Tetrahedral shape of 110^{110}Zr from covariant density functional theory in 3D lattice space

Covariant density functional theory is solved in 3D lattice space by implementing the preconditioned conjugate gradient method with a filtering function (PCG-F). It considerably improves the computational efficiency compared to the previous inverse Hamiltonian method (IHM). This new method is then applied to explore the tetrahedral shape of $^{110}$Zr in the full deformation space. The ground state of $^{110}$Zr is found to have a tetrahedral shape, but the deformations $\beta_{31}$ and $\beta_{33}$ greatly soften the potential energy surface. This effect is analysed with the microscopic evolution of the single-particle levels near the Fermi surface driven by the deformation

More complex encoder is not all you need

U-Net and its variants have been widely used in medical image segmentation. However, most current U-Net variants confine their improvement strategies to building more complex encoder, while leaving the decoder unchanged or adopting a simple symmetric structure. These approaches overlook the true functionality of the decoder: receiving low-resolution feature maps from the encoder and restoring feature map resolution and lost information through upsampling. As a result, the decoder, especially its upsampling component, plays a crucial role in enhancing segmentation outcomes. However, in 3D medical image segmentation, the commonly used transposed convolution can result in visual artifacts. This issue stems from the absence of direct relationship between adjacent pixels in the output feature map. Furthermore, plain encoder has already possessed sufficient feature extraction capability because downsampling operation leads to the gradual expansion of the receptive field, but the loss of information during downsampling process is unignorable. To address the gap in relevant research, we extend our focus beyond the encoder and introduce neU-Net (i.e., not complex encoder U-Net), which incorporates a novel Sub-pixel Convolution for upsampling to construct a powerful decoder. Additionally, we introduce multi-scale wavelet inputs module on the encoder side to provide additional information. Our model design achieves excellent results, surpassing other state-of-the-art methods on both the Synapse and ACDC datasets

Pseudospin symmetry in supersymmetric quantum mechanics: Schr\"odinger equations

The origin of pseudospin symmetry (PSS) and its breaking mechanism are explored by combining supersymmetry (SUSY) quantum mechanics, perturbation theory, and the similarity renormalization group (SRG) method. The Schr\"odinger equation is taken as an example, corresponding to the lowest-order approximation in transforming a Dirac equation into a diagonal form by using the SRG. It is shown that while the spin-symmetry-conserving term appears in the single-particle Hamiltonian $H$, the PSS-conserving term appears naturally in its SUSY partner Hamiltonian $\tilde{H}$. The eigenstates of Hamiltonians $H$ and $\tilde{H}$ are exactly one-to-one identical except for the so-called intruder states. In such a way, the origin of PSS deeply hidden in $H$ can be traced in its SUSY partner Hamiltonian $\tilde{H}$. The perturbative nature of PSS in the present potential without spin-orbit term is demonstrated by the perturbation calculations, and the PSS-breaking term can be regarded as a very small perturbation on the exact PSS limits. A general tendency that the pseudospin-orbit splittings become smaller with increasing single-particle energies can also be interpreted in an explicit way.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figures, 2 table

A Modified Method to Generate Typical Meteorological Years from the Long-Term Weather Database

A modified typical meteorological year (TMY) method is proposed for generating TMY from practical measured weather data. A total of eleven weather indices and novel assigned weighting factors are applied in the processing of forming the TMY database. TMYs of 35 cities in China are generated based on the latest and accurate measured weather data (dry bulb temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity, atmospheric pressure, and daily global solar radiation) in the period of 1994–2010. The TMY data and typical solar radiation data are also investigated and analyzed in this paper, which are important in the utilizations of solar energy systems

Causal relationship between gut microbiota with subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue: a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization study

BackgroundNumerous studies have revealed associations between gut microbiota and adipose tissue. However, the specific functional bacterial taxa and their causal relationships with adipose tissue production in different regions of the body remain unclear.MethodsWe conducted a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian Randomization (MR) study using aggregated data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for gut microbiota and adipose tissue. We employed methods such as inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, simple mode, and weighted mode to assess the causal relationships between gut microbiota and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) as well as visceral adipose tissue (VAT). Cochran’s Q test, MR-Egger regression intercept analysis, and MR-PRESSO were used to test for heterogeneity, pleiotropy, and outliers of the instrumental variables, respectively. Reverse MR was employed to evaluate the reverse causal relationships between SAT, VAT, and gut microbiota with significant associations.ResultsIVW results demonstrated that Betaproteobacteria were protective factors for SAT production (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80–0.96, p = 0.005) and VAT production (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83–0.99, p = 0.030). Various bacterial taxa including Ruminococcaceae UCG002 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99, p = 0.017), Methanobacteria class (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92–1.00, p = 0.029), and Burkholderiales (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83–0.98, p = 0.012) were associated only with decreased SAT production. Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02–1.10, p = 0.005), Eubacterium hallii group (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01–1.15, p = 0.028), Peptococcaceae (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01–1.17, p = 0.034), and Peptococcus (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00–1.10, p = 0.047) were risk factors for SAT production. Meanwhile, Eubacterium fissicatena group (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.91–0.99, p = 0.019), Turicibacter (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.88–0.99, p = 0.022), and Defluviitaleaceae UCG011 (OR = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99, p = 0.024) were protective factors for VAT production. Furthermore, Bacteroidetes (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01–1.17, p = 0.018), Eubacterium eligens group (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01–1.19, p = 0.037), Alloprevotella (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00–1.10, p = 0.038), and Phascolarctobacterium (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00–1.15, p = 0.042) were associated with VAT accumulation. Additionally, reverse MR revealed significant associations between SAT, VAT, and Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group (IVW: OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.18–2.09, p = 0.002) as well as Betaproteobacteria (IVW: OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.01–1.29, p = 0.029), both acting as risk factors. Sensitivity analyzes during bidirectional MR did not identify heterogeneity or pleiotropy.ConclusionThis study unveils complex causal relationships between gut microbiota and SAT/VAT, providing novel insights into the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of gut microbiota in obesity and related metabolic disorders

Direct Stimulation of Adult Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells In Vitro and Neurogenesis In Vivo by Salvianolic Acid B

Background: Small molecules have been shown to modulate the neurogenesis processes. In search for new therapeutic drugs, the herbs used in traditional medicines for neurogenesis are promising candidates. Methodology and Principal Findings: We selected a total of 45 natural compounds from Traditional Chinese herbal medicines which are extensively used in China to treat stroke clinically, and tested their proliferation-inducing activities on neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs). The screening results showed that salvianolic acid B (Sal B) displayed marked effects on the induction of proliferation of NSPCs. We further demonstrated that Sal B promoted NSPCs proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manners. To explore the molecular mechanism, PI3K/Akt, MEK/ERK and Notch signaling pathways were investigated. Cell proliferation assay demonstrated that Ly294002 (PI3K/Akt inhibitor), but neither U0126 (ERK inhibitor) nor DAPT (Notch inhibitor) inhibited the Sal B-induced proliferation of cells. Western Blotting results showed that stimulation of NSPCs with Sal B enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt, and Ly294002 abolished this effect, confirming the role of Akt in Sal B mediated proliferation of NSPCs. Rats exposed to transient cerebral ischemia were treated for 4 weeks with Sal B from the 7th day after stroke. BrdU incorporation assay results showed that exposure Sal B could maintain the proliferation of NSPCs after cerebral ischemia. Morris water maze test showed that delayed post-ischemic treatment with Sal B improved cognitive impairment after stroke in rats

Peregrine and saker falcon genome sequences provide insights into evolution of a predatory lifestyle

As top predators, falcons possess unique morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that allow them to be successful hunters: for example, the peregrine is renowned as the world's fastest animal. To examine the evolutionary basis of predatory adaptations, we sequenced the genomes of both the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and saker falcon (Falco cherrug), and we present parallel, genome-wide evidence for evolutionary innovation and selection for a predatory lifestyle. The genomes, assembled using Illumina deep sequencing with greater than 100-fold coverage, are both approximately 1.2 Gb in length, with transcriptome-assisted prediction of approximately 16,200 genes for both species. Analysis of 8,424 orthologs in both falcons, chicken, zebra finch and turkey identified consistent evidence for genome-wide rapid evolution in these raptors. SNP-based inference showed contrasting recent demographic trajectories for the two falcons, and gene-based analysis highlighted falcon-specific evolutionary novelties for beak development and olfaction and specifically for homeostasis-related genes in the arid environment–adapted saker

Boosting with an aerosolized Ad5-nCoV elicited robust immune responses in inactivated COVID-19 vaccines recipients

IntroductionThe SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant and exhibits immune escape to current COVID-19 vaccines, the further boosting strategies are required.MethodsWe have conducted a non-randomized, open-label and parallel-controlled phase 4 trial to evaluate the magnitude and longevity of immune responses to booster vaccination with intramuscular adenovirus vectored vaccine (Ad5-nCoV), aerosolized Ad5-nCoV, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine (ZF2001) or homologous inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) in those who received two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. ResultsThe aerosolized Ad5-nCoV induced the most robust and long-lasting neutralizing activity against Omicron variant and IFNg T-cell response among all the boosters, with a distinct mucosal immune response. SARS-CoV-2-specific mucosal IgA response was substantially generated in subjects boosted with the aerosolized Ad5-nCoV at day 14 post-vaccination. At month 6, participants boosted with the aerosolized Ad5-nCoV had remarkably higher median titer and seroconversion of the Omicron BA.4/5-specific neutralizing antibody than those who received other boosters. DiscussionOur findings suggest that aerosolized Ad5-nCoV may provide an efficient alternative in response to the spread of the Omicron BA.4/5 variant.Clinical trial registrationhttps://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=152729, identifier ChiCTR2200057278

Detection of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background with JUNO

As an underground multi-purpose neutrino detector with 20 kton liquid scintillator, Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is competitive with and complementary to the water-Cherenkov detectors on the search for the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB). Typical supernova models predict 2-4 events per year within the optimal observation window in the JUNO detector. The dominant background is from the neutral-current (NC) interaction of atmospheric neutrinos with 12C nuclei, which surpasses the DSNB by more than one order of magnitude. We evaluated the systematic uncertainty of NC background from the spread of a variety of data-driven models and further developed a method to determine NC background within 15\% with {\it{in}} {\it{situ}} measurements after ten years of running. Besides, the NC-like backgrounds can be effectively suppressed by the intrinsic pulse-shape discrimination (PSD) capabilities of liquid scintillators. In this talk, I will present in detail the improvements on NC background uncertainty evaluation, PSD discriminator development, and finally, the potential of DSNB sensitivity in JUNO

Potential of Core-Collapse Supernova Neutrino Detection at JUNO

JUNO is an underground neutrino observatory under construction in Jiangmen, China. It uses 20kton liquid scintillator as target, which enables it to detect supernova burst neutrinos of a large statistics for the next galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) and also pre-supernova neutrinos from the nearby CCSN progenitors. All flavors of supernova burst neutrinos can be detected by JUNO via several interaction channels, including inverse beta decay, elastic scattering on electron and proton, interactions on C12 nuclei, etc. This retains the possibility for JUNO to reconstruct the energy spectra of supernova burst neutrinos of all flavors. The real time monitoring systems based on FPGA and DAQ are under development in JUNO, which allow prompt alert and trigger-less data acquisition of CCSN events. The alert performances of both monitoring systems have been thoroughly studied using simulations. Moreover, once a CCSN is tagged, the system can give fast characterizations, such as directionality and light curve