Macrosegregation is one of the most frequently observed defects in continuous casting blooms, which causes nonconformity in ultrasonic flaw detection of rolled products. To investigate the influence ...of combined EMS modes (M-EMS + F-EMS) on macrosegregation, a 3D multiphase solidification model based on the volume-averaged Eulerian approach was established to simulate the electromagnetic field, fluid flow, microstructural evolution, and solute transport of heavy-rail steel blooms subjected to different EMS processes. In this model, a hybrid model of the mushy zone and a back-diffusion model were introduced into the momentum and solute conservation equations to realize the calculation of microstructural evolution and solute transport with electromagnetic stirring. The predicted magnetic induction intensity, macrostructure, and macrosegregation were verified with Tesla meter measurements, etched macrostructure analysis, and infrared carbon-sulfur analysis. The calculation results showed that M-EMS had little effect on the improvement of the positive centerline segregation, whereas F-EMS effectively reduced the positive centerline segregation. Moreover, a combination of these EMS modes could further reduce the positive centerline segregation in continuous casting blooms. The change in solute concentration caused by M-EMS could be inherited by the position of F-EMS, which could enhance the metallurgical effects of F-EMS. These results were also verified through an industrial application.
•An overview of DNA condensation induced by metal complexes is provided.•DNA condensing mechanisms of metal complexes are summarised.•Some applications for these metal complexes in gene vectors are ...presented.•Some applications for these metal complexes in antitumor agents are presented.
DNA is stored in a highly compact, condensed phase in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotes. Co(NH3)63+ is a well-known inorganic cation that can induce DNA condensation, and numerous Co(III), Co(II), Fe(II), Ca(II), Cu(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Ru(II), Pt(II) and La(III) complexes have been evaluated as DNA condensing agents. In this review, we divided these metal complexes into four distinct classes based on the mechanism of DNA condensation: (i) complexes with high positive charges that condense DNA via electrostatic interaction, (ii) complexes with planar intercalative ligands that condense DNA via π–π interaction, (iii) complexes that bind with DNA through hydrogen bonds, and (iv) complexes that covalently bind to DNA. Some applications of these metal complex-based DNA condensing agents in gene vectors and antitumor agents are also presented.
Microscopic algae release organic compounds to the region immediately surrounding their cells, known as the phycosphere, constituting a niche for colonization by heterotrophic bacteria. These ...bacteria take up algal photoassimilates and provide beneficial functions to their host, in a process that resembles the establishment of microbial communities associated with the roots and rhizospheres of land plants. Here, we characterize the microbiota of the model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and reveal extensive taxonomic and functional overlap with the root microbiota of land plants. Using synthetic communities derived from C. reinhardtii and Arabidopsis thaliana, we show that phycosphere and root bacteria assemble into taxonomically similar communities on either host. We show that provision of diffusible metabolites is not sufficient for phycosphere community establishment, which additionally requires physical proximity to the host. Our data suggest the existence of shared ecological principles driving the assembly of the A. thaliana root and C. reinhardtii phycosphere microbiota, despite the vast evolutionary distance between these two photosynthetic organisms.
Plants benefit from associations with a diverse community of root-colonizing microbes. Deciphering the mechanisms underpinning these beneficial services are of interest for improving plant ...productivity. We report a plant-beneficial interaction between Arabidopsis thaliana and the root microbiota under iron deprivation that is dependent on the secretion of plant-derived coumarins. Disrupting this pathway alters the microbiota and impairs plant growth in iron-limiting soil. Furthermore, the microbiota improves iron-limiting plant performance via a mechanism dependent on plant iron import and secretion of the coumarin fraxetin. This beneficial trait is strain specific yet functionally redundant across phylogenetic lineages of the microbiota. Transcriptomic and elemental analyses revealed that this interaction between commensals and coumarins promotes growth by relieving iron starvation. These results show that coumarins improve plant performance by eliciting microbe-assisted iron nutrition. We propose that the bacterial root microbiota, stimulated by secreted coumarins, is an integral mediator of plant adaptation to iron-limiting soils.
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•Coumarins alter the root microbiota and improve plant growth in iron-limiting soil•The microbiota improves plant iron nutrition via a coumarin-dependent mechanism•The iron-beneficial commensal trait is taxonomically widespread but strain specific•Coumarin-microbiota interaction resolves iron starvation and regulates immune response
Iron-limiting soils are widespread, causing significant losses in plant growth and productivity. Harbort et al. show that under iron limitation, plant-secreted coumarin compounds are mediators of a beneficial plant-microbiota interaction. These specialized metabolites alter root microbiota composition and are required for microbiota-mediated plant iron uptake and immune regulation.
Predictions, the bridge between the internal and external worlds, are established by prior experience and updated by sensory stimuli. Responses to omitted but unexpected stimuli, known as omission ...responses, can break the one-to-one mapping of stimulus-response and can expose predictions established by the preceding stimulus built up. While research into exogenous predictions (driven by external stimuli) is often reported, that into endogenous predictions (driven by internal percepts) is rarely available in the literature. Here, we report evidence for endogenous predictions established by the Zwicker tone illusion, a phantom pure-tone-like auditory percept following notch noises. We found that MMN, P300, and theta oscillations could be recorded using an omission paradigm in subjects who can perceive Zwicker tone illusions, but could not in those who cannot. The MMN and P300 responses relied on attention, but theta oscillations did not. In-depth analysis shows that an increase in single-trial theta power, including total and induced theta, with the endogenous prediction, is lateralized to the left frontal brain areas. Our study depicts that the brain automatically analyzes internal perception, progressively establishes predictions and yields prediction errors in the left frontal region when a violation occurs.
•Subsurface dam possess an optimal range of dam height for water resources protection.•Tidal vibration alters the optimal range and reduces the lower and upper thresholds.•The minimum effective dam ...height is close to the 20% saltwater wedge height.•Salt-freshwater mixing critically affects the minimum effective dam height.
Subsurface dam is a technically feasible and widely used solution to prevent seawater intrusion (SWI) in coastal areas. The effectiveness of subsurface dams and the related environmental problems have been individually established, although static oceanic conditions are usually considered. In this study, sea boundary conditions, including static and tidal scenarios, were compared to comprehensively assess subsurface dams for SWI control and upstream groundwater pollution, thus extending previous findings. The index of fresh groundwater discharge was used as a proxy to assess the environmental problems associated with subsurface dams. Laboratory experiments and numerical simulations were performed to analyze the effects of dam height, location, and dispersivity. The results revealed that the effectiveness of subsurface dams could be described through a so called effective and increased discharge height range (E&IDHR), which was depending on dam location. Showing properties within the E&IDHR, subsurface dams could not only effectively prevent the invasive saltwater, but also increase the amount of fresh groundwater discharge relative to the scenario prior to dam construction. Tidal fluctuation significantly altered the E&IDHR, and the lower and upper thresholds of the E&IDHR were lower than those of the no-tide cases. The lower threshold was the minimum effective height, which was close to the saltwater wedge (SW) height determined by 95% isohaline (95% SW height) for the no-tide cases and the 20% SW height for the tide cases. This difference was attributed to intensive salt-freshwater mixing driven by tides. The upper threshold of the E&IDHR was usually close to 116% of the 5% SW height. Acknowledging the E&IDHR, applied studies may benefit from numerical and parametric uncertainties when designing subsurface dams, while still attaining optimal effectiveness to prevent SWI and upstream groundwater pollution.
Anxiety is a remarkably common condition among patients with pharyngitis, but the relationship between these disorders has received little research attention, and the underlying neural mechanisms ...remain unknown. Here, we show that the densely innervated pharynx transmits signals induced by pharyngeal inflammation to glossopharyngeal and vagal sensory neurons of the nodose/jugular/petrosal (NJP) superganglia in mice. Specifically, the NJP superganglia project to norepinephrinergic neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS
). These NTS
neurons project to the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) that induces anxiety-like behaviors in a murine model of pharyngeal inflammation. Inhibiting this pharynx→NJP→NTS
→vBNST circuit can alleviate anxiety-like behaviors associated with pharyngeal inflammation. This study thus defines a pharynx-to-brain axis that mechanistically links pharyngeal inflammation and emotional response.
Objectives
This prospective, randomized, split-mouth clinical trial assessed the 3-year clinical performance of a highly filled flowable composite and a conventional paste-type composite in ...non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs).
Materials and methods
A total of 84 NCCLs in 27 subjects were included in this split-mouth design study and randomly divided into two groups: a highly filled flowable composite Clearfil Majesty ES Flow group (ES,
n
= 42) and a conventional paste-type composite Majesty group (MJ,
n
= 42). Clearfil SE Bond was used following the manufacturer’s instructions. The restorations were evaluated at baseline (BL) and 1, 2, and 3 years using FDI (World Dental Federation) criteria. Data were analysed by a paired chi-squared test for intergroup comparisons and the Friedman test for intragroup comparisons (
α
= 0.05).
Results
Both groups had a 97.3% retention rate at the 3-year evaluation. The acceptable scores (FDI scores 1–3) for each criterion exhibited no significant difference between the MJ and ES groups at any time point (
p
= 1.00). The marginal adaptation performance of ES was significantly better than that of MJ at every evaluation point (
p
< 0.05).
Conclusions
The 3-year clinical performance of ES in NCCLs was similar to that of MJ. When the restorations were clinically acceptable, ES showed better marginal adaptation than MJ.
Clinical relevance
Compared with conventional paste-type composites, highly filled flowable composites showed similar clinical performance and better marginal adaptation for restoring NCCLs after 3 years.
Trial registration
TRN:
ChiCTR1900028484
. Date of registration: December 22, 2019, retrospectively registered.
The production cost of controlled-release fertilizers is an important factoring limiting their applications. To reduce the coating cost of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and improve its nutrition release ...characteristics, the fertilizer cores were modified by water polishing with three dosages at 1, 2, and 3%. The effects of modification were evaluated in terms of particle hardness, size distribution, angle of repose and specific surface area. Castor oil-based polyurethane was used as coating material for fertilizer performance evaluation. A pot experiment was conducted to verify the fertilizer efficiency of coated diammonium phosphate (CDAP) with maize. The results showed that polishing with 2% water reduced the angle of repose by 2.48-10.57% and specific surface area by 5.70-48.76%, making it more suitable for coating. The nutrient release period of CDAP was significantly prolonged by 5.36 times. Soil available phosphorous, enzyme activities, maize grain yield, and phosphorous use efficiency were all improved through the blending application of coated and normal phosphate fertilizer. This study demonstrated that water-based surface modification is a low-cost and effective method for improvement and promotion of controlled release P fertilizers.
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) causes lower back pain, and is often accompanied with robust inflammation. However, whether inflammation plays a role in IDD remains controversial, and the ...mechanism is ill-elucidated.
Cartilage specimens from patients with scoliosis (control) and IDD were examined for IL-6 and its receptor expression by qPCR and western blot. Primary human articular chondrocyte was employed as a model for in vitro assessment of IL-6 effects in cell viability, cellular oxidative stress and iron homeostasis by MTT, MDA, ROS and Iron Colorimetric assays. The underlying mechanism was explored by qPCR, western blot, RIP in combination with bioinformatics analysis.
We found in this study that IL-6 and its receptor were aberrantly expressed in cartilage tissues of IDD patients. IL-6 down-regulated miR-10a-5p, which subsequently derepressed IL-6R expression. IL-6 exposure caused cartilage cell ferroptosis by inducing cellular oxidative stress and disturbing iron homeostasis. Overexpressing miR-10a-5p suppressed IL-6R expression, and partially abolished IL-6-induced ferroptosis.
Results from current study suggests that inflammatory cytokine IL-6 appeared in IVD aggravates its degeneration by inducing cartilage cell ferroptosis. This is caused partially by inhibiting miR-10a-5p and subsequently derepressing IL-6R signaling pathway. Our study provides a novel mechanism explaining inflammatory cytokine-caused cartilage cell death in degenerative IVD, and makes IL-6/miR-10a-5p/IL-6R axis a potential therapeutic target for intervention of IDD.
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