Modelling and Simulation of Cognitive Electronic Attack under the Condition of System of systems Combat

From the height of system-of-systems combat and operational perspective, the operations of cognitive electronic warfare (CEW) was analysed, and its main process and links were described. Secondly, the jamming effectiveness evaluation (JEE) model of cognitive electronic attack (CEA) operations was established based on the interference side, in which the change of threat degree was used as the measure index of jamming effectiveness. Then, based on the Q-learning model, an intelligent countermeasure strategy generation (ICSG) model was established, and the main steps in the model were given. Finally, on the basis the JEE model and the ICSG model, the simulation experiment was carried out for CEA operations. The result showed that combining the JEE model with the ICSG model can express the main process of the operations of CEW, as well as proved the validity of these models

Organochlorinated pesticides expedite the enzymatic degradation of DNA

Extracellular DNA in the environment may play important roles in genetic diversity and biological evolution. However, the influence of environmental persistent organic contaminants such as organochlorinated pesticides (e.g., hexachlorocyclohexanes [HCHs]) on the enzymatic degradation of extracellular DNA has not been elucidated. In this study, we observed expedited enzymatic degradation of extracellular DNA in the presence of α-HCH, β-HCH and γ-HCH. The HCH-expedited DNA degradation was not due to increased deoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) activity. Our spectroscopic and computational results indicate that HCHs bound to DNA bases (most likely guanine) via Van der Waals forces and halogen bonds. This binding increased the helicity and accumulation of DNA base pairs, leading to a more compact DNA structure that exposed more sites susceptible to DNase I and thus expedited DNA degradation. This study provided insight into the genotoxicity and ecotoxicity of pesticides and improved our understanding of DNA persistence in contaminated environments

Response of temperate forest ecosystem services to rainfall: A case study in the forest nature reserves of northern China

In the context of global climate change, temperate forests in climate-sensitive areas are inevitably affected. To deepen the understanding of the impact on precipitation changes into the relationship between key ecosystem services (ESs), this study selected net primary productivity (NPP), soil conservation (SC) and water yield (WY) of temperate forest in northern China as objects, and the Spearman correlation test and redundancy analysis were applied to analyze the response of ESs relationship to precipitation gradient. The results show that precipitation is the meteorological factor with the greatest impact (contribution 21.2%, p<0.01) on ESs and their relationships in temperate forests. The 600-700 mm precipitation gradient is the key turning point in the change of ESs relationship of WY with NPP and SC. This indicates that attention should be paid to the spatial variation of the 600-700 mm precipitation region in the future warm-wet in northern China, which should be used as a dividing line of forest management and policy development. Based on the results, future restoration projects in northern temperate forest should focus on (1) in areas with less than 600-700 mm of precipitation, attention should be paid to the selection of tree species for afforestation to maintain regional water balance; (2) in areas with more than 700 mm of precipitation, soil and water conservation projects need to be planned, especially in mountainous area. The research can not only support the management of temperate forest ecosystems in northern China, but also provide reference to other forest ecosystems to cope with climate change

Landscape composition and configuration relatively affect invasive pest and its associator across multiple spatial scales

Landscape structures affect pests, depending on compositional heterogeneity (the number and proportions of different habitats), configurational heterogeneity (spatial arrangement of habitats), and spatial scales. However, there is limited information on the relative effects of compositional and configurational heterogeneity on invasive pests and their associates (species that can benefit from invasive pests), and how they vary across spatial scales. In this study, we assayed the invasive pest Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) and its associated fly Drosophila melanogaster in 15 landscapes centered on mango orchards. We calculated landscape composition (forest percentage, mango percentage, and Shannon's diversity) and configuration (edge density) using two methods: spatial distance scales and combined scales. Spatial distance scales included buffer rings with radii of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 km, and combined scales referred to cutting or not cutting a smaller ring from larger ones. Our results shown that compositional heterogeneity positively affected B. dorsalis and D. melanogaster due to forest cover percentage, whereas configurational heterogeneity with high edge density negative effect on B. dorsalis. Forest cover had less of an effect on B. dorsalis than configurational heterogeneity, but the opposite effect was observed for D. melanogaster. Importantly, the direction and strength of forest cover and configurational heterogeneity to species did not vary with spatial distance scales or spatial combined scales. Thus, compositional and configurational heterogeneity exhibit differential effects on this invasive pest and its associator, and revealed that the relative effects of landscape structures are consistent across multiple scales. These results provide new insights into landscape effects on interconnected species using a diverse spatial-scale approach

An immunological electrospun scaffold for tumor cell killing and healthy tissue regeneration

Antibody-based cancer immune therapy has attracted lots of research interest in recent years; however, it is greatly limited by the easy distribution and burst release of antibodies. In addition, after the clearance of the tissue, healthy tissue regeneration is another challenge for cancer treatment. Herein, we have developed a specific immunological tissue engineering scaffold using the agonistic mouse anti-human CD40 antibody (CD40mAb) incorporated into poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) electrospun fibers through the dopamine (PDA) motif (PLLA-PDA-CD40mAb). CD40mAb is successfully incorporated onto the surface of the electrospun fibrous scaffold, which is proved by immunofluorescence staining, and the PLLA-PDA-CD40mAb scaffold has an anti-tumor effect by locally releasing CD40mAb. Therefore, this immunological electrospun scaffold has very good potential to be developed as a powerful tool for localized tumor treatment, and this is the first to be reported in this area.Peer reviewe

Downregulation of MicroRNA-4463 Attenuates High-Glucose- and Hypoxia-Induced Endothelial Cell Injury by Targeting PNUTS

Background/Aims: Vascular complications are the main reasons for disability and mortality associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and numerous microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in this process. Our previous study demonstrated that miR-4463 was increased in the plasma of T2DM patients combined with arteriosclerosis of low extremity artery (ASO). However, the role of miR-4463 remains unclear. Methods: miR-4463 expression in the vascular tissues of patients with ASO and T2DM and in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was detected by qPCR. Cell survival and apoptosis was analyzed via Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Protein expression was determined by Western blot and protein subcellular localization was detected with immunofluorescence. A dual-luciferase assay was used to elucidate the target gene of miR-4463. Results: miR-4463 was elevated in the vascular tissues of patients with T2DM and ASO. In HUVECs, both 25 mmol/L glucose (high glucose, HG) and hypoxia induced miR-4463 expression. Downregulation of miR-4463 promoted HUVEC survival and reduced cell apoptosis under HG and/or hypoxic conditions by facilitating the expression of protein phosphatase-1 nuclear targeting subunit (PNUTS), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), p-AKT, p-Bad, increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, as well as downregulated cleaved caspase 3 expression. Mechanistically, we identified PNUTS as a direct target gene of miR-4463. Both the inhibition of AKT phosphorylation and silencing of PNUTS diminished the effect of miR-4463 on HUVEC apoptosis. Moreover, downregulation of miR-4463 enhanced PNUTS to enable PTEN nuclear localization, which resulted in AKT phosphorylation. Conclusion: Our results suggest that downregulation of miR-4463 attenuates cell apoptosis by directly enhancing PNUTS expression to promote PTEN nuclear localization, subsequently activating AKT signaling pathway in HUVECs under HG and/ or hypoxic conditions

Using multi-tissue transcriptome-wide association study to identify candidate susceptibility genes for respiratory infectious diseases

Objective: We explore the candidate susceptibility genes for influenza A virus (IAV), measles, rubella, and mumps and their underlying biological mechanisms.Methods: We downloaded the genome-wide association study summary data of four virus-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) level data sets (anti-IAV IgG, anti-measles IgG, anti-rubella IgG, and anti-mumps virus IgG levels) and integrated them with reference models of three potential tissues from the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, namely, whole blood, lung, and transformed fibroblast cells, to identify genes whose expression is predicted to be associated with IAV, measles, mumps, and rubella.Results: We identified 19 significant genes (ULK4, AC010132.11, SURF1, NIPAL2, TRAP1, TAF1C, AC000078.5, RP4-639F20.1, RMDN2, ATP1B3, SRSF12, RP11-477D19.2, TFB1M, XXyac-YX65C7_A.2, TAF1C, PCGF2, and BNIP1) associated with IAV at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p < 0.05; 14 significant genes (SOAT1, COLGALT2, AC021860.1, HCG11, METTL21B, MRPL10, GSTM4, PAQR6, RP11-617D20.1, SNX8, METTL21B, ANKRD27, CBWD2, and TSFM) associated with measles at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p < 0.05; 15 significant genes (MTOR, LAMC1, TRIM38, U91328.21, POLR2J, SCRN2, Smpd4, UBN1, CNTROB, SCRN2, HOXB-AS1, SLC14A1, AC007566.10, AC093668.2, and CPD) associated with mumps at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p < 0.05; and 13 significant genes (JAGN1, RRP12, RP11-452K12.7, CASP7, AP3S2, IL17RC, FAM86HP, AMACR, RRP12, PPP2R1B, C11orf1, DLAT, and TMEM117) associated with rubella at a Bonferroni-corrected threshold of p < 0.05.Conclusions: We have identified several candidate genes for IAV, measles, mumps, and rubella in multiple tissues. Our research may further our understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious respiratory diseases

The China plant trait database: toward a comprehensive regional compilation of functional traits for land plants

Plant functional traits provide information about adaptations to climate and environmental conditions, and can be used to explore the existence of alternative plant strategies within ecosystems. Trait data are also increasingly being used to provide parameter estimates for vegetation models. Here we present a new database of plant functional traits from China. Most global climate and vegetation types can be found in China, and thus the database is relevant for global modelling. The China Plant Trait Database contains information on morphometric, physical, chemical and photosynthetic traits from 122 sites spanning the range from boreal to tropical, and from deserts and steppes through woodlands and forests, including montane vegetation. Data collection at each site was based either on sampling the dominant species or on a stratified sampling of each ecosystem layer. The database contains information on 1215 unique species, though many species have been sampled at multiple sites. The original field identifications have been taxonomically standardized to the Flora of China. Similarly, derived photosynthetic traits, such as electron-transport and carboxylation capacities, were calculated using a standardized method. To facilitate trait-environment analyses, the database also contains detailed climate and vegetation information for each site

An immunological electrospun scaffold for tumor cell killing and healthy tissue regeneration

Antibody-based cancer immune therapy has attracted lots of research interest in recent years; however, it is greatly limited by the easy distribution and burst release of antibodies. In addition, after the clearance of the tissue, healthy tissue regeneration is another challenge for cancer treatment. Herein, we have developed a specific immunological tissue engineering scaffold using the agonistic mouse anti-human CD40 antibody (CD40mAb) incorporated into poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) electrospun fibers through the dopamine (PDA) motif (PLLA-PDA-CD40mAb). CD40mAb is successfully incorporated onto the surface of the electrospun fibrous scaffold, which is proved by immunofluorescence staining, and the PLLA-PDA-CD40mAb scaffold has an anti-tumor effect by locally releasing CD40mAb. Therefore, this immunological electrospun scaffold has very good potential to be developed as a powerful tool for localized tumor treatment, and this is the first to be reported in this area