Effects of season and diel cycle on hydroacoustic estimates of density, Target Strength, and vertical distribution of fish in Yudong Reservoir, a plateau deep water reservoir in southwest China in a plateau deep

Hydroacoustics is a non-invasive fish stock assessment sampling technique that plays an important role in fishery science and management. However, non-standard hydroacoustic surveys could lead to biased results, and the factor of the sampling period (e.g., season and diel cycle) is extremely critical as it can greatly affect hydroacoustic results. Efforts to improve the accuracy and credibility of the hydroacoustic survey results are getting more and more attention. Thus, we conducted two diel hydroacoustic surveys in situ in summer and winter to detect whether there were diel and seasonal differences in density, Target Strength (TS) and vertical distribution of fish. The results indicated that nighttime had significantly higher fish mean density than daytime in summer and winter. No significant difference between summer and winter daytime, however, significant difference between summer and winter nighttime, but this bias could be accepted from the fisheries management perspective; The mean TS of the summer daytime was significantly higher than that of summer nighttime, winter daytime and winter nighttime, but there were no significant differences among summer nighttime, winter daytime, and winter nighttime, mainly due to mean TS may be overestimated from fish schooling behavior during summer daytime; The fish vertical distribution had significant seasonal correlations and was more dispersed in different water layers during the nighttime, proving that the assessment was better at nighttime than during the daytime. Consequently, the hydroacoustic surveys in Yudong Reservoir and other similar plateau deep water reservoirs should be performed at nighttime, which will yield relatively accurate density and TS, and dispersed vertical distribution of fish

Analysis of the Effectiveness of Urban Land-Use-Change Models Based on the Measurement of Spatio-Temporal, Dynamic Urban Growth: A Cellular Automata Case Study

Developing countries have been undergoing dramatic urban growth over the past three decades. It is essential to understand and simulate the urban growth process for smart urban planning and sustainable development purposes. Cellular automata (CA) modeling is an efficient approach to simulating urban land use/cover change; however, the traditional CA method has limitations in simulating the various urban growth patterns and processes. This study aims to analyze the influences of different urban growth characteristics on the effectiveness of CA modeling by conducting a case study over the area in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China. We used the growth rate, landscape expansion index, and spatial dependency to quantify the urban growth characteristics. The effectiveness of CA modeling was measured through a comparison of the simulation results with the reference data. The simulation results and validation analyses reveal that the traditional CA is not applicable for the following three situations: (1) the urban growth pattern characterized by less growth area or a higher ratio of outlying expansion; (2) the urban region that includes several subregions with disparate growth characteristics; and (3) the existence of temporal differences in growth characteristics over a long period

A Dual-Band Conformal Antenna Based on Highly Conductive Graphene-Assembled Films for 5G WLAN Applications

Flexible electronic devices are widely used in the Internet of Things, smart home and wearable devices, especially in carriers with irregular curved surfaces. Light weight, flexible and corrosion-resistant carbon-based materials have been extensively investigated in RF electronics. However, the insufficient electrical conductivity limits their further application. In this work, a flexible and low-profile dual-band Vivaldi antenna based on highly conductive graphene-assembled films (GAF) is proposed for 5G Wi-Fi applications. The proposed GAF antenna with the profile of 0.548 mm comprises a split ring resonator and open circuit half wavelength resonator to implement the dual band-notched characteristic. The operating frequency of the flexible GAF antenna covers the Wi-Fi 6e band, 2.4–2.45 GHz and 5.15–7.1 GHz. Different conformal applications are simulated by attaching the antenna to the surface of cylinders with different radii. The measured results show that the working frequency bands and the radiation patterns of the GAF antenna are relatively stable, with a bending angle of 180°. For demonstration of practical application, the GAF antennas are conformed to a commercial router. The spectral power of the GAF antenna router is greater than the copper antenna router, which means a higher signal-to-noise ratio and a longer transmission range can be achieved. All results indicate that the proposed GAF antenna has broad application prospects in next generation Wi-Fi

Response of pore network fractal dimensions and gas adsorption capacities of shales exposed to supercritical CO2: Implications for CH4 recovery and carbon sequestration

The injection of CO2 into shale reservoirs potentially increases rates and masses of CH4 recovery and simultaneously contributes to the sequestration of CO2. At typical reservoir conditions (T≥31.08 °C, P≥7.38 MPa) the CO2 will be supercritical. We compile, analyze, and supplement experimental data of shales from several basins across China, and use X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and low-pressure gas adsorption to characterize variations in shale pore structure before and after supercritical CO2 (ScCO2) treatment, and supplement these with CH4/CO2 adsorption experiments to characterize changes in shale adsorption capacity. The results show that clay and carbonate contents significantly decrease, and the relative content of quartz is increased after ScCO2 treatment. Pore structure changes significantly after ScCO2 treatment, with the majority of the shales showing a decrease in total specific surface area and total pore volume and an increase in average pore size — indicating the transformation of some micropores and smaller mesopores into mesopores and macropores. After ScCO2 treatment, the experimentally derived absolute adsorption volumes of both CH4 and CO2 decrease, and the volumes of both CH4 and CO2 fitting a Langmuir isotherm decrease with an increase in treatment pressure and increase with an increase in temperature. The adsorption selectivity factors αCO2/CH4all remain greater than 1 with αCO2/CH4primarily controlled by the pore structure. The fractal dimension is positively correlated with Langmuir volume and negatively correlated with Langmuir pressure while the fractal dimensions are negatively correlated with αCO2/CH4. The selectivity factor αCO2/CH4decreases rapidly above a fractal dimension threshold (D1>2.65, D2>2.80). This paper further reveals critical interactions between ScCO2 and shale and defines controls on and of pore structure and adsorption capacity to speculate on physical and chemical storage mechanisms of CO2 in shale reservoirs. This provides several theoretical bases for shale gas recovery and the sequestration of CO2

Survey of Reliability Research on 3D Packaged Memory

As the core carrier of information storage, a semiconductor memory device is a basic product with a large volume that is widespread in the integrated circuit industry. With the rapid development of semiconductor manufacturing processes and materials, the internal structure of memory has gradually shifted from a 2D planar packaging structure to a 3D packaging structure to meet industry demands for high-frequency, high-speed, and large-capacity devices with low power consumption. However, advanced 3D packaging technology can pose some reliability risks, making devices prone to failure, especially when used in harsh environmental conditions, including temperature changes, high temperature and humidity levels, and mechanical stress. In this paper, the authors introduce the typical structure characteristics of 3D packaged memory; analyze the reasons for device failure caused by stress; summarize current research methods that utilize temperature, mechanical and hygrothermal theories, and failure models; and present future challenges and directions regarding the reliability research of 3D packaged memory

臺灣地區河川流量推估之研究

Uveitis is characterized as a common cause of blindness worldwide. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated nuclear receptor, has been implicated to play a role in human uveitis, although the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to enhance our knowledge concerning the role of AhR during intraocular inflammation. We immunized wild-type and AhR-knockout C57BL/6J mice with IRBP651–670 to induce experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Disease severity was evaluated with both clinical and histopathological grading. Blood–retinal barrier (BRB) integrity was tested by Evans blue and tight junction proteins qualifications. Apoptosis was measured using TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining. Macrophage/microglia activation and polarization were studied by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Following EAU induction, AhR−/− mice had more severe clinical and histopathological manifestations of uveitis than AhR+/+ mice. Increased vascular permeability and apoptotic cells were observed in AhR−/− EAU mice when compared with AhR+/+ EAU mice. In addition, AhR−/− EAU mice showed evidence of a significantly increased macrophage/microglia cells and a stronger polarization from the M2 to the M1 phenotype as compared to AhR+/+ EAU mice. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β were increased in AhR−/− EAU mice, which was associated with the activation of NF-κB and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathways. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an agonist of AhR, caused a significant decrease in the clinical and histopathological manifestations, preserved BRB integrity, reduced apoptotic cells, inhibited macrophage/microglia activation, and shifted their polarization from M1 toward M2. Moreover, decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and inhibition of NF-κB and STAT pathways were found in EAU mice following TCDD treatment. In conclusion, AhR activation with TCDD exhibits an immunomodulatory effect by reducing BRB breakdown, inhibiting retinal cell apoptosis, and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression during EAU. The underlying mechanism may involve the modulation of macrophages/microglia polarization and the downregulation of NF-κB and STAT pathways

Tuning Thermoelectric Conversion Performance of BiSbTe/Epoxy Flexible Films with Dot Magnetic Arrays

Embedding of magnetic functional units into the thermoelectric (TE) materials has been demonstrated to be an effective way to enhance the TE conversion performance. However, the magnetic functional units in TE materials are all randomly distributed. In this paper, to explore the effect of the ordering of the magnetic functional units on TE conversion performance, a series of BiSbTe/epoxy flexible thermoelectromagnetic (TEM) films with dot magnetic arrays were successfully prepared by a two-step screen printing combined with a hot pressing process. TEM films with dot magnetic arrays can achieve high carrier mobility, while the carrier concentration increases due to large coercivity. Therefore, its electrical conductivities are significantly improved on the condition that it maintains a high Seebeck coefficient. The TEM film with hexagonal-dot magnetic arrays exhibits the best electrical transport properties, for which the room-temperature power factor reaches 1.51 mW·m–1·K–2, increased by 33.6 and 36.1% as compared with those of the pristine TE film and the TEM film with a continuous magnetic layer, respectively. This work provides a new way to enhance the TE conversion performance of flexible TEM films through the ordered magnetic arrays

Comprehensive landscape of tRNA-derived fragments in lung cancer

Transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived fragment (tRDF) is a novel small non-coding RNA that presents in different types of cancer. The comprehensive understanding of tRDFs in non-small cell lung cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, 1,550 patient samples of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were included, and 52 tRDFs with four subtypes were identified. Six tRDFs were picked as diagnostic signatures based on the tRDFs expression patterns, and area under the curve (AUC) in independent validations is up to 0.90. Two signatures were validated successfully in plasma samples, and six signatures confirmed the consistency of distinguished expression in NSCLC cell lines. Ten tRDFs along with independent risk scores can be used to predict survival outcomes by stages; 5a_tRF-Ile-AAT/GAT can be a prognosis biomarker for early stage. Association analysis of tRDFs-signatures-correlated mRNAs and microRNA (miRNA) were targeted to the cell cycle and oocyte meiosis signaling pathways. Five tRDFs were assessed to associate with PD-L1 immune checkpoint and correlated with the genes that target in PD-L1 checkpoint signaling pathway. Our study is the first to provide a comprehensive analysis of tRDFs in lung cancer, including four subtypes of tRDFs, investigating the diagnostic and prognostic values, and demonstrated their biological function and transcriptional role as well as potential immune therapeutic value

Label-Free Quantification of Digital Nanorods Assembled from Discrete Oligourethane Amphiphiles

Polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) have been extensively designed for theranostic agent delivery. Previous methods for tracking their biological behavior and assessing theranostic efficacy heavily rely on fluorescence or isotope labeling. However, these labeling techniques may alter the physicochemical properties of the labeled NPs, leading to inaccurate biodistribution information. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop label-free techniques for accurately assessing the biological fate of polymeric NPs. Here, we create discrete oligourethane amphiphiles (DOAs) with methoxy (OMe), hydroxyl (OH), and maleimide (MI) moieties at the dendritic oligo­(ethylene glycol) (dOEG) ends. We obtained four types of digital nanorods (NRs) with distinct surface functional groups through self-assembly of a single DOA (OMe and OH NRs) or coassembly of two DOAs (OMe-MI and OH-MI NRs). These unique NRs can be directly quantified in a label-free manner by using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Specifically, OMe-MI NRs exhibited the best blood circulation, and OH-MI showed the highest area under the curve (AUC) value after intravenous injection. Biodistribution studies demonstrated that MI-containing NRs generally had lower accumulation in the liver and spleen compared to that of MI-free NRs, except for the comparison between OMe and OMe-MI NRs in the liver. Proteomics studies unveiled the formation of distinct protein coronas that may greatly affect the biological behavior of NRs. This study not only provides a label-free technique for quantifying the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of polymeric NRs but also highlights the significant impact of surface functional groups on the biological fate of polymeric NPs

image_1_Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Regulates Apoptosis and Inflammation in a Murine Model of Experimental Autoimmune Uveitis.PDF

<p>Uveitis is characterized as a common cause of blindness worldwide. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a ligand-activated nuclear receptor, has been implicated to play a role in human uveitis, although the exact mechanisms remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to enhance our knowledge concerning the role of AhR during intraocular inflammation. We immunized wild-type and AhR-knockout C57BL/6J mice with IRBP_651–670 to induce experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Disease severity was evaluated with both clinical and histopathological grading. Blood–retinal barrier (BRB) integrity was tested by Evans blue and tight junction proteins qualifications. Apoptosis was measured using TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining. Macrophage/microglia activation and polarization were studied by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Following EAU induction, AhR^−/− mice had more severe clinical and histopathological manifestations of uveitis than AhR^+/+ mice. Increased vascular permeability and apoptotic cells were observed in AhR^−/− EAU mice when compared with AhR^+/+ EAU mice. In addition, AhR^−/− EAU mice showed evidence of a significantly increased macrophage/microglia cells and a stronger polarization from the M2 to the M1 phenotype as compared to AhR^+/+ EAU mice. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β were increased in AhR^−/− EAU mice, which was associated with the activation of NF-κB and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) pathways. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), an agonist of AhR, caused a significant decrease in the clinical and histopathological manifestations, preserved BRB integrity, reduced apoptotic cells, inhibited macrophage/microglia activation, and shifted their polarization from M1 toward M2. Moreover, decreased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β and inhibition of NF-κB and STAT pathways were found in EAU mice following TCDD treatment. In conclusion, AhR activation with TCDD exhibits an immunomodulatory effect by reducing BRB breakdown, inhibiting retinal cell apoptosis, and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine expression during EAU. The underlying mechanism may involve the modulation of macrophages/microglia polarization and the downregulation of NF-κB and STAT pathways.</p