Methionine (Met) can activate the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) to promote milk synthesis in mammary epithelial cells. However, it is largely unknown which G protein-coupled receptor can mediate the stimulation of Met on mTOR activation. In this study, we employed transcriptome sequencing to analyse which G protein-coupled receptors were associated with the role of Met and further used gene function study approaches to explore the role of G protein-coupled receptor 183 (GPR183) in Met stimulation on mTOR activation in HC11 cells. We identified nine G protein-coupled receptors including GPR183 whose expression levels were upregulated by Met treatment through RNA sequencing and subsequent quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Using GPR183 knockdown and overexpression technology, we demonstrate that GPR183 is a positive regulator of milk protein and fat synthesis and proliferation of HC11 cells. Met affected GPR183 expression in a dose-dependent manner, and GPR183 mediated the stimulation of Met (0·6 mM) on milk protein and fat synthesis, cell proliferation and mTOR phosphorylation and mRNA expression. The inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase blocked the phosphorylation of mTOR and AKT stimulated by GPR183 activation. In summary, through RNA sequencing and gene function study, we uncover that GPR183 is a key mediator for Met to activate the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mTOR signalling and milk synthesis in mouse mammary epithelial cells.

During the existence of Proto-Tethys Ocean (550–430 Ma), microcontinents in northern East Gondwana merged with the northern margin of India-Australia, completing the assembly of Gondwana. Ongoing controversy surrounds the disappearance of the Proto-Tethys Ocean, the dynamic mechanisms of suturing and the palaeogeographic relationships among microcontinents in northern East Gondwana, contributing to the uncertainty about the tectonic evolution of the region. This paper concerns the lower Silurian Zusailing Formation in the Hainan Island and focuses on the affinity between Hainan Island and various microcontinents in northern East Gondwana during the early Silurian. We use detrital zircon geochronology to reconstruct the closure process of the Proto-Tethys Ocean and show that the detrital zircon U–Pb age groups of the lower Silurian Zusailing Formation are 2800–2200, 2100–1350, 1250–950, 600–480 and 480–430 Ma, with a significant age peak of ca. 449 Ma. Furthermore, the analysis of detrital zircon geochemistry and europium anomalies shows that the Hainan Island crust continued to thicken during 600–434 Ma. Comparing the age spectrum of early Palaeozoic detrital zircons from Hainan Island and various microcontinents in northern East Gondwana, as well as the affinity among them during the Silurian, we conclude that the closure of the eastern Proto-Tethys Ocean evolved from unidirectional subduction (600–480 Ma) to bidirectional subduction (480–430 Ma).

We first sequenced and characterised the complete mitochondrial genome of Toxocara apodeme, then studied the evolutionary relationship of the species within Toxocaridae. The complete mitochondrial genome was amplified using PCR with 14 specific primers. The mitogenome length was 14303 bp in size, including 12 PCGs (encoding 3,423 amino acids), 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs, and 2 NCRs, with 68.38% A+T contents. The mt genomes of T. apodemi had relatively compact structures with 11 intergenic spacers and 5 overlaps. Comparative analyses of the nucleotide sequences of complete mt genomes showed that T. apodemi had higher identities with T. canis than other congeners. A sliding window analysis of 12 PCGs among 5 Toxocara species indicated that nad4 had the highest sequence divergence, and cox1 was the least variable gene. Relative synonymous codon usage showed that UUG, ACU, CCU, CGU, and UCU most frequently occurred in the complete genomes of T. apodemi. The Ka/Ks ratio showed that all Toxocara mt genes were subject to purification selection. The largest genetic distance between T. apodemi and the other 4 congeneric species was found in nad2, and the smallest was found in cox2. Phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated amino acid sequences of 12 PCGs demonstrated that T. apodemi formed a distinct branch and was always a sister taxon to other congeneric species. The present study determined the complete mt genome sequences of T. apodemi, which provide novel genetic markers for further studies of the taxonomy, population genetics, and systematics of the Toxocaridae nematodes.

To meet the demands of laser-ion acceleration at a high repetition rate, we have developed a comprehensive diagnostic system for real-time and in situ monitoring of liquid sheet targets (LSTs). The spatially resolved rapid characterizations of an LST’s thickness, flatness, tilt angle and position are fulfilled by different subsystems with high accuracy. With the help of the diagnostic system, we reveal the dependence of thickness distribution on collision parameters and report the 238-nm liquid sheet generated by the collision of two liquid jets. Control methods for the flatness and tilt angle of LSTs have also been provided, which are essential for applications of laser-driven ion acceleration and others.

We study the ring of regular functions on the space of planar electrical networks, which we coin the grove algebra. This algebra is an electrical analog of the Plücker ring studied classically in invariant theory. We develop the combinatorics of double groves to study the grove algebra, and find a quadratic Gröbner basis for the grove ideal.

We report the first experiments on hydrodynamic instabilities of a single-mode light/heavy interface driven by co-directional rarefaction and shock waves. The experiments are conducted in a specially designed rarefaction-shock tube that enables the decoupling of interfacial instabilities caused by these co-directional waves. After the impacts of rarefaction and shock waves, the interface evolution transitions into Richtmyer–Meshkov unstable states from Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) stable states, which is different from the finding in the previous case with counter-directional rarefaction and shock waves. A scaling method is proposed, which effectively collapses the RT stable perturbation growths. An analytical theory for predicting the time-dependent acceleration and density induced by rarefaction waves is established. Based on the analytical theory, the model proposed by Mikaelian (Phys. Fluids, vol. 21, 2009, p. 024103) is revised to provide a good description of the dimensionless RT stable behaviour. Before the shock arrival, the unequal interface velocities, caused by rarefaction-induced uneven vorticity, result in a V-shape-like interface. The linear growth rate of the amplitude is insensitive to the pre-shock interface shape, and can be well predicted by the linear superposition of growth rates induced by rarefaction and shock waves. The nonlinear growth rate is higher than that of a pure single-mode case, which can be predicted by the nonlinear models (Sadot et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 80, 1998, pp. 1654–1657; Dimonte & Ramaprabhu, Phys. Fluids, vol. 22, 2010, p. 014104).

Here, we report the generation of MeV alpha-particles from H-11B fusion initiated by laser-accelerated boron ions. Boron ions with maximum energy of 6 MeV and fluence of 109/MeV/sr@5 MeV were generated from 60 nm-thick self-supporting boron nanofoils irradiated by 1 J femtosecond pulses at an intensity of 1019 W/cm2. By bombarding secondary hydrogenous targets with the boron ions, 3 × 105/sr alpha-particles from H-11B fusion were registered, which is consistent with the theoretical yield calculated from the measured boron energy spectra. Our results demonstrated an alternative way toward ultrashort MeV alpha-particle sources employing compact femtosecond lasers. The ion acceleration and product measurement scheme are referential for the studies on the ion stopping power and cross section of the H-11B reaction in solid or plasma.

In the absence of the necessary valley topography, karst depressions are sometimes used to construct conventional impoundments in order to contain tailings. Leakage is a primary concern for such impoundments. The purpose of the current study was to determine the characteristics and barrier performance of laterite mantling karst depressions, using, as an example, the Wujiwatang (WJWT) tailings impoundment, located in the Gejiu mining area, southwestern China. The geotechnical-hydrogeological properties, geochemistry, mineral compositions, and particle shapes of the laterite were investigated by geotechnical techniques, chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the laterite contained poorly sorted particles that covered a wide spectrum of grain sizes (<5 mm to <50 nm), and was unexpectedly categorized as silty clay or silt with a high liquid limit. The continuous gradation and small D90 value helped the laterite achieve saturated hydraulic conductivities in the range of <10–6 cm/s required for impoundment liners. The laterite beneath the tailings impoundment was finer-grained and had a lower permeability than that of the laterite on the depression walls within the same depression. Geochemically and mineralogically, the laterite was classified as true laterite and its major mineralogical constituents were gibbsite and goethite with chlorite occurring in trace amounts. The laterite was dominated by subspherolitic–spherolitic cohesionless grains (concretions) made up of Al, Fe, Ti, and Mn oxides and hydroxides. The laterite did not have plasticity indices in the clay range. Fortunately, slopewash prior to tailings containment selectively transported the finer oxide concretions to the depression floor, creating a natural low-permeability barrier for the WJWT tailings impoundment. This is undoubtedly important for the planning and design of future karst depression-type tailings impoundments around the world.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease of progressive lung fibrosis with a high mortality rate. This study aimed to uncover the underlying molecular features for different types of IPF. IPF microarray datasets were retrieved from GEO databases. Weighted gene co-expression analysis (WGCNA) was used and identified subgroup-specific WGCNA modules. Infiltration-level immune cells in different subgroups of microenvironments were analyzed with CIBERSORT algorithms. The result is we classified 173 IPF cases into two subgroups based on gene expression profiles, which were retrieved from the GEO databases. The SGRQ score and age were significantly higher in C2 than in C1. Using WGCNA, five subgroup-specific modules were identified. M4 was mainly enriched by MAPK signaling, which was mainly expressed in C2; M1, M2, and M3 were mainly enriched by metabolic pathways and Chemokine signaling, and the pathway of M5 was phagosome inflammation; M1, M2, M3, and M5 were mainly expressed in C1. Utilizing the CIBERSORT, we showed that the number of M1 macrophage cells, CD8 T cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and Plasma cells was significantly different between C1 and C2. We found the molecular subgroups of IPF revealed that cases from different subgroups may have their unique patterns and provide novel information to understand the mechanisms of IPF itself.

Hydrophobicity, high viscosity, and dispersion are important properties for organo-montmorillonites, and all organo-montmorillonite configurations have yet to be fully characterized with respect to this property. High-viscosity montmorillonite (Mnt) is useful in gels and as an adsorber. The current study focused on modifying Mnt using organic cations and anions of various chain lengths in batch experiments with various concentrations and ratios. The viscosity of organic Mnt reached up to 395 mP.s. Molecular dynamics simulations and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to identify the conditions and arrangement of organic cations and anions in the Mnt interlayer area. The intercalation mechanism of organic cations and anions was also determined, providing a theoretical basis for the preparation of high-viscosity Mnt.

Background. Oxidative stress is an important cause of liver disease and atherosclerosis. Natural substances with antioxidant activity are good drugs for treating liver disease and atherosclerosis. Trichosanthes kirilowii Peel Polysaccharide (TKPP) can remove DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radicals and hydroxyl free radicals in vitro, which shows antioxidant activity. Therefore, it is speculated that it can protect human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) and umbilical artery smooth muscle cell (HUASMC) against oxidative damage by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Methods. Oxidative damage cell models of HepG2 and HUASMC were induced by H2O2. HepG2 and HUASMC were divided into blank group, H2O2 injury group, TKPP treatment group, and glutathione (GSH) positive control group. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell viability. The level of total GSH and the amount of Nitric oxide (NO) secreted by cells were detected by specific kits. The gene and protein expressions of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western Blot. Results. In these two kinds of cells, compared with the control group, the survival rate, total GSH level, and NO secretion, CAT and SOD gene and protein expressions were significantly decreased in the H2O2 damaged group. In the TKPP treatment group, the cell survival rate was significantly elevated with the increase of the polysaccharide concentration, and the total GSH level, NO secretion, CAT and SOD gene expression, and protein expression levels were also significantly increased. Conclusion. TKPP can improve the activities of HepG2 and HUASMC cells damaged by H2O2 and protect the cellular antioxidant system.

The key event of liver regeneration initiation (LRI) is the switch of hepatocytes from the G0 phase to the G1 phase. This study aimed to use the data from large-scale quantitatively detecting and analyzing (LQDA) to reveal the regulation of hepatocytes in the G0 or G1 phase by competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) during LRI. The hepatocytes of the rat liver right lobe were isolated 0, 6, and 24 h after partial hepatectomy. Their ceRNA expression level was measured using LQDA, and the correlation among their expression, interaction, and role was revealed by ceRNA comprehensive analysis. The expression of neurogenic loci notch homologous protein 3 (NOTCH3) mRNA was upregulated in 0 h, but the expression of miR-369-3p and rno-Rmdn2_0006 of hepatocytes did not change significantly. Meanwhile, the expression of the G0 phase-related gene CDKN1c was promoted by NOTCH3 upregulation, and the expression of the G1 phase-related gene PSEN2 was inhibited by NOTCH3 downregulation. On the contrary, the expression of NOTCH3 mRNA and rno-Rmdn2_0006 was upregulated at 6 h, but the expression of miR-136-3p was downregulated. The expression of the G1 phase-related genes CHUK, DDX24, HES1, NET1, and STAT3 was promoted by NOTCH3 upregulation, and the expression of the G0 phase-related gene CDKN1a was inhibited by NOTCH3 downregulation. These results suggested that the ceRNAs and the NOTCH3-regulated G0 phase- and G1 phase-related genes showed a correlation in expression, interaction, and role. They together regulated the hepatocytes in the G0 phase at 0 h and in the G1 phase at 6 h. These findings might help understand the mechanism by which ceRNA together regulated the hepatocytes in the G0 or G1 phase.

We present an effective approach to realize a highly efficient, high-power and chirped pulse amplification-free ultrafast ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet thin-disk regenerative amplifier pumped by a zero-phonon line 969 nm laser diode. The amplifier delivers an output power exceeding 154 W at a pulse repetition rate of 1 MHz with custom-designed 48 pump passes. The exceptional thermal management on the thin disk through high-quality bonding, efficient heat dissipation and a fully locked spectrum collectively contributes to achieving a remarkable optical-to-optical efficiency of 61% and a near-diffraction-limit beam quality with an M2 factor of 1.06. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the highest conversion efficiency reported in ultrafast thin-disk regenerative amplifiers. Furthermore, the amplifier operates at room temperature and exhibits exceptional stability, with root mean square stability of less than 0.33%. This study significantly represents advances in the field of laser amplification systems, particularly in terms of efficiency and average power. This advantageous combination of high efficiency and diffraction limitation positions the thin-disk regenerative amplifier as a promising solution for a wide range of scientific and industrial applications.

Post-event rumination (PER) has been seen as a key element in the persistence of social anxiety (disorder). Studies on PER-targeted intervention, e.g., cognitive restructuring (CR), has, however, received little attention in adults, not yet in youth. In addition, previous research showed that, compared to interaction, participants reported higher levels of PER after speech task. The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of CR targeting PER among socially anxious (Chinese) adolescents and also to compare the intervention effect between speech and interaction situations. The present study recruited a sample of 73 high socially anxious adolescents aged 12–16 years and then randomly assigned them into speech (n = 37) or interaction (n = 36) group, without control group. PER and social anxiety (SA) were measured before and after CR. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) results showed that adolescents’ PER and SA symptoms were significantly improved with intervention with moderate to high effect size. Furthermore, the decrease in PER could significantly predict the improvement of SA. However, the intervention effect showed no difference between groups. Although no control group was included, one-session CR still showed its potential to improve participants’ PER and SA. Limitations and future directions were discussed.

It is very challenging for robots to perform grinding and polishing tasks on surfaces with unknown geometry. Most existing methods solve this problem by modeling the relationship between the force sensing information and surface normal vectors by analyzing the forces on special end tools such as spherical tools and cylindrical tools and simplified friction model. In this paper, we propose a normal vectors learning method to simultaneously control end-effector force and direction on unknown surfaces. First, the relation that mapping the force sensing information to the surface normal vectors is learned from the demonstrated data on the known plane using locally weighted regression. Next, the learned relation is used to estimate surface normal vectors on the unknown surface. To improve the force control precision on the unknown geometry surface, the adaptive force control is developed. To improve the direction control precision due to friction, the iterative learning control is developed. The proposed method is verified by comparative simulations and experiments using the Franka robot. Results show that the end-effector can be controlled perpendicular to the surface with a certain force.

Post-acceleration of protons in helical coil targets driven by intense, ultrashort laser pulses can enhance ion energy by utilizing the transient current from the targets’ self-discharge. The acceleration length of protons can exceed a few millimeters, and the acceleration gradient is of the order of GeV/m. How to ensure the synchronization between the accelerating electric field and the protons is a crucial problem for efficient post-acceleration. In this paper, we study how the electric field mismatch induced by current dispersion affects the synchronous acceleration of protons. We propose a scheme using a two-stage helical coil to control the current dispersion. With optimized parameters, the energy gain of protons is increased by four times. Proton energy is expected to reach 45 MeV using a hundreds-of-terawatts laser, or more than 100 MeV using a petawatt laser, by controlling the current dispersion.

We report high-precision K isotopes, apatite U–Pb ages, whole-rock elements and Sr–Nd isotopes for the Saima nephelite syenite in the North China Craton. Trace-element and Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotope data indicate the presence of subducting sediments in the source region, while K isotopic compositions show a narrow range between –0.54 ‰ and –0.28 ‰, with an average of –0.41 ± 0.06 ‰, identical to the value of the asthenosphere. The nearly identical K isotopic compositions are low probability events compared with the K isotopic compositions of island arc lavas reported previously (–1.55 ‰ to +0.2 ‰). Although crustal contamination is consistent with the Sr–Nd–K isotopic data, alternatively we propose that the isotopic data also reconcile with the interaction between cratonic roots and the underlying convective asthenosphere, if this interaction is over prolonged periods of time. Numerical simulations successfully reproduced the observed data, if the metasomatism of the lithospheric mantle root, the source of the Saima alkaline rocks, occurred 500 Ma ago. Our study reveals that the isotopic compositions of fast-diffusion components in a lithospheric mantle metasomatized by ancient subducting melts can be effectively homogenized by convective asthenosphere through diffusion over a long time interval.