1,071 research outputs found
Saline-Alkali Soil Property Improved by the Synergistic Effects of Priestia aryabhattai JL-5, Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus XW-4, Leymus chinensis and Soil Microbiota
No full textTwo saline-alkali-tolerant bacterial strains, Priestia aryabhattai JL-5 and Staphylococcus pseudoxylosus XW-4, were isolated, with high capabilities of hydrolyzing phosphate and producing cellulase, respectively. The molecular mechanisms regulating the saline-alkali tolerance in the strain JL-5 were further investigated using transcriptome analysis. The contents of lactic acid and proline and the enzymatic activity of glutamine synthetase in the strain JL-5 were significantly increased. The properties of saline-alkali soils were significantly improved by the enhanced growth of the indicator plant Leymus chinensis under the combined applications of the strains JL-5 and XW-4 mixed with corn straw. The contents of catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and proline of L. chinensis were significantly increased, and the content of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased in the combined treatment of both bacterial strains. The contents of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium and organic matters in the soil treated with both strains were significantly increased, as well as the diversity and abundance of the soil microbiota. Our study evidently demonstrated the synergistic effects of the strains JL-5 and XW-4, indicator plants and the local microbiota in terms of improving the saline-alkali soil properties, providing strong experimental evidence to support the commercial development of the combined application of both strains to improve the properties of saline-alkali soils
Predatory beetles facilitate plant growth by driving earthworms to lower soil layers
No full textTheory suggests that predators of soil-improving, plant-facilitating detritivores (e.g. earthworms) should suppress plant growth via a negative tri-trophic cascade, but the empirical evidence is still largely lacking. We tested this prediction in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau by manipulating predatory beetles (presence/absence) and quantifying (i) direct effects on the density and behaviour of earthworms; and (ii) indirect effects on soil properties and above-ground plant biomass. In the absence of predators, earthworms improved soil properties, but did not significantly affect plant biomass. Surprisingly, the presence of predators strengthened the positive effect of earthworms on soil properties leading to the emergence of a positive indirect effect of predators on plant biomass. We attribute this counterintuitive result to: (i) the inability of predators to suppress overall earthworm density; and (ii) the predator-induced earthworm habitat shift from the upper to lower soil layer that enhanced their soil-modifying, plant-facilitating, effects. Our results reveal that plant-level consequences of predators as transmitted through detritivores can hinge on behaviour-mediated indirect interactions that have the potential to overturn predictions based solely on trophic interactions. This work calls for a closer examination of the effects of predators in detritus food webs and the development of spatially explicit theory capable of predicting the occurrence and consequences of predator-induced detritivore behavioural shifts
Curved Edge Crack Problem of Elastic Half-Plane
No full textThe plane elasticity problem for a wedge region containing a crack was solved by Khrapkov (1971a, 1971b). Clearly, the suggested method is only useful to the straight crack case. In the present analysis, the dislocation is distributed along the curve configuration. Therefore, the curved edge crack problem for an elastic half-plane can be formulated and solved immediately
The D1-triangulation in simplicial variable dimension algorithms for computing solutions of nonlinear equations
No full textInteraction of a Mixed Culture of Two Fungi as a means of improving Laccase Activity
No full textLaccase is an enzyme that is able to catalyze phenolic substances. White rot fungi is known to produce laccase. In this study we set out to find the optimal conditions for the stimulation of laccase activity in 2 strains of white rot fungi and to study the mechanism of action. Laccase activity was improved by co-culturing 2 strains of white rot fungi. Combining strain 55 (Trametes trogii) and strain m-6 ( Trametes versicolor) resulted in laccase activity that was many times greater than strain 55 alone and strain m-6 alone. The observation that laccase activity was 7 times higher after adding strain m-6 to strain 55 as compared to the activity after adding strain 55 to strain m-6 suggested that in liquid culture, strain m-6 was found to be more responsible for the increase of laccase activity after combination. The enzyme-producing conditions of combined strain 55 and m-6 were found to be optimal at pH 6.5 and C/N 16:1 using 0.01% of Tween 80. In this study we define the optimal conditions for white rot fungi to stimulate laccase activity. It is thought that this may have applications in areas such as pollution degradation, biopulping, printing and dying
High level synthesis for loop-based BIST
No full textArea and test time are two major overheads encountered during data path high level synthesis for BIST. This paper presents an approach to behavioral synthesis for loop-based BIST. By taking into account the requirements of the BIST scheme during behavioral synthesis processes, an area optimal BIST solution can be obtained. This approach is based on the use of test resources reusability that results in a fewer number of registers being modified to be test registers. This is achieved by incorporating self-testability constraints during register assignment operations. Experimental results on benchmarks are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.link_to_subscribed_fulltex
Tunable Fano resonance in photonic crystal slabs
No full textA three dimensional analysis of a special class of anisotropic materials is presented. We introduce an extension of the Scattering Matrix Method (SMM) to investigate the behavior of anisotropic Photonic Crystal Slabs (PhCS) subject to external radiation. We show how the Fano effect can play a fundamental role in the realization of tunable optical devices. Moreover, we show how to utilize electron injection, electric field and temperature as parameters to control the Fano resonance shift in both isotropic and anisotropic materials as Si and Potassium Titanium Oxide Phosphate (KTP). We will see that because Fano modes are sensitive and controllable, a broad range of applications can be considered. (c) 2006 Optical Society of Americ
Deep learning for predicting immunotherapeutic efficacy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients: a retrospective study combining progression-free survival risk and overall survival risk
No full textBackground: Radiomics based on computed tomography ( CT) images is potential in promoting individualized treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, its role in immunotherapy needs further exploration. The aim of this study was to develop a CT-based radiomics score to predict the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC.Methods: Two hundred and thirty-six ICI-treated patients were retrospectively included and divided into a training cohort (n=188) and testing cohort (n=48) at a ratio of 8 to 2. The efficacy outcomes of ICI were evaluated based on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). We designed a survival network and combined it with a Cox regression model to obtain patients' OS risk score (OSRS) and PFS risk score (PFSRS).Results: Based on OSRS and PFSRS, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups in the training cohort and the test cohort with distinctly different [training cohort, log-rank P<0.001, hazard ratio (HR): 4.14; test cohort, log-rank P=0.014, HR: 4.54] and PFS (training cohort, log-rank P<0.001, HR: 4.52; test cohort, log-rank P<0.001, HR: 6.64). Further joint evaluation of OSRS and PFSRS showed that both were significant in the Cox regression model (P<0.001), and multi-overall survival risk score (MOSRS) displayed more outstanding stratification capabilities than OSRS in both the training (P<0.001) and test cohorts (P=0.002). None of the clinical characteristics were significant in the Cox regression model, and the score that predicted the best immune response was not as good as the risk score from follow-up information in the performance of prognostic stratification.Conclusions: We developed a CT imaging-based score with the potential to become an independent prognostic factor to screen patients who would benefit from ICI treatment, which suggested that CT radiomics could be applied for individualized immunotherapy of NSCLC. Our findings should be further validated by future larger multicenter study
Origin of attendant phenomena of bipolar resistive switching and negative differential resistance in SrTiO3:Nb/ZnO heterojunctions
No full textRational design of a self-assembling high performance organic nanofluorophore for intraoperative NIR-II image-guided tumor resection of oral cancer
No full textThe first line of treatment for most solid tumors is surgical resection of the primary tumor with adequate negative margins. Incomplete resections with positive margins account for over 75% of local recurrences and the development of distant metastases. In cases of oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the rate of successful tumor removal with adequate margins is just 15-26%. Advanced real-time imaging methods that improve detection of tumor margins can help improve success rates. Fluorescence imaging in the second near-infrared (NIR-II) window has the potential to revolutionize the field due to its superior imaging qualities, but NIR-II dyes with adequate in vivo performance and safety profiles are scarce. We report a novel high-performance organic molecule NIR-II fluorophore, XW-03-66 , with a fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 6.0% in aqueous media. XW-03-66 self-assembles into nanoparticles (~80 nm) and has a systemic circulation half-life (t 1/2 ) of 11.3 h. In mouse models of HPV+ and HPV- OSCC, XW-03-66 outperformed indocyanine green (ICG), a clinically available NIR dye, and enabled intraoperative NIR-II image-guided resection of the tumor and adjacent draining lymph node with negative margins. In vitro and in vivo toxicity assessments revealed minimal safety concerns for in vivo applications
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