Search

Solving maximum matching problems in bipartite graphs is critical in fields such as computational biology and social network analysis. This study introduces HybridGNN, a novel Graph Neural Network model designed to efficiently address complex matching problems at scale. HybridGNN leverages a combination of Graph Attention Networks (GATv2), Graph SAGE (SAGEConv), and Graph Isomorphism Networks (GIN) layers to enhance computational efficiency and model performance. Through extensive ablation experiments, we identify that while the SAGEConv layer demonstrates suboptimal performance in terms of accuracy and F1-score, configurations incorporating GATv2 and GIN layers show significant improvements. Specifically, in six-layer GNN architectures, the combinations of GATv2 and GIN layers with ratios of 4:2 and 5:1 yield superior accuracy and F1-score. Therefore, we name these GNN configurations HybridGNN1 and HybridGNN2. Additionally, techniques such as mixed precision training, gradient accumulation, and Jumping Knowledge networks are integrated to further optimize performance. Evaluations on an email communication dataset reveal that HybridGNNs outperform traditional algorithms such as the Hopcroft–Karp algorithm, the Hungarian algorithm, and the Blossom/Edmonds' algorithm, particularly for large and complex graphs. These findings highlight HybridGNN's robust capability to solve maximum matching problems in bipartite graphs, making it a powerful tool for analyzing large-scale and intricate graph data. Furthermore, our study aligns with the goals of the Symmetry and Asymmetry Study in Graph Theory special issue by exploring the role of symmetry in bipartite graph structures. By leveraging GNNs, we address the challenges related to symmetry and asymmetry in graph properties, thereby improving the reliability and fault tolerance of complex networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Keloids are benign fibroproliferative tumors that are unique to humans. However, the exact mechanism of keloid formation remains unclear. The inflammatory cytokines released by immune cells can activate fibroblasts, connective tissue cell proliferation, and angiogenesis. Hypoxia is common in the process of fibrosis in many diseases. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between immune response, hypoxia, and keloid formation. Methods. Gene methylation and expression data were downloaded from the GEO database. Thereafter, differentially methylated genes associated with immunity and hypoxia were identified. Machine learning was performed to identify potential diagnostic/immunity/hypoxia‐related differentially methylated/expressed genes, followed by analysis of functional enrichment, transcription factors, protein‐protein interactions, and expression validation by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Results. In total, 16 immunity/hypoxia‐related hypermethylated low‐expression genes and 18 immunity/hypoxia‐related hypomethylated high‐expression genes were identified in keloids. Based on machine learning, nine differentially methylated and expressed genes were selected as potential diagnostic markers for keloids, including two hypoxia‐related genes (CDKN1A and PGAM2) and seven immunity‐related genes (DCD, PTGDS, WFIKKN1, SEMA5A, IL1R1, ITGAL, and SOS1). Some significantly enriched signaling pathways were identified, including the FoxO, PI3K‐Akt, focal adhesion, and ErbB signaling pathways. SOS1 is involved in disease regulation with 65 transcription factors and has a higher interaction score with other molecules. Conclusions. Two hypoxia‐related genes (CDKN1A and PGAM2) and seven immunity‐related genes (DCD, PTGDS, WFIKKN1, SEMA5A, IL1R1, ITGAL, and SOS1) could be considered potential diagnostic markers for keloids, and may be helpful in understanding the importance of oxygen balance and immune regulation in keloids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) induces a complex sequence of apoptotic cascades and inflammatory responses, leading to neurological impairment. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), a nonselective cation channel with high calcium permeability, has been implicated in neuronal apoptosis and inflammatory responses. This study used a mouse ICH model and neuronal cultures to examine whether TRPV1 activation exacerbates brain damage and neurological deficits by promoting neuronal apoptosis and neuroinflammation. ICH was induced by injecting collagenase in both wild‐type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and TRPV1−/− mice. Capsaicin (CAP; a TRPV1 agonist) or capsazepine (a TRPV1 antagonist) was administered by intracerebroventricular injection 30 min before ICH induction in WT mice. The effects of genetic deletion or pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 using CAP or capsazepine on motor deficits, histological damage, apoptotic responses, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, and neuroinflammatory reactions were explored. The antiapoptotic mechanisms and calcium influx induced by TRPV1 inactivation were investigated in cultured hemin‐stimulated neurons. TRPV1 expression was upregulated in the hemorrhagic brain, and TRPV1 was expressed in neurons, microglia, and astrocytes after ICH. Genetic deletion of TRPV1 significantly attenuated motor deficits and brain atrophy for up to 28 days. Deletion of TRPV1 also reduced brain damage, neurodegeneration, microglial activation, cytokine expression, and cell apoptosis at 1 day post‐ICH. Similarly, the administration of CAP ameliorated brain damage, neurodegeneration, brain edema, BBB permeability, and cytokine expression at 1 day post‐ICH. In primary neuronal cultures, pharmacological inactivation of TRPV1 by CAP attenuated neuronal vulnerability to hemin‐induced injury, suppressed apoptosis, and preserved mitochondrial integrity in vitro. Mechanistically, CAP reduced hemin‐stimulated calcium influx and prevented the phosphorylation of CaMKII in cultured neurons, which was associated with reduced activation of P38 and c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling. Our results suggest that TRPV1 inhibition may be a potential therapy for ICH by suppressing mitochondria‐related neuronal apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic risk factors have been shown to contribute to the development of sexual dysfunction. However, the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene variants in the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED) remains unclear. In this study, we recruited 1254 participants who underwent ED assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function-5. The MTHFR c.677C>T variant was also measured by fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR). No significant difference in the genotypic frequency of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism (CC, CT, and TT) was observed between men from the ED and non-ED groups. In addition, on binary logistic regression analysis, both crude and adjusted models showed that the risk of ED was not significantly associated with the C677T polymorphism. Interestingly, a significantly higher frequency of the 677TT polymorphism was found in severe and moderate ED (P = 0.02). The positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and severe ED was confirmed by logistic regression analysis, even after adjusting for potential confounders (odds ratio [OR] = 2.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.15–5.50, P = 0.02). These findings suggest a positive correlation between the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and the risk of severe ED. Identification of MTHFR gene polymorphisms may provide complementary information for ED patients during routine clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have suggested the potential association between air pollution and tuberculosis incidence, but this association remains inconclusive and evidence to assess causality is particularly lacking. We aimed to draw causal inference between fine particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter (PM2.5) and tuberculosis in China. Methods: Granger causality (GC) inference was performed within vector autoregressive models at levels and/or first-differences using annual national aggregated data during 1982–2019, annual provincial aggregated data during 1982–2019 and monthly provincial aggregated data during 2004–2018. Convergent cross-mapping (CCM) approach was used to determine the backbone nonlinear causal association based on the monthly provincial aggregated data during 2004–2018. Moreover, distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) was applied to quantify the causal effects. Results: GC tests identified PM2.5 driving tuberculosis dynamics at national and provincial levels in Granger sense. Empirical dynamic modeling provided the CCM causal intensity of PM2.5 effect on tuberculosis at provincial level and demonstrated that PM2.5 had a positive effect on tuberculosis incidence. Then, DLNM estimation demonstrated that the PM2.5 exposure driven tuberculosis risk was concentration- and time-dependent in a nonlinear manner. This result still held in the multi-pollutant model. Conclusions: Causal inference showed that PM2.5 exposure driving tuberculosis, which showing a concentration gradient change. Air pollutant control may have potential public health benefit of decreasing tuberculosis burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High salinity has plagued wastewater treatment for a long time by hindering pollutant removal, thereby becoming a global challenge for water pollution control that is difficult to overcome even with massive energy consumption. Herein, we propose a novel process for rapid salinity-mediated water self-purification in a dual-reaction-centers (DRC) system with cation-p structures. In this process, local hydrogen bond networks of H2O molecules can be distorted through the mediation of salinity, thereby opening the channels for the preferential contact of pollutants on the DRC interface. As the result, the elimination rate of pollutants increased approximately 32-fold at high salinity (100 mM) without any external energy consumption. Our findings provide a novel technology for high-efficiency and low-consumption water self-purification, which is of great significance in environmental remediation and even fine chemical industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a condition associated with high morbidity and mortality, and glia-mediated inflammation is a major contributor to neurological deficits. However, there is currently no proven effective treatment for clinical ICH. Recently, low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a non-invasive method, has shown potential for neuroprotection in neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects and potential mechanisms of LIPUS on glia-mediated inflammation in ICH. Methods: This study used 289 mice to investigate the effects of LIPUS on ICH. ICH was induced by injecting bacterial collagenase (type VII-S; 0.0375 U) into the striatum of the mice. LIPUS was applied noninvasively for 3 days, including a 2-h-delayed intervention to mimic clinical usage. The study evaluated neurological function, histology, brain water content, hemoglobin content, MRI, and protein expression of neurotrophic factors, inflammatory molecules, and apoptosis. In vitro studies investigated glia-mediated inflammation by adding thrombin (10 U/mL) or conditioned media to primary and cell line cultures. The PI3K inhibitor LY294002 was used to confirm the effects of PI3K/Akt signaling after LIPUS treatment. Results: LIPUS treatment improved neurological deficits and reduced tissue loss, edema, and neurodegeneration after ICH. The protective effects of LIPUS resulted from decreased glia-mediated inflammation by inhibiting PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signaling, which reduced cytokine expression and attenuated microglial activation-induced neuronal damage in vitro. Conclusions: LIPUS treatment improved neurological outcomes and reduced glia-mediated inflammation by inhibiting PI3K/Akt-NF-κB signaling after ICH. LIPUS may provide a non-invasive potential management strategy for ICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding geospatial impacts of multi-sourced influencing factors on the epidemic of hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is of great significance for formulating disease control policies tailored to regional-specific needs, yet the knowledge is very limited. We aim to identify and further quantify the spatiotemporal heterogeneous effects of environmental and socioeconomic factors on HFMD dynamics. Methods: We collected monthly province-level HFMD incidence and related environmental and socioeconomic data in China during 2009–2018. Hierarchical Bayesian models were constructed to investigate the spatiotemporal relationships between regional HFMD and various covariates: linear and nonlinear effects for environmental covariates, and linear effects for socioeconomic covariates. Results: The spatiotemporal distribution of HFMD cases was highly heterogeneous, indicated by the Lorenz curves and the corresponding Gini indices. The peak time (R2 = 0.65, P = 0.009), annual amplitude (R2 = 0.94, P<0.001), and semi-annual periodicity contribution (R2 = 0.88, P<0.001) displayed marked latitudinal gradients in Central China region. The most likely cluster areas for HFMD were located in south China (Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hainan) from April 2013 to October 2017. The Bayesian models achieved the best predictive performance (R2 = 0.87, P<0.001). We found significant nonlinear associations between monthly average temperature, relative humidity, normalized difference vegetation index and HFMD transmission. Besides, population density (RR = 1.261; 95%CI, 1.169–1.353), birth rate (RR = 1.058; 95%CI, 1.025–1.090), real GDP per capita (RR = 1.163; 95%CI, 1.033–1.310) and school vacation (RR = 0.507; 95%CI, 0.459–0.559) were identified to have positive or negative effects on HFMD respectively. Our model could successfully predict months with HFMD outbreaks versus non-outbreaks in provinces of China from Jan 2009 to Dec 2018. Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of refined spatial and temporal data, as well as environmental and socioeconomic information, on HFMD transmission dynamics. The spatiotemporal analysis framework may provide insights into adjusting regional interventions to local conditions and temporal variations in broader natural and social sciences. Author summary: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is one of the most common pediatric infectious diseases worldwide and it has affected up to two million children annually in China since 2008. This study used Bayesian spatiotemporal modeling to analyze provincial-level HFMD cases, environmental and socioeconomic data during 2009–2018. We found that both environmental (temperature, relative humidity and normalized difference vegetation index) and socioeconomic covariates (population density, birth rate, real GDP per capita and school vacation) are associated with HFMD occurrence under spatiotemporal scales. This model may help to (1) identify outbreaks of HFMD, including their timing, location and severity; (2) understand the transmission dynamics by mapping the spread of HFMD over time and space; (3) indicate areas of higher risk or the emergence of new outbreaks by detecting clusters of HFMD cases in specific geographic locations. Overall, this study provides valuable information for public health decision-makers and researchers, allowing them to better understand the spread of the disease and target their efforts more efficiently to control its transmission and prevent outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we investigate the ferroelectricity of stacked zirconium oxide and hafnium oxide (stacked HfZrO) with different thickness ratios under metal gate stress and simultaneously evaluate the electrical reliability of stacked ferroelectric films. Based on experimental results, we find that the stacked HfZrO films not only exhibited excellent ferroelectricity but also demonstrated a high performance on reliability. The optimized condition of the 45% Zr proportion exhibited a robust ferroelectric polarization value of 32.57 μC/cm2, and a polarization current with a peak value of 159.98 μA. Besides this, the ferroelectric stacked HfZrO also demonstrated good reliability with a ten-year lifetime under >−2 V constant voltage stress. Therefore, the appropriate modulation of zirconium proportion in stacked HfZrO showed great promise for integrating in high-performance ferroelectric memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of semen collection plays a key role in the quality of semen specimens. However, the association between semen collection time and semen quality is still unclear. In this study, ejaculates by masturbation from 746 subfertile men or healthy men who underwent semen analysis were examined. The median (interquartile range) semen collection time for all participants was 7.0 (5.0-11.0) min, and the median time taken for semen collection was lower in healthy men than that in subfertile men (6.0 min vs 7.0 min). An increase in the time required to produce semen samples was associated with poorer semen quality. Among those undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART), the miscarriage rate was positively correlated with the semen collection time. After adjusting for confounders, the highest quartile (Q4) of collection time was negatively associated with semen volume and sperm concentration. A longer time to produce semen samples (Q3 and Q4) was negatively correlated with progressive and total sperm motility. In addition, there was a significant negative linear association between the semen collection time and the sperm morphology. Higher risks of asthenozoospermia (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.06, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.31-3.25, P = 0.002) and teratozoospermia (adjusted OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.10-3.55, P = 0.02) were observed in Q3 than those in Q1. Our results indicate that a higher risk of abnormal semen parameter values was associated with an increase in time for semen collection, which may be related to male fertility through its association with semen quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases characterized by cognitive deficits and dementia. AD entails predominant pathological characteristics including amyloid beta (Aβ) plaque formation, neurofibrillary entanglements, and brain atrophy, which gradually result in cognitive dysfunctions. Studies showed that these pathological changes are found in a myriad of brain structures, including the claustrum (CLA), a nucleus that penetrates deeply into the brain and is extensively interconnected to various brain structures. The CLA modulates many aspects of cognitive functions, with attention, executive function, visuospatial ability, language, and memory in particular. It is also implicated in multiple neuropsychiatric disorders, of which one worthy of particular attention is AD-related cognitive impairments. To inspire novel AD treatment strategies, this review has summarized the CLA functionality in discriminative cognitive dysfunctions in AD. And then propose an array of potential mechanisms that might contribute to the cognitive impairments caused by an abnormal CLA physiology. We advocate that the CLA might be a new promising therapeutic target in combination with existing anti-AD drugs and brain stimulation approaches for future AD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to explore possible associations between molecular subtypes and site of distant metastasis in advanced breast cancer (ABC). Methods: 3577 ABC patients were selected from 21 hospitals of seven geographic regions in China from 2012-2014. A questionnaire was designed to collect medical information regarding demographic characteristics, risk factors, molecular subtype, recurrence/metastasis information, and disease-free survival (DFS). The cancers were classified into Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2-enriched and Triple Negative subtypes. Chi-square test and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were performed to explore the associations between molecular subtypes and distant metastasis sites. Results: A total of 2393 cases with molecular subtypes information were finally examined. Patients with Luminal A (51.1%) and Luminal B (44.7%) were most prone to bone metastasis, whereas liver metastasis was more frequently observed in HER2-enriched ABC patients (29.1%).The cumulative recurrence and metastasis rates of ABC patients at 36 months of DFS were the most significant within molecular types, of which Triple Negative was the highest (82.7%), while that of Luminal A was the lowest (58.4%). In the adjusted Cox regression analysis, Luminal B, HER2-enriched and Triple Negative subtypes increased the risk of visceral metastasis by 23%, 46% and 87% respectively. In addition, Triple Negative patients had a higher probability of brain metastasis (HR 3.07, 95% CI: 1.04-9.07). Conclusion: Molecular subtypes can predict the preferential sites of distant metastasis, emphasizing that these associations were of great help in choices for surveillance, developing appropriate screening and cancer management strategies for follow-up and personalized therapy in ABC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously increased depression prevalence among the public, including Chinese college students. However, many exercise cannot be performed as usual under the stay-at-home order. This study was a 12-week three-arm randomized controlled trial using the intention-to-treat principle, aiming to explore and compare the feasibility and effect of individual-based personalized aerobic-exercise and resistance-training prescriptions on depressive symptoms in college students, and conclude with some recommendations for individual-based exercise prescriptions. Methods: Eighty-six college students with depressive symptoms were randomized into aerobic-exercise (AE), resistance-training (RT), and wait-list control (WLC) groups. Participants in two experimental groups received 12-week personalized AE and RT prescriptions on their individual situations, respectively. No intervention was implemented on participants in the WLC group. Depressive symptoms and physical activity (PA) were measured by Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), respectively. All data were collected at the baseline, 4, 8, and 12 weeks, and 4-week post-intervention. Results: At 12 weeks, 72.09% of depressive participants improved to “normal.” Participants exhibited a statistical reduction in SDS in all 3 groups (p < 0.05) at 12 weeks compared to baseline. Follow-up assessments showed no significant increase in SDS at 4-week post-intervention compared to 12 weeks (p > 0.05). The independent t-test revealed significantly lower SDS in AE and RT group than in WLC group (pAE < 0.001 and pRT < 0.05) at 4, 8, and 12 weeks, and 4-week post-intervention. Furthermore, the PA of participants (including total PA and intensities) in both experimental groups represented a significant improvement at 4-week post-intervention compared to baseline (p < 0.05), while no differences were observed in the PA of participants in the WLC group (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Personalized exercise prescriptions have good feasibility as they can increase adherence to intervention and reduce serious adverse events. Besides, individual-based personalized aerobic-exercise and resistance-training prescriptions result in a similar effect in relieving depressive symptoms and improving physical activity in college students. The individual-based exercise programs performed in 45- to 60- min with progressive moderate-to-vigorous intensity, 3 times/week for at least 12 weeks, may reduce depressive symptoms in college students during the COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gut microbiota plays an important role in inflammatory diseases. Metabolites in the three metabolic pathways of tryptophan (Trp), histidine (His), and phenylalanine (Phe) can affect various inflammatory conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, arthritis, colitis, atherosclerosis, and neuroinflammation. We established an LC-MS/MS method to measure 17 metabolites--Trp, 3-indole-acetic acid (Iaa), 3-indole-lactate (Ila), 3-indole-propionic acid (Ipa), 3-indole formaldehyde (Iald), kynurenine (Kn), kynurenic acid (Kyna), 3-Hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-Haa), His, 3-methylhistidine (3-Mhis), histamine (Hist), imidazole propionic acid (Imp), 4-imidazoacetic acid (Imaa), urocanic acid (Ua), Phe, phenylethylamine (Pea), and hippuric acid (Ha)--in the three metabolic pathways. The method exhibited high sensitivity and good selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, stability; and recovery rate; all met the requirements of biological sample analysis. By establishing a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model of Sprague-Dawley rats and performing 16S rRNA sequencing on their feces, it was found that there was dysbiosis, including changes in phylum level, genus level, and a biodiversity of gut bacteria. The contents of the microbiota metabolites Iaa and Ipa in the model group were significantly decreased, and those of Iald, Kn, Kyna, Ha, and Imp were significantly increased. The common therapeutic drugs Tripterygium glycosides, total glucosides of peony, and their main active ingredients were screened by in vitro incubation with gut bacteria: it was found that Tripterygium glycosides and their active ingredients could lead to a variation in metabolites in the Trp and Phe pathways. Total glucosides and active components of peony could lead to a variation in metabolites in the Phe pathway of the gut microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental and epidemiological problems caused by antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes have attracted a lot of attention. The use of electron shuttles based on enhanced extracellular electron transfer for anaerobic biological treatment to remove widespread antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes efficiently from wastewater or organic solid waste is a promising technology. This paper reviewed the development of electron shuttles, described the mechanism of action of different electron shuttles and the application of enhanced anaerobic biotreatment with electron shuttles for the removal of antibiotics and related genes. Finally, we discussed the current issues and possible future directions of electron shuttle technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Gossypium; cell differentiation; specialized structure; transcription factors; terpenoids EN Gossypium cell differentiation specialized structure transcription factors terpenoids 1100 1102 3 05/30/23 20230601 NES 230601 Cotton ( I Gossypium i spp.) is a leading economic crop that is grown in more than 50 countries. Single-cell transcriptome atlas identified novel regulators for pigment gland morphogenesis in cotton Cluster 9 was identified in the cotyledons of gland cotton "CCRI12" but not glandless cotton "CCRI12gl", and I GoPGF i was specifically detected in the cells of cluster 9. [Extracted from the article]

Large numbers of microbes can be present in seminal fluid, and there are differences in the semen microbiota between normal and abnormal semen samples. To evaluate the semen microbiota in patients with leukocytospermia, 87 seminal fluid samples, including 33 samples with a normal seminal leukocyte count and 54 samples with leukocytospermia, were obtained for a cross-sectional analysis. Twenty samples with a normal seminal leukocyte count had normal sperm parameters (Control group), and 13 samples with a normal seminal leukocyte count were from asthenozoospermia patients (Ast group). However, 32 samples with leukocytospermia were from asthenozoospermia patients (LA group), and only 22 samples with leukocytospermia had normal sperm parameters (Leu group). The 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing method was used to sequence the microbiota in the seminal fluid, and multiple bioinformatics methods were utilized to analyze the data. Finally, the results showed that the worse sperm parameters were observed in the leukocytospermia-related groups. Semen microbiota analysis found that there was increased alpha diversity in the leukocytospermia-related groups. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the primary phyla in the seminal fluid. Two microbiota profiles, namely, Lactobacillus-enriched and Streptococcus-enriched groups, were identified in this study. The majority of the samples in the groups with a normal seminal leukocyte count could be categorized as Lactobacillus-enriched, whereas the majority of the leukocytospermia samples could be categorized as Streptococcus-enriched. Our study indicated that males with leukocytospermia have worse sperm parameters and a different semen microbiota composition compared to males with a normal seminal leukocyte count. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A z-scan technique was used to analyse the optical nonlinearity of a graphene/Bi2Te3 heterostructure under pulsed laser excitation at 800 nm. The intensity-dependent transmittance over 10 orders of magnitude indicated that the heterostructure displayed a versatile nonlinear absorption behaviour. The sign change of the nonlinear refractive index n2 at a high optical intensity from the saturable absorption of the Bi2Te3 surface state was investigated. Meanwhile, the relationship between the nonlinear absorption and laser output was discussed and used to interpret the laser behaviour variation with an increase in pump power. Our work provides an understanding of the optical nonlinearity evolution and a scaling guide for quality solid-state lasers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case of a 59-year-old woman who was rushed to a clinic due to a 3-month-old nonpainful left neck mass to discuss cervical tuberculosis along with papillary thyroid carcinoma with lateral neck metastasis. Also cited are the effectiveness of using fine needle aspiration (FNA) to diagnose cervical tuberculosis and her treatment of bilateral total thyroidectomy with central neck and left lateral neck dissections.

Stainless steels are widely used in hospitals and public transportation vehicles as one of the most common touch surfaces. Retrofitting stainless steel surfaces with an antimicrobial layer can bring potential public health benefits by reducing the ability of inanimate objects, or fomites, to transmit infections. Here, a facile surface conversion reaction between stainless steel and a solution of KMnO4 and CuSO4 is reported, which leads to a conformal and robust oxyhydroxide layer. Microscopy observations show that the layer is amorphous, continuous, and pinhole‐free with a thickness of only 10–15 nm. The coating adheres strongly to stainless steel and can resist rubbing in simulated friction tests, which is attributed to its intermixing with the substrate without forming a sharp interface. Cu ions incorporated into the surface layer can be released into water droplets deposited on the surface and induce antimicrobial activities against bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA14) after 30 min of contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research project was to develop a safe and efficient method for disposal of HCDS liquid in large quantities. The proposed method is a two-stage process which includes direct hydrolysis of HCDS liquid in water, followed by alkaline cleavage of the hydrolyzed product in aqueous suspension by an aqueous potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. In the first stage, HCDS liquid was directly hydrolyzed in water. The required ratio of HCDS to water was 1:25 by weight. During the hydrolysis, the reaction was mild and took place without significant fuming. There was a new peak at 915 cm-1 observed only in the IR spectrum of the liquid HCDS hydrolyzed deposit hydrolyzed in water that may be attributed to the existence of small silicon-oxide molecules in the cluster. It was determined that, unlike other hydrolyzed deposits formed in moist air, the liquid HCDS hydrolyzed deposit formed in water was readily reactive to alkaline solution at ambient conditions with a concurrent release of hydrogen gas. In the second stage, aqueous KOH solution (20 wt%) was then added to neutralize the suspended solution. The required weight ratio of KOH to HCDS was 2:1 to get a final pH of about 12.6. The residual deposit was completely dissolved in two hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, mobile devices have gained increasing development with stronger computation capability and larger storage space. Some of the computation-intensive machine learning tasks can now be run on mobile devices. To exploit the resources available on mobile devices and preserve personal privacy, the concept of client-based machine learning has been proposed. It leverages the users’ local hardware and local data to solve machine learning sub-problems on mobile devices and only uploads computation results rather than the original data for the optimization of the global model. Such an architecture can not only relieve computation and storage burdens on servers but also protect the users’ sensitive information. Another benefit is the band)width reduction because various kinds of local data can be involved in the training process without being uploaded. In this article, we provide a literature review on the progressive development of machine learning from server based to client based. We revisit a number of widely used server-based and client-based machine learning methods and applications. We also extensively discuss the challenges and future directions in this area. We believe that this survey will give a clear overview of client-based machine learning and provide guidelines on applying client-based machine learning to practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity, and IUGR survivors are at increased risk of neurodevelopmental deficits. No effective interventions are currently available to improve the structure and function of the IUGR brain before birth. This study investigated the protective effects of low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on postnatal neurodevelopmental outcomes and brain injury using a rat model of IUGR induced by maternal exposure to dexamethasone (DEX). Pregnant rats were treated with DEX (200 μg/kg, s.c.) and LIPUS daily from gestational day (GD) 14 to 19. Behavioral assessments were performed on the IUGR offspring to examine neurological function. Neuropathology, levels of neurotrophic factors, and CaMKII‐Akt‐related molecules were assessed in the IUGR brain, and expression of glucose and amino acid transporters and neurotrophic factors were examined in the placenta. Maternal LIPUS treatment increased fetal weight, fetal liver weight, and placental weight following IUGR. LIPUS treatment also increased neuronal number and myelin protein expression in the IUGR brain, and attenuated neurodevelopmental deficits at postnatal day (PND) 18. However, the number of oligodendrocytes or microglia was not affected. These changes were associated with the upregulation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and placental growth factor (PlGF) protein expression, and enhancement of neuronal CaMKII and Akt activation in the IUGR brain at PND 1. Additionally, LIPUS treatment promoted glucose transporter (GLUT) 1 production and BDNF expression in the placenta, but had no effects on GLUT3 or amino acid transporter expression. Our findings suggest that antenatal LIPUS treatment may reduce IUGR‐induced brain injury via enhancing cerebral BDNF/CaMKII/Akt signaling. These data provide new evidence that LIPUS stimulation could be considered for antenatal neuroprotective therapy in IUGR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging is a natural process that will cause physiological changes in organs. The effects of djulis and green caviar in skincare are currently unclear. This study combined hydrolyzed collagen with djulis and green caviar to develop new functional formulas that improve skin parameters. Fifty subjects were randomly assigned and divided into a placebo group (n=25) and a collagen drink group (n=25), and gave 50 ml of collagen of a collagen drink or placebo drink daily for 28 days, and we examined skin moisture, elasticity, gloss, spot, wrinkle, roughness, smoothness, pore, collagen and erythema. We find that intake of collagen drinks group improved skin parameters at 14 days and 28 days compared with baseline (0 day). The collagen drinks group improved skin parameters at 28 days compared with the placebo group. This clinical study proved the combination of collagen with djulis and green caviar for the substantial improvements in moisture, elasticity, gloss, spot, wrinkle, roughness, smoothness, pore, collagen, and erythema in the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the physicochemical properties and heterogeneous processes of aerosols is key not only to elucidate the impacts of aerosols on the atmosphere and humans but also to exploit their further applications, especially for a healthier environment. Experiments that allow for spatially control of single aerosol particles and investigations on the fundamental properties and heterogeneous chemistry at the single‐particle level have flourished during the last few decades, and significant breakthroughs in recent years promise better control and novel applications aimed at resolving key issues in aerosol science. Here we propose graphene oxide (GO) aerosols as prototype aerosols containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and GO can behave as two‐dimensional surfactants which could modify the interfacial properties of aerosols. We describe the techniques of trapping single particles and furthermore the current status of the optical spectroscopy and chemistry of GO. The current applications of these single‐particle trapping techniques are summarized and interesting future applications of GO aerosols are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with severe mental illnesses (SMI) were at high risk of infection during Coronavirus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study examined hospitalized SMI patients' attitude and knowledge towards the COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five psychiatric hospitals located in Gansu province, the most economically underdeveloped area in China. Patients' attitude towards preventive measures and knowledge of COVID-19 were measured by a self-report questionnaire. A total of 925 hospitalized patients with SMI were recruited. Of them, 84.8% (95%CI: 82.4%–87.1%) had positive attitudes towards preventive measures of the COVID-19 outbreak. Being married (OR: 1.55, 95%CI: 1.05–2.30) and a higher educational level (OR: 1.63, 95%CI: 1.12–2.38) were independently associated with positive attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures, whereas higher educational level was associated with better knowledge of the COVID-19 outbreak (β: 0.231, P < 0.001). Patients mainly received COVID-19 relevant knowledge from public media (58.9%), followed by their clinicians (33.2%). Most hospitalized SMI patients in economically underdeveloped areas in China showed positive attitudes towards COVID-19 preventive measures. However, public health education on COVID-19 relevant knowledge by mental health professionals was inadequate to reduce the risk of transmission and infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the plasma oxidation effect in tin-oxide (SnOx) thin film was investigated. And on this basis, we fabricated n-type thin-film transistors (TFTs) using the SnOx thin film with the plasma oxidation by experiments. By adjusting the processing time of the oxygen plasma treatment (OPT), the optimized SnOx TFT device exhibited an extremely high field-effect mobility of 87.6 cm2 V−1 s−1, a desirable on-to-off current ratio of 1.9 × 104 and a threshold voltage of − 0.9 V. Furthermore, we investigated the origin of the performance enhancements in the n-type SnOx TFTs with the optimized OPT by introducing the density of states (DOS) modeling in TCAD simulation. The numerical simulation indicated that the attributes of donor-like Gaussian defect states (oxygen vacancies) were modified in overall DOS due to the plasma oxidation effect. These present results show that the SnOx TFT treated by oxygen plasma has great promise in the future high-performance flat panel display industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the electrical characteristics of a p‐type negative‐capacitance field‐effect transistor are investigated using an ultrathin 2.5 nm‐thick HfAlOx. The optimized performance exhibits a steep subthreshold slope of 35 mV dec−1, a negligible hysteresis of 4 mV, and a low off‐state current of 3 × 10−13 A μm−1. Appropriate aluminum doping into HfAlOx film can not only improve the leakage current but also stabilize the negative‐capacitance matching. The prominent improvement on the capacitance matching and ferroelectricity can be ascribed to the reduced defect traps and less dielectric crystalline phase during annealing, which is important for the practical application of energy‐efficient logic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling shock can be considered a potential method of causing the high-temperature rocks to crack and achieve the most efficient exploitation and utilization of geo-thermal energy in the future. However, it is important to accurately recognize the thermal cracking effect and the corresponding typical characteristics of cooling shock. Therefore, in this study, we conducted a systematic experiment on the effects of cooling shocks with different temperature gradients on the cracking of high-temperature granite. The granite samples were heated to 150, 350, 550, and 750 °C, and then injected with three kinds of refrigerants of 20, 0 and − 20 °C into the granite boreholes. Furthermore, the cracking characteristics of granite were compared by means of optical microscope. According to the experimental analysis, several conclusions could be obtained: (1) Compared with natural cooling conditions, cooling shocks of 20, 0, and − 20 °C resulted in no evident open cracks on the granite at 150 and 350 °C; however, the distribution of the micro-crack networks became denser with a decrease in the refrigerant temperature. (2) For the high-temperature granite samples at 550 and 750 °C, the effect of the cooling shock was significant, and localized open cracks could be observed; however, several differences were evident in the effect of granite cracking under different combinations of cooling shocks and high temperatures. For granite with the same temperature gradient, with the decrease in the refrigerant temperature, the number of inter-granular and trans-granular cracks increased, and the cooling shock enhanced the cracking effect. (3) The main factor of granite cracking was the anisotropy of the mineral particles affected by the temperature difference, in which a large amount of quartz was contained in the granite, and the effect of repeated phase transformation near 573 °C was remarkable. Moreover, with the temperature difference between the refrigerant and the heated samples increasing, the generated tensile forces in the outer edge of samples would increase rapidly, causing amounts of trans-granular cracks and leading to the denser micro-crack networks. This work can provide an experimental reference for understanding the effect of cooling shock on mechanical properties and cracking of high-temperature rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subsurface damage depth of optical material introduced by lapping determines the efficiency of lapping and polishing process. In order to explore the subsurface damage (SSD) of fixed-abrasive lapping process, angle polishing method was employed to evaluate the SSD depth and damage form of soft-brittle material lithium niobate (LN) crystal. The influences of the grit size, the applied load and the hardness of pad matrix on SSD were investigated experimentally. The results show that: with the grit size decreasing form W28 to W14, the damage depth decreases by 70%. With the applied load decreasing form 15 kPa to 7 kPa, the SSD decreases by 40%. The dense and deep subsurface micro-cracks are caused by the hard matrix pad during lapping processing, while the matrix with low hardness causes plastic scratches on the surface/subsurface of the workpiece without obvious micro-cracks around the scratches. This study affords effective method for SSD evaluation and control of soft brittle materials such as LN crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic arborization is highly regulated and requires tight control of dendritic growth, branching, cytoskeletal dynamics, and ion channel expression to ensure proper function. Abnormal dendritic development can result in altered network connectivity, which has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). How neuronal growth control programs tune dendritic arborization to ensure function is still not fully understood. Using Drosophila dendritic arborization (da) neurons as a model, we identified the conserved Ste20-like kinase Tao as a negative regulator of dendritic arborization. We show that Tao kinase activity regulates cytoskeletal dynamics and sensory channel localization required for proper sensory function in both male and female flies. We further provide evidence for functional conservation of Tao kinase, showing that its ASD-linked human ortholog, Tao kinase 2 (Taok2), could replace Drosophila Tao and rescue dendritic branching, dynamic microtubule alterations, and behavioral defects. However, several ASD-linked Taok2 variants displayed impaired rescue activity, suggesting that Tao/Taok2 mutations can disrupt sensory neuron development and function. Consistently, we show that Tao kinase activity is required in developing and as well as adult stages for maintaining normal dendritic arborization and sensory function to regulate escape and social behavior. Our data suggest an important role for Tao kinase signaling in cytoskeletal organization to maintain proper dendritic arborization and sensory function, providing a strong link between developmental sensory aberrations and behavioral abnormalities relevant for Taok2-dependent ASDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]