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Daily PM2.5 level has significant influence on human health, which is attracting increasing attention. The prediction of PM2.5 grades has thus become an important factor closely related to social development. In the past decades, many prediction methodologies for PM2.5 have been developed, including regression analysis, neural network model, and support vector machine model. Despite these progresses, it still remains a great challenge to predict the PM2.5 grades more accurately and efficiently. In this work, we applied meteorological pattern analysis to assist the support vector machine (SVM) model for PM2.5 class prediction. Cosine similarity was first used to extract three most relevant ones from six common meteorological parameters (atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed, wind direction, cumulative precipitation) to give the needed meteorological pattern for SVM model. Higher prediction accuracy was then obtained with the selected pattern composed by relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction. Moreover, genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm were investigated for optimizing the parameters in the process of SVM classification, with PSO-SVM presenting the highest accuracy and efficiency (forecasting time significantly reduced by 25%). We further introduced the criteria of precision, recall and F1-score to evaluate the prediction results of PSO-SVM in each PM2.5 grade. Meanwhile, comparative studies confirmed that PSO-SVM displayed better performance than Adaboost and ANN models for the applied meteorological pattern analysis assisted PM2.5 grades prediction. These obtained results indicate the validity of meteorological pattern analysis for efficient air quality forecasting.

Background Terson syndrome is a serious complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that includes any intraocular hemorrhage and may result in blurred vision or even blindness. However, it is often overlooked clinically. Case Description A 42-year-old man presented with coma due to rupture of a left posterior communicating artery aneurysm. A preoperative computed tomography scan demonstrated SAH and bilateral fundus hemorrhage. Visual evoked potential and B-scan ocular ultrasound revealed vitreous hemorrhages, features consistent with Terson syndrome. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed 2 weeks after SAH with a subsequent improvement of visual acuity. Conclusions Early identification is important for the recovery of the patient's nervous system and ophthalmology. Neurosurgeons should be aware of the pathology and pay attention to it to maximize patient's benefit.

Binuclear CoIII complex [Co2(L)3(DMF)3] containing a Schiff ligand H2L was synthesized and analyzed by elemental analysis, single crystal X-ray crystallography, FT-IR, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, Hirshfeld surface analysis and DFT calculation. The CoIII complex was a 3:2 ((L)2− : CoIII) binuclear structure. The spatial configuration of central CoIII ions was six-coordinated slightly twisted octahedron. The 3D supramolecular network structure was linked by intermolecular hydrogen bonds, C H···π and π···π stacking interactions. The Schiff ligand H2L exhibits weak luminescence, but this weak fluorescence is turned on after coordination with the ZnII ion. Furthermore, H2L could as an “OFF-ON” chemosensor for fluorescent recognition of ZnII.

Introduction The rupture rate of unruptured intracranial aneurysms is influenced by certain angioarchitectural and hemodynamic characteristics. Recently the translucent appearance of aneurysms was described as a possible risk factor for aneurysm rupture. In this study, we investigate the intraoperative rupture risk of surgically clipped unruptured translucent aneurysms (TAs). Method Clinical and radiologic data of microsurgically treated unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) bifurcation aneurysms between 2013 and 2015 were collected and analyzed. Aneurysms were divided into TA as defined as >90% reddish pigmentation appearance of the aneurysm wall or non-TA (NTA) according to the observation under microscope by a single neurosurgeon. Parameters were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Result A total of 41 unruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms were included in the analysis, and 68.2% (28/41) were defined as TA. The univariate analysis showed that aneurysm characteristics (Dmax, Wmax, height, and lower size ratio [SR]) that were small in nature were associated with TAs. TAs were associated with intraoperative rupture (28.6% vs. 0%, P = 0.04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that the lower SR is the independent risk factor for TAs. Conclusion The results demonstrate that a lower SR correlates with TA in the MCA bifurcation and the thinner wall of the TA causes intraoperative rupture more likely. These results provide important information on the fragility of TAs and might influence the treatment decisions in unruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms with lower SRs.

The Schiff base binuclear Zn(II) complexes, [Zn2(L)2∙(H2O)2]∙2DMF (1) and its coordination polymer [Zn2(L)2∙(4,4′-bpy)2]n (2) (H2L = 3-[(5-chloro-2-hydroxy-benzylidene)-amino]-4-hydroxy-chromen-2-one, 4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine), were synthesized under the same experimental condition without or with the auxiliary ligand 4,4′-bpy, respectively. The structural analysis revealed that complexes 1 and 2 have different crystal structures. The complex 1 was a centrosymmetric binuclear structure. It is noteworthy that the linker 4,4′-bpy was introduced during the synthesis of complex 2, so that two water molecules in complex 1 were replaced by two 4,4′-bpy linkers to form one-dimensional (1D) chain-like coordination polymer. The central Zn(II) ions in complex 1 were penta-coordinated distorted square pyramid geometry with τ = 0.42. However, the Zn(II) ions of complex 2 were hexa-coordinated distorted octahedral geometry. The fluorescence spectrum showed the complex 2 containing 4,4′-bpy was substantially quenching of the fluorescence as compared with the complex 1. In addition, it could be seen from the DFT calculation the energy gaps of the complexes 1 and 2 were both reduced compared to the ligand H2L. However, the LUMO and HOMO orbits of the complex 2 were occupied by the 4,4′-bpy, which is different from complex 1, resulting in 1 and 2 had different spectral properties.

This study investigates the applicability of a hybrid TiO 2 electrode (or a working electrode with a light scattering layer) in a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). Microcrystalline TiO 2 particles, synthesized by the simple sol–gel method using TiCl 4 ethanol solution as a precursor, were used to prepare a light scattering layer of the working electrode (or a hybrid TiO 2 electrode), and the properties of these microcrystalline TiO 2 particles were measured. This electrode was then immersed in a solution of N-719 (Ruthenium) dye at a temperature of 70 °C for 6 h. Finally, the DSSC was assembled, and the short-circuit photocurrent, the open-circuit photovoltage, and the power conversion efficiency of DSSC were measured using an I – V measurement system. The effect of the average size of TiO 2 particles synthesized by the sol–gel method on the power conversion efficiency of a DSSC was also examined. Most importantly, this study shows that the power conversion efficiency of the DSSC with a hybrid TiO 2 electrode (7.02%), which consisted of 50% TiO 2 particles (P-25) and 50% TiO 2 particles with an average size of 268.7 nm, substantially exceeds that of the conventional DSSC with a TiO 2 (P-25) electrode (5.16%) due to the effect of the light scattering in the DSSC.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive and common kind of primary brain tumor in adults, and is thought to be driven by a subpopulation of glioma stem cells (GSCs). GSCs reside in a specialized hypoxic niche, which can regulate the tumorigenic capacity of GSCs primarily through the hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), HIF1α and HIF2α. ZNF217 is an oncogene frequently amplified in many kinds of tumors. It is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor clinical prognosis, but its role in gliomas is poorly known. Gene expression and copy number analysis from TCGA data reveal that ZNF217 is amplified in 32% and overexpressed in 71.2% of GBMs. Quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting of a cohort of glioma samples showed that ZNF217 was highly expressed in gliomas and increased with tumor grade. Analysis of a molecular database demonstrated that ZNF217 expression correlated with poor survival of glioma patients. Investigation of ZNF217 expression in GSCs, non-GSCs and normal neural stem cells (NSCs) indicated that ZNF217 was more highly expressed in GSCs than in non-GSCs and NSCs. Knockdown of ZNF217 in GSCs by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited their growth and promoted their differentiation. Interestingly, ZNF217 was upregulated in GSCs and the GBM cell line U87 when exposed to the hypoxic environment of 1% oxygen. Knockdown of either HIF1α or HIF2α, which has a central role in the hypoxia-induced responses of these cells, inhibited ZNF217 expression. In addition, ZNF217 upregulation was compromised under hypoxia in U87 and GSCs when either HIF1α or HIF2α was targeted by siRNA. HIF2α knockdown inhibited ZNF217 expression more efficiently in both normoxia and hypoxia than HIF1α knockdown. Therefore, ZNF217 is overexpressed in GBMs and contributes to the maintenance of GSCs, which is regulated by HIFs released by the hypoxic environment of the tumor.

FRAT1 was originally characterized as a protein frequently rearranged in advanced T cell lymphoma, which inhibits GSK-3-mediated phosphorylation of β-catenin and positively regulates the Wnt signaling pathway. FRAT1 has been identified as a proto-oncogene involved in tumorigenesis. Previous studies have shown that FRAT1 is strikingly overexpressed in some human cancers. However, the relationship between FRAT1 and human gliomas is unclear. In this study, we detected the expression of FRAT1 in human gliomas by immunohistochemistry, Western blot and RT-PCR. FRAT1 was found to be specifically expressed in the majority of glioma samples, and their expression levels increased markedly with the increase of WHO grades. In addition, there was a positive correlation between FRAT1 immunoreactivity score (IRS) and β-catenin IRS. Our results suggest that FRAT1 may be an important factor in the tumorigenesis and progression of gliomas, and could be used as a potential molecular marker for pathological diagnosis and a target for biological therapy.

This study was primarily motivated by the need to establish the correspondence between auditory abilities and laryngeal function. Just noticeable differences (JNDs) were obtained for the open quotient and speed quotient of the glottal flow waveform. The quotients were synthesized for both the glottal flow alone, and for the output pressure signal after the glottal flow signal was applied to the synthesis vocal tract for the vowel /a/. Six adult men and five adult women, all teachers of singing, participated as listeners. An adaptive auditory listening procedure was used to estimate JNDs for the four types of stimuli. The group average JND values were as follows. For the standard open quotient value of .6000, JND = 0.0264 (SD = .010) for the glottal flow and JND = 0.0344 (SD = .020) for the output pressure. For the open quotient, there was no statistically significant difference between genders or between the types of signals. For the standard speed quotient value of 2.000, JND = 0.154 (SD = .043) for the glottal flow and JND = 0.319 (SD = .167) for the output pressure. For the speed quotient, there was no statistically significant difference between genders, but the difference between types of stimulus (glottal flow versus output pressure) was significant (p.006). The variance among the JND values was significantly larger for the output pressure stimuli compared to the glottal flow stimuli for both the open quotient and the speed quotient.