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We study the Cauchy problem for the doubly nonlocal equation where and for some m ∈ ℝ and 0 < α ≤ +∞, here α = +∞ means that J is compactly supported. The problem not only describes nonlocal diffusions and nonlocal interactions, but also it is a nonlocal counterpart of the nonlocal heat equation in [10] where and m > 0. As for the local existence of positive solutions, we find that problem (0.1) is quite different from the nonlocal heat equation. That is, problem (0.1) admits positive solutions if and only if m > n − q(n + α), however the nonlocal heat equation has positive solutions for any m ∈ ℝ. For m ≥ 0 or n(1 − q) < m < 0 with α = +∞, we determine the critical Fujita curve of problem (0.1) as F(p, q, n, m, r, α) := (p − 1)[nq − (n − m)+] − q(β − nr) = 0 with β = min{α, 2}. That is, if F ≤ 0, every positive solution of (0.1) blows up in finite time, whereas if F > 0, there exist both nonglobal solutions and global solutions. In the supercritical case F > 0, we further discuss the second critical exponent which describes the critical decay rate of initial data to distinguish both solutions. Particularly, we find a new phenomenon, namely, if with α = +∞, the second critical exponent is independent of p and r. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand complex biological process and disease progression, it is essential to comprehensively track biodynamics across entire organisms. The invaluable tracking tool, photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT), provides insights into structural, functional, and molecular aspects of living tissues. However, current small‐animal PACT systems suffer from low temporal/spatial resolution and a restricted field of view, and they are limited in the biological information they can provide, hindering research on whole‐body biodynamics. Here, it is demonstrated a continuous rotary‐scanning PACT system for rapid monitoring of various parameters within the relatively large torso of a small animal. In this PACT system, a hemispherical transducer array is continuously rotated at high speed, enabling a 3D scan of an entire mouse body in just 54 s, with a spatial resolution of 172–212 µm. The rapid rotary scanning allows us to not only image whole‐body structures but also to monitor pharmacokinetics and changes in hemoglobin oxygen saturation in living animals. This approach holds great promise for advancing the understanding of in vivo biological dynamics, opening up a new avenue of preclinical research in areas such as metabolic diseases and drug delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The massive use of acetaminophen (APAP) poses a potential crisis for humans and the environment. In this paper, the degradation of APAP in aqueous solution was carried out using photocatalytic synergistic persulfate oxidation. To enhance the photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 and thus activate the persulfate (K2S2O8, PS) more effectively, the heterojunction photocatalyst TiO2/g-C3N4 (TCN) was prepared by a hydrothermal method. The TCN-PS catalytic system showed a high efficiency for APAP degradation. When the amount of TCN and PS added was 0.6 g/L, the degradation rate of APAP at 10 mg/L was 78.3% after 60 min of illumination. Moreover, the TCN-PS catalytic system was effective in removing organic pollutants in acidic, neutral, and weakly alkaline environments. The radical quenching experiment results indicate that both sulfate radicals (SO4−•) and hydroxyl radicals (•OH) are involved in the degradation reaction. After five cycles, the TCN-PS catalytic system still has stable catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) has become a premier preclinical and clinical imaging modality. Although PACT's image quality can be dramatically improved with a large number of ultrasound (US) transducer elements and associated multiplexed data acquisition systems, the associated high system cost and/or slow temporal resolution are significant problems. Here, a deep learning‐based approach is demonstrated that qualitatively and quantitively diminishes the limited‐view artifacts that reduce image quality and improves the slow temporal resolution. This deep learning‐enhanced multiparametric dynamic volumetric PACT approach, called DL‐PACT, requires only a clustered subset of many US transducer elements on the conventional multiparametric PACT. Using DL‐PACT, high‐quality static structural and dynamic contrast‐enhanced whole‐body images as well as dynamic functional brain images of live animals and humans are successfully acquired, all in a relatively fast and cost‐effective manner. It is believed that the strategy can significantly advance the use of PACT technology for preclinical and clinical applications such as neurology, cardiology, pharmacology, endocrinology, and oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are concerned with the uniqueness of multi-bump solutions for the following Schrödinger–Poisson system 0.1 - ε 2 Δ u + Q (x) u + Ψ (x) u = | u | p - 1 u , in R N , - Δ Ψ = (N - 2) ω N - 1 u 2 , in R N , where ε is a parameter, Q(x) is a potential function in R N , N ∈ [ 3 , 6 ] , p ∈ (1 , N + 2 N - 2) and ω N - 1 is the surface area of a unit ball in R N . We prove the uniqueness of positive multi-bump solutions for Schrödinger–Poisson system concentrating at the critical points of Q(x), whenever Q(x) is degenerate or non-degenerate, or even not C 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the existence of static solutions to the nonlinear Chern-Simons-Schrödinger system {−iD0Ψ −(D1D1 + D2D2) Ψ + VΨ =|Ψ|p−2Ψ, ∂0A1 − ∂1A0 = −½iλ[ΨD2Ψ − ΨD2Ψ],∂0A2 − ∂2A0 = ½iλ[ΨD1Ψ−ΨD1Ψ],∂1A2 − ∂2A1 = −½λ|Ψ|2. with an external potential V(x), where D0 = ∂t + iλA0 and Dk = ∂xk − iλAk, k=1,2, for (x1,x2,t) ∈ R2,1 are covariant derivatives, λ is the coupling number. Suppose that V(x) satisfies lim|x|→∞V(x) = +∞, we show for 2 < p < 4 that there exists λ* > 0 such that if 0 < λ < λ*, problem (1) has two nontrivial static solutions (Ψλ,A0λ,A1λ,A2λ). Moreover, there also exists λ > 0 such that if λ > λ, problem (1) has no nontrivial solutions. While for p > 4 we assume in addition that x ⋅ ∇V(x) ≥ 0, then problem (1) admits a mountain pass solution for all λ > 0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence and concentration of normalized solutions to the supercritical nonlinear Schrödinger equation \[ \left\{\begin{array}{@{}ll} -\Delta u + V(x) u = \mu_q u + a \vert u \vert ^q u & {\rm in}\ \mathbb{R}^2,\\ \int_{\mathbb{R}^2} \vert u \vert ^2\,{\rm d}x =1, & \end{array} \right.\] where μq is the Lagrange multiplier. For ellipse-shaped potentials V(x), we show that for q > 2 close to 2, the equation admits an excited solution uq, and furthermore, we study the limiting behaviour of uq when q → 2+. Particularly, we describe precisely the blow-up formation of the excited state uq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the existence and concentration of normalized solutions to the nonlinear Schrödinger equation − Δ u + k 2 | x | 2 u + Ω r 2 | x | 2 u − 2 g | u | 2 u = 2 ω u in R 2 with ∫ R 2 | u | 2 d x = 1 , where ω is the Lagrange multiplier, Ωr is the radial trapping frequency, and g > 0. We show that there is a g k * > 0 such that the problem has a ground state solution ug if 0 < g < g k * and such a solution does not exist if g ≥ g k * . Furthermore, we study the limiting behavior of ug when g → g k * . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is an important cytokine that is currently being investigated for its potential use in tumor immunotherapy in the future. In tumor cells, IL-21 stimulates the immune response by increasing the cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, B cells and CD8+ T cells, which in turn induces the apoptosis of tumor cells. The therapeutic effects of IL-21 have been investigated in several types of disease and numerous clinical trials are in progress. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of IL-21 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in vitro. IL-21 expression was detected in OSCC tissues via RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The results demonstrated that IL-21 protein expression decreased in OSCC tissues. IL-21 was overexpressed using adenovirus in CAL-27 cells. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay demonstrated that overexpression of IL-21 inhibited cell proliferation. Furthermore, overexpression of IL-21 inhibited cell migration, detected by the wound healing assay, and promoted cell apoptosis, detected by TUNEL staining and flow cytometry analysis. The results demonstrated that overexpression of IL-21 inhibited activation of the JNK signaling pathway. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggest that IL-21 may function as a potent antitumor agent in OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limb perfusion monitoring is critical for diabetes mellitus (DM) patients as they are vulnerable to vascular complications due to prolonged hyperglycemia. However, current clinical approaches are ineffective in vascular imaging and in assessing vascular function in lower limbs. In this work, a concave ultrasound transducer array‐based photoacoustic tomography (PAT) system was used to image the foot dorsal section of a subject, and a total of seven DM patients and seven healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Hemodynamic changes in foot vessels during vascular occlusion as well as oxygen saturation (SO2) in rest were analyzed for both groups. The results obtained showed that DM patients have a unique peripheral hemodynamic response to occlusion and a lower level SO2, compared to that for healthy subjects. This suggests that PAT has the potential to detect vascular dysfunction in DM patients and to measure the effect of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a systematical study on comparison between water and dry coupling in photoacoustic tomography of the human finger joints. Compared to the direct water immersion of the finger for water coupling, the dry coupling is realized through a transparent PDMS film-based water bag, which ensures water-free contact with the skin. The results obtained suggest that the dry coupling provides image quality comparable to that by water coupling while eliminating the wrinkling of the finger joint caused by the water immersion. In addition, the dry coupling offers more stable hemodynamic images than the water coupling as the water immersion of the finger joint causes reduction in blood vessel size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the problems of stabilisation and H ∞ control are addressed for switched port-controlled Hamiltonian (SPCH) systems with unstable modes and actuator saturation (AS) via energy-based multiple Lyapunov functions methods. Firstly, by a switching state feedback controller with truncation-inequality techniques, the considered system is transformed into an unforced SPCH system with asymptotically stable, stable and unstable modes. Then, by developing an alternative switching law with slow/fast mode-dependent average dwell time (MDADT) switching scheme, new sufficient conditions are obtained for stabilisation of the SPCH system. Secondly, by designing a new switching H ∞ feedback controller, revealing the characteristics of alternative switching signals and defining an indicative function, a new criterion for H ∞ control of the SPCH systems with unstable modes and AS is achieved via the slow/fast MDADT switching scheme. Moreover, based on the obtained results and the indicative function, H ∞ control conditions for the corresponding SPCH system are also derived under a slow MDADT switching scheme and a traditional average dwell time scheme, respectively. Finally, some numerical examples are given to verify the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: the purpose of this study was to demonstrate the potential of thermoacoustic tomography (TAT) to reveal anatomic structures of in vivo human finger joints. Methods: all the participating volunteers provided written informed consent. Eight healthy middle and index fingers from five volunteers were imaged in vivo by our TAT imaging system. Axial T1-weighted MR imaging (3.0 T) was used to validate the TAT findings. Comparative analyses between TAT and MRI images were performed in two dimension for all the fingers imaged. Three-dimensional (3-D) images and animations were also obtained for some of the fingers thermoacoustically scanned. Results: various intra- and extra-articular tissues were identified in TAT images in high fidelity. These TAT images matched well with the MRI images. Both the 3-D images and animations effectively displayed the extension and transformation of the entire finger along the axis. Conclusion: TAT can noninvasively visualize anatomic structures of the finger joints based on the electrical properties of the joint tissues. The results obtained indicate that TAT may have the potential to contribute to the detection of joint and bone diseases. Significance: this study represents the first for TAT of in vivo human joints and fingers. This study reveals that TAT can effectively recover both soft and hard tissues of the healthy interphalangeal joints, which provides a foundation for its clinical application to detection and diagnosis of joint and bone diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) provides important information for phylogenetic analysis and understanding evolutionary origins. Thaumetopoea pityocampa is a forest pest that harms nearly all cedar and pine species. In this study, the T. pityocampa mitochondrial genome was sequenced, assembled, and annotated. The sequence length of the genome was found to be 15,737 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, and an A + T-rich region compared with the genomes of other lepidopterans. The overall nucleotide composition is: 37.3% T, 40.5% A, 14.6% C, and 7.6% G, demonstrating an AT bias (A + T: 77.8%). Our phylogenetic tree analysis results showed that T. pityocampa and Ochrogaster lunifer were the most similar species, with the closest evolutionary distance. The mitogenome sequence determined in this study will contribute to improved understanding of Notodontidae evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hierarchical porous micro/nano structure composed of agminated single-crystalline nanoparticles is crucial for engineering high performance LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials, because it can not only shorten the transport route for electrons and lithium ions, but also withstand the structural strain during reduplicative Li+ ion insertion/extraction processes. In this paper, we report an efficient solvothermal method for fabricating hierarchically porous waxberry-shaped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 assembled from interconnected single-crystalline nanoparticles. Experimental results indicate that the solvent ethylene glycol and the precipitant hexamethylenetetramine in the solvothermal process could make the reagents blend uniformly and nucleate slowly, thus leading to a homogeneous distribution and a lower impurity content in the final products, which are beneficial to the rate capability and cycling performance. Besides, the porous structure resulting from the decomposition of the carbonate precursor could favourably attenuate the volume change during the high-rate charge/discharge process. As expected, the resultant waxberry-like LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 presents an excellent rate capability and ultralong cycling stability. Even at a high discharge rate of 30C, a capacity retention of about 84% after 1200 cycles can still be attained. The superior performance can be ascribed to the intrinsic hierarchical porous micro/nano structure, which could not only facilitate the diffusion of lithium ions but also furnish pore spaces to relieve the volume deformation during repeated Li+ insertion/extraction processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present for the first time in vivo imaging of rat brain using microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography (TAT). The in vivo imaging of rat brain was realized through an unconventional delivery of microwave energy from the front of rat brain (while the transducer was scanned along coronal plane of the animal brain), which maximized the microwave penetration into the brain. In addition, we found that the imaging contrast was highly dependent on the direction of the electric field polarization (EFP) and that more tissue structures/compositions could be revealed when both - and -EFPs were used for TAT. The in vivo TAT images of rat brain obtained were compared with the 3.0 T MRI images and histological photographs, and numerous important brain anatomical structures were identified. An example of our TAT approach for imaging a foreign object embedded in a rat brain was also demonstrated. This study suggests that TAT has a great potential to be used in neuroscience studies and in noninvasive imaging of brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture has been an effective treatment for various pain in China for several thousand years. However, the mechanisms underlying this mysterious ancient healing are still largely unknown. Here we applied photoacoustic microscopy (PAM) to investigate brain hemodynamic changes in response to electronic acupuncture (EA) at ST36 (Zusanli). Due to the high optical absorption of blood at 532 nm, PAM could sensitively probe changes in hemoglobin concentration (HbT, i.e., cerebral blood volume [CBV]) of cortical regions in high resolution. Six healthy mice were stimulated at the acupoint and three healthy mice were stimulated at sham points. Remarkable CBV changes in sensorimotor and retrosplenial agranular cortex were observed. Results showed the potential of PAM as a visualization tool to study the acupuncture effect on brain hemodynamics in animal models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the blood supply in the lower extremities is critical for individuals who are vulnerable to vascular dysfunction. Current clinical approaches are ineffective in observing hemodynamic changes in peripheral vessels. In this paper, we investigate the potential of photoacoustic tomography (PAT) as an alternative way to in vivo monitor hemodynamic changes in foot vessels. High spatial and temporal resolution maps of hemoglobin in major arteries and veins are shown. Results from twelve human subjects are presented here to visualize vascular perfusion of healthy volunteers in two age groups (young vs aged). Significant differences between the two groups are observed and verify the declining in vascular function with aging, highlighting the potential of PAT as a new tool to evaluate vascular function in the lower extremities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• KDM6B and VGLL4 are increased in the hippocampus in LPS dose-dependent manner. • Inhibiting KDM6B attenuates LPS-induced increase in anxiety-like behavior. • VGLL4 knockdown blocks LPS-induced increase in anxiety-like behavior. • Epigenetic upregulation of VGLL4 by KDM6B contributes to LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior. Histone H3K27me3 demethylase KDM6B (also known as Jumonji domain-containing protein D3, JMJD3) plays vital roles in the etiology of inflammatory responses; however, little is known about the role of KDM6B in neuroinflammation-induced anxiety-like behavior. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of KDM6B in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced anxiety-like behavior and to evaluate whether it is associated with the modulation of vestigial-like family member 4 (VGLL4). The elevated plus maze, light-dark box, and open-field test were performed to test the anxiety-like behavior induced by LPS in C57BL/6 J male mice. Levels of relative protein expression in the hippocampus were quantified by western blotting. KDM6B inhibitor GSK-J4 and microglia inhibitor minocycline as well as adeno-associated virus of Vgll4 shRNA were used to explore the underlying mechanisms. We found that KDM6B, VGLL4, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 (Iba-1, microglia marker) protein levels were increased in LPS-dose dependent manner in the hippocampus but not in prefrontal cortex. GSK-J4 treatment attenuated LPS-induced VGLL4, the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), IL-1β and Iba-1 upregulation and anxiety-like behavior. Knockdown VGLL4 with Vgll4 shRNA prevented the increase of anxiety-like behavior and levels of STAT3, IL-1β, and Iba-1 expression in the hippocampus of LPS-treated mice. Moreover, minocycline, an inhibitor of microglia treatment blunted LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior. Collectively, these results demonstrate that the induction of neuroinflammation by LPS promotes KDM6B activation in the hippocampus, and LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior is associated with upregulation of VGLL4 by KDM6B in the hippocampus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Myocardial infarction induces anxiety-like behavior in adult female rat. • Echocardiographic indices are positive correlation with anxiety-like behavior. • Myocardial infarction promotes cellular neuroinflammation and apoptosis in the hippocampus. • Myocardial infarction induces epigenetic signaling alterations in the hippocampus. Epidemiological and experimental animal studies indicate that there is a high risk for the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders suffering from cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction (MI). However, the potential mechanism of this association remains largely unknown. This study sought to evaluate whether epigenetic alterations in the hippocampus is associated with MI-induced anxiety-like behavior in rats. MI was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending artery in adult female rats. Anxiety-like behavior was examined by elevated plus maze, light-dark box, and open field test. Relative gene and protein levels expression in the hippocampus were tested by qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. We found that MI rats exhibited anxiety-like behavior compared with those in controls, and there is a positive correlation between MI and anxiety-like behavior. We also found that MI decreased KDM6B while increased SIRT1 expression in the hippocampus of MI rats relative to those in controls. In addition, MI not only increased levels of IL-1β, bax, and cleaved-caspase 3, but also increased Iba-1 and GFAP expression in the hippocampus, as compared to those in controls, suggesting a promotion of neuro-inflammation and apoptosis in hippocampus. Co-immunoprecipitation assay illustrated that H3K27me3 functioned by counteracting with YAP activation in the hippocampus of MI rats relative to those in controls. Together, these results suggest a potential role of hippocampal epigenetic signaling in MI-induced anxiety-like behavior in rats, and pharmacological targeting KDM6B or SIRT1 could be a strategy to ameliorate anxiety-like behavior induced by MI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resveratrol, a type of natural polyphenol mainly extracted from the skin of grapes, has been reported to protect against inflammatory responses and exert anxiolytic effect. Yes-associated protein (YAP), a major downstream effector of the Hippo signaling pathway, plays a critical role in inflammation. The present study aimed to explore whether YAP pathway was involved in the anxiolytic effect of resveratrol in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated C57BL/6J male mice. LPS treatment induced anxiety-like behavior and decreased sirtuin 1 while increased YAP expression in the hippocampus. Resveratrol attenuated LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior, which was blocked by EX-527 (a sirtuin 1 inhibitor). Mechanistically, the anxiolytic effects of resveratrol were accompanied by a marked decrease in YAP, interleukin-1β and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) while a significant increase in autophagic protein expression in the hippocampus. Pharmacological study using XMU-MP-1, a YAP activator, showed that activating YAP could induce anxiety-like behavior and neuro-inflammation as well as decrease hippocampal autophagy. Moreover, activation of YAP by XMU-MP-1 treatment attenuated the ameliorative effects of resveratrol on LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior, while blockade of YAP activation with verteporfin, a YAP inhibitor, attenuated LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior and neuro-inflammation as well as hippocampal autophagy. Finally, rapamycin-mediated promotion of autophagy attenuated LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior and decreased interleukin-1β and Iba-1 expression in the hippocampus. Collectively, these results indicate that amelioration by resveratrol in LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior is through attenuating YAP-mediated neuro-inflammation and promoting hippocampal autophagy, and suggest that inhibition of YAP pathway could be a potential therapeutic target for anxiety-like behavior induced by neuro-inflammation. • Resveratrol ameliorates LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior by attenuating YAP signaling. • YAP-mediated neuro-inflammation contributes to LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior. • Rapamycin prevents neuro-inflammation and attenuates LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior. • Blocking YAP could be a therapeutic target for LPS-induced anxiety-like behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic computed tomography (PACT) has become a premier preclinical and clinical imaging modality. Although PACT's image quality can be dramatically improved with a large number of ultrasound (US) transducer elements and associated multiplexed data acquisition systems, the associated high system cost and/or slow temporal resolution are significant problems. Here, a deep learning-based approach is demonstrated that qualitatively and quantitively diminishes the limited-view artifacts that reduce image quality and improves the slow temporal resolution. This deep learning-enhanced multiparametric dynamic volumetric PACT approach, called DL-PACT, requires only a clustered subset of many US transducer elements on the conventional multiparametric PACT. Using DL-PACT, high-quality static structural and dynamic contrast-enhanced whole-body images as well as dynamic functional brain images of live animals and humans are successfully acquired, all in a relatively fast and cost-effective manner. It is believed that the strategy can significantly advance the use of PACT technology for preclinical and clinical applications such as neurology, cardiology, pharmacology, endocrinology, and oncology., (© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)