Machine Learning and First-Principle Predictions of Materials with Low Lattice Thermal Conductivity.

We performed machine learning (ML) simulations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to search for materials with low lattice thermal conductivity, κL. Several cadmium (Cd) compounds containing elements from the alkali metal and carbon groups including ACdX (A = Li, Na, and K; X = Pb, Sn, and Ge) are predicted by our ML models to exhibit very low κL values (<1.0 W/mK), rendering these materials suitable for potential thermal management and insulation applications.

Natural variations in the Cis-elements of GhRPRS1 contributing to petal colour diversity in cotton.

The cotton genus comprises both diploid and allotetraploid species, and the diversity in petal colour within this genus offers valuable targets for studying orthologous gene function differentiation and evolution. However, the genetic basis for this diversity in petal colour remains largely unknown. The red petal colour primarily comes from C, G, K, and D genome species, and it is likely that the common ancestor of cotton had red petals.

A cotton mitochondrial alternative electron transporter, GhD2HGDH, induces early flowering by modulating GA and photoperiodic pathways.

D-2-hydroxyglutarate dehydrogenase (D2HGDH) is a mitochondrial enzyme containing flavin adenine dinucleotide FAD, existing as a dimer, and it facilitates the specific oxidation of D-2HG to 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG), which is a key intermediate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. A Genome-wide expression analysis (GWEA) has indicated an association between GhD2HGDH and flowering time. To further explore the role of GhD2HGDH, we performed a comprehensive investigation encompassing phenotyping, physiology, metabolomics, and transcriptomics in Arabidopsis thaliana plants overexpressing GhD2HGDH.

The Use of Generative Adversarial Network and Graph Convolution Network for Neuroimaging-Based Diagnostic Classification.

Functional connectivity (FC) obtained from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has been integrated with machine learning algorithms to deliver consistent and reliable brain disease classification outcomes. However, in classical learning procedures, custom-built specialized feature selection techniques are typically used to filter out uninformative features from FC patterns to generalize efficiently on the datasets. The ability of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and other deep learning models to extract informative features from data with grid structure (such as images) has led to the surge in popularity of these techniques.

Heterologous expression of taxane genes confers resistance to fall armyworm in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Taxadiene synthase, taxadiene-5α-hydroxylase, and taxane 13α-hydroxylase genes were introduced into Nicotiana benthamiana, and the improved resistance to lepidoptera pest fall armyworm was reported. Fall armyworm (FAW) is a serious agricultural pest. Genetic engineering techniques have been used to create pest-resistant plant varieties for reducing pest damage.

The impact of Danmaku-based and synchronous peer feedback on L2 oral performance: A mixed-method investigation.

Advancement of research in education has propelled the augmentation of theoretical and practical knowledge in learning-oriented feedback. In recent years, the channels, modes, and orientations of feedback became manifold. Copious empirical evidence from the body of literature supported the strength of feedback in enhancing learning outcomes and promoting the motivation of learners.

Online informal learning community for interpreter training amid COVID-19: A pilot evaluation.

Sudden shifts towards online education since the outbreak of Covid-19 propelled the unprepared changes in teaching and learning over the world. The impact of transferring Interpreter training from face-to-face instruction and practices to a fully online environment was viewed differently. Issues such as relatively inferior engagement in learning and dissatisfied performance in competence building were highlighted and compounded by the concern of academic burnout and learning stress caused by the abiding pandemic.

A Global Building Occupant Behavior Database.

This paper introduces a database of 34 field-measured building occupant behavior datasets collected from 15 countries and 39 institutions across 10 climatic zones covering various building types in both commercial and residential sectors. This is a comprehensive global database about building occupant behavior. The database includes occupancy patterns (i.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Quantification of the Liver Iron Burden and Volume Changes Following Treatment With Thalidomide in Patients With Transfusion-Dependent -Thalassemia.

Clinical trials have indicated that thalidomide could be used to treat thalassemia, but evidence of changes in liver iron burden and liver volume during thalidomide treatment is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the liver iron burden and volume changes following thalidomide treatment in patients with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia. A total of 66 participants with transfusion-dependent -thalassemia were included in this prospective cohort study between January 2017 and December 2020.

Flood Inundation Mapping with Limited Observations Based on Physics-Aware Topography Constraint.

Spatial classification with limited observations is important in geographical applications where only a subset of sensors are deployed at certain spots or partial responses are collected in field surveys. For example, in observation-based flood inundation mapping, there is a need to map the full flood extent on geographic terrains based on earth imagery that partially covers a region. Existing research mostly focuses on addressing incomplete or missing data through data cleaning and imputation or modeling missing values as hidden variables in the EM algorithm.

Biological Network Mining.

In this book chapter, we introduce a pipeline to mine significant biomedical entities (or bioentities) in biological networks. Our focus is on prioritizing both bioentities themselves and the associations between bioentities in order to reveal their biological functions. We will introduce three tools BEERE, WIPER, and PAGER 2.

Scalable De Novo Genome Assembly Using a Pregel-Like Graph-Parallel System.

De novo genome assembly is the process of stitching short DNA sequences to generate longer DNA sequences, without using any reference sequence for alignment. It enables high-throughput genome sequencing and thus accelerates the discovery of new genomes. In this paper, we present a toolkit, called PPA-assembler, for de novo genome assembly in a distributed setting.

Pb-catalyzed transformation of aromatic nitriles to heptanitrogen anions sodium azide: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

Under hydrothermal conditions, an open-chain N anion stabilized in a metal-organic framework (MOF) was achieved for the first time the reaction of 4-fluorobenzonitrile and sodium azide with Pb ion as catalyst. The anion with symmetry in the MOF was studied by FT-IR, single-crystal XRD and theoretical calculations. Thermal analysis results demonstrated the stability of the anion in the MOF below 430 °C and a high energy content of 8.

[Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of oxadiazole derivatives as xanthine oxidase inhibitors].

Xanthine oxidase (XO) is an important target for the treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Based on the two known non-purine xanthine oxidase inhibitors, febuxostat and topiroxostat, 14 oxadiazole derivatives have been designed and synthesized. These compounds have been evaluated against XO and five of them exhibited significant inhibitory activities at the concentrations below 10 μmol·L(-1).

Discovery of novel non-covalent inhibitors selective to the β5-subunit of the human 20S proteasome.

A series of linear peptides (6a-6o) were designed based on the known non-covalent 20S proteasome inhibitors TMC-95A and compound 5 via a fragment-based approach. These compounds were synthesized and evaluated against the chymotrypsin-like activity of the human 20S proteasome. Three of them (6d, 6e and 6k) were potent inhibitors with IC50 values at the submicromolar level.

[Decrease of chronic graft-versus-host disease by adding anti-human thymocyte globulin to the conditioning regimen].

Objective: To observe the influence of adding anti-human thymocyte globulin (ATG) into conditioning regimen on graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and life quality of the patients of allo-peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

Methods: Patients were distributed into study (19 cases) and control (24 cases) groups at random. Median dose of rabbit ATG was added to the conditioning regimen based on the fludara, busufan and cyclophosphamide (FBC) in study group, and no ATG in the control group.

[Treatment of refractory leukemia by combined chemotherapy and halpotype lymphocytes infusion].

Background & Objective: The complete remission of refractory leukemia treated with conventional chemotherapy is below 50 percent. The high dose chemotherapy can cause more mortality of patients with refractory leukemia. Cytolysis of leukemia cells induced by halpotype lymphocytes was observed in vitro in our previous experiment.

[Treatment of malignant hematologic diseases by peripheral blood stem cell transplantation combined with halotype lymphocyte infusion].

In order to observe the curative and side effects in malignant hematologic diseases treated with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) combined with halotype lymphocyte infusion, auto-PBSCs were mobilized, harvested and stored at -196 degrees C from patients in first CR or PR with intensive chemotherapy (Ara-C 1.0 g/m(2) x 5 days or cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg x 2 days) and G-CSF. Unpurged auto-PBSCs were infused when patients received the conditioning regimen with busulfan, total irradiation or cyclophosphamide.

In vitro culture of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell clonies and induced differentiation into neuron-like cells.

Objective: To study the long-term in vitro culture of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) and their phenotypical and functional properties.

Methods: Adherent hMSC colonies were digested by 0.25% trypsin-EDTA with a clone cycle for in vitro subculture.