Typical Growth Research Articles

Impact of growth, gonadal hormones, adiposity and the sodium-to-potassium ratio on longitudinal adolescent measures of blood pressure at puberty.

Blood pressure (BP) rises rapidly at puberty. While this is partly due to normal development, factors like excess adiposity and a high intake of dietary sodium relative to potassium may contribute to a true increase in hypertension risk. This study aimed to assess the relative impact of growth, gonadal hormones, adiposity and the sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na:K) on longitudinal BP measures at puberty. This study analysed data from a three-year longitudinal cohort study of pubertal adolescents. Anthropometry, body composition (bio-electrical impedance), serum testosterone and oestradiol (mass spectrometry) were measured annually. Na:K was measured from three-monthly urine samples. These variables were used to predict annual BP measures using mixed modelling and ordinal regression. Data from 325 adolescents (11.7 ± 1.0 y; 55% male) were analysed, showing typical growth patterns at puberty. Systolic BP increased over time in both sexes (p < 0.01), with boys exhibiting a significantly steeper rise compared to girls. Adiposity variables (BMI z-score, percent body fat, fat mass, waist-to-height ratio) strongly and consistently predicted systolic and diastolic BP in both sexes (all p < 0.05). Systolic BP was also significantly and positively related to height (p < 0.05). No associations with BP were identified in either sex for gonadal hormones or Na:K. Similar results were obtained when BP was classified into hypertension categories. Relative to other developmental and diet-related variables tested, adiposity was found to be the strongest most consistent predictor of BP in pubertal adolescents. Findings highlight the importance of dedicated youth obesity management interventions and policy measures for reducing long-term hypertension and cardiovascular disease risks.Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000964314.

Kinetic properties of solventing out crystallization of ammonium bicarbonate in a novel ammonia carbon capture system

The novel ammonia carbon capture system of carbonated solvent solventing out crystallization process, the crystal regeneration instead of rich liquid regeneration, to achieve the reduction of regeneration energy consumption. The enhanced crystallization by solventing out method requires the control of crystal yield as well as grain size, and the exploration of the kinetics of solventing out crystallization of carbonated solvent becomes necessary. The crystals produced by solvation crystallization are mainly ammonium bicarbonate, so this paper focuses on the crystallization kinetics of ammonium bicarbonate under different working conditions are studied by the intermittent dynamic method. The kinetic model of the crystal under the working conditions study in this paper is determined by calculation. The growth kinetic model of crystal nucleation rate versus growth rate is shown in Eq. B0=2.994 × 108G1.907. Finally, the integrated rate equations of the crystallization process under different working conditions are derived from the experimental data. The results show that an increase in supersaturation promotes the nucleation rate directly. The stirring rate has positive and negative effects on the crystal growth process. The effect on the nucleation rate is significant when the drop acceleration rate of the solubilizer is high. Under the action of the static magnetic field, by changing the hydrogen bonds in water molecules, the viscosity of water and the surface tension of solution is reduced so that the diffusion process of solute is accelerated and the crystal growth is facilitated. The addition of ammonia, ammonium carbamate and crystalline seeds influence the crystallization process mainly by affecting the supersaturation of the solution. In turn, the width of the metastable zone width is regulated to avoid explosive nucleation and to maintain typical nucleation and growth of the crystallization process.

OR17-3 Immortalized AVPV Kisspeptin Neurons Transiently Express GnRH Receptors under Specific Sex Steroid Conditions in vitro

Abstract In female animals, ovarian estradiol (E2) acts as negative feedback inhibition of GnRH secretion and positive feedback stimulation at ovulation. Both E2-regulated mechanisms work via stimulation or repression of distinct neuronal populations of Kisspeptin (KP)-synthesizing neurons. While E2 clearly stimulates AVPV KP neurons to increase kiss1 expression during the preovulatory surge, mechanisms required for optimal potentiation of maximal GnRH surge release remain incompletely characterized. We used two immortalized KP cell lines demonstrating increased kiss1 expression under high E2 (KTaV-3), or kiss1 suppression under low E2 (KTaR-1), to probe GnRH receptor (GnRHR) expression levels under E2 conditions of varying doses and times of exposure. Additionally, we have begun to investigate transcriptional mechanisms underlying gnrhr expression in KP neurons in vitro. AVPV-derived KTaV-3 cells were treated with either E2 alone (5-100pM) or E2 with progesterone (4-40nM) for varying durations (4-96h), either constitutively or under modulating levels approximating changes found during the murine estrous cycle. All treatments were undertaken in serum-free (SF) media (DMEM) following a 50% serum synchronization. After total RNA isolation, cDNAs were probed with mouse gnrhr primers. Results reveal that gnrhr expression, not observed in typical growth media conditions, is induced in KTaV-3 cells to varying degrees dependent on prior E2/P4 exposure. Following shorter treatment times (12-24h), proestrus levels (100pM E2; 4nM P4) of sex steroids noticeably induced gnrhr, while exposure of KTaV-3 cells to a 96h estrous cycle revealed maximal gnrhr expression at the diestrus II→proestrus transition, with exposure cycles concluding with declining E2/rising P4 exhibiting no to minimal gnrhr expression. These results suggest that maximal KP neuronal expression of gnrhr may occur prior to the E2 peak on proestrus, potentially preparing AVPV KP neurons for GnRH surge release 12-16h later. Similar steroid conditions also increased dlx3 expression, a transcription factor required for GnRHR in pituitary, only in KTaV-3 cells. In KTaR-1 cells, gnrhr expression was observed only following E2 decreases, while dlx3 was constitutively elevated. Since cFos/JunB complex formation on the gnrhr promoter has been implicated in gonadotrope GnRHR levels, we explored how transfection of these transcription factors might affect gnrhr expression in KTaV-3 cells. Preliminary results reveal that fos/jun co-transfection stimulates gnrhr expression maximally at intermediate (DII) E2 levels, while higher E2 levels are required with fos or jun expression alone. While reciprocal GnRH-Kisspeptin connections have not yet been observed in vivo, these results suggest KP neurons may possess the capacity to respond to intrahypothalamic GnRH only in certain estrous cycle stages, by differentially modulating GnRH receptivity in the AVPV. These findings supplement the prevailing model of feed-forward KP regulation of GnRH with potential short-loop KP-GnRH positive feedback regulation, providing an increased understanding of feedback mechanisms required for normal neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction. Presentation: Sunday, June 12, 2022 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Self-Induced Core-Shell InAlN Nanorods: Formation and Stability Unraveled by Ab Initio Simulations.

By addressing precursor prevalence and energetics using the DFT-based synthetic growth concept (SGC), the formation mechanism of self-induced InAlN core-shell nanorods (NRs) synthesized by reactive magnetron sputter epitaxy (MSE) is explored. The characteristics of In- and Al-containing precursor species are evaluated considering the thermal conditions at a typical NR growth temperature of around 700 °C. The cohesive and dissociation energies of In-containing precursors are consistently lower than those of their Al-containing counterparts, indicating that In-containing precursors are more weakly bonded and more prone to dissociation. Therefore, In-containing species are expected to exhibit lower abundance in the NR growth environment. At increased growth temperatures, the depletion of In-based precursors is even more pronounced. A distinctive imbalance in the incorporation of Al- and In-containing precursor species (namely, AlN/AlN+, AlN2/AlN2 +, Al2N2/Al2N2 +, and Al2/Al2 + vs InN/InN+, InN2/InN2 +, In2N2/In2N2 +, and In2/In2 +) is found at the growing edge of the NR side surfaces, which correlates well with the experimentally obtained core-shell structure as well as with the distinctive In-rich core and vice versa for the Al-rich shell. The performed modeling indicates that the formation of the core-shell structure is substantially driven by the precursors' abundance and their preferential bonding onto the growing edge of the nanoclusters/islands initiated by phase separation from the beginning of the NR growth. The cohesive energies and the band gaps of the NRs show decreasing trends with an increment in the In concentration of the NRs' core and with an increment in the overall thickness (diameter) of the NRs. These results reveal the energy and electronic reasons behind the limited growth (up to ∼25% of In atoms of all metal atoms, i.e., In x Al1-x N, x ∼ 0.25) in the NR core and may be qualitatively perceived as a limiting factor for the thickness of the grown NRs (typically <50 nm).

The Tumor Invasion Paradox in Cancer Stem Cell-Driven Solid Tumors

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are key in understanding tumor growth and tumor progression. A counterintuitive effect of CSCs is the so-called tumor growth paradox: the effect where a tumor with a higher death rate may grow larger than a tumor with a lower death rate. Here we extend the modeling of the tumor growth paradox by including spatial structure and considering cancer invasion. Using agent-based modeling and a corresponding partial differential equation model, we demonstrate and prove mathematically a tumor invasion paradox: a larger cell death rate can lead to a faster invasion speed. We test this result on a generic hypothetical cancer with typical growth rates and typical treatment sensitivities. We find that the tumor invasion paradox may play a role for continuous and intermittent treatments, while it does not seem to be essential in fractionated treatments. It should be noted that no attempt was made to fit the model to a specific cancer, thus, our results are generic and theoretical.

Integrated Metabolome and Lipidome Strategy to Reveal the Action Pattern of Paclobutrazol, a Plant Growth Retardant, in Varying the Chemical Constituents of Platycodon Root.

Platycodon root, a medicinal food homology species which has been used in Asian countries for hundreds of years, is now widely cultivated in China. Treatment with paclobutrazol, a typical plant growth retardant, has raised uncertainties regarding the quality of Platycodon root, which have been rarely investigated. In the present study, metabolomic and lipidomic differences were revealed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to ion mobility-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-IM-QTOF-MS). A significant decrease of platycodigenin-type saponins was observed in the paclobutrazol-treated sample. Carrying out a comprehensive quantitative analysis, the contents of total saponins and saccharides were determined to illustrate the mode of action of paclobutrazol on Platycodon root. This study demonstrated an exemplary research model in explaining how the exogenous matter influences the chemical properties of medicinal plants, and therefore might provide insights into the reasonable application of plant growth regulators.

T020: Interim PET-guided treatment of early-stage nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma: a subgroup analysis of the GHSG HD16 and HD17 studies

Background: The optimal treatment for patients with early-stage nodular-lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) other than stage IA is undefined. Patients and Methods: We investigated characteristics and outcomes of patients with early-stage NLPHL (favorable: 85 patients; unfavorable: 15 patients) who had treatment within the randomized GHSG HD16 and HD17 studies. Results were compared to those from patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) (favorable: 495 patients; unfavorable: 764 patients) treated within the same studies. Chemotherapy consisted of 2 cycles of ABVD (HD16) or 2 cycles of escalated BEACOPP plus 2 cycles of ABVD („2 + 2“) (HD17). In the experimental study arms, consolidation radiotherapy (RT) was applied on the basis of the result of interim positron emission tomography (PET-2). In the standard arms, consolidation RT was mandatory. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: In the HD16 and HD17 studies, 62/85 (73%) and 13/15 (87%) NLPHL patients were male as compared to 254/495 (51%) and 337/764 (44%) cHL patients. The median age of patients with NLPHL was 37 years in the HD16 study (cHL: 36 years) and 42 years in the HD17 study (cHL: 31 years). The majority of NLPHL patients included in the HD16 and HD17 studies presented with a typical histopathological growth pattern (HD16: 66%; HD17: 70%) The 5-year PFS for all NLPHL patients was 90.3% (cHL: 90.8%) in the HD16 study and 92.9% (cHL: 95.7%) in the HD17 study. In the HD16 study, the 5-year PFS for the subgroup of PET-2-positive NLPHL patients was 89.3% (cHL: 91.6%); PET-2-negative NLPHL patients had a 5-year PFS of 91.0% (cHL: 90.4%). For PET-2-negative NLPHL patients assigned to the chemotherapy only arm, the 5-year PFS was 83.0% (cHL: 88.2%) whereas PET-2-negative NLPHL patients treated with chemotherapy plus RT had a 5-year PFS of 100% (cHL: 92.3%) (p=0.05). Subgroup analyses according to the PET-2 result were not conducted for NLPHL patients treated within the HD17 study due to the small number of individuals with NLPHL histology included in this trial. The 5-year OS for NLPHL patients treated within the HD16 and HD17 studies was 100% (cHL: 98.6% in HD16; 99.2% in HD17). Conclusion: Contemporary HL-directed treatment results in excellent 5-year outcomes for patients with newly diagnosed early-stage NLPHL and should thus be considered as valid approach for this patient group.

Density-dependent effects are the main determinants of variation in growth dynamics between closely related bacterial strains.

Although closely related, bacterial strains from the same species show significant diversity in their growth and death dynamics. Yet, our understanding of the relationship between the kinetic parameters that dictate these dynamics is still lacking. Here, we measured the growth and death dynamics of 11 strains of Escherichia coli originating from different hosts and show that the growth patterns are clustered into three major classes with typical growth rates, maximal fold change, and death rates. To infer the underlying phenotypic parameters that govern the dynamics, we developed a phenomenological mathematical model that accounts not only for growth rate and its dependence on resource availability, but also for death rates and density-dependent growth inhibition. We show that density-dependent growth is essential for capturing the variability in growth dynamics between the strains. Indeed, the main parameter determining the dynamics is the typical density at which they slow down their growth, rather than the maximal growth rate or death rate. Moreover, we show that the phenotypic landscape resides within a two-dimensional plane spanned by resource utilization efficiency, death rate, and density-dependent growth inhibition. In this phenotypic plane, we identify three clusters that correspond to the growth pattern classes. Overall, our results reveal the tradeoffs between growth parameters that constrain bacterial adaptation.

Synthesis of antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal Mn3Ge on insulating substrates by electron beam assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The antiferromagnetic kagome semimetals Mn3X (X = Ge, Sn, Ga) are of great interest due to properties arising from their Berry curvature, such as large anomalous Nernst and anomalous Hall coefficients, and spin to charge conversion efficiencies at ambient temperatures. However, the synthesis of epitaxial thin films of Mn3Ge in the desired hexagonal phase has been challenging because they do not wet insulating substrates, necessitating the use of a metallic buffer layer. Furthermore, a ferrimagnetic tetragonal phase also forms readily under typical growth conditions, interfering with hexagonal phase properties. We have synthesized atomically smooth and continuous epitaxial thin films of hexagonal Mn3Ge directly on insulating LaAlO3 (111) substrates using electron beam assisted molecular beam epitaxy, using a three-step process that mitigates the formation of the tetragonal phase. The anomalous Nernst coefficient is found to be more than six times larger in our films than in sputtered thin films of Mn3Ge and significantly larger than that of Fe. Our approach can be used to grow thin layers of kagome materials, without interference from a buffer layer in transport properties, and may be applicable to a broader range of materials with large surface energies that do not grow readily on insulating substrates.

STUDY OF INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RESTRICTION IN PREGNANCY AND THE MATERNAL AND PERINATAL OUTCOME IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE.

BACKGROUND: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is still one of the most common causes of foetal morbidity and mortality, as well as neonatal mortality and morbidity. It's mostly accountable for the high number of perinatal deaths. IUGR is described as a rate of foetal growth smaller than the typical growth expected during a certain gestational age and can be caused by a variety of maternal, foetal, and placental variables. Birth weight less than two standard deviations or less than the 10th percentile of the mean for a certain gestational age is considered small for gestational age (SGA). Neonatal mortality has decreased signicantly in recent decades as a result of developments in antenatal and neonatal critical care, as well as management of low birth weight babies, although stillbirth rates have remained stable. These children in the later stage of life can develop developmental delays, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and long-term health issues. In the current article, we discuss regarding the incidence of IUGR in study population, and the associated maternal diseases along with perinatal outcome. METHOD: The study was done in a peri-urban tertiary care centre in Nagpur from January 2021 till December 2021 for a duration of 1 year, where 100 women with diagnosed Intra Uterine Growth Restriction were admitted and followed up. Demographic characters were noted and maternal and fetal monitoring was done regularly. Mode of delivery was planned according to gestational age, degree of IUGR, doppler changes. Maternal and perinatal outcome and complications were noted. RESULTS: 100 cases of IUGR were recruited for the study from January 2021 till December 2021 for a duration of 1 year out of total of 1246 deliveries which were recorded in the hospital during this time period. In the present study, the incidence of IUGR was 8.02%. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension was the most signicant risk factor associated with IUGR which was 53%, followed by anaemia- 12%. Previous pregnancies which had IUGR with IUGR in this pregnancy were found in 9 patients. Of the 64 LSCS, foetal distress was the commonest indication (33 cases, 51.5%) followed by abnormal Doppler ndings (17 cases 26.5 %). 86 % of babies had asymmetric IUGR while patients with symmetric IUGR were 14%. CONCLUSION: IUGR leads to the causes of neonatal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. It can be easily assessed at an early stage. Serial clinical, ultrasonographic and doppler follow up will help in diagnosing IUGR and decision making to avoid intrauterine demise, neonatal and perinatal mortality. Surveillance of high-risk pregnancies is also required.

Effects of Cooling Rate on the Solidification Process of Pure Metal Al: Molecular Dynamics Simulations Based on the MFPT Method

Isothermal solidification process of pure metal Al was studied by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation using EAM potential. The effects of different cooling rates on the isothermal solidification process of metallic Al were studied. Al was first subjected to a rapid cooling process, and then it was annealing under isothermal conditions. The mean first-passage times (MFPT) method and Johnson-Mehl-Avrami (JMA) law were used to qualify the solidification kinetic processing, and the nucleation rate, critical nucleus size, Avrami exponent and growth exponent of grains were calculated. Results show that the nucleation rate and critical size decrease as the cooling rate increases. Also, an increase in the cooling rate leads to the increase of grain growth rate. At all investigated cooling rates, nucleation and growth processes are in the typical three-dimensional growth mode.

VO2-based superposed Fabry-Perot multilayer film with a highly enhanced infrared emittance and emittance tunability for spacecraft thermal control.

Thermal control coating for spacecraft based on thermochromic film attracts increasing interest due to their ability of self-adaptive emittance switch and less resource consuming compared with traditional thermal control coatings. However, practical applications of thermochromic film for spacecraft are constrained by the low infrared emittance at a high temperature and narrow emittance tunability. In this work, a thermochromic film with simple structure, nearly perfect infrared emission and large emittance tunability is proposed for the application of spacecraft thermal control. The thermochromic film is a VO2-based superposed Fabry-Perot (FP) multilayer film, which is constructed by encapsulating three thin VO2 layers in four lossless BaF2 spacer on the Al substrate. The infrared emittance and emittance tunability of the superposed FP film is dramatically enhanced by the three superposed VO2-BaF2-Al FP resonances at wavelengths of 9, 15 and 20 µm, respectively. For VO2 layers under metallic state, the spectral normal emittance of the superposed FP film is close to unity in the entire mid-infrared spectral range, while for VO2 layers under dielectric state, the film is highly reflective. For the typical growth techniques of the VO2 layers considered here, the emittance tunability of the superposed FP film can exceed 0.70 with total normal emittance larger than 0.91 at high temperature, simultaneously. The largest total normal emittance of the superposed FP film can reach 0.95 with emittance tunability of 0.78. In addition, the infrared emission and emittance tunability performances of the superposed FP film remain excellent for incident angles up to 60°. This work proposes a simple structure with highly enhanced infrared emittance and emittance tunability that outperforms the existing thermochromic films, which could accelerate the application of thermochromic films in the field of spacecraft thermal control.

Growth risk classification and typical growth speed of convexity, parasagittal, and falx meningiomas: a retrospective cohort study.

Meningiomas are the most common primary intracranial tumors, and their clinical and biological characteristics vary by location. Convexity, parasagittal, and falx meningiomas account for approximately 50%-65% of intracranial meningiomas. Focusing only on these locations, the aim of this study was to determine the typical speed of tumor growth, to assess the growth risk, and to show the possible tumor volume that many lesions can reach after 5 years. Patients with radiologically suspected convexity, parasagittal, or falx meningiomas at the authors' institution were studied retrospectively. The relative growth rate (RGR) and annual volume change (AVC) were calculated from MRI at more than 3-month intervals. Based on sex, age, and signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI, the cases were classified into three groups: extremely high-growth, high-growth, and low-growth groups. The data of 313 cases were analyzed. The median RGR and AVC for this entire cohort were 6.1% (interquartile range [IQR] 2.4%-16.0%) and 0.20 (IQR 0.04-1.18) cm3/year, respectively. There were significant differences in sex (p = 0.018) and T2-weighted MRI signal intensity (p < 0.001) for RGR, and T2-weighted MRI signal intensity (p < 0.001), tumor location (p = 0.025), and initial tumor volume (p < 0.001) for AVC. The median RGR and AVC were 17.5% (IQR 8.3%-44.1%) and 1.05 (IQR 0.18-3.53) cm3/year, 8.2% (IQR 2.9%-18.6%) and 0.33 (IQR 0.06-1.66) cm3/year, and 3.4% (IQR 1.2%-5.8%) and 0.04 (IQR 0.02-0.21) cm3/year for the extremely high-growth, high-growth, and low-growth groups, respectively, with a significant difference among the groups (p < 0.001). A 2.24-times, or 5.24 cm3, increase in tumor volume over 5 years was typical in the extremely high-growth group, whereas the low-growth group showed little change in tumor volume even over a 5-year follow-up period. For the first time, the typical speed of tumor growth was calculated, focusing only on patients with convexity, parasagittal, and falx meningiomas. In addition, the possible tumor volume that many lesions in these locations can reach after 5 years was shown based on objective indicators. These results may allow clinicians to easily detect lesions that require frequent follow-up or early treatment by determining whether they deviate from the typical range of the growth rate, similar to a growth chart for children.

Production Performance and Nutrient Conversion Efficiency of Field Cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) in Mass-Rearing Conditions.

Simple SummaryFarming edible insects such as field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus), called the Mediterranean cricket, is increasingly being adapted for more commercial purposes. Adapting the mass cricket-rearing conditions for field cricket production, we found crickets had a typical growth rate and capacity for conversion of ingested feed into body mass. The efficiency of the deposition of major nutrients (inorganic matter, protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate) in the field crickets from the ingested feed is possible to be measured under mass cricket-rearing conditions. The feed intake and mortality rate for cricket rearing should be considered for calculating major nutrient conversion efficiency as increased mortality rate resulted in higher conversion efficiency.Currently, there is an increased interest in mass producing edible insects, e.g., field crickets (Gryllus bimaculatus), due to their market value and sustainable development. The current study aimed to measure the production performance of field crickets and to quantify the major nutrient deposition rate using a new approach for a nutrient conversion efficiency calculation for the field crickets under mass-rearing conditions. The field crickets were reared under mass-rearing conditions in the rearing crates and fed with a commercial cricket feed. Measurements for daily feed offered, final body weight, and dead cricket quantity were carried out during the feeding trial period. There were three production rounds with the same procedure for farmed cricket management. The samples of diet, adult crickets, and dead crickets were collected and then analyzed for chemical analysis of macronutrients. The production performance and nutrient conversion efficiency were calculated and then compared with applicable earlier reports for both field and house (Acheta domesticus) crickets. The production performance for the studied field crickets under mass-rearing conditions had final a body weight, an average daily gain (ADG), a feed conversion ratio (FCR), and a survival rate of 0.95 g, 23.20 mg/day, 2.94 and 88.51%, respectively. The field crickets had nutrient conversion efficiency for dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP), crude fat (EE), crude fiber (CF), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) of 13.26, 8.03, 28.95, 88.94, 34.87, and 1.85, respectively, with an adjusted nutrient conversion efficiency of 14.85, 8.99, 32.37, 99.17, 38.95, and 2.10, respectively. Thus, the production of field crickets could be performed under mass-rearing conditions, and the nutrient conversion efficiency for both adjusted and non-adjusted values could be measured.

Soil nitrogen functional transformation microbial genes response to biochar application in different irrigation paddy field in southern China.

Growing evidence points to the controlled irrigation (CI) and biochar application (BA) having agricultural economic value and ecological benefits, but their synergistic effect and microbial mechanism of nitrogen conversion remain unknown in paddy fields. The effects of different BA (0, 20, 40 t/hm2) on the soil nitrogen functional transformation microbial genes (nifH, AOA-amoA, AOB-amoA) in different irrigation (CI, flooding irrigation) were clarified. After one seasonal growth of paddy, the correlation between the abundance of functional genes OUT and soil nitrogen transformation environment factors during the typical growth period was analyzed. High-throughput sequencing results illustrated that the application of CC (40 t/hm2 biochar) increased the nifH genes bacterial community abundance; the abundance of dominant microorganism increased by 79.68~86.19%. Because biochar can potentially control the rates of N cycling in soil systems by adsorbing ammonia and increasing NH4+ storage, it increased soil NH4+-N and NO3--N content by 60.77% and 26.14%, improving microbial nitrogen fixation. Rare species Nitrosopumilus, Nitrosococcus, and Methylocystis appeared in biochar treatments group, which increased the diversity of microbial in paddy. The combined use of CI and BA affected soil inorganic nitrogen content, temperature (T), pH, Eh, etc., which affected urease, urea hydrolysis, and nitrogen functional transformation microorganism genes. Correlation analysis shows that soil NH4+-N, T, and Eh, respectively, are significant factors for the formation of nifH, AOA-amoA, and AOB-amoA soil bacterial communities, respectively. This study suggests that to maintain the biodiversity of soil and realize the sustainable development of rice cultivation, CI is of great importance in combination with BA.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of MoTe2 on hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride has already been proven to serve as a decent substrate for high quality epitaxial growth of several 2D materials, such as graphene, MoSe2, MoS2 or WSe2. Here, we present for the first time the molecular beam epitaxy growth of MoTe2 on atomically smooth hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrate. Occurrence of MoTe2 in various crystalline phases such as distorted octahedral 1T’ phase with semimetal properties or hexagonal 2H phase with semiconducting properties opens a possibility of realization of crystal-phase homostructures with tunable properties. Atomic force microscopy studies of MoTe2 grown in a single monolayer regime enable us to observe impact of growth conditions on formation of various structures: flat grains, net of one-dimensional structures, quasi continuous monolayers with bilayer contribution. Comparison of the distribution of the thickness with Poisson distribution shows that tested growth conditions favorite formation of grains with monolayer thickness. The diffusion constant of MoTe2 grown on hBN can reach order of 10−6 cm2/s for typical growth conditions. Raman spectroscopy results suggest a coexistence of various phases with domination of 2H MoTe2 for samples grown at lower temperatures. XPS measurements confirm the stoichiometry of MoTe2.

Tumour cell characteristics and microenvironment composition correspond to clinical presentation in newly diagnosed nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.

Different studies have characterized the microenvironment and its prognostic impact in classic Hodgkin lymphoma whereas such analyses are pending for nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL). We thus investigated characteristics of tumour cells and microenvironment in NLPHL and evaluated possible correlations with the clinical presentation. Lymph node samples from 152 NLPHL patients who had first-line treatment within the randomized German Hodgkin Study Group HD16-HD18 trials were available and analysed with regard to IgD status and nuclear size of the tumour cells as well as presence of PD1-positive follicular T helper cells and CD163-positive macrophages in the microenvironment. While large tumour cell nuclei and high numbers of PD1-positive follicular T helper cells in the microenvironment were more common in patients presenting with early/intermediate stages than in patients with advanced-stage disease (p< 0.0001, unpaired t-test; p= 0.0022, Mann-Whitney test), no differences between risk groups were observed in terms of the IgD status of the tumour cells and the content of CD163-positive macrophages in the microenvironment. PD1-positive follicular T helper cells were present in both cases with typical and variant growth patterns and rosetting around the tumour cells was observed in 96% of patients, indicating an important role of PD1-positive follicular T helper cells in NLPHL.

Beak Microstructure Estimates of the Age, Growth, and Population Structure of Purpleback Flying Squid (Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis) in the Xisha Islands Waters of the South China Sea

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of using an upper beak microstructure to estimate the age of purpleback flying squid (Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis). From these microstructures, the age and growth of squid caught from January to March and May to August in 2018, 2019, and 2020 in the waters surrounding the Xisha Islands in the South China Sea were determined. We found three typical growth zones (the hood region, crest region, and axis), abnormal increments (checks), and erosion in the beak examination. The average dorsal mantle length (ML) of males and females was 112.13 (±15.23 mm) and 119.67 mm (±24.50 mm), respectively, and no squid were older than 10 months. The peak hatching dates, according to back calculations, were from October to January of the next year. All sampled squid belonged to the autumn/winter cohort. Significant sex differences were found in the relationship between ML and age in squid with similar growth patterns. Exponential models best described the relationships of ML with age and body weight (BW) for both sexes. However, a linear model best described the relationship between age and upper rostrum length (URL). The maximum absolute daily growth rates (AGR) of BW were reached during days 240–270 for both sexes. The maximum AGRs in ML were reached during days 180–210 and 240–270 for males and females, respectively. The period of 120–150 days (4–5 months) was considered the sub-adult stage of S. oualaniensis in the Xisha Islands waters of the South China Sea. This study confirmed that the beak microstructure provides good age estimates for purpleback flying squid (S. oualaniensis).

Characterization of the Water Shortage Effects on Potato Tuber Tissues during Growth Using MRI Relaxometry and Biochemical Parameters.

The potato is one of the most cultivated crops worldwide, providing an important source of food. The quality of potato tubers relates to their size and dry matter composition and to the absence of physiological defects. It depends on the spatial and temporal coordination of growth and metabolic processes in the major tuber tissues: the cortex, flesh and pith. In the present study, variations in the biochemical traits of each of these tissues were investigated during tuber growth under optimal and water-deficit conditions. MRI relaxometry was used as a non-invasive and quantitative method to access information on cellular water status. The presence of slight but significant variations in organic compound contents quantified in the cortex and flesh revealed a tissue-dependent metabolic pattern. The T2 and relative I0 of the bi-exponential relaxation signal allowed a distinction to be made between the pith and the cortex, whereas the flesh could be differentiated from these tissues only through its relative I0. T2 values did not vary significantly during tuber development, in accordance with the typical growth pattern of tubers, but were shown to be sensitive to water stress. The interpretation of the multi-exponential transverse relaxation times is discussed and could be further developed via microscopic analysis.

Multi-objective optimization of a two-stage liquefied natural gas cryogenic submerged pump-turbine in pump mode to reduce flow loss and cavitation

To simultaneously minimize the energy loss and optimize the suction performance in a two-stage LNG (liquefied natural gas) cryogenic submerged pump-turbine in pump mode (PTP), a multi-objective optimization work containing numerical models of cryogenic cavitation flow, novel suction performance prediction, entropy production diagnosis and multi-criteria decision-making method is conducted to obtain the optimal geometric variables, as well as the corresponding performances under 0.7 Q0 with typical growth trend in energy loss after cavitation. Results show that the inlet angle β1 at the shroud and the arc section radius of the shroud r1 of the first-stage impeller and the wrap angle Φ at the shroud of the second-stage impeller are the significant parameters affecting the energy loss and suction performance of the PTP. Then, the ideal compromise solution, β1 = 14.34°， r1 = 26.28 mm and Φ = 127.44°, is obtained by multi-objective optimization and decision-making. The active suppression of the impinging flow, flow separation and rotating stall in the two-stage impellers after optimization yields a 6.18 % drop in the total entropy production rate with sacrificing a 1.25 % drop in pump head. In addition, the PTP is more likely to maintain a better suction performance for the optimal design over a wide range of flow rates. This research contributes to the search for the tradeoff between the conflicting hydraulic performance of the multistage pump-fed unit.