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In this work, a chiral core-shell microspheres composite, L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2, was prepared through in situ growth and chiral post-modification strategies. The core-shell microspheres were applied as a novel chiral stationary phase for HPLC enantiomeric separation. Various racemates were separated on the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column using n-hexane/isopropanol as the mobile phase. The chiral column showed excellent separation efficiency for fourteen chiral compounds, including alcohols, alkanes, esters, phenols, ketones, and organic acids. The influence of injection mass and temperature on the separation performance of the chiral column were investigated. The relative standard deviations (n = 5) of the retention time and peak area by repeated separation of benzoin are 0.28% and 0.63%, respectively. The results show that the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column exhibited good reproducibility and stability. In addition, the chiral resolution ability of the L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column was compared with that of a commercial chiral column (Chiralpak AD-H). The L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 packed column exhibits unique advantages in chiral separations that can be complementary to the commercial chiral column. It was demonstrated that the chiral core-shell microspheres composite L-his-MIL-53-NH2@SiO2 prepared based on in situ growth and chiral postmodification strategies has great potential for enantiomeric separation by HPLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the requirements of high accuracy, lightweight and real-time performance of the panoptic driving perception system, this paper proposes an efficient multi-task network (YOLOMH). The network uses a shared encoder and three independent decoding heads to simultaneously complete the three major panoptic driving perception tasks of traffic object detection, road drivable area segmentation and road lane segmentation. Thanks to our innovative design of the YOLOMH network structure: first, we design an appropriate information input structure based on the different information requirements between different tasks, and secondly, we propose a Hybrid Deep Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling module to efficiently complete the feature fusion work of the neck network, and finally effective approaches such as Anchor-free detection head and Depthwise Separable Convolution are introduced into the network, making the network more efficient while being lightweight. Experimental results show that our model achieves competitive results in both accuracy and speed on the challenging BDD100K dataset, especially in terms of inference speed, The model’s inference speed on NVIDIA TESLA V100 is as high as 107 Frames Per Second (FPS), far exceeding the 49 FPS of the YOLOP network under the same experimental settings. This well meets the requirements of autonomous vehicles for high system accuracy and low latency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information Management Systems are vital tools for businesses and organizations to manage their data effectively, make informed decisions, ensure data security and compliance, and enhance operational efficiency. This paper presents a robust app roach to information management through the utilization of the Optimized Probabilistic Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (OP_Bi-LSTM) model. The study developed into the architecture and application of Simulated Annealing (SA) for hyperparameter optimization, emphasizing the impact of fine-tuning on model performance. OP_Bi-LSTM, rooted in Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory, exhibits superior sequential data processing capabilities, making it well-suited for a variety of information management tasks. The proposed OP_BILSTM hierarchical architecture further enhances its pattern recognition capabilities in the information management system. Results from extensive experimentation demonstrate the model's versatility and adaptability in various applications, such as sentiment analysis, fraud detection, and time-series forecasting. The proposed OP_BI-LSTM model performance analysis is evaluated for the consideration of the different customers and product data. The propsoed OP_Bi-LSTM model achieves the classification accuracy of 0.98. It is stated that OP_Bi-LSTM emerges as a powerful tool for information management, offering exceptional performance and adaptability. As the field of deep learning and information management continues to evolve, this model holds great promise for addressing complex data chal lenges and facilitating data-driven decision-making in a variety of industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial statement analysis is a critical component of decision-making for businesses, investors, and financial professionals. To enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of such analysis, this paper introduces the application of an innovative approach known as the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA Model. This advanced model combines the power of swarm intelligence with ARIMA (AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average) time series forecasting, offering a robust methodology for predicting and analyzing key financial metrics. The study begins by providing an overview of the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA model and its application to financial data. Through a comprehensive analysis of financial statements, including market capitalization, revenue, net income, and other crucial indicators, the model's efficacy in predicting future values is evaluated. Additionally, the paper examines the deviations between predicted and actual financial values, offering insights into the model's accuracy and areas for potential improvement. The findings of this research are invaluable for investors, financial analysts, and companies seeking to optimize their financial performance and strategic decision-making. By leveraging the Intelligent Swarm Regression ARIMA Model, stakeholders can make well-informed choices that lead to better financial outcomes and a competitive advantage in a dynamic economic landscape. This paper represents a significant step forward in the financial analysis, providing a practical methodology and a pathway to enhanced financial decision-making. As the importance of financial data continues to grow, this research offers a promising avenue for achieving financial success and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Heavy-ion irradiation seriously perturbs cellular homeostasis and thus damages cells. Vascular endothelial cells (ECs) play an important role in the pathological process of radiation damage. Protecting ECs from heavy-ion radiation is of great significance in the radioprotection of normal tissues. In this study, the radioprotective effect of ß-D-glucan (BG) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (EA.hy926) cytotoxicity produced by carbon-ion irradiation was examined and the probable mechanism was established. Materials and methods: EA.hy926 cells were divided into seven groups: a control group; 1, 2, or 4 Gy radiation; and 10 µg/mL BG pretreatment for 24 h before 1, 2, or 4 Gy irradiation. Cell survival was assessed by colony formation assay. Cell cycles, apoptosis, DNA damage, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured through flow cytometry. The level of malondialdehyde and antioxidant enzyme activities were analyzed using assay kits. The activation of NF-κB was analyzed using western blotting and a transcription factor assay kit. The expression of downstream target genes was detected by western blotting. Results: BG pretreatment significantly increased the survival of irradiated cells, improved cell cycle progression, and decreased DNA damage and apoptosis. The levels of ROS and malondialdehyde were also decreased by BG. Further study indicated that BG increased the antioxidant enzyme activities, activated Src, and promoted NF-κB activation, especially for the p65, p50, and RelB subunits. The activated NF-κB upregulated the expression of antioxidant protein MnSOD, DNA damage-response and repair-related proteins BRCA2 and Hsp90a, and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that BG protects EA.hy926 cells from high linear-energy-transfer carbon-ion irradiation damage through the upregulation of prosurvival signaling triggered by the interaction of BG with its receptor. This confirms that BG is a promising radioprotective agent for heavy-ion exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation on global cognition and ability in daily life activities of patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. Design: Nine electronic databases were searched from their respective inceptions through January 2022. We included the randomized controlled trials that used transcranial direct current stimulation for poststroke cognitive impairment and included at least one global cognitive function or ability in daily life activities outcome indicators. Two reviewers appraised the risks of bias through the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool and performed the meta-analysis. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. Results: Twenty-two studies (1198 participants) were included. Most studies had no significant bias in the quality of the methodology. Meta-analyses found that compared with the control group, transcranial direct current stimulation increased Montreal cognitive assessment, Mini-mental state examination, Loewenstein occupational therapy cognitive assessment, total effective rate of cognition, modified Barthel Index, and decreased P300 latency (all P < 0.05). These results showed transcranial direct current stimulation can improve cognitive function and ability in daily life activities in poststroke cognitive impairment. Conclusions: The transcranial direct current stimulation may have a significant rehabilitation effect on global cognitive functioning and ability in daily life activities of patients with poststroke cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 120 patients admitted to affiliated hospitals of the North Sichuan Medical College between September 2020 and June 2022 were recruited for this study and received percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage. Patients in the control group received parenteral nutrition support, whereas patients in the treatment group received parenteral and combined enteral nutrition support. Compared to the control group, the time of first exhaustion and defecation in the treatment group was faster, and the postoperative activity time and hospital stay were shorter. Serum albumin and prealbumin levels in both groups decreased on the 1st day after surgery and recovered on the 7th day, with the treatment group reaching higher levels. After surgery, the decline in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and direct bilirubin levels was higher in the treatment group. CD4+, CD8+ levels, and CD4+/CD8+ ratios in both groups were elevated, with the treatment group showing higher levels. The occurrence of complications in the treatment group was lessened relative to the control group. In summary, enteral combined parenteral nutrition support for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice after surgery can promote faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, improve nutritional status, facilitate the recovery of liver function, and promote immune function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background • Nephrotic syndrome is characterized by prolonged duration, frequent relapses, various comorbidities, and complex management. Although children with nephrotic syndrome generally adhere well to medical protocols during hospitalization under close supervision, post-discharge adherence to care plans often poses challenges. Objective • This study aims to investigate the impact of continuous home care on nursing compliance, immune function, and quality of life among pediatric patients diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome. Methods • A retrospective analysis was conducted on ninety-eight cases of discharged children with nephrotic syndrome admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2023. Based on different nursing programs, the children were divided into two groups: 54 cases in the observation group and 54 cases in the comparison group. The observation group received continuous home care involving assessment of nursing problems, care, and effect evaluation, while the comparison group received conventional pre-discharge health education and regular telephone follow-up after discharge. Nursing care compliance, immune function, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. Results • The observation group demonstrated significantly higher compliance rates in areas such as diet, fluid intake, medication, dialysis regimen, daily life, and exercise compared to the control group (P < .05). Aftercare, the observation group showed greater disease cognitive ability, disease-related behaviors, beliefs about the disease, and overall scores compared to the control group, with statistical significance (P < .05). Moreover, the quality-of-life index scores of children in both groups improved aftercare, with the observation group showing higher scores in behavioral ability, physical function, psychological function, and social function compared to the control group, and these differences were statistically significant (P<.05). Conclusions • Implementing ongoing home care for children diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome significantly enhances their overall quality of life, particularly in terms of familial dynamics, self-perception, and adherence to medical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on investigating the bidirectional causal relationship between frailty and depression using Mendelian randomization (MR). Topics include the use of genetic data from Great Britain Biobank and TwinGen for frailty, the frailty, causally associated with an increased risk of depression, and emphasize the importance of early interventions and management for individuals affected by frailty and depression.

The article focuses on determining the preferred epitaxy for III-nitride semiconductors on wet-transferred graphene, showing that the favored approach is quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe). Topics include the choice between remote epitaxy, where nonchemical bonds couple the III-nitride/graphene interface, and quasi-van der Waals epitaxy (quasi-vdWe), where covalent bonds are dominant.

Subway structure monitoring obtains structure monitoring data in real time, and the obtained subway track vibration sequence exhibits obvious time series characteristics. Therefore, the difficulties of abnormal detection of subway track vibration sequence include not only the general scarcity and diversity of data, but also the large amount of sample data. In this paper, an anomaly detection method based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) was applied to detect anomalous subway track vibration sequences. Firstly, subway track vibration signals were preprocessed. An approach to extract subway track vibration sequences was proposed. According to this method, whether the collected data constituted running data was determined via the mean square error, and track vibration sequences were then extracted from the original data according to an adaptive threshold value to obtain subway track vibration samples. Afterwards, Savitzky-Golay filtering was performed to smooth the obtained subway track vibration sequences, and then the wavelet transform was applied to denoise the signal. Second, an anomaly detection algorithm based on the LSTM was employed to detect subway track vibration sequences. Finally, compared to other algorithms, the LSTM algorithm performed better in anomaly detection on the subway track vibration dataset with a small anomaly proportion than did the other three methods. However, in the case of a large proportion of anomalies in the signal, the detection effect of the proposed algorithm was close to BPNN and superior to the LOF and OCSVM. The results indicated that the LSTM-based sequence anomaly detection algorithm attained a satisfactory detection effect for subway track vibration sequences. The anomaly detection algorithm can be applied to subway structure monitoring systems, which can monitor subway track vibration signals in real time and determine whether these signals are anomalous to ensure the safe operation of subway structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a comprehensive response to climate change and low carbon development mode, the 3S-based regional terrestrial carbon cycle model in Luanhe basin is constructed in accordance with componentbased development strategy to identify carbon cycle evolution of terrestrial ecosystem under the background of local changes, combining measured weather data, prototype observation data of soil and plants as well as remote-sensing information in different spatial and temporal scales. The model has the ability of describing canopy fluxes, net primary productivity, biomass allocation and turnover, mortality, decomposition of soil organic matter and other dynamic processes. The carbon cycle evolution in Luanhe Basin from 1995 to 2010 is simulated and analyzed. The results are shown as follows: 1) in the temporal scale, inter-annual change of leaf area index with a slight growth trend is larger than that of net primary productivity (NPP), ground and underground biomass and soil carbon content; 2) There are obvious regional differences in spatial view, spatial distribution of results are consistent with those of watershed plant and soil, displaying the characteristics that the above major variables of mountainous regions in middle-upper reaches are greater than those of grassland meadows in the upstream and plains in the downstream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional maturation of neurons is a prolonged process that extends past the mitotic exit and is mediated by the chromatin-dependent orchestration of gene transcription programs. We find that expression of this maturation gene program in mouse cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) requires dynamic changes in the genomic distribution of histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), demonstrating a function for this chromatin modification beyond its role in cell fate specification. The developmental loss of H3K27me3 at promoters of genes activated as CGNs mature is facilitated by the lysine demethylase and ASD-risk gene, Kdm6b. Interestingly, inhibition of the H3K27 methyltransferase EZH2 in newborn CGNs not only blocks the repression of progenitor genes but also impairs the induction of mature CGN genes, showing the importance of bidirectional H3K27me3 regulation across the genome. These data demonstrate that H3K27me3 turnover in developing postmitotic neurons regulates the temporal coordination of gene expression programs that underlie functional neuronal maturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the activity of metformin in endometriosis, with a view to alleviating disease progression. Methods: A search was conducted using electronic databases such as CNKI, VIP, CBM, WANFANG, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science from January 1980 to January 2022 for randomized trials involving any intrapartum fetal surveillance method. A network meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework, and it was assessed for quality and network inconsistency of the trials. A ninety-five percent confidence interval (CI) was used to report the relationship between metformin levels and patients with endometriosis. Results: Eight eligible studies which included 688 patients were evaluated in this meta-analysis. The primary indicators were treatment efficiency and CA-125 level. Metformin significantly increased treatment efficiency (SMD = 3.29, 95 % CI 2.01, 5.40, p < 0.00001). As expected, metformin also reduced the CA-125 level in endometriosis patients as a result (Odds Ratio, OR = -1.20, 95 % CI: -1.40 - 1.00, p < 0.00001). Conclusion: Metformin alleviates pains caused by endometriosis. However, some studies had scanty information about alleviating clinical symptoms other than basic medical research. More randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hybrid nanocrystals of zinc oxide (ZnO), cadmium oxide (CdO) and copper oxide (CuO) were self-assembled to the nanospheres with special structure in the process of inverse Pickering miniemulsion. The 3-(methacryloxy) propyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) was used to modify the crystalline nanoparticles to obtain the partial hydrophobicity on their surfaces. The influences of the dosage ratio of MPS to the crystalline nanoparticles on the size distribution and surface hydrophobicity of modified nanoparticles were discussed. The modified ZnO, CdO and CuO nanocrystals as solid emulsifiers were self-assembled into four kind structure of nanospheres by inverse Pickering miniemulsion. The dosage usage, the three-phase contact angle and their initial dispersion positions of the modified nanocrystals codetermined the structure of hybrid oxide nanocrystals. The nanospheres of hybrid oxide nanocrystal will be successfully prepared by inverse Pickering miniemulsion; they provide the distinctively photoelectric properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context • Patients receiving in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatments can be anxious and depressed and have other negative emotions. Psychological interventions might improve the clinical pregnancy rate of infertile patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback can be an effective technique to treat anxiety and stress symptoms. Objective • The study intended to investigate the effects and clinical outcomes of HRV biofeedback for women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVFET) for the first time. Design • The research team performed a prospective randomized controlled study. Setting • The study took place at the Reproduction Center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Medical University in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China. Participants • Participants were 60 women who received IVF-ET for the first time at the hospital between January 2015 and December 2017. Intervention • Participants were randomly divided into the intervention group (n = 30), who received HRV biofeedback, and the control group, who received routine education (n = 30). Outcome Measures • At baseline and postintervention, the research team analyzed outcomes using: (1) the scores from a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and a self-rating depression scale (SDS); (2) HRV indexes, including the standard deviation of normal to normal (SDNN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), percentage of successive R-R intervals that differ by more than 50 milliseconds (PNN50), total power (TP), low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and rate of LF and HF (LF/HF); and (3) pregnancy rates. Results • The control group’s SAS scores were significantly higher postintervention, at 48.63 ± 4.75, than those of the intervention group, at 39.23 ± 7.60 (P = .000). The control group’s SDS scores, at 53.07 ± 3.89, were also significantly higher postintervention than those of the intervention group, at 41.40 ± 9.60 (P = .000). For the intervention group, between baseline and postintervention four of the HRV indexes significantly increased: (1) SDNN—from 53.67 ± 9.03 to 79.57 ± 20.48 (p=0.000), (2) RMSSD— from 54.97 ± 13.94 to. 83.74 ± 34.40 (P = .000), (5) PNN50—15.04 ± 6.06 to 22.92 ± 9.90 (P = .001) and (4) TP—from 851.32 ± 486.47 to 1579.59 ± 746.86 (P = .000). The clinical pregnancy rate in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group but the difference wasn’t statistically significant, at 60.00% and 46.67%, respectively (P = .438). Conclusions • HRV biofeedback treatment significantly increased four HRV indexes and decreased the anxiety and depression of women undergoing IVF-ET for the first time, showing a potential clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the vapocoolants for vascular puncture in children and adults. Method: The search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and The Cochrane Library, from inception to March 2022. Randomized controlled trials comparing vapocoolants to control conditions for participants received intravenous cannulation or arterial puncture were included. Two reviewers independently performed selection of studies, data extraction, and assessment of risk of bias. The analysis was performed using fixed or random-effects model with mean differences or standardized mean difference and risk ratios. Results: A total of 25 studies involving 3143 participants were included. Compared with control conditions, vapocoolants may not decrease the pain of patients with arterial puncture (SMD = -0.36, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.19, P = 0.20), but may more effectively relieve pain for adults received vein puncture (SMD = -0.65, 95% CI = -0.85 to -0.45, P < 0.00001). The application of vapocoolant increased the procedural difficulty of medical personnel (RR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.62 to 3.84, P<0.000 1) and participants were more willing to use the spray in the future (RR = 1.88, 95% CI = 1.34 to 2.64, P = 0.0002). There was no significant difference for the first attempt success rate of the procedure and the occurrence of adverse events. Conclusions: Vapocoolant spray may relieve pain in adults received vein puncture and cannot cause severe side effects, but is ineffective in children. It also had no effect on patients with arterial puncture. In addition, the application of spray increases procedural difficulties for medical professionals, but does not decrease first attempt success rate, and many patients would like to use the spray again for pain relief in the future. Thus, more rigorous and large-scale studies are needed to determine its effectiveness in vascular access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper regulation of the earth pressure on the bulkhead of earth-pressure balanced (EPB) shield tunneling machines is significant to ensure safe construction. This study proposes a procedure for regulating the bulkhead pressure by combining numerical simulations and data mining, and applies the procedure to a metro line constructed in sandy pebble stratum using EPB shield. Firstly, the relationship between the bulkhead pressure and the pressure on the tunnel face is carefully obtained from discrete element modeling, and the required supporting earth pressure is derived by considering the arching effect. Secondly, aided with the machine learning method, a model is constructed for predicting the average bulkhead pressure per ring according to the operational parameters (i.e., the average driving speed and the rotation speed of the screw conveyor). Given the target value of the bulkhead pressure, the optimal values of the operational parameters are obtained from the model. In addition, an autoregressive moving average stochastic process model is developed to monitor the real-time fluctuation of the bulkhead pressure and guide the actions taken in time to avoid dramatic fluctuations. The results indicate that the pressure difference between the tunnel face and the bulkhead is considerable, and the consideration of the arching effect can avoid overestimating the bulkhead pressure. A combination of the machine learning model and the stochastic process model provides a plausible performance in regulating the bulkhead pressure around the target value without dramatic fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish the existence and uniqueness of viscosity solutions to the Dirichlet problem ∆∞hu = f(x, u), in Ω, u = q, on ∂Ω, where q ∈ C(∂Ω), h > 1, ∆ ∞hu = |Du| h−3 ∆∞u. The operator ∆∞u = ⟨D²uDu, Du⟩ is the infinity Laplacian which is strongly degenerate, quasilinear and it is associated with the absolutely minimizing Lipschitz extension. When the nonhomogeneous term f(x, t) is non-decreasing in t, we prove the existence of the viscosity solution via Perron’s method. We also establish a uniqueness result based on the perturbation analysis of the viscosity solutions. If the function f(x, t) is nonpositive (nonnegative) and non-increasing in t, we also give the existence of viscosity solutions by an iteration technique under the condition that the domain has small diameter. Furthermore, we investigate the existence and uniqueness of viscosity solutions to the boundary-value problem with singularity ∆∞hu = −b(x)g(u), in Ω, u > 0, in Ω, u = 0, on ∂Ω, when the domain satisfies some regular condition. We analyze asymptotic estimates for the viscosity solution near the boundary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis lay the basis for effective stress regulation of sports majors and help them resist mental illness and improve learning efficiency. This paper conducts mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis for sports majors based on a dynamic threshold. Firstly, the authors explained the flow of the dynamic mental health monitoring for sports majors and provided the prediction flow of the proposed model. Then, based on the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) model, the mental health level of primary sports college students was predicted. The research steps were detailed, including data preparation and preprocessing, model training, and prediction error calculation, and the dynamic threshold method with the sliding window was described. The non-parametric dynamic threshold setting was adopted to detect the local abnormality in the evaluation data series of the mental health level for sports majors before introducing the structure and principle of the proposed prediction model. The experimental results validate our strategy for mental health monitoring and abnormality analysis of sports majors. The results of relevant research have essential theoretical and practical significance for the works of the mental health of primary sports students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the stochastic stability of the Markovian jump systems with two additive mode-dependent time-varying delays and partially known transition rates. First, a novel mode-dependent Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional (LKF) is constructed and the single integral terms in the derivative of LKF are estimated by the generalised free-weighting-matrix-based integral inequality. Then, some stability criteria in terms of linear matrix inequalities are obtained by using the convex combination technique. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to regulate gene activity spatially and temporally is essential to investigate cell-type- specific gene function during development and in postembryonic processes and disease models. The Cre/lox system has been widely used for performing cell and tissue-specific conditional analysis of gene function in zebrafish. However, simple and efficient methods for isolation of stable, Cre/lox regulated zebrafish alleles are lacking. Here, we applied our GeneWeld CRISPR-Cas9 targeted integration strategy to generate floxed alleles that provide robust conditional inactivation and rescue. A universal targeting vector, UFlip, with sites for cloning short homology arms flanking a floxed 2A-mRFP gene trap, was integrated into an intron in rbbp4 and rb1. rbbp4off and rb1off integration alleles resulted in strong mRFP expression,>99% reduction of endogenous gene expression, and recapitulated known indel loss-of- function phenotypes. Introduction of Cre led to stable inversion of the floxed cassette, loss of mRFP expression, and phenotypic rescue. rbbp4on and rb1on integration alleles did not cause phenotypes in combination with a loss-of- function mutation. Addition of Cre led to conditional inactivation by stable inversion of the cassette, gene trapping and mRFP expression, and the expected mutant phenotype. Neural progenitor Cre drivers were used for conditional inactivation and phenotypic rescue to showcase how this approach can be used in specific cell populations. Together these results validate a simplified approach for efficient isolation of Cre/lox-responsive conditional alleles in zebrafish. Our strategy provides a new toolkit for generating genetic mosaics and represents a significant advance in zebrafish genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In previous studies, a new Trichinella spiralis serine protease 1.1 (TsSP1.1) was identified in surface proteins of T. spiralis muscle larvae (ML) by proteomics analysis, but its functions in T. spiralis infection are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of TsSP1.1 during larval intrusion of gut epithelium. Methods: From January 2019 to March 2021, complete TsSP1.1 cDNA sequence was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 at the Department of Parasitology, Medical College of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China. Expression and location of TsSP1.1 in the parasite were investigated using indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA) and Western blotting. The in vitro intestinal epithelium cells (IECs) intrusion assay was used to ascertain the roles of TsSP1.1 during larval intrusion of IECs and gut epithelium. Results: TsSP1.1 was a surface and secretory protein, which was expressed at various T. spiralis stages, and principally localized at cuticle, stichosome and embryos of the nematode. rTsSP1.1 accelerated larval intrusion of IECs, whereas anti-rTsSP1.1 antibodies impeded larval intrusion. The acceleration and inhibtion was dose-dependently related to rTsSP1.1 and anti-TsSP1.1 antibodies. Block of the IIL with anti-rTsSP1.1 serum also impeded larval intrusion of gut mucosa. Conclusion: TsSP1.1 participates in T. spiralis intrusion of gut epithelium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KDM6B-mediated epigenetic modification of the testicular regulator Dmrt1 has previously been identified as the primary switch of the male pathway in a temperature-dependent sex-determination (TSD) system; however, the molecular network of the female pathway has not yet been established. Here, we have functionally characterized for the first time an upstream regulator of the female pathway, the forkhead transcription factor FOXL2, in Trachemys scripta, a turtle species with a TSD system. FOXL2 exhibited temperature-dependent female-specific expression patterns before the onset of gonadal differentiation and was preferentially localized in ovarian somatic cells. Foxl2 responded rapidly to temperature shifts and estrogen. Importantly, forced expression of Foxl2 at the male-producing temperature led to male-to-female sex reversal, as evidenced by the formation of an ovary-like structure, and upregulation of the ovarian regulators Cyp19a1 and R-spondin1. Additionally, knockdown of Foxl2 caused masculinization at the femaleproducing temperature, which was confirmed by loss of the female phenotype, development of seminiferous tubules, and elevated expression of Dmrt1 and Sox9. Collectively, we demonstrate that Foxl2 expression is necessary and sufficient to drive ovarian determination in T. scripta, suggesting a crucial role of Foxl2 in female sex determination in the TSD system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state-averaged (SA) spin restricted ensemble referenced Kohn-Sham(REKS) method and its state interaction (SI) extension, SI-SA-REKS, enable one to describe correctly the shape of the ground and excited potential energy surfaces of molecules undergoing bond breaking/bond formation reactions including features such as conical intersections crucial for theoretical modeling of non-adiabatic reactions. Until recently, application of the SA-REKS and SI-SA-REKS methods to modeling the dynamics of such reactions was obstructed due to the lack of the analytical energy derivatives. In this work, the analytical derivatives of the individual SA-REKS and SI-SA-REKS energies are derived. The final analytic gradient expressions are formulated entirely in terms of traces of matrix products and are presented in the form convenient for implementation in the traditional quantum chemical codes employing basis set expansions of the molecular orbitals. The implementation and benchmarking of the derived formalism will be described in a subsequent article of this series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease affecting up to ~10% of women at reproductive age. Prior combined studies implied that MARVELD2 might be involved in the pathogenesis of certain malignancies. Here, 211 Han Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis were analyzed for the presence of MARVELD2 mutations. Methods: We analyze the potential presence of MARVELD2 mutations by direct DNA sequencing. Results: A total of 7 variants, 5 missense and 2 synonymous variants, were identified in our 211 ovarian endometriosis samples with different frequencies. Among the 5 missense variant, a missense rare variant p.V198M (c.592G>A), was identified in 10 out of our 211 samples (4.74%). This rare variant was identified with extremely low frequency in 766 control samples from 766 Chinese women without endometriosis (0.13%, 1/766) and control samples in the public databases. The evolutionary conservation analysis results suggested that the MARVELD2 rare variant lead to highly conserved amino acid substitutions among 14 vertebrate species from Human to Snake. Furthermore, both the SIFT and Polyphen-2 programs predicted this rare variant to be 'disease causing'. However, we failed to observe any statistical significance between the MARVELD2 rare variant and the available clinical data. Conclusions: We identified a potential pathogenic rare variant in the MARVELD2 gene in Chinese samples with ovarian endometriosis, indicating the MARVELD2 rare variant might play an active role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin-restricted ensemble-referenced Kohn-Sham (REKS) method is based on an ensemble representation of the density and is capable of correctly describing the non-dynamic electron correlation stemming from (near-)degeneracy of several electronic configurations. The existing REKS methodology describes systems with two electrons in two fractionally occupied orbitals. In thiswork, the REKS methodology is extended to treat systems with four fractionally occupied orbitals accommodating four electrons and self-consistent implementation of the REKS(4,4) method with simultaneous optimization of the orbitals and their fractional occupation numbers is reported. The new method is applied to a number of molecular systems where simultaneous dissociation of several chemical bonds takes place, as well as to the singlet ground states of organic tetraradicals 2,4-didehydrometaxylylene and 1,4,6,9-spiro[4.4]nonatetrayl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unimolecular decay of carbonyl oxide intermediates, known as Criegee intermediates, produced in alkene ozonolysis is a significant source of OH radicals in the troposphere. Here, the rate of appearance of OH radical products is examined directly in the time-domain for a prototypical alkylsubstituted Criegee intermediate, CH3CH2CHOO, following vibrational activation under collisionfree conditions. Complementary statistical Rice-Ramsperger-Kassel-Marcus calculations of the microcanonical unimolecular decay rate for CH3CH2CHOO are also carried out at energies in the vicinity of the barrier for 1,4 hydrogen atom transfer that leads to OH products. Tunneling through the barrier, derived from high level electronic structure calculations, contributes significantly to the decay rate. Infrared transitions of CH3CH2CHOO are identified in the CH stretch overtone region, which are detected by ultraviolet laser-induced fluorescence of the resultant OH products. The features observed are attributed to CH vibrational excitations and conformational forms utilizing insights from theory. Both experiment and theory yield unimolecular decay rates for CH3CH2CHOO of ca. 107 s-1, which are slower than those obtained for syn-CH3CHOO or (CH3)2COO reported previously [Fang et al., J. Chem. Phys. 144, 061102 (2016)] at similar energies. Master equation modeling is also utilized to predict the thermal decay rate of CH3CH2CHOO under atmospheric conditions, giving a rate of 279 s-1 at 298 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Fruit and vegetable byproducts were evaluated as media and carbon sources for Euglena. • When used as media, Euglena cultivated with orange peel showed the highest beta-glucan production. • When used as a carbon source, Euglena cultivated with apple pomace showed the highest beta-glucan production. • Fruit and vegetable byproducts were effective for beta-glucan production when used as a single carbon source. • It is expected to contribute to the circular economy of waste. Five fruit and vegetable byproducts were evaluated as carbon sources and media for beta-glucan production from Euglena gracilis. Orange peel showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (6.5 g/L) and productivity (1.9 g/L/day) when used as a medium. However, when employed as carbon sources, apple pomace showed the highest beta-glucan concentration (10.6 g/L) and productivity (3.5 g/L/day). The appropriate chemical oxygen demand/nitrogen ratio (71.1) and favorable carbon sources of apple contributed to beta-glucan production. Increasing sugar concentrations in apple pomace and orange peel from 10 to 30 g/L raised the beta-glucan concentration to 11.6 g/L. Using apple pomace and orange peel individually proved more effective than mixing them for beta-glucan production. Therefore, apple as a carbon source is the most effective fruit and vegetables byproduct for beta-glucan production. This is expected to reduce the cost of E. gracilis cultivation on a large-scale and contribute to the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tai Chi (TC) is a traditional Chinese martial art with demonstrated beneficial effects on physical and mental health. In this study, the authors performed a systematic review to assess the efficiency of TC in different populations’ cognitive function improvement. Design: The present systematic review utilized the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (1915-), Wanfang (1998-), VIP (1989-), Chinese Biomedicine databases (1978-), PubMed (1950-),Web of Science (1900-), Cochrane Library (1948-), Embase (1974-), EBSCOhost (1922-), and OVID (1996-) databases to search and identify relevant articles published in English and Chinese from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the beginning of coverage through October 17, 2020 in English and Chinese were retrieved from many indexing databases. Selected studies were graded according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention 5.1.0. The outcome measures of cognitive function due to traditional TC intervention were obtained. Meta-analysis was conducted by using RevMan 5.4 software. We follow the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Results: Thirty-three RCTs, with a total of 1808 participants, were included. The study showed that TC could progress global cognition when assessed in middle-aged as well as elderly patients suffering from cognitive and executive function impairment. The findings are as follows: Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale: mean difference (MD) = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.88–4.58, p < 0.00001, Mini-Mental State Exam: MD= 3.69, 95% CI = 0.31– 7.08, p = 0.03, Trail Making Test-Part B: MD=-13.69, 95% CI=-21.64 to -5.74, p = 0.0007. The memory function of older adults assessed by the Wechsler Memory Scale was as follows: MD= 23.32, 95% CI = 17.93– 28.71, p < 0.00001. The executive function of college students evaluated by E-prime software through the Flanker test was as follows: MD=-16.32, 95% CI=-22.71 to -9.94, p < 0.00001. Conclusion: The TC might have a positive effect on the improvement of cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly people with cognitive impairment as well as older adults and college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND To achieve a natural postoperative appearance, hair grafts are often de-epithelialized from the epidermis during follicular unit extraction (FUE). However, the effect of de-epithelialization on the survival rate of transplanted hair follicles (HFs) has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of de-epithelialization on the survival rate of transplanted HFs. METHODS A total of 64 male patients with androgenetic alopecia were included in this study. They were randomly divided into de-epithelialization and control groups. Organ culture was performed to assess the elongation of hair shaft and the percentage of anagen HFs in both groups. Patients were followed up postoperatively to evaluate complications, postoperative shedding, survival rates, and satisfaction. RESULTS No significant difference in hair shaft elongation and percentage of anagen HFs was observed between both groups. The immediate postoperative satisfaction in the control group was much lower than that in the de-epithelialization group (71.25% and 100%, respectively). No significant differences in shedding rate, graft survival rate, and complications were noticed between both groups. CONCLUSION Follicular de-epithelialization does not affect the survival rate of graft in FUE. Based on these data, de-epithelialization may improve immediate postoperative appearance and lead to a more pleasing cosmetic outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) is the most widely used model for genome-wide predictions. Interestingly, it is also possible to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) based on GBLUP. Although the estimated marker effects in GBLUP are shrunken and the conventional test based on such effects has low power, it was observed that a modified test statistic can be produced and the result of test was identical to a standard GWAS model. Later, a mathematical proof was given for the special case that there is no fixed covariate in GBLUP. Since then, the new approach has been called "GWAS by GBLUP". Nevertheless, covariates such as environmental and subpopulation effects are very common in GBLUP. Thus, it is necessary to confirm the equivalence in the general case. Recently, the concept was generalized to GWAS for epistatic effects and the new approach was termed rapid epistatic mixed-model association analysis (REMMA) because it greatly improved the computational efficiency. However, the relationship between REMMA and the standard GWAS model has not been investigated. In this study, we first provided a general mathematical proof of the equivalence between "GWAS by GBLUP" and the standard GWAS model for additive effects. Then, we compared REMMA with the standard GWAS model for epistatic effects by a theoretical investigation and by empirical data analyses. We hypothesized that the similarity of the two models is influenced by the relative contribution of additive and epistatic effects to the phenotypic variance, which was verified by empirical and simulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional data centres often require additional energy to drive air conditioning fans etc. to dissipate heat due to the serious power generation problems of servers, which in effect raises the economic costs. Seawater, with its high specific heat capacity and fluidity, offers a viable research direction for reducing economic costs, and this paper is based on this problem. The study shows that it is feasible to use containers as the main structure of the data centre. The number of servers n 860 that can be tolerated by the cooling capacity of the container without considering the limit of geometrical constraints is obtained by calculation. Secondly, in order to enhance the heat dissipation capacity of the data centre, the 6 cm straight ribbed crown fin heat dissipation enclosure is proposed to have the best heat dissipation capacity when comparing various heat dissipation enclosure configurations. A comprehensive assessment model of material properties was established, and the weights of each straight index were determined by analytic hierarchy process, and then the metals were ranked according to the specific scores of each index. The results show that nickel alloys and aluminium alloys are the most suitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is a key oxidant in atmospheric and combustion chemistry. Recently, a sensitive and state-selective ionization method has been developed for detection of the OH radical that utilizes UV excitation on the A²Σ+-X²π transition followed by fixed 118 nm vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation to access autoionizing Rydberg states [J. M. Beames et al., J. Chem. Phys. 134, 241102 (2011)]. The present study uses tunable VUV radiation generated by four-wave mixing to examine the origin of the enhanced ionization efficiency observed for OH radicals prepared in specific A²Σ+ intermediate levels. The enhancement is shown to arise from resonant excitation to distinct rotational and fine structure levels of two newly identified ²π Rydberg states with an A³π cationic core and a 3d electron followed by ionization. Spectroscopic constants are derived and effects due to uncoupling of the Rydberg electron are revealed for the OH ²π Rydberg states. The linewidths indicate a Rydberg state lifetime due to autoionization on the order of a picosecond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We formulate self-consistent field (SCF) theory in terms of an interaction picture where the working variable is the difference density matrix between the true system and a corresponding superposition of atomic densities. As the difference density matrix directly represents the electronic deformations inherent in chemical bonding, this "difference self-consistent field (dSCF)" picture provides a number of significant conceptual and computational advantages. We show that this allows for a stable and efficient dSCF iterative procedure with wholly single-precision Coulomb and exchange matrix builds. We also show that the dSCF iterative procedure can be performed with aggressive screening of the pair space. These approximations are tested and found to be accurate for systems with up to 1860 atoms and >10 000 basis functions, providing for immediate overall speedups of up to 70% in the heavily optimized TERACHEM SCF implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the atmosphere, a dominant loss process for carbonyl oxide intermediates produced from alkene ozonolysis is also an important source of hydroxyl radicals. The rate of appearance of OH radicals is revealed through direct time-domain measurements following vibrational activation of prototypical methyl-substituted Criegee intermediates under collision-free conditions. Complementary theoretical calculations predict the unimolecular decay rate for the Criegee intermediates in the vicinity of the barrier for 1,4 hydrogen transfer that leads to OH products. Both experiment and theory yield unimolecular decay rates of ca. 108 and 107 s-1 for syn-CH3CHOO and (CH3)2COO, respectively, at energies near the barrier. Tunneling through the barrier, computed from high level electronic structure theory and experimentally validated, makes a significant contribution to the decay rate. Extension to thermally averaged unimolecular decay of stabilized Criegee intermediates under atmospheric conditions yields rates that are six orders of magnitude slower than those evaluated directly in the barrier region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Half-sibling (HS) kinship testing is more difficult and complicated. This article describes a case where we sought to establish if three children with different mothers (one boy and two girls), shared a common father. The three children and their mother, as well as the suspected father's elder brother took part in the identification. To investigate the application of multiple genetic markers in HS kinship testing, autosomal STR, Y-STR, and X-STR was performed on blood samples from the individuals of interest C1 (female), M1 (mother of C1), C2 (male), M2 (mother of C2), C3 (female), M3 (mother of C3), and UC (elder brother of the suspected biological father). The 24 Y-STR haplotypes of C2 and UC were identical, confirming that they come from the same paternal line. Among the 27 X-STRs tested in C1 and C3, 18 of them had different paternal alleles, so C1 and C3 were excluded as half-sibling kinship.39 autosomal STR were calculated by ITO method, the HSI (or AI) of the pairs C1-C3, C2-C3, and C3-UC are <1, so HS kinship between C1 and C3, and between C2 and C3 can be excluded and avuncular kinship between C3 and UC can be excluded. The HSI (or AI) of the pairs C1-C2, C1-UC, and C2-UC are much >1, which may supports HS kinship between C1 and C2 and avuncular kinship between C1 and UC, and between C2 and UC.15 autosomal STR were calculated by discriminant function, DHS3 > DR3 between C1 and C2, and thus they could be HS. DHS3 < DR3 between C1 and C3, and between C2 and C3, so C1 and C3, and C2 and C3 may be unrelated individuals. Based on the above results, we can conclude that a HS relationship may be existed between C1 and C2. There may be a avuncular relationships between C1 and UC and between C2 and UC. HS relationships between C3 and C1 and between C3 and C2 as well as an avuncular relationship between C3 and UC were not supported by this study. The application of multiple genetic marker testing should be more regularly applied in the evaluation of HS and avuncular relationships. Increasing the number of related individuals tested when evaluating kinship relationships provides more data for better identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are heterogeneous tumours originating from neuroendocrine cells (Pearse & Polak, Gut, 1971, 12,783). They were once considered as rare tumours, although their annual incidence has increased significantly and now exceeds seven cases in 100 000 in the USA (Dasari, et al., JAMA oncology, 2017, 3, 1335). They are a group of highly diverse neoplasms and can be classified into the spectrum of well‐differentiated neuroendocrine tumours to poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas. This is entirely based on the tumour differentiation and grade (low, intermediate, high), which is determined by the Ki‐67/mitotic index. The lower grades (G1/2) of the well‐differentiated group are characterised by a relative indolent clinical course and the ability to secrete a variety of peptide hormones (Kloppel, Visceral medicine, 2017, 33, 324). Higher grades and poorly differentiated tumours tend to be more aggressive and have limited therapeutic options (Sorbye et al., Neuroendocrinology, 2019, 108, 54). In the modern era of immuno‐oncology, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) that target programmed cell death 1 (pembrolizumab, nivolumab), programmed cell death‐ligand1 (avelumab, atezolizumab and durvalumab) or cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein 4 (ipilimumab) have revolutionised the management of many solid tumours. In patients with gastro‐enteropancreatic (GEP)‐NENs, there is a limited data regarding the role of ICPIs either as a single agent or in combination regimens. Here, we review the current advances for ICPIs and where they fit in the management of GEP‐NENs. We review the current advances of immune check point inhibitors role in the management of neuroendocrine neoplasms of gastroenteropancreatic origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two trials were conducted with different durations and intensities of food deprivation to investigate the compensatory growth, food utilization and body composition of the ricefield eel, Monopterus albus. The different feeding protocols were tested for 64 days in two stages: experiment 1 comprised four levels of feed deprivation (1‐day starvation and one‐day refeeding (S1F1), 2‐day starvation and 2‐day‐ refeeding (S2F2), 4‐day starvation and 4‐day refeeding (S4F4), 8‐day starvation and 8‐day refeeding (S8F8)) and a control level (daily feeding). Experiment 2 comprised three levels of deprivation (1‐day starvation and 2‐day refeeding [S1F2], 1‐day starvation and 3‐day refeeding [S1F3], and 1‐day starvation and 4‐day refeeding [S1F4]). In experiment 1, the final body weight and specific growth rate (SGR) of the fish in all feed deprivation groups were significantly lower than those of the control; however, the feeding rate (FR) in all feed deprivation groups was significantly higher than that of the control. The feed efficiency (FE) in the feed deprivation groups was significantly lower than those of the control. In experiment 2, the final body weight and SGR in S1F3 and S1F4 approached the mean weight of the control. FR increased in S1F3 and S1F4, but FE did not differ among groups and was higher than in experiment 1, indicating that feed utilization efficiency increased with prolonged refeeding time. Overall, under the experimental conditions, feed restriction for 1 day followed by longer refeeding might represent an adequate management strategy in M. albus rearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inhibitory and bactericidal activities of thyme oil against the foodborne multiple antibiotics-resistant Enterococcus faecalis biofilm were evaluated in this study. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that more than 70% of the composition of thyme oil is thymol. Crystal violet staining assay showed that 128 and 256 mg/mL thyme oil significantly inhibited the biofilm formation of E. faecalis. The cell adherence of E. faecalis, as shown by its swimming and swarming motilities, was reduced by thyme oil. The exopolysaccharide (EPS) quantification assay showed that thyme oil inhibited the EPS synthesis in E. faecalis biofilms. The 3D-view observations through confocal laser scanning and scanning electron microscopy suggested that cell adherence and biofilm thickness were decreased in thyme oil-treated biofilms. Quantitative real-time analyses showed that the transcription of ebp and epa gene clusters, which were related to cell mobility and EPS production, was inhibited by thyme oil. Thus, thyme oil effectively inhibited the biofilm formation of E. faecalis by affecting cell adherence and EPS synthesis. Furthermore, 2,048 and 4,096 mg/mL thyme oil can effectively inactivate E. faecalis population in the mature E. faecalis biofilms by 5.75 and 7.20 log CFU/mL, respectively, after 30 min of treatment. Thus, thyme oil at different concentrations can be used as an effective antibiofilm or germicidal agent to control E. faecalis biofilms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most malign brain tumors in adults. Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral chemotherapy drug constituting the backbone of chemotherapy regimens utilized as first-line treatment of GBM. However, resistance to TMZ often leads to treatment failure. In the present study, we explored the expression and related mechanisms of nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) in glioma stem cells (GSCs). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that NEAT1 was up-regulated in serum samples of GBM patients and GSCs isolated from U87, U251 cell lines. Functional experiments showed that NEAT1 knockdown restrained malignant behaviors of GSC, including proliferation, migration and invasion. Dual-luciferase assays identified let-7g-5p was a downstream target and negatively adjusted by NEAT1. Restoration of let-7g-5p impeded tumor progression by inhibiting proliferation, migration and invasion. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 1 (MAP3K1), as a direct target of let-7g-5p, was positively regulated by NEAT1 and involved to affect the regulation of NEAT1 on GSCs' behaviors. In conclusion, our results suggested that NEAT1 promoted GSCs progression via NEAT1/let-7g-5p/MAP3K1 axis, which provided a depth insight into TMZ resistance mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the possibility of spin polarization in graphene. The result shows that a spin energy gap can be opened in the presence of both spin-orbit coupling and strain. We find that high spin polarization with large spin-polarized current is achieved in the spin energy gap. However, only one of the two modulations is present, no spin polarization can be generated. So the combination of the two modulations provides a way to design tunable spin polarization without need for a magnetic element or an external magnetic field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With nicotine dependence being a significant healthcare issue worldwide there is a growing interest in developing novel therapies and diagnostic aids to assist in treating nicotine addiction. Glutamate (Glu) plays an important role in cognitive function regulation in a wide range of conditions including traumatic brain injury, aging, and addiction. Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging via ultra-high field MRI can image the exchange of certain saturated labile protons with the surrounding bulk water pool, making the technique a novel tool to investigate glutamate in the context of addiction. The aim of this work was to apply glutamate weighted CEST (GluCEST) imaging to study the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in a small population of smokers and non-smokers to determine its effectiveness as a biomarker of nicotine use. Methods: 2D GluCEST images were acquired on 20 healthy participants: 10 smokers (ages 29–50) and 10 non-smokers (ages 25–69), using a 7T MRI system. T1-weighted images were used to segment the GluCEST images into white and gray matter tissue and further into seven gray matter regions. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests were performed, comparing mean GluCEST contrast between smokers and non-smokers across brain regions. Results: GluCEST levels were similar between smokers and non-smokers; however, there was a moderate negative age dependence (R2 = 0.531) in smokers within the cingulate gyrus. Conclusion: Feasibility of GluCEST imaging was demonstrated for in vivo investigation of smokers and non-smokers to assess glutamate contrast differences as a potential biomarker with a moderate negative age correlation in the cingulate gyrus suggesting reward network involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huisgen's 1960 announcement of the concept of 1,3‐dipolar cycloadditions was published the year before Alder's study of the reaction of diazomethane and dimethylfulvene. The diazomethane reaction was studied again in 1970 by Houk et al. and shown to give a [6+4] adduct. Padwa's nitrile ylide cycloaddition to dimethylfulvene (1978) gave [6+4] and [4+2] adducts. We performed computational studies of these reactions with density functional theory (DFT) and show that they involve ambimodal [6+4]/[4+2] transition states that can lead to either type of cycloadduct from one transition state. We dedicate this paper to the extraordinary life and humanity of Rolf Huisgen, and to the undying influence of his discoveries on chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: Brain imaging genetics studies the complex associations between genotypic data such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and imaging quantitative traits (QTs). The neurodegenerative disorders usually exhibit the diversity and heterogeneity, originating from which different diagnostic groups might carry distinct imaging QTs, SNPs and their interactions. Sparse canonical correlation analysis (SCCA) is widely used to identify bimultivariate genotype–phenotype associations. However, most existing SCCA methods are unsupervised, leading to an inability to identify diagnosis-specific genotype–phenotype associations. Results: In this article, we propose a new joint multitask learning method, named MT–SCCALR, which absorbs the merits of both SCCA and logistic regression. MT–SCCALR learns genotype–phenotype associations of multiple tasks jointly, with each task focusing on identifying one diagnosis-specific genotype–phenotype pattern. Meanwhile, MT– SCCALR cannot only select relevant SNPs and imaging QTs for each diagnostic group alone, but also allows the selection of those shared by multiple diagnostic groups. We derive an efficient optimization algorithm whose convergence to a local optimum is guaranteed. Compared with two state-of-the-art methods, MT–SCCALR yields better or similar canonical correlation coefficients and classification performances. In addition, it owns much better discriminative canonical weight patterns of great interest than competitors. This demonstrates the power and capability of MTSCCAR in identifying diagnostically heterogeneous genotype–phenotype patterns, which would be helpful to understand the pathophysiology of brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-dimensional materials from layered van der Waals (vdW) crystals hold great promise for electronic, optoelectronic, and quantum devices, but technological implementation will be hampered by the lack of high-throughput techniques for exfoliating single-crystal monolayers with sufficient size and high quality. Here, we report a facile method to disassemble vdW single crystals layer by layer into monolayers with near-unity yield and with dimensions limited only by bulk crystal sizes. The macroscopic monolayers are comparable in quality to microscopic monolayers from conventional Scotch tape exfoliation. The monolayers can be assembled into macroscopic artificial structures, including transition metal dichalcogenide multilayers with broken inversion symmetry and substantially enhanced nonlinear optical response. This approach takes us one step closer to mass production of macroscopic monolayers and bulk-like artificial materials with controllable properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we shall study unilateral global bifurcation phenomenon for the following homogeneous Kirchhoff type problem (− ∫R 1 0∣u'∣2dx)u'' = λu3 + h(x, u, λ) in (0, 1),u(0) = u(1) = 0.As application of bifurcation result, we shall determine the interval of λ in which there exist nodal solutions for the following homogeneous Kirchhoff type problem (−∫R 10∣u'∣2dx)u'' = λ f(x, u) in (0, 1),u(0) = u(1) = 0,where f is asymptotically cubic at zero and infinity. To do this, we also establish a complete characterization of the spectrum of a homogeneous nonlocal eigenvalue problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the aromatic hydroxylation mechanism of the [Cu2(H-XYL)O2]2+ complex mediated by a peroxo dicopper core and Cu-ligand effects are investigated by using hybrid density functional theory (DFT) and the broken symmetry B3LYP method. Based on the calculated free-energy profiles, we proposed two available mechanisms. The first reaction steps of both mechanisms involve concerted O--O bond cleavage and C--O bond formation and the second step involves the Wagner--Meerwein rearrangement of the substrate by a [1,2] H shift (HA shift from CA to CC) or (HA shift from CA to OA) across the phenyl ring to form stable dienone intermediates, and this is followed by the protonation of bridging oxygen atoms to produce the final hydroxylated dicopper(II) product. The HA shift from CA to CC mechanism is the energetically most favorable, in which the first reaction step is the rate-limiting reaction, with a calculated free-energy barrier of 19.0 kcal mol-1 and a deuterium kinetic isotope effect of 1.0, in agreement with experimental observations. The calculation also shows that the reaction started from the Ptype species of [Cu2(H-XYL)O2]2+ which is capable of mediating the direct hydroxylation of aromatic substrates without the intermediacy of an O-type species. Finally, we designed some new complexes with different Cu-ligands and found the complex that computationally possesses a higher activity in mediating the hydroxylation of the ligand based aromatic substrate; here, Cu loses a pyridyl ligand donor by dissociation, compared to the [Cu2(H-XYL)O2]2+ complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in the density of high-rise buildings is making urban air flow increasingly complex, and the wind environment conditions in urban public spaces are considerably changing. At present, few studies focus on the relationship between wind environment and the master plan of urban public spaces or attempt to improve the wind environment of public spaces from a landscape design perspective. To resolve this gap in information, this study explored the relationship among wind speed, seasonal comfort level in Nanjing, and different types of planting patterns. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software was used to quantify the seasonal wind environment of Xuanwumen Square in Nanjing. Three planting designs were created on the basis of the results, and their CFD results were compared among one another. Comparison results show that the second planting design provides the best wind environment, and its comfort levels are 2.26, 1.92, and 2.09 out of 5 in winter, summer, and total. Understanding of the relationship among different landscape designs and their impacts on wind environment supports designers in improving the wind environment of Xuanwumen Square in Nanjing. This study provides new insights into relating urban public space design with the quantitative research of wind environment in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]