Causes and classification of EMD mode mixing

At present, the lack of insight into the problem of mode mixing in Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) hinders the development of solutions to the problem. Starting with the phenomenon that the EMD decomposition cannot be accomplished when the number of signal extrema is abnormal, the causes of mode mixing were investigated and the conclusion was reached that there are only two basic types of mode mixing. In light of this finding, the mechanisms of the three typical mode mixing solutions and their limitations were analyzed. It was found from the analysis process and results that the findings of this study regarding the causes and types of mode mixing were correct

Chiral plasmonics and enhanced chiral light-matter interactions

International audienceChirality, which describes the broken mirror symmetry in geometric structures, exists macroscopically in our daily life as well as microscopically down to molecular levels. Correspondingly, chiral molecules interact differently with circularly polarized light exhibiting opposite handedness (left-handed and right-handed). However, the interaction between chiral molecules and chiral light is very weak. In contrast, artificial chiral plasmonic structures can generate “super-chiral” plasmonic near-field, leading to enhanced chiral light-matter (or chiroptical) interactions. The “super-chiral” near-field presents different amplitude and phase under opposite handedness incidence, which can be utilized to engineer linear and nonlinear chiroptical interactions. Specifically, in the interaction between quantum emitters and chiral plasmonic structures, the chiral hot spots can favour the emission with a specific handedness. This article reviews the state-of-the-art research on the design, fabrication and chiroptical response of different chiral plasmonic nanostructures or metasurfaces. This review also discusses enhanced chiral light-matter interactions that are essential for applications like chirality sensing, chiral selective light emitting and harvesting. In the final part, the review ends with a perspective on future directions of chiral plasmonics

Alterations in platelet indices link polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons toxicity to low-grade inflammation in preschool children

Background: Environmental exposure to carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can disturb the immune response. However, the effect of PAHs on low-grade inflammation related to platelets in humans is unknown. Objectives: We investigated the association of PAH exposure with low-grade inflammation and platelet parameters in healthy preschoolers. Methods: The present study recruited 239 participants, aged 2-7 years, from an electronic-waste (e-waste)-exposed (n = 118) and a reference (n = 121) area. We measured ten urinary PAH metabolites, four types of immune cells and cytokines, and seven platelet parameters, and compared their differences between children from the two groups. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to explore the potential risk factors for PAH exposure and the associations between urinary monohydroxylated PAHs (OH-PAHs) and biological parameters. Associations between urinary PAH metabolites and platelet indices were analyzed using quantile regression models. Mediation analysis was used to understand the relationship between urinary total hydroxynaphthalene (Sigma OHNa) and interleukin (IL)-1 beta through seven platelet indices, as mediator variables. Results: We found higher urinary monohydroxylated PAH (OH-PAH) concentrations, especially 1-hydroxynaphthalene (1-OHNa) and 2-hydroxynaphthalene (2-OHNa), in children from the e-waste-exposed group than in the reference group. These were closely associated with child personal habits and family environment. A decreased lymphocyte ratio and increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as gamma interferon-inducible protein (IP)-10 and IL-1 beta, were found in the e-waste-exposed children. After adjustment for confounding factors, significantly negative correlations were found between levels of mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) and ratio of mean platelet volume to platelet count (MPVP) and OH-PAHs. In addition, Sigma OHNa was positively associated with IL-1 beta mediated through MPV, PDW, P-LCR, and ratio of platelet count to lymphocyte count (PLR). Conclusions: Platelet indices were significantly associated with the changes in urinary OH-PAH levels, which may can be regarded as effective biomarkers of low-grade inflammation resulting from low PAH exposure in healthy children

Integrated radiative and evaporative cooling beyond daytime passive cooling power limit

Radiative cooling technologies can passively gain lower temperature than that of ambient surroundings without consuming electricity, which has emerged as potential alternatives to traditional cooling methods. However, the limitations in daytime radiation intensity with a net cooling power of less than 150 W·m−2 have hindered progress toward commercial practicality. Here, we report an integrated radiative and evaporative chiller (IREC) based on polyacrylamide hydrogels combined with an upper layer of breathable poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) fibers, which achieves a record high practical average daytime cooling power of 710 W·m−2. The breathable fiber layer has an average emissivity of over 76% in the atmospheric window, while reflecting 90% of visible light. This IREC possesses effective daytime radiative cooling while simultaneously ensuring evaporative cooling capability, enhancing daytime passive cooling effectively. As a result, IREC presents the practicability for both personal cooling managements and industrial auxiliary cooling applications. An IREC-based patch can assist in cooling human body by 13 °C low for a long term and biocompatible use, and IREC can maintain the temperature of industrial storage facilities such as oil tanks at room temperature even under strong sunlight irradiation. This work delivers the highest performance daytime passive cooling by simultaneous infrared radiation and water evaporation, and provides a new perspective for developing highly efficient, scalable, and affordable passive cooling strategy

Rare Copy Number Variants Identify Novel Genes in Sporadic Total Anomalous Pulmonary Vein Connection

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare congenital heart anomaly. Several genes have been associated TAPVC but the mechanisms remain elusive. To search novel CNVs and candidate genes, we screened a cohort of 78 TAPVC cases and 100 healthy controls for rare copy number variants (CNVs) using whole exome sequencing (WES). Then we identified pathogenic CNVs by statistical comparisons between case and control groups. After that, we identified altogether eight pathogenic CNVs of seven candidate genes (PCSK7, RRP7A, SERHL, TARP, TTN, SERHL2, and NBPF3). All these seven genes have not been described previously to be related to TAPVC. After network analysis of these candidate genes and 27 known pathogenic genes derived from the literature and publicly database, PCSK7 and TTN were the most important genes for TAPVC than other genes. Our study provides novel candidate genes potentially related to this rare congenital birth defect (CHD) which should be further fundamentally researched and discloses the possible molecular pathogenesis of TAPVC

The genome of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.)

[EN] Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) is a major crop for worldwide food and nutritional security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, that is resilient to hot and drought-prone environments. An assembly of the single-haplotype inbred genome of cowpea IT97K-499-35 was developed by exploiting the synergies between single-molecule real-time sequencing, optical and genetic mapping, and an assembly reconciliation algorithm. A total of 519 Mb is included in the assembled sequences. Nearly half of the assembled sequence is composed of repetitive elements, which are enriched within recombination-poor pericentromeric regions. A comparative analysis of these elements suggests that genome size differences between Vigna species are mainly attributable to changes in the amount of Gypsy retrotransposons. Conversely, genes are more abundant in more distal, high-recombination regions of the chromosomes; there appears to be more duplication of genes within the NBS-LRR and the SAUR-like auxin superfamilies compared with other warm-season legumes that have been sequenced. A surprising outcome is the identification of an inversion of 4.2 Mb among landraces and cultivars, which includes a gene that has been associated in other plants with interactions with the parasitic weed Striga gesnerioides. The genome sequence facilitated the identification of a putative syntelog for multiple organ gigantism in legumes. A revised numbering system has been adopted for cowpea chromosomes based on synteny with common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). An estimate of nuclear genome size of 640.6 Mbp based on cytometry is presentedS

Application of Instantaneous Parameter Characteristic in Active Lamb Wave Based Monitoring of Plate Structural Health

In the active Lamb wave based monitoring of plate structural health, it is difficult to extract damage information from active Lamb waves based on single sensor collection. Based on the Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT) instantaneous processing method, this paper proposes to study the damage information carried by a single sensor monitoring signal from the instantaneous parameter characteristics of the signal. The instantaneous phase change caused by the phase difference between the damage scattering wave and the direct wave is studied. The change of the marginal spectrum amplitude in the effective range caused by the damage scattering wave is studied in continuous multiple frequency bands. Finally, the damage information extraction based on a single sensor monitoring signal is realized. From the model analysis and experimental results, it is reliable and feasible to realize the active Lamb wave based monitoring of plate structural health according to the instantaneous parameter change characteristics from a single sensor signal

Molecular characterization of a bipartite double-stranded RNA virus and its satellite-like RNA co-infecting the phytopathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

A variety of mycoviruses have been found in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In this study, we report a novel mycovirus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum botybirnavirus 1 (SsBRV1) that was originally isolated from the hypovirulent strain SCH941 of S. sclerotiorum. SsBRV1 has rigid spherical virions that are ~38 nm in diameter, and three dsRNA segments (dsRNA1, 2 and 3 with lengths of 6.4, 6.0 and 1.7 kbp, respectively) were packaged in the virions. dsRNA1 encodes a cap-pol fusion protein, and dsRNA2 encodes a polyprotein with unknown functions but contributes to the formation of virus particles. The dsRNA3 is dispensable and may be a satellite-like RNA (SatlRNA) of SsBRV1. Although phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp domain demonstrated that SsBRV1 is related to Botrytis porri RNA virus 1 (BpRV1) and Ustilago maydis dsRNA virus-H1 (UmV-H1), the structure proteins of SsBRV1 do not have any significant sequence similarities with other known viral proteins with the exception of those of BpRV1. SsBRV1 carrying dsRNA3 seems to have no obvious effects on the colony morphology, but can significantly reduce the growth rate and virulence of S. sclerotiorum. Notably, a growth hormone receptor binding domain (GHBP, Pfam12772) is detected in ORF2-encoded protein of SsBRV1, which have not been reported in any other viruses. These findings provide new insights into the virus taxonomy, virus evolution and the interactions between SsBRV1 and the fungal hosts