Search

MicroRNA (miR)-200b-3p has been associated with many tumors, but its involvement in pituitary adenoma is unclear. This study investigated the molecular mechanism underlying miR-200b-3p regulation in pituitary adenomas to provide a theoretical basis for treatment. Bioinformatics was used to analyze pituitary adenoma-related genes and screen new targets related to RECK and miRNA. As well, the relationship between miR-200b-3p and RECK protein was verified using a double-luciferase reporter gene assay. The expression of miR-200b-3p in clinical samples was analyzed by in situ hybridization. Transfection of the miR-200b-3p inhibitor and small interfering-RECK (si-RECK) was verified by qPCR. GH3 cell viability and proliferation were detected using CCK8 and EdU assays. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and western blotting. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to detect cell migration and invasion. The effects of miR-200b-3p and RECK on GH3 cells were verified using salvage experiments. miR-200b-3p was highly expressed in pituitary tumor tissue. Inhibitors of miR-200b-3p inhibited cell proliferation promoted cell apoptosis, inhibited invasion and migration, and inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinases. Interestingly, miR-200b-3p negatively regulated RECK. The expression of RECK in pituitary adenoma tissues was lower than that in neighboring tissues. Si-RECK rescued the function of miR-200b-3p inhibitors in the above cellular behaviors, and miR-200b-3p accelerated the development of pituitary adenoma by negatively regulating RECK expression. In summary, this study investigated the molecular mechanism by which miR-200b-3p regulates the progression of pituitary adenoma through the negative regulation of RECK. The findings provide a new target for the treatment of pituitary adenoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deterministic compartment models (CMs) and stochastic models, including stochastic CMs and agent-based models, are widely utilized in epidemic modeling. However, the relationship between CMs and their corresponding stochastic models is not well understood. The present study aimed to address this gap by conducting a comparative study using the susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered (SEIR) model and its extended CMs from the coronavirus disease 2019 modeling literature. We demonstrated the equivalence of the numerical solution of CMs using the Euler scheme and their stochastic counterparts through theoretical analysis and simulations. Based on this equivalence, we proposed an efficient model calibration method that could replicate the exact solution of CMs in the corresponding stochastic models through parameter adjustment. The advancement in calibration techniques enhanced the accuracy of stochastic modeling in capturing the dynamics of epidemics. However, it should be noted that discrete-time stochastic models cannot perfectly reproduce the exact solution of continuous-time CMs. Additionally, we proposed a new stochastic compartment and agent mixed model as an alternative to agent-based models for large-scale population simulations with a limited number of agents. This model offered a balance between computational efficiency and accuracy. The results of this research contributed to the comparison and unification of deterministic CMs and stochastic models in epidemic modeling. Furthermore, the results had implications for the development of hybrid models that integrated the strengths of both frameworks. Overall, the present study has provided valuable epidemic modeling techniques and their practical applications for understanding and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Index of Consciousness (IoC) is a new monitoring index of anesthesia depth reflecting the state of consciousness of the brain independently developed by China. The research on monitoring the depth of anesthesia mainly focuses on propofol, and bispectral index (BIS) is a sensitive and accurate objective index to evaluate the state of consciousness at home and abroad. This study mainly analyzed the effect of IoC on monitoring the depth of sevoflurane anesthesia and the consistency and accuracy with BIS when monitoring sevoflurane maintenance anesthesia. Objective: To investigate the monitoring value of the Index of Consciousness (IoC) for the depth of sevoflurane anesthesia in laparoscopic surgery. Methods: The study population consisted of 108 patients who experienced elective whole-body anesthesia procedures within the timeframe of April 2020 to June 2023 at our hospital. Throughout the anesthesia process, which encompassed induction and maintenance using inhaled sevoflurane, all patients were diligently monitored for both the Bispectral Index (BIS) and the Index of Consciousness (IoC). We conducted an analysis to assess the correlation between IoC and BIS throughout the anesthesia induction process and from the maintenance phase to the regaining of consciousness. To evaluate the predictive accuracy of IoC and BIS for the onset of unconsciousness during induction and the return of consciousness during emergence, we employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The mean difference between BIS and IoC, spanning from the pre-anesthesia induction phase to the completion of propofol induction, was 1.3 (95% Limits of Agreement [-53.4 to 56.0]). Similarly, during the interval from the initiation of sevoflurane inhalation to the point of consciousness restoration, the average difference between BIS and IoC was 0.3 (95% LOA [-10.8 to 11.4]). No statistically significant disparities were observed in the data acquired from the two measurement methodologies during both the anesthesia induction process and the journey from maintenance to the regaining of consciousness (P > 0.05). The outcomes of the ROC curve analysis disclosed that the areas under the curve (AUC) for prognosticating the occurrence of loss of consciousness were 0.967 (95% CI [0.935-0.999]) for BIS and 0.959 (95% CI [0.924-0.993]) for IoC, with optimal threshold values set at 81 (sensitivity: 88.10%, specificity: 92.16%) and 77 (sensitivity: 79.55%, specificity: 95.45%) correspondingly. For the prediction of recovery of consciousness, the AUCs were 0.995 (95% CI [0.987-1.000]) for BIS and 0.963 (95% CI [0.916-1.000]) for IoC, each associated with optimal cutoff values of 76 (sensitivity: 92.86%, specificity: 100.00%) and 72 (sensitivity: 86.36%, specificity: 100.00%) respectively. Conclusion: The monitoring of sevoflurane anesthesia maintenance using IoC demonstrates a level of comparability to BIS, and its alignment with BIS during the maintenance phase of sevoflurane anesthesia is robust. IoC displays promising potential for effectively monitoring the depth of anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One fundamental problem of causal inference is estimating treatment eect with observational data where variables are confounded. The traditional way of controlling the confounding bias is to match units with different treatments but similar variables. However, traditional matching methods fail on selection and differentiation among the pool of numerous potential confounders, leading to possible under-performance. In this paper, we give a theoretical analysis of confounder differentiation and propose a novel Differentiated Matching (DM) algorithm for both individual and average treatment effect estimation by learning confounder weights for variable differentiation and unit matching. To address the distribution shift in confounder weights learning, we further propose a Propensity Score based DM (PSDM) algorithm by weighted regression with the inverse of the propensity score. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithms achieve better performance than other matching methods on treatment effect estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove algebraic and combinatorial characterizations of the class of inductively pierced codes, resolving a conjecture of Gross, Obatake, and Youngs. Starting from an algebraic invariant of a code called its canonical form, we explain how to compute a piercing order in polynomial time, if one exists. Given a piercing order of a code, we explain how to construct a realization of the code using a well-formed collection of open balls, and classify the minimal dimension in which such a realization exists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the quasi-static mechanical properties and damage behavior of flexible composites prepared from high-performance glass fiber-based multi-axial warp knitted fabrics as reinforcement and high tenacity environmentally friendly thermoplastic polyurethane as a matrix. The composites were produced by attaching thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) to the top and bottom of the fabric using a vulcanization machine, followed by hot-pressing for different temperatures and time settings. Moreover, the effects of different preparation processes on the tensile strength, static puncture resistance, and tear strength of flexible composites were investigated in this paper. The results indicated that both hot-pressing temperature and vulcanization time had a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the composites. With an optimum vulcanization temperature of 185°C and a vulcanization time of 10 min, the composite provides optimum tensile strength and puncture resistance. Tear strength is the worst and is related to the reinforcement's organisational structure and the interfacial bond's strength. The results of this study are of theoretical and practical significance for applying high-performance multi-axial warp-knitted flexible composites as raw materials in the construction field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the harm of carpenter bee nests to timber buildings, an eave purlin of Wu's house, the seventh batch of national key cultural relics in China, was taken as the research object. A CT (computed tomography) device was used to collect the projection data of wood components, and VGSTUDIO MAX3.2 software was used to reconstruct multiple transverse sections, radial sections, tangential sections, and 3D (three-dimensional) images of an eave purlin. The results showed that carpenter bees eroded on a timber building randomly, but they usually nested along the length of eave purlin. The wood in the middle of an eave purlin is more vulnerable to carpenter bees than the end. Carpenter bee nests are usually not connected, and the volume of nests accounts for 3% to 4% of the eave purlin. The eave purlin is applied with an orientation and a torsion force. The position of the maximum hot spots of the stress occurs at holes and the large cracks, indicating that carpenter bee nests have a great impact on the mechanical properties of timber buildings. The research results of this paper provide reference for the safety evaluation and preventive protection of timber buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent the illegal trade of precious wood in circulation, a wood species identification method based on convolutional neural network (CNN), namely PWoodIDNet (Precise Wood Specifications Identification) model, is proposed. In this paper, the PWoodIDNet model for the identification of rare tree species is constructed to reduce network parameters by decomposing convolutional kernel, prevent overfitting, enrich the diversity of features, and improve the performance of the model. The results showed that the PWoodIDNet model can effectively improve the generalization ability, the characterization ability of detail features, and the recognition accuracy, and effectively improve the classification of wood identification. PWoodIDNet was used to analyze the identification accuracy of microscopic images of 16 kinds of wood, and the identification accuracy reached 99%, which was higher than the identification accuracy of several existing classical convolutional neural network models. In addition, the PWoodIDNet model was analyzed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the PWoodIDNet model as a wood identification method, which can provide a new direction and technical solution for the field of wood identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the continuous development of the Internet, the domain name system (DNS) as infrastructure is playing an increasingly important role. However, traditional DNS architecture is centralized, and there are some security problems such as the right concentration and power abuse. This paper combines blockchain technology with DNS technology and proposes a domain name service model based on the permissioned blockchain. At first, this paper designs a top-level domain chain (TLDChain) model to conduct consensus on block transactions and achieve decentralization of domain name service. Then, this paper introduces a data model to upload data. At the same time, to improve the efficiency of the blockchain data query, this paper proposes a data warehouse to speed up the query. Also, it designs the domain name data synchronization algorithm and consistency checking algorithm to achieve synchronization and quick consistency checking of domain name data. At last, this paper introduces the domain name resolution process of this model. Experimental results show that the proposed DNS service model not only realizes the decentralization of domain name resolution but also improves query efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reduced surface field (RESURF) AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) with graded doping buffer (GDB) and slant back electrode (SBE) is proposed. In the GDB, the p-dopant density increases linearly both from top to bottom and right to left. The concentrated negative space charges in the lower-left corner of GDB attract the electric field lines from the channel and barrier towards the gate under OFF-state, which flats the electric field and enhances the breakdown voltage (Vbr). Additionally, the low p-dopant density near the top of GDB achieves the device with low ON-state resistance (RON). The SBE flats the electric field along the channel above it and introduces a peak electric field near its edge. Simulation results show a Vbr of 2150 V and RON of 7.05 Ωmm for the proposed device, compared with 1701 V and 7.73 Omm for the conventional back electrode RESURF HEMT (BE-RESURF HEMT) with the same gate -drain spacing. Moreover, due to the reduced depletion of 2DEG from the GDB, the proposed device shows slight increases in fT and fmax (8.76 and 14.80 GHz), comparing with the conventional BE-RESURF HEMT (8.24 and 13.84 GHz). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an emerging and promising technology. In this manuscript, an attempt is made to simulate an AM process via molecular dynamics simulations. Amorphous Cu pillars are built by bundling melting Cu wires parallelly one by one, with a particular temperature-controlling procedure through the use of ‘mediate temperature’. Thus, the volume fraction of the amorphous phase becomes adjustable. Uniaxial tests are conducted on the pillars after free relaxation. The mediate temperature is found to play a profound role in atomic arrangement, which governs the volume fractions of amorphous and crystalline phases. The results obtained also show that crystallization prevails when the pillar is subjected to an external tension. Furthermore, such a stress-induced crystallization serves as the dominant plastic mechanism instead of dislocation, and a vibrating uniaxial loading is found to accelerate the transformation from an amorphous to a crystalline phase, compared with a monotonic tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A superjunction GaN-based vertical heterojunction field effect transistor with ununiformly doped buffer (UDSJ-VHFET) is proposed in this paper. In contrast to the conventional superjunction vertical heterojunction field effect transistor (SJ-VHFET), the doping density of n-pillar increases linearly from top to bottom, while the p-pillar is split into three regions: linearly doped top region, uniformly doped middle region and linearly doped bottom region. The ununiform doping profile suppresses the increase of electric field peak due to the imbalanced charge and smooths the electric field distribution, thus leads to an increase of the breakdown voltage (Vbr) under charge imbalance condition. Simulation results show that with the doping dose of p-pillar 40% lower (higher) than that of the n-pillar, the Vbr and on-state resistance (Ron) of the proposed device are 6863 V and 4.25 mΩ cm2 (5751 V and 4.32 mΩ cm2), comparing with 3205 V and 4.03 mΩ cm2 (2175 V and 4.10 mΩ cm2) for the conventional SJ-VHFET. Additionally, the proposed device shows a Vbr of 12280 V and Ron of 4.29 mΩ cm2 under charge balance condition, comparing with 12874 V and 4.07 mΩ cm2 for the conventional SJ-VHFET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel reduced surface field (RESURF) AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) with back electrode is proposed. The back electrode is electrically grounded and attached to the AlN nucleation layer after the substrate is removed. The back electrode, which attracts the electric field lines at the AlGaN/GaN interface by inducing negative charges, leads to a more uniform horizontal electric field along the channel and, hence, a significant improvement in breakdown voltage. Meanwhile, there is negligible negative impact on the ONstate resistance. Numerical simulation demonstrates a breakdown voltage of 1701 V and an ON-state resistance of 10.45 Ω mm with a gate-drain spacing of 6 μm for the proposed device, compared to a breakdown voltage of 1118 V and an ON-state resistance of 10.34 Ω mm for conventional RESURF AlGaN/GaN HEMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we calculate the radiation forces and moving trajectories of Mie particles induced by 1D Airy beams using the plane wave spectrum method and arbitrary beam theory. Numerical results show that both the transverse and the longitudinal radiation forces are deeply dependent on the relative refractive index, radii and positions of the scattering particles illuminated by the Airy beam. Due to the radiation forces, Mie particles with different radii and initial positions can be dragged into the nearest main intensity lobes, and move along parabolic trajectories in the direction of the Poynting vector. At the ends of these trajectories, in the presence of Brownian force, the trapped scattering particles show irregular Brownian movement near their equilibrium positions. This characteristic property of Airy beams enables optical sorting to be used more easily in the colloidal and biological sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]