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Background: The specific CT-related skeletal muscle parameters predictive of postoperative survival in liver transplant (LT) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. There is increasing evidence supporting the role of fatty acids and their lipid intermediates in regulating skeletal muscle mass and function, the relationship between lipoprotein subfractions and body composition remains unclear. Methods: Adult patients with HCC who underwent LT between January 2015 and September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. CT parameters, including skeletal muscle index (SMI), psoas muscle index (PMI), skeletal muscle density (SMD), visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT), and the VAT/SAT ratio at the L3 level, and lipid profiles, were assessed prior to LT. Results: Of the 284 LT patients with HCC, 224 underwent CT (L3 level) within 3 months of LT, and 82 (37%) were diagnosed with myosteatosis. Patients with myosteatosis exhibited significantly lower 1- and 3-year survival rates (p = 0.002, p = 0.01), a trend persisting even beyond the Milan criteria (p = 0.004, p = 0.04). After adjusting for covariates, SMD demonstrated a significant negative correlation with post-transplant survival (HR: 0.90, [95% Confidence Interval(CI): 0.83–0.98], C-statistic: 0.78, p = 0.009). Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A1(ApoA1) levels and SMD. Multivariate stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that every 10 Hounsfield unit decrease in SMD was associated with a 0.16 mmol/L decrease in HDL-C and a 0.18 g/L decrease in ApoA1. Conclusion: Routine abdominal CT scans for assessing skeletal muscle density before LT were significantly associated with post-transplant mortality. Furthermore, abnormal HDL-C and ApoA1 levels before LT were associated with myosteatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explore the influencing factors and healthy self-management of MS patients with bereaved relatives after Wenchuan and Yushu Earthquake of their real life; explore difficulties and challenges in the process of self-management; and supply information that could not be sought in quantitative studies. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 36 MS patients who are bereavement population in two earthquakes, and those patients met the inclusion criteria for semi-structured focus group interview. The Nvivo11 software was used to collate and analyze the transcribed data. The main influencing factors of health self-management behavior for MS patients are as follows: the degree of understanding of disease prevention knowledge, emotion management induced by earthquake trauma, the source of disease-related information, access and identification are very limited; ethnic traditional culture, religious beliefs, and production activities and routines before and after the earthquake is an important factor in their healthy self-management behavior. The lack of health beliefs and self-efficacy of MS patients among bereaved families after Wenchuan and Yushu earthquake are key obstacle in their self-management. The overall level of the knowledge of patients’ MS prevention, self-efficacy and self-management behaviors are still low. Some positive factors that can be changed including MS prevention knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, and family function. Some negative factors which can be improved afterwards, including negative coping style, traumatic life experiences from earthquake and smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenge persists in the creation of bifunctional electrocatalysts that are efficient, stable, and abundant for the purpose of splitting water. In this study, we successfully synthesized zinc-cobalt-phosphorus nanoflowers (Zn-Co-P/NF) on a nickel foam substrate. The flower-like morphology of these nanoflowers provides a wealth of active sites, and the bimetallic doping allows for the tuning of electron transfer to enhance catalytic activity. The prepared Zn-Co-P/NF catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance in both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). It achieves a current density of 10 mA·cm−2 at overpotentials of only 110 mV for HER and 279 mV for OER. Moreover, a two-electrode electrolyzer equipped with Zn-Co-P/NF electrodes requires only 1.63 V to achieve the same current density in 1.0 M KOH solution and demonstrates excellent stability over more than 50 h of long-term operation without significant degradation. This research employs hydrothermal phosphorization techniques for the conceptualization and fabrication of high-performance, long-lasting non-precious metal phosphide bifunctional electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on single-target PET imaging of gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR), prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), or neurotensin receptor 1(NTR1) have been reported. However, the performance of these three targets in the progression of PCa remains unclear. Our study aims to compare the expression of GRPR, PSMA, and NTR1 in patients with prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), prostate cancer (PCa), and lymph node metastasis. We synthesized molecular probes targeting the markers to achieve a non-invasive precise detection of PCa patients with PET/CT imaging. Methods: In this study, the expression of GRPR, PSMA, and NTR1 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 34 PIN, 171 PCa, and 22 lymph node metastasis tissues of patients. The correlation between their expression and the clinicopathological parameters of PCa patients was assessed. Sixteen PCa patients with different Gleason scores (GS) underwent dual-tracer (68Ga-NOTA-RM26 and 68Ga-NOTA-PSMA617) PET/CT. Results: In the PIN stage, the expression of GRPR was significantly higher than that of PSMA and NTR1 (P < 0.001), while NTR1 expression was significantly higher than PSMA and GRPR expression in primary PCa (P = 0.001). High PSMA expression in PCa patients was associated with shorter progression-free survival (P = 0.037) and overall survival (P = 0.035). PCa patients with high GS had higher tumor uptake of 68Ga-NOTA-PSMA617 than those with low GS (P = 0.001), while PCa patients with low GS had higher tumor uptake of 68Ga-NOTA-RM26 than those with high GS (P = 0.001). Conclusions: This study presents three novel biomarkers (PSMA, GRPR, and NTR1) as imaging agents for PET/CT, and may offer a promising approach for non-invasive precise detection and Gleason grade prediction of PCa patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: CmMYB308 was identified as a key regulator in chrysanthemum flower color variation from purple to pink by conducting transcriptome and metabolome analysis. CmMYB308 can inhibit anthocyanin biosynthesis by suppressing the expression of CmPAL, CmC4H, and Cm4CL. Flower color variation is a widespread natural occurrence that plays a significant role in floral breeding. We discovered a variation in the flower of the chrysanthemum cultivar ‘Dante Purple’ (abbreviated as ‘DP’), where the flower color shifted from purple to pink. We successfully propagated these pink flowers through tissue culture and designated them as DPM. By conducting transcriptome and metabolome analysis, we identified a reduction in the expression of critical genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis—CmPAL, CmC4H, and Cm4CL—in the DPM. This downregulation led to an accumulation of phenylalanine and cinnamic acid within the general phenylpropanoid pathway (GPP), which prevented their conversion into cyanidin and cyanidin 3-glucoside. As a result, the flowers turned pink. Additional transformation and biochemical experiments confirmed that the upregulation of CmMYB308 gene expression in the DPM directly suppressed CmPAL-1 and CmC4H genes, which indirectly affected Cm4CL-3 expression and ultimately inhibited anthocyanin biosynthesis in the DPM. This study offers a preliminary insight into the molecular mechanism underlying chrysanthemum flower color mutation, paving the way for genetic improvements in chrysanthemum flower color breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of low-cost, efficient, and non-precious metal catalysts for both cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in overall water splitting is a necessary and urgent task. In this paper, Co-Mo-P nanopillar array catalysts were successfully prepared on three-dimensional nickel foam (Co-Mo-P/NF) by hydrothermal and phosphorylation methods. The vertically aligned nanopillar structure provides a relatively high specific surface area, which can provide an abundance of active sites and facilitate the penetration of the electrolyte and increase the electron transfer rate. Electrochemical tests have shown that Co-Mo-P/NF exhibits excellent alkaline HER and OER performance with ultralow overpotential as low as 37 mV for HER and 258 mV for OER at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Moreover, the Co-Mo-P/NF exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance with a cell voltage down to 1.58 V to obtain 10 mA cm−2. This work demonstrated the remarkable potential of Co-Mo-P/NF in catalyzing water splitting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hierarchical chitosan/polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene glycol/nonwoven fabric (CS/PVA/PEG/NWF) micro/nanofiber composite membrane (CM) was prepared via electrospinning as a potential wound dressing. The polyester/viscose NWF acting as a substrate to receive the nanofiber layer was modified by alkali deweighting. Meanwhile, PEG with various additive amount was used to afford morphological regulation and control. As a result, the NWF modified with 7.5% NaOH solution exhibited a good hydrophilia and a superior dimensional stability based on smaller elongation at break and higher peel strength. In addition, the morphology of the nanofiber layer was closely related to PEG content. CS/PVA/PEG nanofiber with smaller diameter was spun when PEG content reached to 3.0%. Accordingly, the micro/nanofiber CM showed an opportune water absorption and good air permeability. Furthermore, neither hemolysis nor cytotoxicity phenomena appeared for the resultant CM, since the hemolysis rate and the cell viability were less than 5% and more than 70%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chronic use of morphine and other opioids is associated with opioid-induced hypersensitivity (OIH) and analgesic tolerance. Among the different forms of OIH and tolerance, the opioid receptors and cell types mediating opioid-induced mechanical allodynia and anti-allodynic tolerance remain unresolved. Here we demonstrated that the loss of peripheral μ-opioid receptors (MORs) or MOR-expressing neurons attenuated thermal tolerance, but did not affect the expression and maintenance of morphine-induced mechanical allodynia and anti-allodynic tolerance. To confirm this result, we made dorsal root ganglia-dorsal roots-sagittal spinal cord slice preparations and recorded low-threshold Aβ-fiber stimulation-evoked inputs and outputs in superficial dorsal horn neurons. Consistent with the behavioral results, peripheral MOR loss did not prevent the opening of Aβ mechanical allodynia pathways in the spinal dorsal horn. Therefore, the peripheral MOR signaling pathway may not be an optimal target for preventing mechanical OIH and analgesic tolerance. Future studies should focus more on central mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid breeding can help us to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population with limited agricultural land. The demand for soybean is expected to grow; however, the hybrid soybean is still in the process of commercialization even though considerable progress has been made in soybean genome and genetic studies in recent years. Here, we summarize recent advances in male sterility-based breeding programs and the current status of hybrid soybean breeding. A number of male-sterile lines with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), genic-controlled photoperiod/thermo-sensitive male sterility, and stable nuclear male sterility (GMS) have been identified in soybean. More than 40 hybrid soybean varieties have been bred using the CMS three-line hybrid system and the cultivation of hybrid soybean is still under way. The key to accelerating hybrid soybean breeding is to increase the out-crossing rate in an economical way. This review outlines current problems with the hybrid soybean breeding systems and explores the current efforts to make the hybrid soybean a commercial success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive polymer coatings have exhibited great potential for wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding fabrics. Here, we report an efficient yet simple strategy to improve EMI shielding performances of polypyrrole (PPy) coated fabrics by the low-temperature in-situ polymerization of Py. The PPy coating polymerized at 0 °C results in a uniform and compact microstructure which confers the coated fabric with better air permeability, flexibility and lighter weight than the PPy modified fabric obtained at higher temperature. Moreover, the low-temperature treatment of PPy coated fabric enhances its electrical conductivity due to a high doping level of PPy. The EMI shielding performance of PPy coated fabric polymerized at 0 °C reaches 26.4 dB, demonstrating 63.47% enhancement of that fabricated from 20 °C at the same deposition cycle. In addition, the PPy coated fabric obtained from low temperature demonstrates more stable and durable EMI shielding properties than that obtained at high temperature. This work provides insights into fabricating conductive polymer composites with high EMI performances for intelligent integrated equipment as well as human health protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermo-sensitive genic male sterility (TGMS) system plays a key role in the production of two-line hybrids in rapeseed (Brassica napus). To uncover key cellular events and genetic regulation associated with TGMS, a combined study using cytological methods and RNA-sequencing analysis was conducted for the rapeseed TGMS line 373S. Cytological studies showed that microspore cytoplasm of 373S plants was condensed, the microspore nucleus was degraded at an early stage, the exine was irregular, and the tapetum developed abnormally, eventually leading to male sterility. RNA-sequencing analysis identified 430 differentially expressed genes (298 upregulated and 132 downregulated) between the fertile and sterile samples. Gene ontology analysis demonstrated that the most highly represented biological processes included sporopollenin biosynthetic process, pollen exine formation, and extracellular matrix assembly. Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis indicated that the enriched pathways included amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and lipid metabolism. Moreover, 26 transcript factors were identified, which may be associated with abnormal tapetum degeneration and exine formation. Subsequently, 19 key genes were selected, which are considered to regulate pollen development and even participate in pollen exine formation. Our results will provide important insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying TGMS in rapeseed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal/semiconductor composites are promising catalysts. In this work, the three-dimensional flowery Ag@NiO micro-nanocomposite catalyst for the highly fast reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was prepared by simple homogeneous precipitation method. Ag@NiO composites exhibit better catalytic performance than Ag and NiO in reducing 4-nitrophenol. The catalytic experiments showed that when the specific surface area of Ag@NiO was 20.61 m2/g, the complete conversion time of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol was the shortest, the reaction kinetic constant was 11.01 × 10−3 s−1, and the turnover frequency was 166.67 × 10−5 mol·g−1·s−1. The catalytic activity of Ag@NiO was not significantly reduced after five consecutive cycles. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of Ag and NiO of the Ag@NiO composites was investigated in this work. Ag@NiO micro-nanomaterials have the potential for industrial application with simple preparation method, high catalytic efficiency, and easy recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are sex differences in the severity, mechanisms, and outcomes of neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) brain injury, and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) may play a critical role in this discrepancy. Based on previous findings that AIF overexpression aggravates neonatal HI brain injury, we further investigated potential sex differences in the severity and molecular mechanisms underlying the injury using mice that overexpress AIF from homozygous transgenes. We found that the male sex significantly aggravated AIF-driven brain damage, as indicated by the injury volume in the gray matter (2.25 times greater in males) and by the lost volume of subcortical white matter (1.71 greater in males) after HI. As compared to females, male mice exhibited more severe brain injury, correlating with reduced antioxidant capacities, more pronounced protein carbonylation and nitration, and increased neuronal cell death. Under physiological conditions (without HI), the doublecortin-positive area in the dentate gyrus of females was 1.15 times larger than in males, indicating that AIF upregulation effectively promoted neurogenesis in females in the long term. We also found that AIF stimulated carbohydrate metabolism in young males. Altogether, these findings corroborate earlier studies and further demonstrate that AIF is involved in oxidative stress, which contributes to the sex-specific differences observed in neonatal HI brain injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of the generalization of the strict hypertension definition in the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline from environmental condition remains sparse. The aims of this study are to investigate and compare the associations of ambient air pollution and traffic-related pollution (TRP) with hypertension defined by the different criteria. A total of 32,135 participants were recruited from the baseline survey of the CHCN-BTH in 2017. We defined hypertension as SBP/DBP ≥ 140/90 mmHg according to the hypertension guidelines in China, Japan, Europe and ISH (traditional criteria) and defined as SBP/DBP ≥ 130/80 mmHg according to the 2017 ACC/AHA Hypertension Guideline (strict criteria). A two-level generalized linear mixed models were applied to investigate the associations of air pollutants (i.e. PM2.5, SO2, NO2) and TRP with blood pressure (BP) measures and hypertension. Stratified analyses and two-pollutant models were also performed. The stronger associations of air pollutants were found in the hypertension defined by the strict criteria than that defined by the traditional criteria. The ORs per an IQR increase in PM2.5 were 1.17 (95% CI: 1.09, 1.25) for the strict criteria and 1.14 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.23) for the traditional criteria. The similar conditions were also observed for TRP. The above results were robust in both stratified analyses and two-pollutant models. Our study assessed the significance of the hypertension defined by the strict criteria from environmental aspect and called attention to the more adverse effects of air pollution and TRP on the earlier stage of hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective photosensitizers are of particular importance for the widespread clinical utilization of phototherapy. However, conventional photosensitizers are usually plagued by short-wavelength absorption, inadequate photostability, low reactive oxygen species (ROS) quantum yields, and aggregation-caused ROS quenching. Here, we report a near-infrared (NIR)-supramolecular photosensitizer (RuDA) via self-assembly of an organometallic Ru(II)-arene complex in aqueous solution. RuDA can generate singlet oxygen (1O2) only in aggregate state, showing distinct aggregation-induced 1O2 generation behavior due to the greatly increased singlet-triplet intersystem crossing process. Upon 808 nm laser irradiation, RuDA with excellent photostability displays efficient 1O2 and heat generation in a 1O2 quantum yield of 16.4% (FDA-approved indocyanine green: ΦΔ = 0.2%) together with high photothermal conversion efficiency of 24.2% (commercial gold nanorods: 21.0%, gold nanoshells: 13.0%). In addition, RuDA-NPs with good biocompatibility can be preferably accumulated at tumor sites, inducing significant tumor regression with a 95.2% tumor volume reduction in vivo during photodynamic therapy. This aggregation enhanced photodynamic therapy provides a strategy for the design of photosensitizers with promising photophysical and photochemical characteristics. Photosensitisers are used in phototherapy to kill cancer cells. Here, the authors describe an organometallic Ru(II)-arene that functions as a phtotosensitiser and produces singlet oxygen and tumour regression in mice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells have been recently developed at an increasing pace as clean energy conversion devices for stationary and transport sector applications. High platinum cathode loadings contribute significantly to costs. This is why improved catalyst and support materials as well as catalyst layer design are critically needed. Recent advances in nanotechnologies and material sciences have led to the discoveries of several highly promising families of materials. These include platinum-based alloys with shape-selected nanostructures, platinum-group-metal-free catalysts such as metal-nitrogen-doped carbon materials and modification of the carbon support to control surface properties and ionomer/catalyst interactions. Furthermore, the development of advanced characterization techniques allows a deeper understanding of the catalyst evolution under different conditions. This review focuses on all these recent developments and it closes with a discussion of future research directions in the field. The high platinum loadings at the cathodes of proton exchange membrane fuel cells significantly contribute to the cost of these clean energy conversion devices. Here, the authors critically review and discuss recent developments on low- and non-platinum-based cathode catalysts and catalyst layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) belong to the most energetic explosions in the solar atmosphere, and their occurrence rates exhibit obvious solar cycle dependence with more events taking place around solar maximum. Composition of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs), referring to the charge states and elemental abundances of ions, opens an important avenue to investigate CMEs. In this paper, we conduct a statistical study on the charge states of five elements (Mg, Fe, Si, C, and O) and the relative abundances of six elements (Mg/O, Fe/O, Si/O, C/O, Ne/O, and He/O) within ICMEs from 1998 to 2011, and find that all the ICME compositions possess a solar cycle dependence. All of the ionic charge states and most of the relative elemental abundances are positively correlated with sunspot numbers (SSNs), and only the C/O ratios are inversely correlated with the SSNs. The compositions (except the C/O) increase with the SSNs during the ascending phase (1998–2000 and 2009–2011) and remain elevated during solar maximum and descending phase (2000–2005) compared to solar minimum (2007–2009). The charge states of low-FIP (first ionization potential) elements (Mg, Fe, and Si) and their relative abundances are correlated well, while no clear correlation is observed between the C6+/C5+ or C6+/C4+ and C/O. Most interestingly, we find that the Ne/O ratios of ICMEs and slow solar wind have the opposite solar cycle dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is focused on tight sandstone gas reservoirs with poor physical properties. The Sulige gas field is considered as an example gas reservoir: As the number of low-productivity and low-efficiency wells increases every year, the intermittent production scheme provides a way to maintain the stable production of those wells. However, the existing differences in the classification of intermittent wells and the production pattern are not conducive to the standardized management of gas wells. Therefore, according to the geological characteristics of intermittent wells, as well as the production performance, the intermittent wells were classified into three types: natural decline type (ND), poor reservoir physical property type (PRPP), and liquid loading type (LL). Furthermore, the charts of optimal shut-in time for different types of intermittent wells were established by analyzing the relationships between the shut-in time, the pressure recovery degree, and the gas productivity growth rate. Finally, according to the optimal shut-in time chart, the research results reveal the reasonable and optimal shut-in time in a well, providing the way to the production pattern optimization of the intermittent wells in the Sulige gas field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on mobile game-based learning has been gaining attention in the past few years. To understand the potential of mobile game-based learning in STEM education, a systematic review was conducted. Based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 articles published during the years of 2010 through 2019 were included. Analyses were conducted to identify the contexts of studies, research foci, research methodologies, measures, research instruments, the mobile game features and so on. Based on the analyses, a comprehensive understanding of the research in mobile game-based learning in STEM education was presented, and insights and directions for future research were provided. The systematic review suggests that, although current research has greatly increased our understanding of mobile game-based learning in STEM education, future research is needed to address the fundamental question of when mobile game-based learning is an appropriate approach for learning in STEM education and when is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationships among intrinsic motivation, critical variables related to technology adoption, and students' behavioral intention in mobile-assisted language learning (MALL). To test the hypothesized model through a path analysis, 169 survey responses were collected from undergraduate students who were foreign language learners of English in a Chinese research university. The results indicated that although intrinsic motivation did not have a direct influence on students' behavioral intention in MALL, it had a positive influence on students' behavioral intention through the two intervening variables, perceived usefulness and task technology fit. Perceived ease of use, however, was not associated with students' behavioral intention directly, nor was it predicted by intrinsic motivation. The findings suggested proper instructional design that is aligned with and supports the language learning task was important to increase students' behavioral intention to adopt mobile devices for language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hollow spherical highly hydrophilic polyaniline sulfonic acid catalyst has been successfully prepared by emulsion polymerization and SO3 liquid sulfonation using modified polystyrene microspheres (PS) as a template. Acid value of the solid acid catalyst is 2.516 mmol/g. Morphology, structure and thermal stability of the catalyst have been studied by XRD, SEM, TEM, FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and TGA. It has been proven that doping and sulfonation of PANI and SO3 lead to new molecule that retains the PANI matrix material. In view of close structure-activity relationship, it has been applied to the efficient synthesis of bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) in water-ethanol phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The one-dimensional compressible non-Newtonian models are considered in this paper. The extra-stress tensor in our models satisfies a kind of power law structure which was proposed by O. A. Ladyzhenskaya in 1970s. In particular, the viscosity coefficient in our models depends on the density. By using energy-estimate, the authors obtain the existence and uniqueness of local strong solutions for which the density is non-negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In computer numerical control machining, tool paths are typically represented with piecewise linear segments (GO1s), which lack G1 and G2 continuity and cause fluctuation of feed rate and acceleration. To improve the continuity of tool paths, some method, e.g., B-spline tool path fitting, is preferred. However, none of the currently B-spline fitting method satisfies all tool-path fitting requirements of arc-length parameterization, G2 continuity and smoothness across the whole path. The aim of this research is to derive an industrial-strength method for B-spline tool path fitting, satisfying all of the named requirements. The improvements cover the arc-length based parameterization, G2 continuity as well as numerically measure to improve the quality of B-spline tool paths. To achieve arc-length parameterization, a preliminary fitting is added to evaluate arc-length and guide the parameterization (i.e., knot vector assignment); for joint G2-continuity, a five-control-point B-spline which satisfies chord error and shape-preserving constraints is constructed to blend adjacent B-splines; and a method based on the Hausdorff distance between the fitted B-splines and the original polylines is used to evaluate the fitting quality, and an additional refinement procedure is employed when the evaluation finds any disqualification. Simulation and experiment results prove that the proposed methods are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a leading cause of neurological disability among young children. Congenial and adverse perinatal clinical conditions, such as genetic factors, perinatal infection, and asphyxia, are risk factors for CP. Oligodendrocyte transcription factor (OLIG2) is a protein that is expressed in brain oligodendrocyte cells and is involved in neuron repair after brain injury. In this study, we employed a Chinese Han cohort of 763 CP infants and 738 healthy controls to study the association of OLIG2 gene polymorphisms with CP. We found marginal association of the SNP rs6517135 with CP (p = 0.044) at the genotype level, and the association was greatly strengthened when we focused on the subgroup of CP infants who suffered from hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) after birth, with p = 0.003 (OR = 0.558) at the allele level and p = 0.007 at the genotype level, indicating a risk-associated role of the T allele of the SNP rs6517135 under HIE conditions. The haplotype CTTG for rs6517135-rs1005573-rs6517137-rs9653711 in OLIG2 was also significantly associated with the occurrence of CP in infants with HIE (p = 0.01, OR = 0.521). Our results indicate that in the Han Chinese population, the polymorphisms of OLIG2 were associated with CP, especially in patients who had suffered HIE injury. This finding could be used to develop personalized care for infants with high susceptibility to CP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfuzosin hydrochloride is an appropriate candidate drug to prepare a gastro-retention controlled release dosage form since it demonstrates a narrow absorption window in the proximal section of the gastrointestinal tract with a short half-life. The purpose of the present study was to develop and optimize a gastro-floating tablet of alfuzosin hydrochloride by using the compression coating method for controlling drug release in a controlled manner. The floating tablets were developed utilizing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and carbomer as matrix materials. The impact of formulation factors on buoyancy property and in vitro drug release of the floating tablet was investigated. The “similarity factor” (f2) was used as the indicator for the optimization of the formulations. Furthermore, in vivo pharmacokinetic study in rabbits and correlation of in vitro/in vivo study were also performed. It was found that the optimized formulation F9 could float immediately less than 2 min and remain lastingly buoyant over 24 h and follow zero-order release kinetics well. In comparison with the commercially available prolonged release tablets XATRAL® XL, the prepared floating tablet exhibited similar pharmacokinetic parameters (Cmax, Tmax, t1/2, and AUC0 − t) and plasma concentration versus time profile. Moreover, it indicated from the correlation of in vitro/in vivo study that the floating tablets exhibited a good correlation of in vitro/in vivo. In summary, the compression coating gastro-floating tablets might be a promising drug delivery system for alfuzosin hydrochloride to control drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cupric oxide thin films were deposited on silicon and sapphire substrates by reactive radio frequency magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures. The results showed that the CuO films were composed of different sizes of CuO nano-grains and the CuO films deposited on Si substrates showed a more dense and uniform surface than that deposited on Al2O3 substrates. It was noted that both the CuO films deposited on Si and Al2O3 substrates revealed only CuO related diffractions and the preferred orientation of the CuO films changed from (002) to (111) as the substrate temperature increased. Moreover, the carrier concentration was 1.141 × 1018 cm−3 and the mobility was 0.401 cm2/v s at 450°C substrate temperature. The controllable electrical properties of the films can be achieved by the variation of crystal quality arising from the substrate temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunctional expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been found to be closely associated with the experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). In this study, we explored the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38 MAPK) in the regulation of MMP-9 in sciatic nerves of EAN rats. We analyzed the expression changes of MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) in sciatic nerves of EAN rats and investigated the effect of p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB203580) on MMP-9 expression and pathological changes in EAN. Real-time PCR and western blot analyses showed that the expression of MMP-2 exhibited no significant changes throughout the course of EAN, while MMP-3 and MMP-9 presented the relatively increased expression compared with that in control group. MAP kinases, including p38 MAPK, ERK1/2, and JNK1/2, were activated in the sciatic nerve of EAN rats, and phosphorylated p38 MAPK showed similar patterns of expression to MMP-9. The expression of MMP-9 and phosphorylated p38 MAPK in sciatic nerves were in positive correlation with disease severity. In addition, SB203580 treatment significantly reduced the mRNA and protein level of MMP-9 in sciatic nerves on the peak phase of EAN. Inhibition of p38 MAPK also relieved neurologic severity and ameliorated pathological changes in EAN. In conclusion, SB203580 may ameliorate clinical deficit and pathological changes in EAN by reducing the MMP-9 expression in sciatic nerves, which suggest that p38 MAPK inhibitor such as SB203580 could be considered as a therapeutic candidate in autoimmune neuropathies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolipoprotein E (APOE, protein; ApoE, gene) is a lipid transport protein abundantly present in brain cells. Previous studies have suggested that there is an association between genetic variants of ApoE and susceptibility to cerebral palsy (CP). The purpose of this study was to explore whether the ApoE gene is involved in the etiology of CP in the Chinese population. In this study, 350 CP patients and 242 healthy control children were recruited. Genomic DNA was prepared from venous blood and all five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ApoE (rs769446, rs405509, rs121918399, rs429358, and rs190853081) were detected by the MassARRAY platform-based genotyping approach. The SHEsis program was used to analyze the genotyping data, and we systemically analyzed the association of the ApoE SNPs with different subtypes of CP. No significant association was detected between the e4 identified by the C allele of rs429358 and CP, but there were significant differences in allelic frequencies between the CP patients and controls at rs769446 ( P = 0.005, P = 0.025 after Bonferroni correction), as well as between the CP patients with preterm birth (<34 gestational weeks) and controls at rs769446 ( P = 0.001, P = 0.005 after Bonferroni correction). A haplotype consisting of the five SNPs rs769446(C), rs405509(C), rs121918399(C), rs429358(T), and rs190853081(G) was associated with a decreased risk of CP ( P = 0.002 after Bonferroni correction). However, we found no significant association between any of the other three SNPs and CP based on different subgroup analyses. This study provides the first evidence that ApoE gene polymorphisms are a potential risk factor for CP in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptor protein complex 4 (AP-4) plays a key role in vesicle formation, trafficking, and sorting processes that are critical for brain development and function. AP-4 consists of four subunits encoded by the AP4E1, AP4B1, AP4M1, and AP4S1 genes. A number of studies have pointed to the involvement of AP-4-mediated vesicular trafficking pathways in the etiology of cerebral palsy (CP), the most notable of which are the causative mutations that have recently been identified in each of the AP-4 genes in different CP families. We postulated, therefore, that variations in AP-4 genes might influence an indivual's susceptibility to CP. In the present study, 16 SNPs were genotyped among 517 CP patients and 502 healthy controls from the Han Chinese population. We systematically analyzed the association of the AP4E1, AP4B1, AP4M1, and AP4S1 genes with CP on the basis of clinical characteristics. No significant associations were found between these variants and the overall risk of CP. Subgroup analysis showed that rs1217401 of AP4B1 was significantly associated with CP as a sequela of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) (CP + HIE) (allele: p = 0.042151; genotype: p = 4.46 × 10). Our results indicate that the 16 variants studied in the genes of the four subunits of AP-4 have no detectable effects on the overall susceptibility to CP, but AP4B1 appears to be a susceptibility gene for CP + HIE in the Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It was recently discovered that while under normal conditions inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) does not affect cerebral blood flow, it selectively dilates arterioles in the ischemic penumbra during experimental cerebral ischemia, thereby increasing collateral blood flow and reducing ischemic brain damage. The mechanism was verified in multiple models, but only in male animals. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of iNO on brain injury in neonatal males and females. Nine-day-old mice were subjected to unilateral hypoxia-ischemia (HI), using 10 % oxygen balanced with nitrogen, with or without 50 ppm NO. Brain injury 72 h after HI was reduced by iNO as judged by percentage of injury (−21.7 %), atrophy (−23.7 %), and total pathological score (−29 %). The injury was significantly reduced in males (−32.4 %, p < 0.05) but not in females (−7.1 %, n.s.). Neither the numbers nor the proliferation rates of neural stem cells in the dentate gyrus were affected by iNO. In summary, intraischemic iNO reduced neonatal HI brain injury in a gender-related manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic abundances and ratios of He and Ar found in inclusion fluids in pyrites formed in the Yaoling-Meiziwo tungsten mineralization epoch show that the concentration of He varies widely, from 1.54×10 cm STP/g to 2609×10 cm STP/g. He is 0.759×10 cm STP/g-3.463×10 cm STP/g. He/He is 0.0043-4.362 Ra, varying from crustal to mantle values. The concentration of Ar ranges from 0.624×10 cm STP/g to 8.89×10 cm STP/g. The Ar/Ar varies extensively, from 330 to 2952, between atmospheric and crustal or mantle radiogenic values. Mantle-derived He is present in ore-forming fluids and the calculated average proportion of the mantle He is 22%; the maximum is 67%. Our research results show that mantle-derived fluids play a significant role in tungsten mineralization. The fractionation of He and Ar indicate that there was He-enriched air-saturated water (MSAW) in the ore-forming fluid. The ore-forming fluid was a mixture of mantle fluid, crustal magmatic fluid and MSAW. The occurrence of a mantle component in ore-forming fluid indicates the large-scale W and Sn mineralization, including Yaoling-Meiziwo, in southeastern China was the result of crust and mantle interaction. The underplating or intrusion of voluminous basaltic magma formed by partial melting of the upper mantle provided the necessary heat to cause partial melting of the crust and the generation of voluminous S-type granitic magmas. Crustal magmatic fluid and mantle fluid with high He/He were released from magma crystallization and fractionation, mixed with the circulating modified air-saturated water, and filled the extensional tectonic fractures, leading to the formation of world-class W and Sn deposits in southeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrolysis and oxidation of formamidine disulfide in acidic medium were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) at 25 °C. By controlling the slow reaction rate and choosing appropriate mobile phase, HPLC provides the unique advantages over other methods (UV-Vis, chemical separation) in species tracking and kinetic study. In addition to thiourea and formamidine sulfinic acid, two unreported products were also detected in the hydrolysis reaction. Mass spectrometry measurement indicates these two products to be formamidine sulfenic acid and thiocyanogen with mass weights of 92.28 and 116.36, respectively. In the oxidation of formamidine disulfide by hydrogen peroxide, besides thiourea, formamidine sulfenic acid, formamidine sulfinic acid, thiocyanogen and urea, formamidine sulfonic acid and sulfate could be detected. The oxidation reaction was found to be first order in both formamidine disulfide and hydrogen peroxide. The rate constants of hydrolysis and oxidation reactions were determined in the pH range of 1.5-3.0. It was found both rate constants are increased with the increasing of pH. Experimental curves of different species can be effectively simulated via a mechanism scheme for formamidine disulfide oxidation, including hydrolysis equilibrium of formamidine disulfide and irreversible hydrolysis of formamidine sulfenic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-cost bifunctional immunochromatographic colorimetric biosensor was developed that can be read visually or by using an optical density scanner. Five test lines (T lines) coated with different antigens were set on a nitrocellulose (NC) membrane to indicate the concentration of analyte. This method was applied for the detection of dexamethasone. The corresponding detection range was 0.1–9 ng mL−1, and the detection limit for dexamethasone in food supplements and cosmetic samples was 2.0 μg kg−1. For visual inspection of the colour the quantitative relative error range between the proposed method and liquid chromatography was −62 to −25%, with a detection time of only 10 min. More accurate assay results were obtained by using an optical density scanner with the relative error range of −31 to 20%. The results indicated that the proposed method has the potential of application for rapid and efficient screening of dexamethasone in cosmetics and food supplements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about several topics discussed at The Learning and Knowledge Analytics in Open Education (AECT-LKAOE) Summer International Research Symposium held at June 17 - 19, 2015 in Shanghai, China on learning and knowledge analytics in open education. Topics discussed include changes in educational learning, history of educational technology, relationship between learning theory and assessment, current models and trends in instructional design and educational technology.

Genic male sterility (GMS) is one of the effective pollination control systems in hybrid rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) breeding. The recessive GMS lines 9012A and Lembke (MSL) have made a great contribution to the utilization of heterosis in rapeseed. Cytological observation and genetic investigation were employed to reveal anther abortion characters and genetic relationship of 9012A and MSL. Cytological and transmission electron microscopy observation revealed that anther abortion of 9012A and MSL initiated at the microsporocyte stage, both lines showed premature or retarded degradation of tapetum. Some anthers in 9012A developed to the microspore stage since their tapetal cells changed to the secretory type. However, MSL anthers did not progress to the tetrad stage, since the tapetum did not change to the secretory type. Genetic investigation revealed that MSL and 9012A had the same temporary maintainer system, while their cytoplasm types were different. The cytoplasm of MSL was similar to Cam while 9012A was similar to Nap type. The results laid a solid foundation for utilization of the two male sterile lines in rapeseed hybrid breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posterior fossa tumors are the most common childhood intracranial tumors, and radiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments. However, irradiation induces long-term adverse effects that can have significant negative impacts on the patient's quality of life. The purpose of this study was to characterize irradiation-induced cellular and molecular changes in the cerebellum. We found that irradiation-induced cell death occurred mainly in the external germinal layer (EGL) of the juvenile rat cerebellum. The number of proliferating cells in the EGL decreased, and 82.9% of them died within 24 h after irradiation. Furthermore, irradiation induced oxidative stress, microglia accumulation, and inflammation in the cerebellum. Interestingly, blood-brain barrier damage and blood flow reduction was considerably more pronounced in the cerebellum compared to other brain regions. The cerebellar volume decreased by 39% and the migration of proliferating cells to the internal granule layer decreased by 87.5% at 16 weeks after irradiation. In the light of recent studies demonstrating that the cerebellum is important not only for motor functions, but also for cognition, and since treatment of posterior fossa tumors in children typically results in debilitating cognitive deficits, this differential susceptibility of the cerebellum to irradiation should be taken into consideration for future protective strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]