Search

Graph convolutional networks are capable of handling non-Euclidean data with sparse features, and some research has begun to apply them to the field of recommendation systems. Graph convolutional network's aggregation and propagation mechanism can learn features well and improve the embedding quality. However, simply applying GCN to the recommendation domain can only show some of its advantages, and the complex structure makes it difficult for the model to handle the massive amount of data in the industrial domain. Some work has been done to integrate GCN with recommendation systems better. However, most related work pursues the model's simplicity and ignores the large amount of hidden auxiliary information. In this paper, we propose a GCN-SA model, which adds a multi-head self-attention mechanism to the aggregation and propagation process to learn the weights of neighboring nodes and analyze the importance of the relationships between nodes; we also design a new embedding splicing layer for the graph convolutional network, which dynamically adjusts the embedding of different layers to achieve adaptive layer smoothing and mitigate the over-smoothing phenomenon. After experimental results on five benchmark datasets, we show that the GCN-SA model outperforms previous related work, captures a large amount of auxiliary information, and enhances the expressive ability of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a transdermal drug delivery method, microneedles offer minimal invasiveness, painlessness, and precise in-situ treatment. However, current microneedles rely on passive diffusion, leading to uncontrollable drug penetration. To overcome this, we developed a pneumatic microneedle patch that uses live Enterobacter aerogenes as microengines to actively control drug delivery. These microbes generate gas, driving drugs into deeper tissues, with adjustable glucose concentration allowing precise control over the process. Our results showed that this microorganism-powered system increases drug delivery depth by over 200%, reaching up to 1000 μm below the skin. In a psoriasis animal model, the technology effectively delivered calcitriol into subcutaneous tissues, offering rapid symptom relief. This innovation addresses the limitations of conventional microneedles, enhancing drug efficiency, transdermal permeability, and introducing a creative paradigm for on-demand controlled drug delivery. Microneedles offer a minimally invasive transdermal drug delivery method with advantages like painless administration. Here, the authors developed a pneumatic microneedle patch powered by live Enterobacter aerogenes to enhance and control drug delivery, significantly improving treatment outcomes in a psoriasis model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signal coverage quality and intensity distribution in complex environments pose a critical challenge, particularly evident in high-density personnel areas and specialized regions with intricate geographic features. This challenge leads to the inadequacy of the traditional two-dimensional base station model under the strain of communication congestion. Addressing the intricacies of the scenario, this paper focuses on the conditionally constrained deployment of base stations in special areas. It introduces a Splitting Particle Swarm Optimization (SPSO) algorithm, enhancing the algorithm’s global optimization capabilities by incorporating the concepts of splitting and parameter adjustments. This refinement aims to meet the communication requirements of customers in complex scenarios. To better align with the real-world communication needs of base stations, simulation experiments are conducted. These experiments involve assigning fixed coordinates to the special region or randomly generating its position. In the conducted experiments, the SPSO achieves maximum coverage rates of 99.24% and 99.00% with fewer target points and 93.56% and 96.16% with more target points. These results validate the optimization capability of the SPSO algorithm, demonstrating its feasibility and effectiveness. Ablation experiments and comparisons with other algorithms further illustrate the advantages of SPSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined memory integration performance in Chinese adults with high and low executive function levels in a cross-Chinese-English language context. The executive function of 356 college students was assessed prior to the experiments to identify participants with different executive function levels. All three studies utilized the separate-sentence paradigm as the experimental design. Considering that memory integration involves the encoding of two stem facts and the retrieval process of the integrated facts, Experiment 1 investigated memory integration performance across different encoding language conditions, while Experiment 2 focused on retrieval language conditions. Experiment 3 aimed to address limitations and explore the impact of different questioning languages in cross-language encoding conditions. Results showed that the presentation language during encoding significantly influenced memory integration, with better performance when the first stem fact was presented in the first language. The questioning language used for integrated facts also affected memory integration, with performance declining as the difficulty of switching between questioning and encoding languages increased. It is noteworthy that participants' retrieval of questions in their first language was associated with superior results in terms of integration performance. The study suggests that the influence of executive function and language condition on memory integration varied depending on the specific processing stage. These findings support theories on low surface similarity's influence on knowledge integration and highlight the role of executive function at the individual level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diploids, triploids and tetraploids were screened from the germplasm garden of Chinese chive in this study using flow cytometry and chromosome counting technologies. Their evolutionary status was analyzed by karyotype comparison and microsporogenesis observation. Their relationships were determined and discussed. The karyotype formula of the diploids was 2n = 2x = 16 = 14 m + 2sm (2SAT). The asymmetrical karyotype coefficient (As. K. C) was 57.02%. The karyotype formula of triploids was 2n = 3x = 24 = 18 m + 6sm (2SAT), and the As. K. C was 57.49%. The karyotype formula of tetraploids was 2n = 4x = 32 = 26 m + 4sm + 2st (2SAT), and the As. K. C was 57.80%. The karyotyping results suggested that the evolutionary status increased with increasing ploidy in Chinese chive, although all of them were 2A karyotypes. Abnormal chromosome synapsis and separation during microsporogenesis result in the formation of pollen of different sizes in triploids, suggesting that 2n gametes more easily form in triploids. Therefore, we speculate that tetraploids were formed by the combination of 2n gametes of a triploid and n gametes of a diploid. In this process, triploids are the most likely bridge for the formation of tetraploids in Chinese chive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature on indigenous health and health disparities primarily focuses on Western countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. Nonetheless, an emerging but dispersed corpus of research exists on the determinants of health and health disparities among indigenous populations in Taiwan, a developed nation with sizable indigenous communities. Despite these developments, an understanding of current scholarship on the determinants of indigenous health and health disparities remains lacking. To bridge this gap, we systematically searched PubMed/Medline, Web of Science databases, and the Airiti Library, the most comprehensive Chinese database in Taiwan. By December 31, 2022, we identified 54 relevant studies, including 48 peer-reviewed articles in English and 6 in Chinese. These studies reveal significant disparities in mortality rates and the burden of infectious and chronic diseases between indigenous and non-indigenous populations. Factors contributing to the comparatively poorer health of indigenous communities include genetic predispositions, sociodemographic marginalization, and lifestyle choices. The studies employ diverse methodologies, ranging from small convenience samples to nationally representative data. Our analysis identified four paradigms (biomedical, epidemiological, anthropological, and historical/critical), with most focusing on biomedical and epidemiological perspectives. This review also underscores the scarcity of social-behavioral health research dedicated to indigenous health in Taiwan, highlighting the need for future studies to develop robust conceptual models, collect longitudinal data, and focus more on mental health and psychological well-being. These efforts are crucial for gaining a clearer understanding of indigenous health complexities in Taiwan and informing effective policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we conducted an examination of knowledge integration concerning action information and assessed the impact of operational on this process. Additionally, we delved into the underlying mechanisms of how operational encoding influences the processing of knowledge integration of action information, utilizing the event-related potential technique. The results of our investigation revealed that operational encoding, encompassing the observed operational encoding and the imagined operational encoding, exhibited superior performance in the integration of action knowledge compared to verbal encoding. This distinction may be attributed to the greater efficiency of operant encoding in activating motor cortical areas, thereby inducing more robust brain activity. These findings suggest the potential advantages of operational encoding in facilitating the integration of knowledge related to movement information at both cognitive and neural levels, underscoring its significant role in the processing of such information. Future studies can further explore the applications of operational encoding in domains, such as motor learning, skill training, and rehabilitation therapy. Such investigations may offer novel insights into enhancing human behavior and motor control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex symmetric linear combinations of composition operators on the McCarthy–Bergman spaces of Dirichlet series are completely characterized. The normality and self-adjointness of complex symmetric linear combinations of composition operators on such spaces are also characterized. Some images are given in order to find some interesting phenomena of J -symmetric such combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to conduct a systematic analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 levels in urban sewage and evaluate the associated positivity rates, thereby developing comprehensive insights into the epidemic situation and providing valuable inputs for the development of effective disease prevention and control strategies. The PubMed, Scopus, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, and VIP databases were systematically searched based on the predefined retrieval strategy. The literature published up to February 2023 was meticulously screened according to the predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the relevant data were extracted for subsequent integration. The quality assessment of the included studies adhered to the rigorous Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement guidelines. The meta-analysis was conducted using Stata 17.0 software. The meta-analysis included a total of 34 studies, encompassing 8429 municipal wastewater samples. A random effects model was employed for the analysis, revealing an overall SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate of 53.7% in the municipal wastewater samples. The subgroup analyses demonstrated significant regional variations in the SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in municipal wastewater, with Africa exhibiting the highest rate at 62.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 47.4 ~ 76.0%) and Oceania displaying the lowest at 33.3% (95% CI 22.0 ~ 46.3%). However, the subgroup analyses based on the sampling site, strain prevalence period, and laboratory testing method did not yield any statistically significant differences. The SARS-CoV-2 positivity rate in wastewater is relatively high globally, although it exhibits regional disparities. Regions with larger populations and lower economic levels demonstrate higher viral detection rates in sewage. Different types of wastewater sampling sites can be employed to monitor distinct aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuous surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater plays a pivotal role in complementing clinical data, helping to track outbreak progression across diverse regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chondrocyte ferroptosis constitutes a major cause of the development of osteoarthritis (OA). Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (BMSC-Exos) have a protective role against ferroptosis in various diseases. Hence, we aimed to determine whether BMSC-Exos alleviated chondrocyte ferroptosis and its effect on OA, and to dissect out the possible mechanisms. An OA rat chondrocyte model was established by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) exposure, and treated with BMSC-Exos/ferroptosis inhibitor Ferrostatin-1. Cell viability/ferroptosis-related index levels [reactive oxygen species (ROS)/malondialdehyde (MDA)/glutathione (GSH)]/cell death/ACSL4 mRNA and protein levels and METTL3 levels were assessed by MTT/kits/immunohistochemical method and TUNEL staining/RT-qPCR and Western blot. METTL3/ACSL4 were overexpressed in rat chondrocytes to evaluate their role in BMSC-Exo-produced repression on chondrocyte ferroptosis. Bioinformatics website predicted the presence of m6A modification sites on ACSL4 mRNA, with the m6A level enriched on it assessed by MeRIP/RT-qPCR. ACSL4 mRNA stability was detected by actinomycin D assay. A surgical destabilized medial meniscus rat OA model was also established, followed by injection with BMSC-Exos to verify their function. IL-1β stimulation in rat chondrocytes inhibited cell viability, elevated Fe2+/ROS/MDA levels, declined GSH levels and increased TUNEL positive cell number and ACSL4 level, which were neutralized by BMSC-Exos. BMSC-Exos limited chondrocyte ferroptosis by down-regulating METTL3, with the effect abrogated by METTL3 overexpression. METTL3 regulated the m6A modification of ACSL4 mRNA, increasing ACSL4 mRNA stability and ACSL4 expression. BMSC-Exos reduced chondrocyte ferroptosis and prevented OA progression via disruption of the METTL3-m6A-ACSL4 axis. BMSC-Exos might exert a chondroprotective effect by attenuating chondrocyte ferroptosis and alleviate OA progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, 2-complex symmetric weighted composition operators induced by three type symbols on the weighted Bergman spaces of the right half-plane with three conjugations J f (z) = f (z ¯) ¯ , J s f (z) = f (z ¯ + i s) ¯ and J ∗ f (z) = 1 z α + 2 f (1 z ¯ ) ¯ are characterized by building the relations between some parameters. Some examples of such operators are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a large class of 3d 풩 = 2 gauge theories with mixed Chern-Simons levels, corresponding to plumbing 3-manifolds, has been identified. In this paper we generalize these theories by including in their content chiral multiples, and analyze their properties. We find that the content of such theories can be encoded in graphs, which generalize plumbing graphs, and various operations in these theories can be represented in terms of transformations of such graphs. The operations in question include gauging global symmetries, integrating out gauge nodes, which for theories without chiral multiplets corresponds to Kirby moves, and ST-transformations that involve chiral multiplets. The dualities such as mirror triality and SQED-XYZ duality can be also represented in terms of graphs, and enable us to find many new dual theories by gauging global symmetries. In particular, we find that gauged SQED-XYZ duality leads to other dualities, which take the same form as operations of linking and unlinking discussed in the context of knots-quivers correspondence. We also find that the superpotential can be encoded in an interesting class of triangle graphs that satisfy certain consistency conditions, we discuss decoupling and Higgsing of chiral multiplets, as well as interpretation of various phenomena in terms of brane webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutionary game theory aims to simulate different decision strategies in populations of individuals and to determine how the population evolves. Compared to strategies between two agents, such as cooperation or noncooperation, strategies on multiple agents are rather challenging and difficult to be simulated via traditional methods. Particularly, in a knowledge spillover problem (KSP), cooperation strategies among more than hundreds of individuals need to be simulated. At the same time, the brain storm optimization (BSO) algorithm, which is a data-driven and model-driven hybrid paradigm, has the potential to simulate the complex behaviors in a group of simple individuals. In this paper, a modified BSO algorithm has been used to solve KSP from the perspective of evolutionary game theory. Knowledge spillover (KS) is the sharing or exchanging of knowledge resources among individuals. Firstly, the KS and evolutionary game theory were introduced. Then, the KS model and KS optimization problems were built from the evolutionary game perspective. Lastly, the modified BSO algorithms were utilized to solve KS optimization problems. Based on the applications of BSO algorithms for KSP, the properties of different swarm optimization algorithms can be understood better. More efficient algorithms could be designed to solve different real-world evolutionary game problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a discrete collaborative swarm optimizer (DCCSO) for solving the resource scheduling problem in mobile cellular networks, which aims to employ minimum wireless bandwidth to meet various channel demands from each cell without violation of interference constraint. Many current algorithms can provide satisfactory solutions in dealing with simple problems, while some complex problems still need efficient scheduling schema, due to the limited resources. The proposed algorithm is inspired by the competitive swarm optimizer, whose superiority on continuous optimization problems has been proven by theory and verification. With the characteristics of the resource scheduling problem, the generalized order learning mechanism is designed, which updates the information of the loser particles by learning the sequential knowledge of the winners. Besides, plenty of invalid solutions will generate during the searching process in the original solution space degeneration of the exploration capability and coverage speed. To that end, an ensemble self-learning strategy is arisen by helping the neighborhood search by problem-specific information in the transformed solution space. The effectiveness of the proposed DCCSO is demonstrated on a set of real-world problems, and the experimental results show that the proposed algorithm exhibits better than or at least comparable performance to other state-of-the-art algorithms on most problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current research, a novel coordination polymer based on Cu(II) having a 1D spiro-like chain architecture has been created with the reaction between HL (4-(4-(2-chloroimidazo[1,2-a]pyridin-3-yl)-[2,3′-bipyridin]-6-yl)benzoic acid), the custom designed organic ligand and Cu(NO3)2·3H2O under the reaction conditions of solvothermal, and its chemical formula is [Cu(L)2]·2DMF·3H2O (1). At first, the real-time RT-PCR was accomplished for the determination of the miRNA9 expression level in normal tissue and liver cancer tissue. And the compound's influence on the miRNA9 relative expression in the cancer cells was next investigated as well. The western blotting assay was in-depth employed for the determination of the PDGF signaling pathway expression in the liver cancer cells after treated with the new compound. In the end, we investigate the direct regulation of miRNA9 on signaling pathway of PDGF by luciferase reporter gene analysis and bioinformatics analysis. Suggested by the simulation of molecular docking, it is found that the carboxyl group of Cu complex could bind to probe protein, at the same time, the pyridine ring also could bind to the probe protein, and therefore suggested that the Cu complex exhibited excellent biological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective : This study was conducted to examine the factors associated with stigma in breast cancer women. Methods: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and two Chinese electronic databases were electronically searched to identify eligible studies that reported the correlates of stigma for patients with breast cancer from inception to July 2022. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. R4.1.1 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Twenty articles including 4161 patients were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Results showed that breast cancer stigma was positively correlated with working status, type of surgery, resignation coping, depression, ambivalence over emotional expression, and delayed help-seeking behavior and negatively correlated with age, education, income, quality of life, social support, confrontation coping, psychological adaptation, self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Descriptive analysis showed that breast cancer stigma was positively correlated with intrusive thoughts, body image, anxiety, and self-perceived burden but negatively correlated with a sense of coherence, personal acceptance of the disease, sleep quality, cancer screening attendance and doctor’s empathy. Conclusion: Many demographic, disease-related, and psychosocial variables are related to breast cancer stigma. Our view can serve as a basis for health care professionals to develop health promotion and prevention strategies for patients with breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

One novel Inorganic–Organic Hybrid compound [Pb(mip)(bidc)]n (1) [mip = 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, bidc = 2,2′bipyridinyl-3,3′-dicarboxylic acid] has been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions and characterized by thermogravimetrianalysis, elemental analysis, infrared spectrum and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction results suggest that compound 1 exhibits 1D chain structure, which is constructed from N–H···O hydrogen bonds. TG analysis results suggest that compound 1 has excellent thermal stability, the reason of that may be the existence of hydrogen bonds reinforces the structural stability. It is noteworthy that the metal ions Pb (II) are located in [:PbN2O4] pentagonal bipyramidal geometry in the title compound. The theoretical calculation analysis of 1 was performed by the PBE0/LANL2DZ method in Gaussian 03 Program to elucidate the essential electronic characters. The luminescent properties for the ligand mip and compound 1 are also discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the acquisition rate and agreement of axial length (AL) measurements with the OA-2000, Anterion, and IOLMaster 500 in cataractous patients. Methods: In total, 298 eyes of 191 cataractous patients were enrolled and scanned with the three devices in random order. The success rate of AL measurements per device was calculated and a chi-square test was utilized to identify the differences in acquisition rate between the three devices. Logistic regression analysis was applied to evaluate the association of different cataract types and severity with the AL measurement acquisition rate. Bland–Altman plots were mapped to appraise the agreement of AL values. Results: AL measurements were successfully achieved in 288 eyes (96.64%) with the OA-2000, in 282 eyes (94.30%) with the Anteiron, and in 246 eyes (82.55%) with the IOLMaster 500. Significant differences in the acquisition rate were found between either of the SS-OCT devices and IOLMaster 500 by chi-square analysis (P < 0.001). No significant difference was noted between OA-2000 and Anterion. Increasing severity of posterior subcapsular cataract was associated with a higher failure rate with the IOLMaster 500. Bland–Altman analysis identified good agreement between the three biometers with narrow 95% limits of agreement. Conclusions: The OA-2000 and Anterion showed similarly higher acquisition rate of AL measurements than IOLMaster 500 in cataractous patients. Good agreement for AL values was found between the three biometers in cataractous patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss 3d brane webs and effective Chern-Simons levels for 3d N = 2 gauge theories. We find that turning on real masses for chiral multiplets leads to various equivalent brane webs that are related by flipping positions of D5-branes. We interpret flips as ST-transformations for chiral multiplets. ST-transformations could turn abelian theories into dual theories with mixed Chern-Simons levels that are interpreted as quiver matrices Cij encoding DT-invariants. We notice that each brane web corresponds to a quiver matrix. ST-transformations of holomorphic blocks are discussed to verify results. We also discuss the movement of flavor D5-branes, which leads to double-layer brane webs and manifests fiber-base duality. In the second part, we compute refined vortex partition functions of nonabelian theories with the gauge group U(N) and find corresponding quiver matrices. The computation shows that on Higgs branch nonabelian groups are broken to abelian groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the repeatability of Anterion and compare the agreement of ocular biometric measurements and predicted intraocular lens (IOL) powers with other three optical biometers. Methods: Flat keratometry (Kf), steep keratometry (Ks), J0 and 45 vectors, central cornea thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and axial length (AL) from the Anterion, IOLMaster 700, Lenstar LS 900, and OA-2000 were recorded. The IOL powers were calculated with the Hoffer Q, Holladay 1, SRK/T, and Haigis formulas. The repeatability was evaluated using the within-subject standard deviation (Sw), repeatability coefficient (RC), coefficient of variation (COV), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Inter-device agreement between the four biometers was assessed with the 95% limits of agreement. Results: In total, 101 right eyes of 101 participants were enrolled. The Anterion showed good repeatability for all the included biometric parameters with all the CoV ≤ 0.30% and ICC ≥ 0.930 except for J45 with moderate repeatability (ICC was 0.849). Good agreement was found among the four devices for Kf, Ks, J0, J45, ACD, and AL. Generally, wide 95% LoA was found for the predicted IOL powers with the four IOL calculation formulas between the four devices. Conclusions: The Anterion showed good repeatability of biometric measurements for most parameters. Good agreement among the four optical biometers was achieved for all the parameters except for CCT and the predicted IOL power. The AL values exhibited the best repeatability with Anterion and the best agreement among the biometers in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There was very limited evidence linking high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HS-CRP) and total bone mineral density (BMD) in adolescents. The aim of this population-based study was to investigate the relationship between HS-CRP and total BMD in adolescents aged 10–20 years. A cross-sectional study was performed in the normal U.S. population from the data of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The correlation between HS-CRP and total BMD was evaluated by using weighted multivariate linear regression models. And further subgroup analysis was conducted. There were 1747 participants in this study, 47.1% were female, 29.4% were white, 19.5% were black, and 22.3% were Mexican–American. In the multi-regression model that after the potential confounders had been adjusted, HS-CRP was negatively associated with total BMD. The negative association was also observed in the subgroup analyses stratified by gender and age. Our results demonstrated that higher HS-CRP was negatively correlated with total BMD in 10–20 years old adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding the optimal size of a hybrid renewable energy system is certainly important. The problem is often modelled as an multi-objective optimization problem (MOP) in which objectives such as annualized system cost, loss of power supply probability etc. are minimized. However, the MOP model rarely takes the load characteristics into account. We argue that ignoring load characteristics may be inappropriate when designing HRES for a place with intermittent high load demand. For example, in a training base the load demand is high when there are training tasks while the demand decreases to a low level when there is no training task. This results in an interesting issue, that is, when the loss of power supply probability is determined at a specific value, say 15%, then it is very likely that most of loss of power supply would occur right in the training period which is unexpected. Therefore, this study proposes a constraint multi-objective model to deal with this issue—in addition to the general multi-objective optimization model, the loss of power supply probability over a critical period is set as a constraint. Correspondingly, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II with a relaxed ϵ constraint handling strategy is proposed to address the constraint MOP. Experimental results on a real world application demonstrate that the proposed model and algorithm are both effective and efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Valid and reliable instruments for the measurement of mindfulness are crucial for people living with HIV. However, there was no Myanmar version of such an instrument. Methods: We adapted the English version of the 12-item Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R) based on standard cross-cultural procedures. By randomly sampling methods, a sample of 248 eligible people living with HIV was contacted from a closed Myanmar Facebook group; 159 PLHIV completed the initial 12-item version of the adapted survey. Results: Three items were removed due to low item-to-total correlations of the corrected item-total correlation as well as having infit and outfit mean squares outside the range of 0.6 to 1.4. After deleting the 3 items, the three-factor structure was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated good model fit. The resultant 9-item CAMS-R in Myanmar (CAMS-R-M-2) achieved good internal reliability (Cronbach's α of 0.75 to 0.87, and the corrected item-total correlation ranged from 0.44 to 0.81). Construct validity of the scale was demonstrated by significant association with self-reported HIV stigma and social support levels (r = 0.63, and − 0.53). In Rasch analysis, the infit and outfit mean squares for each item ranged from 0.49 to 1.24, and the person reliability was 2.17 and the separation index was 0.83. Conclusions: The 9-item CAMS-R-M-2 with a three-factor structure has good reliability and validity. Higher total scores and subscale score reflected greater mindfulness qualities in people living with HIV in Myanmar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This is a retrospective case–control study to ascertain the factors influencing nosocomial infection (NI) in elderly patients with hip fractures. Methods: A total of 80,174 patients (≥ 60 years) who suffered hip fractures between 2006 and 2017 were identified through a national inquiry of 94 hospitals. The patients were divided into an NI group and control group according to the occurrence or lack of occurrence of NI within 48 hours after surgery, respectively. Age, gender, hip fracture pattern, whether to operate, surgical treatments, and comorbidities were recorded as variables. Results: A total of 9806 elderly hip fracture patients (60 years) were included, 1977 of whom were patients diagnosed with NI. The control group consisted of randomly drawn cases from the 9806 patients from different hospitals with a rate of one NI patient: four patients without NI. Patient gender, age, and in particular the number of comorbidities were associated with occurrence of NI. Using regression models to predict infection outcomes based on the number of comorbidities had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.714, while using the Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) yielded a smaller value of 0.694. The most common comorbidities of this elderly cohort were chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary heart disease. Conclusions: Older age, male gender, and greater number of comorbidities were found to be associated with the occurrence of NI. In particular, the number of comorbidities was the most accurate predictor of NI occurrence, and when used to build a regression model, it had greater predictive capability than CCI to predict NI in elderly hip fracture patients. Additionally, the common diseases of the elderly should be primarily considered when investigating the relationship between comorbidities and NI in older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population-based global optimization algorithms often need few computational costs to find good regions which contain potential optima, while much more are needed to refine them for higher accuracies in the computationally expensive optimization problems. Such phenomenon is termed "asymptotic inefficiency" phenomenon in this paper. Inspired by the great success of bilevel or multilevel algorithms in eliminating similar phenomenon, we present the bilevel-search framework to alleviate the "asymptotic inefficiency" and apply it to SPSO2011. The main features of the proposed framework adopted to SPSO2011 are: (1) the order-2 stable in the theory and (2) the simple but efficient bilevel-search framework. The extensive numerical experiments show that the proposal framework successfully alleviates the "asymptotic inefficiency" of SPSO2011, and the proposal is a promising global optimization algorithm compared with two popular particle swarm optimization algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain storm optimization (BSO) is an emerging global optimization algorithm. The primary idea is to divide the population into different clusters, and offspring are generated within a cluster or between two clusters. However, the problems of inefficient clustering strategy and insufficient exploration exist in BSO. In this paper, a novel and efficient BSO is proposed, called BSO20 (proposed in 2020). BSO20 pays attention to both the clustering strategy and the mutation strategy. First, we propose a hybrid clustering strategy, which combines two clustering strategies, i.e., nearest-better clustering and random grouping strategy. The size of the subpopulation clustered by two strategies is dynamically adjusted as the population evolves. Second, a modified mutation strategy is used in BSO20 to share information within a cluster or among multiple clusters to enhance the ability of exploration. BSO20 is tested on the problems of the 2017 IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation competition on real parameter numerical optimization. BSO20 is compared with several variants of BSO and two variants of particle swarm optimization, and the experimental results show that BSO20 is competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a Fermi–Pasta–Ulam (FPU) chain with the homogeneous fully nonlinear interaction potential which describes the propagation of acoustic wave in chains of touching beads without precompression. From the quasi-continuum approximation of the FPU chain, we first derive out a new type of wave equation which includes a second degree logarithmic nonlinear term. By finding an integrable factor equation, we obtain its Gaussian solitary wave solution. The result shows that if the effect of logarithmic nonlinearity can be balanced with the dispersion, the Gaussian solitary waves do exist for the second degree logarithmic wave equation in real physical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, indolyl-1,2,4-oxidizable derivatives were synthesized and in vitro evaluated as new class of non-competitive α-glucosidase inhibitors. Most of the compounds showed better inhibitory activity than reference drug (acarbose), with compound 35 being the most potent inhibitor. Kinetic analysis indicated that compound 35 had non-competitive inhibition on α-glucosidase, and fluorescence quenching experiment confirmed the direct binding of 35 to α-glucosidase. Besides, some selected compounds had no effect on cell viability of human normal hepatocyte (LO2) and human liver cancer (HepG2) cells. Thus, this work provides a new chemotype for developing novel drugs against type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various niching methods have been widely adopted for solving multimodal optimization. However, keeping a balance between exploitation and exploration is still a tough task for designers of multimodal optimization algorithms. An essential niching method is encouraged to deal with optimization problems. In this paper, we proposed an adaptive niching method based on multi-strategy fusion for multimodal optimization. The method changes the traditional way that populations are evaluated in meta-heuristic algorithms. First, a population-entropy based on information theory is proposed as the convergence-maintaining mechanism to track the population status in algorithms. Second, a distribution-radius based on similarity measurement is investigated as the diversity-preserving mechanism to measure the spatial distribution of the optimal solution found. Third, a utility-fitness based on utility theory is adopted to assess the quality of each individual and provide a trade-off between exploitation and exploration. Three strategies are tightly linked and form a closed loop, so that meta-heuristic algorithms equipped with the proposed approach are able to find multiple optimal solutions. The value of population-entropy, the length of distribution-radius, and the evaluation of utility-fitness interact with each other and are adaptively adjusted in each iteration. Meanwhile, our niching method is universal for meta-heuristic algorithms. To illustrate the performance of the proposed method, experiments are conducted using kinds of test functions with different dimensions. The proposed approach is hybrid with different kinds of evolutionary algorithms and swarm intelligence algorithms, including genetic algorithm, differential evolution, particle swarm optimization, brain storm optimization, and artificial bee colony algorithm. The hybrid algorithms are compared with other variants of the standard meta-heuristic algorithms. The validity of the algorithm is analyzed comprehensively. The statistical results show that the hybrid algorithms perform better than other algorithms in both peak ratio and success rate. Then, the hybrid algorithms are verified in practical scheduling problems, and the results show that the algorithms are able to effectively find multiple solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: School is an important developmental setting for children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to overall lower educational attainment and are more prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than in their neurotypical peers. The aim of this study is to test the association between ACEs and school outcomes among autistic children and whether mental health conditions explain this association.We combined 2016–2021 data from the National Surveys of Children’s Health for children, ages 6–17, identified by parents as having ASD (N = 4,997), to examine the relationship between ACEs and school outcomes (grade progression, school attendance, and engagement). We analyzed depression and anxiety variables to investigate the extent to which mental health can explain the relationships between ACEs and school outcomes.ACEs were significantly associated with school outcomes. With increased ACEs, autistic children experienced a significant decrease in the odds of school attendance, grade progression and school engagement (p < .05). Furthermore, although depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with school outcomes, they cannot explain away the enduring, strong relationship between ACEs and level of grade progression, engagement, and school success index.Our findings suggest ACEs predict school success among autistic children, with mental health conditions appearing to mediate the relationship between ACEs and key factors in school success. Efforts should be made to proactively identify and address the impact of ACEs and associated mental health conditions among autistic students.Methods: School is an important developmental setting for children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to overall lower educational attainment and are more prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than in their neurotypical peers. The aim of this study is to test the association between ACEs and school outcomes among autistic children and whether mental health conditions explain this association.We combined 2016–2021 data from the National Surveys of Children’s Health for children, ages 6–17, identified by parents as having ASD (N = 4,997), to examine the relationship between ACEs and school outcomes (grade progression, school attendance, and engagement). We analyzed depression and anxiety variables to investigate the extent to which mental health can explain the relationships between ACEs and school outcomes.ACEs were significantly associated with school outcomes. With increased ACEs, autistic children experienced a significant decrease in the odds of school attendance, grade progression and school engagement (p < .05). Furthermore, although depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with school outcomes, they cannot explain away the enduring, strong relationship between ACEs and level of grade progression, engagement, and school success index.Our findings suggest ACEs predict school success among autistic children, with mental health conditions appearing to mediate the relationship between ACEs and key factors in school success. Efforts should be made to proactively identify and address the impact of ACEs and associated mental health conditions among autistic students.Results: School is an important developmental setting for children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to overall lower educational attainment and are more prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than in their neurotypical peers. The aim of this study is to test the association between ACEs and school outcomes among autistic children and whether mental health conditions explain this association.We combined 2016–2021 data from the National Surveys of Children’s Health for children, ages 6–17, identified by parents as having ASD (N = 4,997), to examine the relationship between ACEs and school outcomes (grade progression, school attendance, and engagement). We analyzed depression and anxiety variables to investigate the extent to which mental health can explain the relationships between ACEs and school outcomes.ACEs were significantly associated with school outcomes. With increased ACEs, autistic children experienced a significant decrease in the odds of school attendance, grade progression and school engagement (p < .05). Furthermore, although depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with school outcomes, they cannot explain away the enduring, strong relationship between ACEs and level of grade progression, engagement, and school success index.Our findings suggest ACEs predict school success among autistic children, with mental health conditions appearing to mediate the relationship between ACEs and key factors in school success. Efforts should be made to proactively identify and address the impact of ACEs and associated mental health conditions among autistic students.Conclusion: School is an important developmental setting for children. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to overall lower educational attainment and are more prevalent in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) than in their neurotypical peers. The aim of this study is to test the association between ACEs and school outcomes among autistic children and whether mental health conditions explain this association.We combined 2016–2021 data from the National Surveys of Children’s Health for children, ages 6–17, identified by parents as having ASD (N = 4,997), to examine the relationship between ACEs and school outcomes (grade progression, school attendance, and engagement). We analyzed depression and anxiety variables to investigate the extent to which mental health can explain the relationships between ACEs and school outcomes.ACEs were significantly associated with school outcomes. With increased ACEs, autistic children experienced a significant decrease in the odds of school attendance, grade progression and school engagement (p < .05). Furthermore, although depression and anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with school outcomes, they cannot explain away the enduring, strong relationship between ACEs and level of grade progression, engagement, and school success index.Our findings suggest ACEs predict school success among autistic children, with mental health conditions appearing to mediate the relationship between ACEs and key factors in school success. Efforts should be made to proactively identify and address the impact of ACEs and associated mental health conditions among autistic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Class-specific cost regulation extreme learning machine (CCR-ELM) can effectively deal with the class imbalance problems. However, its key parameters, including the number of hidden nodes, the input weights, the biases and the tradeoff factors are normally generated randomly or preset by human. Moreover, the number of input weights and biases depend on the size of hidden layer. Inappropriate quantity of hidden nodes may lead to the useless or redundant neuron nodes, and make the whole structure complex, even cause the worse generalization and unstable classification performances. Based on this, an adaptive CCR-ELM with variable-length brain storm optimization algorithm is proposed for the class imbalance learning. Each individual consists of all above parameters of CCR-ELM and its length varies with the number of hidden nodes. A novel mergence operator is presented to incorporate two parent individuals with different length and generate a new individual. The experimental results for nine imbalance datasets show that variable-length brain storm optimization algorithm can find better parameters of CCR-ELM, resulting in the better classification accuracy than other evolutionary optimization algorithms, such as GA, PSO, and VPSO. In addition, the classification performance of the proposed adaptive algorithm is relatively stable under varied imbalance ratios. Applying the proposed algorithm in the fault diagnosis of conveyor belt also proves that ACCR-ELM with VLen-BSO has the better classification performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic extracting of knowledge from massive data samples, i.e., big data analytics (BDA), has emerged as a vital task in almost all scientific research fields. The BDA problems are rather difficult to solve due to their large-scale, high-dimensional, and dynamic properties, while the problems with small data are usually hard to handle due to insufficient data samples and incomplete information. Such difficulties lead to the search-based data analytics problem, where a data analysis task is modeled as a complex, dynamic, and computationally expensive optimization problem and then solved by using an iterative algorithm. In this paper, we intend to present an extensive and in-depth discussion on the utilizing of evolutionary computation (EC) based optimization methods [including evolutionary algorithms (EAs) and swarm intelligence (SI)] for solving search-based data analysis problems. Then, as an example for illustration, we provide a comprehensive review of the applications of state-of-the-art EC methods for different types of data mining problems in bioinformatics. Here, the detailed analysis and discussion are conducted on three types of data samples, which include sequences data, network data, and image data. Finally, we survey the challenges faced by EC methods and the trend for future directions. Based on the applications of EC methods for search-based data analysis problems involving inexact and uncertain information, the insights of data analytics are able to understand better, and more efficient algorithms could be designed to solve real-world complex BDA problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key messageRice male fertility gene Baymax1, isolated through map-based cloning, encodes a MYB transcription factor and is essential for rice tapetum and microspore development. Abstract The mining and characterization of male fertility gene will provide theoretical and material basis for future rice production. In Arabidopsis, the development of male organ (namely anther), usually involves the coordination between MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog) and bHLH (basic helix-loop-helix) members. However, the role of MYB proteins in rice anther development remains poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized a male sterile mutant (with normal vegetative growth) of Baymax1 (BM1), which encodes a MYB protein. The bm1 mutant exhibited slightly lagging meiosis, aborted transition of the tapetum to a secretory type, premature tapetal degeneration, and abnormal pollen exine formation, leading to ultimately lacks of visible pollens in the mature white anthers. Map-based cloning, complementation and targeted mutagenesis using CRISPR/Cas9 technology demonstrated that the mutated LOC_Os04g39470 is the causal gene in bm1. BM1 is preferentially expressed in rice anthers from stage 5 to stage 10. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that rice BM1 and its homologs in millet, maize, rape, cabbage, and pigeonpea are evolutionarily conserved. BM1 can physically interacts with bHLH protein TIP2, EAT1, and PHD (plant homeodomain)-finger member TIP3, respectively. Moreover, BM1 affects the expression of several known genes related to tapetum and microspore development. Collectively, our results suggest that BM1 is one of key regulators for rice male fertility and may serve as a potential target for rice male-sterile line breeding and hybrid seed production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a highly conserved multifunctional serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinase widely expressed in many tissues. GSK-3β inhibitors could be used in the treatment of human key diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, inflammation, type-II diabetes, and so on, due to the multi-role of GSK-3β in the hepatic glycolysis regulation, cell signaling pathways, and phosphorylation of various proteins. Recently, sets of diverse GSK-3β inhibitors have been prepared, and biologically evaluated in vitro and in vivo in different screening models. This review summarizes the latest developments in GSK-3β inhibitors unclosed from 2015 to 2019, including their structure–activity relationship and bioactivity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acculturation may limit HIV-positive Asian Americans' active interactions with patient-healthcare providers (HCP) and utilization of HIV healthcare services; however, the specific mediation effect of acculturation still unknown. A bias-corrected factor score path analysis was performed to examine the proposed model of relations among acculturation, stigma, stress, and patient-HCP relationships. A convenience sample of 69 HIV-positive Asian Americans in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City were recruited and collect data were collected on demographics, HIV-related stigma, stress, and patient-HCP relationships. HIV stigma and stress had a direct, negative effect on patient-HCP relationships. Acculturation had a positive total effect on patient-HCP relationships, and was mediated by HIV stigma and stress. A acculturation also had a direct impact on stigma and stress. Acculturation, HIV-related stigma, and stress are key elements to achieving good patient-HCP relationships, and provide insights on the design of culturally sensitive interventions to improve patient-HCP relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cysteine (Cys) is an important endogenous amino acid and plays critical physiological roles in living systems. Herein, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeting fluorescent probe (FER-Cys) was designed and prepared for imaging of Cys in living cells. The probe FER-Cys consists of a fluorescein framework as the fluorescent platform, acrylate group as the response site for the selective recognition of Cys, and ER-specific p-toluenesulfonamide fragment. After the response of probe FER-Cys to Cys, a turn-on fluorescence signal at 546 nm could be detected obviously. The probe FER-Cys further shows desirable selectivity to Cys. Finally, the probe FER-Cys was proven to selectively detect Cys in live cells and successfully image the changes of Cys level in the cell models of H2O2-induced redox imbalance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a joint measurement method of Ra-226 and Ra-228 in water. Radium was extracted from aqueous samples and analyzed by liquid scintillation counting (LSC). The spectrum and counts measured by LSC is combined with the standard spectrum, and then the activities of Ra-226 and Ra-228 can be calculated by the stripping method. Chemical yields of radium were determined by measuring the chemical analogue (barium) tracer by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The accuracy of the method was verified by measuring mixtures containing varying proportions of Ra-226 and Ra-228. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonaceous shell-coated γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (γ-Fe2O3@CNM) were synthesized from glucose caramelization and used as a novel magnetic solid-phase extraction medium for malachite green and crystal violet in environmental water. Malachite green and crystal violet were absorbed on to γ-Fe2O3@CNM by electrostatic and π-interactions. The morphologies, pore structures, surface functional groups, and magnetic properties of γ-Fe2O3@CNM were characterized by TEM, FTIR, hysteresis regression, Brunauer-Emmet-Teller analysis, zeta potential, XPS, and XRD. The magnetic solid-phase extraction procedure was optimized by extraction pH, absorption time, desorption solvent, and desorption time. The absorption capacities (qmax values) for malachite green and crystal violet were 34.2 and 27.9 mg g−1, respectively. After magnetic solid-phase extraction, malachite green and crystal violet were determined by LC-MS/MS. The analytical method was validated with a linear range of 0.02–20 ng mL−1, enrichment factor of 25.8 and 25.4, method detection limit of 0.004 ng mL−1, and intra-day precisions of 2.1% and 2.6% for malachite green and crystal violet, respectively. The relative recovery was found to be 73.4–101.5% for malachite green and 83.1–102.7% for crystal violet upon the application of the magnetic solid-phase extraction method to real water samples from lake, spring, sea, fishpond, and industrial waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rich works have been done on brain storm optimization algorithm solving static single- or multi-objective optimization problems, but less reports for dynamic multi-objective optimization problems. Based on this, a grid-based multi-objective brain storming algorithm with hybrid mutation operation is proposed to find the robust Pareto-optimal solution set over time. Grid-based clustering method partitions the objective space evenly along each objective and classifies the individuals located in the same grid into a cluster. Its computational complexity is less than k-means- and group-based clustering strategies. Traditional Gaussian-, Cauchy- and Chaotic-based mutation operators have different mutation steps and generate the new individuals with various diversity. In order to enhance the diversity and avoiding the premature convergence, a hybrid mutation strategy integrating above three mutation operators is presented. Experimental results for eight dynamic multi-objective benchmark functions show that the proposed algorithm can find robust Pareto-optimal solutions approximating the true Pareto front under more subsequent environments with the acceptable fitness threshold. The longer survival time also indicates that grid-based clustering method and hybrid mutation strategy are apt to better robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the potency of quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids against amyloid-beta (Aβ) aggregation. In total, six new target quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids were synthesized and screened for their in vitro anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity. Some hybrids, including (E)-N-(2-cinnamamidoethyl)-6,7-dimethoxyquinoline-2-carboxamide, (E)-6,7-dimethoxy-N-[2-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)acrylamido]ethyl]quinoline-2-carboxamide, and (E)-6,7-dimethoxy-N-[2-[3-(2-methoxyphenyl)acrylamido]ethyl]quinoline-2-carboxamide, showed significant anti-Aβ42 aggregation activity. Molecular docking method was used to predict the binding modes of these compounds with Aβ42. In addition, their cytotoxicity towards neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y and human normal hepatocyte LO2 cells were tested. Neuroprotective evaluation demonstrated that these compounds could attenuate Aβ42-induced neurotoxicity towards SH-SY5Y cells in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, the present study provides quinoline/cinnamic acid hybrids as a new template for developing Aβ aggregation inhibitors against Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of successful implementations and high intensity, metaheuristic research has been extensively reported in literature, which covers algorithms, applications, comparisons, and analysis. Though, little has been evidenced on insightful analysis of metaheuristic performance issues, and it is still a "black box" that why certain metaheuristics perform better on specific optimization problems and not as good on others. The performance related analyses performed on algorithms are mostly quantitative via performance validation metrics like mean error, standard deviation, and co-relations have been used. Moreover, the performance tests are often performed on specific benchmark functions—few studies are those which involve real data from scientific or engineering optimization problems. In order to draw a comprehensive picture of metaheuristic research, this paper performs a survey of metaheuristic research in literature which consists of 1222 publications from year 1983 to 2016 (33 years). Based on the collected evidence, this paper addresses four dimensions of metaheuristic research: introduction of new algorithms, modifications and hybrids, comparisons and analysis, and research gaps and future directions. The objective is to highlight potential open questions and critical issues raised in literature. The work provides guidance for future research to be conducted more meaningfully that can serve for the good of this area of research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]