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In this paper, we consider trees of order n with a given number of vertices of maximum degree and solve the minimal extremal problem for the Wiener index on that class. Characteristics of the extremal structures are presented, some directly from previously established methods. We also consider the maximal value of the Wiener index in the class of trees of order n with exactly k vertices of a given maximum degree, and characterize appropriate optimal trees.

Depth of field (DOF) and resolution are mutually restricted in integral imaging (II) display. To overcome the trade-offs, we propose an II display system that simultaneously enhances the DOF and resolution. The system consists of a transmissive mirror device (TMD), a semi-transparent mirror (STM), and two II display units. Each II display unit consists of a 4K display screen and a micro-lens array (MLA). Benefiting from the parallel placement of the TMD and the STM, two central depth planes are reconstructed, which effectively enhances the DOF. Meanwhile, the resolution in the overlapping DOF region is increased to two times due to the interpolation of the light field information from two II display units. The impact of the distance between the two II display units and the TMD on the 3D image quality is analyzed. In geometric optics, a distance between the II two display units and the TMD is optimized to eliminate ghost images. In wave optics, a distance is optimized to eliminate 3D pixel gaps by exploiting the diffraction effect of the TMD. Both the geometric and wave optics are considered simultaneously to obtain a high-quality 3D image without ghost images and 3D pixel gaps. A DOF and resolution-enhanced II display system is developed, and the experimental results verify its feasibility.

Microscopy is being pursued to obtain richer and more accurate information, and there are many challenges in imaging depth and display dimension. In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) microscope acquisition method based on a zoom objective. It enables 3D imaging of thick microscopic specimens with continuous adjustable optical magnification. The zoom objective based on liquid lenses can quickly adjust the focal length, to expand the imaging depth and change the magnification by adjusting the voltage. Based on the zoom objective, an arc shooting mount is designed to accurately rotate the objective to obtain the parallax information of the specimen and generate parallax synthesis images for 3D display. A 3D display screen is used to verify the acquisition results. The experimental results show that the obtained parallax synthesis images can accurately and efficiently restore the 3D characteristics of the specimen. The proposed method has promising applications in industrial detection, microbial observation, medical surgery, and so on.

Patient-derived hiPSCs could generate indefinitely illness-related cells and organoids, allowing research scientist to reproduce some pathologic change of human sickness models in petri dishes. Whereas, dermal fibroblasts require some traumatic injury to obtain and have the risky of accumulating variations due to unveil to external stimulus such as UV light. Meanwhile, peripheral blood is regarded to be a more excellent source of somatopiasm because it is less damage to collect and its mutation load is significantly lower than that of skin tissue.In this paper, we describe the successful construction of non-integration hiPSCs form human peripheral blood cells by Sendai virus. A healthy adult female of Han nationality from China contributed her peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Non-integrating Sendai virus recombinant PBMCs with human OSKM (Oct4, Sox2, Kl4 and c-Myc) transcription factors.The pluripotency of transgenic-free iPSCs was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining of pluripotency markers and the capacity of iPSCs to initially differentiate into 3 germ layers in vitro. Moreover, iPSC lines demonstrated awfully normal karyotypes. In the research of illness progression and pathogenesis (eg, DMD, SMA, ALS), iPSC lines can be used as controls.

The osteo-metabolic changes in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients are intricate and have not been fully revealed. It is not clear whether glucagon is entirely harmful in the pathogenesis of diabetes or a possible endocrine counter-regulation mechanism to reverse some abnormal bone metabolism. This study aimed to investigate the association between glucagon and bone turnover markers (BTMs) in T2D patients.A total of 3984 T2D participants were involved in a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China. Serum glucagon was measured to elucidate its associations with intact N-terminal propeptide of type I collagen (P1NP), osteocalcin (OC), and β-C-terminal telopeptide (β-CTX). Glucagon was detected with a radioimmunoassay. Propeptide of type I collagen, OC, and β-CTX were detected using chemiluminescence. The diagnosis of T2D was based on American Diabetes Association criteria.The concentration of glucagon was positively correlated with two BTMs [OC-β: 0.034, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.051, p = 0.024; CTX-β: 0.035, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.062, p = 0.024]. The result of P1NP was [P1NP-regression coefficient (β): 0.027, 95% CI: -0.003, 0.049, p = 0.083]. In the glucagon tertiles, P for trend of the BTMs is [P1NP: 0.031; OC: 0.038; CTX: 0.020], respectively.Glucagon had a positive effect on bone metabolism. The concentrations of the three BTMs increased as glucagon concentrations rose. This implied that glucagon might speed up skeletal remodelling, accelerate osteogenesis, and promote the formation of mature bone tissue. At the same time, the osteoclastic process was also accelerated, providing raw materials for osteogenesis to preserve the dynamic balance. In view of the successful use of single-molecule as well as dual/triple agonists, it would be feasible to develop a preparation that would reduce osteoporosis in diabetic patients.

The amorphous carbon was coated on the surface of the nano-silicon with citric acid by a simple mechanical stirring in water bath method and high temperature pyrolysis method, and then the carbon-coated silicon composite material(Si@C) was coated with polyvinyl alcohol by the secondary mechanical stirring and high temperature pyrolysis to obtain double carbon layer-coated silicon composite material (Si@C@C). The microstructure and surface morphology of Si@C@C were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical properties of Si@C@C were investigated by constant current charge–discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectra techniques. The study found that the first reversible specific capacity of Si@C@C was 1669 mAh/g at the current density of 0.1 C. The specific capacity remained at 1300 mAh/g, while the capacity retention rate was 77.9% after 200 cycles. The cyclic stability of Si@C@C was higher than that of Si@C, which greatly improved the electrochemical performance of silicon-based materials as anode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Previous systematic review suggested a beneficial effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. However, poor quality of eligible studies which included in previous systematic review impaired the reliability and validity of findings. The aim of the present systematic review was to further assess the value of PMR in chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. We assigned two independent investigators to search potential studies in PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trial (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China Biomedical Literature database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang Data database. We used data extraction sheet to extract essential information, and used the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to appraise the quality of eligible studies. Finally, we qualitatively summarized the results of all included studies. Six studies enrolling 288 patients were included finally. Of these 6 studies, three were labeled as moderate quality and the remaining studies were low quality. All included studies consistently suggested that PMR has a positive effect on chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, especially on the incidence, frequency, and degree of delayed nausea and vomiting. Independent studies indicated that PMR was a beneficial approach of preventing and alleviating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting among cancer patients. However, further studies enrolling other types of primary tumors should be designed in order to increase the generality of PMR because studies which were included in the present systematic review mainly considered patients with lung cancer and breast cancer. Moreover, future studies with high quality and large-scale are also warranted in order to address the limitations in the present systematic review such as poor quality and limited data of eligible studies.

We report an electro-wetting liquid lens with dual apertures which consists of internal channel with two variable interfaces and external channel with a plano-concave solid lens. And we use LC cell and Polarizers to achieve switching between internal and external channel. The proposed lens can achieve a large turning range of focal length, and the shortest positive and negative focal length are ~24 mm and ~−16 mm, respectively. Meanwhile, the experimental results show that the angular resolution of the proposed lens can reach to $\sim 29^{\prime \prime }$ . It has potential to be applied in cameras, microscopes and so on.

We study a novel family of behavioral policies for the multi-armed bandit (MAB) problem, which we have termed Myopic Quantal Response (MQR). MQR prescribes a simple way to randomize over arms according to historical rewards and a "coefficient of exploitation," which explicitly manages the exploration-exploitation trade-off. MQR is a dynamic adaptation of quantal response models where the anticipated utilities are directly derived from past rewards. Furthermore, it can be viewed as a generalization of the Thompson Sampling (TS) algorithm. We develop an asymptotic theory for MQR and show how it can help understand not only asymptotically optimal policies like TS, but also those that are suboptimal due to "under" or "over" exploring. In the non-asymptotic setup, we demonstrate how MQR can be used as a structural estimation tool: Given observed data (i.e., realized actions and rewards), we can estimate the implied coefficient of exploitation of any given policy (either generated by human beings or algorithms). This allows us to diagnose whether and to what extent the policy underexplores or overexplores.

In this paper, we propose an optofluidic lenticular lens array (OLLA) for a two-dimensional/three-dimensional (2D/3D) switchable display. The OLLA includes a bottom substrate layer with lenticular lens structure, a microfluidic layer with microchannels, and a top substrate layer with inlets as well as outlets. A micro gap is formed between the lenticular lens of the bottom substrate layer and the top substrate layer. When air is in the micro gap, the OLLA behaves as a lenticular lens array, which can realize 3D display. When fluid is filled in the micro gap, because the refractive index of the fluid is the same with the lenticular lens structure, the OLLA equivalents to a transparent flat panel, which can realize a 2D display. Experiments verify that a switchable 2D/3D display prototype based on this OLLA and a smartphone achieves both high-resolution 2D display and high-quality 3D display.

In this paper, a high stability liquid lens with optical path modulation function is designed and fabricated. The liquid lens has an outer chamber and an inner chamber, and the inner chamber has a structure with three annular anchoring layers. This structure can limit the sliding of the three-phase contact line under electrowetting effect and anchor the position of contact angle with a limited distance. The feasibility of this structure is verified by simulation and practice. The zoom imaging, contact angle, focal length and response time of the liquid lens are analyzed. The structure with three annular anchoring layers provides six anchored precision optical path modulation gears, and the optical path difference can be changed by mechanical hydraulic control, up to 1.17 mm. Widespread applications of the proposed liquid lens are foreseeable such as microscopic imaging and a telescope system, etc.

Recent studies in postmenopausal women have found associations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels with both glucose metabolism and bone turnover. The objective of the study was to investigate whether FSH may contribute to suppressed bone turnover markers (BTMs) in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes (T2D).888 postmenopausal women with T2D, 352 nondiabetes (prediabetes plus normoglycemia) were included from the METAL study. HbA1c, sex hormones, 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D), serum procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP), and β-C-terminal telopeptide (β-CTX) were measured.P1NP and β-CTX decreased in postmenopausal T2D women compared with nondiabetes controls (both p 0.001). The major factors responsible for the changes in P1NP were HbA1c (β = - 0.050, p 0.001), 25(OH)D (β = - 0.003, p = 0.006), FSH (β = 0.001, p = 0.044) and metformin (β = - 0.109, p 0.001), for β-CTX were HbA1c (β = - 0.049, p 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (β = - 0.011, p = 0.005), 25(OH)D (β = - 0.003, p = 0.003), FSH (β = 0.002, p = 0.022) and metformin (β = - 0.091, p = 0.001) in postmenopausal T2D women based on multivariate regression analysis. With the increase in HbA1c, FSH decreased significantly (p for trend 0.001). Mediation analysis demonstrated that FSH partly mediated the suppression of LnP1NP and Lnβ-CTX by HbA1c (β = - 0.009 and - 0.010, respectively), and Lnβ-CTX by BMI (β = - 0.015) when multiple confounders were considered (all p 0.05).HbA1c was the crucial determinant contributing to the suppression of BTMs. FSH might play a novel mediation role in BTM suppression due to HbA1c or BMI.

Background The accurate evaluation of BRAFV600E mutation in preoperative fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens is important for making management decisions in thyroid nodules (TNs). The aim of this study was to assess the false‐positive and false‐negative BRAFV600E mutations in thyroid FNAC specimens and their influence on diagnosis of TN. Methods This prospective study enrolled 292 nodules in 269 patients who underwent BRAFV600E mutation analysis using amplification refractory mutation system‐quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (ARMS‐qPCR) both in FNAC specimens and formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) tissue samples after surgery. The false‐positive and false‐negative mutations for BRAFV600E analysis using ARMS‐qPCR in FNAC specimens were recorded, with reference to the results of BRAFV600E mutation analysis using ARMS‐qPCR in FFPE tissue sample. Diagnostic performances of FNAC, BRAFV600E mutation analysis in FNAC specimens, BRAFV600E mutation analysis in FFPE tissue sample, and the combination of FNAC and BRAFV600E mutation analysis for predicting thyroid malignancy were assessed. Results The false‐positive and false‐negative mutations for BRAFV600E analysis using ARMS‐qPCR in FNAC specimens were 10.1% (19/189) and 7.1% (7/98), respectively. FNAC combined with preoperative BRAFV600E mutation analysis significantly increased the diagnostic sensitivity from 75.7% to 92.3%, and accuracy from 78.7% to 90.6% in comparison with FNAC alone (both P .05). Conclusions FNAC combined with preoperative BRAFV600E mutation analysis can significantly increase the diagnostic performance in comparison with FNAC alone. False‐positive and false‐negative BRAFV600E mutation results are found in preoperative FNAC specimens, whereas it does not affect the overall auxiliary diagnosis of TNs., The false‐positive and false‐negative mutations for BRAFV600E analysis in thyroid (FNAC) specimens using amplification refractory mutation system‐quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (ARMS‐qPCR) were 10.1% (19/189) and 7.1% (7/98), respectively. The false‐positive and false‐negative BRAFV600E mutation results in FNAC specimens using ARMS‐qPCR do not affect the overall auxiliary diagnosis of thyroid nodules (TNs).

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a tunable liquid lens integrated with an aspherical surface for spherical aberration and distortion compensation. Through optimizing the aspherical surface’s morphology, the spherical aberration and distortion can be significantly reduced. The root mean square spot size at focus is distinctly reduced from 55. 7 μ m to 2. 095 μ m after performing optimum optimization. The tunable liquid lens is integrated with the aspheric surface with 6 mm clear aperture and 19.2 mm minimum focal length and demonstrate the improvement in optical performance over the conventional lens without an aspheric surface over a focal length range. Its applications in microscope system and tunable-focus eyeglasses are foreseeable.

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy Type 1 (HSAN1) is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited neuropathy, clinically characterized by a loss of distal peripheral sensory and motoneuronal function. Mutations in subunits of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) have been linked to the majority of HSAN1 cases. SPTs catalyze the condensation of l-serine with palmitoyl-CoA, the first committed and rate-limiting step in de novo sphingolipid biosynthesis. Despite extensive investigation, the molecular pathogenesis of HSAN1 remains controversial. Here, we established a Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model of HSAN1 by generating a sptl-1(c363g) mutation, encoding SPTL-1(C121W) and equivalent to human SPTLC1(C133W), at the C. elegans genomic locus through CRISPR. The sptl-1(c363g) homozygous mutants exhibited the same larval lethality and epithelial polarity defect as observed in sptl-1(RNAi) animals, suggesting a loss-of-function effect of the SPTL-1(C121W) mutation. sptl-1(c363g)/+ heterozygous mutants displayed sensory dysfunction with concomitant neuronal morphology and axon-dendrite polarity defects, demonstrating that the C. elegans model recapitulates characteristics of the human disease. sptl-1(c363g)-derived neuronal defects were copied in animals with defective sphingolipid biosynthetic enzymes downstream of SPTL-1, including ceramide glucosyltransferases, suggesting that SPTLC1(C133W) contributes to the HSAN1 pathogenesis by limiting the production of complex sphingolipids, including glucosylceramide. Overexpression of SPTL-1(C121W) led to similar epithelial and neuronal defects and to reduced levels of complex sphingolipids, specifically glucosylceramide, consistent with a dominant-negative effect of SPTL-1(C121W) that is mediated by loss of this downstream product. Genetic interactions between SPTL-1(C121W) and components of directional trafficking in neurons suggest that the neuronal polarity phenotype could be caused by glycosphingolipid-dependent defects in polarized vesicular trafficking. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The symptoms of inherited metabolic diseases are often attributed to the accumulation of toxic intermediates or byproducts, no matter whether the disease-causing enzyme participates in a biosynthetic or a degradation pathway. By showing that the phenotypes observed in a C. elegans model of HSAN1 disease could be caused by loss of a downstream product (glucosylceramide) rather than the accumulation of a toxic byproduct, our work provides new insights into the origins of the symptoms of inherited metabolic diseases while expanding the repertoire of sphingolipid functions, specifically, of glucosylceramides. These findings not only have their most immediate relevance for neuroprotective treatments for HSAN1, they may also have implications for a much broader range of neurologic conditions.

Isoporous membranes with pore size smaller than 10 nm are significantly important for molecular separation. However, preparation of such membranes from process containing self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation (SNIPS) is challenging, and only few works were conducted until now. Herein, we described that membranes with pore size down to 8.6 nm and pore density up to 1.3 × 1015/m2 were generated from the well-defined SNIPS with the specially designed additive, which interacted selectively with poly(4-vinylpyridine) and facilitated the phase separation when membranes were prepared from the polystyrene-block-poly (4-vinylpyridine) (S4VP). Interaction of the additive with S4VP in casting solutions was probed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which was ascribed to the reason for the enhanced phase separation that was inspected by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The effect of preparation conditions, such as the ratios of the additive to P4VP, the compositions of solvent, and the polymer concentrations on membrane formation were systematically investigated. The morphologies and pore size on membranes were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and their rejections to proteins of varied size and charges were finally determined. Our method showed herein has opened an access to the preparation of isoporous membranes with sub-10 nm pores that were desirable for molecular separation.

In this paper, we propose a real time, ultrahigh accuracy and full-field-of-view (RUF) algorithm for full field of view (FOV) imaging system. The proposed algorithm combines rough matching and precise matching method to stitch multiple images with the whole FOV in short time and high imaging quality. In order to verify real-time imaging effect of RUF algorithm, we also fabricate a multi-camera imaging system which includes 19 independent cameras. And the experiment result practically illustrates that full-FOV system can achieve good performances under a near-limiting FOV of 360° × 240° with low distortion, meanwhile, optical resolution reaches up to 95 megapixels. 100% registration-accuracy RUF algorithm for imaging in one second can be widely applied to any optical imaging engineering field with large FOV, such as remote sensing imaging, microscopy imaging, monitoring system engineering fields and so on.

In this paper, we report a prism with two liquid–liquid interfaces based on electrowetting effect. The prism is filled with two immiscible liquids which form two liquid–liquid interfaces. In the device, the filling liquids from the top to the bottom are conductive liquid, oil and conductive liquid. The shape of the two liquid–liquid interfaces will be changed when different voltages are applied to the opposite sidewalls. Our device is capable of wide-angle beam steering and the function of light beam translational. Our results show that the light beam can be deflected by ∼ 22 . 3 ° ( − 11 . 5 ° to + 10 . 8 ° ) and the translational distance is 3.1 mm (−1.5 mm to +1.6 mm). The proposed prism has a wide application in light detection, telecommunications, light alignment and other industrial applications.

We report a $1\times 2$ optofluidic switch which consists of a fluidic chamber and an electrowetting chamber. The fluidic chamber can realize light routing and power distribution. The electrowetting chamber can switch the light on and off. On the whole, the device can achieve a distribution of the incident light power to two outputs in any proportion (from 0% to 100%), and the light in each output can be switched on and off completely. Besides, due to light routing, the light loss of the proposed optofluidic switch is relatively low. The measured light loss of the device is less than ~0.35 dB. The proposed optofluidic switch has potential applications in optical switching networks, beam splitters, variable optical attenuators, and optical routers.

For the existent imaging devices, zooming is realized by varying either the distance or the curvature of the lenses. Therefore, the zoom system is either bulky or with a limited zoom range. To further minimize the structure and increase the zoom range, we propose an optofluidic zoom system using liquid optical path switchers. The liquid optical path switcher can be switched between liquid phase and air phase, which varies the refractive index of the optical path. Thus, for the system, zooming is realized by varying both curvature and refractive index, whose principle is quite different from the existent methods. We fabricate an optofluidic zoom system using liquid optical path switchers. The experiment results show that the proposed optofluidic zoom system can achieve a large zoom range from ~45 to ~70 mm. The system is very compact, and the light efficiency is high. The proposed system increases the zoom range greatly and has potential to be applied in cameras, endoscopes, microscopes, and so on.

Buckwheat is an important alternative crop and a raw material for functional food formulation. Phase II detoxification proteins/enzymes provide cytoprotective roles against oxidative stress and inflammation originating from various stressors. We aimed to identify and characterize potential phase II enzyme inducers from methanolic extracts of buckwheat flour, using an activity-guided fractionation based on the induction of quinone reductase (QR) (EC 1.6.5.2) in Hepa 1c1c7 cells.; Results: We isolated the QR inducers N-trans-feruloyltyramine (I), syringic acid (II), quercetin (III) and myricetin (IV). The relative QR-inducing ability, as well as the concentration required to double QR specific activity (CD values, in parentheses), decreased in the order: quercetin (3.0 µmol L-1 ) > N-trans-feruloyltyramine (24 µmol L-1 ) > myricetin (58 µmol L-1 ) > syringic acid (5.4 mmol L-1 ). Quercetin and N-trans-feruloyltyramine exhibited the greatest extent of QR induction of an approximately four-fold maximum induction and these compounds also exhibited the greatest values for the ratio of IC50 (i.e. level to reduce viability by 50%): CD values of 11 and > 8.3, respectively, among the four QR inducers isolated. Isobologram analyses for binary combinations of compounds I-IV revealed primarily antagonistic interactions for QR induction.; Conclusion: These findings add to our understanding of the nutraceutical potential of buckwheat as a chemoprophylactic dietary component. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Optical see-through holographic near-eye display (NED) is one of the most promising augmented reality (AR) technologies for commercialization in the future. However, the conventional optical elements used in holographic NED make the optical display huge and heavy. In this paper, an optical see-through holographic NED with a compact and lightweight structure is proposed, in which the traditional optical elements are replaced by reflection-type holographic lenses (HLs). The HLs are thin and lightweight compared with the conventional optical lenses. We fabricate the HLs according to the reflection volume holographic grating theory. The HLs have high transmittance at Bragg-mismatched beam and high diffraction efficiency at Bragg-matched beam. In addition, we analyze the reason for the distortion of the holographic image caused by the HL and perform the distortion pre-compensation. In the experiment, an HL-based optical see-through holographic NED is developed, which is compact and lightweight. It can present clear holographic images at different focus depths without the vergence-accommodation conflict.

We investigated the efficacy of Alisertib (ALS), a selective Aurora kinase A (AURKA) inhibitor, in melanoma. We found that ALS exerts anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and pro-autophagic effects on A375 and skmel-5 melanoma cells by inhibiting p38 MAPK signaling. SB202190, a p38 MAPK-selective inhibitor, enhanced ALS-induced apoptosis and autophagy in both cell lines. ALS induced cell cycle arrest in melanoma cells through activation of the p53/p21/cyclin B1 pathway. Knockdown of p38 MAPK enhanced ALS-induced apoptosis and reduced ALS-induced autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy sensitized melanoma cells to ALS-induced apoptosis. These data indicate ALS is a potential therapeutic agent for melanoma.

In this paper, we report a 1 × 4 optical switch using deformable liquid droplet. The deformation is produced by the electrowetting on dielectric phenomenon. The device consists of a dyed oil and a transparent conductive liquid sealed in a transparent cylinder. The top glass cover of the device has four independently addressable electrodes for the actuation of the liquid dome in each direction. In the voltage-off state, incident light is absorbed by the dyed liquid. When the voltage is applied to the liquid, the dome of the transparent liquid is uplifted and then spreads to four different directions because of the effect of electrostatic force. Accordingly, the transparent liquid pushes the dyed oil out to form a light path. The device with simple structure can freely control multiple switch apertures through changing the driven voltage. In addition, we analyze the electro-optical characteristics such as transmittance, response time (open time ~110 ms, close time ~160 ms), contrast ratio (~661:1).

By means of a mixed-ligand strategy, a novel bi-functional metal–organic framework, [H2N(CH3)2]·Zn(NDC)(atz)·H2O (NDC = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, Hatz = 1H-tetrazol-5-amine), was synthesized, which displays a three-dimensional two-fold interpenetrated framework. Owing to the introduction of two different functional organic ligands, this complex exhibits bi-functional properties, i.e., selective gas adsorption of CO2 over CH4 and fluorescence sensing response for nitrobenzene.

The association of some small molecules such as benzene and phthalimide with non-amphiphilic homopolymeric low-entropy chains such as PVAc, PVA, PVP, and PNIPAM has been realized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer reaction (RAFT) method. The as-prepared PT-PVA, PT-PVAc, PT-PVP, and PT-PNIPAM can serve as new building blocks and show the capability in concentration-dependent multidimensional self-assembly from vesicles to nanotubes, nanoribbons, and three-dimensional porous net-sheet structures. The introduction of low-entropy chains enables small molecules to aggregate into the J-type formation, which confers small molecules with the fluorescence-color-tunable ability. Incidentally, due to the essence of loosely stacking of J-type aggregates, reversible disassembly of the systems has also ensued. In particular, biocompatible PT-PVA shows excellent cell-labeling and sustained-drug-release abilities. This system promises potential applications in preparing sophisticated nanostructures and designing new sustained-drug-release systems from simple small molecules.

(1) Background: Previous systematic review suggested a beneficial effect of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. However, poor quality of eligible studies impaired the reliability and validity of findings. Moreover, additional potential studies with good quality published in Chinese language have been published recently. The aim of the present systematic review was to investigate the value of PMR training in preventing and alleviating nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients. (2) Methods: We assigned two independent investigators to search all potential studies in PubMed, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trial (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), China Biomedical Literature database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang data. We used data extraction sheet extracted all essential information, and used the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool to appraise the quality of eligible studies. Finally, we qualitatively summarized the results of all included studies. (3) Results: Six studies enrolling 288 patients were considered to meet our selection criteria finally. Of these 6 studies, three were labeled as moderate quality, and the remaining studies were low quality. All included studies consistently suggested that PMR has a positive impact on nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients especially alleviating the incidence, frequency and degree of delayed nausea and vomiting. (4) Conclusions: Independent studies indicated that PMR was a beneficial approach to prevent and alleviate nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy among cancer patients. However, further studies considering other types of primary tumors should be designed in order to increase the generality of PMR because studies included in the present systematic review mainly enrolled lung cancer and breast cancer.

The conventional electrowetting lens usually has one tunable liquid-liquid (L-L) interface. The shape of L-L interface is deformed to get variable focal length due to electrowetting effect. However, contact angle saturation of the L-L interface is an unavoidable problem which prevents focal length from further changing. Here, we demonstrate an optofluidic lens based on electrowetting liquid piston. The proposed lens has two connected chambers, the piston chamber and the lens chamber to form a closed-loop fluidic system. The electrowetting liquid piston can generate clockwise and counter-clockwise liquid flows, which can make the L-L interface convex and concave. To prove the concept, we fabricate an optofluidic device whose shortest negative and positive focal lengths are ~−17.9 mm and ~18 mm with 5 mm aperture, respectively. The proposed optofluidic lens has large tunable focal length range. Widespread application of such an adaptive lens is foreseeable.

In the new era, the fourth wave of science and technology of the new industrial revolution, with the core of intelligence and the technology of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things as its representative, is sweeping in. In this context, the construction of popular science culture in China is particularly important. Popular science culture is different from scientific culture. This paper interprets the core system of popular science culture from the perspective of Williams cultural theory. Based on Constructivism theory, this paper puts forward Chinese policies and development on the construction of popular science culture in the new era from four aspects: context, cooperation, conversation and significance. And this paper also further clarifies the important value of popular science culture.

Background Excessive reactive oxygen species from endothelial mitochondria in type 2 diabetes individuals (T2DM) may occur through multiple related mechanisms, including production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS), inner mitochondrial membrane (Δψm) hyperpolarization, changes in mitochondrial mass and membrane composition, and fission of the mitochondrial networks. Inner mitochondrial membrane proteins uncoupling protein-2 (UCP2) and prohibitin (PHB) can favorably impact mtROS and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm). Circulating levels of UCP2 and PHB could potentially serve as biomarker surrogates for vascular health in patients with and without T2DM. Methods Plasma samples and data from a total of 107 individuals with (N = 52) and without T2DM (N = 55) were included in this study. Brachial artery flow mediated dilation (FMD) was measured by ultrasound. ELISA was performed to measure serum concentrations of PHB1 and UCP2. Mitochondrial membrane potential was measured from isolated leukocytes using JC-1 dye. Results Serum UCP2 levels were significantly lower in T2DM subjects compared to control subjects (3.01 ± 0.34 vs. 4.11 ± 0.41 ng/mL, P = 0.04). There were no significant differences in levels of serum PHB. UCP2 levels significantly and positively correlated with FMDmm (r = 0.30, P = 0.03) in T2DM subjects only and remained significant after multivariable adjustment. Within T2DM subjects, serum PHB levels were significantly and negatively correlated with UCP2 levels (ρ = − 0.35, P = 0.03). Conclusion Circulating UCP2 levels are lower in T2DM patients and correlate with endothelium-dependent vasodilation in conduit vessels. UCP2 could be biomarker surrogate for overall vascular health in patients with T2DM and merits additional investigation.

A reasonable deposit insurance price can effectively not only reduce the adverse selection problem, but plays an important role in reducing the systemic risk of Banks. By studying the heteroscedasticity of bank asset returns and the sequence of bank debt repayment, this paper deduces the closed form deposit insurance price formula, which further improves and expands Merton's deposit insurance pricing model.

Pricing of Callable Convertible Discount Bonds is based on non-redemption constraints under a discrete framework. The Monte Carlo method is used to conduct a large number of random simulations on the change path of the underlying stock price on the future time T. And then average it and discount it at a risk-free rate. Finally, it can get the price of the callable convertible discount bonds. The value of convertible bonds under different stock prices is analyzed in the form of charts. At the same time, we also consider the effect of different parameter variables on the value of convertible bond. Therefore, we can have a comprehensive understanding of the pricing of the callable convertible discount bonds.

A number of higher plants are able to hyperaccumulate cadmium (Cd). However, it is unknown whether cadmium (Cd) plays a biological functional role in the carbonic anhydrase (CA) of hyperaccumulators. A hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the potentially physiological function of Cd in CA and the accumulation and tolerance of Cd in the Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator Picris divaricata Vant. P. divaricata was exposed to nutrient solutions with six Cd concentrations (0, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 75 μmol L−1). After 12 d, plants were harvested for the analysis of plant biomass, Cd concentration and CA activity. The Cd concentrations in plant increased with the increasing Cd in nutrient solution, reaching 640 and 3 100 mg kg−1 in shoot and root, respectively, at the 75 μmol L−1 Cd treatment. Meanwhile, plant growth was enhanced by the Cd treatments at 5–25 L−1, but it was significantly inhibited when the plants were exposed to solutions with higher Cd concerntrations (50 and 75 μmol L−1). Exposure to Cd significantly increased the CA activity in P. divaricata, which reached a maximum value of 21.27 U mg−1 proteins at the 25 μmol L−1 Cd treatment, and the CA activity and shoot Cd concentration were positively correlated at solutions Cd of ≤ 25 μmol L−1. Moreover, two protein bands appeared on the denatured gel electrophoresis of purified CA, indicating that P. divaricata may have CA isomers with their respective molecular weights at around 60 and 55 kDa, at least one of which is Cd-bound. In addition, trace amounts of Cd in purified CA significantly increased with the supplied Cd concentration in nutrient solution (5–25 μmol L−1). The results suggested that Cd may play a biological role by enhancing the activities and forming the active Cd-specific CA in the hyperaccumulator P. divaricata.

Tumor boundary delineation using F-FDG PET/CT is a promising tool for radiotherapy applications, but no consensus has been established regarding the optimal delineation method. Time-phase variability of F-FDG PET/CT imaging frequently affects metabolically active volumes and treatment planning for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to evaluate the time-phase robustness of 8 methods commonly used for tumor volume delineation in NPC.Twenty patients with biopsy-proven NPC were included and underwent multiple time-phase F-FDG PET/CT imaging. Gross tumor volumes (GTVs), absolute SUV, gradient-based watershed segmentation (GTV-GWT), and anatomic biologic contouring (GTV-ABC) values were determined. The volume of overlap between GTV-CT and the 8 PET-based GTVs was enclosed and the overlap fraction (OF-CT) calculated. Color matrix was used to semiquantify the time-phase differences. Gross tumor volume values obtained with different methods were recorded and compared using paired t test. Time-phase differences of GTVs and SUVmax were compared among groups by analysis of variance with Tukey honest significance tests. The coefficients of variation were computed to assess intrapatient time-phase variability. Similarity coefficient was calculated to evaluate similarity.Differences were observed between GTVs obtained at different time points using various delineation procedures. Nonsignificantly higher percentages were obtained for GTV-GWT (88.17%) and GTV-ABC (86.98%) compared with other methods, showing their robustness. GTV-40% (0.81-0.88) and GTV-ABC (0.82-0.88) indicated higher similarity with GTV-MRI than the other methods.PET/CT-based GTV-ABC between 35 and 55 minutes should be the first choice for NPC treatment planning.

ELL-associated factor 2 (EAF2) is an androgen-regulated tumor suppressor in the prostate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of EAF2 protein in human prostate cancer specimens along with BPH specimens as a control, and to evaluate potential association of EAF2 expression with clinical characteristics and overall survival of the prostate cancer patients. The expression of EAF2 was evaluated in 44 prostate cancer and 23 BPH tissue specimens using immunohistochemistry. The relationships of EAF2 expression with clinical characteristics and overall survival rates were analyzed by Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier method. The immunostaining intensity of EAF2 in BPH specimens was significantly higher than that in prostate cancer (p

Adipokines such as leptin play important roles in the regulation of energy metabolism, particularly in the control of appetite. Here, we describe a hormone, mimecan, which is abundantly expressed in adipose tissue. Mimecan was observed to inhibit food intake and reduce body weight in mice. Intraperitoneal injection of a mimecan-maltose binding protein (-MBP) complex inhibited food intake in C57BL/6J mice, which was attenuated by pretreatment with polyclonal antibody against mimecan. Notably, mimecan-MBP also induced anorexia in Ay/a and db/db mice. Furthermore, the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 was up-regulated in the hypothalamus by mimecan-MBP, as well as in N9 microglia cells by recombinant mouse mimecan. Taken together, the results suggest that mimecan is a satiety hormone in adipose tissue, and that mimecan inhibits food intake independently of leptin signaling by inducing IL-1β and IL-6 expression in the hypothalamus.

Rationale: A strong association has emerged between the gut microbiome and atherosclerotic disease. Our recent data suggest Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (Lp299v) supplementation reduces infarct size in male rats. Limited human data are available on the impact of Lp299v on the vasculature. Objective: To determine whether oral Lp299v supplementation improves vascular endothelial function and reduces systemic inflammation in humans with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods and Results: Twenty men with stable CAD consumed a drink containing Lp299v (20 billion CFU) once daily for 6 weeks. After a 4-week washout, subjects were given an option of additionally participating in a 10-day study of oral liquid vancomycin (250 mg QID). Vascular endothelial function was measured by brachial artery flow-mediated dilation. Before and after Lp299v, plasma short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine oxide, and adipokine levels were measured. Additional plasma samples underwent unbiased metabolomic analyses using liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy. 16S rRNA sequencing was used to determine changes of the stool microbiome. Arterioles from patients with CAD were obtained, and endothelium-dependent vasodilation was measured by video microscopy after intraluminal incubation with plasma from Lp299v study subjects. Lp299v supplementation improved brachial flow-mediated dilation ( P =0.008) without significant changes in plasma cholesterol profiles, fasting glucose, or body mass index. Vancomycin did not impact flow-mediated dilation. Lp299v supplementation decreased circulating levels of IL (interleukin)-8 ( P =0.01), IL-12 ( P =0.02), and leptin ( P =0.0007) but did not significantly change plasma trimethylamine oxide concentrations ( P =0.27). Plasma propionate ( P =0.004) increased, whereas acetate levels decreased ( P =0.03). Post-Lp299v plasma improved endothelium-dependent vasodilation in resistance arteries from patients with CAD ( P =0.02).16S rRNA analysis showed the Lactobacillus genus was enriched in postprobiotic stool samples without other changes. Conclusions: Lp299v improved vascular endothelial function and decreased systemic inflammation in men with CAD, independent of changes in traditional risk factors and trimethylamine oxide. Circulating gut-derived metabolites likely account for these improvements and merit further study. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01952834.

Food contamination by toxic mycotoxins not only causes a considerable loss in economy, but importantly poses a huge threat to human health through accidental ingestion. Hence, it is an ongoing and imperative need to develop a convenient, cost-effective method for the detection of the mycotoxin-infected agricultural commodities. To this end, we herein fabricated a novel metal–organic framework-derived composite material that displays a strong solid-state emission in the visible region, by attaching a frequently used fluorescent label, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), via guest adsorption. Significantly, owing to the inherent pH-responsive conformational changes of FITC, the resulting composite material provides, to the best of our knowledge, the first example of the sensitive and selective fluorescence sensing toward 3-nitropropionic acid, which, as a major naturally occurring mycotoxin in moldy sugarcane, has been closely linked to poisoning episodes in human beings and animals.

The world’s convertible bonds are mainly concentrated in the United States, Europe, Japan and other developed financial markets. Convertible bonds can effectively promote the prosperity of a region’s financial market and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. However, at present, convertible bonds in China’s financial market are not mature yet, many investors lack the knowledge about convertible bonds pricing theory and risk scale. In order to explain the structure of convertible bonds more simply, this paper analysis dismantled convertible bonds through the change of parameters on the basis of Qiyuan Zhou’s paper.

Objective: The aim of this study is to observe the effects of Quality Control Circle (QCC) in clinical pain care. Methods: A total of 140 patients admitted in our hospital from September 2016 to September 2017 were selected and divided into the control group (n=70) and observation group (n=70) by the number table method. These patients had varying degrees of pain. The control group was offered with conventional clinical nursing, whereas the observation group subjected to the QCC. The two groups were compared with respect to pain improvement, nursing satisfaction, nursing quality, and work efficiency. Results: With respect to number of pain cases, the observation group has significantly fewer cases of moderate and severe pain than the control group. There is statistically significant difference between the two groups (P

In this paper, the pricing method of carbon emission right is improved, and the Chinese “acid rain plan” is put forward: the option mechanism is introduced into the initial distribution of carbon emission right, so that the purchaser sees the purchasing behavior as the right, effectively avoid the rejection mentality of the emission enterprise to the paid distribution carbon right, while avoid the risk of the price fluctuation of the carbon emission right. The specific method of operation is based on the existing price data, using the solution method of the second order parabolic variable coefficient differential equation Carbon emissions to pricing, for the introduction of Chinese-style "acid rain" to provide a theoretical basis. In this paper, the solution of the partial differential equation of the variable coefficient is approximated by the superposition of the solution of the ordinary differential equation of the variable coefficient by the small parameter method of the singular perturbation theory. It is easy to obtain the approximate analytical solution of the variable coefficient partial differential equation by the extension method.

It has been studied that the impact of doping of Bi3+on the luminescent properties of red phosphors Sr3-xGaO4F:xEu3+prepared with high temperature solid-state reaction method followed by doping into certain amounts of Bi2O3. The resulting samples are characterized by XRD, Emission Spectrum and Excitation Spectrum. As a result, it is shown that the strongest emission peak caused by the forced electronic dipole transition of5D0-7F2is at 618 nm with solely doping of Eu3+. In addition, the luminescent intensity of the as-formed phosphor increases and the most intensive emission peak red-shifts with doping amount of Bi3+while co-doping Eu3+and Bi3+. Meanwhile, the relationship of energy transition of Eu3+and Bi3+is also discussed herein.