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Purpose: Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been associated with increased risks of various age-related diseases. However, the potential association between UPF consumption and age-related eye diseases (AREDs) remains unclear. We aim to assess the associations between consumption of UPF and risk of AREDs including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract and glaucoma. Methods: We included 156,232 individuals aged 50 or older, who were free from AREDs from UK biobank study. Dietary intake data were collected using 24-h dietary assessments. UPF is defined according to the NOVA classification, and all participants are divided into four quartiles based on the weight proportion (%) of UPF. During a median of 10 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards were used to estimate the association between the proportion of UPF in the diet and the subsequent risk of various AREDs. Results: After adjusting for multiple variables, individuals in the highest quartiles for UPF consumption exhibited an increased risk of AMD (hazard ratio (HR): 1.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–1.63; p = 0.03), cataract (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01–1.20; p = 0.04), and glaucoma (HR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.98–1.63; p = 0.06) compared to those in the lowest quartiles. Moreover, a 10% increase in the weight of UPF in diet was associated with an 8% higher risk of AMD (HR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.01–1.15; p = 0.03), a 3% higher risk of cataract (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 1.00–1.06; p = 0.04), and a 7% higher risk of glaucoma (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.00–1.15; p = 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that a higher proportion of UPF in the diet was significantly link with an elevated risk of AMD and cataract. While additional research is necessary to validate these findings in diverse populations and settings, these results offer initial evidence to endorse public health initiatives that encourage limiting consumption of UPF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imperata cylindrica Beauv.var. major (Nees) C.E.Hubb., commonly known as BaiMaoGen (BMG), a medicinal and edible traditional Chinese medicinal (TCM) herb commonly used in health supplements, has been observed to offer protective effects against gastrointestinal disorders. However, the specific bioactive compounds and their molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study employed ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and systematic network pharmacology to analyze and identify the key active components and their interactions with biological targets. Thirty-six main active compounds, including 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, were identified and analyzed for their interaction with key protein targets using molecular docking and dynamic simulations. This combined approach highlighted the therapeutic pathways involved, particularly the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways, providing new insights into the molecular basis of BMG's gastroprotective effects. Our findings suggested that BMG's complex multi-target action can potentially be harnessed to develop effective treatments for gastrointestinal toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising use of 3D digital products has increased the demand for copyright protection. In this paper, we propose a novel and robust 3D watermarking method with high imperceptibility based on EMD (empirical mode decomposition) on surfaces. It first defines a normalized modulus signal on a 3D host model so as to involve EMD into 3D watermarking effectively. And then, it extracts different scale features of the defined signal by using EMD to locate the proper embedding positions. After this, the watermark signal is embedded repeatedly and cyclically into the 3D host model to enhance the robustness. The embedding strength is optimized according to a predefined fidelity parameter to control the imperceptibility of the watermark. Many experiment results show that the proposed method can obtain good results against various attacks while maintaining high invisibility, such as pseudo-random noise, Laplacian smoothing, simplification, subdivision, cropping, and similarity transformation. Furthermore, it is very competitive with the current state-of-the-art 3D watermarking techniques in terms of robustness and invisibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Mycobacterial membrane proteins Large 3 (MmpL3) is responsible for the transport of mycobacterial acids out of cell membrane to form cell wall, which is essential for the survival of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and has become a potent anti-tuberculosis target. SQ109 is an ethambutol (EMB) analogue, as a novel anti-tuberculosis drug, can effectively inhibit MmpL3, and has completed phase 2b-3 clinical trials. Drug resistance has always been the bottleneck problem in clinical treatment of tuberculosis. The S288T mutant of MmpL3 shows significant resistance to the inhibitor SQ109, while the specific action mechanism remains unclear. The results show that MmpL3 S288T mutation causes local conformational change with little effect on the global structure. With MmpL3 bound by SQ109 inhibitor, the distance between D710 and R715 increases resulting in H-bond destruction, but their interactions and proton transfer function are still restored. In addition, the rotation of Y44 in the S288T mutant leads to an obvious bend in the periplasmic domain channel and an increased number of contact residues, reducing substrate transport efficiency. This work not only provides a possible dual drug resistance mechanism of MmpL3 S288T mutant but also aids the development of novel anti-tuberculosis inhibitors. Methods: In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) and quantum mechanics (QM) simulations both were performed to compare inhibitor (i.e., SQ109) recognition, motion characteristics, and H-bond energy change of MmpL3 after S288T mutation. In addition, the WT_SQ109 complex structure was obtained by molecular docking program (Autodock 4.2); Molecular Mechanics/ Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) and Solvated Interaction Energy (SIE) methods were used to calculate the binding free energies (∆Gbind); Geometric criteria were used to analyze the changes of hydrogen bond networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been suggested to be associated with emotional perceptions and evaluations. Several studies have also revealed that IU is related to cognitive preferences, in particular gain-relevant risk preference. Nevertheless, it is still unclear whether both prospective and inhibitory IU, two dimensions of IU, predict gain-related and moreover, loss-relevant risky preference. More importantly, it is unknown whether the associations between IU and risk preference are modulated by biological factors (e.g., genes). Therefore, the current study investigated whether prospective and inhibitory IU were associated with gain-/loss-related risk preference and whether the associations were modulated by an impulsivity control-related gene, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) gene (A779C, rs1799913) through recruiting 222 healthy Chinese participants. Results showed that prospective IU was correlated with gain-relevant risk averse. There was not a significant association between IU and loss-relevant risk preference. Nevertheless, further analysis revealed that the association was modulated by the TPH1 genotype. Prospective and inhibitory IU predicted loss-relevant risk averse specifically for TPH1 AC genotype carriers but not for other genotype carriers (i.e., AA or CC). The findings emphasize the associations between IU and risk preference depending on frame and genetic variance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic mellitus-induced diabetic retinopathy is a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in adults. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play initial roles in vascular progression. However, the mechanism underlying diabetes mellitus-induced vascular complications remains largely unknown. In circRNA chip experiments, circRSU1 was found to be generally overexpressed in diabetic retinopathy patients. Human retina endothelial cells were stably transfected with lentiviruses carrying a circRSU1 interference plasmid. CircRSU1 downregulation alleviated diabetes mellitus induced retina vascular dysfunction, resulting in decreased vascular endothelial growth factor levels, inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, we showed that elevated circRSU1 expression upregulated the TAZ levels by sponging miR-345-3p. Downregulation of TAZ reversed the vascular dysfunction that was caused by increased circRSU1 expression under hyperglycaemic conditions. In conclusion, overexpression of circRSU1 promotes vascular dysfunction by sponging miR-345-3p to increase the TAZ levels under diabetic conditions. We provide evidence that circRSU1 is a potential therapeutic target for treating diabetes mellitus-induced vascular dysfunction. The circular RNA circRSU1 is overexpressed in diabetic retinopathy patients and circRSU1 sponges miR-345-3p, increasing TAZ levels, whose downregulation can reverse vascular dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel and fast EMD-based (empirical mode decomposition-based) image fusion approach via morphological filter. Firstly, we develop a multi-channel bidimensional EMD method based on morphological filter to conduct image fusion. It uses the morphological expansion and erosion filters to compute the upper and lower envelopes of a multi-channel image in the sifting processing, and can decompose the input source images into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) with different scales and a residue. It significantly improves the computation efficiency of EMD for multi-channel images while maintaining the decomposition quality. Secondly, we adopt a patch-based fusion strategy with overlapping partition to fuse the IMFs and residue instead of the pixel-based fusion way usually used in EMD-based image fusion, where an energy-based maximum selection rule is designed to fuse the IMFs, and the feature information extracted by IMFs is used as a guide to merge the residue. Such strategy can extract the salient information of the source images well and can also reduce the spatial artifacts introduced by the noisy characteristics of the pixel-wise maps. A large number of comparative experiments on the fusion of several commonly used image data sets with multi-focus and multi-modal images, show that our newly proposed fusion method can obtain much better results than the existing EMD-based image fusion approaches. Furthermore, it is very competitive with the state-of-the-art image fusion methods in visualization, objective metrics, and time performance. The code of the proposed method can be downloaded from: https://github.com/neepuhjp/MFMBEMD-ImageFusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI) can specifically bind and inhibit the activity of pectin methylesterase (PME), which has been widely used in fruit and vegetable juice processing. However, the limited three-dimensional structure, unclear action mechanism, low thermal stability and biological activity of PMEI severely limited its application. In this work, molecular recognition and conformational changes of PME and PMEI were analyzed by various molecular simulation methods. Then suggestions were proposed for improving thermal stability and affinity maturation of PMEI through semi-rational design. Methods: Phylogenetic trees of PME and PMEI were established using the Maximum likelihood (ML) method. The results show that PME and PMEI have good sequence and structure conservation in various plants, and the simulated data can be widely adopted. In this work, MD simulations were performed using AMBER20 package and ff14SB force field. Protein interaction analysis indicates that H-bonds, van der Waals forces, and the salt bridge formed of K224 with ID116 are the main driving forces for mutual molecular recognition of PME and PMEI. According to the analyses of free energy landscape (FEL), conformational cluster, and motion, the association with PMEI greatly disrupts PME's dispersed functional motion mode and biological function. By monitoring the changes of residue contact number and binding free energy, IG35M/ IG35R: IT93F and IT113W/ IT113W: ID116W mutations contribute to thermal stability and affinity maturation of the PME-PMEI complex system, respectively. This work reveals the interaction between PME and PMEI at the gene and protein levels and provides options for modifying specific PMEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The COVID-19 epidemic is raging around the world, with the emergence of viral mutant strains such as Delta and Omicron, posing severe challenges to people's health and quality of life. A full understanding life cycle of the virus in host cells helps to reveal inactivation mechanism of antibody and provide inspiration for the development of a new-generation vaccines. Methods: In this work, molecular recognitions and conformational changes of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mutants (i.e., Delta, Mu, and Omicron) and three essential partners (i.e., membrane receptor hACE2, protease TMPRSS2, and antibody C121) both were compared and analyzed using molecular simulations. Results: Water basin and binding free energy calculations both show that the three mutants possess higher affinity for hACE2 than WT, exhibiting stronger virus transmission. The descending order of cleavage ability by TMPRSS2 is Mu, Delta, Omicron, and WT, which is related to the new S1/S2 cutting site induced by transposition effect. The inefficient utilization of TMPRSS2 by Omicron is consistent with its primary entry into cells via the endosomal pathway. In addition, RBD-directed antibody C121 showed obvious resistance to Omicron, which may have originated from high fluctuation of approaching angles, high flexibility of I472-F490 loop, and reduced binding ability. Conclusions: According to the overall characteristics of the three mutants, high infectivity, high immune escape, and low virulence may be the future evolutionary selection of SARS-CoV-2. In a word, this work not only proposes the possible resistance mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 mutants, but also provides theoretical guidance for the subsequent drug design against COVID-19 based on S protein structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Spastic paraplegia type 5 (SPG5) is a rare neurodegenerative disease diagnosed primarily through genetic testing.We identified a specific spinal cord sign on conventional MR imaging to help narrow the scope of genetic screening.In 25 patients with SPG5 and 21 healthy controls (HCs), the spinal cord cross sign was evaluated on T2*-weighted imaging. The morphological and signal characteristics of the dorsal column (DC), ventral funiculi (VF), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH), and intermediate zone (IMZ) were assessed. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values within specific regions between HC and SPG5 were tested using Student’s t-test. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations between cross-sign scores, FA values, and clinical indicators.The cross sign was detected in the cervical spinal cord of all SPG5 patients. The occurrence of T2 hyperintensity in the DC, VF and IMZ was 100%,100% and 88%,respectively. Bilateral VH morphology was normal in 14.4% of cases, blurred in 49.6%, and absent in 36%.Bilateral DH morphology was normal in 13.6%, blurred in 56%, and absent in 30.4%. FA values were reduced in these spinal cord regions. Cross-sign scores were negatively correlated with FA values in both grey (r = -0.70~-0.37) and white matter (r = -0.78~-0.70). Cross-sign scores were positively correlated with Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (r = 0.57) and disease duration (r = 0.42).The spinal cord cross sign was a potential imaging marker for SPG5. Cross-sign scores were associated with disease duration and severity in SPG5 patients.A Registered Cohort Study on Spastic Paraplegia,NCT04006418 Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04006418.Methods: Spastic paraplegia type 5 (SPG5) is a rare neurodegenerative disease diagnosed primarily through genetic testing.We identified a specific spinal cord sign on conventional MR imaging to help narrow the scope of genetic screening.In 25 patients with SPG5 and 21 healthy controls (HCs), the spinal cord cross sign was evaluated on T2*-weighted imaging. The morphological and signal characteristics of the dorsal column (DC), ventral funiculi (VF), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH), and intermediate zone (IMZ) were assessed. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values within specific regions between HC and SPG5 were tested using Student’s t-test. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations between cross-sign scores, FA values, and clinical indicators.The cross sign was detected in the cervical spinal cord of all SPG5 patients. The occurrence of T2 hyperintensity in the DC, VF and IMZ was 100%,100% and 88%,respectively. Bilateral VH morphology was normal in 14.4% of cases, blurred in 49.6%, and absent in 36%.Bilateral DH morphology was normal in 13.6%, blurred in 56%, and absent in 30.4%. FA values were reduced in these spinal cord regions. Cross-sign scores were negatively correlated with FA values in both grey (r = -0.70~-0.37) and white matter (r = -0.78~-0.70). Cross-sign scores were positively correlated with Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (r = 0.57) and disease duration (r = 0.42).The spinal cord cross sign was a potential imaging marker for SPG5. Cross-sign scores were associated with disease duration and severity in SPG5 patients.A Registered Cohort Study on Spastic Paraplegia,NCT04006418 Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04006418.Results: Spastic paraplegia type 5 (SPG5) is a rare neurodegenerative disease diagnosed primarily through genetic testing.We identified a specific spinal cord sign on conventional MR imaging to help narrow the scope of genetic screening.In 25 patients with SPG5 and 21 healthy controls (HCs), the spinal cord cross sign was evaluated on T2*-weighted imaging. The morphological and signal characteristics of the dorsal column (DC), ventral funiculi (VF), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH), and intermediate zone (IMZ) were assessed. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values within specific regions between HC and SPG5 were tested using Student’s t-test. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations between cross-sign scores, FA values, and clinical indicators.The cross sign was detected in the cervical spinal cord of all SPG5 patients. The occurrence of T2 hyperintensity in the DC, VF and IMZ was 100%,100% and 88%,respectively. Bilateral VH morphology was normal in 14.4% of cases, blurred in 49.6%, and absent in 36%.Bilateral DH morphology was normal in 13.6%, blurred in 56%, and absent in 30.4%. FA values were reduced in these spinal cord regions. Cross-sign scores were negatively correlated with FA values in both grey (r = -0.70~-0.37) and white matter (r = -0.78~-0.70). Cross-sign scores were positively correlated with Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (r = 0.57) and disease duration (r = 0.42).The spinal cord cross sign was a potential imaging marker for SPG5. Cross-sign scores were associated with disease duration and severity in SPG5 patients.A Registered Cohort Study on Spastic Paraplegia,NCT04006418 Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04006418.Conclusion: Spastic paraplegia type 5 (SPG5) is a rare neurodegenerative disease diagnosed primarily through genetic testing.We identified a specific spinal cord sign on conventional MR imaging to help narrow the scope of genetic screening.In 25 patients with SPG5 and 21 healthy controls (HCs), the spinal cord cross sign was evaluated on T2*-weighted imaging. The morphological and signal characteristics of the dorsal column (DC), ventral funiculi (VF), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH), and intermediate zone (IMZ) were assessed. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values within specific regions between HC and SPG5 were tested using Student’s t-test. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations between cross-sign scores, FA values, and clinical indicators.The cross sign was detected in the cervical spinal cord of all SPG5 patients. The occurrence of T2 hyperintensity in the DC, VF and IMZ was 100%,100% and 88%,respectively. Bilateral VH morphology was normal in 14.4% of cases, blurred in 49.6%, and absent in 36%.Bilateral DH morphology was normal in 13.6%, blurred in 56%, and absent in 30.4%. FA values were reduced in these spinal cord regions. Cross-sign scores were negatively correlated with FA values in both grey (r = -0.70~-0.37) and white matter (r = -0.78~-0.70). Cross-sign scores were positively correlated with Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (r = 0.57) and disease duration (r = 0.42).The spinal cord cross sign was a potential imaging marker for SPG5. Cross-sign scores were associated with disease duration and severity in SPG5 patients.A Registered Cohort Study on Spastic Paraplegia,NCT04006418 Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04006418.Trial registration: Spastic paraplegia type 5 (SPG5) is a rare neurodegenerative disease diagnosed primarily through genetic testing.We identified a specific spinal cord sign on conventional MR imaging to help narrow the scope of genetic screening.In 25 patients with SPG5 and 21 healthy controls (HCs), the spinal cord cross sign was evaluated on T2*-weighted imaging. The morphological and signal characteristics of the dorsal column (DC), ventral funiculi (VF), dorsal horn (DH), ventral horn (VH), and intermediate zone (IMZ) were assessed. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values within specific regions between HC and SPG5 were tested using Student’s t-test. Spearman correlation was used to evaluate associations between cross-sign scores, FA values, and clinical indicators.The cross sign was detected in the cervical spinal cord of all SPG5 patients. The occurrence of T2 hyperintensity in the DC, VF and IMZ was 100%,100% and 88%,respectively. Bilateral VH morphology was normal in 14.4% of cases, blurred in 49.6%, and absent in 36%.Bilateral DH morphology was normal in 13.6%, blurred in 56%, and absent in 30.4%. FA values were reduced in these spinal cord regions. Cross-sign scores were negatively correlated with FA values in both grey (r = -0.70~-0.37) and white matter (r = -0.78~-0.70). Cross-sign scores were positively correlated with Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (r = 0.57) and disease duration (r = 0.42).The spinal cord cross sign was a potential imaging marker for SPG5. Cross-sign scores were associated with disease duration and severity in SPG5 patients.A Registered Cohort Study on Spastic Paraplegia,NCT04006418 Registered 1 July 2019, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04006418. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new-designed rim seal configuration with sealing holes based on the conventional radial rim seal, and presents a numerical comparison of the sealing performance between the conventional sealing flow supply configuration and the new sealing flow supply configuration with holes at different sealing flow rates. The sealing effectiveness and unsteady flow yields at the rim seal are numerically simulated by using the URANS method and SST turbulent model from ANSYS CFX. The influence of the new sealing flow supply configuration on the sealing effectiveness at different sealing flow rates is determined. The effectiveness of different sealing flow rates in the conventional rim seal is also studied. As to the conventional rim seal, the increase in the sealing flow rate reduces the degree of gas ingestion induced by the effect of mainstream ingress at the rim clearance, while the unsteady flow characteristics are enhanced, and the number and amplitude of the low-frequency signals increase. The position of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities vortex structures is left by the increased sealing flow rate, and its strength is suppressed. Compared with the conventional rim seal configuration, the new sealing flow supply configuration with holes could reduce the sealing efficiency by 5.06% at most at sealing flow distribution m1:m2=3:1 when Cw=2000, and improve the sealing efficiency by 11.71% at most at sealing flow distribution m1:m2=1:1 when Cw=7500. It shows that the lateral jet from the holes induces a larger-scale Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex structure at Cw=2000, thus the sealing efficiency in the wheel space is also reduced. However, the size of the Kelvin-Helmholtz vortex structures is significantly suppressed by the new sealing flow supply configuration at Cw=7500, which is beneficial to improving the sealing effectiveness of the conventional rim seal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myopia has become a major public health issue with an increasing prevalence. There are still individuals who experience similar environmental risk factors and, yet, remain non-myopic. Thus, there might be genetic factors protecting people from myopia. Considering the opposite ocular characteristics of primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) to myopia and possible common pathway between them, we propose that certain risk genes for PACG might act as a protective factor for myopia. In this study, 2,678 young adults were genotyped for 37 targeted single nucleotide polymorphisms. Compared with emmetropia, rs1401999 (allele C: OR=0.795, P=0.03; genotype in dominant model: OR=0.759, P=0.02) and rs1258267 (allele A: OR=0.824, P=0.03; genotype in dominant model: OR=0.603, P=0.01) were associated with low to moderate myopia and high myopia, respectively. Genotype under recessive model of rs11024102 was correlated with myopia (OR=1.456, P=0.01), low to moderate myopia (OR=1.443, P=0.02) and high myopia (OR=1.453, P=0.02). However, these associations did not survive Bonferroni correction. Moreover, rs1401999, rs1258267, and rs11024102 showed associations with certain ocular biometric parameters in different groups. Our study suggests that ABCC5, CHAT and PLEKHA7 might be associated with refractive errors by contributing to the regulation of ocular biometry, in terms of uncorrected results and their biological functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we develop a robust image zero-watermarking algorithm based on multiple circular statistical features. First of all, we detect stable feature points from the host image, and construct circular region partitions from the identified feature points, which contain the critical information of the host image. Second, the statistics and differences of circular region partitions are calculated, which contain both the local differences and the global information of the host image. Third, we apply discrete cosine transform (DCT) and singular value decomposition (SVD) in statistics and differences in order to construct the feature image. The stability of DCT and SVD further warrants the robustness of the algorithm. Moreover, Arnold transform is used to scramble the watermark image to enhance the security of the algorithm. Finally, we obtain the zero watermark by performing the exclusive-or (XOR) operation between the feature image and the scrambled watermark image, and the zero watermark is stored in the copyright authentication database for copyright authentication. Moreover, to combat geometric attacks, we develop a blind image correction algorithm without using the original image to accurately correct the attacked image. Numerous experiments and comparisons with the state-of-the-art (SOTA) watermarking algorithms confirm that the proposed algorithm affords good robustness against various attacks, such as filtering attacks, noise attacks, geometric attacks, and even a random combination of the above-stated attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calenduloside E (CE) isolated from Aralia elata (Miq.) Seem. is a natural triterpenoid saponin that can reportedly ameliorate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, its potential roles and mechanism in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury are barely understood. In this study, we established an oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model in HT22 cells. We found that CE significantly attenuated the OGD/R-induced inhibition of cell viability and apoptotic cell death in HT22 cells. Moreover, CE treatment significantly ameliorated OGD/R-induced mitochondrial fission by inhibiting mitochondrial dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) recruitment and increasing Drp1 phosphorylation at Ser637. CE treatment significantly ameliorated OGD/R-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential and reducing the mitochondrial ROS and cellular calcium accumulation. Moreover, CE treatment significantly inhibited the OGD/R-induced release of mitochondrial Cytochrome C and increase in Bax, Cleaved-caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase9 protein levels, whereas CE treatment significantly reversed the OGD/R-induced decrease in Bcl-2 and full length of caspase3 and caspase9 protein levels. In vivo, we found that CE treatment significantly ameliorated ischemic/hypoxic-induced brain infarct volume, neurological deficits, and neuronal apoptosis in mice after middle cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. CE treatment also significantly ameliorated the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, decreased Cytochrome C release, and reversed the increase in Bax, Cleaved-caspase3 and Cleaved-caspase9 protein levels and the decrease in Bcl-2 and full length of caspase3 and caspase9 protein levels induced by cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). All these results indicated that CE treatment exerted a neuroprotective effect by ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction during cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, bi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) algorithms have been developed for the image watermarking task with good robustness and imperceptibility; however, the non-negligible algorithm efficiency has received little attention at the same time. In this paper, we devise a robust and efficient image watermarking algorithm based on 1D empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and dimensional reduction via Hilbert curve. Converting the problem of two-dimensional image watermarking into the problem of one-dimensional signal watermarking promises to enhance the efficiency and the robustness of the proposed algorithm. Specifically, host image is first reduced into one-dimensional signal by the Hilbert curve. Our key insight is a dimensionality reduction strategy based on the Hilbert curve that preserves the spatial local relationship to the greatest extent possible. Second, the one-dimensional signal is segmented into several short signal intervals, and each of them is decomposed into several intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residue by 1D EMD, which is much faster than BEMD. Third, the maximum or minimum points of the first IMF are chosen as the watermark embedding positions. For the watermark image, it is first encrypted by Arnold transform, which improves the security of the algorithm. And then, it is also transformed into one-dimensional signal correspondingly. A repeated embedding strategy is used in the embedding process to improve the algorithm's robustness. The final watermarked image can be reconstructed by the inverse Hilbert curve transform after integrating the modified first IMF, the remaining IMFs, and the residual. To improve the security and reduce the length of the key, Arnold transform and Huffman coding are adopted. The watermark extraction is the inverse of the embedding process without using the host image and watermark image. Comprehensive experimental results confirm that our new algorithm exhibits good robustness, efficiency, and high imperceptibility. Compared with the actual watermarking algorithms, the newly proposed watermarking algorithm not only reduces the computational expense, but also shows better performance in combating the cropping attacks, Gaussian noise, median filter, image enhancement attacks, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate whether neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) could provide the added value for detecting brain microstructural alterations in the preclinical stage of Machado–Joseph disease/spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (MJD/SCA3) compared with MRI morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Methods: Twenty preclinical MJD/SCA3 patients and 21 healthy controls were enrolled. Three b values DWI and 3D T1-weighted images were acquired at 3.0 T. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) approach was used to investigate the white matter (WM) alterations in the DTI metrics and NODDI metrics. Gray matter-based spatial statistics (GBSS) approach was used to investigate the grey matter (GM) alterations in the NODDI metrics. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach was performed on the 3D T1-weighted images. The relationship between the cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) repeat length and brain microstructural alterations of preclinical MJD/SCA3 was identified. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the preclinical MJD/SCA3 patients showed decreased FA and NDI as well as increased MD, AD, and RD in the WM of cerebellum and brainstem (corrected P < 0.05), and decreased NDI in the GM of cerebellar vermis (corrected P < 0.05). The CAG repeat length in preclinical MJD/SCA3 patients was negatively correlated with the reduced FA and NDI of the infratentorial WM and the reduced NDI of the cerebellum, and positively with the increased MD and RD of the infratentorial WM. Conclusions: NOODI can provide novel quantitative microstructural changes in MJD/SCA3 carriers, expanding our understanding of the gray and white matter (axons and dendrites) degeneration in this frequent ataxia syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the visual level of physical training and promote the optimization of sports training, the computer multimedia technology and Internet of things (IoT) are used to simulate the sports training model. Traditionally, the design complexity and control performance of the high-dimensional spatial sports training model are high, and the control performance is poor. A design method of computer multimedia simulation sports training model is proposed based on attitude change space fast exploration control, and computer multimedia simulation method is adopted to construct human body sports training and body movement mathematical model. In the physical training and kinematics model of human body, the position and pose feature information of human body is extracted quickly. Multimedia image analysis and intelligent control are used to simulate the process of human sports training and analyze the constraint parameters of motion planning in attitude change space to realize the optimal control of physical training and body motion planning. The simulation results show that the design of sports training model based on computer multimedia simulation is more controllable, the prediction error of motion attitude parameter is lower, and the multimedia control ability of sports training model is stronger, the effect of physical training is improved. In addition, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of in IoT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinocerebellar ataxias type 3 (SCA3) patients are clinically characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia combined with degeneration of the cerebellum. Previous neuroimaging studies have indicated ataxia severity associated with cerebellar atrophy using univariate methods. However, whether cerebellar atrophy patterns can be used to quantitatively predict ataxia severity in SCA3 patients at the individual level remains largely unexplored. In this study, a group of 66 SCA3 patients and 58 healthy controls were included. Disease duration and ataxia assessment, including the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS), were collected for SCA3 patients. The high-resolution T1-weighted MRI was obtained, and cerebellar grey matter (GM) was extracted using a spatially unbiased infratentorial template toolbox for all participants. We investigated the association between the pattern of cerebellar grey matter (GM) loss and ataxia assessment in SCA3 by using a multivariate machine learning technique. We found that the application of RVR allowed quantitative prediction of both SARA scores (leave-one-subject-out cross-validation: correlation = 0.56, p-value = 0.001; mean squared error (MSE) = 20.51, p-value = 0.001; ten-fold cross-validation: correlation = 0.52, p-value = 0.001; MSE = 21.00, p-value = 0.001) and ICARS score (leave-one-subject-out cross-validation: correlation = 0.59, p-value = 0.001; MSE = 139.69, p-value = 0.001; ten-fold cross-validation: correlation = 0.57, p-value = 0.001; MSE = 145.371, p-value = 0.001) with statistically significant accuracy. These results provide proof-of-concept that ataxia severity in SCA3 patients can be predicted by the alteration pattern of cerebellar GM using multi-voxel pattern analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fully analytical current model of the two-input double-gate TFET is derived considering the channel coupling effects caused by different biasing voltages of front and back gates. The potential model of the channel surface is accurately constructed by solving the quasi two-dimensional Poisson equation with a reasonable assumption for the potential on the channel surface. Based on derived potential model and energy band distribution along the channel, the tunneling generation rate around the tunneling junction is calculated, and then the analytical expression for the drain current of the two-input double-gate TFET is derived. Furthermore, the impact of the device parameters on device characteristics is explored by using the developed model. The proposed model is used to guide collaborative optimization of devices. The results show the excellent match between the results calculated by the proposed model and TCAD simulations in a wide range of device and process parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel robust zero-watermarking algorithm for medical images is presented in this paper. The multi-scale decomposition of bi-dimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) has exhibited many attractive properties that enable the proposed algorithm to robustly detect the tampering regions and protect the copyright of medical images simultaneously. Given a medical image, we first decompose a medical image adaptively into a finite number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residue, by taking a full advantage of BEMD. The first IMF starts with the finest scale retaining fragile information and is best suitable for tampering detection, while the residue includes robust information at the coarser scale and is applied to the protection of intellectual property rights of medical images. Next, the feature matrices are extracted from the first IMF and the residue via singular value decomposition, which achieves robust performance subject to most attacks. For a given watermark image, it is encrypted by Arnold transform to enhance the security of the watermark. Then, the feature images are constructed by performing the exclusive-or operation between the encrypted watermark image and the extracted feature matrices. Finally, the feature images are securely stored in the copyright authentication database to be further used for copyright authentication and tampering detection. A large number of experimental results and comparisons with existing watermarking algorithms confirm that the newly proposed watermarking algorithm not only has strong ability on tampering detection, but also has better performance in combating various attacks, including cropping, Gaussian noise, median filtering, image enhancement attacks, etc. The newly developed algorithm also shows great promise in processing natural images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine myopia progression in children during the COVID-19 and the related factors associated with myopia. Methods: All subjects underwent three-timepoint ocular examinations that were measured in July 2019, January, and August 2020. We compared the changes in uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), mydriatic spherical equivalent (SE), and axial length (AL) between two periods (before and during COVID-19). A questionnaire was performed to investigate risk factors for myopia. Results: Compared with before the COVID-19, the mean (S.D.) myopia progression during the COVID-19 was significantly higher in right eyes (− 0.93 (0.65) vs. − 0.33 (0.47) D; p < 0.001). However, the differences in UCVA changes and the axial elongation between two periods were clinically insignificant. Through logistic regressive analysis, we found the difference of the SE changes was associated with the baseline AL (P = 0.028; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.058, 2.632), online education (P = 0.02; 95% CI, 1.587, 8.665), and time of digital screen (p < 0.005; 95% CI, 1.587, 4.450). Conclusions: Children were at higher risk of myopia progression during COVID-19, which was associated with the baseline AL, the longtime online learning, and digital screen reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Increased linoleic acid (LA) was observed in acute anterior uveitis (AAU) patient feces in our previous study. To investigate the immunoregulatory effect of LA, we studied the effect of LA on human and murine dendritic cells (DCs), CD4+T cells, and retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells in vitro. Methods: The level of LA in feces from AAU patients and healthy individuals was measured by gas chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The immunoregulatory effect of LA on human and murine DCs, CD4+ T cells, and RPE cells was evaluated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry (FCM). The effect of LA on DCs was evaluated by Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomics analysis. Results: Increased LA was observed in feces from AAU patients (1018.35 ± 900.01 mg/kg) as compared with healthy individuals (472.55 ± 365.49 mg/kg, p = 0.0136). LA attenuated the antigen-presenting function of human and murine DCs by decreasing the expression of CD40, the secretion of IL-6 and IL-12p70, and the ability to shift naïve T cells towards T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 cells. LA also inhibited the secretion of MCP-1 and IL-8 from RPE cells. Proteomics analysis showed differential expression of 28 proteins, including squalene epoxidase (SQLE), farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1), and cytochrome P450 family 51 subfamily A member 1 (CYP51A1), in LA-treated DCs compared with controls. LA also accelerated the apoptosis of DCs from healthy individuals. Conclusion: LA inhibited the function of human and murine DCs, CD4+T cells, and RPE cells, regulated the expression of proteins, and promoted the apoptosis of human DCs. These results collectively suggest that LA might decrease the function of immune cells in vitro, and further studies are needed to investigate its role in the pathogenesis of AAU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Motivation of this study is to check the sensitivity of dosimetric tool gamma with 2D detector array combination when unexpected errors occur while transferring intensity-modulated radiation therapy treatment plans from planning system to treatment unit. Methods: This study consists of 17 head and neck cancer patient's treatment plans. Nine types of verification plans are created for all 17 clinically approved treatment plans by consecutively deleting different segments (up to eight) one by one from each field of the plan. Decrement factor (χ) is introduced in our study which illustrated the degree of decay of gamma passing rate when intentional errors are introduced. We analyzed the data by two different methods—one without selecting the region of interest (ROI) in dose distributions and the other by selecting the region of interest. Results: By linear regression, the absolute value of slopes is 0.025, 0.024 and 0.015 without ROI and 0.030, 0.027 and 0.015 with ROI for 2%/2 mm, 3%/3 mm and 5%/5 mm criteria, respectively. The higher absolute value of the fitted slope indicates the higher sensitivity of this method to identify erroneous plan in treatment unit. The threshold value for 2%/2 mm equivalent to 95% passing criteria in 3%/3 mm used in clinical practice is obtained as 83.44%. Conclusions: The 2D detector array with dosimetric tool gamma is less sensitive in detecting errors when unprecedented errors of segment deletion occur within the treatment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism and charge effect of cycloisomerization of ω-alkynylfuran (Hashmi phenol synthesis) catalyzed by single-walled helical gold nanotubes (Au SWNTs) have been systematically investigated via density functional theory. Cycloisomerization of ω-alkynylfuran occurs by the 5-exo Friedel–Crafts-type (FCT) mechanism, namely 5-exo cyclization, furan ring opening, and ring closing of the dienone carbene–gold intermediate. The reactions with Au(6,0), Au(6,1), Au(6,2) and Au(6,3) SWNTs show low energy barriers along the 5-exo FCT path in acetonitrile solvent, but have different the rate-determining steps. From an energy perspective, the reaction rate-determining step catalyzed by Au(6,0) and Au(6,3) is the ring-closing of dienone carbine-gold intermediate, but that of Au(6,1) and Au(6,2) is the IM5 dissociation from the Au SWNTs, which can be attributed to the diversity of the d-band centers of the Au(6,m) SWNTs. The effect of the charge of the Au SWNTs on the catalytic activity was also investigated. Theoretical analysis shows a prominent charge effect, where the cationic Au(6,0), Au(6,3) SWNTs and anionic Au(6,1), Au(6,2) SWNTs are more favorable for the Hashmi phenol synthesis reaction. This results can be attributed to the Au(6,0) and Au(6,3) SWNTs with positive charge can reduce the adsorption energy of the substrate on the catalyst surface and decrease the energy barrier of the cyclization process and ring-closing step. Besides, the Au(6,1) and Au(6,2) with an anion could obviously decrease the dissociation energy of IM5 which is help for the Hashmi phenol reaction. Theoretical analysis shows that the structure and charge effects could influence the catalytic activity of Au(6,m) SWNTs toward Hashmi phenol synthesis. This work will provide insight into cycloisomerization of ω-alkynylfuran and valuable information for application of Au SWNTs in catalysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a robust and blind image watermarking algorithm via circular embedding and bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) is developed. First, the watermark image is scrambled by Arnold transform to increase the security of the algorithm. Second, the Hilbert curve is adopted to reduce the scrambled 2D watermark image to one-dimensional watermark signal. Third, the host image is decomposed by BEMD to obtain the multi-scale representation in the forms of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and a residue. Then, the extreme points of the IMFs are extracted as the embedding locations. Finally, the one-dimensional watermark signal is repeatedly and cyclically embedded in the extreme locations of the first IMF according to the texture masking characteristics of the human visual system, which greatly improves the ability of our algorithm against various attacks. The final watermarked image is reconstructed by combining the modified first IMF and the residual. The watermark can be successfully extracted without resorting to the original host image. Furthermore, image correction can be applied before image watermarking extraction if there are geometric attacks in watermarked image. A large number of experimental results and thorough evaluations confirm that our method can obtain higher imperceptibility and robustness under different types of attacks, and achieve better performance than the current state-of-the-art watermarking algorithms, especially in large-scale cropping attack, JPEG compression, Gaussian noise, sharpening, Gamma correction, scaling, histogram equalization, and rotation attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify altered inter-hemispheric communication between patients with primary insomnia (PIs) and good sleepers (GSs), and their relationships with sleep and emotion-related parameters. Forty-eight PIs and 48 status-matched GSs were asked to complete a number of sleep and emotion-related questionnaires. Voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity(VMHC) and seed-based functional connectivity were used to characterize the inter-hemispheric coordination. Seven PIs were examined twice to evaluate the test-retest reliability. Support vector machine and ROC curve were applied to discriminate the two groups. Pearson correlation and mediating causality analysis were used to describe the relationships between insomnia-related brain networks and sleep/emotion-related parameters. High test-retest stability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.8) of the VMHC maps was observed. Intra-, and inter-hemispheric coordination dysfunctions of the default mode network, visual pathways and executive control network were found. These differences received good discriminatory power to distinguish the two groups (AUC, 0.887; sensitivity, 81.3%; specificity, 87.5%). Intra-, and inter-hemispheric communication within the default mode network and visual pathways correlated with and partially mediated the insomnia-related parameters, while the executive control network correlated with post-insomnia negative emotions. Altered inter-hemispheric coordination within the default mode network and visual pathway may be identified as core predisposing or perpetuating factors in the etiology of PIs, while the executive control network may underlie the post-insomnia negative emotional symptoms. These findings may suggest that the inter-hemispheric communication might be potential neuroimaging markers to discribe underlie neurobiological mechanism of PIs and expand our understanding of the etiology of PIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the transient state of aero-engine, cavity has evidently transient characteristics in the secondary air system. To investigate transient characteristics, theoretical and experimental studies were implemented for both static and rotating cavities. First of all, the typical transient response phenomena in secondary air system were investigated based on the basic concepts of the dynamic process. According to the basic theory of gas dynamics, the causes of transient phenomena were analyzed in two aspects, external disturbance, and system physical properties. Several dimensionless parameters were introduced to analyze the transient response characteristics of air system. Second, the experimental results of the static cavity indicated that the actual response time increased with the increase of the inlet pressure. The experimental results of the rotor-stator cavity showed that the low rotational speed on the response process had little effect, and the response time gradually increased when the speed continued to increase. Third, the test results of multiple components suggested that when the valve was opening the inlet pressure of the static cavity increased quickly and then reached a stable value, but the pressure of the static cavity, stable pressure cavity and rotor-stator chamber rose gradually. It was also obtained the actual response time of them was increased. The closer the measuring points were to the disturbance source, the shorter the delay time was. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matriptase is a type II transmembrane serine protease, which has been suggested to play critical roles in numerous pathways of biological developments. Matriptase is the activator of several oncogenic proteins, including urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2). The activations of these matriptase substrates subsequently lead to the generation of plasmin, matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), and the triggers for many other signaling pathways related to cancer proliferation and metastasis. Accordingly, matriptase is considered an emerging target for the treatments of cancer. Thus far, inhibitors of matriptase have been developed as potential anti-cancer agents, which include small-molecule inhibitors, peptide-based inhibitors, and monoclonal antibodies. This review covers established literature to summarize the chemical and biochemical aspects, especially the inhibitory mechanisms and structure-activity relationships (SARs) of matriptase inhibitors with the goal of proposing the strategies for their future developments in anti-cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate prediction of long term outcome after stroke is urgently required to provide early individualized neurorehabilitation. This study aimed to examine the added value of early neuroimaging measures and identify the best approaches for predicting motor outcome after stroke. This prospective study involved 34 first-ever ischemic stroke patients (time since stroke: 1-14 days) with upper limb impairment. All patients underwent baseline multimodal assessments that included clinical (age, motor impairment), neurophysiological (motor-evoked potentials, MEP) and neuroimaging (diffusion tensor imaging and motor task-based fMRI) measures, and also underwent reassessment 3 months after stroke. Bivariate analysis and multivariate linear regression models were used to predict the motor scores (Fugl-Meyer assessment, FMA) at 3 months post-stroke. With bivariate analysis, better motor outcome significantly correlated with (1) less initial motor impairment and disability, (2) less corticospinal tract injury, (3) the initial presence of MEPs, (4) stronger baseline motor fMRI activations. In multivariate analysis, incorporating neuroimaging data improved the predictive accuracy relative to only clinical and neurophysiological assessments. Baseline fMRI activation in SMA was an independent predictor of motor outcome after stroke. A multimodal model incorporating fMRI and clinical measures best predicted the motor outcome following stroke. fMRI measures obtained early after stroke provided independent prediction of long-term motor outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: We initiated a retrospective study on the long-term survival of cemented endoprostheses for bone tumours around the knee to answer the following questions: (1) What was the survival of these patients? (2) What was the overall survival of cemented prostheses around the knee? (3) What types of failures were observed in these reconstructions? (4) Did the survival and complications vary according to the site of the implant? (5) What was the functional result after cemented prosthesis replacement around the knee?Methods: From January 2006 to December 2013, 108 consecutive patients with an average age of 25 years, who had mature bone development as evidenced by imaging examinations, underwent 108 cemented endoprosthetic knee replacements for osteosarcoma resection. All patients received neoadjuvant chemotherapy using a multi-drug protocol consisting of high dose methotrexate (HDMTX), doxorubicin (ADM), cisplatin (DDP) and high dose ifosfamide (HDIFO). When extensor mechanism reconstruction was required, we ran nonabsorbable sutures through designated holes in the tibial component to fix detached hamstrings and the remaining ligaments in an imbricated fashion as well as reinforced the reconstruction with a medial gastrocnemius flap. Seventy-two (72/108, 66.7%) lesions were located in the distal femur and 36 (36/108, 33.3%) lesions at the proximal tibias. Nineteen patients were staged as IIA and 89 as IIB according to the Enneking staging system. The average follow-up was 53.3 months (range 12-125 months), with a minimum oncological follow-up of one year. Survival, prosthetic failure, complications and functional outcomes were recorded and reassessed at every visit after the primary operation.Results: At the final follow-up, the oncologic results showed that 33 patients died from metastases, and local recurrence occurred in ten patients. The estimated overall five-year and eight-year survival rates were 71% (95% CI: 62.4-79.65%) and 67.2% (95% CI: 58-76.4%), respectively. In this study, a total of 51 complications occurred in 45 patients, and at the end of follow-up, 59 patients had prostheses in situ. The estimated overall five-year and eight-year implant survival rates were 77.7% (95% CI: 67.9-87.5%) and 54.5% (95% CI: 31.4-77.6%), respectively, when patients who died with their original prostheses were censored. In total, 21 (21/108, 19.4%) implants failed, five due to infections (5/21), eight due to aseptic loosening (8/21), four due to local recurrence (4/21), three due to structural failure (3/21) and one due to soft tissue failure (1/21). The average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score (MSTS) at the most recent follow-up was 22.9 (9-30) points on a 30-point scale, which indicated an excellent or good functional outcome. Analysis of the results based on implant site revealed a slight difference of the estimated five-year prosthesis survival between implants located in the distal femur and those located in the proximal tibia [86.1% (95% CI: 75.5-97%) versus 66.9% (95% CI: 49.8-83.9%); P = 0.09]. However, the functional outcomes and complication rates of prostheses located in the distal femur were both better than those located in the proximal tibia.Conclusions: With effective management strategies for complications, cemented endoprosthetic reconstruction of the proximal tibia and distal femur using an extensor mechanism reconstruction technique provides a reliable method of reconstruction following tumour resection around the knee. Level of Evidence Level IV, therapeutic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: The dynamics of metabolites from leaves to roots of Panax ginseng during development has revealed the tissue-specific and year-specific metabolic networks.Abstract: Being an essential Oriental medicinal plant, ginseng (Panax ginseng Meyer) is a slow-growing perennial herb-accumulating pharmaceutically active metabolites such as ginsenosides in roots during growth. However, little is known about how ginseng plants survive in the harsh environments such as winter cold and summer heat for a longer period and accumulates those active metabolites as the plant grows. To understand the metabolic kinetics in both source and sink organs such as leaves and roots of ginseng plant, respectively, and to assess the changes in ginsenosides biosynthesis during ginseng growth, we investigated the metabolic profiles from leaves and roots of 1-, 4-, and 6-year-old field-grown ginseng plants. Using an integrated non-targeted metabolomic approach, we identified in total 348 primary and secondary metabolites, which provided us for the first time a global metabolomic assessment of ginseng during growth, and morphogenesis. Strikingly, the osmoprotectants and oxidized chemicals were highly accumulated in 4- and 6-year-old ginseng leaves suggested that ginseng develop a wide range of metabolic strategies to adapt unfavorable conditions as they mature. In 6-year-old plants, ginsenosides were decreased in leaves but increased in roots up to 1.2- to sixfold, supporting the view that there is a long-distance transport of ginsenosides from leaves to roots as ginseng plants mature. Our findings provide insights into the metabolic kinetics during the development of ginseng plant and this could complement the pharmacological importance of ginseng and its compounds according to their age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng Meyer, commonly known as ginseng, is considered one of the most important herbs with pharmaceutical values due to the presence of ginsenosides and is cultivated for its highly valued root for medicinal purposes. Recently, it has been recognized that ginseng fruit contains high contents of triterpene such as ginsenoside Re as pharmaceutical compounds. However, it is unclear how carpel, the female reproductive tissue of flowers, is formed during the three-year-old growth before fruit is formed in ginseng plants. Here, we report P. ginseng carpel development at the cytological level, starting from the initial stage of ovule development to seed development. The carpel of P. ginseng is composed of two free stigmas, two free styles, and one epigynous bilocular ovary containing one ovule in each locule. Based on our cytological study, we propose that the female reproductive development in P. ginseng can be classified into seven stages: early phase of ovule development, megasporogenesis, megagametogenesis, pre-fertilization, fertilization, post-fertilization, and seed development. We also describe the correlation of the female and male gametophyte development and compare morphological differences in carpel development between ginseng and other higher plants. One unique feature for ginseng seed development is that it takes 40 days for the embryo to develop to the early torpedo stage and that the embryo is small relative to the seed size, which could be a feature of taxonomic importance. This study will provide an integral tool for the study of the reproductive development and breeding of P. ginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice disaster is one of the biggest natural disasters posing great threat to the safe operation of power grid. With the construction and operation of ultra-high-voltage direct-current (UHVDC) Transmission Project, it is urgent to carry out research on ice-coating and ice-melting of large-section current-carrying conductors to provide technical support for the safe operation of UHVDC transmission project. Researchers have made a large amount of research on small-section conductors. However, these research results for small-section conductors cannot be applied to large-section conductors. Thus, our research team carries out the research on ice-coating and ice-melting of large-section current-carrying conductors under artificial conditions. The typical large-section current-carrying conductor LGJ-630/55 is employed to analyze the ice-coating and ice-melting characteristics of large-section current-carrying conductors with some main factors, including wind, precipitation, temperature, current, and so on. Based on the experiments' results, we have arrived at several rules of ice-coating and ice-melting of large-section current-carrying conductors. Meanwhile, an improved Ice-melting Model taking account Heat Exchange and Gravity (IMHEG) is proposed in this paper. This IMHEG model is verified to be more proper than the traditional ice-melting model, and can be a useful model for practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality traits contribute to variation in human behavior, including the propensity to take risk. Extant work targeted risk-taking processes with an explicit manipulation of reward, but it remains unclear whether personality traits influence simple decisions such as speeded versus delayed responses during cognitive control. We explored this issue in an fMRI study of the stop signal task, in which participants varied in response time trial by trial, speeding up and risking a stop error or slowing down to avoid errors. Regional brain activations to speeded versus delayed motor responses (risk-taking) were correlated to novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA) and reward dependence (RD), with age and gender as covariates, in a whole brain regression. At a corrected threshold, the results showed a positive correlation between NS and risk-taking responses in the dorsomedial prefrontal, bilateral orbitofrontal, and frontopolar cortex, and between HA and risk-taking responses in the parahippocampal gyrus and putamen. No regional activations varied with RD. These findings demonstrate that personality traits influence the neural processes of executive control beyond behavioral tasks that involve explicit monetary reward. The results also speak broadly to the importance of characterizing inter-subject variation in studies of cognition and brain functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) has proved to be an effective and powerful analytical tool for non-stationary time series and starts to exhibit its modeling potential for 3D geometry analysis. Yet, existing EMD-based geometry processing algorithms only concentrate on multi-scale data decomposition by way of computing intrinsic mode functions. More in-depth analytical properties, such as Hilbert spectra, are hard to study for 3D surface signals due to the lack of theoretical and algorithmic tools. This has hindered much more broader penetration of EMD-centric algorithms into various new applications on 3D surface. To tackle this challenge, in this paper we propose a novel and efficient EMD and Hilbert spectra computational scheme for 3D geometry processing and analysis. At the core of our scheme is the strategy of dimensionality reduction via space-filling curve. This strategy transforms the problem of 3D geometry analysis to 1D time series processing, leading to two major advantages. First, the envelope computation is carried out for 1D signal by cubic spline interpolation, which is much faster than existing envelope computation directly over 3D surface. Second, it enables us to calculate Hilbert spectra directly on 3D surface. We could take advantages of Hilbert spectra that contain a wealth of unexploited properties and utilize them as a viable indicator to guide our EMD-based 3D surface processing. Furthermore, to preserve sharp features, we develop a divide-and-conquer scheme of EMD by explicitly separating the feature signals from non-feature signals. Extensive experiments have been carried out to demonstrate that our new EMD and Hilbert spectra based method is both fast and powerful for 3D surface processing and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]