonmalignant CD34+ cell survival. Taken together, we identify tumor-specific dependence on NOX2-driven mitochondrial transfer as a novel therapeutic strategy in AML.
•Functional mitochondria are transferred in vivo from BMSC to the leukemic blast.•AML-derived NOX2 drives transfer of mitochondria via the generation of superoxide.
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