Forest parameters retrieval with dual-baseline polarimetric SAR interferometry based on clustering analysis

Forest parameters inversion is an important application of Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry(PolInSAR). To resolve the volume decorrelation coefficient ambiguity of single-baseline PolInSAR, a new dual-baseline PolInSAR approach is proposed in this paper. The correlation of dual-baseline data is fully investigated to resolve the ambiguity problem effectively, and the performance of the proposed approach is proved to be of great robustness in a very small baseline ratio system. Finally, experimental results with ESA dual-baseline PolInSAR simulated data validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach.     

High-resolution FIB-TEM-STEM structural characterization of grain boundaries in the high dielectric constant perovskite CaCu3Ti4O12

In this work, the grain boundaries composition of the polycrystalline CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO) was investigated. A Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/lift-out technique was used to prepare site-specific thin samples of the grain boundaries interface of CCTO ceramics. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS) and Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (EELS) systems were used to characterize the composition and nanostructure of the grain and grain boundaries region. It is known that during conventional sintering, discontinuous grain growth occurs and a Cu-rich phase appears at grain boundaries. This Cu-rich phase may affect the final dielectric properties of CCTO but its structure and chemical composition remained unknown. For the first time, this high-resolution FIB-TEM-STEM study of CCTO interfacial region highlights the composition of the phases segregated at grain boundaries namely CuO, Cu₂O and the metastable phase Cu₃TiO_4.     

压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响

研究选取12名生理指标相对类似的试验对象,通过采用自身对照和交叉平衡的试验设计方法,针对普通膳食和以90军用干粮为例的压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响进行了分析,通过测定试验对象进食2组不同营养组成的食品进行运动或训练后、恢复体内的血糖浓度水平、血乳酸浓度、血乳酸清除率、心率变化、相关激素水平变化以及不同氧化变化情况评价普通膳食和压缩合成食品对人体运动能力的影响。试验结果显示,相比于普通膳食,压缩合成食品在高强度运动以及力竭运动后维持人体运动能力方面以及体能恢复方面具有明显优越性。     

Synthetic curli enables efficient microbial electrocatalysis with stainless-steel electrode

Microbial electrocatalysis systems (MES) provide a cutting-edge solution to global problems associated with the environment and energy, but practical applications are hindered by the expensive electrode materials. Although stainless steel (SS) has been proposed as a promising inexpensive candidate, poor cell/SS interaction results in a low performance for MES. Here, a new synthetic biology approach was established for reinforcing the cell/SS interaction. Hybridized curli nanofibers fused with a metal-binding domain were heterogeneously expressed onto the cell surface, which realized efficient cell binding with the SS electrode. Consequently, it enabled a ~420-fold improvement of the anodic power output and a substantial enhancement of the cathodic Coulombic efficiency (from 0.6 to 4% to over 80%) with an SS electrode. This work demonstrates low-cost MES with an SS electrode and introduces a new avenue to engineer the cell/electrode interaction, which is promising for future practical applications of MES.     

Pollen morphological investigations of family Cactaceae and its taxonomic implication by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy

The family Cactaceae is the diversified group of angiosperm plants whose pollen statistics has been used for taxonomic identification. In this article, we present the pollen morphology of eight species belong to seven taxonomically complex genera of Cactaceae including Astrophytum, Cylindropuntia, Echinocereus, Echinopsis, Mammillaria, Opuntia, and Thelocactus using light and scanning electron microscopy. The pollen grains were acetolyzed, measured, described, and electron photomicrographs were taken. Cactaceae can be characterized by presenting different palynomorphological features including pollen type, sculpturing, polar and equatorial diameter, aperture orientation, exine thickness, P/E ratio, and echini features. Four types of pollen shapes, that is, prolate spheroidal (three species), subprolate (two species), prolate (two species), and oblate spheroidal in Echinocereus reichenbachii were observed. The polar and equatorial diameter observed maximum in O. ficus indica 116.95 and 112.27 μm while minimum in M. compressa 38.42 and 21.05 μm. Pollen of two types, tricolpate in members of subfamily Cactioideae and pantoporate in the Opuntioideae were examined. The fertility percentage has been observed maximum in Opuntia macrocentra (83.84%) and minimum in Opuntia ficus‐indica (57.89%). Exine sculpturing showing great variations such as granulate, reticulate, granulate perforate and micro‐echinate foveolate ornamentation was examined only in Echinopsis eyriesii. A key to species, based on pollen micromorphological attributes, has been constructed for correct identification of complex cactus species.     

代谢工程调控策略在生物合成氨基酸及其衍生物中的应用

氨基酸的工业化生产已有上百年历史，多用于动物饲料和食品添加剂；很多种类的氨基酸如L-半胱氨酸、β-丙氨酸、S-腺苷甲硫氨酸、4-羟基异亮氨酸和高丝氨酸等也具有很高的应用价值。相较于化工合成或分离提取的方式，利用微生物细胞作为平台生产氨基酸及其衍生物具有绿色安全、可持续等独特的优势。本文综述了近年来微生物合成氨基酸及其衍生物的研究进展，分别介绍了碳源的高效利用、限速步骤的调节、碳通量的调节、转录和反馈抑制调节以及转运调节等代谢调控策略在提高微生物生产氨基酸及其衍生物效率的研究及应用，分析了不同调控策略的优势和缺点，总结了不同氨基酸及其衍生物的应用价值，最后展望了微生物作为细胞工厂生产各类氨基酸及其衍生物的广阔前景。     

空间红外大口径折射式低温镜头设计与验证

针对目标探测类空间红外相机大范围成像、高灵敏度探测、高精度定位等应用需求,文中提出采用像方远心光路和低温光学技术结合的解决方案,设计了物方视场角8°×8°、入瞳口径265 mm、工作温度200 K的像方远心折射式光学系统。镜头最大口径280 mm,采用多级分散的弹性支撑设计,解决大口径低温透镜装框、透镜组件支撑和镜头整体安装各环节的热应力卸载问题。在保证高刚度和低漏热的情况下,使低温下透镜的热应力对镜头能量集中度的影响降低到可接受范围内。镜头完成装调及室温下像质确认后,进行了力学振动试验,并将其制冷到200 K水平测试像质,测试结果表明,镜头能量集中度达到轴上75%,边缘视场72%。     

A self-adaptive synthetic over-sampling technique for imbalanced classification

Traditionally, in supervised machine learning, (a significant) part of the available data (usually 50%-80%) is used for training and the rest—for validation. In many problems, however, the data are highly imbalanced in regard to different classes or does not have good coverage of the feasible data space which, in turn, creates problems in validation and usage phase. In this paper, we propose a technique for synthesizing feasible and likely data to help balance the classes as well as to boost the performance in terms of confusion matrix as well as overall. The idea, in a nutshell, is to synthesize data samples in close vicinity to the actual data samples specifically for the less represented (minority) classes. This has also implications to the so-called fairness of machine learning. In this paper, we propose a specific method for synthesizing data in a way to balance the classes and boost the performance, especially of the minority classes. It is generic and can be applied to different base algorithms, for example, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbour classifiers deep neural, rule-based classifiers, decision trees, and so forth. The results demonstrated that (a) a significantly more balanced (and fair) classification results can be achieved and (b) that the overall performance as well as the performance per class measured by confusion matrix can be boosted. In addition, this approach can be very valuable for the cases when the number of actual available labelled data is small which itself is one of the problems of the contemporary machine learning.     

EGFR-Binding Peptides: From Computational Design towards Tumor-Targeting of Adeno-Associated Virus Capsids

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays a central role in the progression of many solid tumors. We used this validated target to analyze the de novo design of EGFR-binding peptides and their application for the delivery of complex payloads via rational design of a viral vector. Peptides were computationally designed to interact with the EGFR dimerization interface. Two new peptides and a reference (EDA peptide) were chemically synthesized, and their binding ability characterized. Presentation of these peptides in each of the 60 capsid proteins of recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) via a genetic based loop insertion enabled targeting of EGFR overexpressing tumor cell lines. Furthermore, tissue distribution and tumor xenograft specificity were analyzed with systemic injection in chicken egg chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assays. Complex correlations between the targeting of the synthetic peptides and the viral vectors to cells and in ovo were observed. Overall, these data demonstrate the potential of computational design in combination with rational capsid modification for viral vector targeting opening new avenues for viral vector delivery and specifically suicide gene therapy.     

Babesia Bovis Ligand-Receptor Interaction: AMA-1 Contains Small Regions Governing Bovine Erythrocyte Binding

Apical membrane antigen 1 is a microneme protein which plays an indispensable role during Apicomplexa parasite invasion. The detailed mechanism of AMA-1 molecular interaction with its receptor on bovine erythrocytes has not been completely defined in Babesia bovis. This study was focused on identifying the minimum B. bovis AMA-1-derived regions governing specific and high-affinity binding to its target cells. Different approaches were used for detecting ama-1 locus genetic variability and natural selection signatures. The binding properties of twelve highly conserved 20-residue-long peptides were evaluated using a sensitive and specific binding assay based on radio-iodination. B. bovis AMA-1 ectodomain structure was modelled and refined using molecular modelling software. NetMHCIIpan software was used for calculating B- and T-cell epitopes. The B. bovis ama-1 gene had regions under functional constraint, having the highest negative selective pressure intensity in the Domain I encoding region. Interestingly, B. bovis AMA-1-DI (¹⁰⁰YMQKFDIPRNHGSGIYVDLG¹¹⁹ and ¹²⁰GYESVGSKSYRMPVGKCPVV¹³⁹) and DII (³⁰²CPMHPVRDAIFGKWSGGSCV³²¹)-derived peptides had high specificity interaction with erythrocytes and bound to a chymotrypsin and neuraminidase-treatment sensitive receptor. DI-derived peptides appear to be exposed on the protein’s surface and contain predicted B- and T-cell epitopes. These findings provide data (for the first-time) concerning B. bovis AMA-1 functional subunits which are important for establishing receptor-ligand interactions which could be used in synthetic vaccine development.