Signal identification with Kalman Filter towards background-free neutrinoless double beta decay searches in gaseous detectors

Particle tracks and differential energy loss measured in high pressure gaseous detectors can be exploited for event identification in neutrinoless double beta decay~($0\nu \beta \beta$) searches. We develop a new method based on Kalman Filter in a Bayesian formalism (KFB) to reconstruct meandering tracks of MeV-scale electrons. With simulation data, we compare the signal and background discrimination power of the KFB method assuming different detector granularities and energy resolutions. Typical background from $^{232}$Th and $^{238}$U decay chains can be suppressed by another order of magnitude than that in published literatures, approaching the background-free regime. For the proposed PandaX-III experiment, the $0\nu \beta \beta$ search half-life sensitivity at the 90\% confidence level would reach $2.7 \times 10^{26}$~yr with 5-year live time, a factor of 2.7 improvement over the initial design target

Optimization of the Best Polar Site for Antioxidant Activity of Panax ginseng Extract Based on Entropy Weight Method and Grey Relational Analysis Combined with Component Analysis

Objective: The differences in antioxidant activity of different polar parts of panax ginseng were investigated to screen the best active parts. Method: In this study, the water extract of Panax ginseng was extracted by petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and n-butanol in turn. The contents of total phenolic acids, total saponins, total polysaccharides, total flavonoids, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re and ginsenoside Rb1 in different polar parts were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectrophotometer. The in vitro antioxidant activity of different polar parts was determined by DPPH free radical, ABTS+ free radical, hydroxyl radical, superoxide anion free radical and cell oxidative damage model. Combined with entropy weight method and grey relational analysis, the quality evaluation model of different polar parts of Panax ginseng was established. By weighting twelve quality characteristic indexes of different polar parts of Panax ginseng, the best antioxidant polar part of Panax ginseng was ultimately selected. Results: The differences in the components and antioxidant activity of different polar parts of Panax ginseng were obvious. Among them, the content of total phenolic acid, total flavonoids and ginsenoside Rb1 in n-butanol part was higher than that in other parts. The n-butanol part had the best antioxidant activity, and had certain scavenging ability to DPPH free radical, ABTS+ free radical, hydroxyl radical and superoxide anion free radical, and the corresponding IC50 values were 0.14, 0.57, 0.92 and 0.75 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, combined with the quality evaluation model, the relative correlation degrees of range of different polar parts of Panax ginseng was 0.352~0.618, and the relative correlation degree of n-butanol part was the highest (0.618), which further indicated that the antioxidant activity of n-butanol part was the strongest. Conclusion: Based on the evaluation results of entropy weight method and grey correlation analysis, the n-butanol part was preliminarily selected as the most ideal antioxidant part of Panax ginseng, which would provide a theoretical basis for the research of Panax ginseng as a natural antioxidant and the development and application of Panax ginseng antioxidant food

Two-Dimensional Moir\'e Polaronic Electron Crystals

Two-dimensional moir\'e materials have emerged as the most versatile platforms for realizing quantum phases of electrons. Here, we explore the stability origins of correlated states in WSe2/WS2 moir\'e superlattices. We find that ultrafast electronic excitation leads to melting of the Mott states on time scales five times longer than predictions from the charge hopping integrals and the melting rates are thermally activated, with activation energies of 18 and 13 meV for the one- and two-hole Mott states, respectively, suggesting significant electron-phonon coupling. DFT calculation of the one-hole Mott state confirms polaron formation and yields a hole-polaron binding energy of 16 meV. These findings reveal a close interplay of electron-electron and electron-phonon interactions in stabilizing the polaronic Mott insulators at transition metal dichalcogenide moir\'e interfaces.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 11 SI figure

Coherent Modulation of Two-Dimensional Moir\'e States with On-Chip THz Waves

Van der Waals (vdW) structures of two-dimensional materials host a broad range of physical phenomena. New opportunities arise if different functional layers may be remotely modulated or coupled in a device structure. Here we demonstrate the in-situ coherent modulation of moir\'e excitons and correlated Mott insulators in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) homo- or hetero-bilayers with on-chip terahertz (THz) waves. Using common dual-gated device structures, each consisting of a TMD moir\'e bilayer sandwiched between two few-layer graphene (fl-Gr) gates with hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) spacers, we launch coherent phonon wavepackets at ~0.4-1 THz from the fl-Gr gates by femtosecond laser excitation. The waves travel through the h-BN spacer, arrive at the TMD bilayer with precise timing, and coherently modulate the moir\'e excitons or the Mott states. These results demonstrate that the fl-Gr gates, often used for electrical control of the material properties, can serve as effective on-chip opto-elastic transducers to generate THz waves for the coherent control and vibrational entanglement of functional layers in commonly used moir\'e devices.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 12 pages SI. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:2307.1656

A Grasshopper Optimization-Based Approach for Task Assignment in Cloud Logistics

A framework for the algorithm-based CL platform is established, based on which, the operational mode of it is described in detail. An integrated logistics task assignment model is built to optimally match logistics service resources and task of large scale in the algorithm-based CL. Particularly, an improved grasshopper optimization-based bitarget optimization algorithm (GROBO) is proposed to solve the biobjective programming model for service matching in CL. The case of Linyi small commodity logistics is taken as an application. Simulation results show that the proposed GROBO provides better solutions regarding to searching efficiency and stability in solving the model

Evolution of the Aroma Volatiles of Pear Fruits Supplemented with Fatty Acid Metabolic Precursors

To examine the biochemical metabolism of aroma volatiles derived from fatty acids, pear fruits were incubated in vitro with metabolic precursors of these compounds. Aroma volatiles, especially esters, were significantly increased, both qualitatively and quantitatively, in pear fruits fed on fatty acid metabolic precursors. Cultivars having different flavor characteristics had distinctly different aroma volatile metabolisms. More esters were formed in fruity-flavored “Nanguoli” fruits than in green-flavored “Dangshansuli” fruits fed on the same quantities of linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Hexanal and hexanol were more efficient metabolic intermediates for volatile synthesis than linoleic acid and linolenic acid. Hexyl esters were the predominant esters produced by pear fruits fed on hexanol, and their contents in “Dangshansuli” fruits were higher than in “Nanguoli” fruits. Hexyl esters and hexanoate esters were the primary esters produced in pear fruits fed on hexanal, however the content of hexyl ester in “Dangshansuli” was approximately three times that in “Nanguoli”. The higher contents of hexyl esters in “Dangshansuli” may have resulted from a higher level of hexanol derived from hexanal. In conclusion, the synthesis of aroma volatiles was largely dependent on the metabolic precursors presented

Metabolic Profiles of Pomegranate Juices during Fruit Development and the Redirection of Flavonoid Metabolism

The pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruit is favorable for its nutrient-rich benefits to human health. However, the global metabolic profiles of pomegranate juice and the metabolic mechanisms of its essential metabolites are poorly understood. In this study, we conducted a widely targeted metabolome, integrated with the transcriptome of juices (edible parts) of pomegranate fruits at 50, 95, and 140 days after flowering (DAF) to comprehensively investigate the metabolic profiles and potential metabolism of essential metabolites. Five hundred and nine metabolites, including 11 sugar and sugar alcohols, 17 common organic acids, 20 essential amino acids, and a variety of flavonoids, were detected in pomegranate juices. Among them, metabolites in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway greatly changed during fruit development. Notably, the redirection of metabolite flux from catechin and its derivative synthesis to anthocyanin synthesis occurred at the later developmental stages. The increased expression of Pgr021399.1 encoding dihydroflavonol 4-reductase (DFR), Pgr017842.1 encoding anthocyanidin synthesis (ANS), Pgr015322.1 encoding anthocyanidin 3-O-glucosyltransferase (BZ1), Pgr000447.1 encoding UTG75C1, and the decreased expression of Pgr024128.1 encoding leucoanthocyanidin reductase (LAR) may trigger redirection. The results of this study provide a global view of the metabolic profiles of pomegranate juices and valuable information on the molecular mechanisms underlying the redirection of flavonoid metabolism. It also sheds light on the genetic regulation of flavonoid metabolism in pomegranate juices

Unexpected Emission of Poly[(methylenelactide)-co-(2-vinylpyridine)] from Single-chain Luminogen

Non-conjugated luminescent polymers (NCLPs) have attracted great interest due to their novel emission mechanism and potential for applications in a variety of areas. Copolymerization is a facile and effective approach to develop NCLPs from two or more types of non-luminescent comonomers by integrating critical elements that are necessary for inducing intrinsic emissions. In the present work, we report unexpected photoluminescence (PL) of poly[(methylenelactide)-co-(2-vinylpyridine)] random copolymers (PLVPs), which possess intense blue emissions in dilute solution with quantum yield higher than 20 %. The intrinsic PL of PLVPs is attributed to the intra-chain interactions of chains, namely, ‘single-chain luminogen’. As a result, the PL of PLVPs exhibits aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) feature, which is different from conventional NCLPs based on clustering-triggered emission (CTE). The dependence of emissions on the molecular weights and monomer ratios of PLVPs, as well as excitation wavelength, in both solution and solid states were investigated. This work provides new insight into the design and preparation of NCLPs

Multi-omics analysis uncovered systemic lupus erythematosus and COVID-19 crosstalk

Abstract Background Studies have highlighted a possible crosstalk between the pathogeneses of COVID-19 and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE); however, the interactive mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate the impact of COVID-19 on SLE using clinical information and the underlying mechanisms of both diseases. Methods RNA-seq datasets were used to identify shared hub gene signatures between COVID-19 and SLE, while genome-wide association study datasets were used to delineate the interaction mechanisms of the key signaling pathways. Finally, single-cell RNA-seq datasets were used to determine the primary target cells expressing the shared hub genes and key signaling pathways. Results COVID-19 may affect patients with SLE through hematologic involvement and exacerbated inflammatory responses. We identified 14 shared hub genes between COVID-19 and SLE that were significantly associated with interferon (IFN)-I/II. We also screened and obtained four core transcription factors related to these hub genes, confirming the regulatory role of the IFN-I/II-mediated Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling pathway on these hub genes. Further, SLE and COVID-19 can interact via IFN-I/II and IFN-I/II receptors, promoting the levels of monokines, including interleukin (IL)-6/10, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IFN-γ, and elevating the incidence rate and risk of cytokine release syndrome. Therefore, in SLE and COVID-19, both hub genes and core TFs are enriched within monocytes/macrophages. Conclusions The interaction between SLE and COVID-19 promotes the activation of the IFN-I/II-triggered JAK-STAT signaling pathway in monocytes/macrophages. These findings provide a new direction and rationale for diagnosing and treating patients with SLE–COVID-19 comorbidity