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Abstract Similar to optical spin-orbit interactions (SOIs), acoustic SOIs are anticipated to offer fresh perspectives and capabilities for acoustic manipulation beyond conventional scalar degrees of freedom. However, the acoustic extrinsic SOIs caused by particular properties of the medium were seldom explored. Here, the acoustic extrinsic SOI is observed in a double spiral acoustic beam (DSAB), as evidenced by the rotation of the spatial intensity pattern along the propagation axis. The interaction of the acoustic plane wave with the well-designed artificial flat structure generates two non-paraxial focused acoustic vortices (NFAVs) with different spin angular momentums. The coaxial coupling between them leads to acoustic spin-controlled orbital rotation (SOR). Theoretical formulations, supported by numerical simulations and experimental results, are provided to demonstrate the validity of acoustic SOR. Our work provides new perspectives and capabilities for understanding sound processing, and may open an avenue for the development of spin-orbit acoustics.

ObjectiveThe burden of both general and drug-resistant tuberculosis in rural areas is higher than that in urban areas in China. To characterize the genetic structure and transmission risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in rural China, we used whole genome sequencing to analyze clinical strains collected from patients in two counties of Yichang for three consecutive years.MethodsFrom 2018 to 2020, sputum samples were collected for cultures from patients with suspected tuberculosis in Yidu and Zigui county, and DNA was extracted from the positive strains for genome sequencing. The online SAM-TB platform was used to identify the genotypes and drug resistance-related mutations of each strain, establish a phylogenetic tree, and calculated the genetic distances between pairwise strains. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were used as thresholds to identify transmission clusters. The risk of related factors was estimated by univariable and multivariable logistic regression.ResultsA total of 161 out of the collected 231 positive strains were enrolled for analysis, excluding non-tuberculous mycobacterium and duplicate strains from the same patient. These strains belonged to Lineage 2 (92, 57.1%) and Lineage 4 (69, 42.9%), respectively. A total of 49 (30.4%) strains were detected with known drug resistance-related mutations, including 6 (3.7%) multidrug-resistant-TB (MDR-TB) strains and 11 (6.8%) RIF-resistant INH-susceptible TB (Rr-TB) strains. Six of the MDR/Rr-TB (35.3%) were also resistant to fluoroquinolones, which made them pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR-TB). There were another seven strains with mono-resistance to fluoroquinolones and one strain with resistance to both INH and fluoroquinolones, making the overall rate of fluoroquinolones resistance 8.7% (14/161). A total of 50 strains (31.1%) were identified as transmission clusters. Patients under 45 years old (adjusted odds ratio 3.46 [95% confidential intervals 1.28–9.35]), treatment-naive patients (6.14 [1.39–27.07]) and patients infected by lineage 4 strains (2.22 [1.00–4.91]) had a higher risk of transmission.ConclusionThe drug resistance of tuberculosis in rural China, especially to the second-line drug fluoroquinolones, is relatively serious. The standardized treatment for patients and the clinical use of fluoroquinolones warrant attention. At the same time, the recent transmission risk of tuberculosis is high, and rapid diagnosis and treatment management at the primary care needs to be strengthened.

We report both experimentally and numerically that near-perfect absorption of low-frequency sound is realized in an open tunnel embedded with two deep sub-wavelength (0.085 λ) Mie resonators. The resonators are composed of a multiple-cavity structure and an outer frame on three sides. In the eigenmode analysis, we obtain two types of monopolar Mie resonance modes (MMR I&II) in a single resonator around 250 Hz. The eigenfrequency of MMR I is mainly determined by the Helmholtz resonance of each cavity in the multiple-cavity structure, while that of MMR II is closely related to the coupling between the multiple-cavity structure and its outer frame, showing high performances of coupling and sound absorption. Based on the thermal viscous loss of sound energy in the channels created by the mutual coupling of MMR II of both Mie resonators with different diameters, the near-perfect sound absorption through the open tunnel is realized around 283 Hz. More interestingly, by increasing the number of Mie resonators in the tunnel, a broadband near-perfect sound absorption is observed, and the fractional bandwidth can reach about 0.25 and 0.46 for the tunnels with 6 and 13 resonators, The proposed deep sub-wavelength Mie resonator and its associated near-perfect sound absorptions have great potential applications in architectural acoustics and mechanical engineering.

We report the numerical and experimental realization of a type of ultrathin planar wall with low-frequency dual-band sound absorption. The proposed planar wall is constructed by a periodic subwavelength unit cell (with a thickness of λ/19) which consists of two different multiple-cavity resonators embedded into a plate structure with a groove. The sound absorption of the wall exists in two working bands (IandII) below 600 Hz which are created by two different mechanisms. In addition to the band I created by a conventional resonance coupling of the two multiple-cavity resonators, it is worth noting that the band II is realized by a mutual resonance coupling between the resonators and groove structure. The fractional bandwidths of the bands I and II can reach about 34.1 and 10.4%, respectively. Furthermore, the application of the proposed ultrathin planar wall in the design of a barrier-free anechoic room with omnidirectional low-frequency dual-band sound absorption is further discussed in detail. The proposed planar wall has the advantages of ultrathin planar structure and omnidirectional low-frequency dual-band sound absorption, which provides diverse routes to design advanced sound-absorption structures in noise control and architectural acoustics.

BackgroundAcute lung injury (ALI) is a common complication after cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). No precise way, however, is currently available to predict its occurrence. We and others have demonstrated that microparticles (MPs) can induce ALI and were increased in patients with ALI. However, whether MPs can be used to predict ALI after cardiac surgery with CPB remains unknown.MethodsIn this prospective study, 103 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB and 53 healthy subjects were enrolled. MPs were isolated from the plasma before, 12 h after, and 3 d after surgery. The size distributions of MPs were measured by the LitesizerTM 500 Particle Analyzer. The patients were divided into two subgroups (ALI and non-ALI) according to the diagnosis of ALI. Descriptive and correlational analyzes were conducted between the size distribution of MPs and clinical data.ResultsCompared to the non-ALI group, the size at peak and interquartile range (IQR) of MPs in patients with ALI were smaller, but the peak intensity of MPs is higher. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the size at peak of MPs at postoperative 12 h was an independent risk factor for ALI. The area under the curve (AUC) of peak diameter at postoperative 12 h was 0.803. The best cutoff value of peak diameter to diagnose ALI was 223.05 nm with a sensitivity of 88.0% and a negative predictive value of 94.5%. The AUC of IQR at postoperative 12 h was 0.717. The best cutoff value of IQR to diagnose ALI was 132.65 nm with a sensitivity of 88.0% and a negative predictive value of 92.5%. Combining these two parameters, the sensitivity reached 92% and the negative predictive value was 96%.ConclusionsOur findings suggested that the size distribution of MPs could be a novel biomarker to predict and exclude ALI after cardiac surgery with CPB.

Abstract Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDSs) are a group of rare monogenic conditions with strong heterogeneity and can be caused by 20 genes associating with the essence of the extracellular matrix (ECM). This study enrolled three cases with various subtypes of EDS. Clinical evaluation and genetic testing with whole‐exome sequencing (WES) were performed. The clinical manifestations of all three patients were thoroughly monitored; and three de novo diagnostic variants, namely COL5A1: NM_001278074.1: c.4609‐2A>C, COL3A1: NM_000090.3: c.3554G>T(p.Gly1185Val), and COL1A1: NM_000088.3: c.545G>T(p.Gly182Val) were identified from them, respectively. The findings in this study expanded the mutation spectrum of EDS and strengthened the efficiency of WES in the differential diagnosis on disorders with overlapping phenotypes and various pathogenesis.

Abstract Background STAT5 plays an important role in the transformation of hematopoietic cells by BCR-ABL. However, the downstream target genes activated by STAT5 in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells remain largely unclear. Here, we investigated the mechanistic functional relationship between STAT5A-regulated microRNA and CML cell apoptosis. Methods The expression of USP15, Caspase-6, STAT5A-regulated miR-202-5p and STAT5A was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting in CML cell lines and PBMCs of CML patients. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Both gain- and loss-of-function experiments were used to investigate the roles of USP15, miR-202-5p and STAT5A in CML. Luciferase reporter assay detected the effect of miR-202-5p on USP15 expression. Xenograft animal model was used to test the effect of anti-miR-202-5p and pimozide on K562 cell xenograft growth. Results USP15 expression was significantly downregulated in CML cell lines and PBMCs of CML patients. Depletion of USP15 increased, whereas overexpression of USP15 reduced the resistance of CML cells to Imatinib. Further, decreased deubiquitinating activity of USP15 by USP15 downregulation led to reduced caspase-6 level, thus attenuating CML cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-202-5p was upregulated in K562G cells and negatively regulated USP15 expression by directly targeting USP15 3′-UTR. Correspondingly, upregulation of miR-202-5p enhanced the resistance of CML cells to Imatinib by inhibiting cell apoptosis. Importantly, STAT5A was upregulated in CML cells and directly activated miR-202-5p transcription by binding to the pre-miR-202 promoter. Pimozide induced CML cell apoptosis and significantly reduced K562 cell xenograft growth in vivo by blocking STAT5A/miR-202-5p/USP15/Caspase-6 regulatory axis. Conclusions we provide the first evidence that de-regulated STAT5A/miR-202-5p/USP15/Caspase-6 regulatory axis suppresses the apoptosis of CML cells, targeting this pathway might be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of CML.

The technique of sound insulation has a wide range of potential applications in environment noise control and architectural acoustics. The rapid development of acoustic artificial materials has provided alternative solutions to design sound insulation structures. However, the realization of single-layer planar structures with bidirectional acoustic insulation (BAI) and unidirectional acoustic insulation (UAI) still poses a challenge. Here, we report the theoretical and experimental realization of two types of single-layer phased array lenses which presents the characteristics of broadband BAI and multi-channel UAI. Both types of lenses consist of 12 mode-conversion phased units which are composed of two types of unit cells (I and II) with an opposite phase and a step waveguide. Based on the phase regulation, the designed phased unit can realize the mode conversion between the zero-order and first-order waves and asymmetric sound manipulation, which enables multi-functional sound insulations. Based on the desired theoretical phase profiles, two types of lenses with BAI and UAI are realized for the incidence of the zero-order wave, and their fractional bandwidths can reach about 0.28 and 0.37, respectively. More interestingly, the UAI effect can be reversed for the incidence of the first-order wave. The proposed lenses based on the mode-conversion phased units have the advantages of single-layer planar structure, multi-functional sound insulation, and broad bandwidth, which have wide application prospect.

We report, both theoretically and experimentally, a type of ultra-thin metasurface-based low-frequency sound absorber with bandwidth optimization. Such a metasurface unit consists of an ultrathin resonator (thickness∼1/90 wavelength) with a circular hole on the upper panel and four narrow slits inside a multiple-cavity structure. Eigenmode simulations of the unit show rich artificial Mie resonances, in which a type of monopolar Mie resonance mode can be obtained at 238.4 Hz. Based on the excitation of the monopolar mode, we can realize the near-perfect low-frequency sound absorption with the maximum absorption coefficient and fractional bandwidth of 0.97 and 12.9%, respectively, which mainly arises from the high thermal-viscous loss around the circular hole and four narrow slits of the unit. More interestingly, by combining 4 units with different diameters of the circular hole, we further enhance the fractional bandwidth of the compound unit to 18.7%. Our work provides a route to design ultra-thin broadband sound absorbers by artificial Mie resonances, showing great potential in practical applications of low-frequency noise control and architectural acoustics.

Acoustic purely imaginary metamaterials (PIMs) slabs can support the coexistence of coherent perfect absorption and laser modes and are used to achieve negative refraction. Previous works have focused on a pair of different PIM slabs, one operating in CPA mode and the other in laser mode. However, this structure has restrictions on the incident wave direction, specifically the wave can only be incident from the CPA side. In this paper, we derive the analytical expressions for the parameters required for the coexistence of CPA and laser modes in acoustic PIM slabs. Numerical simulation results show that such PIM slab can freely switch states between the coherent complete absorber and the laser depending on the incidence direction. On this basis, by using a pair of identical PIM slabs, bidirectional negative refraction and planar focusing can be achieved. In addition, the parameters in the appropriate range can be found by adjusting the mode order, which facilitates the experimental verification. So far, the required acoustic purely imaginary metamaterials (PIMs) have not been experimentally demonstrated, and the results presented in the manuscript are theoretical speculations on their existence, so practical applications may require more sophisticated design and engineering.

ABSTRACT: Adiponectin is an important adipocytokine and plays the roles in multiple metabolic processes via binding its receptors - AdipoR1 and AdipoR2, which has also been found to participate in the regulation of the reproductive system of animals, in particular by influencing the secretion of ovarian steroid hormones. To further investigate the expression of adiponectin and its receptors in follicles after in vitro incubation, and their role in the steroid synthesis of laying hens’ ovaries, we performed qRT-PCR and ELISA to detect the expressions of AdipoQ, AdipoR1, and AidpoR2, and determined the key genes involved in steroidogenesis and the secretion of estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) through the in vitro activation of adiponectin (AipoRon) and overexpression or knockdown of AdipoR1 and AdipoR2. Our results revealed that adiponectin and its receptors wildly exist in follicles and granulosa cells, and AdipoRon (5 and 10 µg/mL) had no effect on granulosa cell proliferation and apoptosis but significantly stimulated the secretion of adiponectin and its receptors in granulosa cells after incubation for 24 h. Furthermore, AdipoRon could significantly stimulate the secretion of P4 and inhibit E2 level compared to those of the control group through modulating the key genes expression of steroidogenesis (CYP19A1, StAR, CYP11A1, FSHR, and LHR). The secretion of E2 was also decreased in granulosa cells by the treatments of overexpression and knockdown of AdipoR1/2, however, there was no difference in terms of the level of P4 and StAR expression between them if there was overexpression or knockdown of AdipoR1/2. In addition, it was shown that the secretion of E2 only exhibits a marked drop if co-processing 10 µg/mL AdipoRon and pGMLV AdipoR2 compared to single treatments. Taken together, the study highlighted the role of adiponectin and its receptors in the regulation of steroid synthesis and secretion in ovarian granulosa cells in laying hens.

Background: Diffuse lower-grade gliomas (LGGs) are infiltrative and heterogeneous neoplasms. Gene signature including multiple protein-coding genes (PCGs) is widely used as a tumor marker. This study aimed to construct a multi-PCG signature to predict survival for LGG patients.Methods: LGG data including PCG expression profiles and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA). Survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and random survival forest algorithm (RSFVH) were used to identify the prognostic PCG signature.Results: From the training (n = 524) and test (n = 431) datasets, a five-PCG signature which can classify LGG patients into low- or high-risk group with a significantly different overall survival (log rank P < 0.001) was screened out and validated. In terms of prognosis predictive performance, the five-PCG signature is stronger than other clinical variables and IDH mutation status. Moreover, the five-PCG signature could further divide radiotherapy patients into two different risk groups. GO and KEGG analysis found that PCGs in the prognostic five-PCG signature were mainly enriched in cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA replication pathways.Conclusions: The new five-PCG signature is a reliable prognostic marker for LGG patients and has a good prospect in clinical application.

LncRNA SET-binding factor 2 (SBF2) antisense RNA1 (SBF2-AS1) has been proven to play an oncogenic role in various types of tumors, but the prognostic role of SBF2-AS1 in tumors, especially in diffuse lower-grade glioma (LGG), is still unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of SBF2-AS1 in LGG. The LGG expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, n = 524) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA, n = 431) were mined by Kaplan-Meier analysis, Cox regression analysis, Chi-square test and GSEA analysis. Through Kaplan-Meier analysis, we found the prognosis of LGG patients with high expression of SBF2-AS1 were worse than that of patients with low expression (Log Rank P < 0.001). Cox analysis showed SBF2-AS1 was an independent prognostic factor for poorer overall survival in LGG ( P < 0.05). SBF2-AS1 was found to be significantly related to IDH mutation status and SBF2-AS1 was highly expressed in IDH wildtype group. GSEA analysis obtained a total of 126 GO terms and 6 KEGG pathways that were significantly enriched in SBF2-AS1 high expression phenotype (NOM P value < 0.05). We found these 126 GO terms and KEGG pathways were mainly related to immunity. In conclusion, lncRNA SBF2-AS1 expression is an immune-related lncRNA associated with unfavorable overall survival in LGG. SBF2-AS1 could be a reliable prognostic biomarker for patients with LGG.

Acoustic purely imaginary metamaterials (PIMs) contain loss and gain uniformly distributed in space, but in different parameters. Therefore, the PIMs contain the elements of gain and loss simultaneously. As a result, some extraordinary wave modes may appear depending on whether gain or loss elements dominate. In this work, we theoretically and numerically investigate the general excitation conditions for acoustic lasing, coherent perfect absorption (CPA) and for their co-existence in the framework of acoustic PIMs. All-angle negative refraction and planar focusing are achieved by pairing two PIM slabs with conjugating parameters. The proposed structure provides an alternative basis for possible applications of acoustic perfect imaging.

Recently, increasing evidence has displayed that lncRNAs can exhibit crucial function in cancer progression, including lung cancer. LncRNA bladder cancer-associated transcript 1 (BLACAT1) is reported to participate in various cancers. The aim of our current study was to investigate the function of BLACAT1 in non-small cell lung cancer progression and study the functional pathway. Here, we reported BLACAT1 was significantly up-regulated in lung cancer tissues in comparison to the adjacent normal tissues, which suggested BLACAT1 might act as an oncogene in lung cancer. Then, A549 and PC9 cells were infected with BLACAT1 overexpression plasmid and shRNA. As shown, we proved up-regulation of BLACAT1 greatly induced the growth of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Reversely, knockdown of BLACAT1 reduced A549 and PC9 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Sonic hedgehog (shh) signaling is able to exert a significant role in carcinogenesis, including lung cancer. Currently, we proved that up-regulation of BLACAT1 activated shh signaling pathway, via inducing shh, Gli-1 and Smo expression. shh pathway inhibitor GANT-61 reversed the effect of overexpression of BLACAT1 on non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover, we manifested that loss of BLACAT1 remarkably reduced the in vivo growth and metastasis of A549 cells via enhancing infiltrating CD3+ T cells. In conclusion, our research revealed a critical role of BLACAT1 in the modulation of non-small cell lung cancer via modulating shh pathway.

We report both numerical and experimental constructions of a tunnel structure with low-frequency low-reflection bidirectional sound insulation (BSI). The designed tunnel was constructed from a pair of lossy acoustic metasurfaces (AMs), which consists of six ultrathin coiled unit cells, attached on both sides. Based on the generalized Snell′s law and phase modulations for both AMs, the tunnel with the low-frequency BSI was constructed based on sound reflections and acoustic blind areas created by the AMs. The obtained transmittances were almost the same for sound incidences from both sides and were lower than −10 dB in the range 337–356 Hz. The simulated and measured results agreed well with each other. Additionally, we show that the low-reflection characteristic of the tunnel can be obtained simultaneously by thermoviscous energy loss in coiled channels of the unit cells. Finally, an interesting application of the designed tunnel in an open-window structure with low-frequency low-reflection BSI is further simulated in detail. The proposed tunnel based on the ultrathin lossy AMs has the advantages of ultrathin thickness (about λ/35), low-frequency low-reflection BSI, and high-performance ventilation, which may have potential applications in architectural acoustics and noise control.

Objective: Invasive breast cancer (BRCA) is one of the prevalent types of invasive tumors with high mortality worldwide. Due to the lack of effective treatment to control the recurrence of distant metastases, the prognosis of BRCA is still very unsatisfactory. We aimed to find some biomarkers by bioinformatics analysis for survival prediction. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out based on tumor group and normal group. Then, the weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was employed to identify the clinically associated gene sets. Meanwhile, the enrichment analyses were performed for the functional annotation of the critical genes. The Kaplan Meier analysis calculated the essential genes’ prognostic value. Results: After threshold screening, 1655 DEGs were obtained for subsequent analysis. 51 out of 1655 DEGs were significantly associated with BRCA patients’ estrogen receptor status via WGCNA. Three genes (FABP7, CXCL3, and LOC284578) out of the 51 genes were associated with overall survival, and 3 genes were relapse-free survival associated. Finally, we obtained 5 essential prognostic associated genes (FABP7, CXCL3, LOC284578, CAPN6, and NRG2), which could be used as prognostic factors for BRCA. Conclusion: Our findings obtained a gene module associated with BRCA clinical trait and several key genes that acted as essential components in the prognostic of cancer, which may improve its treatment.

In this work, a small core, Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG)-based smart contact lens for intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement has been demonstrated. Further, an integral temperature compensation mechanism has been developed and included in the sensor design, allowing it to offer good long-term measurement capability while allowing for any local temperature fluctuations. The sensitivity of the device has been shown to be 12.9 p.m./mmHg, yielding good repeatability in tests carried out. Such a small core fibre, FBG-based smart contact lens shows significant potential for improving the management and therapy of glaucoma, the second most common cause of preventable blindness in the world.

Background: Long non-coding (lnc) RNAs plays an important role in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this study, we aimed to uncover the mechanism of the lncRNA maternally expressed 3 (MEG3) and its target microRNA-147 (miR-147) in CML. Methods: Sixty CML patients and 10 healthy donors were included in the study. The methylation of MEG3 and miR-147 promoter was determined by methylation-specific PCR. The relationship of MEG3 and miR-147 was explored by luciferase assay. The interactions of proteins were studied by RNA pull-down assay, RNA immunoprecipitation and co-immunoprecipitation. Findings: Patients in accelerated phase CML (CML-AP) and blast phase CML (CML-BP) showed lower expressions of MEG3 and miR-147 and higher expressions of DNMT1, DNMT3B, MBD2, MECP2 and HDAC1 compared to the controls. These patients also showed a higher degree of methylation of MEG3 and miR-147 while there was a reduction after chidamide treatment. Furthermore, the overexpression of MEG3 and miR-147 inhibited cell proliferation both in vivo and in vitro, promoted apoptosis and decreased the expressions of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, MBD2, HDAC1 and MECP2. We also found MEG3 interacted with DNMT1, JAK2, STAT3, HDAC1, and TYK2, and JAK2 was bound to STAT3, STAT5 and MYC. More interestingly, JAK2 was bound to TYK2 by the bridge of MEG3. Interpretation: LncRNA MEG3 and its target miR-147 may serve as a novel therapeutic target for CML blast crisis, and chidamide might have a potential clinical application in treating CML blast crisis. Keywords: lncRNA MEG3, Chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis, Chidamide, miR147 and epigenetic

Objective To investigate the value of blood concentration monitoring of 10-monohydroxy carbamazepine (MHD), the active metabolite of oxcarbazepine (OXC), in the treatment ofchildhood focal epilepsy. Methods A total of 110 children with focal epilepsy took OXC for 3 months and then the MHD concentrations were determined by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results The average dose of OXC in 110 children was (25.52 ± 7.28) mg/(kg·d) and the valley point concentration of MHD was 7.00 (4.95, 10.50) mg/L, and 89 cases (80.91%) < 12 mg/L. A linear relationship between MHD valley point concentration and OXC dose (rs = 0.337, P = 0.000) was shown by Spearman rank correlation analysis. The dosage of OXC for older ( > 7 years) children was significantly lower than that of younger (≤ 7 years) children [(23.13 ± 5.56) mg/(kg·d) vs. (28.09 ± 8.06) mg/(kg·d); t = 3.778, P = 0.000], while there was no significant difference between the concentration of children with different sexes (t = 1.067, P = 0.288), between children with and without drug resistant epilepsy (DRE; t = 1.417, P = 0.159) and between monotherapy and combination drug therapy (t = 1.671, P = 0.098). The MHD valley point concentration in DRE group was lower than that of non-DRE group [6.32 (3.05, 8.58) mg/L vs. 8.30 (5.75, 10.85) mg/L; Z = 2.380, P = 0.017], while there was no significant difference between the concentration of children with different sexes (Z = 0.604, P = 0.546), between older and younger children (Z = 0.179, P = 0.858) and between monotherapy and combination drug therapy (Z = 1.583, P = 0.113). Conclusions There is a linear relationship between MHD steady state valley point concentration and the dose of OXC. To achieve the same MHD level, the younger children need to take a larger dose of OXC. When OXC is used to treat drug resistant focal epilepsy in children, the dosage should be adjusted according to the monitoring of blood concentration of MHD. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.06.009

Objective To study the clinical features and gene mutations of early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (EOEE) and to explore the application in pathogenic diagnosis of EOEE by next generation sequencing. Methods The clinical data of 68 cases diagnosed with unexplained EOEE between June 2014 and December 2017 were obtained and analyzed. Specimens were collected from the selected children and their parents. Next generation sequencing was used to detect epilepsy ? related genes, and Sanger sequencing was performed to verify the results and confirm the source of parents, further to identify suspected pathogenic mutations of EOEE. Results Among 68 cases with EOEE, 18 cases (26.47%) were detected with epilepsy?related genes. One was diagnosed as pyridoxine dependent epilepsy (PDE), which was caused by ALDH7A1 mutation. One was diagnosed as thiamine metabolism dysfunction syndrome 2 (THMD2), which was caused by SLC19A3 mutation. Among 13 cases of epilepsy syndrome, 6 cases were diagnosed as Dravet's syndrome (DS), 5 caused by SCN1A missense mutation and one by SCN1A nonsense mutation; 4 cases were diagnosed as infantile spasm (IS), one caused by TSC1 nonsense mutation but the pathogenicity can not be identified while pathogenic mutations were not detected in other 3 cases; 2 cases were diagnosed as Ohtahara's syndrome (OS), one caused by STXBP1 missense mutation and pathogenic mutation was not found in the other; one case of malignant migrating partial seizures in infancy (MMPEI) was not found the pathogenic mutations. Among 53 cases with non-specific EOEE, suspected pathogenic mutations were detected in 9 cases: one case of CN8A missense mutation, one case of KCNQ2 missense mutation, one case of KCNH5 missense mutation, one case of CACNA1A missense mutation, 2 cases of CDKL5 nonsense mutation, one case of CDKL5 frame-shift mutation, one case of PCDH19 nonsense mutation and one case of GRIN2A missense mutation. All cases were treated by 2 and more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), one case of PDE was given vitamin B6 20 mg/(kg·d), and one case of THMD2 was given vitamin B1 25 mg/(kg·d) and biotin 2 mg/(kg·d). After followed by 6 months to 8 years, 15 cases (22.06%) were seizure free, 21 cases (30.88% ) were part of control and 32 cases (47.06% ) were out of control. Conclusions The clinical phenotypes of children with unexplained EOEE are varied. One case was diagnosed as PDE and one as THMD2 after gene sequencing. After treated by etiological treatment, patients with remediable genetic disease were seizure free. Some gene sites were denovo mutations which have not been reported such as missense mutation for SCN1A, STXBP1, KCNH5, CACNA1A, frame-shift mutation for CDKL5, and onsense mutation for PCDH19, which enriched the mutation spectrum of EOEE. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.06.008

Background/Aims: Poultry meat quality is affected by many factors, among which intramuscular fat (IMF) is predominant. IMF content affects the tenderness, juiciness, and favor of chicken. An increasing number of studies are focusing on the functions of microRNAs (miRNAs) during the adipogenic process. However, little is known about miRNAs associated with poultry IMF deposition, especially intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. Methods: The IMF content of two physiological stages was measured, and miRNA-Seq and RNA-Seq data were integrated and analyzed. A chicken intramuscular adipocyte cell differentiation model was constructed. A luciferase reporter assay, miRNA overexpression, and Oil Red O staining were used to confirm the targets of gga-miR-140-5p. Results: Our results showed that late-laying-period hens, which had a higher IMF content, exhibited lower global expression levels of miRNAs than juvenile hens. A total of 104 differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were identified between the two groups. Integrated analysis of differentially expressed genes and DE miRNAs identified a total of 378 miRNA-mRNA pairs. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these intersecting genes are involved in ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling pathway, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and fatty acid elongation and degradation pathways. Furthermore, we demonstrated that gga-miR-140-5p promoted intramuscular adipocyte differentiation via targeting retinoid X receptor gamma. Conclusion: Our findings may contribute to a more thorough understanding of chicken IMF deposition and the improvement of poultry meat quality.

Leaf area index (LAI) is used for crop growth monitoring in agronomic research, and is promising to diagnose the nitrogen (N) status of crops. This study was conducted to develop appropriate LAI-based N diagnostic models in irrigated lowland rice. Four field experiments were carried out in Jiangsu Province of East China from 2009 to 2014. Different N application rates and plant densities were used to generate contrasting conditions of N availability or population densities in rice. LAI was determined by LI-3000, and estimated indirectly by LAI-2000 during vegetative growth period. Group and individual plant characters (e.g., tiller number (TN) and plant height (H)) were investigated simultaneously. Two N indicators of plant N accumulation (NA) and N nutrition index (NNI) were measured as well. A calibration equation (LAI=1.7787LAI2000–0.8816, R2=0.870**) was developed for LAI-2000. The linear regression analysis showed a significant relationship between NA and actual LAI (R2=0.863**). For the NNI, the relative LAI (R2=0.808**) was a relatively unbiased variable in the regression than the LAI (R2=0.33**). The results were used to formulate two LAI-based N diagnostic models for irrigated lowland rice (NA=29.778LAI–5.9397; NNI=0.7705RLAI+0.2764). Finally, a simple LAI deterministic model was developed to estimate the actual LAI using the characters of TN and H (LAI=–0.3375(TH×H×0.01)2+3.665(TH×H×0.01)–1.8249, R2=0.875**). With these models, the N status of rice can be diagnosed conveniently in the field.

In this work, a low-frequency, open, sound-insulation barrier, composed of a single layer of periodic subwavelength units (with a thickness of λ/28), is demonstrated both numerically and experimentally. Each unit was constructed using two identical, oppositely oriented Helmholtz resonators, which were composed of a central square cavity surrounded by a coiled channel. In the design of the open barrier, the distance between two adjacent units was twice the width of the unit, showing high-performance ventilation, and low-frequency sound insulation. A minimum transmittance of 0.06 could be observed around 121.5 Hz, which arose from both sound reflections and absorptions, created by the coupling of symmetric and asymmetric eigenmodes of the unit, and the absorbed sound energy propagating into the central cavity was greatly reduced by the viscous loss in the channel. Additionally, by introducing a multilayer open barrier, a broadband sound insulation was obtained, and the fractional bandwidth could reach approximately 0.19 with four layers. Finally, the application of the multilayer open barrier in designing a ventilated room was further discussed, and the results presented an omnidirectional, broadband, sound-insulation effect. The proposed open, sound-insulation barrier with the advantages of ultrathin thickness; omnidirectional, low-frequency sound insulation; broad bandwidth; and high-performance ventilation has great potential in architectural acoustics and noise control.

Vortex beams have a typical characteristic of orbital angular momentum, which provides a new degree of freedom for information processing in remote communication and a form of non-contact manipulation for trapping particles. In acoustics, vortex beams are generally observed on the surface of a metamaterial structure or in a waveguide with a hard boundary owing to the characteristic of easy diffusion in free space. The realization of an acoustic vortex beam with a long-distance propagation in free space still remains a challenge. To overcome this, we report a type of acoustic Bessel vortex (ABV) beam created by a quasi-three-dimensional reflected metasurface in free space based on phase modulation. By using the Bessel and vortex phase profiles, we can realize an ABV beam with the high performances of both Bessel and vortex beams, and its effective propagation distance is larger than 9.2λ in free space. Beyond that, we discuss the bandwidth and topological charge of the ABV beam in detail, and the fractional bandwidth can reach about 0.28. The proposed ABV beam has the advantages of a high-performance vortex, long-distance propagation, and broad bandwidth, which provide a new pathway for designing multifunctional vortex devices with promising applications.

Abstract: The objective of this work was to develop a dynamic model for describing leaf curves and a detailed spatial geometry model of the rice leaf (including sub-models for unexpanded leaf blades, expanded leaf blades, and leaf sheaths), and to realize three-dimensional (3D) dynamic visualization of rice leaves by combining relevant models. Based on the experimental data of different cultivars and nitrogen (N) rates, the time-course spatial data of leaf curves on the main stem were collected during the rice development stage, then a dynamic model of the rice leaf curve was developed using quantitative modeling technology. Further, a detailed 3D geometric model of rice leaves was built based on the spatial geometry technique and the non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) method. Validating the rice leaf curve model with independent field experiment data showed that the average distances between observed and predicted curves were less than 0.89 and 1.20 cm at the tilling and jointing stages, respectively. The proposed leaf curve model and leaf spatial geometry model together with the relevant previous models were used to simulate the spatial morphology and the color dynamics of a single leaf and of leaves on the rice plant after different growing days by 3D visualization technology. The validation of the leaf curve model and the results of leaf 3D visualization indicated that our leaf curve model and leaf spatial geometry model could efficiently predict the dynamics of rice leaf spatial morphology during leaf development stages. These results provide a technical support for related research on virtual rice.

Abstract A rapidly modulated stratified medium with a large mass density modulation depth (LMMD) is proposed to achieve non-diffraction propagation (NDP) of acoustic waves. It is found that the NDP in LMMD medium is independent of the incident angle and can be operated in a broad-band manner. Such an NDP is robust and is unhampered by medium losses. An effective medium theory (EMT) is developed for acoustic waves propagating in the LMMD medium based on the first-principles method. The LMMD EMT is verified by using the transfer-matrix method (TMM) for both propagating and evanescent waves. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of the geometry on NDP, and finite element simulations are conducted to verify the NDP in the LMMD medium.

Abstract It is reported both experimentally and numerically that dual‐band acoustic Fano resonances (AFRs) of low‐frequency sound are realized by a compound unit array composed of two types of multiple‐cavity unit cells with different inner radii. Eigenmode analyses show that two types of monopolar Mie resonance (MMR) modes can be observed below 650 Hz, which arise from the coupling resonance of the overall structure and the Helmholtz resonance of each resonance cavity, respectively. Based on the MMRs with the out‐of‐phase characteristic induced by the mutual coupling of the two types of unit cells, the dual‐band AFRs, in which the quality factor of the AFR II can exceed 600 when the ratio of the inner radii is closed to 1.0, can be observed. More interestingly, the application of the dual‐band AFRs in sound encryption communication is further discussed. The proposed multiple‐cavity unit cell and its associated dual‐band AFRs provide diverse routes to design multiband sound devices with versatile applications, such as filtering, sensing, and communication.

We present a theoretical study of the modulation using laser irradiation of an acoustic radiation force (ARF) acting on a liquid ball. The ARFs acting on a laser-irradiated oleic acid (OA) sphere were investigated using a mathematical model and were verified using the finite element method (FEM). It was found that, when the influence of the photoacoustic (PA) effect on the ARF is stronger than that from the acoustic scattering, a negative ARF can be realized. The ARF on a laser-irradiated OA sphere can be greatly modulated by the laser intensity and the phase difference between the plane acoustic wave and the laser beam. There is a region of the phase difference in which a negative ARF can be achieved by changing the laser intensity. In addition, we found that increasing the radius of the OA sphere enhanced the ARF and that a surrounding medium with a higher acoustic impedance enabled a larger negative ARF. Our results may be beneficial to the acoustic manipulation of liquid particles such as biological cells and protein drugs.

Developing cost-efficient and high-performance non-noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction is of great significance for large-scale commercialization of fuel cells. Here, a novel cobalt phosphate-embedded nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped graphene aerogel [labeled as Co3(PO4)2/N,P-GA] is prepared via combination of a facile hydrothermal apporoach with a pyrolysis procedure. The obtained Co3(PO4)2/N,P-GA catalysts display excellent catalytic performance in base media, with optimal Co3(PO4)2/N,P-GA-900 (the material prepared at pyrolysis temperature of 900°C) showing better catalytic activity for ORR than other as-obtained contrast materials in terms of the onset potential, half-wave potential and diffusion-limiting current density, even superior to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the Co3(PO4)2/N,P-GA also possesses good methanol tolerance and excellent durability. The superior performance of Co3(PO4)2/N,P-GA is attributed to the hierachical porous structure, large BET surface area, N,P-codoping, cobalt phosphate-based nanoparticles loaded on graphene nanosheets, and synergistic effects between the doped active species. Therefore, it is expected to replace Pt/C as a promising fuel cell catalyst in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.

Poultry meat quality is affected by many factors, among which intramuscular fat (IMF) is predominant. IMF content affects the tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of chicken. An increasing number of studies are focusing on the functions of lncRNAs in adipocyte differentiation. However, little is known about lncRNAs associated with intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. In the present study, we focused on an up-regulated lncRNA during intramuscular adipogenetic differentiation, which we named intramuscular fat-associated long non-coding RNA (IMFNCR). IMFNCR promotes intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. In-depth analyses showed that IMFNCR acts as a molecular sponge for miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p and that PPARG is a direct target of miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p in chicken. High-fat and high-protein diet inhibited chicken IMFNCR level in vivo. Moreover, IMFNCR level was positively correlated with PPARG mRNA level in chicken breast muscle tissues, a vital corollary to ceRNA function. Altogether, our research showed that IMFNCR acts as a ceRNA to sequester miR-128-3p and miR-27b-3p, leading to heightened PPARG expression, and thus promotes intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. Taken together, our findings may contribute to a more thorough understanding of chicken IMF deposition and the improvement of poultry meat quality.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085144.].

This study aims to investigate the clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging features, pathological and genetic testing, diagnosis and treatment in 3 children patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS). Focal refractory epileptic seizures were the main clinical manifestations of 3 children, at the same time with stroke-like episodes, exercise intolerance, short stature, paroxysmal headache, vomiting, cognitive impairment, visual impairment, increased blood lactic acid (LA) level and metabolic acidosis. Head MRI showed the lesions were located in temporo-parieto-occipital lobes, and EEG showed slow-wave background, bilateral asymmetry and interictal epileptiform discharges of occiput. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) A3243G mutation was found in the peripheral blood samples of 2 cases. The mutation was not detected in the other case, however, the muscle biopsy revealed pathological changes of mitochondrial myopathy. All 3 cases were treated by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) including topiramate, levetiracetam and oxcarbazepine, and cocktail therapy. One case died of status epilepticus (SE) after 46 months of follow-up, one case had stroke-like episodes for 2-3 times per year during the follow-up of 40 months, and one case was lost. The clinical manifestations, laboratory and imaging characteristics, pathological and genetic testing in children of MELAS have certain features, which will be helpful for early identification and definite diagnosis, and thus may reduce misdiagnosis and mistreatment. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.05.009

It is well-known that multiple functional miRNAs are found in mammals’ ovaries, which are linked not only to ovarian development, but also to maturation and apoptosis. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the role of miRNAs in the hen ovary. In the present study, we analyzed the miRNA sequencing libraries of ovaries at the four different developmental stages of hens (15, 20, 30, and 68 W) and a total of 677 known miRNAs and 61 novel miRNAs were identified. In total, 209 of them were differently expressed miRNAs (DE miRNAs) obtained from comparisons of the four stages, including 84 upregulated and 125 downregulated DE miRNAs. Furthermore, the five key DE miRNAs gga-miR-2954, gga-miR-6634-5p, gga-miR-449b-5p, gga-miR-449c-3p, and gga-miR449c-5p were screened using an analysis of the miRNA-mRNA interaction network and functional enrichment annotated in seven significantly enriched pathways, such as endocytosis, lysine degradation, the biosynthesis of amino acids, and the MAPK signaling pathway, which may primarily participate in cell differentiation and proliferation, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and angiogenesis by targeting the related genes. For instance, gga-miR-449 family members were predicted to target 15 genes, including TGFB1, TPM1, TPM3, and CAMKB2, which were reported to regulate follicular growth, selection, and the ovulatory cycle. Taken together, our results illustrate the ovarian miRNA profiles of the four classic developmental stages of hens and highlight the significant role of miRNAs in ovarian development and functions. However, in-depth research needs to be carried out to validate the potential functional miRNAs found in this study.

This paper proposes a new fractional-order chaotic system with five terms. Firstly, basic dynamical properties of the fractional-order system are investigated in terms of the stability of equilibrium points, Jacobian matrices theoretically. Furthermore, rich dynamics with interesting characteristics are demonstrated by phase portraits, bifurcation diagrams numerically. Besides, the control problem of the new fractional-order system is discussed via numerical simulations. Our results demonstrate that the new fractional-order system has compound structure.

This paper was to develop a model for simulating the leaf color changes in rice (Oryza sativa L.) based on RGB (red, green, and blue) values. Based on rice experiment data with different cultivars and nitrogen (N) rates, the time-course RGB values of each leaf on main stem were collected during the growth period in rice, and a model for simulating the dynamics of leaf color in rice was then developed using quantitative modeling technology. The results showed that the RGB values of leaf color gradually decreased from the initial values (light green) to the steady values (green) during the first stage, remained the steady values (green) during the second stage, then gradually increased to the final values (from green to yellow) during the third stage. The decreasing linear functions, constant functions and increasing linear functions were used to simulate the changes in RGB values of leaf color at the first, second and third stages with growing degree days (GDD), respectively; two cultivar parameters, MatRGB (leaf color matrix) and AR (a vector composed of the ratio of the cumulative GDD of each stage during color change process of leaf n to that during leaf n drawn under adequate N status), were introduced to quantify the genetic characters in RGB values of leaf color and in durations of different stages during leaf color change, respectively; FN (N impact factor) was used to quantify the effects of N levels on RGB values of leaf color and on durations of different stages during leaf color change; linear functions were applied to simulate the changes in leaf color along the leaf midvein direction during leaf development process. Validation of the models with the independent experiment dataset exhibited that the root mean square errors (RMSE) between the observed and simulated RGB values were among 8 to 13, the relative RMSE (RRMSE) were among 8 to 10%, the mean absolute differences (da) were among 3.85 to 6.90, and the ratio of da to the mean observation values (dap) were among 3.04 to 4.90%. In addition, the leaf color model was used to render the leaf color change over growth progress using the technology of visualization, with a good performance on predicting dynamic changes in rice leaf color. These results would provide a technical support for further developing virtual plant during rice growth and development.

The accurate assessment of the spatiotemporal changes in soil nutrients influenced by agricultural production provides the basis for development of management strategies to maintain soil fertility and balance soil nutrients. In this paper, we combined spatial measurements from 2157 soil samples and geostatistical analysis to assess the spatiotemporal changes in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium content (AK) from the first soil survey (in the 1980s) to the second soil survey (in the 2000s) in the Taihu region of Jiangsu Province in China. The results showed that average soil nutrients in three soil types all exhibited the increased levels in the 2000s (except for AK in the yellow brown soil). The standard deviation of soil nutrient contents increased (except for TN in the paddy soil). Agricultural production in the 20 years led to increases in SOC, TN, AP and AK by 74, 82, 89 and 65%, respectively, of the Taihu areas analyzed. From the 1980s to 2000s all the nugget/sill ratios of soil nutrients indices were between 25 and 75% (except for AK in the yellow brown soil in the 2000s), indicating moderate spatial dependence. The ratio of AP in the yellow brown soil in the 2000s was 88.74%, showing weak spatial dependence. The spatial correlation range values for SOC, TN, AP and AK in the 2000s all decreased. The main areas showing declines in SOC, TN and AP were in the northwest. For AK, the main region with declining levels was in the east and middle of western areas. Apparently, the increase in soil nutrients in the Taihu region can be mainly attributed to the large increase in fertilizer inputs, change in crop systems and enhanced residues management since the 1980s. Future emphasis should be placed on avoiding excess fertilizer inputs and balancing the effects of the fertilizers in soils.

In the spirit of the thin-layer quantization scheme, we give the effective Shrödinger equation for a particle confined to a corrugated torus, in which the geometric potential is substantially changed by corrugation. We find the attractive wells reconstructed by the corrugation not being at identical depths, which is strikingly different from that of a corrugated nanotube, especially in the inner side of the torus. By numerically calculating the transmission probability, we find that the resonant tunneling peaks and the transmission gaps are merged and broadened by the corrugation of the inner side of torus. These results show that the quarter corrugated torus can be used not only to connect two tubes with different radiuses in different directions, but also to filter the particles with particular incident energies.

Plant nitrogen (N) uptake is a good indicator of crop N status. In this study, a new method was designed to determine the central wavelength, optimal bandwidth and vegetation indices for predicting plant N uptake (g N m−2) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The data were collected from the ground-based hyperspectral reflectance measurements in eight field experiments on winter wheat of different years, eco-sites, varieties, N rates, sowing dates, and densities. The plant N uptake index (PNUI) based on NDVI of 807 nm combined with 736 nm was selected as the optimal vegetation index, and a linear model was developed with R2 of 0.870 and RMSE of 1.546 g N m−2 for calibration, and R2 of 0.834, RMSE of 1.316 g N m−2, slope of 0.934, and intercept of 0.001 for validation. Then, the effect of the bandwidth of central wavelengths on model performance was determined based on the interaction between central wavelength and bandwidth expansion. The results indicated that the optimal bandwidth varies with the changes of the central wavelength and with the interaction between the two bands in one vegetation index. These findings are important for prediction and diagnosis of plant N uptake more precise and accurate in crop management.

The vast area and marked variation of China make it difficult to predict the impact of climate changes on rice productivity in different regions. Therefore, analyzing the spatial and temporal characteristics of rice potential productivity and predicting the possible yield increment in main rice production regions of China is important for guiding rice production and ensuring food security. Using meteorological data of main rice production regions from 1961 to 1970 (the 1960s) and from 1996 to 2005 (the 2000s) provided by 333 stations, the potential photosynthetic, photo-thermal and climatic productivities in rice crop of the 1960s and 2000s in main rice production regions of China were predicted, and differences in the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics between two decades were analyzed. Additionally, the potential yield increment based on the high yield target and actual yield of rice in the 2000s were predicted. Compared with the 1960s, the potential photosynthetic productivity of the 2000s was seen to have decreased by 5.40%, with rates in northeastern and southwestern China found to be lower than those in central and southern China. The potential photo-thermal productivity was generally seen to decrease (2.56%) throughout main rice production regions, decreasing most in central and southern China. However, an increase was seen in northeastern and southwestern China. The potential climatic productivity was observed to be lower (7.44%) in the 2000s compared to the 1960s, but increased in parts of central and southern China. The potential yield increment from the actual yield to high yield target in the 2000s were no more than 6×103 kg ha−1 and ranged from 6×103 to 12×103 kg ha−1 in most of the single- and double-cropping rice growing regions, respectively. The yield increasing potential from the high yield target to the potential photo-thermal productivity in 2000s were less than 10×103 kg ha−1 and ranged from 10×103 to 30×103 kg ha−1 in most of the single- and double-cropping rice growing regions, respectively. The potential yield increment contributed by irrigation was between 5×103 and 20×103 kg ha−1, and between 20×103 and 40×103 kg ha−1 in most of the single- and double-cropping rice growing regions, respectively. These findings suggested that the high yield could be optimized by making full use of climatic resources and through a reasonable management plan in rice crop.

Real-time monitoring of nitrogen status in rice and wheat plant is of significant importance for nitrogen diagnosis, fertilization recommendation, and productivity prediction. With 11 field experiments involving different cultivars, nitrogen rates, and water regimes, time-course measurements were taken of canopy hyperspectral reflectance between 350-2 500 nm and leaf nitrogen accumulation (LNA) in rice and wheat. A new spectral analysis method through the consideration of characteristics of canopy components and plant growth status varied with phenological growth stages was designed to explore the common central bands in rice and wheat. Comprehensive analyses were made on the quantitative relationships of LNA to soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) and ratio vegetation index (RVI) composed of any two bands between 350-2 500 nm in rice and wheat. The results showed that the ranges of indicative spectral reflectance were largely located in 770-913 and 729-742 nm in both rice and wheat. The optimum spectral vegetation index for estimating LNA was SAVI (R822, R738) during the early-mid period (from jointing to booting), and it was RVI (R822, R738) during the mid-late period (from heading to filling) with the common central bands of 822 and 738 nm in rice and wheat. Comparison of the present spectral vegetation indices with previously reported vegetation indices gave a satisfactory performance in estimating LNA. It is concluded that the spectral bands of 822 and 738 nm can be used as common reflectance indicators for monitoring leaf nitrogen accumulation in rice and wheat.

We report both experimentally and numerically that a flow-free pseudospin-dependent acoustic topological insulator (ATI) is realized by two honeycomb sonic crystals with direct and indirect band gaps. By simply rotating triangular rods of the sonic crystals, the band inversion is realized, which arises from the change of the coupling strength between the triangular rods and leads to a topological phase transition. Moreover, a direct band gap is converted into an indirect band gap when the rotation angle is larger than 32.18°. By using the triangular rods with the rotation angles of 0°, 30°, and 60°, we design two topological insulators which include a topological nontrivial sonic crystal with the direct band gap (30°) and the indirect band gap (60°), respectively. In the topological insulator composed of the sonic crystal with the indirect band gap, the pseudospin-dependent edge modes also support acoustic propagation, in which the clockwise (anticlockwise) acoustic energy flux emulates pseudospin− (pseudospin+) state. Furthermore, these edge modes are topologically protected and remain high transmission after transmitting through topological waveguides with defects. The results provide diverse concepts to design ATIs with versatile applications.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in the general population; yet, the precise mechanisms resulting in AF are not fully understood. Caveolin-1 (Cav-1), the principal structural component of caveolae organelles in cardiac fibroblasts, is involved in several cardiovascular conditions; however, the study on its function in atrium, in particular, in AF, is still lacking. This report examines the hypothesis that Cav-1 confers an anti-AF effect by mediating atrial structural remodeling through its anti-fibrotic action. We evaluated the expression of Cav-1, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and fibrosis in atrial specimens of 13 patients with AF and 10 subjects with sinus rhythm, and found that the expression of Cav-1 was significantly downregulated, whereas TGF-β1 level, collagens I/III contents and atrial fibrosis were markedly increased, in AF. Western blot analysis demonstrated that treatment of human atrial fibroblasts (HAFs) with TGF-β1 resulted in a concentration- and time-dependent repression of Cav-1. Downregulation of Cav-1 with siRNA increased the TGF-β1-induced activation of Smad signal pathway and collagens production in HAFs. Furthermore, incubation of HAFs with the peptides derived from Cav-1 to achieve Cav-1 gain-of-function abolished the TGF-β1-induced production of collagens I/III and decreases of MMP-2/-9 expression. Therefore it was concluded that Cav-1 is an important anti-AF signaling mediator by conferring its anti-fibrotic effects in atrium.

BackgroundIdentifying associated phenotypes of proteins is a challenge of the modern genetics since the multifactorial trait often results from contributions of many proteins. Besides the high-through phenotype assays, the computational methods are alternative ways to identify the phenotypes of proteins.Methodology/principal findingsHere, we proposed a new method for predicting protein phenotypes in yeast based on protein-protein interaction network. Instead of only the most likely phenotype, a series of possible phenotypes for the query protein were generated and ranked according to the tethering potential score. As a result, the first order prediction accuracy of our method achieved 65.4% evaluated by Jackknife test of 1,267 proteins in budding yeast, much higher than the success rate (15.4%) of a random guess. And the likelihood of the first 3 predicted phenotypes including all the real phenotypes of the proteins was 70.6%.Conclusions/significanceThe candidate phenotypes predicted by our method provided useful clues for the further validation. In addition, the method can be easily applied to the prediction of protein associated phenotypes in other organisms.