Review of properties of magnetic shape memory (MSM) alloys and MSM actuator designs

Magnetic shape memory alloys are a new group of "smart" materials that exhibit large strain of 6-12% when subjected to magnetic fields. This indicates their enormous potential to be used in different electromagnetic (EM) devices such as actuators, sensors, energy harvesters and dampers. Shape change in MSM materials is controlled by magnetic field and doesn't involve phase transformation, allowing it to overcome a number of disadvantages of conventional shape memory alloys (SMAs). MSM devices are capable of producing large force and stroke output in considerably small dimensions. At the same time they can have fast response and potentially very long lifetime. This paper discusses different modern designs and approaches to MSM actuator design with their advantages and disadvantages. An overview on characteristics of MSM alloys is also presented in order to highlight how different properties of the material influence the total output of a device

A high interferon gamma signature of CD8+ T cells predicts response to neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in gastric cancer

BackgroundWhile the tumor microenvironment (TME) affects immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) efficacy, ICB also reshapes the characteristics of TME. Thus far, studies have focused on the TME evolution during neoadjuvant or adjuvant ICB therapy in gastric cancer (GC). However, the interaction between TME characteristics and neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy remains to be elucidated.MethodsWe performed single-cell RNA sequencing on ten GC specimens pre- and post-neoadjuvant camrelizumab plus mFOLFOX6 to determine the impact of the TME on the efficacy of the combination therapy and the remodeling of TME by the therapy.ResultsA high baseline interferon gamma (IFN-γ) signature in CD8+ T cells predicts better responses to the combination therapy. We also observed that the IFN-γ signature significantly decreased in multiple cell types, and the exhausted signature of CD8+ T cells was significantly suppressed during the neoadjuvant therapy.ConclusionsOur data reveal interactions between the TME and neoadjuvant immunotherapy plus chemotherapy in GC. Importantly, it also highlights the signature of CD8+ T cells in predicting response to the combination therapy in GC

Insight-HXMT dedicated 33-day observation of SGR J1935+2154 I. Burst Catalog

Magnetars are neutron stars with extreme magnetic field and sometimes manifest as soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs). SGR J1935+2154 is one of the most prolific bursters and the first confirmed source of fast radio burst (i.e. FRB 200428). Encouraged by the discovery of the first X-ray counterpart of FRB, Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) implemented a dedicated 33-day long ToO observation of SGR J1935+2154 since April 28, 2020. With the HE, ME, and LE telescopes, Insight-HXMT provides a thorough monitoring of burst activity evolution of SGR J1935+2154, in a very broad energy range (1-250 keV) with high temporal resolution and high sensitivity, resulting in a unique valuable data set for detailed studies of SGR J1935+2154. In this work, we conduct a comprehensive analysis of this observation including detailed burst search, identification and temporal analyses. After carefully removing false triggers, we find a total of 75 bursts from SGR J1935+2154, out of which 70 are single-pulsed. The maximum burst rate is about 56 bursts/day. Both the burst duration and the waiting time between two successive bursts follow log-normal distributions, consistent with previous studies. We also find that bursts with longer duration (some are multi-pulsed) tend to occur during the period with relatively high burst rate. There is no correlation between the waiting time and the fluence or duration of either the former or latter burst. It also seems that there is no correlation between burst duration and hardness ratio, in contrast to some previous reports. In addition, we do not find any X-ray burst associated with any reported radio bursts except for FRB 200428.Comment: 31 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Genomic monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 uncovers an Nsp1 deletion variant that modulates type I interferon response

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of COVID-19, is undergoing constant mutation. Here, we utilized an integrative approach combining epidemiology, virus genome sequencing, clinical phenotyping, and experimental validation to locate mutations of clinical importance. We identified 35 recurrent variants, some of which are associated with clinical phenotypes related to severity. One variant, containing a deletion in the Nsp1-coding region (D500-532), was found in more than 20% of our sequenced samples and associates with higher RT-PCR cycle thresholds and lower serum IFN-beta levels of infected patients. Deletion variants in this locus were found in 37 countries worldwide, and viruses isolated from clinical samples or engineered by reverse genetics with related deletions in Nsp1 also induce lower IFN-beta responses in infected Calu-3 cells. Taken together, our virologic surveillance characterizes recurrent genetic diversity and identified mutations in Nsp1 of biological and clinical importance, which collectively may aid molecular diagnostics and drug design.Peer reviewe

Bacillus pumilus WP8 exhibits biocontrol efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt via attenuation of the virulence of the pathogenic bacterium

Bacillus pumilus WP8 is a plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) with good biocontrol efficacy against tomato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum Rs1115. Biocontrol, however, is not due to antagonism of the pathogenic bacterium. Thus, we hypothesised that the biocontrol efficacy of WP8 was achieved by attenuation of Rs1115 virulence. Here, pot experiments for comparison of Rs1115 in different plant parts were conducted to investigate the ability of WP8 to prevent entry of Rs1115 into the regions of the plant above ground. Primary and secondary metabolite contents of WP8 and their inhibitory effects on twitching and swarming motilities of Rs1115 were determined by microscopic examination and crystal violet staining. The effects of WP8 metabolites on the expression of typical virulence genes in Rs1115 were established by quantitative PCR. Rs1115 abundance in the rhizosphere increased with time after inoculation. However, the shoots treated with WP8 were pathogen-free on days 3 and 6 after inoculation. In the WP8 + Rs1115 treatment group, the abundance of Rs1115 in shoots was 1.5 lg units higher on day 9 post-inoculation than that in the Rs1115 treatment group, while less Rs1115 was observed in the leaves. This indicated that WP8 prevented Rs1115 from spreading to the regions of the plant above ground. Furthermore, some heat-resistant secondary metabolites of WP8 (e.g. lipopeptides) inhibited the twitching and swarming motility of Rs1115. Moreover, the metabolites decreased the expression of typical virulence genes in Rs1115. Therefore, WP8 was shown to attenuate Rs1115 virulence, possibly through pumilacidin secretion

Crop Guidance Photography Algorithm for Mobile Terminals

The issues of inadequate digital proficiency among agricultural practitioners and the suboptimal image quality captured using mobile smart devices have been addressed by providing appropriate guidance to photographers to properly position their mobile devices during image capture. An application for crop guidance photography was developed, which involved classifying and identifying crops from various orientations and providing guidance prompts. Three steps were executed, including increasing sample randomness, model pruning, and knowledge distillation, to improve the MobileNet model for constructing a smartphone-based orientation detection model with high accuracy and low computational requirements. Subsequently, the application was realized by utilizing the classification results for guidance prompts. The test demonstrated that this method effectively and seamlessly guided agricultural practitioners in capturing high-quality crop images, providing effective photographic guidance for farmers