mlsa-iai-msu-lab/ru_sci_bench_zho_cite_reranking huggingface dataset:
Plant Genome Editing Using FnCpf1 and LbCpf1 Nucleases at Redefined and Altered PAM Sites

CRISPR from Prevotella and Francisella 1(Cpf1) is an emerging RNA-guided endonuclease system that relies on thymidine-rich protospacer adjacent motif(PAM) for DNA targeting(Zetsche et al., 2015). CRISPR-Cpf1 has unique features that could be advantageous over the CRISPR-Cas9 system. For example, Cpf1 requires only a 42 nt crRNA, while Cas9 uses ~100 nt gRNA. While Cas9 generates blunt ends of DNA breaks, the Cpf1 cleavage results in 50 overhangs distal from the protospacer, which may improve efficiency for NHEJ-based gene insertion. Interestingly, Cpf1 proteins also have RNase activity(Fonfara et al., 2016), which was utilized to process crRNA arrays for multiplexed genome editing in both mammalian systems and plants(Wang et al., 2017; Zetsche et al., 2017). Lachnospiraceae bacterium ND2006 Cpf1(LbCpf1) and Francisella novicida Cpf1(FnCpf1) have been shown to work in plants(Endo et al., 2016; Xu et al., 2016; Begemann et al., 2017; Hu et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2017; Tang et al., 2017). Notably, the LbCpf1 system developed by our group achieved nearly 100% biallelic mutagenesis in rice(Tang et al., 2017).
Grasping Force Planning and Control for Tendon-driven Anthropomorphic Prosthetic Hands

A force planning and control method is proposed for a tendon-driven anthropomorphic prosthetic hand. It is necessary to consider grasping stability for the anthropomorphic prosthetic hand with multi degrees of freedom which aims to mimic human hands with dexterity and stability. The excellent grasping performance of the anthropomorphic prosthetic hand mainly depends on the accurate computation of the space position of finger tips and an appropriate grasping force planning strategy. After the dynamics model of the tendon-driven anthropomorphic prosthetic hand is built, the space positions of the finger tips are calculated in real time by solving the dynamic equations based on the Newton iteration algorithm with sufficient accuracy. Then, the balance of internal grasping force on the thumb is adopted instead of force closure of the grasped objects to plan the grasping forces of other fingers based on the method of the linear constraint gradient flow in real time. Finally, a fuzzy logic controller is used to control the grasping force of the prosthetic hand. The proposed force planning and control method is implemented on the tendon-driven anthropomorphic prosthetic hand and the experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Impacts of tourism development on the physical environment of Mussoorie, a hill station in the lower Himalayan range of India

Tourism in mountainous regions is a significant source of revenue generation. However, it has also been associated with many adverse environmental consequences. This study aims at assessing the negative impacts of the incessant upsurge in tourism development on the physical environment of Mussoorie, a well-known mountain tourist destination in India. The impact indicators for the region were identified and assessed by qualitative and quantitative analysis of field observations. The observations indicated the aggravation of traffic congestion, atmospheric pollution, undisposed solid waste, water scarcity and infrastructure unavailability as the prevalent issues, especially during the peak tourist months. The extent of the consequential damage to the environment was evaluated by conducting an assessment of tourism-induced human disturbance on the natural landscape of the town. Slope, slope aspect, vegetation cover, road network and drainage network were incorporated as the determining landscape attributes to prepare thematic maps of landscape quality (perceivable intrinsic properties) and landscape fragility (vulnerability to anthropogenic disturbances) using GIS technique. An absorption capacity map was finally prepared to characterize the study area into regions of different conservation needs. The results identified the need for planning appropriate preservation strategies for different tourist places in the town. The study can be used by the policy makers for implementing the regulatory measures against potential disturbances due to mass-tourism.
Initial floristic composition of rehabilitated gullies through bioengineering in the Mixteca Region, Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico

Re-vegetation plays a fundamental role for erosion control and plant recovery in lands affected by gully erosion. Bioengineered practices facilitate the gullies rehabilitation. Objectives of the research were: 1) Identify taxonomically the pioneer vegetation on each gully section; 2) Characterize vegetation distribution preferences and 3) Assess structural/ functional traits to recognize erosion control key species. Bioengineering was applied in a watershed belonging to Sierra Madre del Sur, at Oaxaca, Mexico, on eight gullies, with local support and minimal investment. "La Mixteca" is a poor ecological and socio-economic region, comparable to other regions of the world. The Initial Floristic Composition (IFC) inventory is the baseline of the successional process. The transect method was used to determine the colonization of species. Cover abundance of registered species was estimated using the semi-quantitative scale of Braun-Blanquet. This procedure was repeated in five different positions (floor, hillslopes and tops), in the cross section of the gully. Through correspondence analysis and clustering, the distribution of species was analyzed. Adequate responses were obtained in soil retention (quantity) and plant cover (existence and diversity); as measurable indicators of the bioengeneering works efficiency. Occupation of soil by native species from the Tropical Deciduous Forest was favored using live barriers. We detected species guilds with spatial distribution preferences in the gullies cross section. Plant cover characterization includes: native colonizer species, herbaceous, shrubby and trees of the forest community bordering the gully area, with cover abundance and structural/functional traits, useful to protect degraded areas. This spatial occupation process of plants responds to a secondary succession in gullies, where the proposed IFC model is correctly represented through bioengineering. Natural establishment of plants was successful by traits of species such as extensive root system and sexual/vegetative reproduction.
Fast Ferry Smoothing Motion via Intelligent PD Controller

A novel type of control law was adopted to reduce the vertical acceleration of a fast ferry as well as the motion sickness incidence suffered by the passengers onboard by means of a submerged T-foil. Considering the system changing characteristics under high disturbances, a model-free approach was adopted. In addition, an upgraded proportional-derivative (PD) controller with correction terms resulting from a fast-online estimation of the system dynamics was designed. The overall controller, known as intelligent PD (i-PD) controller, was tested, and the obtained results were compared with those of a classic PD controller. The controllers were also tested in a changing environment and at different operating velocities. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the i-PD controller to smooth the motions with low computational cost control schemes. Furthermore, thanks to ability of the i-PD controller to continually update the estimated dynamics of the system, it showed a better reduction in both vertical motions and the seasickness level of the passengers with the needed robustness under external disturbances and system changing parameters.
Review on reactive species in water treatment using electrical discharge plasma:formation,measurement,mechanisms and mass transfer

In the electrical discharge plasma process,various chemical and physical processes can participate in the removal of contaminants.In this paper,the chemical and physical processes that occur as a result of the electrical discharge plasma are reviewed,and their possible roles in the degradation of contaminants are discussed.Measurement methods for the quantification of important reactive species and their advantages and shortcomings are presented.Approaches on how to enhance the diffusion of the reactive species in solution are examined.In addition,the formation of typical reactive species in different electrical discharge plasma is compared.
Effect of Pre-deformation on Grain Ultrafining by Intercritical Deformation in Low-Carbon Microalloyed Steels

In this study, the effect of pre-deformation at recrystallization and non-recrystallization zone on the grain ultrafining by the subsequent intercritical deformation (ID) was investigated on low-carbon microalloyed steel. The results showed that ultrafine grain microstructure with an average size of ~ 1.0 μm was fabricated through pre-deformation in the recrystallization zone followed by ID. When pre-deformed at the non-recrystallization zone prior to ID, the grain size increased to 1.6 μm with a heterogeneous distribution along with the well-developed dynamic recovery of ferrite. The grain ultrafining mechanism was attributed to the combined action of the deformation-induced ferrite transformation and the continuous dynamic recrystallization. In particular, the continuous dynamic recrystallization process during ID occurred on the pro-eutectoid ferrite as a result of the subgrain rotation mechanism and the absorbing dislocations mechanism.
Effect of nitrogen on corrosion behaviour of a novel high nitrogen medium-entropy alloy CrCoNiN manufactured by pressurized metallurgy

A novel high nitrogen medium-entropy alloy CrCoNiN, which had higher strength and slightly lower ductility than CrCoNi alloy, was successfully manufactured by pressurized metallurgy. The microstructure and corrosion behaviour were investigated by microscopic, electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that nitrogen existed in the form of Cr_2 N precipitates and uniformly distributed N atoms, and nitrogen alloying significantly refined the grain size. Besides, nitrogen enriched on the outmost surface of passive film and metal/film interface as ammonia (NH_3 and NH_4~+) and CrN, respectively. The significant improvement of corrosion resistance of CrCoNiN was attributed to the lower metastable pitting susceptibility together with thicker, less defective and more compact passive film.
Preparation, structure, properties, and application of copper nitride (Cu_3N) thin films: A review

Copper nitride (Cu_3N) thin films display typical trans-rhenium trioxide structures. They exhibit excellent physical properties, low cost, nontoxicity, and high stability under room temperature. However, they possess low-thermal decomposition temperature, and their lattice constant often changes significantly with prepared technologies or techniques, thereby enabling the transformation from insulators to semiconductors and even conductors. Moreover, Cu_3N thin films are becoming the new research hotspot of optical information storage devices, microelectronic semiconductor materials, and new energy materials. In this study, existing major prepared technologies of Cu_3N thin films are summarized. Influences of prepared technologies of Cu_3N thin films on crystal structure of films, as well as influences of prepared conditions and methods (e.g., nitrogen pressure, deposition power, substrate temperature, and element addition) on crystal structure and optical, electrical, and thermal properties of films were analyzed. The relationship between crystal structure and physical properties of Cu_3N thin films was explored. Finally, applications of Cu_3N thin films in photoelectricity, energy sources, nanometer devices, and other fields were discussed.
Cryo-EM structure of the human α5β3 GABAA receptor

γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors mediate rapid inhibitory neurotransmission by opening a chloride selective pore in response to binding of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and thus are vital for controlling excitability in the brain. Dysfunctional GABA_A receptors are directly involved in the pathogenesis of many neurologic diseases and psychiatric disorders. Moreover, GABA_A receptors are modulated, directly activated or inhibited by over hundreds of pharmacologically and clinically important compounds of different structural classes. As members of Cys loop-type ligand-gated ion channel superfamily that also includes nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, glycine receptors and serotonin type 3 receptor, human GABAA receptors are typically heteropentamers assembled from a repertoire of 19 different subunits (α, β, γ, δ, ε, θ, π, and ρ subunits), giving rise to a spectrum of GABA_A receptor subtypes with different subunit compositions and arrangements, as well as distinct biophysical and pharmacological properties.
A Comparative Study on Open Circuit Voltage Models for Lithium-ion Batteries

The current research of state of charge (SoC) online estimation of lithium-ion battery (LiB) in electric vehicles (EVs) mainly focuses on adopting or improving of battery models and estimation filters. However, little attention has been paid to the accuracy of various open circuit voltage (OCV) models for correcting the SoC with aid of the ampere-hour counting method. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison study on eighteen OCV models which cover the majority of models used in literature. The low-current OCV tests are conducted on the typical commercial LiFePO_4/ graphite (LFP) and LiNiMnCoO2/ graphite (NMC) cells to obtain the experimental OCV-SoC curves at different ambient temperature and aging stages. With selected OCV and SoC points from experimental OCV-SoC curves, the parameters of each OCV model are determined by curve fitting toolbox of MATLAB 2013. Then the fitting OCV-SoC curves based on diversified OCV models are also obtained. The indicator of root-mean-square error (RMSE) between the experimental data and fitted data is selected to evaluate the adaptabilities of these OCV models for their main features, advantages, and limitations. The sensitivities of OCV models to ambient temperatures, aging stages, numbers of data points, and SoC regions are studied for both NMC and LFP cells. Furthermore, the influences of these models on SoC estimation are discussed. Through a comprehensive comparison and analysis on OCV models, some recommendations in selecting OCV models for both NMC and LFP cells are given.
p53 REEPs to sow ER–mitochondrial contacts

The intrinsic pathway of apoptosis requires mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization, a process that can be facilitated by mitochondrial Ca~(2+) influx. In a recent paper published in Cell Research, Zheng and colleagues now show that p53-mediated changes in ER morphology, specifically in response to DNA damage, contribute to the induction of apoptosis.
Method for designing constant thrust power schedule

In order to make the power level angle(PLA)have the same bijection relationship with the thrust when the environment changes before operational limit exceedance,and ensure the pilot's ability of unrestricted throttle movement as well as the safety of the engine,a method used to design a constant thrust power schedule was proposed.The research was based on a simulink turbofan engine model and the results were organized as look-up tables in different structures with limitations.Simulation was done to confirm the validity and demonstrate the effectiveness of the schedule obtained with the approach.The constant thrust takeoff schedule,constant thrust idle schedule and constant thrust part power schedule with the present constant thrust control(CTC)method were proved to be valid.The results can be applied to this specific engine but the method can be applied to any areoengine and can be even extended to the unmanned plane.
Locating Parent Lightning Strokes of Sprites Observed over a Mesoscale Convective System in Shandong Province, China

In this paper, we report the location results for the parent lightning strokes of more than 30 red sprites observed over an asymmetric mesoscale convective system (MCS) on 30 July 2015 in Shandong Province, China, with a long-baseline lightning location network of very-low-frequency/low-frequency magnetic field sensors. The results show that almost all of these cloud-to-ground (CG) strokes are produced during the mature stage of the MCS, and are predominantly located in the trailing stratiform region, which is similar to analyses of sprite-productive MCSs in North America and Europe. Comparison between the location results for the sprite-producing CG strokes and those provided by the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) indicates that the location accuracy of WWLLN for intense CG strokes in Shandong Province is typically within 10 km, which is consistent with the result based on analysis of 2838 sprite-producing CG strokes in the continental United States. Also, we analyze two cases where some minor lightning discharges in the parent flash of sprites can also be located, providing an approach to confine the thundercloud region tapped by the sprite-producing CG strokes.
Temporal and Spatial Variations in the Climate Controls of Vegetation Dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau during 1982-2011

The ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau is highly susceptible to climate change. Currently, there is little discussion on the temporal changes in the link between climatic factors and vegetation dynamics in this region under the changing climate. By employing Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data, the Climatic Research Unit temperature and precipitation data, and the in-situ meteorological observations, we report the temporal and spatial variations in the relationships between the vegetation dynamics and climatic factors on the Plateau over the past three decades. The results show that from the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, vegetation dynamics in the central and southeastern part of the Plateau appears to show a closer relationship with precipitation prior to the growing season than that of temperature. From the mid-1990s, the temperature rise seems to be the key climatic factor correlating vegetation growth in this region. The effects of increasing temperature on vegetation are spatially variable across the Plateau: it has negative impacts on vegetation activity in the southwestern and northeastern part of the Plateau, and positive impacts in the central and southeastern Plateau. In the context of global warming, the changing climate condition (increasing precipitation and significant rising temperature) might be the potential contributor to the shift in the climatic controls on vegetation dynamics in the central and southeastern Plateau.
Stability of triple diffusive convection in a viscoelastic fluid-saturated porous layer

The triple diffusive convection in an Oldroyd-B fluid-saturated porous layer is investigated by performing linear and weakly nonlinear stability analyses. The condition for the onset of stationary and oscillatory is derived analytically. Contrary to the observed phenomenon in Newtonian fluids, the presence of viscoelasticity of the fluid is to degenerate the quasiperiodic bifurcation from the steady quiescent state. Under certain conditions, it is found that disconnected closed convex oscillatory neutral curves occur, indicating the requirement of three critical values of the thermal Darcy-Rayleigh number to identify the linear instability criteria instead of the usual single value, which is a novel result enunciated from the present study for an Oldroyd-B fluid saturating a porous medium. The similarities and differences of linear instability characteristics of Oldroyd-B, Maxwell, and Newtonian fluids are also highlighted. The stability of oscillatory finite amplitude convection is discussed by deriving a cubic Landau equation, and the convective heat and mass transfer are analyzed for different values of physical parameters.
Changes in production potentials of rapeseed in the Yangtze River Basin of China under climate change: A multi-model ensemble approach

Rapeseed is one of the major oil crops in China and it is very sensitive to climate change. The Yangtze River Basin is the main rapeseed production area in China. Therefore, a better understanding of the impact of climate change on rapeseed production in the basin is of both scientific and practical importance to Chinese oil industry and food security. In this study, based on climate data from 5 General Circulation Models (GCMs) with 4 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) in 2011–2040 (2020s), 2041–2070 (2050s) and 2071–2100 (2080s), we assessed the changes in rapeseed production potential between the baseline climatology of 1981–2010 and the future climatology of the 2020s, 2050s, and 2080s, respectively. The key modelling tool – the AEZ model – was updated and validated based on the observation records of 10 representative sites in the basin. Our simulations revealed that: (1) the uncertainty of the impact of climate change on rapeseed production increases with time; (2) in the middle of this century (2050s), total rapeseed production would increase significantly; (3) the average production potential increase in the 2050s for the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Basin is 0.939, 1.639 and 0.339 million tons respectively; (4) areas showing most significant increases in production include southern Shaanxi, central and eastern Hubei, northern Hunan, central Anhui and eastern Jiangsu.
颈部支气管源性囊肿二例

本组病例的治疗体会:支气管源性囊肿术前单从影像学上无法明确诊断,术前诊断困难,确诊需依据术后病理检查。临床上更应高度重视术前诊断与术后病理结果不一致的病例,总结经验如下:①对于颈部区域性病变,临床上有颈前囊性肿块的病例,除了考虑甲状舌骨囊肿、甲状腺肿块、转移性肿瘤、淋巴结结核等疾病外,还应想到可能为异位支气管囊肿,并排除胸腹部其他部位异位病变。②支气管囊肿一般被认为是良性肿瘤,有时存在局部感染、破溃或压迫症状,亦有成人患者发生恶性的报道,所以手术切除是治疗的唯一方式。③术前考虑病变若与舌骨关系密切,或有喉部压迫症状、甚至与喉腔相通,应术中仔细探查,术前请甲状腺专科或头颈外科等多学科会诊,避免出现漏诊或误诊。④术中对于单房的囊肿,囊液较黏稠时,需考虑支气管源性囊肿的可能。因囊皮组织的残留会引起囊肿的复发,且囊肿存在一定的恶变可能,在切除囊肿时宜完整切除。⑤摘除时,必须完整切除囊壁,如无法避免的神经、血管而残留部分囊壁时,则需要予以电凝灼烧,避免术后复发。对于存在多发囊肿的患者,常需行多囊肿切除术。
Spatio-temporal analysis of the geographical centroids for three major crops in China from 1949 to 2014

Spatial distribution changes in major crops can reveal important information about cropping systems. Here, a new centroid method that applies physics and mathematics to spatial pattern analysis in agriculture is proposed to quantitatively describe the historical centroids of rice, maize and wheat in China from 1949 to 2014. The geographical centroids of the rice area moved 413.39 km in a 34.32° northeasterly (latitude 3.08°N, longitude 2.10°E) direction at a speed of 6.36 km/year from central Hunan province to Hubei province, while the geographical centroids of rice production moved 509.26 km in the direction of 45.44° northeasterly (latitude 3.22°N, longitude 3.27°E) at a speed of 7.83 km/year from central Hunan province to Henan province. The geographical centroids of the maize area and production moved 307.15 km in the direction of 34.33° northeasterly (latitude 2.29°N, longitude 1.56°E) and 308.16 km in the direction of 30.79° northeasterly (latitude 2.39°N, longitude 1.42°E), respectively. However, the geographical centroids of the wheat area and production were randomly distributed along the border of Shanxi and Henan provinces. We divided the wheat into spring wheat and winter wheat and found that the geographical centroids of the spring wheat area and production were distributed within Inner Mongolia, while the geographical centroids of winter wheat were distributed in Shanxi and Henan provinces. We found that the hotspots of crop cultivation area and production do not always change concordantly at a lar ger, regional scale, suggesting that the changing amplitude and rate of each crops' yield differ between different regions in China. Thus, relevant adaptation measures should be taken at a regional level to prevent production damage in those with increasing area but decreasing production.