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This study developed a new tool, differential staining fluorescence microscopy (DSFM), to measure the biovolume and track the location of enteric pathogens in mixed-species biofilms which can pose a risk to food safety in beef processing facilities. DSFM was employed to examine the impact of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and three different Salmonella enterica strains on mixed-species biofilms of beef processing facilities. Fourteen floor drain biofilm samples from three beef processing plants were incubated with overnight BacLight stained enteric pathogens at 7 °C for 5 days on stainless steel surface then counter-stained with FM-1-43 biofilm stain and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. Notable variations in biovolume of biofilms were observed across the fourteen samples. The introduction of E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica strains resulted in diverse alterations of biofilm biovolume, suggesting distinct impacts on mixed-species biofilms by different enteric pathogens which were revealed to be located in the upper layer of the mixed-species biofilms. Pathogen strain growth curve comparisons and verification of BacLight Red Stain staining effectiveness were validated. The findings of this study show that the DSFM method is a promising approach to studying the location of enteric pathogens within mixed-species biofilms recovered from processing facilities. Understanding how foodborne pathogens interact with biofilms will allow for improved targeted antimicrobial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the detection speed of cow mounting behavior and the lightness of the model in dense scenes, this study proposes a lightweight rapid detection system for cow mounting behavior. Using the concept of EfficientNetV2, a lightweight backbone network is designed using an attention mechanism, inverted residual structure, and depth-wise separable convolution. Next, a feature enhancement module is designed using residual structure, efficient attention mechanism, and Ghost convolution. Finally, YOLOv5s, the lightweight backbone network, and the feature enhancement module are combined to construct a lightweight rapid recognition model for cow mounting behavior. Multiple cameras were installed in a barn with 200 cows to obtain 3343 images that formed the cow mounting behavior dataset. Based on the experimental results, the inference speed of the model put forward in this study is as high as 333.3 fps, the inference time per image is 4.1 ms, and the model mAP value is 87.7%. The mAP value of the proposed model is shown to be 2.1% higher than that of YOLOv5s, the inference speed is 0.47 times greater than that of YOLOv5s, and the model weight is 2.34 times less than that of YOLOv5s. According to the obtained results, the model proposed in the current work shows high accuracy and inference speed and acquires the automatic detection of cow mounting behavior in dense scenes, which would be beneficial for the all-weather real-time monitoring of multi-channel cameras in large cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the detection speed of cow mounting behavior and the lightness of the model in dense scenes, this study proposes a lightweight rapid detection system for cow mounting behavior. Using the concept of EfficientNetV2, a lightweight backbone network is designed using an attention mechanism, inverted residual structure, and depth-wise separable convolution. Next, a feature enhancement module is designed using residual structure, efficient attention mechanism, and Ghost convolution. Finally, YOLOv5s, the lightweight backbone network, and the feature enhancement module are combined to construct a lightweight rapid recognition model for cow mounting behavior. Multiple cameras were installed in a barn with 200 cows to obtain 3343 images that formed the cow mounting behavior dataset. Based on the experimental results, the inference speed of the model put forward in this study is as high as 333.3 fps, the inference time per image is 4.1 ms, and the model mAP value is 87.7%. The mAP value of the proposed model is shown to be 2.1% higher than that of YOLOv5s, the inference speed is 0.47 times greater than that of YOLOv5s, and the model weight is 2.34 times less than that of YOLOv5s. According to the obtained results, the model proposed in the current work shows high accuracy and inference speed and acquires the automatic detection of cow mounting behavior in dense scenes, which would be beneficial for the all-weather real-time monitoring of multi-channel cameras in large cattle farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) is a potential protocol that is not only immune to all possible detector side channel attacks, but also breaks the repeaterless rate-transmittance bound without needing global phase locking. Here we analyze the finite-key effect for the MP-QKD protocol with rigorous security proof against general attacks. Moreover, we propose a six-state MP-QKD protocol and analyze its finite-key effect. The results show that the original protocol can break the repeaterless rate-transmittance bound with a typical finite number of pulses in practice. And our six-state protocol can improve the secret key rate significantly in long distance cases. Mode-pairing quantum key distribution (MP-QKD) is a potential protocol. Here the authors analyze the finite-key effect for the MPQKD protocol with rigorous security proof against general attacks. And they propose a six-state MP-QKD protocol and analyze its finite key effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a new tool, differential staining fluorescence microscopy (DSFM), to measure the biovolume and track the location of enteric pathogens in mixed-species biofilms which can pose a risk to food safety in beef processing facilities. DSFM was employed to examine the impact of pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and three different Salmonella enterica strains on mixed-species biofilms of beef processing facilities. Fourteen floor drain biofilm samples from three beef processing plants were incubated with overnight BacLight stained enteric pathogens at 7 °C for 5 days on stainless steel surface then counter-stained with FM-1-43 biofilm stain and analyzed using fluorescence microscopy. Notable variations in biovolume of biofilms were observed across the fourteen samples. The introduction of E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica strains resulted in diverse alterations of biofilm biovolume, suggesting distinct impacts on mixed-species biofilms by different enteric pathogens which were revealed to be located in the upper layer of the mixed-species biofilms. Pathogen strain growth curve comparisons and verification of BacLight Red Stain staining effectiveness were validated. The findings of this study show that the DSFM method is a promising approach to studying the location of enteric pathogens within mixed-species biofilms recovered from processing facilities. Understanding how foodborne pathogens interact with biofilms will allow for improved targeted antimicrobial interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When plates with edge cracks in the rolling process is straightened by cyclic tensile and compressive stress, the tip of edge crack always accompanied by stress concentration, which leads to crack propagation. In this paper, damage parameters are imported into the plate straightening model based on determining the GTN damage parameters of magnesium alloy materials by inverse finite element calibration method, the influence of different straightening process schemes and prefabricated V-shaped crack geometry on crack growth is analyzed through the way of the combination of simulation and straightening experiment. The results show that the peak values of equivalent stress and equivalent strain under each straightening roll appear at the crack tip. The value of longitudinal stress and equivalent stain decrease with the distance to crack tip becomes larger. The peak value of longitudinal stress appears when the crack circumferential angle is about 100°, and the crack tip is easy to form crack propagation; when the plate passes roll 2 and roll 4, the equivalent stress and strain concentration at the crack tip are most obvious; when the reduction reaches a certain degree, the void volume fraction (VVF) reaches the VVF of the material breaking; with the increase of the entrance reduction, the number of VVF at the crack tip which reaches the material fracture increases, and the length of crack propagation increases; the stress concentration at the tip of V-shaped crack with large length–width ratio is obvious, and the VVF is more likely to reach the VVF at the time of material fracture, crack initiates and propagates easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the interest in the potential pharmacological application of dandelion, the chemical constituents and activities of Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz were studied. Box–Behnken response surface methodology was employed to optimize the protocol for extraction of flavonoid from dandelion. The molecular structures of different flavonoid compounds were acquired and analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Several major flavonoid compounds were isolated and purified, namely, hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside, hesperetin-7-glucuronide, kaempferol-3-glucoside, baicalein, hyperseroside, which were extracted for the first time from dandelion. Hesperetin-5′-O-β-rhamnoglucoside was identified as a new type of flavonoid that had never reported in the literature. This new flavonoid has outstanding antioxidant activity, as shown by its IC50 value (8.72 mg/L) for scavenging DPPH free radicals. The determination of the structure-related antioxidant activities could be interpreted based on DFT calculations. As such, we have not only illustrated the rich flavonoid contents in Taraxacum mongolicum Hand.-Mazz, but also revealed new types of flavonoid compounds in dandelion in terms of structure and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of cancer in children (age 0–14 years); however, the etiology remains incompletely understood. Several environmental exposures have been linked to risk of childhood ALL, including air pollution. Closely related to air pollution and human development is artificial light at night (ALAN), which is believed to disrupt circadian rhythm and impact health. We sought to evaluate outdoor ALAN and air pollution on risk of childhood ALL. The California Linkage Study of Early-Onset Cancers is a large population-based case–control in California that identifies and links cancer diagnoses from the California Cancer Registry to birth records. For each case, 50 controls with the same year of birth were obtained from birth records. A total of 2,782 ALL cases and 139,100 controls were identified during 2000–2015. ALAN was assessed with the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness and air pollution with an ensemble-based air pollution model of particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). After adjusting for known and suspected risk factors, the highest tertile of ALAN was associated with an increased risk of ALL in Hispanic children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.32). There also appeared to be a borderline association between PM2.5 level and risk of ALL among non-Hispanic White children (OR per 10 µg/m3 = 1.24, 95% CI 0.98–1.56). We observed elevated risk of ALL in Hispanic children residing in areas of greater ALAN. Further work is needed to understand the role of ALAN and air pollution in the etiology of childhood ALL in different racial/ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple speaker localization and tracking in noisy and reverberant environments is a challenging task. A distributed multiple speaker tracking method based on unscented particle filter and data association is proposed in microphone array networks. First, the generalized cross correlation (GCC) function is estimated at each node and the time difference of arrival (TDOA) is viewed as observation for tracking. Considering the ambiguity of the observations caused by the interference of other acoustic sources and multipath, the data association technique is used at each node to associate the available observations with each speaker. Then according to the characteristics of GCC function, the association probability of valid observations for each speaker is calculated by combining the amplitude of the valid observations with the statistical distance. After that, the local state of speakers is obtained at each node based on unscented particle filter. Finally, according to the reliability of the local state of each node, a dynamic weighted consensus fusion algorithm is presented to approximate the global state estimation and obtain good multiple speakers tracking performance. The proposed method can track multiple speakers under reverberant and noisy environments in a distributed manner and is scalable and robust against node failure in DMA. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive, heterogeneous rare disease manifesting as ATTR polyneuropathy (ATTR-PN), ATTR cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM), or a mixed phenotype. Tafamidis meglumine (20 mg po qd) is approved in some markets to delay neurologic progression in ATTR-PN, while high-dose tafamidis (80/61 mg po qd) is approved worldwide to reduce cardiovascular mortality and cardiovascular-related hospitalization in ATTR-CM. The objective of this study was to assess the real-world benefit of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic progression in patients with mixed-phenotype variant ATTR-CM (ATTRv-CM). Methods: This exploratory, retrospective, observational cohort study evaluated anonymized electronic medical records and included adult patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM treated with high-dose tafamidis for at least 6 months. Neurologic assessments included the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength, Neuropathy Impairment Score (NIS) muscle weakness subscale, and Polyneuropathy Disability (PND) instrument. Modified body mass index (mBMI) was also assessed. Results: Patients (N = 10) started tafamidis treatment an average of 3.8 months after diagnosis, with an average treatment duration of 20.8 months. Seven of 10 patients demonstrated normal muscle strength on the MRC scale throughout the study, and 9 of 10 patients had no decline in muscle strength during the post-treatment period. The NIS muscle weakness subscale score was ≤ 60 for all patients in the study at all time points, suggesting normal function to mild impairment. Six of 10 patients had no change in walking capacity as measured by the PND instrument at pre- and post-assessments, while one-third of patients had a decrease in PND stage (signaling improvement) from pre- to post-assessment. mBMI remained relatively stable throughout the study. Conclusion: This is the first real-world study to demonstrate the potential value of high-dose tafamidis for delaying neurologic disease progression in patients with mixed-phenotype ATTRv-CM. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary assessment for patients with ATTR amyloidosis. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05139680. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, prognostic biomarkers of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are fewer. The aim of this study was to explore the predictive value of soluble osteoclast-associated receptor (sOSCAR) level for the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurring within 30 days after ACS. From January to August 2020, a total of 108 patients with ACS who were admitted to our hospital, were enrolled in this study. Of the 108 patients, 79 were men and 29 women. Patient-related data, including age, sex, body mass index, history of type 2 diabetes, history of hyperlipidemia and serum sOSCAR level, were collected. All patients were followed up for 30 days. Based on MACE occurrence, the 108 patients were divided into MACE group (n = 17) and non-MACE group (n = 91). The baseline data were compared between the two groups, MACE-independent risk factors were identified by multivariate regression analysis, and the predictive value of sOSCAR for MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. At the same time, according to the type of ACS, the 108 patients with ACS were divided into unstable angina (UA) group (n = 29), non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (USTEMI) group (n = 45) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group (n = 34), and then the sOSCAR level and MACE incidence were observed in each group. The serum sOSCAR level was significantly lower in the MACE group [130(100,183)] than in the non-MACE group [301(220,370)] (P = 0.000). The area under ROC curve of sOSCAR level for MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS was 0.860 with 95%CI 0.782–0.919, P < 0.001. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that the sOSCAR level was an independent risk factor for the MACE occurring within 30 days after CAS (OR 0.26, 95%CI 0.087–0.777, P = 0.04). The MACE incidence (0%) was the lowest but the sOSCAR level was the highest in the UA group, while in the STEMI group, the MACE incidence (23.53%) was the higest but the sOSCAR level was the lowest among the UA, STEMI and NSTEMI groups. Serum sOSCAR level may be used as a predictor of MACE occurring within the short-term after ACS. The higher the sOSCAR level, the lower the MACE incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Puma Yumco Lake (PYL) is an ultraoligotrophic freshwater lake that sits an altitude of 5030 m within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. The bacterial and archaeal diversity of the lake remains poorly understood, despite their potential to inform on biogeochemical cycling and environment-microbial associations in these unique environments. Here, the bacterial and archaeal communities of PYL were investigated using high-throughput sequencing analysis of community 16S rRNA gene sequences. Further, the relationships among dominant taxa and environmental factors were comprehensively evaluated. Bacterial diversity comprised 31 phyla and 371 genera (10,645 operational taxonomic units [OTUs], Shannon index values of 5.21–6.16) and was significantly higher than that of Archaea (five phyla and 24 genera comprising 1141 OTUs and Shannon index values of 1.18–3.28). The bacterial communities were dominated by Proteobacteria (48.42–59.97% relative abundances), followed by Bacteroidetes (12.5–32.51%), Acidobacteria (2.07–11.56%), Firmicutes (0.65–6.32%), Planctomycetes (0.99–3.56%), Gemmatimonadetes (0.38–3.57%), Actinobacteria (1.67–3.52%), Verrucomicrobia (0.87–2.01%), and Chloroflexi (0.5–1.17%). In addition, archaeal communities were dominated by Thaumarchaeota (33.22–93.00%), followed by Euryarchaeota (2.89–35.47%), Woesearchaeota (0.99–31.04%), and Pacearchaeota (0.01–1.14%). The most abundant bacterial genus was Rhodoferax (5.73–26.62%) and the most abundant archaeal genus was the ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaera (29.18–91.46%). These results suggest that the Rhodoferax and Nitrososphaera are likely to participate in biogeochemical cycles in these environments through photoheterotrophy and nitrification, respectively. Taken together, these results provide valuable data for better understanding microbial interactions with each other and with these unique environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the gluon distribution functions of the pion and kaon in small-x and large-x regions, and compare them with the results obtained from lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. Whether in the small-x region or the large-x region, our gluon distribution of the pion is consistent with the results of lattice QCD and continuum Schwinger function methods. We also calculate the first four moments of gluon distributions of the pion and kaon at different Q 2 scales. In addition, we present the mass decomposition of the pion and kaon with the dynamical parton distribution functions calculated by the DGLAP equation with parton–parton recombination corrections. The mass structures of the pion and kaon are completely different from that of the proton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trace of the stress tensor characterizes the transformation of a theory under rescaling. In quantum chromodynamics (QCD), this trace contains contributions from the bare masses of the quarks and also from a purely quantum effect, called the QCD trace anomaly. It affects all masses in the theory. We present an estimation of the QCD trace anomaly from the near-threshold J / Ψ photo-production data of the GlueX experiment, at JLab. We apply a vector meson dominance model to describe the photo-production of J / Ψ and a running strong coupling which includes the nonperturbative effects in the low μ 2 region. Despite the large uncertainty, we find that the experimental data favors a small value of the trace anomaly parameter b = 0.07 ± 0.17 . We report the resulting proton mass decompositions at μ 2 = 0.41 GeV 2 and μ 2 = 4 GeV 2 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We designed this study to assess if surgical safety can be improved by intraoperative use of intraocular lens (IOL) for cataract phacoemulsification. We performed phacoemulsification cataract removal on 401 patients. We randomly assigned these patients into three groups: the standard setting (Group I, n = 134), with reduced vacuum and flow rate (Group II, n = 137), and with IOL insertion before the last quadrant was emulsified with standard setting (Group III, n = 130). The primary outcomes included the risk of posterior capsular rupture (PCR), ultrasound time, energy, and complications. The secondary outcomes included central corneal thickness (CCT), CCT changes, endothelial cells (ETC) counting, ETC loss, and the best corrected distance visual acuity (BCVA) measured on day 1, day 7 and day 30. If PCR occurred, we emulsified the residual lens materials after insertion of IOL and clean of the prolapsed vitreous. We found that the risk of PCR in Group III (0/130) was lower than Group I (9/134, corrected relative risk (RR) = 18.44, 95% CI: 1.08–313.56) and Group II (3/137, corrected RR = 6.64, 95% CI: 0.35–27.41). Group III showed better BCVA on day 1 and 7, less ECC loss on day 7 and 30, and less CCT increase on day 1 and 7. No cases converted to extracapsular cataract extraction. No residual lens materials misdirected into vitreous cavity. Intraoperative use of IOL can improve surgical safety for dense cataract phacoemulsification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a GdBaCo2O5+δ–Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (GBCO–SDC) composite cathode was prepared by the impregnation method with GdBaCo2O5+δ (GBCO) as the impregnating phase and Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) as the cathode skeleton. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed a good chemical compatibility between GBCO and SDC, and there were no obvious impurities at high temperature. The particle size of GBCO was approximately 80 nm. The continuous GBCO phase was deposited on the surface of porous SDC backbones, which greatly improved the electrochemical activity of the cathode. The polarization resistance of GBCO–SDC-impregnated cathode was 0.50 Ω cm2 at 600 °C, which was only ~ 28.6% of that of pure GBCO cathode. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at GBCO cathode mainly involved the adsorption–dissociation of oxygen molecules and charge-transfer process of oxygen atoms. The two ORR rate-controlling steps were the adsorption–dissociation process at 500–600 °C and the charge-transfer processes at 600–700 °C, respectively. The oxygen reduction reaction at GBCO–SDC-impregnated cathode mainly involved the diffusion of oxygen ions through the three phase boundaries and the charge transfer of oxygen atoms, in which the charge-transfer process was always the ORR rate-controlling step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was undertaken to investigate the association of 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein (GRP78) gene promoter polymorphisms with risk of asthenozoospermia (AZS) men. In addition, we performed association analysis between GRP78 promoter mutations and serum GRP78 level in asthenozoospermia.Methods: The study population comprised 400 subjects with AZS patients and 400 healthy controls. We assessed GRP78 rs3216733, rs17840761, and rs17840762 polymorphisms by using Snapshot SNP genotyping assays; serum GRP78 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Semen quality was assessed by computer-assisted semen analysis.Results: We found that rs3216733 was associated with increased risk of AZS (Gd vs. dd: adjusted OR = 1.42, 95% CI, 1.06-1.93, P = 0.020; Gd/GG vs. dd: adjusted OR = 1.43, 95% CI, 1.08-1.91, P = 0.013; G vs. d adjusted OR = 1.26, 95% CI, 1.03-1.56, P = 0.027). The haplotype analyses showed the frequency of G-C-C haplotype was significantly higher in AZS (P = 0.026). The percentage of progressive motility sperm was lower in the asthenozoospermic men with Gd and Gd/GG genotypes than dd genotype (P = 0.003). Moreover, the serum GRP78 levels were significantly lower in rs3216733 Gd/GG genotypes compared with the dd genotype (P < 0.001).Conclusion: Our findings suggest that rs3216733 Gd/GG genotypes contribute to poor sperm motility, probably by decreasing the level of GRP78. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with nonlinear free vibration of reticulated shallow spherical shells taking into account the effect of transverse shear deformation. The shell is formed by beam members placed in two orthogonal directions. The nondimensional fundamental governing equations in terms of the deflection, rotational angle, and force function are presented, and the solution for the nonlinear free frequency is derived by using the asymptotic iteration method. The asymptotic solution can be used readily to perform the parameter analysis of such space structures with numerous geometrical and material parameters. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the characteristic amplitude-frequency relation and softening and hardening nonlinear behaviors as well as the effect of transverse shear on the linear and nonlinear frequencies of reticulated shells and plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior is one of the important factors reflecting the health status of dairy cows, and when dairy cows encounter health problems, they exhibit different behavioral characteristics. Therefore, identifying dairy cow behavior not only helps in assessing their physiological health and disease treatment but also improves cow welfare, which is very important for the development of animal husbandry. The method of relying on human eyes to observe the behavior of dairy cows has problems such as high labor costs, high labor intensity, and high fatigue rates. Therefore, it is necessary to explore more effective technical means to identify cow behaviors more quickly and accurately and improve the intelligence level of dairy cow farming. Automatic recognition of dairy cow behavior has become a key technology for diagnosing dairy cow diseases, improving farm economic benefits and reducing animal elimination rates. Recently, deep learning for automated dairy cow behavior identification has become a research focus. However, in complex farming environments, dairy cow behaviors are characterized by multiscale features due to large scenes and long data collection distances. Traditional behavior recognition models cannot accurately recognize similar behavior features of dairy cows, such as those with similar visual characteristics, i.e., standing and walking. The behavior recognition method based on 3D convolution solves the problem of small visual feature differences in behavior recognition. However, due to the large number of model parameters, long inference time, and simple data background, it cannot meet the demand for real-time recognition of dairy cow behaviors in complex breeding environments. To address this, we developed an effective yet lightweight model for fast and accurate dairy cow behavior feature learning from video data. We focused on four common behaviors: standing, walking, lying, and mounting. We recorded videos of dairy cow behaviors at a dairy farm containing over one hundred cows using surveillance cameras. A robust model was built using a complex background dataset. We proposed a two-pathway X3DFast model based on spatiotemporal behavior features. The X3D and fast pathways were laterally connected to integrate spatial and temporal features. The X3D pathway extracted spatial features. The fast pathway with R(2 + 1)D convolution decomposed spatiotemporal features and transferred effective spatial features to the X3D pathway. An action model further enhanced X3D spatial modeling. Experiments showed that X3DFast achieved 98.49% top-1 accuracy, outperforming similar methods in identifying the four behaviors. The method we proposed can effectively identify similar dairy cow behaviors while improving inference speed, providing technical support for subsequent dairy cow behavior recognition and daily behavior statistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, peer-to-peer (P2P) as a means of content distribution and sharing service are receiving extensive attention. In this paper, the hybrid P2P network structure model is combined with the knowledge of queueing theory. In order to address the problem generated by unnecessary online behavior of nodes, the working sleep mechanism for the serving nodes is introduced, and the synchronous multiple working vacation strategy is also adopted to decrease the system energy consumption. Then a queueing model with working vacation and repairable fault is built, which used to simulate the resource transmission process of P2P network and to study the performance of P2P sharing system. The steady-state probability vector is derived by employing quasi-birth-and-death process and matrix-geometric solution method. And the expressions for system performance indicators, such as the average delay, are obtained by employing Gauss–Seidel iteration method. Through numerical experiments, the performance indicators of the P2P resource sharing system are studied, which provides a theoretical basis to decrease online energy consumption of nodes in the hybrid P2P network. And through employing Nash equilibrium and social optimal strategy, the value of the social maximum benefit under the social optimization is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ectoine has gained considerable attention as a high-value chemical with significant application potential and market demand. This study aimed to increase ectoine yields by blocking the metabolic shunt pathway of l-aspartate-4-semialdehyde, the precursor substrate in ectoine synthesis. The homoserine dehydrogenase encoded by hom in H. campaniensis strain XH26 is responsible for the metabolic shunt of l-aspartate-4-semialdehyde to glycine. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to seamlessly knockout hom, blocking the metabolic shunt pathway to increase ectoine yields. The ectoine yield of XH26/Δhom was 351.13 mg (g CDW)−1 after 48 h of incubation in 500 mL shake flasks using optimal medium with 1.5 mol L−1 NaCl, which was significantly higher than the 239.18 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. Additionally, the absence of the ectoine metabolic shunt pathway affects betaine synthesis, and thus the betaine yields of XH26/Δhom was 19.98 mg (g CDW)−1, considerably lower than the 69.58 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. Batch fermentation parameters were optimized, and the wild-type strain and XH26/Δhom were fermented in 3 L fermenters, resulting in a high ectoine yield of 587.09 mg (g CDW)−1 for the defective strain, which was significantly greater than the ectoine yield of 385.03 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. This study showed that blocking the metabolic shunt of synthetic substrates effectively increases ectoine production, and a reduction in the competitively compatible solute betaine appears to promote increased ectoine synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently developed Arrhenius formula of the modified Sutherland equation was applied to calculate the self- and impurity diffusivities for liquid pure elements in the Ag-Al-Cu system. Based on all kinds of diffusivities from the literature and the present work together with the reliable thermodynamic description of the liquid phase available in the literature, the atomic mobilities in the Ag-Al-Cu melts were evaluated using the DIffusion-Controlled TRAnsformations (DICTRA) software package. Comprehensive comparisons between the calculated results and the experimentally measured data show that most of the diffusivities from different sources can be well reproduced by the atomic mobilities obtained in the present work. The atomic mobilities were further verified by comparing the model-predicted concentration profiles and the measured ones in two liquid Ag-Al-Cu diffusion couples. Furthermore, on the basis of the established thermodynamic and atomic mobility databases, the univariant and invariant eutectic solidification in ternary Ag-Al-Cu alloys were also successfully simulated using DICTRA with the aid of a newly designed geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitoring the level of glucose and glycerol or their labeled derivatives in biological fluid for kinetic studies has always been challenging, especially in mice, because of the limited volume in addition to the complexity of plasma. For such application, we developed a simple, fast, and sensitive method for the simultaneous measurement of absolute concentrations of labeled H-glycerol and C-glucose as well as endogenous D-glucose using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In our study, 15.0 μL of mouse plasma was processed by a one-step protein precipitation, followed by LC-MS/MS analysis. The quantification of the analytes was carried out by monitoring the product ion scan of their corresponding deprotonated molecular ions and constructing the extracted ion fragmentogram by choosing a specific product ion for each analyte (equivalent to precursor ion to product ion transitions). The limit of detection (LOD) was evaluated to be 1.0 μM for both H-glycerol and C-glucose, and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was observed to be 5.0 μM for both H-glycerol and C-glucose in diluted mice plasma that corresponds to 50 μM in plasma or 4.60 and 9.01 mg/dL of glycerol and glucose in plasma, respectively. The extraction recoveries are 81.9 % (CV = 8.1 %) for H-glycerol and 26.2 % (CV = 13.6 %) for C-glucose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By means of the solid-solid diffusion couples together with the electron probe microanalysis technique and Matano-Kirkaldy method, mole fraction interdiffusion coefficients in fcc Cu-Ag-Al alloys at 1073 K were measured. Based on the experimentally determined mole fraction interdiffusion coefficients as well as thermodynamic description of fcc phase, atomic mobilities of Ag, Al and Cu in fcc Cu-Ag-Al alloys were assessed by means of DIffusion-Controlled TRAnsformations software package. The calculated interdiffusivities based on the assessed atomic mobilities agree well with all the experimental data. The reliability of the presently obtained atomic mobilities was further verified by comprehensive comparisons between various model-predicted diffusion properties and the experimental data, including concentration profiles, interdiffusion fluxes and diffusion paths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteria play important roles in mineral weathering, element mobilization, and soil formation. However, little is known about the mineral-weathering bacteria in subsurface soil environments. In this study, a total of 360 bacterial isolates were isolated from the different horizons of a soil profile and characterized for their mineral-weathering abilities and diversity along the soil profile. Among the 360 isolates, 226 isolates were found to have the ability to weather biotite. The average of released Fe, Si, and Al were significantly higher by the isolates from deeper horizons than from upper horizons. Although the proportion of the highly effective Fe solubilizers was not significantly different among the different horizons, the proportion of the highly effective Si and Al solubilizers was significantly higher in the deeper horizons than in the upper horizons. Furthermore, the element-releasing patterns of the mineral-weathering bacteria were different among the different horizons. Most of mineral-weathering bacteria from the soil profile could significantly lower the culture medium pH in the mineral-weathering process. The diversity of the mineral-weathering bacteria was higher in the upper horizons than in the deeper horizons. The weathering bacteria belonged to 12 bacterial genera, among which Burkholderia, Bacillus, and Lysinibacillus were the dominant and high-efficient weathering bacteria. The results showed the depth-related changes in the weathering capacity and community structures of the culturable mineral-weathering bacteria and suggested the possible roles of the bacteria in the mineral-weathering and element mobilization along the soil profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a severe psychotic disorder characterized by positive and negative symptoms, but their neural bases remain poorly understood. Here, we utilized a nested-spectral partition (NSP) approach to detect hierarchical modules in resting-state brain functional networks in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls, and we studied dynamic transitions of segregation and integration as well as their relationships with clinical symptoms. Schizophrenia brains showed a more stable integrating process and a more variable segregating process, thus maintaining higher segregation, especially in the limbic system. Hallucinations were associated with higher integration in attention systems, and avolition was related to a more variable segregating process in default-mode network (DMN) and control systems. In a machine-learning model, NSP-based features outperformed graph measures at predicting positive and negative symptoms. Multivariate analysis confirmed that positive and negative symptoms had opposite effects on dynamic segregation and integration of brain networks. Gene ontology analysis revealed that the effect of negative symptoms was related to autistic, aggressive and violent behavior; the effect of positive symptoms was associated with hyperammonemia and acidosis; and the interaction effect was correlated with abnormal motor function. Our findings could contribute to the development of more accurate diagnostic criteria for positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Nested spectral partition (NSP) method, fMRI data, machine learning and gene otology analysis show that positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia have opposite effects on the functional organization of resting-state brains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecgonine is suggested to be a promising marker of cocaine (COC) ingestion. A combined mass spectrometry (MS) and tandem MS (MS/MS) method was developed to simultaneously determine ecgonine and seven other metabolites of cocaine in human urine and whole blood with ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The compounds were extracted from as little as 100 μL of sample by solid-phase extraction with a 96-well μElution solid-phase extraction plate. The protonated molecules or fragment ions at accurate mass acquired in MS mode were used to quantify specific analytes, following by dedicated MS/MS identification. The assay was linear in the range from 5 to 50-100 ng/mL for urine samples, except for ecgonine methyl ester (10-200 ng/mL) and ecgonine (40-400 ng/mL), and was linear from 1-2 to 50 ng/mL for whole blood samples, except for ecgonine methyl ester (20-1,000 ng/mL) and ecgonine (40-2,000 ng/mL). The correlation coefficients were all greater than 0.99. The limits of detection ranged from 0.2 to 16 ng/mL, and the lower limits of quantification ranged from 1 to 40 ng/mL. The repeatability and intermediate precision were 18.1 % or less. The accuracy was in the range from 80.0 to 122.9 %, process efficiencies were in the range from 8.6 to 177.4 %, matrix effects were in the range from 28.7 to 171.0 %, and extraction recoveries were in the range from 41.0 to 114.3 %, except for ecgonine (12.8 % and 9.3 % at low and high concentrations, respectively). This method was highly sensitive in comparison with previously published methods. The validated method was successfully applied to the analysis of real samples derived from forensic cases, and the results verified that, on the basis of data from four positive samples, ecgonine is a promising marker of cocaine ingestion. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), a multivalent zinc-finger protein, is involved in different aspects of regulation including promoter activation or repression, gene silencing, chromatin insulation, gene imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, cell growth or differentiation and tumor genesis. However, the molecular mechanisms of CTCF nuclear import remains unclear. In this study, we showed that the expression of CTCF influenced the intracellular distribution of itself, which might go through transport receptor - import 13 (IPO13). We further confirmed that there is a CTCF target site in ipo13 −774∼−573 bp promoter region and CTCF regulates the expression of IPO13. Besides, GST pull-down and Co-IP experiments demonstrated that CTCF interacts with IPO13. Immunofluorescence staining showed that IPO13 influenced intracellular distribution of CTCF. In all, we conclude that CTCF regulates the expression of IPO13, which, in turn, mediates the nuclear import of CTCF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a recognized need to anticipate tipping points, or critical transitions, in social-ecological systems. Studies of mathematical and experimental systems have shown that systems may 'wobble' before a critical transition. Such early warning signals may be due to the phenomenon of critical slowing down, which causes a system to recover slowly from small impacts, or to a flickering phenomenon, which causes a system to switch back and forth between alternative states in response to relatively large impacts. Such signals for transitions in social-ecological systems have rarely been observed, not the least because high-resolution time series are normally required. Here we combine empirical data from a lake-catchment system with a mathematical model and show that flickering can be detected from sparse data. We show how rising variance coupled to decreasing autocorrelation and skewness started 10-30 years before the transition to eutrophic lake conditions in both the empirical records and the model output, a finding that is consistent with flickering rather than critical slowing down. Our results suggest that if environmental regimes are sufficiently affected by large external impacts that flickering is induced, then early warning signals of transitions in modern social-ecological systems may be stronger, and hence easier to identify, than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of the amount of time that fathers in the U.S. spend on child care activities, based on the American Time Use Survey data from 2003 and 2004. The average amount of time spent by fathers as primary caregivers nearly tripled between 1965 and 2000. This is thought to be due to the rise of working mothers. The study results confirmed that fathers with working wives spend more time as primary caregivers for their children than fathers with nonworking wives do. This trend is especially strong when the children are infants or toddlers.

Structural transitions during aluminum leaching of the NiAl3 phase in a Raney nickel–aluminum alloy have been investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. We observed that NiAl3 grains cracked into crystalline nano-fragments at the initial stage of leaching. A possible mechanism for the grain fragmentation was proposed based on the crystal structure of NiAl3. We discovered that fcc nickel, the known active phase, coexisted with another active nickel phase with an orthorhombic structure in the Raney-Ni catalyst. The orthorhombic nickel phase was generated directly from its source phase, NiAl3, and further transformed to the fcc nickel phase during aluminum leaching [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination with dendritic cells (DCs) pulsed with antigenic peptides derived from various tumor antigens has great, but as yet significantly unrealized, potential in cancer treatment. Here, we describe a strategy for prolonged presentation of an MHC class I-restricted self-peptide on DCs through linkage of it to a cell penetrating peptide (CPP). DCs loaded with a peptide derived from tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP2) covalently linked to a CPP1 sequence retained full capacity to stimulate T cells for at least 24 h, completely protected immunized mice from subsequent tumor challenge, and significantly inhibited lung metastases in a 3-day tumor model. DCs pulsed with TRP2 alone failed to provide any of these protections. In addition, we demonstrate that both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were required for potent antitumor immunity. This CPPbased approach may be generally applicable to enhance the efficacy of DC-based peptide vaccines against cancer and other diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a study of genetic manipulation during maize domestication from teosinte in middle America. Study of the gene teosinte branched 1 (tb1); Determination of traits; Sequence of a large portion of tb1 from various samples; Discovery of the greatest variation in the promoter region, which controls the amount of expression.

Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE), also known as optical biopsy, is a new endoscopic technique that provides real-time magnification of 1000 × microscopic tissue information to diagnose indeterminate biliary strictures. Tissue sampling by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is routinely performed to evaluate indeterminate biliary strictures. To evaluate the accuracy of pCLE and tissue sampling by ERCP in the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures, 18 articles were included from 2008 to 2021 through Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases. The summary estimates for the pCLE diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures were: sensitivity 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84–0.91); specificity 0.79 (95% CI 0.74–0.83); and Diagnostic Odds Ratio (DOR) 24.63 (95% CI 15.76–38.48). The summary estimates for tissue sampling by ERCP diagnosis for indeterminate biliary strictures were: sensitivity 0.54 (95% CI 0.49–0.59); specificity 0.96 (95% CI 0.94–0.98); and DOR 11.31 (95% CI 3.90–32.82). The area under the sROC curve of pCLE diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures is 0.90 higher than 0.65 of tissue sampling by ERCP. The pCLE is a better approach than tissue sampling by ERCP for the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary strictures by providing real-time microscopic images of the bile ducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twin-field quantum key distribution (TF-QKD) and its variant protocols are highly attractive due to the advantage of overcoming the rate-loss limit for secret key rates of point-to-point QKD protocols. For variations of TF-QKD, the key point to ensure security is switching randomly between a code mode and a test mode. Among all TF-QKD protocols, their code modes are very different, e.g. modulating continuous phases, modulating only two opposite phases, and sending or not sending signal pulses. Here we show that, by discretizing the number of global phases in the code mode, we can give a unified view on the first two types of TF-QKD protocols, and demonstrate that increasing the number of discrete phases extends the achievable distance, and as a trade-off, lowers the secret key rate at short distances due to the phase post-selection. Quantum key distribution is a method to enable secure communication between two parties and prevent an eavesdropper from stealing information. Here, the authors use twin-field quantum key distribution combined with discrete phase randomisation to improve on the distance at which secure communication can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 reduction has attracted extensive attentions for its wide applications in chemical engineering and green chemistry. As one of major commercial catalysts, Cu have been widely studied considering its low price and high catalytic efficiency. However, previous studies were mostly focused on the Cu(111) surface, while other surfaces were rarely studied. In this work, we employed the density functional theory calculations to fully investigate the adsorption of all intermediates and products of CO2 hydrogenation on three low-index surfaces as Cu(111), Cu(100), and Cu(110), which have been reported as the main facets of Cu nanoparticles under reaction conditions. Besides, the reaction pathways were also discussed. Our results indicated CO2 hydrogenation is preferred to adopt formate pathways on the Cu surfaces, while the COOH pathway is least favorable. Moreover, Cu(100) and Cu(110) surfaces have the comparable (even better) catalytic activities compared with Cu(111) surface. This study provides the fundamental data for the adsorption and reaction of CO2 hydrogenation, which will be helpful for the design of Cu-based nanocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the ability of theaflavins (TF) from black tea to protect dentin collagen against enzymatic degradation via cross-linking effect under clinically relevant conditions. 10-µm-thick dentin films were microtomed from dentin slabs of human molars. Following demineralization, films or slabs were treated with TF at two concentrations (0.4% and 2%) for 30 s. A well-known collagen cross-linker grape seed proanthocyanidins (PA) was used as control. Collagen cross-linking interactions and stabilization against enzymatic degradation were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, weight loss, hydroxyproline release, and scanning/transmission electron microscopy. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, Tukey's and Student's T test (α = 0.05%). The results showed collagen cross-linking and stabilization efficacy was dependent on TF/PA concentrations. At 2.0%, TF and PA offered nearly full protection to collagen; at 0.4%, TF exhibited a significantly better collagen stabilization effect than PA (P < 0.05), while untreated collagen was completely digested. It's concluded that TF cross-links dentin collagen within a clinically relevant time (30 s) and offers excellent collagen protection against enzymatic degradation, with efficacy comparable to or better than PA. The study supports the potential use of TF as a novel, promising collagen cross-linker for degradation resistant, long-lasting dentin bonding in composite restorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NF-κB signaling pathway is an important downstream pathway of oncogenic Notch1 in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the cascade activation of Notch1 in T-ALL cells are poorly understood. Here, we evaluated the role of CARMA1 in Notch1-induced NF-κB activation in T-ALL cells. CARMA1 was highly and specifically expressed in T-ALL cells and correlated with the prognosis of T-ALL patients. Interestingly, CARMA1 knockdown only inhibited the growth and proliferation of SIL-TAL1 fusion gene-negative T-ALL cells. In addition, CARMA1 knockdown arrested T-ALL cells at the G1 phase. Furthermore, CARMA1 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation of T-ALL cells in vivo and prolonged the survival of mice. Mechanistically, CARMA1 deficiency abolished Notch1-induced NF-κB transcriptional activation and significantly reduced expression levels of the NF-κB target genes c-Myc, Bcl-2, and CCR7. Taken together, these results of our study identify CARMA1 as one of the crucial mediators of Notch1-induced transformation of T-All cells, suggesting that CARMA1 is a promising therapeutic target for T-ALL due to its specific expression in lymphocytes. Key messages: CARMA1 contributes to cell survival only in SIL-TAL1 negative T-ALL cells. CARMA1 is a crucial mediator of Notch1-induced activation of NF-κB pathway. CARMA1 is a promising therapeutic target for T-ALL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative distance-dependence of conspecific seedling mortality (NDisDM) is a crucial stabilizing force that regulates plant diversity, but it remains unclear whether and how fragment size shifts the strength of NDisDM. Here, we surveyed the seed‒seedling transition process for a total of 25,500 seeds of a local dominant tree species on islands of various sizes in a reservoir and on the nearby mainland. We found significant NDisDM on the mainland and large and medium islands, with significantly stronger NDisDM on medium islands. However, positive distance-dependent mortality was detected on small islands. Changes in distance-dependence were critically driven by both rodent attack and pathogen infestation, which were significantly affected by fragment size. Our results emphasize the necessity of incorporating the effects of fragment size on distance-dependent regeneration of dominant plant species into the existing frameworks for better predicting the consequences of habitat fragmentation. Rong Wang et al. investigated the seed to seedling transition process for 25,500 seeds of a dominant tree species. Previous studies have suggested that seedling mortality decreases with increased distance between trees, but their results show that this effect depends on the habitat fragment size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developed through evolution, brain neural system self-organizes into an economical and dynamic network structure with the modulation of repetitive neuronal firing activities through synaptic plasticity. These highly variable electric activities inevitably produce a spontaneous magnetic field, which also significantly modulates the dynamic neuronal behaviors in the brain. However, how this spontaneous electromagnetic induction affects the self-organization process and what is its role in the formation of an economical neuronal network still have not been reported. Here, we investigate the effects of spontaneous electromagnetic induction on the self-organization process and the topological properties of the self-organized neuronal network. We first find that spontaneous electromagnetic induction slows down the self-organization process of the neuronal network by decreasing the neuronal excitability. In addition, spontaneous electromagnetic induction can result in a more homogeneous directed-weighted network structure with lower causal relationship and less modularity which supports weaker neuronal synchronization. Furthermore, we show that spontaneous electromagnetic induction can reconfigure synaptic connections to optimize the economical connectivity pattern of self-organized neuronal networks, endowing it with enhanced local and global efficiency from the perspective of graph theory. Our results reveal the critical role of spontaneous electromagnetic induction in the formation of an economical self-organized neuronal network and are also helpful for understanding the evolution of the brain neural system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present pion and kaon parton distribution functions from a global QCD analysis of the experimental data within the framework of dynamical parton model. We use the DGLAP equations with parton–parton recombination corrections and the valence input of uniform distribution which maximizes the information entropy. At our input scale Q 0 2 , there are no sea quark and gluon distributions. All the sea quarks and gluons of the pion and the kaon are completely generated from the parton splitting processes. The mass-dependent parton splitting kernel is applied for the strange quark distribution in the kaon. The obtained valence quark and sea quark distributions at high Q 2 ( Q 2 > 5 GeV 2 ) are compatible with the existed experimental measurements. Furthermore, the asymptotic behaviours of parton distribution functions at small and large x have been studied for both the pion and the kaon. Lastly, the first three moments of parton distributions at high Q 2 scale are calculated, which are consistent with other theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internal carotid artery occlusion (ICAO) is a relatively uncommon but important cause of transient ischaemic attack and cerebral infarction. Hybrid surgery (HS) improves cerebral perfusion, but its impact on neurocognitive function has been controversial. Patients with symptomatic chronic ICAO treated by hybrid surgery or medical treatment from 2016 to 2019 were included. We recorded and analysed the clinical characteristics, angiographic data, outcomes and cognitive status. Functional assessments, including the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), the Barthel Index, and a battery of neuropsychological tests, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale–Cognitive Subtest (ADAS-cog), verbal fluency, and Colour Trail test Parts 1 and 2, were administered. Significant improvements in the ADAS (before, 7.5 ± 6.2 versus after, 5.2 ± 5.7; P = 0.022), MMSE (before, 25.5 ± 2.8 versus after, 28.1 ± 2.3; P = 0.013), and Colour Trail test Part 1 (before, 118.3 ± 26.5 versus after, 96.2 ± 23.1; P = 0.016) were observed six months after HS. Moreover, the abovementioned postprocedure scales were ameliorated in the HS group. This study found that in patients with multiple symptomatic ICAO and objective ipsilateral ischaemia, successful HS leads to improvement in the scores of three cognitive tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is a complicated maternally inherited disorder lacking of sensitive and specific biomarkers. The objective of this study was to investigate the serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) as a novel biomarker of neurological dysfunction in MELAS. Patients with different status of MELAS were enrolled in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was given to the participants to evaluate cognition status. Multiple functional MRI was performed on the participants. Blood samples were collected and the serum NfL concentrations were determined by the single-molecule array technology (Simoa). This study enrolled 23 patients with MELAS, 15 people in the acute attack phase of MELAS and 10 people in the remission phase, including 2 patients in both acute attack and remission phase. Sixteen healthy controls (HCs) were also enrolled. Serum NfL level increased significantly in patients with MELAS. Serum NfL level in the acute attack group (146.73 [120.91–411.31] pg/ml, median [IQR]) was higher than in the remission group (40.31 [19.54–151.05] pg/ml, median [IQR]) and HCs group (7.70 [6.13–9.78] pg/ml, median [IQR]) (p < 0.05). The level of NfL in the remission phase group was higher than in HCs group (p < 0.05). A negative correlation was found between the serum NfL level and MMSE (p = 0.006, r = -0.650). The NfL concentration correlated positively with stroke-like lesion volume in the brain (r = 0.740, p < 0.001). Serum NfL may serve as a novel biomarker for the neurological dysfunction in MELAS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep23934 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The near-threshold photo-productions of heavy quarkonia are important ways to test the QCD-inspired models and to constrain the gluon distribution of nucleon in the large x region. Investigating the various models, we choose a photon–gluon fusion model and a pomeron exchange model for J / Ψ photo-production near threshold, emphasising on the explanation of the recent experimental measurement by GlueX at JLab. We find that these two models are not only valid in a wide range of the center-of-mass energy of γ and proton, but also can be generalized to describe the Υ (1S) photo-production. Using these two models, we predict the electro-production cross-sections of Υ (1S) at EicC to be 48 fb to 85 fb at the center-of-mass energy of 16.75 GeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis is a serious public health concern. Excessive inflammatory responses of vascular cells are considered a pivotal pathogenesis mechanism underlying atherosclerosis development. It is known that Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK/STAT3) signalling plays an important role in atherosclerosis progression. Protein inhibitor of activated STAT3 (PIAS3) is the key negative regulator of JAK/STAT3 signalling. However, its effect on atherogenesis is unknown. Here, we observed that PIAS3 levels are reduced in atherosclerotic lesions and that PIAS3 expression decreases in conjunction with increases in interleukin-6 expression and atherosclerosis severity. Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL), an atherogenic stimulus, reduced PIAS3 expression, an effect that may be attributed to nitric oxide synthesis upregulation. In turn, PIAS3 overexpression effectively suppressed ox-LDL-induced inflammation, lipid accumulation and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. These results indicate that PIAS3 is a critical repressor of atherosclerosis progression. The findings of this study have contributed to our understanding on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and have provided us with a potential target through which we can inhibit atherosclerosis-related cellular responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

REPLYING TO J. Carstensen, R. J. Telford & H. J. B. Birks 498, http://dx.doi.org/nature12272 (2013)Some issues have been raised with regard to our paper, by Carstensen et al.. In terms of our data processing, we were aware from the outset of the problems of unevenly spaced temporal data and sediment dating errors. We also wanted to duplicate, as far as possible, the methods published previously that had been used to identify early warning signals in palaeoenvironmental data (for example, ref. 3). Thus, we applied two standard smoothing functions (exponential and Gaussian kernel) to interpolated and non-interpolated (original) diatom data, expressed as three statistical indices (detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), Hill's diversity index N2 (HDI) and correspondence analysis), using different sliding-window sizes and the two-standard-deviation range of dates for each sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic and progressive cerebrovascular stenosis or occlusive disease that occurs near Willis blood vessels. The aim of this study was to investigate the mutation of DIAPH1 in Asian population, and to compare the angiographic features of MMD patients with and without the mutation of the DIAPH1 gene. Blood samples of 50 patients with MMD were collected, and DIAPH1 gene mutation was detected. The angiographic involvement of the posterior cerebral artery was compared between the mutant group and the non-mutant group. The independent risk factors of posterior cerebral artery involvement were determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. DIAPH1 gene mutation was detected in 9 (18%) of 50 patients, including 7 synonymous mutations and 2 missense mutations. However, the incidence of posterior cerebral artery involvement in mutation positive group was very higher than that in mutation negative group (77.8% versus 12%; p = 0.001). There is an association between DIAPH1 mutation and PCA involvement (odds ratio 29.483, 95% confidence interval 3.920–221.736; p = 0.001). DIAPH1 gene mutation is not a major genetic risk gene for Asian patients with moyamoya disease but may play an important role in the involvement of posterior cerebral artery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]