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Neuropeptides are ubiquitous intercellular signaling molecules in the CNS and play diverse roles in modulating physiological functions by acting on specific G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). Among them, the elevenin signaling system is now believed to be present primarily in protostomes. Although elevenin was first identified from the L11 neuron of the abdominal ganglion in mollusc Aplysia californica, no receptors have been described in Aplysia, nor in any other molluscs. Here, using two elevenin receptors in annelid Platynereis dumerilii, we found three putative elevenin GPCRs in Aplysia. We cloned the three receptors and tentatively named them apElevR1, apElevR2, and apElevR3. Using an inositol monophosphate (IP1) accumulation assay, we demonstrated that Aplysia elevenin with the disulfide bond activated the three putative receptors with low EC50 values (ranging from 1.2 to 25 nM), supporting that they are true receptors for elevenin. In contrast, elevenin without the disulfide bond could not activate the receptors, indicating that the disulfide bond is required for receptor activity. Using alanine substitution of individual conserved residues other than the two cysteines, we showed that these residues appear to be critical to receptor activity, and the three different receptors had different sensitivities to the single residue substitution. Finally, we examined the roles of those residues outside the disulfide bond ring by removing these residues and found that they also appeared to be important to receptor activity. Thus, our study provides an important basis for further study of the functions of elevenin and its receptors in Aplysia and other molluscs.

Background To develop an artificial intelligence (AI) model with radiomics and deep learning (DL) features extracted from CT images to distinguish benign from malignant ovarian tumors. Methods We enrolled 149 patients with pathologically confirmed ovarian tumors. A total of 185 tumors were included and divided into training and testing sets in a 7:3 ratio. All tumors were manually segmented from preoperative contrast-enhanced CT images. CT image features were extracted using radiomics and DL. Five models with different combinations of feature sets were built. Benign and malignant tumors were classified using machine learning (ML) classifiers. The model performance was compared with five radiologists on the testing set. Results Among the five models, the best performing model is the ensemble model with a combination of radiomics, DL, and clinical feature sets. The model achieved an accuracy of 82%, specificity of 89% and sensitivity of 68%. Compared with junior radiologists averaged results, the model had a higher accuracy (82% vs 66%) and specificity (89% vs 65%) with comparable sensitivity (68% vs 67%). With the assistance of the model, the junior radiologists achieved a higher average accuracy (81% vs 66%), specificity (80% vs 65%), and sensitivity (82% vs 67%), approaching to the performance of senior radiologists. Conclusions We developed a CT-based AI model that can differentiate benign and malignant ovarian tumors with high accuracy and specificity. This model significantly improved the performance of less-experienced radiologists in ovarian tumor assessment, and may potentially guide gynecologists to provide better therapeutic strategies for these patients.

The vasopressin/oxytocin signaling system is present in both protostomes and deuterostomes and plays various physiological roles. Although there were reports for both vasopressin-like peptides and receptors in mollusc Lymnaea and Octopus, no precursor or receptors have been described in mollusc Aplysia. Here, through bioinformatics, molecular and cellular biology, we identified both the precursor and two receptors for Aplysia vasopressin-like peptide, which we named Aplysia vasotocin (apVT). The precursor provides evidence for the exact sequence of apVT, which is identical to conopressin G from cone snail venom, and contains 9 amino acids, with two cysteines at position 1 and 6, similar to nearly all vasopressin-like peptides. Through inositol monophosphate (IP1) accumulation assay, we demonstrated that two of the three putative receptors we cloned from Aplysia cDNA are true receptors for apVT. We named the two receptors as apVTR1 and apVTR2. We then determined the roles of post-translational modifications (PTMs) of apVT, i.e., the disulfide bond between two cysteines and the C-terminal amidation on receptor activity. Both the disulfide bond and amidation were critical for the activation of the two receptors. Cross-activity with conopressin S, annetocin from an annelid, and vertebrate oxytocin showed that although all three ligands can activate both receptors, the potency of these peptides differed depending on their residue variations from apVT. We, therefore, tested the roles of each residue through alanine substitution and found that each substitution could reduce the potency of the peptide analog, and substitution of the residues within the disulfide bond tended to have a larger impact on receptor activity than the substitution of those outside the bond. Moreover, the two receptors had different sensitivities to the PTMs and single residue substitutions. Thus, we have characterized the Aplysia vasotocin signaling system and showed how the PTMs and individual residues in the ligand contributed to receptor activity.

Fifteen rhodamine B hydrazide hydrazone (RhBHH) derivatives (compounds a-o) with various substituent groups at different position and their photochromic property triggered by Cu2+ were studied to illustrate the structure photochromic response relationship (SPRR). Three of them (compounds f-h) with a para-position hydroxyl group and two meta-position halogen substituents display Cu2+ triggered photochromic which is significantly different from the previous reports. It was found that halogen atoms, which were generally considered to have no remarkable regulation effect, exhibited great influences on the photochromic behaviour of RhBHH derivatives. Detail photochromic properties of the developed photochromic system were revealed by using compound g as the model substrate and only Cu2+ displayed high selective trigger effect. Good reversible photochromic phenomenon was observed after stimulated with visible light irradiation and dark (or heat) bleaching consecutively. Furthermore, this photochromic system could be used in the preparation of photochromic glass, special security ink, molecular logic gate and two-dimensional code for security information storage.

Fifteen rhodamine B hydrazide hydrazone (RhBHH) derivatives (compounds a-o) with various substituent groups at different position and their photochromic property triggered by Cu2+ were studied to illustrate the structure photochromic response relationship (SPRR). Three of them (compounds f-h) with a para-position hydroxyl group and two meta-position halogen substituents display Cu2+ triggered photochromic which is significantly different from the previous reports. It was found that halogen atoms, which were generally considered to have no remarkable regulation effect, exhibited great influences on the photochromic behaviour of RhBHH derivatives. Detail photochromic properties of the developed photochromic system were revealed by using compound g as the model substrate and only Cu2+ displayed high selective trigger effect. Good reversible photochromic phenomenon was observed after stimulated with visible light irradiation and dark (or heat) bleaching consecutively. Furthermore, this photochromic system could be used in the preparation of photochromic glass, special security ink, molecular logic gate and two-dimensional code for security information storage.

The Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease, which is caused by the aggregation of beta-amyloid peptide (Aβ) in the patient’s brain and the disorder of Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons. Caluwé and Dupont [1] proposed a deterministic AD model to explore the effect of Ca2+ on AD. They demonstrated the positive feedback loop between Aβ and Ca2+ and the occurrence of bistability. Based on their results, we further discuss the bistable behaviors. We present two periodically feasible drug strategies to alleviate the AD and screen out more effective one. In this paper, we also formulate a stochastic AD model, analyze the existence and uniqueness of global positive solutions and establish sufficient conditions for the existence of ergodic stationary distribution. Furthermore, the confidence ellipses describing the configurational arrangement of stochastic coexistence equilibria are constructed by stochastic sensitivity function technique, and tipping threshold is estimated as well. Noise-induced stochastic switching between two coexistence equilibria is observed in bistability region. Our results provide a new idea to control noise to alleviate AD through physical therapy and drug therapy.

A series of 4-thiosubstituted flavan derivatives (1-44) were designed and synthesized. The target compounds were assayed for inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase in vitro, and the results indicated that all compounds displayed significant effects in the range of IC

Despite the evidences of elevated expression of Mer tyrosine kinase (MerTK) in multiple human cancers, mechanisms underlying the oncogenic roles of MerTK in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains undefined. We explored the functional effects of MerTK and N-Glycosylated MerTK on HCC cell survival and tumor growth. Here, we show that MerTK ablation increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and promotes the switching from glycolytic metabolism to oxidative phosphorylation in HCC cells, thus suppressing HCC cell proliferation and tumor growth. MerTK is N-glycosylated in HCC cells at asparagine 294 and 454 that stabilizes MerTK to promote oncogenic transformation. Moreover, we observed that nuclear located non-glycosylated MerTK is indispensable for survival of HCC cells under stress. Pathologically, tissue microarray (TMA) data indicate that MerTK is a pivotal prognostic factor for HCC. Our data strongly support the roles of MerTK N-glycosylation in HCC tumorigenesis and suggesting N-glycosylation inhibition as a potential HCC therapeutic strategy.

Bowel preparation is a core issue in the quality of colonoscopy. We attempted to investigate whether an educational video via WeChat (a widely used mobile social media app) improved the compliance of patients and quality of bowel preparation. We enrolled 198 colonoscopy patients aged 35-70 years. They were randomly divided into the WeChat group (100 cases) and the control group (98 cases). The outcomes were the compliance of patients in the bowel preparation process and quality of the bowel preparation according to the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale. Participants' compliance increased markedly in the WeChat group compared with the control group (P < 0.01). The total Boston Bowel Preparation Scale score was significantly higher in the WeChat group than in the control group (7.02 ± 1.75 vs. 6.45 ± 1.91, respectively, p < .05). The intubation time (minutes) of colonoscopy in the WeChat group was shorter than that in the control group (7.38 ± 1.37 vs. 7.88 ± 1.39, respectively, p < .05). Our data confirmed that an educational video via WeChat can improve the quality of bowel preparation. It can also increase the compliance of bowel preparation and shorten the intubation time of colonoscopy.

MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium)-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell apoptosis is associated with sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) inhibition. We here tested the potential effect of microRNA-6862 (miR-6862), a novel SphK1-targeting miRNA, on MPP+-induced cytotoxicity in neuronal cells. MiR-6862 locates in the cytoplasm of SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. It directly binds to SphK1 mRNA. In SH-SY5Y cells and HCN-2 cells, ectopic overexpression of miR-6862 decreased SphK13'-untranslated region luciferase reporter activity and downregulated its expression. miR-6862 inhibition exerted opposite activity and elevated SphK1 expression. In neuronal cells, MPP+-induced cell death was significantly inhibited through miR-6862 inhibition. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of miR-6862 or CRISPR/Cas9-induced SphK1 knockout augmented MPP+-induced apoptosis in the neuronal cells. Importantly, antagomiR-6862 failed to inhibit MPP+-induced apoptosis in SphK1-knockout SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that inhibition of miR-6862 induces SphK1 elevation and protects neuronal cells from MPP+-induced cell death.

Utilizing phosphine (PH3) tail gas as starting feedstock, a series of novel mono-and bifucntional phosphonium compounds (P+(CH2CH2CN)3RX−, X= Br, I) was prepaed by a sustainable preparation route. The newly prepared phosphonium halides show high thermal stability and their degradation temperature are far higher than that of CO2 chemical fixation. The mono-fucntional phosphonium salts combinate with ZnBr2 to form an efficient Lewis acid/base type catalytic system for CO2 chemical fixation and the bifucntional phosphonium salts alone shows same catalytic effects. The effects of temperature, CO2 pressure, composition of the catalytic system on coupling reaction of CO2 with epoxides are investigated to evaluate the catalytic performance. The results illustrate that 96.7% cyclic Carbonate yield can be obtained in presence of ZnBr2/P+(CH2CH2CN)3C4H9Br− (molar ratio = 1:10) under 120 °C, 1.5MPa of CO2 pressure in solvent-free condition, menawhile bifuntional phiospohonium salt Br-P+(CH2CH2CN)3C2H4COOH alone shows better catalytic perofromance.

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11874275 and 11574225), and one project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD). The SPring-8 experiment was performed with the approval of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) (Proposal No. 2019B1056). Computational work was supported by Supercomputing Laboratory at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).

To investigate the characteristics of platelet antibody in patients with hematological diseases, so as to research the effect of immunized platelet transfusion refractoriness (PTR) on the prognosis of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) recepients with malignant hematological diseases patients.The clinical data of platelet antibody positive patients tested by Capture-P in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from July 1, 2014 to July 1, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including sex, age, disease, platelet transfusion assessments, CD34In 5 years, 913 (7.28%) hematologic patients with platelet antibody positive were identified, the detection rate of females (513 cases) were higher than males (400 cases). Among the 913 patients, the antibody positive rates of 520 patients with malignant hematological diseases (acute myeloid leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome) showed significantly statistical different (10.27%, 8.01%, and 7.20%) (P0.01), and the positive rate of the acute myeloid leukemia of those patients was higher than myelodysplastic syndrome patients(α0.0125). There were 35 cases diagnosed as immunized PTR before allo-HSCT, the platelet increments, 14 h correct count increment, progression-free survival rate and overall survival rate of those patients were significantly lower than those in negative transfusion effective patients (P0.01), while the percentage of ABO matching was significantly higher (α0.0125).The positive rate of platelet antibody identification is high in females and acute myeloid leukemia patients, and immunized PTR caused by antibody is a risk factor for poor prognosis of allo-HSCT in malignant hematological disease patients.免疫性血小板输注无效对恶性血液病异基因造血干细胞移植患者的影响.探讨血小板抗体在血液病患者中产生的特点，研究免疫性血小板输注无效对恶性血液病异基因造血干细胞移植（allo-HSCT）患者临床预后的影响.回顾性分析2014年7月1日－2019年7月1日苏州大学附属第一医院利用Capture-P方法鉴定血小板抗体阳性患者的性别、年龄、疾病、血小板输注、CD345年内，共有913例血小板抗体鉴定阳性血液病患者（7.28%），女性（513例）多于男性（400例），其中520例恶性血液病（急性髓细胞白血病、急性淋巴细胞白血病和骨髓增生异常综合征）患者抗体阳性率（10.27%、8.01%和7.20%）明显不同（P0.01），急性髓系白血病患者的抗体阳性率高于骨髓增生异常综合征的（α0.0125）。移植前共有35例免疫性血小板输注无效患者，其血小板增加数、14 h校正血小板增高指数、无进展生存率和总生存率明显低于阴性输注有效组（P0.01），而ABO全相合比例明显高于阴性输注有效组（α0.0125）.女性和急性髓系白血病患者血小板抗体鉴定阳性率高，由抗体引起的免疫性血小板输注无效是引起恶性血液病患者allo-HSCT预后不良的风险因素.

The protostome leucokinin (LK) signaling system, including LK peptides and their G protein-coupled receptors, has been characterized in several species. Despite the progress, molecular mechanisms governing LK peptide-receptor interactions remain to be elucidated. Previously, we identified a precursor protein for Aplysia leucokinin-like peptides (ALKs) that contains the greatest number of amidated peptides among LK precursors in all species identified so far. Here, we identified the first ALK receptor from Aplysia, ALKR. We used cell-based IP1 activation assays to demonstrate that two ALK peptides with the most copies, ALK1 and ALK2, activated ALKR with high potencies. Other endogenous ALK-derived peptides bearing the FXXWX-amide motif also activated ALKR to various degrees. Our examination of cross-species activity of ALKs with the Anopheles LK receptor was consistent with a critical role for the FXXWX-amide motif in receptor activity. Furthermore, we showed, through alanine substitution of ALK1, the highly conserved phenylalanine (F), tryptophan (W), and C-terminal amidation were each essential for receptor activation. Finally, we used an artificial intelligence-based protein structure prediction server (Robetta) and Autodock Vina to predict the ligand-bound conformation of ALKR. Our model predicted several interactions (i.e., hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and amide-pi stacking) between ALK peptides and ALKR, and several of our substitution and mutagenesis experiments were consistent with the predicted model. In conclusion, our results provide important information defining possible interactions between ALK peptides and their receptors. The workflow utilized here may be useful for studying other ligand-receptor interactions for a neuropeptide signaling system, particularly in protostomes.

Apatura laverna is subordinate to Apatura Fabricius of Nymphalidae, and endemic to China. The complete mitochondrial genome of A. laverna was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The length of the complete mitogenome is 15,187 bp, including 37 genes and a control region. COI gene initiate with a CGA codon, the rest 12 genes start with typical ATN. Eleven of 13 PCGs have a complete stop codon TAN except for COII and ND4 have a single T. The phylogenetic analyses support that A. laverna has a close relationship with the clade including A. metis and A. ilia.

Neuropeptides, as pervasive intercellular signaling molecules in the CNS, modulate a variety of behavioral systems in both protostomes and deuterostomes. Allatostatins are neuropeptides in arthropods that inhibit the biosynthesis of juvenile hormones. Based on amino acid sequences, they are divided into three different types in arthropods: allatostatin A, allatostatin B, allatostatin C. Allatostatin C (AstC) was first isolated from Manduca sexta, and it has an important conserved feature of a disulfide bridge formed by two cysteine residues. Moreover, AstC appears to be the ortholog of mammalian somatostatin, and it has functions in common with somatostatin, such as modulating feeding behaviors. The AstC signaling system has been widely studied in arthropods, but minimally studied in molluscs. In this study, we seek to identify the AstC signaling system in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica. We cloned the AstC precursor from the cDNA of Aplysia. We predicted a 15-amino acid peptide with a disulfide bridge, i.e., AstC, using NeuroPred. We then cloned two putative allatostatin C-like receptors and through NCBI Conserved Domain Search we found that they belonged to the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family. In addition, using an inositol monophosphate 1 (IP1) accumulation assay, we showed that Aplysia AstC could activate one of the putative receptors, i.e., the AstC-R, at the lowest EC50, and AstC without the disulfide bridge (AstC') activated AstC-R with the highest EC50. Moreover, four molluscan AstCs with variations of sequences from Aplysia AstC but with the disulfide bridge activated AstC-R at intermediate EC50. In summary, our successful identification of the Aplysia AstC precursor and its receptor (AstC-R) represents the first example in molluscs, and provides an important basis for further studies of the AstC signaling system in Aplysia and other molluscs.

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and may respond to dopaminergic therapies. The aim of this open-label trial was to assess the efficacy and safety of selegiline as a treatment for EDS in PD patients. In this multi-center study, 141 PD subjects were enrolled between December 2019 and October 2020, and 121 patients completed the 8-week study. Selegiline was administered at 5 mg/day in the first week and was increased to 10 mg per day during the following weeks. EDS was evaluated using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) at baseline, week 3, and week 8. Changes in motor complications, sleep quality, and quality of life were also assessed in patients with PD. As primary outcomes, ESS scores decreased significantly in PD patients who received selegiline for 8 weeks (P < 0.001). As secondary outcomes, the scores of Parkinson's disease sleep scale (PDSS) and Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39) also improved after the treatment. The severity of motor fluctuation improved (P=0.037), while the percentage of patients with dyskinesia and the severity of dyskinesia did not increase significantly compared with baseline. Participants treated with selegiline showed an improvement in EDS and good tolerance of the drug. This study demonstrated the efficacy of selegiline for the treatment of daytime sleepiness in PD patients.Trial registration: clinicaltrials, NCT04870372. Registered 5 May 2021 - Retrospectively registered, https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/SelectProtocol?sid=S0009J06&selectaction=Edit&uid=U00026CP&ts=2&cx=ruz8uy.

The Athetis pallidipennis belongs to Noctuidae in Lepidoptera. The complete mitogenome of A. pallidipennis was described in this study, which is typical circular duplex molecules and 15,344 bp in l...

The Hestina assimilis belongs to Nymphalidae in Lepidoptera. We described the complete mitogenome of H. assimilis, which is typical circular duplex molecules and 15,262 bp in length, contai...

The Anarta trifolii belongs to Noctuidae in Lepidoptera. The complete mitogenome of A. trifolii was described in this study, which is typical circular duplex molecules and 15,281 bp in length, cont...

Aurivillius phases have been routinely known as excellent ferroelectrics and have rarely been deemed as materials that luminesce in the near-infrared (NIR) region. Herein, it is shown that the Aurivillius phases can demonstrate broadband NIR luminescence that covers telecommunication and biological optical windows. Experimental characterization of the model system Bi2.14 Sr0.75 Ta2 O9-x , combined with theoretical calculations, help to establish that the NIR luminescence originates from defective [Bi2 O2 ]2+ layers. Importantly, the generality of this finding is validated based on observations of a rich bank of NIR luminescence characteristics in other Aurivillius phases. This work highlights that incorporating defects into infinitely repeating [Bi2 O2 ]2+ layers can be used as a powerful tool to space-selectively impart unusual luminescence emitters to Aurivillius-phase ferroelectrics, which not only offers an optical probe for the examination of defect states in ferroelectrics, but also provides possibilities for coupling of the ferroelectric property with NIR luminescence.

Objective:To explore whether and how group cognitive-behavioural therapy (GCBT) plus medication differs from medication alone for the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).Methods:Hundred and seventy patients were randomly assigned to the GCBT plus duloxetine (n=89) or duloxetine group (n=81). The primary outcomes were Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) response and remission rates. The explorative secondary measures included score reductions from baseline in the HAMA total, psychic, and somatic anxiety subscales (HAMA-PA, HAMA-SA), the Hamilton Depression Scale, the Severity Subscale of Clinical Global Impression Scale, Global Assessment of Functioning, and the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 4-week, 8-week, and 3-month follow-up.Results:At 4 weeks, HAMA response (GCBT group 57.0% vs. control group 24.4%,p=0.000, Cohen’sd=0.90) and remission rates (GCBT group 21.5% vs. control group 6.2%,p=0.004;d=0.51), and most secondary outcomes (allpd=0.36−0.77) showed that the combined therapy was superior. At 8 weeks, all the primary and secondary significant differences found at 4 weeks were maintained with smaller effect sizes (pd=0.32−0.48). At 3-month follow-up, the combined therapy was only significantly superior in the HAMA total (pd=0.43) and HAMA-PA score reductions (pd=0.77). Logistic regression showed superiority of the combined therapy for HAMA response rates [odds ratio (OR)=2.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02−4.42,p=0.04] and remission rates (OR=2.80, 95% CI 1.27−6.16,p=0.01).Conclusions:Compared with duloxetine alone, GCBT plus duloxetine showed significant treatment response for GAD over a shorter period of time, particularly for psychic anxiety symptoms, which may suggest that GCBT was effective in changing cognitive style.

The presence of labile bulky insulating hydrocarbon ligands in halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) passivates surface traps but concurrently makes charge transport difficult in optoelectronic devices. Early efforts routinely rely on the replacement of long-chain ligands with short-chain cousins, leading to notable changes in NC's sizes and photophysical properties and thus making it hard to obtain devices with nearly designed emissions. Here we report a general solution-phase ligand-exchange strategy to produce organic-ligand-lacking halide perovskite NCs with high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yields and good stability in ambient air. We demonstrate that the ligand exchange can be achieved by a well-controlled mild reaction of thionyl halide with the carboxylic and amine groups on the NC's surface, resulting in nearly dry NCs with well-passivated surfaces and almost unaltered emission characteristics. Consequently, we achieve exceptionally high-performance blue perovskite NC light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with an external quantum efficiency of up to 1.35% and an extremely narrow full width at half-maximum of 14.6 nm. Our work provides a systematic framework for preparing high-quality organic-ligand-lacking perovskite NC inks that can be directly cast as films featuring effective charge transport, thereby providing the foundation for further development of a wide range of efficient perovskite optoelectronic devices.

In an aging society with a declining birthrate, there are more and more elderly to care for and fewer adult children to provide them care; these adult children, and the state, are forced to weigh the costs of eldercare against the cost of child care. In Taiwan, these dilemmas may be particularly acute, given the persistence of Confucian norms of filial piety and the extended family structures. In this study, we examine the attitudes of Taiwanese people toward the relative responsibilities of both adult children and the welfare state for eldercare and child care. Data were taken from the Taiwan Social Change Survey in 2011. Using latent class analysis to develop a typology of attitudes toward intergenerational care responsibilities, we found four types: (a) Family cares for elders and children, (b) family cares mainly for children, (c) cooperation between family and government, (d) government cares for the elderly. Findings show that an individual’s attitudes toward welfare state policies are significantly related to both self-interest and sociocultural norms as well as intergenerational family interactions. In Taiwan, filial norms and the quality of family interaction significantly influence attitudes toward the division of intergenerational care responsibilities.

All-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as a class of low-cost and high-efficiency light-emitting materials. However, the structure and phase transition behavior of these NCs remai...

Cesium lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as promising luminescent materials for a range of applications. However, the creation of highly luminescent violet-emitting CsPbCl3 NCs mostly relies on doping of a limited number of small-sized metal ions or post-synthetic surface treatment of NCs. Alkaline-earth (AE) metals (e.g., Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+) have been proposed to be able to substitute Pb2+ in halide perovskites, yet it remains incompletely understood whether AE metal ions can be incorporated into the perovskite lattice or can be merely situated at the surface. Here, we explore the possibility of using AE metal ions for the suppression of the formation of trap centers, which leads us to develop a one-pot synthetic passivation strategy to boost the violet-emitting efficiency of CsPbCl3 NCs through the creation of a Ca2+/Sr2+ involved passivation layer. The photoluminescence quantum yield of violet emission reaches 77.1% by incorporating an optimal amount of Ca2+. A wide range of opti...

Doping has been established as a powerful approach for endowing lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) with novel properties. However, our fundamental understanding of the local structure of dopants, doping efficiency and luminescence properties of these NCs is still very sparse. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence regarding the local structure of rare earth ions in CsPbCl3 NCs, based on the analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Our result suggests that Yb3+ occupies the Pb2+ crystallographic sites in CsPbCl3 NCs. We further demonstrate a strategy to examine the determinant of the doping efficiency in lanthanide-doped lead halide perovskite NCs, which enables us to uncover the important role of structural defects in affecting the doping efficiency. A broad range of experimental characterization techniques including steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectra, X-ray absorption spectra, and positron annihilation lifetime spectra, coupled with first-principles calculations, help us identify that the doping efficiency is associated with structural defects in NCs and that the formation of a higher-concentration of defects favors incorporation of a higher-concentration of dopants into the lattice. Importantly, we demonstrate that the concept of defect-assisted doping is not limited to the model system of Yb3+-doped CsPbCl3 NCs, but can be used as a guideline to rationally tune the doping efficiency of lanthanide-doped halide perovskite NCs. We also show that lanthanide-doped CsPbCl3 NCs demonstrate anomalous decay of the band-edge emission, which we propose is due to the existence of shallow trapping states near the conduction band. Our results greatly deepen the understanding of the structural and photophysical properties of lanthanide-doped lead halide perovskite NCs, and highlight the possibility to use the chemistry of defects to tailor the doping efficiency of halide perovskite NCs.

Designing highly efficient fluorescent sensors for detection of toxic pollutants has aroused great interest. In this work, a carboxyl-functionalized Zn(II) metal-organic framework (MOF), [Zn(HL)(bipy)0.5(H2O)]·2H2O (1) [H3L = 9-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-9H-carbazoly-3,6-dicarboxylic acid, bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine] was successfully synthesized. Crystal structure analysis reveals that 1 possesses a three dimensional (3D) unimodal 6-connected network. 1 can sense Pb2+ and UO22+ ions in aqueous solution by fluorescence quenching. High selectivity and sensitivity of 1 to toxic ions reveals it is a good bi-functional chemical sensor.

Black soybeans are rich in isoflavones, which have several beneficial health effects. In this study, a validated method based on UHPLC-MS/MS was developed to screen black-soybean metabolites in rat urine, bile, and plasma and to quantify the compounds (daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and daidzin) and their metabolites (daidzein-4'-β-d-glucuronide, genistein-7-β-d-glucuronide, and genistein-4'-β-d-glucuronide) in plasma. Thirty-seven compounds were tentatively detected in the biological samples. The method was fully validated in quantitative experiments, including in assessments of linearity (2.5-100 ng/mL for daidzein, genistein, and glycitein; 10-100 ng/mL for daidzin; 5-3125 ng/mL for genistein-7-β-d-glucuronide; and 5-1562.5 ng/mL for daidzein-4'-β-d-glucuronide and genistein-4'-β-d-glucuronide), matrix effects (85-115%), recovery (80-105%), precision (

BackgroundThe rate of carcinoma upgrade for atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) diagnosed on core needle biopsy (CNB) is variable on open excision. The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a simple-to-use nomogram for predicting the upgrade of ADH diagnosed with ultrasound (US)-guided core needle biopsy in patients with US-detected breast lesions.MethodsTwo retrospective sets, the training set (n = 401) and the validation set (n = 186), from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center between January 2014 and December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinicopathological and US features were selected using univariate and multivariable logistic regression, and the significant features were incorporated to build a nomogram model. Model discrimination and calibration were assessed in the training set and validation set.ResultsOf the 587 ADH biopsies, 67.7% (training set: 267/401, 66.6%; validation set: 128/186, 68.8%) were upgraded to cancers. In the multivariable analysis, the risk factors were age [odds ratio (OR) 2.739, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.525–5.672], mass palpation (OR 3.008, 95% CI: 1.624–5.672), calcifications on US (OR 4.752, 95% CI: 2.569–9.276), ADH extent (OR 3.150, 95% CI: 1.951–5.155), and suspected malignancy (OR 4.162, CI: 2.289–7.980). The model showed good discrimination, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.783 (95% CI: 0.736–0.831), and good calibration (p = 0.543). The application of the nomogram in the validation set still had good discrimination (AUC = 0.753, 95% CI: 0.666–0.841) and calibration (p = 0.565). Instead of surgical excision of all ADHs, if those categorized with the model to be at low risk for upgrade were surveillanced and the remainder were excised, then 63.7% (37/58) of surgeries of benign lesions could have been avoided and 78.1% (100/128) malignant lesions could be treated in time.ConclusionsThis study developed a simple-to-use nomogram by incorporating clinicopathological and US features with the overarching goal of predicting the probability of upgrade in women with ADH. The nomogram could be expected to decrease unnecessary surgery by nearly two-third and to identify most of the malignant lesions, helping guide clinical decision making with regard to surveillance versus surgical excision of ADH lesions.

Aim To deeply explore the experience of front‐line nurses who participated in rescuing Wuhan during the early stage of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) epidemic. Methods Using a descriptive qualitative design, individual semi‐structured interviews were conducted between February 25 and March 5, 2020. A conventional content analysis method was used in data analysis to extract themes and sub‐themes. Results Six themes emerged after data analysis: (a) worries and stress during rescue; (b) difficulties encountered during rescue; (c) experience of team work; (d) experience of interaction with COVID‐19 patients; (e) experience of logistic support and widespread concern; and (f) value and significance of the experience. Conclusions Nurses took on difficult missions in the rescue and played an irreplaceable role. They experienced remarkable psychological changes over the intensive work. It was necessary to understand the feelings and problems of the nurses so as to establish a healthcare system that can protect medical staff effectively in future disasters.

Apatura laverna is subordinate to Apatura Fabricius of Nymphalidae, and endemic to China. The complete mitochondrial genome of A. laverna was sequenced and analyzed in the study. The length of the ...

MPP+ (1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium)-induced dopaminergic neuronal cell apoptosis is associated with sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) inhibition. We here tested the potential effect of microRNA-6862 (miR-6862), a novel SphK1-targeting miRNA, on MPP+-induced cytotoxicity in neuronal cells. MiR-6862 locates in the cytoplasm of SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. It directly binds to SphK1 mRNA. In SH-SY5Y cells and HCN-2 cells, ectopic overexpression of miR-6862 decreased SphK13’-untranslated region luciferase reporter activity and downregulated its expression. miR-6862 inhibition exerted opposite activity and elevated SphK1 expression. In neuronal cells, MPP+-induced cell death was significantly inhibited through miR-6862 inhibition. Conversely, ectopic overexpression of miR-6862 or CRISPR/Cas9-induced SphK1 knockout augmented MPP+-induced apoptosis in the neuronal cells. Importantly, antagomiR-6862 failed to inhibit MPP+-induced apoptosis in SphK1-knockout SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that inhibition of miR-6862 induces SphK1 elevation and protects neuronal cells from MPP+-induced cell death.

Background: Decreased brainstem raphe (BR) echogenicity detected by transcranial parenchymal sonography (TCS) is associated with depression in psychiatric and neurologic diseases. However, previous studies focusing on the relationship between motor and non-motor symptoms and echogenicity changes in BR in patients with PD yielded controversial results. Objectives: To investigate the relationship between echogenicity changes in BR detected by TCS and motor and a series of non-motor symptoms in patients with PD. Methods: Consecutive PD patients were recruited from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. Demographic information and Motor and non-motor symptoms for all subjects were collected. TCS was used to detect the echogenicity changes in BR in PD patients. Results: One hundred and thirty-five consecutive patients with PD were enrolled in the study. The BR abnormal rate was significantly higher in PD patients with anxiety (p = 0.003) or depression (p = 0.022) than patients without. Spearman correlation analyses showed that Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression(HRSD) (r = 0.274, p = 0.002) and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire 39-item(PDQ-39) (r = 0.208, p = 0.034) scores were positively correlated with abnormal BR echogenicity. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that HRSD and HAMA scores were associated with BR hypoechogenicity, the corresponding odds ratios (confidence intervals) were 1.07 (95% CI, 1.01–1.13) and 1.10(1.01–1.18), respectively. However, the PDQ-39 score was not associated with BR hypoechogenicity. Conclusion: The abnormal reduction in BR echogenicity detected by TCS is associated with depression and anxiety, but not motor symptoms in PD patients.

Zero-dimensional (0D) hybrid metal halides have emerged as a new generation of luminescent phosphors owing to their high radiative recombination rates, which, akin to their three-dimensional cousins, commonly demonstrate thermal quenching of luminescence. Here, we report on the finding of antithermal quenching of luminescence in 0D hybrid metal halides. Using (C9NH20)2SnBr4 single crystals as an example system, we show that 0D metal halides can demonstrate antithermal quenching of luminescence. A combination of experimental characterizations and first-principles calculations suggests that antithermal quenching of luminescence is associated with trap states introduced by structural defects in (C9NH20)2SnBr4. Importantly, we find that antithermal quenching of luminescence is not only limited to (C9NH20)2SnBr4 but also exists in other 0D metal halides. Our work highlights the important role of defects in impacting photophysical properties of hybrid metal halides and may stimulate new efforts to explore metal halides exhibiting antithermal quenching of luminescence at higher temperatures.

To establish a flow cytometric immunobead array assay (FCIA) to quantify platelet antibodies and to explore its application in the diagnosis and treatment of ITP.The guantitative standard curve was established by binding the human IgG of known concentration on antibody-coated microbeads; at the same time, the platelet-specific antigen and antibody complex was captured and levels of platelet antibodies were detected using the microbeads coated by 5 kinds of antibodies against platelets suca as GPIX (SZ1), GPⅠb (SZ2), GpⅢa (SZ21), GPⅡb (SZ22) and p-selection (SZ51). The fluorescence signal detected by flow cytometry were transformed into the conentration of platelet antibodies in samples through the quantitative standard curve, thereby establishing the method for quantititive detection of platelet-specific antibodies in plasm samples (FCIA), moreover the property, efficiency and clinical application of establishod FCIA method were evaluated.The FCIA could detect 5 kinds of antibodies against GPIX, GPⅠb, GpⅢa, GPⅡb and β-selection within a broad range of 33.29-1280 ng/ml, 45.17-1280 ng/ml, 42.07-1280 ng/ml, 46.40-1280 ng/ml, 42.48-1280 ng/ml and 42.48-1280 ng/ml respectively, and their recovery rates were 115.23%, 112.58%, 117.47%, 107.64% and 112.67% respectively. The intra-assay coefficient of variation (CV) for anti- GPIX, -GPⅠb, -GpⅢa, -GPⅡb and p-selection antibodies was 3.54%, 3.63%, 4.66%, 6.43% and 6.67% respectively, and the inter-assay CV for above mentioned antibodies were 10.89%, 7.57%, 10.34%, 6.95% and 10.72% respectively. The detection showed that the levels of 5 kinds of platelet-specific antibodies in ITP group all were higher than those in non-ITP and healthy control groups (P＜0.01). The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of quantitatively detecting 5 kinds of antibodies for diagnosis of ITP by FCIA were 68.29%, 84.98% and 78.95% respectively, while the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of detecting 5 kinds of antibodies by modified indirect MAIPA were 41.46%, 90.41% and 72.81% respectively.The established quantitative FCIA for detection of antibodies provides a powerful tool for diaghosis and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of ITP patients.定量检测血小板特异性抗体的流式免疫微珠芯片技术的建立及其临床应用.建立流式免疫微珠芯片技术（FCIA）定量检测血小板特异性抗体的方法，探讨其在ITP诊治中的应用.通过已知浓度的人IgG结合在包被抗体的微珠上，构建定量标准曲线，同时使用5种抗血小板GPIX （SZ1）、GPIb （SZ2）、GPIIIa （SZ21）、GPIIb （SZ22） 和P-选择素 （SZ51）抗体包被的微珠捕获血小板特异性抗原抗体复合物进行血小板抗体的检测。通过定量标准曲线将流式细胞仪检测的荧光信号转换成样品中血小板抗体浓度，从而建立定量检测血浆样品中血小板特异性抗体的方法（FCIA），并对该方法从性能、效率，临床应用等方面进行评价.针对GPIX、GPIb、GPIIIa、GPIIb和P-选择素5种抗体的FCIA定量检测范围分别为33.29-1280、45.17-1280、42.07-1280、46.40-1280和42.48-1280 ng/ml，回收率分别为115.23%、112.58 %、117.47%、107.64%和112.67%。批内精密度（CV%）分别为3.54%、3.65%、4.66%、6.43% 和 6.97%，批间精密度（CV%）分别为10.89%、7.57%、10.34%、6.95% 和10.72%。ITP 组5种血小板特异性抗体浓度值均高于NITP和健康对照组（P＜0.01）。FCIA定量检测5种抗体对诊断ITP的灵敏度、特异性和准确度分别为68.29%，84.93%和78.95%，而改良间接 MAIPA技术检测的相应值分别为41.46%、90.41%和72.81.建立的血小板特异性抗体FCIA定量检测方法为ITP的诊断、疗效评估、患者预后提供了一个良好工具.

Lanthanum-doped titanium-zirconium-molybdenum (La-TZM) alloys have good mechanical properties, including high strength and toughness due to complex secondary phases. Herein, the formation process of the secondary phases in the La-TZM alloy was revealed by thermodynamics calculations. The ΔG values of possible reactions during sintering were obtained. Results show that the formation process of the secondary phases was controlled by different reactions at different stages. At the first stage (0–500 °C), the main reactions are listed as follows: TiH2+O2(g)→TiO2+H2↑(g), ZrH2+O2(g)→ZrO2+H2↑(g), C6H12O6→[C]+ H2O↑, [C]+ O2(g)→CO2(g)↑, [C]+Mo→MoC, La(NO3)3·6H2O→ La2O3+NO2↑+ NO↑+O2↑+H2O; [C]+TiH2→TiC + H2(g)↑, [C]+ZrH2→ZrC + H2(g)↑. At the secondary stage (680–960 °C), the dominant reactions include: TiH2→Ti + H2(g)↑, ZrH2→Zr + H2(g)↑. At the last stage (≥1200 °C), the primary reaction is Ti + Zr+[O]→ZrTiO4. The secondary phases in the La-TZM alloy include TiO2, ZrO2, ZrC, TiC, MoC, ZrTiO4, La2O3 and the solid Ti and Zr phases. These results can guide the design of new ingredients for Mo alloys.

To explore the molecular-level mechanism on the hematopoiesis effect of Angelicae sinensis Radix (ASR) with systems-based interactome analysis. This systems-based interactome analysis was designed to enforce the workflow of "ASR (herb)→compound→target protein→internal protein actions→ending regulated protein for hematopoiesis". This workflow was deployed with restrictions on regulated proteins expresses in bone marrow and anemia disease and futher validated with experiments. The hematopoiesis mechanism of ASR might be accomplished through regulating pathways of cell proliferation towards hemopoiesis with cross-talking agents of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), and interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK). The hematopoietic function of ASR was also validated by colony-forming assay performed on mice bone marrow cells. As a result, SYK, JAK2 and ITK were activated. This study provides a new approach to systematically study and predict the therapeutic mechanism for ASR based on interactome analysis towards biological process with experimental validations.

Engineering oxygen coordination environments of cations in oxides has received intense interest thanks to the opportunities for the discovery of novel oxides with unusual properties. Herein, the synthesis of stoichiometric layered BaBiO2.5 by a nontopotactic phase transformation of perovskite BaBiO3 is presented. By analyzing the synchrotron X-ray diffraction data by the maximum-entropy method/Rietveld technique, it was found that Bi is involved in an unusual chemical bonding situation with four oxygen atoms featuring one ionic bond and three covalent bonds, which results in an asymmetric coordination geometry. Photophysical characterization revealed that this peculiar structure shows near-infrared luminescence differing from that of conventional Bi-containing compounds. Experimental and theoretical results led to the proposal of an excitonic nature of the luminescence. This work highlights that synthesizing materials with uncommon Bi-O bonding and Bi coordination geometry provides a pathway to the discovery of systems with new functionalities. This could inspire interest in the exploration of a range of materials containing heavier p-block elements with prospects for finding systems with unusual properties.

The raw and processed roots of Plygonum multiflorum Thunb (PM) are used to treat different diseases in clinical practice. In order to clarify the influence of processing, a comparative study of chemical substance analysis was carried out. As the xenobiotics with a high enough exposure in target organs being considered as the potential effective or toxicity components, an in vivo study was also implemented to characterize the constitutes and metabolites, and meanwhile, the factor of compatibility with black bean were also considered. As a result, a total of 148 compounds were detected in PM extracts and more than 40 compounds were only detected in the processed products, which were probably new components produced during the steaming process. In in vivo study, 7 prototype components and 66 metabolites were detected or tentatively identified, 24 of which were reported for the first time. Our results indicated that processing greatly changed the chemical composition of PM and influenced the disposition of the compounds in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first global comparative study of raw and processed PM. These results expanded our knowledge about the influence of processing of PM and provided the essential data for further efficacy or toxicity studies.

All-inorganic perovskites have emerged as a new class of phosphor materials owing to their outstanding optical properties. Zero-dimensional inorganic perovskites, in particular the Cs4PbBr6-related systems, are inspiring intensive research owing to the high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and good stability. However, synthesizing such perovskites with high PLQYs through an environment-friendly, cost-effective, scalable, and high-yield approach remains challenging, and their luminescence mechanisms has been elusive. Here, we report a simple, scalable, room-temperature self-assembly strategy for the synthesis of Cs4PbBr6/CsPbBr3 perovskite composites with near-unity PLQY (95%), high product yield (71%), and good stability using low-cost, low-toxicity chemicals as precursors. A broad range of experimental and theoretical characterizations suggest that the high-efficiency PL originates from CsPbBr3 nanocrystals well passivated by the zero-dimensional Cs4PbBr6 matrix that forms based on a dissolution–cr...

Background Dyskinesia is a troublesome complication of long-term dopaminergic medications in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Many factors are reported to be associated with dyskinesia in PD. Objective To investigate the association between sleep quality and dyskinesia in patients with PD. Methods Four hundred twenty-five patients with PD were enrolled in this study. Demographic information was collected. Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr (H-Y) stage scale were also performed. Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were applied to evaluate daytime sleepiness and overall nighttime sleep quality, respectively, in PD patients. Results Patients with dyskinesia tended to have a longer duration of disease, higher daily levodopa-equivalent dose (LED), H-Y stage, UPDRS II and PSQI score, and a higher percentage of levodopa treatment than those without dyskinesia. After adjusting for age, sex, age at onset of PD, disease duration, UPDRS I, UPDRS II, UPDRS III, cigarette smoking, use of different antiparkinsonian drugs, phenotype, daily LED, and restless leg syndrome (RLS), PSQI score was still associated with dyskinesia, with corresponding ORs 1.111 (95% CI, 1.004–1.229) as a continuous variable, and 2.469 (95% CI, 1.051–5.800) as a categorical variable, respectively. Further analysis of PSQI components showed that subjective sleep quality and sleep latency were associated with dyskinesia in PD patients. Conclusions Our data showed that poor nighttime sleep is positively associated with dyskinesia in PD patients. Attention to the management of nighttime sleep quality may be beneficial to dyskinesia in patients with PD.

A luminescent Zn(II) metal-organic framework (MOF), [Zn3(L)2(bipy)(μ3-OH)2]·3H2O (1) (bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine, H2L = 9H-carbazolyl-3,6-dicarboxylic acid) was obtained by the reaction of a rigid ligand H2L and Zn(II) ions. Compound 1 possesses an interesting 3D network with [Zn9(μ3-OH)6(CO2)12] units as eighteen-connected nodes. Particularly, 1 shows highly sensitive response to nitroaromatic compounds (NACs) and Fe3+ ions through fluorescence quenching. At the same time, 1 can be easily recycled by washing with N,N'-dimethylformamide (DMF) or distilled water after sensing studies, indicating that it can be reused easily. Furthermore, the possible detection mechanisms have also been discussed.

A water stable coordination network, [Cd3(L)2(bipy)(H2O)2]·H2O (1) [H3L = 9-(4-carboxy-phenyl)-9H-carbazoly-3,6-dicarboxylic acid, bipy = 4,4′-bipyridine] was synthesized and characterized. The compound shows a two-fold interpenetrating three dimensional (3D) structure. 1 can sense of uranyl ions by fluorescence quenching with high sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, possible mechanism has also been discussed.