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We fabricated charge-trap non-volatile memories (NVMs) using low thermal budget processes, including laser-crystallization of poly-Si thin film, chemical vapor deposition deposition of a stacked memory layer, and far-infrared-laser dopant activation. The thin poly-Si channel has a low defect-density at the interface with the bulk, resulting in a steep subthreshold swing for the NVM transistors. The introduction of the stacked SiO2/AlOxNy tunnel layer and the SiNx charge-trap layer with a gradient bandgap leads to reliable retention and endurance at low voltage for the NVMs. The low thermal budget processes are desirable for the integration of the nano-scaled NVMs into system on panels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate geometric quantum discords (GQDs) in the two- and three-spin transverse Ising model at both zero and finite temperature. We showed that GQDs measured by the trace distance and the Hellinger distance can be enhanced greatly by the applied transverse magnetic field. For the three-spin isotropic Ising model, the ferromagnetic interaction is more advantageous than that of the antiferromagnetic interaction on creating GQDs. Moreover, the two GQDs can be further increased by the nonuniform Ising interaction between neighbors. In particular, the adjustable antiferromagnetic Ising interaction between two spins is advantageous for enhancing GQDs between them, while the opposite case happens for the other pairs of spins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Protein functional diversity at the post-transcriptional level is regulated through spliceosome mediated pre-mRNA alternative splicing (AS) events and that has been widely demonstrated to be a key player in regulating the functional diversity in plants. Identification and analysis of AS genes in cereal crop plants are critical for crop improvement and understanding regulatory mechanisms. Results: We carried out the comparative analyses of the functional landscapes of the AS using the consensus assembly of expressed sequence tags and available mRNA sequences in four cereal plants. We identified a total of 8,734 in Oryza sativa subspecies (ssp) japonica, 2,657 in O. sativa ssp indica, 3,971 in Sorghum bicolor, and 10,687 in Zea mays AS genes. Among the identified AS events, intron retention remains to be the dominant type accounting for 23.5 % in S. bicolor, and up to 55.8 % in O. sativa ssp indica. We identified a total of 887 AS genes that were conserved among Z. mays, S. bicolor, and O. sativa ssp japonica; and 248 AS genes were found to be conserved among all four studied species or ssp. Furthermore, we identified 53 AS genes conserved with Brachypodium distachyon. Gene Ontology classification of AS genes revealed functional assignment of these genes in many biological processes with diverse molecular functions. Conclusions: AS is common in cereal plants. The AS genes identified in four cereal crops in this work provide the foundation for further studying the roles of AS in regulation of cereal plant growth and development. The data can be accessed at Plant Alternative Splicing Database (http://proteomics.ysu.edu/altsplice/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of crustal melting and cooling has been investigated across the migmatites of the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex (GHC) in the Nyalam region, central Himalaya. Monazite U-Pb ages vary from 32 to 14 Ma and are linked to metamorphic conditions on the basis of monazite internal zoning, mineral inclusions, and changes in heavy rare earth element and Y composition. Metamorphic temperatures were estimated by Zr-in-rutile thermometry and cooling rates were further constrained by rutile U-Pb ages. The results reveal two distinct blocks within the GHC of the Nyalam region. The upper GHC experienced higher peak metamorphic temperatures (730-750°C) and a higher degree of melting (15-25%). Partial melting was dominated by muscovite dehydration melting, which lasted from ~32 to 25 Ma, possibly until ~20 Ma. The lower GHC experienced lower peak metamorphic temperatures (640-675°C) and a lower degree of melting (0-10%) mainly via H2O-saturated melting from 19 to 16 Ma. At different times, both upper and lower blocks experienced initial slow cooling (rates 35 ± 8 and 10 ± 5°C Ma-1, respectively) followed by rapid cooling (100 ± 20°C Ma-1). The documented diachronous metamorphism implies the presence of the 'High Himalayan Thrust' that was active at ~25-16 Ma within the GHC of the central Himalaya. Different degrees and durations of partial melting in the investigated section suggest that a channel flow process dominated the exhumation of the upper GHC migmatites at 25-16Ma, whereas a critical taper process dominated the exhumation of the relatively lower-grade lower GHC rocks and cooled upper GHC migmatites at 16-10 Ma. We suggest that propagating thrusts along large tectonic boundaries together with low-viscosity lateral crustal flow could contribute to exhumation of high-grade metamorphic rocks in the Himalaya and other similar collisional orogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., an annual plant of the Umbelliferae species is one of the most widely used traditional herbal medicines and its fruits have been used to treat a variety of diseases in China, Vietnam, and Japan. The aim of this review is to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and contraindication of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss. and to provide future directions of research on this plant. To date, 350 compounds have been isolated and identified from Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cuss., including the main active constituent, coumarins. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that osthole and other coumarin compounds possess wide range of pharmacological properties for the treatment of female genitals, male impotence, frigidity, skin-related diseases, and exhibit strong antipruritic, anti-allergic, antidermatophytic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-osteoporotic effects. Although coumarins have been identified as the main active constituents responsible for the observed pharmacological effects, the molecular mechanisms of their actions are still unknown. Therefore, further studies are still required to reveal the structure-activity relationship of these active constituents. In addition, toxicological and clinical studies are also required to provide further data for pharmaceutical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal solution for the couple equations of the stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) with different loss coefficients in the DWDM transmission system was discussed. The variation of each signal photon flux along the transmission distance is shown clearly by the formal solution. Then, the analytical solution is obtained from the formal solution when the loss coefficient is the same. Simultaneously, the analytical solution of the small-signal model is derived, too. We also proposed a novel algorithm according to the formal solution, and verified its correctness by showing that the curves for them are basically in coincidence. The result has a certain significance for study on DWDM transmission system and Raman fiber amplifier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-phase centrifuge was used to process oily sludge, and the requirement of mud, oil and water three-phase separation was satisfied through the optimization of parameters. The results showed that when the input quantity was lower than 5 m3/h, the optimal operation parameters of the three-phase centrifuge are shown as follows: the frequency of the main motor end vice motor was 33 and 30 Hz respectively, and the flocculant flow was 0.7 m3/h, while the oily sludge temperature was 55°C. Water content in the separated sludge decreased from 98% to lower than 70%, and the goal of reduction and harmless treatment of oily sludge could be achieved, which could provide essential conditions for subsequent resource utilization and could be used to guide industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has caused hospitals to suspend routine procedures. As the world recovers, there is concern that the outcome of many diseases has been impaired. This study aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on breast cancer demography, clinicopathological characteristics and patient management at a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: Pre-COVID data were collected between January 1, 2019, to March 18, 2020, when a national lockdown was implemented, which caused the suspension of services at the breast clinic of University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). COVID data was obtained from March 2020 until June 2021. Results: This study compared 374 breast cancer patients in the COVID-19 period with 382 patients in the pre-COVID period. There was no significant difference in the median (range) time to surgery between pre-COVID [45 (26.50–153.50) days] and COVID [44 (24.75–156.25) days] periods. The clinicopathological features of breast cancer showed reduction in in situ carcinoma and increase in Stage 4 diagnoses during the COVID period. There was a reduction in screening-detected carcinoma (9% vs. 12.3%), mastectomy followed by immediate reconstruction (5.6% vs. 14.5%) and adjuvant chemotherapy (25.8% vs. 32.9%) in the COVID period. Conclusion: In this center COVID-19 caused operational changes in breast cancer management, including a reduction in reconstructive procedures and adjuvant treatment. Healthcare disruption and fear of COVID may have caused delayed diagnosis, resulting in a higher frequency of Stage 4 disease and lower proportion of in situ carcinoma during the pandemic. However, there was no delay in the time to surgery, reduction in surgical volume, or change in surgery types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SiO 2 -based ceramic cores are widely used in the preparation of gas turbine engine hollow blades due to their excellent chemical stability and easy removal after casting. In this paper, ZrSiO 4 reinforced SiO 2 -based ceramics were fabricated using digital light processing (DLP) technology. The results showed that the addition of ZrSiO 4 reduced the cure depth due to its high UV light absorptivity and refractive index. When the content of ZrSiO 4 increased to 15 wt%, the cristobalite content reached the maximum, and radial shrinkage reached the minimum of 1.4%. ZrSiO 4 grains could hinder the propagation of cracks, enhancing the room-temperature flexural strength. At 1550 °C, fracturing across SiO 2 grains in SiO 2 -based ceramics led to the great improvement of high-temperature flexural strength. When the content of ZrSiO 4 reached 15 wt%, the flexural strength at room temperature and high temperature was 11.5 MPa and 36.7 MPa, respectively. Therefore, the SiO 2 -based ceramics prepared using DLP technology have good room temperature and high temperature properties, and are expected to be used for hollow blade casting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food allergies are a serious food safety and public health issue. Soybean, dairy, aquatic, poultry, and nut products are common allergens inducing allergic reactions and adverse symptoms such as atopic dermatitis, allergic eczema, allergic asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Probiotics are assumed as an essential ingredient in maintaining intestinal microorganisms' composition. They have unique physiological roles and therapeutic effects in maintaining the mucosal barrier, immune function, and gastrointestinal tract, inhibiting the invasion of pathogenic bacteria, and preventing diarrhea and food allergies. Multiple pieces of evidence reveal a significant disruptive effect of probiotics on food allergy pathology and progression mechanisms. Thus, this review describes the allergenic proteins as an entry point and briefly describes the application of probiotics in allergenic foods. Then, the role of probiotics in preventing and curing allergic diseases by regulating human immunity through intestinal flora and intestinal barrier, modulating host immune active cells, and improving host amino acid metabolism are described in detail. The anti-allergic role of probiotics in the function and metabolism of the gastrointestinal tract has been comprehensively explored to furnish insights for relieving food allergy symptoms and preventing food allergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is the largest producer and exporter of coke globally, which means that it is very important to understand the characteristics of air pollutants and carbon emissions from China's independent coking industry. This study was the first to establish a bottom-up inventory of the air pollutants and carbon emissions of China's independent coking industry during 2001–2018 based on continuous emission monitoring system online monitoring data and unit-based corporate information. Based on the developed emission inventory, four scenarios were established to analyze potential emissions reduction of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) in future. The emissions of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) decreased by 62.11%, 63.41%, 72.85%, 63.41% and 63.41%, respectively. CO2, carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) emissions increased by 355.51%, 355.51%, 355.51% and 99.74%, respectively. In 2018, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOx, BC, OC, CO, VOCs and CO2 emissions were, respectively. 45.20, 16.91, 63.84, 117.71, 5.07, 5.92, 554.91, 1026.58 Gg, and 176.88 Tg. Shanxi province made the greatest contributions to the total emissions of air pollutants and CO2 from this industry by 25.01%. The emission source that contributed most to PM2.5 (SO2 and NOX) emissions was coke pushing (quenching and the coke oven chimney respectively) in 2018. Under the ULE scenario (2018–2035), PM2.5 and SO2 emissions will reduce by more than 30%. Under the PCP scenario, PM2.5 and SO2 emissions will reduce by more than 55%. Under the CBP scenario, CO2 emissions will peak at 197.99 Tg in 2025 and decrease to 70% of the peak in 2035. The results showed the emission characteristics of air pollutants and CO2, future emission with several scenarios and cooperative reduction potential in China's independent coking industry, which provides scientific support for the development of pollution control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, FeCo alloys with different phase structure and magnetic properties were successfully electrodeposited at different temperatures (20–90 °C). The crystallographic structure and magnetic properties of FeCo alloy films were studied. The Co content is increased while Fe content is decreased with increasing bath temperature. The X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy analysis reveal that the phase structures of the films strongly depend on the bath temperatures and a metastable α-Mn type phase (Co 0.72 Fe 0.28 ) was formed at 50–80 °C. The saturation magnetization reaches a maximum value of 1890 emu/cc and coercivity reaches a minimum value of 10 Oe of the film electrodeposited at 50 °C in all the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the cellular and immunophenotypic basis of mammographic density in women at high risk of breast cancer. Methods: Mammograms and targeted breast biopsies were accrued from 24 women at high risk of breast cancer. Mammographic density was classified into Wolfe categories and ranked by increasing density. The histological composition and immunophenotypic profile were quantified from digitized haematoxylin and eosin-stained and immunohistochemically-stained (ERα, ERβ, PgR, HER2, Ki-67, and CD31) slides and correlated to mammographic density. Results: Increasing mammographic density was significantly correlated with increased fibrous stroma proportion (rs (22) = 0.5226, p = 0.0088) and significantly inversely associated with adipose tissue proportion (rs (22) = -0.5409, p = 0.0064). Contrary to previous reports, stromal expression of ERα was common (19/20 cases, 95%). There was significantly higher stromal PgR expression in mammographically-dense breasts (p=0.026). Conclusions: The proportion of stroma and fat underlies mammographic density in women at high risk of breast cancer. Increased expression of PgR in the stroma of mammographically dense breasts and frequent and unexpected presence of stromal ERα expression raises the possibility that hormone receptor expression in breast stroma may have a role in mediating the effects of exogenous hormonal therapy on mammographic density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilutionenthalpies of six α-amino acid enantiomers (l-alaninevs d-alanine, l-serine vs d-serine, and l-proline vs d-proline) in pure waterwere determined at T= (288.15 to 323.15) K by isothermaltitration calorimetry (ITC). Homochiral enthalpic pairwise interactioncoefficients (hxx) ateach temperature were evaluated according to the McMillan–Mayertheory. The hxxvaluesof α-alanine and α-proline enantiomers are all positive(hLL> hDD> 0), while those of α-serine enantiomers are all negative(hLL< hDD< 0). In both cases, the hxxvalues increase uniformly and gradually with elevating temperatures.A slight but significant enthalpic discrimination effect is foundin the homochiral pairwise interactions of these α-amino acidenantiomers. The positive growth of hxxvalues indicates that increasing temperature promotesthe predominance of hydrophobic interactions in the binary aqueoussolutions studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Si 3 N 4 -based ceramics with different pore morphologies were prepared choosing Si 3 N 4 and Al 2 O 3 poly-hollow microspheres (PHMs) as pore-forming agents. The phase compositions, morphologies and mechanical properties of the samples were investigated. The SEM results show that the intact Si 3 N 4 and Al 2 O 3 PHMs distribute uniformly in the green body. However, after the sintering process, the basal body of the samples with Si 3 N 4 PHMs is fibrous and Si 3 N 4 PHMs still exist, while the basal body of the samples with Al 2 O 3 PHMs is dense and Al 2 O 3 PHMs disappear. In addition, the samples with Si 3 N 4 and Al 2 O 3 PHMs have different mechanical properties due to their different microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we developed an electrochemically-amplified, stem-loop DNA biosensor to detect the peanut allergen Ara h1. Specifically, we electrodeposited a multilayer graphene–gold nanocomposite onto a glassy carbon electrode and then immobilised a thiolated hairpin DNA–biotin probe onto the modified electrode surface. The multilayer graphene–gold composite has good dispersion ability, and can amplify the electrochemical signal due to its high electron-transfer efficiency. The probe was switched to an “off” state in the presence of target DNA. The prepared biosensor demonstrated a linear response ranging from 10 −16 to 10 −13 M, with an ultrasensitive detection limit of 0.041 fM. Moreover, the biosensor showed excellent selectivity, as well as the ability to discriminate between a complementary target and a one-base mismatch or non-complementary sequence. Results show that this prepared DNA biosensor can be successfully used to detect the peanut allergen Ara h1 in a peanut milk beverage. Findings can be applied to the prevention of allergic reactions, thus improving human health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the trace distance, the Hellinger distance, and the Bures distance geometric quantum discords (GQDs) for a two-spin Heisenberg XX chain with the Dzyaloshinsky–Moriya (DM) interaction and the external magnetic fields. We found that considerable enhancement of the GQDs can be achieved by introducing the DM interaction, and their maxima were obtained when the strength of the DM interaction approaches infinity. The external magnetic fields and the increase of the temperature can also enhance the GQDs to some extent during certain specific parameter regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, computer-assisted technology has been adopted into the field of tissue engineering. The ability to control the input of cell/material using computer technology has spun an active field termed bioprinting. Of the three different types of bioprinting techniques, extrusion-based bioprinting allows deposition of material with varying viscosity range. Several studies optimise the bioprinting process to study the effect of extrusion printing and material parameters in relation to formation quality and cell viability. This article aims to develop a model for a time-pressure extrusion-based biodispensing system, providing a platform for future correlation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A first-order semilinear fuzzy differential inclusion with fuzzy impulse characteristics and linear boundary conditions is considered in separable Banach spaces. By means of semigroup properties, stacking approach and the fixed point theorem for multivalued map due to Dhage, the existence results for fuzzy solution are established. Some general criteria are presented for a class of semilinear fuzzy differential inclusions including higher dimensional and infinite dimensional uncertain systems, and the conditions for existence of solutions in the results are concise and mild. Also, several examples are given to illustrate the utility and applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three hexa-nuclear substituted sandwich-type arsenotungstates, Na6[{Na(H2O)}3{Ni(Htaz)}3(AsW9O33)2]·4H2O (1), Na6[{Na(H2O)}3{Co(Htaz)}3(AsW9O33)2]·8H2O (2), and Na6[{Na(H2O)0.5}3{Mn(Htaz)}3(AsW9O33)2]·11H2O (3) (taz = 1,2,4-1H-triazole), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Basic frameworks of 1–3 are constructed from sandwich-type [{Na(H2O)n}3{M(Htaz)}3(AsW9O33)2]6− (n = 1 or 0.5) anions and sodium cations. The transition metal ions M2+ and Na+ in the central belt are coordinated by α-[AsW9O33]9− units, taz, and water molecules to form {MO4(Htaz)} and {NaO4(H2O)m} (m = 1 or 2) segments in which M2+ ions are modified with Htaz ligands. These fragments connect alternately in an edge-sharing mode forming a six-membered ring. Such a triazole coordinated six-nuclear cluster is first observed in a sandwich-type arsenotungstate system. The compounds 1–3 exhibit good electrocatalytic activity to reduce hydrogen peroxide and antiferromagnetic interactions between the trinuclear M(ii) clusters. In addition, complex 1 has a potent inhibition effect on cell proliferation of HeLa cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Colorectal cancer primarily metastasizes to the liver and globally kills over 600,000 people annually. By functionally screening 661 microRNAs (miRNAs) in parallel during liver colonization, we have identified miR-551a and miR-483 as robust endogenous suppressors of liver colonization and metastasis. These miRNAs convergently target creatine kinase, brain-type (CKB), which phosphorylates the metabolite creatine, to generate phosphocreatine. CKB is released into the extracellular space by metastatic cells encountering hepatic hypoxia and catalyzes production of phosphocreatine, which is imported through the SLC6A8 transporter and used to generate ATP—fueling metastatic survival. Combinatorial therapeutic viral delivery of miR-551a and miR-483-5p through single-dose adeno-associated viral (AAV) delivery significantly suppressed colon cancer metastasis, as did CKB inhibition with a small-molecule inhibitor. Importantly, human liver metastases express higher CKB and SLC6A8 levels and reduced miR-551a/miR-483 levels relative to primary tumors. We identify the extracellular space as an important compartment for malignant energetic catalysis and therapeutic targeting. Video Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a highly sensitive biosensor was constructed for peanut allergen Ara h1 detection. The biosensor was constructed by coating a glassy carbon electrode with a chitosan-mutiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposite and then adding a spongy gold film via electro-deposition to increase the effective area. The probe switched from an “on” to an “off” state in the presence of target DNA, which detached biotin from the electrode surface. This also detached streptavidin–horseradish peroxidase (HRP-SA), which was bound to the electrode via specific interaction with biotin. The HRP-SA catalyzed chemical oxidation of hydroquinone by H 2 O 2 to form benzoquinone, and when it was detached, electrochemical reduction of the signal of benzoquinone could be used to monitor DNA hybridization via chronoamperometry. Under optimum conditions, a wide dynamic detection range (3.91×10 −17 –1.25×10 −15 mol L −1 ) and a low detection limit (1.3×10 −17 mol L −1 ) were achieved for the complementary sequence. Furthermore, the DNA biosensor exhibited an excellent ability to discriminate between a complementary target and a one-base mismatch or non-complementary sequence. The sensor was successfully applied to Ara h 1 analysis in peanuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear feedback shift registers (NFSRs) are widely used in stream cipher design as building blocks. In this paper, we study the problem of decomposing an NFSR into the cascade connection of an NFSR into a linear feedback shift register (LFSR), which is a kind of concatenation of an NFSR and LFSR. A necessary and sufficient condition for such decomposition is provided and other algebraic properties about such decomposition are also studied. Based on these theoretical results, a binary decision diagram (BDD)-based algorithm for such decomposition is proposed. Compared with the previous algorithm proposed by Ma et al., our algorithm can find more accurate candidate LFSR and the algebraic properties presented in this paper guarantee that the memory requirement during our verification is linear in the size of the BDD of the NFSRs characteristic function. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Activation of glucocorticoid receptor signaling in the stress response to traumatic events has been implicated in the pathogenesis of stress-associated psychiatric disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Elevated startle response and hyperarousal are hallmarks of PTSD, and are generally considered to evince fear (DSM V). To further examine the efficacy of corticosterone in treating hyperarousal and elevated fear, the present study utilized a learned helplessness stress model in which rats are restrained and subjected to tail shock for three days. These stressed rats develop a delayed long-lasting exaggeration of the acoustic startle response (ASR) and retarded body weight growth, similar to symptoms of PTSD patients (Myers et al., 2005; Speed et al., 1989). We demonstrate that both pre-stress and post-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day) mitigates a subsequent exaggeration of the ASR measured 14 days after cessation of the stress protocol. Furthermore, the mitigating efficacy of pre-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day for three days) appeared to last significantly longer, up to 21 days after the cessation of the stress protocol, in comparison to that of post-stress administration of corticosterone. However, pre-stress administration of corticosterone at 0.3 mg/kg/day for three days did not mitigate stress-induced exaggeration of the ASR measured at both 14 and 21 days after the cessation of the stress protocol. In addition, pre-stress administration of corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day for three days) mitigates the retardation of body weight growth otherwise resulting from the stress protocol. Congruently, co-administration of the corticosterone antagonist RU486 (40 mg/kg/day for three days) with corticosterone (3 mg/kg/day) prior to stress diminished the mitigating efficacy of the exogenous corticosterone on exaggerated ASR and stress-retarded body weight. The relative efficacy of pre versus post administration of corticosterone and high versus low dose of corticosterone on stress-induced exaggeration of innate fear response and stress-retarded body weight growth indicate that exogenous corticosterone administration within an appropriate time window and dosage are efficacious in diminishing traumatic stress induced pathophysiological processes. Clinical implications associated with the efficacy of prophylactic and therapeutic corticosterone therapy for mitigating symptoms of PTSD are discussed, particularly in relation to diminishing hyperarousal and exaggerated innate fear response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overoxidized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) film-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCE/PEDOT ox ) was prepared and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle techniques. The obtained film is a porous structure with highly abundant oxygen functionality. The SPCE/PEDOT ox could adsorb cations strongly and perform catalytic oxidation of biomolecules. The potential-induced adsorption of dopamine was observed for SPCE/PEDOT ox . A simple medium-exchange procedure was developed for the selective determination of dopamine by the use of the dopamine-adsorbed electrode. Under optimal differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), the proposed assay can be employed in the determination of submicromolar concentration of dopamine without the coexisting interferences of ascorbic acid (1000-fold) and uric acid (10-fold). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the poor generalization of the ISOMAP algorithm when applied on new samples, this paper proposed MRC-ISOMAP (manifold reconstruction-ISOMAP) algorithm to reduce sample characteristics' dimension on the basis of having an in-depth understanding of LLE algorithm's local reconstruction idea. For training samples, MRC-ISOMAP adopted ISOMAP algorithm's global nonlinear structure theory to calculate training samples' low-dimensional representations, and for added samples, the algorithm adopted the theory of local linear to maintain local linear relationships which could conduct the new samples' low-dimensional representation reconstructed by low-dimensional training samples more quickly and accurately. Comparing with the original ISOMAP algorithm, experiments on USTB3 ear image library show that MRC-ISOMAP algorithm can get a higher recognition rate, and achieve a higher efficiency when dealing with added samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axis (HPG) plays vital roles in reproduction and steroid hormone production in both sexes. The focus of this review is upon gene structures, receptor structures and the signaling pathways of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The hormones' functions in reproduction as well as consequences resulting from mutations are also summarized. Specific characteristics of hormones such as the pulsatile secretions of GnRH are also covered. The different regulators of the HPG axis are introduced including kisspeptin, activin, inhibin, follistatin, androgens and estrogen. This review includes not only their basic information, but also their unique function in the HPG axis. Here we view the HPG axis as a whole, so relations between ligands and receptors are well described crossing different levels of the HPG axis. Hormone interactions and transformations are also considered. The major information of this article is depicted in three figures summarizing the current discoveries on the HPG axis. This article systematically introduces the basic knowledge of the HPG axis and provides information of the current advances relating to reproductive hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disease that has substantial health implications, including high rates of health morbidity and mortality, as well as increased health-related costs. Although many pharmacological agents have proven the effects on the development of PTSD, current pharmacotherapies typically only produce partial improvement of PTSD symptoms. Dexmedetomidine is a selective, short-acting α2-adrenoceptor agonist, which has anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic effects. We therefore hypothesized that dexmedetomidine possesses the ability to prevent the development of PTSD and alleviate its symptoms. By using the rat model of PTSD induced by five electric foot shocks followed by three weekly exposures to situational reminders, we showed that the stressed rats displayed pronounced anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive impairments compared to the controls. Notably, repeated administration of 20μg/kg dexmedetomidine showed impaired fear conditioning memory, decreased anxiety-like behaviors, and improved spatial cognitive impairments compared to the vehicle-treated stressed rats. These data suggest that dexmedetomidine may exert preventive and protective effects against anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive impairments in the rats with PTSD after repeated administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at solving the problem that fast fourier transformation (FFT) is hardly applied to extract the characteristics frequency of the bearing's signal, a fault diagnosis method based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD), kurtosis and Hilbert demodulation was pro-posed. Firstly, EMD was used to decompose the vibration signal into the intrinsic mode function (IMF). Then, some of the IMFs selected by the rule of kurtosis were used to recombine the new vibration signal. At last, the Hilbert envelope demodulation was adopted with the new signal to detect the fault information. Through analyzing the simulation signal and the inner vibration signal of fault rolling bearing respective-ly, the characteristics frequency could be clearly extracted. The results indicate hat the proposed method is effective in extracting the bearings' fault information and could be used in rolling bearings fault diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposed and experimentally demonstrated the effective design of a single-to-dual channel 100 Gbit/s wavelength converter with a simple configuration consisting of a single dispersion flattened highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (DSHNL- PCF) and two optical bandpass filters (OBPFs). The polarity-preserved, ultrafast wavelength conversion with single-to-dual channel multicasting is achieved by simultaneously filtering the red- and blue-chirped spectral component of a probe light. Moreover, the wavelength tunability and dynamic characteristics of designed wavelength converter are investigated. The results show that the designed ultrafast wavelength converter has a wide wavelength conversion range of 29nm, and high tolerance to input power fluctuations. It is very attractive for engineering application in modern microwave and ultrafast photonic networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

: During DNA double-strand break repair, two structure-specific DNA nucleases are controlled by the same regulator Pxd1, but in opposite manners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the isolation of an endophytic fungus from the leaves of the medicinal herb adlay ( Coix lacryma- jobi L. var. ma- yuen Stapf) is reported for the first time. The fungus produced Triolein (trioleoylglycerol), a major constituent of triacylglycerols (TAGs) of adlay, in rice medium under shake-flask and bench-scale fermentation conditions. The fungus was identified as Gibberella moniliformis ( Fusarium verticillioides) by its morphology and authenticated by ITS analysis (ITS1 and ITS2 regions and the intervening 5.8S rDNA region). Triolein was identified by HPLC-ELSD coupled with APCI-MS and confirmed through comparison with authentic standard. The concentration of triolein produced by G. moniliformis AH13 reached 2.536 ± 0.006 mg/g dry weight of mycelium. Moreover, the EtOAc extract of G. moniliformis AH13 showed strong antitumor activity against four types of tumor cells (A549, HCT116, MDA-MB-231, and SW1990). These results suggest that G. moniliformis AH13 in adlay has significant scientific and industrial potential to meet the pharmaceutical demands and sustainable energy requirements for TAGs in a cost-effective, easily accessible, and reproducible way and is also a potential novel source of natural antitumor bioactive agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ternary copper(II) complex: [Cu (TBZ)(L-Ile)] ClO4·2H2O [TBZ = 2-(4′-thiazolyl) benzimidazole,L-Ile =L-isoleucinate], was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductivity, IR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The interaction of the complex with DNA was investigated by electronic absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, CD spectroscopy, viscosity measurements, and agarose gel electrophoresis. The results indicated that the complex could bind to DNA by intercalative mode, and cleave pBR322 DNA in the presence of vitamin C in the involvement of hydroxyl radicals, and probably singlet oxygen-like copper-oxo species. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A gold nanoparticle (GNP) probe-based assay (GNPA) modified from the bio-barcode assay (BCA) was developed for ultrasensitive detection of ricin, a potential biothreat agent. In the GNPA, a chain of ricin was captured by a GNP probe coated with polyclonal antibodies and single-stranded signal DNA. A magnetic microparticle (MMP) probe coated with ricin A chain monoclonal antibody was then added to form an immuno-complex. After being magnetically separated, the immuno-complex containing the single-stranded signal DNA was characterized by PCR and real-time PCR. A detection limit of 10−2 fg/ml was determined for the ricin A chain; this is eight orders of magnitude more sensitive than that achieved with an ELISA and two orders more sensitive than that obtained with the BCA. The coefficients of variation (CV) of the intra- and inter-assay values ranged from 3.82-6.46%. The results here show that this novel assay is an ultrasensitive method for detection of ricin proteins and may be suitable for the ultrasensitive detection of other proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study thermal quantum discord (TQD) in the Heisenberg chain with spin site or magnetic impurity. The former one of which may induce inhomogeneous exchange interactions between the neighboring spins, while the latter one may model a spin chain with nonuniform magnetic field. In contrast to one׳s traditional understanding, we found that the spin impurity can be used to enhance the TQD greatly for all the bipartition schemes of the chain, while the magnetic impurity located on one spin can make the TQD between the other two spins approaching its maximum 1 for the antiferromagnetic chain. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, novel porous Si3N4 ceramics were prepared by aqueous gelcasting using Si3N4 poly-hollow microspheres as pore-forming agent. The effect of Si3N4 poly-hollow microsphere content on the phase composition, microstructure, shrinkage, porosity and mechanical properties of the prepared porous Si3N4 ceramics were investigated. It is found that there is only β-Si3N4 phase in all the prepared porous Si3N4 ceramics. Meanwhile, the SEM results show that the pores in the porous Si3N4 ceramics distribute uniformly, the added Si3N4 poly-hollow microspheres and the basal body contact closely. With the increase of Si3N4 poly-hollow microsphere content, the shrinkage of the porous Si3N4 ceramics decreases gradually, and the porosity of the porous Si3N4 ceramics decreases firstly and then increases. Furthermore, the flexural strength and fracture toughness of the porous Si3N4 ceramics decrease with the increase of the Si3N4 poly-hollow microsphere content. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

d-Tagatose 3-epimerase family enzymes can efficiently catalyze the epimerization of free keto-sugars, which could be used for d-psicose production from d-fructose. In previous studies, all optimum pH values of these enzymes were found to be alkaline. In this study, a d-psicose 3-epimerase (DPEase) with neutral pH optimum from Clostridium bolteae (ATCC BAA-613) was identified and characterized. The gene encoding the recombinant DPEase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. In order to characterize the catalytic properties, the recombinant DPEase was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity using nickel-affinity chromatography. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was shown to inhibit the enzyme activity completely; therefore, the enzyme was identified as a metalloprotein that exhibited the highest activity in the presence of Co. Although the DPEase demonstrated the most activity at a pH ranging from 6.5 to 7.5, it exhibited optimal activity at pH 7.0. The optimal temperature for the recombinant DPEase was 55 °C, and the half-life was 156 min at 55 °C. Using d-psicose as the substrate, the apparent K, k, and catalytic efficiency ( k/ K) were 27.4 mM, 49 s, and 1.78 s mM, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the equilibrium ratio of d-fructose to d-psicose was 69:31. For high production of d-psicose, 216 g/L d-psicose could be produced with 28.8 % turnover yield at pH 6.5 and 55 °C. The recombinant DPEase exhibited weak-acid stability and thermostability and had a high affinity and turnover for the substrate d-fructose, indicating that the enzyme was a potential d-psicose producer for industrial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] An islanding detection method for a HPGS is proposed. [•] The islanding detection method is incorporated into the controller of inverter. [•] The time required to add a disturbance for detecting the islanding operation is very short. [•] The islanding detection method is used in a voltage-mode inverter. [•] The HPGS operates in both the grid-connected and the stand-alone conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Deqi sensation is a complex but an important component for acupuncture effect. In this study, we tried to observe the relationship between Deqi and skin temperature changes and whether there was some relativity between Deqi and needle stimulations on cold congealing and dysmenorrhea rat model. Thirty-two female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups (Saline Control Group, Model Group, Group A with strong stimulation, and Group B with small stimulation). Group A and Group B were performed with different stimulations.We found that, compared with saline control group,model group, and Group B, Group A showed that the skin temperature changes on right acupoint SP6 and SP10 increased significantly at 5 min-10 min interval. The skin temperature changes on left SP6 decreased at instant-5 min interval. The skin temperature changes on right SP10 decreased significantly at instant-5 min interval and 10 min-20 min interval. Thermogenic action along Spleen Meridian of Foot Greater Yin was manifested as simultaneous skin temperature increase on right SP6 and SP10 at 5 min-10 min interval after needling SP6, which was helpful to illustrate the relationship between the characteristic of Deqi and needle stimulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A STGPC with energy storage for PGPGS is proposed. [•] The three-port power converter adopted in this paper has three ports. [•] The positive terminal of solar cell array can be directly connected to the ground. [•] No transformer is required in this PGPGS even when using low-voltage battery set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We propose a novel all-optical format conversion scheme from the return-to-zero (RZ) to non-return-to-zero (NRZ) based on a single dispersion-flattened highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (DF-HNL-PCF) and an optical band-pass filter (OBPF). The polarity-preserved, 30Gbit/s RZ-to-NRZ format conversion with Q factor and extinction ration (ER) of 6.57 and 16.06dB is demonstrated by exploiting self-phase modulation (SPM) induced spectral broadening together with subsequent spectral tailoring in the DF-HNL-PCF. The experiments are carried out to investigate the wavelength tunability and the dynamic characteristics of the newly designed PCF-based format converter. Our results show that the designed format converter has a wide operating wavelength range of 24nm and higher tolerance to input signal power fluctuation. This is very useful and attractive for engineering applications of optical-fiber-based RZ-to-NRZ format converter in future ultra-high speed photonic networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We fabricated nano-crystalline Si (nc-Si:H) thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a double-metal-gate structure, which showed a high electron-mobility (μFE) and adjustable threshold voltages (Vth). The nc-Si:H channel and source/drain (S/D) of the multilayered TFT were deposited at 375 °C by inductively coupled plasma chemical vapor deposition. The low grain-boundary defect density of the channel layer is responsible for the high μFE of 370 cm2/V-s, a steep subthreshold slope of 90 mV/decade, and a low Vth of -0.64 V. When biased with the double-gate driving mode, the device shows a tunable Vth value extending from -1 V up to 2.7 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemicalreduction mechanisms of flavin mononucleotide(FMN) in buffered aqueous solutions at pH 3–11 and unbufferedaqueous solutions at pH 2–11 were examined in detail usingvariable-scan-rate cyclic voltammetry (ν = 0.1–20 V s–1), controlled-potential bulk electrolysis, UV–visspectroscopy, and rotating-disk-electrode voltammetry. In bufferedsolutions at pH 3–5, FMN undergoes a two-electron/two-proton(2e–/2H+) reduction to form FMNH2at all scan rates. When the buffered pH is increased to 7–9,FMN undergoes a 2e–reduction to form FMN2–, which initially undergoes hydrogen bonding with water molecules,followed by protonation to form FMNH–. At a lowvoltammetric scan rate of 0.1 V s–1, the protonationreaction has sufficient time to take place. However, at a higher scanrate of 20 V s–1, the proton-transfer reaction isoutrun, and upon reversal of the scan direction, less of the FMNH–is available for oxidation, causing its oxidationpeak to decrease in magnitude. In unbuffered aqueous solutions, threemajor voltammetric waves were observed in different pH ranges. Atlow pH in unbuffered solutions, where [H+] ≥ [FMN],(FMN)H–undergoes a 2e–/2H+reduction to form (FMNH2)H–(wave1), similar to the mechanism in buffered aqueous solutions at lowpH. At midrange pH values (unbuffered), where pH ≤ pKaof the phosphate group and [FMN] ≥[H+], (FMN)H–undergoes a 2e–reduction to form (FMN2–)H–(wave2), similar to the mechanism in buffered aqueous solutions at highpH. At high pH (unbuffered), where pH ≥ pKa= 6.2 of the phosphate group, the phosphate group losesits second proton to be fully deprotonated, forming (FMN)2–, and this species undergoes a 2e–reduction toform (FMN2–)2–(wave 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Based on aqueous gelcasting-assisted solid-state method (AGASSM), improved aqueous gelcasting-assisted solid-state method (IAGASSM) was proposed to prepare the 45wt% Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3–55wt% MgO (BSTM) ceramic powders. It is found that the BSTM ceramic powders prepared by IAGASSM are the most uniform with the smallest particles (D av =0.83μm) than those prepared by solid-state method (SSM) and AGASSM. The phase compositions of the BSTM ceramic powders and ceramics from the prepared ceramic powders are the same whatever ceramic powder preparation method is adopted. Compared with SSM and AGASSM, the BSTM green samples and ceramics from ceramic powders prepared by IAGASSM are the most uniform. Furthermore, it is found that adopting IAGASSM to prepare ceramic powders could not only improve the dielectric properties of the BSTM ceramics considerably, but also decrease their sintering temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The h xx values of each α-amino acids decrease gradually with the mass fractions of cosolvents. [•] The absolute values of h xx of l-enantiomers are larger than d-enantiomers in the range w COS =0 to 0.30. [•] The h xx values of the two proline enantiomers are all positive at each composition of mixed solvents. [•] When a hydrophilic hydroxyl group is introduced into proline enantiomers, the values of h xx become negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of dendritic spine morphology is a critical aspect of neuronal network refinement during development and modulation of neurotransmission. Previous studies revealed that glutamatergic transmission plays a central role in synapse development. AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors regulate spine morphology in an activity dependent manner. However, whether and how Kainate receptors (KARs) regulate synapse development remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that GluK1 and GluK2 may play distinct roles in synapse development. In primary cultured hippocampal neurons, we found overexpression of the calcium‐permeable GluK2(Q) receptor variant increased spine length and spine head area compared to overexpression of the calcium‐impermeable GluK2(R) variant or EGFP transfected, control neurons, indicating that Q/R editing may play a role in GluK2 regulation of synapse development. Intriguingly, neurons transfected with GluK1(Q) showed decreased spine length and spine head area, while the density of dendritic spines was increased, suggesting that GluK1(Q) and GluK2(Q) have different effects on synaptic development. Swapping the critical domains between GluK2 and GluK1 demonstrated the N‐terminal domain (NTD) is responsible for the different effects of GluK1 and GluK2. In conclusion, Kainate receptors GluK1 and GluK2 have distinct roles in regulating spine morphology and development, a process likely relying on the NTD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to observe the clinical effect of single-stage posterior surgery on HIV-positive patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis. Methods: From October 2015 to October 2019, 13 HIV-positive patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis who underwent single-stage posterior surgery were retrospectively analyzed (observation group), and 13 HIV-negative patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis who were matched with the gender, age, operative site, and surgical approach during the same period were selected as the control group. Postoperative complications, hemoglobin, albumin, CD4+T lymphocyte count, operative site, operative time, and blood loss were recorded between the two groups. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scale, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), kyphotic angle, correction rate of kyphosis, angle loss, and bone graft fusion time. Results: In the observation group, 7 patients had postoperative complications, including 1 patient with cerebrospinal fluid leakage, 1 patient with nerve root irritation, 1 patient with an opportunistic infection, and 4 with delayed wound healing. In the control group, 2 patients developed postoperative complications, including 1 with nerve root irritation and 1 with delayed wound healing. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (P > 0.05). CD4+T lymphocyte count, hemoglobin, and albumin in HIV-positive patients with postoperative complications were statistically different from those without postoperative complications (P all < 0.05). No tuberculosis recurrence was found at the last follow-up, ESR and CRP returned to normal, and there were no statistically significant differences in bone graft fusion time, VAS score, ASIA scale, correction rate of kyphosis, and angle loss between two groups (P all > 0.05). Conclusion: Single-stage posterior surgery for HIV-positive patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis could achieve satisfactory clinical efficacy through comprehensive preoperative evaluation, standardized perioperative antiviral and anti-tuberculosis treatments, and prevention of postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HNO has broad chemical and biomedical properties. Metal complexes and derivatives are widely used to make excellent HNO sensors. However, their favorable mechanistic origins are largely unknown. Cu cyclam is a useful platform to make excellent HNO sensors including imaging agents. A quantum chemical study of Cu cyclams with various substitutions was performed, which reproduced diverse experimental reactivities. Structural, electronic, and energetic profiles along reaction pathways show the importance of HNO binding and a proton‐coupled electron transfer mechanism for HNO reaction. Results reveal that steric effect is primary and electronic factor is secondary (if the redox potential is sufficient), but their interwoven effects can lead to unexpected reactivity, which looks mysterious experimentally but can be explained computationally. This work suggests rational substituent design ideas and recommends a theoretical study of a new design to save time and cost due to its subtle effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]