A different image? Images of scientists in Chinese films.

This study explores how scientists are represented in the films produced in China since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949. In total, 61 films (25 realistic and 36 science fiction) are analyzed according to grounded theory. Results show that the scientist in Chinese films tends to be male, middle-aged, married, sociable, and with tidy hair.

Estimator-Based Reinforcement Learning Consensus Control for Multiagent Systems With Discontinuous Constraints.

This article focuses on the optimal consensus control problem for multiagent systems (MASs) with discontinuous constraints. The case of discontinuous constraints is a particular instance of state constraints, which has been studied less but occurs in many practical situations. Due to the discontinuous constraint boundaries, the traditional barrier function-based backstepping methods cannot be used directly.

Effects of electroacupuncture of different intensities and durations on PERK/ATF4/CHOP signaling pathway in liver of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease rats.

Objectives: To analyze the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Fenglong" (ST40) and "Zusanli" (ST36) of different intensities and durations on rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)-activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) signaling pathway, so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of NAFLD.

Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into normal diet group, high-fat model group, sham EA group, strong stimulation EA (SEA) group, and weak stimulation EA (WEA) group, with 15 rats in each group. Each group was further divided into 2, 3, and 4-week subgroups.

Reinforcement learning-based consensus control for MASs with intermittent constraints.

In this article, an adaptive optimal consensus control problem is studied for multiagent systems in the strict-feedback structure with intermittent constraints (the constraints appear intermittently). More specifically, by designing a novel switch-like function and an improved coordinate transformation, the constrained states are converted into unconstrained states, and the problem of intermittent constraints is resolved without requiring "feasibility conditions". In addition, using the composite learning algorithm and neural networks to construct the identifier, a simplified identifier-actor-critic-based reinforcement learning strategy is proposed to obtain the approximate optimal controller under the framework of backstepping.

Global patterns and drivers of plant-soil microbe interactions.

Plant-soil feedback (PSF) is an important mechanism determining plant community dynamics and structure. Understanding the geographic patterns and drivers of PSF is essential for understanding the mechanisms underlying geographic plant diversity patterns. We compiled a large dataset containing 5969 observations of PSF from 202 studies to demonstrate the global patterns and drivers of PSF for woody and non-woody species.

Effects of Dietary Bile Acids on Growth Performance, Lipid Deposition, and Intestinal Health of Rice Field Eel () Fed with High-Lipid Diets.

The purpose of this trial was to study the positive effects of bile acids (BAs) on growth performance and intestinal health of rice field eel fed with high-lipid diets (HLDs). Rice field eels (initial weight 17.00 ± 0.

Dispersal modes affect Rhamnaceae diversification rates in a differentiated manner.

The evolution of dispersal modes has been proposed to promote the diversification of angiosperms. However, little is known about the relative impact of different dispersal modes on plant diversification. We test the association between dispersal modes and diversification rates using Rhamnaceae, the cosmopolitan buckthorn family, as a model.

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of floral symmetry in angiosperms.

Floral symmetry plays an important role in plant-pollinator interactions and may have remarkable impacts on angiosperm diversification. However, spatiotemporal patterns in floral symmetry and drivers of these patterns remain unknown. Here, using newly compiled floral symmetry (actinomorphy versus zygomorphy) data of 279,877 angiosperm species and their distributions and phylogenies, we estimated global geographic patterns and macroevolutionary dynamics of floral symmetry.

Phytodiversity is associated with habitat heterogeneity from Eurasia to the Hengduan Mountains.

The geographic distribution of plant diversity matches the gradient of habitat heterogeneity from lowlands to mountain regions. However, little is known about how much this relationship is conserved across scales. Using the World Checklist of Vascular Plants and high-resolution biodiversity maps developed by species distribution models, we investigated the associations between species richness and habitat heterogeneity at the scales of Eurasia and the Hengduan Mountains (HDM) in China.

Observer-Based Consensus Control for MASs With Prescribed Constraints via Reinforcement Learning Algorithm.

In this article, an adaptive optimal consensus control problem is studied for multiagent systems (MASs) with external disturbances, unmeasurable states, and prescribed constraints. First, by using neural networks (NNs), a composite observer is constructed to estimate the unmeasurable states and disturbances simultaneously. Then, the consensus error is guaranteed within a prescribed boundary by presenting an improved prescribed performance control (PPC) technique, and the initial conditions for the error are eliminated.

An updated floristic map of the world.

Floristic regions reflect the geographic organization of floras and provide essential tools for biological studies. Previous global floristic regions are generally based on floristic endemism, lacking a phylogenetic consideration that captures floristic evolution. Moreover, the contribution of tectonic dynamics and historical and current climate to the division of floristic regions remains unknown.

Molecular C evidence for contrasting turnover and temperature sensitivity of soil organic matter components.

Climate projection requires an accurate understanding for soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition and its response to warming. An emergent view considers that environmental constraints rather than chemical structure alone control SOC turnover and its temperature sensitivity (i.e.

Effect of manipulation on cartilage in rats with knee osteoarthritis based on the Rho-associated protein kinase/LIM kinase 1/Cofilin signaling pathways.

Objective: To investigate the effect of manipulation treatment on knee osteoarthritis rats and the effect on Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK)/LIM-kinase1 (LIMK1)/Cofilin signaling pathway.

Method: Fifty Specific pathogen Free Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups ( = 8 each): blank group, model group, manipulation group, celecoxib group, and manipulation combined with celecoxib group (MC group). The osteoarthritis model was established by injecting 0.

Relative Importance of Deterministic and Stochastic Processes on Soil Microbial Community Assembly in Temperate Grasslands.

Changes in species composition across communities, i.e., β-diversity, is a central focus of ecology.

Robust Scene Parsing by Mining Supportive Knowledge From Dataset.

Scene parsing, or semantic segmentation, aims at labeling all pixels in an image with the predefined categories of things and stuff. Learning a robust representation for each pixel is crucial for this task. Existing state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms employ deep neural networks to learn (discover) the representations needed for parsing from raw data.

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems.

Angiosperm sexual systems are fundamental to the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, yet spatiotemporal patterns in angiosperm sexual systems and their drivers remain poorly known. Using data on sexual systems and distributions of 68453 angiosperm species, we present the first global maps of sexual system frequencies and evaluate sexual system evolution during the Cenozoic. Frequencies of dioecy and monoecy increase with latitude, while hermaphrodites are more frequent in warm and arid regions.

Upward shift and elevational range contractions of subtropical mountain plants in response to climate change.

Elevational range shifts of mountain species in response to climate change have profound impact on mountain biodiversity. However, current evidence indicates great controversies in the direction and magnitude of elevational range shifts across species and regions. Here, using historical and recent occurrence records of 83 plant species in a subtropical mountain, Mt.

Effects of Climate, Plant Height, and Evolutionary Age on Geographical Patterns of Fruit Type.

Fruit type is a key reproductive trait associated with plant evolution and adaptation. However, large-scale geographical patterns in fruit type composition and the mechanisms driving these patterns remain to be established. Contemporary environment, plant functional traits and evolutionary age may all influence fruit type composition, while their relative importance remains unclear.

Time trends of major cancers incidence and mortality in Guangzhou, China 2004-2015: A Joinpoint and Age-Period-Cohort Analysis.

Background: Cancer is an important focus of public health worldwide. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of temporal trends in incidence and mortality of leading cancer in Guangzhou, China from 2004 to 2015.

Methods: Data were collected from the population-based registry in Guangzhou.

Spatial Patterns and Drivers of Angiosperm Sexual Systems in China Differ Between Woody and Herbaceous Species.

Plant sexual systems play an important role in the evolution of angiosperm diversity. However, large-scale patterns in the frequencies of sexual systems (i.e.

Effects of different culture systems on the culture of prepuberal buffalo () spermatogonial stem cell-like cells .

Currently, the systems for culturing buffalo spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are varied, and their effects are still inconclusive. In this study, we compared the effects of culture systems with undefined (foetal bovine serum) and defined (KnockOut Serum Replacement) materials on the culture of buffalo SSC-like cells. Significantly more DDX4- and UCHL1-positive cells (cultured for 2 days at passage 2) were observed in the defined materials culture system than in the undefined materials system ( < 0.

Altitudinal biodiversity patterns of seed plants along Gongga Mountain in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

The mechanisms underlying elevation patterns in species and phylogenetic diversity remain a central issue in ecology and are vital for effective biodiversity conservation in the mountains. Gongga Mountain, located in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, represents one of the longest elevational gradients (ca. 6,500 m, from ca.