Let $p$ be a prime number. Kęstutis Česnavičius proved that for an abelian variety $A$ over a global field $K$, the $p$-Selmer group $\mathrm {Sel}_{p}(A/L)$ grows unboundedly when $L$ ranges over the $(\mathbb {Z}/p\mathbb {Z})$-extensions of $K$. Moreover, he raised a further problem: is $\dim _{\mathbb {F}_{p}} \text{III} (A/L) [p]$ also unbounded under the above conditions? In this paper, we give a positive answer to this problem in the case $p \neq \mathrm {char}\,K$. As an application, this result enables us to generalize the work of Clark, Sharif and Creutz on the growth of potential $\text{III}$ in cyclic extensions. We also answer a problem proposed by Lim and Murty concerning the growth of the fine Tate–Shafarevich groups.

Synaptotagmin 1 (Syt1) is an abundant and important presynaptic vesicle protein that binds Ca2+ for the regulation of synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Our previous study reported its localization and function on spindle assembly in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation. The present study was designed to investigate the function of Syt1 during mouse oocyte activation and subsequent cortical granule exocytosis (CGE) using confocal microscopy, morpholinol-based knockdown and time-lapse live cell imaging. By employing live cell imaging, we first studied the dynamic process of CGE and calculated the time interval between [Ca2+]i rise and CGE after oocyte activation. We further showed that Syt1 was co-localized to cortical granules (CGs) at the oocyte cortex. After oocyte activation with SrCl2, the Syt1 distribution pattern was altered significantly, similar to the changes seen for the CGs. Knockdown of Syt1 inhibited [Ca2+]i oscillations, disrupted the F-actin distribution pattern and delayed the time of cortical reaction. In summary, as a synaptic vesicle protein and calcium sensor for exocytosis, Syt1 acts as an essential regulator in mouse oocyte activation events including the generation of Ca2+ signals and CGE.

Discovering knowledge from data is a quantum jump from quantity to quality, which is the characteristic and the spirit of the development of science. Symbolic regression (SR) is playing a greater role in the discovery of knowledge from data, specifically in this era of exponential data growth, because SRs are able to discover mathematical formulas from data. These formulas may provide scientifically meaningful models, especially when combined with domain knowledge. This article provides an overview of SR applications in the field of materials science and engineering. Integrating domain knowledge with SR is the key and a crucial approach, which allows gaining knowledge from data quickly, accurately, and scientifically. In the data-driven paradigm, SR allows for uncovering the underlying mechanisms of materials behavior, properties, and functions, in a wide range of areas from basic academic research to industrial applications, including experiments and computations, by providing explicit interpretable models from data, in comparison with other machine-learning “black-box” models. SR will be a powerful tool for rational and automatic materials development.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing different amounts of daidzein in a diet on the growth performance, blood biochemical parameters and meat quality of finishing beef cattle. Thirty finishing Xianan steers were distributed in three groups equilibrated by weight and fed three different dietary treatments (concentrate ratio = 80%): (1) control; (2) 500 mg/kg daidzein and (3) 1000 mg/kg daidzein, respectively. Steers were slaughtered after an 80-day feeding trial. Results showed that daidzein supplementation had no effect on the final body weight, average daily gain and feed conversion rate of steers. Steers fed with 1000 mg/kg daidzein had greater dry matter intake than those fed with control diets. Compared with the control group, the 1000 mg/kg daidzein group had a higher fat thickness, lower shear force and lightness. The pH, drip loss, cooking loss, redness (a*), yellowness (b*), moisture, ash, crude protein and intramuscular fat of the Longissimus dorsi muscle were unaffected by daidzein supplementation. Compared with the control group, the 1000 mg/kg daidzein group significantly increased the serum concentrations of insulin, free fatty acid and Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. The 500 mg/kg daidzein group significantly increased the serum concentration of tetraiodothyronine compared with the control group. Supplemental daidzein did not affect the blood antioxidant ability and blood immune parameters in serum. In conclusion, daidzein supplementation above 500 mg/day modifies feed intake and metabolic and hormonal profile, with positive and negative effects on meat quality.

Several studies have suggested that higher carotenoid levels may be beneficial for atherosclerosis patients, but few studies have examined this relationship in the Chinese population. This cross-sectional study examined the association between the levels of carotenoids in diet and serum and carotid intima–media thickness (IMT) in Chinese adults aged 50–75 years in Guangzhou, China. Dietary intake was assessed using a FFQ. HPLC was used to assay the serum concentrations of α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein+zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin and lycopene. The IMT at the common carotid artery (CCA) and bifurcation of the carotid artery was measured by B-mode ultrasound. A total of 3707 and 2947 participants were included in the analyses of dietary and serum carotenoids. After adjustment for demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors, all the serum carotenoids levels except lycopene were found to be inversely associated with the IMT at the CCA and bifurcation (Ptrend<0·001 to 0·013) in both men and women. The absolute mean differences in the IMT between the subjects in the extreme quartiles of serum carotenoid levels were 0·034 mm (α-carotene), 0·037 mm (β-carotene), 0·032 mm (lutein+zeaxanthin), 0·030 mm (β-cryptoxanthin), 0·015 mm (lycopene) and 0·035 mm (total carotenoids) at the CCA; the corresponding values were 0·025, 0·053 0·043, 0·050, 0·011 and 0·042 mm at the bifurcation. The favourable associations were also observed between dietary carotenoids (except lycopene) and the CCA IMT. In conclusion, elevated carotenoid levels in diet and serum are associated with lower carotid IMT values (particular at the CCA) in Chinese adults.

A nanostructured surface layer was fabricated in the surface of 316L stainless steel by a novel fast multiple rotation rolling (FMRR) technique. The microstructure and the tensile properties of the treated sample were investigated in detail. The experimental results indicate that a nanograined (NG) film was successfully obtained in the surface of the sample. Equiaxed nanograins with the average grain size of about 12 nm are achieved in the surface layer. At the sample time, deformation-induced α-martensite is produced during the FMRR treatment. The volume fraction of martensite is about 20%. The yield strength (0.2% offset) of the sample, of which one side is of NG structure and the other is coarse grained (CG), is increased by 51% in comparison with that of the CG sample. Though the plasticity is diminished slightly for the FMRR specimen, the elongation still reaches a high value of about 38% owing to the contribution of the CG structure.

In this paper, a microporous-containing graphene oxide/polystyrene (M-GO/PS) was designed and prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of PS from GO surface and then crossrlinking by carbon tetrachloride. The structures of the molecular brush of PS and the related crosslinking M-GO/PS were determined by FTIR, TG, SEM and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis. The experimental results showed that PS molecular brush were successfully grown on to the surface of GO. After crosslinking, the PS component was crosslinked into many round nanoparticles with a diameter of 20-30 nm, and therefore the specific surface area of GO/PS obviously increased. This kind of porous M-GO/PS composite was promising for the application in adsorption-desorption energy storage areas.

The elements for the Semliki forest virus (SFV) RNA replicon were obtained from the Alphavirus genome. It was designed to overcome the poor efficacy of some current plasmid vectors. Genes coding for viral replicases are preserved while genes coding for structural proteins are replaced by foreign genes in the RNA replicon. High levels of RNA replication and expression of foreign genes in the cytoplasm are regulated by the replicases. To evaluate the effects of the SFV RNA replicon on the improvement of gene expression, a LacZ gene was inserted into pIRES-neo digested by BamHI and dephosphorylated by alkaline phosphatase to construct pIRES-neo-LacZ. The RNA replicon vector pCMV-rep-LacZ and two conventional cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-based vectors (pLNCX-LacZ and pIRES-neo-LacZ) were transfected, using Lipofectin, to prepared 293 cells. Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) expression vectors (pCMV-Rep-GHRH, pCDNA3.1(+)-GHRH and pIRES-neo-GHRH) were also tested using the same procedure. Target gene expression was detected with radioimmunoassay (RIA) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results showed that the expression level of the RNA replicon vector was 2–3 times higher than with normal plasmid vectors. This result will help to improve the efficiency of gene expression in eukaryotic cells.

Spindle movement, including spindle migration during first meiosis and spindle rotation during second meiosis, is essential for asymmetric divisions in mouse oocytes. Previous studies by others and us have shown that microfilaments are required for both spindle migration and rotation. In the present study, we aimed to further investigate the mechanism controlling spindle movement during mouse oocyte meiosis. By employing drug treatment and immunofluorescence microscopy, we showed that dynamic microtubule assembly was involved in both spindle migration and rotation. Furthermore, we found that the calcium/CaM/CaMKII pathway was important for regulating spindle rotation.

Early studies have shown that some mouse cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) stored at room temperature for 24 h still retained full developmental potential. In this study, we stored denuded mouse oocytes (DOs) at room temperature (25 °C) for 24 h and activated these oocytes with 10 mM SrCl2 or fertilized the oocytes by IVF. We found that nearly half of the DOs stored at room temperature for 1 day can be fertilized normally by IVF and that two foster mothers gave birth to seven pups. Embryos from stored oocytes were cultured in CZB medium with or without 1 μg/ml 17β-estradiol (E2). The numbers of embryo that developed to morula/blastocyst stage after parthenogenetic activation and IVF were significantly increased when E2 was added to the culture (p < 0.05). These results suggest that E2 might improve mouse embryo development in vitro. The birth of seven agouti pups and their healthy growth indicated that the storage of DOs at room temperature for 1 day may be a practical procedure for mammalian reproduction.

Let $\mathbb{F}$ be a finite real abelian extension of $\mathbb{Q}$. Let $M$ be an odd positive integer. For every squarefree positive integer $r$ the prime factors of which are congruent to 1 modulo $M$ and split completely in $\mathbb{F}$, the corresponding Kolyvagin class ${{k}_{r}}\in {{\mathbb{F}}^{\times }}/{{\mathbb{F}}^{\times M}}$ satisfies a remarkable and crucial recursion which for each prime number $\ell $ dividing $r$ determines the order of vanishing of ${{k}_{r}}$ at each place of $\mathbb{F}$ above $\ell $ in terms of ${{k}_{r/\ell }}$. In this note we give the recursion a new and universal interpretation with the help of the double complex method introduced by Anderson and further developed by Das and Ouyang. Namely, we show that the recursion satisfied by Kolyvagin classes is the specialization of a universal recursion independent of $\mathbb{F}$ satisfied by universal Kolyvagin classes in the group cohomology of the universal ordinary distribution à la Kubert tensored with $\mathbb{Z}/M\mathbb{Z}$. Further, we show by a method involving a variant of the diagonal shift operation introduced by Das that certain group cohomology classes belonging (up to sign) to a basis previously constructed by Ouyang also satisfy the universal recursion.

Using techniques of bifurcation theory we present two exact multiplicity results for boundary value problems of the type

The first result concerns the case when the nonlinearity is independent of x and behaves like a cubic in u. The second one deals with a class of nonlinearities with explicit x dependence.