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Rice false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, threatens rice production by reducing yields and contaminating grains with harmful ustiloxins. However, studies on resistance genes are scarce. In this study, the resistance level of IR28 (resistant cultivar) to U. virens was validated through artificial inoculation. Notably, a reactivation of resistance genes after transient down-regulation during the first 3 to 5 dpi was observed in IR28 compared to WX98 (susceptible cultivar). Cluster results of a principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the transcriptome exhibited longer expression patterns in the early infection phase of IR28, consistent with its sustained resistance response. Results of GO and KEGG enrichment analyses highlighted the suppression of immune pathways when the hyphae first invade stamen filaments at 5 dpi, but sustained up-regulated DEGs were linked to the 'Plant–pathogen interaction' (osa04626) pathway, notably disease-resistant protein RPM1 (K13457, CNLs, coil-coiled NLR). An analysis of CNLs identified 245 proteins containing Rx-CC and NB-ARC domains in the Oryza sativa Indica genome. Partial candidate CNLs were shown to exhibit up-regulation at both 1 and 5 dpi in IR28. This study provides insights into CNLs' responses to U. virens in IR28, potentially informing resistance mechanisms and genetic breeding targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants encounter numerous adversities during growth, necessitating the identification of common stress activators to bolster their resistance. However, the current understanding of these activators' mechanisms remains limited. This study identified three anti-stress activators applicable to apple trees, all of which elevate plant proline content to enhance resistance against various adversities. The results showed that the application of these sugar substitutes increased apple proline content by two to three times compared to the untreated group. Even at a lower concentration, these activators triggered plant stress resistance without compromising apple fruit quality. Therefore, these three sugar substitutes can be exogenously sprayed on apple trees to augment proline content and fortify stress resistance. Given their effectiveness and low production cost, these activators possess significant application value. Since they have been widely used in the food industry, they hold potential for broader application in plants, fostering apple industry development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: The DNAN/DNB eutectic is a high-energy explosive eutectic with superior safety and thermal stability compared to traditional melt-cast explosives. However, the addition of polymer binders can effectively enhance its mechanical properties, allowing for continued production demands without the need for changes to existing factory equipment. In this paper, a model of the DNAN/DNB eutectic explosive was established, and five different types of polymers—cis-1,4-polybutadiene (BR), ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), fluorinated polymer (F2603), and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)—were added to the (1 0 − 1), (1 0 1), and (0 1 1) cleavage planes, respectively, to form polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs). The stability, trigger bond length, mechanical properties, and detonation performance of the various polymer-bound PBXs were predicted retrogressively. Among the five PBX models, the DNAN/DNB/PEG model exhibited the highest binding energy and the shortest trigger bond length, indicating a significant improvement in stability, compatibility, and sensitivity compared to the original eutectic. Additionally, although the detonation performance of DNAN/DNB decreased after the addition of binders, the final results were still satisfactory. Overall, the DNAN/DNB/PEG model demonstrated excellent comprehensive performance, proving that among the many polymer binders, PEG is the optimal choice for DNAN/DNB. Methods: Within the Materials Studio software, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to predict the properties of the DNAN/DNB eutectic PBX. The MD simulation timestep was set to 1 fs, with a cumulative simulation duration of 2 ns. A 2 ns MD simulation was conducted using the isothermal-isobaric ensemble (NPT). The COMPASS force field was applied, and the temperature was fixed at 295 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cesium‐based all‐inorganic wide‐bandgap perovskite solar cells (AIWPSCs) have been demonstrated with exceptional optoelectronic properties such as intrinsic optical wide‐bandgap and high thermal stability, which make them suitable candidates for the front sub‐cells of tandem solar cells (TSCs). Passivation of perovskite surface and interface is a matter of common interest in this community since all‐inorganic perovskites always suffer from non‐ideal crystallization such as phase impurity, high defect density, and non‐uniform morphology. Despite these shortcomings, numerous efforts have been devoted in recent years to pursuing high‐performance AIWPSCs, which exhibit an abruptly increased power conversion efficiency (PCE) from 2.9% to over 21.0%. In view of not having a thorough summary about the advancements on AIWPSCs, herein, a comprehensive review is given to highlight the recent device performance progress of AIWPSC, particularly focusing on the strategies to passivate the defects of all‐inorganic perovskite, namely, additive engineering, solvent engineering, interface modification, and the exploration of new charge transport materials (CTMs) for improving the phase stability and PCE of AIWPSCs. Finally, a conclusive outlook on AIWPSCs will be given to provide our perspectives aiming to inspire the further development of AIWPSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Impatiens is an important genus with rich species of garden plants, and its distribution is extremely extensive, which is reflected in its diverse ecological environment. However, the specific mechanisms of Impatiens' adaptation to various environments and the mechanism related to lignin remain unclear. Results: Three representative Impatiens species,Impatiens chlorosepala (wet, low degree of lignification), Impatiens uliginosa (aquatic, moderate degree of lignification) and Impatiens rubrostriata (terrestrial, high degree of lignification), were selected and analyzed for their anatomical structures, lignin content and composition, and lignin-related gene expression. There are significant differences in anatomical parameters among the stems of three Impatiens species, and the anatomical structure is consistent with the determination results of lignin content. Furthermore, the thickness of the xylem and cell walls, as well as the ratio of cell wall thickness to stem diameter have a strong correlation with lignin content. The anatomical structure and degree of lignification in Impatiens can be attributed to the plant's growth environment, morphology, and growth rate. Our analysis of lignin-related genes revealed a negative correlation between the MYB4 gene and lignin content. The MYB4 gene may control the lignin synthesis in Impatiens by controlling the structural genes involved in the lignin synthesis pathway, such as HCT, C3H, and COMT. Nonetheless, the regulation pathway differs between species of Impatiens. Conclusions: This study demonstrated consistency between the stem anatomy of Impatiens and the results obtained from lignin content and composition analyses. It is speculated that MYB4 negatively regulates the lignin synthesis in the stems of three Impatiens species by regulating the expression of structural genes, and its regulation mechanism appears to vary across different Impatiens species. This study analyses the variations among different Impatiens plants in diverse habitats, and can guide further molecular investigations of lignin biosynthesis in Impatiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, chronic inflammatory condition of the colon, characterized by repeated attacks, a lack of effective treatment options, and significant physical and mental health complications for patients. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a vital intracellular organelle in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is induced when the body is exposed to adverse external stimuli. Numerous studies have shown that ERS-induced apoptosis plays a vital role in the pathogenesis of UC. Mogroside V (MV), an active ingredient of Monk fruit, has demonstrated excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, we investigated the therapeutic effects of MV on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC and its potential mechanisms based on ERS. The results showed that MV exerted a protective effect against DSS-induced UC in mice as reflected by reduced DAI scores, increased colon length, reduced histological scores of the colon, and levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as decreased intestinal permeability. In addition, the expression of ERS pathway including BIP, PERK, eIF2α, ATF4, CHOP, as well as the apoptosis-related protein including Caspase-12, Bcl-2 and Bax, was found to be elevated in UC. However, MV treatment significantly inhibited the UC and reversed the expression of inflammation signaling pathway including ERS and ERS-induced apoptosis. Additionally, the addition of tunicamycin (Tm), an ERS activator, significantly weakened the therapeutic effect of MV on UC in mice. These findings suggest that MV may be a therapeutic agent for the treatment of DSS-induced UC by inhibiting the activation of the ERS-apoptosis pathway, and may provide a novel avenue for the treatment of UC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate predictors of anticoagulation efficacy in deep venous thrombosis (DVT) by ultrasound elastography (UE). METHODS: The basic clinical, laboratory and ultrasound treatment data of fifty-eight patients with DVT were collected and analyzed. Then the results of ultrasound after 3-month anticoagulation treatment were compared among different groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors that affected anticoagulation efficacy. The predictive efficacy of each independent risk factor was accessed by drawing operating characteristic (ROC) curves. RESULTS: According to the regression analysis, the elastic modulus (OR = 0.631, P = 0.001) and strain rate ratio (OR = 0.332, P = 0.006) were identified as independent risk factors for the effectiveness of anticoagulation therapy in patients with DVT. According to the ROC curves, elastic modulus and strain rate ratio could predict effective anticoagulation therapy for DVT, and the optimal threshold values were 22.10 kPa and 1.80 respectively. The corresponding AUC values were 0.879 and 0.854, with a sensitivity of 71.4% and 59.5%, a specificity of 93.7%, and a Youden index of 65.1% and 62.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The elastic modulus (≤22.10 kPa) or strain rate ratio (≤1.80) of the thrombus were independent predictors for the effectiveness of anticoagulation therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condensation of 3,3′‐diamino‐2,2′‐ethylene‐bridged azobenzene with 1,2,4,5‐tetrakis‐(4‐formylphenyl) benzene produces a visible light responsive porous 2D covalent organic framework, COF‐bAzo‐TFPB, with a large surface area, good crystallinity, and thermal and chemical stability. The results demonstrate that the elaborated designed linker can make azo unit on the COF‐bAzo‐TFPB skeleton undergo reversible photoisomerization. This work expands the application scope of covalent organic frameworks in photo‐controlled release, uptake of guest molecules, dynamic photoswitching, and UV‐sensitive functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We employ a sample of 135 873 RR Lyrae stars (RRLs) with precise photometric-metallicity and distance estimates from the newly calibrated P –ϕ31– R 21–[Fe/H] and Gaia G band P – R 21–[Fe/H] absolute magnitude–metallicity relations of Li et al. combined with available proper motions from Gaia EDR3, and 6955 systemic radial velocities from Gaia DR3 and other sources, in order to explore the chemistry and kinematics of the halo of the Milky Way (MW). This sample is ideally suited for characterization of the inner- and outer-halo populations of the stellar halo, free from the bias associated with spectroscopically selected probes, and for estimation of their relative contributions as a function of Galactocentric distance. The results of a Gaussian mixture model analysis of these contributions are broadly consistent with other observational studies of the halo, and with expectations from recent MW simulation studies. We apply the hdbscan clustering method to the specific energies and cylindrical actions (E , Jr, Jϕ, J z ), identifying 97 dynamically tagged groups (DTGs) of RRLs, and explore their associations with recognized substructures of the MW. The precise photometric-distance determinations (relative distance errors on the order of 5 per cent or better), and the resulting high-quality determination of dynamical parameters, yield highly statistically significant (low) dispersions of [Fe/H] for the stellar members of the DTGs compared to random draws from the full sample, indicating that they share common star-formation and chemical histories, influenced by their birth environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impatiens is rich in germplasm resources, with more than 260 species in China. A study on the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the pollen characteristics were richly diverse, and there was some correlation among the characteristics. In addition, the micromorphological index can be used for an effective cluster analysis of Impatiens. However, there was high interspecific similarity in some Impatiens, and the classification of Impatiens cannot be accurate to the species using pollen characteristics. Based on the classification conditions of Impatiens, the characteristics of the pollen structure were found to be useful to classify Impatiens into subgenera or smaller groups. The macroscopic characteristics and the number of sepals (NS) were used as references, which enabled the conclusion that there were 11 indices in the pollen micromorphological index, and the taxonomic effect was greater than the NS. In summary, the pollen micromorphology of Impatiens plays an important role in the classification of Impatiens. The purpose of this study was to explore this characteristic of Impatiens, which has some reference significance to supplement the pollen characteristics and palynological classification of Impatiens. The goal for this research was to aid in the interspecific identification and genetic breeding of Impatiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the intention of community residents to seek help from mental health professionals (MHPs) is essential in targeting interventions that promote the prevention and treatment of depression. This study aimed to investigate the current status of Chinese community populations' depression help-seeking intentions from MHPs and explore factors influencing the intentions. Data were used from a survey conducted in a city in central China (n = 919 aged 38.68 ± 17.34, 72.1% female). Help-seeking intentions, help-seeking attitude, depression stigma, family function and depressive symptoms were measured. The total mean score on the intent to seek help from MHPs was 11.01 ± 7.78 and most of respondents were unwilling to seek professional help. Multiple linear regression showed that participants who were students, held a positive help-seeking attitude and had low personal stigma were more likely to have the intention to seek help from MHPs. It is necessary to utilize effective interventions to improve community residents' intention to seek professional help. These include promoting the importance of seeking professional assistance, optimizing the quality of mental health services and altering residents' prejudice to seeking professional help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Tirofiban has been used as a rescue when thrombectomy is not successful in endovascular therapy (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the use of tirofiban after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tirofiban combined with IVT in AIS compared with not receiving tirofiban. Methods: The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for all relevant studies published up to August 31, 2021. The safety endpoints included symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and mortality. The efficacy endpoint was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at the 3-month follow-up. Results: Seven articles (1,036 patients) were included. Of these, 444 patients received tirofiban, and 592 patients did not. Meta-analysis showed that tirofiban did not increase the risk of sICH (OR 0.98; 95% CI 0.50–1.93; p = 0.96), any ICH (OR 0.94; 95% CI 0.63–1.39; p = 0.75) or mortality (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.39–1.15; p = 0.15) and tended to be associated with a favorable functional outcome (OR 1.33; 95% CI 0.99–1.78; p = 0.06) in patients with AIS. Subgroup analysis showed that bridging therapy combined with tirofiban could reduce mortality (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.23–0.98; p = 0.04). Tirofiban significantly improved the favorable functional outcome in patients with IVT only (non-EVT) (OR 1.98; 95% CI 1.30–3.02; p = 0.002). Conclusion: Intravenous tirofiban could be safe for patients with AIS undergoing IVT, regardless of receiving EVT. Intravenous tirofiban may reduce mortality rates for patients undergoing bridging therapy. It also could increase the likelihood of a favorable functional outcome, especially for patients receiving IVT only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests that patients diagnosed with the parkinsonian subtype of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) may show uptake of the second-generation tau positron emission tomography (PET) tracer 18 F-Florzolotau (previously known as 18 F-APN-1607) in the putamen.Objectives: This study systematically investigated the localization and magnitude of 18 F-Florzolotau uptake in a relatively large cohort of patients with MSA-P.Methods: 18 F-Florzolotau PET imaging was performed in 31 patients with MSA-P, 24 patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), and 20 age-matched healthy controls. 18 F-Florzolotau signal in the striatum was analyzed by visual inspection and classified as either positive or negative. Regional 18 F-Florzolotau binding was also expressed as standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) to assess whether it was associated with core symptoms of MSA-P after adjustment for potential confounders.Results: By visual inspection and semiquantitative SUVR comparisons, patients with MSA-P showed elevated 18 F-Florzolotau uptake in the putamen, globus pallidus, and dentate-a finding that was not observed in PD. This increased signal was significantly associated with the core symptoms of MSA-P. In addition, patients with MSA-P with cerebellar ataxia showed an elevated 18 F-Florzolotau uptake in the cerebellar dentate.Conclusions: 18 F-Florzolotau tau PET imaging findings may reflect the clinical severity of MSA-P and can potentially discriminate between this condition and PD. © 2022 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phosphonates are the main components in the global phosphorus redox cycle. Little is known about phosphonate metabolism in freshwater ecosystems, although rapid consumption of phosphonates has been observed frequently. Cyanobacteria are often the dominant primary producers in freshwaters; yet, only a few strains of cyanobacteria encode phosphonate-degrading (C-P lyase) gene clusters. The phycosphere is defined as the microenvironment in which extensive phytoplankton and heterotrophic bacteria interactions occur. It has been demonstrated that phytoplankton may recruit phycospheric bacteria based on their own needs. Therefore, the establishment of a phycospheric community rich in phosphonate-degrading-bacteria likely facilitates cyanobacterial proliferation, especially in waters with scarce phosphorus. We characterized the distribution of heterotrophic phosphonate-degrading bacteria in field Microcystis bloom samples and in laboratory cyanobacteria "phycospheres" by qPCR and metagenomic analyses. The role of phosphonate-degrading phycospheric bacteria in cyanobacterial proliferation was determined through coculturing of heterotrophic bacteria with an axenic Microcystis aeruginosa strain and by metatranscriptomic analysis using field Microcystis aggregate samples. Results: Abundant bacteria that carry C-P lyase clusters were identified in plankton samples from freshwater Lakes Dianchi and Taihu during Microcystis bloom periods. Metagenomic analysis of 162 non-axenic laboratory strains of cyanobacteria (consortia cultures containing heterotrophic bacteria) showed that 20% (128/647) of high-quality bins from eighty of these consortia encode intact C-P lyase clusters, with an abundance ranging up to nearly 13%. Phycospheric bacterial phosphonate catabolism genes were expressed continually across bloom seasons, as demonstrated through metatranscriptomic analysis using sixteen field Microcystis aggregate samples. Coculturing experiments revealed that although Microcystis cultures did not catabolize methylphosphonate when axenic, they demonstrated sustained growth when cocultured with phosphonate-utilizing phycospheric bacteria in medium containing methylphosphonate as the sole source of phosphorus. Conclusions: The recruitment of heterotrophic phosphonate-degrading phycospheric bacteria by cyanobacteria is a hedge against phosphorus scarcity by facilitating phosphonate availability. Cyanobacterial consortia are likely primary contributors to aquatic phosphonate mineralization, thereby facilitating sustained cyanobacterial growth, and even bloom maintenance, in phosphate-deficient waters. CDjGUzfe77vQSL5wxbu5DE Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lemmaphyllum carnosum var. drymoglossoides (Baker) X. P. Wei, 2013 is a valuable medicinal fern in China. Its complete chloroplast genome was determined using Illumina paired-end sequencing. The genome was 157,571 bp in length with 130 genes, including 87 protein-coding genes, eight ribosomal RNA genes, and 35 tRNA genes. It displayed a quadripartite structure consisting of a small single-copy (SSC) of 21,691 bp, a large single-copy (LSC) of 81,106 bp, and two inverted repeats (IRs) of 27,387 bp, respectively. The phylogenetic results indicated that L. carnosum var. drymoglossoides exhibited the closest relationship with L. intermedium, and this study provided new information for the phylogenetic relationship of the Polypodiaceae family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monolithic perovskite/organic tandem solar cells (POTSCs) have significant advantages in next‐generation flexible photovoltaics, owing to their capability to overcome the Shockley–Queisser limit and facile device integration. However, the compromised sub‐cells performance challenges the fabrication of high‐efficiency POTSCs. Especially for all‐inorganic wide‐bandgap perovskite front sub‐cells (AIWPSCs) based n‐i‐p structured POTSCs (AIPOTSCs), for which the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is much lower than organic–inorganic mixed‐halide wide‐bandgap perovskite based POTSCs. Herein, an ionic liquid, methylammonium formate (MAFm), based dual‐interface engineering approach is developed to modify the bottom and top interfaces of wide‐bandgap CsPbI2Br films. In particular, the Fm− group of MAFm can effectively passivate the interface defects, and the top interface modification can facilitate the formation of uniform perovskite films with enlarged grain size, thereby mitigating the defects and perovskite grain boundaries induced carrier recombination. As a result, CsPbI2Br‐based AIWPSCs with a high PCE of 17.0% and open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of 1.347 V are achieved. By integrating these dual‐interface engineered CsPbI2Br‐based front sub‐cells with the narrow‐bandgap PM6:CH1007‐based rear sub‐cells, a record PCE of 23.21% is obtained for AIPOTSCs, illustrating the potential of AIPOTSCs for achieving high‐efficiency tandem solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Human post mortem studies have described the topographical patterns of tau pathology in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Recent advances in tau PET tracers are expected to herald the next era of PSP investigation for early detection of tau pathology in living brains. This study aimed to investigate whether 18F-Florzolotau PET imaging may capture the distribution patterns and regional vulnerability of tau pathology in PSP, and to devise a novel image-based staging system. Methods: The study cohort consisted of 148 consecutive patients with PSP who had undergone 18F-Florzolotau PET imaging. The PSP rating scale (PSPrs) was used to measure disease severity. Similarities and differences of tau deposition among different clinical phenotypes were examined at the regional and voxel levels. An 18F-Florzolotau pathological staging system was devised according to the scheme originally developed for post mortem data. In light of conditional probabilities for the sequence of events, an 18F-Florzolotau modified staging system by integrating clusters at the regional level was further developed. The ability of 18F-Florzolotau staging systems to reflect disease severity in terms of PSPrs score was assessed by analysis of variance. Results: The distribution patterns of 18F-Florzolotau accumulation in living brains of PSP showed a remarkable similarity to those reported in post mortem studies, with the binding intensity being markedly higher in Richardson's syndrome. Moreover, 18F-Florzolotau PET imaging allowed detecting regional vulnerability and tracking tau accumulation in an earlier fashion compared with post mortem immunostaining. The 18F-Florzolotau staging systems were positively correlated with clinical severity as reflected by PSPrs scores. Conclusions: 18F-Florzolotau PET imaging can effectively capture the distribution patterns and regional vulnerability of tau pathology in PSP. The 18F-Florzolotau modified staging system holds promise for early tracking of tau deposition in living brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recent development in tau‐sensitive tracers has sparkled significant interest in tracking tauopathies using positron emission tomography (PET) biomarkers. However, the ability of 18F‐florzolotau PET imaging to topographically characterize tau pathology in corticobasal syndrome (CBS) remains unclear. Further, the question as to whether disease‐level differences exist with other neurodegenerative tauopathies is still unanswered. Objective: To analyze the topographical patterns of tau pathology in the living brains of patients with CBS using 18F‐florzolotau PET imaging and to examine whether differences with other tauopathies exist. Methods: 18F‐florzolotau PET imaging was performed in 20 consecutive patients with CBS, 20 cognitively healthy controls (HCs), 20 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 16 patients with progressive supranuclear palsy–Richardson's syndrome (PSP‐RS). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of β‐amyloid biomarkers were quantified in all patients with CBS. 18F‐florzolotau uptake was quantitatively assessed using standardized uptake value ratios. Results: Of the 20 patients with CBS, 19 (95%) were negative for CSF biomarkers of amyloid pathology; of them, three had negative 18F‐florzolotau PET findings. Compared with HCs, patients with CBS showed increased 18F‐florzolotau signals in both cortical and subcortical regions. In addition, patients with CBS were characterized by higher tracer retentions in subcortical regions compared with those with AD and showed a trend toward higher signals in cortical areas compared with PSP‐RS. An asymmetric pattern of 18F‐florzolotau uptake was associated with an asymmetry of motor severity in patients with CBS. Conclusions: In vivo 18F‐florzolotau PET imaging holds promise for distinguishing CBS in the spectrum of neurodegenerative tauopathies. © 2023 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The self-reported quality of life (QoL) should be carefully listened to in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) from the patient-centered perspective. However, there was still a lack of short QoL measurement tool in atypical parkinsonism. Objective: We aimed to test whether the short Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-8 (PDQ-8) was effective in assessing QoL in PSP, comparing with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Quality of Life Scale (PSP-QoL) and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39). Methods: 132 patients with clinical diagnosed PSP, including PSP-Richardson syndrome (RS) subtype (n = 71) and PSP-non-RS subtype (n = 61) were recruited for clinical evaluation including QoL assessment. The detailed QoL profiles and possibility of using PDQ-8 were systemically analyzed. The determinants to the QoL were then calculated by multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: The PSP-QoL total score summary index (SI) was 22.8 (10.1, 41.1), while the PDQ-8 and PDQ-39 total SI score were 28.1 (12.5, 46.9) and 29.5 (15.4, 49.4). Mobility, activities of daily life, cognition and communication were the main affected QoL subdomains (median SI: 40.0, 31.3, 25.0 and 25.0 respectively). PSP-RS subtype showed more severe damage physically (p<0.001) and mentally (p = 0.002) compared to other subtypes. More importantly, the strong relevance of PDQ-8 and recommended PSP QoL tools were confirmed (p<0.001). In addition, disease severity, depression and daytime sleepiness were proved to be critical determinants for QoL in PSP. Conclusions: PDQ-8 could be an easy, reliable, and valid tool to evaluate QoL in patients with PSP. Besides motor symptoms, more attention should be paid to non-motor impairment such as depression in PSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate discrimination of amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptides containing familial point mutations would advance the knowledge of their roles in early‐onset Alzheimer's disease. Herein, we simultaneously identified the mutant A21G, E22G, E22Q, and the wild‐type (WT) Aβ18–26 peptides with aerolysin nanopore using a 3D blockage mapping strategy. The standard deviation of current blockade fluctuations (σb) was proposed as a new supplement to current blockage (Ib/I0) and duration time (tD) to profile the blockage characteristics of single molecules. Although the WT and A21G Aβ18‐26 are indistinguishable in a traditional Ib/I0‐tD 2D description, ∼87 % of the blockade events can be accurately classified with half reduction of false identification using a combination of Ib/I0, tD, and σb. This work offers an easy and reliable strategy to promote nanopore sensitivity of peptide mutants, leading to a more precise analysis of pathogenic mutations for developing effective diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate discrimination of amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptides containing familial point mutations would advance the knowledge of their roles in early‐onset Alzheimer's disease. Herein, we simultaneously identified the mutant A21G, E22G, E22Q, and the wild‐type (WT) Aβ18–26 peptides with aerolysin nanopore using a 3D blockage mapping strategy. The standard deviation of current blockade fluctuations (σb) was proposed as a new supplement to current blockage (Ib/I0) and duration time (tD) to profile the blockage characteristics of single molecules. Although the WT and A21G Aβ18‐26 are indistinguishable in a traditional Ib/I0‐tD 2D description, ∼87 % of the blockade events can be accurately classified with half reduction of false identification using a combination of Ib/I0, tD, and σb. This work offers an easy and reliable strategy to promote nanopore sensitivity of peptide mutants, leading to a more precise analysis of pathogenic mutations for developing effective diagnosis and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neurogenic sexual dysfunction (NSD) is a common problem in patients after spinal and pelvic trauma. New treatment is needed beyond medicine or psychological therapies. A 24-year-old man who fell from a six-floor building suffered from subsequent NSD. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was the only method used to treat his NSD caused by multiple spinal and pelvic injuries. The therapy lasted for 3 courses. Motor and sensory conduction, as well as sexual function, were evaluated before and after the rTMS intervention. Improvements on patient's nerve conduction and sexual activity were confirmed at a 1-year follow-up. Our findings indicate that rTMS delivered a novel, positive and low-cost modality treatment to the patient with NSD. Clinical efficacy and potential mechanisms by which rTMS regulate NSD need to be investigated by further clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies with a limited sample size suggested more severe dopaminergic transporter (DAT) lesions in the striatum of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) than those in Parkinson's disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy–parkinsonism (MSA‐P). However, few studies had taken various subtypes of PSP into consideration, making the reanalysis of DAT imaging in larger PSP cohort with various subtypes in need. Objectives: To compare the dopaminergic lesion patterns of PSP with MSA‐P and PD, and to explore the specific striatal subregional patterns of different PSP subtypes. Methods: 11C‐CFT positron emission tomography (PET) imaging was conducted in 83 PSP patients consisting of different subtypes, 61 patients with PD, 41 patients with MSA‐P, and 43 healthy volunteers. Demographic and clinical data were compared by the chi‐squared test or one‐way analysis of variance. A generalized linear model was used to examine intergroup differences in tracer uptake values after adjusting for age, disease duration, and disease severity. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated to assess the diagnostic accuracy of subregional DAT binding patterns. Results: The patients with PSP presented more severe DAT loss in the striatum than in PD and MSA‐P, especially in caudate. In PSP, the subregional lesion was still more severe in putamen than in caudate, similar to that in PD and MSA‐P. Among detailed subtypes, no significant difference was detected. Conclusion: The dopaminergic lesions were more severe in PSP, and no difference was detected among subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and Objective: Aflibercept, a recombinant protein designed to suppress the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signalling pathway, has been used in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We conducted the first meta‐analysis to systematically review the efficacy and safety of aflibercept in mCRC. Methods: PubMed Central/Medline, Embase and cochrane library were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials and single‐arm clinical trials on aflibercept plus chemotherapy for the treatment of mCRC through 9 September 2021. Results: Ten studies comprising 2049 patients met the inclusion criteria. The pooled estimate rates were 16.0% for 12mPFS, 64.4% for 12mOS, 32.5% for ORR, 83.5% for DCR, while the rates of III/IV AEs rate were 80.2% respectively. The pooled estimate rates were 16.8% for III/IV diarrhoea, 22.3% for III/IV hypertension, 29.5% for III/IV neutropenia, 7.3% for III/IV proteinuria and 8.6% for III/IV oral mucositis. Conclusions: Analysis of data from randomized controlled trials(RCT) and single‐arm clinical trials confirmed the good efficacy of aflibercept plus chemotherapy in mCRC, while the safety of the treatment is concerning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A low intention of professional help seeking hinders the effective treatment of depression. The factors are from the perspectives of the social, family, and individual; however, an understanding of how they interact to predict professional help-seeking intention (PHSI) is not clear. Objectives: The objectives of the study was to investigate PHSI toward depression in a Chinese community-dwelling population and construct a predictive model of the PHSI to explore the various factors involved. Methods: Stratified random sampling and Kish table methods were used to identify 2,000 community residents. Participants completed a series of questionnaires to measure general characteristics, PHSI, professional help-seeking attitude, depression stigma, depression knowledge, family function, and depression symptoms. Analyses included descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis using SPSS 26.0 and a Structural Equation Model using Amos 22.0. Results: The score of the PHSI was 14.92 ± 9.574. Professional help-seeking attitude (r = 0.291, p < 0.001) and depression knowledge (r = 0.077, p = 0.002) were positively related to PHSI, while a negative correlation was found between stigma (r = −0.149, p < 0.001) and PHSI. The model of the PHSI indicated a good fit with a CMIN/DF = 2.740 and RESEA = 0.032. The total effect of the influencing factors on the PHSI was listed in the following order: professional help-seeking attitude (0.676) > stigma (−0.143) > depression knowledge (0.088) > depression symptoms (−0.009) > family function (0.005). The total effect of depression knowledge on PHSI included a direct negative effect (Beta = −0.266, p < 0.001) and an indirect positive effect (0.354) through professional help-seeking attitude and stigma. Also, depression knowledge was negatively associated with stigma (Beta = −0.153, p < 0.001). Depression symptoms were negatively associated with family function (Beta = −0.282, p < 0.001), depression knowledge (Beta = −0.252, p < 0.001), and stigma (Beta = −0.102, p < 0.001), indicating that people with less severe depression symptoms had good family function, depression knowledge, and higher stigma. Family function contributed a positive effect on depression knowledge directly (Beta = 0.145, p < 0.001) and a totally positive effect (0.033) on stigma. Conclusion: The PHSI toward depression is low among Chinese community residents. Professional help-seeking attitude, depression knowledge, and family functioning were facilitators of PHSI, and stigma and the severity of depression symptoms were barriers to PHSI. This study provides reference for the development of policies and guidelines to promote community residents to actively seek professional mental health help. Future policies can focus on multicollaboration among the government, mental health services, and families to increase the mental health resources, improve family functioning, enhance mental health literacy (MHL) of the public, and reduce depression stigma to ease the burden of this mental health issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with suicidal ideation post suicide-related information on social media, and some may choose collective suicide. Sina Weibo is one of the most popular social media platforms in China, and "Zoufan" is one of the largest depression "Tree Holes." To collect suicide warning information and prevent suicide behaviors, researchers conducted real-time network monitoring of messages in the "Zoufan" tree hole via artificial intelligence robots. Objective: To explore characteristics of time, content and suicidal behaviors by analyzing high suicide risk comments in the "Zoufan" tree hole. Methods: Knowledge graph technology was used to screen high suicide risk comments in the "Zoufan" tree hole. Users' level of activity was analyzed by calculating the number of messages per hour. Words in messages were segmented by a Jieba tool. Keywords and a keywords co-occurrence matrix were extracted using a TF-IDF algorithm. Gephi software was used to conduct keywords co-occurrence network analysis. Results: Among 5,766 high suicide risk comments, 73.27% were level 7 (suicide method was determined but not the suicide date). Females and users from economically developed cities are more likely to express suicide ideation on social media. High suicide risk users were more active during nighttime, and they expressed strong negative emotions and willingness to end their life. Jumping off buildings, wrist slashing, burning charcoal, hanging and sleeping pills were the most frequently mentioned suicide methods. About 17.55% of comments included suicide invitations. Negative cognition and emotions are the most common suicide reason. Conclusion: Users sending high risk suicide messages on social media expressed strong suicidal ideation. Females and users from economically developed cities were more likely to leave high suicide risk comments on social media. Nighttime was the most active period for users. Characteristics of high suicide risk messages help to improve the automatic suicide monitoring system. More advanced technologies are needed to perform critical analysis to obtain accurate characteristics of the users and messages on social media. It is necessary to improve the 24-h crisis warning and intervention system for social media and create a good online social environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Zou Fan" is currently the largest "tree hole" on Weibo, where people having suicidal ideation often express their thoughts and use this channel to seek support. Therefore, early suicide monitoring and timely crisis intervention based on artificial intelligence technology are needed for this social media user group. This research was based on the knowledge graph technology, whereby "Tree Hole Intelligent Agent" (i.e., Artificial Intelligence Program) was used to identify "Zou Fan Tree Hole" users at high risk for suicide, and then, the "Tree Hole Action" carried out proactive suicide crisis intervention with them. The "Tree Hole Action" has temporarily prevented 3,629 potential suicides. The "Tree Hole Action" plays a significant role in suicide risk monitoring and crisis intervention for social media users and has been seen to have an important social impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 18 F-APN-1607 is a novel tau PET tracer characterized by high binding affinity for 3- and 4-repeat tau deposits. Whether 18 F-APN-1607 PET imaging is clinically useful in PSP remains unclear.Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of 18 F-APN-1607 PET in the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and assessment of disease severity in patients with PSP.Methods: We enrolled 3 groups consisting of patients with PSP (n = 20), patients with α-synucleinopathies (MSA with predominant parkinsonism, n = 7; PD, n = 10), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 13). The binding patterns of 18 F-APN-1607 in PET/CT imaging were investigated. Regional standardized uptake ratios were compared across groups and examined in relation to their utility in the differential diagnosis of PSP versus α-synucleinopathies. Finally, the relationships between clinical severity scores and 18 F-APN-1607 uptake were investigated after adjustment for age, sex, and disease duration.Results: Compared with healthy controls, patients with PSP showed increased 18 F-APN-1607 binding in several subcortical regions, including the striatum, putamen, globus pallidus, thalamus, subthalamic nucleus, midbrain, tegmentum, substantia nigra, pontine base, red nucleus, raphe nuclei, and locus coeruleus. We identified specific regions that were capable of distinguishing PSP from α-synucleinopathies. The severity of PSP was positively correlated with the amount of 18 F-APN-1607 uptake in the subthalamic nucleus, midbrain, substantia nigra, red nucleus, pontine base, and raphe nuclei.Conclusions: 18 F-APN-1607 PET imaging holds promise for the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and assessment of disease severity in patients with PSP. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytokine TNF-α-stimulated gene-6 (TSG-6) had been verified to have a certain inhibitory effect on the inflammation. During wound healing, fibroblasts increasingly proliferated and deposited collagen fibers, leading to the formation of pathological scars. We sought to elucidate the mechanism by which the TGF-β1/Smad pathway was mediated by TSG-6 in human keloid fibroblasts. Human keloid fibroblast cells were isolated from keloid tissue by enzyme digestion and identified by immunocytochemistry. Lentiviral vectors pLVX-puro-TSG-6 and pLVX-shRNA1-TSG-6 were constructed which were then transfected into human keloid fibroblasts. The mRNA and protein levels of TSG-6 were detected respectively by RT-PCR and western blot assay. The intracellular localization of TGF-β1-induced proteins and phosphorylated (p)-Smad2/3 in keloid fibroblasts were investigated using an immunofluorescence assay. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) transcriptional activity was detected by RT-PCR. TSG-6 could effectively interfere the TGF-β1/Smad signal transduction pathway in keloid fibroblasts rather than in normal fibroblasts. The phosphorylation levels of Smad2/3 were notably reduced by TSG-6 treatment. TSG-6 blocked the complex formation of Smad2/3/4, and their nuclear translocation. However, it upregulated Smad7 expression, presenting dose dependence. PAI-1 was also suppressed by TSG-6 treatment. TSG-6 inhibits proliferation by inducing apoptosis in keloid fibroblasts, which may be associated with TGF-β1/Smad pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to characterize the cognitive profiles in multiple system atrophy (MSA) and explore the cerebral metabolism related to the cognitive decline in MSA using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET). Methods: In this study, 105 MSA patients were included for cognitive assessment and 84 of them were enrolled for 18F-FDG PET analysis. The comprehensive neuropsychological tests covered five main domains including execution, attention, memory, language, and visuospatial function. The cognitive statuses were classified to MSA with normal cognition (MSA-NC) and MSA with cognitive impairment (MSA-CI), including dementia (MSA-D), and mild cognitive impairment (MSA-MCI). With 18F-FDG PET imaging, the cerebral metabolism differences among different cognitive statuses were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping and post-hoc analysis. Results: Among 84 MSA patients, 52 patients were found with MSA-CI, including 36 patients as MSA-MCI and 16 patients as MSA-D. In detail, the cognitive impairments were observed in all the five domains, primarily in attention, executive function and memory. In 18F-FDG PET imaging, MSA-D and MSA-MCI patients exhibited hypometabolism in left middle and superior frontal lobe compared with MSA-NC (p < 0.001). The normalized regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRglc) in left middle frontal lobe showed relative accuracy in discriminating MSA-CI and MSA-NC [areas under the curve (AUC) = 0.750; 95%CI = 0.6391–0.8609]. Conclusions: Cognitive impairments were not rare in MSA, and the hypometabolism in frontal lobe may contribute to such impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the clinical application of the modified nutritional risk screening tool and nutrition assessment in pediatric patients in China, and to provide a theoretical basis for establishing a standardized nutritional management process for pediatric patients. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the nutritional risk screening and nutrition assessment data of 16 249 hospitalized children. According to the degree of nutritional risk, the children were divided into a high nutritional risk group with 588 children, a moderate nutritional risk group with 4 330 children, and a non-nutritional risk group with 11 331 children. Nutrition assessment results were compared between groups. The composition of nutritional risk screening scores and the impact of nutritional risk screening on the rate of nutrition support therapy were analyzed. Results The incidence rate of nutritional risk was 30.27% (4 918/16 249), and the incidence rates of malnutrition and overnutrition were 27.37% (4 448/16 249) and 11.29% (1 834/16 249), respectively. Nutrition assessment results were significantly correlated with nutritional risk (≥5 years old: rs=0.313, P<0.05; <5 years old: rs=-0.304, P<0.05). There was a significant difference in the composition of scoring items between the groups with different nutritional risks (P<0.05). With the implementation of nutritional risk screening, there was a gradual increase in the rate of nutrition support therapy year by year (P<0.05). Conclusions There is a high incidence rate of nutritional risk in hospitalized children. The use of the modified pediatric nutritional risk screening tool can promote the implementation of standardized nutritional management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) posed a major threat to public health. Anesthesiologists and operating room (OR) nurses are at high risk of occupational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and developing COVID-19. We conducted a single-center survey to investigate the psychological status and perceived social support among operation room (OR) medical staffs during the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A total of 197 OR medical staffs were enrolled in the survey. The authors performed a cohort study during the period of Wuhan lockdown and then conducted a longitudinal follow-up after lifting of lockdown. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess for depression and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) was used to assess perceived social support. We compared the psychological status of OR medical staffs before and after lifting of Wuhan lockdown. Results: During the period of city lockdown, 177 (89.8%) had close contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases. The prevalence of depression and anxiety in OR medical staffs was 41.6 and 43.1% under Wuhan lockdown, while 13.2 and 15.7% after lifting of lockdown (P = 0.002, P = 0.004). Logistic regression analysis showed that being female, living in suburb areas, shortage of protective equipment and close contact with COVID-19 patients were associated with a higher risk of depression and anxiety. Perceived social support was negatively correlated with depression and anxiety severity in the OR medical staffs (P < 0.05). Conclusions: OR medical staffs exhibited high incidence of anxiety and depression faced with the high risk of exposure to COVID-19 patients. More social support and social recognition for anesthesiologists and OR nurses might potentially help them relieve their psychological pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing doubt regarding the ability of multinational companies to recruit the right manager for complex company tasks, this paper describes and analyses the general approaches and administration strategies exercised by expatriate and local managers in multinational companies. Descriptive research is performed by analysing questionnaires administered to 705 employees across 25 multinational corporations in three large cities in China, including Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. The results reveal that local managers are strongly correlated with lateness, while expatriate managers are correlated with time off. However, the results also show the pros and cons of recruiting expatriate and local managers in multinational companies. The research shows that expatriate and local managers’ management practices have outstanding value for multinational business success. The concept of differences in the management practices of expatriate and local managers in multinational corporations is an innovative notion. The paper highlights that both expatriate and local managers have a positive impact on multinational growth and success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between bone mineral density (BMD) and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) has been investigated by multiple studies, but the conclusions are controversial. This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the bone mineral density is associated with BPPV. Methods: The relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Web of Science database up to June 2018. Statas14.0 software was used for meta-analysis. We used the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in patients with BPPV and controls (free of BPPV disease). The standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the T score in BPPV patients and controls. This meta-analysis has been registered at International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) (number CRD42018082271). Results: A total of 11 studies were eligible for meta-analysis, including 1982 subjects. When compared with the controls, the total incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia was significantly higher in BPPV patients (OR 3.27, 95% CI 2.66–4.03, p < 0.0001). Further analysis was conducted by separate discussion about the incidence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in BPPV patients, the result of which shows that both the incidence of osteoporosis (OR 3.48, 95% CI 1.86–6.51, p < 0.0001) and the incidence of osteopenia (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.01–3.04, p < 0.0001) were higher in BPPV patients than that in controls. There was an significant reduction in T scores of BPPV patients (SMD − 0.82, 95% CI −1.18 to − 0.46, p < 0.0001). Publication bias for each analysis was evaluated by Egger's test and Begg's indicating that no publication bias existed. Sensitivity analysis was conducted for each analysis demonstrating that the results were robust. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis provided stronger evidence that patients with BPPV were associated with a lower T score and a higher risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia. The results demonstrated that lower bone mineral density may be a risk factor for BPPV. However, large-scare, multicenter clinical studies need to be carried out to explore the precise risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia in patients with BPPV in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical reaction between mold material and titanium melt during investment casting was studied intensively. However, the influence of residue gas in ceramic mold on interface reaction remains unclear. In this investigation, the effect of residue gas in Y2O3–silica sol shell mold on interface reaction during Ti–6Al–4V alloy investment casting was investigated. Two groups of shell molds were prepared by adding different kinds of pore formers, i.e., spherical starch particles or nylon fibers, respectively. Ti–6Al–4V alloy was cast under vacuum by gravity casting through cold crucible induction melting (CCIM) method. Porosity of different shell molds was measured based on Archimedean method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to characterize the micromorphology and composition of the reaction area, respectively. White light interferometer (WLI) was used to obtain the surface topography of the shell mold. The results show that the direct chemical reaction is very weak for all specimens. The release of residue gas in closed pores is the key factor influencing surface defects. However, open pores make nearly no difference on the interface reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the therapeutic effects and underlying brain functional network topology mechanisms of total salvianolic acid (TSA) treatment for memory dysfunction by using miR-30e overexpression-induced memory deficit in rat hippocampi. Model rats were developed by lentivirus vectors carrying miR-30e into bilateral hippocampus CA1 region through stereo-surgery. Two weeks after surgery, TSA (20 or 10 mg/mL/kg) or saline were administrated for 14 consecutive days. Memory function was assessed by behavioral tests (Y maze and Morris water maze [MWM]); resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI); and molecular alterations of BCL-2, UBC9, and Caspase-3 in the hippocampus CA1 region, as detected by immunohistochemistry. Compared to controls, model rats exhibited significantly impaired working and long-term memory in the Y maze and MWM tests (p < 0.01). The brain functional network topology analyzed based on RS-fMRI data demonstrated that miR-30e disturbed the global integration and segregation balance of the brain (p < 0.01), and reduced edge strength between CA1 and the posterior cingulate, temporal lobe, and thalamus (p < 0.05, false discovery rate corrected). At the molecular level, BCL-2 and UBC9 were downregulated, while Caspase-3 was upregulated (p < 0.01). After TSA (20 mg/mL/kg) treatment, the biomarkers for behavioral performance, global integration and segregation, edge strength, and expression levels of BCL-2, UBC9, and Caspase3 returned to normal levels. The correlation analyses of these results showed that global brain functional network topologic parameters can be intermediate biomarkers correlated with both behavioral changes and molecular alterations. This indicated that the effects of TSA were achieved by inhibiting apoptosis of CA1 neurons to improve global functional network topology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stacked sparse autoencoder is an efficient unsupervised feature extraction method, which has excellent ability in representation of complex data. Besides, shift invariant shearlet transform is a state-of-the-art multiscale decomposition tool, which is superior to traditional tools in many aspects. Motivated by the advantages mentioned above, a novel stacked sparse autoencoder and shift invariant shearlet transform-based image fusion method is proposed. First, the source images are decomposed into low- and high-frequency subbands by shift invariant shearlet transform; second, a two-layer stacked sparse autoencoder is adopted as a feature extraction method to get deep and sparse representation of high-frequency subbands; third, a stacked sparse autoencoder feature-based choose-max fusion rule is proposed to fuse the high-frequency subband coefficients; then, a weighted average fusion rule is adopted to merge the low-frequency subband coefficients; finally, the fused image is obtained by inverse shift invariant shearlet transform. Experimental results show the proposed method is superior to the conventional methods both in terms of subjective and objective evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the assistance of peptides, a stable and highly efficient approach for the quick loading of thiol–DNA onto AuNPs is proposed with a high DNA utilization, which is generally applicable to specific DNA detection and diverse AuNP sizes. The maximum efficiency of hybridization reached 93% while the reaction time was shortened to 30 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Amyloid β protein (Aβ) plays a critical role in pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Our previous studies indicated that the sequence 31-35 in Aβ molecule is an effective active center responsible for Aβ neurotoxicity in vivo and in vitro. In the present study, we prepared a novel antibody specifically targeting the sequence 31-35 of amyloid β protein, and investigated the neuroprotection of the anti-Aβ31-35 antibody against Aβ1-42-induced impairments in neuronal viability, spatial memory, and hippocampal synaptic plasticity in rats. The results showed that the anti-Aβ31-35 antibody almost equally bound to both Aβ31-35 and Aβ1-42, and pretreatment with the antibody dose-dependently prevented Aβ1-42-induced cytotoxicity on cultured primary cortical neurons. In behavioral study, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of anti-Aβ31-35 antibody efficiently attenuated Aβ1-42-induced impairments in spatial learning and memory of rats. In vivo electrophysiological experiments further indicated that Aβ1-42-induced suppression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity was effectively reversed by the antibody. These results demonstrated that the sequence 31-35 of Aβ may be a new therapeutic target, and the anti-Aβ31-35 antibody could be a novel immunotheraputic approach for the treatment of AD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]