Search Results (79)

Membrane transporters play a crucial role in any cell. Identifying the substrates they translocate across membranes is important for many fields of research, such as metabolomics, pharmacology, and biotechnology. In this study, we leverage recent advances in deep learning, such as amino acid sequence embeddings with protein language models (pLMs), highly accurate 3D structure predictions with AlphaFold 2, and structure-encoding 3Di sequences from FoldSeek, for predicting substrates of membrane transporters. We test new deep learning features derived from both sequence and structure, and compare them to the previously best-performing protein encodings, which were made up of amino acid k-mer frequencies and evolutionary information from PSSMs. Furthermore, we compare the performance of these features either using a previously developed SVM model, or with a regularized feedforward neural network (FNN). When evaluating these models on sugar and amino acid carriers in A. thaliana, as well as on three types of ion channels in human, we found that both the DL-based features and the FNN model led to a better and more consistent classification performance compared to previous methods. Direct encodings of 3D structures with Foldseek, as well as structural embeddings with ProstT5, matched the performance of state-of-the-art amino acid sequence embeddings calculated with the ProtT5-XL model when used as input for the FNN classifier. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aims to identify baseline imaging parameters, across various imaging modalities, that can predict the response to bleomycin sclerotherapy in patients with head and neck lymphatic–venous malformations (LVMs). Methods: A retrospective analysis of 80 patients (85 lesions) treated at a tertiary care center between January 2018 and December 2022 was conducted. Imaging modalities, including CT, MRI, ultrasonography, and dynamic digital radiographic images, were reviewed for lesion characteristics. Factors including lesion type, volume, morphology, location, and contrast opacification patterns were analyzed for their association with treatment response, defined as a >50% reduction in lesion size and symptom improvement. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: Of 85 lesions, 45 (52.9%) responded to treatment. Univariable analysis showed that pure lymphatic malformations (OR = 6.12, p = 0.004), macrocystic components (OR = 10, p = 0.016), cavitary morphology on dynamic digital radiographic images (OR = 8.90, p < 0.001), neck location (OR = 4, p = 0.03), and deep-seated lesions (OR = 3.69, p = 0.03) were significantly associated with better outcomes. Multivariable analysis identified cavitary morphology as the strongest predictor (p = 0.04). A combination of cavitary morphology, macrocystic components, and pure LM type yielded the highest predictive accuracy (AUC = 0.80, p = 0.03). Conclusions: The presence of lymphatic channels or large cystic venous spaces—such as macrocystic features on imaging or cavitary morphology—along with neck or deep-seated lesion location, predicts a favorable response to bleomycin sclerotherapy in head and neck LVMs. Full article

Polyethersulfone (PES) has been widely used to fabricate hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membranes due to its good oxidative, thermal, and hydrolytic stability. Typical PES hollow-fiber membranes with a single bore have limited strength and may break under uneven pressure and vibration during membrane backwashing. Multi-channel hollow-fiber membranes have stronger breaking force due to their larger cross-sectional area, but fabricating them remains challenging due to the difficulty in controlling the phase inversion process. This study uses the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) method to fabricate a seven-channel PES hollow-fiber membrane, and the air gap and air relative humidity can help in membrane morphology control. Moreover, carboxylic graphene quantum dots (CGQDs) are first used in ultrafiltration membranes to increase membrane porosity and hydrophilicity. We found that the membrane prepared with a 7.5% CGQD mass fraction, a 10 cm air gap, and 99% relative humidity had the highest flux and porosity; the membrane pore size distribution was concentrated at 72 nm, and the pure water flux could reach 464 L·m⁻² h⁻¹·bar⁻¹. In the long-term filtration performance test, the membrane can reject more than about 15% TOC and 84% turbidity at 50 L·m⁻² h⁻¹ flux, confirming its stability for water purification applications. Full article

Natural rubber skim latex is commonly discarded as waste or turned into skim natural rubber products such as skim crepe and skim blocks. It is challenging to retrieve all residual rubbers in skim latex since it has a very low rubber content and many non-rubber components like protein. Manufacturers conventionally utilize concentrated sulfuric acid as a coagulant. This method generates many effluents and hazardous pollutants that negatively impact the environment. This work presents an innovative method for enhancing the skim latex’s value by employing an ultrafiltration membrane. This study aims to establish a hydrophilic PVDF-TiO₂ mixed-matrix membrane. The skim latex was processed through a membrane-based ultrafiltration process, which yielded two products: skim latex concentrate and skim serum. Skim latex deposits that cause fouling on the membrane surface can be identified by SEM-EDX and FTIR analysis. The PVDF–PVP-TiO₂ mixed-matrix membrane generated the maximum skim serum flux of 12.72 L/m²h in contrast to the PVDF pure membranes, which showed a lower flux of 8.14 L/m²h. CHNS analysis shows that a greater amount of nitrogen, which is indicative of the protein composition, was successfully extracted by the membrane separation process. These particles may adhere to the membrane surface during filtration, obstructing or decreasing the number of fluid flow channels. The deposition reduces the effective size of membrane pores, leading to a decline in flux rate. The hydrophilic PVDF-TiO₂ mixed-matrix membrane developed in this study shows strong potential for application in the latex industry, specifically for treating natural rubber skim latex, a challenging by-product known for its high fouling potential. This innovative ultrafiltration approach offers a promising method to enhance the value of skim latex by enabling more efficient separation and recovery. Full article

The accurate and timely determination of crop leaf area indices (LAIs) assists in making agricultural decisions. The objective of this study was to estimate crop LAIs using C-band RADARSAT-2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) datasets and a modified water cloud model (MWCM). The WCM was improved through two steps: (1) constructing a vegetation coverage ratio ($f_v$) using normalized difference vegetation indices calculated from Landsat-8 images and introducing it into the traditional WCM, and (2) incorporating field-collected crop height into the vegetation canopy described in the scattering model. The proposed MWCM parameters were calibrated using an iterative optimization algorithm named the Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) algorithm. The model’s performance before and after improvement was systematically calibrated and validated using field data collected from Yigen Farm (Hulunbuir City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China). The results show that the MWCM performed better than the original WCM in four polarization channels—HH, VV, HV, and VH—for both wheat and rape oilseed LAI inversion. HH polarization showed the best performance using both the MWCM and WCM for wheat, with R² values of 0.4626 and 0.3327, respectively; meanwhile, for oilseed rape, the R² values were 0.4912 and 0.3128, respectively. The RMSEs of the wheat inversion results were reduced from 1.5227 m²m⁻² to 1.4898 m²m⁻², and those for oilseed rape were reduced from 1.0411 m²m⁻² to 0.7968 m²m⁻². This study proved the feasibility and superiority of the MWCM, which provides new technical support for accurate crop growth monitoring. Full article

In eukaryotes, a lot of proteins are transported across the endoplasmic reticulum by the heterotrimeric Sec61 channel. And post-translational transport needs another Sec62/Sec63 complex. However, functions of these genes are poorly explored in insects. In this study, we first identified five Sec genes, named Sec61α, Sec61β, Sec61γ, Sec62 and Sec63, in Locusta migratoria. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that these five genes were expressed in muti-tissues, including wing pad, leg, foregut, midgut, gastric cecum, hindgut, and highly expressed in the integument. Knockdown of LmSec61α and LmSec61γ by RNA interference (RNAi) lead to the feeding cessation with a mortality rate of 100%. However, there is only 13.4% of dsLmSec61β-injected nymphs died before molting. All nymphs injected with dsLmSec61α and dsLmSec61γ died before molting with the gut atrophy. Furthermore, hematoxylin–eosin staining indicated that the cells of the midguts and gastric caecum were defective, and the microvilli and peritrophic matrix were destroyed seriously after silencing LmSec61α and LmSec61γ. Knockdown of LmSec62 and LmSec63 resulted in high mortality before and during molting. The hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed that both the formation of the new cuticle and the degradation of the old cuticle were inhibited in dsLmSec63-injected insects compared to the controls. Especially, there was no obvious plaques on microvillar tips of the epidermal cells after silencing of LmSec63. These results revealed that Sec61s and Sec62/Sec63 genes are required in the gut and cuticle development of locusts. Therefore, these genes are potential targets for the control of locusts. Full article

This article presents the decision feedback equalizer (DFE), the maximum likelihood detection (MLD), and the radius-directed equalization (RDE) algorithms designed in MATLAB-R2018a to equalize the received signal in a dispersive optical link up to 120 km. DFE is essential for improving signal quality in several communication systems, including WiFi networks, cable modems, and long-term evolution (LTE) systems. Its capacity to mitigate inter-symbol interference (ISI) and rapidly adjust to channel variations renders it a flexible option for high-speed data transfer and wireless communications. Conversely, MLD is utilized in applications that require great precision and dependability, including multi-input–multi-output (MIMO) systems, satellite communications, and radar technology. The ability of MLD to optimize the probability of accurate symbol detection in complex, high-dimensional environments renders it crucial for systems where signal integrity and precision are critical. Lastly, RDE is implemented as an alternative algorithm to the CMA-based equalizer, utilizing the idea of adjusting the amplitude of the received distorted symbol so that its modulus is closer to the ideal value for that symbol. The algorithms are tested using a converged 5G mm-wave analog radio-over-fiber (A-RoF) system at 60 GHz. Their performance is measured regarding error vector magnitude (EVM) values before and after equalization for different optical fiber lengths and modulation formats (QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM, and 128-QAM) and shows a clear performance improvement of the output signal. Moreover, the performance of the proposed algorithms is compared to three commonly used algorithms: the simple least mean square (LMS) algorithm, the constant modulus algorithm (CMA), and the adaptive median filtering (AMF), demonstrating superior results in both QPSK and 16-QAM and extending the transmission distance up to 120 km. DFE has a significant advantage over LMS and AMF in reducing the inter-symbol interference (ISI) in a dispersive channel by using previous decision feedback, resulting in quicker convergence and more precise equalization. MLD, on the other hand, is highly effective in improving detection accuracy by taking into account the probability of various symbol sequences achieving lower error rates and enhancing performance in advanced modulation schemes. RDE performs best for QPSK and 16-QAM constellations among all the other algorithms. Furthermore, DFE and MLD are particularly suitable for higher-order modulation formats like 64-QAM and 128-QAM, where accurate equalization and error detection are of utmost importance. The enhanced functionalities of DFE, RDE, and MLD in managing greater modulation orders and expanding transmission range highlight their efficacy in improving the performance and dependability of our system. Full article

Membrane technology has emerged as an effective solution for the purification of oily wastewater, particularly in the separation of oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions. However, challenges, such as membrane fouling and the development of robust ceramic membranes with superior stability, continue to limit their widespread application. In this work, helical carbon nanotubes (HCNTs) with interlocking structures were grown in ceramic support channels through the airflow-induced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method to fabricate membrane material with high hydrophilicity and underwater oleophobicity. The influence of CVD parameters on the growth of HCNTs and the membrane separation performance for O/W emulsions were studied systematically. The optimal HCNTs-SiC composite membrane was prepared at 600 °C, featuring a pore size of 0.95 μm and flux of 229.29 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹. This membrane demonstrated exceptional purification efficiency (99.99%) for a 500 ppm O/W emulsion, along with a stable flux of 32.48 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹ under a transmembrane pressure (TMP) of 1.5 bar. Furthermore, the unique membrane structure and surface heterogeneity contributed to its long service life and excellent recovery capability. This work provides a novel strategy for designing high-performance ceramic membranes for oil–water separation, offering potential solutions to current limitations in membrane technology. Full article

The Permian Lucaogou Formation (PLF) shale oil reservoirs in the Junggar Basin exhibit significant lithological heterogeneity, which limits the understanding of the relationship between macroscopic and microscopic reservoir characteristics, as well as insights into reservoir quality. To address this gap, thirty core samples, exhibiting typical sedimentary features, were selected from a 46 m section of the PLF for sedimentological analysis, thin section examination, high-performance microarea scanning, and scanning electron microscopy. Seven main lithofacies were identified, including massive bedding slitstone/fine-grained sandstone (LS1), cross to parallel bedding siltstone (LS2), climbing ripple laminated argillaceous siltstone (LS3), paired graded bedding argillaceous siltstone (LS4), irregular laminated argillaceous siltstone (LS5), irregular laminated silty mudstone (LM2), and horizontal laminated mudstone (LM2). The paired graded bedding sequences with internal erosion surfaces, massive bedding, and terrestrial plant fragments suggest a lacustrine hyperpycnal flow origin. The channel subfacies of hyperpycnal flow deposits, primarily consisting of LS1 and LS2, reflect strong hydrodynamic conditions, with a single-layer thickness ranging from 1.3 to 3.8 m (averaging 2.2 m) and porosity between 7.8 and 14.2% (averaging 12.5%), representing the primary sweet spot. The lobe subfacies, composed mainly of LS3, LS4, and LS5, reflect relatively strong hydrodynamic conditions, with a single-layer thickness ranging from 0.5 to 1.4 m (averaging 0.8 m) and porosity between 4.2 and 13.8% (averaging 9.6%), representing the secondary sweet spot. In conclusion, strong hydrodynamic conditions and depositional microfacies are key factors in the formation and distribution of sweet spots. The findings of this study are valuable for identifying sweet spots in the PLF and provide useful guidance for the exploration of lacustrine shale oil reservoirs in the context of hyperpycnal flow deposition globally. Full article

The greenhouse effect, which is also promoted by naturally occurring biogas ebullition fluxes (released via bubbles), generated by the decomposition of organic matter in carbonate-enriched and black silt sediments, has been analyzed. This study is based on results obtained using passive gas collectors at different parts of eutrophic Lake Juodis, located in a temperate climate zone in the vicinity of Vilnius (Lithuania). The measured annual biogas (containing about 60% of biomethane) ebullition fluxes from carbonate-enriched sediments and black silt sediments were 16.9–23.0 L/(m²∙y) and 38.5–43.2 L/(m²∙y), respectively. This indicates that the gas fluxes from carbonate sediments were almost twice as low as those from black silt sediments. Oxygen, produced by the photosynthetic activity of green algae in the near-surface water and sediments, helps to retain carbonates in the sediments by preventing their dissolution. In turn, the calcite coating on sediment particles partially preserves organic matter from decomposition, reducing the effective thickness of the sediment layer generating biogas. The characteristic vertical distribution profile of ¹³⁷Cs activity, with sharp peaks in sediments, suggests that generated biogas bubbles move to the surface of the sediments forming vertical channels by pushing sediment particles asides without noticeably mixing them vertically. This examination showed that factors such as abundance of carbonates in the sediments may result in a significant reduction in biogas generation and emissions from the lake sediments. Full article

This paper presents an innovative, compact, dual-element, implantable, ultra-wideband, circularly polarized multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna designed to operate within the 2.45 GHz industrial, scientific, and medical band, and both of its radiating units are circularly polarized antennas with polarization diversity. Specifically, antenna-1 exhibits left-handed circular polarization properties, while antenna-2 demonstrates right-handed circular polarization properties. The slots in the radiating patch and ground plane help the antenna achieve 690 MHz (2.14–2.83 GHz) ultra-wide bandwidth characteristics and circularly polarized characteristics. Additionally, a slit connecting two U-slots on the ground plane allows the antenna to achieve a wide effective circularly polarized axial ratio bandwidth of 400 MHz (2.23–2.63 GHz). The antenna is compact, with dimensions of 0.065 × 0.057 × 0.0042 λ₀³ (λ₀ represents the free-space wavelength corresponding to the lowest operating frequency). The proposed antenna system’s performance was evaluated with a seven-layer homogeneous human head model, a real human head model, and minced pork. This evaluation revealed that the antenna attained a peak gain of −24.1 dBi and an isolation level of 27.5 dB. Furthermore, the assessment included the antenna’s link margin (LM), key MIMO channel characteristics, and Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) metrics. The results indicate that the antenna performs exceptionally well. Full article

Exposure to air pollution poses a risk to human respiratory health, and a preventive and therapeutic remedy against fine dust-induced respiratory disease is needed. Background/Objectives: The respiratory-protective effects of Lysimachia mauritiana (LM) against airway inflammation were evaluated in a mouse model exposed to a fine dust mixture of diesel exhaust particles and particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 µm (PM10D). Methods: To induce airway inflammation, PM10D was intranasally injected into BALB/c mice three times a day for 12 days, and LM extracts were given orally once per day. The immune cell subtypes, histopathology, and expression of inflammatory mediators were analyzed from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lungs. Results: LM alleviated the accumulation of neutrophils and the number of inflammatory cells in the lungs and the BALF of the PM10D-exposed mice. LM also reduced the release of inflammatory mediators (MIP-2, IL-17, IL-1α, CXCL1, TNF-α, MUC5AC, and TRP receptor channels) in the BALF and lungs. Lung histopathology was used to examine airway inflammation and the accumulation of collagen fibers and inflammatory cells after PM10D exposure and showed that LM administration improved this inflammation. Furthermore, LM extract inhibited the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathway in the lungs and improved expectoration activity through an increase in phenol red release from the trachea. Conclusions: LM alleviated PM10D-exposed neutrophilic airway inflammation by suppressing MAPK/NF-κB activation. This study indicates that LM extract may be an effective therapeutic agent against inflammatory respiratory diseases. Full article

With technological advances and industrial upgrading, electro-mechanical actuators (EMAs) have gradually replaced traditional hydraulic actuation systems. During operation, force servo systems inevitably suffer from external force or position disturbances, thus affecting the output performance of the system. Therefore, it is of significant engineering application value to develop EMA anti-disturbance control strategies that exhibit strong robustness and are more easily applicable to engineering practice. In this study, an open-loop transfer function of the system with command signals and disturbance signals as inputs was established based on the nonlinear mathematical models built for the core components of EMAs. To overcome the impact of external position disturbances on the motion performance of the force servo system, a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller was introduced and a high-order transfer function associated with various parameters such as speed and acceleration was derived and obtained as feedforward compensation based on the mathematical model. By incorporating a three-loop PID controller, the impact of external disturbance forces on the motion performance of the position servo system was overcome and the tracking accuracy of the system was also improved. Finally, simulation models were built using AMESim software (AMESim 2020, LMS Imagine.Lab, Roanne, France) and a dual-channel EMA performance testing system was developed. Simulation and test results indicated that both anti-disturbance control methods exhibited strong robustness and excellent anti-disturbance performance, with the control accuracy and dynamic performance almost unaffected by disturbances. This verified the correctness of the single-channel EMA anti-disturbance control strategy and the usability of the simulation model. Full article

This comprehensive study looks at how operational conditions affect the performance of a novel seven-channel titania ceramic ultrafiltration membrane for the treatment of produced water. A full factorial design experiment (2³) was conducted to study the effect of the cross-flow operating factors on the membrane permeate flux decline and the overall permeate volume. Eleven experimental runs were performed for three important process operating variables: transmembrane pressure (TMP), crossflow velocity (CFV), and filtration time (FT). Steady final membrane fluxes and permeate volumes were recorded for each experimental run. Under the optimized conditions (1.5 bar, 1 m/s, and 2 h), the membrane performance index demonstrated an oil rejection rate of 99%, a flux of 297 L/m²·h (LMH), a 38% overall initial flux decline, and a total permeate volume of 8.14 L. The regression models used for the steady-state membrane permeate flux decline and overall permeate volume led to the highest goodness of fit to the experimental data with a correlation coefficient of 0.999. A Multiple Linear Regression method and an Artificial Neural Network approach were also employed to model the experimental membrane permeate flux decline and analyze the impact of the operating conditions on membrane performance. The predictions of the Gaussian regression and the Levenberg–Marquardt backpropagation method were validated with a determination coefficient of 99% and a Mean Square Error of 0.07. Full article

In our paper, we propose a generalized version of the Alternating Projections Digital Hard Successive Interference Cancellation (AP-HSIC) algorithm that is capable of decoding any order of constellation M in an M-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) system. Our approach applies to Rayleigh deep-fading Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) channels with high-level Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN). It can handle various destructive phenomena without restricting the number of antenna arrays in the transmitter/receiver. Importantly, it does not rely on closed-loop MIMO feedback or the need for Channel-State Information Transmission (CSIT). We have demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach and provided a Bit Error Rate (BER) analysis for 16-, 32-, and 64-QAM modulation systems. Real-time simulations showcase the differences and advantages of our proposed algorithm compared to the Multi-Group Space-Time Coding (MGSTC) decoding algorithm and the Lagrange Multipliers Hard Successive Interference Cancellation (LM-HSIC) algorithm, which we have also developed here. Additionally, our paper includes a mathematical analysis of the LM-HSIC algorithm. The AP-HSIC algorithm is not only effective and fast in decoding, including interference cancellation computational feedback, but it can also be integrated with any Linear Processing Complex Orthogonal Design (LPCOD) technique, including Complex Orthogonal Design (COD) schemes such as high-order Orthogonal Space–Time Block Code (OSTBC) with high-order QAM symbols. Full article