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Background Dynamic interpersonal therapy (DIT) is a brief, structured psychodynamic psychotherapy with demonstrated efficacy in treating major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of the study was to determine whether DIT is an acceptable and efficacious treatment for MDD patients in China. Method Patients were randomized to 16-week treatments with either DIT plus antidepressant medication (DIT + ADM; n = 66), general supportive therapy plus antidepressant medication (GST + ADM; n = 75) or antidepressant medication alone (ADM; n = 70). The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) administered by blind raters was the primary efficacy measure. Assessments were completed during the acute 16-week treatment and up to 12-month posttreatment. Results The group × time interaction was significant for the primary outcome HAMD (F = 2.900, df1 = 10, df2 = 774.72, p = 0.001) in the acute treatment phase. Pairwise comparisons showed a benefit of DIT + ADM over ADM at weeks 12 [least-squares (LS) mean difference = −3.161, p = 0.007] and 16 (LS mean difference = −3.237, p = 0.004). Because of the unexpected high attrition during the posttreatment follow-up phase, analyses of follow-up data were considered exploratory. Differences between DIT + ADM and ADM remained significant at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up (ps range from 0.001 to 0.027). DIT + ADM had no advantage over GST + ADM during the acute treatment phase. However, at the 12-month follow-up, patients who received DIT remained less depressed. Conclusions Acute treatment with DIT or GST in combination with ADM was similarly efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms and yielded a better outcome than ADM alone. DIT may provide MDD patients with long-term benefits in symptom improvement but results must be viewed with caution.

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum is a well-known phytopathogenic fungus with a wide host range. Identifying novel mycoviruses in phytopathogenic fungi is necessary to develop novel strategies for plant health protection and contribute to understanding the origin of viruses. Six new mycoviruses with positive single-stranded RNA genomes co-infecting the hypovirulent strain SCH733 of S. sclerotiorum were identified using a metatranscriptomic approach, and their complete genome sequences were molecularly determined. These mycoviruses belong to the following five families: Narnaviridae, Mitoviridae, Deltaflexviridae, Botourmiaviridae, and Ambiguiviridae. Three of these mycoviruses belong to existing International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)-recognized species. Two of these newly identified mycoviruses have unique genomic features that are significantly different from those of all known mycoviruses. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these six mycoviruses included close as well as distant relatives of known mycoviruses, thereby providing new insight into virus evolution and classification. Mycovirus horizontal transmission and elimination experiments revealed that Sclerotinia sclerotiorum narnavirus 5 is associated with hypovirulence of S. sclerotiorum, although we have not shown that it is independently responsible for the hypovirulence phenotype. This study broadens the diversity of known mycoviruses infecting S. sclerotiorum and provides a clue toward limiting hypovirulence in S. sclerotiorum.

A post chemical etching process to a tapered seven-core fiber (TSCF) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to effectively adjust the mode profiles of high-order supermodes, aimed to improve the figure of merit (FOM). The experimental results show that the FOM of an etched TSCF is as high as 1431.36 1/RIU, a 7.32-times enhancement compared with that of TSCF without etching, provided the TSCF has the same taper waist diameter of 19.20 µm. The proposed method opens a new, to the best of our knowledge, method for optimizing optical fiber sensor performance.

Approximately one in four myocardial infarctions occur in older patients. The majority of therapeutic advances are either not appropriate or not tested in elderly patients. The main reasons for deviating from the guidelines are justified concerns regarding the effectiveness of the recommended forms of therapy, fear of adverse drug reactions and ethical concerns. Targeting interleukin 6 (IL-6) for ventricular remodeling after cardiovascular damage is a feasible alternative to standard polypharmaceutics, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. Continuous activation of the IL-6-associated cytokine receptor gp130 leads to cardiomyopathic hypertrophy. TGFβ1 is involved in forming fibrosis in various organs, and its overexpression can cause myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis. Il-6 has been hypothesized to be indirectly involved in cardiac remodeling via the TGFβ1/Smad signaling transduction pathway. In the present study, a rat model of acute myocardial ischemia, IL-6 and IL-6 receptor blockers were injected directly into the necrotic myocardium. Changes in cardiac function, myocardial infarction area, myocardial collagen, necrotic myocardial fibrosis and levels of TGFβ1, IL-6 and MMP2/9 were quantified in myocardial tissue fibrosis by ELISA. The present study demonstrated that IL-6 stimulated myocardial fibrosis through the TGFβ1-Smad-MM2/9 signaling transduction pathway. Overall, this provided a solid foundation for understanding the relationship between IL-6 and ventricular remodeling.

Waveguides fabricated in crystals, created by utilizing techniques such as ion implantation, femtosecond laser inscription, and proton exchange, have low refractive index contrast with the crystal substrate, which limits their potential development to create compact passive devices, such as waveguide interferometers. In this work, a new waveguide multi-mode interferometer fabrication strategy based on low-effective-index mode interference is presented. Numerical tools have been used for the analysis of this new guided-wave approach used for the device design. The research has demonstrated that a series of high-order modes with an effective refractive index much lower than the substrate can exist in trench-cladded ridge crystal waveguides that have a tiny index contrast in the vertical direction. Simple trench-cladded tapered waveguide configurations to excite such modes and to realize compact waveguide multi-mode interferometers with lengths of several tens and up to hundreds of micrometers are presented. The waveguide multi-mode interferometer design is compact in size, easy to modulate, and with low insertion loss. Furthermore, refractive index sensing is realized, with a sensitivity of ∼490 nm/RIU for aqueous solution samples. The novel multi-mode interference phenomenon present here offers new possibilities and significant opportunities for waveguide modulation and, thus, the development of compact waveguide refractometers.

Age-related cataract (ARC) is one of the most common chronic diseases. Circular RNA (circ)_HIPK3 is reported to be involved in the advancement of ARC, but its molecular mechanism has not been clarified. Our study provides a new perspective on the clinical treatment of ARC. Our data showed that the expression levels of circ_HIPK3 and histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) were downregulated, while microRNA (miR)-495-3p level was increased in ARC tissues and H

Background. Disorder of consciousness (DoC) is a clinical condition caused by severe brain damage. Some studies have reported that acupuncture, a traditional Chinese treatment, could facilitate the recovery of the patient’s consciousness. The therapeutic effects of acupuncture may be due to its modulation of facilitating cortex (PFC) activity, but it has not been greatly demonstrated. Objectives. We intended to observe the effects of acupuncture on prefrontal cortical activity, explore the potential correlation between cortical activation and the severity of DoC, and analyze the functional brain network connectivity to provide a theoretical basis for its application in clinical practice. Methods. Participants diagnosed with DoC were included in the study. Before the intervention, we assessed the patient’s state of consciousness using relevant scales, such as the Glasgow coma scale (GCS) and the coma recovery scale-revised (CRS-R). All patients received acupuncture manipulation with the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system monitored. Result. A total of 16 subjects participated in our study. We observed that the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) in the PFC was increased during the acupuncture manipulation and declined during the resting state. Then, the connection strength of the left cerebral cortex was generally higher than that of the right. Finally, we observed only a weak difference in hemodynamic responses of PFC between the vegetative state (VS) and minimally conscious state (MCS) groups. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion. Our results indicated that acupuncture can increase the concentration of HbO in the PFC and strengthen the connection strength of the left cerebral cortex. However, our present study did not find a significant correlation between the cortical hemodynamic response and the severity of DoC.

With the depth increasing and the improvement of mining mechanization of the coal mine, heat hazard is becoming more and more serious, the ice cooling system is gradually promoted and applied in China for recent years, but the cooling capacity and energy efficiency ratio (EER) test and analysis for such system is seldom reported. The cooling capacity and EER of the refrigerating equipment of an ice cooling system of a coal mine are tested and analyzed in Shandong Province in this paper. The test result indicates that the refrigerating capacity and EER are lower and both the pre-cooling units and the ice making system have a large variable range. It points out that it should not evaluate the ice cooling system by the test data only in this mine but expect more test data and analysis of the ice cooling system in other coal mines to get a more scientific conclusion. And the test, analysis and comparison for different kinds of cooling system are also expected to explore suitable cooling system while a full consideration of the geological conditions and other factors of the mine are taken into consideration.

Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that split away from the primary tumor and appear in the circulatory system as singular units or clusters, which was first reported by Dr. Thomas Ashworth in 1869. CTCs migrate and implantation occurs at a new site, in a process commonly known as tumor metastasis. In the case of breast cancer, the tumor cells often migrate into locations such as the lungs, brain, and bones, even during the early stages, and this is a notable characteristic of breast cancer. Survival rates have increased significantly over the past few decades because of progress made in radiology and tissue biopsy, making early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer possible. However, liquid biopsy, particularly that involving the collection of CTCs, is a non-invasive method to detect tumor cells in the circulatory system, which can be easily isolated from human plasma, serum, and other body fluids. Compared to traditional tissue biopsies, fluid sample collection has the advantages of being readily available and more acceptable to the patient. It can also detect tumor cells in blood earlier and in smaller numbers, possibly allowing for diagnosis prior to any tumor detection using imaging methods. Because of the scarcity of CTCs circulating in blood vessels (only a few CTCs among billions of erythrocytes and leukocytes), thorough but accurate detection methods are particularly important for further clinical applications.

Transcription intermediary factor 1γ (Tif1γ), a ubiquitous nuclear protein, is a regulator of transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β)/Smad signaling. Tif1γ can function as an oncogene and as a tumor suppressor. In the present study, Tif1γ levels were measured in the plasma of patients with breast cancer in order to investigate the association of Tif1γ with overall survival (OS). The results indicated that Tif1γ is an independent prognostic and predictive factor in breast cancer, and thus, a promising target protein for use in diagnostics and patient follow‑up. Plasma levels of Tif1γ were measured in samples obtained from 110 patients with operable breast cancer and in 110 healthy volunteers at the Breast Cancer Department of Yangpu Hospital between 2008 and 2016. The association between Tif1γ levels and clinicopathologic parameters, and the OS in a follow‑up period of 98 months was evaluated. The prognostic significance was assessed using the Kaplan‑Meier method. The levels of Tif1γ were significantly lower in patients with breast cancer compared with healthy controls. The average concentration of 18.40 ng/ml was used to discriminate between Tif1γ‑positive (52) and Tif1γ‑negative patients (58). Tif1γ‑positive patients had a significantly improved OS compared with Tif1γ‑negative patients. In the multivariate analysis, Tif1γ was an independent predictor of a favorable OS in a prospective follow‑up setting; thus, Tif1γ plasma levels are an independent prognostic factor for patients with breast cancer. These findings support the potential of using measurements of Tif1γ plasma levels to guide breast cancer therapy and monitoring. Further studies are required to validate Tif1γ as an easily detectable, non‑invasive prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.

Catalytic oxidation can efficiently eliminate nitrogen-containing volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) and suppress the generation of toxic NOx in order to avoid secondary pollution. In this study, mesoporous SiO2-confined LaMnO3 perovskite nanoparticles with high dispersion were successfully prepared by a citric acid-assisted deposition method (LMO/SiO2-SD) and tested for the oxidation of n-butylamine. The method utilized the synergistic effect of abundant active hydroxyl groups existing on the SiO2 gel surface and citric acid, rendering the metal ions more uniformly scattered on the SiO2 surface. Strikingly, the LMO/SiO2-SD sample exhibited the optimum catalytic performance (T90 at 246 °C) and the highest N2 selectivity, which was mainly ascribed to its abundant surface acid sites, superior low-temperature reducibility and higher ratio of surface Mn4+ species. The apparent activation energy (Ea) for n-butylamine oxidation over LMO/SiO2-SD sample was 29.0 kJ mol−1. Furthermore, the reaction mechanism of n-butylamine oxidation was investigated by in situ FITR and a reasonable reaction route for n-butylamine oxidation over the LMO/SiO2-SD sample was proposed.

A series of Ce-Ti mixed oxides (CeaTi1−a) were successfully synthesized by a spontaneous deposition method and evaluated in selective catalytic reduction of NO with NH3 (NH3-SCR). The structures and properties of the CeaTi1−a catalysts were characterized by means of XRD, Raman, TEM, N2-sorption, XPS, H2-TPR and NH3-TPD. The results demonstrated that lots of Ce-O-Ti species were formed because of the strong synergistic interaction of gelation of TiO2 and deposition of Ce3+ during the preparation process of CeaTi1−a catalysts. As results, the CeaTi1−a catalysts exhibited excellent redox ability, enrichment of Ce3+ species, high surface adsorbed oxygen concentration, and abundant acid sites. The CeaTi1−a catalysts showed remarkable catalytic activity with broad operation temperature window, and Ce0.5Ti0.5 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity and extraordinary H2O/SO2 durability. The in-situ FTIR results revealed that the mechanisms of L-H and E-R existed synchronously during the NH3-SCR reaction, and the former one was predominant due to its rapid reaction rate.

By combining the excellent surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs), the well-separated pyramid arrays of the pyramidal silicon (PSi) and unique physical/chemical properties of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), the MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate shows high performance in terms of sensitivity, uniformity, reproducibility and stability. By using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as probe molecule, the SERS results indicate that the MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate is superior to the AgNPs@PSi, AgA@PSi (the second annealing of the AgNPs@PSi) and the MoS2@AgNPs@flat-Si substrate. The MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate also shows the reasonable linear response between the Raman intensity and R6G concentration. The maximum deviations of SERS intensities from 20 positions on a same MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate and 10 MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrates in different batches are less than 7.6% and 9%, respectively, revealing the excellent uniformity and reproducibility of the substrate. Besides, the SERS substrate has a good stability, the Raman intensity of the MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate only drop by 15% in a month. The corresponding experimental and theoretical results suggest that our proposed MoS2@AgNPs@PSi substrate is expected to offer a new and practical way to accelerate the development of label-free SERS detection.

We proposed a high sensitivity and a high resolution surface plasmon resonance sensor composed of graphene–WS2 hybrid nanostructure and Au–Ag bimetallic-layers film. The bimetallic-layer configuration uses the high sensitivity of gold and the narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of silver to improve the sensor's sensitivity and resolution respectively. Graphene and WS2 serve as an effective light absorption medium. Once they cover the bimetallic-layer, the sensitivity can be further improved significantly. Graphene–WS2–Au–Ag model shows a higher sensitivity and higher resolution than that of the conventional sensing scheme where pure Au thin film is used. In our paper, we mainly use Fresnel equations and the transfer matrix method (TMM) to study the reflectivity and sensitivity as well as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the SPR sensor.

Anthracyclines are highly effective chemotherapeutic agents, used for a wide variety of malignancies. Cardiotoxicity is a well-recognized side effect of anthracycline therapy that limits the total amount of drug administered and can cause heart failure in some patients. Most experimental data support oxidative stress as the etiology of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The objective of this paper was to provide a review of the clinical classification, risk factors, monitoring and prevention of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in patients with breast cancer.

Catalytic oxidation can efficiently eliminate nitrogen-containing volatile organic compounds (NVOCs) and suppress the generation of toxic NO

Nanogap-rich silver nanoislands with fascinating optical properties are desirable substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Here, we propose a simple and high-throughput approach through the laser molecular beam epitaxy (LMBE) technique for preparing silver nanoislands containing large numbers of intra-nanogaps on a silicon wafer (6×6 cm2). By optimizing the deposition time, the enlarged silver nanoislands with ∼5 nm interstitial gaps of abundance and homogeneity were formed. Remarkably, the optimized SERS substrate with high-density hotspots demonstrated a high analytical enhancement factor (AEF) as large as 1.17×105, excellent reproducibility with relative standard deviation (RSD) of 7.76% over the entire substrate, and good stability after storage for 21 days. The electromagnetic field distribution of the optimized SERS substrate was simulated using the software COMSOL Multiphysics based on the actual SEM image of the fabricated sample, and the calculated enhancement factor (EF) is as high as 109. Furthermore, it can enable sensitive and quantitative detection of malachite green at concentrations as low as 10−8 M. This simple fabrication of silver nanoislands with homogeneous ∼5 nm interstitial gaps provides a practical solution for wafer-scale, sensitive, and reproducible SERS substrates.

In this paper, we designed a 2D distance and rotation angle plasmon ruler based on Fano resonance of a trimer nanostructure, which consists of a concentric square nanoring–disk and an outside nanorod (CSRDR). The Fano dip energy and depth are fairly sensitive to the nanometer-scale displacements and rotations, when the nanodisk moves in all direction and rotates around its center. When the symmetry of the nanoring is broken, we can identify the moving and rotating direction of the nanodisk more accurately. We use the CSRDR nanostructure which supports a narrow line-width as a 2D plasmon ruler, which can enhance the sensitivity of a plasmon ruler significantly.

The magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) is widely used in the analysis of electromagnetic scattering problems for conducting objects. Usually, the MFIE is solved by the method of moments (MoM) using the Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) basis functions. In this paper, a new kind of basis function which is named the piece-wise constant vector basis function is proposed and used to solve the MFIE by MoM. Definition of this kind of basis function is given. The calculation of the impedance matrix entries is presented in detail. This kind of basis function is then used for the solution of the MFIE for electromagnetic scattering problems. The radar cross section (RCS) results and the iterative property of both kinds of basis functions are presented. It is shown that the piece-wise constant vector basis functions give similar RCS results as those of the RWG basis functions. Particularly, when iterative solver is used to solve the resultant linear system, the solution scheme using the piece-wise constant vector basis functions iterates much faster than that using the RWG basis functions.

The development of paper-based SERS substrates that can allow multi-component detection in real-word scenarios is of great value for applications in molecule detection under complex conditions. Here, a multifunctional SERS-based paper sensing substrate has been developed through the uniform patterning of high-density arrays of GO-isolated Ag nanoparticles on the hydrophilic porous cellulose paper strip (GO@AgNP@paper). Wet-chemical synthesis was used to provide the cover of SERS hot spots on any part of the paper, not just limited surface deposition. In virtue of the inherent ability of paper to deliver analytes by the capillary force, the detection ability of the GO@AgNP@paper substrate was greatly promoted, allowing as low as 10-19M R6G detection from microliter-volume (50 μL) samples. For the components with different polarity, the paper substrate can be used as an all-in-one machine to achieve the integration of separation and high-sensitive detection for ultralow mixture components, which improves the practical application value of SERS-based paper devices.

In the process of cutting, cutting tool wear has an important influence on the surface quality of the work piece, therefore, it is of great significance for the research of tool wear detection. In this paper, this work focuses on researching relationship between cutting force and tool flank wear. In different experiment conditions, the consistency of the results of simulation and experiment results was obtained through the comparative analysis between the two. It is a complex problem that cutting tool wear and measuring process and not easy to get the accurate ideal results by experiment， the simulation experiment has the characteristics of simple and easy to operate and the result is diminutively influenced by complex factors, therefore, it is the primary method to carry out this work by simulation experiment .In this paper, it is mainly investigated into the simulation analysis of the tool flank wear. The specific content of the simulation experiment is explaining the causation for the tool flank wear through the analysis of the temperature field at the tip and obtaining the data of cutting force in different tool flank wear(10,100,200,300um). The empirical cutting force model was established through multiple regression analysis and the tool flank wear prediction model was reversed and gained by analysis of the results of simulation experiments.

We have proposed a synthetic approach to produce self-supported and bendable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based 3D chemical sensors with high adsorptivity. Such 3D substrates consist of foam-like graphene macrostructures obtained by template-directed chemical vapour deposition on nickel foams (interconnected 3D scaffold of nickel) and uniform and high-density Ag nanoparticles wrapping around the foam graphene, via seed-mediated in situ growth process. Such 3D AgNPs/G@Ni foam substrates show high-quality SERS performance in terms of Raman signal reproducibility and sensitivity for the analyte, resulting from the high density and homogeneity of “hot spots” on AgNPs/G@Ni foam, multiple cascaded amplication (localized surface plasmon mode and optical standing waves or optical refraction) of incident laser to the 3D foam structures and powerful support from nickel scaffold. Moreover, in virtue of the high adsorptivity and sensitivity of AgNPs/G@Ni foam, the low-concentration crystal violet molecules can be easily traced in the curvilinear fish surface, by simply swabbing the surface to achieve molecules concentration effect in the practical applicability. This work shows promising potential in developing the applications of SERS in the foodstuffs processing and security field.

We present a novel method to solve the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) using the method of moments (MoM) efficiently. This method employs a linear combination of the divergence-conforming Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) function and the curl-conforming n × RWG function to test the MFIE in MoM. The discretization process and the relationship of this new testing function with the previously employed RWG and n × RWG testing functions are presented. Numerical results of radar cross section (RCS) data for objects with sharp edges and corners show that accuracy of the MFIE can be improved significantly through the use of the new testing functions. At the same time, only the commonly used RWG basis functions are needed for this method.

In this paper, we study the accuracy and the efficiency of the monopolar divergence-conforming Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) and the monopolar curl-conforming n×RWG basis functions for the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE). Similar to cases using RWG and n×RWG basis functions for the MFIE, there are two impedance matrix elements calculation schemes if the monopolar RWG and monopolar n×RWG basis functions are used to the MFIE, respectively. The monopolar basis functions and the implementation schemes used for the MFIE are discussed. The scattering cross section data as well as the CPU time needed to fill the corresponding impedance matrix obtained from numerical solutions of these implementation schemes using monopolar basis functions are investigated. For the monopolar basis functions and the implementation schemes considered, the first scheme of the MFIE using the monopolar curl-conforming n×RWG basis functions gives most accurate results and it is the best choice for the use of the monopolar basis functions to the MFIE.

The magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) is widely used in method of moments (MoM) for electromagnetic scattering analysis of arbitrarily shaped three-dimensional conducting objects. Besides the well-known Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) basis functions, the curl-conforming n×RWG basis functions are also used in MFIE to improve its accuracy. However, there are two different impedance matrix element formulations that result from the use of the n×RWG basis and testing functions to the MFIE in the literature. Moreover, one of the formulations is more complicated than the other. This stimulates us to explore which formulation is more efficient in improving the accuracy of the MFIE. This paper investigates the efficiency of two impedance matrix element formulations resulting from the use of the curl-conforming n×RWG basis and testing functions to the MFIE. Details to calculate the impedance matrix elements are studied. Numerical results show that the radar cross section (RCS) results of the first formulation are more accurate than those of the second one while consuming only about half of the time to fill the impedance matrix for the second formulation. Thus, compared with the second formulation, the first formulation resulting from the use of the curl-conforming n×RWG basis functions to the MFIE is a better choice for scattering analysis of three-dimensional conducting objects.

We design a novel nano-gap electrode to measure the current of DNA molecule, by which the current–voltage characteristics of individual native DNA, Ag-DNA and Ni-DNA molecules are obtained, respectively. The results show that the voltage gap of Ag- and Ni-DNA is higher than that of native DNA, and the conductance is lower than native DNA in neutral environment. The structure transition from B- to Z-DNA is observed in the presence of high concentrations of nickel ions and Ag-DNA appears chaos state by STM image and U-V spectra characterization. But in alkaline environment, the conductance of Ni-DNA rises and the voltage gap decreases with the increasing of nickel ion concentration denotes that the conductive ability of Ni-DNA is higher than that of native DNA.

We present a novel implementation of the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) with the use of the combined Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) basis and testing functions. Implementation details are outlined in the context of the method of moments. For a wide variety of small sharp-edged objects, we show that accuracy of the MFIE can be greatly improved with a combination parameter of about 0.2 for the combined RWG functions. This is achieved with relatively coarse discretization for the scatterers and with only minor modifications in the existing codes based on the RWG and n×RWG functions.

Accurate calculation of the almost singular double surface integrals is essential for successful solutions of the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) by method of moments (MoM) using Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis functions, especially for the scattering analysis of small conducting objects. In this paper, an accurate singularity extraction technique to avoid logarithmic singularity of the integration on the testing triangles is used for the MFIE. The numerical examples of several small sharp-edged conducting objects demonstrate that accuracy of the MFIE is improved with the use of the new technique. In addition, the MFIE converges much faster than the electric field integral equation (EFIE) when iterative equation solvers are employed, which means high efficiency and a suitable choice for very low frequency small sharp-edged conducting object problems using this new singularity extraction technique.

The method of moments (MoM) solution on the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) for electromagnetic scattering problems of conducting objects with Rao–Wilton–Glisson (RWG) basis functions requires the evaluation of almost singular double surface integrals over triangular subdomains. Calculating these integrals accurately is essential for the successful solution of the MFIE by MoM especially for small sharp-edged conducting objects. This paper studies the singularity of the MFIE and uses an accurate singularity extraction technique to avoid logarithmic singularity of the integration on the testing triangles for the MFIE. Based on the numerical examples of several small sharp-edged conducting objects, it is demonstrated that the accuracy of the MFIE is improved greatly with the use of the new singularity extraction technique.

Uniform mesoporous single-crystal TiO2 spheres with radial channels from driving orientation assembly can be used for energy storage., Highly crystalline mesoporous materials with oriented configurations are in demand for high-performance energy conversion devices. We report a simple evaporation-driven oriented assembly method to synthesize three-dimensional open mesoporous TiO2 microspheres with a diameter of ~800 nm, well-controlled radially oriented hexagonal mesochannels, and crystalline anatase walls. The mesoporous TiO2 spheres have a large accessible surface area (112 m2/g), a large pore volume (0.164 cm3/g), and highly single-crystal–like anatase walls with dominant (101) exposed facets, making them ideal for conducting mesoscopic photoanode films. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) based on the mesoporous TiO2 microspheres and commercial dye N719 have a photoelectric conversion efficiency of up to 12.1%. This evaporation-driven approach can create opportunities for tailoring the orientation of inorganic building blocks in the assembly of various mesoporous materials.

Mycoviruses have been detected in all major groups of filamentous fungi, and their study represents an important branch of virology. Here, we characterized a novel double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) mycovirus, S clerotinia s clerotiorum m ega b irna v irus 1 (SsMBV1), in an apparently hypovirulent strain (SX466) of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum . Two similarly sized dsRNA segments (L1- and L2-dsRNA), the genome of SsMBV1, are packaged in rigid spherical particles purified from strain SX466. The full-length cDNA sequence of L1-dsRNA/SsMBV1 comprises two large open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2), which encode a putative coat protein and an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of the RdRp domain clearly indicates that SsMBV1 is related to Rosellinia necatrix megabirnavirus 1 (RnMBV1). L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1 comprises two nonoverlapping ORFs (ORFA and ORFB) encoding two hypothetical proteins with unknown functions. The 5′-terminal regions of L1- and L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1 share strictly conserved sequences and form stable stem-loop structures. Although L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1 is dispensable for replication, genome packaging, and pathogenicity of SsMBV1, it enhances transcript accumulation of L1-dsRNA/SsMBV1 and stability of virus-like particles (VLPs). Interestingly, a conserved papain-like protease domain similar to a multifunctional protein (p29) of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 was detected in the ORFA-encoded protein of L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1. Phylogenetic analysis based on the protease domain suggests that horizontal gene transfer may have occurred from a single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) virus (hypovirus) to a dsRNA virus, SsMBV1. Our results reveal that SsMBV1 has a slight impact on the fundamental biological characteristics of its host regardless of the presence or absence of L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1. IMPORTANCE Mycoviruses are widespread in all major fungal groups, and they possess diverse genomes of mostly ssRNA and dsRNA and, recently, circular ssDNA. Here, we have characterized a novel dsRNA virus ( Sclerotinia sclerotiorum megabirnavirus 1 [SsMBV1]) that was isolated from an apparently hypovirulent strain, SX466, of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum . Although SsMBV1 is phylogenetically related to RnMBV1, SsMBV1 is markedly distinct from other reported megabirnaviruses with two features of VLPs and conserved domains. Our results convincingly showed that SsMBV1 is viable in the absence of L2-dsRNA/SsMBV1 (a potential large satellite-like RNA or genuine genomic virus component). More interestingly, we detected a conserved papain-like protease domain that commonly exists in ssRNA viruses, including members of the families Potyviridae and Hypoviridae . Phylogenetic analysis based on the protease domain suggests that horizontal gene transfer might have occurred from an ssRNA virus to a dsRNA virus, which may provide new insights into the evolutionary history of dsRNA and ssRNA viruses.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are crucial for double-strand break repair by homologous recombination, and mutations in these genes are responsible for most familial breast carcinomas. Cells with inactivating mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitors. Already in 2010, it has been predicted, that BRCA1 hypermethylation might be sensitive to PARP1 inhibitor. However, till today, a statistically significant proof has been missing, and the effectiveness of PARP1 inhibitors for breast cancer caused by BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation remained elusive. Pyrosequencing has been proposed as an optimal method to investigate the methylation status of the BRCA1 genes. Here, we show for the first time that BRCA1 CpG island hypermethylation is sensitive to PARP1 inhibitors. In clinical settings, this might improve treatment response and provide a more personalized therapy for breast cancer patients. Furthermore, the determination of methylation status of BRCA1 and other genes of the BRCA/homologous recombination (HR) pathway may be an important predictive classifier of response to PARP inhibitor therapy.

The physical phenomenon, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), is mainly based on the local electromagnetic fields enhancement located at the nano-gaps between metal nanostructures attributed to localized surface plasmon resonance. Therefore, nano-gaps are very important for obtaining high-density hot spots and optimal and uniform SERS signals. However, it remains a challenge to form the three-dimensional ultra-narrow nano-gaps. Here, a gyrus-inspired Gyrus-SERS substrate was fabricated with the nanostructure of Ag gyrus/graphene/Au film using an extremely simple method. The lateral and vertical hot spots respectively were obtained from the dense nano-gaps (~3 nm) between gyrus and the coupling of Ag gyrus and Au film in bilayer graphene nano-gaps (0.68 nm), which were demonstrated in experiment and theory. The proposed Gyrus-SERS platform performs an excellent SERS activity (EF~5 × 109), high sensitivity (the minimum detected concentration of R6G and CV respectively is 10−13 and 10−12 M), and outstanding reproducibility (RSD~7.11%). For practical application, the in situ detection of Malachite green (MG) residue on prawn skin was executed using the prepared flexible Gyrus-SERS substrate, which shows the wide potential in food safety field.

Both genetic and epigenetic alterations can control the progression of cancer. Genetic alterations are impossible to reverse, while epigenetic alterations are reversible. This advantage suggests that epigenetic modifications should be preferred in therapy applications. DNA methyltransferases and histone deacetylases have become the primary targets for studies in epigenetic therapy. Some DNA methylation inhibitors and histone deacetylation inhibitors are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, the uses of epigenetic targets are believed to have great potential as a lasting favorable approach in treating breast cancer.

The electric field integral equation (EFIE) and the magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) are widely used in conjunction with method of moments for electromagnetic scattering analysis of three-dimensional conducting objects with closed surfaces. However, the MFIE suffers from an accuracy problem compared with the EFIE with the use of the Rao-Wilton-Glisson (RWG) basis function. This accuracy problem is more serious for objects with sharp edges or corners. To solve this problem, a new technique to compute the impedance matrix elements (IME) of the MFIE using an RWG basis function is presented here. Details to compute the IME and the advantage of this new formulation are displayed. In addition, the relationship between this new IME formulation and the formulation using the low-order curl-conforming basis function for the MFIE is given. Through the computation of the RCS of several relatively small sharp-edged conducting objects, it is shown that the accuracy of the MFIE can be greatly improved by the use of the new IME formulation.