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This study aims to establish an optimization procedure to define the cut-offs of quantitative assays for acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChRAb), evaluate their diagnostic performance in myasthenia gravis (MG), and explore the association with clinical features.Samples from a representative cohort of 77 MG patients, 80 healthy controls (HC) and 80 other autoimmune diseases (OAD) patients were tested using competitive inhibition ELISA and RIA. Raw values (OD and cpm) and processed values (inhibition rate, binding rate and concentration) were used to define the cut-offs with statistical methods, a rough method, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Optimal cut-offs were selected by comparing false positive rates in HC and OAD individuals. The diagnostic performance was evaluated in whole MG cohort and subgroups. Agreement between ELISA and RIA for AChRAb positivity were examined with Kappa test and McNemar test. Clinical association with AChRAb was explored by comparison among subgroups and with Spearman rank correlation.The optimal cut-offs for AChRAb positivity were determined as OD ≤ 1.79 for ELISA and cpm ≥ 1234.12 for RIA, which derived from statistical method and performed better than those derived from ROC curves. The sensitivity and specificity were 74.03%, 100% for ELISA, and 74.03%, 99.37% for RIA. There was good agreement between ELISA and RIA for AChRAb positivity in whole cohort and subgroups (weighted к ≥ 0.71, p 0.01; McNemar test, p 0.05). Levels of AChRAb were different in MG subgroups (p 0.01). Correlation between Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis scores and AChRAb levels was moderate for ELISA and RIA (rThe raw testing values of ELISA and RIA were found as optimal quantitative measures of AChRAb levels. There are good agreements on diagnostic performance between two assays. Quantitative values are more informative than positivity in association with clinical features.

Abnormal CTLA-4 expression is involved in the development of myasthenia gravis (MG), and serum CTLA-4 levels are positively correlated with serum anti-AChR antibody concentration, which might be related with the severity of MG. Polymorphism in CTLA-4 gene is associated with various autoimmune disorders. We investigated the association of polymorphism in CTLA-4 gene with the clinical variables and severity of MG. The frequencies of alleles and genotypes were compared between 480 MG patients and 487 healthy controls, as well as among subgroups of MG patients. The frequency of rs733618*C allele is significantly higher in MG group and several subgroups than in control group. Genotype is not found as independent factor for essential clinical variables of MG. The frequency of rs231775*A allele is significantly lower in ocular onset subgroup than in control group, and the frequencies of rs231775*A allele and rs3087243*A allele are significantly lower in ocular onset subgroup than in generalized onset subgroup. Genotypes of the two SNPs are found as independent factors for ocular onset. The frequency of rs231775*A allele is significantly lower in mild subgroup than that in control group. Genotype is not found as independent factor for mild severity. A haplotype containing rs733618*C, rs231775*G and rs3087243*G is identified to increase the general risk of MG by 1.278-fold and ocular onset MG subgroup by 1.362-fold. There is association of rs733618 with the general susceptibility of MG, and association of rs231775 and rs3087243 with the susceptibility of ocular onset MG, but no association with the severity of MG.

Genistein is an important isoflavone that has been widely used to prevent blood disease and cancer. In this work, a novel genistein electrochemical sensor was developed based on the composite of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (cMWCNTs). The MIP layer was electropolymerizated on the cMWCNTs modified electrode using carbazole as functional monomer and genistein as template molecule. The morphology and electrochemical performance of MIP/cMWCNTs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), respectively. A series of experimental conditions were optimized, including the pH value of supporting electrolyte, electropolymerization potential range, molar ratio of functional monomers to template molecules, numbers of cycle, accumulation potential and accumulation time. Under the optimal conditions, the resulting electrochemical sensor (MIP/cMWCNTs/GCE) showed high performance, such as high sensitivity and selectivity towards genistein, a wide linear range (0.02–7.00 μM) and a low limit detection of 0.006 μM (S/N = 3). The electrochemical sensor was applied to determination of genistein in tablets and human urine samples with satisfactory recoveries (97.9%–102.8%), and the accuracy of the sensor was demonstrated with the HPLC method.

This work conducted numerical simulations based on the discrete element method (DEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study the effect of particle shape on burden distribution and gas flow distribution in the COREX melter gasifier. The non-spherical particles were approximated by a multi-sphere approach in which overlapping spheres were glued together to represent particle shape. The model was firstly validated by comparing the effect of particle shape on packing characteristics with previous work. With increasing of particle non-convexity shape factor, the packing density decreased and the mean coordination number increased. The model was then extended to study the charging process in a melter gasifier. The mixing of the direct reduced iron (DRI) with non-spherical coke particles had a significant effect on pressure drop and ore-to-coke mass ratio. The pressure of the non-spherical coke burden bed was significantly larger and the ore-to-coke mass ratio was more comparable to that of the experiments. With increasing non-spherical DRI mass fraction, the particles were distributed more evenly in the circumferential direction, but pressure drop also increased. The findings facilitate a better understanding of the relation of particle shape to the burden distribution in the COREX melter gasifiers.

We investigate coherence resonance of corporate finance in a stochastic predator-prey model for creditors and producers. The stochastic predator-prey model with only considering financial risk and the Integral method of an improvement parameter estimation are proposed. Then the coefficient of variation (CV) of the interspike intervals is used to measure the phenomenon of coherence resonance. The simulating and empirical results indicate that (i) the phenomenon peak death is induced by higher noise strength and system parameters; (ii) the phenomenons of coherence and anti-coherence resonance are observed in the function of CV vs. noise strength; (iii) the critical phenomenon of resonance enhancement and inhibition is induced by some values of system parameters. In addition, a good agreement can be found between theoretical results and real financial data of Chinese companies.

In a complex financial system, what is the forecasting performance of macro and micro evolution models of Econophysics on asset prices? For this problem, from the perspective of machine learning, we study the dynamic forecasting and liquidity assessment of financial markets, based on econophysics and Bayesian methods. We establish eight dynamic prediction methods, based on our proposed likelihood estimation and Bayesian estimation methods of macro and micro evolution models of econophysics. Combined machine learning thinking and real data, we empirically study and simulate the out-of-sample dynamic forecasting analysis of eight proposed methods and compare with the benchmark GARCH model. A variety of loss functions, superior predictive ability test (SPA), Akaike and Bayesian information criterion (AIC and BIC) methods are introduced to further evaluate the forecasting performance of our proposed methods. The research of out of sample prediction shows that (1) the method of the simplified stochastic model with Bayesian method for only sample return has the best forecasting performance; (2) the method of the stochastic model with Bayesian method for only return samples has the worst forecasting performance. For the liquidity assessment problem, there is a strong correlation between the trading probability evaluated by the proposed eight methods and the real turnover rate, and an increase of liquidity is correspond to the increase of asset risk. In other words, it suggests that all proposed methods can well evaluate market liquidity.

Burden distribution plays a crucial role in controlling gas flow distribution and achieving the stability operation of the melter gasifier in COREX. This work presents a coupled DEM-CFD study on burden formation and gas injection of a COREX melter gasifier (MG), mainly focusing on the effects of inclination angle and shape of the DRI-flaps. A one-eighth MG was simulated and compared with the experimental results. The burdens were analysed in terms of particle segregation index and particle distribution index. It was observed that the particles were unevenly distributed in the circumferential directions. This phenomenon was further enhanced with decreasing flap inclination angles as the burden stream became wider and more separated with decreasing inclination angle. To reduce the uneven distribution of particles, flap shapes were changed. It was observed that the thickness of burden piles was proportional to the area of the flaps. The Arc-shape flap, with a medium size of cross-sectional area, was able to control the uniform distribution of DRI particle and formed a uniform pressure distribution in the circumferential direction. The study shows the importance of flaps to maintain the uniform pressure distribution in the circumferential direction of burden beds for stable operation of the melter gasifier.

We explore the herd behavior of stock prices influenced by the time delay in a finance system with the delayed Heston model. On the basis of a Bayesian approach for delayed Heston model that we proposed and parameter Bayesian estimation, we simulate the absolute deviation between mean residence time of positive and negative returns to characterize the herd behavior. In the plots of absolute deviation against the mean reversion long-run variance of volatility or cross correlation between two Wiener processes of stock price and volatility, the results demonstrate an increasing phenomenon of herd behavior with increasing delay time. In the plot of absolute deviation against the amplitude of volatility fluctuations, the result indicates an optimal delay time matching minimum herd behavior, i.e., the time delay restrains the herd behavior. Also, the optimal mean reversion long-run variance of volatility and cross correlation concerning minimum herd behavior can be observed.

Solid electrolyte with stable and fast Na+ ionic conductivity is of central importance in the development of all-solid-state sodium batteries. Here we present a novel Na+ conductor based on complex hydrides with composition of Na3NH2B12H12. It exhibits remarkable thermal stability up to 593 K and excellent electrochemical stable window up to 10 V (vs. Na+/Na). It demonstrates a high Na+ conductivity of 1.0 × 10−4 S cm-1 at a temperature of 372 K, which is much higher than those of its precursors NaNH2 and Na2B12H12. All-solid-state Na-ion batteries were constructed by employing the obtained Na3NH2B12H12 as electrolyte, TiS2 as cathode and sodium foil as anode, which can reversibly discharge/charge for over 200 cycles with more than 50% capacity retention at temperature of 353 K and a rate of 0.1 C. This work opens the gate to develop advanced solid electrolytes via combination of metal amides with closo borates.

We investigate the discrete nonlinear Schrodinger model with helicoidal hopping and a power-law nonlinearity, motivated by the tunable nonlinearity in the model of DNA chain and ultra-cold atoms trapped in a helix-shaped optical trap. In the study of modulational instability, we find a successive destabilization along with increasing nonlinear-power. In particular, the critical amplitudes of second-stage instability decrease as nonlinear-power increases. Furthermore, it is shown that information on the stability properties of weakly localized solutions can be inferred from the plane-wave modulational instability results. This link enable us to analytically estimate the critical parameters at which the breather solutions turn unstable, and find these parameters are dramatically influenced by the nonlinear-power. The stability properties of localized breathers perform an obvious change when the nonlinear power crosses a critical value γ c r . It is reflected that at weak nonlinearity the breathers exhibit monostability, while exceeding γ c r the bistability and instability will set in. The interplay between nonlinear-power and long-range hopping on the stability properties of breathers is also discussed in detail.

Financial market crash is one of the most extreme manifestations of financial market instability. It is of great significance to study its underlying structure and its forecasting methods. From the perspective of Econophysics, in addition to the influence of factors such as fluctuation on the financial price crash, we consider that the financial price crash originates from the change of the underlying structure described by the nonlinear potential function in the financial system. So we first propose a new nonlinear potential GARCH model by introducing nonlinear potential function and combining with GARCH model. In order to only analyze the effects of potential functions and eliminate the effects of fluctuations on prices, we combine the realized volatility and propose the likelihood function estimations of the proposed model and the benchmark GARCH and ARCH models. Then, based on the 5-minute high-frequency data of CSI300 and WTI crude oil, the out of sample forecasting with rolling time window and the SPA test method with Bootstrap characteristics are calculated. Finally, Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion are employed to test the Goodness of fit of three models for in-sample and out-of-sample. The dynamic forecasting performance of the proposed new nonlinear potential GARCH model is compared with that of the benchmark GARCH and ARCH models. The main empirical results show that the proposed new nonlinear potential GARCH model is better than the benchmark GARCH and ARCH models for forecasting the returns and prices in the financial price crash for the given data. In addition, the potential well of the underlying nonlinear potential function changes obviously in the financial price crash.

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder with heterogeneity. Antibodies against acetylcholine receptor (AChR), muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), titin and ryanodine receptor (RyR) were examined in 437 adult Chinese MG patients. The AChR, MuSK, titin and RyR antibodies were found in 82.2%, 2.3%, 28.4% and 23.8% of all patients. Autoantibody profiles vary among different MG subgroups. Thymoma MG patients had high frequencies of AChR (99.2%), titin (50.8%) and RyR antibodies (46.9%). The titin and RyR antibodies also showed high frequencies in late onset patients (54.4% and 33.3%, respectively). These two antibodies may indicate an underlying thymoma when combined. The patients with titin and RyR antibodies tend to have more severe disease and worse outcome, and may need more active immunosuppressive treatment.

This study presents the synthesis of perovskite metal-semiconductor core–shell heterostructures by sputtering SrRuO3 (SRO) shell layer on vertically aligned hydrothermally produced ZnO nanorods. Compared to the two-dimensional SRO films, the magnetic behaviors of the SRO shells on ZnO nanorods are morphology and thickness dependent, as reflected by the magnetic isotropy effects and the appearance of double-step magnetic hysteresis loops caused by nanograin-induced disorder and uncompensated spin at the surface and interface. The appearance of low-temperature resistance minimum and the good fitting of the low-temperature resistance data to a theoretical model establish the emergence of weak localization effect in the SRO shells, whose strength can be reinforced by a magnetic field. In addition, an apparent low-resistance Ohmic contact was realized in the ZnO/SRO heterojunctions due to the lower work function of the SRO. This, together with the absence of the Schottky barrier at the interface, demonstrates that the ZnO/SRO nanostructures could hold great promise for applications in advanced electron field emitters.

Use of the RigidFix Cross Pin System (DePuy Mitek, Raynham, MA) is a popular technique for femoral fixation of grafts in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). However, tibial fixation is still limited to the use of interference screws and post fixation, and few surgeons apply the femoral RigidFix system in tibial fixation. Meanwhile, tunnel enlargement is still a problem that affects the outcome of ACLR with hamstring grafts. We have used the femoral RigidFix system in femoral and tibial fixation. The rod top of the guide frame should be placed under the level of the subchondral bone at the proximal end of the tibial tunnel to ensure that the pins will not be inserted into the joint. The pins are inserted through the center of the lateral tibia. Using our technique, the fixation points of the femur and tibia are close to the anterior cruciate ligament insertions, and full contact of the graft with the tunnel wall can be accomplished. On the basis of our preliminary observations and investigation, we are optimistic about the prospect of performing ACLR using the RigidFix system in femoral and tibial fixation.

The study conducted by Kirchhof et al. [(1)][1] showed low bleeding and stroke rates in rivaroxaban-treated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We would emphasize the potential bias of including more low-risk patients in real-world studies, because current guidelines neglect the causal

Phosphorus (P) in wastewater is a main factor causing eutrophication, and removal of low concentrations of P (≤ 1.0 mg L − 1 ) is an important, but not fully studied topic. The removal of low content of P is rather difficult or expensive. To develop alternative biological methods for the removal of low concentration P, polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria in surface sediment of Taihu Lake in China were isolated and characterized. Among these bacteria, a Pseudomonas stutzeri strain YG-24 was found to be able to remove 97% to 100% of P in a synthetic wastewater with total P less than 1.0 mg L − 1 . After immobilization by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-sodium alginate, this strain still showed high percentage of P removal, and maintained high efficiency in five sample loading cycles. In addition, the immobilized cells displayed better pH-resistance than free cells. The removal of P in overlying water sample collected from Taihu Lake was also satisfactory. These results demonstrated the potential of using immobilized cells of YG-24 to remove low concentrations of P in wastewater treatment.

A method for automatically and optimally determining the vanishing points from a single image is proposed in this paper. This method is based on the line segments and a random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm, leading to maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) results. The detection is performed without any prior knowledge of the camera parameters and additional properties of underlying 3D lines. An analysis of the error propagation is done in order to give quantitative elements on the precision of the detected vanishing points. The vanishing points detection method is experimentally validated on a set of 100 images.

The cause of myasthenia gravis (MG) is unknown, but it is widely believed to be an autoimmune disease occurring in genetically susceptible individuals. The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region is considered to be the most important genetic region for MG susceptibility genes. To investigate the association between HLA-DRB1 and myasthenia gravis (MG) in a northern Han Chinese population, a polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization method was used to determine the HLA-DRB1 genotypes of 91 patients with MG and 171 healthy individuals. We found that the HLA-DRB1(*)09 allele was significantly more prevalent among patients with MG than among healthy controls, especially those who experienced early onset of the disease (≤40 years), those who were seronegative for acetylcholine receptor antibody, and those with ocular MG. The prevalence of the HLA-DRB1(*)08 allele was significantly lower among patients with MG than among controls. These results indicate that HLA-DRB1(*)09 might be positively associated and DRB1(*)08 negatively associated with MG in the northern Han Chinese population.

Human apolipoprotein E (apoE) is a 34.2kDa glycosylated protein with three isoforms (apoE2, apoE3 and apoE4). Experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN), an animal model for human Guillain-Barré syndrome, is an immune-mediated experimental disorder of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Increased susceptibility to EAN in apoE deficient mice has been previously found. To elucidate the isoform-dependent effects of apoE on EAN, we used human apoE2, E3 and E4 transgenic mice (Tg) immunized with P0 peptide 180-199, as well as T cell proliferation test, macrophage and Schwann cell (SC) cultures to investigate the effects of apoE isoforms on the functions of T cells, macrophages and SCs both under naïve conditions and in EAN. Clinical signs of EAN were most severe in wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and apoE4 Tg mice, followed by apoE2 Tg mice and apoE3 Tg mice (WT≈E4E2E3, p0.01). At the nadir of EAN, spleen weight and lymphocyte proliferation were in line with the clinical severity of the disease. Proliferation tests of purified T cells from naive mice stimulated with phytohemagglutinin or interleukin-12 showed isoform-specific differences (WT≈E4E3≈E2, p0.01). Macrophages from both naïve and EAN mice produced nitric oxide upon inflammatory stimulation with lipopolysaccharide, interferon-γ, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid or combinations thereof, in an isoform-dependent manner (WT≈E4E2E3, p0.01). Generalized intervention with 1400W, a specific inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, significantly suppressed the clinical course of EAN in apoE2, E3 and E4 Tg mice and in WT mice. During the recovery stage of disease, the highest expression of CD178 (FasL) on SCs was found in apoE3 Tg mice. Our data support an isoform-dependent effect of apoE on EAN. This might be due to the isoform-specific effects of apoE on functions of T cells, macrophages and SCs, which contribute to the distinct clinical courses of EAN. ApoE3 might not only inhibit the onset and suppress the clinical severity of EAN, but also enhance the termination of immune responses in the PNS.

The water droplets in the microemulsion system of cyclohexane/water/Triton X-100/hexyl alcohol can act as the nanoreactors which solubilize zirconium oxychloride and ammonia separately. The precipitation reactions will take place in the confined spaces determined by the droplets size. The minute original reactors help us obtain ultrafine spherical zirconia powder with uniform diameter distribution and weak aggregate. The content of soluble ions, especially high valence contra-ions is lower in the powder than that in other commercial powders. Comprehensively, analyzing zeta potential and rheological characteristics of the zirconia aqueous suspension, we conclude that the powder has perfect dispersibility.

Unconsciousness may be caused by transient ischemia of the bilateral hemisphere or brain stem. We report a case of recurrent unconsciousness in which angiography confirmed an occluded left middle cerebral artery (MCA) with well-established collateral compensation, along with a severely stenotic right MCA with poor collateral compensation, which was consistent with decreased cerebral blood flow and cerebral blood volume seen on a computed tomography perfusion study. A stent was placed in the patient's right MCA, after which the symptom disappeared completely. This case demonstrates that bilateral MCA stenosis may lead to recurrent unconsciousness through the mechanism of hypoperfusion.

Although we agree with Lip et al. ([1][1]) on the limitation of their study, we argue that lack of stroke subtype information may hinder scientific conclusion by including the ROCKET-AF (Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared With Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of

By considering the time variation of band-edge profile arising from the decay of injected charge in quantum wells(QWs), we employ a wave packet method to verify that the actual escape time of certain amount of electrons from QWs could be much larger than that for a single electron. The theoretical result is also in agreement with our measurement of escape time, performed by using a newly developed method--transient current response.