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Background Few studies have been conducted on the associations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) with cognitive impairment among Chinese older adults through a prospective design. Objective This study was aimed to evaluate the associations of BMI, WC, and WHtR with cognitive impairment. Methods We included participants aged 65 years and older in 2014 at baseline and 2018 follow-up surveys of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). BMI, WC, and WHtR were calculated from measured weight, height, and waist circumference. Mini-Mental State Examination was utilized to assess cognitive impairment. Modified Poisson regression was used for calculating prevalence ratios, risk ratios, and 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 5156 participants were included in 2014 at baseline. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 42.5%, 26.7%, and 21.2% in underweight, normal-weight, and overweight/obesity participants defined by BMI categories, respectively, and 24.1% and 26.8% in central obesity participants defined by WC and WHtR cutoffs, respectively. Prospectively, participants with underweight were more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment (RR = 1.258, 95% CI: [1.016, 1.559]), but no risk was found among participants with overweight/obesity after adjustment. Regardless of whether covariates were adjusted or not, no effect on cognitive impairment was found in participants with WC and WHtR groups in the follow-up survey. Conclusions Underweight may be a significant risk factor for the cognitive impairment of Chinese older adults. Weight management programs targeting older adults should attach importance to achieving and maintaining optimal body weight and improving cognitive function.

OBJECTIVE To investigate CYP4V2 gene variants and ocular clinical characteristics of Bietti corneoretinal crystalline dystrophy in China so as to provide more references for genotype and phenotype of BCD. METHODS Sixteen Chinese probands were recruited in Beijing Tongren Hospital in a retrospective study. All patients underwent CYP4V2 gene detection and ophthalmic clinical examinations. RESULTS CYP4V2 gene variants were detected in all patients. Eight variants were identified, and the most common one was c.802-8_810del17bpinsGC. Onset age of BCD was from 12 to 44 years, and the first symptoms mostly were decreased visual acuity or night blindness. Corneal crystalline depositions were observed in all patients and were found not only in epithelium and superficial stroma near the limbus but also in corneal endothelium. OCT showed atrophy of RPE in all patients, outer retinal tubulation in ten patients, macular edema in four patients, macular hole in three patients with one accompanied with retinal detachment, and choroidal neovascularization in one patient. CONCLUSION CYP4V2 gene variants were detected in all patients consistent with the genetic locus homogeneity of BCD, and c.802-8_810del17bpinsGC was the most common mutation. Corneal crystalline depositions were observed in all patients, which may be features of BCD and helpful for the diagnosis of BCD patients, especially those in the advanced stage without typical fundus crystalline depositions or without gene detection. However, considerable phenotypic variability was detected. Corneal crystalline deposits were observed not only in epithelium and superficial stroma but also in endothelium, which has not been reported before. This may provide further evidence for the variable phenotypic expression between affected individuals.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and associated factors in middle-aged and elderly people in China. Methods Data were obtained from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) 2018. We selected 16,767 respondents over the age of 45 as samples for research and analysis. A short version of the Center for Epidemiological Research Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to assess depressive symptoms. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to explore the related factors of depressive symptoms. Back Propagation neural network model was established to examine the ranking of influencing factors of depressive symptoms. Results There was 24.1% prevalence of depressive symptoms among the respondents. The 14 important variables affecting depressive symptoms were screened out with the multivariable logistic regression. Based on the BP neural network to rank the degree of importance, the top five important variables were determined, which were subjective well-being (100.0%), self-reported health (92.0%), life satisfaction (83.4%), ADL disability (74.0%), and marital status (69.7%). Limitations This study was a cross-sectional study, and causality cannot be determined. Conclusions The prevalence of depressive symptoms in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people was high. Subjective quality of life evaluation, health condition and marital status were important factors that have an impact on depressive symptoms.

Improving the efficiency of subsidy policy to better promote R&D investment in new energy vehicles (NEVs) is of great strategic importance for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving sustainable development. Using the technology adoption life cycle theory, this paper proposes a tri-level programming model among a government, a NEVs manufacturer and customers to investigate the NEVs manufacturer's R&D investment strategies, the government's purchase subsidy policies, and customers' purchasing decisions. Through theoretical and numerical analysis, it is found that when the manufacturer is to maximize the sales, it commits R&D investment which maximizes sales of NEVs, or its entire R&D investment capital. When the manufacturer is to maximize its profit, it commits R&D investment which maximizes its profit, or makes the sales constraint satisfied. Purchase subsidy can raise the sales of NEVs, but cannot increase manufacturer's R&D investment, or even have a crowding-out effect on its R&D investment. These findings will help government improve the efficiency of purchase subsidy to better support the development of the NEVs industry.

Plasmonic excitations, consisting of collective oscillations of the electron gas in a conductive film or nanostructure coupled to electromagnetic fields, play a prominent role in photonics and optoelectronics. While traditional plasmonic systems are based on noble metals, recent work has established graphene as a uniquely suited materials platform for plasmonic science and applications due to several distinctive properties. Graphene plasmonic oscillations exhibit particularly strong sub-wavelength confinement, can be tuned dynamically through the application of a gate voltage, and span a portion of the infrared spectrum (including mid-infrared and terahertz (THz) wavelengths) that is not directly accessible with noble metals. These properties have been studied in extensive theoretical and experimental work over the past decade, and more recently various device applications are also beginning to be explored. This review article is focused on graphene plasmonic nanostructures designed to address a key outstanding challenge of modern-day optoelectronics – the limited availability of practical, high-performance THz devices. Graphene plasmons can be used as a means to enhance light–matter interactions at THz wavelengths in a highly tunable fashion, particularly through the integration of graphene resonant structures with additional nanophotonic elements. This capability is ideally suited to the development of THz optical modulators (where absorption is switched on and off by tuning the plasmonic resonance) and photodetectors (relying on plasmon-enhanced intraband absorption or rectification of charge-density waves), and promising devices based on these principles have already been reported. Novel radiation mechanisms, including light emission from electrically excited graphene plasmons, are also being explored for the development of compact narrowband THz sources.

The vision system of arthropods such as insects and crustaceans is based on the compound-eye architecture, consisting of a dense array of individual imaging elements (ommatidia) pointing along different directions. This arrangement is particularly attractive for imaging applications requiring extreme size miniaturization, wide-angle fields of view, and high sensitivity to motion. However, the implementation of cameras directly mimicking the eyes of common arthropods is complicated by their curved geometry. Here, we describe a lensless planar architecture, where each pixel of a standard image-sensor array is coated with an ensemble of metallic plasmonic nanostructures that only transmits light incident along a small geometrically-tunable distribution of angles. A set of near-infrared devices providing directional photodetection peaked at different angles is designed, fabricated, and tested. Computational imaging techniques are then employed to demonstrate the ability of these devices to reconstruct high-quality images of relatively complex objects., The compound eyes of arthropods provide a visual advantage by seeing a wide range of angles all at once, but cameras that mimic them are usually curved and bulky. Here, the authors develop a flat, plasmonic image sensor array that enables high-quality wide-angle vision without lenses or curvature.

Graphene plasmonics provides a powerful means to extend the reach of metasurface technology to the terahertz spectral region, with the distinct advantage of active tunability. Here we introduce a comprehensive design platform for the development of THz metasurfaces capable of complex wavefront manipulation functionalities, based on ribbon-shaped graphene plasmonic resonators combined with metallic antennas on a vertical cavity. Importantly, this approach is compatible with the electrical characteristics of graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which can provide the required mm-scale dimensions unlike higher-mobility exfoliated samples. We present a single device structure that can be electrically reconfigured to enable multiple functionalities with practical performance metrics, including tunable beam steering and focusing with variable numerical aperture. These capabilities are promising for a significant impact in a wide range of THz technologies for sensing, imaging, and future wireless communications.

BackgroundArrhythmias are potential harmful diseases to human beings, especially atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmia, for causing serious consequences such as acute stroke or even sudden cardiac death. Recently the screening of asymptomatic atrial fibrillation by using the long-term ECG monitoring has been widely noticed. The study is to evaluate the significance of detective arrhythmia by using the long-term ECG monitoring in the elderly “so called” healthy people who never have the symptoms of palpitation, short breath or deny previous history of arrhythmia.MethodsWe enrolled a screening study of 1056 participants who were the elderly “so called” healthy people and ready to have a healthy examination from three different communities. They all underwent a long-term ECG monitoring（an adhesive patch）to evaluate cardiac arrhythmia. Inclusion criterias were 1) without any symptoms, 2) age ≥55, and 3) denying previous history of arrhythmia. We excluded patients with prior arrhythmias and who carried the patch for less than one day due to various factors. Then we compared the detected arrhythmia events in the first 24 hours and the total wearing time. ResultsOut of 1056 participants (69.8±12.0 years, 620 males), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) was present in 538 subjects (44% VS 54%, 24 hours VS after 24 hours, P>0.05), atrial fibrillation (AF) was detected in 69 subjects (75% VS 25%, 24 hours VS after 24 hours, PPPP

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease and the major pathological factor of most cardiovascular diseases, leading to approximately one-third of deaths worldwide. Improving local delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the site of atherosclerosis has significant promise to prevent the development of atherosclerotic plaque clinically. Here, a modified macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticle drug delivery able to transport colchicine to the atherosclerotic site is reported. This hybrid system efficiently targets endothelial cells under an inflammatory environment while escaping the endocytosis of macrophages. Furthermore, the anti-inflammatory effect of the modified macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles on foam cells is studied. In vivo, the migration of the modified macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles to atherosclerotic lesions is confirmed in a vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque mouse model. Intravenous injections of the hybrid system successfully reduce the lipid plaque load and improve the plaque stability. Our strategy provides a potential therapeutic system for the targeted delivery of anti-inflammatory drugs to the atherosclerotic site for the treatment of atherosclerosis in cardiovascular diseases. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

In this paper, we assume that the supply chain for new energy vehicles (NEVs) consists of a manufacturer and N parts suppliers, considering that the R&D investment of both manufacturer and suppliers will affect the market demand of NEVs and NEVs credit, we construct decentralized and centralized decision-making models under the dual-credit policy to study the R&D investment strategy of supply chain enterprises. Furthermore, considering that suppliers can form alliances, we establish bargaining game models under the conditions of the non-alliance and alliance of suppliers, and discuss the coordination strategy for the NEVs supply chain. It is found that, under the dual-credit policy, the higher the credit coefficient of technology improvement, the higher the transaction price of credits, and the higher the R&D investment of supply chain. Dual-credit policy can effectively encourage NEVs supply chain to increase R&D investment, improve NEV technology level, and improve the profit of supply chain. Under the dual-credit policy, the increment profit distribution strategy based on a bargaining game model can coordinate the NEVs supply chain. When suppliers separately negotiate with the manufacturer, bringing the negotiation sequence forward, the supplier can get more profits. However, as the manufacturer has the right to determine the negotiation sequence, the supplier can only get the profit of the last round of negotiation, and the manufacturer can get excess profit. Forming a suppliers alliance can solve this problem effectively, and increase the profit of all suppliers when the alliance`s negotiating power is improved to a certain threshold.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a respiratory tract disease characterized by increased alveolar/capillary permeability, lung inflammation and structural damage to lung tissues, which can progress and transform into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Although there are several treatment strategies available to manage this condition, there is still no specific cure for ALI. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member C1 (AKR1C1) is a member of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily, and is a well-known Nrf2 target gene and an oxidative stress gene. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of AKR1C1 on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI model. After mice received LPS treatment, the mRNA expression levels of AKR1C1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and its relationship with the inflammatory factors and malondialdehyde levels were determined using correlation analysis. Next, AKR1C1 was overexpressed or knocked out in mice, and subsequently ALI was induced in mice using LPS. The severity of ALI, oxidative stress and inflammation in the lungs were measured, and the potential involvement of the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transduction activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway was assessed by measuring the changes of lung injury parameters after the agonists of JAK2/STAT3 pathway, including interleukin (IL)-6 and colivelin, were administrated to mice. The results revealed that AKR1C1 expression was decreased in the LPS-induced ALI mouse model. AKR1C1 expression was inversely correlated with serum tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6 and malondialdehyde levels, and positively correlated with serum IL-10 levels. AKR1C1 overexpression significantly attenuated lung injury, as shown by the changes in Evans blue leakage in the lung, lung wet/dry weight ratio, PaO2/FIO2 ratio, survival rate of mice and histological lung changes. In addition, the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway was significantly deactivated by AKR1C1+/+. When AKR1C1+/+ mice were treated with JAK2/STAT3 agonists, the effects of AKR1C1 overexpression on lung injury and oxidative stress were abolished. In conclusion, AKR1C1 may protect against oxidative stress and serve as a negative regulator of inflammation in ALI/ARDS. In addition, the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway could participate in the protective effects of AKR1C1 against ALI.

Recent work suggests that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may beneficially alter the pathological status of several neurological disorders, although the mechanism remains unclear. The current study was designed to investigate the effects of rTMS on behavioral deficits and potential underlying mechanisms in a rat photothrombotic (PT) stroke model. From day 0 (3 h) to day 5 after the establishment of PT stroke, 5-min daily continuous theta-burst rTMS (3 pulses of 50 Hz repeated every 200 ms, intensity at 200 G) was applied on the infarct hemisphere. We report that rTMS significantly attenuated behavioral deficits and infarct volume after PT stroke. Further investigation demonstrated that rTMS remarkably reduced synaptic loss and neuronal degeneration in the peri-infarct cortical region. Mechanistic studies displayed that beneficial effects of rTMS were associated with robust suppression of reactive micro/astrogliosis and the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as oxidative stress and oxidative neuronal damage especially at the late stage following PT stroke. Intriguingly, rTMS could effectively induce a shift in microglial M1/M2 phenotype activation and an A1 to A2 switch in astrocytic phenotypes. In addition, the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines and mitochondrial MnSOD in peri-infarct regions were elevated following rTMS treatment. Finally, rTMS treatment efficaciously preserved mitochondrial membrane integrity and suppressed the intrinsic mitochondrial caspase-9/3 apoptotic pathway within the peri-infarct cortex. Our novel findings indicate that rTMS treatment exerted robust neuroprotection when applied at least 3 h after ischemic stroke. The underlying mechanisms are partially associated with improvement of the local neuronal microenvironment by altering inflammatory and oxidative status and preserving mitochondrial integrity in the peri-infarct zone. These findings provide strong support for the promising therapeutic effect of rTMS against ischemic neuronal injury and functional deficits following stroke.

Graphene is a promising materials system for basic studies and device applications in THz optoelectronics with several key functionalities, including photodetection and optical modulation, already ...

To solve a series of problems caused by address space and information security of contemporary Internet, Chinese scientists have proposed a new generation of network architecture. Since the release of IPv4 RFC791 in 1981, it has become the first widely used Internet of things protocol due to its characteristics of easy implementation and good operability. It constitutes the basic protocol of current Internet technology. However, due to the defects in address classification, address resources are largely wasted. As the scale of the Internet continues to grow, especially the number of addresses used to surge, the address shortage has limited the Internet further development. IPv6 has solved the problem of insufficient IPv4 addresses to some extent, but it is not widely for more than 20 years used because it integrates the information of physical layer and application layer, which confuses the network layer and brings many security risks. Based on the study of IPv4 and IPv6, this paper proposes a new generation network architecture, which is designed from the aspects of addressing model, address writing, address prefix writing and address type. The address structure is compatible with IPv4 and IPv6, so that the previous design results can be retained, fundamentally solve the space address and information security issues, and provide a new solution for the next generation of Internet applications and research.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is critical for proper cerebral homeostasis and its dysfunction during ischemic stroke can result in significant neurological injury. The major goal of the present study was to identify whether curcumin pretreatment possessed protective effects on BBB integrity during the 24 h of acute ischemic brain injury. To investigate the protective effects of curcumin, male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into multiple groups, including sham, middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) vehicle and curcumin pretreated MCAO/R groups. The effects of curcumin were measured by analyzing neurological deficits, infarct size, BBB permeability and expression levels of permeability-related proteins in the brain. It was found that curcumin pretreatment significantly improved neurological scores, decreased infarct size, and protected synaptic remodeling of hippocampal neurons and upregulated the protein expression level of tight junction proteins, ZO-1, occludin and claudin-5 in ischemic rat brains. Furthermore, curcumin pretreatment before stroke was shown to downregulate the phosphorylation of NF-κB and MMP-9, which are central mediators of inflammation. The results from the present study indicated that curcumin pretreatment ameliorated ischemic stroke injury by protecting BBB integrity and synaptic remodeling, as well as inhibiting inflammatory responses.

Based on the explicit time-domain method in conjunction with the equivalent linearization technique, an efficient analysis algorithm is developed for the random vibration analysis of the coupled vehicle-bridge system with local nonlinear components under the random irregular excitation from a bridge deck. With the coupled vehicle-bridge system divided into two subsystems, the equivalent linearized subsystem for the vehicle subsystem with the hysteretic suspension spring is constructed for the given time instant using the equivalent linearization technique. Then the dimension-reduction vibration analysis for the equivalent linearized coupled vehicle-bridge system can be carried out based on the time-domain explicit method, which has been proven to be highly efficient. The numerical example indicates that the proposed approach is of feasibility.

The main function of the quota of construction land, which is generated through famers reclaiming their idle homesteads, is to have the land be developed in advance. The value of the quota...

Angle-sensitive plasmonic photodetectors that can perform optical-domain spatial filtering operations are developed. The edge enhancement capabilities of these devices are demonstrated via computational imaging simulations based on their measured angular response.

We investigate the use of graphene plasmonic excitations for current-driven narrowband THz light emission. Device structures designed to promote critical coupling to free-space radiation are shown to be particularly effective for maximizing the output power.

Periodontitis patients are at risk of alveolar bone loss during orthodontic treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether intermittent parathyroid hormone (1–34) treatment (iPTH) could reduce alveolar bone loss during orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) in individuals with periodontitis and the underlying mechanism. A rat model of OTM in the context of periodontitis was established and alveolar bone loss was observed. The control, iPTH and iPTH + stattic groups received injections of vehicle, PTH and vehicle, or PTH and the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) inhibitor stattic, respectively. iPTH prevented alveolar bone loss by enhancing osteogenesis and suppressing bone resorption in the alveolar bone during OTM in rats with periodontitis. This effect of iPTH was along with STAT3 activation and reduced by a local injection of stattic. iPTH promoted osteoblastic differentiation and might further regulate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in a STAT3-dependent manner. The findings of this study suggest that iPTH might reduce alveolar bone loss during OTM in rats with periodontitis through STAT3/β-catenin crosstalk.

Rationale: The integrity and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is compromised after stroke. The current study was performed to examine potential beneficial effects and underlying mechanisms of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on angiogenesis and vascular protection, function, and repair following stroke, which are largely unknown. Methods: Using a rat photothrombotic (PT) stroke model, continuous theta-burst rTMS was administered once daily to the infarcted hemisphere for 5 min, beginning 3 h after PT stroke. This treatment was applied for 6 days. BBB integrity, blood flow, vascular associated proteins, angiogenesis, integrity of neuronal morphology and structure, and behavioral outcome were measured and analyzed at 6 and/or 22 days after PT stroke. Results: We report that rTMS significantly mitigated BBB permeabilization and preserved important BBB components ZO-1, claudin-5, occludin, and caveolin-1 from PT-induced degradation. Damage to vascular structure, morphology, and perfusion was ameliorated by rTMS, resulting in improved local tissue oxygenation. This was accompanied with robust protection of critical vascular components and upregulation of regulatory factors. A complex cytokine response was induced by PT, particularly at the late phase. Application of rTMS modulated this response, ameliorating levels of cytokines related to peripheral immune cell infiltration. Further investigation revealed that rTMS promoted and sustained post-ischemic angiogenesis long-term and reduced apoptosis of newborn and existing vascular endothelial cells. Application of rTMS also inhibited PT-induced excessive astrocyte-vasculature interactions and stimulated an A1 to A2 shift in vessel-associated astrocytes. Mechanistic studies revealed that rTMS dramatically increased levels of PDGFRβ associated with A2 astrocytes and their adjacent vasculature. As well, A2 astrocytes displayed marked amplification of the angiogenesis-related factors VEGF and TGFβ. PT induced a rise in vessel-associated expression of HIF-1α that was starkly intensified by rTMS treatment. Finally, rTMS preserved neuronal morphology, synaptic structure integrity and behavioral outcome. Conclusions: These results indicate that rTMS can exert powerful protective and restorative effects on the peri-infarct microvasculature after PT stroke by, in part, promoting HIF-1α signaling and shifting vessel-associated astrocytic polarization to the A2 phenotype. This study provides further support for the potent protective effects of rTMS in the context of ischemic stroke, and these findings implicate vascular repair and protection as an important underlying phenomenon.

Pronounced terahertz emission peaks originating from current-driven plasmonic oscillations in graphene nanoribbons are measured. The emission frequency can be tuned by design through the ribbon width and actively by varying the applied gate voltage.

We investigate the ability of gradient metasurfaces to promote directional light emission from an ensemble of dipole sources (colloidal quantum dots) in their near field. Well-collimated ouqrut beams along geometrically tunable directions are measured.

Recently perfect absorbers (PAs) have received significant interest due to their characteristics of complex electric permittivity (e) and magnetic permeability (μ). By rationally designing these artificial structures, the impedance of the perfect absorber can be matched to free space with an independent adjustment in the electric and magnetic resonances, where this structure leads to strong absorption from mid- to near-IR wavelength. In this article, we proposed a multiband PA platform, which simultaneously operates with a near unity absorption at different resonances that could be an ideal candidate for multiple sensing of molecular fingerprints. We numerically analyzed the dependence of the optical response of the PA platform through finite-difference time domain (FDTD) simulations for a fine-tuning mechanism of the PA platform. We theoretically demonstrated the surface enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) capability of our PA platform by studying its optical response with a thin protein bilayer and a polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) film. As an initial step we experimentally showed the vibrational modes of a thin PMMA film. We believe, our findings could open new avenues for reliable SERIA platforms through providing multiple vibrational finger print information compared to its conventional counterparts relying only on a single sensing data.

Gated graphene superlattices, where in-plane variations in the potential-energy profile are introduced with a periodic patterning of the gate electrode or dielectric, provide new opportunities for tailoring the electronic and optical properties of two-dimensional materials. Here we present a numerical study of the optical transitions between minibands derived from the same energy band (conduction or valence) in these systems. Giant absorption peaks at voltage-tunable THz frequencies are obtained, associated with van Hove singularities in the joint density of states of select pairs of minibands. Furthermore, we describe the possibility of interminiband THz gain in the same systems under external carrier injection, resulting from a local population inversion at specific symmetry points of the mini-Brillouin zone, even in the absence of a global inversion. These results highlight the great potential of engineered graphene superlattices for THz optoelectronic device applications, including modulators, tunable...

Background Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common cause of blindness in retinal disease. Long-lasting ocular administration is an effective therapy to delay the progression of RP. And hydrogel sustained release system may be an available and stable drug carrier in the treatment of RP. Method Hydrogel sustained release system was constructed as a drug carrier of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). We administered retinal degenerative (rd) mice (Pdeb rd1 / Pdeb rd1 ) via subconjunctival or retrobulbar injection at postnatal 2 weeks (PN-2w), examined the mice and tested the factors of retina at two weeks after injection. Electroretinogram (ERG) was used to examine retinal function at PN-4w, western blot and q-PCR were used to test the expression of Bax, Bcl-2, iNOS and VEGFa of retina. Result Photoreceptor apoptosis were alleviated in all rhEPO administrated groups. The retinal blood supply was improved in injection groups. Compared with placebo and blank control groups, rhEPO treatment could enhance the retinal function and delay the progression of disease. Although there was no significant difference between rhEPO hydrogel and rhEPO treated group, photoreceptor apoptosis in rhEPO hydrogel group was less than that in rhEPO group, and the retinal function was better in rhEPO hydrogel group. Moreover, different routes of administration might have little effect on treatment in this research. Conclusion Early intervention can effectively control the progression of the disease. Anti-apoptosis,neuroprotection and erythropoietin of rhEPO could be useful in the treatment of RP. Hydrogel as a long-lasting drug sustained release system was stable and available, and might become a potential drug carrier in the future.

Repeated traumatic brain injury, leads to cumulative neuronal injury and neurological impairments. There are currently no effective treatments to prevent these consequences. Growing interest is building in the use of transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy to treat traumatic brain injury. Here, we examined PBM in a repeated closed head injury (rCHI) rat model. Rats were administered a total of three closed head injuries, with each injury separated by 5 days. PBM treatment was initiated 2 hours after the first injury and administered daily for a total of 15 days. We found that PBM-treated rCHI rats had a significant reduction in motor ability, anxiety and cognitive deficits compared to CHI group. PBM group showed an increase of synaptic proteins and surviving neurons, along with a reduction in reactive gliosis and neuronal injury. These findings highlight the complexity of gliosis and neuronal injury following rCHI and suggest that PBM may be a viable treatment option to mitigate these effects and their detrimental consequences.

A compact microstrip cross-coupling bandpass filter with high selectivity and enhanced stopband suppression is presented in this paper. The source-load parallel open-circuit coupling line is introduced to increase a tunable transmission zero near the passband, which improves selectivity and reduces the amplitude level of stopband. From the simulation results, the novel filter has the advantage of high rectangle factor, low insertion loss, great stopband suppression and miniaturization.

Considering that a manufacturer and its core part supplier make collaborative R&D on serial products of 3 grades, high-, mid-, and low-grade, and their core parts according to costumers’ preference for the performance, or intrinsic value, of products, we propose a collaborative R&D model based on costumers’ selection behavior to study the collaborative R&D policy and pricing policy of the supply chain. Then we establish a bargaining game model to study how they allocate the profit they earned. We obtain the optimal policies through theoretic and experimental analysis, and we use Apple iPhone case to illustrate the models and conclusions of this paper. It is found that if the aim of the supply chain is only to maximize its total profit, it should only develop the high-grade product and make its price half of its intrinsic value; if the aim of the supply chain is to maximizing profit while increasing the sales and market shares of the serial products, it should at least develop the high-grade and low-grade product; the ratio of price between the higher grade and the lower grade should be greater than the corresponding ratio of the intrinsic value, while the difference of price between higher grade and the lower grade should be less than the corresponding difference of the intrinsic value.

Recently, we have reported a novel compound-eye camera architecture—one that leverages the great design flexibility of metasurface nanophotonics and the advanced data-processing capabilities of computational imaging, to provide an ultrawide FOV greater than 150° in a planar lensless format.

Under the assumption that the emergence and expansion of the new energy vehicles market is due to consumer groups entering market sequentially, and the size and characteristics of each consumer group are different, this paper proposes the R&D investment model of a new energy vehicles firm based on product subsidy. The firm’s optimal R&D investment and pricing strategies are given through theoretic analysis. It is found that when the initial value of the firm’s marginal profits is positive, the optimal R&D investment strategy is to make its marginal profits equal zero if its R&D funds is sufficient enough, otherwise, the optimal R&D investment strategy is its whole R&D funds. And when the initial value of the firm’s marginal profits is non-positive, its optimal R&D investment strategy is zero. It is also found that there is a crowding-in effect of product subsidy on the firm’s R&D investment under two conditions: only if the unit product subsidy is large enough when the firm doesn’t conduct R&D without subsidy, and if only the firm has surplus R&D funds when the firm has conducted R&D without subsidy.

The paradox between idle homesteads in rural areas and the shortage of construction land in urban areas is concerning. Hence, local governments encourage farmers to reclaim their idle homesteads and farmlands to generate quota. However, the current quota price, which is based on the land reclamation cost, is often inadequate to motivate farmers. This study proposed that the construction land quota and construction land are complementary items, and hence, their pricing should be studied simultaneously instead of independently. Therefore, the classical sequential auction model with complementarity was improved using the core characteristics of quota transactions and those were applied to design optimal pricing mechanisms. Subsequently, the influence of relevant factors on the bidding price was analysed. The results indicated that the bidding price decreases with an increase in the number of bidders and that a bidder’s revenue is at a loss when they acquire the quota but fail to obtain the land; hence, the revenue probability is lost. However, bidding prices increase when the fine of delaying construction increases. To raise the quota price and encourage relatively more farmers to reclaim their idle homesteads, local governments should appropriately increase the delaying construction fines or repurchase the quota at a premium from the bidder who acquires the quota but fails to obtain the land, which is beneficial for easing conflict between construction land demands and farmland protection and for promoting the sustainable development of China’s social economy.

Plasmonic excitations in graphene nanostructures provide a particularly effective means to enhance light–matter interactions at THz frequencies. Here, we investigate the use of graphene nanoribbons for narrowband THz light emission based on the excitation of plasmonic oscillations under current injection and their resonant decay into free-space radiation. A detailed theoretical model of the underlying plasmon-enhanced thermal emission mechanism is presented, whose predictions are in good agreement with the recent experimental demonstration of this phenomenon. This model highlights the key role played by the nanostructure absorption efficiency to maximize the output radiation at the plasmonic resonance frequency. Based on this idea, we explore the integration of graphene nanoribbons with nearby metallic antennas in an open cavity configuration in order to promote critical coupling to free-space radiation and correspondingly enhance the absorption (and, therefore, radiation) efficiency by up to two orders of magnitude. The simulation results indicate that this approach is promising for the development of novel THz sources with technologically relevant emission characteristics.

Under the assumption that ATO (assemble-to-order) supply chain consists of an assembler and two suppliers, who respectively provide one component to the assembler and may form an alliance to negotiate with the assembler, we develop a components replenishment model to study how the ATO supply chain decides components replenishment policies and the suppliers’ alliance policies. The optimal solution of the model is obtained, and the effects of the bargaining power on the optimal solution are theoretically and numerically analyzed. We found that with the enhancement of the bargaining power of the assembler to one supplier, the component selling price and profits of this supplier reduce, and those of another supplier increase. Simultaneously, the expected profit of the assembler increases if its bargaining power is stronger than the other supplier, otherwise, it decreases. If both suppliers’ bargaining powers are stronger than assembler’s, they should bargain with the assembler jointly; if both of their bargaining powers are weaker than the assembler’s, they will bargain with the assembler individually.

In order to recycle and dispose of all people's expired drugs, the government should design a subsidy policy to stimulate users to return their expired drugs, and drug-stores should take the responsibility of recycling expired drugs, in other words, to be recycling stations. For this purpose it is necessary for the government to select the right recycling stations and treatment stations to optimize the expired drug recycling logistics network and minimize the total costs of recycling and disposal. This paper establishes a tri-level programming model to study how the government can optimize an expired drug recycling logistics network and the appropriate subsidy policies. Furthermore, a Hybrid Genetic Simulated Annealing Algorithm (HGSAA) is proposed to search for the optimal solution of the model. An experiment is discussed to illustrate the good quality of the recycling logistics network and government subsides obtained by the HGSAA. The HGSAA is proven to have the ability to converge on the global optimal solution, and to act as an effective algorithm for solving the optimization problem of expired drug recycling logistics network and government subsidies.

Structured AbstractObjective To investigate the effect of lithium on alveolar bone formation during orthodontic retention in rats. Materials and methods After 2 weeks of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), 42 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two orthodontic retention groups: one without (control) and the other with LiCl treatment (LiCl group). Samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7 and 14 during the retention period. We evaluated the bone volume/total volume (BV/TV) ratio and new bone formation in the region of interests (ie, the root, the periodontal ligament and the adjacent alveolar bone around the distal buccal surface of the distal root of the maxillary first molar). We performed quantitative analyses, including histology, histomorphometry and immunohistochemistry to identify Runx2 and Osterix expression. Results The density of trabecular bone, the quantity of osteoblasts and the expression of osteogenic markers, Runx2 and Osterix, were significantly higher in the LiCl group than in the control group during the orthodontic retention period. Conclusion LiCl enhances alveolar bone formation during orthodontic retention in rats.

Paiella, Roberto/0000-0002-7183-6249; Swan, Anna/0000-0002-3978-7993 WOS: 000408077800018 Graphene provides a promising materials platform for fundamental studies and device applications in plasmonics. Here we investigate the excitation of THz plasmon polaritons in large-area graphene samples on standard oxidized silicon substrates, via diffractive coupling from an overlying periodic array of metallic nanoparticles. Pronounced plasmonic absorption features are measured, whose frequencies can be tuned across a large portion of the THz spectrum by varying the array period. At the same time, the ability to tune these resonances actively via electrostatic doping is found to be strongly limited by the presence of large carrier density variations across the sample area induced by the underlying SiO2, which are measured directly by Raman microscopy. These results highlight the importance of minimizing charge "puddles" in graphene plasmonic devices, e.g., through the use of more inert substrates, in order to take full advantage of their expected dynamic tunability for applications in THz optoelectronics. National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [DMR-1308659]; Royal Thai Government Fellowship; Turkey Ministry of Education Fellowship; Division of Materials ResearchNational Science Foundation (NSF)NSF - Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences (MPS) [1411008] Funding Source: National Science Foundation This work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DMR-1308659. K.T. and H.D. acknowledge partial support by a Royal Thai Government Fellowship and by a Turkey Ministry of Education Fellowship, respectively.

Under the assumption that customers divided into different independent segments have heterogeneous preference on products of a product family and sensitivities to their prices, this paper proposes an ATO (Assemble-to-Order) manufacturer production and pricing model to study how the ATO manufacturer meets the heterogeneous demands of consumers from different segments by product selection and pricing. It is found that a product family ATO manufacturer would better always keep more than one type of product are available in the market to better meet customers' heterogeneous demands and provide only one flagship product to every customer segment.

In this paper, we assume that a professional pollutant treatment enterprise treats all of the pollutants emitted by multiple small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In order to determine the treatment price, SMEs can bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, or through forming alliances. We propose a bargaining game model of centralized pollutant treatment to study how the pollutant treatment price is determined through negotiation. Then, we consider that there is a moral hazard from SMEs in centralized pollutant treatment; in other words, they may break their agreement concerning their quantities of production and pollutant emissions with the pollutant treatment enterprise. We study how the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent this by pricing mechanism design. It is found that the pollutant treatment enterprise can prevent SMEs’ moral hazard through tiered pricing. If the marginal treatment cost of the pollutant treatment enterprise is a constant, SMEs could bargain with the pollutant treatment enterprise individually, otherwise, they should form a grand alliance to bargain with it as a whole.

It is studied that the resource-commitment decisions and the profits of the outsourcer and the supplier under three profit sharing arrangements and different market environments, and the impact of market return and profit sharing arrangement on their resource commitments. The mixed sharing arrangement is improved, and the optimum profit sharing arrangements are found out, each of which suits a certain market environment best. It is discovered that the outsourcer can't raise the possibility of RD the outsourcer should adopt improved mixed sharing arrangement in R&D outsourcing when market return is small, and fixed sharing arrangement when market return is large, especially when the proportion of R&D investment to the total investment is large.

We report the use of digital holographic microscopy (DHM) as a viable microscopy approach for quantitative, nondestructive longitudinal imaging of in vitro three-dimensional (3-D) tumor models. Following established methods, we prepared 3-D cultures of pancreatic cancer cells in overlay geometry on extracellular matrix beds and obtained digital holograms at multiple time points throughout the duration of growth. The holograms were digitally processed and the unwrapped phase images were obtained to quantify the nodule thickness over time under normal growth and in cultures subject to chemotherapy treatment. In this manner, total nodule volumes are rapidly estimated and demonstrated here to show contrasting time-dependent changes during growth and in response to treatment. This work suggests the utility of DHM to quantify changes in 3-D structure over time and suggests the further development of this approach for time-lapse monitoring of 3-D morphological changes during growth and in response to treatment that would otherwise be impractical to visualize.